"Report," Ulfric commanded.
The blond, Nord man looked at the Kings with a serious, although not particularly nervous gaze. Aurora, who had heard her share of reports was paying more attention to the surroundings, as unimportant discussions that took more time than they produced action was something she gravely disliked.
"The Thalmor have taken defensive positions to protect the lodgement on the bridgehead. It doesn't look like they are breaking the siege," the soldier said and handled Ulfric a parchment roll.
Aurora looked at Iskander, who was staring at the soldier with a stern expression and wrinkled forehead. Out of the three Kings, Iskander always seemed like the most thoughtful one, whilst Ulfric was the one to solve problems as they arose. Canpolat's role was rather less obvious. He lacked the Forebear King's intelligence, although he must have been rather educated. He also lacked Ulfric's periodically virtuous charisma.
The Imperial had come to deeply respect Iskander during the journey, and in many ways, she preferred his calm and analytical thoughtfulness over Ulfric's ability to handle different situations and occasional genius, even though it was the Nord that planned the operation.
"How many are they?" Ulfric asked in a neutral tone.
"About half the size of our army," the soldier replied. "There might be a bit more than that though. I saw ships – it seems like they've raised a blockade."
"What fortifications do they have?" Canpolat asked, noticeably interrupting Ulfric, who stood with his mouth open, probably about to ask the same question.
"Eh..." the soldier began. "They have a few siege weapons – five catapults, but they haven't had the time to move them around. It seems as we've taken them by surprise."
"They think we're just trying to break the siege. Excellent," Ulfric smiled.
The soldier nodded and rode back in the line that had stopped moving. They were just outside of the Imperial City and had sent out scouts to establish an overview of the battlefield. It was a cloudy, unusually cold morning at the beginning of summer in 4E 203, and Aurora understood that this day would be of historical proportions. The King's concerned but focused gazes informed her of this.
"They won't be shooting rocks at us, at least," Canpolat smiled.
"Take a look at the battleground," Ulfric said and showed the map the soldier had provided him with.
The man unfolded it as the other kings and Aurora rode closer. It showed the area around the bridge from the direction the Northern Alliance would attack, with a building on the left of the bridge. It was probably the inn, now used as a Thalmor army headquarter. In front and diagonally at the back, there were two squares, marked with an X, probably representing the catapults. On the other side of the area that was bulking into Lake Rumare, there were three identical marks.
The army itself consisted of three brigades of infantry, but Aurora assumed the elves had a mixture of supporting magicians and archers further back. There was a cavalry that was positioned right behind the middle battalion, and behind that – the enemy leadership.
"If they are to make a tactical retreat, they will do it by our right flank," Ulfric said, looking at the kings. "Their ships can cover them whilst they evacuate, so this side especially will have to be strong."
"What happens if they flee?" Aurora asked.
The Nord King looked at her with a stern expression. "Then they will catch up with the main army, and we will be doomed. We have to ensure the sieging army's total annihilation or surrender."
"I assume you were planning on using the cavalry to support the right flank," Iskander said, looking at Ulfric.
A long silence arose, with the Redguard men looking cunningly at one another. They were both smiling, but it was apparent that some sort of battle was being fought. Aurora observed Ulfric, who seemed to know that it was for the best to leave the Redguard to themselves for a few moments. She did not understand why they acted that way, but decided to follow her King's lead and remain quiet.
"I leave the honour to you," Canpolat grinned after a while.
"Of course," Iskander replied, smiling as falsely as his counterpart, still holding his gaze pinned to him.
"Then we'll split your cavalry and move two thirds of it to the right flank during battle," Ulfric said, looking at Canpolat.
Canpolat's smile died out rather quickly, but Iskander's remained as the men nodded to one another and set off into opposite directions. Aurora was confused of what had occurred and about her role in the upcoming battle, but thankfully, Ulfric stayed with her.
"Aurora, it is crucial that they do not learn of our strategy. When they will try to break through Iskander's lines, you will lead the counter attack with the two thirds of Canpolat's cavalry."
"Aye," she said, sounding like she had control of the situation.
"We will press them further backwards until they give up," Ulfric said.
"What was this about?" Aurora interrupted him.
The man sighed heavily, looking at the ground. "If the Redguards' distrust would prove to be strong enough, it could have made this situation rather unfortunate. Iskander will lose many men on the right flank. It will be a meat grinder."
