Skogurheim: Ivarstead, Skyrim

-= Later that Night =-

It was a somber mood around the camp tonight, It seems that the only ones not plagued by the memories of the blood on our hands was Eol and Frage. It was little surprise really, Eol, he wasnt quite right. As the elder of the brothers it seemed he may have slipped away at some point in his life and followed along with his races barbaric, how shall we say, "dining practices" at somepoint in his life. Though from what his brother told me he certainly lives up to his namesake. Eol, the "Dark Elf". The man made me a bit nervous. He was one hell of a scout I admit but still. As for Frage, well we found his lazy ass, sound asleep, in the horses hay supply. Following legion practice, he was denied his meal and flogged thrice. Sadly that task fell to Eol, who did a masterful job distributing Legion justice.

Now we sat quietly reflecting on our actions the others sitting nursing pints of hot mead while I sat mending a small rend in my mail from the highwayman's blade earlier that day. The fire crackled merrily despite our somber silence.

It was Fenik who finally broke the silence, he sat holding the pup in his lap as she gnawed on a well chewed stick, "Does this feeling ever go away Legitus? I, I mean I cleaved a mans skull in half with my axe... how am I to forget that?! Im afaid I'll never be able to sleep again!"

Looking up at the large Nord I sighed and set aside my near finished repair and looked over at him in silence, mulling over my next words, "You will sleep friend, not well at first perhaps but you will sleep... As for forgetting. That I am afraid is a little more difficult," I took a deep breath and sat back, "look the life in the legion is never easy. You know this."

Looking into the coals I notice for the first time a pint of steaming mead sitting before me, sitting back up i take it up and hoist it in salute to the men, "May you never die before your time," I take a pull, and wipe my lip with the back of my arm, "It's bad for your health."

The others chuckled hesitantly.

Clearing my throat I ask them, "Tell me have any of you heard the story of the final battle in Valenwood between the damnd Bosmer and the 913th?"

"Wasnt that your post?" James asked.

"Aye that it was. Have you heard it?"

They looked at one another and collectively began to shake their heads, "No cant say we have."

"Well suppose I can tell it if you like..."

None said a word but all leaned forward when Anorien questioned, “Wait, shouldnt we wait for Eol?”

“Hes out on guard duty remember, he volenteered… besides your brother may find this story a bit boring to be honest.”

“If you say so.”

“Right where was I, oh right, three years back my Legion and I were stationed down in Valenwood, we had the seemingly simple task of simply defending the Imperial embassy. I was little more than a lowly Sergeant at the time. It was a beautiful spring day, the sun and the breeze were warm enough to make you sweat in the damned Heavy Bosmeri Armor-”

“Thats that super thick heavy steel armor right?”

“Yes. Can i continue now Frage, or are you going to keep interupting?”

“Oh…. sorry.”

Shaking my head i continued, “Anyways, it was such a nice day the damned Imperial ambassador insisted on going out for a ride… and drag all 50 of us on duty out into the damned field. My lieutenant and our Legitus BOTH told him it was a foolish idea but would he listen? No why would a pompous old Imperial like Ambassador Tidus Imperus listen to a lowly Legitus… Ugh i hated working for that man… I swear he is the reason the Aldmeri struck out against the empire some days…” I shook my head, took another pull of mead, and continued, “Anyways the pompous little prick rounded us all up and marched us out in that thrice damned, heavy armor out into the fields surrounding the city. Talos above i swear the sun was literally sitting on my shoulder after half an hour marching in that damn armor at the pace he set.

We were about 200 meter from the edge of the forest when the Legitus fell in beside me and ordered a halt, the pompous little shit had stopped some 50 meter ahead and was off picking flowers in the field… Fucking flowers… ugh. So i ordered a halt and was about to order them to take on water as the Legitus started to speak, “Have the men set up a-” that was the last he said, his next words were cut off by the clothyard shaft buried in the back of his throat. He fell from his horse into a heap on the roadside, His horse bolted, the Lieutenant went after the Ambassador and shepherded him back to the group while he whined over the flowers he had dropped,” James yup nyand Richard both scoffed at this i could see their disgust written all over their faces as clear as the sun in a cloudless sky at noon, “He was not five meters from our shield wall when the Lieutenant fell 2 shafts buried in the back of his skull from poking out from beneath the back of his helm,” shaking my head i recalled telling his wife the sad news as she nursed their newborn son…

“I thought you said my brother WOULDNT like this story…” Anorien countered.

