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Eydis is exhausted. It is well past midnight when she stands in front of the gates of Markarth, returning after her "successful" infiltration of the Thalmor Embassy. She has gotten the information she needs but Malborn's life is forever ruined and she had escorted him to the border, making sure that he escaped the country safely. But he will never feel safe and guilt gnaws at her as she can't shake off the feeling that he would rather have died at the Embassy than live a life on the run. All she wants now is to be close to her husband and lay low for a few days before they head to Riverwood to hand Delphine the intel Eydis has stolen.

The city of stone lies dark under the moonless night, and she looks up in the direction of Vlindrel Hall, sighing softly as she wonders if she should run a bath before she heads to bed. She has barely reached the market when she stops, staring at the man in front of her in confusion.

Vilkas is stood in front of the stall where Kerah normally sells her jewellery, staring at it with a distant look on his face and shoulders sunken. Moments later he has a piece of bread in his hand and he starts eating on it slowly, his eyes still on the stall. Eydis is not sure of what to do. She is his wife, but she still feels like she is intruding by watching him. Vilkas enjoys his private moments, as does she, and it is not uncommon for them to sit in different corners of a room, reading their books and not speaking for hours. This however is something new, something different.

"Vilkas?"

Her voice is quiet, uncertain, and he doesn't hear her. Instead he chews on his bread until there is nothing left to eat and he shrugs to himself before he walks to the stairs. She follows slowly, wondering if he has started to walk in his sleep while she has been away. Then she wonders how long has she been gone for. She thinks back, counting the days since she had last shared a bed with her husband, and another pang of guilt fills her. Too long.

He had not wanted her to infiltrate the Embassy, afraid that she might get caught, but she had insisted. It was the only way to find out if the Thalmor were behind the return of Alduin. She should have told him to stay in Jorvaskrr, to spend time with his family again. It has been a while since he has seen Farkas and Eydis knows that Vilkas misses him.

While she follows him she wonders if they should move back to the halls of the Companions. At least then they will be around their shield-siblings again, and he will be closer to his brother; at least then he won't have to wait restlessly with nothing to do while she is away on Dragonborn – business. She has neglected her duties as Harbinger as well, and another lump of guilt forms in her stomach. She is tired of feeling guilty, tired of fighting dragons and the Thalmor. She wants to settle down with her husband and be the Harbinger Kodlak hoped she would be.

She stops when Vilkas turns left instead of right and she watches him as he walks up to one of the trees that have grown like wild moss along the walls of the city. He stares at it for a long time and he looks almost like a child staring at the horizon, longing for adventure. Something squeezes her heart and she glares when a passing guard tells Vilkas not to lollygag. He turns then and moves in her direction and for the first time since she has discovered him he sees her in the dark night. He stops in front of her and gives her a smile. She can see his face more clearly now and he looks tired, and drunk, but more of the former than the latter.

"You're home," he says and there is relief in his voice and a content look on his face.

Her heart skips a beat and he wraps his arms around her, closes his eyes and presses his forehead against hers. He smells of mead and he looks so, so tired and she knows that he worries about her, about his brother, about his family.

"We're moving back to Jorvaskrr," she says and he replies with a sleepy hum.

He doesn't protest when she places an arm around his back and takes him back to Vlindrel Hall, and he falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow in their bed.

Delphine can wait, she thinks as she quietly packs what they need for their journey.

They're going home.