Astaria didn't think about stopping on the way back to Windhelm, already she felt as if she had been gone too long. Also, she feared if she stopped, sheer panic would overwhelm her at being Dragonborn. No, she would deal with that when she was around someone that could actually help with the situation.
It was late when she got back to Windhelm, she was out of breath, but glad to see the familiar walls and snow again.
Despite the lateness of the night, the city seemed abnormally active, soldiers were marching around, looking almost terrified. She frowned, thinking maybe that the city was under threat of attack or something of the sort, it caused her to rush to the Palace of the Kings.
She pushed the doors open only to find inside was of an equal chaos. She ignored almost everyone except the two men at the end of the hall, who were in a heated discussion.
Ulfric and Galmar both looked more serious than what Astaria had ever seen them.
Approaching, she couldn't help but feel a trickle of nerves. Neither pieces of news she really wanted to give right now, in fact, all she wanted was a warm bed and comfy pillow to sleep on, she was exhausted.
Ulfric looked at her as she approached and she swallowed her fear.
She bowed. "Sir. I have Jarl Balgruuf's answer." When he doesn't say anything, Astaria hands Ulfric's axe back.
He grunted. "I thought Balgruuf would be wiser than this." He looked at her, saw the weariness in her eyes and the exhaustion in her shoulders. "Well done Unblooded, go and get some rest."
Astaria was more than happy to comply but her curiosity got the better of her. "Sir, if you don't mind me asking, what is going on?"
Galmar looked at her. "Didn't you hear the thundering call over Skyrim girl?"
She felt her stomach drop and nodded.
"Well that's what all this is about. Until we know who the Dragonborn is and which side they are on, we need to be on full alert." Galmar turned back to Ulfric. "I'm telling you Ulfric, we need to go looking for them."
"Galmar, we have no reports on who they are, they could be anyone in all of Skyrim! We simply cannot spare the extra men, we will need to make do with what we have." Ulfric sheathed his axe. "And now we have an attack to plan on Whiterun."
"Imagine the advantage we would have if the Dragonborn was on our side Ulfric, we would be mad not to do anything." Galmar protests.
"Someone that powerful is not going to agree to just being used Galmar." Ulfric's voice was a warning, one that certainly would have made Astaria back off. "If it is meant to be, they will come to us with time."
But Galmar wasn't backing down. "Ulfric if the Imperials get the Dragonborn before we do then it is going to mean our cause in jeopardy."
"The Dragonborn is not the only one with the power of the voice Galmar." Ulfric said, his voice raising as if to prove a point. "And if they have sense they will our cause as the worthy one."
"Ulfric, your voice is powerful, but the Dragonborn is of legend, we cannot have them under the Imperials wing."
Astaria sighs, seeing the argument going no where. She had wanted to tell them quietly, but clearly that wasn't going to happen.
"They won't."
Both men looked at her, Galmar glaring.
"What do you mean?"
She hesitates, becoming increasingly nervous under Ulfric's stare. "The Dragonborn will not join the Imperials."
"And how could you possibly know that?" Galmar asked angrily. "Spit it out girl."
Astaria's anger bubbled up and she stood defiantly. "Because I am the Dragonborn."
They stared, Galmar looking furious.
"Don't talk rubbish girl, this is no time to be joking around."
"I'm not." She snapped, and still seeing the disbelief in both their eyes, she turned and faced the table, where, luckily, no one was standing.
"Fus!"
The table grated back several feet and food went flying, several people shouted in alarm. Astaria, breathing deeply, turned back to Ulfric and Galmar, who were looking at her stunned.
"And there's your proof gentlemen." She said quietly, her eyes glinting in silent fury.
Galmar seemed to still have a problem taking this information. "You are barely a warrior, you cannot possibly wield the power of the voice."
Astaria's feet moved before she could process it, her hands resting on the daggers in her belt, luckily, Ulfric stepped front of his friend, stopping her dead in her tracks.
"Enough." He said quietly, his storm coloured eyes shooting Galmar a warning before looking back to her. She was breathing deeply, calming her fury, her eyes the only part showing her struggle. "Dragonborn." She looked up at him, her jaw clenched. "Go and rest, we will deal with this in the morning. Calmly."
She didn't need telling twice, turning away, she stormed off to the soldier's quarters, the door slamming behind her.
Ulfric watched her go, an uneasy feeling in his stomach.
"The girls mad Ulfric." Galmar grunted.
"Mad or not Galmar, she is the Dragonborn. No one can shout like without years of training." He frowns at his friend. "And you are the reason she is angry, insulting her honour."
Galmar folds his arms. "Ulfric, you saw her take on Ralof, that wasn't sword play."
"I'm aware, but we cannot doubt her heart to fight. She obviously has some skill otherwise she would not have been able to kill a dragon." Ulfric walks back to his throne, sinking into it. "Which she would have had to have done to be able to shout, it is how Dragonborn's gain their power."
