Ulfric Stormcloak was a young boy in Windhelm. His father, the esteemed Bear of Eastmarch. Ulfric was sitting at the great table, eating his breakfast. He had a grilled chicken breast. A good meal. He was thankful of his servants, and rather polite for his age. He was able bodied warrior. He was taught the art of one handed weaponry. He was a great man with an axe, and it was time for his training. Brunwulf Free-Winter was his teacher. He was relatively young, but a legion officer. He was a legendary warrior, amazing with a sword.
Ulfric had grabbed his trusty iron war-axe. As the son of a Jarl he could easily have a more expensive blade, such as ebony, but he preffered simple blades. He was not an extravagent man per se, but he would get a luxury if he really wanted it. He came out of the Palace of the Kings and walked past the Temple of Talos. He clutched his amulet, as he walked by. As he reached past the opening that led to candlehearth hall, he spotted Brunwulf.
"Ready for training." Ulfric asked. Brunwulf chuckled. "Haven't you heard boy. The Greybeards are to speak." "The Greybeards." Was all Ulfric could mutter. He was fascinated. "They are going to choose who is to study with them." Brunwulf continued. "How do they summon them?" Ulfric asked. "By shouting." Brunwulf replied. "What if they don't hear? You know. Like they could't hear it. Then what?" Brunwulf chuckled again.
"Trust me boy, they will hear." "Well how loud do they shout?" He asked. "Enough questions boy. Just listen." There was a silence across the city. The usual chatter of trade in the market district and pounding of metal from the smith was halted. All of Skyrim and Tamriel stood at attention. Nils stood at attention, waiting to chop wood for Candlehearth hall. He liked Ulfric. He gave him a couple of septims to buy something. He bought an apple and started chewing. Then, the silence broke. A thunder like noise came through the air. "Ulfric. Stormcloak."
Ulfric's jaw dropped. All eyes looked to him. Some conversation went on between people who were not familiar with Ulfric. Then he spoke. "Why did they say my name." He asked Brunwulf. "I, I don't believe it. You have been chosen! By the Greybeards!" People looked at him. "Ulfric. Ulfric!" It was his father.
"Ulfric, my son, you have been chosen by the Greybeards." "What does it mean daddy?" "You will go to High Hrothgar and you will study." "Really?" Ulfric asked. His father embraced him. "Yes." He whispered in his ear.
It was a day and a half trip tp Ivarstead. He took a carriage, guarded by Brunwulf and 4 Guards, two on horseback, the others on the carriage. Ivarstead was a small farm city, at the peak. It was only Last-Seed, but it was covered in snow. "Daddy why is it snowy here?" Ulfric asked. "Because of the Greybeards. Their voices sent snow down from the peak." A native came over to them.
"Hello, you must be Ulfric Stormcloak, the one summoned by the Greybeards. I am Klimmek. I make deliveries to the Greybeards. I can accompany you if you want." Ulfric's father stepped forward. "I'm sorry but..." "Yes." Ulfric said, interupting his father. "I will go with you." "Ulfric, are you sure?" "Yes. I want to go with him." Klimmek smiled. "I will be honored. You can sleep at my house tonight. I'll cook you all a meal then we can rest and head up tommorow. Sound good." "Terrific." Said Brunwulf.
Klimmek stirred at a small pot of soup. It contained leek, carrots and cabbage with some cheese and mead. It was a good meal. Ulfric was eating fast. He wanted to go to bed as soon as he could to get up to High Hrothgar. He was very flustered by recent events. While he may have been a heir of a powerful family, he was not luxurious and did not act like he was better then somebody who was poor. He only judged by their attitude. He despised Viola Giordano. She was a bit older then Ulfric. Always butting in on things that she had no business in. She always kissed Ulfric's boots because he was the Jarl's son.
"So do you know much about the Greybeards?" Ulfric's dad asked to Klimmek. "Well I make deliveries every once and a while. I have never met one. Once I saw one in through a window of the monastery. Other than that, no interaction." "Have you ever heard them speak?" Asked Brunwulf. "Well they shout every once and a while. I wierd power emits from the mountain. But it is a lot less powerful then when they summoned Ulfric." "Well Ulfric will meet them soon enough." Ulfric ecused himself from Dinner and went to his bed. He took a book about dragons. Alduin is real. His dad shooed him off so he didn't get to read much. So he slept.
Ulfric and Klimmek had been climbing for about an hour and a half. He stopped at another tablet. He read it over. Brunwulf was their to. "What does it say?" He asked. "It says something in the language that the Greybeards speak in. Never could read it." "Hmm" He replied. Ulfric was fascinated. They kept walking. The wind howled. They were all Nords and the cold didn't affect them. Then a howl broke the silence. "Hrrrr." It was the roar of a frost troll.
Brunwulf and Klimmek unsheathed their swords. They both swung, but the troll swung it's arms at the duo. Brunwulf blocked it but Klimmek did not, and was knocked back. Ulfric threw a stone at the beast. It kicked Brunwulf and charged. Ulfric took his axe and slashed at the beast. But it punched him, knocking him over. As he lay in the snow in aogny, he knew he needed a way out. Fast. These were deadly beasts.
Then he remembered something. He had some fire salts in his pocket. He bought them from the vendor with his apple back in Windhelm. He quickly drew them from his pocket, put them in his mouth and blew it in the beasts many eyes. It howled, and stepped back. Brunwulf desperately hit it's knee. Ulfric slashed it's throat twice. It layed down and Brunwulf pierced it's heart. Brunwulf gasped. "Well that was close" Klimmek let out a painful whine. "Let's just keep going." "That would be best." Said Brunwulf. Ulfric desperately piled snow into his mouth to get rid of the burning sensation. "Good thinking there kid." Klimmek chuckled, still in pain from the blow.
Ulfric could not believe it. That was the most intense moment of his life. He had never fought something that wanted to kill him. It was awesome.
They had reached yet another tablet. It must have been the dozenth one. "This must be the dozenth tablet. How much longer?" Asked Brunwulf, exasperated. "Around the corner." Klimmek replied. "I know the tablets." There stood the might monastery. It looked unique compared to the landscape of the mountain. It stood out after nearly a day of white.
"Well this is where we seperate." Said Klimmek as he packed away the supplies in a chest. "Brunwulf, thank you for all the training, you have been a good friend. Please send my father my best wishes. And here. I picked these flowers along the way. They stood up. All others died. It is like my mom used to tell me. Stay strong while others fail. Please leave them on her grave." Brunwulf was nearly tear eyed after hearing the hearfelt words. "And you Klimmek." Ulfric said as he turned his gaze to Klimmek. "Thanks you for the meal and the hospitality. I would never have made here without you."
"I guess this is goodbye." Ulfric said as he walked towards the monastery. The Greybeards were their as he entered.
"So Smythe. You appear before us at this time of the age."