At last Vilkas was on the road, he tread behind his Harbinger, who was still slightly upset. His pack was filled with clothes, weapons, bandages, food and Laiyana's journal. After almost an hour of silence, the normally quite Vilkas grew impatient with the woman who usually talked his ears off.
"Where are we going?" He asked
"Brotherhood" She said icily and he was quiet.
"You wait at least a mile away" she said and he shook his head
"No thanks I'll come to make sure you don't think us too inferior to return" he said and she turned around sharply
"Did I say that? No I didn't. Fine, but if you tell a soul I will gut you alive without a second thought, the Brotherhood offered me a real family before the Companions ever did." She spat and turned around, walking again. Vilkas sat stunned for a moment at her rapid mood swings before following.
After another hour they came to a clearing in Dawnstar. The waves lapped at the shore as the black door with a frightening image on it hissed before opening. She beckoned to Vilkas and he warily stepped forwards. The first scent that hit his nose was the smell of death and blood, the second thing his wolf picked up on was the scent of a vampire. His wolf howled within, wanting to yank the Harbinger back and attack whatever was giving the scent off. Laiyana however, pressed forwards even though she must smell it too, so he followed suit. The dark and musty room gave way to a set of barred off stairs, at the bottom sat a Redguard in black and red clothing, next to a small girl with the same color scheme. A woman with the same black and red armor he had seen in Laiyana's closet sat at the cooking pot stirring something. The Redguard stood when he noticed the Harbinger but frowned when he spotted Vilkas.
"Listener, you've brought a stranger to our halls." He said with a sharp edge. Laiyana merely nodded and when she spoke it was with a voice of fierce authority she had never spoken to the companions with.
"Yes Nazir, and I have already explained the repercussions of turning on us." She said with a cold voice and the unhappy Redguard sat down again. That's when Vilkas noticed the young girls bright red eyes, so that's where the vampires scent was coming from. A jolt of shock went through him at her young age but it disappeared when she grinned at him, fangs glistening. Laiyana comfortably stepped towards them.
"Where have you been Listener" The girl asked with an unhappy tone.
"It's none of your concern Babette". Laiyana said with the same cold tone of authority she had before. Neither member of the Brotherhood questioned her any further, which Vilkas was surprised with. They also didn't seem surprised by her dramatic change in appearance. At that moment Vilkas's shock grew when the woman at the cooking pot turned and bowed respectfully to her.
"My Listener, is there anything you require?" She said and Laiyana shook her head
"No Mayila" She said and the woman went back to cooking.
"You should see to the night mother" Nazir said and Laiyana only nodded before gesturing for Vilkas to follow her up the stairs again. When they reached the top he saw a golden coffin, open to reveal a mangled corpse. So that was the smell of death, Vilkas fought not to gag although his Harbinger seemed to have no problem with it. She stood for a moment, looking right at the corpse. She flinched as if being verbally reprimanded before her eyes lowered to the ground with a certain respectful fear he had seen in the eyes of the cooking pot woman. After another moment of Vilkas being confused Laiyana bowed to the corpse.
"As you wish mother" She said and she closed the coffin. Vilkas was too stunned to say anything until they were once again outside of the dark and cruel place.
"What was THAT" he demanded and Laiyana let out an irritated sigh before answering.
"Yes Vilkas I was talking to a corpse." She said flatly
"But, she talked back?!" Vilkas said, this was past anything he had ever heard of.
"Yes Vilkas, she talked back." She said with the same tone. He would have accused her of being crazy if it weren't for the fact that he knew she was anything but.
"Well where are we going now?" He asked, trying to regain some normalcy to the conversation.
"Riften, I have a contact there from Maven Black-Briar then I have some business to attend to." She said as she approached the Dawnstar carriage driver and paying the fee before climing in the back and gesturing for him to follow.
Maybe Vilkas was wrong, because it seems he knows NOTHING about his Harbinger.
AN: so if you go into the locked room in the Black-Briar Manor you will find a dark brotherhood summoning circle like in Aventus's house. I was kind of surprised but the note explained that Maven wanted a contract so I wanted to play off that. Let me know what you think.