Mortal (Book 3)

Chapter 24

We arrive in a mountain pass, the wind whipping through the cavern; a path up the mountain lays before us.
"Try to hang back, if you can. I can't have you getting hurt." I shout at him over the wind.
"And miss such a legendary battle? Never." Ulfric replies, already trudging up the mountain ahead of me. I roll my eyes and wonder if I'll regret this.
When we reach the top, the dragon is already waiting; he hisses when he sees me and attempts to back away, but he's cornered.
"The challenger is a coward." I say, more to the dragon than Ulfric; he begins to fly away. "Joor, Zah, Frul!" I demand, and he stumbles to the ground again. Ulfric rushes toward him, attacking the wings first. The dragon turns on him, preparing to burn him alive, but I shove my sword down his throat. He screeches in rage, tossing his head. I attempt to climb on his back and stab him through the skull, but as he squirms, he strikes Ulfric with his tail, sending him flying backward over the edge of the cliff.
"Ulfric!" I get no reply. I tear into the dragon, cutting his throat, ripping entire scales off with my bare hands. He snaps in my face, and in reply I cut out his tongue; it writhes in the bloody snow. He rears his head back, dripping blood as he opens his jaw.
"Fus, Ro, Dah!" The shout is not mine, but it knocks the dragon backward, smacking his head into a stone pillar, and he goes limp. Ulfric stands behind me, clutching his ribs and bleeding from his brow, but standing nonetheless.
"Thank Talos." I sigh as I run toward him and the dragon bursts into flames. I hold Ulfric's face to assess his wound; not deep, but very bloody. I suspect his ribs will be the worst. The dragon's soul whips around us, revitalizing me, but I hardly notice. Ulfric however, sighs in wonder.
"You're beautiful." He says.
"Don't tell Galmar." I beg as I heal his face. "He'll have my head."

~

We camp on the mountain that night, using the dragon's skeleton to shelter our tent from the wind. Ulfric's broken ribs are healed, but I insist he rest for the night before we continue to Dawnstar. He gripes about how the cliff wasn't a far drop, but I beg to differ.
As we lay in the dying firelight with the wind howling around us, Ulfric mumbles in my ear.
"I am sorry I didn't listen to you. You certainly know better than I about dragon hunting." He says. I roll over to face him, pressing my face against his neck.
"I'm Dragonborn. When I devour their souls, it heals me; replenishes me. You don't have that option," I explain. "I couldn't save Lydia." He opens his eyes, evaluating me carefully.
"Nova... I'm so sorry." He says.
"I hope you weren't hurt that I didn't bring you to face Alduin." I add.
"Maybe a bit, but I understand now. I thought I would be protecting you, but now it seems it would've been just the opposite." He chuckles.
"You protected me today." I correct him. He smiles.
"Perhaps, but I'm fairly convinced now that you're indestructible." He chuckles. I refrain from telling him that there are many things that could destroy me.

~

Finally after several days, we arrive in Dawnstar. We pass quickly through the town, hoping not to be noticed, and head straight for the beach just outside of it to set up camp. This is our last stop before we turn back and head for Solitude. It's been good to get a break, for Ulfric to see who I am outside of city walls; most of all, it's nice to have so much time alone together with no interruptions.
As I'm standing knee-deep in the ocean, setting up fishing nets to catch our dinner, I feel something strange that I've never felt before. It's similar to the feeling of my heart fluttering in my chest, but lower in my stomach. It only lasts a moment, and its gone. I attribute it to digestion and go on about my business, setting up our net and tying it at the shore.
For the rest of the day we hunt horkers, no simple business. They're slow and easy to sneak up on, but their thick skin and layers of fat are hard to cut through. They must be killed at the first strike, or they'll attack with the three long tusks on their faces, long and sharp enough to impale you straight through.
"The key," Ulfric tells me, "is to climb up their backs and grab the first tusk just between their eyes, then use it to pull the head back and slit the throat. It's only a quick and painless death if you get in deep enough."
"So you've done this before?" I whisper.
"Of course. My father used to take me hunting all the time... Although my brother was better at this than me." He explains
"You know, you still haven't told me about him. Oh, Ulfric! Shouldn't we have invited him to the wedding?" I exclaim.
"Hush, now. That one's fallen asleep. I'll get it." He says, dashing out of our hiding spot and avoiding the question. Sure enough, he climbs up the fat thing's back and grabs its tusk from behind, then digs deep into its throat with his waraxe. It's a bloody sight, but it'll feed us both for the whole trip back to Solitude. Once he's sure it's dead, he turns back to me and raises both arms over his head in triumph; you'd think he won the war all over again.
As I'm rolling my eyes at him, I feel the small flutter again, quicker this time. I reflexively touch my stomach, and to my shock I feel it against my hand. I instantly draw it away, looking down in shock.
"Everything alright?" Ulfric yells to me.
"Yes, just... Hungry." I lie. I'm sure it's fine.
"Well come and help me then!" He says.