BATTLE FOR SOLITUDE

The Harbinger

I let out a breath of the cold air. It is frigid up here, but I don't feel it anymore. I am whole again. I feel Hircine next to me, towering over me. "Thank you." I tell him.

"For what?" Without the mask, I might see a look of surprise. Instead, I can only tell he is based on his tone.

"Letting me have this power back." I say.

"You thought I would take it away." He states. We now traverse the mountain to the other side. Where the entrance of Solitude is. The other wolves follow diligently behind me, along with a disgruntled by eager Galmar. They all saw the Princes. Galmar almost fainted but after some consoling, he felt more invigorated than ever before. "Now we'll show those bastards who rules this land." He had told me fiercely.

I ignored that sentiment. I have little hope that the Princes will aid us in this fight. But with my returning powers, I will now be invaluable and fierce in the fight. I won't get tripped up again.

"I thought so. I wasn't sure. I've never done something of this sort before." I joke.

Hircine gives me an odd look but that is taken away with the dog. My attention turns to Barbas who walks next to me intently. Wishing for attention no doubt. I scratch him good behind the ears and pause when I see them. The Stormcloak forces stand at the gates of Solitude. Many men and women stand in the crowd, I see smoke from small fires rising. Hear a voice shouting over the others.

"This is it men! It is time to make this city yours!" Jarl Ulfric yells over the crowd. I scramble up the side and make my way through the throng of people. Ulfric is on the other side. He gives me an intense look when I break through. I look over my shoulder, expecting to see the Princes with me and instead find my companions, along with Galmar, break through.

"We come to this moment carried by the courage and the sacrifices of our fellows. Those who have fallen and those who are still bearing the shields to our right." Ulfric locks eyes with Galmar. The man holds his weapon steady.

"On this day, our enemy will know the fullness of our determination, the true depth of our anger, and the exhausted righteousness of our cause. The gods are watching. The spirits of our ancestors are stirring. And men under suns yet to down will be transformed by what we do here today. Fear neither pain nor darkness. For Sovngarde awaits for those with weapons in their hands and courage in their hearts. We now fight our way to Castle Dour to cut the head off the legion itself." Ulfric pauses, I feel the excitement of the people around me.

"We will fear no legion nor the Night Mother herself! And in that moment the gods will look down and see Skyrim as she was meant to be. Full of Nords who are mighty, powerful, and free! Ready now! Everyone with me! For the sons and daughters of Skyrim!"

A resounding shout comes from the crowd around me. I look to my right and catch Aerin's eye. Excitement brims in them. I figure now is a good time to command my own. People race around us into the center of the city itself. I open my mind.

Be ready. Aerin, you are good with magic, you will follow Galmar. I want Farkas and Aela in wolf form to race ahead and take down any enemies they can.

I feel them fall to the ground, taken by their own change.

Vilkas, stay close to Ulfric. I will change as I go.

I know he understands. I feel it in his mind and there is nothing left to say. I just look to each friend. Farkas and Aela in wolf form. My best friend right next to me, readying his fire spells. And my lover, Vilkas watching me with something close to pride.

"I love you all. Be safe and fight well. I'll see you at the end of battle." I grin. Then I bring on my own change. It is invigorating this time. Not painful and fleeting. And instead of falling prey to that in between change, where I could never get my eyes just right, I am brought into the wolf, fully reborn.

I roar when I rise. It shakes the foundations of the city. The archers up above even stumble. I race forwards, not turning to know my companions are following along closely. I know they are there. My mind keeps a good connection to them. I can think for myself while I keep it open to them. Open to any harm that might come to them. I pray to Hircine to watch them and keep them safe. For once, in a long time, I know he is listening.

The city is filled with screams, fire burns its smoldering path from where the Stormcloaks ran and directly into the city. I break through each barrier I can on my way there. The Imperials are as weak as I have ever seen them. It is easy to bite through their armor and slash them when I can.

At one of the crowds, where the reinforcements of Imperials are spilling out into the streets, I find Ulfric and Galmar fighting. Aerin brings in cover fire. I see an archer up ahead readying his bow right for my friend.

