Brother and Sister in Arms Ch. 4

"Wh-what?" Garth's words began to stammer as his tongue went numb.

"Ah, you must not be from Skyrim. Shield-Brothers and Sisters are members of The Companions in Jorrvaskar."

"I've heard of The Companions," the older brother blurted, before realizing his awkwardness.

But the woman just smirked. "I should hope so. After all, Jorrvaskar is the oldest building in Whiterun, and it has always been the mead hall of The Companions. Not just anyone can join, either. We're all warriors that have ascended to legend."

Garth's eyes were practically sparkling with admiration for the curvy woman. Robyn quickly bounced to his side, wrapping her arm around his. "Hi, I'm Robyn," she introduced herself. "This is my big brother, Garth."

The huntress smiled at her and gently pat her head. "And how lucky you are to have such a strong and brave big brother," she cooed. Turning to the older sibling, she shook his hand tightly. "My name's Aela. We're going back to Jorrvaskar now, but if you think you're up to joining us, go speak to Kodlak Whitemane. He may be old, but he's even wiser than he looks. He'll be the judge if you're worthy." With that, she waved her hand to signal to the others that their work was done.

"B-b-bye," Garth murmured, eyes fixated on the hypnotic sway of her hips as she walked away from him. For a moment he just stared, completely transfixed.

Robyn nudged Garth with her elbow. "See? There's another reason to stay in Skyrim right there!" she beamed.

"Huh? Who?" he asked, being shaken from his stupor. "Aela? I mean, we just met her."

"Not Aela, silly. The Companions. Think about how jealous everyone at the Fighter's Guild back home would be to find out that you were one of the famous Companions! That'd be super cool, wouldn't it?"

"I suppose so," he admitted, scratching his head. "Though, honestly, I doubt they'd let in someone like me."

"You mean 'us'?"

"No, I mean me. I know they wouldn't let you in," he snidely replied.

The younger sibling put her fists on her hips and glared at him. "And why not? I'm just as brave as you are! Maybe even more brave since you didn't even want to help fight the giant."

"Look, I get that the temple of Dibella will take literally anyone who asks to join, but we're talking about the Companions. They're the elite of the elite, and there's no way they'd let in a brat like you."

She turned her nose up at her brother. "Hmmph. I guess we'll see. Once we're done talking to the Jarl, I'm going to march right up to Kodlak and tell him I want to join. And when he says I can be in it and you can't, I'm going to rub it in your smug face."

"Ha! Good luck with that. If they let you in, they'd definitely let me in. I'm stronger, faster, and smarter than you. I'm just better."

"Oh yeah! Prove it!" Robyn retorted. "Let's…" she stopped looking around before setting her eyes on the gate in the distance. "Let's have a race. First one to the city gates wins. Ready...go!"

"Hold on," Garth cried as she took off in a mad sprint. "Cheating little snot. She knows I'm wearing heavy armor," he protested. Still, not one to be outdone, he ran after her, and like that the competition was on.

Surprisingly, Garth had actually managed to catch up to his little sister, even in his armor. As their boots pounded the cobblestone, he glanced at her to see she was trying her hardest to keep up her pace. If not for the fact he was already starting to lose a bit of stamina, he'd laugh. She was already winded? She was barely even wearing clothes.

As the pair turned the corner, they were greeted by armed guards, shields raised. "HALT!" he boomed, causing them to screech to a stop. "Whiterun is closed due to the attack on Helgen. State your business or begone."

"Closed? But you just let Aela and the others in!" Robyn gasped.

"Aye," his partner said. "And if you were one of the Companions, we may be more trusting of you as well, outsider. Now we will not ask again! State your business."

"We need to speak to the Jarl," the brother explained. "We have news about the attack on Helgen."

"I see...very well. You can go in, but we'll have our eyes on you. So don't go making trouble."

"Don't worry, sir. She won't," Garth promised, shoving his sister forward.

When she placed her hands on the wooden door and pushed it open, she paused for a moment to shoot him a smirk over her shoulder. "Hey, Garth. Looks like I win." With that, she skipped into the city.

