A/N I saw Infinity War yesterday. Enough said.
"You know, I figured that joining the army would mean traveling, but I didn't know that meant that I'd be in three different posts in as many months," a lighthearted voice stated with a chuckle. Vara shook her head with an inward laugh. She didn't need to look behind her to know who had spoken; they had been traveling for almost half the day, and Ralof hadn't stopped talking for more than a few minutes at a time. She appreciated the soldier's chatter though, as it kept her mind off of just what they were marching towards.
Vara was walking at the head of the group of twenty or so soldiers, dressed in her officer's uniform. To anyone outside of the Stormcloak army, it would look like she was marching her men to a nearby fort. They would set up camp at an intersection a little ways from here for the night, and then the group would splinter off into smaller squads and make their way to a clearing in the forests near Darkwater Crossing separately. Hopefully, the smaller groups would be able to avoid the attention of the Thalmor better than a larger group would. They wouldn't be getting too close to Darkwater, but Vara figured it was better to be safe, especially considering what they were going to be doing.
Vara glanced back and caught sight of Ulfric talking to one of the soldiers closest to him. The jarl wore the garb of a common footsoldier, a precaution that Galmar had insisted on. A small smile pulled at Vara's lips as she remembered the argument that Ulfric had had with his old friend. Galmar had won in the end, but Ulfric had grumbled about the uniform for hours, saying that he hadn't been a foot soldier in years. The outfit was far from a perfect disguise, though. Ulfric walked with more confidence than any soldier, he held himself too upright, and there was a calculating look in his gaze as he swept it around the column of men. In short, he looked like a king.
A part of her wanted to fall back and talk to him, they hadn't spoken since they left Windhelm early that morning, but she didn't. There had been a pained look in his eyes ever since she had volunteered for this mission two days ago, and she couldn't help the flood of guilt that washed over her every time she saw it. So she stayed away. It was selfish, she knew, but she also knew that if Ulfric looked at her like that again, her ability to put aside her personal feelings would vanish and she would march everyone right back to Windhelm where it was safe.
Vara was drawn out of her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Rikkria standing beside her. "Report for you, Commander," the red-headed woman said, saluting in a crisp gesture. Vara had sent her and Jorgrek ahead to scout out the road and make sure that there were no nasty surprises waiting for them. "The road ahead is clear, and there are no signs of the Imperials or Thalmor anywhere. We're about an hour from the campsite, but the sun won't set for another two; we've made good time."
Vara nodded thoughtfully. She had marched the men at a fairly quick pace today; with the Thalmor about, she felt it would be unwise to move after night fell. "Thank you, Rikkria. Please inform Jarl Ulfric that we will be arriving at the campsite soon." The soldier nodded, and Vara turned her attention back to the road in front of her.
Ulfric was tired. He figured that he would be used to the feeling by now, but he wasn't. This exhaustion was different from other kinds he had felt though; it was as if his very spirit was drained. Considering the way the past two days had gone, that probably shouldn't have been such a surprise.
He had given up on arguing with Vara—he recognized that stubborn glint in her eyes—which meant he had had to help her risk her life. They had spent the entire day yesterday planning, making sure that they eliminated as many risks as they could. Unfortunately, that still left them with far too many. Risks that Vara would have to take, alone. He and Galmar had spoken last night, and his old friend had done his best to reassure Ulfric.
"Varaduilwe Oaken-Song is full of surprises, Ulfric. If anyone has a chance against the Thalmor, it's her." Galmar stated, his voice far more confident than it had any right to be, considering the circumstances.
"I know that, Galmar. I know that someone had to do this and I know it had to be her. That doesn't make this any easier! The Thalmor will find her out, one way or another, and Vara will be left on her own," Ulfric replied, running his fingers through his hair in an anxious movement.
Galmar shook his head. "Not if you do your job. You and the soldiers can protect her once she has whatever it is that the Thalmor are investigating; you can get her out of there before those Talos-forsaken fiends have a chance to realize what had happened." Galmar looked Ulfric in the eyes, leaning forward slightly as he spoke. "You are going to keep her alive, Ulfric, you just have to trust her to do her job."
And Ulfric did trust her. He trusted Vara with his life and the lives of his men. He trusted her to make the right call every time. He trusted her to keep a level head. That trust wasn't misplaced, he believed that with all of his heart, and he would die before he let her mission fail because of him.
Looking around him, Ulfric could tell that many of the soldiers felt the same way. They had brought twenty soldiers, all of whom were members of the company that Vara had personally trained. It had surprised Ulfric when all of them had offered to go with him and Vara; he had only expected half as many to volunteer, and that had been a generous estimate. At first, he had figured that they simply wanted to prove themselves, after all, they hadn't been in the army for very long and were likely itching for action. Now, however, he could see that they were fiercely loyal to Vara. Ulfric chuckled inwardly, it seemed that Vara inspired loyalty and trust wherever she went.
A tap on the shoulder drew Ulfric from his thoughts, and he turned around to see a female soldier standing behind him. "Excuse me, my jarl, Commander Oaken-Song wanted me to inform you that we are about an hour from the stop," she reported.
