Author's Note: Nahkriin is the Dragon word for "vengeance"

I am so, so terribly sorry that I haven't updated in a long time! College basically stressed me out for the rest of the semester, but now that it's sembreak, I have nothing more to worry about and more time to write! I made this chapter longer to make up for my absence and added a bit more of Farkas and Vanya interactions!

Ninth Shout: Nahkriin

"Papa!" she cried out. "Papa!"

"Save your screaming, girl! Your daddy is not coming!"

"No! No! Papa! Help me!"

"Someone help me here!"

"Hurry up!"

"Help me! Please! Papa!"

"Someone shut her up!"

"PAPA!"

I bolted upright, drenched in sweat, my breathing labored.

"Vanya!" a familiar voice cried out.

My eyes scanned my surroundings wildly before focusing on the figure of Farkas sitting nearby. I was back in the sleeping quarters in Jorrvaskr, back in my own bed. I groaned as pain shot up through my side.

"Hey, hey, easy now." Farkas rushed forward and gently pushed me back on the mattress. By the bags under his eyes, I could tell that he hadn't had any good night's sleep. "You'll tear open your stiches if you make any sudden movements."

I settled back against the pillows as the pain faded to a dull ache. "How long…how long have I been asleep?"

"Three days," the warrior said pulling up the chair. "You were cut in the same place as the one where the Jarl sent you off to retrieve that stone thing. We stitched you up but luckily, no infection has set in so far."

I gingerly lifted my shirt, staring at the thick layer of bandages wrapped around my waist. A little blood had already begun to seep through the topmost layer. I sighed and let my shirt fall back, covering the bandaged area once more.

"At least it's in a place people don't see all the time," I said. "That's going to be an ugly scar for sure."

"Every scar is a badge," Farkas said. "Each one represents a trial that was overcome."

I touched the scars under my eye. "That's a…positive way of looking at it."

My hand went to my hair. It was still tied in a loose ponytail, covering my ears and my forehead. It had been a while since I cut it…and my head was beginning to itch, most probably because I haven't bathed properly in three days.

"I need a bath…" I murmured.

Farkas laughed. "Ria cleaned you up as best as she could and since you've made it clear that your hair is off limits, she had to leave it alone. And we figured you don't want to be dragged to the tub while you were unconscious."

"Well…yeah." I sighed. "How much longer do I have to stay in bed?"

"You'll have to ask Kodlak when he comes to look at your wound tomorrow," Farkas replied. "I'm going to go tell them you've woken up. Are you hungry?"

My stomach growled in response. He laughed.

"I'll take that as a yes," he chuckled. "Anyways, I'll go tell Tilma to bring you some food."

"Farkas," I said softly as he turned to leave.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Have you been sitting there this whole time I was asleep?"

"We've all been taking turns," he said. "While you were sleeping, someone always stood guard, watching to alert the others if you wake up. It was my turn today."

"Oh." Why did I sound disappointed? "Anyways, yeah, I'm a bit hungry."

"I better go upstairs then." He stretched his limbs, a few joints cracking as he shook the stiffness from them. "Vanya?"

"Hm?"

"What were you dreaming about?"

I stared at the ceiling for a while before answering. "Something I didn't want to remember."

Silence reigned for a few minutes before the sound of his boots echoed down the hall. As my eyes ran over the small cracks in the ceiling, I wondered why my heart had started beating so fast when Farkas had been there.

Kodlak visited the next day, Tilma behind him with some fresh bandages to redress my wound. As he inspected it, I caught a flash of worry in his eyes.

"You should be able to walk around normally by tomorrow," he said as he stood. "But I advise you to watch yourself more, Vanya. You are a skilled warrior, lass, but know when you are at your limit."

I nodded. "Yes, Harbinger."

He smiled. "It would be a shame to see such a spark fade so quickly."

True to his word, I was able to do my daily activities by the next morning. My fellow Companions did not permit me to train, however, and this I understood, though I did not quite like it. I knew I had to be careful because my stiches might open, but not training for at least an hour made me feel like my day was incomplete.

As I sat on one of the chairs in the porch leading to the yard, watching Vilkas and Athis spar with each other, I sighed. I was itching to join in, or at least swing my sword on the training dummies near the wall, but Kodlak had instructed Aela to confiscate my weapon until my injury had healed enough.

"Why that face?" a voice piped up beside me.

I tore my eyes away from the sparring pair and looked up. "Oh, Ria! Hi."

She smiled and gestured to the chair beside me. "Do you mind if I watched with you?"

I shook my head and she sat down.

"So, why that face?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Aela took my sword, can't train, can't do…anything." I gestured to Vilkas and Athis. "Look, they're having all the fun."

Ria laughed. "You know we're doing this because we want you to get better faster, Vanya. Don't worry, you'll be on your feet and swinging your sword again in no time."

"With this size of this injury?" I gestured to my waist. "It'll take me at least a week for it to heal enough that I can fight again without having to worry about it too much. And a week is a long time." I sighed.

