Jenassa disappeared almost as soon as the two of them stepped inside the walls of Solitude, just as she'd warned Morgen that she would. Morgen wasn't surprised, of course; she hadn't thought for a moment that the Dark Elf would've been interested in joining the Legion with her, let alone that Morgen could order her to do so, and Jenassa had assured her that when Morgen was ready to leave again--outside of the company of an Imperial brigade, that is--the mercenary would be more than happy to step back in line beside her.
Until then, though, Morgen was temporarily on her own.
So it was by herself that she walked through the streets of Solitude, giving coins to beggars as she saw them and offering Svari a few sweets when their paths crossed on her way to Castle Dour. When she finally made it there, she was stopped at the door, sneered at for a few moments by a soldier tasked with guarding a door when she had the gall to say she was there to join, and it was only when she Shouted into the courtyard right in front of them that they were finally convinced that, yes, she was the Dragonborn and agreed to let her inside.
When she stepped into the castle, she probably shouldn't have been as surprised as she was to find everyone on edge. In fact, it was Legate Rikke herself, a woman whose name she'd heard mentioned more than once in her travels across the holds, who pointed a sword in her face as soon as the door slammed shut behind her.
"Well, that's definitely not Ulfric," she said dryly, and Morgen's gaze flickered to the man standing beside her, his sword at the ready, as well.
General Tullius observed her from behind his subordinate's back, his face stoic and his voice even more so. "Who are you, and what do you want?"
"Well," Morgen said cautiously, her hands in the air in a universal gesture of surrender, "I know for a fact the Stormcloaks have a Dragonborn, so I figured maybe you guys would want one of your own."
"That explains the Shouting," Rikke said, and Morgen was relieved to see her guard lowering just slightly. "What do you say, sir?"
"If the Stormcloaks have the other one, that's two warrior they have with the Voice. Having one of our own certainly couldn't hurt. Test her, and tell me how she performs."
Without so much as speaking to her, Tullius sheathed his sword, turned on his heel, and walked back into the depths of Castle Dour. Morgen was left alone in the foyer with Rikke, who lowered her own sword perhaps a bit more cautiously than the general had a moment before.
"So you're here to join the Legion?" Rikke asked. "Why?'
"Because I don't want to see the Stormcloaks tear Skyrim apart," Morgen answered with a shrug. "And because I need Balgruuf's help to stop the dragons, and he won't give it to me so long as Ulfric's still breathing down his neck." Rikke stared at her for a moment, looking as if she didn't believe a single word Morgen had said. "Look, it's a long story, and you guys need my help, okay? Those fucking idiots are going to make Skyrim as racist and impoverished and horrible as Windhelm if they take this place over, and I've got a lot of friends whose lives I'd really rather see dismantled."
That, Rikke seemed to get. She nodded briskly. "Alright. Then we're going to do exactly as the general said. I'm going to test you. You're going to be given a mission, nothing vital to the Empire's efforts but something challenging. If you're really as valuable to us as you say you are--if you're really as strong as Ulfric and his Dragonborn--then it shouldn't be hard."
"Lay it on me."
"Fort Hraggstad. I want to go there, and I want to clear it out. It's overrun by bandits, and I don't have enough men to risk on it right now. You clear it out, though, and I'll be able to spare enough people to hold it. Do you think you can do it?"
"Easy."
Rikke frowned. "That's bravado talking. You're going to get yourself killed like that."
Morgen just smiled at her. "Trust me, Legate, bandits aren't going to stand a chance against me. I'll be back in half the time you think. See you soon."
Smiling to herself, Morgen waltzed out of Castle Dour with a skip in her step, and off she went to find Jenassa.
Slen Kreh Zaam [2/?]
Until then, though, Morgen was temporarily on her own.
So it was by herself that she walked through the streets of Solitude, giving coins to beggars as she saw them and offering Svari a few sweets when their paths crossed on her way to Castle Dour. When she finally made it there, she was stopped at the door, sneered at for a few moments by a soldier tasked with guarding a door when she had the gall to say she was there to join, and it was only when she Shouted into the courtyard right in front of them that they were finally convinced that, yes, she was the Dragonborn and agreed to let her inside.
When she stepped into the castle, she probably shouldn't have been as surprised as she was to find everyone on edge. In fact, it was Legate Rikke herself, a woman whose name she'd heard mentioned more than once in her travels across the holds, who pointed a sword in her face as soon as the door slammed shut behind her.
"Well, that's definitely not Ulfric," she said dryly, and Morgen's gaze flickered to the man standing beside her, his sword at the ready, as well.
General Tullius observed her from behind his subordinate's back, his face stoic and his voice even more so. "Who are you, and what do you want?"
"Well," Morgen said cautiously, her hands in the air in a universal gesture of surrender, "I know for a fact the Stormcloaks have a Dragonborn, so I figured maybe you guys would want one of your own."
"That explains the Shouting," Rikke said, and Morgen was relieved to see her guard lowering just slightly. "What do you say, sir?"
"If the Stormcloaks have the other one, that's two warrior they have with the Voice. Having one of our own certainly couldn't hurt. Test her, and tell me how she performs."
Without so much as speaking to her, Tullius sheathed his sword, turned on his heel, and walked back into the depths of Castle Dour. Morgen was left alone in the foyer with Rikke, who lowered her own sword perhaps a bit more cautiously than the general had a moment before.
"So you're here to join the Legion?" Rikke asked. "Why?'
"Because I don't want to see the Stormcloaks tear Skyrim apart," Morgen answered with a shrug. "And because I need Balgruuf's help to stop the dragons, and he won't give it to me so long as Ulfric's still breathing down his neck." Rikke stared at her for a moment, looking as if she didn't believe a single word Morgen had said. "Look, it's a long story, and you guys need my help, okay? Those fucking idiots are going to make Skyrim as racist and impoverished and horrible as Windhelm if they take this place over, and I've got a lot of friends whose lives I'd really rather see dismantled."
That, Rikke seemed to get. She nodded briskly. "Alright. Then we're going to do exactly as the general said. I'm going to test you. You're going to be given a mission, nothing vital to the Empire's efforts but something challenging. If you're really as valuable to us as you say you are--if you're really as strong as Ulfric and his Dragonborn--then it shouldn't be hard."
"Lay it on me."
"Fort Hraggstad. I want to go there, and I want to clear it out. It's overrun by bandits, and I don't have enough men to risk on it right now. You clear it out, though, and I'll be able to spare enough people to hold it. Do you think you can do it?"
"Easy."
Rikke frowned. "That's bravado talking. You're going to get yourself killed like that."
Morgen just smiled at her. "Trust me, Legate, bandits aren't going to stand a chance against me. I'll be back in half the time you think. See you soon."
Smiling to herself, Morgen waltzed out of Castle Dour with a skip in her step, and off she went to find Jenassa.