48 Preperations

It was dark when Rictus finally made it back to Winterhold. He was slightly weary from the past couple days, but he still felt wired about the upcoming conflict. His initial guess on the timeframe for the attack could be a little off. Traveling by sea was never a given so there was no telling when the ships from Solitude would get here, nor how long it would take to get to the pirate base. Still, it was better to have everyone prepared earlier instead of not being ready in time.

A bit of nervousness filled his gut. Korir needed to know. The conversation could go a few different ways, but the outcome would not be known until it actually happened. Hopefully, this would energize the grief-stricken Jarl and maybe even bring a little bit of closure. There was the real possibility Korir would simply throw himself at his targets and get himself killed. That of course was not the ideal scenario. Regardless, he would want revenge.

When Rictus entered the longhouse, he was slightly surprised to find a one-sided conversation going between Korir and Faralda as they were eating. Well, Faralda was eating while Korir poked at his food.

"…and that is why I don't care for the color purple to this day."

She finished with a smile as she took another sip of her wine glass. The two's dynamic was quite fun to watch. Faralda had worked hard the past couple days on getting Korir to open up. Most times though it appeared like what Rictus just witnessed, her talking and him listening. It was way too early to tell, but there may be a bit of something brewing between the master of destruction and the grieving Jarl.

"Sorry to interrupt your dinner, but I have important news to share."

Both turned their gazes at him, one sharp as ever, and the other dull. Neither said anything and simply listened. The way Rictus looked and spoke showed his seriousness at the information to be shared.

"I have found the pirates responsible for the attack on Solitude."

A creaking of wood and sharp intake of breath were the reactions to his words. Korir's previously dull eyes were nowhere to be found. Fire and determination were all that remained.

"Where?"

The simple word teemed with barely contained rage. It was much less a question than a demand. The desolate man before was replaced by a wrathful Jarl and father who would use all his authority to get what he wanted. Faralda threw a quick worried glance at her friend's sudden switch. She understood the why. She just hoped he didn't do something stupid.

"Japhet's Folly."

Jarl Korir nodded his head in understanding. The location made sense. It was remote enough not to warrant attention, but close enough for launching attacks on unsuspecting ships. A perfect place for pirates.

"What is your plan?"

Rictus couldn't help but smile at the question.

"What makes you think I have a plan at all?"

"Don't play me for a fool. I may not have known you long, but I do know you. We both know you wouldn't have said anything if you didn't already have something planned, you are much too clever for that, especially with my current state of mind. Now. What. Is. The. Plan."

Rictus shrugged in acceptance. Seems the Jarl is more perceptive than he often gave him credit for despite his current state.

"The plan is simple. The East Empire Company will be arriving on the coast in the next day or two with a small fleet. I will bring my followers here tomorrow. We board the ships and attack the island. I will lead the ground invasion with my men, while the company engages the naval forces."

"And what of me and my men?"

"You of course are more than welcome to join us in the assault. More men will only increase our chances of victory. I fear there will be quite a bit of skilled warriors with the pirates while their leader is supposedly an extremely powerful battle mage and swordsman."

Korir gave a nod as he stood and moved towards the entrance as he was already calling on his guards. He wasted no time in demanding them prepare for an assault on the pirate base. The guards reacted with haste at his commands despite the late hour. Winterhold would be busy preparing for a fight. Rictus genuinely smiled at seeing Korir act. Him behaving like a Jarl again was just what the people needed for motivation.

"And what of me? Where do I fit into this plan?"

Faralda watched him closely with a determined look. He reached over and patted her shoulder as he responded.

"However, you would like my friend. I welcome all who want to help, especially you. I don't know of anyone more suited for assaulting a pirate base than a master of destruction. Whether the archmage will allow it is a different story though."

A scoff was his answer.

"I am not a child. It doesn't matter what the archmage allows or doesn't. I make my own choices, and I choose to help. Now, I must go prepare some things. I will see you tomorrow."

