Lorag let out a huff. "We've got weeks of walking to do before we even get close to this fortress; I think I've got plenty of time to write down a few stories. But fine, I guess I can tell you somethin'. After I finished my training in Cyrodiil, I was sent pretty much immediately to Skyrim, and I was assigned to his battalion. My very first posting was a fort in the Reach, protecting the roads to secure silver shipments. That far west, we had to deal more with Forsworn than Stormcloaks. Of course, I didn't get an assignment for at least a few weeks after I got there. When my group of Auxiliaries arrived, he took a few weeks to...break us in, I guess."

At this point, Lorag did not seem to have any interest in sharing his ale, as this bottle was getting close to empty as well. "We went through the usual that new recruits could expect. Surprise barracks inspections, inevitable group punishments for failures, constant drills that were completely pointless except to create discipline. It was like being in training all over again. The thing I didn't expect was that, after about a week, he held something of a contest between all the Auxiliaries; a pretty comprehensive one. Hand-to-hand, swordsmanship, spears, archery, magic, any aspect of fighting. Aside from the, uh, private betting pool the Auxiliaries made, the rewards were just some extra rations and lenient assignments for mundane duties, but I think the point of holding it was so he could learn about what we could do. When it came time to give us actual, important assignments, he used that to assign our roles. If this General is the same commander I knew, don't expect there to be many holes in the defense. The people defending the walls will be doing the jobs he thinks they're best at."