Disclaimer: I do not own the elder scrolls series.
Siege of Whiterun
It is well that war is so terrible-we would grow too fond of it.
Robert E. Lee
The morning after Lydia and Jenassa arrived, imperial troops were pouring into the city to the cheers of some, and to others not so much.
"I thought Balgruuf wished to remain neutral." said Jenassa. Lydia was equally perplexed.
"Something must have changed."
"How much do you want to bet that Jayson is right in the thick of it?" The two women shared a laugh. But as the day dragged on, tension rose.
"Are they expecting an attack?" Jenassa wondered. The city was a taut bowstring, ready to snap. By the time of the evening hours none walked the streets. The city was as silent as the grave.
Jenassa was quietly eating supper when Lydia burst in to the inn and sat down across from her.
"Jayson has returned." Her voice was barely audible.
"When? Where is he now?" demanded Jenassa. Her words came out louder than she intended. Lydia motioned for her to keep silent.
"Just a few minutes ago. He's at Dragonsreach speaking to the jarl right now. He brought a reply from Ulfric. Her voice dropped even lower. "He's going to attack Whiterun. The news sent a mix of excitement and fear through Jenassa. She had never witnessed, much less been in, a full scale battle. A Whiterun guard entered the inn.
"By order of the jarl, all citizens are to report to Dragonsreach at once until it is safe to return to your homes."
People immediately began to file out of the inn, midst worried whispers and trepidation.
"What will you do?" Jenassa asked Lydia.
"This is my city. I will fight on the walls with the rest of the soldiers. What about you?"
Her answer was automatic. "I'll fight."
Lydia smiled and placed a hand on Jenassa's shoulder.
"Then we fight together."
"How long until they arrive?" Asked the jarl as those present poured over a map of SKyrim in the war room of Dragonsreach.
"Days, hours, minutes? They could be here at any time. We just need to be ready for them when they do arrive."
Legate Cipius nodded his agreement. "Well said Auxiliary. Until that time, I want you to help organize the defense." Cipius looked around frowning. "Morrard? Private Morrard! Get over here!"
A young woman in legion armor stumbled up the stairs toward them.
"Yes, Legate Cipius, sir?"
Cipius gestured to Jayson. "This is Auxilliary Jayson. You're to do what he orders and help him organize the defence of the city, understood?"
"Sir, yes, sir!" The woman saluted.
"Dismissed."
Jayson strode down the stairs, followed closely by the young private.
Jenassa couldn't stand the ominous silence. It was almost as bad as fighting giant spiders… almost. Soldiers and guards plodded along, their faces grim in the fading light. Whilst she made her sullen observations a voice shattered the silence.
"...and I want you to find all the best archers and put them on the walls, the swordsman will be placed at the chokepoints, got that Morrard?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Please, I'm Jayson, not the legate."
"Yes s-, Jayson."
"Better, now get going."
As Jenassa searched for the source of the voice she was nearly run over by a woman in legion armor.
"Sorry!" The woman shouted over her shoulder while she continued running to the wall. Jenassa bit back the insult she was about to yell at her and looked to the direction she had come. Standing not 15 feet away speaking to Lydia, was none other than Jayson himself. Before she could even consider her actions, she rushed over to him, grabbed him by the front of his armor and pulled him down into a kiss. It only lasted a moment before Jenassa realized what she was doing. Hastily, she broke off the kiss, backed up a pace, and busied herself by examining the architecture of Belethor's shop. She heard a quiet laugh come from Jayson.
"Miss me?" He asked.
Jenassa was glad for her dark skin, for it didn't show she was blushing. "A little." She tried to keep her voice indifferent, but Jayson wasn't buying it. He was still smiling but he didn't pursue the subject.
"I suppose you're fighting as well?" He asked. Jenassa nodded. The news didn't appear to sit well with him. Neither did it seem to surprise him, yet he voiced no disagreement. "Well, I know better than to argue with a Dunmer woman." Jenassa searched his face for any hint of sarcasm. Either he was dead serious or he had the best gambling face she had ever seen. "You're a good archer, so you'll do best on the wall." He turned to Lydia. "You'll be on the ground."
