With Friends Like These…
The sun was shining bright in the sky. The air was warmer than it was just a few hours ago.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Mojdar asked, breaking the silence.
Asbjorn shook his head.
"No."
"Ok…" Mojdar said. He let out a sigh and continued. As they were nearing Dragon Bridge, they were halted.
"Mojdar…"
He turned around to see a small group of Kahjiit. He went from proud to nervous.
"Oh, oh, it's you!"
The leader of the group growled.
"That's all you have to say after what you did? Get him!" He ordered the others to surround them and grab Mojdar.
"No need to be rash."
"What is going on?" Asbjorn asked.
"I uh…these guys are acquaintances of mine."
"You stole everything we had and left us for dead!"
Asbjorn shook his head and sighed.
"Oh. Mojdar…" His tone implied disappointment.
"Can we just talk this over?" Mojdar asked. The group of cats had their weapons drawn, ready to attack.
"Betrayal doesn't go nicely with your own kind."
"Mojdar, do I have to worry about you?" Asbjorn asked.
"Is this Nord with you?" One of the Kahjiit asked.
"No, just a traveler."
The leader sighed.
"Check his bags."
"Get off the horse."
"This is ridiculous…"
"Get off your horse, now!"
Asbjorn groaned and climbed off slowly. One of the Kahjiit pushed him aside, while two others held onto him so he wouldn't make a move.
He watched as the Kahjiit checked through his knapsack and other bags.
"He doesn't have it, boss."
The leader growled and turned to Mojdar, now very angry.
"What did you do with it?"
"With what?" Mojdar asked.
"Don't play dumb, Mojdar. Where is the moon sugar?"
"All of this over moon sugar?!" Asbjorn asked.
"Not just any moon sugar. It's the purest moon sugar. Makes for some of the best Skooma around. Just smoking a small amount will give you such a high that will last for a very long time." The leader got angrier.
"If I don't get it back, I am going to kill you both. Got it?"
"That won't be necessary…"
"Do something, please." Mojdar suggested. Asbjorn shook his head.
"No.."
"Why not? They're obviously the bad guys."
"Shut it, Mojdar!"
"Khazah, please!" Mojdar begged.
"Just give it back, Mojdar." Asbjorn said. Mojdar sighed.
"I…don't have it."
"Where is it?"
"I uh…sold it?"
Kahzah growled again.
"You…sold it?" He started laughing. The other Kahjiit started to join in. Mojdar then started laughing.
"Yeah, it's a funny story!"
After a few moments, Kahzah stopped. He turned around and faced away from the others.
"Who did you sell it to?"
"A trader in Riften."
"You're going to help get it back. Let's go."
"What about the Nord?"
"Let him go. We have what we need as long as he doesn't mention this…situation."
"I won't." Asbjorn shook his head. He drew his weapon.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Mojdar said as he was being carried away by the other Kahjiit.
"Are you sure?" Asbjorn asked.
"These guys are all talk!" He said. He was then smacked on the head. "Ow!"
"Shut up."
Asbjorn watched as they disappeared. He turned around and continued to Solitude.
He approached the gates to the city and walked through.
"Get on with it!"
"He's a criminal!"
"Ulfric challenged King Torygg and he accepted. There was no crime!"
"Very well, Roggvir, bow your head." Captain Aldis, pushed Roggvir into the block.
"Today…I go to Sovngarde."
CHOP.
His head rolled.
Asbjorn watched not knowing how to think. He looked down.
"I'm not sure what I expected."
"Who was that? And why was he put to death?" Asbjorn asked.
The man turned to him.
"New in town, huh? Roggvir was the gate guard when Ulfric Stormcloak murdered the high king. He let him ride right out."
"Oh."
"Look, it was justifiable. Roggvir wasn't the greatest man around."
"But to kill someone for letting someone ride out?"
"I don't make the rules, I just live here. But hey, if you need a place to stay, the Winking Skeever is the place. It's not just the best inn in Solitude, it's the only one!" He then continued walking.
Asbjorn looked back over to the platform and then sighed. He approached Captain Aldis, who was now heading back to Castle Dour.
"Excuse me, sir?"
"Yes, what is it?"
"Castle Dour is up this way, right?"
