"You'd better watch your tongue whelp. Before I cut it off." Vilkas growled at Jayne from across the room causing her to immediately shrink at the sound of his gravelly voice.

"I didn't..." She began to apologies but was cut off by the sound of Vilkas' flagon smashing down of the table, orange mead sloshed messily over the sides.

She immediately shut up.

"You will not last the night here, you are merely a pup." He spoke sincerely, staring at his mead cup. That terrified her.

Abruptly, he glanced up at her. Causing her to unwillingly shift her gaze from his, she could still feel him looking at her even though the only thing she could see were the worn slabs of stone on the floor.

"Here," he mumbled, tossing a shield that was leant against his chair to her. It hit the floor with a dull metal clang and slid across the flags until it kissed the toe of her steel boots. "It's Aela's. She needs it back and I'm too drunk to stand,"

Jayne bent down, wrapping her slim fingers around the sides of the giant shield. It was a dark gray with a pattern of engraved swirls across its worn surface, she ran her hands along it in wonder, feeling the deep dents across it. She strained to lift it, feeling it slip through her small delicate hands and hit the floor again with a loud crash, it startled her and she jumped backwards impaling herself on a piece of wood that was jutting from the wall.

"Argh!" She yelped, surreptitiously rubbing her back.

Sheepishly she looked back up at Vilkas, he stared at her with a face full of contempt and snarl crawling over his lips. He rose from his seat and stormed across to her, sweeping up the shield with one hand and pushing it toward her, hard. Jayne pulled up her hands in time to catch the shield, she could feel the warriors hot breath on her face as he frowned at her, pressing her against the wall.

"It's a shield." He said slowly, darkly, "It won't bite"

With a final push into her Vilkas swept from the room. Leaving Jayne pale and shaking in the corner she swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. The man seemed so damaged and so protective of his family, a newcomer to him could only threaten the peace, not enforce it.

Sullenly, Jayne left in search of Aela, thinking about how long she could avoid Vilkas for. She was under the impression that The Companions would offer her comfort and friendship, she didn't even think they knew she was Dovahkiin; yet she was greeted by a cold shoulder and unimpressed attitudes, they viewed her as just another Nord hoping for glory.

Jayne found the archer sat cross legged outside in the training area, she was using a small dagger to sharpen the points of her arrows. Her reddy brown hair fell into her eyes and Jayne watched as she constantly attempted to blow it out of the way.

"Aela?" She asked quietly, brandishing the shield partly for protection. Aela didn't hear. "Aela?" She asked, slightly louder.

Aela looked up, her face covered with three thick green stripes. She smiled warmly at Jayne, creating a strange contrast between her white teeth and the paint on her face.

"Hi there," She said sweetly, "Oh my shield, you're great," The huntress nimbly got to her feet, prancing over to pluck the shield from her hands.

Jayne watched as the conversation died and Aela sat down, ready to sharpen more arrows. Jayne stared at the huge pile next to the girl, she watched as Aela sighed deeply as she glanced at the number left to sharpen.

"Do you need some help?" Jayne asked, coming down to sit by Aela, her armor clunking heavily around her.

"Oh Gods that would be perfect," She smiled and picked up another arrow, urging Jayne to do the same.

Jayne picked up an arrow, pulled out her own jewel encrusted dagger and began to sharpen in into a fine point.

"I guess Vilkas sent you?" Aela inquired, her jade green eyes fixed on the arrow she had in her hands.

Jayne glanced around. She was not going to repeat the same situation twice in one day.

"Yes, he'd had a little to drink," She mumbled, a tiny smile playing across her lips.

"It isn't often when he hasn't," Aela laughed loudly, an annoying laugh that was continuously on one pitch, "Don't let him use you as his lap dog,"

They stayed like this for hours, chatting about the Companions and Vilkas and Farkas and their lives before this, they talked until darkness swept down over them, the evening.

Suddenly Aela looked up to the approaching night.

"Ahh, it's getting dark." Aela seemed snappy, different to the girl Jayne was speaking with moments ago, "You best go into the living quarters and choose yourself a bed," Aela directed a weak smile her way but kept glancing at the omnipresent moon.

Jayne opened her mouth to say her goodbyes but was cut off by Aela.

"Now," Aela snapped, "Please."