"You're lucky there are guards here, or I'd strangle you," he grumbled under his breath.

Robyn hummed to herself as she walked, every now and again checking to make sure her brother was still present. "Isn't this place great?" she asked.

"It's just a town, Robyn. Same as any other one."

"Aww, are you still grumpy that your little sister beat you in a race?" she teased. That's when her brother stopped walking. Fearing that she may have angered him, Robyn moved closer to him. "Garth? You know I was just kidding, right?"

However, his eyes weren't on her. They were pointed towards the large wooden building that looked like an upside down ship. It was Jorrvaskr. "What if I'm not worthy?" he asked, his words barely falling from his lips. "I want to be an adventurer. But what if I'm no good?"

"Hey, stop thinking like that!" his sister lectured. She shook him before looking dead into his eyes. "Even if The Companions don't take you, don't you dare think that means you aren't any good. You're my big brother, and that makes you more than good enough."

Still, he didn't say anything. Finally, he pulled away from her and stepped around her. "Come on," he called back. "We still need to speak to the Jarl." With a sigh, the younger sibling trailed along behind him.

The moment they entered Dragonsreach, they could hear an argument going on between multiple parties. A regally dressed man stood, arguing with a woman in armor, though the Imperial wasn't so much talking to her as he was to the bearded man upon his throne.

"My lord, please. We cannot act rashly. There's no telling if the news from Helgen is even true."

"Halt!"

The voice was so sudden, it made Garth and Robyn jump. In an instant, the dark elf had drawn her sword, and was advancing on the two of them.

"The Jarl is currently in council. He is not to be interrupted by outsiders."

"But this is important!" Robyn protested, until the tip of the sword rested just an inch from her nose.

"If you speak again, I will cut out your tongue," she threatened.

Garth chimed in this time. "We have news from Helgen," he stated.

The man on the throne waved off his nagging advisor, staring at the newcomers in his home. "Let them through, Irileth," he instructed. The Dunmer sheathed her blade, stepping aside, though her glare betrayed her suspicion. "You'll have to excuse her. She is very protective of me. Sometimes more than one would expect of a housecarl. You say you brought news from Helgen?"

Robyn nodded excitedly. "Yeah! We got arrested in the woods, then we were dragged to Helgen, then we were about to be executed, but then this huuuuuuge Dragon swooped down. And he was like 'RAWR!' and then there was a lot of screaming and running. And so here we are."

The Jarl stared at the sister, trying to unpack all of her statements. A couple seconds later, he shook his head turning to the much more composed one. He opened his mouth to ask him to inform him, but doing so would be rude. Garth understood well enough though. "A dragon attacked Helgen. We know this because we escaped."

"Did...she mention something about being executed? What in Oblivion were you two arrested for?"

"Ooh, so that's a funny story, too," Robyn began before Garth clamped his hand over his sister's mouth.

"We were caught crossing the border into Skyrim," he stated. "We were just unlucky enough to walk into an Imperial ambush. They managed to catch Jarl Ulfric. But that is not important, my lord. What is important is that Riverwood is presently defenseless, should the dragon return. It was seen flying from Helgen towards the mountains."

"By Ysmir...Irileth was right. We must send a detachment at once."

His advisor immediately protested. "Sir, that could be taken as a sign of war. What if another Jarl thinks that we're mounting–"

"Enough." Balgruuf's voice was not loud by any stretch. He hadn't yelled at the man. Still, there was a force behind it that immediately silenced him. "I will not stand by while my people are in danger, Proventus. Irileth, you have your orders."

"At once, my Jarl," she replied, bowing politely before going to act on his wishes.

"Thank you for bringing me this information," the Jarl continued, turning back to the siblings. "Will you be staying in Whiterun for a while?"

Again Robyn's head bobbed up and down. "We're going to try out for The Companions," she beamed.

Balgruuf scratched his blonde beard, looking at her skeptically. "That is an honorable path. Though, are you sure you've suited for such a life? Perhaps you'd be better off working at the Bannered Mare or…"

"We're adventurers," she countered with pride. "I'm Robyn. This guy is my big brother Garth. He's not much of a talker, sometimes."

