The mantle of Harbinger's not settled easy on Vilkas's shoulders in the year it's been his. He's a hero of the province – a dragonslayer and a fierce warrior – but inside, he still feels like a whelp.
Lilah and her daughter Maddy need his help - they've been pulled into Skyrim against their will. A monstrous evil that's lurked in the shadows for over a century is making another play for power, and Lilah, a mystery in her own right, is central to their plans to plunge Tamriel into darkness. To survive, the displaced Earthlings need the combined might of the Companions, the Dragonborn, and Paarthurnax himself.
But is Vilkas ready to step up and lead? He's keeping deadly secrets, and hasn't learned to trust his own strength or that of his friends and family. Darkness is falling - to keep it at bay, Vilkas must let go of the past and become his own man. And, most importantly, realize he was never meant to do any of it alone.
*If you haven't read Sun on Stone, here's what you need to know: Gillian is the Dovahkiin. She's married to Argis the Bulwark. They met in Markarth during a mission, did the whole whirlwind romance thing, and now live in Whiterun. They'll come back into the story in a couple of chapters.*
Rated M for Skyrim-typical violence and sexual content.
Comments and constructive criticism greatly appreciated! If you're an author and leave me a comment, I'll find your work and do the same for you.
Vilkas jumped at the knock on the door, upsetting his inkwell and spilling black sludge all over the Second Seed ledger he'd been balancing. Or trying to – he'd just read the same line ten times, and thanks to the growing splotch, there wouldn't be an eleventh. Eh, crossing I's and dotting T's can wait awhile.
He tossed his quill over his shoulder and pulled at his back as he stretched, his sleeve catching on the rough wood of his chair. It needed to be replaced, he thought, and smiled. A memory floated unbidden through his mind. He and his brother on Kodlak's knee in this very chair, fussing as the old Harbinger batted their curious fingers away from his quill. And his knife. And whatever else toddlers shouldn't be touching that seemed oh-so-attractive to their chubby little hands. "Come in," he said, pushing the past away and covering the ink blot with a crumpled sheet of paper.
"Harbinger?" Ria peeked her head around the door and grimaced at Vilkas's eye-roll. "Sorry, I meant to say Vilkas, but then I opened the door and...old habits die hard, you know?" She hopped in on her crutch and sat down at the desk, her eyes soft as she glanced around Kodlak's old chambers. Absolutely nothing had changed. "Anyway, we have a contract. Maybe I shouldn't have accepted, but…" she broke off, sniffing, and noticed the ink splattered on the table and the floor. "What happened?"
"Paperwork happened. This was all so much more fun when Kodlak took care of the books," Vilkas said, groaning. "I feel like I've been sitting at this desk since Winter. I'll clean it up later. Don't tell Tilma." He furrowed his brow. "Wait, what's the contract? Why would we not accept?"
"Well, there's no one here who can take it. I would, but…" she pointed down at the bandage and splint wrapped around her shattered ankle. "Danica said this still needs a week or two to fully heal."
"Don't worry, you'll be back killing bears single-handed before you know it," he said, grinning at Ria's blush. Nine years had passed since she'd been a whelp, bragging about the bear she'd killed to anyone who'd listen. It was still funny. "Where's Aela?"
"I don't know. She was supposed to be back from Riften today, but no one's seen her yet."
"Farkas? No, he's still in Markarth." Vilkas huffed and leaned back, hands folded behind his head. His brother was taking some well-deserved time off, but managing contract assignments was his specialty, and things got a bit confusing without him.
"Athis and Njada are still in Winterhold, I take it?"
"Yep, and Torvar's still up in Dawnstar with a couple of the new whelps, investigating a kidnapping. Local girl." Ria privately thought the whelps would be shouldering most of the weight, since Torvar's main skill consisted of keeping his laziness concealed from the Circle. It was their own fault – hers, Njada's, and Athis's. They'd been whelps together and covered up for him out of solidarity. After a while, it just became routine, and Torvar'd never stepped up.
"Gillian? No, she and Argis are still…ok, what's the contract, then? I can take it," he felt his back straighten as if a weight had fallen from his shoulders. He'd been staring at the ledgers too long anyway. Some action was exactly what he needed.
"It's a request from the Jarl of Falkreath himself, otherwise I would have wanted it substantiated before we took it on. It's a weird one," Ria said, shaking her head. "There's something going on in Lake Ilinalta. A strange mist around the island, you know, where the Lady Stone is. And screaming, chanting, weird animal noises. Lightning strikes. They thought necromancers, but didn't want to get too close."
