User blog comment:Zippertrain85/Why the Stormcloaks are right part 2/@comment-5020188-20130601201856/@comment-4608405-20130601220340

"How would word travel like that that through a Stormcloak to an Imperial hold?"

The same way the dragonborn travels from hold to hold. Just because there's a war on doesn't mean that nobdy can travel. In game you see people travelling on the roads all the time. I once found an Imperial from Cyrodiil on his way to Vittoria Vici's wedding and he was travelling through Eastmarch, Ulfric's home territory.

"Meaning that it's unlikely they wouldn't enforce it until Ulfric would start speaking up."

However, it is explicity stated in game that the Thalmor used to have a much smaller strength in Skyrim, and they still aren't that powerful. The only Thalmor outside of the embassy are either in the hold capitals or transporting Stormcloak prisoners, which can just be seen as them helping the Imperial army.