Legion

I had to sit back in our house at home in Whiterun and list all the events I'd been involved in, the problems I'd solved and, if I really wanted to think about it, the people I had killed. The Dragon Crisis had ended with the defeat of Alduin. The vampire menace ended with the death of Serana's father. The Thieves Guild had been eliminated as a threat to Riften. The Dark Brotherhood was now destroyed as a Guild in its entirety. Solstheim was now safe from the influence of Miraak. The issue at the College had been dealt with. There was now only one last thing for me to help solve and then perhaps, just perhaps, I may finally be left alone to live my life in peace.

The Civil War.

"When do we leave, Ragnar?" Serana asked, cuddling into me on the two seater chair I'd built for us. I even surprised myself by how comfortable it was and the fact it was still standing. We'd just finished a rather late dinner and were now waiting to head upstairs to bed.

"We'll leave at the beginning of next week. General Tullius said he'll send a detachment of men this way before we head north."

"It's been at least a week since we left Solitude. Any further news about the situation regarding Winterhold?"

"I haven't received anything official but the rumours are that Winterhold is now under Imperial control. There was a fight, but considering the city had no real defences of note, from what I heard, the Stormcloaks performed a tactical retreat through the mountains, taking a circuitous route back to Windhelm."

"Have Karliah and Brynjolf managed to get out of Windhelm?"

"Vex and Delvin haven't got word to me yet, but if anyone can get in and out of Windhelm while its under siege, it's those four. Delvin said he'll get word to me as soon as possible, though all four will probably meet us while we're on route to Windhelm."

"Will there be an attack?"

I could only shrug. "Honestly, I have no idea what Ulfric intends to do. Then again, I'm not sure what Tullius plans to do either. Windhelm isn't like any of the other cities we've taken. I can't even begin to comprehend taking down those walls, even with the best catapults money can buy."

"What about calling in a favour from your winged friends?"

"I'm not sure even they could take down those walls." I shrugged again. "Guess we'll find out when we get there."

"And what about after all this is done? What happens when peace is restored to Skyrim?"

I kissed her on the cheek. "We come home, I work as Harbinger, and we get on with our lives."

"Until we have to deal with the Thalmor." She turned to meet my eyes. "And don't even attempt to deny the fact you want to fight them."

"I do want to fight them. I want them out of Skyrim and the rest of the Empire. I want them out of every other nation where they are not welcomed."

"And will you fight them?"

"If I'm asked."

She laughed. "If you're asked! Ragnar, I know for a fact that you want to be at the forefront of the very first battle."

"Would you mind?"

"Since when have you ever asked me about doing anything, Ragnar?" I just shrugged. "I'll let you know one thing, husband. I'll be at your side when you do eventually join up. From what I've witnessed, the Thalmor are a clear and present danger to my homeland. We'll end up fighting them sooner or later."

"I love it when you talk dirty."

She burst into laughter at the comment. "Let's worry about ending the civil war first, Ragnar. We'll worry about the Thalmor afterwards. No doubt General Tullius has an idea of what's going to happen. The only concern is the power vacuum due to the death of the Emperor."

"Hmmm. I do wonder who will try? I hope it doesn't lead to more infighting."

"That's why the civil war needs to end quickly. The army can surely keep control of the provinces while a new Emperor is found. Or if some noble or lord takes the throne by force."

I did lie awake that night, my imagination running wild, as I held Serana in my arms, though she was already fast asleep. I thought of leading an army into battle against Jarl Ulfric and winning the climactic battle that would finally end the war. I thought of taking the same army into Cyrodil and the Imperial City, and claiming the throne for myself. Well, Talos was of the same blood, as were all Septim Emperors. Why shouldn't I claim it? My final thought, before I fell asleep, was of leading a grand army against the Thalmor, pushing the elven bastards all the way across Tamriel back to their homelands, where I would finally unleash the full power of my Voice, while perhaps allowing my dragon friends to play.

The next few days passed in relative peace. I spent much of the time around Jorrvaskr, sparring with the twins, joined by Lydia and Mjoll, who sparred together or helped train some of the new recruits. Serana would drop by to visit, though she spent much of her time tending to her garden, while she had also started a garden on the outskirts of the city walls, having made friends with plenty of locals. Soon enough, a whole gaggle of them were working together, selling flowers to locals or passers-by.

