The scent of freshly cooked ham hung like a heavenly cloud inside the barracks. Vulera's eyes flickered open, she saw a ray of light crossing the room from the side window, it was morning and she had slept deeply the whole night. A Thalmor soldier was cooking breakfast in the kitchen by the front door. Egg's sizzled in the iron skillet over a fire and Vulera's elven ears really picked up the sound of honey red wine pouring into mugs. Her senses savored this first morning, then she licked her lips with a dry tongue and reality sank back in. Her arms ached from being tied to the leg of the bed all night. Looking next to her, Mirva was still asleep, she had a soft snore while she slept.
"You bosmer sleep like dogs, so loud with snoring." A female Thalmor soldier named Errisa remarked sarcastically as she was getting into her armor. Vulera recognised her as the soldier who taunted them the night before at the gate.
Vulera was trying to get her mouth wet again and finally replied "Can I be untied please?"
Errisa rolled her eyes and stood up, walking up some wood stairs to the upper level of the barracks. Vulera heard her talking to someone. Then three Thalmor came down the stairs and one of them began to untie the ropes.
"You are both..." the Thalmor Captain Releva stopped "wake that one up!" She waited for them to shake Mirva awake. Mirva looked like a lazy cat roused from a deep sleep her eyes slowly opened and looked up for a reason to why she had to be woken up. Captain Releva continued "both of you will meet with the Matron this morning, any sign of disloyalty and we will kill you, do you understand."
Both girls nodded without a reply though both were thinking about that food more than anything. Mirva and Vulera were no strangers to the harsh treatment of high elves before so they were not overly concerned with the Captains warning, nothing they had not heard before when being trained to serve them. Fear would set in when the blades were put to their throat but not now.
Releva was a Thalmor Wizard, she was dressed in well made, brown Thalmor robes and a matching hood, which she had pulled down. Releva had a commanding, deep voice and spoke with authority. Her soldiers stood behind her, glaring at the two wood elves, while a couple of the male Altmer were not as intimidating, one of them named Denew, even offered Vulera a grin.
"Get bathed upstairs, then it is time to eat, perhaps your last meal." Releva ordered, her voice trailing off at the end.
That morning Vulera had the finest breakfast perhaps in her entire life. She looked at Mirva who was beside her eating just as quickly. The two locked eyes and they had a moment to realize they were safe for now, how long it would last was yet to be seen.
The soldiers did not eat with the wood elves at the table by the flickering fire. Instead they picked up pieces of meat or vegetables from a dish while standing around waiting for a shift change. They talked, mostly mocking the two wood elves. How dazzling they were in their golden armor, in all of skyrim no uniform was more brilliant and sexy as a Thalmor Soldiers and Vulera hoped to one day wear such. To be a Thalmor meant power, it meant prestige and respect, her desire for those things was as great as her desire for food that morning.
The door to the barracks opened and three laughing Thalmor soldiers entered, their eyes quickly turned to the wood elves at the table and their comedy turned to sarcastic remarks and smirks.
Errisa greeted her Thalmor Comrades with a nod, the shift change had begun and Errisa led her team out into the cold outside, snow blew into the room.
"Hurry up , close the door!" Rasser, a male Wizard barked as more snow blew inside. He turned back toward the two girls at the table. "Get up now, you will prepare to go see the Matron, then perhaps we will be rid of your filth."