Ulfric nodded. "Thank you, soldier," he said and dismissed the woman, who saluted before jogging back to the front to report back to Vara. He should probably tell the soldiers to stop saluting; he was supposed to be in disguise. Not that his 'disguise' did much. He was a wanted man in the Empire and the leader of a rebellion, only a fool or a hermit would be unable to recognize his face, regardless of the simple uniform he wore. Hopefully, though, it wouldn't matter. He shook his head and turned his attention back to the march.
An hour later, they reached the place where they would be camping for the night, and the men immediately began to set up a perimeter and several tents. A few different soldiers approached Ulfric, offering to help him, but he waved them away. He was a jarl, not an incompetent fool. Before long, he had fallen into the familiar routine of a footsoldier, remembering the procedures as if he had done them yesterday.
The sun was just sinking below the horizon when the movement around the camp began to slow. A silence settled over the area, and all of the men turned towards the center of the clearing. Ulfric copied their movements and saw Vara standing in the middle of a small group of soldiers, magic swirling in her palms. As he watched, she knelt and slammed her hands into the ground. As soon as her hands made contact with the dirt, a wave of magic burst from them and raced across the earth until it encircled the camp, glowing faintly for a moment before fading. Vara stood shakily, stumbling for a few steps and almost falling before one of the soldiers who had been surrounding her, Jorgrek if Ulfric remembered the man's name correctly, caught her and carefully sat her next to one of the tents.
For a few moments, there was silence in the camp, then the soldiers began to move about their tasks once again. Ulfric turned to one of the men nearest to him. "What was that spell that Oaken-Song cast?" he asked.
"I don't rightly know, sir," the soldier replied with a shrug. "The commander casts it every night when we camp. I'd figure it's some kind of protection or a spell that hides us. Sometimes it doesn't seem to take much out of her, but sometimes…" The man shrugged again and gestured to Vara, who was now leaning against the tent, eyes closed and expression tired. "She doesn't like anyone to disturb her while she's recovering. Don't know if it's because of the magic or if she's just too stubborn to accept help, but the first few times she was like this we tried to get her something to eat or get her to rest but she wouldn't have it. Now, we just let her be. She'll be on her feet soon enough."
Ulfric nodded, and the soldier wandered off. Of course Vara would have some sort of spell that could protect them or hide them from the Thalmor and their Imperial pets. He was beginning to wonder if there was anything that Vara couldn't do with that magic of hers. She looked drained though, slumped against the tent as she was. He wanted to go over to her, but he doubted he would be able to do anything to help. Instead, he walked back to his tent and began to go through his equipment, making sure he was ready for tomorrow.
There was a steady throbbing in the back of Vara's skull, and it was beginning to be annoying. The spell had taken more out of her this time than it had previously, and she hadn't been expecting it. There were fewer soldiers than her normal spells contained, but this group was far more tense and nervous. Her spell did more than hide them from the eyes and ears of anyone who would want to find them, it hid their emotions as well.
Vara was a creature of the woods, and she had learned a few things. Out here, far from any towns or cities, things were peaceful. People disrupted that peace with more than heavy footsteps and shouting. People were emotional creatures, far more than any animal in the forest, and as such, the woods felt different when there were people nearby. You could ask any hunter, and they would tell you the same thing, although no one could explain it.
Her musings were interrupted when someone crouched down at her side. "Vara?" She turned to see Ralof next to her, concern coloring his face. "Are you alright?"
A small smile found its way onto Vara's lips. "I'm fine, Ralof. What do you need?" She sat up a little straighter and forced the exhaustion from her voice.
Ralof cocked an eyebrow in disbelief, he knew her too well, but didn't comment on Vara's obviously drained state. "Some of the men were wondering if we could get a main fire going, maybe a few lutes and some song. We're in friendly territory." He didn't say it, but Vara could here the 'for now' in his voice. Who knew when they would be safe like this again?
"That sounds like a good idea. It'll be good for the men to relax for a little while before we head to Darkwater," Vara said. "I want the fires out and everyone but those on watch asleep by ten, though."
Ralof grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that. Jorgrek and a few of the guys are piling some wood for a good bonfire already. He's hopeless when it comes to setting the logs alight, though…" Ralof trailed off and raised an eyebrow at Vara.
"Fine," she laughed. "I'll light it." Ralof grinned again and gave her a little salute before walking towards the other side of the clearing. Vara shook her head, then followed the soldier.
Before long, Vara had set the wood ablaze, and the soldiers were all gathered around the roaring fire. One of the men had brought out his lute and had begun to play and sing an upbeat song about the life of a man raised by the harsh winds of Skyrim. A few of the soldiers joined in and Rikkria and Jorgrek were dancing to the beat. A smile crossed Vara's face, and she settled down against the trunk of a tree on the edge of the clearing, watching the soldiers.
After awhile, Rikkria approached her looking slightly out of breath, a large smile lighting up her face and plopped onto the grass next to Vara. "If Jorgrek fights as quickly as he dances, the Imperials will never know what hit them," Rikkria said, her eyes trained on the man.
