The next two weeks passed by without any further incident for Valleri. She was certainly shaken up by Kodlak and Aela's fight for the rest of that one day, but she put it to the back of her mind. Kodlak couldn't look at her without frowning to himself with regret for a few days afterwards. In the meantime, Vilkas gave her any further orders. The younger man was nice enough about it at least and tried not to bother her too much. He knew all too well how uneasy the argument made her feel. There wasn't a lot to do in the mean time and most of her jobs were quick and easy.
Skjor himself was another matter. He passed out sometime after he was taken away. Since them, he passed in and out of consciousness. Danica came by every few hours to check up on the mostly comatose man. It wasn't difficult to see that every once in a while, Kodlak seemed to prepare himself to lose one of his best men. Valleri only personally saw Skjor through an open door a number of times. Tilma and Danica often came out of the room with dark red bandages and sheets, an immediate deterrent for Valleri's usual curiosity. Farkas distanced himself after he learned of what happened and Vilkas visited the man often. Vilkas told Valleri that he thought of Skjor like an uncle over a meal one night. She shrugged but kept the information in the back of her mind. It might come in handy later. Obscure information usually did.
Valleri found herself sitting on the edge of the Skyforge most of the time that she was in Whiterun, usually with a book or journal. The view was nice and Eorlund didn't complain. Valleri kept to herself and tried not to make trouble. People in turn didn't really bother her either.
Unless that person was Farkas.
More often than not, Valleri didn't notice people walking up behind her between the clanging of metal and being stuck in her on world. That's why Valleri always flinched when Farkas playfully hit her in the shoulder when he sat down next to her. She sighed, staring at the ink smudged across the page; this was a new journal!
Farkas took a quick look at the page, grin fading a bit, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to mess up your page."
Valleri couldn't help but smile to herself. "I know. It doesn't really matter, I guess," she set the pen and journal next to the ink bottle, "Need something?"
Farkas' eyebrows shot up with realization, "Right! I did. Nope, Kodlak did. Not me, unless you wanted to chat for a bit?""
Valleri stared out over the training yard with a look of contemplation. Getting up, she gathered her things. Turning back to Farkas, Valleri smiled, "Where's Kodlak?"
The man shook his head with a chuckle, "Not today, huh?"
"Talk to Eorlund, he's a great conversationalist," the woman stared deadpanned at the ground when she heard the old blacksmith grumble something behind her.
"I should know, huh?" Farkas laughed, "Kodlak's waiting in the bunkroom. Good luck!" he shouted as Valleri waved and descended down the stairs.
Valleri found Vilkas shortly after she entered the mead hall. She eyed him inconspicuously from behind; the Nord was almost completely oblivious and tossing a cloak haphazardly over the back of a chair. She could see his profile from where she stood. The man's squared jaw line led her eyes upwards to a small scar above his eyebrow. Valleri certainly didn't notice that before; must have been because Vilkas was finally clean. She rushed past, trying to leave before Vilkas cornered her.
"Valleri!" Vilkas shouted as he turned his head to look at her. The Imperial woman turned around and sighed to herself; too little, too late. "Did Kodlak ask to see you too?"
"Yeah, do you know what it's about?"
Vilkas shook his head with an annoyed glance, "I'd bet you fifteen septims it's just another job. I couldn't guess the particulars though," Vilkas sighed and pulled at his collar, "It's getting difficult to talk to him about certain things."
Valleri cocked an eyebrow, "Certain things?"
"Doesn't matter. Let's go," Vilkas started walking downstairs with out her. He stopped and watched while Valleri stashed her journal and quill next to her assigned bed. Valleri glanced at him as Vilkas slouched against the door jam. The man looked exhausted and probably needed a break.
Kodlak seemed just as tired when she saw him sitting in his usual seat at the end of the hall. The old man smiled meekly as he noticed her staring. He nodded towards Vilkas as the two of them entered. "Good, you two came together."
"What is it this time?" Vilkas questioned, voice low and almost grumbling. Valleri winced.
"I got a letter from the Reach; people from Karthwasten are going missing near an old Nordic ruin."
Valleri scowled, "I've come to realize it's your job to answer calls for help like these, but what about the guards?"
Vilkas glanced down with a bored, unsurprised expression, "The Jarl's more concerned with the Forsworn."
Valleri turned to look at him, "Who are they?" She shook her head and glanced back at Kodlak, "Never mind, I'll find out later. How far is Markarth?"
Kodlak looked brighter suddenly when he locked eyes with Valleri, "It's a little more than a week away. You two will be away for a while."
Vilkas perked up, "No one else is coming?"
"Unfortunately no. There have been a lot of jobs starting to come in as the first snow approaches. Don't be disheartened, I have perfect faith that you and Valleri will do well. That's all," Kodlak finished with a smile. Vilkas shrugged and turned to leave the room, Valleri quickly following suit. Kodlak breathed in, "Actually, Valleri, I had a question for you."
The woman turned back around to face the large Nord, "What'd you need?"
The Harbinger addressed with an even tone, "What do you plan on doing after you find the people you are looking for?"
Valleri paused and stared at him with wide eyes, "I… I honestly haven't thought about it much."
