Chapitre 385: The Battle of Winterhold (2) : The Queen of Winterhold
*Orga's Front*
The clans of the Nords spread across Skyrim like herds of mammoths, though their numbers and influence upon the land are far greater. Each clan, however, makes its mark in a different way. Some clans are known for their hunting skills, or their forestry, or their crafting. Some clans are large, others small. Some take a prominent role in government and others isolate themselves hidden. And then there are the dark clans, the clans no one deals with or even speaks of and those nine clans that gathered in the frozen land of Winterhold.
Combining their forces with the Thalmor, the force's number reached that of 15,000 fighters with many mages from all parties involved.
The morale was high just by looking at the sheer number. One day was more than enough to take down all of Winterhold in one wave. In the worst cases, Winterhold can muster up to 5,000 fighters and a lot of mages but none can hinder the horde that gathered.
That was what was being spread around by the upper echelons of the clans to motivate the fighters. None of that however mattered to the elected leader of the Dragon Hunt Alliance.
Yes, there is one and that was none other than the youngest girl among all of the clans' leaders, Orga the Young leader of the Stormfist Clan. She has a realistic view of things and took caution in every action she took, her clan was branded as evil for a thousand years and she was named after its founder so she felt the deep responsibility of leading her clan to triumph in good or bad. The Dragon Hunt Alliance was a chance to support her goal of gaining riches to her clan and making better contacts for the Stormfists even among the Dark Clans.
How the commander of the Alliance got appointed was a singularity. The newly discovered Ambassador of the Thalmor suggested a leader appointment right after her identity got blown away, the Nords looked at her with distrust and no one wanted to choose her as a leader. In fact, everyone voted for himself and the included Orga which put the situation to a stalemate. The surprise was Elnwen's vote which surprisingly came last and went for Orga's favor.
The Thalmor has the right to vote of course as the largest force in the Alliance and Elenwen was surprisingly cooperative with the Nords. Unlike the usual attitude of her kin, she was rather swift and managed the stubborn Nords easily.
That way, Orga became the leader.
Of course, everyone suspected her to be in cahoots with the Thalmor and that put on her mood but she had to do it anyway now that everyone was willing to listen to her yet that didn't mean she was going to ignore the Thalmor. Elenwen's action was clear. She wanted Orga to lead as the youngest leader and the most inexperienced one. Elenwen was clearly up to no good and wanted to use the Nords as the shock force for her mages to level everything to the ground afterward.
Orga wasn't a fool and caught on to that, the best response was to tread carefully.
She gathered all the scouts' reports and advanced on three fronts.
The Main Siege Front right to Neo Saarthal from the west consisted of 10,000 fighters and most of the mages. The Thalmor were tied to this front to not let them out of her sight. If Elenwen tried to disagree, she will appear as the manipulative she is.
The Raid Front which was a group of light raiders that of 3,000 fighters that would cross the mountain of the Shrine of Azura and descend on the Whispering Village of Dunmer plaguing and burning it so they can draw the forces of Winterhold out and kill them in waves.
The Reinforcing Front was the third front and the safest one made of 2,000 fighters. Orga made sure to put most of her clansmen in that front so the can be the fastest to enter the battle whenever there is victory and the fastest to escape whenever there is a problem. This group was centered in three places. One behind the Main Front, one on the Wayward Pass with the excuse of cutting reinforcement and the last near Fort Kastav to keep an eye on the Imperial Legion.
The plan was solid from all fronts and the march to Neo Saarthal began with first light. Orga personally was in front of the march as she wanted to witness Neo Saarthal defenses with her own eyes.
The leader of the defense was by all means expected, Alina Moonblade rather than Jonhild Firemane. Orga knew it when all the other leaders expected to see Jon on top of the wall.
'Something is not right.'
However, even Orga had to point out that something was out of her expectations. Alina Moonblade was known as a formidable strategist and the reports of her swift triumph over the Forsworn in the mini-battles during the fall of Jon Dare.
