A.N: This has been a chapter that is long, long overdue. I apologize for that. I have somehow gotten over my writer's block for this chapter, but with college coming up, and work demanding more of me even during this transitioning phase of work/school life, I will probably only update between semesters and on holidays. Again, I apologize for that, but it is how life is.

Anyways, I do hope that you enjoy this chapter. It's really more of a fluffy, family centered filler chapter, but all the same, it's still an update in the series.
Please enjoy, and as always, reviews are appreciated :D

Astrid and Eila became accustomed to living daily life in Windhelm, both of them taking up various tasks and trying to meld into the city as best as they could. There were side glances, of course, seeing as how they were newcomers to the city, and didn't look nearly as imposing as Markus and Aela, but they also didn't take the normal wear and tear of the city guard, or those who sat above the Grey Quarter. Astrid would often find herself wandering the city streets, making her way out to either the docks or the stables, thoughts drifting towards her husband and daughter, and waiting for the day that they could all be together again. Tonight, she found herself just beyond the stables, staring up into the night sky, watching as Masser and Secunda made their way through the stars. She pulled her furs closer to her body as a gust of icy wind brushed against her skin, before turning to make her way back into the city. She stopped, however, when Eila appeared behind her.

"Eila, what's the matter?" Astrid asked as she looked over the young girl, glad that she had no visible marks or wounds.

"Nothing… I came looking for you. When I didn't see you down by the docks, I had assumed that you had come out this way." Eila replied as she looked to the elder woman, who was now looking at her with slight confusion. "Dinner is ready. I have some Horker stew resting on the cookfire now." She spoke before she turned on her heel and began to trek back to the city gates.

"You never cease to surprise me girl. First a trained assassin, then a balanced cook. What don't you know how to do yet?" Astrid asked with a chuckle as she walked side-by-side with Eila back through the city towards the small house that they had been renting for the last few weeks.

Although Candlehearth Hall was comforting to them, and Elda Early-Dawn was more than willing to allow them to stay as long as they needed, they both felt the need to leave the Inn, and they managed to work with Brunwulf to find temporary housing accommodations. From what Astrid had heard about Brunwulf, she was not surprised the find that the man was more than willing to work out an arrangement for them, though she couldn't trust anyone in the city with her identity, and so rented the home under a false identity. Eila had also done the same.

"With any luck, Markus will be back soon, and you'll be able to see Faith again. And who knows, perhaps Arnbjorn will follow along behind them." Eila commented as they made their way into the house.

"I can only hope that you're right young one. Hoping is the only thing I can do at this point. Perhaps it will be enough." Astrid replied as she draped her furs over the back of her chair before reclining into its back. Eila handed her a bowl of stew immediately after she made herself comfortable.

"Here, eat. You're probably freezing from standing out there." She commented as she, too, took a bowl of the stew for herself.

"Thank you Eila. Though, for someone who promised to be the mother that you've wanted, I've sure done a horrible job of it." Astrid commented after she'd taken a sip of the warm broth.

"Don't be ridiculous. You are yearning for your family to be whole again, and that can take a toll on you. I've been on my own for so long now, that this is second nature to me. It is the absolute least I can do to help you in your time of need. You've already given me more than I can ever repay." Eila replied with a small smile as she took a spoonful of stew, eyes focused on the fire before them.

Astrid could only look at the younger girl in stunned silence. This young woman, who had left all semblance of family behind to take up her mother's mantle in the Dark Brotherhood, who had lost her father not long ago to the life that she, herself, had just left behind. The same young woman who had treated her wounds when she could not do so herself, and had allowed her to stay in the Wayrest sanctuary until she was well enough to travel again. She had to admire how remarkable the young woman before her was. Astrid thought of Faith once more, hoping and praying that her daughter would one day be as talented and self-reliant as Eila was, as Arnbjorn was, and as she would be again. She finished her stew, rinsed out the bowl, placed her dishes on the table to dry, and made her way upstairs to her room for the evening. Eila soon followed, and as she made her way into her bedroom, she thought of her own family that she left behind, and wondered if maybe, just maybe, her mother worried for her the same as Astrid worried for Faith. As soon as her head hit the pillow, sleep claimed her.