I leap over the heads of many of my fellow soldiers. I end up straight into the fray and rip the very head off that archer. Blood wells and splatters my paws, staining my beautiful fur. A mark of what I am.

"See Ulfric? I told you!" I look back to see Galmar watching me with awe and pride. Ulfric keeps his eyes on his enemy. "Yes, Galmar, don't lose your head over this."

The fight rages on. We kill who we can before moving onto the next lot. I notice Aela and Farkas racing ahead to plow through groups of Imperials with their swords at the ready. Small exclamations of pain come through my mind with each hit they take. But none of it is fatal.

Up ahead, I see Castle Dour. I race towards it to barrel through the door and all the flimsy wood barricading it. Two guards rise to fight me, but I kill them quickly. It only takes a swipe of very long claws.

I stand, huffing and puffing when I feel Galmar run a hand through the fur on my back. "We are here wolf. Good on you." He stalks ahead. Ulfric close behind him.

"Ulfric. Stop." A woman calls in the room ahead.

The man in question doesn't stop his prowling. "Stop what? Taking Skyrim back from those who'd leave her to rot?"

"You're wrong Ulfric. We need the Empire. Without it Skyrim will assuredly fall to the Dominion." I see Legate Rikke cowering in a corner. She still tries to stand tall and courageous in our presence. It is hard for her when I prowl into the room. The door is too small for me, so I walk in on all fours. Her form begins to tremble.

Galmar stops before her, a lecherous grin on his face, "You were there with us. You saw it. The day the Empire signed that damn treaty was the day the Empire died."

Legate Rikke pulls her eyes away from me to accuse Galmar, "You're a damn fool."

"Stand aside woman. We've come for the General." Galmar says without a thought.

"You have done well with these wolves." She peers at me, "So much so that he has given up. I have not." I see her hand at her short sword. I tense my back muscles, ready to tackle her if I need to.

"Rikke go, you're free. There doesn't need to be any blood spilled in this room." Ulfric cautions.

She snaps her head back to him. Her pristine and beautiful Imperial armor rustles when she turns on him. "I'm also free to stay and fight for what I believe in."

"You're also free to die for it." Ulfric adds.

I can't help the growl that bubbles up my chest. Rikke gives me a startled glance. "Is this what you wanted? Shield brothers and sisters killing each other? Families torn apart?"

"Dammit woman! Stand aside!" Galmar finally snaps. He readies his own axe.

She pulls her sword quickly and falls into a defensive stance. "Rikke you don't have to do this." Ulfric pleads with her.

"You left me with no choice. Talos preserve us." She growls. Those are her final words.

She charges Galmar. I am ready to defend him when I feel a sharp blade pierce my back. I hear General Tullius yell out in a battle cry. I just turn to slash at him. He backs up quickly with my advances. I hear signs of struggle with Rikke and Galmar.

Ulfric soon takes over the fight from me. I was just about to lunge at General Tullius when I feel the sharpest of blades stab straight through my stomach. I nearly stumble with the force of it, looking down and seeing no sight of a wound.

Rikke screams. I hear her pain before it fades with her life. I glance over and see Galmar shove her from his axe, limp and dead to the ground.

Ulfric has General Tullius pinned to the same stones. I crawl over, still trying to get over that pain in my stomach. "This is it for you." Ulfric announces to him. 'Any last words before I send you to Oblivion?"

General Tullius, nursing a wound on all fours, swings his head back to me. "By the gods good job taking down the Dark Brotherhood with our forces. I should have thought of that." He looks up to Ulfric. "You realize this is exactly what they wanted."

"What who wanted?" Ulfric asks.

"The Thalmor. They stirred up trouble here. Forced us to divert the needed resources and throw away good soldiers quelling this rebellion."

I snap my teeth with blossoming pain in my stomach. It almost distracts me from Ulfric's response. "It's a little more than rebellion? Don't you think?"

"We aren't the bad guys you know." Tullius growls.