Neo Saarthal had two walls, a lower front wall and higher back wall. The two walls are lined with a number of wooden bridges. The strategy of doubled walls is not that effective in a real fight even with its appearance. The back wall can't be used for a direct defense and would stand in the way of the front wall keeping it ill supplied. If it was effective then, by all means, many forts would be double walled.
Not just that, the defenders were clearly focusing on the back wall rather than the front wall. Once the attacker takes control of the front wall, they can use it to defend their forces while exhausting the defenders with long range magic and arrows.
'What is she thinking?' Orga wondered to herself and kept looking.
The fresh look by her eyes gave her more ideas of what Winterhold is capable of rather than the badly narrated reports of the scouts.
Neo Saarthal should be less than half a year old yet its defenses are heavy and the walls are all complete, this surely must have taken a lot of time and effort. The other thing was the tower that was mentioned in the reports, even though not complete, none could tell what this tower was for and what will it do.
The scouts couldn't notice things Orga just noticed and she started to get agitated. Surely the Thalmor didn't share everything with her considering that Elenwen made a recon on her own once.
Restless, Orga took action.
She rode forwards with two other clan heads to a distance safe from arrows and called for the defenders with their voices.
A response came and the gate was opened.
Two riders came out on flaming horses. One was Njord Firemane and the other was Olaf Moonblade. Two formidable fighters and the number two men of their clans.
Not long after, a flying beast landed on top of the wall and carried Alina Moonblade who joined the other two and headed towards the three leaders of the Dragon Hunt Alliance.
"Old Skap! You're still alive?" Olaf Moonblade cussed at the Skap the Old of the Nikkr Clan.
"Moonblade fuck! You coward fucks escaped your home like the coward shits you are. I swear on my sons' graves I'll end your line."
"All barks no bite, your sons got all killed like the dogs they are because their father is a fool it seems."
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
"Hold it!" Orga Stormfist stopped the raging Skap the Old.
She gazed at Alina and sneered.
"Hey, beautiful. You are that girl Alina, right?"
Alina looked down on Orga with cold eyes. Lokthur felt the disrespectful tone towards Alina and his glare made the horses restless.
"Orga Stormfist?"
"Aye!" Orga calmed her horse and spoke. "I heard you are rumored to be the most beautiful lass in the whole Skyrim. I can see why now."
Alina's face showed ridicule.
"Let me guess, the man you loved lost interest in you after he saw me once and you swore to skin my face?"
"What… Nah! Wait… is that the level of jealousy you get?"
"Most of the time."
"Poor you! Don't worry, beautiful. My interest in your face is nothing like that. Nice beast, by the way."
"He hates you."
"Hahaha! Tell you what, you turn sides now and I'll make you my woman. No one will ever touch you, I promise." Orga said with a dirty smile.
"Insolent fool!" Olaf Moonblade was about to unleash his gift on Orga.
"Uncle! Please." Alina spoke calming him down, she then turned to Orga with a faint seducing smile.
"Tempting…" She said, "But you are not my kind of gal."
Between Alina and Orga, one was a beauty that would drive men insane and the other was a rough tomboy.
"Haha! So there is a kind after all."
"Of course, I am really open minded unless when it comes to sharing and to be honest, the bunch of women around Jon is really annoying. I can accept another one or barely two but now there is a vampire girl… ehem, sorry for drifting. I would complain all day but let's agree that your severed head will have more time to listen."
"Hahaha! So be it. My offer still stands though." Orga was amused.
"Here's my offer then. Turn around… leave… run as far as I can't see you or I swear on everything name Sacred and Daedric that your clans will be wiped out to your youngest descendants."
The smell of blood in Alina's tone was clear. Every word she said meant a war declared on each of the nine clans. More to that, Lokthur majestic appearance was carrying strong frost energy with it.
More to that, Alina had a staff in her hands that aura was pure evil. The [Skull of Corruption] was handed down by Jon to Alina now that he has no use of it.
"Very well." Orga and her companions turned around to leave.
As Alina was about to return to, a voice called out.
"Wait!"
The two parties looked at the one who called, a white horse ran on the snow and stood between the two parties with a robed person on it. From the voice, it was a woman and from the appearance, it was a High Elf.
"You… from where did you get that Gryphon?" The woman asked with a restless voice.