Markus and Aela had both agreed that it was time for them to depart Bruma and make their way home to Windhelm. The children were, of course, disappointed, especially since they'd just met their grandparents, aunt Eira, and uncle Raxas, but the two werewolves did remind the children that they would be back before the end of the season. That alone seemed to appease the two young pups, who were now eager to begin the long journey back to Skyrim. As Markus and Aela were packing up the last few belongings that they'd brought with them onto the back of the wagon, Markus mused over their time in Bruma.

"Markus, you know you've made it impossible for Dengen not to travel at this point." Aela chuckled as she looked over to her husband, who flashed a toothy grin in response.

"That was the point love. I want him to experience all that Tamriel has to offer. I want both of them to want to travel. That desire will be good for them." Markus replied with a soft smile, though he was quietly lamenting over the fact that his father had tried to deny him the right of adventure and growth.

"Dear, what's the matter? Your smile doesn't reach your eyes. Please, talk to me…" Aela spoke softly, gently wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Aela… My father never wanted me to leave Bruma. He always wanted me to join the castle guard, rise in ranks, and become the right-hand soldier of the king. I was miserable and restless, and found myself escaping the house and traveling between Chorrol and Cheydinhal. Not because I wanted to travel at that time, but because I wanted to prove my father wrong. Prove to him that I was more than capable of traveling to other cities, and other regions, without the need for him to always watch over me. I would never want to pass that same feeling off on Dengen or Faith. I want them to travel as much as I want them to grow up healthy and happy."

"But you are acting like you father in a way." Aela whispered as she leaned her head against Markus' back.

"How so?"

"Wanting the pups to grow up healthy and strong, happy and willful, capable and guided. Those are traits of your father that have grown in you. Dear, if you had married just some noblewoman, you would never have had that fear. You would know that your children would be common nobles that would never have to lift their own sword. Do you see what I mean? Your rebellious nature gave you the same feelings that festered in your father as he watched you grow. And yet, you are choosing to ignore those fears in favor of letting your children become their own person."

Markus listened intently to his wife's words, and thought long and hard over their meaning. She was right, of course, and they both knew it. He did worry for both Faith and Dengen. He worried every time he left home, every time he left his family alone to fend for themselves. Yes, he did rely on Farkas, Vilkas, and the rogue wolves that they could persuade with coin to help them protect his family, but he still allowed his worry to follow him wherever he went. He wasn't a member of the King's Guard, his wife wasn't some noblewoman that he had married out of politics, and his children weren't just some civilians that would never have to lift a sword. No, he was the Dragonborn, his wife was a cunning and vicious werewolf, and his children were their pups; happy, healthy, and more than ready to take on the world in their minds. He smiled now, and turned to pull Aela into his arms, which she accepted warmly.

"I didn't need to marry some noblewoman to have a wife who spoke clearer wisdom. Thank you, she-wolf." He whispered as he held her close to his body, face buried in her red locks.

"You can thank me later, right now, we have company." She replied as she arched her neck too meet his eyes, a smile pulling at her lips.

The two of them turned their heads to the sound of footfalls coming towards them. Small footfalls, of course, because the pups had come looking for them when they woke, if their messy hair was any indication. Markus and Aela separated and knelt to welcome their pups into their arms, scooping up the laughing children as they nuzzled into the crooks of their necks. Markus and Aela caught each other's eyes with a smile, before the sound of someone clearing their throat caught their attention. They turned and saw Raddin and Lielle at the gates, smiles on their faces, watching their family. Raddin stepped forward towards Markus, extending his hand to his son. Markus, though confused, took his father's hand in his.

"This is where we say goodbye for now son, but I expect to see you and the children before the end of the season."

"That's already been agreed upon. Aela will make sure that I don't forget." Markus chuckled as he grinned at his wife.

"Since our marriage, he has yet to forget anything." Aela chimed back as she helped the kids climb into the back of the carriage.

