Song of the Dragon and the Bear

Chapter 17

A/N Here's another chapter for you. I think they're getting longer...

Vara's home was warm and cozy, providing a very different atmosphere from the constant chill that seemed to cling to the palace, even when all the fires within glowed brightly. For a moment, Ulfric longed for his life to be a simpler one. He quickly pushed that thought away as there was no use dwelling on things that couldn't happen. Ulfric stepped up to Vara, who stood over a fire in her kitchen, carefully roasting a cut of venison.

"Can I help with anything, Vara. I feel bad letting you cook while I watch," Ulfric asked.

"Hmm, that depends. Can you make a vegetable soup for the two of us?" Vara asked with a teasing lilt to her voice and a twinkle in her eye.

Ulfric raised an eyebrow, but couldn't help the way his lips twitched upwards. "Just because I'm a jarl and have a cook doesn't mean that I can't cook," he stated, crossing his arms in front of himself.

"No, it just means your lazy," Vara replied, turning back to the venison, but not before Ulfric saw the smirk dancing on her lips. Ulfric started to defend himself, but Vara cut him off saying, "The ingredients should be over there," she gestured to the other side of the room where a few barrels and several large sacks were piled. "and you'll find a pot over there," she pointed to another firepit where several pots were stacked haphazardly. "Although you might have to search to find one that isn't dusty. I've been meaning to rinse them all out, but I haven't had much time."

Ulfric followed her directions and gathered the ingredients he figured he would need. While it was true that he could cook, he had been in the Imperial army, after all, it had been awhile, he couldn't quite remember this particular recipe. He found a clean pot, after going through several coated with a fine layer of dust, and then began to make the soup as best he could remember.

For a while, there was silence in the room, except for the crackling of the fires. Then Ulfric broke the silence by saying, "I've been meaning to ask you something, but I haven't been sure how to word my question."

Although Vara's back was turned to him, he could almost hear the faint smile in her voice when she responded. "And what might that be?"

Ulfric hesitated for a moment, trying to decide the best way to say what he wanted to say. Eventually, he said, "You've lived in the woods for most of your life, but you are very knowledgeable about the affairs of a jarl's court and how the city is run."

Vara turned away from the venison to face him. "You're wondering how I learned so much living away from civilization." Ulfric nodded, hoping he hadn't offended her with his query. "Let me tell you a secret, jarl of Windhelm. There are these magical things bound in leather called books." Vara said with a laugh and turned back to the venison, which looked almost done.

"My parents believed that knowledge was powerful, and so they tried to teach me everything that they could. Anytime they went into the city, they would return with new books for me to read." Ulfric could hear the fondness in her voice as she continued, the same one he always heard whenever Vara spoke of her childhood. "I am also very observant. When my parents took me to Windhelm, I would ask people questions and watch everything that went on. Sometimes, my mother would tell me stories of her life in Windhelm, and I would ask her all kinds of questions about the smallest things. I love learning, Ulfric."

Ulfric nodded, he should have expected as much from a woman as astute as Vara was. "Your parents sound like good people. People that my mother would have liked," Ulfric said. "My mother always preferred to speak with someone and learn about their way of life and their view on things than argue with them."