Song of the Dragon and the Bear

Chapter 2

  The world was quiet when Vara woke. She listened closely for a few moments but heard no sounds coming from outside of the small room she was in. For a little while, she simply stared at the ceiling. Her thoughts wandered for a while before she began to feel restless. She sat up carefully, making sure that she didn't aggravate her wounds. The movement wasn't as painful as it had been earlier and she silently thanked Wuunferth for his continued healing.

Once she was sitting up, Vara looked down at her bandaged hands. Her pale fingers moved slowly as she bent and unbent them. It would take days of training for them to regain their dexterity, a fact that Vara noticed unhappily. Despite their lack of flexibility, her fingers itched to do something.

Slowly, Vara called upon her magika. Sparks of electricity flooded into her hands, pooling in a crackling purple light. The magic was nowhere near as strong as it usually was, but Vara smiled anyway. Magic was comforting to her; the flow of power seemed to connect her to her past. Without thinking, she began to weave the sparks into an elegant design. Her fingers moved of their own accord and formed a web of electricity in the air in front of her. The image had no pattern yet seemed to mean something. The magic faded away with a quiet hiss. Her fingers had just begun a new pattern when the door creaked open. She stopped her magic, but not before Wuunferth had walked into the room.

The mage looked at her for a long moment before moving once more to the corner of the room and began to prepare the supplies he used. For a few minutes he was silent, and Vara wondered if he was planning what to say to her. He was a magic-user himself, so Vara doubted he would criticize her, but she couldn't be certain.

Eventually, Wuunferth spoke. "I've never seen a mage in Skyrim who can weave patterns with magic that way. Even the professors at the College of Winterhold prefer their magic to be practical over beautiful," Wuunferth said in a tone that Vara couldn't decipher. Was he judging her application of magic? Was he complimenting her? Or was he simply commenting on the fact that she was different? Then he continued, "Magic is power, but it is also beauty. Sadly, many people in Skyrim, in this city, can't see that. It's good to see someone who can."

Vara nodded. "I agree, Wuunferth. My father taught me to appreciate magic in all of its forms. He taught me how to weave sparks. My mother would often encourage me to create new patterns whenever I was anxious or nervous about something."

Wuunferth smiled slightly, an expression that looked somewhat out of place on the man. In that smile, as odd as it was, Vara saw an understanding. She had a feeling that the mage was someone that she could trust. Despite his exterior, he seemed like someone who wouldn't judge her simply because she was different.

The mage redressed her wounds, which were mostly healed, in silence. Once he reached her hands, he explained the process of making the salve and how to apply it properly. Vara listened closely and committed his words to memory. She always preferred to be independent and care for herself, so she appreciated the knowledge.

He finished his work and cleaned up the area around Vara. Once he was done he turned back to her. "Ulfric will likely come by soon to ask you some questions. Don't let him wear you down," Wuunferth turned to leave. He reached the door and then paused for a moment as if he was debating whether or not he wanted to say something. He turned back to face her. "Be careful what you say. Ulfric is a good man, but even good men have their blind spots.". Vara nodded. Nords were a proud people, something she would know. There were lots of things about her that weren't exactly typical of a nord.

"Thank you, Wuunferth, I will keep that in mind," Vara said. The mage nodded and then left the room, the door closing behind him softly. Vara leaned back against the pillows and tried to prepare herself to answer the questions that the Jarl of WIndhelm would undoubtedly have.