"Good, keep this boy in line for me." Raddin laughed as he clasped his son's shoulder in his hand. Aela could only laugh in response to the playful frustration that was growing on Markus' face.

Lielle made her way over to join them, followed by Raxas and Eira, who were entertaining the kids while Markus and Aela were saying their goodbyes to Raddin and Lielle. After having spent the past few years apart, they were more than eager to be a part of Markus' life again. The falling out was bad, to say the least, but it now looked like it hadn't even happened to begin with, just by the way the three of them were talking to each other.

"I know how strong you are, but please be safe on the roads. Word has come from many of the soldiers that are returning home of how dangerous Skyrim has become. Dragons coming back from the dead, and that civil war that seems to keep going on and on." Lielle commented, shaking her head in disappointment at the mere thought of the dangers that could harm her family.

"Mother, please, there's no need for you to worry. Aela and I will always protect the children with our lives if we have too. It is pure instinct for us to do so." Markus tried to alleviate Lielle's worry, but she only sighed in response.

"Markus, that is what I'm afraid of. I don't want either of them to grow up without their parents. You both said so yourselves that they've never known a life without either of you, and even despite your travels, you have remained present in their lives no matter the circumstance. And aside from that, I couldn't bear the thought of losing my son, or Aela. We may have just met ourselves, but that doesn't make you any less a part of the family." Lielle replied, her voice laced with worry at the mere thought of harm befalling her son and his family.

"Lielle, Markus and I have faced far greater dangers simply by being werewolves, and Markus has faced and felled many of the dragons that have resurfaced, and I do believe he has befriended two of them in his travels. He trains daily, not for himself, but so that he may better protect the pups as their father. I am the same way. I never let my skills falter simply because I am now a mother first. Please, there's no need for you to worry. Markus and I are more than prepared for whatever may come." Aela spoke gently, and could sense the immediate relief that began to roll off Lielle's body.

"You see Lielle? They've got this under control. No need to treat them like they're children." Raddin commented as he wrapped his arm around his wife's waist.

"I suppose you're right. But that doesn't mean I won't worry until I get a letter saying that you've made it home in one piece. Understood?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at her son, who smiled knowingly and nodded his head in affirmation.

"It's settled then. Send word once you're home again, and we will plan to see you and the children at the end of the season." Raddin spoke, looking between Markus and Aela. Both nodded in agreement to Raddin's gaze. He broke the gaze to make his way over to the carriage and say goodbye to the children again.

"He's going to miss having them here. It means more to him to know that you've found someone that you want to spend the rest of your life with. All he has ever wanted was for the three of you to be happy. Like you said of your own children, protecting the three of you was pure instinct for us. The last thing that we want is for any of you to be harmed." Lielle sighed, taking a moment to gather her thoughts again, but Markus interrupted her by pulling her close to him in a warm embrace.

"You've done your part, mother. I am who I am today because of you and father, and the training I received from the Fighter's Guild. You shaped me, and the Guild smoothed out the jagged edges. If it wasn't for the protection and love that you and father had for us, I wouldn't have made it this far, nor would I have met the woman that I vowed to spend the rest of my life with. You can rest easy knowing that you have done what you promised you would do as a mother. You raised me to be the best man that I could be, and that's more than I could ever thank you for." He finished speaking and placed a tender kiss to her forehead. Lielle smiled as she returned the gesture, hugged him tightly once more, and did the same to Aela.

When she pulled away, she too made her way over to the carriage to say goodbye to the children once more before they departed for Skyrim. Aela came to her husband's side once more and wrapped her hand tightly around his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Are you truly ready to go home? We can stay longer if you need to." She spoke, her voice a gentle whisper against the wind. Markus shook his head before replying.

"Yes, I'm sure. It was nice to spend this time with my family again, and introducing the children to their grandparents, aunt, and uncle was a bonus. But, in all honesty, I think Arnbjorn's presence is more than enough of a reason for us to head home."

