Song of the Dragon and the Bear

Chapter 21

A/N Hello, everyone! I'm sorry this chapter is late. I tried to finish it and post it last night, but I was so tired that the words were starting to blur on the screen. This chapter is about 1,000 words longer than they usually are, so hopefully, that can make up for some of my tardiness. Enjoy!

Ulfric was shaking, his eyes shut tight as he tried to control his breathing. As Vara watched, too shocked to move, his eyes snapped open, and Vara knew it wasn't the surrounding forest that he saw. Finally, Vara's feet unfroze themselves and she carefully stepped over to Ulfric and gently laid a hand on his shoulder.

She immediately wished she hadn't.

Ulfric jarred violently, eyes wild. They hardened instantly, but Vara could still recognize the fear in them. "Ulfric?" She called his name softly, hoping to bring the man back to the present, away from whatever memories he was seeing.

"I'm fine." Ulfric's reply was immediate, and he shrugged off her hand. Vara knew he was lying, but she didn't press him. If she demanded answers he would only close himself off, and that wouldn't help either of them. Instead, Vara went to work.

"I used up my magicka on the Thalmor, so I can't heal either of us instantly. We need to get that arrow out of you though. There's no telling what was on that arrowhead," Vara stated in a calm tone. Normally, Vara would leave the arrow in to help stem the blood while they moved to a safer location, but if the arrow was poisoned, something she wouldn't put past the Thalmor and their puppet Imperials, leaving it in any longer could have devastating effects. It was best not to risk it.

Her words finally seemed to snap Ulfric back to the present, and he nodded grimly. "Go ahead," he said, his voice empty despite the pain Vara knew he must be in.

Vara nodded and stepped around to Ulfric's back. The arrow-wound in his shoulder didn't look too bad, but looks could be deceiving. There was only a small amount of blood, likely from the initial impact as the arrowhead was stemming the blood flow. Vara dug in her side satchel for a moment and pulled out some bandages. Thank Talos Galmar was as paranoid as he was. The general had insisted that she bring medical supplies just in case.

"This is going to hurt," Vara warned as she gripped the arrow shaft and planted her feet. Before Ulfric had a chance to reply, Vara pulled the arrow out in one swift movement. Ulfric grunted loudly but gave no other sign that he was in pain. Vara briefly wondered how many times he had been shot over the course of his life. He had been a soldier for several years after all.

Focusing once more on the task in front of her, Vara wrapped the arrowhead, which didn't appear to be poisoned, with a bandage. "I'm going to clean and bandage your wound," she said. "But we need to get out of the middle of the road first. We passed a small clearing not too far back." As she spoke, a strange feeling washed over Vara. She felt disconnected from herself. She was speaking calmly, giving orders as if nothing was wrong, but inside her mind was still reeling from what she had just done. She had killed that Thalmor. She had watched the light fade from his eyes as she slammed her staff into his neck. The staff she had sworn she would not use. Vara shoved those thoughts to the back of her mind. She could deal with that later, right now, she needed to help Ulfric.

She placed a bandage over the arrow wound to stem the blood temporarily then she and Ulfric made their way to the small clearing. Once there, Vara organized the supplies she would need, pulling different herbs and bandages from her bag. When she looked up, she saw that Ulfric had settled against a tree, careful to avoid putting pressure on his injured shoulder. She needed to get to work.

"I'm sorry, but I need you to take off your shirt," Vara said. "I can't reach the arrow wound properly with it on," she quickly added, ignoring the heat that rose to her cheeks. That hadn't come out the way she had intended. Ulfric, however, didn't react to her stumbled words. Instead, he pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it aside, his face keeping the same blank expression the entire time.