Hey guys, What city is on the way to Winterhold? Hehehee, I'm so mean!

Btw, if any of you want to follow me outside of , I also have a twitter account: NikkiNicole159. Or on DeviantArt: Nicky-Nightmare

I also wanted to run something by all of my followers. How would you all feel about a DeviantArt chatroom, dedicated to just discussing all the fanfiction we read? Let me know it the reviews!

Hope you enjoy and please remember to Fave/Follow/Review. Special thanks to Whisper292, BrunetteAuthorette99 and Kira Mackey. Their Dragonborn stories inspire me to write my own and keep me entertained.

Another shoutout to my favorite follower, Lady of Dov, and my newest follower, who I love talking to, KaiaUchiha1.


Chapter Twenty-Nine

"This, Tomb of Ysgramor," Einarr spoke up as they traveled along the cobbled road, north. "Exactly where is it?"

"It's just off the shores of Winterhold," Aela answered him. "It's on a small island nearby."

"Island?" Lassarina frowned. "So we'll have to swim through frozen waters?"

"With any luck the water will be frozen," Vilkas murmured. "We could just walk across the sheets of ice."

"But what if we fall in?" she asked, fidgeting.

"You're a Nord, surely you can handle a little cold," Farkas muttered, his voice bitter.

Einarr saw his sister flinch and duck her head, scooting an inch closer to him. She was already uncomfortable traveling with Farkas, but he was making the whole experience worse by glaring at her every couple of minutes. He had reached that phase after ending a relationship where all the man wants to do is make the woman miserable. Well, Einarr wasn't going to stand for that.

"Farkas, I'm only going to warn you once," Einarr growled. "Leave my sister alone. She already feels bad enough."

"It's alright Einarr," she told him softly.

"Nay, it's not," he objected.

"Farkas, if you make things stressful I'll personally kick you out of this carriage and you can walk to Winterhold," Aela warned.

"I haven't done anything," Farkas protested.

"You're speaking to her as if she were your enemy," Vilkas couldn't help but point out. "I understand how you're feeling brother, but we need to work together to help Kodlak."

Farkas stared at the wooden floor of the carriage, where all the greatswords were laying side by side, his hands clenched together. He looked up at Lassarina for a brief moment. Just seeing her face made him extremely tense.

"I just wasn't expecting to have to work with her so soon," Farkas gritted.

"We worked together just fine before," Lassarina shot back.

"Aye, but that was before last night," he growled.

"I've already said I was sorry, what more do you want!?" She demanded.

Einarr opened his mouth to say something, to stop the fight, but Aela placed a hand on his forearm. He glanced at her eyes and saw they were hard and posing a warning. She shook her head stiffly. Einarr sighed, knowing what she was trying to tell him. If they were to resolve their differences, they needed to have this argument.

"I want more of a reason than, 'I've lost interest'," Farkas told her.

"But that is the reason," Lassarina insisted.

"Then what did I do to make you lose interest?"

"You didn't do any-"

"Were you bored with me?" he interrupted. "Did it finally become a hassle being with me? Or maybe you found someone else?"

"What?" she gasped.

"Aye that must be the reason," Farkas chuckled darkly. "You most likely have a thing with that thief in Riften."

"I haven't seen Brynjolf in months!" Lassarina protested.

"Nay but you still write to him," Farkas snarled. "You don't think I haven't seen all those letters from him?"

Rage and shock flashed in Lassarina's eyes. "You went through my things?!"

"You write to Brynjolf?" Einarr asked her, a bit annoyed.

She turned her head to him, glaring. "What? I can't keep in contact with an old friend?"

"I just don't like him," Einarr muttered. "He was a bad influence on you as a child, and he still is."

"Why, because he's a thief?" she demanded.

"And because of how he looked at you when we were in Riften," Farkas added. "He wouldn't take his eyes off of you."

"Brynjolf Is only my friend!" Lassarina finally snapped. "There's nothing going on between me and him. And I'm insulted that you would think that I was two-timing you!"

"What else is a man supposed to think when his woman is repulsed by him?!" Farkas snarled.

"I'm not repulsed by you!" she shouted.

