Second Archivist Eldaline and her soldier Aralina are still trapped in Whiterun by big dragon outside. Last time, Aranwen, another soldier, left Northwatch Keep with the prisoner Thorald Gray-Mane, released as part of an agreement if his brother carried Eldaline's message. Eldaline is very angry that Aranwen has turned up, rather than the armed escort back to the Thalmor Headquarters that she requested.
Her former library assistant Skavild has fled Skyrim and the vengeance of his fellow Nords, as well as the discovery of his true identity by Delphine, last of the Blades and sworn enemy of the Thalmor. Now in Bruma, Skavild is visiting his son Rufus, and has met his old friends, Junior Archivists Halthir and Linvel.
Atop the great forge at the summit of the great hill of Whiterun, the three elves cared less than any living person who had built the miracle where Sky-forge steel was made. There were more important questions to ask.
"Because I was bored and I wanted to see what you were doing." said Aranwen.
Eldaline pointed wildly at the badly-disguised Thalmor soldier called Aranwen. "You have trampled all protocol and unlawfully endangered your own life and those of two superior officers. Agent Flopsy, I am reporting your soldier for gross misconduct, disobedience and a silly hat."
"And what are you dressed as, Second Archivist? Some sort of romantic Forsworn poet?"
"Aranwen, I have received a report relating to your improper conduct from the Second Archivist, and I think her outfit is very nice." said Aralina.
"I answer to Commander Sarendil now." said Aranwen. "At least, until you get back from escorting Second Archivist Eldaline to the Imperial City, which I see you haven't done. Was she too scared to go back there, Commander Aralina?"
Eldaline drew in a slow breath and deliberately allowed Aralina to begin speaking first so that she could interrupt her.
"That is enough, Aranwen! Return to your post immediately and ask Commander Sarendil to throw you into the Chasm of..."
"I realise that it contradicts your instincts as a merciless disciplinarian, but do not be too hard on your soldier, Flopsy."
Eldaline said, "The message I sent using Avulstein Gray-Mane stated that I will not leave Whiterun without a proper escort. And though you may have all the appearance of one, you will return to fetch reinforcements at sunrise. They will announce their presence by signalling from a nearby hill, as the Jarl has made clear that he will view us as a hostile force, should we bring in one more of our number. You are one more of our number."
"Oh, but I'm here with Thorald." Aranwen insisted.
"Thorald Gray-Mane is no longer a prisoner of the Thalmor, and as such, no longer under our protection." said Aralina. "You were not permitted to attend a family dinner party with him."
"If Avulstein conveyed my message incorrectly, both of them will be under our protection again very shortly."
"Incorrectly is putting it mildly, Second Archivist." said Aranwen. "He was gibbering about a dragon when he got to the keep."
"That will have been the big one we saw in Helgen." said Aralina. "Although, I am not qualified to judge their comparative size."
For the first time since arriving, Aranwen briefly stopped smiling.
Eldaline observed this, and was almost happy to. "Tell me, soldier. Have you seen the Ambassador recently?"
"Yes, but..." Aranwen pondered.
"Wasn't she supposed to be going back to Alinor too? I heard she was back at the Embassy."
"So, she returned to Solitude and it is likely that Flopsy and I were presumed missing in action."
"Missing in dragon." said Aralina.
"Flopsy, does this mean that the dragon is classified or need-to-know? Do you suppose I should have told Avulstein not speak of the dragon?"
"Second Archivist, I imagine that many people would be alarmed at the thought of a dragon."
"What, you mean there's actually a dragon?" said Aranwen.
"Well, I am not unalarmed, myself." said Eldaline. "As a matter of fact, I have never been so terrified in my life. I do not understand how anybody is able to wander about outdoors as though there is not a giant flying dragon in the sky."
"Can it fly?" said Aranwen.
"As you were, Aranwen." said Aralina. "The Second Archivist never said there was a dragon."
"Nobody told me I was going to be fighting dragons. Second Archivist, you're the highest-ranking member of the Thalmor here. I think it's your responsibility to go and fight it."
"Shan't." Eldaline said, and resumed drinking the wine she had brought specifically for the argument. "Not going near that thing, and not so much as putting my nose outside the city gates until I have at least ten soldiers and five mages waiting for me."
"And what if I tell Commander Sarendil that you're absconding from duty, and he tells the Ambassador?" said Aranwen.
Aralina said, "What is the meaning of this insubordinate tone, Aranwen? I demand that you desist, lest I become obliged to flog you." And she very much enjoyed saying it. She wasn't able to say this in her current employment at the shoe shop more than a couple of times a day.
