After reading it thoroughly, a couple of times as well, I put the scroll down on the table and look up "So they have passed Valtheim completely unopposed and are a day away from the city itself?"
Hearing the doubt in my voice Davos shakes his head "I sent scouts everywhere and had them check every single reasonable spot for an ambush." He frowns "They found absolutely nothing."
I raise my eyebrows "So either Ulfric's spirit has been so thoroughly crushed that he has accepted his defeat and is merely awaiting death or he is hoping to grind us down below his walls... Has there been any word on his behavior?"
"There has, but not much." He makes a 'so-so' gesture with his hand "He could barely walk due to the damage he took in the Pale and whatever healers he had on hand were taking their time in fixing him up, to the point there were rumors he was crippled for life without the aid of a master."
"Were?"
"Yes, there were rumors." He frowns "Some two days ago he was seen moving around in perfect health, motivating his remaining warriors and browbeating the few who hadn't joined yet into fighting for the city's defense if not for his cause directly."
"That couldn't have gone well." I huff.
"It didn't." Davos confirms "A bunch of them instead joined Brunwulf Free-Winter in forming a militia whose only task was protecting the residents from any kind of looting or pillaging, including the Grey Quarter."
I frown "And Ulfric just let them do it?"
"He accepted it under the condition that if he won they would join him."
"And they, believing him to be incapable of victory naturally accepted." I nod along "The Nords' honor would not let them go back on their word should he actually pull a win out of his ass and he gets to look magnanimous... How very bold of him to already be planning the next steps should he survive." I cup my chin "How very bold... and how very suspicious." Mulling it over momentarily I ask "Has there been any other rumors?"
Davos pauses briefly before speaking hesitantly "There have been sightings of certain... figures."
"Being vague is my job." I deadpan.
He snorts lightly and shrugs "And that is pretty much it, a few hooded figures were sighted in the night heading toward the Palace of Kings, they were suspicious looking sure but nothing terribly out of the ordinary with how often healers of all kinds were visiting."
"And did these visits coincide with Ulfric's sudden good health?" I ask him and he freezes.
"Shit." He swears.
Before he can go on a frustrated rant I raise a hand to forestall him and activate my clairvoyance, the future sight of which had grown more potent with my soul's liberation, letting me seek impressions on things of much greater scale and consequence.
I blink suddenly and realize I had been staring at the ceiling. Looking back to the now seated Davos I ask "How long was I out?"
"Some ten minutes." He answers with a frown "You good?"
I wave it off "Too much information, even for me. I am not sure what exactly happened but it will become a problem if it isn't resolved quickly enough..." I pause "That is a lie, I do have an impression of what may be going on but I sincerely hope Ulfric is not that stupid."
"Do I even want to know?" Davos asks with a sigh.
"No." I deadpan and he chuckles weakly "Now then, you going to tell me about that little mark on your face?" My entire mood shifts from foreboding to teasing.
Davos almost growls "What is with you and your obsession with my love life?"
"But you two are so cute together~" I coo.
He looks at me horrified "Never use that voice again."
"No promises." I grin and summon a bottle of mead for each of us, which he accepts gratefully "But seriously, how are things between you?"
He sighs "I fucked up." Before I can interject he raises a hand "We talked it out, I have been a little shit and she was getting frustrated with me, had to promise some things and got the shit kicked out of me but we are good now."
"Uh huh." I nod "So, when is the wedding?"
He starts coughing as the drink catches in his throat before glaring at me as he calms down, we stare at each other for next to a minute before he sighs in defeat "As soon as the world isn't about to end or before the child is born."
"Not very specific that." I chuckle "But fine, I am not going to bother you abut it too much."
"You say it like it is some big deal." He huffs.
"Because it is." I cut him off "The two of you are nobility and two of the most powerful in authority after myself, what gave you the impression it wasn't a big deal?"
He pauses, pales, takes a much bigger swig of his drink, and mutters "Fuck."
Chuckling at his predicament I slowly get up and wave for him to do the same "Come on then, if Torygg is already so close we should get to planning our own attack as well."
"Finally something that doesn't make my stomach turn." Davos celebrates and goes to follow me "Though are you sure you want to be there personally? What if Ulfric has something prepared just for you?"
The nearby shadows twist as Akulakhan The Younger makes his presence known and steps in to my left "Our Master has nothing to fear from the broken meatbag."
Naturally halfway through his sentence Davos jumps away with a loud "FUCK!" and scampers up the wall like a frightened cat, it takes him a moment to realize what just happened as he glares at the automaton "Where the fuck were you hiding?!"
"Your ocular receptors are weak." AK shrugs and keeps following me as I laugh my ass off.
"My what now?" Davos mutters before quickly shaking his head and dropping in next tome.
It was good to have a bit of cheer before we descended into yet another slaughter.