"Then what is it? Why the hell did you suddenly decide to end it?!"

"It's complicated..."

"Try and explain it then!"

Lassarina glared at him. "It's your scent."

Farkas fell silent and looked at Vilkas confused, even Einarr's brow was furrowed in confusion. He looked at Aela and it appeared she was the only one that wasn't confused. In fact she was looking at Lassarina sympathetically.

"What do you mean my scent?" Farkas asked.

"She-wolves are very particular," Aela answered. "If a males scent doesn't appeal to us, then he's not the right mate for us."

Einarr looked at his sister. She was staring at her hands, folded neatly on her lap, looking extremely upset and embarrassed. Looking at Farkas he saw that the man had a look of disbelief etched onto his face.

"So it's over just because my scent doesn't appeal to you?" he asked.

Lassarina frowned and looked up at him. "I'm sorry Farkas."

Farkas turned to his brother. "Have you ever heard of such a ridiculous reason?"

Vilkas remained silent, staring down at the ground. Einarr could only imagine how conflicted he must be feeling, so he decided to save him from answering.

"What's the point of being in a relationship if the attraction is gone?" Einarr said. "I'm sure she didn't want this to happen."

"Farkas I still care about you," Lassarina told him.

"Then why did you end it?" he murmured sadly.

"Because I didn't want to lead you on," she answered with a heavy sigh.

Einarr glanced at her when she suddenly stood up and jumped off the carriage. "Rina what are you doing?" he called.

"I'm going hunting," she replied. "I'll catch up with you later."

"I'll go with her," Aela offered, jumping off the carriage too.

The men were silent once the women started to walk off the road and into the tall grass of the plains. Einarr shot a glance at the twins, both of them looking extremely downcast. He sat back against his seat, shaking his head. When the silence stretched on, Einarr picked up his blade and started to clean it with a rag he kept tucked into his armor. After a while Vilkas sighed and pulled out one of his books, turning it to a marked page and skimming his eyes across the written words rapidly.

"So this is sufficiently awkward," Einarr chuckled.

The corners of Vilkas' lips twitched a moment, indicating his amusement towards the comment, but he knew better than to laugh right now. So he just continued to look down, avoiding any eye contact with anyone. Farkas just stared off into the distance, his face solemn and eyes dark. After a few moments of more silence, Einarr looked up at the sound of two wolves howling, or rather werewolves.

"Great, bloody wolves nearby," he heard the carriage driver, Bjorn, mutter.

"I don't think they'll come near the roads," Einarr told him. "They know better than that."

"I'm just thankful your sister left that wolf of hers back at Whiterun," Bjorn said over his shoulder. "Last thing I need is for Charger to feel threatened."

"Aye, we left him behind to keep my daughter company," he smiled.

"How are the women going to catch up to us?"

Vilkas looked up from his book. "They'll find us come nightfall. They're good trackers."

"Aye, I'm sure they are," Bjorn chuckled. "With any luck, we'll arrive at the gates of Windhelm in two days."

"Any way we can drive right past Windhelm?" Einarr asked hopefully.

"I need to give Charger at least a days rest, he's not as young as he used to be."

Einarr frowned and angrily kicked the floor of the carriage. The last thing he wanted to do was spend the day in Windhelm.

"What's wrong?" Vilkas asked.

"Lassarina and I can't go to Windhelm," he explained.

"Why not?"

Farkas was the one to answer. "They were banished from the city when she was only a baby. She's the bastard of some nobleman, and his son feels threatened by her."

"Which nobleman?" Vilkas wondered.

Farkas gave him a shrug and Einarr felt a wave of relief. Lassarina hadn't told anyone she was Ulfric's sister, and for that he was thankful. Another last thing they needed were the Imperials finding out about her heritage.

"It doesn't matter," Einarr told them. "Do you think we can just continue onto Winterhold on foot once we reach Windhelm?"