"Yeah, up the path. Do you need help with something?"
"I wish to speak with General Tullius."
"I'm not sure if now's a good time, but if you must, don't say I didn't warn you. You'll find him straight through the doors and into the large room. You can't miss it."
"Thanks."
He headed up the path. And saw the soldiers in the courtyard, practicing. He turned and headed through the doors.
He could see the soldiers in the next room and they were very busy.
Asbjorn walked into the room and cleared his throat.
Everyone in the room turned to him.
"What's the meaning of this?"
"Sorry, sir, I am here to join the Legion."
"As much as we could use the extra hands, we're not taking any new recruits right now."
Another soldier entered the room. He looked at Asbjorn.
"Hey, you made it!" He turned to Tullius, "General, this is the kid I told you about. If it weren't for him, I'd be dead."
"Well, isn't that something."
"I don't need any training. I have a skilled hand. I come from a line of warriors and mercenaries."
"Really?"
"Sir, you're going to need all the Nords you can on your side. I am a reliable source. I am agile and never miss a target."
"Sir, perhaps we should let him in."
"He hasn't proven a thing to us."
"I promise, General, you will not be disappointed. Of all places, I could've gone to Windhelm to join with the Stormcloaks, but that goes against my moral beliefs. I will not stand by and watch this happen to a land I called home. This is personal for me."
"Yes, well, your courage and determination seem real." He turned to Rikke, the Legate.
She nodded.
"What's your name, son?"
"It's Asbjorn."
She looked at him up and down. She could swear she knew him from somewhere.
"Alright, we'll send you on a mission. If you come back to report, then we will welcome you. If you die, then you weren't going to be useful."
"What's the mission and am I going alone?"
"There's a fort just over the mountains. We need it cleared so we'll secure the area, we won't send you alone but we'll have Zion here keep an eye on you. If you're worthy, you'll take the oath."
"Alright, let's go clear out a fort."
"We'll hopefully see you back here."
"You will." He turned around and headed out the door.
"Damn kids got determination." Zion said. Tullius and Rikke turned to him.
"We'll see if he's got what it takes. He looks capable. Keep an eye on him, Captain."
Zion and nodded and headed out the door.
"Falx! Rexus! Hjar! Siddan! Up front!" Four soldiers ran over.
"What is it now, Zion?" Hjar asked. Zion looked at him.
"Watch it, Hjar." He looked down and turned to Asbjorn,
"This is Asbjorn. He's to take the oath to be a legionnaire but before that happens, the General and Legate want to send him on a mission. I'm in charged of it."
He looked back to the group.
"So what's the mission?" Siddan asked.
"We're going to clear out Fort Hraggstad of it's bandits so we can secure any enemy approach."
"It sounds easy to me." Hjar said. He had a cocky attitude. He looked at Asbjorn, "Hope you can handle such a thing."
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
"We're to head there immediately."
"Then let's go!"
The group disbanded and headed for Fort Hraggstad.
"So, Asbjorn, is it?"
He looked over and nodded.
"What brings you to join the legion?"
"It's personal."
"How personal?" Hjar asked. He was cautious about Asbjorn the moment he saw him.
"Well, don't you take it personal that someone has killed your king?"
"I guess…" He answered back. Asbjorn shook his head and looked forward.
"It's quite the story, but now's not the time to tell it."
"It's a long walk."
"Hey, leave him alone." Zion said as he rode closer.
"How old are ya, anyway? You look young." Falx asked.
"I just had by eighteenth birthday, not to long ago."
"To be eighteen again," Rexus look up and started daydreaming, "That was a great time."
Zion shook his head, "I've been training with the Legion since I was sixteen. That was almost a decade ago."
"You're just an old man." Falx started joking. He looked over at Asbjorn. "So, Asbjorn. Are you ready for the soldier life? We'd get free mead and all the women you could bed. Glorious!"
Asbjorn rolled his eyes.
"What's the matter? Not into the women? I'm sure there'd be men out there."
Asbjorn shook his head and turned to him, "It's not about mead or getting laid."
Hjar nodded, "Right, it's about taking down those damn rebels."
"Hey, Hjar didn't your dad join the Stormcloaks?" Falx asked. He turned to him.
