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The Road to Ruin	By : pirouette Category: +A through F > Elder Scrolls - Oblivion Views: 2482 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
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The
Road to Ruin, Chapter One: Cities Will Fall

Calm down. Show us
everything since Kvatch.
I felt my mind torn backward
into memory: Caleigh. She was woven into it all.

She has always had a knack
for dramatic entrances. When they came bursting into the chapel that fateful
morning, I thought for a moment that it was finally over. The daedra had been
testing the doors for hours, and the few remaining survivors had become
accustomed to the clicking and scraping that counted what was left of our
lives. When the screams of the guardsmen who had insisted on leaving to
continue the fight finally ceased, I found that I could no longer pray. I bade
the survivors rest on pallets near the back of the church, nearest the altar,
but they were too numbed to do much but huddle together and stare vacantly at
the doors. I had placed myself between the main entryway and my fellow
refugees, though I knew it would be pointless when the final rush came. We were
trapped, and would be massacred.
But it was not as I feared.
Four guards, one badly wounded, tumbled through the doors, and behind them
followed a Bosmer girl clutching a broken helmet and an empty quiver. She was
wearing a mishmash of leather and furs, badly charred, deeply scored by claws,
and spattered with thick blotches of what could only be daedric blood. The
others smelled of smoke and sweat, but the scent she brought with her was far
more sinister�charred flesh, and something thicker. A bruised split on her
temple was oozing blood, and as the door slammed shut behind them she twitched
and looked about like an animal in a cage. I would have bet money that she was
a recent immigrant from Valenwood�even the Bosmeri became tamed after enough
time in a city. She sniffed the air a few times. Checking for daedra. Took a
step forward, stumbled, and fell into a nearby guard. He held her gingerly by
the arm and stared at his captain in bemusement.
"Priest!" roared
the lead guardsman, spying my robes. "See to this girl!"
The girl, not his
fellow in arms. I'll admit I was intrigued. I strode forward, trying not to gag
as the smell of human and daedric blood mixed with the acrid odor of burning
fur and charred leather. The elf looked at me dazedly as I sank to my knees
beside her, and I was struck by how wide her eyes were. Blue, and her hair
might have been a coppery color if it weren't matted with blood. She was no
warrior. She was barely even conscious.
"What happened to
her?" I asked, wiping the wound at her temple with my sleeve to see the
extent of the damage. She whimpered and tried to flinch away.
"Got knocked silly with
a mace not three minutes ago," the guardsman sighed. "I think she
lost her shield in the Gate."
I blinked. "The
Oblivion Gate outside of the city?"
"It's closed,"
groaned the injured man as his comrades lowered him to the floor a few meters
away.
"Thank the Nine for
that," I muttered noncommittally, assessing the extent of the damage. The
Bosmer's shoulders were shaking uncontrollably, and her eyes were not focusing
properly. I wondered what had possessed the guardsmen to allow her to come
along for such a venture. She must have been more of a hindrance than a help.
"Ah," I murmured,
starting to heal her. "She seems to be in shock, but all of you appear to
be doing rather well."
The injured guard groaned
again. "No, you don't understand. She was alone."
I took a moment to
reappraise her. That explained the smell she carried with her, at least.
"She showed up at the
barricade, asking after a man named Martin. When we told her the Gate was
keeping us from getting to the rest of the survivors, she... walked in."
The others were shaking their heads, clearly in awe of the audacity of it. But
the chills I experienced were for a far different reason.
"Wait," said one
of the guards eventually, staring at me curiously as I finished casting on her.
"Aren't you Brother Martin?"
"I am."
"Who's she, then?"
"I have no idea."
The girl clutched at my arm
suddenly, eyes focusing in on me with deadly accuracy. Her fingers were weak
with exhaustion. "You're Martin? The priest?"
I nodded at her, bemused.
"You have to come with
me." She tugged at my arm, rose to her feet. Stumbled. I wished the chapel
healer had survived the initial attack�she was in dire need of someone with
greater skill than I possessed. I tried to get her to lie down, but she shook
her head and steadied herself against my shoulder.
"No, I'm just tired.
I've been awake for two days," she sighed. "But Martin, you have to
come with me!"
"Why?"
"You're in
danger," she replied solemnly. At this, one of the guards began to laugh,
and she flushed. I bade them move out of earshot and allowed the poor girl to continue.
"I am in no more danger
than anyone else here."
