Eriah Quintence was on her way to the Palace of the Kings in Windhelm. Her mind was made up. The events of Helgen had stayed with her and so did Ralof's talk of why the Stormcloaks fought. More than that, she wanted to repay Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak for the small kindnesses he had paid her in Helgen as she faced the ax for no other reason than she was caught in the same ambush as he was. She found the man intriguing. She wanted to see if he was truly the man Ralof proclaimed him to be. She remembered his eyes. Eyes that spoke of his wisdom, experience, and his desire to see Skyrim free of the Empire. Eriah had no intention of joining the Imperials, not after Helgen. Joining the Stormcloaks could also provide her with some insight in defeating her greatest foe. Alduin, the Bane of Kings, had been the dragon that attacked Helgen that day. Inadvertently, he had saved her life. Eriah's digging into the legend of the Dragonborn yielded much knowledge. She learned that Helgen was likely orchestrated by the gods. Upon discovering she was Dragonborn, Eriah wondered if her near-execution was fated just so she was in the right place at the right time to see Alduin's return and set the prophecy in motion. She and Alduin were bound to each other by this prophecy.
Eriah intended to use the fact she was Dragonborn as an incentive for Ulfric to consider her request to join his rebellion. The Stormcloaks were always accepting new recruits but Eriah had other reasons. The dragons cared not for the wars of men and elves. They'd attack with impunity and if the rebellion was to survive, they needed her to take care of any dragons that sought to destroy them. Being Dragonborn would give the rebels an edge. Her Thu'um, combined with Ulfric's, would give the Stormcloaks an advantage over the Imperials. First, she needed an audience with the Jarl.
Opening the door, Eriah stepped inside the Palace and removed her steel helmet. At the end of the great hall sat Ulfric Stormcloak. He slouched in his throne and was speaking to an older man wearing bear fur and armor. She remained quiet as she slowly approached. Ulfric and the other man took no notice of her yet. Eriah was a patient woman. She could wait. It was the Jarl's words that soon had her enthralled. He and who Eriah assumed was a commander in his army spoke of the stalemate in Whiterun and she felt a little on edge when they spoke of Balgruuf the Greater. The Dragonborn had nothing but praise for the man's ability to lead but as it were, she had to consider the possible he had to be deposed just so the war could continue. Her thoughts were interrupted by the Jarl who solemnly spoke. "I fight for the men I've held in my arms, dying on foreign soil! I fight for their wives and children, whose names I heard whispered in their last breath. I fight for we few who did come home, only to find our country full of strangers wearing familiar faces. I fight for my people impoverished to pay the debts of an Empire too weak to rule them, yet brands them criminals for wanting to rule themselves! I fight so that all the fighting I've already done hasn't been for nothing! I fight... because I must." he said.
Any doubts she had in her heart were scoured away by Ulfric's words. He had proven that he was a man she could get behind. A man she could follow. A man she'd gladly lay her life down in service to. "Your words inspire, my Jarl." she said, unable to stay quiet any more. The two men looked at her and their eyes were slightly wide, realizing that she had been there the whole time. Eriah knelt before the throne and placed a fist over her heart as she bowed her head. "You are?" Ulfric asked. "My name is Eriah Quintence. I don't fault you for not remembering me. I was in Helgen the day the dragon attacked." she said. The Jarl was quiet for a moment before his memory kicked in. "You're the woman who was next to me in the wagon. The one I asked Ralof to get out of the village when things went south." he said, his deep voice reverberating in her ears. "Yes. Thanks to him, I survived. We traveled to Riverwood together and he told me of your cause. It's only recently that I decided to come and ask to join the Stormcloaks in their rebellion. If you'll have me, my warhammer is yours to command." Eriah replied.
