Betrayal

It was a moonless night. It hadn't disappeared completely. It was simply cloud cover that, for once, worked to my or our advantage. Serana and I were lying in the dirt, not far from Northwatch Keep, keeping watch as we decided on what to do. It was one of the few times I wished to be a Khajit, knowing they could see as well during the night as they could during the day.

However, Serana did have better vision than I so she was reporting on what she could see. One Thalmor was standing guard at the lone entrance to the fort. A trio of others were patrolling the low walls. Northwatch Keep was like many other forts across Skyrim. Crumbling. In disrepair. And certainly capable of being stealthily invaded by a warrior and a vampire.

"What's the plan?" she asked quietly.

"They all die."

"Are you sure?"

She wasn't disagreeing. She knew I hated the Thalmor more than I hated anyone or anything. We'd talked enough that she knew war was coming. Ignore the civil war that was threatening to reignite any second. That was mere background noise to the war on the horizon. I knew the Thalmor considered the Great War unfinished business. I didn't want to be responsible for igniting the blue-touch paper to restart the conflict but I wanted so see Thalmor blood flow through Skyrim fields. I knew they were the puppet masters and I wanted to cut the strings…

But I didn't want to start all-out war right now. It was coming, that I was sure. But I didn't want to drag my people into conflict due to my arrogance or error of judgement. Serana was aware of that, but she also knew that my blood ran hot whenever I ran into the Thalmor. She'd seen a glimpse of the hatred I held when I dealt with Ancano. He was only one though. Now she would see what I would do to an entire fort of them…

"So, what's the actual plan?"

"Take out the sentry at the gate then those patrolling the walkways. Then we get inside."

"Is it ever that simple?"

"As long as we're quiet. Are you comfortable with a dagger?"

"Yes," she replied confidently.

"Good. Let's move."

The darkness, while an advantage for us likely not being seen, was a disadvantage as we couldn't exactly see what was on the ground in front of us. So we had to step carefully, avoiding small stones we could trip over or branches or twigs that could snap and would likely alert them to our presence. We managed to make it to the wall of the fort and skirted around towards the gate. The sentry was holding a torch in one hand but held no weapon in his other.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, Serana letting me know the others on patrol were no longer heading our direction. I didn't hesitate, leaping out of the shadows. There may have been a muffled cry but it was quite simple in the end. Hand over the mouth, dagger in the chest. The Thalmor were obviously confident. The armour was light and the dagger travelled through easily, three quick jabs and it was job done. I waited until the body was limp in my arms before dragging it back into the darkness.

We split up as we entered the compound. Apart from the two Thalmor patrolling the walls, there was no-one else around. It was obvious many would currently be asleep, hoping that would aid our quest, though I knew once we'd hit the prison cells, some sort of alarm would probably sound. I didn't keep an eye on whatever Serana was up to, confident she could handle her Thalmor quickly and quietly. I climbed the stairs, back to the wall, waiting until the Thalmor had passed by. It was the same as before, hand over the mouth, dagger in the chest. I then lowered the body onto the ground outside the fort before extinguishing the torch and disposing of that in the same way.

Serana was waiting for me upon my return, explaining she had done exactly the same thing. The fort was now bathed in virtual darkness, the only light source a lone torch scone attached to the wall alongside the entrance into the building.

The antechamber upon entering the building was empty though there was light leaving me blinking rapidly as my eyes adjusted.

"Do you know the layout?" Serana asked.

"The cells will likely be downstairs and towards the rear."

"How do you know?"

"Helgen. Well, the prison I was held in before I reached Helgen. Then there was my escape through said place. What I saw there hardened my resolve to join the Stormcloaks. It did, at first, though now I wonder..."

"Oh…"

"Come on. It would be nice to rescue someone alive for once."

We descended a flight of stairs. Serana threw her dagger at a guard standing at the opposite side of the room, falling to his knees, clutching his throat. Another guard sitting at a table to my right was ready to get to his feet. I was upon him before he stood up, burying my dagger in his chest. I immediately thought we'd made plenty of noise and we waited for an arm of Thalmor to appear through any of the doors. But no-one did. 'Must be all asleep.'

We had a quick search around for information, as I wanted to put a dent into any Thalmor operation I was unaware of, but there was nothing so far. Downstairs we continued. The urge to kill them all was almost overwhelming. I was ready to go through each barracks and slit all their throats. Sounds appalling, I know, but I remembered what I saw at the embassy. I wondered what they were doing to my kin in this place. Nothing was going to stop the Thalmor unless we finally stood up to them and said 'Enough!'