Aurora observed Ulfric, who seemed rather tired. He was not in an envious situation, trying to hold such a fragile alliance together, and it probably cost him a lot of nerves. She had wondered why she was the one to lead the cavalry, but began to understand that both Redguard kings had to feel ensured that their potential losses would be equal, and that Ulfric had a strategic plan – that he was not simply sending their men out to die. As Dragonborn, she was the perfect guarantee.
She rode off towards Canpolat's army, past the Nords that were taking their positions in the lines. Squad leaders were at the front, correcting potential errors. Aurora swallowed hard as she saw them stare at her riding past.
"Where are you going?" she heard Olfina exclaim.
She stood in the front line, about four fifths towards the end of the Nords. The woman was hastily arranging the Bretons that were standing at the back of the swordsmen. She had a tough time, Aurora figured, for the rush of the people who were trying to find their division, horses galloping and terrified youngsters who were demoralising one another were difficult to handle.
"With the cavalry," Aurora quickly answered.
She was about to set off when she noticed that the Nord's lower lip was shaking. For the first time ever, Olfina proved to be human by showing evident signs of fear. The woman looked at Aurora with an almost pleading expression, and in that moment, the Dragonborn decided that she did not want to leave the Skyrim army. She wished that she were an ordinary soldier, and not an Officer. Aurora wanted to take Olfina's hand and storm the Thalmor lines together.
She realised that hundreds of eyes would be turned towards her within a few minutes, looking for guidance and strength. It was nerve wrecking for Aurora. All these people had families – parents, spouses, siblings and children waiting for them at home, and to a large extent, it depended on her whether her soldiers would return to their villages and towns. They wished to survive, to live a full life in a land free of Thalmor oppression.
Aurora bent down and took Olfina's hand and tried to smile convincingly, but she was not sure of whether she managed to pull it off or not. Either way, there was nothing more she could do – it was time to get in line. The Imperial would never forget that moment, though, nor the begging expression of the Nord. She swallowed hard before jumping letting go of Olfina and setting off.
Canpolat stood in front of the lines, just like the officers and squad leaders. He was facing his men and speaking to the nobles in his cavalry. As Aurora rode up to them, he nodded to her before hurrying back to Ulfric and Iskander.
"This way!" Aurora ordered the cavalry.
She led them behind the infantry lines before she waited for the kings to order the entire army forwards. The woman tried not to think too much of the upcoming battle, but to see it as any other adventure. As they began the march onwards, she remained silent, avoiding looking at the men behind her. To the kings, they were but pieces in a board game, for it was easier that way than to live with the thought of who the soldiers were.
Walking through the forest was by no means an easy task, but they soon emerged from it, seeing the great, white tower behind the walls of the Imperial City. It was an absolutely beautiful view, had it not been for the horror the Thalmor army represented.
The lines on the map the soldier had given Ulfric seemed so much easier to encompass than the real army, even though Aurora had memorised their position and expected them to stand where they were. She had never seen so many people gathered in one place before, and the entire situation seemed surreal.
They simply stood there, watching the Northern Alliance approach and stop. It was not alike any battle she had ever fought before, where the soldiers rushed straight into attack. An enormous mass of humans and elves watched one another from a distance of about two hundred yards, not moving an inch.
Aurora galloped a hundred yards, to Ulfric's side. Iskander's army was taking its position on the far end of the field, but the kings stood ready, with a nervous atmosphere among them.
"It's time," Ulfric said to Aurora as she approached.
He did not look at her, but straight ahead. The woman followed his gaze and remained silent for a few moments. There, behind the Thalmor lay her hometown, once the grandest city in all of Nirn. The Alliance lines were being straightened out by the officers, but the Thalmor appeared to be content with their positions.
Suddenly, Ulfric took a grip of her arm. "Have you understood your mission?" he asked.
"Yes," Aurora said.
"May the Gods be with you, Dragonborn. We will certainly need it," he said, letting go of her hand.
"My King?" Aurora asked.
"Yes?"
"Will we win?"
The man stared at her as the archers prepared their bows. That second felt like an eternity, and the woman would forever remember it. Never had she seen Ulfric as tense as he was there and then. With a stern expression, he continued:
"The flip of a coin could determine the outcome."
Aurora nodded and set off. She passed the Nords on her way back to Canpolat's cavalry and felt hundred pairs of eyes being turned towards her as she rode past them. Oh Gods, give me strength, the woman thought, pinning her gaze at the spot she was designated to fill.
