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Irish

Thane of Solitude
Hmm, if I had to make an unlikely guess, I'd say Ralof. Sparing Hadvar first struck me as a sign of kinship, but Hadvar's mysterious escape and Galmar's innocence kind of lead me to believe it's Ralof.
 

imaginepageant

Slytherin Alumni
he just always seems to be lurking in the background. people don't even notice him there, or just ignore him, after all he is just a lowly servant.

Well, he's not just a lowly servant, he's Ulfric's steward. And about him not being noticed, that could be said about a few others in the Palace, too...

Hmm, if I had to make an unlikely guess, I'd say Ralof. Sparing Hadvar first struck me as a sign of kinship, but Hadvar's mysterious escape and Galmar's innocence kind of lead me to believe it's Ralof.

That would be pretty hard for Annika to bear, especially since she's the one who put him right next to Ulfric...

Thanks for weighing in, guys! It's interesting to hear your thoughts!
 

Docta Corvina

Well-Known Member
.....DAYUM. That's about all I can say about your work, m'dear! I see now exactly why you were so excited to write That Part. And you did it so damned elegantly. That's something I really love about your writing, you have a knack for powerful storytelling and description, but doing so in an understated, non-pretentious way. I also love your take on Ulfric - it's interesting to read him from a different, humanized perspective.

Well done!
 

imaginepageant

Slytherin Alumni
Chapter six begins. I have to warn you guys, this is the chapter of angst. I swear I didn't set out for it to be, but these damned Nords can be so emo sometimes, let me tell you.

Oh, also, I made some things for the intro post, so check it out if you haven't seen them already. Do you agree with my choices for each of the characters? Is there anyone else you picture while reading, or do you think of the game characters? I can't help but choose real faces for characters whenever I write or read anything!
 

imaginepageant

Slytherin Alumni
Wind Guide You began two years ago today. This is the longest I have ever spent consistently writing a single story, and I have absolutely loved doing it.

I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read Wind Guide You. And I want to doubly thank everyone who has given me feedback, whether it's through comments or ratings. I started writing this story because it would not leave me alone, and I would continue writing it even if no one but me ever read it. But your support truly means the world to me. It keeps me motivated, and it keeps me excited to share the heart and soul I put into this with you.

In honor of Wind Guide You's second birthday, I'd like to share the song that inspired it all. Jeremy Soule's brilliant score is a big part of what makes Skyrim such a beautiful game, and I was especially moved by this particular song. During my second-ever playthrough, I took my Nord archer, Annika, to Windhelm to join the rebellion. This song played as she wandered around the city, and visited the Palace of the Kings for the first time, and it planted ideas in my head... ideas that became a full-fledged scene long before I wrote the first word of this story. Ever since, every time I heard this song, I saw Annika and Ulfric sitting together in the Great Hall, Annika telling her own story of how she came to be there, at that very moment, with him.

If you will indulge me, imagine, for a moment, that Wind Guide You was a movie. Picture that scene in your mind while you listen to this song. Behind the spoiler tag, I've included a breakdown of how I imagine it plays out. (I suggest not opening the spoiler tag if you haven't read chapter five!)


0:00—0:35 - Annika tells Ulfric her story. (Obviously it would take longer than thirty seconds, so pretend the song's intro is extended.)

0:36—0:57 - "So you see, I didn't come back to fight for Skyrim. I came back to fight for the man who, with a single act of compassion, saved the lives of two young children and their mother. The man who taught me that heroes are real, and not only characters in stories and songs. The man who gave me back the hope and faith I had lost. I came back to fight for you."

1:04—1:10 - Ulfric kisses Annika.

1:11—1:18 - Ulfric pulls away for a moment.

1:19—1:31 - Ulfric and Annika kiss again.

1:32—2:58 - Annika and Ulfric in bed together.

BONUS:

2:59—3:23 - I think of this melody as Annika and Ulfric's love theme. Because every great couple needs a love theme.

The second half of the song goes with another sequence of important scenes that will come later on in the story.

Thank you all once again for reading! I'll be hard at work on the rest of chapter six this week!
 

imaginepageant

Slytherin Alumni
Chapter six has been updated! I apologize that they're such short scenes, but the next four scenes will need to be added all at once and may take a bit of time to revise and polish, so I thought I'd give you at least a little something in the meantime.

In honor of Easter, I've thrown two Skyrim-related Easter eggs into these new scenes. Can you find them?

Also, Wind Guide You has hit 15,000 views. Ack! :eek:
 

imaginepageant

Slytherin Alumni
Chapter six has come to a close. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the end!

I've reached the end of what I wrote during Nanowrimo last year, so everything from here on in will need to be written from scratch... meaning updates will likely come somewhat slower now. As always, I appreciate your patience and your support. <3
 

Mookie

Active Member
Might be late but I just finished reading everything. Isnt the Dovakhina a little bit too old :p
30's are not kind to a woman who spends her youth hunting :D
I expected her to be more like...
Uthgerd the Unbroken :rolleyes:
b0035782_52dd0a92747be.png
 

imaginepageant

Slytherin Alumni
Might be late but I just finished reading everything. Isnt the Dovakhina a little bit too old :p
30's are not kind to a woman who spends her youth hunting :D
I expected her to be more like...
Uthgerd the Unbroken :rolleyes:
Sophia Myles is 34 now, but she was 26 in Tristan & Isolde, which is where all of my "Annika" pictures are from. Still, I think she could legitimately pass as a modern-day 31... but you're right, in a world like Skyrim, 31-year-olds probably look a bit worse for wear. But this is also a world of magic, and a world in which nobody actually ages, so I think a little hand-waving on Annika's good skin can be excused. :D
 

