"You're sure you don't want to go?" I asked the Harbinger, who sat at on top of her desk in the corner of her little library, her back propped against the wall. She had her nose in a book, and she had been nodding and mumbling one-worded answers at my excited chatter.

"No, I don't want to go."

Farkas had begun to talk about dragons about a week before that day. He insisted that he needed to know if they existed, and that he meet the Dragonborn, who happened to be visiting his home in Whiterun. All that had to be done was walk up to the cloud district and ask Jarl Balgruuf to convince the Dragonborn to accompany us on a mission to slay a dragon for ourselves.

Since Balgruuf actually owed the Companions a favor or two, and since Vignar was fairly intimidating to the Jarl, all we had to do was mention that Vignar had been talking about speaking to Stormcloak himself about Dragonsreach, and how nice the view was from up there. The Jarl was kind enough to ask the Dragonborn to accompany us, and the Dragonborn apparently accepted.

"And why not? Surely, the Harbinger of the Companions wants to meet Skyrim's most powerful and legendary warrior for herself."

Kara looked up at me from her book, one eyebrow raised. "I assure you Vilkas, I do not." She looked back down at her book. I stepped toward her, snatching the book out of her hands and holding it above her head. "Hey!"

"Tell me why you don't want to go."

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "I thought you could use some quality time with your brother."

I held the book toward her, exposing the page she was on. "Give me a real answer, or I'll close it, and I won't mark the page."

"Vilkas, give me the book."

"Give me an answer." She shot me a look that I'm sure she thought was menacing, but to me it was nothing but adorable. I pretended to make the book wobble. "Hurry Kara, it's slipping."

She laughed, shaking her head as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "If you absolutely must know, I don't have any interest in slaying dragons."

"What? None at all?"

She shook her head. "What's the point? They're magnificent creatures. Why hunt them down, end their lives just for sport?" She shifted, letting her legs hang off the edge of the table. "In all honesty, Vilkas, I don't see why you're so interested."

"Kara, I've been swearing for years that I've killed one of everything in Skyrim."

She rolled her eyes again. "Oh, I'm well aware."

"I've never killed a dragon. All that boasting will have been false information." I shrugged. "Plus, Farkas doesn't even believe they really exist"

"And I hope you have an amazing time, Vilkas. I want to hear all about it when you come back." Kara held her hand out for the book.

We had not talked about the secret Farkas had told her, which was no longer a secret. Though that had been weeks ago, it was like nothing had changed.

I had really tried not to love her. Now was not the time to be in love, to be wed, as per Nordic culture. Not with all that was going on. I tried to push the thoughts from my mind, but then she would look up at me with those happy brown eyes and it all came back. There would be a right time, I knew that. It just wasn't now.

I placed it back in her hand, making sure her place was still marked. "There's nothing that can convince you to join me and Farkas?"

She shrugged. "Maybe if you return with an interesting tale, I'll accompany you next time." I placed my hand on her cheek, running my thumb across the scar over her eye. She smiled at me, covering my hand with her own. "Please don't get roasted alive. I don't think you'd look good burnt to a crisp."

"Alright, pup. A nice golden brown, that's all."

"The same goes for Farkas. You are both required to return to Jorrvaskr alive."

I leaned in to kiss her cheek. "I promise. We'll be back."

She smiled at me again, nodding as I backed out of the room. "Have fun, grumpy."

I walked out of her room, closing her doors behind me. Even with the doors shut, I heard her grumble something unintelligible, which made me laugh quietly. Farkas waited for me at the end of the hall, and we walked together out of Jorrvaskr and down to Breezehome, the Dragonborn's residence.

A Nord woman waited outside, as we approached, she straightened up from her leaning position against the house. "You're the Companions?" she asked us.

"We are." My brother said just before the door of the home swung open. The Dragonborn stepped out, near identical to my brother in height and size. He wore a helmet of iron, horns spouting from either side. He gave an awkward smile.

"Companions." he said, nodding to us in acknowledgement. Then he gestured toward the woman. "This is Lydia, my housecarl."

"I'm Vilkas. This is my brother, Farkas."

Farkas extended a hand, which the Dragonborn took and shook with force. "A pleasure, I'm sure." he said. Then he looked between my brother and the housecarl. After a moment, he burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" I asked, genuinely confused.

He doubled over, laughing so loudly that people were staring as they passed. "Oh gods." he said. "Oh my gods, they look exactly alike."

I looked then at Lydia and Farkas, both dressed in steel armor and gauntlets. Lydia's hair was nearly the same shade as ours, but she didn't look like us. She was sort of pretty, and I'm sure we were both dirty, as Kara never stopped pointing out.

Lydia rolled her eyes. "Ignore him, please. He's always like this."

The Dragonborn composed himself, then sighed. "We're off to kill a dragon, huh?"

Farkas nodded. "Yes."

"Alright then. Lead the way."