Room by room we moved, killing those who were awake but I held back on the desire to let the blood flow. If they woke up and tried to stop us, they would die like their colleagues, otherwise I just wanted to get out alive with anyone we could find. I knew, deep down, that Thorald would not be the only one we'd find. I just hoped we'd find the alive.

We almost stumbled upon a Thalmor archer as we descended another flight of stairs, thankful that most of the fort was as dark as it was outside. Serana and I had our backs to the wall just in time as he walked past. I was up, hand over his mouth and dagger across his throat, carefully placing his body in a dark corner.

"Nicely done," Serana whispered.

"Someone is going to find all these bodies eventually. I just hope we've disappeared by then."

My heart was beating furiously. It was so quiet I swear I could hear it in my ears, wondering if Serana could hear it as well. The adrenaline was almost overwhelming. I'll admit part of me wanted to simply unsheathe my sword and go ballistic, cutting down anything dumb enough to get in my way, or to use the power of my Thu'um to blow the Thalmor to pieces. But we continued to move cautiously, checking every corner before we proceeded, watching patrol patterns before we attacked, ensuring bodies were moved in the hope they wouldn't be found by others patrolling.

We descended even further, leaving me wondering just how far underground we must have been by now. Thalmor continued to be left on the ground behind us. It was then that we started to hear the first screams. I'd heard such screams before and I knew exactly what was going on. I withstood the urge to rush forward and end the cause of those screams but knew there were likely bound to be many more guards ahead.

Following the direction of the noise, I opened a door to see a row of cells lining both sides of a long corridor. Within nearly all of them were Nords. Patrolling the corridor were a pair of Thalmor. Serana and I rushed forward. There was a cry from one Thalmor as Serana leapt upon him. The second Thalmor turned as I collided with him, forcing him back into a wall and thrusting my dagger into his gut, watching life slowly but surely drain from his eyes. Once dead, I simply dropped the body to the ground and turned to those trapped in the cells.

"Any of you Thorald?" I asked.

"The Thalmor have him," came one reply.

"They're torturing us," came another.

"Are you all Stormcloaks?" I asked.

"No. I'm part of the Legion. We're meant to be allies!"

"So am I!"

I looked at Serana. Even she appeared shocked by what we'd just heard. "Ragnar, what is going on here? Or, more to the point, what have we just discovered?"

"Find a key. Release them and then find weapons. I'm going to find Thorald."

"Do you need my help?"

"No." 'This is personal.'

I unsheathed my sword and strode down the corridor, rounding a corner to see two Thalmor, one sat at a table, another standing next to another Nord shackled to the wall. The Thalmor sitting down turned and exclaimed in surprise. He then got to his feet and charged forward. My blood was up as I dodged his attack and sliced my sword across his body. I didn't even wait for it to hit the ground before I turned towards the torturer.

"Careful, Nord. You don't know what you've just done." He was unarmed but I knew had magic at his fingertips. "I'd suggest you put the sword down now before you make another mistake." I growled and took a step forward, watching him take a step back, away from the shackled prisoner. "Once my people find out about this…"

"What makes you think any of you in this fort will live?"

"You wouldn't…"

I laughed. "I'm here, aren't I? Do you really think I've left anyone upstairs alive? And, trust me on this one, the prisoners I've just released will certainly kill anyone who still lives."

"You'll pay for this."

"We've been paying since the day the Concordat was signed. No more shall you kidnap my kin and torture them."

"Fool! You think you can stop us? Who do you think you are?"

I put my sword through his gut, driving it through with both hands until I could feel his breath on my face. "I'm the Dragonborn," I said quietly. The eyes widened in surprised as I twisted the sword, "And war is coming." I then withdrew my sword, using my foot to dislodge it as his body crumpled to the ground.

I turned to the shackled prisoner. His long hair was stuck to his face, kept in place by blood and sweat. He managed to lift his head as I crouched in front of him, gazing at me through one eye, his other one closed, his face otherwise covered in bruises. "You're truly him?" he whispered.

"Yes. You're Thorald?" The man nodded. "Good. Because your mother sent me."

"She must be worried to death."

"But she always believed you were still alive."

I found the key to release him on the body of the dead torturer. I was surprised he was able to get to his feet once his hands were free. He couldn't exactly stand straight and he had one or two visible wounds, but otherwise he appeared fine, even taking a moment to kick the body of the torturer. "Thalmor bastard," he muttered.

"Are you okay to walk?"

"I'll be fine."

I escorted him back to the cells where Serana was gathering the other prisoners. All of them were now armed and had managed to find some armour that fit. Many of them were clearly carrying wounds, though, so wouldn't be much use if any more Thalmor were around.

