[A/N] Short chapter is... short. And honestly, I don't think it's the best one I've ever written, but I won't have the time or patience for polishing it this weekend. Besides, there's another part (maybe even another after that) of this chapter that I've got to write! :)
As a brief note before I launch in: some of you might have noticed a repeating paragraph in the last chapter. That's my fault, and unfortunately, that's what happens when you post a chapter and then lose Wi-Fi (and therefore, your ability to go back and delete said paragraph). But it's fixed now, so that's all good.
[DISCLAIMER] I do not own The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or anything related to it; that's Bethesda's deal, not mine (sadly). However, Kajsa Red-Blade is my original character and she belongs to me.
CHAPTER XXV – A False Front (Part I)
The late afternoon air was unusually still, devoid of any talking or laughter or snatches of song, sounds that would normally accompany a triumphant band of soldiers. But silence hung over the snow-covered road, broken only by the clopping of horses' hooves and the muffled tramping of feet on the worn cobblestones. Any passerby who had happened to share the road to Morthal with the procession of Stormcloaks would not have found rejoicing on their faces, but rather uneasiness and fear – fear of the hooded woman on horseback at the head of the column.
Kajsa was not in a mood to listen to the rumors and exaggerated accounts of her role in the battle at Fort Snowhawk. She didn't particularly care if the soldiers were afraid and suspicious of her. The Dragonborn was much too tired and exasperated to worry about anything beyond her latest mission and what would come afterwards.
The job that Galmar had assigned her upon her arrival at the camp in Hjaalmarch seemed simple enough at first: ambush an Imperial courier, retrieve the plans he was carrying through any means necessary, and deliver them to Galmar for some "corrections," as he had phrased it. Tracking people down was an art that she'd perfected while taking contracts for the Dark Brotherhood, so the initial phase of the general's master plan went off without a hitch – as did disguising herself in a set of Imperial armor, stolen from the outpost in Dragonsbridge, and delivering the forged plans to the legate stationed in Morthal. The real challenge had been capturing Fort Snowhawk.
In retrospect, the young woman cursed herself for not realizing sooner that the more holds the Stormcloaks held, the more enemy soldiers were available for Imperial-controlled ones. Even if the officers at Fort Snowhawk had put in a request for reinforcements, as shown on the stolen plans, it did not necessarily mean that they were down to their last man. She and the rest of the Stormcloaks storming the fort had discovered that soon enough.
Due to the early hour and the skill of their archers, they'd had the advantage at first; however, the Imperials showed their true numbers as soon as the attacking forces had broken through the barricades. The Stormcloaks had fought valiantly, but the defenders fought back just as fiercely. Soon, it had gone from a "clean" takeover and spiraled into an all-out bloodbath.
Sensing that the remaining Stormcloaks were going to be slaughtered if the battle continued in this manner, Kajsa had made a split-second decision. At the time, she hadn't even been sure whether executing her last-resort plan would even work – but fortunately, it had. Yes, it was violent and rather bloody, but needless to say, the rest of the casualties were all Imperial.
Her improvised maneuver that had turned the tide of battle divided the surviving Stormcloaks in opinion. There were the reverent ones, the ones who bowed their heads in respect and awe and murmured "Dragonborn" as she walked past. There were the suspicious ones, the ones who stopped muttering amongst themselves whenever she drew near. And then there were the frightened ones, the ones shocked by her display of power, who shrunk away from her in dread. The latter two groups bled into each other and far outnumbered the first.
The Dragonborn didn't have time to care about their opinion of her. What mattered was that Fort Snowhawk was captured, and she quickly sent off a notice to Galmar via courier informing him of the fact before busying herself with other details: ordering the digging of a mass grave for the Imperials, going through the dead legate's papers, making sure that the storerooms held enough supplies. It wasn't until late afternoon that she'd heard back from the general. In his letter, he ordered her to take a detachment of troops and meet him in Morthal; they'd surrendered as soon as the Stormcloaks had been sighted coming up through the marshes.
Seeing the frozen dirt path hugging the mountainside that led into the hold capital, the young woman carefully turned Shadowmere and guided her horse down it, with the soldiers tramping after her. The thatched, snow-covered roofs of the squat wooden buildings began to appear, followed by the bodies of the houses and shops as she descended on to the main road running through the town. Several people had appeared from their homes and watched the Stormcloaks marching in with empty eyes.
Underneath her hood, Kajsa couldn't stop her lip from curling in disgust. She'd always held a deeply-rooted dislike of Morthal, this run-down dump in the middle of the marshes, where vampires had lurked until she'd wiped out their coven. She could never fathom why the jarl had ever bothered to give her the title of Thane of Hjaalmarch, except to maybe slight her.
