Eye of the Wind – Ch. 3 – 4: Playing the Ruse

  • Smoke drifted from the communal fire, banked to over-sized proportions to aid the residents in their fight.  They wore only the clothes on their backs, and wielded pickaxes, daggers, or other farming implements.  The Imperials were donned with standard issue steel-capped leather armor and wielded swords.  

    The fight wasn't even close to fair from the start, but still, the miners and workers did their best to fend off the soldiers.  In the chaos of the battle, I spotted the local guards using their proud iron shields to protect many of the residents.  These Nords were unlike any encountered in Windhelm.  They were loyal to the people of their post, no matter what they might look like.

    Derkeethus and I came to their aid, though my vision would clouded and irritated by the smoke.  I took on the first soldier, who was young and swung wildly.  Ducking his blade, I sheathed a knife up into his chest, and let him drop.  Even in his death, my mind remained clear and my soul was my own.

    Already I had danced to the outer edge of the battle, and carefully, I maimed any of the enemy I could spot.  Across the fire, I noticed Derkeethus doing the same, firing with enough speed and accuracy to rival my own skill.  I thought to challenge him one day and see who was the better archer.

    Slipping back into the fray, I joined Verner in taking down another soldier.  

    "I'm glad you're here," he said, smiling crookedly and showing his iron-colored teeth.  "Annekke!  We might have some hope yet!" his old, reedy voice bellowed towards his wife.

    She looked up and smiled at me before seizing a pot filled with boiling water from the fire and scalding an oncoming soldier's face with it.  The soldier fell to the ground, clutching at his visage, screaming before Derkeethus ended him with a blow to the head.

    Over in the shadows of the trees, I saw Sondas and Ulfvidr struggling with the sergeant, marked by the bronzed pleats in his armor.  With a mighty swing of the man's sword, I saw Ulfvidr crumble to the ground in a heap, though the officer fell a moment later when Sondas thrust a burning dagger into his back.

    "We are routed!  Fall back!  Fall back!" one soldier cried, seeing his leader defeated.  There were only a few soldiers remaining, and they began to flee.

    "TAKE NO PRISONERS!" I heard a feminine voice crow.  By the fire, Tormir stood, her eyes aflame with the thrill of the battle.  Every ounce of Nord blood coursing through her veins appeared to be singing in victory.

    Rallying to her cry, the residents, Derkeethus and I included, both injured and whole, rushed after the Imperials.  We cut them down, ending their lives rapidly.  No word would reach Legate Constantius just yet.

    For a moment, we all stood blinking in the smoke, observing the result of the battle.  Ulfvidr was lost, and Sondas's head was bleeding alarmingly.  Annekke's hands were burned terribly, the skin hung off in thin, translucent strips.  The other workers sported various cuts and bruises.  I set about gathering strips and cloth, while a new pot of water was boiled.  

    Derkeethus pilfered various useful items from the dead Imperials, while Verner went to work with the local smith in piling the bodies in the smelter's furnace.  Ulfvidr was set upon a board with his dagger on his breast.  The guard poured oil over the body and lit it, then pushed it into the stream, sending the flaming cargo away into the dark.  The grizzled Stormcloak watched it go, chanting a song of farewell in Nordic.  "He goes to Sovngarde."

    "Here," Derkeethus said, handing me a small pot of green, cool-smelling paste, "I found this on one of the soldiers.  It smells like a burn paste."

    And it was.  I treated Annekke's hands with the stuff, before cleaning the dead skin from her hands and binding them carefully.  Tormir disappeared from the field of battle for a moment, then returned with Hrefna in tow.

    "Now stay put!  You're going to help Sondas tend to our people," Tormir said to the girl rather sharply.

    "But, mama!" she complained in return.  I saw her gaze wander to the blood-soaked ground where the Imperials had lain.  Her eyes were wide and dark, and she looked at once terrified and very alone.  I went to sit next to her, wanting to examine this child that seemed to be the epicenter of our quest.  

    When I crouched near her, she recoiled at my presence, though we'd met and spoken many times before.  In daylight, anyway.  She sniffled, then snarled, showing a flash of teeth that looked unusual in shape.  Frowning, I left her as she washed bandages for the Dunmer.

    Dousing the fire a little, dimming it back to a respectable flame, I stood to face the prominent members of the village.  "This will not be the last you see of the Imperials," I said.  "Legate Constantius is coming, and he should arrive before the light is full.  He will try to destroy this place."

    "But that's only a few hours away!" exclaimed Tormir, looking worriedly at her daughter.

    "Way to break the ice," Derkeethus muttered under his breath.

    "He can't summon the entire Imperial army to his will!" said Sondas.  "They wouldn't allow such an act of lunacy."

    "But we can't fight him off, Sondas.  We barely managed to survive this fight!"  Annekke winced as she clenched her hands.  I stood for a moment, thinking carefully.

    "We should see Hrollod," whispered my friend in my ear.

    "If we tell him what happened, you'll be executed," I hissed back.

    "If we don't, he'll find out anyway.  We don't have to tell him everything.  Just that Constantius is after his position in Eastmarch.  An attempt to retrieve the mine from Ulfric's control," Derk explained.  "It should be enough to rouse him into action."  

    I frowned, not liking the idea of any more cooperation with a faction who wanted to take more from my life.  Playing the ruse of politics was not something I was suited for, nor particularly understood.  Too many pieces to move, and too much forward thinking.  But Derkeethus was right.  We needed help, and at this point, we had to take what we could get.

    "Do everything you can to stall him when he arrives," I said, addressing them all.  "We're going to get help.  We will try to return before the sun is over the mountains."

Comments

6 Comments
  • Knowledgeable Wanderer
    Knowledgeable Wanderer   ·  October 17, 2012
    Poor Hrefna. Seems I'm the only one who remembers that she actually prefers the Imperials.
    I wish Skyrim let you purchase a house IN Darkwater Crossing. At least there are suitable places to sleep; indeed, one of my characters does pretty much live ...  more
  • Eviltrain
    Eviltrain   ·  September 17, 2012
    Nice focus on the aftermath of a battle and of things to come.
  • Forgotten Rogue
    Forgotten Rogue   ·  September 16, 2012
    Kyrielle, I second that about the next "lull"...Idk why but I always appreciate the brief times of piece in stories...kinda a calm before the storm feeling
  • Kynareth
    Kynareth   ·  September 15, 2012
    Excellent battle descriptions...and with the added tension of villagers without traditional arms, armor, or training...it was hard to read because I was afraid of a slaughter.  I know we are still not out of the woods, yet.
    Glad to see Hrefna...and ...  more
  • Kyrielle Atrinati
    Kyrielle Atrinati   ·  September 15, 2012
    I suppose I should have done this way earlier, but I really do appreciate everyone's support during this project.  It's great to get feedback.
    Yes, right now, things have taken a bit of a dour turn.  It's been hard "suddenly" discovering the crazy c...  more
  • 2D Gamer
    2D Gamer   ·  September 15, 2012
    I've just read this story from the start over the past couple of days, I'm very impressed with it, I really enjoy watching their struggles, their hardships and the happier moments which unfortunately their isn't much of anymore, can't wait for the rest.