The War of Domination

Cold Wrath

Mallory leaned next to a tree resting her head on it as she raised her shield over her soaking wet hood. She could feel her hair stick to her neck as the cold piercing rain kept pouring. 

Her commandos waited behind her only ever having their positions revealed whenever lighting lit up the night sky. None of them said a word as all they did was wait despite the cold howling wind and pouring rain.

Mallory sat up as she saw weak lantern lights of both carts and riders push their way through Skyrims unforgiving weather until they started passing by her.

"AT THEM!" She shouted and ran to the small convoy with her soldiers close behind.

Mallory had leaped onto the cart and swung her axe right at the throat of its driver almost decapitating him as she knocked the dead driver off the cart. Jumping off the cart in an almost instant after she attacked one of the guards, slamming his head against the cart only for her to swing her axe several times into his shoulder and chest.  

The small skirmish ended with dead Thalmor outnumbering commandos by a great deal as the blood flowed through the pavestones as it was washed away by the rain. 

Mallory moved around to the back of the cart only to have another Thalmor lunge at her through the canvas curtain that hid the carts contents. The elf held a dagger to the commanders throat but couldn't do anything as an arrow pierced its way through his skull popping one of his eyes. She shoved the dead elf off her and grabbed the nearest extended hand to help her up.

"I've lost count of how many times I save your ass commander." The archer said.

"Thats only because I let you Lisse." Mallory said turning to her Tribune as she moved over to the cart. 

"Rather large escort don't you think?" Mallory asked her rhetorical question out loud  as she pulled the curtain back to find children.

"Gods." One soldier said in horror seeing the near starved children in chains and tattered rags as they shivered in the cold weather.

"Fuck." Mallory said under her breath as she pulled out a piece of dried deer meat and handed it to the nearest one. "Any rations you can spare give it to them, now." She ordered.

While her soldiers pulled out food, Mallory searched her last attacker for a key. She found it and tossed to a commando who then started unlocking the chains then helped the children out of the cart. 

"They were bait." Lisse said as she walked up next to Mallory. "Seen plenty of starved and half dead people near rumored monster dens and the like." 

"Because humans are worth nothing to the Dominion." Mallory said as the last child was helped out of the cart. "And war orphans are worth even less." 

Mallory led the way back to camp as quickly as she could while Skyrims thunder hid the sniffling of the now freed orphans. 

Skyrims commando campsite was well hidden as each tent was made of a dark durable leather that was covered in leaves, twigs, and other foliage. A medium fire was kept lit by the guards in the camp but could be easily snuffed out with no effort should the need arise. Immediately Mallory ordered the children to move around the fire while large blankest covered them in small groups then they were to eat their fill.

Mallory knelt next to the one she handed food to in the cart.

"Where were you coming from?" She asked.

"A mine." The child said as his voice started breaking. "It was cold and dark and they made us dig and-"  

"Easy little man." Mallory said still kneeling next to him. "Was there snow where you came from?"