"Maybe not but you're certainly not the good guys." Ulfric counters.

"Perhaps you're right but then what does that make you?"

"You just said it yourself." Ulfric reminds him.

"It makes us right." Galmar adds.

"And if I surrender?" Tullius asks.

"The Empire I remember never surrendered." Ulfric nearly spits in his face.

"That Empire is dead and so are you." Galmar says. "By the gods let's just get this over with and kill him already."

"Where's your sense of a dramatic moment?" Ulfric glances at him with amusement. Galmar nods. "Let's have the wolf do it."

I'm now breathing heavily from my wounds. I'm now getting the sense that one of my companions is down and wounded. I just don't know who. My mind races as it opens to hear them. I don't sense much.

The two men continue to bicker while Tullius looks on me with a sorrowful expression. He knows his time has come. And truth be told, he is standing in my way from me saving my friends. I never would have killed someone I might think as innocent before. Tullius certainly wasn't. But it wasn't like me to show no mercy and kill those who are defenseless.

I snap his neck before he can react. He falls dead with his head locked between my jaws. I shake him around some to make sure the kill was effective. I hear Galmar whistle and Ulfric looks shocked. He has his sword out. It sounded like he wished to give it to me to make the kill.

I am a wolf. What do you expect? I send that thought to them in amusement. They both still watch me with shock and awe.

"It is done. Good." Ulfric looks down at the man.

Galmar chuckles, "I suppose a speech would be in order."

They must have forgotten our worst enemy is about to show up. I push through them when my intestines feel like they are being torn out. Ulfric yells something to me about getting another title. Something I care little about at the moment. I have to find who is hurting.

I race out into the courtyard, change while I'm at it. It is strange to be changing as I run. I nearly fall a few times with my newfound lack of coordination but when I reach the center, I am fully back into human form.

Aerin, thank Hircine, stands with a human version of Farkas and Aela. Farkas falls to his knees. No. By the gods, no.

I scramble over, through all the Stormcloaks looking down on him. Imperial bodies litter the ground. I nearly trip over a few but nothing will stop me getting to him.

Vilkas lies on the ground in a puddle of his own blood. His mouth rimmed with blood and now I see someone pierced his armor. Clean through the stomach. I clamor for it, bringing a healing spell to my hands.

"You'll be okay. You'll be okay." I whisper as a mantra. Watching his eyelids flutter.

He smiles up at me. Blood trailing from his mouth. "You're so beautiful in this light."

He's talking like he's about to die. I won't let that happen. Tears stain my cheeks, but I keep my hand on his wound. He has to heal. I won't let him die.

"Someone help! Someone! Anyone. Hircine!" I call out to him. Everyone around me watches me with sad eyes. They know this is having little effect on Vilkas. I feel him slipping away.

He laughs softly. "Don't worry, Mjoll. Just know I love you."

"Don't go. My healing will help. I'm a good healer." I whisper. I keep my hand, full of that glorious power on his wound.

His words are soft. "Mjoll, you haven't had that power as strongly as you did before you became a wolf."

I feel like I can't hear him correctly. The sound of the world is falling away. Even Ulfric, starting his speech and oblivious to me holding onto my dying lover, cannot pull me away from him. "What?" I cry.

"You gave yourself to Hircine. To the Daedra. Those people have little power of the Aedra. You gave that up." He whispers, "Kodlak knew as much."

I couldn't believe it. "No. No. That's wrong." I keep my hand on him, willing my power into him further.

He rests his own hand on mine. "Love. Stop. Just promise me something." His voice is quieter. He is paler. "Please, cleanse yourself. I don't want to see you where I'm going."

"No, Vilkas. No! Listen to me!" I yell at him even when his eyes begin to close as if they were too heavy. "I love you. You can't leave me here. I need you. I can heal you, just hold on." I shove my hands further into his bloodied stomach. In my frenzy I forget the crowd. I raise my pleading eyes to those around me. Surely someone must have a potion, know a spell, anything.

"You." I pin my gaze on a Stormcloak woman. "Go get a potion, now!"

