The girl had studied his face intently while he had been lost to his worries. “I guess you know what it does.”
Einarth simply bowed his head in response.
“I don’t know what will happen to me when this is over, and I’m not sure I’ll make it even if I win.” The Dragonborn closed her eyes and turned once more to the sky above. “If I die... someone else needs to end this war.”
Ulfric.
“I don’t know if leaving the Empire is the best thing for Skyrim. Even if I do trust and respect many of it’s supporters. But the Aldmeri Dominion is so heavily entrenched in Imperial governance, that I’m not sure they’re capable of protecting anyone anymore. They certainly can’t protect themselves. Look at what happened to the Blades, and what they replaced the Blades with. Not even the Emperor…” The girl choked a little at that. The strangest expression crossed her face, and the old man thought he saw shame, though he knew not why. Perhaps the girl was more emotional than he gave her credit for, for her to feel the enormity of the situation so keenly. She was, he realized with a start, not so unlike what Ulfric in that regard. There was a love of country in her that he had not noticed before now.
“And the Thalmor… The Thalmor are playing the long game with us. They’re no better than the Daedra: they first take our beliefs, they slowly twist and change our identities, and then they do what they want once we’ve lost ourselves. Bloody battle is obvious, but this is a war of the mind. They’re trying to take who we are, and once they have broken us as a people, it’ll be easy to take the country in a war. General Tullius knows, Rikke knows, so many of them know. But who can do anything to stop it? The Legion can’t, because they’re stuck upholding that treaty. And the Altmer have had a long time to plan. They’ll have a long time to act on those plans, too. Time many other people don’t.”
If that were true, then perhaps even High Hrothgar would not be safe. The Greybeards were followers of the Way of the Voice, and as such were the keepers of a long honored tradition of the Nords. If the Thalmor sought to destroy all the cultural symbols of Skyrim, they were most certainly a target.
“But Ulfric? Don’t tell Arngeir I said this, but Ulfric might destroy Skyrim more readily than the Thalmor. He has so much hatred. Enough that he sees enemies in those who would be allies, and would make allies of many who are less than honorable. The things that happen in his city are simply inhumane. The Elves and Argonians have been reduced to living in poverty and filth, driven to shady dealings to make ends meet. There is even murder in the upper streets. And he does nothing! Absolutely nothing if they are not Nords. If all of Skyrim were to be run like that, there might not be anything left to save.”
Then what in Oblivion was she doing asking Ulfric for more?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
A Hero for Skyrim 24/?
Date: 2014-08-05 05:32 am (UTC)Einarth simply bowed his head in response.
“I don’t know what will happen to me when this is over, and I’m not sure I’ll make it even if I win.” The Dragonborn closed her eyes and turned once more to the sky above. “If I die... someone else needs to end this war.”
Ulfric.
“I don’t know if leaving the Empire is the best thing for Skyrim. Even if I do trust and respect many of it’s supporters. But the Aldmeri Dominion is so heavily entrenched in Imperial governance, that I’m not sure they’re capable of protecting anyone anymore. They certainly can’t protect themselves. Look at what happened to the Blades, and what they replaced the Blades with. Not even the Emperor…” The girl choked a little at that. The strangest expression crossed her face, and the old man thought he saw shame, though he knew not why. Perhaps the girl was more emotional than he gave her credit for, for her to feel the enormity of the situation so keenly. She was, he realized with a start, not so unlike what Ulfric in that regard. There was a love of country in her that he had not noticed before now.
“And the Thalmor… The Thalmor are playing the long game with us. They’re no better than the Daedra: they first take our beliefs, they slowly twist and change our identities, and then they do what they want once we’ve lost ourselves. Bloody battle is obvious, but this is a war of the mind. They’re trying to take who we are, and once they have broken us as a people, it’ll be easy to take the country in a war. General Tullius knows, Rikke knows, so many of them know. But who can do anything to stop it? The Legion can’t, because they’re stuck upholding that treaty. And the Altmer have had a long time to plan. They’ll have a long time to act on those plans, too. Time many other people don’t.”
If that were true, then perhaps even High Hrothgar would not be safe. The Greybeards were followers of the Way of the Voice, and as such were the keepers of a long honored tradition of the Nords. If the Thalmor sought to destroy all the cultural symbols of Skyrim, they were most certainly a target.
“But Ulfric? Don’t tell Arngeir I said this, but Ulfric might destroy Skyrim more readily than the Thalmor. He has so much hatred. Enough that he sees enemies in those who would be allies, and would make allies of many who are less than honorable. The things that happen in his city are simply inhumane. The Elves and Argonians have been reduced to living in poverty and filth, driven to shady dealings to make ends meet. There is even murder in the upper streets. And he does nothing! Absolutely nothing if they are not Nords. If all of Skyrim were to be run like that, there might not be anything left to save.”
Then what in Oblivion was she doing asking Ulfric for more?