1st of Sun's Dawn
Solitude and Fort Dour have fallen. The fighting was terrible. There's a ramp from the Fort that goes down into the city. Erik and I held it until we couldn't stand on the blood-slicked cobbles any longer. We kept the Fort from being able to send out reinforcements while Galmar and Ulfric took the rest of the city. I'm heart-sick at the loss of life. Both sides lost a lot of good people today. I've lost count of how many have fallen to my blade and my arrows. When we finally got the signal from Ulfric that they'd broken through the barriacdes into the Fort, we turned to join them in the assault on the inner keep and I nearly lost whatever it was we had for breakfast. From the smithy at the top to the switch back where the ramp turns, was a solid sheet of blood. Bodies were piled up everywhere. Gods! All I can do now is see it through and hope its worth the cost.
We made it into the inner keep at Fort Dour and broke through the door into tower where Tullius and Rikke were holed up. Rikke... Do you remember me? The Nord in the rags? You're about to... Galmar and Ulfric were close behind. Rikke decided that she wants to fight, which suits me. Galmar and Ulfric wanted to fight with her but I waved them off. "Oh no you don't. Rikke and I have some history that needs to be settled." Rikke looked at me, really looked for the first time. "Oh my gods, you're the Nord in the rags from Helgen." "You tried to murder me, " I reminded her, "It's been a long path to get here so I can settle up with you. I wasn't a Storm Cloak then. You, you stupid twat, drove me to become one."
Tullius stood there staring, "Rikke, what have you done?" "Your little twat of a protege has been sending people she's either doesn't like or just thinks she can get away with to the headsman's block," I explained, "and she's apparently been doing it for a while now. Tullius, you should have been paying attention to what your minions have been up to. Had either of those things happened, I might not have joined the Storm Cloaks and we might not be standing here. " "One person doesn't generally make that much difference to war," Tullius says, "What makes you think you're special?" "How badly have things gone for you since, oh say, the 21st of Morning Star?" "I think you know that's when the shit really hit the fan for us," Tullius says. "You and Ulfric have been in a stalemate for months now. Shall I tell you what happened on the 21st?" Tullius gestures for me to continue so I go on, "That was the day I took the oath and joined the Storm Cloaks. Since then, I've led every raid that stole your supplies, taken every fort you've lost, and held the line against every incursion you've tried to send. It hasn't even taken me three weeks to break your months long stalemate." Rikke takes our discussion as an opportunity to try to attack Ulfric but I'm faster. I grab her from behind and stab upward, under her armor and put paid to her madness.
"That," I whisper into her ear, "is a serving of what you've been dishing up to others. I send your traitorous soul to gods for judgement." An expression of fear crosses her face for an instant before she goes slack. Ulfric looks a bit surprised, but Galmar isn't. "It's the end for you, Tullius." Tullius shrugs and surrenders. Ulfric doesn't want to accept it, but I stop him. "No, go find a dead solider that looks like him with a ruined face." Galmar laughs and steps out to issue orders. "I like the way you think, Stormblade." "We'll need his help when we take the Empire and we've got to take the Empire before we take the Thalmor." Tullius says he won't help us. I look at him, eyes narrowed, "Stand there and tell me that Tiber Septim would have signed the White Gold Concordant?" "No," Tullius says slowly. "Tell me Titus Mede would have signed it." "No," Tullius agrees, "Not him either." "Then what is wrong with this Emperor that he did sign it? Has it ever occurred to you that it's time to smelt the Empire down and reforge it into something free of the Thalmor influence? You say you're not the bad guys and that you want to save the Empire. In a way, so do we." "What exactly are you proposing, then?"
2nd of Sun's Dawn
I finally had a chance to talk to Balgruuf to see how things are going. He's severely strapped for cash, mainly because food prices are soaring. I laid out my plan for adding farms and since all I wanted was land, Balgruuf sold it to me. He's got more cash from selling me the land and somewhere to send those who are no longer capable of serving in a military capacity. We'll be growing food and raising goats and cows. Even if all you can do is swing a hoe or throw stones at the crows, there's work on the farm to be done. We may all end up eating cabbage and potatoes for a while, but no one will starve if I can help it. I've hired Jon, the younger Battle-born son to run the farm since he's got some experience with it. He understands that this is make sure that no one Whiterun ends up hungry because food has become so expensive. They've been out clearing rocks out of the fields and building walls to keep the deer and elk out. We'll start planting soon.
The pens are built and children from the school working with the cows and goats. Food scraps from the school and things that get cleared out of the food plots go to the goats so that part is working out well. In turn the goats give milk and that cheese ends up on the table at the school. Once we get production up, we'll have more to sell in town.
I also spent some time in the smithy making new armor and weapons for Balgruuf's guards. It's all ebony. I get a good price on ebony from the mine in Solstheim. It's House Redoran's way of showing gratitude for our help in getting the mine reopened. They're still trying to entice me to come back. I'll visit but it's not home. Once I was done making the armor, I finished it by making sure it's all upgraded and enchanted. I've left 10 sets of it for him in his war room. I hope he appreciates the gift. I'll make more when the next shipment gets here. I've got a standing order with the mine, now. Since he's complaining about food, I've asked Aela to try to bring in a deer or an elk once a week to help cut his food costs. I'd go hunting myself, but every time I do, I end up with another twat on my tail and this spooks the game, spoiling my hunt when we start fighting. I hadn't seen a Black Hand for quite while. I thought they'd finally given up, until today. I suppose I'll see what I can do about that.