Lokthur, whose height is above two horses, felt the greedy gaze of the woman and screeched at her.
"Easy, boy." Alina calmed it with a couple of words and didn't even bother to reply. She just led her party to Neo Saarthal.
"Human! When I speak to you, you fucking answer!" The High Elf lady didn't take being ignored well. A highly dense Magicka overflowed and assaulted Alina while completely avoiding Lokthur.
Alina was sensitive to all manners of Magicka and felt the changes right away. She turned around with her eyes gleaming red and turning into slits.
Two pure forces of Magicka clashed. One was white and quite dense, proud and arrogant while the other was like flooding river that would obliterate everything.
As Alina's Magicka met the Elf's, it was not to be called a clash rather than a complete overwhelm. Alina's eye powers were custom-made to obliterate souls and Magicka was nothing but a thin energy coming from the soul. The Elf woman was already on her knees.
How?
Alina's eye powers are a wild shotgun. Wherever they aimed, the do the job. The mere glance of Alina killed the white horse ridden by the Elf Woman causing its skin to be cut open and sink in a pool of its own blood. The woman was much stronger and endured a second, two, three but her soul was being ravaged and her body was getting affected by the second. Put the effect aside, the feeling was indescribable. A wave of agony, pain, dread, every damn feeling that one escape from, every negativity and worry, every fear and nightmare, all at the same time.
The woman barely held for a little while as a loud scream echoed far and wide.
Alina wasn't holding back anything.
Before the situation escalates further, three High Elves popped out of nowhere two with tower shields and one mage. The mage covered the elf woman with her own body as if to sacrifice herself for her and the two elf soldiers attempted to block the magic.
Alina stopped her eye powers with a haughty smile but not until the two elf soldiers exploded in their blood as well.
She looked at the Elf Mage with satisfaction.
"I presume you are Ambassador Elenwen."
The mage stood from the unconscious elf woman and looked at Alina with caution.
"... And you are the rumored Lady of Winterhold."
"Charmed."
The situation was sensitive and Elenwen seemed restless. Seeing the fallen elf woman behind her was something she would have never imagined. That woman who intruded on the last minute negotiation was an Arch Wizard that just arrived from Alinor and she was Elenwen's old master, an elf whose age was beyond 500 years.
The High Elves didn't hear about that Gryphon from the reports as Lokthur is a lazy one who loves to sleep in the snow all day and only come to play when Alina calls. The High Elves were shocked senseless and questioned how can a symbol of their homeland appear on the other side of the world. More to that, the Gryphon was a Snow Capped Gryphon, the rarest of the rare, a sacred breed that lives above the clouds of Cloudrest City.
The High Elf woman jumped on a horse hell-bent on taking that Gryphon right here right now.
The other High Elf Arch Wizards didn't stop her, she was basically going to bully a child. In truth, there were ten Arch Wizards other than Elenwen herself and they were all in a confident mood to bring down the force in Winterhold in less than a day. Now, as Alina showed enough power to put down an Arch Wizard, the rest felt the threat.
'Such power! This girl is dangerous.'
'We can't let such an enemy live! Absolutely!'
'A Nord with such power! Are the heavens teasing us?'
'Too stupid to showcase their trump card from the get-go.'
'We kill her first.'
Telepathic whispers were exchanged between the Arch Wizards ten miles away from Neo Saarthal all with Alina at their aim.
She, who was far away, looked back at each and every one of them. She could only wait for the fight to start just to see those insolent fools suffer.
"Elf, I'll give you the same offer." Alina spoke to Elenwen. "Take all those lowlives you brought and I will consider not damning every Thalmor I come across to Oblivion."
Elenwen's face stiffened, she barely kept her cool after hearing the word 'lowlives' being said about her people. She put on a fake smile and nodded.
"A generous offer from the Queen of Winterhold, yet I say you bite more than you can chew."
"Will see about that."
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Chapitre 386: The Battle of Winterhold (3) : A Dreadful Start
A/n: I owe you guys tons of Bonus Chapters and I intend to deliver. There are 6 Monthly Chapters +3 Bonus Vote Chapters so help me God! This is the first (1/9)!