"No, they wouldn't," Vilkas said, scratching his newly-trimmed beard while he considered, his green eyes twinkling. "One of the new whelps is a mage, right? Came down from the College end of First Seed?"
"Yes. Two of them are, actually. Twins – brother and sister. Brelyn and Nina."
Vilkas nodded and jumped up, walking over to his wardrobe. "Perfect. Get them both ready, and have them pack for an overnight. We'll leave this afternoon."
"Why is the Harbinger going with us? Did we do something wrong?" Brelyn stood, back stiff and red eyes narrowed, on the veranda outside Jorrvaskr. His black mage's robes fluttered in the breeze, and glimmered with enchantment. He tapped his staff against the floor.
"Ria said no one else was available, and this was direct from the Jarl of Falkreath, so they couldn't leave it to newbloods. Even ones such as we, brother," Nina said, grinning as she placed a hand on her brother's arm, guiding the tapping to a stop. "Relax. Remember, Ulfric is gone, and anyway, this is Whiterun, not Windhelm. I'm betting there's a good reason why we were selected to go. Just be-"
"Patient, I know. It was just…easier at the College. Nords were the odd ones out up there, and…maybe we were crazy to join the Companions. What business do we have playing warriors?"
Nina snorted. "Savos Aren recommended us at the Harbinger's request, remember? We're playing nothing. Anyway, the Companions are different since the Dragonborn. They don't automatically distrust magic now – how could they? We've got a shot at something good here, brother," she said, looking over her shoulder as the door to the mead hall opened and Vilkas sauntered onto the porch, carrying a huge backpack and shouldering his greatsword.
"I have to take this up to Eorlund, get it sharpened. We'll leave in ten, make sure you're ready – potions, spells, enchanted stuff...the lot." Vilkas studied the whelps as he barked out directions and lowered his pack to the floor. He hadn't seen either of them since their induction, and he thought he remembered the woman – Nina – being the more enthusiastic of the two. Or, maybe she was just more social. In any case, he'd find out soon enough.
As Vilkas stomped up to the Skyforge, Nina whistled. "I'd forgotten how freakishly handsome he is," she said, and rolled her eyes at her brother's shock. "Oh, don't worry, a perfect ass and chiseled jawline aren't enough to distract me from my goals. He's not my type, anyway. But he and his brother do provide exceptional scenery. Not to mention the dragonborn's husband. There's just something about those giant Nords…"
"Giant…he barely reaches your nose," Brelyn muttered, shading his eyes with his hand as he looked up to the Skyforge. "I'm glad you know better than to try to get involved with the Harbinger, sister. But he's powerful, and power's hard to resist."
"You would know…the look on your face when I found out about you and Mirabelle! I wish I had a picture of it," she said, laughing. "No, don't worry, brother. Your secret is safe with me, and I have no interest in that kind of drama. In any case, I'm not getting involved with anyone I work with. Been there, done that. Too complicated." She smiled, remembering their first few days in Whiterun. "I thought Njada was pranking us when she'd said the Harbinger and his brother were twins. Trying to get us to say something stupid, you know? The size difference alone... This mission's a good opportunity for us, Brelyn. Please don't piss him off and fuck it up."
Vilkas explained what they were up against on the ride downriver to Falkreath. "Sounds like mages," he said, "and I need mages to fight mages, which is why I chose you two to come with." He noticed Brelyn's eyes narrow a little and his mouth twitch. "Got anything to add, whelp?"
"I'm glad the Companions changed their stance regarding mages, that's all," Brelyn said, trying to ignore Nina's pointed stare. She was afraid his attitude would ruin their chances? She might have a point, he thought. He could keep his mouth shut, but damned if he could control his face.
"Gillian changed a lot of minds there," Vilkas admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not afraid to accept when I'm wrong, but…how do you feel about possibly fighting your own today? What if the trouble is coming from mages?"
Brelyn inclined his head toward his sister, who was practically bouncing in her saddle, waiting for her chance to talk. He'd rather watch the river anyway.
"We don't have a problem if they're doing things to hurt people. I mean, do you have a problem fighting other fighters? I know mages can be a close-knit group, but it's mostly because we have to depend on each other. The lack of trust in Skyrim…anyway, if you can fight other warriors, we can fight other mages," Nina stopped herself from rambling as she noticed Vilkas's smirk. "Um, sir."
