Aldis V
"Is there anything new to report?" Jarl Elisif sighed loudly as she held her hands to her face. From where I sat I could not tell if she was afraid of hearing bad news, crying, or just exhausted. The past few months had worn down on her. The woman was in her mid-twenties. She should be enjoying time with her husband, she should be raising her family, going to tournaments and balls and all the other things expected from the High Queen of Skyrim.
She did not deserve for Ulfric Stormcloak to murder her husband on their first day as a married couple. Then the dragons came back and a rebel army had been camped outside her city for months before the winter snows forced them to head back to Whiterun.
The people of Solitude looked at her nearly on the same level as they would a saint. They looked to her for leadership and guidance. If their cow wouldn't milk they would come to her and ask why. It's not that she knew because Elisif of Bruma was clueless when it came to cows. Her people were needing her.
"Yes, victory has been won in Wayrest." Legate Rikke announced to the room. She had joined Elisif's small group when she was promoted to General three years ago. After her defeat in nearly all of Skyrim by the Reachmen and the Stormcloak rebels she had been demoted but until a general came to Skyrim she was in charge of the Legion here.
"So Tullius is on the way?" Elisif's head peaked up.
"He is sending his allies from High Rock. He is headed to the Imperial City to get the blessing from the archbishop of the Temple of the One. He wants to be officially crowned." Rikke replied.
"Who would he have visit? If his only ally is Skyrim can't leave her city and his Breton allies are in Skyrim fighting. Black Marsh, Hammerfell, and Morrowind are no longer Imperial provinces. Will he invite the Dominion in for his coronation?" Falk Firebeard asked. His tone was tense but not angry.
"I believe he is just doing something with the Temple, be recognized by the Divines as leader of the Empire of Cyrodiil. Once he settles things in High Rock. Wayrest and Evermore need new kings, and Skyrim's Civil War he will do something as empire of the kingdoms of man." Rikke tried to explain.
"The Breton's are of elven decent as well as human." Sybille spoke up for the first time. I shared a look with her.
"Aye, but you identify as man." Rikke shot back.
"What is the plan for the Orcs or the Dunmer?" I asked.
"Well the Dunmer were given Solstheim by Skyrim years ago and have had trouble colonizing. The Orcs have strongholds throughout Skyrim and the Elder Council has set aside land for them between Skyrim and Hammerfell." Falk answered.
"Okay, but will the Empire do something to help rebuild Morrowind?" I looked at them all. "I served there as an Imperial aid mission until the Argonians told us if we didn't leave they would view it as the Empire siding with the Dark Elves."
"Aldis, I don't know what will happen." Rikke lowered her head. Out of all people she knew Tullius the best. He had been her supervising officer and taught her all that she knew. She had failed him in this war, and she knew that.
"Speaking of the Dunmer, has anyone heard of the Dragonborn?" Elisif asked her small council.
"We have heard no reports from any Legion scouts in Raven Rock." Rikke answered.
"Aye, we've had no word from Balgruuf and he was friends with the Dragonborn." Falk looked sad at mentioning the ally turned Stormcloak. Jarl Balgruuf was in a precarious situation.
"Falk, keep contact with Balgruuf to a minimum. He did what he did to help the people of his hild as any good Jarl would do. He still supports me but he can't be open or the Gray-Manes will take over the Jarldom of Whiterun." Elisif lowered her head again.
"Does anything know of anything from our supposed savior? The Dragon Crisis is getting worse. Villages all over Skyrim have been wiped off the map. Villages that have been here for centuries!" Falk's frustration at the "hero of legend" was shared by the entire room.
"That brings us to our next item to discuss." Sybille spoke again. "As you know Aldis and I have made weekly visits to the Dragon Cult in Volskygge." The entire table was full of people shaking their heads up and down.
"Well this last week we asked around for rumors. According to the propaganda the new priest is preaching on the Dragonborn went to Solstheim to ally with an ancient Dragon Priest that rebelled against the Dragons and they believed to be destroyed." Sybille was telling her side of the report when Falk interrupted. "A new Dragon Priest what do you mean?"
"I will get to that. Be patient, Steward." She smiled at him. It was a fake smile, I hated politics but she could serve in any court with ease. "Anyway, when I spoke with the new priest's lover she told me that what they are telling the people is a lie. That Thane Uther of Whiterun went to Solstheim to fight off this ancient Dragon Priest who was also apparently the first Dragonborn."
"Blasphemy! Saint Alessia was the first Dragonborn." Elisif yelled out.
"Different blessings from Akatosh, my Jarl. Also, this Draognborn was stricken from record by the Dragon Cult." Sybille explained. The part about blessings made me laugh in my head. Sybille worshipped no Divine or Deadra. Her situation left her feeling like there was no greater power.
"Point being is that our last sighting of the Dragonborn comes from someone who fought with him while he was on the island." Sybille continued.
"The housecarl?" Falk guessed.
"I am uncertain of who it is. I just know what the Priest told his lover, it came from a spy who went to the tavern in Raven Rock. The Dragonborn disappeared from Solstheim a year and a half ago to fight the other Dragonborn and hasn't been seen since."
"So that's it on the Dragonborn?" Jarl Elisif looked at each of us and lowered her head again when we all answered. It was not the news she wanted to hear.
"On the new Dragon Priest." I cleared my throat and called their attention. "He is a Nord man named Haldriin. He has been trained by the old Dragon Priest at Volskygge: Volsung. The old priests of the cult are all draugr, undead basically. While they will live until their bodies deteriorate, they also freak out any of the people alive who are worshipping the dragons and know this. This are trying to train a new generation."
I let that thought sit in. If you had heard the old stories you knew how bad the Dragon War was. I was an Imperial but my time in Skyrim had taught me much about their culture.
"What do we plan to do about this?" Elisif looked worried, her eyebrows furrowed causing wrinkles to appear on her forehead.
"I propose that we take out the Dragon Cult at Volskygge. I will take a force to eliminate these priest and any hostile forces they have?" I looked at my liege.
"And what of the people who are not hostile? Falk raised the question.
"I would like for Hadvar of Riverwood to lead a unit to extract the non-hostile civilians in the area. I would propose we bring them here to Solitude and help them."
"Can we spare the manpower?" Elisif looked hesitant. A woman who would send an entire Legion to help a small village if she could had been brought to this.
"I will not require many men, my Jarl, but even then the Stormcloaks retreated to Whiterun until winter has passed. They would have lost too many men just waiting outside our city." I answered.
"Well then. Get everything ready and then report to me. I will want a briefing before and after this mission takes place." The Jarl had matured very much since Tullius had left for his war in High Rock. That I was proud to see. I just wish it had not come with so steep a price.
After my men had been rounded up and Hadvar had gathered a small party of his own we were setting out for our mission when Sybille walked up carrying my cultist robes.
"Easy there, Captain." She smiled. This one was no fake like the last. This was the one that I had seen hundreds of times in the last three years.
"I have told you goodbye, Mage." I smiled back.
"No not that." She winked when she spoke. "I have talked with Elisif and we have a better plan. I just need your help." I motioned for Hadvar to join us and we all came to an agreement and set out.
In a week's time hopefully we would either have rid our home of the Dragon Cult's presence or we would be in the process.
Or we could be dead.