Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

"Legate," the voice cut through Aurelian's dreams, ending what pleasures sleep had brought him. The voice came from outside his tent, which was good, because if a soldier had entered without first waking him it may have resulted in lashings.

"Yes?" he called out, waking the woman next to him, who moaned and stirred as she too was torn from her own dreams.

"General Tullius requests your presence."

Aurelian sighed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he sat up in bed. "I'll be out soon. Call for my guard."

"As you command, Legate." That was the last he heard of the soldier, one whom had failed to identify themselves. Judging by their willingness to wake him so abruptly, Aurelian surmised it was probably one of his junior officers. The young fool would boast about it in the officers dining tent later, and eventually word of that would make it back to Aurelian. Assuming they were respectful, Aurelian would have no problems going forward. If not, Aurelian had been thinking of assigning an officer to the digging of latrine pits for the sake of keeping the men organised.

As he pulled himself up to sit on the side of the bed, a pained growl escaped him as he realised that the sun was not even up. It was going to be a long day. Though on campaign, Aurelian's tent was packed with most of the comforts of home, enough so as to make him think he was staying in one of the various lavishly decorated guest rooms of the Imperial palace. Tables, chairs, candelabras, rugs and of course, a soft bed that provided all the comfort necessary.

The woman in his bed moaned in discomfort, her arms searching the spot where Aurelian had risen from. Her eyes did not open in either her search or after she settled back down. She was an Imperial woman, her alabaster skin and thick blak hair glowing softly in the candlelight. She reminded Aurelian a lot of a woman he had grown up with back in Cyrodiil, one whom he'd never had the courage to talk to back then, skinny and strengthless whelp he had been. He was not sure if that was why he'd chosen her, or perhaps it was because she had been the prettiest one to choose from. Typically whores were not permitted to travel with the Legion, let alone be welcome into the tent of a senior officer. General Tullius however had allowed this one exception to those who wished to partake. Many of the soldiers under their command would likely never return home, find spouses of their own or even return to those that they already had. Aurelian fell into the former category. Since he had first arrived in Skyrim he had certainly had his share of romantic experiences, but never the time to let those experiences coalesce into love or marriage. Though he did fear the battle ahead, he was too proud to admit it, too proud and and too important. If the men under his command saw that he was afraid, him of all people, then how were they to feel?

"It's too early to go and play soldier," she mumbled, half asleep. They had done only a little talking last night, but Aurelian had learned that her name was Ulpia. "Come back to me."

Aurelian smiled. "I'm needed. I'll be back before too long."

"Come back now.." she complained, rolling onto her back as a smile crept across her face. "Or I'll sing the song again..." she giggled sleepily. "I tell you I tell you the dragonborn comes…"

A quiet chuckle escaped Aurelian as he leaned over and kissed her cheek lightly, barely escaping as her arms reached out to keep him at her side. "I thought I already performed for you last night." He left the bed then, going to an armour stand that sat opposite the bed. It was a slow process of pulling it all on, half asleep and with little to no light. He pulled on his long sleeved tunic and trousers, they were not typically part of the uniform in Cyrodiil, but this was Skyrim. Just about every part of his armour had been lined with fur to help keep the cold away. "Besides, I don't know if I am ready to pay you again just yet."

"Maybe… or maybe I just want to have some more fun. Not everyday I get a customer like you."

They had certainly had fun. It was a welcome distraction from the war, from the fact that many of the men he had marched with across Skyrim were likely never to return to their own homes. She was also exceptionally beautiful, wearing only a little eyeliner, the rest was all her. Aurelian had pushed aside a number of thoughts and fantasies last night about making an honest woman out of her and all the other nonsense thoughts that fill a man's head after he has bedded and been bedded multiple times that well. Such thoughts were a result of ecstasy, and such a thing would do no services to his military career. That, and Tullius' exception would only last so long.

"Maybe later," Aurelian said as he donned his armour with a smile, though it was half a lie. He was hoping to see her again afterwards. For one her presence made him happy, and if he did see her again it would mean that he survived the battle.

Once his armour was in place, he threw a thick fur cloak over his shoulders before moving over to the bed, where Ulpia had slowly started to wake up. She looked up at him, her soft brown eyes shining lightly in the dim light.

"Does this mean I have to get up too? Find another officer's bed to share?"

Aurelian smiled and shook his head. He reached down gently and brushed her cheek with his thumb. "You can stay here until the sun has properly risen outside. After that, well. Hope that we win. Otherwise be prepared to leave very quickly. The Stormcloaks won't care who is who if they attack this camp."

