They were up and about the moment the sun touched the horizon. Fittingly, Thorunn wore her steel plate set of armor. She'd chosen to wield Ysgramor's shield, Ebony war axe, and as a backup weapon, the two-handed battleaxe Wuuthrad. They were the best weapons she owned, and when fighting dragons, the best is what it's going to take. She'd combed through her blonde hair and braided it in the traditional Nord caterpillar braids. With a characteristic side-cut, a firm jaw, and a fit, muscular body, Thorunn was the very picture of the average Nord.
She'd packed her satchel full with health and stamina potions. None of them were mages, so she'd seen no point in bringing along magicka stimulants. Among the potions was her journal, a compass, and a rolled up map. All of the essentials for travelling, nothing more and nothing less.
Galmar was dawned in his Stormcloak officer armor, with his impressive greatsword lunged to his back. He looked as big and intimidating as ever, and the smile he gave Thorunn was not a friendly one, but one that said "let's go paint our faces with someone else's blood". Thorunn returned the smile in the exact same manner.
Ulfric was, surprisingly, wearing Nordic Carved armor instead of his usual outfit that consisted of the finest furs pulled over a simple set of light leather armor. One can never be too careful when being the man who killed the previous High King, fairly or not. Two axes were sheathed on his belt. Another surprising thing about Ulfric was that he duel-wielded; most kings either specialized in two-handed, or sword-and-shield. Never had one tested something as roguish as duel-wielding. Something not so surprising about Ulfric, however, was that he was cunning if nothing else.
All three of them had a shield at Thorunn's advisement. They'd need it to block the dragon's Shouts.
The three of them met in the war room of the Blue Palace. It was a lot more roomy than the one back in Windhelm, but consisted of generally the same layout: rectangular table square in the middle of the room, a map spread out on it as well as bottles of ink and quills, armories and shelves of potions and books accentuating.
The trio filed into the war room, taking their respective places at the table. Ulfric on the left, Galmar and Thorunn on the right. Ulfric rested his palm on the hilt of his axe as he leaned forward and pointed to a spot on the map: Right on the peak of a mountain near the Aegis river. It looked difficult to get to, but with horses and willpower, Thorunn didn't think there'd be too much trouble.
"Thorunn," said Ulfric. His tone was all business, but she could sense the affection underlying it. "You're the dragon expert here. What can we expect?"
"A dragon," she deadpanned.
Ulfric stared unblinkingly.
She sighed, rolling her eyes. "When it first takes flight, let me make the first move. Do not attack it until I give you the okay." Ulfric wouldn't like that. He liked being in full control. Thorunn pressed on without regard for his attitude. "The dragon probably isn't going to land on my command. I know a Shout to force it into landing, but we'll still need some kind of crutch."
"Crutch? Like an archer?" input Galmar.
Thorunn hadn't considered that. "Yes, like an archer," She furrowed her brows in concentration. No mere guard would be able to take on a dragon, not solo, anyway. All of Ulfric's high-ranking commanders had set off last night to take back the last remaining forts in Imperial control, taking with them most of his soldiers.
She lifted her head up as it came to her. "I know someone. Let's hope she's still here in Solitude."
"Right then," confirmed Ulfric. He removed his gloved hand from the hilt of his axe, tapping the circled spot on the map. "Let's get moving."
Thorunn nodded in agreement, and she and Galmar followed Ulfric out of the war room and into the throne room. "Jorleif!" barked Ulfric, waving over the ready steward. At Jorleif's approach and respectful bow, he ordered: "The city's yours until I get back. If I've not returned by dusk tomorrow, send a unit out to the circled spot on the map in the war room."
"As you command, Your Highness," complied Jorleif, and took his leave.
Ulfric continued, descending the staircase and nodding curtly to his guards as they opened the doors for him. Behind those doors was the city of Solitude, still heavily bruised by the Stormcloaks' assault. At least there wasn't fire anymore. Constructors and volunteers were working at removing and rebuilding the masonry, and Ulfric and his enterage passed them on their way out.
"Where is this friend of yours?" inquired Ulfric, sending a look over his shoulder at Thorunn.
"The Winking Skeever." she answered. "Her name is Aela. She's within the Circle of the Companions."
"The Companions? I assume she'll be more than suitable for our needs, then."
"That she is."
The rest of the trip was spent in silence up until they reached the doorstep of Solitude's tavern. Ulfric and Galmar waited outside while Thorunn went to retrieve Aela, and much to her relief, the woman in Ancient Nordic armor was still there, drinking her sins away at a lone table. Bemused, Thorunn approached her.
