“Thank you, but I don't need dragon hunters,” Elisif said, steeling herself. “I need you to take the war to Windhelm. Jarl Balgruuf's promised to lend me support with the dragons but he can't do that with the war on! We need to deal with Ulfric quickly, please, if we take Windhelm, take him down, the rebellion will fall apart, especially if I'm there to lead the troops, General please!”
“No!” Tullius snapped, staring at her as if she'd gone mad. “Are you out of your mind? I don't have the manpower for a full-frontal assault on Windhelm, any ships I send have to pass through Stormcloak waters, any troops have to pass Fort Dunstad, and there's Forts Amol and Kastav and the entire Rift waiting to take us from behind. Even if Ulfric dies, that doesn't mean his cause will, and I'm not having valuable Legion troops trapped in Windhelm while the rest of the Stormcloak army starts moving to take it back – I'm especially not having the High Queen among them! No, Elisif, what you're asking is impossible.”
“But General, it's what the Empire sent you here to do!” Elisif cried. “Now you're telling me Ulfric's unstoppable?”
“I did not say that!” Tullius snapped. For a moment, General and Dragonborn faced off across the room from each other, military reality versus the idealism of youth. Alas for Elisif, idealism had never won this battle yet.
“Look,” Tullius sighed. “I was sent here to win this war and that's what I intend to do. But you need to let me do this my way, Elisif. I can't just order the Legion to sweep across Eastmarch and strike Ulfric down. If it was that easy, don't you think I'd have done it by now? The cost in lives and coin would be astronomical and we run the risk of wiping ourselves out and leaving ourselves wide open for Ulfric. I know you want revenge, but we need to take our time and do this properly to have any hope of-”
“We don't have time!” Elisif cried. “Alduin the World-Eater's in Sovngarde feeding on the souls of the dead and every battle, every skirmish, sends more people to him! We need to strike now!”
“Elisif-” Tullius began, but it was Rikke who'd stepped forward, staring at Elisif in horror.
“Alduin the World-Eater? Say it isn't true. Sir, we can't-”
“Legate!” Tullius snapped. “I can't authorise a costly and suicidal assault on Windhelm on the basis of an old Nord legend.”
“But my husband's in Sovngarde!” Elisif cried, doing her best not to let the tears show, trying not to think of Torygg lying bleeding in Alduin's maw. “General, Legate, please...”
“General, there must be something,” Rikke said desperately. “Nords fight and die with courage and honour knowing that Sovngarde awaits, you can't expect me to send men to their deaths knowing all that awaits is Alduin.”
“Legate!” Tullius snapped. “I expect you to follow orders, and the Legion is home to more than just Nords. We'll fight this war, but I'm not throwing lives away. Elisif, if you can find a way to stop Ulfric that does not involve tearing the Legion apart, either by persuading him to agree to a ceasefire long enough for you to do what you have to, or if you think you can raise your own forces and lay siege to Windhelm yourself, then fine. But do not expect my army to be at your disposal. I swore my oath of allegiance to the Emperor, not the High Queen of Skyrim. And you aren't High Queen yet.”
No, nor would she be at this rate. She'd be dead, Skyrim would be in flames, everyone going to Sovngarde to find only death waiting there too. And the bloody Legion were no use at all.
“Fine, if you won't help, I'll do it myself!” Elisif snapped, turning and leaving without waiting for a dismissal, Argis falling into step behind her.
It was only when she got out of Castle Dour that she let the tears start to fall.
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 26.4
“No!” Tullius snapped, staring at her as if she'd gone mad. “Are you out of your mind? I don't have the manpower for a full-frontal assault on Windhelm, any ships I send have to pass through Stormcloak waters, any troops have to pass Fort Dunstad, and there's Forts Amol and Kastav and the entire Rift waiting to take us from behind. Even if Ulfric dies, that doesn't mean his cause will, and I'm not having valuable Legion troops trapped in Windhelm while the rest of the Stormcloak army starts moving to take it back – I'm especially not having the High Queen among them! No, Elisif, what you're asking is impossible.”
“But General, it's what the Empire sent you here to do!” Elisif cried. “Now you're telling me Ulfric's unstoppable?”
“I did not say that!” Tullius snapped. For a moment, General and Dragonborn faced off across the room from each other, military reality versus the idealism of youth. Alas for Elisif, idealism had never won this battle yet.
“Look,” Tullius sighed. “I was sent here to win this war and that's what I intend to do. But you need to let me do this my way, Elisif. I can't just order the Legion to sweep across Eastmarch and strike Ulfric down. If it was that easy, don't you think I'd have done it by now? The cost in lives and coin would be astronomical and we run the risk of wiping ourselves out and leaving ourselves wide open for Ulfric. I know you want revenge, but we need to take our time and do this properly to have any hope of-”
“We don't have time!” Elisif cried. “Alduin the World-Eater's in Sovngarde feeding on the souls of the dead and every battle, every skirmish, sends more people to him! We need to strike now!”
“Elisif-” Tullius began, but it was Rikke who'd stepped forward, staring at Elisif in horror.
“Alduin the World-Eater? Say it isn't true. Sir, we can't-”
“Legate!” Tullius snapped. “I can't authorise a costly and suicidal assault on Windhelm on the basis of an old Nord legend.”
“But my husband's in Sovngarde!” Elisif cried, doing her best not to let the tears show, trying not to think of Torygg lying bleeding in Alduin's maw. “General, Legate, please...”
“General, there must be something,” Rikke said desperately. “Nords fight and die with courage and honour knowing that Sovngarde awaits, you can't expect me to send men to their deaths knowing all that awaits is Alduin.”
“Legate!” Tullius snapped. “I expect you to follow orders, and the Legion is home to more than just Nords. We'll fight this war, but I'm not throwing lives away. Elisif, if you can find a way to stop Ulfric that does not involve tearing the Legion apart, either by persuading him to agree to a ceasefire long enough for you to do what you have to, or if you think you can raise your own forces and lay siege to Windhelm yourself, then fine. But do not expect my army to be at your disposal. I swore my oath of allegiance to the Emperor, not the High Queen of Skyrim. And you aren't High Queen yet.”
No, nor would she be at this rate. She'd be dead, Skyrim would be in flames, everyone going to Sovngarde to find only death waiting there too. And the bloody Legion were no use at all.
“Fine, if you won't help, I'll do it myself!” Elisif snapped, turning and leaving without waiting for a dismissal, Argis falling into step behind her.
It was only when she got out of Castle Dour that she let the tears start to fall.