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*Elenwen's Front*
As she took her old master away, Elenwen looked back at Winterhold with shaken expressions.
"Getting cold feet?" A voice reached her.
She looked to her left and found a High Elf man looking waiting for her.
"Lord Caalore."
"Let me see."
The man approached Elenwen and checked on her master that was rendered unconscious by Alina.
"That is one vicious spell Farlime took, agonizing pain by overloading her nervous system with corrupted energy. Very vicious."
"Will she recover?"
"Yes, but only thanks to her powerful constitution. The other guards you took exploded in a bloody mess. That's a powerful one we are dealing with."
"And master?"
"Take her away, she can't battle and will surely develop a trauma. The rest of us will take on that human girl first thing. Go."
Elenwen nodded and carried her master away to the Thalmor hidden camp. She wasn't in the right mind after experiencing Alina's power herself. As she teleported in front of her master just a few minutes ago, she was exposed for Alina's stare for a second. The dread that crawled all her skin and how her dark thoughts and the world were jumbled together was a mind breaking experience.
Now, looking back at Winterhold, Elenwen realized that this situation would take some strange turns because of that Nord girl and there may be more surprises. Winterhold was hell-bent on fighting off all spies for a reason and now Elenwen felt the disaster. Still, nine Thalmor Arch Wizards and nine Nord Clans, this should be either a crushing fight or a marvelous stand.
Only time can tell.
***
*Alina's front*
"Goddammit!"
Behind Neo Saarthal's gate, Alina staggered off Lokthur and held her head massaging her temples. That opponent she faced was someone formidable. Her eye powers were being drained to blindness as she fought that Arch Wizard off.
Now, she can't use her trump card once again in less than 24 hours. She took out her [Storm Rage Crown] from her robe and put it on so that it stabilizes the pain and restore her [Agony] eye powers faster.
"Lady Boss, everything is in place." A trooper came and reported to her.
"Good."
She wasn't intending to waste any more time and climbed the walls to stand on top of the gatehouse. There, she joined the top brass.
"Master, Father, Mother."
Nurina, Jonrad and Hilda were there. They looked a bit nervous and only nodded to Alina.
Nurina was watching from the enemy battlements detecting the strong enemies stealthily. She could count many powerful auras some of are rivaling her and Jonrad's while many others were voice masters, master mages and Aura experts.
"Not sure about open battles but this is not going to be easy." She said.
"Our odds are good, Alina's plan is very solid and this is the best ground I fight on so far." Hilda was optimistic as she sharpened her Great Dane Axe.
"..." Jonrad only exhaled as he sat down on the ground to keep his meditate and focus.
Tyr came on the wall and joined Jonrad in his medication, the two sat facing each other for a while before starting some weird warrior customs they are used to.
"What are they doing?" Nurina asked.
"Exchanging some sort of bond. Many years have passed and I never understood what kind of ritual is that. Only thing I know is that those two will go wild as a pair. Something like combining their thoughts to cover each other's openings." Hilda replied.
"Sounds great." Nurina said.
"Sounds gay to me." Hilda retorted.
Jonrad and Tyr frowned at the same time and glared at her.
A minute later, Aela joined the group.
"Ah! Another daughter of mine, I discovered that I have too many daughters now." Hilda said.
"Thank you, lady Hilda." Aela said back in her stiff tone.
"How is it?" Alina asked Aela about something.
"No one out of his place. No spies, no scouts, no assassins."
"That's a relief."
After Aela arrived in Winterhold, she and Alina cooperated as a deadly duo of surveillance and hunting. They covered all the holes in Neo Saarthal just by the two of them.
"Where is Jon?" Aela asked.
"Over there." Nurina pointed to the South between the summit of Mount Anthor and the Shrine of Azura.
"Isn't he exposed? This mountain road will be exposed to enemies who will try to raid the Whispering Town.
"He has a mercenary with him and he is up to something big."
"Everything is in order. We are now waiting for the enemy to move. Oh, I dare them." Alina said in a low tone while covering her mouth.
"HA! This girl has developed one nasty habit." Hilda commented.
