Arc 3—Uncivil War—Chapter 7:

On our arrival at the docks far below Solitude, a group of Imperial soldiers met us as we disembarked and I was told in no uncertain terms that I was to being taken to Castle Dour in Solitude for a meeting with General Tullius, Skyrim's so-called military governor and the commander of Imperial forces in the province. The new squad didn't look particularly pleased to be escorting me, so I was rather happy when Tribune Shondar and the remaining able-bodied members of his patrol came along. The injured, including the one surviving invalid, were taken aboard a hospital ship in the harbor for treatment.

The long walk up the hill to the city was much different when one is going along essentially as a prisoner rather than as a freeman. While I wasn't technically a prisoner, if I tried to escape, I knew my new Imperial guards wouldn't hesitate to strike me down and wasn't sure if I could count on help from my former companions. As we made our way, I was carefully observing my surroundings in case I had to attempt a sudden escape, either then or later.

We had to make way for new soldiers at least three times before we made it to the castle. While younger Nords often run long distances, the Imperial trainers wanted them to be faster, so small groups ran around the city, up and down stairs, and in the areas around the city. I was a little surprised at the number of new recruits I saw, though not too much so. I'd heard a rumor that the Imperials had recently increased their pay scale in comparison to the Stormcloaks.

Once inside the castle, they led me through the courtyard. There, recruits and seasoned veterans were busy training but we didn't stay to watch. The praefect in charge of my escort led me directly into the castle. After a brief consultation with the guards, the praefect, Tribune Shondar, and I were allowed to enter and before long, we found ourselves in a chamber facing a distinguished gray-headed man I'd seen before.

"General Tullius," said the praefect, "this is Tribune Shondar, and this is Aerik, son of Bjorn, also known as the Dragonborn." Shondar saluted and then stepped forward to hand the general a paper, which he quickly read. "Thank, you, Tribune. You are dismissed."

As Shondar exited, the general looked steadily at me, as if sizing me. It was a manner of seconds before he turned to the praefect and the guards at his side. "Leave us. Praefect, tell Nelkie to bring refreshments for my guest and me."

"Yes, General," replied the officer before saluting and heading out with the guards.

The general watched them go before he turned back to me. "Be seated, Aerik, son of Bjorn. I see you've done well for yourself since that unfortunate little misunderstanding in Helgen a few years ago."

I took the seat and gritted my teeth before practically growling, "Misunderstanding, General? That elven witch almost took my head."

He chuckled as he nodded. "You size her up well, but I don't recommend you saying that aloud in the presence of others. First Emissary Elenwen has spies all over Skyrim and, we believe, ties to the Dark Brotherhood."

I looked at him closely, studying his expression, before nodding. "Thank you, General, but I'm afraid I already know that. I've had run-ins with a couple, including one who valued his life more than his discretion. He admitted that she was behind the attempt on my life before I released him. I believe he's now in Cyrodiil...or maybe Hammerfell."

His eyes widened in surprise. "You actually let an assassin go?"

"Yes, since I gave him my word, with, of course, the understanding that he would tell me the truth and that if stepped foot in Skyrim again, it would be for the last time."

Seeing that I was completely serious, he chuckled again before looking down at the report on the table in front of him. "Tribune Shondar reports that you fought well with his troops, but that you appeared to find fighting and killing, oh, what was the word he used?" He ran his finger over the page before tapping a word. "Distasteful."

I shook my head in reply. "No, General. Not distasteful. I've learned to fight when I must, and to kill when circumstances require it; it's indiscriminate killing and being placed in a position where I have to kill for a cause that isn't my own that I detest."

He stood up from his chair and leaned forward against the table, glaring at me. "Not your cause? Yet, you took it on yourself to establish a parole system in Skyrim without my permission?"

I didn't bother standing but leaned toward the table and glared back with equal intensity. "General, you can always overturn it, if you wish, but, yes, I tried, and for a reason. You must know that the young people of Skyrim are dying in large numbers, on both sides. I've heard it guessed that over half of your troops are from Skyrim, and you know that all of the Stormcloaks are. If we can take some of them out of the fighting with their honor instead of their shed blood, I believe it will be worth it in the long run."

