“...a fool's folly.”

“What choice...”

The first sight greeting the mercenaries was two captains arguing on the docks. One of them was recognizable by some as the one warning Dumhuvud earlier. The other captain, a more prominent sailor, was armed and ready for battle. The armed captain was backed by bustling men undocking ships from the piers. Three of the seven ships were sleek, decked with shields and rams on their figurehead; clearly warships. Four more were broader and deeper-hulled, these ships were designed for cargo and limited capacity for self-defense. All sails were rigged and oars are set, many of the sailor wore various grades of armor. 

“Don't do this, they'll rip you to threads.” The first captain pleaded. “Take you goods back inside and hunker down, the army will soon come for us.”

“Thur and his troops are far in the Reach, you know it would take more than a week to get around.” The second captain dismissed. “You never tried talking them down, and if that fails, my men will at least have the first hit. When all else fails, we should try to run through them and warn Solitude.”

“Ealdor went for that an hour ago, his boats never returned!” The first captain spat, he was frustrated enough to grab the second captain's jerkin. However, his hands froze when silhouettes appeared on the horizon. “It cannot be...”

“Get your hands off me, you cowardly excuse of a Nord!” The second captain shove the first away. His ships are all untied and making their way into the river. The captain hopped on deck of the last ship. “You, leave the fire salts! We haven't much time.”
[hr]
Time after time, human's stupid bravery never ceased to amaze Keegan. Predictable result of their foolish endeavor was right there, in the form of a half-sunk ship, with numerous giant ice spikes impaled in it. Ashav was making another one of his doom and gloom speech, no doubt he was lecturing everyone on the gravity of this situation. Keegan, however, stood on the edge of the docks and watched as two batch of ships met halfway.

Without observation apparatuses, Keegan could not discern fine details of the encounter. What he did see was clear enough. Seven Nordic ships, warships on point and transports rounding up the rear, slowed down as twelve metal-hulled vessels approached. Within minutes, sounds of magical ice reverberated faintly to the docks. Two Nordic warships were the targets of three leading invaders, projectiles were briefly exchanged and the Nordic ships vanished beneath water. The final warship somehow sailed through the exchange, it managed to speed by a series of invaders and left the horizon. Keegan silently prayed for the ship's well-being, for it to warn another port instead of shattered by more of these odd metal-boats.

Four cargo ships became easy preys. Having little in ways of durability, maneuverability and offensive capability, they were cut down like knife through warm butter. One invading ship never decelerated when plowing into a cargo ship. From afar, the unfortunate vessel was rammed into several pieces and tiny shapes that could only be its crew, leaped off in desperation. Another cargo ship was caught between two metal-boats, the sound of arcane shards most likely meant it went down with intense hull punctures. Two transport ships got their lucky break. One was rammed head-on by an invader, they collided at an angle and the metal ship lodged itself inside, failing to plunge through. Seeing one enemy slowed down, the other cargo ship latched onto it. From Keegan's position, he could observe forms to and fro. The Nordic ship wrestled the invader, it pressed its bulky frame until the metal-boat veered to side. In the end, the amalgamation of three ships moored on shore. 

Sometimes, Keegan admitted, these foolish charges do pay off. It was eleven, not twelve hostile vessels, thanks to certain headstrong sailors.
[hr]
While Keegan and several others watched boats in astonishment, Ashav tried to herd the company into the warehouse for a quick briefing. His plan did not work, because the sheer chaos on the dock and an urgency with the incoming attack. He led whoever still followed him near the warehouse, and quickly told them to steel themselves for a rough struggle. He should have forty-some mercenaries, doubling their depleted stock overnight. However, the folks gathered here were less than expected strength. As the morning came and liquid courage no longer sustained by mead, some went back on their contracts and failed to report in. Still, he had a couple over thirty to work with; not too bad.

Hearing Utu-ja asking about positioning, Ashav waved Daelin over. “Get the archers set up.” He told the Bosmer.

“Let us stay close to the others, but stay behind them.” Daelin suggested. He quickly surveyed the dock, it was flat save for stairs leading up to city gates. The guards had erected makeshift barricades in haste, it was mostly improvised materials such as crates, barrels, logs and rocks. “We have a decent shot on whoever lands on the piers, and if they break through, we could pull back up the steps.” Daelin looked over to Ashav for confirmation.

“Very well.” The Redguard nodded.
[hr]
Farid tapped his foot at Ashav's speech. Someone bumped his shoulders from behind, he gave a frown to the man; a Windhelm guardsman. “Busy, busy.” He mocked.

“Very childish.” The guard shot back, he purposefully stepped on Farid's toes. “Get out of the way, sand rat.”

“Woah, someone's constipated.” Farid held up his hands and walked somewhere else. To be honest, you either like Farid or you don't. Some were instantly annoyed by his brash and unrestrained humor, while others praised his quick wit and confidence in the face of the direst danger. Now, Farid gets to find out which category Sagax falls into.

“If that's the case, I don't want anything they're selling.” He returned Sagax's smile. “Though you look like you could buy a sword lesson from them.”