It was as she said, Alina became very violent and bloodthirsty during the time of Jon's absence. Of course, she doesn't show that side to Jon as she doesn't need it beside him but now she was on her top state of focusing.
She stood at the battlements and rested her palms on them.
"I am starting now."
She focused on the scene in front of her became silent. Those who know her can tell that she is now looking in the future.
1 Minute forward! That time was enough to tilt the tide of any battle.
Alina was living the events of one minute forward and could still keep her senses with the present. One of the original eye powers that were bestowed on her by Kyne.
"They will move in 50 seconds, ready the signal flares." She spoke.
"On it." Aela was ready with some magic scrolls behind Alina.
*BOOOOOOOO*
Not long later, the horns of the 'Dragon Hunt Alliance' echoed on the horizon and the march began.
Arranged in columns, formations, siege units, ladder units and mage units; the 10,000 fighters of the Dragon Hunt Alliance were walking the mile between them and Neo Saarthal.
Drums echoed, horns blown, bards shouted. The Dragon Hunt was starting.
Alina has already seen all that and was eagerly waiting for the perfect timing to see how her visions will be applied. It was basically cheating and she was all in for it. After all, all is fair in love and war.
"The Green Flare." Alina said and Aela tore open the Green Scroll launching a pillar of green light in the early morning sky.
That signal was for everyone to move.
The first to respond to the signal was the 'Tower of Music'.
"Eliel!" Yisra shouted.
"I know." The latter replied as she moved some levers then beat the big button.
Magical energy started to be felt through the tower on a large scale and sounds started to be heard. This phenomenon was just the basic function of the tower of madness.
As the sounds became clearer, the tone was heard and vibrated far and wide in the ears.
The sound of drums, the sound of trumpets, the sound of music.
The troopers behind the wall of Neo Saarthal all stood up and felt something strange.
They were burning from inside not from fear or magic but from excitement. The sound struck deep in their hearts and made their blood rush with a sudden indescribable feeling of pride and honor.
It was just music with no singing or words but it reached deep and made them all jump up.
The drill sergeants and the commanders of the troopers started shouting and conveying orders as soon as the music started. This was the signal they were told and the troopers were all pushed to man the walls. Behind the first wall, many troops were ready on as the second was being packed with troopers only in certain places. The order came for all the troopers to stomp louder with their feet on a certain pace to keep up with the music.
The piece of music was none other than 'The British Grenadiers'. A famous and swift military march music.
The two walls were fully manned ready to receive visitors.
"Is it just one large scale [Bardic Knowledge] spell?" Aela asked.
"While being armed with an Elder Scrolls? Please, put some imagination in this, the tower is not even functioning full power yet."
The focus now was on the other side as the enemy marched steadily.
***
*Orga's Front*
She was riding on her horse in front of the march. Now, they are only half a mile away from Neo Saarthal. With her Aura, Orga could see Alina looking down on her from half a mile away.
"She just can't stop giving me those chills." Orga shivered as she murmured.
"Commander, your orders." An officer asked for instruction.
"The First Wave. Half a minute later, the second wave. Quarter a minute after, the third."
"By your orders." The officer rode to the side and started giving the commands.
The first wave indeed moved forward formed of formations of shieldbearers, low ranked mages and ladder carriers.
There was no catapults or siege engines in Skyrim's war books, only mages and voice masters were the answer to fortifications. Orga sent the best of Alliance's on the second wave as went the first wave absorb the first defensive counter.
As they marched, the soldiers were carrying their shields up for a cover of the soon to be expected arrows.
500 meters away was an area of no response and so was 400 and 300 meters. 200 meters was the danger zone for the wall catapult to respond then 100 for the danger area of the arrows. With such a swarming horde, even arrows were not expected to cause much damage.
The scene was already imagined in the head of Orga and the other commanders. She looked to the right to see the team of the High Elven mages that kept itself away and she smiled. They put her, a 19 years old girl as the head of the troops but she was already a very experienced leader with four years of commanding experience. Sure not much but being a mercenary operating in High Rock was one of Orga's strong points.
*BOOOOOO*
The attack horn sounded.