"From what I've learned," she said, "the best thing to do is to distract yourself enough that time seems to pass by so quickly."

"What's there to do?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Take up a…less strenuous hobby? Like…needlework?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "By the Nine, are you serious?!"

"I'm kidding, Vanya," she said laughing. "By Shor, the look on your face is priceless!"

"Me doing needlework?" I scoffed. "I would probably treat it like a sword, except it's extremely tiny. Though I gather if someone attacks me, I'll be able to stick it into his eye."

"Who would attack you?"

"I look rather defenseless armed with only a needle," I laughed. "Can you picture me doing needlework, honestly?"

We burst into giggles at the thought.

"What are you lasses laughing about?" Vilkas called from the yard.

"Nothing that concerns you!" we both said.

"It's only going to be a week, Vanya," Ria said. "You need the break. And this gives you more reason to spend time with a certain warrior I know."

"What?" I asked. "Who?"

She smiled knowingly. "Oh, nothing. I just find it adorable when both of you are together."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Oh, think nothing of what I said." She stood. "I have to go and pick up that armor I ordered from Eorlund. I'll see you later, Vanya."

"Wait, you can't tell me that then just leave!" I complained. "Ria!"

"I'll catch you later, Vanya!" she said cheerfully.

She laughed and walked away, leaving me thoroughly puzzled. Who was she talking about? A certain warrior? Everyone in the Companions were warriors and it was natural that I spend time with them. Who among them was Ria talking about?

"Psst, Vanya!" a voice hissed.

I glanced behind me, my eyes meeting Aela's. She was peering from behind one of the wooden posts near the doors, holding my sword in her hands.

"Aela?" I asked.

She motioned to me and gestured to the sword. "I'm not supposed to give this back, but I figured you wanted to see it."

"I want it back," I whispered keeping the sparring warriors in the yard at the corner of my eye. "Can I please have it back? I won't use it, I promise."

She shook her head. "Not right now. I can probably sneak it under your bed tonight. But this is not what I want to talk about. It's about the Silver Hand."

"Another job?" I asked. "Aela, I'm not –"

"It doesn't have to be now," she replied. "We'll wait for you to get better, of course. Tell me when you think you can fight again and we'll talk about it more."

"Is it just you and me?"

Her face hardened. "It's for Skjor, Vanya. We're doing this for Skjor."

Skjor's face, bloodied and almost indistinguishable, rose in my mind. A thousand deaths could not atone for the torture they put him through before they killed him. The wolf within me stirred. She wanted blood. She wanted revenge. And she would not stop until every single one of the Silver Hand was dead.

I nodded, letting a hint of the wolf slip through. "Give me a week."

After I had recovered, Aela and I secretly launched out plan of vengeance. She had me take out a Silver Hand lieutenant hiding out in Faldar's Tooth and steal the stratagem he had on his desk, a notebook that revealed the hideout of the Silver Hand's main hideout and their leader.

On the day I delivered to her the scrolls, I left that night to strike a devastating blow to the Silver Hand. It took me two days to get to Treva's Watch, with no rest, and the sound of my horse's hooves pounding in my ears. Many times I tried to camp and rest, but each time I would close my eyes I would see Skjor's mangled body in my mind, the scent of blood filling my nostrils. My wolf howled within me to avenge her brother and I could not deny her. Not even for a few moments of rest.

As an old, abandoned fort rose over the trees, I check my map. Guiding my steed gently to a stop, I dismounted and tied him securely to a tree a ways from the fort, far from danger. I looked around, my sight sharpened by the blood of the wolf that now flowed through me. No one was nearby.

I moved silently, careful not to alert too many of the Silver Hand that were guarding the outside of the Watch. One or two at a time, I dispatched them, making sure not to make too much noise and have too many Silver Hand members than I could handle. Once I made sure that there was no Silver Hand left alive outside, I entered Treva's Watch.

I looked from room to room, killing every Silver Hand that I saw. The more the blood flowed, the more the wolf inside me howled with delight. She was growing impatient, and she wanted to be let out.

Soon, I promised. Very soon. You will be the one who will kill the leader personally.

As soon as I reached the top of the tower, I stood in the doorway, staring at the two figures inside. They were poring over some documents over a desk, talking amongst themselves. I took a deep breath and silently shed my armor.

This is for Skjor, you bastards, I thought.

I fell on all fours as the pain ripped through me, and before my very eyes, fur was growing from my skin, the sound of my bones breaking and reassembling echoing in my ears.

What happened next seemed like a dream.

I remember the screams, the sound of rending limbs and the grating sound of armor being punctured and crushed, the taste of blood and flesh filling my mouth and washing over my tongue. I ran wildly around the Watch, searching for more victims to fuel my bloodlust. The power that coursed through me felt so euphoric, I felt invincible! But more…I needed more…

The next thing I knew, I was standing at the foot of the stairs leading to the tower, naked and covered with blood. From what I could smell, the blood wasn't solely mine. My knees trembling from the fatigue that had just come over my body, I slowly climbed the steps, supporting myself against the stone wall.