She scrambles off while the others just watch. Dumbstruck and failing at what they were trained for. I hear others scurrying in the back. I clench my teeth. Why aren't you helping? I snarl in to the others minds. It would take too long to speak it.

He won't be here for long. Aela manages to say.

Mjoll. We ran out of potions. The rest were used on other wounded soldiers. I tried my own magic but I'm running out. Aerin gives me a look full of sorrow. I know he would never lie to me.

Farkas is silent. He can't tear his eyes away from his own brother.

The man pulls me back to him with his honeyed words. "I'm just happy to know you cared for me. That you would move mountains for me." His beautiful eyes pierce my own. "Thank you for giving me this love."

I feel him slipping away. I drop his head and hold both hands over the wound. I'm crying. I can't see through the tears, even after he has left. I just keep funneling power into him like a lifeblood. "Get him meat." I tell the others. Yes. That is what he needs to heal more quickly.

I hear some other soliders scramble off. Farkas falls to his knees next to me, his head bowed. "Mjoll." He whispers.

"He can't be gone. He can't be gone." I keep saying. I press my hands into him. His body is cooling. I won't let up.

Hands envelop mine. Large and very warm hands. At first, I think it is Farkas. He is right next to me. But he still sits with a bowed head. Then, I think it is Hircine, finally hearing my pleas. I look up and gasp at what I see. Tsun kneels before me. His tanned body large and imposing but his posture is soft. He looks at me.

"This is for what you've done. I told you the mortal plane is where this fight has taken place. Accept this as a reward." His hands warm further. I feel the glow entering my own and falling into Vilkas's body.

I cry out when begins to breathe again. The wound is healing right before my eyes. "Thank you." I say to Tsun but when I glance up, I find he is gone.

Vilkas opens his eyes. Farkas beams next to me. "Here, Aela, brought this." He hands me some meat. I don't take it. I just hold Vilkas next to me. "I told you I'd save you." I whisper to him.

He buries his head in my shoulder. "How?"

"A gift from the gods." I murmur against his temple and kiss his head, then his cheek, then his lips. He laughs against me. Brings me in for more. It's like we can't get enough of each other.

Someone breaks our embrace. I thought it was Aerin, I know he'd want to see me. I thought it was Galmar, ready to reprimand me for not listening to Ulfric. Instead, I see a man in robes. His head is covered by a strange looking mask. It is like a sea creature molded out of metal.

"You are one I am supposed to find."

I still hold Vilkas close but have the good manners to introduce myself. "Yes. I am Mjoll, who are you?"

"Miraak. I am here to kill the Dragonborn." His gravelly voice answers.

I feel the warmth of Vilkas against me, savor in it. "She's not here yet." I say.

The man seems impatient. He turns. "I will stand up above, near the wall. I will get a clean shot. Don't get in the way."

I hear him walk off. I just hold onto Vilkas. The man was dead and is now alive. Stormcloaks move around me. I feel Aerin, Farkas, and Aela move behind me. "Sister." Aela gets my attention. Farkas was just stroking Vilkas's head. "Can't lose my brother like that. However would I go about life?"

I laugh at that joke, but Aela has my attention. She points. I follow her gesture, over by the fire. Something is happening. A disturbance in the air. It is like when the smoke makes the air vibrate. Something is entering our land.

"Be ready." I tell them. "Get behind me." I move so I'm ahead of Vilkas. He quickly rises to his knees and pulls his sword again. But I won't let him fall in defending me. I won't let any of them. I know who is here. I pull Mehrunes Dagon's Razor. My armor blends away and into a shadow so dark it can only be made of ebony. The Daedric Armor replaces the hide one I once wore. I shove the other Artifacts at the wolves. They take them amongst themselves. I keep a few. But really, I only need Mehrunes Razor. Because this time, I won't miss.

A/N: We're getting close to the end! Only six chapters left. From here on out I will be posting two chapters each time since they'll be a little shorter. I'm anticipating this story will be concluded Sunday March 27!