The cool evening air swept through the camp, whistling as it flowed between the rocks. The guards were on a lookout, but no danger threatened. The Stormcloaks had not yet discovered our hiding place. With nothing better to do, I listened in at the conversation between Ghezara and Uleesis. An Orc and a Redguard. Discussing war. But this conversation was going differently from what I would've expected.
They were settled cross-legged in the grass beside the cooking spit.
"But wars are fought because of something. You are now implying that we are scrapping over nothing." The Redguard, Uleesis was patiently saying. I could almost see him trying not to hit Ghezara with something heavy.
"No, that was not what I said. I said we are fighting because of an idea." Ghezara, on the other hand, sounded peaceful. I never could understand, how she managed it. Orcs were supposed to be fearsome and berserk, but she just smiled demurely under her scarlet warpaint. Although, I must admit, when an Orc smiles, it mostly adds to the reputation and Ghezara's fangs were long and white, and scary.
"But an idea, as you call it, is nothing!" Uleesis wailed and scratched his bald head in despair.
"No. An idea is what drives all the wars. An idea that we ought to have this land, not them. An idea that we're better than them. An idea that they have too much gold, while we have big swords and we should do something about it."
"How can you call it an idea? We are better than Stormcloaks. Why else fight them?" Uleesis was completely perplexed.
"You're not getting the point." Ghezara sighed. Inwardly I silently agreed. Redguards can be as stubborn as hell, but Uleesis was an especially severe case. "We are fighting, well, actually you are fighting because ... Why are you fighting?"
"Cuz he doesn't know how do farm, duh!" I laughed as I settled between them and grabbed an apple from the nearby sack. Uleesis raised his hooked nose slightly, irritation appearing in his Redguard brown eyes. He never did like me.
"I fight because I have sworn loyalty to the Empire and this Legion. I have sworn to protect the weak and the innocent, and that is what I'll do, no matter the cost." Yep, there it was - the heroic tone. I was completely unabashed however. This is how idiots without brains of their own talk. You just point them in the right direction and they run off fighting and screaming.
"Mhm, but what are you fighting for?" I managed between crunching down the apple.
"She has a point. What are you fighting for now? The Empire is nothing of what it was thirty years ago. Now you're fighting for the elves instead of against them." Ghezara said.
"I still fight for the Empire. I am not a man who abandons his oaths." He looked at me unfriendly. This was a sore point with me. I never kept a secret of that I abandoned the Stormcloaks in favor of the Legion.
I decided to leave him in peace. For the moment. "So, why do you fight? I know you're smart enough not to fight for the Thalmor." This earned me another poisonous look from Uleesis, but Ghezara pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Well, I guess that we both don't know how to farm." She smiled for a moment, but continued "When Orsinium was sacked by Bretons and Redguards, no offense, Ulee, the legion almost sacrificed itself to help us. They weren't obliged to do it. And now ... I could say that I'm partially returning the favor. But you? How come a High Elf decided to fight for the Stormcloaks in the first place, and then turn on them?"
Well, actually I'm a Thalmor secret agent and was sent in to spy on the Stormcloaks. But things got a bit wrong when one of the Nords found me writing a report. I gutted him, of course, but others saw it and after that, there was no staying with them. I didn't say that, of course. It's classified information.
"Ha, sorry, can't say. Nothing personal, you know, just don't like to talk about it." I said sheepishly instead. Uleesis snorted and got up to check if dinner was ready yet. We had to eat well this night, tomorrow was going to be a big day.