He continued to look at me for several seconds before sighing and retaking his seat across the table from me. "Yes, I suppose...the war will end sometime in the not too distant future. When it does, having numbers of well-trained troops, potentially from both sides, to face the next foe, whoever," he said with with a raised eyebrow as if suggesting I understood, "that might be. Therefore, we will abide by your parole and swap system as long as the Stormcloaks do."

A young lady brought in a tray with a bowl of fruit, a carafe of wine, and two crystal glasses. She set it on the table and pulled two silk napkins from her arm, handing one to each of us.

"Thank you, Nelkie. That will be all," said the general, and she exited following a curtsy. After pouring us each a glass of wine, he handed me one and said, "To your protection of the land."

"And to freedom," I added.

His face reddened but he touched his glass to my extended one. We each took a sip before I said, "General, thank you for the wine and the toast, but I'm sure you didn't have me brought here to thank me for long overlooked deeds or a discussion of our differing philosophies. Tell me, sir, why am I here?"

This time, he smiled. "Dragonborn, you appear to be as straightforward as I've heard so I'll speak with equal frankness. The war in Skyrim is at a stalemate. The empire raises troops in the southern provinces but new hot spots are popping up across the south causing those new soldiers to be diverted there to quell rebellions, riots, and bandit attacks. Most of these spots are due to groups and factions never known until they cause major trouble. Experience and Imperial Intelligence tell us—"

He stared at me as a little grin crossed my face. "I know. Nords joke of Imperial Intelligence being an oxymoron, but that service really has some of the smartest people in the Empire in it."

I barely suppressed an even bigger chuckle but couldn't keep my grin from growing, leading him to shake his head sadly and roll his eyes.

"Hmph. Nord humor. Anyway, we know that groups don't just spring into existence and start causing major trouble without first gaining experience with lesser trouble...except where someone is paying them to do it. Paying a lot of people."

"Are you sure you're not dealing in conspiracy theories, General? After all, one of you Imperials' biggest shortcomings is your failure to accept that a lot of people in a lot of places really just don't care for you or your ways."

Tullius stared at me for a few seconds before nodding. "Your words hold truth," he agreed, "but it's no conspiracy theory in this case. We've actually taken some of these new rebels and found that their leaders were small time bandits or outlaws just a short time earlier. Some have admitted to being paid to change their focus from their original small-time criminal pursuits to something, anything, that causes us trouble. We have our ideas as to the identity of these paymasters and a good idea of where they're getting their funds, but gaining proof is another matter."

"The Aldmeri Dominion?" I guessed.

He nodded. "Thalmor agents have been identified as those paying the troublemakers in at least three cases, but the evidence wouldn't stand up in court, or, for that matter, in the realm of public opinion. However, that's not as big a concern as you might guess. It's the source of the funds that interests us most."

"So you want me to find it and break their bank to put an end to it all," I stated, finally seeing where he was going with it.

He chuckled at my conclusion. "Ah...no. When the time comes, we plan to deal with that. What we need is some assistance from you so we can free up some of our troops in Skyrim. We want to send them south without any undue fanfare. They've deliberately fomented this rebellion and kept it going to keep us tied down, but if we can change that, we have a chance to change a lot of things."

I was almost disappointed that the Imperials, known for their intricate scheming, were giving me such a simplistic request. "So...keep our enemy busy while we go fight our other enemy. Is that it, General? If so, tell me why I should help you."

Tullius rubbed his chin as he stared at me, apparently pondering his response. He reached to the side of his chair and picked up a map that he placed on the table between us.

"After the White-Gold Concordat ended the Great War, the Empire slunk back home but the province of Hammerfell broke away as parts of Skyrim are attempting to do now. The Thalmor invaded the land and the fighting went on for several years before a treaty was signed. The Thalmor agreed to withdraw their forces, but they kept rights to a few areas along the coast, which everyone knows, but they secretly retained a small area in the Khadakkan Hills in the foothills of the Dragontail Mountains. From what our intelligence operatives have been able to discover, this was done by the fledgling government of Hammerfell; they granted deeded ownership to the area to a Hammerfell-based company controlled by the Thalmor. Therefore, while Redguard in name, the land and all in it, belong to the Thalmor."