"You're right. I'd almost forgotten that he had been here." Aela replied, shifting from one foot to the other. "But what is he doing in Bruma? Didn't you once tell me that he had been driven out of town with his mother?" Aela questioned, now curious as to why Arnbjorn had been in the town in the first place.

"I'm sure he was visiting his old home. As far as I know, they never tore it down, and no one dared to move in after werewolves had occupied it. I guess they all assumed that Arnbjorn's family was keeping corpses downstairs in the cellar, though that is an entirely false accusation. Tharstan, his father, would only ever hunt out in the wilds, and on wild game, never on humans. Arnbjorn followed that example, though he must have strayed from that path to have joined the Dark Brotherhood. And Aeta, his mother, was never turned. She always remained human. Tharstan loved her too much to do anything that she was against, even turning her into a werewolf like Arnbjorn and himself." Markus explained, closing his eyes as he remembered his friend during their youth.

"Sounds like you, in a way." Aela commented, slowly pulling herself closer to his body.

"Oh? How so She-wolf?" Markus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Never doing anything that I am against. You've always taken my wants and desires into consideration before making any decisions. And when the children arrived, you've always put their needs first. Tell me my love, would you have denied the blood from me if we had been married before your turning?" She asked, now wrapped safely in his arms, eyes locked on his.

"In all honesty, I don't think I would have. The want to become a werewolf had been in the back of my thoughts since the day that Arnbjorn and Aeta were driven from the village. If we had been married before I knew you were a werewolf, I still would have accepted the blood from you. Probably even more so because you were my wife." Markus replied, in quite a matter-of-fact way.

"You know, you make it impossible for me to be an Alpha when you keep swaying my emotions so easily." Aela remarked as she leaned up and kissed Markus' jaw.

"Well, submission doesn't really suit me." Markus replied with a chuckle as he twirled a lock of her hair around his finger, and leaning down to return her kiss.

"Ewww! Mommy and Daddy are kissing!" Faith giggled, breaking the two of them from their moment.

Markus and Aela both turned towards their giggling daughter, looked back to each other with a smirk, and made their way over to the carriage.

"Oh? Kisses are gross little one? Well, what do you think of that Aela?" Markus asked, playful seriousness lining his voice as he looked from Faith to Aela.

"Well, she obviously hasn't been kissed enough. Should we change that?" Aela asked with a devious grin as she looked from Markus down to Faith, who was sitting in between them on the edge of the carriage.

"No! No kisses!" Faith squealed out as Markus lifted her up in his arms and immediately began to kiss her cheek, while Aela did so on her other cheek.

The assembled group of family members began to laugh as Faith kept giggling and fighting against the attack of kisses that had assaulted her cheeks. Aela broke away for a moment when she felt a pang of envy roll off Dengen, and without hesitation, she hoisted her boy into her arms, proclaiming that he obviously needed his cheeks to be attacked as well, to which he also chimed in with gales of laughter and shouts of "no". The group spent as much of their remaining time together as they could, laughing, sharing stories, and giving as much love and affection as possible. Before long, it was time to say goodbye, and before midday, the carriage had departed from the gates of Bruma and began its journey north towards the Jerall Mountains, and Skyrim just beyond.

The children were full of energy, and when they stopped for dinner, they were more than anxious to get out and run around, carrying laughter with them as they bounded happily through the snow of the mountains. Markus and Aela kept a close watch on them as they gathered supplies to build a fire. Lielle and Raddin had insisted on sending deer and bear meat with them before they left, and while Markus tried to dissuade his parents by saying he could hunt later, they had already placed a decent sized sack of the meat in the back of the carriage, saying that it was only right. Within the hour, dinner was ready, and Aela called the children back to eat. They gathered together around the fire, while the horses grazed nearby, and ate deer stew with roasted bear meat.