"Jauffre sent me to
find you," she hissed, pointing at me in annoyance. The skin on her
fingers and palms was badly burnt.
"By Akatosh, Bosmer,
what did you do to your hands?" I took her by the wrists and healed those
wounds, as well.
"Had to grab the stone
to close the gate," she muttered absently. "Did you hear me?"
I nodded. "Yes, though
I do not see why."
"This is going to sound
so stupid," she grumbled, looking down at her armor and beginning to
discard the pieces that had been burnt the worst. "You're the Emperor's
son. He's been assassinated, as have your brothers, and we need to get you to
safety."
This was too much. I thought
about taking another look at her head�perhaps she'd been more grievously
injured than I thought. "My father was a farmer," I told her
patiently.
"If you say so,"
she shrugged, staring at me shrewdly. Those were not the eyes of a madwoman.
"But the city was attacked for a reason."
"And what reason was
that?"
"The daedra are looking
for the last of the Septim bloodline. They're looking for you."
I stared at her in horror.
As soon as she realized that she had unwittingly blamed the razing of the
entire city on me, she winced. "Please, at least come
talk to Jauffre. Maybe he can convince you. He convinced me," she
added with a shrug.
"It seems unlike him to
send someone like you to be my bodyguard," I mused, looking her over. Now
that her ruined armor had been abandoned she was wearing only boots, tattered
leggings, and a loose white shirt that was partially caked in blood. A blade
was conspicuously absent from her person, and her hands were still shaking. No,
not typical bodyguard material�then again, I'd never met a priest who needed
one. I had never seen her before in my life, but the fact remained that this
girl had gotten herself injured for me. Of all the people to enter a
Gate to find! It made no sense. Unless�no. I put the thought out of my head.
She began to restring her
bow with practiced motions. "Believe me, I know, but he was convinced I'd
have better luck retrieving you since no one knows who I am."
"Now that does
sound like him." I tried smiling, but she didn't return it. I appeared to
have insulted her.
"Look, do you have any
arrows? I'm out," she sighed, running her hand over her hair awkwardly and
grimacing as it came back covered in partially dried blood. "Eugh."
"There are plenty
outside," suggested the guard captain, striding purposefully back into
earshot. "The fallen will not mind if you help yourself."
"Thank you," she
murmured, then raised an eyebrow once she realized he was still staring at her.
"What?"
"Surely you're not
thinking of leaving!" He glanced at her discarded armor.
"I have to get Martin
out of here. I made a promise to his father."
It took me a full three
seconds to realize she was referring to the Emperor.
"The priest may
wait." The guard waved his hand dismissively. "At least stay long
enough to help us retake the Castle."
"But I have no idea what
I'm doing," she hissed in low tones, taking a step closer to the
guard and glancing at me guiltily once she realized I had overheard.
"Trust me, if anyone had known there was a massacre going on here, they
would have sent someone else."
The guard sighed. "It
would mean a lot to the men. You just closed the Gate!"
"Yes, and I've had my
fill of daedra!" She looked at her bow, and the three guards still
standing. Changed her mind. I realized then that I was dealing with a good
person. "My armor is ruined," she finished lamely.
"The fallen won't fault
you that, either," he replied quietly.
She gave a resigned sigh,
and they turned to head for the main doors of the chapel. As the door slid open
and they filed back out, she whirled and pointed at me. "Don't you dare go
anywhere!"
"I'll wait," I
agreed, more out of reflex than a genuine desire to obey her.
"And don't you dare die."
�I shall endeavor not
to."
The refugees were gathered,
and the guards stormed out just as quickly as they had burst in. Time began to
slow down once more, leaving me with far too much freedom to wonder what had
just happened. I saw to the wounds of the injured guardsman, and soon he was
well recovered. We sat together against the wall and waited for the return of
our comrades. The crumbling chapel around us felt tomblike with the rest of
them gone.
"You really should give
her more credit," the guard said at last, looking at me sideways.
"What?"
"You're thinking about
the elf. She's got good instincts."
"Do you know her?"
"No, but I know a good
fighter when I see one. I was�I couldn't close the Gate. She found me on the
inside and sent me back out." He sighed and rested his head against the
wall, gazing up at the charred ceiling. "I didn't even make it to the towers,
and she closed the damned thing in half an hour."