"What's there that so important?"

"Gold and silver mines, operated by slaves, but run by the Thalmor. They refine the ore and send ingots to one of the coastal ports they retained. From there, it goes back to the Summerset Isles, where the Aldmeri Dominion counterfeit coins and forward it on to be used to their best advantage. If we can capture the mines, destroy them, and free the slaves, we can put a stop to their shenanigans. In addition, if we can get the freed slaves to speak out and focus on the Thalmor atrocities, we can give those elves a black eye from which they won't easily recover."

"Sorry, General, but I think you're underestimating the Thalmor and overestimating the effect you'd obtain. Worse still, other than sticking a finger in the eye of the Thalmor and freeing the slaves, I'm not seeing a lot of upside to this for me or my people. You want me to help you defeat the Stormcloaks so you can get what you want, but from the way I'm seeing things, you're as bad as they are. If it were up to me," I said, thinking of my recent experience, "I'd dump you both in the middle of the Sea of Ghosts in a heartbeat."

"Ah, there you go, speaking your mind once again," he said with a chuckle. "And in truth, I think I understand your thoughts on the subject better than you might expect. However, if we can defeat the Thalmor, then the Nords of Skyrim, and all citizens of the Empire, for that matter, can again worship Talos. The Thalmor execution squads will be gone from the land and Skyrim will again be free to enjoy the freedom, prosperity, and protection of the Empire."

I cursed aloud. "Do they make you memorize that spiel?"

"Hmm, I suppose they do use that phrase rather frequently in Imperial correspondence."

Many thoughts were going through my head as I came to a decision. "General Tullius, the people of Skyrim would love to see the Thalmor gone and the shrines to Talos reopened. We'd love freedom and the right to trade with the Empire or anyone else we choose, but we can take care of ourselves. No, General, as much as I'd like to see the Thalmor gone and Ulfric Stormcloak punished for his foul deed, I'm not interested in helping the Empire regain control here, for if the Empire wins and you start providing us with your 'protection,' you'll be taking away our freedom at a similar pace. I won't help the Stormcloaks, but I won't help you either."

He sighed. "In reading Captain Shondar's report about you, I felt that would probably be your response. Therefore, Dragonborn, I need to tell—no, show, you one more thing." He rang a little crystal bell that sat near him.

Expecting a horde of troops to come rushing in, my hand shot to my dagger, but Miss Nelkie, the maidservant entered. "Yes, Sir?"

"Nelkie, please bring in our other guest."

"Right away, Sir."

I didn't know who to expect but the entry of Dreanna of Bravil, my lover during part of my time in Cyrodiil, was definitely not it. She was smiling radiantly as she swept into the room wearing one of those expensive gowns sometimes seen at huge balls in the Imperial City. She ran up to me and threw her arms around me as she said, "Aerik, my love! It's been far too long!"

Shocked I wasn't fighting Tullius' troops, my arms reflexively went around her as her hungry lips pressed up against mine, practically devouring me as my head swam from her actions and her sweet scent. It took me a few seconds to come to my senses to slide her away from me, only to see Tullius looking out the window rather than watching us.

His gaze turned back toward us when I cleared my throat. "Perhaps you two need a few moments of privacy," he said. "I will be...right outside." With a nod, he stood up and stepped through the door, closing it behind him.

"Dreanna, what the hell are you doing here?" I demanded, only to receive her oft-practiced pouting expression in reply.

"I came to see you, Aerik. When we heard of the exploits of the Dragonborn in the northern province, I thought nothing of it until I finally heard the Dragonborn's name. Your name! I couldn't believe it, so I went to the Imperial commander in Bravil and there was one person after another who wanted to talk to me after that. Oh, Aerik! You wouldn't believe it, either! It was like a dream come true!"

"Dreanna, stop!" I said forcefully as I grasped her arms just above her elbows. "Now, listen to me closely: what did you tell them?"