"What do we do now?" Serana asked, all eyes falling on me.

"I'm taking you all back to Whiterun."

"What for?" one of the men asked.

"Because everyone needs to know that the Thalmor don't care if you're Stormcloak or Legion. They will kidnap, harass, torture and murder whoever they desire."

"Will we be safe?" Thorald asked.

"You will be under my protection. No-one will touch you."

"What about the other Thalmor?" Serana asked.

"They will be taken care of on our way out." I looked across the crowd of men. "Am I right in that assumption?"

"No Thalmor who resides in these walls will remain alive," one of the men stated.

The men were true to their word when we eventually walked out of the fort half an hour later. Any Thalmor that returned would find only bodies. And no evidence of who had committed the crime.

That suited me perfectly for now.

Even better were letters sent by the embassy to the fort. I shared them with those who could read on both sides. It was clear the Empire was actually left completely in the dark about who was being taken and why. Their hands were not completely clean but there was enough to give them the benefit of the doubt. All I knew it that I would be requesting someone from Solitude to visit Whiterun as soon as we returned home.

*****

The guards were wary of the bedraggled group of men I led through the gates. They appeared ready to stop and question me but I got on the front foot, stating these men were survivors of an attack and that I had to see the Jarl at once. Thankfully, they believed me, one guard rushing ahead to warn Dragonsreach of our impending arrival. I also asked another guard a favour of grabbing the Gray-Mane and Battle-Born families and asking them to head to the hall too.

The Jarl wasn't at his seat when entering Dragonsreach. Irileth was nowhere to be found either, nor was Hrongar. That wasn't strange as I'd entered the great hall numerous times before to find the Jarl upstairs, leaning over one of his maps. I told the men to take a seat at one of the tables while I went and found the Jarl.

I ran into Irileth halfway up the stairs, leading the Jarl down into his throne room.

"Dragonborn." I didn't smile, simply nodding before looking past her at the Jarl.

"We need to talk, sir."

I turned and walked back into the hall where the man had formed up in a line behind Serana. I made sure they hadn't cleaned themselves up on our journey back to Whiterun. They weren't terribly happy until I explained that I wanted at least the Jarl to see their condition. I heard exclamations from both Irileth and the Jarl as their gaze no doubt settled on them, hearing one or two questions as the Jarl took his seat.

"Who are these men?" the Jarl asked.

Thorald stepped forward as I gestured towards him. "Of course you'd know, or at least know the name of Thorald Gray-Mane."

I noticed the glance shared between the Jarl and his Housecarl. "I thought he had been killed in action."

"That was incorrect, sir. He had been captured by the Thalmor."

The Jarl looked at Thorald. "Is that correct?" He nodded. "What happened?"

"The Thalmor had laid a trap. Those of us not killed were taken as prisoners. Not once did I see a Legion soldier except those who were kept as prisoner alongside us."

Another shared glance. "Just so I am clear. You are telling me that the Thalmor are also taking Legion soldiers prisoner?"

I gestured again as four men stepped forward. "These men fought for the Legion. They were captured in similar traps and taken as prisoner to a fort in the far north of Skyrim where they were tortured, interrogated and then, from reports I found, executed."

"Unbelievable," the Jarl muttered.

"Solitude must be informed of this immediately," Irileth added.

"If Ulfric hears about this, there is no doubt he'd attack the Thalmor without hesitation. And that will only start open conflict with them. That is something we can't afford to do right now," I stated.

"What are you suggesting?" the Jarl asked.

"Summon General Tullius here immediately. He must see this. He must know. I'm not sure what else he can do. I'm not sure if it will change the progress of the civil war. But he must know the depth of Thalmor treachery."

"You have evidence of their crimes?"

I opened my pack and pulled out a series of journals and dossiers. "There is plenty here to suggest the Thalmor have committed numerous crimes against the people of Skyrim, whether they wear the uniform of Legion or Stormcloak."

There was a commotion behind us as the two noble families of Whiterun entered the hall and were soon squabbling between themselves. I strode towards them and basically told all of them to shut up. The first thing I did was escort Fralia towards her son, the old lady clasping him in floods of tears, thanking me again and again for bringing him home. The rest simply looked at me.

I gestured once again to the line of men. "If you're wondering why I've asked you to come here tonight, there are two reasons. One, as you can obviously see, is that Thorald is alive. He was being kept prisoner by the Thalmor."

"Not the Legion?" Idolaf stated.

"No. It would appear they, being the Thalmor, are operating with freedom across Skyrim and without the knowledge of the Empire. Unsurprising, as the fort we found Thorald was on the far northern coast of Skyrim, far away from prying eyes."

