Sundas, 24th of Last Seed, 4E 201
Kjell spent the afternoon around Jorrvaskr, running Vilkas's errand and then picking up another from Eorlund, the blacksmith who ran the forge. The Skyforge, as it was known, was famous for its prized steel, though Kjell didn't get what was so special about it. In any case, he needed these people to trust him, so he did as asked.
Eorlund gave Kjell a shield to carry to Aela. But, Kjell realized when he got back down the hill, the only names he knew were Njada, Kodlak, and Vilkas. Crap, Kjell thought. Who's Aela?
Vilkas had already disappeared somewhere – not that Kjell wanted to ask him anyway. Similarly, when Kjell went back inside of Jorrvaskr, there was no one around to ask. Well, Kjell thought, she's not up here, I guess... Where is everyone? This place was practically bustling before.
With no other ideas, Kjell headed back down the stairs to the basement living quarters. Although he was pretty sure Vilkas had approved him to join the Companions – unofficially, at least – he couldn't shake the feeling that his guard should be up. He supposed that he was, technically speaking, a trespasser – whether they knew him to be one or not. He walked quietly down the eerily empty hall, not sure what door led where, which he could open, and which not. About halfway down, he heard a voice carrying out of a room off to his left.
"Are you prepared for tonight's hunt?" a man's voice asked. Kjell recognized it as belonging to the first man he had met upstairs, earlier that morning.
"I've been thinking we need to be more... discreet," a woman's voice floated out in answer.
"There's nothing wrong with what we're doing," the man assured her.
Kjell paused where he was, where the hall branched off to two rooms on the left. This sounds spicy, he thought, straining to hear the rest.
"You know the old man doesn't like it," the woman's voice said again. "Let's just not be too obvious."
Just as Kjell was wondering what kind of 'Companions' these two were exactly, the door swung open right before him. The room's occupants – the older man from upstairs and a young woman with red hair and war paint on her face – seemed as shocked as Kjell was.
"Oh," Kjell said quickly, hoping they wouldn't suspect he'd been eavesdropping. "I'm, uh, looking for Aela..?" He held up the shield, as explanation.
"Ah, good," the woman said. "I've been waiting for this."
"Ah, so you're Aela," Kjell said. "And... you are... uh..?"
"Skjor," the man said.
"Right," Kjell answered.
"Are you new here?" Aela asked.
"I told you," Skjor said, "this is that whelp from earlier, who Vilkas had to evaluate."
"Ah, yes," Aela said, realization coming through in her voice. "I heard you gave him quite the thrashing," she added with a chuckle.
"Don't let Vilkas catch you saying that," Skjor said, his good eye sparkling with amusement.
"But tell me," Aela said seriously, "do you think you could handle Vilkas in a real fight?"
Kjell paused a moment, thinking over the question and his answer. In truth, it was a resounding no. Kjell had taken advantage of Vilkas's clear underestimation of his ability, but even given that, luck was involved. He couldn't be overconfident here – he didn't want Vilkas clamoring for a rematch. But he also didn't want these two thinking he was some milk drinker afraid of a fight.
"I don't care for boasting," Kjell answered smoothly.
"Ah," Aela said approvingly. "A man of action. Let's have Farkas show you where you'll be resting your head."
"Farkas!" Skjor called loudly.
Skjor's voice boomed out of the alcove and echoed down the long hall. A moment later, a large, very muscular man lumbered into the doorway.
"Did you call me?" Farkas asked in a deep, gravelly voice.
"Of course we did, icebrain," Aela answered. "Show this new blood where the rest of the whelps sleep."
"New blood?" Farkas peered into the room. He looked at Aela, then Skjor, then finally his gaze settled on Kjell. "Oh, hello. I'm Farkas." His tone was friendly, but even so his voice was intimidating.
"Come, follow me," Farkas said.
With that, the large lumbering man turned back into the long hall. Kjell followed. Unlike Vilkas, Farkas kept pace with Kjell. Although his voice seemed to only come out in a low growl, his demeanor was friendly and welcoming.
"Skjor and Aela like to tease me, but they're good people," Farkas said as he walked Kjell back to the start of the long hall. "They challenge us to be our best."
"Mm hm," Kjell hummed agreeably as Farkas kept talking.
