Wanderer

Chapter Fourteen

I walked back into the hall after tucking Silva in and helped Lancion clean up.

" What's eating at you?" He said, taking the plate from my hands to wash it.

" Lancion, I'm fine. I've just had a rough couple of days." I said, kissing his temple. " I'll finish up in here, you get to sleep. You and Silva are going pack tomorrow, and Uncle Vignar is going to come pick you up and take you to Whiterun the next morning."

Lancion nodded and left the room.

" You've got great kids." Ulfric said behind me handing me a couple of bowls.

" I tried my best. They went through early trauma." I said, washing the bowls. " I found Lancion in the closet of an abandoned shack, holding Silva, who was barely three months. Their parents were slaughtered by a rouge vampire." I said, grimacing at the horrific memory. " I never found him."

" I'm sorry." Ulfric murmured, looking down at his hands. I sighed took them in my own.

" But they grew up to be strong and independent." I said, interlocking my fingers with his.

" Like you." He said, sitting down next to the fire I sat next to him, making sure to put some space between us. I released his hands and folded my own in my lap. " Galmar is right. You are a man's dream."

I looked at Ulfric, surprised by his forwardness. " Ulfric, what are we doing?" I asked, looking at him intently.

" What do you mean?" He replied, confusion taking over his face.

" I mean, you are a King, you have responsibilities to thousands of people. Soon it will be all of Skyrim. And me? I was a scholar who came back and found that I was destined to save the world. But now that's over, so I'm nobody." I said.

" Asdis, just because my goal is to rule Skyrim, doesn't mean our paths can't cross. You are somebody. You mean a lot, to a lot of people. You are a symbol of hope and strength for our people. No just as the Dragonborn. But as Asdis Steelbrook." He said, sliding closer to me, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear.

" And what do I mean to you?" I said, my heart hammering in my chest.

He stopped, his brow furrowed as he hesitated. My heart dropped to my stomach as he searched for something to say.

" That's what I thought." I said, standing to escape his intoxicating smell. " Get some rest." I said, before locking myself in the Alchemy tower to mull things over.

~~~~~~~Ulfric P.O.V.~~~~~~~

My mind raced as Asdis walked away from me, every muscle in my body screaming at me not to let her go. But I did. I couldn't just tell her that she means more to me than even I know, because I'm not quite sure what this feeling is. Asdis is beautiful, no doubt, and is knowledgeable and witty enough to make a snake bite its own tail. But her stubbornness makes it hard to get close to her.

I stood, deciding these things were better to think over in the morning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stood out on the lawn, a target 20 yards out and a bow in my hands.

" The red line is five points, the blue is ten, the gold center is fifteen, and the tiny red dot is twenty. " Lancion explained, counting out fove arrows each. He handed me a stack, leaving the others for Silva, who had her own target. " Highest score wins. You may start when you're ready."

I drew an arrow and released it towards the target, hitting the gold center. Silva also loosed an arrow, hitting the target head on.

" Ulfric, fifteen. Silva, twenty." Lancion said, chuckling as he stood over the railing. Galmar sat next to him, sharpening his axe.