Stin

Snowed In

'To the one that receives this message, the offer was finalized and another banner joins ours.

I depart for the Base today and ask for you to meet me there so we can formulate a plan to defeat the enemy.

I'll go into more details once everyone is in the same room.

~ Ayla'

Ayla folds the two pieces of paper and pours some melted, red wax on the edge before stamping her symbol on it. A dragon surrounded by fire.

She lets the wax dry as she stares at a portrait on the wall in front of her, biting at her lips. It is late into the night and they were going to leave to the base that houses her rebellion in the morning.

She lets out a sigh as she taps her fingers on the surface of the desk, traveling into her thoughts. She just made an alliance with the Stormcloaks. The chances of winning this war against the Thalmor just went up.

She smiles to herself just as the wooden door to her room swings open, revealing a joyous Xaliyah, laughing at herself and on the way to being drunk.

"Whata you smiling bout?" Xaliyah asks, leaning against the door.

Ayla looks down at her desk before meeting her friend's gaze, "just today's success," she replies and Xaliyah stares at her in silence for a few seconds before walking forward and grabbing Ayla's wrists and trying to tug the Dragonborn onto her feet.

"Then celebrate it at the bar," Xaliyah suggests as she tries to pull Ayla to her feet, "Bryn and Kharjo are there as well,"

Ayla sighs and shakes her head, sending the brunette an apologetic smile, "as much as I would like to, Xal, I got a few more things to do before I go to bed,"

Xaliyah sighs as she drops Ayla's wrists, "you're such a workaholic, Ayla," Xaliyah says with an eye-roll, "have some fun tonight. You've earned it,"

"I'll celebrate when we have won some victories against the Thalmor," Ayla responds, walking over and grabbing her cloak, tossing it over her shoulders and putting the hood over her head before picking up the two letters on the desk.

"Who are those for?" Xaliyah asks, following the raven-haired female out of the room.

"Athena and Tal," Ayla replies as she walks past the bar where Brynjolf is ordering a few more drinks.

"Aye, Ayla, joining us for a few drinks, are ya?" Brynjolf asks, holding up a tankard filled with ale. Ayla turns around when she reaches the door.

"Not tonight, Brynjolf," she replies as she holds up the two letters in her hand, "got business to take care of,"

"It's going to be a big blizzard tonight, dear," the owner, Elda, says from behind the bar as she hands Brynjolf another mug of ale, "don't stay out too late,"

Ayla smiles politely at the older woman, bowing her head in respect, "I'll be fine," she says before glancing over at Xaliyah and Brynjolf, who is now walking up the stairs and to the second floor, "don't be afraid to yell at them if things get too wild," she adds to Elda before opening the door and stepping out into the wind.

She hears the howling of a pack of wolves outside the city walls and the footsteps of someone walking past her. She gives them a friendly nod before heading towards the city gates in search for a courier at the stables. But she slows to a stop after taking three steps.

A courier is the most common mode of sending messages in Skyrim. Ayla knows that the Thalmor intercepts any couriers they come across. These messages will not be safe from the Thalmor, or the empire for that matter.