"Aye, it's not that far," Vilkas nodded. "It shouldn't be a problem."

oOo

The gods weren't smiling upon the Circle. They had arrived in Windhelm just as a terrible blizzard started up, making the roads dangerous to travel on. Einarr and Lassarina shared an uncomfortable glance when Aela, Farkas and Vilkas started heading toward the Windhelm gates. Lassarina looked terrified at the very thought of walking into the city and Einarr shared her fear. He had avoided Windhelm as much as possible, not wanting to be faced by Jarl Ulfric. But they couldn't camp out in the wilds, the storm was very bad and the winds were freezing, even for a Nord.

"Just keep your face hidden," Einarr murmured to her, tugging the hood of her fur lined cloak over her head. "Enough time has past, I doubt anyone would recognize you."

"I don't want to go in there Einarr," she whimpered, clutching his arm.

"We'll stay low," he promised her. "I won't let anyone bother you. We'll just stay in the inn the entire time."

She nodded and held onto his arm as they crossed the bridge to the gate. Her face was completely shadowed by her hood, the only part of her clearly visible was her mouth and chin and her long braid, poking out. Einarr pulled his own hood up and hid his face as best as possible. When they reached the gates, the guards eyed each of them for several moments before opening the doors for them. Lassarina's grip kept getting tighter as they walked into the city and headed over to Candlehearth Hall. Their Shield-siblings had noticed their anxiety and frowned as they entered the inn.

"The pair of you can relax you know," Aela told them. "You haven't been here since you were children. No one is going to recognize you."

"Right," Einarr muttered, walking his sister to the steps upstairs. "Get our rooms would you?"

Once upstairs, they found that the inn was packed with patrons trying to escape the blizzard outside. Einarr walked Lassarina over to a table in the corner and sat down beside her. A Dunmer was standing in the corner, playing her lute absently for the patrons enjoyment, but she just kept receiving hateful looks from several of the Nords.

"Makes you glad we didn't bring Athis huh?" Lassarina murmured, pulling her hood off.

"Rina keep that on," Einarr told her quietly.

"It's hot Einarr," she sighed a complaint.

Just as Einarr was about to repeat his order, his sister undid her braid and moved around the long strands until they covered her face, hiding her behind a curtain of dark auburn hair. He shrugged, guessing it did the trick of hiding her face and looked over to their companions as they approached, tankards of mead in their hands. Aela passed on to Einarr, while Vilkas slid one over to Lassarina. They all sat together at the table, though Farkas sat a little further away from them, keeping quiet and nursing his mead.

"We've got to leave the minute that storm dies down," Einarr said, taking a gulp from his tankard. "I don't want to spend a second longer in this damned city than I have to."

"Alright Einarr," Aela rolled her eyes. "I just don't understand why you're so paranoid. For all you know Lassarina's half brother died in some Stormcloak battle."

"Nay, he's still alive," Lassarina murmured.

Vilkas turned his gaze to her. "And how would you know?"

"Call it instinct," she growled, chugging down several sips of her mead.

"Oi take it easy with that," Einarr warned. "This is the last place for you to lose all control over your sense of judgment."

"That's why I have you here," she replied sarcastically. "So you can judge for me."

She chugged down the rest of her mead and slammed the tankard down on the table. Without warning, she reached out and took Vilkas' untouched mug, drinking its contents heavily.

"Lass what's gotten into you?" Vilkas demanded, taking the tankard from her.

"I'm not comfortable here," she told them, her words coming out tightly. "I don't want to be here."

"Easy sister," Aela told her, reaching out and grasping her hand. "I promise you we'll leave as soon as we're able."

"Aye so just calm down," Vilkas added, pushing some of the hair out of her face.

"No!" she growled, shoving Vilkas' hands away. "Leave my hair the way it is."

"She looks exactly like our mother," Einarr explained. "She's afraid someone will notice the resemblance."

"It's been twenty years," Aela scoffed. "Surely these drunk Nords can't remember farther than two years back?"

"I don't want to take any chances," Lassarina muttered, taking Vilkas' tankard again and drinking from it.

They all frowned, even Farkas, but allowed Lassarina to drink her troubles away. They were shocked to see her consume two more tankards of mead and still be able to talk without a slur. Einarr was starting to think her nerves were strung too tightly for the alcohol to take any effect. But then she nearly tripped over her own feet when she got up to remove her cloak and Einarr realized she was in fact severely drunk.

