World Eater

CH.) 7: perspective

Walking. Alduin had never done so much walking in his entire life- and he had lived a very, very long time. Now, it felt as if he had done nothing but walk for an eternity- His heels ached up to his hamstrings, the arches of his feet burned, and each step was an effort, the impact jarring his sore muscles all the way to the base of his skull, making his head pound.

Vaguely, he remembered something the stable master, Geimund had said. "Walking never killed anybody". In that moment he felt like the damned nord couldn't have been more wrong- he was certain if he must go another step, he would fall down dead right there.

And he had only been walking for an hour.

" Woah, hold up" Irridessa said, bringing Starlight to a stop- Lydia pulled her own steed to a stand still beside her, assuming a protective position. " hear that?" She asked, looking down at Alduin pointedly. Alduin cocked his head to the side and listened intently, becoming accutely aware of the sound of battle in the distance- the metallic ringing and clanging of steel against steel was unmistakable. He nodded to her curtly.

"Nii los grah- It is a battle." He told her warilly, hoping to Akatosh that she didn't plan on riding through it...Irridessa couldn't just ignore it- someone might need help!

"let's get a closer look..." She said, nudging Starlight forward slowly. Alduin groaned out loud- He was starting to think she was trying to inadvertently have him killed. Lydia rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head as she prodded her own steed forward, keeping to the Dovahkiin's flanks.

As they continued down the forest path, the battle cries of a sizable group became clearer- it was just around the corner now. Irridessa and Lydia dismounted, crouching low and peering out around the bend. Ahead, the forest opened up around a stretch of roadway, and a skirmish had broken out between a group of Legionares and a band of Stormcloaks- it appeared as if the Stormcloaks had mounted a surprise attack on the emperials on their way to Whiterun; two supply karts were stopped in the middle of the frey.

"Looks like an ambush..." Lydia whispered, eyebrows raised as she watched a Stormcloak General bring his war hammer down on a fallen archer's head- it was crushed like a melon- blood, and brains exploding from his pulverized skull.

" We best hang back until it resolves itself- maybe there will be some loot left on the bodies when they leave. " Irridessa pondered as they watched it play out. Lydia rolled her eyes- Once upon a time the Dragonborns lack of respect for the fallen had irked her- but time and time again the few coins and trinkets they had taken from a body had meant the difference between starving on the streets, and a hot meal by a warm hearth.- it was hard to dispute the necessity of the desecration.

"Who do you think will win?" Lydia asked her friend dryly. Irridessa gave the brunette a sideways glance, smirking.

" I'd wager the Stormcloaks- they had the element of suprise. "

"Aye, but the Legionares have a home field advantage- and a few more men." Lydia countered.

"- You mean they had more men!" Irridessa exclaimed, gesturing to the growing pile of red cloaked bodies littering the cobbled path and grassy shoulder. Alduin couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as he listened to the girl's wager- not very honorable behavior, he thought.

"Dovahkiin, are you not the people's Kaal- Champion?" Alduin teased in mock indignation. " Will you watch, while men are slaughtered? " Irridessa looked back at him with a withering look and shrugged.

"Conflict of interest- best not to take a side just yet." She stated emphatically. Anxiety welled up in Lydia's stomach at the prospect of eventually having to take a side- She herself felt conflicted as to which cause she agreed with; as a nord, it was hard not to sympathize with the Stormcloak cause, but- growing up in Whiterun under the rule of the empire had instilled her with a sense of duty. Could she fight her brothers at home for Ulfric Stormcloak- a man she had heard just as much bad about, as she had good? Could she follow her thane, whome she had sworn an oath to, if she chose the Northern cause?