Those were the words she had longed to hear, spent many sleepless nights pondering about and lived through much heartache for. Yet they terrified her in a way even Alduin could not. A part of her thought it to be easier to face the World-eater a million times over than what was to come. Her legs trembled. Her heart felt like a beast desperately trying to escape the prison that was her rib cage. Her instincts told her to run, far, far away. Even after so much time and effort... It disappointed her. She still found it incredibly difficult to face him.

"Vilkas is back!"

To the man exclaiming those words, they probably meant little more than that a fellow group member returned from a journey, but to Aurora, it opened an Oblivion of anxiety. Spurius stood just behind her, understanding that the situation was not as simple as most would have imagined. He put his hand on her right arm and stroke it to calm her, just the way he did with the horse.

"Why don't you run up to him?" he whispered.

"It's not that easy."

She looked up at him and the man met her gaze, nodding. They stood just by the entrance of the cave, knowing that the man she had been looking for was at most a minute away. The seconds crept forwards, feeling like an eternity, but for the first time, Aurora felt that she needed more time. At that moment – at that precise moment, Talos must have listened to her again, just like he had done the day on the top of the mountain.

"You stay here," Vecheslav, sent by Talos, said.

The man took determined steps forwards as Aurora sat down on the ground, not knowing what to do. She did not know how to approach him after all this time, not just that she did not know... She had no clue at all. She had dreamt of this moment so long, but as it finally arrived, the woman found herself unable to speak or think. It was if her mind suddenly decided that she had no need of a language as a tool of communication.

She saw him. By the Nine, there he was! Ten or fifteen steps away. His black, shoulder-length hair, his Nord statue, his ice-cold blue eyes. It had been so long since she last laid her eyes on him, and it felt as if her heart would break a thousand times over the second she did. He walked through the forest so casually, as if there was not a single problem in Nirn that rested on his shoulders. Vilkas greeted Spurius with a typical, male handshake but did not appear to look around. If he did, he would have noticed the woman who looked completely broken, sitting by the entrance to the cave with a lowered head and arms that hung on the sides, touching the ground.

"Did you sell anything?" she heard Spurius's voice.

"Aye, but it took a while."

He handed over something that appeared to be a bag of gold. Spurius took it and placed it in a pocket in his trousers before scratching the back of his head in a rather uncomfortable way.

"So I've noticed," he began. "There's a girl here who has been waiting for you for two fortnights."

Aurora could see that his words shocked Vilkas profoundly. He understood. He must have. It would not be Aela or even Farkas, neither one of them would stop him from fulfilling his dream of visiting Morrowind. Ria would not dare, and the other women lacked the ability. Yes, Vilkas understood perfectly that it was Aurora, and that was why it hurt to hear his:

"Who?"

Spurius crossed his arms and moved to the side, exposing the woman. Aurora could only look at Vilkas as she somehow managed to get up on her feet and walk those endless twelve steps towards him, each tread felt like it was seven miles long, going through swamps and wasteland, badlands and dark forests. Her mouth was slightly opened as she breathed heavily and her gaze as blank as her mind. He looked at her. He looked straight at her with big, widened eyes that radiated nothing but shock.

"Aren't you going to say anything, Vilkas?" Spurius asked. "She must have gone through quite an ordeal to find you."

His words seemed so distant. All the woman could do was to look Vilkas straight into the eyes, mesmerised as she was. Nothing existed in that moment but the man in front of her. The beautiful man she never managed to forget. Two years had gone since she left Whiterun, but she loved him as much as ever. She loved him beyond sanity, beyond time and place – into the perpetual infinity. He was the epitome of everything she found fascinating and endearing.

Vilkas soon found himself. His gaze was not as lost as it had been a few moments earlier. It would be better if he never overcame the rude awakening, for his look froze her blood with its coldness and distance. He looked at her with such abhorrence and hostility that the woman felt it would be better if she had never been born.

"To utter even one word to that woman would be a dreadful waste," he spoke with a voice as cold as his eyes.

"Don't be rude – the lady wants a word with you," Spurius said.