"I'll go get her something to eat," Einarr sighed. "Like some bread."

"Aye and please hurry," Vilkas urged, trying to keep her steady in her seat.

"I'm fine," she mumbled, pushing her hair out of her face.

Einarr rolled his eyes and got up from his chair, walking towards the steps to talk to the innkeeper. As he walked he spotted some men looking at him suspiciously, murmuring to each other in hushed tones. Einarr got an uneasy feeling and headed down the steps, purchasing a loaf of bread from the owner, Elda. Walking back upstairs, he looked back at the men but saw them laughing and shaking their heads.

They must have just been nervous about seeing a stranger, Einarr thought to himself, walking back to his drunken sister.

"Here eat some of this Rina," Einarr said, tearing off a slice of bread for her.

"I'm not hungry," she complained.

"Just eat it," he sighed, starting to get the feeling he was taking care of a stubborn child.

Lassarina glared at him, but took the bread from him. She ate it quickly, barely chewing between bites. Einarr shared a chuckle with Aela at the sight of her and drank from his tankard once again. A couple of hours passed and the bread had started to sober Lassarina up, while Einarr and the others were steadily getting drunker. The men that Einarr had seen whispering had left long ago, hanging onto each other as they clumsily left the inn.

"I'm tired," Lassarina yawned, stretching her arms above her head. "I think I'll go to bed."

"Aye I might do the same," Aela nodded, her eyes weary. "Come on, they were short on rooms so we're sharing one."

"Alright," Lassarina smiled, standing up and bracing herself against the wall as she walked around the table.

She nearly tripped and fell again, but Vilkas grabbed onto the back of her jerkin when she started to go forward. He steadied her easily enough, having gotten used to taking care of Lassarina when she was drunk. She shot a glare over her shoulder.

"I'm fine," she told him. "So don't even think about carrying me over your shoulder again."

"Wouldn't even dream of it," Vilkas chuckled, drinking from his tankard.

Einarr watched his sisters gaze turn to Farkas, whose mood had improved after a few ales. "Night Farkas."

He looked up at her, fresh pain in his eyes. "Sleep well Lassarina."

She nodded and walked over to Aela, throwing her arm across her shoulders. The two women leaned on each other as they disappeared downstairs and to their room. Einarr was starting to feel a bit tired himself. He knew that Farkas and Vilkas would be sharing a room so he was thankful to be the one that got to sleep alone. Another hour passed and they each drank another tankard of mead, before Farkas stood up.

"I'm going to bed," he told them. "See you all in the morning."

Once Farkas was gone Einarr looked at Vilkas.

"How long are you going to avoid talking to your brother?" he demanded.

"Right now isn't the best time to tell him," Vilkas replied. "He's in a lot of pain. He doesn't take well to people leaving him. He get's very depressed."

"What, he's got abandonment issues?"

"Aye, ever since Jergen left for the Great War and never came back. He was the only father Farkas ever knew."

"But he wasn't your real father, right?"

"Nay, he was just a Companion who saved us from some necromancers. When Jergen saved us and then later adopted us, Farkas just became attached to him. Jergen was his whole world."

"Similar to what happened when Lassarina met Farkas isn't it?" Einarr asked, remembering the tale his sister told him of how she came to meet the Companions. "A giant attacked her correct? And Farkas was the one to save her?"

"Aye," Vilkas nodded.

"I think my sister became attracted to Farkas because of that," Einarr sighed, sipping his mead. "She'd been abused all her life, a kind soul must have been very comforting to her."

"You think she was mistaking safety for an attraction?" Vilkas asked.

"I've had it happen to myself before," Einarr shrugged. "When I was journeying across Tamriel, looking for Lassarina, I took on this one job in Valenwood. Some Bosmer girl got kidnapped by some criminal. Well, I went and saved her, and she practically threw herself on me."

"Did you...?"

Einarr shook his head with a chuckle. "Nay, my heart, body and soul belong to Faraya. They always will. Haven't been with another woman since she died."

"You've been without a woman for nine years?" Vilkas asked, amazed.

"I'm faithful to my wife," Einarr nodded. "Both in life and death. I belong to her and she belongs to me. I wouldn't dare lie with another woman while my heart still beats for her."