"I will submit myself to the discipline of my superiors." said Eldaline. "If the Ambassador can persuade me that it is not, in fact, our dragon."
It was always a little cold early in the morning in Bruma, and Skavild was still wearing the hat he had borrowed from Orgnar the cook. He felt rather bad for stealing it.
"Here is Junior Archivist Linvel now." Archivist Halthir observed. "And there is no sign of your son, so I imagine that her plan to distract him has worked."
Skavild hurried down the street. "Good, but we'd best have a grown-up conversation as quickly as possible, before he comes back."
"Your little boy is pushing some other little boys repeatedly into a small ditch, Skavild." said Linvel. "I did not suggest this game, but is that all right?"
"Yep, come on. What news from the Summerset Isles?"
"News?" said Halthir.
"Well, you know. Have you had any interesting letters from the big Archives?"
"First Archivist Voldaril is in Skywatch and says he thought there a misprint in the new Encyclopaedia, but it was a false alarm." said Very Junior Archivist Linvel.
"Well, that's interesting." said Skavild. "What about orbs with mystical messages? Anything from Eldaline? Does she remember me?"
Halthir sighed. "I am sure that the Second Archivist remembers you, Skavild. You have only been gone just over a month."
"Six weeks, three days, and fifteen hours." said Skavild.
"Skavild, do you miss the Second Archivist?" demanded Linvel, more insistently than usual.
Halthir suggested, "Perhaps you should spend less time asking about the Second Archivist and more time talking to Rufus, since you are in Bruma."
Skavild had moved to continue along the path but lurched to another stop. "What'd you say? What damned business is it of yours what I do in Bruma? Are you sayin I'm an awful Da? A rascal who romps about shirking his duties?"
"I am trying to escape from the social embarrassment of discussing the Second Archivist, Skavild."
"Archivist Halthir was making a very useful suggestion, Skavild."
"Things are not diplomatically as sound as they were. I told you at dinner yesterday why we were being recalled." Halthir went on, and as they passed the Imperial Synod building, he lowered his voice just a little.
"You said, Ulfric Stormcloak was trapped in an ambush near Helgen. Poor old Ulfric. Even if he did try to throw me to wolves that time." Skavild said. "Is he dead?"
"That is just the problem." Halthir said as they approached the corner of the street. "We do not quite know what happened."
"Well, you're supposed to have all the informa... Oh, by the Nine, get behind that big ornamental rock!"
Halthir said, "I thought it was a sculpture."
"Well, a sculpture of a big ornamental rock, I don't understand this modern stuff, get behind it before they see us. Well, me. Oh, great, and now the sun's comin' out so I'm all lit up, thank you, sun."
Linvel hid behind the big scupture of the big ornamental rock. "Who are we hiding from, Skavild?"
"If I wasn't a rascal who romps about shirking his duties, I wouldn't be the only man in Bruma who knows that man over there's a retired Penitus Oculatus commander."
Halthir also hid. "I didn't say you were anything of the sort, what man? Oh, the angry-looking one?"
"Yes, him." said Skavild, peering out. "If the Penitus Oculatus get hold of me after two years living in a Thalmor office, I'm a very dead Nord."
"How do you know he's a retired Penitus Oculatus commander?" Halthir whispered.
"Because I know his wife, of course, the one pulling her hood down, and don't whisper so damned loud, I think she's seen me."
"She is looking over this way."
Skavild hissed: "I know!"
"Do you think she would betray your whereabouts?" Linvel peeped quietly.
"That's Vilona Cosori. When I knew her she was the town tart, and she lived in the Imperial City. But her husband trusted her to do all his confidential paperwork."
"Now he is looking over this way, Skavild." said Halthir.
"I know, I can bloody see him, now shut up!"
"Fortunately, I can see a distraction waiting to happen."
"What?"
Between the big ornamental rock and the stairs leading to the castle, a Thalmor Justiciar had appeared out of nowhere, according to Skavild, who had simply been looking in a different direction, and was inconveniencing the Captain of the city guard.
"Captain, I must speak with you immediately."
"Armion, what... is it now?" said the Captain of the Guard. "If this is about the red-headed child, I'm sorry, until you can find proof that he is a conjured minion or farm animal, I can't order him off the streets."
"My hairdresser's cousin is stationed in a large fortress in the north of Skyrim, and he said in letter that a man came in with an outlandish report of a dragon in the province."
"Yes he did." said the hairdresser.