"Who are the rest of these men?"

"Soldiers. Stormcloak and Legion."

"What?" Idolaf asked.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Vignar exclaimed.

"Why are we here?" Jon asked.

"Because I wanted all of you to see the real truth. You, we, they are not the enemy," I stated, gesturing to the men behind me, "There is an enemy out there, waiting to strike. They already work in Skyrim, lurking in the shadows, using subterfuge to achieve their objectives. Whether the Empire are aware of all their activities, I can't be sure, but the information I've retrieved today would suggest they are kept in the dark more often than not."

"What are you suggesting?" Olfina asked.

"Nothing at the moment. I doubt what I've found here will change the situation on the ground. The Empire are still bound by the Concordat, for the time being at least. Jarl Ulfric wants to see that agreement consigned to history, and while I can see his point, doing so will only provoke war with the Thalmor. And without the presence of the Empire… I'll leave that to your imagination. However, I will present all this evidence to the Empire. I will make sure testimony from each of these men is taken and presented as well."

"And what about the Stormcloaks? Are they to be left in the dark?" Vignar asked.

"What do you think his reaction will be?" I retorted.

"He will be proven to be correct."

"And he will also use it as a subtext to war. Do you truly believe you can defeat the Thalmor at this time?" Vignar said nothing but his face said everything. "Worship Talos all you want as far as I'm concerned. I've always agreed with that one ideal. But we need the Empire as much as they need us. We are stronger together."

"But the Concordat…"

"Will eventually be torn up and thrown in the faces of the Thalmor. There is one word that the Stormcloaks must learn: patience."

The Jarl had remained silent until now. "I will send word to Solitude immediately, requesting a meeting with General Tullius. It may take time for him to agree a time and a place."

"He must come here, my Jarl. I'm sure these men will be more than willing to wait and speak with the General." There was plenty of murmured agreement to my statement.

"Can you remain in Whiterun until all this is done?" the Jarl asked.

"Of course."

"Men, if you'll follow me, you will be given accommodation and meals until the General arrives. As the Jarl stated, it may take a few days but you will be cared for until the. Anyone who needs a healer, let me know and we will ask for one from the Temple," Irileth announced.

As the men were led away, I noticed the Battle-Born and Gray-Mane families stand apart in stony silence. Neither side had been proven right or wrong. That wasn't the whole point. There was no right or wrong. I merely wanted to point out that they were not enemies. Not in the true sense. During the silence, though the glances and stares shared, I also noticed Jon and Olfina look at each other and smile… but neither made a move. I'll admit I wanted them to but I didn't want to involve myself. The rift between the two families would have to heal naturally. And I figured it was also going to take a long time before the situation completely resolved itself, if it ever could. Bridges may have been burned completely. I watched and waited until the two families had departed before approaching the Jarl.

"You just can't help involving yourself, can you, Ragnar?" he finally stated, chuckling away.

"Fralia asked me to find her son."

"I'm amazed the boy is still alive. I thought he was dead. So did a lot of people."

"He's lucky. They were torturing him. They were torturing them all."

"For what?"

"Information." I gestured to all the paperwork on a nearby table. "It's all in there."

"Thalmor bastards," he muttered. Then he met me eye. "How many lived?"

I know I smiled. "None. But it wasn't just me."

"The prisoners?"

"Had their vengeance."

"If I had the ear of the General, I would advise him to tear up the Concordat. But…"

"It would mean war straight away. And we can't afford that right now. The war needs to end, but I don't see it being ended through peaceful means."

"What are you saying, Ragnar?"

"Ulfric must be defeated or at least deposed. I know that is the reality of the situation now. But don't think I'll be joining in on the side of the Empire. I'm as Whiterun. Neutral."

"I've had no response to the missive I sent in regards to his demands. I can only assume he's leaving me to sweat a bit."

"And are you?"

"No. The dragon crisis may be over but the cease-fire agreement is still technically in effect. Neither side has breached our borders so far. I know the peace won't last."

"You know you have my sword if the worst comes to pass, sir."

"Thank you, Ragnar."

"No thanks are necessary. This is my home. And, if you'll excuse me, I'd best return home and tell my companion that we'll be sticking around for a few days."

"I haven't seen Lydia about lately. Is she well?"

"The last letter I received stated she was in Cyrodil putting together some business deals." I actually felt embarrassed admitting this. "I've made some coin since I arrived in Skyrim. We agreed that I could finance all my adventure going forward by investing it."

"I'll be honest, she always had a good head for figures. If you see her before I do, ask if she can visit us in Dragonsreach. We miss her presence around here."

"Of course, my Jarl."