"Understood, my thane."
Jenassa kept silence.
"Good, Talos be with you both." Jenassa turned to leave but Jason called her back.
"Wait, Jenassa." She halted and looked back. "Where did you get that?" He pointed a finger straight at Dawnbreaker.
"Meridia." She said as if it was a normal occurrence to get a weapon from a daedric prince.
Jayson rubbed his chin and stared at the sword, then his eyes rose to her face and examined it with such intensity that Jenassa shifted from one foot to another, uncomfortably.
"You've changed a bit since we last met."
"How so?" Of all the things she thought he might say, that wasn't one of them.
"You're more self confident than before." He looked back down at the sword. "Must've been some adventure to get that. You'll have to tell me the story some time."
"Stormcloaks!"
Jayson's face became grim and his hand tightly gripped his own sword.
"Better hope Meridia's watching over you. This is going to be one Oblivion of a fight."
Just like that the silence was shattered. Flaming missiles the size of a man smashed into the city, setting buildings ablaze. Being a man of action, Jayson wasted no time.
"Get water on those fires! move it!" While soldiers jumped to obey Jayson used a frost spell to put out what fires he could. The once dark sky was bright with the flames of the beleaguered city. Marrord sprinted to him, her hands over her ears to block the sound of missiles crashing into the city.
"The stormcloaks are preparing to assault the walls!" She had to shout to be heard. "Legate Rikke wants you to join the defense!"
Jayson drew his sword and ran to the outer defenses, all the while fire raining down from the sky. As he past the blacksmith's he saw Jenassa throwing water on a nearby fire. His eyes involuntarily shot upward and spotted a ball of fire screaming toward her. Without regard for his own safety, he lunged forward, slamming her into the side of the building, using his body as a shield. He could feel the heat of the blast behind him and felt pain of a new burn on his left arm. Jenassa, pressed against the building, gave him a sly look.
"Just can't keep your hands off of me, can you?"
Jayson opened his mouth to reply.
"Sir! We need to leave now!" Morrard shouted over the din. Quickly, Jayson kissed Jenassa on the forehead before renewing his mad sprint to the defenses, leaving Jenassa blinking like an owl.
What should've been a star-lit night was alight with hundreds of fires and torches. The glow was ominous and unsettling to Jayson, but he forced himself to focus on what lay at hand.
"Ready men! For the Empire! For the legion!" The legates words echoed across the battlefield from her perch on the wall. Mad energy filled the men as they shouted their war cries. Jayson could feel something building within him. His vision reddened much like it had at High Hrothgar. This time, instead of suppressing it, he embraced it. Throwing back his head he released a mighty roar. The dragon was unleashed.
The tramp of boots and shouts of the enemy closed in on the brave defenders. The battle had now truly begun.
Legion and Stormcloak alike fell from waves of arrows, but the blue horde would not be denied. With the first barricades falling within minutes the battle degraded into a massive mob of melee. Whiterun was a soldiers fight now.
In the heart of the fighting was Jayson. His blade was now dripping from the gore of the battle.
"Fus Ro!" A stormcloak staggered from the blast, then received a stab to the chest. As the battle progressed, Jayson took a breather next to Hadvar, who had also been sent to the defense of Whiterun.
"Glad to see you alive, Hadvar."
"Same to you. I Thought for sure I'd find you face down in the dirt someplace."
"Heh, not yet you won't." Jayson scanned the battlefield. "Where is Lydia?"
"There! By the drawbridge!" Jayson's eyes followed to where he pointed. Sure enough, she was by the drawbridge, beset by three enemies. Jayson picked up the shield of a fallen guard and grimly smiled.
"Shall we rescue the damsel in distress?"
"After you."
