Chapter 23
Day 64
The trek to Windhelm was long and strenuous. We had to stop many times due to nervous breakdowns or people being too tired to continue on. Out of an entire city, only around twenty survived. The idea scared me more than anything I've encountered so far in Skyrim. A whole city overrun in minutes. As I helped guard the weary, I thought about this threat. It's almost similar to the oblivion crisis in this world but instead of it happening in one region, it's happening all over Tamriel. Either this was a coordinated attack by a large group or there's something else going on. I had believed that the biggest threat to Tamriel would have been the Aldmeri Dominion. I now wish that had been the case.
"Jarl Laila!" We where just a few miles away from Windhelm when one of the people we sent to scout ahead came rushing back. "Windhelm is under siege!" The scout's news crushed us. Things just keep going from bad to worse.
"By whom?" She responded with rage. Her frustration at the situation showing.
"The undead! There seems to be hundreds around the castle!" His face was filled with terror. He must have been lucky to escape unnoticed. Mjoll must have thought the same thing and drew her axe.
"All those able to wield a blade, take one from the cart!" Luckily we where able to take a lot of supplies from Fort Greenwall. Weapons,food, clothes, we even found a cart to be able to carry it all. No horse though so everyone has been taking turns pulling and pushing.
"How does it look?" The Jarl asked.
"They've closed the gates and are fighting on the docks." The scout reported then drew his own sword.
"It looks lik you where spotted." A few of the creatures could be seen coming down the road, they looked a little faster than before. How was that even possible? I held my sword tightly and hefted up my shield.
"Is there no place nearby we can go?" I asked, watching the creatures stumble forward at a worrisome pace.
"Fort Amol is nearby. Last I knew it had been abandoned by Ulfric's men." The jarl responded, now calm enough to sort out her thoughts.
"Any danger?"
"None that had been reported, they had left it when Ulfric called for more soldiers to Windhelm." Laila turned to ordered some to help with the cart. "We need to get across the marsh to Fort Amol!"
"You two, with me!" I pointed to two who had been under my command at Fort Greenwall. "We'll take care of the ones on the road." I gave Zaynabi and Kharjo a reassuring smile then lead the way down the road. There where five undead shambling towards us. It seemed like they where trying to run! If they could run then we all where in more danger than before. Fear hit me hard as I watched the gray-skinned monsters advance on us. "Aim for the head! Keep them at a distance!" I ordered then moved in. Two fell before me as I swung. My arm ached with the last one as the sword as wretched out of my hand and stuck into the neck of one. It fell but I had to struggle to pull my sword free. Another one was advancing on me as I struggled with the sword. Cursing I left it and pushed my shield into the creature, making it fall backwards. It had been lighter than I had thought and I stumbled over it. My fall hurt more than it probably should due to my armor. The heavy metal clanged loudly against the few cobble stones in the main road. My back ached as my ears rang loudly. I turned my head to see it scrambled over to me, It's lifeless eyes pitch black, gray skin made lighter by the sun. It's jaws snapped open and shut as it stretched it's bony hands out to me.
A blade sunk deep into it's neck as it was just about to reach me. One of my men helped me to my feet and led the way to my sword. The other man wrangled it free and handed it to me.
"T-thank you. Let's get back to the others." I stammered, fear heavy in my heart. Though I had killed a few of these things I hadn't found myself in that helpless of a situation. We made our way back to the spot where we left the others and followed the cart tracks. We kept a lookout for any others following behind us but luckily there didn't seem to be any more coming.
It took some time but we where able to catch up with everyone and help them move the cart along to the fort that lay just up the hill. Mjoll took a few people to scout it out to make sure it was safe. She returned with some good news and we moved up and into Fort Amol. The walls around us seemed sterdy and there where wooden supports around the more broken areas of the castle. The only weak point I could notice was a hole that had once been in the wall. Luckily it was replaced by a wooden one but it was weaker than the stone around it. It seemed to me that the gate and the hole would be the points we would need to concentrate the defence on. Mjoll and the Jarl saw the same problem and gave out orders. The others in the group where happy just to be able to sit down again and rest.
"If Windhelm falls, then where else can we go?" I said to myself as I stood at the top of the tower. The surrounding area was shrouded in darkness as the sun had set. I could make out the trees, rocks, and some foliage on the ground. I had helped unload the cart and now I was exhausted. The events lately make the days go by fast. It was hard to tell them time when your fighting for your life constantly. "I've been here two months now." My mind drifted over my time since waking up naked in some ruin. I wanted to believe I had come a long way in just a short time but there where so many questions I still had. Now there where even more things to worry about than the regular dangers of Tamriel, I seem to have found myself in the middle of another crisis. I prayed to Akatosh, hoping to recieve some answers but there was the usual silence. Had I imagined the voice I heard so long ago? I still feel some power when I ask for a blessing but when I pray normally I get nothing. Do I have to not be selfish?
I groaned and sat down in a nearby chair. The night air helped to calm my mind but it was still cold and made my body ache more. What could I do? I was confused and felt hopeless. I was no where close to finding my way back home or who even brought me here. I had more immediate worries however. This undead invasion of Tamriel.