I wasn't sure what to say,
but the guard didn't take it personally. Eventually, exhaustion overtook me,
and I forced myself to lie down. Jauffre's home was not a short distance from
here, and my body was telling me, in its way, that it needed rest before the
journey. The shock of the last few hours had been more than I could handle,
though I didn't realize it at the time. That would come later.

A gentle hand on my shoulder
startled me into consciousness, and I looked up into her wide, tired eyes. She
was wearing the Kvatch guard armor, minus the helmet, and appeared to be
bleeding again. I've since found her propensity to collect minor injuries
endearing, but at the time it was not reassuring. I sighed and silently
repaired the wound lacing her cheek. She didn't thank me.
"Did you find any other
survivors?" I asked, and felt my stomach turn when she shook her head and
refused to meet my eyes.
"Let's go."
"I need a blade," I
muttered, looking about the rubble. Of course we'd managed to bring no armor or
weaponry in. What a brilliant idea of mine to lead people to the chapel and
give them no means of protecting themselves. Had I really supposed the gods
would save us? It seemed so foolish now.
Her voice startled me, its
tone slightly mocking. "Do you know how to use one?"
"Yes. Jauffre saw to
that when I was young," I sighed, feeling no small amount of bitterness at
the admission. Perhaps she was correct. What farmer's son is taught swordplay
by a monk?
"Here." She handed
me the short sword she had been carrying. When I stared at her in confusion,
she continued awkwardly. "I don't really know how to�look, I've got my bow
and some arrows, okay? We'll be fine."
I belted the blade to my
waist. "I don't suppose you brought any horses."
"I did, though they
won't be of any use to us. They panicked when I reached the barricade and ran themselves off the cliff. Smelled the daedra before I
did."
I shook my head and resigned
myself to a long walk. She led me out the doors of the chapel without another
word. At first I was blinded by the late afternoon light streaming in from the
west. Then, the smell hit me, and I had to try hard not to gag. Bodies were
everywhere�some daedra, most citizens I had once known. Not a single building
in the town remained intact. I stood for a moment, mouth agape in horror, and
started when she put her hand on my sleeve and tugged. I forced my feet to keep
moving and tried not to think about what it would mean if she were right about
Kvatch falling because of me.
The view outside the city
walls was somewhat more heartening. The remains of the Gates stood smoldering,
but down the path a camp had been set up. More people had survived than I
originally thought. I wanted to stop, to talk to them, but Caleigh shook her
head and picked up the pace. I turned for the road and took three steps before
I realized that she was heading north toward the Imperial Reserve.
"The road is
southward," I called, and she whirled.
"Yes, and Chorrol is
north." She turned to keep walking, then realized I was not following.
"What is it?"
"I'd really rather we
not go through the Reserve," I began awkwardly. If she really had
gone for two days without sleep, she was in no condition for the trek she was
suggesting, Bosmer or no.
"It's a full three day
journey if we go by road!"
I nodded. "And also far
less dangerous. The guard patrol the roads, after
all."
She sighed and turned to
face me, fingering her bow pointedly. "I really think we'll be fine."
"I am not entirely
convinced I'll be able to handle the exertion...." I trailed off, hoping
that she would believe me.
A moment passed, and then
she threw her hands up in exasperation. "Fine! We'll take the long
way." She turned on her heel and took us to the road. I shook my head and
followed behind her at some length, dreading how the next few days would go.
The next few minutes were excruciating�any time I tried to walk beside
her, she increased her pace. Eventually I gave up and let myself lag behind,
lost in my thoughts.
The sky was just beginning
to hint at darkness when she suddenly collapsed a few meters up the path. I
muttered under my breath and rushed to check on her. By the time I'd reached
her, she had regained consciousness.
"I'm fine," she
slurred, trying to stand.
"No. You're exhausted,
and we're making camp." I looked around, but all I could see were
boulders, trees, and gloom.
"We have to get you
back quickly."
"Yes, though I think
Jauffre would prefer it if you made it, as well." I picked her up,
ignoring her angry cry of protest, and walked off the side of the road.
"All right, Bosmer.
Tell me where we can safely make camp."
She stared at me for a
moment, then sighed and pointed off to our left. "Try that way. Down the
ridge."
"This will be much
easier on my back if you wrap your arms around my neck," I grunted after a
few steps. To my surprise she obliged, leaning her head against my chest so our
faces were not close to one another. By the Nine, she needed a bath.
