Ulfric had barely settled on his throne for the day when the courier burst into the main hall. Red-faced and out of breath, he jogged to the Jarl's seat, only to drop to a knee before him.
“My...my Jarl,” he wheezed. “An urgent letter for you. Let me just...” As he rooted through the bag on his hip, Ulfric leaned forward, eyebrows raised.
“Who is it from?” he asked. The courier finally procured the letter triumphantly.
“One of your Thanes, my Jarl. Finn, at Darkwater Crossing. She paid me extra to get this to you quickly.” Handing over the letter, he bowed and departed, leaving Ulfric to tear into the paper. His already pounding heart only quickened when he read Finn's scrawl, and he quickly leaped to his feet.
“Galmar!” he shouted, striding into the war room. “I'm traveling. You and Jorleif are to take matters into your own hands until I come back. No executions, am I clear?”
“Always,” Galmar chuckled, only to frown a moment later. “Hold a moment, Ulfric. Where are you going? How long are you leaving this to me?!” Ulfric was already halfway up the stairs by then, and the general could barely hear him call over his shoulder.
“A week at most! I have faith in you, Galmar!” In the silence that followed, the old Nord chuckled, shaking his head.
“You bastard...” he grumbled, good-natured all the same. He didn't know where his friend was headed...but there was no question as to who he was headed to.
It was the dead of night when Derkeethus heard the tell-tale knock. Finn was asleep by then, curled up in a ball with Gaafyahzin's head resting on her hip. Inkahlok lifted his head, eyes narrowed, as the Argonian opened the door.
“Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak,” he said, bowing his head slightly. “Welcome to Darkwater Crossing.” Ulfric nodded cautiously, trying to sneak a glance over the stranger's shoulder.
“You must be Derkeethus,” he replied. “Finn told me a lot about you. She said you were trustworthy.” He paused, coughing uncomfortably. “I...am in your debt for protecting them.” Derkeethus hummed, barely concealing his surprise. From what he had heard, it was a strange day indeed when the Jarl of Windhelm thanked an Argonian for something. But it had been a strange day indeed when three dragons showed up at his doorstep.
“Come inside,” he offered, pulling the door open. When Ulfric entered, Inkahlok leaped to his feet, nearly knocking over a table in his attempt to get to his father.
“Bormah!” he cheered, knocking the Jarl to the ground and resting his snout on his shoulder. Ulfric stroked the dragon's scaly back, laughing quietly.
“There's my Inkahlok...gods, you've gotten big,” he sighed, shifting so that the heavy creature on his lap was a bit more comfortable to bear. “I've missed you, boziik kiir.”
“I've missed you too, bormah,” Inkahlok murmured, squirming free from his grasp. “Everyone is here!” Sure enough, Sulpaazov was stirring, clicking in sleepy confusion as she lifted her head, but Gaafyahzin and Finn slept on. Softening, Ulfric took a seat at the side of the bed, stroking the Breton's messy hair and leaning down to plant a kiss on the side of her face.
“Time to wake up, mother of dragons,” he whispered. Finn's eyes opened abruptly, and she rolled onto her back so quickly that Gaafyahzin awoke with a startled hiss.
The next moment, Ulfric was on the ground again, barreled over by the force of the small girl's embrace. Finn buried her face in his chest, trembling, and the Nord squeezed her gently.
“It's so good to see you again,” he murmured into her hair. Her grip on him only tightened, and she nodded.
“I missed you so, so much,” she said tearfully, her voice muffled but audible. “Ulfric...you have no idea.” As their dragons chattered and swarmed around them, she pulled back, smiling weakly up at him. “Welcome home.”
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timeasmymeasure
"Something Like Parents" 27/?
Date: 2014-03-04 02:23 pm (UTC)“My...my Jarl,” he wheezed. “An urgent letter for you. Let me just...” As he rooted through the bag on his hip, Ulfric leaned forward, eyebrows raised.
“Who is it from?” he asked. The courier finally procured the letter triumphantly.
“One of your Thanes, my Jarl. Finn, at Darkwater Crossing. She paid me extra to get this to you quickly.” Handing over the letter, he bowed and departed, leaving Ulfric to tear into the paper. His already pounding heart only quickened when he read Finn's scrawl, and he quickly leaped to his feet.
“Galmar!” he shouted, striding into the war room. “I'm traveling. You and Jorleif are to take matters into your own hands until I come back. No executions, am I clear?”
“Always,” Galmar chuckled, only to frown a moment later. “Hold a moment, Ulfric. Where are you going? How long are you leaving this to me?!” Ulfric was already halfway up the stairs by then, and the general could barely hear him call over his shoulder.
“A week at most! I have faith in you, Galmar!” In the silence that followed, the old Nord chuckled, shaking his head.
“You bastard...” he grumbled, good-natured all the same. He didn't know where his friend was headed...but there was no question as to who he was headed to.
It was the dead of night when Derkeethus heard the tell-tale knock. Finn was asleep by then, curled up in a ball with Gaafyahzin's head resting on her hip. Inkahlok lifted his head, eyes narrowed, as the Argonian opened the door.
“Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak,” he said, bowing his head slightly. “Welcome to Darkwater Crossing.” Ulfric nodded cautiously, trying to sneak a glance over the stranger's shoulder.
“You must be Derkeethus,” he replied. “Finn told me a lot about you. She said you were trustworthy.” He paused, coughing uncomfortably. “I...am in your debt for protecting them.” Derkeethus hummed, barely concealing his surprise. From what he had heard, it was a strange day indeed when the Jarl of Windhelm thanked an Argonian for something. But it had been a strange day indeed when three dragons showed up at his doorstep.
“Come inside,” he offered, pulling the door open. When Ulfric entered, Inkahlok leaped to his feet, nearly knocking over a table in his attempt to get to his father.
“Bormah!” he cheered, knocking the Jarl to the ground and resting his snout on his shoulder. Ulfric stroked the dragon's scaly back, laughing quietly.
“There's my Inkahlok...gods, you've gotten big,” he sighed, shifting so that the heavy creature on his lap was a bit more comfortable to bear. “I've missed you, boziik kiir.”
“I've missed you too, bormah,” Inkahlok murmured, squirming free from his grasp. “Everyone is here!” Sure enough, Sulpaazov was stirring, clicking in sleepy confusion as she lifted her head, but Gaafyahzin and Finn slept on. Softening, Ulfric took a seat at the side of the bed, stroking the Breton's messy hair and leaning down to plant a kiss on the side of her face.
“Time to wake up, mother of dragons,” he whispered. Finn's eyes opened abruptly, and she rolled onto her back so quickly that Gaafyahzin awoke with a startled hiss.
The next moment, Ulfric was on the ground again, barreled over by the force of the small girl's embrace. Finn buried her face in his chest, trembling, and the Nord squeezed her gently.
“It's so good to see you again,” he murmured into her hair. Her grip on him only tightened, and she nodded.
“I missed you so, so much,” she said tearfully, her voice muffled but audible. “Ulfric...you have no idea.” As their dragons chattered and swarmed around them, she pulled back, smiling weakly up at him. “Welcome home.”