"Was going to, but my ma put him in his place. He decided not to. He respects her too much. He wasn't so happy about me being with the Legion but, hey, at least I know right from wrong."
"Is that the fort?" Asbjorn asked as he pointed up ahead.
They all turned into that direction.
"That's it alright."
They slowed down and prepared to attack. When they say an opportunity to catch the bandits off guard, they ran in killing them and causing them to submit.
It didn't take long to wipe the fort clean. As they were finished taking over, it was late.
"We'll head back tomorrow. We should probably sleep in shifts."
"Yeah, good idea. Can we eat first?" Falx asked.
"Yeah, let's set up camp."
Once the camp was set up, they sat around the fire.
Falx started shivering and giving himself a hug.
"Damn it's so cold."
"Damn Imperials can't handle the cold." Zion laughed.
"Damn Nords can't handle not worshipping a false God!" Falx joked back.
Rexus laughed in return, "Oof!"
Asbjorn turned away as he quickly hid his amulet of Talos.
"To be honest, I think we should've done away with Talos a long time ago. Tiber Septim was nothing but a Nord. Nothing too special"
"He founded the first Empire. Without him, the Empire wouldn't even exist."
"And, you know some Nords still believe he should be a divine." Zion suggested. Falx gasped.
"You don't still worship the fool, do you?"
"No. It's illegal, remember?"
"Some people do it private, that I know." Rexus said.
Asbjorn got tense.
"You ok, Asbjorn?" Zion asked. He nodded.
"Yeah, I think I just need to clear my head. I won't go far." He stood up and walked off.
"What in oblivion is up with him?" Siddan asking, exchanging looks with the group.
"Not sure, he seems really…"
"Strange?" Hjar asked. He looked back towards the direction Asbjorn went and then looked back to the group, "Do you think it's strange that when asked about joining the legion, he felt threatened?"
"What do you mean?"
"Like, he got all tense, 'it's personal'. How personal can it be? Did he know High King Torygg? Jarl Elisif? Maybe a Stormcloak?"
"Really? A Stormcloak?"
"You don't see a resemblance?"
"Now that you mention it…he's got an interesting shade in hair color. And that facial hair growing in, he could be a young version of Ulfric."
"Creepy, right?"
"Guys, Nords have familiar looks all the time. And blonde is a popular color." Zion said.
"I just feel something weird with him. What if he's a spy?"
"Enough." Zion said. He stood up. "I'll go check on him, see what he's up to." He headed off to follow Asbjorn.
Asbjorn was sitting on a huge rock at a distance, staring at the night sky. He couldn't help but to wonder if this was the right thing. He took out his amulet of Talos and held it close. He closed his eyes.
A young Asbjorn stood before the giant statue of Talos. It was amazing how someone could be so dedicated to build such a thing.
He looks behind him to see his parents looking down at him, proud. The little boy smiled as he initiated his first prayer. Aria turned away as she thought that Asbjorn could easily be corrupted with Ulfric's influence.
"Talos, I beg of you to protect me and my mother and father and all we hold close in our hearts. May you give us the strength we need right now and in return; we offer you food, and mead."
"Very good, my boy," Asbjorn turned and smiled big at Ulfric, "As long as you have faith in Talos, anything is possible."
"Anything?" Asbjorn asked. His grin was the purest thing one could ever see. Arial stepped up.
"Anything you can set your heart too," She smiled down at her son. Asbjorn placed a slice of bread on the pedestal and the three of them left the temple.
"Talos, please guide me through this. Give me strength. Give me courage. Give me the wisdom I seek. And please, please watch after my ma. She's all I have now. And if you have time, watch after my-"
Crunch.
Asbjorn turned around startled.
"It's just me," Zion said as he looked at him. Asbjorn quickly hid his amulet. Zion noticed and stepped closer, "I won't tell." He then pulled out his amulet. Asbjorn looked confused. "Come now, not all Nords are for Talos being removed. We're just fighting for the justice!"
"I guess."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on you. I was checking up on you. Everything ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Ok, well, we were thinking of picking the first pair to watch over the fort. So, get back soon, ok?"
Asbjorn stood up.
"It's fine, I'll come along now."
He followed Zion back to the group.
