Song of the Dragon and the Bear

Chapter 6

A/N I've given up on a constant updating schedule. I'll try and update at least once a week, but no promises. Enjoy the chapter, it's longer than most of them will be!

Vara woke from her dreamless sleep slowly. As she came to her senses, she heard an insistent knocking on the door. She grabbed a tunic from her dresser and quickly pulled it over her head, causing her sleep-tangled hair to become even more knotted as she did so. She shook her head inwardly, knowing her appearance must be terrible, and then opened the door. A soldier stood on the other side. For a moment, the man stood there uncertainly before saying, "Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak requests your presence at the training grounds as soon as you are able, ma'am."

Vara rubbed her temples wearily. Wasn't the meeting sometime tonight? Why did Ulfric want to see her now? She sighed and said, "Thank you, soldier. You may tell the jarl that I will be there in half an hour.". The man nodded and left.

Vara closed the door, resting her head against the wood. It had to be barely five in the morning, judging by how tired she was. What had she gotten herself into by coming to Windhelm? "If I had known that coming here meant being attacked by a bear and getting up before the sun, I would have stayed in the woods," she grumbled to herself as she pulled on warm trousers and her leather boots. She brushed through her long hair and, after a bit of deliberating, braided it. If Ulfric wanted her to go to the training grounds, she would likely want her hair out of her face. She just hoped the man wasn't trying to recruit her. She agreed with his cause, but she wasn't certain she was willing to fight for it yet, not until she knew more about its leader.

After grabbing a sweet roll from the counter, Vara left the inn and headed to the Palace. She entered through the giant doors and slipped through the great hall to the back of the Palace, where two guards stood in front of a gate that led to the training courtyard. "My name is Vara Oaken-Song. The jarl is expecting me," she told the guards, who were a different pair than the ones she had spoken to yesterday. The men nodded to her and opened the gate, allowing her to pass through before locking it once more.

The courtyard, which had been full of the sounds of metal clanging against metal, fell silent as she stepped onto the cobblestone. Vara ignored the men who were staring at her and made her way to the middle of the courtyard where Ulfric and another man, Galmar was it, stood. "My jarl," Vara greeted, bowing her head respectfully to both the jarl and Galmar, who Vara suspected was a general in the Stormcloak army. "You requested my presence."

Ulfric nodded. "Indeed. Yesterday, you watched these men train and you remarked that their footwork was lacking."

"I apolo-" Vara started, but Ulfric cut her off.

"There is no need. You were right. These men need training, and I would like you to train them," the jarl stated in a tone that made it sound like a simple request as if he were asking her to name the Divines or count to ten. It was not a simple task, but there was a look in Ulfric Stormcloak's eyes that made Vara swallow her protest.

"Yes, my jarl. I ask only that you allow me to teach them the way that I was taught," Vara requested, thinking of some of her early memories. Ulfric nodded and turned toward the men who had gathered around.

"This is Vara Oaken-Song," he stated. His voice was no louder than normal, but the deep sound rolled through the courtyard anyway. "You are to listen to her and obey any direction she gives you. She is going to show you just how much good standing around can do you.". The men looked confused, a few whispering to one another, but no one spoke out. Then Ulfric turned back towards Vara. "Galmar and I will watch from the side. Good luck.". Vara took a deep breath and then turned towards the recruits.