Galmar, a cluster of soldiers hovering around him, was waiting for her by the front steps of Highmoon Hall. "You sure took your sweet time getting here, Red-Blade."
Pulling Shadowmere up to the jarl's home, the Dragonborn dismounted. "You're older and more out-of-shape than I. I had to give you a head start."
The Stormcloak general snorted indelicately. "Too busy cleaning up after your little mess at Fort Snowhawk, eh?"
She narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Don't start, Galmar. I did what I had to do in order to take the fort."
"A dragon? Sure, it's effective, but that's a little excessive, Red-Blade." He leaned in out of curiosity. "That is what happened, correct? I heard a strange account from the courier you sent."
"What did that blasted boy tell you?" The young woman ascended the steps, opened the wooden door, and slipped inside.
Galmar followed her in, trailed by the soldiers, and then closed the door behind them. "That the battle was not going in our favor. That you Shouted something and called down a dragon that toasted the Imperials and won us Fort Snowhawk. That afterwards, you spoke to it personally."
"'It' has a name: Odahviing."
"So it was true after all," the general said triumphantly. "I knew there had to be a reason Morthal surrendered so quickly! I don't suppose you could do that for the rest of this war's battles, eh?"
Kajsa smiled humorlessly and then changed the subject, lowering her voice. "Why are we in Highmoon Hall, Galmar?"
"I'm escorting the jarl and her family to the guardhouse prison before they or anyone associated can send out any more letters to Solitude." He scowled. "We already caught one of their couriers sneaking out of town with the legate's papers. Can't afford losing any advantage to Tullius."
From the dais at the far end of the hall, the robed figure of Jarl Idgrod Raven-Crone rose from her throne. "There is no need to whisper, Galmar Stone-Fist. I can hear you quite well from here."
"Then you know where you're headed," Galmar rejoined. "Think of it as me giving you a little warning."
The jarl of Morthal smiled mysteriously. "I have had plenty of warning."
A couple of the Stormcloaks made quick hex gestures or muttered prayers for protection against Idgrod's gift of foresight – it was well-known, but rarely taken seriously by anyone but the superstitious.
"My thane." Idgrod's voice rang out in the high-ceilinged hall. "May I speak with you for a brief moment?"
The general shot an incredulous look at the Dragonborn. "Please tell me she's not talking about you, Red-Blade."
"It was not my idea, let me tell you that." Leaving the stunned group of Stormcloaks hovering by the entrance, the young woman strode forward and then came to a halt at the foot of the dais. She bobbed her head quickly to show some deference. "Jarl Idgrod."
"I am Jarl no longer. I do not hold that title now. However, you hold the title of Stormcloak. Curious." Her milky eyes scrutinized the blue-and-bronze cuirass, dirty from battle. "And Dragonborn as well. You are a strange one."
"Stranger than some," Kajsa agreed wryly.
Idgrod let out a rasping laugh. "Indeed. There is much I would like to tell you, but I fear there is not enough time."
The Dragonborn frowned. "What is it?"
Stepping forward, the aged jarl took the young woman's hand in her own, closing her eyes and running her bony fingers over the back of the palm. Kajsa remained still and silent, not wishing to disturb her in whatever she was doing.
"So much pain and darkness and sorrow in one so young." Idgrod shook her head ruefully. "Your soul is tainted fire, on the verge of consuming itself. What a pity."
The young woman felt her unease growing. She's using her... her gifts on me... What is she seeing?
"I see three men," the jarl murmured, half to herself. "The one that walks with you, the dark swordsman. The one you run to, the great bear. And the one that you run from, the golden-eyed one."
Goosebumps rose on the back of Kajsa's neck.
"One is your past, but you mistake him for present. One is your present, but you are unsure of whether he will be your future. And one is your present, but you wish him to be your past.
"Two you love and one you hate. Two will destroy you and one will save you. Which ones they are, I cannot say, but you will know the truth of my words soon." Idgrod released her hand. "Farewell, and heed my counsel well."
Turning around, the Dragonborn hesitantly withdrew, feeling the jarl's eyes boring into her as she walked past Galmar and opened the door to the outside.
"Well?" the general demanded. "What did she say?"
The bang of the closing door cut off his question.
[A/N] I'll try to write and post the next chapter as soon as possible, but my school's messing around with the schedule next week... so I might be trapped under a mountain of homework again. :( Anyway, review!