The two legionnaires lunged back into the fray, cutting the way to their comrade. By the time they reached her she had already dispatched two of her enemies, one of which clung to the stump of what was once an arm. The last attack swung a large war hammer at Lydia's head. She raised her shield to meet the blow. The hammer produced a loud 'thud' and a sizable dent in the shield. So great was the hit Lydia staggered back… into thin air. Before the battle the drawbridge had been raised to keep the stormcloaks out of the city. Unfortunately that also meant she had nowhere else to back up. Lydia cried in surprise before disappearing over the side. Jayson roared in rage.
"Dir joor!" The stormcloak never saw what hit him. A Jayson already mad with blood-lust and now fueled with the thought of vengeance slammed full body into his foe, launching him over into empty space. If any more strength were in the attack the unfortunate soul might've cleared the gap and smashed into the raised wooden bridge. Instead, the last thing to go through the man's head where the unyielding stones below that spread what little brains he had about.
"Was he wearing a helm?" asked Hadvar.
There was a shout of disgust from below. "I wish he was!"
"Lydia! Are you okay?" Jayson shouted to her as he looked over. 12ft below Lydia lay on her back, the crumpled body of the rebel nearby.
"My head hurts and so does the rest of me. I'm perfectly fine."
"Good, Hadvar-"
"Already on it." Hadvar hurried off to find a way down while Jayson turned his attention back to the battle. An arrow sunk into the flesh of his left leg. He didn't feel pain, only his rage exploding completely as he tore the arrow out with his bare hands.
"Dir!" Like a rabid lion among the sheep he destroyed all who stood against him. Friend and foe alike tumbled over each other to stay out of his way. The man was gone and a dragon had taken his place.
A stormcloak saw a chance to win a losing battle if he could only kill the monster amid them. Quickly he drew an arrow from his quiver and sighted it on the warrior. An iron arrow sprouted from the treacherous rebel's back. His arrow still loosed, but just off it's target. The arrow struck the legionnaire that fought beside Jayson. She was dead before she hit the ground. Jayson saw his fellow soldier fall to the ground and was immediately awakened from his blood-lust. He cried in dismay and fell to his knees, cradling the body of the young woman.
"Morrard! Morrard!" He shouted in vain, but the dead could not answer. A stormcloak jumped at the chance of an easy kill. He would meet the same fate as his predecessor. Jenassa loosed half a dozen arrows at those that would take advantage of the moment of weakness. No longer fueled by his dragonic wrath, Jayson felt very tired. Summoning the last of his energy he rose to his feet and roared once more.
"Meyz! Wo laan wah nos ahst zey nu?" The bluff worked, it was too much for the stormcloaks. The sight of a seemingly invincible enemy drove them into a panic. The entire force retreated in mass. With their backs to the defenders, they did not see Jayson collapse from blood loss, amidst the corpses of his friends and foes.
The second day of Marc's arrival in Markarth he and Senna had spent the entire day in each other's company. It was late evening now, when most decent folk are in their beds. Marc and Senna though had returned to the porch of Vlindrel Hall to gaze at the stars.
"They say that you can read your future just by looking at the stars." Senna mused aloud. Marc was understandably skeptical.
"I find that hard to believe."
"Hmm… hmm."
Marc's eyes trailed the skies for what seemed like hours. His hand gripping Senna's, life was good.
"What's that?"
"What's what?" He asked, looking down at Senna.
"That." Far in the distance there appeared to be light and the some stars to the east were blotted out.
"I don't know." Together the lovers watched the fires of Whiterun, not realizing what they saw.
The courier huddled in Honningbrew Meadery, away from any of the fighting. He would enter the city once the battle had ended, and not before.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed that bit of action. I know I enjoyed writing it. This is where the arc 'A Dragon's Call' ends. Now begins 'A Dragon's rise'. Hope you enjoy it all the more.
Translations and stuff
Dir Joor: Die Mortal!
"Meyz! Wo laan wah nos ahst zey nu?: Come! Who wishes to fight me now?