The Thalmor Embassy – Haafingar Hold
Elenwen sat in a silk robe, in front of the roaring fire, in the sitting room of her quarters. She was enjoying a cup of tea as she examined the records that Graylock had assembled on the Dragonborn. The file sat in a leather folder on a table to her left. She drained the cup and set it and its accompanying platter on the table and took the folder. She opened it and placed it in her lap. Thumbing the number of assembled documents, she thought to herself, this bitch has been quite busy, as she sneered.
They appeared to be generally in chronological order, which was so like Graylock. Orderly, she thought.
The first document described general information. Name: Naadia Heart-Striker. Nationality: Redguard. City of origin: Unknown, but likely the Bangkorai region, north of Janeth. Known relatives: Husband – Vilkas of Whiterun and two daughters, both adopted. Skyrim place of first record: Helgen.
Helgen. That caught her attention. She vividly remembered that day several years ago, when the dragons returned. She had been there and remembered seeing a tall, comely Redguard woman among the Stormcloaks General Tullius and his imbeciles had captured at the border, along with Ulfric Stormcloak. Alduin – the World Eater, as the creature had been called – had appeared out of nowhere and had turned Skyrim and the Thalmor's plans upside down.
Additional information from other sources indicated she was half-Nord and half-Redguard. One source, a Mercer Frey of the Riften Thieves Guild reported her father had been a Nord mercenary who had fought in the Great War, in Hammerfell. He had met and bedded a Redguard Healer and their union produced a daughter. She had been captured by Dominion and Imperial forces in a raid and had been taken as a slave to Cyrodiil. She had been purchased by nobles in the capital city and served as a scullery maid, before escaping. She obviously must have come to Skyrim on some trivial quest to discover her roots, Elenwen thought.
She set the page back in the folder and held the next up to read in the light of the fire. This one a report submitted by Ancano. She rolled her eyes and exclaimed, "I remember this moron!"
Ancano was a Thalmor agent that had been assigned to infiltrate the College of Winterhold. Reading the document carefully, Elenwen learned that he had encountered a tall Redguard woman named Naadia Heart-Striker at the College. She had gained entrance by claiming to be the Dragonborn and had demonstrated tremendous skill in several schools of magicka.
Graylock's notes at the bottom of the page indicated that the embassy had lost contact with their agent during the magicka disturbance, in Winterhold. Sources interviewed in the city afterward had reported that a high elf had caused the calamity and had killed the Arch Mage of the college. Heart-Striker had saved the college and Winterhold from destruction, as well as stopping the high elf from doing further damage. As a result, she had been made Arch Mage of the college and presently held this office.
She set this page down and lifted the next. This one from Solitude. "By the gods," exclaimed Elenwen, "This trollop gets around!"
The document had to do with reports of her aide to Elisif on several occasions and her designation as Thane of Haafingar Hold. Other pages contained similar reports of her being granted similar titles in Whiterun, Falkreath, the Reach, Markarth, Windhelm and Eastmarch. Additionally, she had several residences throughout the region and had considerable holdings.
One document reported she was the Harbinger of the Companions and a confidant of Jarl Balgruuf the Greater. The next, stated she had been one of Ulfric's senior officers during the civil war. Reading the details Elenwen learned Heart-Striker had helped win several significant engagements, besides brokering a deal between the warring parties while Alduin was dealt with. One source reported she had dealt the killing blow to General Tullius and his Aide de Camp, Legate Rikki. Goodness, thought the Ambassador, she was a dangerous and accomplished warrior as well as a powerful mage.
Another contained information that indicated she had ties to not only the Thieves Guild of Riften, but possibly the Dark Brotherhood as well. "By the gods," Elenwen exclaimed in exasperation, "Why haven't we kept closer tabs on this bitch!"
She continued to browse each of the reports until two stopped her cold. The first stated a tall Redguard female had attacked Fort Northwatch, freeing numerous Stormcloak prisoners and killing most of the garrison. She remembered this incident, as she had ordered the execution of all the surviving garrison, for their incompetence.
The second was in her own handwriting. She pulled it from the stack in her lap with trembling fingers, her rage barely being contained. Carefully reading and then re-reading the document. It was the report concerning a break-in at the embassy. She had written the report to cover herself and point the blame for the breech of security at her Chief-of-Staff at the time.
A tall Redguard woman had come to one of the galas the embassy hosted. When a disturbance had occurred, the woman – a Naadia Heart-Striker – had gone missing. As a result, numerous files containing very sensitive information had disappeared and several guards and Justicars had been killed. Interrogations had discovered a servant named Malborn – a wreathed little wood elf had committed treason and been her accomplice in the affair. As a result, she had completely purged all non-Altmer from the embassy.
Oh yes, she thought. She remembered this little bitch now, as her eyes narrowed. She was tall and quite comely to look at. The woman had a silky-smooth voice and she remembered asking at the time if she was a bard or had received training in that art form. She carried herself with regal style and had caught the eye of many of the men present, as well as herself.
If she was this Dragonborn, she would need to be dealt with. She couldn't tolerate someone ever getting the best of her and living to tell the tale.
Just then there was a soft knock on the door. She closed the folder, ensuring that no damning information could be seen and set it on the table. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Standing, she sweetly said, "Enter."
The door opened softly on well-oiled hinges. She saw that Ganllon and Loralina were right on time. She bid them to come in and shut the door. As they walked over toward her, she stood and untied the sash of her robe. Shrugging her shoulder, she let it drop to the floor and naked she welcomed them with open arms. Kissing them deeply as they walked over to her bed.
Time to think about more pleasurable things, she thought as they climbed into her bed together for a night of fun.
Jorrvaskr – Whiterun Hold
Of all the offices she held, Naadia enjoyed being Harbinger of the Companions most of all. Walking up the broad steps to the ancient mead hall of Skyrim's equivalent of the fighter's guild, always made her feel like she was coming home and it had been several months since she had last been in Whiterun. Before entering this hallowed hall, she paused causing Vilkas to stop as well. She turned and looked at the city she considered her second home.
Whiterun was a bustling city on built on Skyrim's broad central tundra. It was built around Jorrvaskr and on a higher hill, Dragonsreach – the Jarl's palace. Even in the evening, the city was a bustle of activity. As she and Vilkas had walked through the streets, they had been given greetings by many of the passersby. Some were acquaintances, but most were just generally friendly. She liked that about the city.
As they entered the mead hall, they saw that many of the Companions were present and had just begun their evening meal around the massive table, in the main dining hall. Aela, Farkas and Ria were there, as well as some she didn't recognize. She mentally made a note to visit more often – even with the busy schedule her future held for her.