It was mere moments later when the hair on the back of Markus' neck began to rise. His eyes began to glint different colors, reverting between gold and their sharp blue, and he looked over to Aela, who also was shifting between gold and green. She, too, had felt what he had. The children, who now noticed the silence that had taken over their parents, became quiet and still at once; the only twitching was their eyes as they scanned between their parents and the surrounding scenery. The horses began to whinny nervously, pounding their hooves into the ground with each passing moment. Not a moment later, Markus had shifted and leapt over the children's heads, running off towards the forest that stood behind them. Aela had shifted as well, and stood between the children as they huddled beneath her massive body; she would protect them with her life if she needed to. The clamor of howling came to their ears, and the children cowered further into Aela's body, waiting for the attack that they thought would come to them. Though her children were not yet attuned to sounds over a distance, Aela could pick up the sound of claws meeting flesh, of teeth gnashing together, of low and dangerous growls echoing through the forest. The smell of blood assaulted her senses next, as well as the smell of silver.

"The Silver Hand have found us!" Her thoughts screamed, and her body wanted desperately to go to her husband's aid, but he refused her immediately.

"Yes, but do not leave the pups! I can take care of this…" He called back. A howl was heard not a moment later, followed by a sharp pain echoing in her mind.

"MARKUS!" She screamed out, hoping that he was still with her. Her mind reached for him, her heart howled for him.

"… Aela… Take the children… And run…" He ground out as his thoughts became harder to hear.

"No! I will not leave you behind!" She countered, her thoughts covered in the growl that reverberated throughout her body. The children trembled behind her legs.

"Perhaps I can assist." Came an unfamiliar voice, and Aela turned her head as soon as she heard the pounding of paws against the earth.

"Arnbjorn? Is that you?" Markus' thoughts were becoming clearer as he began to heal with the raging bloodlust he was now feeling.

"Aye lad. Stay put, I'm almost there." And with that thought reaching through their minds, a silver werewolf bounded past Aela and the children, only glancing at them for a moment before disappearing into the forest.

Aela could clearly hear claws clashing with metal, growls and howls echoing through the forest, and screams of agony following shortly after. Her heart hammered in her chest, aching to run in after Arnbjorn and go to Markus' aid, but he begged her to stay with the children, and though she knew they needed her more, it did not make her heart hurt any less. The fight lasted for several minutes, and it took even longer for the moans to quiet, or the sounds of men gurgling on their own blood to end, but eventually she could see two figures coming towards them. On her left, limping and wounded, was Markus; the smell of blood and silver coming off him was impossible to ignore. Her stomach retched at the smell, but she remained composed. Arnbjorn stood to her right, allowing Markus to lean on him for support as they walked back, still in wolf form, to Aela and the children. The moment they stopped back at the camp, Markus collapsed near the fire, and Aela was immediately at his side. The children, having never seen their father in his werewolf form, were cautious of the two that now stood before them. They had seen Aela's wolf form before since she often cuddled with them when they were sick, or if they were cold. But with Markus being gone so often, they never knew that he, too, was a werewolf.

"Who are you?" Dengen asked once he found his voice. Arnbjorn turned his head towards the children, who were now standing near their parents. Though he knew his voice would be rough to speak with, he knew that the children would not understand him otherwise.

"I am Arnbjorn. A friend of your parents." He spoke slowly and deliberately, making sure that the children could understand him. Faith locked eyes with him.

In her mind, the voice was familiar. She registered the name, having heard Markus say it several times in the last few years. A vision came to her of a large man with silver hair, and a petite woman with blonde hair, desperately trying to speak in hushed tones so as not to wake her. Her eyes clouded with tears at the memory, and she slowly sat down on the ground close to Markus and Aela.

Aela could sense the change in her pup, and with careful maternal patience and practice, she made her way from Markus to Faith, and curled around the young girl's body. Faith immediately clung to her mother, desperately trying to hide herself in her fur, while also trying to process the memory that she'd just witnessed. With red, puffy eyes, she looked into Aela's golden ones.

"Is… Is he… My papa?" She mumbled as she loosened her grip on Aela's fur. Instead of speaking, Aela only nudged Faith's cheek and nodded her head.