As her plan was flowing smoothly, she suddenly felt an ominous feeling as her soldiers moved. A strange sound of music came from the Neo Saarthal.
It was unexpected and uncalled for in many ways. An unexpected thing in battle is the worst kind of situation by all accounts.
Why music? Orga wondered.
She wasn't an expert in Magic herself so she looked to the Shaman she brought with her and he shook his head, she looked to the Nikkr Clan's head and he was as clueless as her.
She then looked at the Elves to see their faces grow pale.
They were more sensitive to Magic than any human and their stiffened faces meant something not right. Too bad the march has already started and the soldiers would never back down any time soon music or whatever.
Orga rode to them with a concerned face.
"What is going on?" She asked.
"Very strong Magicka! This is a large scale spell, the largest I have ever seen." A young elf said.
"What large? Where is the spell?" Orga asked.
"The music! It is the spell, you dimwitted human." The Elf lashed at her right away and continued, "It is no attacking spell but if they have this much Magicka to use for an attack, why not use it right from the get-go?"
The Elf raised a fair point and Orga ignored the insult for now.
Winterhold was fighting in her own way. This wasn't good by any means.
"Does the music do anything?"
"To us, no. But to their soldiers, I fear if they have a 1000 soldier, the effect of that music will make them fight like 3000. Smart! Is this is the way they are going to compensate for the numerical disadvantage?"
Orga looked at Alina and smiled.
"What is that puss peppers doing?"
She was thrilled now, it seems Alina's confidence wasn't baseless from the start. This big music must be the true trump card of Winterhold.
Just like the spell [Harmony], this music can make soldiers tire slower and become stronger. This is just an Army Level spell, the only difference is it being a buff rather than an offensive one.
An Offensive Army Slaying spell was something only a power like the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion can make but it was more of a Forbidden-Level spell, Higher than that of Master-Level and Arch-Level spells.
But it was true, why not use this power on offense rather than defense?
The answer should be a lack in technique or something along the lines.
Orga was worried less now but she still couldn't do anything about the march. It was going to be okay anyway. In front of Magic power, buffs and all that was nonsense.
Still, the harbinger of Orga's worries came faster than she could think. Her troops were now only two meters away from Neo Saarthal started to take the ground up to the wall and not a change happened until the second red flare was launched in the sky.
The change was sudden and unprecedented.
Ruthless and cruel.
Scary and mighty.
Not even the Elves, the Humans or the Spirits could see this one coming.
The world felt wrong in all senses of fashion.
An artificial phenomenon that made everyone lose hope and desire.
The music stopped, the air settled, the blood froze.
No sound was heard.
This was it.
No sound.
No tone.
No music.
Utter silence.
The Charge was going as the soldier crossed another 100 meters to be of the same distance to the walls of Neo Saarthal.
It was it.
They stopped and looked around and each other.
They couldn't hear themselves.
They couldn't talk to one another as their tongues moved but their voices were not there.
The Voice masters couldn't shout, the mages couldn't muster the magic.
A No Magic Zone, a No Voice Zone, a No Talking Zone.
There was nothing they could do but look back at their commanders who were as clueless as they are.
From the first wall of Neo Saarthal to 500 meters at the front feet of Orga's horse, no voice was coming out.
She extended her hand forward and snapped her fingers to hear nothing. She took it back and snapped her fingers to hear it.
She was right on the edge and Neo Saarthal was on the other with half of the Dragon Hunt Alliance forces in between.
The Half inside the Silent Zone exchanged looks with the half outside.
A young man looked at his brother on the other side with his lips moving. The one outside saw the fear in his brother's eyes and understood the word of help.
It was a cruel reality.
To hear nothing was scary. To lose the power to control your magic and voice were scarier.
Darkness enveloped their hearts under the cold light of day.
Even on the walls of Neo Saarthal, the Dare Troopers were utterly shocked. After the blissful music came this utter dreadful silence. Even they couldn't speak or utter a sound not from the spell but from the dread.
Only one voice broke the silence and traveled from Neo Saarthal to Orga's ears.
Alina's voice.
"Open Fire."
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