We traveled as a group toward our destination, which was assumed to take about two hours. Our travel had been spent listening to the Dragonborn tell the story of how he defeated Alduin the World Eater, and how he'd been to Sovngarde. He was rather pompous, if I had to describe him. He clearly knew he was a big deal, but something told me he had probably been that way his entire life.

I had also picked up that he was rather excited to be with strangers, to tell his tales. Farkas loved to hear stories, which gave me the opportunity to make pleasant conversation with Lydia.

"You have to put up with that all the time?" I had asked her when he and Farkas were just out of earshot. The Dragonborn had been talking about a woman from the Sleeping Giant Inn, and he had used some colorful vocabulary to describe her. I was glad then that Kara hadn't come along, I myself was embarrassed to hear it.

Lydia nodded. "Oh yes. I'm sworn to carry his burdens, however light or heavy they may be."

"He himself is a burden." I noted.

She had laughed. "He can be. This is part of his act, mind you. The fierce and mighty Dragonborn." She sighed then. "My thane is actually rather pleasant when he isn't being watched by fans." She furrowed her brow. "Well, most of it is an act. He can be rather hot-headed. The foul mouth, as well, that's him." Lydia groaned, looking at me. "Maybe he is a burden."

As we continued toward the supposed dragon, I grinned at my brother. His face, too, was very happy. He gave me a nudge. "Lissa would like him." Farkas said to me, nodding to the Nord.

I grinned, agreeing with him. "Dragonborn, we would be honored if you would meet our Harbinger."

The Dragonborn furrowed his brow beneath his helmet. "Your Harbinger is a woman?"

Lydia scoffed at him. "Are you suggesting women can't hold positions of authority, my Thane?" She glared at him challengingly.

The Dragonborn rolled his eyes. "No, woman, I'm not suggesting anything about an entire gender. I just thought Harbinger meant a man. A woman would be a…Harbingress, or something." He put up his hands in innocent defense. "It's just a masculine term, Lydia. Don't get all worked up about it."

Lydia grinned, but turned back to me and Farkas. "It would be an honor to meet your Harbinger. Unfortunately, my Thane has arranged to have dinner with the Jarl this evening."

The Dragonborn groaned. "Damned Balgruuf is always coming up with some reason to bother me. I can't get away from him."

I laughed, to my surprise. "We understand, of course. You're always welcome to visit Jorrvaskr. You could meet Kara another time."

The Dragonborn looked over his shoulder at me. "Who's Kara?"

Farkas spoke from beside me. "Our Harbinger."

"Her name is not Lissa?" Lydia asked us, her head turned around to face us.

Farkas laughed. "No, it is. Her nickname."

"You call your Harbinger by her nickname?" Lydia asked. "Rather disrespectful, don't you think?"

I shrugged. "She makes an exception. She was Lissa long before she was the Harbinger."

Lydia laughed. "Your Harbinger must be very patient, then."

The Dragonborn stopped suddenly, his head whipping toward us. He stared at us, his mouth slightly agape.

Lydia put a hand on his shoulder. "Is everything alright, my Thane?"

He shook his head. "Your Harbinger, is her name Karalissa?"

I narrowed my eyes, unsure of where this was leading. "Yes."

The Dragonborn stared at us for a moment more, then started to laugh. Lydia stared at him, her eyes growing wide as he spoke. "She's been in Whiterun this whole time. Right under my nose." he turned back to me. "Karl is the Harbinger? Of the Companions?"

"What am I missing?" I asked, looking at Farkas. He shrugged, equally confused.

The Dragonborn turned to Lydia, suddenly serious. "We need to go to Jorrvaskr, as soon as possible."

Farkas gasped. "What about the dragon?"

The Dragonborn laughed. "I'll get you another dragon, Companion. We have to go back to Whiterun. Now."

"What is going on?" I asked, growing both irritated and worried.

The Dragonborn stepped toward me, removing his helmet. He exposed his shaggy hair, the color of honey, paired with dark brown eyes, identical to the eyes I'd fallen in love with at home.

He glared at me, his eyes excited beneath thick brows. "Karalissa is my sister. I'd like you to take me to her."

I stared at him for a moment, his face a spitting image of Kara beneath a beard and scarred lips. I blinked before I spoke to him. "You're Cassius?"

He nodded. "That's me."

Farkas laughed beside me. "Lissa's brother is the Dragonborn."

I shook my head at Cassius. "Gods, Kara believes you to be dead."

Cassius furrowed his brow. "Dead?"

I nodded. "After Helgen. She caught up to your wagon after it had been destroyed. She thinks you died in the ambush."

"How the hell do you know this, Companion?" Cassius stepped toward me, looking angry but sounding confused. Lydia put her hand on his arm, trying to calm him.

Farkas stepped up beside me, displaying his brawn, superior in size to Kara's brother. "Vilkas and I are very close with Lissa."

The Dragonborn's eyes darted back and forth between us. His gaze rested on me, my fists clenched and my jaw set. "You have something you want to tell me about the nature of your relationship with my little sister?"