-----
(General POV)
A group of mounted warriors passed by a cohort of legionaries as they marched further into Eastmarch, their eyes weary but their spirits high at the thought of ending the conflict between brothers.
"A fine showing if there ever was one." Falk Firebeard comments as thousands upon thousands of well trained soldiers stomp the ground in perfect unison.
"Aye!" Harald Fair-Hair lets out a bellowing laugh "Never since the great war have I seen the legion's true might gathered like this!" The King's Father-in-law was already a few horns of mead deep but it did not slow him down one bit, in fact the potent drink seemed to have the opposite effect as the man was somehow sharper than usual.
A nearby rider chuckled at that "It almost makes me nostalgic for those simple days."
"Bah!" Harald scoffs "Back then we were actually fighting the true enemy Balgruuf, now we are killing our own kin and for what?"
"That is Jarl Balgruuf to you, Thane" A Dunmer to Balgruuf's left scowls in annoyance.
"Come now Irileth." Balgruuf waves her off "Harald is an old friend and he speaks sense." Balgruuf spits on the ground to his side "All this could have been avoided if Ulfric wasn't so hungry for power."
"Bastard snake in bear's clothing." Harald curses "Were we not so lucky at Dawnstar we would have probably been locked in war for years."
"I assure you, Thane Harald, that luck had nothing to do with it." General Tullius rides up to the group "Our victory was gained through thorough preparation and strategic superiority." All of the riders gave him respectful nods as he had more than earned his place in the eyes of the gathered Nords.
The Thane just laughs "You say that like Flame-Tongue didn't just burn a good fifth of them to death."
"The good Court Mage was instrumental, there is no doubt about it." Tullius doesn't react to the not so subtle mockery "But the legion made a good showing and I have no doubt that victory would have been ours if the more... grand powers were removed from both sides."
"Aye, on that we can agree." Harald smiles as he looks back to the legion "I just wonder what this lot will do once the traitor has been dealt with."
Tullius lets out a noncomital hum "I am sure His Imperial Majesty will find something for them to do in the coming years."
Harald's eyes light up like candles "Now you are talking!"
"We have not won quite yet my friends." The final rider speaks up "Save the celebrations for when Ulfric lies dead and his armies are defeated."
Harald laughs "I know you miss Ellie and the kid but you don't have to be so dim and gloomy about it Torygg. There is glory to be won!"
The High King also lets out a weak chuckle but shakes his head "I do miss them but that isn't the point." He pulls out a folded scroll and tosses it to Tullius "I have just received some news from Reyvin, apparently we should watch out for, and I quote 'unexpected treasonous fuckery'" A few laugh at this "When we attack the city."
"He won't be joining us?" Harald seems almost sad.
Torygg looks around to make sure no one was listening, after making some extra distance just in case he speaks "He will join us for the planning but will lead his own forces by teleporting them deep into the Grey Quarter. The plan is for him to open the dock gate for us after we manage to make a path across the bridge."
General Tullius nods at this "Yes, Battlemage Tiberius will create a path to the docks in the cover of night thus giving us a full three avenues of attack: The main gates, the Grey Quarter, and the docks."
"Just like Hag's End." The Thane of Haraldstead huffs "He sure is as dramatic as I remember."
"Why change what already works?" Balgruuf cuts in with a smirk.
Irileth scoffs "Predictability?"
"It isn't a very complex plan, but that is what makes it robust to begin with." Torygg placates them easily "The tactical decisions will naturally be made by the leaders present in each position, we have no way to signal our men once the chaos of the assault begins."
The easy confidence of his words bring a smile to the faces of both Harald and Balgruuf, both were very happy that the King they supported was finally used to his position and authority.
"We best return now, the scouts have just spotted Windhelm." Falk Firebeards cuts in as he finishes reading through a scroll a rider had just given him.
The rest nod and follow after him, savoring what little relaxation they could before the time came for glorious battle.
------
Within the ancient Palace of Kings, and upon the oldest throne of the oldest hold sat a broken man. His eyes blazed with determination and his heart was filled with fury but his soul was a whole another thing in its entirety.
He had lost much, too much in fact, in his pursuit of his own perceived better future and he now found himself bitter and sinking ever deeper into his delusions. He gripped his new axe made of the bones of a dragon which hummed with barely restrained power as it sat in his lap, cursing at both elves and traitors within his mind as a figure floated nearby.
"The preparations are complete, little king." The thing's voice was both a guttural growl and a hiss as it mocked him "Your enemies close in but fear not, our master will see them all crushed underfoot and then..." It pauses and almost chuckles, sounding more like death than mirth "And then, you shall have your precious 'freedom'."
Ulfric Stormcloak, accursed by both gods and men, held back a growl and merely spoke a cold "Of course, Lord Krosis."
-----------------
DUN DUN DUUUUUUN!!!
My diet demands more sacrifices!
Back to the mines!
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