Ulfric bade her raise her head, which she did. Her eyes locked with his and didn't waver. "I hear those words a lot from men who find too late they have no stomach for war. What makes you believe you're different?" he asked. "I'm correcting in assuming you've heard the rumors about the Dragonborn, my Jarl?" Eriah asked in kind. That piqued the men's curiosity. "I have indeed. Ever since the Greybeards' call for the Dragonborn rocked Skyrim, I have wondered much in regards to this wild card. You know something we don't?" Ulfric inquired. "You need not look for the Dragonborn for I am she." Eriah replied. That got their attention, just as she intended. "You? The Dragonborn?" the other man asked. "If proof is required, I would be honored to show you." she replied. Ulfric, who had sat forward when she claimed to be the Dragonborn, slouched back into his throne. "That will not be necessary. I can tell that you're an honest woman." he said. The commander beside him gave him a look. "Ulfric, perhaps it would be wise to require proof. Several have already come forth claiming the same as she has. They were all liars and glory-seekers." he said. "This woman's eyes are all the proof I need, Galmar. She hides nothing from me." he said. He turned his gaze to Eriah who remained kneeling where she was.
"Perhaps to satisfy my housecarl, you can give us a demonstration. If you're truly Dragonborn, you can give me a taste of your Thu'um. Men study for years under the Greybeards to learn the Words of Power but the Dragonborn holds that power innately. I can tell that despite being a Nord, you're not a native of Skyrim. Your bearing is that of someone raised in Cyrodiil. I have no reason to assume that you've received the same training I did as a lad." he suggested. "You want me to use my Voice? I dare not." Eriah said, feeling the situation getting heavy. Ulfric got to his feet and came to stand before her. She had to look up a little at him but she didn't dare move. "Satisfy me." he said. Her brown eyes slid to the man named Galmar. "He can handle it, lass." he said with a wave. Eriah swallowed hard before looking back up at the Jarl. He nodded slowly and she stepped back, closing her eyes. "As you wish. I can only hope I don't overdo it. I'm still learning to control this power." she said. Her brown eyes opened and she took a deep breath. "FUS!" she Shouted. That single Word of Unrelenting Force slammed into Ulfric but to her own surprise, he was only pushed back only a step. "The legend is true." Galmar said, in awe. He and the Jarl looked at the woman who was standing stock still, clearly waiting for things to get ugly.
Ulfric closed the distance and set a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him in surprise. "Any doubts we have of your legitimacy have been blown away. Welcome to Windhelm, Dragonborn." he said. Eriah blinked before bowing her head. "So what happens now?" she asked. "Before you can join my army, you'll need to pass a trial. To the north of Windhelm is Serpentstone Isle where Ice Wraiths are known to gather. Travel there, kill one, and bring back its fangs. Do this and you will be made an official Stormcloak. When you return, we'll discuss your terms of service. Your status as Dragonborn throws an interesting light on things." Ulfric instructed. "I will set out immediately. Thank you for this chance." Eriah said with a bow. She left the Palace and Ulfric turned to Galmar. "What do you think?" he asked as the two headed for the war room. "I'll reserve judgment until I see her in action. I personally don't see how her use of the Voice is supposed to be proof of her being Dragonborn." said the older man. "One doesn't learn Words of Power in a day. It's been barely two months since Helgen and already she's shown that she knows, at the very least, the first word of Unrelenting Force. The fact she demonstrated her Voice mere weeks after the Greybeards' summons is another mark towards her being the Dragonborn." Ulfric explained.
"If that's what you think, be it far from me to disagree. However, I'll believe it when I see her absorb the soul of a dragon. Legend is the Dragonborn is able to absorb the dragon's power when killed. If we get word of a dragon nearby, I'd like to see if she fits that criteria." Galmar said. "Very well." Ulfric said. He was left to think things over. "Eriah Quintence. Never imagined I would see you again after Helgen. You were just another prisoner then. To think I was seated next to the Dragonborn of legend. There has to be a link between her and that black dragon. I intend to pick her brain when she returns." he thought to himself. He'd by lying if he said he wasn't expecting a woman to be Dragonborn. However, in these times, anything was possible.