"A heart still needs skill Ulfric." Galmar went to continue but Ulfric held up his hand.
"Enough Galmar, we will talk later. I need to think."
Galmar snorted and left Ulfric be. Ulfric rested his head on his hand, massaging his temples, this was not how things were meant to be going. This small warrior was bringing a lot of changes, something he wasn't sure he wanted. Or, more rightly so, the changes around her were there because of sheer coincidence, she, after all, had only asked to join his army, she hadn't been asked to see the devastation at Helgen or to be made Dragonborn.
Sighing, he knew that it would only get more chaotic from here, and he knew that there was chance he was going to have to rely on her to pull them through it.
Astaria awoke late the next day fully rested. She lay in bed for a long time though, processing all the information that she now had.
She was Dragonborn, what exactly that meant, she wasn't entirely sure yet, sure she had the power of the voice, but where was that going to lead her. She knew that she still had to ask Ulfric, but right now she was too embarrassed over what had happened the night before that that was why she wasn't moving from bed.
She had lost her temper. It hadn't happened in a long time and certainly not to the extent that she was going to attack someone because of it, she could put it down to exhaustion, fear, stress, but none of it was any excuse.
Which meant she had to apologise to Galmar.
This made her teeth grit more than anything. The man clearly did not like her, but it still gave him no reason to still doubt her, if he'd seen what she'd done simply to get to that point, he wouldn't, but it wasn't the time or the place to bring that up.
And Ulfric, there was something she didn't want to deal with at all at the moment. He may have said that he didn't want to use the Dragonborn, but now that he knew that she was on their side, would that make it different? Also, the way he had looked at her after she had shown them that she could shout, what had that been?
Sitting up, she sighed angrily at herself. She was being ridiculous.
Getting up, she cleaned herself and put on fresh armour. Someone had obviously changed it over while she slept. This armour fit better and she found that she was a lot more comfortable in it.
Finally, she decided it was time to deal with all this.
However, upon re-entering the hall, she found it empty and that the sight of food made her realise exactly how hungry she was. Hesitating for a moment, she decided to head to the kitchen first to grab some food, she was sure that they wouldn't mind.
She was halfway there when a voice stopped her.
"Dragonborn?"
Astaria repressed her groan, biting her lip to turn and face Ulfric Stormcloak, who was in the war room across the hall.
"Sir." She bowed politely. "My apologies for sleeping so late, I just-"
"You were exhausted, it is quite alright." He strode out of the room. "I trust that you are now hungry?"
She nods, not really knowing what else to do. He gestures to the table.
"Please, help yourself."
Astaria stared at him and when he just raised his eyebrow, she hurriedly walked over and sat down and piling food onto her plate. She could feel her cheeks burning, which was only worsened when he sat opposite her.
"Where is everyone?" She asked before he could start talking.
"Out preparing for our battle against Whiterun. Galmar is out with the army while Jorleif is organising messages to be sent to some of our camps and nobles that may help." Ulfric too began to put food onto his plate. "But that is not of importance to you right now."
Astaria looked up at him to see that he was watching her closely.
"You need to go and see the Greybeards Dragonborn."
She sighs. "I am aware." She hesitates but he seems to be able to tell.
"You don't know much about all this do you?"
"No." She admits. "I know the basics, and well, I only know of the Greybeards because of you." She felt herself blush again. "I don't even know how to get to High Hrothgar."
"Take the path to Ivarstead, from there you can take the seven thousand steps up to the top of the mountain." Ulfric watched her. "It is easy enough to say, the journey itself however is not that easy."
"Nor will the Greybeards training be, no doubt." She said, picking apart her food and slowly eating it. "I…I know virtually nothing about all this sir. I don't even know how the shout works, I can just do it. I mean-"
Ulfric holds up his hand to silence her, a frown on his face. "The Greybeards will help you, and if tales of the Dragonborn are true, then you will learn quickly. You have the inborn ability to shout, something that takes others, such as myself, many years to master, even just one shout." He frowns when she still looks concerned. "You have nothing to concern yourself with Dragonborn, just take it a step at a time."
Astaria was shaking her head. "I can't be in two place at once."
"You are worried about Whiterun?"
She nods slowly. "Plus, from what I have heard from the Greybeards, they don't actually like you leaving."
Ulfric smiled, knowing that she was referring to his own departure. "You are different. As the Dragonborn you are placed above their beliefs. Certainly, they will try to teach you that your shout or thu'um should only be used to worship the gods, but ultimately the decision is up to you. While I agree with their philosophy, putting it into practice is harder than it seems, still, I try to keep it under control."
This didn't ease her sense of dread. "I've never attacked someone out of anger before sir, I'm worried that this will have affects that I cannot control."
"Go to the Greybeards, they will teach you what you need to know. And this is not me giving you permission Dragonborn, this is me ordering."
She stared at him. "But-"
"You have five days before we attack Whiterun." He stands and leaves and Astaria was left more than confused.
She finished eating alone.