Lydia stepped in between us, and put her hand on the Dragonborn's face. "Cass, instead of fighting the people who have taken care of your sister in the years you couldn't, why don't we just go to Jorrvaskr to see her?"

He scoffed, pointing at me. "Oh I'm sure he's 'taken care' of my sister. This is bullshit, Lyd. I've been all over Skyrim looking for her and she's been shacked up with this gothlord and his beefy brother. What the hell is going on?"

I stepped toward him, talking around Lydia. "Don't talk about her like that! Kara is a warrior, a brave and noble woman who saved the Companions in their time of need. She isn't 'shacked up' with anyone. She has risked her life on countless occasions, just to go out and risk it again." I jabbed his chest with my finger. "I don't give a damn if you're her brother or not. You have no right to speak about her in such a disrespectful manner." I felt Farkas' hand on my chest, holding me back from the Dragonborn.

"He breathes fire, Vilkas." my brother reminded me. He stepped toward the two across from us. "We'll bring you to Lissa, but I want an apology. Vilkas has always protected Lissa. Just like I have protected her. Just like she has protected us."

"Lissa is a stupid nickname." Cassius closed his eyes and took a deep breath, smoke trailing out of his lips as he exhaled. When he opened his eyes again, there were tears spattered across his eyelashes. As they trailed his face and reached his scarred lips, they simmered and evaporated, trailing away in the wind.

He looked at me, begging for forgiveness. "We've been looking for my sister for a very long time. I didn't know she was here, and I live here. I feel stupid, looking everywhere but Whiterun. My little sister has been alone, right in front of me, and I couldn't find her."

I nodded, watching Lydia run her hands through his hair and wiping his cheeks, trying to calm him down. He wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her against him. I noticed then that they wore matching rings. "She spent a long time searching for you too, Dragonborn. But she hasn't been alone."

He laughed, stepping forward with his hand extended. "Call me Cass, Companion."

I shook his hand. "Vilkas. Pleasure to meet you, Cass. Farkas and I will take you to Kara."

He nodded, the closest to a 'thank you' we would probably get. He grimaced, trying to recover from his momentary display of emotion, then took Lydia's hand and walked toward Whiterun.

We walked into Jorrvaskr, thankful the mess hall was empty. It was too late at night for them to be awake, but the Companions would have plenty of questions if they had seen us. I guided the Dragonborn and his wife to my room, then asked them to wait while I woke Kara. Cassius sat patiently in the chair in the corner, Lydia standing next to him with her hand on his shoulder.

I left Farkas outside the door, guarding the room while I walked to Kara's room. I pushed the door open, walking past her little library to her bedroom. Inside, she was sleeping quietly, curled up in a green blanket. Her long hair was fanned out across her pillow, and her face was so peaceful in sleep.

I sat on the edge of her bed, running my hand over her face. I grazed her freckled nose, the deep red scar across her eye, her soft lips. Her eyes fluttered open, glazed over in sleep. When she looked at me, she smiled.

"You are absolutely beautiful." I said to her, my hand still pressed against her face.

She laughed, closing her eyes again. "And so are you, grumpy." She rested her head on my leg, looking up at me. "How was your dragon?"

I ran my hand over her hair. "You need to come with me, pup."

She sat up then, her long hair tangled and draped across her shoulders. She put her hand on my chin, turning my head from side to side, then running her hand across my arms and chest. "Are you hurt, Vilkas?" Her voice was groggy in sleep.

"No, Kara. I'm not hurt."

She furrowed her brow, then her eyes widened. "Farkas? Where is Farkas?"

"He's in my room." I put my hands on either side of her face. She looked so confused. "No one is hurt, pup."

"Then I don't understand. What's going on?" She pulled herself from the bed, throwing her wardrobe open and pulling leather armor from the shelf.

I stood from her bed, putting my hand on her shoulder. She spun around, and I took the armor from her, placing it neatly on the shelf again. "We brought the Dragonborn to meet you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Vilkas, it's the middle of the night! I don't want to meet the Dragonborn."

I laughed quietly, kissing her forehead. "Kara, you want to meet the Dragonborn." I grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room.

In the hall, Farkas saw us and smiled at Kara. "Sorry to wake you, Lissa."

"And yet you two did it anyway." She looked at the door. "And you put the Dragonborn in…Vilkas' room. Is this some kind of late night prank? Because I'm really not interested."

"Surprises." Farkas said, smiling at Kara.

Kara rubbed her face. "Alright, I'll meet the Dragonborn in my pajamas. I can promise that this won't end nicely if this is some sort of joke, though."

A man's laugh came from within the room as the Dragonborn and his wife listened to the Harbinger talking. Kara's face fell, recognizing the laugh. She looked at me, then at Farkas. She furrowed her brow, demanding answers. "Vilkas…"

"The Dragonborn and his wife are waiting for you." I said to her, pushing her hair behind her ear. "They claim to know you."

Her eyes lit up, and she smiled at me as she turned toward the door, taking a deep breath and pushing it open.