Copyright: Take what you will from this, but I own nothing...sadly...


"Thank you."

"It is of no trouble." The girl replied with a smile as Creon accepted the cup, "From where do you hail traveler?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Creon was just surprised that no one may have connected him with what happened at Helgan. Did none of them see the dragon fly over the mountains? Perhaps ignorance is bliss afterall.

"They would say the same of me and my brother." The girl pointed out, and truly this girl was no native nord. Not that it subtracted from her figure. "But we're only Imperial in blood, Skyrim is our home."

"Then I am only Redguard in blood." Creon answered, "I have no home."

"I see..." The girl grew a bit quieter as if looking for something else to say. Creon continued to eat in thought, "You are welcome to stay here if you wish."

"You have enough hands at the forge."

"What?"

"I live where I work. I will not sleep in a place where I cannot serve."

"In a small town like this, there will be plenty that you could do." The girl said, "The mine isn't too far from here, my brother is looking for a guard for the shop, the forge could always use another pair of hands."

"I see." Creon drained the last of the water and gave it back to the girl, "This town has been kind to me, perhaps I will return the favor after my task."

"Where are you going?"

"Whiterun." Creon answered, "I owe Ralof a favor...the jarl there should send defenses here to your city."

"Against who? The Stormcloaks?"

"Dragons." Creon saw the girl freeze upon the mention of those mythic creatures. Evidently, she must have seen the dragon from Helgan fly over or else she would call him a madman. Tightening the belt of his sheath, Creon stood up to leave.

"Wait!" The girl called after the man, "I know that we are simply strangers...but my family needs help that my brother is too proud to ask for."

"What is that to me?"

"We are not simple villagers, we are a family of merchants." The girl replied, "You'll never survive the wilds of Skyrim with just flesh and skin. Especially with that sword."

"It has served me well enough."

"I can see that." The girl said with a hint of humor, "A man named Arvel stole a valuable heirloom from our shop. A golden claw...truth be told, brother was tricked out of it..."

"Gold has no importance to me." Creon stated, "But this item has significance to you?"

"It was from our mother..." Creon saw her features grow sad as she continued, "She gave it to father before the Thalmor killed her...brother says that she didn't want it to fall into their hands...that is why father came to this town."

"The claw connects to something."

"Yes..." The girl answered, "Something inside of the Bleak Falls Barrow..."

"I see." Creon looked up to the west where the mountain shot into the sky. He quickly figured that a short detour would be beneficial.

"Where are you going?"

"The Barrow is within the mountains, no?"

"It is...but...you don't know the way."

"I never have."

"Traveler!" The girl called again, "You will need someone who knows the way..."

"You?" Now Creon was resisting the urge to laugh. She seemed to have a strong will, but she had the will of a tradesman, a spokesperson, not a warrior, "Can you wield a weapon? Could you take a life?"

"Speak your mind Tullius."

"I have said it once and I shall say so again." The old general replied as he and Creon looked over the forces training in the hills in between Cloud Ruler and Bruma, "This is madness."

"The Thalmor overestimate their chances." Creon stated, "Many believe that the empire was truly weak to have lost it's capital so quickly to the Dominion. In truth, there was much more to it.

"Creon?"

"Look at this map." The two of them looked down at the map that remained nailed to a table behind them, "Elswyer is directly south of Cyrodil, all the Thalmor had to do was secure an alliance with them and allow elven forces to enter the capital province without conflict. Before the Empire could mobilize, we were already hit harder than it could handle."

"And our current position?"

"We're much closer to both Hammerfall and Skyrim." Creon explained, "If the Thalmor wish to attack us, they'll have to fight through more of Cyrodil to do so."

"And by the time they make it here. Our forces from Hammerfall and Skyrim will have arrived, not to mention the legion in High Rock-"

"No." Creon corrected, "We'll preserve them for the naval front. The Thalmor won't expect anything from that province, they're main focus will most likely be Cyrodil and Skyrim, the apparent root of their troubles."

"What of the counterattack?"

"Counterattack?" The Nerevarine sitting on the wall nearby asked with a sarcastic laugh, "This will be an offensive war, General. The only advantage that the Thalmor possess is the ability to cloud the bonds of communication. If you try to fight this war defensively, that will give them plenty of time to sow seeds of dissent amongst your forces.

"Just like they did during the Civil War." Tullius concluded as a messenger ran towards them and bowed, "Herald."

"My Emperor, Nerevarine, General Tullius." The Bosmer messenger greeted before standing up at Creon's motion, "The Council has agreed to you hear of your claim."

"Good." Creon said to the herald as he offered the young exhaling man a drink, "When shall we meet them?"

"Seven days in Kvatch." The messenger replied before he began his drink.

"Very well." The messenger bowed and dismissed himself as Creon pondered, "Long ways down."

"It could be a trap."

"No." Creon said to Tullius, "A surprising amount of people actually support my claim as their emperor. The council would be foolish to attempt anything with both public support and a good deal of physical evidence to my claim."

"Ah...but you forget Dovahkin." The Nerevarine brought as he jumped down and stood next to Tullius, "You've plunged this land into a state of war, the council will need to be assured that they're not falling in behind a fool."

"Confidence?" Creon asked, "I suppose I would be a fool to argue with the Nerevarine."

"Has that ever stopped you before?"

"Creon..." Tullius began, "I again question whether this one is necessary..."

"Of course I am old man." The Nerevarine said to the aging general, "Who would dare turn away aid from one who had seen the last years of the Third Era? Question my motives if you wish, but I have no desire to see my "so-called kindred" rule over Tamriel."

"But you will demand independence and reparations for Morrowind?"

"The spoils from this war will suffice for that." Tullius was answered, "The Dunmar are no friends of the Thalmor, much less of the Dominion."

"And then what?"

"Your empire will have a loyal ally. Assuming that Creon and his descendents don't betray our arrangement."

"I don't see why it wouldn't..." Creon answered as his gaze drifted northwards to where the southern range of the Skyrim mountains could be seen...the mountains that held the burrow where he took his first steps towards this destiny.

"Are you alright?" Creon gently helped the Riverwood girl off of the ground, blood covered her dress as she stood on her feet.

The blood was not her's.

"I..." The girl's eyes were blank with fright and panic, likely a result of the dead body that lied in the snow, "I'm..."

"You should feel no shame for your action." Creon comforted the girl, he was honestly suprised that she had it in her. Much better, it was an action that may have saved his life. Behind him on the stairs up to the burrow lied the corpses of a few bandits that were on patrol. He managed to deal with them, but the fourth he did not of until he heard her scream, "A life is a life, but here it was either his or yours."

"You..." The girl looked to the corpse and back to Creon's eyes as life slowly returned to her gaze, "You're right."

"Can you move on?"

"Ye...Yes..." The girl stuttered, but slowly rose to her feet, "Yes."

"Very well..." Creon stated, it would be better to wait until they were in warmth to judge the truth of her words, "Come Camilla...we should probably find you something more...presentable."

"What about that hide armor on them?"

"I doubt that it's clean."

"I want to live through this."

"Then why did you come?"

"I saved you didn't I?"

"Perhaps." Creon admitted as he went over to the body and began the nasty work of stripping it...


Author's Notes:

How come no one's addressed how...unpleasant grave robbing from a freshly killed person is? I know that you might get awesome armor and all, but it just came off a dead body! Not to mention that if this guy was just killed despite that armor...maybe it's not all that great...

Unless they were stupidly wearing armor that they were not trained for...but I thought people in Elder Scrolls games weren't idiots!