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Chapter 8

"It's the truth. Not even Aela could have done that."

I peek around the door just in time to see Farkas throw up his hands in a 'why aren't you listening to me' gesture. Sitting beside him, back in normal clothes, Kara is nodding and smiling smugly like a proud parent. Vilkas has his back to me.

"I don't care. She's not staying." He snarls.

I slip fully into the room, totally intrigued, softly closing the door behind me (not that anyone heard it open), and begin to creep up behind the smaller nastier twin.

"Sen has honour-" Kara begins to protest.

My stomach twists.

"She's a thief!" Vilkas counters.

I snarl silently at him even as I stop unnoticed directly behind him. I begin to size him up.

He has a small coin pouch tied to his sword belt, just behind his sword, with maybe five septims inside. I can spot three easily accessible buckles of his chest piece, two on each arm, two on each of his leg guards, and a possible third on the wrist of his right gauntlet. However I would not like to try and divest him of any of it, simply because I am woefully unfamiliar with this particular set of steel armour.

"Was." I state.

All three Companions start but I only begin to grin as Vilkas swing around wildly, swearing like a sailor. I even manage to grin wider as his face clouds over thunderously at my presence. All bark and little bite.

"I forgot to give you these." I hand the three notes to a suspicious Vilkas. "The notes from my contacts." I explain. "Keep them. I need to stay low key, and you need to look like you're well informed. You got these today from a courier with a blue cap. It has taken you weeks to argue about whether you were going to be diplomatic or not."

Kara snorts indelicately and Vilkas' face, unbelievably, gets even more thunderous.

"Have you got a board and some space, sister?" I ask, theatrically leaning around Vilkas' bulk.

Twitching awkwardly from keeping in her amusement Kara manages to reply. "There's a board downstairs." She glances around. "I don't suppose you'll want to keep it up here?" She asks innocently.

I feel my left ear flick involuntarily in exasperation. While we've been talking Vilkas has moodily stalked off outside with his twin trailing languidly trailing behind. Twins only in looks; strange how so very different they are.

"No?" She laughs. "Ummm maybe we could use Kodlak's little study area? Let's ask." She pops up from her seat and skips insistently to the stairs. I follow her at a sedate pace. "He has a nice big desk too you know. Farkas could sleep on it even."

Big indeed.

"How long where you there?" She asks quietly as we descend the stairs.

"'Not even Aela could do that'." I quote curiously.

Kara grins toothily. "You impressed Faraks yesterday." She assures me.

"Good, I think."

I hold the subterranean door open and am instantly hit with a familiar 'lots of bodies living together underground' smell. Lovely. The cistern was worse to be fair to the boat-hall. "And why does Vilkas labour under the impression that I'm staying permanently?"

Kara ducks her head a little as she passes me. "I might have said once or twice that you'd make an excellent Companion." She mutters at the floor.

I sigh at her back. The closing door does not sound like a death knell. Nope.

"Can't a girl dream?"

"My reasons still stand, Kara."

She half turns to reply to me as we pass a first set of doors. I've never been down here before. It is very long and surprisingly homey – I think it is all the wood furniture and mead. It is much cosier than the Ratway for sure.

"Not all our contracts are to kill things." Kara argues.

"True, but I'd have to totally give up my thiefy ways, and you know I'm more likely to enter a pact with Molag-Bol." I retort quietly. Nonetheless right at the moment even thinking about stealing something is giving me a headache.

She turns concerned eyes on me. "You're going to continue? But I thought you said it was dangerous to steal without a guild?"

"A bit, yes. But I plan on specialising on hard to get items. The contracts are few and far between-"

"-So you won't be stealing often." She realises. We come to a cross shaped area. Kara sleeps in a room off to the left. "But the risk of getting caught-"

"-Is higher. I know." I finish tiredly. "But come sister; I've stolen from at least four Jarls from Skyrim and two Council members in Cyrodiil."

She frowns and huffs. "I'm scared you're going to end up in the same sort of trouble as your mother. I don't want to lose you like that, Sen." She admits thickly.

So am I, but I say nothing, instead I just squeeze her shoulder and precede her into a study area.

Kodlak is sitting at his large oak wood desk flipping idly through a book. Hagravens. Strange subject matter. A small tower of papers is to his right and more are scattered over his desk. An almost empty bottle of mead sits at his left elbow.