For a moment, the Captain of the Guard looked even more alarmed than he intended. "A dragon? Nonsense. There are no dragons. Did you see that play the other day? With the four thieves, and the banana?"
"Don't change the subject." Armion snapped.
"I saw it." said the hairdresser.
"That's good. Are you prepared to sign a statement to this? Incidentally, this means that if dragons do exist, it will be entirely your fault."
"You always find the best spots to stand and watch the world go by." Andalius Cosori told his wife. And now they, too, were descending upon the castle forecourt.
The Captain of the Guard was becoming annoyed. "My fault? I'm not signing anything to say any such thing. That dragon is nothing to do with me, and anyway, it doesn't exist. As all the other dragons don't. All the dragons, together. No distinction between one or the rest, I meant to say, Dragons are nothing to do with me and anyway they don't exist."
A gentle woman's voice distracted the captain, which annoyed him even more. "I'm so pleased to hear it from a figure of authority."
"You see, darling, I told you it was impossible. This man's a respectable Imperial. He'd never lie about something the size of a dragon, so we can set off through the Pale Pass first thing tomorrow."
The other Imperial made the captain nervous. He'd almost forgotten about the Thalmor Justiciar making him nervous. "Hello?" he said.
"I'm so sorry to listen to your conversation with the Altmer gentlemen like this." said Andalius. "I'm Irallus Atronius, I sell carpets, and this is my wife Fladina, she helps. Do you know where these rumours of dragons came from?"
"It's very irresponsible to spread rumours about dragons." said Vilona.
"Yes. I'm not sure." said the captain. "Probably young people. It's always young people."
"I wouldn't be that city guard for all the coffee in Hammerfell." said Skavild. "Or for that matter, anywhere over there."
The Captain of the Guard pointed furiously into the distance. "You! Over there!"
"Yes, you, the Nord with the hat, lurking behind that sculpture. Come here!"
"Right, well, it was nice to see you again, and I've had a good run." said Skavild.
"Hello, Da! What's going on?" demanded Rufus, arriving.
Archivist Halthir stopped hiding too, perhaps in solidarity, although actually there was no reason for him to hide at all. "Don't be silly, Skavild."
"What d'you mean?" said Skavild.
"Leave this matter to me. You should find somewhere to conceal yourself when they are all sufficiently distracted. Safe travels, my friend."
"Oh, Archivist Halthir, please be careful." said Very Junior Archivist Linvel.
"I'll save him." Rufus promised.
Archivist Halthir emerged from behind the sculpture of the big ornamental rock. "Armion, I really hope you have good news about my Second Archivist's gryphon."
"Do you think this is the right time to ask me about a gryphon search party, Halthir? My hairdresser's cousin says Skyrim has a dragon."
"Yes, he does." said the hairdresser.
"It is never the right time, I've found, Justiciar." said Archivist Halthir. "Especially not when discussing your failings as a gryphon-handler. Only, I believe your duties include being good at everything."
"Gryphon-handler? I wasn't warned that your Second Archivist was going to become infatuated with a flying, shrieking sky cat with a misshapen tail. The Saril situation was sprung upon me unfairly."
"You lost the big bird!" shouted Rufus. "I wanted to pet him! Bring the big bird back!"
"You were supposed to play with him." said Halthir. "It was quite clearly specified that Saril becomes lonely and bored and flies off in search of delicious things to eat if you don't play with him. You were provided with all the tools to do this; a very long pole and an amusing bouncing sheep. I do not suppose you even looked into how to use the sheep properly, even though I thought it was self-explanatory."
"Why is your hair pointy?" Rufus said.
Very Junior Archivist Linvel was frozen in place with worry. She had never seen Archivist Halthir being so ill-mannered before.
"I would have played with the gryphon, if you'd asked me." said the hairdresser.
"Wow, look at that bush." said Rufus.
"All right, Linvel." said Skavild. "I'm making a run for the main gate. I'll keep an eye on things and hurry back if it looks like he's in trouble."
"My responsibilities have never included knowing what to do with a bouncing sheep!" shouted Armion.
Rufus said, "Ahh, that was loud."
"I'm going to my quarters, and I'm not to be disturbed!"
"Wow, a plank in that house over there is made of a different kind of wood!" said Rufus.
The Captain of the Guard looked around. "Hey, where did that Nord with the hat go?"
"What do you think?" said Vilona, a very short time later.
"Since your old friend Skavild seems to have disappeared, I think I'll keep an eye on the librarian with the cabbage hair." said Andalius Cosori.
- continues...