Eriah and Farkas were sitting with their children in Hjerim when a knock sounded at the door. Calder got up to answer. "Ah, Master Farkas, it's your brother." he said, standing aside to let in Vilkas. "Uncle Vilkas!" Sofie and Samuel yelled in delight before running to jump him. "Hey, kids. Nice to see you, too." Farkas's twin said. "What brings you all the way to Windhelm?" Eriah asked. "You're going to love this. I found where you-know-what is hiding. Thought you'd like to take a little hunting trip." Vilkas said. Eriah and Farkas looked at each other. "Kids, can you play outside for a bit? We need to speak of this matter with your uncle in private. Calder, can you keep an eye on them as well?" Eriah asked. "But Ma, we barely see Uncle Vilkas since he lives all the way in Whiterun." Samuel said. "Don't you two worry. I'm planning on staying a couple days to rest up from the trip. There will be plenty of time to visit but your mother is right. This is a matter not for little ears." Vilkas said, rubbing his nephew's head. "Okay, Uncle Vilkas." Sofie said. "I'll take them to the stables. Sofie's been wanting to learn how to ride but I never had the chance to bring this up with you." Calder said.
"Of course. Keizaal is at your service." Eriah said. She gave her kids kisses before sending them on their way. When it was the three of them, the adults sat down at the table. "So where is she?" the Dragonborn asked. "I tracked the last Glenmoril Witch down to a cave in Hjaalmarch near Morthal. All signs indicate she thinks she gave me the slip and has been there for some time. I don't think she'll be moving anytime soon. The time to strike is now." Vilkas said. "Thank the Divines. I must be on my way now." Eriah said. "Eriah..." Farkas said, making her pause. The two looked at each other before he set a hand on his wife's face. "I know I can't go along on account of this damn injury I got last week helping you clear that bandit cave but I'd feel better if you took someone along to watch your back." he said, gesturing to his bandaged leg. It had been a nasty wound. Eriah looked over at her brother-in-law. "I'd volunteer but I'm beat from all the travel and I really want to spend time with the kids. Sorry, Sister." he said. "Farkas...you know there's only one other person outside the Circle who knows I'm a werewolf and it was only through some luck that I wasn't killed over it. You're asking me to take him along even though he's got a city to run and a Moot to arrange." Eriah said.
"Ulfric is really the only option, love. Besides, it would be like the old days when you served in the Stormcloaks. But if you want to risk exposing your secret to someone else, then Calder's your best bet. As your housecarl, it's his duty to watch your back." Farkas said. Eriah had more of a problem with this than he knew and she didn't want to jeopardize anything. "I can handle this alone." she said, standing up. "Sister...the last Glenmoril Witch is the strongest of her coven. Even with your strength and power, she may still overcome you. We're asking for you to take back-up just in case. Especially since you have to travel across Winterhold and the Pale to get there. You trust the Jarl with your life and you call him a friend, don't you? If everything I've heard from my brother is true, then he would be honored to help you." Vilkas said. Eriah sighed before scratching her head. "Look, I can't promise that he'll go along but I did promise to tell him when this happened in exchange for his silence. If he offers to come, fine, but if not, then I'm on my own. I don't want to expose myself to Calder or anyone else." she said. "Fair enough." Farkas said.
The twins watched as the Dragonborn looked at her left hand. She pulled off her wedding band and held it out to Farkas. "For safe-keeping. I don't want to break it if I'm forced to transform." she explained. Her husband took it before wrapping his arms around her and kissing her. "Go get that hagraven, Sister. We'll be here." Vilkas said. With a smile, she headed upstairs to the master bedroom. She packed a small bag with several changes of clothes, just in case she had to transform. Giving in to the beastblood was always her last resort and she needed to be careful. "Anything you need me to do for you?" came Farkas's voice. "Could you start pulling my Daedric armor off the mannequin? Once, I'm done here, I'm going to let Ulfric know I'm going to be gone and then I'm coming back for all this." she said. "Of course." Farkas said. He turned away to head to the armory when he felt his wrist being grabbed. He looked back at his wife. "Farkas...do you really trust me to be alone with an unmarried man on this trip?" she asked. He cocked an eye, noting she seemed a bit pale.