Above his head two shelves of books sit. Directly behind him is a small table with a bowl of half eaten stew – likely cold – and two chairs. To my right are an empty corner and a door to another room. I spy a large pair of thick hide boots and presume it the Harbingers personal sleeping area.

"Maybe not here Kara-"

"Koooodlak..." Kara sings, childishly ignoring me, "Senka needs to borrow our spare board, and she needs a place to set it up..."

He raises a bushy white eyebrow at us even as he smiles.

"For the job." I explain. "The plans and reports." I elaborate further.

"Ah."

I shift uneasily under his piercing gaze. "I don't think this a good place. Too out in the open – everyone will be able to see it-"

"Sis, the whole hall knows. I think only Eorlund doesn't." Kara scoffs incredulously.

"But-"

A large warm hand falls heavily on my shoulder halting my words instantly.

"Keeping things from the other members only leads to tragedy." Kodlak rumbles gently.

"Skjor." Kara mutters sadly.

I throw my hands up in surrender. "Mercer." I state spitefully.

Kodlak's other hand makes it way to Kara's shoulder. The comfort it brings us is almost visible. I miss my father. Kara remembers little about her life before waking up in the cart of Helgen; sometimes I envy her.

"Okay, sister, you made your point." I turn to Kodlak and pat his hand on my shoulder. "May I use this space? The initial reports should start trickling in now."

"Of course." He agrees easily.

"So soon?" Kara questions surprised.

"Plans of the castle; I was planning a heist there. I had my people already working on it." I admit.

Over the next three days I have become a grudging fixture in the massive boat-hall.

Between Kara's fierce defence, Farkas' quiet approval, and Kodlak's acceptance I have been able to come and go unmolested. Although Vilkas, Najda and Petra have grumbled all they can most of the other members ignore me.

"Having problems?" Kodlak asks.

I have so far avoided spilling my papers over onto his desk, but that is only a matter of time, and the peaceful man is surprisingly agreeable company. I can get very irritable when I am planning. My headaches don't help either.

"I'm trying to decide on the route back and the relay point." I muse as I stare blankly at the board. "We will be riding in the dark so I am hesitant to take us through the Morthal bogs..."

"But?"

"But it is an obvious move so going that way may throw pursuers off." I describe. I scowl at the pinned up map – my personal one; ratty old thing it is. It's mocking me, I just know it.

"And the relay point?"

I turn a disbelieving gaze on him. "Where else? Labyrinthian."

A frown begins to form on his face.

"Dangerous, yes, but nothing we cannot handle. Plus few people go that way, which means there is less chance of us being followed or interrupted." I argue nonchalantly. Having a sounding board that argues back is always good.

Kodlak still looks less than thrilled.

"Another route would be to ride the Markarth road with the relay point being at Brokentusk camp." I explain while tracing the route on the map. "It's safer, but there is more chance of being followed or stopped." I clarify.

We are silent as we consider my map.

"Did you plan your trips with Kara?" He asks mildly.

"Eh. We squabbled actually." I reply with poorly disguised humour. "When she's serious she's a decent planner."

"She can lead?" He asks even as he studiously peruses my map. There is a twitch along his jaw that gives away his interest. There are slight bags under his eyes that give away his worry. The man looks so old.

"As I understand it the Companions don't have leaders." I reply easily. His bristles turn up. "She calls you Fus Ro Dah." I add. He glances at me with honest surprise. "Force because you are formidable still, Balance, because you are calm and bring calm to others, and Push because others strive to better themselves for you."

A shimmery tear rolls down his cheek but his smile is threatening to split his face in half.

"Kara had calmed down a lot thanks to you." A little envy sharpens my tone. "She often talks about how you brought her true peace, and for years now she has tries to emulate your demeanour." He snorts. I grin. "Too excitable, the child, but for the most part... she thinks more before rushing off into situations. It's hard to describe because it has been gradual." I shrug. "She's grown."

He turns to me then sensing I'm getting to my point.

"She could be the next harbinger." I answer finally. "I cannot say if she'd be best suited of the others, but I can say that she's fierce enough to put others in their places yet open minded enough to listen to everyone. She is friendly and inspirational in spite of being Dovakiin."

"Those are my thoughts too." He says after a lengthy think. "I am dying you see, and I'm not long for this world." He sighs. "Kara is my choice of the circle."

"Then why ask me?"

He laughs shortly. "You're honest enough to list your sister's faults."

I crack a brief grin and finally plot the relay point on the map. We shall be using the Markarth roads; this plan is risky enough without losing people to the Bogs.