"Sometimes, that is an indication of wisdom," Proventus commented, his eyes narrowing on the girl. Garth struggled to keep a straight face. It was nice to finally have someone who found his sister as annoying as he did.

"Well, if you two are adventurers, there is something I'd like for you to do for me before going about your business. Come."

The Jarl stood from his throne and led them to a side room of the hall. There, a man in mage robes was scurrying back and forth between his notes, an enchantment table, and an alchemy station.

Balgruuf clapped his hands on the siblings' shoulders. "Farengar, I have brought you two volunteers to help with your research."

"Into dragons?" he asked, poking his head up. His eyes fell on Garth and he immediately shook his head. "No, no. Someone like you? I doubt you could be of help." When he looked at Robyn though, he nodded his head towards her. "Maybe her."

The Jarl, realizing his opportunity to exit from the awkward man, took his leave. "Hiya," Robyn greeted cheerfully. "I'm Robyn. This is Garth."

"Maybe not…" the mage grumbled. "Wait! There is something you can do for me."

"Great!" she cheered. "We're happy to help."

"Liar," Garth coughed.

Farengar glared at the two, before letting the issue fall. "I need the two of you to fetch something for me. And by fetch, I mean go on a perilous journey to Bleak Falls Barrow. There should be a stone tablet there that has…"

"You mean this one?" Robyn asked, pulling it out and dropping it on his desk.

For a moment, he just stared at the tablet before looking back at the siblings. "Well, I see you've already found the Dragonstone of Bleak Falls Barrow. I'll admit, I underestimated you. I half expected you to leave and never return."

"So, are we done here?" Garth asked.

"Ah, yes. Your task is completed. Now leave me to my research. Jarl Balgruuf is expecting my findings."

"Weird guy," Robyn whispered in Garth's ear as the two left the keep.

Garth stood staring nervously at the doors to Jorrvaskr. "Well? Are we going in?" his sister asked him.

When she reassuringly pat his back, he finally began to move. Rigidly, like an automaton, he raised his fist and knocked loudly on the door. For a moment, there was silence. "Well, guess they're not here," he said.

"Brother, people don't tend to knock before they enter a mead hall," Robyn pointed out. "Come on, there's no reason to be nervous."

The door swung open, revealing the curious gaze of a khajiit in heavy armor. Her tail swung back and forth as she waited for one of them to speak.

"Hey there. I'm Robyn and we–"

"Khajiit, no want cookies," she stated before slamming the door shut.

The siblings exchanged confused glances before the door once more reopened revealing the huntress they had met that morning. "Oh! It's you two! I'd hoped to see you again. Sorry about Kat. She's new, and honestly she…" Aela peered behind her to see Kat sitting on the table, leg pointed in the air as she tried to groom herself on her upper thigh. "She has some issues," she finished, before flashing a grin. "Also, you don't have to knock. Come on in."

"Th-thank y-y-you," Garth stammered out, following behind.

Robyn closed the door behind her, just before a Dunmer went flying past her. A woman with large arms came charging past, causing the younger sibling to give a squeak as she moved to get out of the way.

When the woman started to fiercely pound on the Dunmer, and he fighting back, Robyn quickly followed after her brother. This place, she decided, could be dangerous. Aela seemed to notice, and gave a hearty laugh. "Don't worry about it too much, princess. Those two are always at it. You're in the safest place in Skyrim right now."

"So...umm...Aela," Garth murmured. "I need to speak to...who? To join, I mean."

The red-headed huntress jerked her thumb towards a flight of stairs leading downward. "At the end of the hall, you should find Kodlak. Ask him about joining, though I'm sure you'll have no problem getting in."

Garth took a few steps before pausing. "Are you not coming with us?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, I've got some work that needs to be done," she explained. "But I wish you luck anyway."

"Thanks!" Robyn grinned.

Aela covered her mouth to hide a snicker, but before Robyn could press her on it, she already started walking away. When she turned to her brother, she found he was already descending the stairs.

"Hey, wait up," she called after him. "Don't you want to go together?"

"Not particularly," Garth answered.