The Nightingales arrived three days later. Brynjolf and Karliah looked a little worse for wear, while Vex and Delvin were carrying injuries. One of the guards had rushed up to Jorrvaskr upon their arrival, letting me know they were asking for me. Once I saw what state the four of them were in, I immediately escorted them to Jorrvaskr. An unusual move, as I generally kept my worlds apart, but all four of them looked exhausted, two of them needed injuries treated, while the other two looked like they needed a good meal. I was full of questions, but would wait until they were in better condition. I told them to rest up for the rest of the day and I would speak to them the next morning.

Brynjolf and Karliah didn't look much better when I saw them next, though appeared happier that they'd had a decent sleep and a good feed.

"You two look like you've been through every plane of Oblivion. Is the situation that bad?" I asked, sitting down to break my fast with the Nightingales.

"That's what a siege will do to you, Ragnar," Brynjolf replied.

"And that says nothing of what the Dunmer are going through," Karliah added, not holding back her bitter tone.

"What's going on?"

"You know what Ulfric and the locals think of those within their walls. Now that they're stuck behind the walls with the locals, who do you think are the first to starve?"

"You're joking?"

"Do I look like I'd joke about something like that, Ragnar?"

"Well, no… But…"

"Sorry, I know you didn't mean it that way. But they're my people. And Ulfric is letting them die."

"The siege has to end, Ragnar, and end quickly. The Dunmer will die first, but the rest will soon follow," Brynjolf explained, "They are still loyal to Ulfric, but many just want the war to be over. They know they've lost."

"What about you two?" I asked Vex or Delvin.

"Getting into the city was a real bitch, Ragnar. Goldenglow was a cinch compared to getting into Windhelm."

"Aye, our Vex had plenty of fun with some of the local guards."

"How did you manage to get in? The city is completely cut off." Then I stopped and thought about it as Vex and Delvin returned a look suggesting I was an idiot. "Well, the question about how you got in still stands."

"There's an old tunnel leading into the harbour. Even the guards don't know about it. We used to have a Thieves Guild contact in Windhelm who would ferry their fenced goods in and out of the city via the same tunnel."

"When does the army go in, lad?" Brynjolf asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm waiting for someone from the Imperial Army to head this way and let me know what the situation is. I've been kept up to date as much as possible."

"I've heard rumours about the Dark Brotherhood," Karliah started but left the rest of the question unspoken.

"The rumours are correct," I replied, not explaining my own involvement. Not that I was keeping it a secret. I didn't figure the four of them would actually care.

"Are they all dead?" Delvin asked. I nodded. He grimaced and looked away. If I didn't know the man any better, he looked a little upset. That surprised me, as I wasn't aware he had any involvement with the Brotherhood. I didn't think the Thieves Guild would have had anything to do with them, considering Brynjolf told me explicitly that they left murder to the Brotherhood. I was tempted to ask, but figured I should leave it alone. It probably wasn't worth discussing.

Instructing the four Nightingales to spend time recuperating until we departed for Windhelm, I continued to my own thing over the next couple of days. I headed out with Aela and Serana, who had mostly recovered from her injuries, for a spot of hunting. Serana wasn't exactly a hunter herself, but was happy to spend a day and evening away from the city. Aela and I managed to snag an elk each, and we feasted on plenty of meat that night when making camp.

The three of us were sitting around the campfire when my wife's first question made me groan, and made me want to get on my horse and ride far, far away. "So, you're in love with my husband, Aela?"

To be fair, Aela didn't flinch. "Aye, I am. I have been for a long time now. And I will continue to love him too."

"So I should consider yourself competition?"

To that question, Aela laughed. "Hardly, Serana. I see how he looks at you. He may have looked at me in a similar way when we were together, but as soon as he met you, it was a different story. Trust me, you have nothing to worry about, simply because he would never do that to you."

"I guess you miss him, though?"

I couldn't help but stare at my wife as Aela laughed again. "By all the gods, Serana, aye, I do. Best sex I've ever had. Unlike most Nordic men, he actually cared about my orgasm."

Now I stared at Aela as Serana laughed too. "Definitely," my wife agreed.

"Er, I'm sitting right here, you two."

Serana just leaned into me and kissed my cheek. "Oh, hush, Ragnar. I know you're loving this conversation. And I can understand why you were attracted to Aela. She's a beautiful woman."

Aela blushed. "Thank you. Honestly, I can understand why Ragnar fell head over heels in love with you, Serana."

I could only look between them. "By Oblivion, what is going on between you two?"

"Nothing, Ragnar. Just two women talking and comparing notes on my husband."

"You know, if you ever wanted a third person, Serana."

Serana just laughed as I could only gape at Aela. "What?" I asked. I think my voice went about three octaves higher.