"That's admirable," Vilkas smiled.

Einarr smirked and drank from his tankard. He was debating on turning in for the night, when the doors of Candlehearth Hall slammed open downstairs. He heard Elda speaking, her voice alarmed.

"Galmar, what are you doing here?" he heard the innkeeper ask.

"We've received word that there's a woman staying here," said a gruff and familiar voice. "She's a Nord with dark auburn hair."

Einarr's blood ran cold and he rose from his chair, dropping his tankard on the floor.

"Aye, she's here," Elda replied. "She in that room just over there."

"Damn it," Einarr cursed, stomping towards the stairs. "Vilkas back me up."

Vilkas was right behind him, having overheard the commotion downstairs. As they reached they top step, They heard Lassarina and Aela shout in shock and then heard the sound of a struggle. Einarr vaulted down the stairs and came to stand right in front of Jarl Ulfric's housecarl, the man that pointed an axe at him last time he was here. Galmar Stone-Fist.

"So it's true," Galmar smirked. "You're both here."

Einarr glared at the older man, saying nothing.

"Let me go!" Lassarina suddenly shouted.

Einarr turned and saw his sister getting roughly pulled out of her room by two Stormcloak soldiers. Two more appeared behind them, struggling to hold Aela back.

"Stone-Fist, let my sister go right now," Einarr snarled, pulling out his sword.

"I would think twice about threatening me boy," Galmar spat. "The entire inn is surrounded by Stormcloak soldiers."

"What's going on?" Farkas growled, stepping out of his room.

Einarr saw his gaze stray to a restrained Aela and Lassarina and rage filled the blue-gray irises. Farkas swung his fist at the closest soldier, one holding Aela. The soldier ducked and then the three soldiers behind Galmar ran forward to restrain Farkas. Einarr bared his teeth and ran after them with Vilkas, only to get yanked back by Galmar and receiving a strong punch to the jaw. Chaos erupted and all the soldiers started to fight the Companions. Lassarina and Aela managed to get free and started to join the fight, kicking and scratching anyone that got near them.

Several more soldier came into the inn and before long all of the Companions had been apprehended, forced to kneel on the ground while shackles were locked around their wrists. Einarr spat some blood out of his mouth and looked at his friends. Both Vilkas and Farkas were sporting busted lips. Farkas had received a bloody nose while his twin had a black eye. Aela had some blood trickling from her temple and had a bruise forming on her cheek, but still looked furious and eager to continue fighting. Lassarina's lip was bruised and she was curling forward painfully, as if she'd received a painful blow to the stomach. Einarr himself had a mouth full of blood, a bruised jaw, his sides and stomach ached from getting punched there and the back of his head was sore from a blow to the head that had given the Stormcloaks the chance to shackle him.

Galmar stepped forward, glaring down at Einarr and Lassarina as they knelt side by side. "The Jarl wants to speak to the both of you."

"Well I don't want to speak to him!" Lassarina snarled. "He can go rot in Coldharbour, so Molag Bal can inflict unimaginable torture upon him!"

"Hold your tongue girl," Galmar growled. "Just because you're Ulfric's sister doesn't mean I won't silence you for such words."

"Ulfric Stormcloak is your brother?!" Aela gasped.

"Unfortunately," Einarr muttered, keeping his glare on Galmar.

Galmar turned to his soldiers. "Start leading them to the keep. Jarl Ulfric is waiting for them."

"What about these three?" asked a male Stormcloak soldier.

Galmar studied them a moment. "They're Companions, bring them along."

Einarr and his friends were pulled to their feet and roughly shoved out of the inn. The storm had died down a bit, but wind was still hitting their faces as they walked. He could see his sister shaking visibly, not from the cold, but out of fear. He took a step closer to her and pressed his bound arm against hers.

"It'll be alright," he murmured. "I'm here with you."

She nodded and turned her fearful gaze to him. "I hope you're right."


Was anyone missing Ulfric? Cause I was! You can bet your ass he had the guards ready to apprehend our Dragonborns at a moments notice!

Hope you enjoyed the Chapter. Please Fave/Follow/Review!

Much love,

Mirage