"You don't have to call me 'sir.'" Vilkas tentatively revised his opinion of the twins. They were equally bright, equally eager, but Brelyn had a huge chip on his shoulder. Just like me when I was a whelp, Vilkas thought. Well, if they became part of the family, that'd change. "Kodlak used to say he was no one's master, and although that's technically true, it's ridiculous to say I don't get to order you around," he said, smiling. "But 'Vilkas' is good enough. We aren't in the Legion, and when I hear 'Harbinger,' I still look around for the old man." He took a drink from his waterskin and put it in his pack. "We have a couple hours ride ahead of us, and we'll stop at Half-Moon Mill and ask what they've seen before we start planning. I'm pretty sure they'll be able to give us more information than what was in our contract."
The Companions dismounted outside the little mill just off the road, already disturbed by what they'd seen in the middle of the lake. The mist around the island was silvery and shifting, and they could see lights pulsing inside. No screaming or chanting, but the mist and lights were enough to convince the twins that their foe was indeed magical.
Vilkas turned to Brelyn and Nina. "Let me do the talking when they come out," he motioned to the mill with his head. "You'll understand why."
Brelyn looked at Nina, who shrugged and followed Vilkas up to the front door of a little house tucked under a dense canopy of trees. It seemed like an ordinary mill; she could hear a saw buzzing closer to the lake, and the sawdust drifting in the air around them smelled of bark and sap.
At Vilkas's knock, a tall, blond Nordwoman opened the door. Her face lit up, and her gaunt shoulders slumped with relief. That was the first thing Nina noticed. The second was the woman's red eyes. But…Nords didn't…
She swallowed hard as it came to her – the woman was a vampire. She looked over her shoulder at Brelyn, who, judging by the tight lines on his face, had come to the same conclusion.
"Thank Talos, the jarl finally sent someone," the vampire said, and then backed up a little as she noticed the twins' expressions and considered other implications of a warrior at her door. "You're here about…the island, right?"
"We are. Vilkas, of the Companions. These are Nina and Brelyn, warrior-mages. We were wondering…our contract contained few substantiated facts. The courier hadn't seen the lake himself. Could you tell us what you've seen over the past-"
She sighed and covered her heart with splayed fingers. "Vilkas. I didn't recognize you. Cut your hair off, did you?" She motioned to Vilkas's closely-cropped, chestnut hair. "First, how's Gillian? Haven't seen her in…almost a year."
Nina gasped softly. The dragonborn consorted with vampires? Their new assignment was getting more intriguing by the minute.
Vilkas smiled. "She's good. Got married a couple of months ago. Kept it secret. Gave us all a big surprise. She'll be back from her honeymoon soon."
Hert sighed and nodded, slinging her arm out toward the lake. "That's been going on for awhile. At least a month, maybe longer. And it's good you have mages, because I can't imagine anything non-magical that would look or sound like that," she said, pointing toward the wall of mist surrounding the island. "It's mostly quiet during the day, but at night, it looks like a lightning storm inside the wall, and there's animal sounds, like keening wolves. Dying. And sometimes screaming that sounds…human."
"Hert, what is this?"
Nina and Brelyn jumped and whirled around to face another thin, blond Nord. He walked swiftly toward them, carrying a pitchfork, his red eyes gleaming in the late-afternoon shadows.
"Hern, it's fine," Hert said in a soothing voice. "They're from the Companions, about the mess out there. They're not here for us."
"No, we're not," Vilkas said, backing away from Hert a step or two. "And as long as we don't get a contract to investigate murders of exsanguinated citizens, we won't be. Is there anything else you can tell us?"
Hern drove his pitchfork into the ground and leaned his stringy arm on the handle. "Lights, flashing, screaming...I've heard chanting, like a spell. Over and over, all night long. And…" He bit his lip and looked over his shoulder at the island.
The three Companions stared, wondering what could be worse. "What? What else?" Nina clamped her lips together as Vilkas turned toward her, his jaw clenched.
Hern sighed. "Sounds like there's a human in there. Being tortured by the sound of it. There's animal sounds coming from that mess, no mistake. But I know a human scream. Back in my feral days, I heard plenty of them. We wanted to go in and take care of it, but I don't want to kill someone who doesn't need killing. And if we're in the heat of battle, well…"
Vilkas turned and stared out at the island. What is going on, and what did we get ourselves into, he asked himself. He turned back to Hert and Hern. "Well, we're here now and can help keep you under control, and provide cover. Do you want in on this or what?"
The vampires looked at each other. "What do you have in mind?"