And with that, Rictus was left alone with his thoughts. He was impressed by his friends. Korir had made a huge change in attitude so quickly. Hopefully, he will keep going strong and not fall apart after his revenge is completed or get himself killed. Rictus didn't particularly want to keep doing the duties of a Jarl as he waited for whatever powers that be to decide on a new Jarl. That could take forever during this time of crisis. He worried he might have been chosen for the position, but it was debatable on whether he would be able to assume such a role with his mixed heritage and not being born in Skyrim. The Nords were all about traditions.

He had bigger problems at the moment though. His stomach demanded some late-night sweets before bedtime. There were some perks to ruling.

---

The next morning found Winterhold in a state of chaos, at least for the guards. They were being marshaled for battle. Something which was not common in the small city. Their Jarl had spoken though, and they would answer the call with delight. Killing their leader's wife and heir had their blood boiling for some revenge.

Lookouts had already been sent to the coast last night. They would alert them whenever the ships arrived. It was not far from the city which would allow people more prep time. Realistically, no one expected the ships till this evening or tomorrow morning though.

Rictus was back in White River Watch before too long. He needed a bit of rest and preparation before preparing the teleporter for a large group of people. The schedule leave time was around noon which would give him plenty of time.

The base was still a hive of activity as everyone had some final things to do before leaving. Not everyone was actually going despite what he had claimed initially. He still cringed a little bit thinking about how dramatic he had been when he told Ken. It had gotten his point across though.

There was a newfound worry that his new environment was changing him. It definitely had been altering him into a different person than he was before. The changes themselves were not a bad thing though, or at least he didn't think so. Those changes had allowed him to survive and thrive where many others had failed. He did think he had lost much of his playful nature. He was much more serious than before and acted with a purpose more often than not. It was slow enough for him to miss it, but he had begun growing into someone different than he was at the start of his journey. He hoped it wasn't for the worse. Power was known to corrupt after all.

Regardless of these internal issues, he would continue acting as he saw fit. He could not help but wonder about the other Skilled and their experiences. It was strange there had been a Skilled joining up with the Companions. Rictus thought most people would have chosen to follow the main questlines for the various guilds and factions like Morrigan had, but the Companions were seemingly left out.

He was also very curious about what came after the dragon crisis. When that calmed down, what would the world look like? What would the dragonborn do? It would be kind of interesting if she ended up becoming the Empress like in some fan fictions he had heard about. Maybe he should do something to help her out if that was her goal, it would be convenient having the Empress owing him a favor.

There was still time for him to run off and join her to help save the world. For some reason though, that just did not seem appealing. He had always preferred the many side quests than following the main story line when he played the games. He had probably only done the questline all the way through a couple times. Besides, he was greatly enjoying his life as it was. Why would he want to pack it all up to follow some stranger around? He was perfectly comfortable doing what he was doing.

His contemplations came to an end when a messenger shared a report from Ken. It was one of the many informational reports he received from his sources. This one stated how the suspected dragonborn and her Altmer follower had been spotted headed towards Whiterun. Rictus acknowledged the information as he began sinking back down into his own thoughts.

Suddenly, he stood up. He had almost completely forgotten. No time was wasted in finding Ken.

"Order our people inside and away from the watchtowers, especially the western one. I have reason to believe a dragon will soon be attacking. Don't want to risk drawing its attention if we can help it."

A few quick orders were issued by his deputy which sent people scurrying about inside their fortifications in the mountain. Quick and efficient action without constantly second guessing him was such a good experience. No one at all questioned why he thought there could be a dragon attack any second now. Their faith in him at those sorts of things was rock solid.

The thought of a dragon attack strained the already pressured people even more. They were already planning a major assault, now they had to worry about dragons. Still, the Restored were comforted at their leader's lack of worry for the dragon. Time moved on as the final preparations were made.

Rictus was on the overlook when Ken approached him.

"It is time my lord."

Rictus nodded and headed to the assembly area, not even noticing this was one of the only times Ken had ever called him lord.

The assembly area was filled with people. They had greatly expanded one of the hollowed portions in the cave to make this area. With the way the Restored was growing, it was needed if they planned on having large gatherings like this in the base.