"I'm not sure I can share, Aela. But if I were to ever consider it, your name would be at the top of the list. I don't think Lydia is too interested anymore since she is now with Mjoll."

"Lydia was infatuated with me, not in love."

"What did you feel about me, Ragnar?" Aela wondered.

I could only shrug. "I didn't let my emotions get the best of me because of what you told me about Skjor at the time. So I simply enjoyed our time together without getting too emotionally attached."

"Did you love her, Ragnar?"

"In my own way, I did. Was I ever in love with her? I don't know. I'll admit, the sex was fantastic."

"By the gods, it certainly was."

I could only smirk as my wife asked, "When did you two stop?"

"The day after I met you. We enjoyed one last night together under the stars."

"Best night of my life, Ragnar," Aela said wistfully.

"You two are only going to make my ego unmanageable after all this."

"We both know all about the list, Ragnar. It's fine," Serena retorted, before the two women shared a glance and burst into laughter. I could only groan again as the pair continued to talk long into the evening, made worse once we opened a few bottles of ale or mead.

Once Aela had said goodnight and disappeared into her tent, Serana and I were laying back in ours. After making love as quietly as possible, the earlier conversation leaving the pair of us rather turned on, my wife snuggled into me as I was ready to drift off. "I can understand what attracted you to her, Ragnar."

"Hmmm."

"She's beautiful and has this fire in her eyes, and obviously deep inside, that would draw any man towards her."

"She's also fun to be around. We had a great time together."

"Would you ever want to have another time together?"

I could help shuffle to look at my wife. "What?"

Serana laughed as obviously my face showed all my thoughts. "I'm teasing, husband."

"Oh, good. Because I don't think it would be fair on her either."

"Oh, I have no doubt she'd love for me to share you." She paused, then actually sighed, "I do feel sorry for her. Maybe that's not the right term, but to have those feelings for you, yet she cannot do anything about it."

"Maybe we just need to find someone she can fall in love with instead."

"I guess all the women in my life, Aela excluded, could find someone for her, that isn't me, that is."

Serana kissed me before snuggling into my body, the signal she was ready for sleep. I cuddled her against me as she said quietly, "I may have to consider the idea of a third, though." With that final thought, she fell asleep within seconds. It certainly left me with a million and one thoughts before I finally drifted off myself.

*****

The loud knock at the door of our house had me looking at my wife in slight surprise. "You expecting a visitor?"

"No, Ragnar. It's probably for you. It's always for you."

Three guards were standing on the other side of the door. They asked if I could accompany them to Dragonsreach immediately. Since I was already dressed, I joined them without question, at least to begin with, and noticed the crowds were thicker than normal while walking up the hill towards the hall. Asking the trio of guards about the crowds, they replied saying everything would be explained by the Jarl.

I had no idea that General Tullius had arrived, he and the Jarl both greeting me upon entering Dragonsreach. Once sat around one of the long tables, I asked about the situation regarding Windhelm. The General gestured to one of his minions nearby, who provided us with a detailed map of Eastmarch, gesturing as he explained.

"The city is completely cut-off, Dragonborn. The Legion of the Reach holds the main road to the west, leading towards Solitude and Dawnstar. The men are busy clearing out any remaining Stormcloak camps. There are one or two Stormcloak regiments that have taken nearby forts, and it's taking time to clear those out.

To the east is the Legion of Haafingar. That is blocking any possible retreat towards Morrowind, not that we think Ulfric would ever retreat out of Skyrim, but it stops the possibility, if he entertains any thought of fighting a guerrilla war. Finally, to the south is the remnants of the Legion of Hjaalmarch. Their numbers have dwindled significantly due fighting the Stormcloaks all the way from Riften. The Stormcloaks had taken over at least half a dozen forts and each one took at least a fortnight to take over."

"So what brings you here, General?" I asked.

"We have built a fourth army to help take Windhelm, Dragonborn. The Legion of Whiterun. And we, well I, would like you to take command."

"But I'm not technically a soldier of the Empire. Nor am I any sort of commanding officer."

"No, but you are Dragonborn and are an ally to us. The men recruited into the unit have already taken to calling it the 'Dragonborn Army'. I understand that is what you call the small band of men who already follow you, correct?" I nodded. "The men and women of this new unit have been drawn from Whiterun hold, but many have also asked for transfers. We had to turn down numerous requests."

"I'm honoured, General. So what's the plan?"

"You will relieve the Legion of Hjaalmarch to the south. They don't have enough resource to initiate an attack."

