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“I don’t like seeing the guards so nervous.” Vilkas whispered to Kali while they were climbing the stairs leading to Dragonsreach.
She did not answer, even though she perfectly agreed with him. An awful feeling was crawling under her skin since Balgruuf’s courier had woken them for an emergency knocking loudly at their door. He had not said what it was, but he looked terrified. Vilkas and she had learnt that the doors of Dragonsreach were sealed. Having a bad impression about the situation was an euphemism.
At the huge wooden door, Imperials and Stormcloaks watched each others, ready to slight their throat the slight sign of a gesture.
“Shit.” Kali muttered, clenching her fist.
Alduin defeated, the Civil War could resume and she had a perfectly good idea why the both camps were here, why everyone was so tense. The guards of Whiterun greeted them with relief, they hoped the Dragonborn could save the situation, foolish thought. Kali was a battlemage, diplomacy was the field of her sister, not her. By the Divines, she also was a dragon in a human skin ! Things would not end well.
They passed the doors in silence, Kali felt trapped when the guards locked them. The hall was silent as a tomb, both camp occupying a side. The jarl left his chair to welcome them, he tried to look calm, but the stiffness of his shoulders betrayed him. His eyes revealed he hated this situation too. Kali and he joined the delegates, Vilkas few steps behind them.
“The Dragonborn was supposed to come alone!” the Imperial shouted, offended.
“I am here for safety reasons.” Vilkas quietly answered.
“Don’t worry, Companion,” the Stormcloak said, not wanting to let the Imperial talking more than him, “we won’t hurt her.”
“I am not here to protect her, I am here to protect you.”
Kali offered them a cruel smile and sit heavily on the chair next to Balgruuf. She did not want to be here and she intended to show it. Vilkas stood behind her, leaning on the stone wall, arms crossed, eyebrows frowning with suspicion when the Stormcloak approached the jaarl and the Dragonborn.
“My Lady, I’m…”
“I don’t care about your name,” Kali cut swiftly. “And I’m not your Lady. Just tell what you need, nothing more. Same for you, Imperial.”
Her voice was full of venom and anger, her fingers tapping the armchair with impatience. The representatives watched each other as if they were trying to find a sort of mutual support to confront her. The Imperial cleared his throat, changing his composure.
“Dragonborn, we have accepted to cease all fight until you defeated Alduin, in which you succeeded and we really thank you for this, the Imperium will be forever grateful. We have come to ask you to join our side to end this life-losing rebellion of Ulfric.”
“And the rebellion wish you would help us to free Skyrim from the Imperium.” the Stormcloak cut.
Kali put a hand under her chin, watching the both delegates in a terrible silence. She felt Balgruuf and Vilkas’ tension growing up, they were right to feel that way. If the two newcomers continued their pathetic attempts, she would be very angry.
“Why I, a Breton, would take side in this war? Because I’m the Dragonborn? No sense!”
“Because you live here.” the Stormcloak answered.
“Oh and you want to use this argument now? I won’t fall for it. You, Stormcloaks, wanted me dead, threaten me and the ones I love, tried to humiliate me because I wasn’t Nord enough to be the Dragonborn ! Fuck you and your vision ! “ Kali spat, furious.
She quickly turned to face the Imperial, not allowing him to talk.
“And you, Imperials. You knocked me out at the border, accused me of treachery and spy towards a country I’ve never visited, you wanted to behead me. I just wanted to see my sister ! Go to Oblivion with you war, both of you. I don’t care and I can go back in my home town if you if you dare to insist on me picking up a side.”
The walls shook with her anger, sparkles lightened her fingers. Vilkas moved slightly, hoping these idiots would not be fool enough to wake the dragon inside her. He knew her temper, he knew the signs, she had learned him to recognize them when the situation was dangerous. In this moment, the danger was obvious for him. It only needed a little spark to explode.
“Dragonborn, with all my respect.” the Imperial began.
Idiot, that was not a good idea to talk to her like this.
“You have to understand that a power like yours can’t be left without supervision, especially during a war. Your power is wanted, the Imperium is of course looking for it, I won’t lie. Siding with us is a guarantee we can trust…”
Idiots. Kali suddenly stood on her feet.
“Yo…”
Swiftly, Vilkas grabbed her by the waist, cutting her breathe out; the only way to avoid her forming the words. She groaned, trying to get free from him, not trying to use her draconic powers, she would be breathless again.
“Put me down, Vilkas.” she ordered with a barely human voice.
It was not the first time he met the dragon, but he was still frightened by the power he sensed. She was a danger when she let the dragon out and he needed to calm her, as she used to calm him when the wolf tried to escape.
“You don’t want that, Kali. You don’t want to prove this fool is right.”
He ignored the offended sound coming from the Imperial, focused only on her, her tense body. Her furious grey eyes staring at him.
“You don’t want those racist and stupid Nords saying that one of them would have been a better Dragonborn than you. You may be the Dragonborn, but you’re also the Harbinger. I know you Kali, you want to help people, not to hurt them.”
Finally she gave up and began to calm down. One of the delegates opened his mouth.
“I strongly suggest you not to say a word,” Balgruuf advised with a tone that left no choice.
Kali sighed loudly, she wished her sister would be here, she hated these meetings, these ego fights.
“I reiterate what I’ve said before : go to Oblivion with your war, the Thalmor will be the only winner. You’re giving them exactly what they want.”
She politely nodded towards Balgruuf, she would gave him a proper apologise later; she needed to leave, to breathe some fresh air. Without words, she left for the upper floor of Dragonsreach, wanting to avoid the soldiers in the streets. She knew Vilkas would handle the end of the meeting alone.
The guards of Whiterun let her reach the huge balcony without a flinch or a remark. Kali leant on the sturdy barrier, breathing deeply, the cold air filling her lungs and calming her dragon. Sometime, she regretted not being able to fly, seeing the world from a different point of view like she did once on Odahviing’s back. With wings, she would be able to flee when needed, going on the Time’s breach and listening to Paarthurnax to calm herself, he was not afraid to calmly kick her ass when she pushed the boundaries.
“Do you still need to be alone?”
She was a bit surprised to hear Vilkas, she did not expect to see him so soon after her departure. Kali turned to observe him, he looked as calm as usual, the meeting did not end in fight she supposed, nor in argue. Her curiosity wanted to know what had happened, but she did not want to give these people more interest than they deserved.
“You can stay if you don’t mind a grumpy lover.” Kali sighed heavily.
“Don’t worry, I’m used to be the grumpy one.”
He came next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders and kissing her hair to relieve her from her tension. She closed her eyes, focusing on his lips on her head, on his protective embrace, on his natural warmth.
She found the fact he calmed her and allowed her to think foolish, but she could not deny the effects he had on her temper. After all, he was used to tame his own beast, he had learnt how to tame hers. Fortunately, she had abandoned her werewolf form as soon as she could, two beasts inside her were too much to bare.
Vilkas also trusted her to tame his wolf, in another way. She was strong enough to contain him until he regained his self control or worse if needed.
“Do you want something?” Vilkas asked after minutes of enjoyable silence.
“Not being the Dragonborn and chose a side in this war…”
“I’m afraid I can’t give you that, but I can offer you a walk outside the town just the two of us. Are you okay with my idea?”
She nodded while their fingers entwined. The guards on the floor were smart enough to show them a hidden door to escape without crossing the path of the delegates once more, they had enough spoiled her time for today. The war would catch her soon, she knew she would have to make a choice, but not now, not when her grievances against the camps blinded her judgement.