Naval Resolutions

"I have to say, this ship of yours is surprisingly effective." Ennura remarks from the bow as she watches the Ghost Ship cleave a wide path through thick sheets of ice, clearing a path for the smaller ships behind it.

While the navy hadn't yet built any ships, they'd managed to buy a few from some merchants in Solitude, allowing Kunkka to personally train some sailors to his own standards. A quarter of the sailors had already quit citing how difficult it was to keep up, especially when compared to the other naval armies in Tamriel. The Thalmor looked like day camp compared to what Kunkka was putting them through.

"As long as you let me captain, the seas will be Winterhold's to command! I've only encountered one opponent who I could not overcome, but he's long gone!" Kunkka laughs.

"I'm still confused as to how your magic works... You just shout 'Yohoho' and this ship appears, crew and all. You didn't even use all that much mana..."

"Hmph, if you are so curious, might I show you my quarters for a closer-"

"I'm not having sex on this boat... The walls are see-through!" the Eredar exclaims with folded arms and a blush.

"Admiral! Ships ahead!" a sailor shouts from the crow's nest. "A black flag with a gold dragon's head!"

...

"I'm not aware of any flag like that?" Kunkka asks, looking to Ennura.

"Me neither, shall we head back? I'm not too keen on starting another war after the last one."

"Weren't you victorious last time?"

"That's not the point."

"They're approaching at full speed! They're loading their cannons!" the sailor continues to announce, making clear how dire the situation is becoming... There was little manoeuvring they could do since they were still deep in the ice sheet, the enemy boat having the advantage in open waters. They were essentially sitting ducks.

Kunkka sniffs, "Unfurls the sails, full speed ahead! We'll meet them on their terms and end them on ours!"

"Kunkka..." Ennura mutters.

"Right now, that's Admiral Kunkka. Perhaps it would be best if you stayed under the deck, Jarl Ennura." he advises as he draws Tidebringer and stands confidently at the very front of the ship.

"Hardly! I'm not as weak as the other Jarls, I'll stand and face them like everyone else." she growls, retrieving her staff and readying herself for combat.

It doesn't take long for the Winterhold Navy to fully spot their enemy, a number of ships with the strange flags flying high atop them. Their cannons were already prepared, along with multiple spell casters with magical staves and various spells.

While Kunkka was outnumbered, his Ghost Ship certainly made up for the lack of quantity and quality of his Navy ships. He begins firing far before the enemy does, instantly sinking two of them.

The enemy's fire comes, but the Ghost Ship was far sturdier than anyone had thought, some cannon balls simply bouncing off of the see-through hull while others only shallowly breached it. Thankfully they were able to escape the ice sheets and spread out, soon giving them the advantage of their opponents.

Ennura herself was integral to their victory, her wide-range hail storms utterly decimating any ship struck by them. Shattering the sails, freezing the men, and punching huge holes into the vessels.

It doesn't take long for the fight to be over with not one enemy ship remaining... Kunkka had wanted to take some prisoners for questioning, but anyone who still lived decided to cut their own throats than be captured, a peculiarly loyal tactic only the most brutal or brainwashed societies would subject themselves to.

"Come, we must alert Winerhold and the rest of Skyrim, whoever these enemies are they are confident enough to attack one of if not the most powerful city the Province has." Ennura commands, wanting to get back on land to start sorting out this random series of events.

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Surtr looks down at the report he'd received, silently clenching his fists as he thinks of the men and women he'd had to sacrifice to bring this to fruition. Their lives were expendable, but the fact he hadn't done any damage to Winterhold at all angered him, why had they begun building a navy without alerting him? Was he not their king?

The worst part was the fact that he couldn't stop them now, his own actions had given them just cause to keep expanding their military... Fortunately, that was the only thing that'd gone wrong,

He'd been able to send them information about the 'threat', it coming from Solstheim and being led by someone named 'Miraak'. If that wasn't enough to draw their attention, his offer to fund their efforts should cement it.

He knew anything Winterhold sent would be destroyed by Miraak's dragons, so eventually Michael would be sent, there he'd hopefully lose at least one of his enemies. At best, both of them.

The only problem now was preventing the Empire, Morrowind, or the Thalmor from attacking Skyrim before Miraak was dealt with. Hmm, maybe it was time to visit the Greybeards, learning the shout Miraak used to enslave dragons might be imperative to winning this fight...

They had been enraged at him at Paarthurnax's death, but they should have cooled down by now, he'd heard that Sylphid had taken up Paathurnax's role in the organisation... As for that rotten dragon, Durnehviir? He'd received reports that it'd been flying around the outskirts of the Summerset Isles... Maybe recruiting it would suit his needs? He was sure he could be a far better master than Michael would ever be, whatever resources Michael had offered he could trump.

He leans back in his chair and looks to the door, "Ralof! Why have the women I requested not arrived yet!?"

"It's the outfits, Surtr... Some of them got sick trying to walk through Windhelm dressed like that... What need have you of whores dressed as Hammerfell warriors anyway?"

"It's none of your business. If they can't come get someone else to. You should know by now that I'm a dragon in both soul and body."

...

"Yes, High King..." Ralof reluctantly accepts, getting to work...