Murphy's Law

Chapter 67

Emmet fidgeted nervously as they waited for the General and his delegation to arrive. It seemed word had been sent back to base as well, somehow, as Penn and Vitruvius had also shown up for the peace council. "No Bruce?" Lucy asked, giving the spy an amused look.

Penn rolled her eyes. "Her Majesty wanted to come, she's so desperate for us to be able to make peace, but she didn't think she could handle the petty bickering that's bound to happen. And you know Bruce won't wander far from her."

"They're together?" Emmet asked, surprised. "I didn't realize..."

"They're not. Neither one of them's so great at actually communicating their interest, so they just keep dancing around each other."

"Oh..."

"And you, Vitruvius?"

"Penn has been most helpful in assisting me in continuing my research. And I've found something that may be very useful to Emmet, if all goes well here today."

"I certainly hope it does," Emmet sighed.

Finally the Imperials arrived. Arngeir cast a look toward the Dragonborn before leading them to the room where the council was to be held. The two opposing sides had only been occupying the same space for a matter of seconds before there was an uproar.

"You!" Ondolemar snarled the moment he spotted Sirius standing on the rebels' side of the table. "You're supposed to be dead!" The General could only stare in stunned surprise.

"You failed rather spectacularly at ensuring that, didn't you?" One corner of his mouth quirked upward in smug satisfaction. "Though if it's any consolation, you almost succeeded. I would have died, if it hadn't been for the timely intervention of my new friends."

"New friends?" the General echoed. "So you didn't go rogue?"

"Is that the story they told you?" Sirius snorted. "If I did, it was because my hand was forced. No, it was simply decided that I'd outlived my usefulness. I barely managed to escape the Embassy, and I can only assume they gave up pursuit because they figured I was as good as dead." Ondolemar fumed. "Nice to know that a lifetime of dedication to the cause meant absolutely nothing, in the end."

'You picked a terrible person to make an enemy of, Head Justiciar. I hope you're prepared to deal with the fallout of that decision.'

"I still haven't decided to join you."

'You still haven't left, either.'

"Gentlemen-" Arngeir tried to interrupt, only to be cut off by the General.

"If you think this is in any way going to deter me from doing my duty and putting an end to this rebellion-"

"Did- did I miss anything?"

Everyone turned to face the newcomer. Emmet's jaw dropped when he noticed how much he looked like the General.

"What are you doing here," General Callaghan growled. "You're not military-"

"There's an awful lot of b-bickering going on for a- a peace council," the other man quipped, grinning at the General. "You sh-shouldn't have told me what you were d-doing if you didn't me to, uh, to come."

"Keelan," Callaghan sighed.

"You're brothers?" Emmet piped up.

"We are!"

"Some peace council this is turning out to be," Arngeir muttered.

"Indeed," Penn agreed, and whistled loudly. All eyes turned toward her. "We did not come here to make idle conversation or bicker like children. We are here to try to make a truce so that Jarl Balgruuf can assist the Dragonborn in catching a dragon without the worry of his hold coming under attack. Now can we please sit down and discuss this like adults?"

"Well spoken," Arngeir agreed. "Now please, take your seats, and we can begin the negotiations." They did so, the Imperials on one side, the rebels on the other. Arngeir took a seat at one end, and Lucy nudged Emmet into taking the seat at the other. Keelan grinned to himself, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the wall near the rest of the Greybeards where they stood behind Arngeir. The leader of the Greybeards gave the Knight a strange look when he failed to sit with them. "Is something the matter?"

'I'm afraid there won't be any negotiating,' he signed.

"So you bring us here just to insult us-" the General growled.

'Not at all. I know you are a reasonable man, General, and I have only the greatest respect for you. But I'm afraid I can't settle for a mere truce. It's not you we are truly fighting against, but the Thalmor. I know you must have your doubts. So instead, I would ask you to join us.'

General Callaghan scowled at him, unsettled by the Knight's assumptions. Ondolemar could only gape at his audacity. "What makes you think I would ever agree to that?"

The Knight was still for a moment, considering how to answer, then reached up to pull off his helmet.