Aurora stopped in front of the cavalry, directly behind the last infantry line. The Bretons seemed unprepared in their coats without any protection, but some of them had a glow around them that Aurora assumed to be a magical barrier. A moment later, a loud scream was heard, and suddenly, the archers had fired their first shots as the swordsmen were running forwards.
Total chaos erupted. The Thalmor magicians had fired spells against the Alliance, but the Bretons responded with placing equally magical shields in the air, protecting the swordsmen from some of the damage. It quickly became obvious that it was useless to use offensive spells, as the battleground soon grew packed to the point that it was nearly impossible to make apart who was an enemy or friend. Marched behind the army with Iskander's cavalry.
The distance between Aurora's cavalry and the infantry had grown to about a hundred yards, but the woman received no orders to move the line forwards. All she could do was to watch the meat grinder the battleground was. She looked at the kings. They were surrounded by officers, cautiously observing what happened in front of them.
The Thalmor must have thought that they had a chance to withhold the Alliance from the walls of the Imperial City until recently. Aurora noticed that the right flank was being placed under stronger pressure from the elves. They had redirected a considerable chunk of the reserve lines of the infantry there. She understood that it was time to carefully watch Ulfric's movement.
Soon, the cavalry decided to help the infantry, and the Nord King gestured for Aurora to attack. She yelled "Now!" and led the Redguard onwards.
A third of them followed one of Canpolat's officers straight ahead, whilst the majority galloped after the Dragonborn. She rode straight into the mass of infantry, swinging her sword a dozen times before reaching the enemy cavalry.
There were bodies everywhere on the ground, and the woman's horse began to panic. She encountered two Thalmor nobles on horse before her horse stopped unexpectedly, casting her to the ground. It was incredibly muddy on the ground, and her heavy ebony armour made it difficult for her to get up on feet. She heard a loud clonk as a sword hit her back plate. It did not hurt, but the sheer force of it forced her to her knees.
Gripping her sword, she leapt forwards, cutting a wound in a Thalmor's horse. She continued onwards, going into one against one battles.
She was thankful for her strong physique. It was exhausting to fight that many soldiers, one after another, but the Thalmor usually appeared to be less energetic than her. Many of them found it difficult to move around, even in their light armour.
"Stop!" a man on a horse yelled. "Stop!"
The battleground opened a corridor for him, and Aurora realised that he was some king of Thalmor leader. He rode towards the kings, alone, and the soldiers stopped their fight as he passed them. A moment later, Aurora saw Ulfric approach him from the opposite direction.
One after another, gazes turned towards the Thalmor leader and the Alliance kings. It was the first time Aurora could assess the damage the battle had done to the Alliance lines. To her surprise, only a small portion of both sides was lying dead on the ground. Most men were still very much alive and well.
"Do you retreat?" Ulfric asked loudly.
"General Alwen," the man introduced himself and raised a hand. "I do not have the right to proclaim such a thing," the commander said.
"You have lost!" Iskander exclaimed.
"You don't understand," the commander said. "I do not have the authority to decide for a retreat. My instructions were that I could only accept a complete surrender from your side."
Canpolat rolled his eyes whilst Ulfric rode a few more steps forwards.
"Who has the authority for peace negotiations?" he demanded to know.
"General Highaire. He is outside Skingrad with the rest of the army."
"Arrest him!" Ulfric ordered the officers around him. "Arrest the nobles. They will serve as guarantee."
The man was taken by Nord soldiers and brought further back. Tents had been set up at the back of the battlefield, close to the forest. Aurora did not know what to do other than to walk up to the kings, astonished over the fact that the battle had only been going on for a few minutes before it was all over.
The Thalmor soldiers began to understand that the battle was lost, and the nobles put their weapons down and rode up to be arrested. Even ordinary elves followed the General's demand and placed their swords and bows on the ground, awaiting further instructions.
"What an idiot!" Canpolat exclaimed. "He has authority only to take a surrender from our side, who sends such instructions?"
"It will take a fortnight before we know," Iskander said.
"We keep the prisoners," Ulfric said. "If General Highaire wants his nobles back, the entire Thalmor army will have to surrender."
Aurora understood it perfectly well that they would be killed if the Thalmor did not agree on peace. If they were lucky, there would be very important people amongst the prisoners – important people the Thalmor would not wish to be without. It would be hugely unpopular on the Summerset Isle if heirs would die in Tamriel.
"What in Nirn...?" Iskander suddenly exclaimed.
The two other kings and Aurora looked in the direction Iskander was staring at, and the woman swallowed hard. An army was on its way towards them from the North.
