He was waiting for her there when she emerged from the double doors. He stood tall and proud, and if she weren't so angry with him, Eris might have actually found the frustrating brute attractive. He'd pulled back the sleeves of his furred armor, revealing muscled arms that looked like they could crush her skull with one fel swoop. Steeling herself, she stepped forward, out into the courtyard.

"State your name," he said.

"Eris Windwalker. And yours?" She could tell her inquiry irked him.

"Vilkas."

"Just Vilkas?"

"To you, yes. Now, show me what you've got. There will be no weapons, just brute strength." Before she realized it, he was running at her with fists raised. She reacted instantly, blocking his hit and landing one of her own. He clipped her side, and the blow nearly winded her. She knew she would have to use his height against him, or he would pummel her into a pulp. With a few quick jabs to pressure points, she swung her leg around low and had him on his back within a few seconds. She stood above him, hoping she hadn't pushed the wrong points, but relaxed when she saw his stunned expression turn into a grin that seemingly stretched ear to ear.

"Where in all of Skyrim did you learn to move like that?" He asked as she helped him to his feet.

"I taught myself," she replied, watching the shocked expression return to his face.

"Really? That's near impressive," he said.

"When you've been alone all your life and have to fend off men who like what they see and declare it theirs...well, you have to learn a few things quickly."

"Well, you have a family now, as a member of the Companions."

"Really? It's that easy?"

"Yup, welcome, you're now the lowest rank. Now, go sharpen my sword at the Skyforge." He handed her a horribly taken care of sword and she stared at it.

"I..what?"

"You heard me. Take it to Eorlund at the Skyforge right over there," he said, pointing to a path that curled up and around a rocky overlook and then walking away. She didn't know whether to be excited or insulted, but she made it into the guild, so she wasn't about to complain. She'd just have to work her way up through the ranks. She grumbled to herself as he pat her on the bum when she started towards the Skyforge.

And it continued like this for days. Eris was always running seemingly useless errands for the higher ranked members, and when she was almost at her breaking point, Aela the Huntress approached her. Eris was ready to receive another pointless task, but it didn't come.

"Skjor wishes to speak with you. Follow me." And follow she did. They found Skjor in the same room that Eris met Vilkas and the greying man, whom she figured out was Kodlak.

"Ah, Eris, it is good to see you. I have a task for you. We have located a fragment of Wuuthrad, the ancient battle axe that once belonged to Ysgramor. It lies in the depths of Dustman's Cairn."

"Am I to do this task alone?" Eris didn't know how she felt about this. She was afraid, but at the same time, she was eager to prove her worth to the group.

"No, Farkas shall be your shield-brother in this. Speaking of the brute, here he is." A man stepped into the room that Eris assumed to be Farkas. She did a double-take, her heart lurching painfully in her chest as heat rushed to her face.

His shoulders were broad, enough that he almost didn't fit through the door. He was tall also, six foot, two to her five foot, four. His muscles were lean, but she knew he was powerful enough. His thick black hair was mussed up, as if he ran his hand through it one too many times. His chin was square-cut and sharp with a shadow of dark hair lining his lower jaw. His nose was slightly crooked, as if it had been broken before in a brawl. Lastly, Eris's gaze traveled up to his eyes. They were cast in dark shadow, either from scarring or marks he painted there himself, but his eyes themselves stood out. Like the other higher ranked members, they were a gold color, but his were more amber than yellow. She felt she could get lost, and when he locked his gaze on her, she felt herself slip away.

At least until Skjor cleared his throat.

"As I was saying, you will travel to Dustman's Cairn and retrieve the fragment of Wuuthrad. It will be several days of journeying, but I will provide you with any supplies you need. Eris, I presume you have a horse?"

"Yes, she may be a mare, but she's strong and fast," she said, dragging her gaze away from Farkas.

"Good. Get some rest, and I will have the supplies ready for you before sunrise."

"We'll leave tonight."

"Farkas yo-"

"No. If this whelp wants to prove herself, we leave tonight. I have supplies ready." His abrupt statement was met with silence.

"It's alright, I am ready and eager to get the task finished," Eris said, not backing down to his challenge. He nodded and left. Eris felt a need to prove her worth, not to the entirety of the Companions, but to him. It was the strangest thing. Sure, she'd thought about settling down a few times in her life, but not in recent years. For whatever reason, she felt a stirring deep within her soul when she saw him, an almost disturbing feeling.

Within the hour, they had their horses saddled and an extra packed. They set out through the main road, but soon trailed off on a small path that lead them around the back of Whiterun.

Hours passed and as the sun dipped below the horizon, they made camp under a thicket of trees. They were well hidden from the road and had a wonderful vantage point, so nobody would be able to sneak up on them. The woods were filled with bandits, and one could never be too careful. They hung thick blankets from low-hanging tree branches, creating lean-to tents with them. Eris laid out her bed roll while Farkas laid out his. The silence stretched between them until Eris felt that something, anything, should be said.

"So, you and Vilkas. Are you brothers?"

"Yes, what gave it away?" Farkas's gruff tone hinted at mild sarcasm.

"You two look alike."

"Yes. Our father left us at Jorrvaskr to go fright in the Great War, and he never returned. We were the youngest to join the companions."

"I'm sorry," Eris said, reverently.

"For what?"

"For losing your father. My family, too, was killed in the war and I have none left. I can't imagine how lonely it must've been for you as boys." Farkas's gaze softened and he heaved a big sigh.

"The companions are more a family to us than any other member will realize. They took us in, clothed and fed us, and trained us to be warriors. Is that why you joined? To have a family again? Or was it to run away from your past? I heard you were an escaped convict. Why were you arrested?"

"Imperial scum picked me up trying to cross the border into Morrowind, they assumed I was a spy and took me without question. I would be dead if it weren't for the dragon, though I almost died because of it as well." More silence ensued.

"We should sleep now. We have half the journey ahead of us still, and bandit encounters will become more abundant." He laid down and turned his back to Eris with finality. Eris laid down as well, thinking of the life she left in Morrowind, of the half-brother she found out she still had. Sleep took her hours before dawn was to arrive, a restless kind of sleep that left one more exhausted when they woke up.