Kodlak glanced downwards with a look of disappointment, "You've been too caught up with the past to think about the future."
"I wouldn't say that exactly."
"If you decide not to go back Cyrodiil after this ordeal, I'd like to offer you a more permanent position in Whiterun."
Valleri breathed outwards with apprehension, "I'm not sure what to say."
Kodlak nodded his head, "I didn't mean for that to sound heavy-handed, but please consider it."
Valleri looked back at him apologetically and rushed out of the room. She paused when she saw Vilkas leaning against the wall with arms crossed next to the open door. The younger man stared at her out of the corner of his eye. Valleri knew immediately he'd been listening to their conversation. She could only give him an unsure glance as she rushed back upstairs.
…
Vilkas and Valleri left Whiterun soon after the sunrise the next moring. They walked mostly in silence as Valleri watched the sun rise over the mountain range north of the city. Vilkas was leading her mostly the same way the went when heading towards Dustman's Cairn but this time around they stuck close to the road. Guards dressed in yellow armor patrolled the road, paying little to no attention to the two travelers. Valleri didn't mind however, the guards around in Skyrim were much more crass than the city guards in Cyrodiil and Valleri had trouble keeping snide comments to a minimum so early in the morning. She pulled her cloak closer around her as the early morning chill refused to leave.
"You didn't sleep, did you?" Vilkas turned to look at Valleri walking at a slower pace behind him. Somehow even with the dark, ugly smudges of charcoal under his eyes, the Nord looked very awake.
Valleri chuckled to herself and shook her head, "Not really. I'll be fine though."
"Did you go to bed late or something? Or are you excited about finally leaving the hold?"
Valleri hummed quietly, "Nothing like that. I always just have a tough time staying asleep when it gets cold."
Vilkas looked down at the ground with a disbelieving scowl, "That doesn't sound right."
Valleri chuckled again and finally locked eyes with the Nord walking next to her, "You've lived in Whiterun all your life, right? Never really stayed anywhere warm and temperate for an extended period of time?" she smirked and went back to looking at the scenery around them. The mountains in the background were starting to accumulate white patches of snow. Just looking at it made the warm blooded Imperial shiver.
"Can't say I have," Vilkas admitted, glancing back at Valleri.
"Exactly! I'm just not used to the cold is all," Valleri smiled, laughing to herself.
Vilkas looked back up with a cocked eyebrow, "Sounds like you need a blanket or a sweater or something. Especially since you're going to be here at least until spring."
"Yeah, right," Valleri paused, standing still by herself momentarily, "Wait what did you say?"
"What?" Vilkas watched the Imperial start walking again, facing him with a frown. Valleri could see a hint of panic in his expression, but that didn't make her feel any less confused.
"You think it's going to take that much time to find my friends?" Valleri eyed him with an reproachful glare. Again, Valleri knew that Vilkas meant no harm by the off handed comment, but still…
Vilkas eyed her with a bored expression. He breathed out and went back to scanning the road in front of them. "Yes, I do actually," he answered with a deep, unemotional voice. Valleri scowled in return.
"Why though? Kodlak was finally getting in touch with the authorities in Falkreath and that doesn't mean I can't be out there looking myself," Valleri gestured wildly with her hands almost losing her cloak in the process. She scrambled to readjust it, realizing she probably looked like a fool.
"Winter's at the very least a few days away and you think it'd be easy to scour the forest for two dead bodies and three bandits. It's not possible," Vilkas sighed with disappointment and shook his head.
Valleri breathed out, and chuckled, "Doesn't mean I can't try."
She could hear Vilkas grumble at her side before a corner of his mouth turned upwards finally, "All right, just… be careful if you do." They walked on for quite a bit and Valleri noticed they were starting to come into hillier terrain. Vilkas started to address her again in an even voice, "Let's say you do collect the weregild, what then?"
Valleri shrugged, "Back to the Gold Coast I guess." She kicked a loose stone on the road watched it roll a few feet before kicking it again.
"I thought you didn't have a lot to go back to apart form Alastaros and Lexius."
"That doesn't mean I have nothing. It's my home; I just can't abandon it," Valleri muttered mostly to herself. Vilkas tilted his head and frowned. The Imperial woman laughed nervously, hoping it would lighten the increasingly awkward mood.
The Nord finally glanced back at her with a slight grin; Valleri felt herself begin to relax. "Why not just take time off and travel?"
She cocked an eyebrow and locked eye with him "What happened to this wergild thing? And aren't we technically traveling right now?"
"Yes, we are, but that's not the point," Vilkas muttered. He stopped walking and started gazing northwards over the tundra. Valleri saw him squinting then spotted two large creatures ambling on in the distance.
Valleri pulled her cloak closer around her shoulder as the wind buffeted into her, "What are those?"
"Mammoths. They can put up a fight but then the giants will go after you," Vilkas whispered as he continued to watch them.
Valleri sighed and glanced up at him, "What was your point by the way?"
"About earlier?"
"Yeah."
Vilkas turned back to Valleri with a small, almost pitiful frown, "Every time you've left Anvil was on sort of business. And what we're doing right now, we're on our way to a job. You're not going to Markarth just because you want to."