"No, I mean for Windhelm. Do we lift the siege and invade?"

"I'm hoping to negotiate a surrender."

"But there's no chance he'll talk to you, General," Balgruuf said, "Nor surrender, because he knows there will only be one outcome to his surrender."

"No, he may not talk to me. But I think he will talk to the Dragonborn."

"Why would he do that?"

"The one thing the man has is ego, and he'd love nothing more than believing he can kill the Dragonborn. If not, then he'll die thinking he's a martyr to his cause."

"I've received reports of what is happening inside Windhelm," I stated.

The General nodded. "We receive the same reports. Which is why we want to end this as soon as possible. We don't want the deaths of innocent civilians on our hands, and the condition of the Dunmer is most concerning."

"Very well, when do you want us to leave?"

"Tomorrow. Would you like to meet the men?"

"Where are they?"

"Most of the legion has made camp outside the city walls."

The General, the Jarl and I walked through the city towards the city walls. The fields surrounding the city took my breath away. There must have been at least a couple of thousand soldiers. And once they saw me and the Jarl at the wall, the cheering started, chants of either 'Whiterun' or 'Dragonborn' echoing across the Hold. All I did was wave, and I swear the noise increased ten-fold.

"If you didn't believe before, Dragonborn," the Jarl said quietly, slapping me on the back.

"The men are ready, Dragonborn. They will march behind your banner," the General added.

"I think I should meet them."

The men were busy preparing camp, so while I shook hands with many of them, I was pointed in the direction of a trio commanding officers, all three lower rank Generals than himself, a large tent already erected where the Jarl, General and I were joined by at least a half dozen men in uniform, assuming they were junior officers. After introductions, we immediately started to discuss any ideas.

"Cavalry?" I asked.

"We have two hundred horse, Dragonborn. We also have siege equipment, though the armies already in place have their own that is already in play. We also have a detachment of mages that can assist," replied one of the officers in charge.

"With any luck, none of these men will have to fight, though I know they're probably itching for one."

"What do you mean, Dragonborn?"

"General Tullius," I said, gesturing to the man, "Would like this wrapped up with a possible Stormcloak surrender. We will depart the morning after tomorrow. With this many men and equipment, how long will it take to get near Windhelm."

"Two days." One of the officers gestured at the map. "We believe that setting our main camp near Kynesgrove would be best, particularly as it would give a clear view of Windhelm and surrounding areas."

I looked around the table at the other officers, all of them nodding their agreement. "Very well. Your men will have tomorrow to themselves. All I ask is that they are warned to be on their best behaviour in town, though I've already recognised one or two familiar faces."

"The men will be ready to depart at your order, Dragonborn."

I spent the next day preparing for my departure. Well, not just mine. Serana was packing her own supplies, while I sent word to Lydia, Mjoll and all the Companions that they were welcome to join me. The Nightingales were ready to head back towards Windhelm too, particularly Karliah and Brynjolf, having been witness to what was happening behind the city walls.

All of us gathered in Jorrvaskr the night before we were due to depart. Everyone knew that we would be leaving at sun-up the next morning, so the revelry was kept in check, with plenty of discussions about what we would face upon arriving at Windhelm, and plans for what we would do once Ulfric had finally been defeated. There were plenty of ideas and suggestions, some more realistic than others, but we all agreed on one thing. We wanted the civil war finished as soon as possible.

Serana and I were one of the first to depart, heading back to Breezehome. I was as confident as always that I would see it through, but I could sense and see the concern on her face. After making love, feeling her desperation as we did, she lay back, resting her head on my chest, cuddling me tighter than normal.

"Something on your mind?" I asked gently.

"You know what I think of you as a warrior, Ragnar. Just call it nerves."

"I'm nervous too. I just can't show it in front of everyone."

"And in front of me?"

"I tell you everything, Serana. You should know that well enough by now. No secrets."

"So what do you hope?"

"I want everyone to go home alive."

"Someone will have to die, Ragnar."

"Then that someone will have to be Jarl Ulfric."

"He will have to die. He won't live under the Empire. And they won't let him live."

"What do you think he'll do?"

"Neither the Empire or Stormcloaks want a siege. He'll either force battle or… I'm not sure what he'll do otherwise."

"Guess it's a case of wait and see. Just be careful, Ragnar."

I kissed her cheek. "Always."

I was up before everyone the next morning, strapped in armour, sword and dagger sheathed at my hip, shield on my forearm, pack on my back. Serana woke as I was getting ready. I had offered her a set of armour, much like I had done many times before, but she was happy to just wear her robes. Enchanted, of course, though I still said nothing would stop flying arrow or, gods forbid, a sword if someone got close enough.