The Restored warriors stood before him at attention. It was the first time Rictus had seen so many gathered like this. He knew people were joining all the time, but this was still more than he expected. There were more fighters than this in the Restored, but a group was being left behind in order to watch over their base. The mages had been split into two groups with the smaller one staying and the larger one going. Rictus was a little sad Ma'randru-jo was not here with him. The caravans were still not back yet. Delays were expected with how dangerous things had gotten on the roads; safety came before speed. He would miss his first true Minion in the upcoming fight though.

A feeling of pride welled up in him as he eyed his people. They were a fairly mismatched looking group, but they were all united in purpose. Each of them wore good armor and had sharp weapons of their choice. He was not sure exactly how many pirates they would face, but he knew it would be sizable. His group may not have the numeric advantage, but they would prevail none the less. What mattered most for Rictus, was their willingness to follow him. It was unlike anything he had experienced in his previous life.

"Usually, a grand speech is needed in times like this. I do not have pretty words to motivate you. You do not need them. You all have heard by now about our enemy. We will fight them, and we will defeat them, simple as that. They are already dead. They just don't know it yet. Now, on to Winterhold where we await transport."

Rictus knew it was not a very inspiring speech, but he had nothing witty or inspiring to say. They were going to kill those pirate scum. Simple as that. He moved towards the teleport glyphs. The mages which were staying behind were near it since they would help him in powering it all.

Using the mana stones worked wonderfully. It took most of the manastones and soul gems, but none of his personal mana, to transport all the warriors. Now, only Ken and Rictus remained. As they were about to leave, a frantic lookout sprinted towards them.

"Mi' lords! A dragon! A dragon is attacking the western watchtower and all who go near!"

Rictus and Ken just shared a look. They should go ahead and leave, but they couldn't resist trying to get a sight of the mighty creature. After a quick trip outside and a flight up to the overlook, they took in the sight of smoke in the distance. The roars of the beast could be heard all the way here. Even this far away, they could make out its shape as it destroyed the surrounding countryside.

After a good look, it was Rictus who spoke first.

"Our fight is elsewhere."

He then patted Ken on the back and started walking away. Ken's contemplative face went unnoticed as they left the captivating sight of a dragon attack. Ken couldn't help but wonder how they were expected to fight a creature who could cause so much damage so quickly, and how many dragons were there buried throughout Skyrim. A small shudder went through his body at the very thought of it. Although, seeing Rictus's large shoulder and casual dismissal of the dragon provided a bastion of peace to his turbulent thoughts.

-----

(Somewhere in the mountains of the Reach)

A large crow landed beside the woman as she overlooked the bustling camp below her. She was sitting on the edge of some mountainous rocks as she took the letter attached to the bird. The bird began pecking the ground around her as she read the message. It was short, simple, and straight to the point. A cruel smile made its way on her otherwise serene face. The final group would be here any day now, and then it was time to act.

She took a good look at the forces arrayed before her. They had come a long way in a short amount of time. Their once mismatched and improvised weapons and armor were a thing of the past. Now, strong heavy armor adorned their strongest warriors while the scouts were in supple light armors stronger than most heavier armors she had heard about. Sharp weapons gleamed in the sunlight as men and women sparred.

A second smaller crow let out a pitiful caw as it fell out of the sky to land behind her. The bird looked ragged and exhausted as it had pushed itself to get here quickly. The quickly written note had an entirely different response than the first.

The cruel smile melted into a joyous one at the words she read. They had finally done it. She reached up and rubbed the small object kept around her neck as she thought of what could be.

She quickly turned to the hooded woman standing behind her.

"Make haste to Whiterun. I would go myself, but I am needed here. We have found him."

The hooded woman bowed at her command and left without a word.

A sigh escaped her as she watched her follower leave, a hand constantly caressing the little piece of metal around her neck. Determination replaced her forlorn look.

"Soon. Very soon."

----

(Some random road leading north)

She looked over the names one more time as she continued making her way north. They did not really mean much to her, but they were still her responsibility. Besides, it was too late to back out now. There was no time right now for them though, and it would have to be done on her back home. She had a wedding to crash.

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[AN]: Well this was the last chapter before we get to the big battle. There were some little snippets here at the end which may get more relevant after the battle, or they may not.

Two chapters this week, and 3 chapters next week. Dang I am spoiling people. Don't expect that to happen again soon.