Without casting another gaze on her, the man marched away, back into the forest. Aurora did not know what the reason behind her bravery was, but even mentally broken, she felt the strength to carry herself after him. He almost leapt forwards, trying to escape her, but her voice cooperated with her this time.

"Vilkas! Stop!" she cried.

"I have nothing to say to you!" he yelled without turning his head.

"Just please let me speak. I've walked across the whole of Skyrim and Morrowind to find you."

The man stopped for a moment before turning to face her. A thunderstorm could as well have broken out on his face – it would have made no difference. It boiled with anger, but Aurora was struck by desperation, which ironically gave her strength. She had nothing more to lose.

Thinking did not work, though. There was so much unsaid between him and her that it would take an eternity to explain. There was so much she wished to tell him, that she could not gather the thoughts into an opening sentence. Where would she even begin? What would she explain and apologise for first? Was there even anything she could say that would make things good between them? A minute of internal chaos and two years of grieving resulted in absolutely nothing.

"I've been looking for you."

"For what purpose?"

For what purpose? She was blank once again. She did not know. Every cell in her body longed for Vilkas, but what for? The woman did not know. The only thing she could come up with was that she needed his presence.

"... To accompany you on your journey," she spoke and lowered her gaze in shame.

The banality of her words annoyed her terribly, but she could not come up with anything better even if her life was depending on it. Vilkas, obviously neither amused nor impressed, crossed his arms with a smug expression.

"Why in Tamriel...?"

"I returned to Jorrvaskr to reconcile with you, to be near you. And then, when I returned at last... you weren't there. Vilkas, I've... I wanted to go with you."

"Sick of Skyrim already?" he said and jerked with his neck to remove some hair from his face.

"What? No! That is not the reason. I..." Aurora began. She was desperate and humble and could not possibly tell untruth. He must have known it, and therefore Aurora concluded that his words were aimed at torturing her. She was about to say 'needed' but did not dare. "... wanted to see you. To be your companion on the journey."

Vilkas looked away towards the camp, avoiding the woman's gaze. His hostile tone and body language gave away more information of what was going through his head than he knew, the woman thought. He was hurt too. She had only seen him as bitter once – when she returned home to Jorrvaskr after the Silver Hand attack only to find Kodlak dead. Vilkas reaction at their camp had frightened her – he transformed into a cold-blooded beast, hitting the Silver Hand harder and more times that it was necessary to kill them. He butchered them, and Aurora felt that it was the destiny he wished for her too.

"I'm doing fine myself," he said after a short while.

"Are you?" she asked.

"I am."

"To the extent that you had to join a gang of bandits?"

The woman did not know where she found the ability to come up with something to say, but after realising that Vilkas was as broken as she was, it became easier. If he felt that much hatred for her, it must have meant that he was genuinely upset, and that perhaps... Could it mean that he loved her still? The woman's heart began to beat faster, reminding of a Dwemer engine. There was still hope after all!

"They aren't bandits! They just..." Vilkas began, not being able to finish the sentence. "Question is – how did you end up here?"

"They kidnapped me," Aurora calmly stated and even managed to smile a little.

"For Gods' sake, woman..."

The man threw his arms out in the air before turning around and marching away. This time was different, though. There was hope, there was hope! It felt like the weight of Nirn was lifted from her shoulders. She could make everything right again, in time. Aurora was ecstatic.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching from the camp. She turned around to see Spurius dawdling towards her, scratching the back of his head as he walked forwards. She gave him a little smile, but it only seemed to confuse him even further.

"Did that go well? You looked absolutely broken," he asked her and casually leaned against her by placing an elbow on her shoulder.

Aurora looked at Vilkas as he disappeared into the forest. Her gaze shone of longing and appreciation. She thanked the Gods for creating a man as wonderful as him. From now on, she would strive to become as perfect as Vilkas was. Time took her further into her own thoughts, and after a while, she barely caught Vecheslav's

"Come."

"Don't worry, he'll come back after gathering his thoughts."