The Companions and Nightingales were already at the city gates, waiting for Serana and I. We walked out to the stables as a group, no-one really chatting, plenty of us hiding the occasional yawn. It was a cold morning. In the distance, mist was still rising from the ground, but the sky was clear, stars twinkling as the sun was still to show its face.

Once all of us were mounted, we met the Army. The cavalry was mounted and ready to go. The soldiers had already packed up camp, doused fires and were now stood in symmetrical rows, ready for the order to fall out. The few siege weapons had oxen tied to their front, ready for the whips to be cracked. I rode forward to the three Generals, one of the cavalry, one of the army, one of the heavy weaponry.

"Good morning for a march, Dragonborn,"

I took a deep breath of the cool, morning air. "How are the men?"

"Ready and raring to go, sir."

I couldn't help the smirk. "How will we march? I'm assuming we will send scouts ahead, just in case?"

"Correct, Dragonborn. Though we anticipate no delays. The cavalry will protect front and rear, with the siege equipment in the middle. The men will march as fast as required."

"Very well. On your order, General."

The men were certainly in good spirits as they started their long march north. By the time the majority had moved out, the sun had appeared over the mountains, providing some much needed warmth. I instructed the Nightingales to help scout ahead while asked the Companions to watch our rear. I didn't think we'd have any trouble whatsoever, as there were no more Stormcloak armies on the field, while no company of bandits would be dumb enough to take us on, but it's better being safe than sorry.

We made good progress, but the oxen and siege weaponry did slow us down quite a bit. The scouts would return every couple of hours, reporting a nearby bandit camp that I'd then send cavalry to clear out. I knew the men were eager to wet their swords, but I kept them together, continuing to march, only stopping for a quick lunch when the sun was at its height. Walking through a forested section of path, the men could sit with a bit of shade, at least for a few minutes, before we continued onwards.

There was little point pitching a full camp that night. Sentries kept watch as men slept under the stars. Chatter was at a minimum. The day had been long and tiring, but we had made good progress, and would make the possible campsite by the afternoon of the next day. General Tullius had departed before us, and had sent a rider back in our direction to update him on our progress. As for the situation around Windhelm, nothing had changed, though there were rumours of a regiment of Stormcloak soldiers evacuating some nearby forts and joining together. What they planned to do after that was unknown.

Full of adrenaline, I didn't get much sleep, rising rather early. I chatted with a couple of sentries, asking their names, where they were from, how long they had served. All the usual questions. Of course, I receive one or two questions in return, mostly about dragons. Had they all died? Would they ever return? What was I going to do now? I kept my responses rather honest, considering I had nothing to hide. Serana eventually joined me, the pair of us wandering off to sit on a log by a nearby river, gazing at the stars once again. She cuddled into my side as I wrapped an arm around her. I knew she was still concerned about what was to come.

Kynesgrove was just as I remembered it upon arriving just after lunchtime. The field picked out was enormous, and orders were soon being issued for camp to be set up. I walked to the nearby cliff edge, Windhelm in the distance far below. To my left on another hill, I could see a company of Legion soldiers also keeping watch. As for Windhelm itself, the city gates were closed, and I could see Stormcloak soldiers patrolling the walls.

"Looks peaceful," I muttered.

"Aye, it does, Dragonborn, but appearances are deceiving. There's an entire army of Stormcloaks behind those walls," Brynjolf explained.

"Even if we managed to get through those gates, trying to clear each area of the city would cost too many lives," Karliah added further.

"So you're on the whole 'see if we can convince Ulfric to surrender' idea?" I wondered.

"That, or offer to meet him in the field," Brynjolf said.

"Surely he won't do that?" Serana asked.

"He may do it simply to say he beat the Legion in battle," Karliah replied.

"Fat chance. The Stormcloaks will be annihilated," Farkas stated.

"What do you think, Ragnar?" my wife asked.

"I just want this all over as quickly as possible. For us, but also for those behind the city walls who just want this damned war to end."

I'll be honest. Even I hoped for a surrender, but in my heart of hearts, I knew that just wasn't possible. The Empire had missed the chance to execute Ulfric for his crimes. Whether you consider his uprising a crime or not is up for debate. But would he surrender and willingly submit himself to whatever the Empire wanted of him? I found that highly unlikely. I knew what Ulfric would want, if he couldn't win.

A martyrs' death.