I know it's a little cliche, but I'd like to dedicate this chapter to HereLies. Thank you for all your encouragement! :) - A little Wabbit

"Are you sure you want to travel all the way to Riften?" I asked.

"Lass, there are very few things left in my life that are traditional, please grant me this." His eyes pleaded with me and I couldn't say no.

"Alright." I sighed and smiled. "How far off are we looking at?"

"I was thinking in about a week. We can set out from here this time next week and be there in a day." He took my hands in his, but his smile and enthusiasm faded when his eyes found my necklace. "Where'd did you get an amulet of Mara, Lass?" His fingertips rested on the small medallion.

"It was a gift, to honor us." I told him, placing my hand over his.

He smiled. It was a soft smile, a smile that gave a hint of being surprised. "From who?" He continued to stare at it.

"Aela."

He laughed. "Alea?" He returned to looking at his map, planning our trip to Riften. "Why in the world would Aela give you that?"

"It was given to her, and she wanted to pass it on to me." I grasped it in my hand, feeling a little protective of it.

He looked back at me again. "Given to Aela?" His brow furrowed. "From who?"

I backed away, timidly. "I… uh." I wasn't sure how far I was allowed to spread the knowledge of Aela and Skjor.

"I don't think…" I glanced around the room, trying to think of something… anything to say. "I don't think I am supposed to tell anyone."

"Tala." Vilkas sighed. "I am not asking you to betray Aela's trust. If she asked you not to tell anyone, then don't tell me. I just had no idea there was someone interested in Aela."

"Oh. Well there was." I let go of the amulet and sat down in a chair by the table in our room.

"Was?" He frowned again.

'You're an idiot!' I screamed silently to myself. 'You need to learn to keep your big mouth shut!'

"Skjor." He breathed. "I should have known." He lowered himself into the chair behind him. "And here I've been flaunting you all over Jorrvaskr." He brought his head to his hand. "Oh, Talos… I do know how to hurt that girl, don't I?"

"What?" Now I was confused. "I don't think you have been flaunting me; and I don't think Aela minds us being together that much."

"Lass." He sighed. "There are things that have happened between Aela and I that I can never forgive myself for."

This time, I knew to keep my mouth shut. I sat in silence, if he wanted to share his past with me, I wanted him to do so on his own time.

"By the Gods!" He stood up. "You have a meeting with Olava, and I completely forgot!"

"Olava?" I wrinkled my forehead. "Who's that? And why am I meeting with her?"

"She's the wisest elder in Whiterun." He held out his hand for mine. "I asked her to see you about your shifting."

I took his hand and he hoisted me up. "How can she help me?"

"You'll see." He smiled.

We sat in the small hut on the edge of the hold. Olava sat across the wooden table and smiled at me. She was just as sweet looking as Tilma, only there was a certain knowledge in her eyes. I felt as though she was looking through me and seeing my whole life; every good and bad deed, every happiness and heartache and every secret.

"Now," She laid her hands, palm upwards on the table. "Let's see your hands."

Shaking I held my hands, palms up, out to her. She took them in hers and began to look them over. "Vilkas tells me you are having trouble controlling your shifting."

"Y… yes ma'am." I mumbled. I was so nervous.

"Hmmm…" She poured over my hands like they were a book and she was trying to memorize every word. "You've had a hard shift recently." She rubbed her chin. "One that was before all the troubles, right?"

"Yes." I confessed. "The night we saved Vilkas from the Silver Hand, I… I felt like I was caught in the middle of a shift. All the power kept building and building until my whole body was humming. Yet nothing came."

"Yes." Her brow furrowed. "And you have been having nightmares." She looked at me.

I looked at Vilkas. He just shrugged.

"He didn't tell me that dear." Olava smiled at me. "I can read it all over you. You have the writings of terror carved into your very skin."

"What?" Vilkas asked, leaning forward.

"She was terrified that night they went to find you." Olava dropped my hands. "And her wolf responded in kind. They are as one being, Tala and her wolf. When Tala's fear gripped her very soul, that same fear etched itself onto her wolf as well. Her wolf gave her what she needed at the time, strength to save your life; but it came at a very high cost."

I sat there and stared at Olava, in shock.

"What does that mean?" Vilkas took my hands in his. "A high cost?"

"Her blood is unbalanced." She crossed her arms. "Her wolf gave more than she had to give to Tala, and now her wolf is dying."

Tears began to form in my eyes. "What are you talking about?" I stammered. "She's dying?"

"Exactly what I said child." She spoke softly. "Your wolf is dying and the troubles with your shifts have been the early signs of that."

"What can we do?" Vilkas asked, his voice low. "How can we help her?"

"There is nothing we can do to save the beast." Olava stood up and began to gather dried herbs around her hut. "But there is a chance we can save Tala."

"You said her wolf was dying, not that Tala is dying!" Vilkas roared, standing up from his chair.

"I also said they are one." Olava faced him. "Tala and her wolf have been together for so long they don't know how to live without one another. They are one in body and in soul. If we cannot find a way to separate them from one another before her wolf passes, Tala will die as well."

I continued to sit in silence, but I could see Vilkas' fists clench tighter as he stared at the floor. I wasn't prepared when he turned and stormed from the hut.

"Vilkas!" I called to him, feeling the warm tears fall down my cheeks. I pushed the door open, trying to follow him. "Vilkas!" I reached for him, but he was already to the gates of the city. I stood by the small house and watched him leave. The tears began to roll down faster and fatter.

"Sister." I heard Farkas call to me from the bench he was sitting on.

I turned to face him. "Farkas." I cried. He stood and wrapped his arms around me, allowing me to cry in the privacy of his embrace.

"Tala." He let me go and rested his hands on my shoulders. "There is someone you need to meet."

Farkas led me down the long hall that connected the sleeping chambers under Jorrvaskr. For the first time since I had arrived there I was led past Vilkas' room and to the large double doors at the end of the hall. He continued to hold my hand as he knocked on the heavy doors.

"Come." I heard a woman's voice call.

He pushed the doors open and motioned for me to enter. The woman who had called out stood up from the table she was sitting at. She smiled at me, her smile was warm and open, much like Farkas'. She was closer to my height than any of the other Companions I had met, but she wasn't as thin as I was. She was built like a warrior, not big but bulky; again, like Farkas. Her brown hair was braided with a blue ribbon threaded through.

"Hello Tala." She walked towards me. "My name is Dyre."