His sister again was hurt by her brother's cold response. How long was he going to hold this against her? A week? A month? Forever? A sinking pit formed in her stomach as they walked down the hallway.

Two men sat at a table, one grey haired, the other tall with black grease paint around his eyes. "We have a pair of strangers in our halls," the older one noted calmly. "How may I help you two?"

Just as Garth went to open his mouth, Robyn jumped in. "We're here to join the Companions!"

The dark-haired one looked at her dumbfounded. "...What?"

"Aela said to talk to you about joining. You're Kodlak Whitemane, right? I can tell because your beard is white."

The older man chuckled politely. "I fear that was not always the case. It is a name I have grown into with age. Now, let me take a look at you two." For a moment, he just stared at them. His eyes were piercing, as if they could dig into your heart and find all of your secrets. "Yes, I do think you two may be a good fit for The Companions."

"...Seriously?" his friend asked. "Master, this man I can somewhat understand, but the girl?"

"I am no one's master. And you should not judge a book by its cover, Vilkas."

"But we don't even know if they're capable fighters!" he protested.

"I'm more than capable," Garth said, finally speaking up. "I was in the Fighter's Guild in Cyrodiil."

Kodlak scratched his chin in thought before nodding. "Vilkas is right. A test is in order. And since you were the one who raised the issue, Vilkas, you can be the one to test the boy's arm. What did you say your name was again?"

"I'm Garth. The girl is my sister, Robyn."

"It is a pleasure to meet you both."

Vilkas stood from his chair with a sigh. "Very well. Come with me to the yard, and we'll test you."

As Robyn went to follow her older brother, Kodlak rested his hand on her shoulder. "Not you," he told her. "I shall be administering your test personally. Please, have a seat. Relax. Drink some mead."

When Garth and Vilkas finally stood in the courtyard, the black-haired man began to stretch in preparation. "Alright, whelp. Come at me with everything you got. I just want to test out your swing. Don't worry, I can take it."

"Okay," Garth breathed, drawing his axe and shield. In a blur, the young fighter struck his shield hard against Vilkas'. The sound that echoed out was like a cannon, but Vilkas barely slid a few inches in the dirt.

This was Garth's chance to show what he could do, so he'd been hoping to knock the man off his feet. It looked like the guy wasn't just boasting when he said he could take it though.

Vilkas pushed back against the shield, trying to reverse the push, but Garth jumped back making it ineffective. He then came at the black-haired man with a flurry of swings from his axe.

Every hit was another loud clang in the cacophony of their "spar" until finally, Vilkas held up his other hand. "Enough," he instructed. Lowering his shield, he offered his hand to Garth. "Welcome to The Companions, new blood. You've got a good arm. However, don't start getting cocky. You're still a whelp to the rest of us."

"Whelp?" the other repeated. "I'm not–"

Vilkas tossed his sword to the older brother. "Take my blade to Eorlund and have him sharpen it. Whelp."

When he marched off, Garth was left in a mix of emotions. He was pissed about being an errand boy, and he didn't much enjoy being called a whelp, either. However, it was starkly contrasted by the fact that he'd just been accepted as a new blood into the Companions. And that meant, he'd get to spend more time with Aela.

By the time he'd finished climbing the stairs up to the forge, whatever irritation he had was flooded away by his daydreams of working beside the beautiful woman. An older man sat at the grindstone, sharpening an axe carefully. "Excuse me, are you Eorlund Gray-mane?"

"Indeed, I am. Is there someway I can help you?"

The younger man extended his arms outward with the sword. "Vilkas sent me to ask you to sharpen his sword."

"Did he now?" Eorlund asked, turning to face him. Standing up he shook his hand with a mighty grip that showed the work he'd put into his smithing. "You must be a new recruit. Welcome to The Companions."

"Thanks."

Taking the sword from him, the blacksmith set it down to work on later. "For the record, they call themselves The Companions because they are all equal. No one is in charge of someone else there. If you keep just doing what you're told all the time, you won't go very far."

"Oh. Thank you for the advice. I will bear it in mind. But...isn't Kodlak the leader of The Companions?"

