[Encanto] 13 – Meeting the Jarl of Winterhold

[A/N: Shorter than usual, tired from work. Thoughts?]

"You...What did you do?" The Jarl snarled with clear anger and disgust in his eyes.

"A modified restoration spell," I told the Jarl honestly, not reacting in the slightest when the guards surrounded me.

"You...You dare?!" The Jarl shouted in anger.

"Of course I dare. It is not illegal to cast magic in public, and if you try to arrest me, I have the right to defend myself against unjust punishment," I warned the Jarl with a cold glare while crossing my arms.

"You!" The Jarl began to try to refute before I interrupted him.

"Unlike you, I am trying to help this town, and you are only getting in the way," I stated, angering him further.

His face turned beet red, and he shouted, "Liar! You mages have brought nothing but ruin to this town! You filthy mages watched from your fancy castle as most of Winterhold and dozens of people were swept away in the storm! It is YOUR fault for the Great Collapse! And I won't stand idle as you claim to be helping MY town! I know your schemes, and I know that it is you mages that will doom us all!"

Sighing, I looked back to the Innkeeper, "I'll see you guys soon, maybe tonight, maybe in a few days, depending on how long this will take me."

"You are serious? Do you really plan on taking on all of those bounties?"  The Innkeeper asked.

I gave him a smile, "Of course. Whether this imbecile understands or not, we are in this together. So, I figure it's about time that Winterhold gets the help it needs."

"No!" The Jarl shouted, but I simply ignored him, instead raising my hand and activating my gift.

"Listen well, Jarl. I have committed no crimes, and as I have warned you, I will defend myself if you attempt to imprison or harm me unjustly. However, as I have insulted your honor, perhaps you would prefer to settle this over a duel?" I asked before a stunning silence took hold of the room.

One of the patrons was the first to speak, "Don't be a fool, lass!"

I just laughed.

I certainly may not look it for my size and statute, but with years of training under strict exercises and liberal uses of gravity, I was far stronger than I appeared.

Snarling, the Jarl stated, "Lower your arms, Men. You!" he pointed at me, "State your terms."

Humming while thinking, I noticed that with each moment, the Jarl became more incompetent.

So, I decided to up the stakes.

"Let's make this noteworthy. If I lose, as in, I fall unconscious or yield, you win, and I will owe the town of Winterhold one hundred thousand Septims that is to be used to expand the industry and economy of Winterhold," I started, briefly noting the stunned eyes of the witnesses.

"And If I lose?" The Jarl challenged, not blinking or shifting his eyes away from mine.

"You allow me to invest into Winterhold freely and get this town back up and running, and eventually its place back on the Map in the future."

"What do you mean by that?" The Jarl asked.

"Well, I guess I would start by funding the construction of a mine, which will mean more jobs for those unemployed. Then perhaps fund the construction of a General Goods store. From there, gold should start flowing into the town, and with some careful investments, the town should begin to expand and grow instead of staying stagnant and declining as it is," I explained part of my plan, not to mention the fact that I wanted to attract more Mages to the town so that we would have a lot more Alchemists, Enchanters, Runesmiths, and Combat Mages.

From there, the possibilities were endless.

Could easily use magic to scan the nearby mountain for any potential ore, build boats for fishing and trading, fund some sort of caravan that would travel along the coast in ships or on land, and sell the ingredients my Greenhouse project produces, along with any fur, meat, and other valuable items that we will have an excess of.

If the Jarl put aside his hatred, he would realize that no matter who won the duel, I would actually get what I wanted. The properties and growth of Winterhold.

I just had to hope that if he did win, he was a competent leader and could actually do what was necessary and required to make Winterhold prosper.

If he was not, then I guess I'd have to find some way to get him kicked out of his position and have someone far more reasonable take the mantle. No, I did not mean to kill the Jarl. I didn't exactly know the laws of Skyrim, but surely there must be some law that would allow for the changing of leadership of a Hold.

Like how it was mentioned in the game that the position of High King of Skyrim could be dueled for by the candidates, so long as the duel was honorable and spectated.

That's what should have happened, but if I remember correctly, in the game, Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, the leader of the Stormcloaks and the Rebellion, decided to duel the High Kind in secret and used the Thu'um to kill the man dishonorably and without any spectators, which meant, his right to the position was revoked.

However, Ulfric and his rebellion were beyond stupid, as all it was doing was weakening the Empire and Skyrim further, something that the High Elves of the Thalmor wanted so that the Empire would be easier to conquer in the future. It was a simple strategy: let the enemy weaken themselves and, no matter who the victor is, swoop in and take the weakened and bloodied enemy down while they are weak and wounded.

This is why, at the beginning of the game, General Tullius of the Empire tried to execute Ulfric before his rebellion could come into full swing, which was prevented by the Arrival of Alduin, the World Eater, and I distinctly remember the Thalmor being there during the Intro, trying to stop General Tullius so that they could have the Civil War continue.

Focusing back on the Jarl, I noticed he was completely silent.

His face was stoic as he was clearly lost in thought, the same as I was moments ago.

Glancing at our growing audience, I realized that most of the town must have been gathering around, inside and outside, to get a taste of the drama, likely something that the town was starved of, as doom and gloom are what held the town since the Great Collapse.

"Why do you want to help us?" The Jarl finally spoke up, his glare cold.

"Because I can, and I refuse to stand by when I can help," I explained, much to the confusion of the Nords.

"Sigh..." The Jarl sighed, clearly weary and tired.

I gave him a friendly smile, "You don't have to believe me. Let my actions prove my words."

"Fine. I yield. Let's see what you will do. May Talos guide you," The Jarl bowed his head slightly, showing slight acknowledgment.

I smiled and bowed in return, "You as well."