"Welcome back." Hjar said harshly. Asbjorn looked at him.
"What is your problem?"
"Nothing." Hjar turned his head away.
"Alright, so I think Falx and Asbjorn should have first watch, is that ok?"
The two nodded.
"And then we'll have Siddan and Rexus and the Hjar and I."
"Fine."
"Let's get some sleep."
Falx looked at Asbjorn.
"So, your folks still alive?" Asbjorn looked at him.
"Yeah, my ma is back home in Cyrodil."
"Back home? You're not from Skyrim?"
Asbjorn sighed and looked up.
"I'm from Win—Whiterun originally. Me and my ma moved to Bruma."
"Oh. I'm born and raised here in Skyrim. I'm from Solitude. My parents are both alive and well, my father is a mercenary and mother works down at the docks."
Asbjorn looked away. This was so awkward.
"You think your mom misses you?"
"I've been here in Skyrim for about a few days now, yeah. She's probably missing me like crazy. I have yet to write her."
"The courier stops by every other day, just so you know. Whhen we get back, it'll be a good time to do it." He looked at the sky and leaned back. "My ma and pa wouldn't know what to do without me. I'm the youngest, their baby."
"I'm an only child. I've always wanted a sibling, but ma had other things going on. She wouldn't have had time anyway."
Falx turned to him.
"Really?"
"Yeah, she and dad fought a lot. He refused to fix things he broke. He ended up breaking their relationship. And I don't think he has a care in the world."
"Damn, Asbjorn."
"Don't worry about it. It's over. Me and my mom are the only people we need."
They continued to watch over the fort until it was their turn to sleep.
The next evening, they were back in Solitude.
"Welcome to the Legion, Asbjorn!" Zion said.
Asbjorn looked around the room. He had just recited the oath.
"Thanks."
Tullius walked over to him.
"This is a voucher for your new armor. Take this to Beirand, the blacksmith. He'll suit you up. Remember that if your new armor gets damaged, you'll need to pay for new armor." Asbjorn nodded and took the voucher. Tullius turned to step away but looked back, "And welcome to the Legion, soldier."
"Thanks, sir."
"Well, I think this calls for a celebration!" Falx exclaimed as he turned around and headed out the door.
Zion was the last of the group to leave.
"Zion!"
"Yes, General?" He turned around.
"Keep those soldiers in line, I need all of you to be sober for the mission."
"Yes, sir."
He turned and exited, following behind the rest.
"Come on! I need a drink after yesterday."
"Hang on. Remember, you can't get plastered like you did the other night. You almost got me in trouble." Zion said. Falx grinned.
"Sorry about that, but if the General wasn't such a hard-ass…"
"Well, you won't be much use for any mission if you're hung over, right? So, we'll need to limit ourselves."
"We'll count each other's drinks." Rexus said throwing an arm over Falx's shoulder. The two started walking towards the Winking Skeever. Zion shook his head and turned back.
"You coming, Asbjorn?"
He looked up.
"Um, yeah." He turned to the direction of the Blue Palace, "I'll just be a moment, I wanna take a look around the city."
"Alright, don't get too hung up in something."
Asbjorn watched as Zion caught up with Falx and Rexus. He turned and started heading towards the Blue Palace. As he approached the entrance, a guard turned to him.
"Welcome to the Blue Palace, please refrain from bothering the court, they're still in a session." Asbjorn nodded and walked in.
Hjar, being the nosey person he was, followed Asbjorn quietly. Something was just off about Asbjorn.
Asbjorn proceeded up the stairs into the Jarl's court. Everyone had seemed to be busy. He politely stood there just for a moment before Falk Firebeard approached.
"I apologize, but you cannot be here. We're very busy in a session. If it's urgent, we'll get to you as soon as we can."
Elisif looked up.
"Send him forward."
Asbjorn stepped aside and walked over to her.
"You're Aria's boy, right?"
"Yes."
"What a surprise, I received a letter just this morning from your mother."
"I wanted to come by to give my condolences personally."
"You've come all this way to give your condolences?"
"Jarl, I advise that you continue with our issues here in the hold." Falk Firebeard stated.
She turned to him. "I'm the Jarl, and I will take care of it. Let me just take a moment to see this boy, well, I suppose you are not a boy anymore, huh?"
