It was just after lunch, and Skavild had been summoned to the Thalmor Embassy. He had wanted to eat a slice of cake with some cream and dried fruit on the side, but being summoned to the Thalmor Embassy had happened instead, and was obviously an indicator of the way the day was going to go.
Besides, his accidental friend, Second Archivist Eldaline, the head of the Bureau of Advanced Communications (Solitude Outpost), was already there, having been called an hour before. Ambassador Elenwen was speaking to her in a rather loud and more urgent tone than was customary, as though the walls, on this occasion, had no ears.
Eldaline was listening, but could not find words to answer with.
"Your archivists, and very importantly, you, your files and our combined gathered intelligence, will have no guarantee of safety in Solitude, should the Legion decide to land the first blow. We underestimated General Tullius, and since orders from Alinor are to expect the worst at every turn, we cannot rule out immediate hostility from an Empire rallied by its victory in this civil war. No questions?" said the Ambassador. "Excellent. Well, you did all you could. My report to the Archons will be very favourable.
Your Junior Archivists will be following with all your files and luggage. The Archon of War's office will be installing their attache there as you are moving out. Simply direct your gryphon south to Bruma, and Armion will send him on from there.
You will set off for the Imperial City early tomorrow, where you and other senior Thalmor will sign off at Headquarters before boarding a ship home. I am being recalled too. Yes, and the gryphon. Agent Flopsy will escort you, and then return here to resume her duties under the new circumstances."
"What about my human?" Eldaline asked quietly.
"Skavild? I will deal with him. Don't worry, he'll be well-compensated." said Ambassador Elenwen.
"You didn't think your pet would be allowed to roam around Alinor? You've grown too close to him in any case. Don't think I haven't noticed, Eldaline. A few weeks, and you'd have been having conversations with him. It's for the best."
"Mara's muffins, she doesn't look happy." The soldier called Aranwen observed, as Second Archivist Eldaline climbed the nearby stairs three at a time.
"As you were, Aranwen. Second Archvist Eldaline is very busy." whispered Agent Aralina, of Flopsy ears.
"Here he comes now. I'll bet fifty Septims he loses his temper and the Ambassador has to set him on fire."
"Be quiet, Aranwen, the Second Archivist has educated her human not to display such passions in front of the Ambassador and I have confidence in her ability to instruct those of lesser intellect."
"Ah! Skavild, there you are. Come here, if you please, for I have something for you." said Elenwen, pacing through the shadows and collecting an official piece of paper from a drawer.
Skavild's irritation had subsided a little as he had wandered through the dark corridors. This was perhaps useful, but the space it had vacated could now be filled with fear instead. "Hello." he said, coldly.
"What's this?" he asked, of the wordlessly offered document.
"I should have asked you if you could read." said Elenwen.
"I can read better than most, thank you very much." said Skavild. "What's all this about 'services to Bureau of Advanced Communications concluded'?"
"It means that your work with the Second Archivist's office is over, Skavild. You can be very pleased. You wanted nothing more than for us to go away and not return. I thought you would be very glad to be rid of us."
Skavild demanded, "Where's Eldaline?"
"You won't be seeing her again, Skavild." said the Ambassador. "Second Archivist Eldaline will be returning to Alinor. And you will return to whatever it is that you previously did."
"What I did?" he cried. "How can she send me away like this? Every man in Solitude and half of Haafingar thinks I'm a Thalmor informant, you've turned my home into a hornet's nest and you're going to abandon me in it."
"Don't raise your voice like that, Skavild. There are a lot of armed guards. Of course I wouldn't abandon you after all the help you've provided to our Second Archivist. Give that document to the Bosmer on the desk on your way out. He has a little reward for you. You're right, of course. I recommend you use the entire amount to find a new place to live, as soon as possible. Thank you and good-bye."
Skavild looked for words. None of the ones he found were utterable in this place. And he had to own that the Ambassador was right about the armed guards.
"I h..." began the wood elf on the desk.
"Before you open your mouth, you'd better not ask me to take your filthy money, so don't think about it." said Skavild.
"I'm a Nord of Solitude, and I've got my pride, and I don't need no poncy Dominion's help to slink out of town like a weasel, I'll damn well scrounge the money from my Ma, so good-day to you."
"No, please, take it, it's really imp..." said the wood elf, as Skavild slammed the door behind him.
Skavild stomped across the courtyard of the embassy, and tried to put as much distance between him and the place before the full extent of the insult dawned on him and he did something stupid.
Even the guards were too busy to offer him more than an untrusting scowl.
But from one of the highest windows, he was observed.
"He'll get over it." said Ambassador Elenwen, from the doorway of the room, but Eldaline could say nothing.
So Elenwen continued, and did so very sharply. "Do you not think there is more to worry about? Is this what Solitude has made you, Second Archivist Eldaline?
If the circumstances were not as grave, I would say it was a good time for you to go home. If that is sadness, it had better be for the failure of your project, and not for the loss of your human.
What have you become? How close have you become with your Library Assistant? Should I be glad that at least you can't have children?"
Eldaline at last found a voice, and used it to tell half a truth. "There is no call for such a grotesque supposition, Ambassador. Can I not grieve for the end of my personal undertaking of more than twenty years? My loyal staff are being scattered. My civil war, and my Wilfred Stormcloak project, are at an end."
"Ulfric." said Elenwen.
continues