3rd of Sun's Dawn
I found the Black Hand Sanctuary and spent a frustrating few minutes pounding on the door. I've called them out and told them that I'll meet them, just name the place. No reply but after kicking up a fuss, beating on the door of something I'm not supposed to be able to find at all, maybe they'll get the hint that I'm a bit more than they can handle. Life is precious. Why keep wasting theirs trying to end mine? I don't understand it. I just don't want Erik or the girls caught in the cross fire. Bah! I've got better things to do than deal with these skulking rats. If it doesn't end soon, I'll deal with it more directly.
4th of Sun's Dawn
Erik and I are off to Windhelm. Ulfric sent word that he wants to see me. I'll let you know how that goes. In other news, I've located Yngol's Barrow - Ysgramor's son. I'm going to take one of his artifacts, if any are still there, to Ysgramor's tomb. They should be reunited. One of the mages at the college says that the local trader has the claw so we'll see if I can get in. It'll be some hard riding in bad weather but still not bad enough to make me miss the bugs in Black Marsh.
5th of Sun's Dawn
The Thalmor finally attacked me today. We were coming out of Yngol's Barrow - yes, with Yngol's helm (more on that later) when he tried Ancano's lightening trick. It was a lone agent and he didn't last long. I've upgraded my enchantments. These new earrings are worth every septim I spent learning to make them. They're small and light, like rings and just as easy to swap out. I suppose I'll need to make some that prevent me from being poisoned and keep a extra few potions handy too, just in case. If I had any doubts of their usefulness, that's been put to rest. It's decided - everyone in the house is getting earrings - even Erik. Now, I will start hunting these damnable elves in earnest.
If I can provoke them into a more open attack against me, Ulfric will have popular backing for war on the Thalmor. I've managed to keep some friends on both sides of the fence like Elisif and Hadvar. They need to see the Empire for what it is. A old, tired, scared little man sitting in a chair that's much too big for him. He's too tied to the chair to let go of it to try to save what the chair stands for. Talos would never have signed the White Gold Concordant. I don't believe that Titus Mede would have either. I don't know what happened to their will to fight. It's all whispers and intrigue with plots and counter plots. The Thalmor excel that sort of thing. If we're going to win this, we can't be like that. We'll never beat the Thalmor at their own game. None of us live long enough to get that much practice at it. We've got to change things up, if we're going to win this fight.
One thing I learned from the Jomsbrodirs, if you're losing, change the game. Don't keep playing just because you're already playing. Rewrite the rules into something you can win. Remake the whole game, if that's what it takes. Humans have been losing to the Thalmor because we don't play the long game that the Thalmor, with their lifespans, can play. From the time we're born, the clock is ticking. They have three, four, maybe five times as long as we do. That's something I think the mages can dig into. Why are our lifespans so much shorter? If the mages can figure that out, maybe that'll give me something to work with. I'll dump some gold and get someone to start researching it.
6th of Sun's Dawn
I've placed Yngol's Helm in Ysgramor's tomb. I hope that brings both of them some peace. Yngol was still stomping around his burial chamber in spectral form, when we got to the central chamber. It was fairly easy. No draugr anywhere just a very angry spirit in the central chamber. We fought for a bit but it seemed like he retreated into the helm. I'll give them some time to sort themselves out and go visit Ysgramor's tomb later to make sure all is well. If it's not, I might put Yngol's Helm back.
We stopped in Windhelm on the way back to see what Ulfric wanted. He wants me to become a Thane in Windhelm. I told him that I'd think about it. He's offered me a house in the city. I told him that if I take him up on it, things in the grey quarter are going to change. We'll need the Dunmer and their magic to help in the fight against the Thalmor. We had a long talk about what really happened at the College and Ancano's role in trying to unmake the universe and both of the subsequent attacks. He's concerned that they'll try something more serious. If they do, they'll regret it. My worst case is that I end up in Sovengarde with Tsun the Mighty, Kodlak, and the Tongues to help me plan a way to fix the elf problem. My best case is that I come howling out of the North with righteously angry army at my back when we land in Summerset.
I've stopped killing dragons unless they just won't leave off on attacking settlements. I shout at them, ride them away and ask them nicely to hunt elsewhere. Then I have to hike back to where ever I was at before. That works most, but not all of the time. Sometimes it takes me riding them a few times to get them to stop, but if they don't, then we fight and I take their power.
7th of Sun's Dawn
I took the girls to Whiterun to do some shopping. While we were there, Eorlund's wife asked for my help. She thinks her son Thorald is still alive because of something one of the Battle-Borns said to her other son, Avulstein. It seems that they didn't out right admit that they knew he was alive and yet they were taunting him with it. I don't like sneaking around but Jenassa says she can get in and out without them knowing. I told her to try it and bought a few invisibility potions for her as a precaution. Turns out she didn't need the potions but she did come back with a letter. It seems that everyone in this is half right. The Battle-borns did know he was alive and had tried to get him released. The Thalmor have taken him and the Empire has essentially told the Battle-borns to leave off or they're next. Gods above. I've given a copy of the letter to Hrongar to give to Balgruuf and the Companions, just in case. I've sent Lydia to Windhelm to deliver the original to Ulfric. Avulstein is going to round up some friends. I'm bringing the Merry Band and we're going to go raid a Thalmor keep. Eorlund, I'm going to get your son back from those damnable elves.