Victory or Sovngarde

Chapter Thirty-Three

Ylva

Three days later, while the sun still slept just below the horizon, Vilkas and I left Jorrvaskr and headed towards Dragonsreach. I had donned a hooded cloak to conceal my face, in case there were curious eyes watching the doors. We had kept my return a secret to save myself from being swarmed by the masses. No doubt the people would be all over me if they knew of my rescue from the Thalmor. Eventually, I would have to make my presence known, but for now, Vilkas and I were content to spend this time without worry of interruptions from the outside world.

I had needed these few days to readjust to life anyway. The children had hardly given me a chance to be alone, but I did not mind. Being with them refreshed me more than it tired me. It relieved me to hold them again, to run my hands over their hair, to listen to them laugh and—dare I say it?—bicker with one another. Knowing that my babies were safe, out of the Thalmor's reach meant more than the world to me.

Mounting the steps to Dragonsreach, my husband and I approached the doors with purpose. The guards standing at attention moved to open the heavy doors for us, then stepped back to their posts once we were inside the palace. The maids and other staff were already busy with their duties; the sound of brooms scraping across the wooden floors and the delicious smells of cooking breakfast filled the massive room. Vilkas and I walked past it all, heading upstairs where Ulfric and Marina should be bickering by now.

Sure enough, as we came to the landing at the top of the stairs, the pair of leaders were already going at each other. Marina threw her hands down on the table and gasped, "Why would we do it that way, Stormcloak?! It makes no sense!"

"It does make sense if you look at the paths winding through the mountains! We cannot move that many troops like that! I know these lands like the back of my hand, and you think that you know them better than that?!"

"I grew up here, Ulfric! Skyrim is my home, just as much as it is yours! You don't have to be a Nord to love this land!"

"For the love of the Divines!" said Vilkas, finally announcing our presence. "Again?! How much racket do you have to raise before you wake up everyone in this city?"

Both of them snapped upright, as though Vilkas held some sort of honor over them. More likely, they were just shocked to see him.

As we approached the table, I shed my hood and ran my fingers through my hair, smiling at the pair now stunned silent by my reveal.

To be fair to them, I would be stunned silent, too.

Shaking herself out of her stupor, Marina leapt around the edge of the table, rushed forward, and enveloped me in her strong arms. I gasped at the suddenness of her embrace, but returned it after the shock faded. Her body shook as she held me, her voice muffled against my shoulder.

"When did you get back?" she asked me when she finally released me. In that span of time, Ulfric had approached and laid a hand on my shoulder, gazing down on me like a proud parent, relieved to see his daughter alive and well.

"How did you get back?" he asked, before I had a chance to answer Marina.

"Someone owed Ylva a favor," said Vilkas, "so I asked him to help. He agreed. Brought her back safe and sound about four days ago."

"Then why did you not come by sooner?" asked Marina.

"I wasn't ready," I said. "I needed a chance to get adjusted to my life here, heal from my injuries, catch up on sleep. I'm sure you can understand."