The night before their last day in Darkwater Crossing, Ulfric Stormcloak found himself restless. Sitting up again, he looked uncomfortably around the darkened cottage. Derkeethus lay motionless in his own bed, his back to them, and the dragons sprawled across the floor in various stages of sleep. Finn lay curled up at his side, her back to the wall and her small hands tucked under her head. Ulfric smoothed her hair out of her face and lay down again, taking in the girl's smooth, peaceful face. It was a face he had seen a thousand different ways—contorted with rage and concentration in battle, streaked with tears while mourning the youth of her dragons, bright and grinning for whatever mischievous reason she had conjured up. He knew the curves of her lips, the scrapes and marks on her forehead, the gleaming eyes that were closed to him at the moment.
And all at once, it overwhelmed him.
“Finn,” he whispered, placing a hand on her cheek. “Are you awake?”
“Mm,” the Breton hummed in response, her eyes blinking slowly open. “I think so.” Even in the dark, she could see her Jarl's face scrunched in discomfort. “Are you okay?”
“I'm okay,” Ulfric confirmed, pulling his sweaty palm from her face and resting it on her clothed shoulder instead. Finn glanced at it, smiling nervously as she pressed her own hand to his forehead.
“You're warm,” she continued, half-teasing and half-concerned. “You look sick.”
“I love you.”
In the silence that followed, Ulfric immediately cursed himself silently for his clumsy timing. Finn pulled her hand away, her fingertips lingering on his cheek before she did.
“Is that why you're sick?” she asked, giggling. Next to the bed, Inkahlok shifted, and his mother quickly bit her lip. “There's a pitcher of water on the dining table, if you get any warmer. Sleep well.” She closed her eyes again, and Ulfric's shoulders relaxed, relieved. His love hadn't said a word, but he wouldn't pretend he hadn't noticed her shift so that she could sleep closer to him. And anyone could see the smile gracing her lips as she drifted back off to sleep.
“I...do not understand, monah.”
Finn's entire body seemed to slump, and she bowed her head, fighting back tears. Seated by the water with her three dragons, she had explained the next day's journey the best she could, but Inkahlok had voiced his confusion almost immediately. At the Breton's side, Ulfric spoke up.
“It's not easy to understand, I know,” he began haltingly. Sulpaazov seemed to understand fully, as she stared wistfully into the nearby forest, while Gaafyahzin shifted uncomfortably on his rock. “Those living here are afraid of dragons, kiirre. You can protect yourselves, but you can also live safely in Valenwood.”
“Land of the fahliille,” Finn chimed in, having regained her composure. “They're comfortable with all manner of creatures there, and they can accept dragons in a way Skyrim can't. Paarthurnax can make sure of that.”
“Will we see you again?” Sulpaazov asked, lifting her head again. “Monah, bormah, I cannot accept this as farewell.” The girl smiled weakly, reaching to press a hand to the dragon's scaly nose.
“I will walk to Valenwood barefoot if that's what it'll take to see my kiirre again,” she replied boldly. Gaafyahzin rose with a shake of his wings and moved closer to his family.
“If it is best for our life, then I follow the onikaan of my monah,” he said. His grasp of the Common language had surpassed that of his siblings, Finn noted tearfully. Inkahlok moved closer as well, clicking in agreement and looking up at Ulfric.
“Such a long flight,” he remarked, stretching out his large wings. His father nodded wordlessly, looking once more at his family as they gathered on this flat stone by the water.
“I have nothing but faith in you three,” he assured them. “Nothing but faith that you could fly across the entire universe if you needed to.”
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timeasmymeasure
"Something Like Parents" 29/?
Date: 2014-12-19 06:38 am (UTC)And all at once, it overwhelmed him.
“Finn,” he whispered, placing a hand on her cheek. “Are you awake?”
“Mm,” the Breton hummed in response, her eyes blinking slowly open. “I think so.” Even in the dark, she could see her Jarl's face scrunched in discomfort. “Are you okay?”
“I'm okay,” Ulfric confirmed, pulling his sweaty palm from her face and resting it on her clothed shoulder instead. Finn glanced at it, smiling nervously as she pressed her own hand to his forehead.
“You're warm,” she continued, half-teasing and half-concerned. “You look sick.”
“I love you.”
In the silence that followed, Ulfric immediately cursed himself silently for his clumsy timing. Finn pulled her hand away, her fingertips lingering on his cheek before she did.
“Is that why you're sick?” she asked, giggling. Next to the bed, Inkahlok shifted, and his mother quickly bit her lip. “There's a pitcher of water on the dining table, if you get any warmer. Sleep well.” She closed her eyes again, and Ulfric's shoulders relaxed, relieved. His love hadn't said a word, but he wouldn't pretend he hadn't noticed her shift so that she could sleep closer to him. And anyone could see the smile gracing her lips as she drifted back off to sleep.
“I...do not understand, monah.”
Finn's entire body seemed to slump, and she bowed her head, fighting back tears. Seated by the water with her three dragons, she had explained the next day's journey the best she could, but Inkahlok had voiced his confusion almost immediately. At the Breton's side, Ulfric spoke up.
“It's not easy to understand, I know,” he began haltingly. Sulpaazov seemed to understand fully, as she stared wistfully into the nearby forest, while Gaafyahzin shifted uncomfortably on his rock. “Those living here are afraid of dragons, kiirre. You can protect yourselves, but you can also live safely in Valenwood.”
“Land of the fahliille,” Finn chimed in, having regained her composure. “They're comfortable with all manner of creatures there, and they can accept dragons in a way Skyrim can't. Paarthurnax can make sure of that.”
“Will we see you again?” Sulpaazov asked, lifting her head again. “Monah, bormah, I cannot accept this as farewell.” The girl smiled weakly, reaching to press a hand to the dragon's scaly nose.
“I will walk to Valenwood barefoot if that's what it'll take to see my kiirre again,” she replied boldly. Gaafyahzin rose with a shake of his wings and moved closer to his family.
“If it is best for our life, then I follow the onikaan of my monah,” he said. His grasp of the Common language had surpassed that of his siblings, Finn noted tearfully. Inkahlok moved closer as well, clicking in agreement and looking up at Ulfric.
“Such a long flight,” he remarked, stretching out his large wings. His father nodded wordlessly, looking once more at his family as they gathered on this flat stone by the water.
“I have nothing but faith in you three,” he assured them. “Nothing but faith that you could fly across the entire universe if you needed to.”