“These Nords, I tell you.” He thought out loud beside Sagax. “First that troublesome Cat-Kicker splashed my piss on my face, now this brainless guard prick shoves everyone around like he's your emperor or something.” The ships were just minutes from the docks, but Farid's worry was somehow the trivial things.

While Farid conversed with Sagax, the “brainless guard prick” approached Ashav. Turns out, the man was a lieutenant, responsible for northern half of the docks. He said piers three and four were undermanned, and the mercenaries were ordered to reinforce these areas. The piers extended into the river, they were long and narrow, perfect for tying down large watercrafts but inadequate for the passage of large crowds. The guards barricaded themselves behind the shoreline; only around twenty men stationed at the third and fourth piers. 

The mercenaries settled into position as four ships came within range. On the opposing shoreline, four more metal-boats could be seen spewing ice shards into farmhouses. Each boat had six portholes containing giant blue crystals, but because of their placement on the sides, only three were able to shoot in one direction. Still, with four landing vessels and two ships bombarding from distance, the invaders made quick work of Hollyfrost and Hlaalu farms. 

On the side of the docks, the invaders shot nothing. When the crystals first emitted ice shards size of pine logs, many men cowered behind barricades and some even ran for the city. However, four ships crept in without commotion. [url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Stonewall-Kotetsu.jpg]These ships, approximately what Bretons called sloops, or Corvettes, per Dominion designation, had two masts and a chimney on deck. Dull gray metals overlay much of of the hull, though the masts and parts of the decks were made from blackened wood. Their shapes were elongated ovals, with bulges in front and back the height of double-floored buildings serving as upper deck[/url].

One of these boats hit pier three with thump, it stopped as several giants over two meters tall climbed onto the upper decks. These giants stood on two feet, and wore brown leather-like suits with the same ship-metal acting as cuirasses and guards; no skin or fur or whatever they had left uncovered. Their armor was sharp and filled with spikes, as if they were modeled after the dremoras of Oblivion. Two more ships came into pier one and five. Pier one landing happened with grace, the ship there merely feathered the surface. But pier five was loud and destructive, it was smashed apart and its ship stopped at pier six. A harbor away, the final landing craft drew near pier eight, where it was close to the bridge.

“Release!” The guard lieutenant shouted out of nowhere. On his command, every guard archer within earshot sent out their missiles. This was a panic reaction, as the giants on deck ducked behind the gunwales and most arrows bounced harmlessly off the hulls. 

“Stop, stop!” Daelin exclaimed above the chaos. “You're wasting ammunition, let them disembark first.”

Disembark they did, the first wave came when the giants glowed. They were atronachs, to be precise, frost atronachs. Five atronachs warped in at the feet of each pier. They stomped forward in a jagged formation, coming in at speeds comparable to a jog. The archers reloaded and let lose another volley at the leading daedra, the foremost atronachs at both piers disintegrated. Pier three was blessed to have the second atronach destroyed also. 

At pier four, one atronach cracked two sets of obstacles before vanishing in a flash. Ariane dispelled it. Another one immediately took its place, destroying more barricades before it was killed by arrows. At this point, most of pier four was cleared. The remaining duo of deadra menaced ever closer to the defenders. One of them brought down a massive ice limb, sending heavy shock waves into stone and sending several men, including Orakh, flying back.

Orakh landed unmoving, if someone went to check him, they would find him unconscious but breathing. Meanwhile, Edith stepped up and rallied the troops to hold fast. She instructed everyone to keep the wharfs as choke points.

On pier three, only one atronach reached the end of it. It did caused damage by stepping on two men, one of them was Bjorn the Bald, formerly Felix's companion and now a mangled mess of crimson. 

All in all, the atronachs wasn't too much trouble to take down. Few were killed. The real loss were the barricades, as the defenders could no longer rely on makeshift wood for protection. Then, when the dusts and frost settled did the enemies truly arrive. Ramps were dropped on the piers, and soon after the atronachs were defeated, the giants came charging in.

A dozen clustered on each pier, they were in similar stature to their conjurer brethren, with the exception of even greater metal coverage. In fact, their armor was so strong and so well-placed that most arrows simply fell at their feet. They rushed, with lengthy strides suited for two and a half meter of, whatever. Every single one of them wielded two handed weapons; either warhammers or axes size of pine trees. Only one or two fell in the charge. Amusingly, one the invaders tumbled and writhed in pain after kicking in a box of fire salt. The rest annihilated the first row of defenders effortlessly, dropping guards left and right like flies. Their weapons tore steel easily, and steel in return had trouble piercing their defense. Their strength, brute force, were inhuman to say the least. Each missing swing could cause a miniature crater on the ground.

Helmi the Hammer, another of Felix's companion swung his hammer at an invader. It was stopped by the shaft of an axe, and in return, Helmi was separated torso from legs. Upon witnessing both of his friends perish, Felix collapsed right behind pier three. Somehow, the carnage around left him perfectly unscathed. But if none intervened, the bard would surely meet a gruesome demise.