Vara chuckled slightly. "You know, I never expected the two of you to get along, much less court," she stated, following the soldier's gaze.
Rikkria tore her eyes away from Jorgrek to look back at Vara and nodded. "He has a fire in his heart and courage in his veins. He was a little misguided at first, but I set him on the path." She smirked, but then her expression turned soft. "He asked me to marry him three days ago. I said yes."
Vara's eyes widened, and for a moment, she floundered, trying to get her vocal cords to work again. "He did what?" she asked incredulously.
Rikkria laughed quietly. "I still can't believe it. Even with everything that's going on, he has hope. He believes that we will win and that Skyrim will be a better place soon, and he told me he wanted to have me by his side when that time came." There was a far away look in the woman's eyes as she spoke, a certain hope. "We're going to go to the Riften temple after this assignment, General Stonefist already approved a three week leave of absence for us."
Vara finally found her voice. "That's wonderful! I may not have been able to see it at first, but I know how happy the two of you are together. I hope that everything goes well for you two," she exclaimed, smiling brightly at the other woman. She and Rikkria were likely about the same age, although Vara technically aged slower than a full-blooded nord would, and it was exciting to see the other woman taking this step in her life.
"Thank you. What about you, Commander?" Rikkria asked, an excited glimmer in her eye that Vara could see even by the dim light. "Do you have your eye on anyone?" Vara didn't respond. Instead, she looked up at the night sky and began counting the stars. Rikkria, however, only laughed. "So you do! Who is it, I wonder?" Vara reluctantly looked down to see the other woman surveying the soldiers who were gathered around the bonfire telling old stories. Ulfric was sitting a little ways off, and Vara couldn't see his expression, but she thought that he might be smiling.
Unfortunately, Rikkria followed her gaze and gasped. "You-he-you're-" she looked back and forth between the two of them, her eyes wide. Eventually, she managed to ask, "Are you and the jarl courting?"
Vara sighed and leaned against the tree trunk, her eyes sliding closed for a moment. When she opened them again, she said, "It isn't public knowledge, but yes. At least, I'm fairly certain."
Rikkria raised an eyebrow. "You're 'fairly certain'?"
Vara shrugged. "It's a little bit complicated. After all, he is the leader of the rebellion and the Jarl of Windhelm. I'm not sure that Ulfric Stormcloak knows how to make anything simple."
Rikkria chuckled but then grew serious again. "Is that why the two of you haven't been speaking? The last time I saw the two of you together, you were talking and planning, and I figured this trip would be the same way, but the two of you haven't even been within ten feet of each other for long enough to have a simple conversation."
Vara blinked in surprise. She didn't think that the tension between her and Ulfric was that noticeable. "You could say that," she admitted at last. "I want to talk to him, Rikkria, but I'm afraid that all we'll do is argue about my mission. Besides, the soldiers will start to talk if we spend much time together and, no offense, but you people aren't the best at keeping secrets."
A strange gleam came to Rikkria's eyes, and she said. "Leave the soldiers to me. You and Ulfric need some time, especially since we don't know what tomorrow will bring." Before Vara had a chance to protest, Rikkria stood and marched towards the bonfire. Within a few minutes, she had every soldier in the clearing dancing and singing and generally paying their surroundings very little attention. Vara stood with a sigh and made her way over to where Ulfric sat at the edge of the clearing.
Ulfric watched Vara approach with some trepidation. They had argued about the mission this morning and hadn't spoken since, and Ulfric didn't want to repeat that. To his surprise, Vara simply sat down next to him without saying a word. After a few moments, she leaned her head against his shoulder, and they sat like that in silence for some time. Finally, Ulfric broke the still air between them.
"The soldiers really trust you. I don't think I've seen a group of men become so loyal in such a short period of time before; they obviously understand how lucky they are to have you leading them," he said, his voice quiet. Vara didn't reply, but he could feel her smile into his shoulder. "They all know that one mistake on your part could mean their deaths, but they trust you. That's why they're here, and that's why I'm here. I trust you, Varaduilwe Oaken-Song.
"That doesn't mean I'm not worried." Ulfric chuckled humorlessly. "I don't think I've ever been more terrified for someone in my life. But I trust you to succeed, and I'm sorry if it ever seemed like I doubted you."
Vara raised her head from his shoulder to look him in the eye. "Thank you for being here, Ulfric. I know you shouldn't be, I know that your presence only makes all of this that much more dangerous, but I'm still glad you're here because I'm terrified, and you give me strength."
Her voice was quiet, but her words pierced Ulfric's heart. He couldn't find the words to say what he felt, so instead, he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, pulling away slowly. They sat in silence, their foreheads touching, until the light from the bonfire began to fade. "I'll see you in the morning, Vara," Ulfric said quietly. The woman kissed him faintly and then stood. Ulfric watched as she walked back to the soldiers who were beginning to break off to sleep for the night. If anyone could pull this off, it was her.
A/N I hope you liked the chapter! I apologize for any mistakes; I was too lazy to look back over it much.