The road was well out of
sight by the time my awkwardness forced me to speak again. "I don't
believe you've told me your name."
"You're right,"
she replied, and fell silent again.
"Would you,
please?" I continued after a moment, trying to keep my annoyance from
showing through in my voice. She was exhausted, after all.
Silence.
"Suit yourself. Here,
this looks fine." I set her down against a boulder and began to clear the
area of sticks and rocks. I hadn't slept outdoors in ages, but after the events
of the last few hours I doubted it would be that difficult. I wanted to make a
fire, but I had no tools, and there was no food to be had, in any case. Once
the ground was a bit tidier, I collapsed beside her against the boulder and
closed my eyes. We had not made good time, but it was becoming increasingly
clear that both of us were in dire need of sleep.
"Caleigh," she
said eventually, startling me into full wakefulness.
"What?"
"My name."
Ah. "Thank you."
The night was growing dark.
Soon, I wouldn't be able to see her face.
"I'm sorry," she
added, bending to remove her boots. "It has been an odd few days for
me."
I gave a short laugh.
"Did someone tell you your father was the Emperor?"
She winced. "No, I was
told I was the heir's official bodyguard, instead. Not my normal line of
work."
"What is?"
"Petty thieving,"
she replied amiably, discarding her cuirass next to her boots. "Two days
ago," she continued, "I was rotting in an Imperial Jail cell. Along
comes your fa�the Emperor and his Blades, and all of a sudden I'm told I have a
purpose." The greaves and gauntlets came off next. "So here I
am."
"Why did you decide to
listen?" I looked up and found stars appearing behind the trees. I could no
longer see her eyes in the darkness.
"I asked myself that
today, trust me. I feel like I owe him."
Guessing that was her polite
way of telling me she was supposed to have been in jail for quite some time, I
moved on. "Two days ago... I was making food in the chapel. It was my day
to cook."
She sighed. "I wish we
had food. I haven't eaten in days. All they offered in the jail was
bread."
Images of chapel life poured
into my head unbidden. Me, eating dinner with all the others, bringing the
leftovers out to the beggars before going to bed. It occurred to me then that
every person I'd seen that day was dead. And, if Caleigh were actually telling
the truth, it was because of me. My very existence was the cause of their
demise.
"Martin? Are you
okay?"
I realized that I was
shaking so hard she could feel it. My mouth opened to assure her I was fine,
but suddenly the reality of it all hit me full force. I began to sob. I was
vaguely aware that she was staring at me in horror, but I didn't care. Nothing
mattered. It was as though I could still smell the bodies burning in the ruins
of the city, and I feared that every time I closed my eyes I would see their
lifeless faces staring back at me for weeks to come. But one thought overrode
all these other horrors: how could the gods have let this happen? My
breath caught painfully in my chest, and I dug my nails into my palms, but I
couldn't stop.
�Hey,� she said awkwardly,
wrapping her arms around me and pulling me close. I pressed my face into her
neck and kept crying. Every time I inhaled I could smell the ruin and the
battle on her, and I thought again of the smoldering Gates and the corpses of
the people who a day ago I considered my friends. I thought that I might vomit,
but there was nothing in my stomach to lose. I cried so long my breath began to
jerk and hitch, and she tried to soothe me with her hands, running them over my
hair and back like a mother. My skin felt hot and clammy against the cloth of
her shirt, and my chest felt torn. Eventually I ran out of tears, but my middle
remained as empty as it had been since the fires began licking at the walls of
the chapel. I gave a quiet sigh and forced my breathing to even out. By the
time I had regained my composure the darkness surrounding us was complete. I
felt adrift.
"Here," she
murmured, grasping my shoulder. "Lie down." When I didn't respond,
she shoved me over, wrapping her arms around my waist and pressing her face
into my back, curving the rest of her body around mine. The warmth of her
against me made me even more exhausted. I wanted to tell her to lie elsewhere,
as was only proper. But all the crying had made me cold, and the thought of
being alone in the dark was too much after the events of the past two days. And
so I sought solace in the arms of a complete stranger�and we never recovered.
"Thank you," I
murmured at last, but she was already asleep. I wondered if she was really
trying to comfort me, or if she was just seeking warmth. Knowing the practicality
of her kind, it was the latter. Still, the feel of her against my back relaxed
me, and soon I too managed to find sleep. I must have been too tired to dream,
because I have no memories of fire.
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The Road to Ruin