By this time, the bloodlust wore off, and all three of them reverted into their human forms. Markus' wounds began to close, with a little help from some healing potions, and he eased himself up to look between his family and Arnbjorn. Seeing his daughter so distraught brought a pang of guilt to his heart, and though he wanted to mend her young heart, he knew that she needed to know everything at that moment. He looked at Aela, voiced his concern, and she nodded in agreement. Though they both wanted to wait another year or two to tell her, they knew that now was the most opportune time.

"Faith… Come to me, please." He said, so calmly that it confused the two children even more. Wiping her eyes, Faith did as she was asked.

Dengen made his way to Aela and curled in to her side, also intrigued by the coming of this stranger that he had also heard the name of, but never a story about.

"Faith, this is Arnbjorn, as he has told you. And yes, he is your papa." Markus began, and could see new tears forming in Faith's eyes. "Now, now, there's no need for tears. Come now, you don't have to cry pup. It's okay."

"But…. But… How?" Faith asked, unable to ask anything else as she looked between the two men.

"Faith, when you were just a baby, I got a letter from Arnbjorn. He wanted mama and I to meet him out on the plains. We did so, after we made sure that your brother was asleep and with Lydia, and met him where he had asked us to. We spoke for a few minutes before he called out your mother, Astrid, who was holding you in her arms. You see, there was a problem that was plaguing them, and they felt that you weren't safe staying with them, so they asked mama and I to take you as our own, and we did. And Faith, when we brought you home, it was one of the happiest nights of our lives. Nothing can replace you, ever, just like nothing can replace Dengen. What we were asked to do was raise you to be strong and capable, and to be happy as yourself. We took you in as our daughter because we wanted to. We have always been prepared for the day that both Arnbjorn and Astrid can safely take you back home with them, but they wanted to make sure that you would be able to take care of yourself should anything have happened to them. That is what mama and I are preparing you for."

Markus became quiet as he watched Faith process his words. He gauged her reaction for several minutes as she went from confused, to intrigued, to upset, then back to confused before realization finally took over her expression. She looked between Markus and Arnbjorn a few times before she focused her attention back to Markus.

"So, they did that to protect me?" She asked, clearly taken aback that she had an entirely different family that she was just learning about now.

"Yes, love. They gave you to us so that we could protect you for them. Do you understand?" Markus asked as he brushed her hair back from her eyes. She nodded her head in response, and then turned her attention over to Arnbjorn.

"You know, I didn't know I had another papa and mama. Where is mama?" She asked as she stood up from Markus' lap and made her way towards Arnbjorn. He sighed in response before kneeling to her level.

"I wish I knew pup. I wish I knew. But wherever she is, I promise that she's thinking of you." Arnbjorn spoke as he looked into his daughter's eyes. She had a mischievous twinkle to them, which he knew she got from Astrid.

"Has she tried to contact you, Arnbjorn?" Markus asked, his voice muffled by the exhaustion that was beginning to take over his body.

"No, nor do I expect her to. Not until she feels safe, at least. I'm not too worried. Astrid is clever and resourceful. She will use any means she can to survive." Arnbjorn replied, also feeling the effects of his bloodlust fading after the fight.

"The two of you are exhausted. Rest. We can continue everything in the morning." Aela spoke as she pulled bedrolls from the back of the carriage.

The children both grabbed their and hunkered down as close to the fire as they safely could, while Aela laid out Markus' roll as close to him as she could, to prevent him from moving more than his body could handle. She offered her bedroll to Arnbjorn, saying that she could take first watch, but he declined and instead said he would be fine for a few more hours, and that she would need the rest more than he would.

She finally relented and laid her bedroll out next to Markus, who was already asleep, and curled in next to him. She draped her arm across his chest and fell asleep as soon as sleep came. Arnbjorn watched as they all slept, and kept looking between them and the forest where the Silver Hand had been hiding in wait. He was worried that there would be more, and with Faith there, his paternal instinct was kicked into overdrive. He did not doubt that Markus and Aela could handle another fight against the Silver Hand, but he was now determined to follow them back to Skyrim, if only to the border, to keep Faith safe.

Before his thoughts could lull him into restless sleep, he woke Aela to take over the second watch.