The Great War

The Siege of Leyawiin

4E 171

The Imperial garrison within the city of Leyawiin was utterly outmatched. The initial advance by the armies of the Aldmeri Dominion caught them off-guard and at a disadvantage. And so, all that was left of the defense were a few hundred soldiers, shell-shocked and exhausted. The others, either dead or dying, and the injured were innumerable.

The Dominion encircled the city, leaving out any hope of escape. It appeared hopeless, and the only way they were getting out of this was to surrender. Thankfully, the garrison held their ground near the city gates and the Elves were pushed back into the hills west of Leyawiin, for a while at least. This slight reprieve gave Commander Carius enough time to assess the situation.

He contemplated his options for a while, until a dark figure emerged from the pathway leading up to Castle Leyawiin's courtyard. He was clad in armour and his features were unmistakable under the Sun. He wore a heavy face, filled with worry and concern. It was the Redguard Penald, Carius' trusty and stalwart lieutenant. Carius went down the castle steps to meet him.

"What have you got for me, lieutenant?" Carius asked.

"A letter," the Redguard replied, "from the Elves." Penald handed his Commander the letter, stamped on which was the distinct seal of the Aldmeri Dominion. Without wasting much time, Carius opened the letter and read the contents within. Within a few moments, Carius' expression became troubled.

"What does it say, sir?" Penald asked, concerned.

"It's an ultimatum," the Imperial spoke slowly, "they want us to hand down our weapons and submit to their demands." He let out a heavy sigh and continued, "If we don't, they'll raze the entire city to the ground, civilians and all."

"The bastards!" Penald exclaimed. "We won't let those knife-ears within a league of Leyawiin!"

Carius' mind was deep in thought. There was no other way, they had to surrender or let innocents be slaughtered like defenseless lambs. "Tell our men to pull back and retreat. We've no choice but to yield."

"Damn it, sir!" the Redguard protested. "We can't let them take the city!"

"Stand down, lieutenant!" Carius ordered and Penald angrily quieted himself. "The lives of the citizens of the Empire come first!"

"Now, tell our men to pull back from their positions and let them know we surrender." Carius returned to the castle.

Without another word, Penald strode back to the city gates from Castle Leyawiin's courtyard, furious at his commander's decision. How could his superior let the enemies take Leyawiin without a fight?

The city streets were nearly deserted and devoid of life, many of its citizens had sheltered themselves in their own homes or inside the Great Chapel. At the walls, anxious guardsmen stood at the ready, waiting for any sign of the enemy. Penald headed straight for the gates which were barricaded and protected by what was left of the garrison.

"Ho there!" one of the soldiers huddled near the western gate greeted Penald.

"What news from the Commander?"

"The Commander's ordered a surrender. Pull back our forces outside the walls." Penald said with a tone of distaste.

The soldier sneered, "Well, we might as well hand over the key to the city!"

"Commander's orders." Penald pointed out.

"To Oblivion with that, we'll fight those Elven bastards 'till our dying breaths!" another soldier retorted. "Listen, sir. I'm not going to spend the rest of my days rotting in some Elven prison in the Summerset Isles. I'd rather bag a few of those yellow, pretentious knife-ears before I die." The soldiers cheered at his words.