An Uneasy Alliance
Fandom: Elder Scrolls (Skyrim with DLCs)
Author: CatandKaraForever
Rating: T
Genres: Adventure, Action, Fantasy
Karisse's Point of View:
There was a heavy knocking on the door of my quarters. I sighed, letting my blonde hair fall. I'd been in the middle of pinning it up into a neat bun. I turned on my boot heel, walking to the door. I opened it, putting on a fake scowl which was supposed to intimidate the knocker, if it was one of my lower ranking underlings and not my second in command. It was my second in command, and I sighed, knowing he didn't find my scowl intimidating.
"What is it?"
"One of our operatives intercepted a courier," Carir said, "A New Order operative. He was bearing a letter which contains plans..Well orders. The exact details are...sparse."
"Go on."
"The Order is launching an invasion attempt," he said, "Not certain where it'll begin, the letter did not say."
"Do you have the letter?"
He nodded, handing it to me. I skimmed through it.
"That's not good," I said, "We don't know anything?"
He shook his head.
"We can try to speak to Earinil," he said, "Perhaps we'll get some information out of him. Either way, we need to arrest him."
I nodded.
"You fools," Earinil said, "The New Order extends far beyond anything you could ever imagine."
"We'll find your agents. All of them," I promised, "What is the plan for the invasion?"
"I'd be tempted to offer that, but you might have spies listening."
"No spies," I promised, "What's the plan?"
"It doesn't matter," he growled, "You won't leave this room alive. Captain?"
I heard Captain Salinius draw his blade, and then there was a wet tearing sound followed by a sickening thump. Salinius slashed the other guard's throat, leaving Carir and I to fight him. Salinius lunged at me, his blade flashing. I sent his weapon clanging backwards, headbutting him.
"Don't kill him we need him alive," I ordered Carir as he deflected the rogue captain's blade off his own.
I kicked Salinius's leg out from under him, smashing the pommel of my blade into his skull. I turned back to see that Earinil had disappeared.
"Damn it to Oblivion," I muttered, "He's gone."
"Daughter," my father greeted, "Thank you for coming."
"What has happened?"
"The 6th Legion has disappeared," Falyon said, "Aside from one rider, a deserter."
I nodded.
"The deserter reported that General Tilar Aedriath and all the officers of the 6th Legion as well as the majority of the soldiers, were secretly New Order," my father said, "He didn't know where their final destination was, but he did say they were headed south, near Sunhold."
"Earinil did say none of the legions were uncompromised," I told Falyon, "Unfortunately he escaped, with the aid of Salinius."
"Explain," my father ordered.
"Salinius was with the New Order," I explained, "When Carir and I went to arrest Earinil, Salinius attacked us, and killed two guards. We subdued him, but Earinil teleported away while we were fighting him."
"We need to determine where the 6th Legion is headed," he said, "I'll put my spies on that. You muster the 1st Legion and prepare to mobilize to fight the 6th Legion. You and your brother are the only generals I can trust right now."
I let out a sigh.
"Father," I began, "With all due respect, if we can only trust two legions it doesn't make sense for one of them to go to war with the New Order in a different province."
"Karisse. If we do not publicly show that we are against the New Order, rulers of another province might assume that the Order is officially affiliated with the Dominion, and not the extremist cell that they are. Particularly Skyrim, my instincts tell me they're headed for there, what with the views the Order has been expressing."
I nodded, remembering the war Jarl Allea of Ful Zhardum Din had led that had wiped out our military.
"We cannot risk two wars at once," he continued on, "We can barely afford to battle the New Order, much less Skyrim or any other province at the same time."
I nodded again.