The Winning Move

First Skyrim/TES fic. Please review, I want to see how this goes down with the folks.

The Silver-Hand is dead. All of them. Mostly by my hand. Through Sky-forged Steel and the electric blue flames of shock magic the deed was done.

It had all started when I wanted to join the Companions, the supposedly ancient and powerful order of warriors, claimed to have been started almost five thousand years ago. I was, at the time, basking in the glory of my first dragon kill, the fact that I am apparently a 'Dragon-Born', whatever one of those is, and my newly title of Thane of Whiterun. I'm a divine damned High Elf! Since when did the Nords of Skyrim declare Elves heroes? I mean, seriously. That's going to bite him in the arse if Stormcloak becomes King without somehow taking Whiterun. Though the chances of that happening are pretty low.

Each side in this damnable civil war (and the Imperials can call it a 'Rebellion' all they like, anyone with more than the brain of a Skeever knows it's War.) Has a grand total of four holds to its name. In short, everything west of Whiterun is Imperial, everything East of Whiterun is Stormcloak. Whether Stormcloak took the other three holds by force or not isn't really important.

He probably didn't have too though. Show up with an army on someone's door step and offer not to burn his house down if he promises to be a good boy and say 'how high' when you say 'jump', and their answer is guaranteed. Same with the Imperials. I wonder how many of each side's holds are actually true loyalists, and how many are staffed with enemy sympathizers. The answer would shame both Tellius and Ulfric, I suspect.

In short, the sides in this war are separated by mountains in the South, Hills in the North, and the only neutral hold in the centre. Balgruuf's got the right idea about this war. It's something I've heard said about love. But as far as love is concerned, it's bullshit. Here, though, totally applicable:

The only winning move is not to play.

The other holds have taken sides, sworn fealty to a heavy handed imperium or a racist nationalist of a rebel. And what have they got to show for it? Nothing but empty houses, overstuffed halls of the dead and grieving wives, husbands, sons and daughters. The war may seem far away to some, but everyone else has lost some distant cousin or close relative. A wartime hold is no hold at all. That's why I like Whiterun. Oh, sure, it's technically under Imperial rule, but Imperial forces don't treat it like that. And for the Stormcloaks, as Whiterun is not on their side, it must be on the Imperial side. The average soldier has the mindset of a five year old, I swear. Good, bad, black, white, Them, us, blah, blah, blah. Fools, the lot of them.

So that's why I like Whiterun. It's the only place in Skyrim that is only at war if you want it to be. (unless a Dragon attacks, like it did recently, but that goes without saying) but I wanted war. I wanted Glory and battle and Death. And Looking back, I did it because I wanted somewhere to anchor myself, somewhere to call home, or at the very least a bed I didn't have to rent. Now, looking back, I don't regret a thing. I have found something else to fight for now, and a new goal. And I have a new saying about love: Nothing ventured, Nothing Gained.