"Not at all," said Eorlund. "He's the Harbinger. That means if there is trouble, The Companions seek him for guidance, but as I said, no one rules over anyone. That being said, however, I do have a favor to ask of you."

Biting his tongue to point out the hypocrisy, Garth just nodded his head in surrender. "With pleasure. What do you need?"

"I just finished fixing up this shield for Aela, and she just got back from some errands. Normally, I'd deliver it myself, but my wife is in mourning and I'd like to–"

"Say no more!" Garth exclaimed, snatching the shield from him and running back towards the mead hall. He was just looking for an excuse to talk more with Aela. And now he'd just been given one.

For a few moments, Robyn and Kodlak sat in silence. The old man was staring at her, a kind smile on his face. Normally, she'd have found this behavior creepy, but she could tell from his eyes that it was less the smile of a lecherous fogey and more one of recognition.

"So, tell me, young one...why do you wish to join our ranks? Pardon my rudeness, but you certainly do not look like the warrior type."

The young priestess twiddled her thumbs and bit her lip. "I don't know if I should be telling you this. My brother and I are fugitives of the Empire. It was kind of my fault, and now we can't go back home and…" For the first time since she'd gotten to Skyrim, tears began to well up in her eyes.

Kodlak didn't even skip a beat. He offered her a handkerchief, which she gratefully took. "Please, go on. Anything you tell me is in confidence."

"I think my brother hates me," she whispered. "I mean, we always have argued in the past, but this time is different. It's like he wants to cut me from his life completely. And...and I can't…" She gave a hiccup, trying to avoid sobbing.

"You have a lot of love for your brother," Kodlak noted.

"Y-yeah. But there's something else. You see, I'm a priestess of Dibella. Or at least I was, back in Cyrodiil. I'd just been inducted when my brother and I decided to celebrate. My brother kept teasing me about it. He implied that I was slutty and that I'd basically become a whore for the Divines."

"That's awful," he replied.

"I'm used to it," she admitted. "Not from Garth necessarily, but in general. Most people don't understand the connections that priestesses have with Lady Dibella. They don't realize that her education is to spread love and connection. I think what I'm doing is pure. Even if it may not seem like it from the outside."

"I see…"

Robyn glanced down the hallway, ensuring they were alone. "I wanted to get back at my brother for his teasing. I put moonsugar in some sweetrolls and gave them to him. Honestly, I just wanted to embarrass him. Make him dance naked in the street or some such silly thing." Her cheeks turned a deep scarlet as she smiled softly. "Instead, he made love to me. And to be honest, it was the closest I've ever felt to Dibella. The moment it happened, I knew this was something she sent to me. I often prayed for my brother, but I didn't realize that maybe I was supposed to be the one to show him."

Kodlak took a long sip from his mead. He set it down, his expression neutral as he looked Robyn dead in the eyes. "You're right," he told her.

"Huh? I am?"

"Absolutely. Trust me. I've lived many years, lass. I've seen love and hate walk in and out of doors multiple times. When you're in The Companions, you're family. And you can bet that if these walls could talk, they would have very similar stories to yours."

That made Robyn smile, but it was short lived. "I want to do it again," she said finally. "I want to feel closer to Dibella. Closer to Garth, too. That's why I want to join The Companions. So long as we're both here, that means my brother and I are together. And that's all that matters to me." When Kodlak didn't say anything, she bowed her head. "But, I know what you're going to say. The Companions aren't meant for someone like me. I'm not strong or swift. You've been really nice to me so far. So please, even though you won't let me be a member of The Companions, please let me stay here with Garth."

Kodlak reached over and took her hand with a smile. "I'll do you one better. Welcome to The Companions, Robyn. As it turns out, we may not have enough beds where the other newbloods sleep. But there is a guest room open. Assuming you don't mind sharing a bed with your brother of course."

The young girl's eyes lit up and with a squeal of excitement, she threw her arms around the old man's neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried. Turning, she dashed off down the hall to find her brother and tell him the good news. It didn't even occur to her that she'd never actually told Kodlak her name.

To be continued...