“Right fine he may like the beginning… now where was i again? oh right the pompous little shit was now behind our shield wall… our small force hunkered down behind our tower shields while our one scout countered their arrows with arrows of his own, Celeblas his name was, a good man a Bosmer like yourself Anorien, from Silvenar i believe. It was then that some 30 Bosmeri death dancers came racing from the tree line casting spells of brief 5 to 10 seconds worth of invisibility they seemed to flicker over the fields like large hideous flames of murder,” the men were all sitting there tense with anticipation, “As they neared, a mixed group of about 60 heavy lancers, and savage tribal axemen emerged from the treeline behind them. The flickering death dancers struck my shield first and washed down the lines to each side of me. Their blades licked around the sides of our shields flickering over our heavy armor scratching and gouging at it, seeking an opening through which to slice at our flesh. For all their drug crazed magics the death dancers were of little concern their armor little more than deer and human bone fixed to leather. We lost 6 of our number, to them, three to their blades three to the archers hidden in the trees. It was a short but savage fight. Thirty to our six,” I shook my head and took another pull of mead, “It was not a minute or two later that the mixed unit of heavy lance and axemen hit us. The fighting was long, bloody, and intense the ambassador went down at some point in the midst of the fighting with an arrow in his shoulder. We gave nearly as good as we got. at the end of the first advance we had lost 29 of our men. dropping our numbers to just Thirteen. It was then that the Thalmor banner emerged from the forest. Just behind the banner a Thalmor officer appeared, at the head of a column of perhaps 50 some odd soldiers. I will be honest, my heart sank as I saw them…”

“Well fuck me blind, wha didja do Legate?” the near drunk Fenik asked.

“Ah haha, Fenik easy on the mead mate, cant have you wakin up with a headache all day now can we…”

“Bah,” he waved me off and took another long pull at his mead.

“Did ya run sir?”

I looked over at Richard, and shook my head, “No, there was little point. The damned Bosmeri archers can thread a needle with their bows from damn near a mile away, ah no offence Anorien.”

“None taken, tis the truth after all…” he replied with a shrug.

“Ah soo humble of you Anorien,” James countered. Anorien responded with little more than a shrug and lay back on his bedroll relaxing in the warmth of the fire.

“No, we held our line, there was little point in running, and so we held firm. Their line was not but 20 yards from us when a warhorn rang out and their line skittered to a halt some 10 yards from our ravaged shield wall. Some looked over their shoulders, others taunted us, still others looked for some means of escape. Again the warhorn sounded and their line hesitantly began to inch backwards away from us as the Thalmor column approached us.

‘Who commands here my brothers?’ the officer called out.

None responded, I tell you he looked rather annoyed at this, embarrassed almost. The archers emerged from the forest a few loosing more shafts into our formation on catching the man to my right on the top of his helm and skipping off into the grass behind us. This made the officer quite mad it seemed. Haha as the archer who loosed the arrow approached he backhanded him hard enough to sit him on his arse,” the men chuckled at this, “and so he ran up a flag of truce and seeing no better options the men and i ignored the complaints of the pompous ass cowering behind us and accepted the truce, so i stood waiting for someone to step forth to negotiate terms when the men beside me cleared their throats and nudged me forward...

He was talking to the Mer of course but the men were nervous and more than ready to throw someone else to the wolves... And so I stepped forward behind my shield and gave the order to form up around the Ambasador and the wounded. Them men closed ranks as quickly as humanly possible leaving our one archer, Celeblas, to care for the wounded.

I closed half the distance between the elven lines before an arrow rang off the upper edge of my shield and skipped off the top of my helm. I dropped instantly to my knees behind my shield only to hear a voice ring out, 'WHO DID THAT!? WHO SHOT AT THAT LEGIONNAIRE!?! Answer me you denerate heathen ELVES! As a Vicereeve of the Dominion I demand an answer!'

From where I was bunkered down behind my shield i could only hear bits and pieces of the arguement between the elves but it did not sound all that pleasent to be apart of i assure you.

In the end I was started by a knock on my shield followed by the Vicereeve's voice, 'On your feet legionnaire.' He helped me to my feet, apologized for the "misunderstanding". We stood there in the middle arguing back and forth ans to who was in the right and who was in the wrong. Shit, we were out there maybe two to three hours and for the fuckin life of me I still cant figure out which of us won the negotiations to be honest.

Haha, you know to this day I've killed hundreds of Altmer but you know I think that Vicereeve Elisvan, I think hes quite possibly the only Altmer I would care to meet again."

"WHAT!? You cant be serious Legitus, you, an Alti-lover?!" Frage belted out.

"I never said that you imbicel. I said he is a good man. He's no love for war but when push comes to shove he could make Eol out there look like an infant milk-drinker..."

They all looked at one another nervously, "and, and hes on our side... right?"

"Hmm? No, no I wouldn't say that, he's not exactly our enemy but I wouldnt exactly say he's a friend either... just honorable, and favors peace."

Anorien nodded in acceptance while Frage replied with an uncertain "Oh."

Finishing my mead I set the pint asside and took up my mail shirt and finished replacing the last few missing rings of chain, "Lets turn in boys, I want to get the rest of the roof up and a third exterior wall on the ground floor. Once we can get the walls up we can board up the windows and get some doors up and move inside out of the cold. you with me?"

"Aye Sir!" they all called out in unison and began to turn in for the night.

"Night all sleep well."

A chorus of good nights called out in response as Fenik placed the sleeping pup down in my bunk and turned in for the night.