The Stormcloak General

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Joruun Steel-Swing, Harbinger of the Companions and General in the Stormcloak Army, with his Captain, Ralof, and his other brothers and sister stormcloaks talking with a stormcloak scout who had just returned from Windhelm.

"Rest well, brother." said Joruun with a cheerful grin. "Been long since a scout arrived, care for more mead?"
"Thank you, General." replied the scout, while grabbing another mug of ale.
"Call me brother, we are warriors all the same." laughed Joruun.
"Thank you, brother. I hadn't really expected this kind of hospitality, would be nice to move to this fort!" laughed the Soldier.
"Yes the General is nice alright!" laughed a sister stormcloak, "But you'd better watch out of the others!"

"And by 'others', she means me!" laughed Ralof.
"Well alright now! Our brother has come a long way from Windhelm." said Joruun with a grin. "Go easy on him!"
"Haha, fine Joruun." said Ralof. "So what news do you bring, brother?"
"Yes, how is the fight in the other holds?" asked another brother Stormcloak in bear armor.
"Well actually, I've only been sent here with one report, actually." replied the scout, drinking down his ale.

"Just one?" asked Joruun, "Is it urgent?"
"Well...it's shocking, I'll give it that!" replied the scout.
"Out with it, brother!" laughed Ralof.
"Where is your sense of the dramatic moment?!" laughed the scout.
"Hah! They even sent a scout to add a dramatic moment!" laughed the sister stormcloak. "Come now, what is so important?"

"Nothing, really!" laughed the scout as he took a long chug of his drink.
"Just that the Emperor is dead!" he finished, letting the room fill with silence.
Everyone didn't think he was serious, but his grin told them otherwise.
"Ysmir's beard!" exclaimed Joruun. "The Emperor is dead?!"
"As in the Emperor of the Empire....that we are fighting?" asked Ralof in disbalief.
The scout looked them straight in the eye and said calmly, "Yes."

"Murdered just yesterday!" laughed the scout.
"By who?" asked Joruun.
"Reports say it was the Dark Brotherhood." replied the scout. "He was killed on his ship outside Solitude.
"By the nine..." said Joruun, quietly.
"The imperial legions are reorganising." said the scout. "General Tulius is making some changes in the war policy."

A short moment of silence followed again. Soon, everyone's faces were giving a small smile, which then gave into big grins, and the silence turned to laughter and cheers.
"War Policy? Are they going to run now?!" laughed a brother stormcloak.
"Let's see how those imperials fight without their beloved Emperor!" laughed a stormcloak rogue.
"Fight?! I'm sure they will all just die along with him!" said Ralof as he laughed cheerfully.
"A toast to the dead emperor and the dead empire he left behind him!" cheered a brother with a cup held high.
They all cheered and laughed. They spread the news through-out the fort. Everywhere, everyone had heard the news. The empire, now, had no emperor.

Joruun sat down on a bench, his mind had mixed feelings about the news.
"By the nine... The emperor is dead..." thought Joruun to himself. "If the Dark Brotherhood can do that... no one is safe!"
Joruun fell into deep thought. He remembered his encounter with an assassin not too long ago, the arrow given to him was still in his pack. Nilsine was saved, but for how long until the brotherhood returns for her? He wondered about what the assassin said..."Till we meet again..."

"Should we call another feast, General?!" cheered the sister stormcloak.
"Uhm...yes.. sure..." replied Joruun, still in deep thought. "The men....will want to celebrate, eh?"
"Are you alright, brother?" she asked, seeing his worried face.
"Well... just can't believe it!." replied Joruun. "These are dark times indeed..."

"Oh come now Joruun! The imperials will soon lose the will to fight!" said the sister stormcloak.
"Yes....perhaps you are right." said Joruun.
"Less bloodshed like you wanted, hmm?" she smiled.
"Hah yes...Who am I to worry about these things, eh?" laughed Joruun. "Prepare a feast tonight, sister, a grand one!"