Spurius handed her a cup of warm tea prepared by Pinarus. The leader had convinced him to use his personal stack of herbs with calming effects, for what Aurora was grateful. It was hot and burned slightly as she was holding it, so she picked it up with her broken, right hand instead as it was protected with a bandage.

The sun was setting outside, and she was alone with Spurius in his tent. The others sat around the fire pit and drank whilst singing songs, but Vilkas had yet to return.

Vecheslav was very quiet and appeared to be almost worried for Aurora, who was overwhelmed with emotions. She had not seen him that serious or quiet before, but she appreciated that he was there to keep her company.

The man had let his hair out, and the part that he usually put up in a ponytail at the back created a wave that framed his face. He let his fingers comb it as he sat down on a pelt next to Aurora and watched her drink. His dark, almost black eyes glittered in the soft light of a few candles. Most women would say that he was beautiful, but what caught Aurora's attention about him was that he seemed very loyal and genuine, regardless of his sarcasm which was too much at times. Vecheslav created a tranquillity around himself that erased other people's worries.

"Let's think of something else," he suggested with a low, darker voice than normal. "Hm... Have you been to Morrowind before?"

"I've lived here," Aurora mumbled as she brought the cup to her lips.

"You've lived here?" Spurius asked, still very quietly for the calm atmosphere to prevail.

"In Tear," the woman answered with a low tone, still focused on her tea.

"Is there anywhere in Tamriel where you haven't been?" Spurius asked with a sarcastic smile before lowering his head to catch her gaze. "Tell me about those adventures of yours."

"I'm not here to make friends," Aurora spoke whilst looking towards the far end of the tent.

"Be very careful, woman, or I might just have you bound again."

He leaned forwards and touched the tip of her nose with a smile. She was not in the mood, though, and did therefore not appreciate his joking gestures too much. Aurora did appreciate his presence, but she wished that he would lay low with the pranks.

"You asked me if I were a bastard," he began.

"I didn't ask," the woman stated arrogantly.

"No, I mean... Sod off, I'm not going to stand here and..."

The man was about to get up on his feet, but Aurora took a grip of the tunic sleeve and pulled him back down with a small, approving smile. Vecheslav winked at her and got himself comfortable among the pelts once again.

"Fine, but only because you are such a pain in the arse," he laughed. "I hail from Anvil. My mother was a maiden at the court of the Count Janus, and my father..." he began before wrinkling his eyebrows, giving his face a very angry expression. "My father sent her away as soon as she gave birth to me." The man looked at Aurora who nodded, silently asking for him to continue.

"He had raped her and wanted nothing to do with her after she had given birth to me," he spitted.

"Is she still alive?"

"I don't know, but my father sure is. He always looked down on me, had everyone rub it in that I had neither a mother nor a title."

"Your father was the duke?" Aurora asked in surprise.

Spurius nodded silently and lowered his gaze. He would not have had to, for now everything made perfect sense to Aurora. She now understood where his fine manners and etiquette came from, his education and interest of fine literature. It also made her slightly aggravated about the fact that he looked down on her for not being as cultivated as he was. Aurora had never seen the use in reading a lot as her life had been and was about survival – not about finding a handsome, rich man from a fine family to marry. Her spare time was non-existent.

"And now you take revenge on the nobility?" she asked with quite some judgement in her tone.

"Yes. I will not rest until the Duke's son Maximilian is in my hands."

"Where does all the hatred come from?" she asked with a wrinkled forehead, sending all possible signals about the fact that she was not impressed.

Spurius looked at her without any offence in his gaze, but his mood had been affected by the woman's indignation. Aurora could not honestly say that she did not care about the man, but she was true to her principles, and killing (that was what she assumed at least) one's half-brother broke every rule the woman lived by. From this moment, she felt the need to alienate herself from him as she could no longer turn a blind eye to his occupation. If a person carried the burden of hatred towards another being, his mind was bound to be corrupted, Aurora thought, and in this case, it manifested itself by forcing the man out into the wild forest, far from the cultured life he adored.

"You would not ask that if you'd know what I've been through," Vecheslav almost whispered.

