The Price of Vengeance- A Skyrim Fanfiction

Fifteen: The Long Road Home

It didn't take much after that to get the ball rolling. Rikke promised she'd address the Legion, and convince them of what I'd said. "I'll come meet you at the Stormcloaks' base when I'm done here, and we can decide how to go forward from here." We parted ways, and after retrieving my weapons, I rode towards Ulfric, giddy with my achievement. The Civil War was over, and Skyrim was free. I wondered if my family would be proud of me. I wondered what Eorlund would say. And most of all, I wondered about what Ralof would think of all this.

Ulfric saw my grin as I got down from my horse. "Well, it looks like you've done it. How many of them did you have to kill?" My smile widened. "Just Tullius. Rikke agreed with me. It looks like you'll be working with here again, sir." He narrowed his eyes at me. "You can stop calling me sir, Ven. You do realize that we can't keep calling ourselves Imperials or Stormcloaks anymore?" 

I winced. I hadn't thought about that yet. Ulfric raised his eyebrows. "Well, you'd better figure that out by tonight's war council. Now I for one, am going to tell my men that the war's over." Clapping me on the back, he walked away.  I went to my tent and fell into a deep sleep. I was exhausted after the events of the past few days.

Later that evening, the War Council convened. For now, it consisted of only Rikke, Ulfric, and myself. I had no doubt though, that it would soon widen. "I bring good news!" Rikke declared once all of us were seated. "The Imperial Legion has officially agreed to a truce with the Stormcloaks. And unofficially screaming for the blood of the Aldmeri. We need to act quickly though. Unless we get rid of the Thalmor before the Empire gets news of what has happened here, we risk starting a whole new war with reinforcements from Cyrodiil."

Ulfric grunted in agreement. "I have news from Galmar. He said he managed to take Markarth. Luckily they surrendered after Galmar explained what had happened to Solitude and your proposal. I have to say Ven, your ideas are quite something else. But there's the matter I told you about." Rikke glanced at the both of us, seeking an explanation. I gave it to her. 

"I think when we combine our forces, we need a new name. We can't have our men picking fights about the Imperials and Stormcloaks again. Plus we need to decide which of you two is heading this army." They both stared at me before smiling. Ulfric spoke. "Don't you realize it yet Ven? Neither Rikke nor I can head this army for the same reasons we need a new name. And as for a leader, well, the men have decided already." I almost jumped up in shock. Who could it be? Then it hit me.

Rikke laughed at my expression. "Yes, Ven, it's you. You should hear my soldiers talk about you, the woman who's ended years of conflict without spilling any more unnecessary blood. The Dragonborn herself, who'll destroy the Thalmor and set us free. The way they tell it, it's almost as though you're Talos himself come back to lead them." Ulfric nodded. "Same with the Stormcloaks. Besides, I'm High King of Skyrim now. That's more than enough responsibility for me." Rikke did nothing but give him a slight frown. "There has been no moot yet declaring anything, Ulfric. Don't get ahead of yourself." 

I decided to intercede before a fight brewed up. "So I'm the Commander? And you're both okay with this?" The two of them broke their staring contest and confirmed it. Yes I was the new commander, (or as they decided to call it later) Imperator of the combined army. "We still need a name though." I muttered, still in shock. "Oh the men have decided that too." Ulfric grinned. "Wait what?" Rikke eagerly nodded. "They call themselves 'The Dragonborn's Battalion.' The name's been catching like tinder in a blaze." My head was spinning a bit now.

I was Imperator of 'The Dragonborn's Battalion'. I was going to start a war against the Aldmeri Dominion. Talk about one hell of a promotion.

After that turn of events, I watched Ulfric and Rikke bicker among themselves about how best to take out the Thalmor. Once I got tired of the arguments, I cleared my throat. "I think we should attack on two fronts again. Ulfric, your men are best at attacking from a distance. So assign bands of raiders to hit the Justicars. And Rikke, yours are good at a standard assault. You attack the Embassy, and raze it to the ground." I was worried about how they'd take my orders but apparently it made sense to them too, seeing they both agreed after some retrospection.

After finalizing troop movements, we decided to call it a day. I bid them both farewell, and left the council tent, praying that Rikke and Ulfric wouldn't end up killing each other. As I walked through the camp, soldiers who saw me made various motions of respect, and murmured among themselves about what was going to happen. I didn't know myself either. But I was hopeful for the future.

I started going back to my tent, but I stopped on the way, seeing Ralof sitting on a rock while staring at the sky. And I knew it was time to stop running.

He seemed to be lost in thought as he stared at the constellations, and he didn't notice me walk up behind him. "Ralof." I said gently, and he gave no sign of having heard me. I laid a hand on his shoulder and he looked at me finally, his face studiously blank. I knew that I could either ruin this forever or...

The words came tumbling out of me. "I lost my mother and my best friend when I was nine. And since then, I've been terrified of feeling that way again. Of having that emptiness inside me, and living with it everyday. I built all these walls around my heart, and I swore I wouldn't let anyone else in." I paused. 

He was staring at me now, his gaze kind and understanding. I looked at my feet and went on. "I didn't think I'd be willing to ever let go of those barriers. But then, I met you. And I know that when you said you loved me, I shouldn't have run. But I couldn't face knowing the truth. That all this time, you'd been seeping through my defenses." I looked right into his eyes. "I couldn't face the fact that I'd fallen in love with you too. And the knowledge absolutely petrified me. That I could lose you as well."

His eyes were soft. He wrapped his fingers around mine and I let him, cherishing the feeling of his callused fingers on mine. "So what changed your mind?" 

I smiled at him, and he smiled back. "I realized that I wouldn't trade those moments with my family for anything at all. Even knowing how it ended, I'd still do it all again. And I don't want to miss out anything else because I was too afraid to live. I've spent an entire decade almost completely alone. I can't let the probability of something bad happening ruin the certainty of something good."

He let out a breath that I hadn't realized he had been holding. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I came to Whiterun to find you, you know. But when I saw you in the Imperial armor, I lost control. Here I was, carrying an-" He broke off. "A what?" He flushed and shook his head. I decided to let him go on. "When I thought you were my enemy, that I might have to face you in battle, I couldn't take it. I should have let you speak." I laid a finger on his lips to stop further apologies. 

"I understand. And I'm sorry about Solitude too. But enough about the past." With that I kissed him, effectively stopping the verbal conversation and replacing it with a more interesting kind.

Later that night, we sat outside my tent in each other's arms, watching the stars turn when I remembered. "So Ralof, what were you carrying when you came to Whiterun?"

He shifted slightly. "Um, actually, I still have it. I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it. Remember when you saved my life in Riften?" I nodded. "Well, after you left, I realized that I was hopelessly in love with you, and had been for a while. So I went to the Temple of Mara." I froze. He sensed my motion and he pulled me to my feet, before pulling out a glinting amulet and putting it in my hands. An Amulet of Mara. He wrapped his own around mine and spoke. "Stay with me Ven, for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?"

I could feel a giant smile stretching my mouth wide. Ralof saw my expression and his face echoed it. "Yes, Ralof, I will." And when he pulled me into his arms, I realized that I was finally home.