Emmet found it slightly annoying he wasn't allowed to go anywhere without an escort, but at least his guard for the day was one he'd sort of made friends with on the trip to Solitude- the same one that had given Emmet his invitation to the party. After breakfast he decided to take a walk through the city and see the sights. "What's that walled off part up there?" he asked. They hadn't even made it out of the market yet.
"That's Castle Dour," the soldier, Leander, answered. "That's where the Legion is based in Skyrim. You can usually find Legate Barbara there, but the General likes to actually be out on the field so it's rare you'll see him around."
Emmet stared up at it thoughtfully. "...You think they'd mind if I asked them some questions?"
"Like what?"
"About the war, I guess. Why they're fighting it. I never really... I didn't care before. Whiterun's stayed neutral through the whole thing so far, so I didn't see much reason to worry about it. But I guess I just want to understand the motive. I mean I've never really understood why anyone feels a need to resort to violence, I like to try to resolve things peacefully, you know?"
Leander gave him an odd look. "Well, I suppose that'll be alright," he finally allowed, and took Emmet up to the fortress. Emmet was somewhat surprised to discover that General Callaghan was still around. He and Legate Barbara were standing around a table with a large map marked with little flags, most of them red, having a heated discussion.
"...Knight's going to try to retrieve the Dragonborn," the General growled. Emmet paused in the doorway, tilting his head and listening in. "We need to take measures to prevent that from happening. We can't allow the rebels to get their hands on him again."
"He'd be insane to try to storm Solitude. He doesn't have the men," the Legate argued.
"You know as well as I do how resourceful and cunning he is. He'll find a way."
"With no more than twenty men left? I don't see how." Leander cleared his throat, gaining their attention. Both officers glanced over at them, the General scowling at the interruption. Emmet forced a grin onto his face and waved.
"Something we can help you with, Dragonborn?"
"Uh. Just Emmet, please..."
The General raised an eyebrow at that. "Something we can help you with, Just Emmet?" Emmet stared in surprise, and Leander hid his snicker behind a cough. Barbara turned away to hide her smirk.
"I, um. Was actually curious about the war? I mean... why are you fighting? What is it that the rebels are doing that's so bad?"
"This little uprising of theirs threatens the stability of the Empire. Things are already strenuous as it is, have been since the signing of the White-Gold Concordat. People have never been thrilled with the terms of the treaty, especially not the banning of Temu worship."
"Who's Temu?"
The General gave him a long look. "...I suppose you're young enough you wouldn't know. I'm not a historian by any means, and much of what anyone knows about him now is pretty much just hearsay, but this is what I know of him. He was a man who lived many centuries ago, who was said to have brought the spark of creativity to humanity- he was the first Master Builder. His, and his descendants', accomplishments are what have allowed the races of men to compete with the races of mer, here in Tamriel. And when he died, he supposedly ascended to godhood. Obviously, the elves take offense to the very idea of it. The only reason I put any stock in it is because Master Builders still exist- the rebels you met in Helgen. They never have much liked authority to begin with, but this treaty with the Aldmeri Dominion they find especially stifling.
"Still, their 'protests' were just grumblings, meeting in secret for fruitless plotting, until the Black Knight appeared a few years ago and turned their grumblings into action. Now Skyrim has fallen into civil war, as these Master Builders try to 'win back their freedom', and if they succeed, this attitude will spread to the rest of the Empire. Between the four of us, I can't see this 'peace' with the Thalmor lasting another thirty years, and all this in-fighting amongst our own kind is only going to weaken us to the point we won't be able to stand against them a second time if they decide to press the issue."
Emmet looked uncomfortable at the thought. "Is there no chance to make actual peace with them? Come to some sort of understanding, so we don't have to fight anymore?"
"I'm afraid not," the Legate told him, tone laced with regret. "The Thalmor are... fanatical, in their views. They truly believe Altmer to be superior to all others, and will not stop until every other race in Tamriel is subjugated. And it's a difficult point to argue, as there is solid evidence that they are the oldest civilization in Tamriel."
"But I talked with Ambassador Sirius," Emmet protested. "Had an actual conversation with him and everything. He seemed nice enough..."
The General snorted. "'Seemed' being the key word there. He's quite an actor- he'll play you to his advantage like he does everyone else, and you'll never even realize it. Probably the one person in the world who's even more cunning and conniving than the Black Knight." Emmet wilted.
"Oh..."
"It is sweet of you to want to try though, and if I thought it would actually work, I would support you all the way," Legate Barbara told him. "If only there were more people in the world who would rather talk it out than just fight..."
"As it stands, Dragonborn, we do have business to attend to, so I must ask you to leave."
"Yes, sir..." Emmet shuffled out, followed by his escort.
"You alright?" Leander asked.
"Oh... Yeah, sure, I'm alright. It's just a lot to think about."
"I take it those weren't the answers you were looking for."
"I never think that there should be any reason to fight."
"Most people don't think like that."
"I know," Emmet sighed. "Doesn't mean I'm going to start, though. I need a journal, and something to write with."
Leander tilted his head as Emmet suddenly switched tracks. "Bits and Pieces should be open by now, Sayma will have just about anything you could want."
"Great! Let's go there then!"
YOU ARE READING
Murphy's Law
Fanfiction[Skyrim Crossover] As if Skyrim wasn't already hectic enough, with its inhabitants fighting both the Aldmeri Dominion and the Empire. Now there's dragons, too, and Emmet finds himself unwittingly roped into the whole mess. What else could go wrong?