There was more to the story, but Aurora did not want to barge in. Neither did she feel the need of knowing the source of the abhorrence as she figured that it could not justify the man's dark feelings for the matter. There were people in her life that had done their best to break her, and she did not wish for them to strengthen their grip of her by holding on to the destructive emotion that hate was.

"So," Spurius continued. "I went to Narsis and learned to know Fabius. He was selling some pelts to a local merchant and asked a fellow Imperial to join his group of hunters. There were only five of them to begin with. I made sure to attract all the lonely, young Imperials traveling the forests between Morrowind and Cyrodiil. Now there are thirty two of us."

"How's business?" the woman asked coldly.

"It's going good, but to me, all the gold in Tamriel is not enough to compensate for the humiliation and torment I suffered by my father and the nobility. I wish I wasn't born into that insane family – a farmer's or a merchant's would have been much better."

"Every family creates its own problems for their children," Aurora stated.

"True, but the seriousness of the issue is of a varying degree."

"Were you ever forced to worry where your next meal would come from when you grew up?" she asked. "Have you ever been so alone that it felt like the entire Nirn was against you? Because if you haven't, you have had a much more privileged upbringing than..."

"Let's not judge one another too harshly, Aurora. It is evident that the circumstances of your life have moulded you into a very strong-minded, self-dependent woman, but I also understand that there are aspects of you and your behaviour that I find less appealing, but that does not affect... What I meant to say is that the crossroads you've encountered has formed you – both your good and inadequate sides, and that they are interconnected. If I would remove from you a characteristic that I disapprove of, I would also eliminate a part of what I respect and cherish," he spoke with a serious expression. "I have noticed that you feel repelled by my visions for the HL, but what good is it to remove, by force, a bottle of Skooma from an alcoholic if he has no intensions of sobering up?"

"Tell me one thing, Aurora," he continued with a piercing gaze. "What were you forced through?"

"It is a long story," she said to win time.

The man knew how to argue for his cause, and it left Aurora unsure about her attitude towards him. In a way, she opposed both the anger and the way he let it manifest itself, but at the same time, she felt that he had put a considerate amount of thought into it and that in a way, it was justified. Vecheslav appeared to be such an intelligent and interesting man who did not inflict unnecessary harm to people, unless they belonged to the privileged group of nobility. It was difficult to pin him to the bad, but he did not do uncompromised good either.

"That is not an excuse not to tell it," he said and gave her a reassuring smile.

"No... just... I've never really told it to anyone completely," Aurora began.

"I see. May I then ask for a peak?"

The woman looked on him, but could not find a reason to inform the man about her life. He had opened up about his, and she knew that if she wished for his friendly manners to prevail, she owed him a story.

"Ask what you want."

"How come you came to Morrowind the last time?" he quickly asked.

"A contact."

"No... Tell it properly."

She did. She told him about how she had been working on a moon sugar plantation in Elsweyr as a... season-employed slave. She told him about how there were a lot of young Imperials living under one roof, and how she worked side by side with a Nord man aged about 20 and called Thorsten. She told him about her first fling and about the wonderful man he was; kind, funny, strong... but that the longing for his homeland became too much. Aurora told about the sixteen-year-old's heartbreak after he departed, and how she set off too, but I did not know where to go at first. She told Spurius that she did not like the job too much, meaning there was no reason to stay.

And the man listened. Carefully, not to miss a single word that escaped the woman's lips, silently to let her speak and pour her heart out. He wrinkled his forehead as she told him about how it felt to reach the Black Marsh and celebrating her 17th birthday miserable and alone at a bar, homeless and penniless. He understood that she had suppressed it for a long while and felt with her, but in a non-patronising way.

He laughed with her as she described how a Dunmer contact in Black Marsh promised to set her up with a company in Tear and how she reached the border after walking across the swamps, rainforests and other places only found in Oblivion.

By the end, she was absolutely exhausted. The myriad of memories that had been put away under the carpets of her mind decided to step forwards, armed to their teeth. She had told too much, but it helped her to overcome some of her anxiety. The man had not expected for it to occur, but he sat patiently by her side and stroke her shoulders. And listened. He listened.