As usual, I bowed towards the Jarl before I turned on my heel and marched out of the hall, the guards saluting me in the usual way as I wandered through the Cloud District and past the Gildergreen. Serana looked up from the book she was reading once I'd shut the door behind me. Once I'd grabbed a couple of bottles of ale and sat down, I explained everything. I wouldn't say she was frustrated by the delay as I knew she understood my reasons for wanting to help but I know she was desperate to find the second Scroll and finally end the vampire issue, once and for all.

I knew I was going to be bored silly waiting for the General to arrive. I passed the time training with the Companions, taking one or two minor contracts in the local region – generally involving pest control – or spending time with Serana, allowing for the fact she preferred it when it was dark. While I hesitate to call anything we did romantic, it was hard not to feel the vibe when we sat together around a fire we'd built after taking a walk, simply sitting on a log near each other, gazing up at the stars. Even when we sat in silence, it was never awkward. Or, at least, it never felt that way to me. I felt… comfortable. I'd shared with her things I'd never told anyone else. I think I knew most of her secrets.

Overall, I think we just enjoyed the few days of peace.

It must have been at least a week later when there was a knock at the door, opening it to see a pair of town guard. "The General has arrived. The Jarl has requested your presence."

"Of course. Just let me prepare. Let him know I'll be there in a moment."

"We'll wait and escort you."

Serana wondered why I needed to change, explaining that I wanted to look the part as the Dragonborn before I met with the General. For once, she didn't think I was being a complete idiot. I'd already polished and prepared my armour in expectation of the summons, so simply had to assemble myself in it before meeting the guards outside, turning back to tell Serana that we would leave as soon as the meeting was done.

The General looked wearier than I expected. A man under tremendous strain. He read everything I'd gathered at the fort. Read the testimonies of the men. Listened to what those who chose to speak to him had to say. Then he listened to my report. But not just what I'd found at the fort. Also what I'd found at the embassy. Once I'd finished explaining, he looked at me with, of all things, a smirk.

"Elenwen wants me to arrest you."

"Why?" I asked innocently.

"Because of what you did at the embassy."

"I needed the information to defeat the dragons. The Thalmor were certainly not going to hand it over willingly. At least they weren't guilty of that, at least. Are you going to arrest me?"

"Of course not. And, after everything I've now read and heard… I must report it to the Emperor at once. Only he can decide if we need a change of course."

"And the Stormcloaks?"

"They must still be defeated. But…" He actually sighed. "It looks like they have a point. But Ulfric is still a pain in the ass. Still wants to tear this country apart. And he's still a traitor to the Empire. But I'll tell you this. If he chose to lay down his arms and come back into the fold, I'd almost be prepared to accept that and move on if all of this," he gestured to all the paperwork on the table, "And everything that I've been told over the past few hours is true."

"What will you tell the Thalmor?"

"Absolutely nothing. I will do a couple of things, though. One; I will investigate that cave you speak of underneath the embassy and see what we can find. Two; I will have my men monitor all Thalmor movements within Skyrim. I want to know what they are up to." I sighed with relief. "I must thank you, Dragonborn."

"For what?"

"You've gone above and beyond what anyone would expect of a civilian. Even if said civilian is the Dragonborn."

"If the fight is worthy, I will offer my sword."

"And if the day comes that we go to war against the Thalmor?"

"Honestly, sir, I'd want to lead across them across the field."

The General chuckled. "Given it thought eh?"

"I take my inspiration from Tiber Septim, sir. The Dragonborn leading a vast army of Nords, Cyrodiils, Bretons, Dunmer and other allies against the vast Thalmor hordes. And there is one thing you should remember, sir."

"What's that?"

"I have the power to summon dragons."

Raised eyebrows. "You do? I thought they would have all been killed?"

"No. Many still live. And many have agreed to live in peace. They will live in seclusion and will not bother us, as long as we don't bother them. But I have the word of one or two who have said they will assist me if I were to summon them. They are honourable beasts, sir."

"I'm not sure how the men would react to that."

"It's only fantasy at the moment, sir."

"But something worth thinking about."

"It certainly is."

There was only a few minutes more of small-talk before the General shook hands with both myself and the Jarl, bidding us farewell, repeating his promise that he would report to the Emperor with everything we had discovered as soon as possible. It was interesting to watch him pull a hood over his head as he departed Dragonsreach, the General clearly travelling incognito as the two bodyguards he'd travelled with, clearly Imperial soldiers, though dressed as mercenaries.

With thanks from the Jarl once again ringing in my ears, I headed back to Breezehome and Serana. It was time to head back to Castle Volkihar and find us an Elder Scroll.