"Why would that bother me? You've done this sort of thing plenty of times with me and the other Companions." he said. "That was the Companions...BEFORE I was married. This is Ulfric Stormcloak, my former commander and a good friend, added to the fact I'm a married woman now." she said. "What has gotten into you all of a sudden? When did this become such a big deal?" Farkas asked. Eriah looked down, knowing that if she slipped up, her secret would be out. Her heart ached immensely from her love for her husband but also from the unrequited feelings she had carried with her all this time. "I can't read your mind but I'm more than willing to remind you that I trust you unconditionally. I really don't think I have anything to worry about. Besides, you're the Dragonborn. You've always gone your own way and you didn't let what other people think bother you. I know you take our marriage seriously but don't take it so seriously that it's going to put you at risk. I don't know Ulfric as well as you do but I know he respects you greatly." Farkas said. Eriah had wonder where this side of him came from. He usually wasn't this talkative.
"I'm overthinking things, aren't I?" she asked, deflating a bit. "You kind of are. But if he chooses not to go, then you can have it your way. I only said I'd feel better if you had someone watching your back but I never said you had to. I'm sorry I wasn't clear on that." he assured her. "I'm sorry, too. I just seem to be off my game lately. I haven't been able to attend the meetings discussing Skyrim's future since we won the war so I'm feeling a bit useless right now. You see...Ulfric thinks that if the Jarls got it into their heads that he and I make a good match because we led the Stormcloaks to victory in the war, that they would pressure us to marry. He assured me they know I'm already spoken for but he still keeps me away as a precaution." Eriah admitted. "It's okay. Just get out there, take care of business, and come back to me. That's all I ask. Whatever happens, happens." Farkas said. He then looked down, a look of sadness on his face. "What's wrong?" Eriah asked. "I'm ashamed that I can't go with you. I feel like I'm nothing but dead weight to you." he said. Smiling sadly, Eriah placed a hand under his chin and made him meet her eyes. "You're not dead weight, my love. You're the strongest and gentlest man I know and I love you for that. You cover for my weaknesses and made me feel like I could do anything. I know we promised to take out the last Witch together but fate had other plans. Whether you're there or not, this is still a victory for us, not me alone. No matter how far apart we are, you're always here." she said, taking his hand and placing it over her heart. Despite her long buried secret, her words were nothing but pure truth. There was no one she'd rather spend her life with than the man who stood before her now.
Farkas closed the gap and kissed her. Without fail, she felt her knees go weak and she leaned against him. Despite his injury, her husband remained steadfast. When they parted, they kept their foreheads together. "I don't deserve you, Farkas. Truly." she whispered. "I'm the one who doesn't deserve you. You're smarter than me and more sure of yourself at times. I was sure once that you'd choose Vilkas over me because he's more on your level than I am." he said. Eriah just chuckled before their lips met again, deeper this time. The two then split up to carry on with their tasks. Eriah came down and set her pack on the table before heading to the Palace of the Kings. Her mind was already focused on the task at hand. Soon she would be free of Hircine and her lycanthropy. One thing she never really confided in others was this fear that Akatosh would be unable to save her from the Huntsman if she didn't cure herself of lycanthropy before she died. It was an odd fear, knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt that the soul of the Dragonborn was his alone and no one, Aedra or Daedra, could supersede his claim. She had also been promised a place in Sovngarde by Tsun as reward for felling Alduin the World-Eater. Akatosh would do his part in protecting her from the Daedric Princes most keen on her soul, such as Hermaeus Mora, and she would be able to rest eternally in Sovngarde. Still, she feared that somehow, one of the Daedric Princes would be able to best her patron god and take her soul.
For now, she had to focus on throwing off Hircine's claim and she took comfort in knowing his claim depended solely on her continuing curse. Once she was free of her wolf spirit, there would nothing tying her to the Huntsman anymore. Unlike Princes like Mehrunes Dagon or Molag Bal, Hircine was a more...compassionate figure. He wasn't known for destruction, content to let his beasts run wild and rewarded the hunters in his Grounds based on their performances. Still, serving the Daedra wasn't in her nature. Her dragon soul put her at odds with dominating figures and Princes like Clavicus Vile and Sheogorath got a kick out of it. Hircine was more like Nocturnal, not really caring about much. Eriah was pretty sure that once she rid herself of his curse, he wouldn't kick up much of a fuss.