A True Account of the Battle of Moesring

Extracted and Translated by Alma Jaroon

The kulniir was dripping. The white yam was running out. When they heard of the Nords' landing in force, the Snow Prince set them to marching south. Their weapons and armour were rusted, but there was no metal left to make repairs or replacements. The Falmer were truly a people beaten down. But the Snow Prince remained to lead, and the soldiers trusted him.

Well, what was left of them. The Second Fleet to Solstheim had been caught by an ill wind. Naturally, it was on those boats that most of the supplies and soldiers were. No one had heard from them in a year, so it was assumed they must have either been wrecked on some coast, or forced to land somewhere far away.

Often men would hear what had become Auric's mantra, "Sai has forsaken us." It was true, in most regards. The Nords were the ones to unearth the Eye. After so many years of Elven occupation, the Nords arrived and just happened to put their first settlement right on top of it. Then the Nords turned sour when the elves try to negotiate with them about it. Night of Glory the Snow Prince had called it. Now, one would say the Night of Tears was a more apt description - for both sides of the conflict. Finally, man used the very magical arts that the Falmer had taught them in peacetime to take vengeance.

Then the Second Fleet. Then the Riekling raids.

Kor-Ail was at the head of the army, a somewhat renouned general. A better governor, though, many thought. It was he who successfully evacuated the entire city during the Siege of Al-Shiel. Saved thousands, slipped them out right under Ysgramor's nose. The Falmer arrived at the coast but the Nords were not there, so Kor-Ail ordered a camp set up to wait out the night.

The general was awoken by heavy marching, a thundering in the earth. The Falmer quickly awoke to trumpets and assembled into lines. Stars still shone, the moons still hung to the sky. The Nords ceased marching, but they could hardly be seen. Only their silhouettes to the backdrop of the Aurora were visible.

"Your doom is arrived." cried Ysgramor in man-tongue.

"We will see. May Auri-El bless the righteous." replied Kor-Ail

The Nords began beating their shields. Kor-Ail turned to his lieutenant, "They don't have bows do they?"

The lieutenant nodded, saying, "That is what the spies report. They're quite a backward people, really."

"How were we laid so low by them then?" the general replied, "No matter. That racketing is giving me a headache. The kulniir is filled. Silence them."

The lieutenant shouted the order in Falmeri, "Nock and fire at will!"

Arrows, invisible in the night, fell upon the Nords and killed many. Seeing this, Ysgramor gave the order to charge. The thundering footsteps of the Nords could be heard a great distance away.

"Phalanx!" cried Kor-Ail, and the spearmen locked shields and the archers retreated behind them. The Nords crashed upon this shieldwall, like a blizzard upon a cloaked traveller, ceaseless and fierce. The spearmen were soon torn apart, and abandoned their brittle rusted shields and splintered spears for axes, clubs, maces and swords. A vicious and thoroughly tangled brawl broke out, and Kor-Ail didn't know what to do.

"Do I fire upon them and risk killing my own? Do I withdraw some and reform the lines, or leave them be? How surely can the grace of Mer hold against the reckless hate of man in this battle?"

The questions went unanswered as the sun peaked from behind the mountains, and a horn called in the distance. There was only one horn that sounded so, and Kor-Ail knew that his saviour had come. Riding down on a great horse, the Snow Prince charged into battle. Those elves who had begun to route now saw him, their hearts were filled with hope, and they followed him into the Nords.

"Arani Morae, your doom has come." cried the Falmer.

The Snow Prince said nothing.

In battle the Snow Prince killed many, but a grieving child took up her father's sword and smote the great elf. The battle stopped as he looked down at the sword in him, blood pouring down his cuirass, flowing into the engraved runes. Then he looked at the girl and said, "I see."

The Nords say they buried his body but they did not, for it ceased to exist. When the Snow Prince fell off his horse, the snow swallowed him.

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An account of the battle I wrote to satiate my Falmer obsession. I would appreciate critique, commentary, the picking apart of inaccuracies... but most of all, thank you for reading it.