Mookie

Active Member
Might be late but I just finished reading everything. Isnt the Dovakhina a little bit too old :p
30's are not kind to a woman who spends her youth hunting :D
I expected her to be more like...
Uthgerd the Unbroken :rolleyes:
Sophia Myles is 34 now, but she was 26 in Tristan & Isolde, which is where all of my "Annika" pictures are from. Still, I think she could legitimately pass as a modern-day 31... but you're right, in a world like Skyrim, 31-year-olds probably look a bit worse for wear. But this is also a world of magic, and a world in which nobody actually ages, so I think a little hand-waving on Annika's good skin can be excused. :D


It seems we will have to wait some more until we see 300 pound female main protagonists :sadface:
Damn :oops:
 

Irish

Thane of Solitude
Annika's struggle with her "newly found" sense of power is what makes her so human and believable to me, even more than I'd already thought. It's refreshing to see a character not so blinded by power that they would simply embrace it with no qualms nor thoughts regarding any possible adverse side-effects, etc. The mixture of emotions coupled with a stronger, reinforced sense of obligation and duty to fulfill her destiny are spot on. Very well done. :D

As for who was the traitor (won't give it away here in case others haven't read the chapter yet), that was a huge surprise for me. In retrospect, I suppose I could see it, but that's what makes it great - it kept me guessing. For me, the hints were subtle enough that the element of surprise was certainly present and I found myself thinking of those clues and putting it all together. Again, very well done. <3
 

imaginepageant

Slytherin Alumni
As for who was the traitor (won't give it away here in case others haven't read the chapter yet), that was a huge surprise for me. In retrospect, I suppose I could see it, but that's what makes it great - it kept me guessing. For me, the hints were subtle enough that the element of surprise was certainly present and I found myself thinking of those clues and putting it all together. Again, very well done. <3
I absolutely love reading a story for a second time and, knowing the later twist, spotting all the little hints and clues that foreshadow it that I'd missed the first time around. That's exactly how I've tried to write Wind Guide You, and I hope I succeeded!

Thanks for such thoughtful feedback, as always! I love hearing your analysis!
 
I found this story a few days ago and I haven't been able to stop. I just finished Chapter 6 and I made an account just to comment.

I love this story. You stick to the established canon enough that it still feels like Skyrim, but there are enough twists that it doesn't feel like reading a script from the game. Annika's character is well written and I've really come to like her. Strong on her own, but not perfect by any means. Realistic. This has been somewhat difficult to find in the majority of fanfiction I've read.

And of course....Ulfric. My absolute favorite character in the entire game. There really isn't enough good quality fiction with Ulfric Stormcloak. Its so nice to see a story where he isn't completely demonized or reduced to a mere plot device to make the DB high queen. His character was so complex in the game, at least in my opinion. Is he a good guy with Skyrim's best interests at heart? Is he only after power? The game never explicitly says either way. Sometimes, I'm not quite sure Ulfric himself knows. I love how you've managed to capture his character and stay true to what we're shown in the game. How he can believe in his cause and still have doubts, the paranoia that must plague him after his past with the Empire and Thalmor, even the darkness he's capable of when he acknowledged his actions in Markarth.

In short, well done. I'm eagerly awaiting more!
 

imaginepageant

Slytherin Alumni
I found this story a few days ago and I haven't been able to stop. I just finished Chapter 6 and I made an account just to comment.

I love this story. You stick to the established canon enough that it still feels like Skyrim, but there are enough twists that it doesn't feel like reading a script from the game. Annika's character is well written and I've really come to like her. Strong on her own, but not perfect by any means. Realistic. This has been somewhat difficult to find in the majority of fanfiction I've read.

And of course....Ulfric. My absolute favorite character in the entire game. There really isn't enough good quality fiction with Ulfric Stormcloak. Its so nice to see a story where he isn't completely demonized or reduced to a mere plot device to make the DB high queen. His character was so complex in the game, at least in my opinion. Is he a good guy with Skyrim's best interests at heart? Is he only after power? The game never explicitly says either way. Sometimes, I'm not quite sure Ulfric himself knows. I love how you've managed to capture his character and stay true to what we're shown in the game. How he can believe in his cause and still have doubts, the paranoia that must plague him after his past with the Empire and Thalmor, even the darkness he's capable of when he acknowledged his actions in Markarth.

In short, well done. I'm eagerly awaiting more!

These are some of the nicest comments I've ever received on this story. Thank you so much for such thoughtful feedback, it is appreciated more than I can say!

Wind Guide You has always been two things to me. First, a love story. Second, a character study on Ulfric Stormcloak. He is also my absolute favorite character in the game, for all the reasons you mentioned and more. Throughout the story, I wanted to address and explore, even if only briefly, all the controversial issues relating to the character—his motives for starting the rebellion, his imprisonment and torture, the Markarth Incident, his killing Torygg, and so on. I do believe his overall intentions are good, but I also believe that he's made mistakes, has regrets, and is haunted by his past. He is by far the most complex character in the game, and I wanted to bring out his complexity here. It's wonderful to hear that I've succeeded in capturing these aspects of him, since that has been very important to me while writing.

Also, welcome to the forum! Pull up a chair, stay awhile. Don't let our madness bother you, we don't bite... except during Stormcloak vs. Imperial debates. :D
 
Thanks so much for the welcome! I'm actually somewhat familiar with the forum, I've just been lurking in the shadows, lol. In fact, it was the Stormcloak/Imperial debates that brought me here. I actually have that 700 page monster bookmarked. Good stuff :)

After reading Wind Guide You I'm really thinking about writing my own character's story, if for no other reason than to get it out of my head. That should be interesting haha. I've never written fanfiction before and I don't have the first clue on where to begin, but consider me inspired!
 

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