The smell of more blood wafted up my nostrils as I beheld the mutilated bodies of the two men at the top of the tower. The walls were coated in red; I, or rather, my wolf had made sure that no one would ever manage to put them back together for a proper, presentable burial. Grabbing a large cloth on the table that wasn't too bloody, I cleaned myself up as best as I could and put my armor back on.

Turning back on the broken pieces of what were once Nords, I smiled to myself.

This was for you Skjor.

It was evening again when I returned to Jorrvaskr. As quietly as I could, I went to the bathing room and scrubbed away the last traces of blood on myself, making sure that even the scent of blood was erased. When I put my sleeping shift on, I made my way to Aela's room.

"Aela?" I knocked on the door as silently as I could. "Aela, you awake?"

The door opened a crack and Aela peered through. "Vanya, you're back! Get in, quickly."

As I stepped inside, Aela sat on her bed.

"Well?" she asked softly but even then I could detect excitement in her voice. "I've been running interference for you around here. I don't think anyone's caught on to our little campaign. Yet."

"Haven't they asked where I've gone?" I asked.

"I told them I sent you out to clear some bandits a little far from Whiterun. But let's get back on topic. Well?"

"I took care of that little group of Silver Hand."

Aela grinned. "Excellent. Looks like you've really driven them into hiding. Keep this up. We'll wipe them out yet."

"What's the next target?" I asked eagerly.

She thought for a moment. "The Silver Hand has been scouring the world for more pieces of Wuuthrad. One group has hidden out in Eastmarch. Get it back, for the honor of us all."

I nodded. "I'll leave tomorrow."

As I turned to leave, Aela put her hand on my arm.

"Thank you, sister," she said softly. "Thank you for doing this."

I smiled. "This is for all of us."

The wolf blood in my veins however, did not want to make me sleep as deeply and as peacefully as I wanted to. As I lay back against the sheets, I tossed and turned, drifting in and out of sleep. The wolf was wide awake and was determined to keep me awake as well. She was a hunter, and a hunter was always ready, always alert. However…my body, after so many hours of staying awake, did not share the same thoughts.

"Papa!" she cried out. "Papa!"

"Save your screaming, girl! Your daddy is not coming!"

"No! No! Papa! Help me!"

"Someone help me here!"

"Hurry up!"

"Help me! Please! Papa!"

"Someone shut her up!"

She struggled but as soon as she tried to sit up, two pairs of arms pinned hers to the sides, and two more pinned her legs. And then she was forced to look up, into those cruel, mocking eyes.

"This one has spirit. I'm going to enjoy so very much breaking it."

My eyes snapped open, my breath coming in ragged and shallow. I looked around at the others' beds, but they were empty. They must have gone upstairs for their daily activities.

I sat up, staring into space as the nightmare replayed in my head. I felt the wolf inside me growl happily; I was now awake and that meant that I should be hunting some more victims so that we could revel in the bloody feast.

This is the price I paid for power? I thought. Restless nights and the eternal urge to hunt, to kill? What…what have I done?

As I made my way towards the stairs leading to the dining hall, the doors to them opened and Farkas climbed down them.

"Oh, Vanya, you're back," he said in surprise.

I felt a blush coloring my cheeks. "Oh…y-yeah. I got back last night."

"How was the job Aela gave you? Did you get hurt?"

I shook my head a little too forcefully. "No! No…I'm fine. Those bandits found that they were no match for me."

"You look like you haven't slept well," he said. "That means the wolf has truly settled in."

"You don't sleep either?" I asked.

"Not really. It's more like the wolf blood in us doesn't let us sleep as peacefully as before. But don't worry, you'll get used to it." He went over to the small table near the door and began pouring himself a goblet of mead. "So, do you have any plans for today?"

"Oh…uh…" I felt myself turning redder when I realized that I was looking at the firm form of his…bottom. "Uh…Aela is sending me off on another bandit-clearing…assignment."

"Again? But you just got back. Surely you'd want to rest first?"

"I…I can't. The bandits might get away and…and…" I tried to think of a good lie. "And it would be such a shame to waste all the bounty on them. So…I need as early as possible so I could catch them!"

What is happening to you? I thought to myself. Why are you reduced to a girl who acts like she's never spoken to a man before? But there was just something about Farkas that made me feel this way, but I didn't know why.

Something flickered in Farkas's eyes. Was it…disappointment? "Oh…well...I guess I'll see you in a few days again, Vanya."

I nodded and opened the doors to the stairs. "I'll be back before you know it. Don't miss me too much," I teased.

As I began climbing up to the dining hall, I heard his voice. It was a whisper, but I caught the words clearly. It took all my will not to stop in my tracks.

"But I already do."