"Well I sort of want to," Valleri mumbled to herself. She scowled to herself and started walking off again. She spun on her heel and looked back Vilkas with a broad grin, "Some one can say the same thing about you, right Vilkas?"
The Nord narrowed his eyes with annoyance, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Valleri gestured widely and shouted, "What have you done for the past ten, no fifteen years of your life? Worked with the Companions, right?"
Vilkas stated walking towards her with a slight scowl, "Okay, stop right there. I'm perfectly content with my life the way it is." He stared down at her with a look of mixed pain and annoyance. Valleri would have bet that he was lying. If there was one thing she learned about Vilkas in the time she had gotten to know him, he was a proud man.
Valleri felt the dark mood starting to overtake the situation and the open space of the tundra began to close in on her. The Imperial laughed nervously, "If you say so." She started walking again, finding another pebble to kick around. Vilkas caught the pebble next and saw his face brighten up when it flew a few feet farther than he anticipated. She looked back at him, "Why are you so interested in what I'm doing anyhow? Is it because of my conversation with Kodlak yesterday?"
Vilkas didn't say anything for a time, black choppy hair covering his face as he looked down. Valleri almost didn't hear him when he began to whisper, "I'd be lying if I said no."
Valleri felt guilty for poking fun at the man when she paused next to him. She didn't attempt to make eye contact. "I'm sorry," she spoke quietly and placed a hand on his arm, "Would it really be that bad if I left?"
Vilkas brushed the stray, black hairs out of his face before looking back to Valleri, "I'm not sure if I have an opinion on that matter yet," the Nord started walking towards the west again, a spring of confidence back in his stride. He looked at Valleri over his shoulder, eyes bright and alert, "If you do end up taking Kodlak up on his offer, go on a trip first, clear your head. Maybe I'll go with you."
Valleri couldn't help but smile as she ran to catch up to him, "That'd be the day!"
…
Vilkas was still on his first drink when the group of soldiers entered the inn. Valleri sat next him, slowly nursing a small mug of mead and staring into the fire. Her burgundy grey cloak was draped over shoulders like a blanket, reminding Vilkas of their conversation the day before. Vilkas was glad they made it to Rorikstead before night fall. He hated sleeping under the open sky, the experience always left him with a threatening feeling of being watched. Valleri was also much happier being indoors. Her face paled in disappointment when she saw the small white flakes falling from the sky. By now he expected the snow was coming down hard and steady. Poor, poor Imperial.
The new comers were loud and it was hard not stare at them with a frown. The five of them crowded the door and let all of the cold air into the room. Each one of them had deep purple capes clasped around them and fall faced helmets. Anyone who had been in Skyrim for even a short time would know who they were. Vilkas could see Valleri pull the cloak closer around her from the corner of his eye. She watched the group of Stormcloaks from the corner of her eye with a look of disdain.
Soon enough one of the Stormcloak soldiers started ogling the Imperial woman sitting next him. Vilkas sighed and tried not to pay too much attention. Unfortunately, Vilkas overheard them making comments and bets. Damn the blood! There were times he appreciated the inhumane ability but now was not one of those times.
He was tempted to throw punches at the a few of the of Stormcloaks behind him for some of the nastier things they were saying about Valleri.
Soon enough one of them actually approached her, a large Nord who slid his helmet off and placed it on the table in between the two Companions. He narrowed his drunken eyes and starting to rattle off a few pickup lines. Valleri sat, eyes glued on the fire in front of her. To be honest, Vilkas knew exactly what she was doing; hoping the soldier would just go away wasn't going to do anything.
The Nord started to lean over her with a hand on the back of the chair but soon began to move his arm down onto her shoulder. Vilkas was about to make a move when he saw the steel helmet collide with the man's face. There was a metallic clang when the piece of armor connected with his cheek and the Nord was out cold. He fell to the stone floor face first when she pushed him off her.
Vilkas couldn't help but give her a surprised glance. He saw her hurt, embarrassed expression, face bright red and eyes wide. Valleri mumbled an apology before heading back to their room. He glanced at the group of Stormcloak soldiers with disgust and rushed to follow Valleri.
The woman was much calmer in the smaller room than she was in the main hall of the inn. She began to speak in hurried manner, not letting Vilkas get a chance to cut in. She spoke about how rude the Stormcloaks seemed to be, how they were just like the legion. How in Cyrodiil, legionnaires would strut around and push civilians around all because they thought they were the only ones who mattered any more. How nothing ever changed no matter which army you ran into.
She looked at him with furrowed eyebrows and piercing eyes. What was the point of the war in the first place? The Empire was much to weak to be fighting a war in the first place. The Jarls of Skyrim had to have known that it was easier to gain freedom through peaceful means rather than slaughter. Had they never realized that or were they both too prideful to turn back?
Valleri sighed, out of steam but he could see that she felt much better. They both laughed nervously, Vilkas finally saying that he could see what she meant. Breathing out, Valleri quietly thanked him with a nod of her head. He could see Valleri smiling at herself before going to bed as he left the room to finish his mead.