"Up for killing a dragon?" she offered, smiling.
Aela's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You're dragon hunting again? I thought you pronounced that trade after slaying Alduin."
"Yes, well, I got too used to killing dragons every day and now life looks incredibly bleak without it," said Thorunn. She paused as an expectant look rose to Aela's traditional Nord features, then added, more seriously, "Ulfric's orders. We need an archer."
"Ah." Aela set her mug down and stood. She grabbed her bow from its resting spot on the wall of the tavern, then slung it over her shoulder. A smile tugged at her lips. "Why didn't you say so? Let's go slay us a dragon."
Aela had been her primary dragon-slaying partner back when Thorunn was still comfortable with doing that sort of thing. If Aela was unavailable, Farkas would take her stead, but rarely was Aela not available.
And when Thorunn woke up under Paarthurnax's wing at the peak of the Throat of the World that morning after slaying the Harbinger of the End Times, the first thing she'd saw (apart from the fire she was enveloped in) was tens of dragons flying up ahead; free, and not attacking, in their natural state without Alduin's influence. Not only were they not attacking, they didn't want to attack.
So Thorunn had ceased her dragon slaying. No reports of cities being attacked were brought to her attention thereon, and beyond Odahviing and Paarthurnax, Thorunn had left the dragons alone as much as they left her alone. She couldn't help but deem it unnecessary to go seeking trouble with one of them.
The things she did for Ulfric. Even though she was one of the select few who'd seen him in all his naked glory, she had very strict limits on how far she could question him. She was not exempt from his wraith nor his impatience, and he was not exempt from hers at times, either.
"Let's go slay us a dragon," agreed Thorunn, and the two of them left the tavern to rejoin Ulfric and Galmar.
Thorunn's stallion, Aegetha, was waiting for her just outside the gates, alongside Aela's mare Freydis. Galmar didn't happen to own a horse, but Ulfric's stallion Vjorn was inside the stables. Galmar would be bunking with someone and Thorunn felt very bad for that someone. He was a complainer, for starters- "A man's legs were never meant to bend this far apart!"-and he tended to hold on way too tight. With his bulgingly strong arms, that was practically a safety hazard.
To avoid being Galmar's host, Thorunn hoisted herself onto Aegetha's saddle, heeded his hind leg, and took off. Ulfric followed suit for the very same reason, leaving poor, oblivious Aela to carry Galmar.
Thorunn could hear his gruff laugh. "Looks like you're stuck with me, princess," he said. The horse whinnied and Aela sent him an annoyed look as he hoisted his hefty weight onto the saddle behind her. Aela whipped the reins. Moments passed before Freydis was neck-and-neck with Aegetha and Vjorn.
"I feel sorry for her. She doesn't know." quipped Ulfric in an aside to Thorunn.
Thorunn cupped her hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter.
"She? I don't know what?" pressed Aela irritably.
Only Galmar's laugh answered her. The worst part was that the man was fully aware how much of a pain in the ass he was when riding horseback.
Besides a pack of wolves and a couple mudcrabs to handle, the trip was relatively uneventful, but it was a hell of a long one. In actuality, it was only about three hours, but it felt like an entire day with how much bickering and differences of opinion they had. Put four humans together, get sixteen different opinions.
As they neared the mountain, which would undoubtedly be a bitch to climb even with the path, they debriefed the mission once more.
"So," began Ulfric. "Assuming the dragon takes flight at our approach, Thorunn will make the first move. After her signal, we have free reign. And once it lands..."
"I take the rear," Galmar supplied. "Ulfric takes the midsection- go for the wings -and Thorunn takes the big meaty front. I think it's unfair she gets the fun part with all the teeth and bone-crushing jaws."
Thorunn laughed, agreeing.
"While it's in the air, we just sit ducks?" Ulfric continued, ignoring Galmar's chide.
"Pretty much. It's going to either blow fire or frost. Either one will kill you. When that happens, group together and form a shield wall. Aela, you'll just have to crouch down in the middle." Thorunn said.
"Wonderful," she deadpanned.
They dismounted their horses and tied them to a chip in the mountain's side. The last thing they needed was their horses getting killed in the scuffle; in order to prevent that, they needed them far, far away from the fight. They'd be trekking the mountain on foot.
With an exchange of nervous looks, they began their ascend.