Her pouty face returned. "Oh, Aerik, you're ruining our reunion. I told them that we'd been together in Bravil before you went back home to Skyrim to win your fortune."

"Did you tell them we were still together?"

"No," she replied, but with a sly grin, she added, "but I didn't tell them we weren't, either."

"They gave you those clothes?"

"And lots of others, too. And jewelry. And lots of other nice things."

The situation was again swirling around in my head. The Imperials were trying to treat her well thinking that we were together and that I would appreciate what they'd done rather than wanting to be as far away from her as possible.

"Dreanna, you must tell them the truth and have them send you home. It's not safe for you to be here, and it's even more dangerous for you to be associated with me. Let's call General Tullius right—"

Almost as if he'd been listening, though I knew it too far to be the case, the general opened the door and reentered the room, but this time he was holding the hand of a young, blond-headed boy of two to three years of age. "Lady Dreanna," he said, "did you have a chance to tell him about little Eric?"

While he didn't say the rest, the implication made me feel as if I was being crushed by one of those giant snakes of the Black Marsh. No words were spoken as I stared at the little fellow, wondering. Dreanna, however, was never one to allow a moment of silence to long endure. Before I could even formulate a comment, a question, she answered, "Aerik, this is your son, Eric. Son, say hello to your papa."

"Hi, Papa," replied the little boy, not really understanding what she was telling him.

My eyes wide, it took several more moments before I could finally speak. "Ahhh...hi, Eric. Please excuse me for a moment while I speak with your momma and the general. Nelkie, entertain him," I ordered, not the least concerned that she wasn't my servant.

When she'd led him out of the room, I ignored Dre and turned to Tullius. "By the Divines, General! You'd use that child, possibly my child, against me?"

General Tullis shook his head. "No, Dragonborn. We don't operate like that. However, our officers in the Imperial City thought you should know he exists in case it might have some bearing on your decision as to where your loyalties lie. Do you want the boy to grow up in a world of law and order or a shiftless society where the strongest do as they please, where they can walk in and kill the leader without consequence?"

"No, but, regardless of whether he's my child, I wouldn't want him growing up in a world where he couldn't worship as he chooses either, where his people are dragged from their homes by armed invaders for worshiping the 'wrong' god."

Surprisingly, Tullis looked down at his feet, making me realize that what he was doing was due to orders rather than his own choice. He spoke up moments later. "No, I guess I wouldn't want my child, if I had any, growing up like that either. We need your help, though, Dragonborn, so all of the children of Skyrim can grow up in peace. Help us and we'll put an end to this war."

"General, I'll consider your request. For now, I must go."

Tullius nodded to me. "I expect to hear from you soon, Dragonborn. Go safely." Turning, he left the room, but apparently sent Nelkie and the boy back in just a moment later.

I squatted down in front of little Eric. "Eric, I'm going away for a while, so you be a good boy and listen to your mother."

"Yes, Papa," he said.

I turned back to Dre. "If you are lying to me, you'll be sorry."

"No, Aerik, I'm not, I swear! Listen to the general, okay? We can come out of this stronger, together, if you help him."

She moved forward to hug me and, probably, to kiss me goodbye, but I escaped her clutches before she reached me.

"Help him!" She cried out when she saw I wanted nothing to do with her. "Aerik, please? Help me!"

Confusion reigned in my mind as I stepped out into the courtyard. Dre was in Skyrim, trying to reunite with me, if only for the wealth if might bring her. I had a son, if he truly was my son. And, worst of all, if the choice of what was best for Skyrim was between the Stormcloaks and the Imperials, we were all well and truly screwed.

As I walked away, the only thing I knew for sure was that helping General Tullius would only give us more of the same.

~ESV~

Author's Note: Thanks for reading and a very special thank you to this week's new story follower. If you like the story, please consider leaving a note to let me know. If you don't care for it, please consider leaving a note to let me know why, too. Your feedback helps me to improve my writing and the story.

I'm making progress on the outlines for Arc 4 and a possible closing tale as the story continues to diverge further from the scripted, in-game story.