She allowed him to touch her, smiling as he did in fact. "I can take care of myself, but I appreciate the concern." She took his hand, turning it in her soft grip and kissed the palm gently. "This is for luck, be it a shield or a sword in this hand." To Aurelian's surprise she then slowly put one of his fingers into her mouth, sucking on it lightly as she slowly pulled it out. Her smile came back, much more reminiscent of her lust fuelled demeanour from the previous night. "That is to remind you of your reasons to live."

He didn't mean to, but Aurelian bit his lip slightly as he smiled. "Thank you for the reminder." He stood from the bed, despite the fact that the gods knew he wanted to pull off all of his armour once more and stay with her. He strapped his sword to his side, casting one last look at Ulpia as he did so. Gods she was beautiful. He gave her a small bow before walking out of his tent, the frost of the predawn air causing him to shiver almost immediately.

Despite the thick fabric of his sleeved tunic and trousers, the thick fur cloak he threw over his shoulders and the furlining all about his armour, Skyrim was just as cold as ever. With the sun still so far from risin, light had not begun to break the darkness on the horizon.

Men shouted orders as soldiers, mounted or on foot, dashed back and forth in the campgrounds around him. Many of them, particularly the Nord legionaries, stopped to give him a brisk salute before continuing on their way. Snow crunched to Aurelian's right as a heavily armoured Nord woman strode toward him. She was armored head to toe in a heavy set of Imperial armour, though she only wore a fur cloak overtop of her shoulders, her arms and hands exposed to the wind and cold like so many other Nord Legionaries. An outstretched arm offered Aurelian his helm. Typically closed plumed helmets were reserved for Legion cavalrymen, but considering Aurelian's reputation, as well as a small part of his own desire to stand out from the rest of the soldiery, Aurelian donned the plumed helmet with pride.

He took the helmet from the woman giving a smile and nod as he looked it over. "I see the quartermaster managed to get that dent banged out rather nicely."

"Once he knew it was your helm he stopped working on everything else. Should have seen him, it's like I gave him your child to hold." The woman laughed, turning to watch the rest of the troops make their way about their way about the camp. "You ready for today? After the sounds I heard from your tent last night I would hope so." She smirked.

Aurelian shook his head, holding the helmet under his arm. "You would think I would after all we've been through," he said, ignoring her comment. "But no. No, I do not think I am. But we best be about it anyway." He turned to her. "What about you? Any doubts? Any private treasonous thoughts?"

She shook her head. "My mind was made up the day Whiterun came under siege. The Empire isn't perfect, but the Empire never declared war on its own people."

"I'm sure there are plenty of Stormcloaks who would disagree, on a spiritual level anyway."

She scoffed. "Well, they best be prepared to meet their ancestors in Sovngarde today at least for their spiritual disagreements."

Aurelian smiled a bit at that. He turned to his friend, his companion. His Housecarl. Even adorned in Legion armour and made to fight in a formation, Lydia was still a force to be reckoned with. Though she was technically just an auxiliary, due to Aurelian's position in Balgruuf's court as Thane as well as his previous service, he had been able to request Lydia's position to be solely one of support for his role as an officer as his personal guard. Tullius had been slow to agree, but when the Dragonborn, even if he was just a Legate, made a request of the General it had been a widely accepted belief that it was a bad idea to refuse him. Not out of angering him, but rather the Nord populace and their traditions. Aurelian suspected that Legate Rikke had some hand in making sure Tullius accepted the request, but he kept those suspicions private.

"So," he said, looking out over the camp and at the battlefield that stretched out before them. "I would say it's high time we end this. Let us go and see the General first. Let's deal with the internal politics of war, then we can finally finish this one."

With that the two of the strode off through the camp, many parting and giving way to them as they passed. The camp stretched out for a mile or two in different directions. Legionaries and engineers alike readied themselves, stocking up on munitions, armour and weapons. The camp had been in the hills overlooking the White River as it snaked through the land before meeting the ocean. Imperial cavalry patrolled the perimeter of the camp, as well as kept a keen watch on the roads that lead to the battlefield, the oldest city in Skyrim. All the soldiers on the battlements of Windhelm's walls could do was wait and watch as the Imperial Legion readied to strike. It was then and only then that the first signs of dawn began to paint itself across the black skies.

The first signs of dawn, on the final day of the Skyrim Civil War.