"No, Lady Elisif. I've grown up."
"Wait…Asbjorn..." it was clicking into their heads.
"Are we sure he can be trusted?" Thane Bryling stepped up. Elisif turned to her court.
"Of course, he can be trusted." She looked back at Asbjorn with a smile.
"But Jarl, he is a Stormcloak."
Hjar was eavesdropping at a distance. His eyes widened.
"I fucking knew it." He whispered to himself. He debated for a moment. Should he run and report him to the General?
Asbjorn stepped towards the court, he had rage building up.
"I am not a Stormcloak!" He shouted. He exchanged glances around the court, "I may be a Stormcloak by name, but I will never follow the path of the man I once called father."
"I-I apologize. I didn't mean to upset you." Falk said stepping back.
Asbjorn looked down and clenched his fist and bit his lip. He slowly looked up.
"I came to challenge him, encourage him to step down."
"Aren't you with the Legion?" Elisif asked.
"I am now. I just took my oath. I originally was just going to do this on my own, but I realized that probably wouldn't be the best option. I know he'll probably refuse to step down and if that's the case, I won't hesitate to pierce a blade through his heart. It would be irony for the way he broke our family."
The room was quiet. Hjar quietly left the palace. He was going to keep quiet about this for awhile, until it was time to expose him.
"I wish you luck and the best. I will pray to the gods for you." Elisif stated, she turned around to face her throne, "I suppose I should get back now. You take care, dear."
Asbjorn nodded.
"You too, Lady Elisif." He turned around and headed out.
He walked towards the Winking Skeever and entered.
"There he is!" Zion shouted as Asbjorn walked in.
"Welcome to the Winking Skeever! Soldiers get free drinks!" Corpulus said as he tended the bar.
Asbjorn walked over.
"Get a Black-Briar!" Falx shouted from across the room as he drunkenly danced to the music that the bard was playing.
Asbjorn shook his head with a smirk.
"One Black-Briar mead, please."
"Sure, here ya go."
Asbjorn takes it and walks over to sit with his newly found friends.
The inn was full of soldiers and recruits. Everyone was chatting, arm wrestling and having a good time in general.
"Down with Ulfric!" Everyone chimed in as they sang.
Asbjorn eventually felt warm and happy. He started joining in on the fun.
As the night went on, things became cloudy. Soon, it was getting late. It was approaching midnight, and since they had things to do the following morning, it was time for them to quit for the night.
"Guess it's time to get you to bed," Zion said to Asbjorn.
"Nah, I ain't tired."
"We have to get up early tomorrow, come on." Zion let out a chuckle as he tried to drag Asbjorn.
"You know what? I can…hic…I can take on Ulfric right now. If…if he showed up."
"Sure you can, bud." Zion finally got him into a bed and leaned back in a chair to take a brief rest before slipping into his own bed. It wasn't long before everyone was asleep.
Asbjorn was the first to wake. He grabbed some parchment and a pen to write a letter.
'Ma,
I have arrived in Solitude. I have officially taken my oath. General Tullius is kind of a jerk, but I guess I'll get to know him. I saw Lady Elisif in the Blue Palace, gave her our regards. She'll be praying for me and the Legion.
Oh! Why didn't I start with this? A Dragon burned down Helgen! A real fire-breathing dragon! I'm ok. I just…missed it, thank the Gods.
I hope you are well since I left. I do miss you and I will be home once this is over.
Well, I suppose I should get going. I'll look forward to your reply.
Love your son,
Asbjorn'
He folded it and sealed it, then stuck it in his pocket. He looked over at Zion who was lying on his back, mouth open with some drool coming out.
Asbjorn stepped out for a moment for some fresh air. He looked around the area to make sure no one was close to hear him pray. He took out his amulet.
"Talos, give me your strength today. I'm not sure what the plans are but keep everyone safe. This can get ugly very quickly…" He hid his amulet as a guard walked by.
"Good morning."
"Yeah, you too." The guard mumbled.
Asbjorn shrugged and looked up at the sky. Living in the moment felt so surreal. Soon, he would have no choice but to confront him, under these circumstances. That could be soon or later, and he wasn't ready for either.
End of Chapter