"Nice to have a new face around. It gets boring here sometimes." Farkas's lamentation made him sound distinctly youthful, though Kjell was sure they were around the same age and Farkas would thusly be a fair several years into manhood – by no means a kid. "I hope we keep you. This can be a rough life..."
As they passed near a lighting fixture and Kjell looked over at Farkas, he noticed something else about the large man. Although in body size and demeaner they seemed very different, Farkas's face was similar – almost identical – to one he had seen earlier in the day.
"Hey, you look just like—" Kjell started to say.
"Vilkas," Farkas finished. "My brother."
"Ahh," Kjell said.
"Anyway, newbie sleeping quarters are up here. Just pick a bed and fall in it when you're tired," Farkas said, bringing Kjell to the doorway. "Looks like the others are eager to meet you."
With that, Farkas disappeared back to... wherever he came from, Kjell supposed. The room for the new recruits was divided into two spaces, with four beds in each half. Njada was in one side, speaking to another woman. On the other side were two men. Everyone looked up when Kjell entered the room.
"Hey! The latest recruit, right?" one of the two men exclaimed jovially. "Wait... is that right?"
"I'm still trying to figure out why Skjor let you in in the first place," Njada piped up before Kjell could answer.
"I was the newest Companion until you came along," the other woman added. "I guess that's okay... just means I can show you the ropes."
After names were exchanged, Kjell picked a bed and set his knapsack down on top of it. These beds weren't as nice as the one he'd been sleeping in at the Bannered Mare, he lamented, but they looked comfortable enough – and this would be a hell of a lot less expensive.
"So... what do I do, exactly..?" Kjell asked, sitting on the edge of the bed next to his knapsack.
"Hah!" Njada laughed sharpy. "What do you do," she repeated. "Why are you even here!?"
"Excuse me for never having been a Companion before," Kjell said dryly.
"Don't worry about her," Ria said. "You'll spend time training with the more experienced Companions, and practicing your fighting skills. When jobs come up, if they think you're ready, they'll send you to complete them.
"Got it," Kjell said. "Well then. I think I'll go get some fresh air. Not that this hasn't been a barrel of fun."
Kjell stepped outside of Jorrvaskr into the now evening air. Around the seating area on the veranda at the back of the building and on the training ground were most of the senior members of the Companions, not really congregated so much as sharing a space. Skjor practiced swings on a training dummy while Aela sat on the veranda, and Vilkas sat against the city wall with his head tilted up, leaned against the stone, gazing at the stars starting to peek out above.
"Blood running hot?" Aela asked, as Kjell exited onto the veranda.
"Just feeling a little crowded," he admitted, leaning against one of the pillars holding the roof over the seating area.
"Some big personalities in this hall," she agreed. "They don't all appreciate change. Especially when they have no say in it. They'll come around, though."
Kjell hummed in vague agreement, moving to take a seat at the edge of the veranda facing outward toward the training area. He glanced at Skjor, but his eyes settled on Vilkas. Kjell had a feeling that Vilkas would be the key to something here, someone he would need to crack in order to fully gain the Companions' trust.
After a while, Njada and Ria came outside as well, Njada joining Skjor and Ria engaging Vilkas in discussion about her form. Watching them all, Kjell was sure he was in for an uphill battle. His current fighting abilities weren't going to cut it. Indeed, as Farkas had said of Skjor and Aela, in a way he supposed that the Companions would challenge him to be his best.
Morndas, 25th of Last Seed, 4E 201
Sleeping at Jorrvaskr was more difficult than Kjell thought it would be. He had gotten used to sharing an open area with guildmates, back in Riften, but the Companions' beds were in much closer quarters – at least those of them who didn't have private rooms. Between various different styles of snoring, the voices of those mumbling in their dreams, and the tossing and turning on rickety beds cracking and creaking all night long, it took Kjell ages to fall asleep and he was the last to wake in the morning. Ugh, he thought as he dragged himself out of bed and got himself dressed for the day. This probably isn't a good look.
"You're late!" Vilkas snapped at Kjell as he finally stepped outside onto Jorrvaskr's veranda.
"For what?" Kjell asked coolly.
"Training," Vilkas replied.
"A thousand apologies," Kjell said sarcastically. "I was under the impression that we did have all day for this."
"That kind of attitude makes for a poor fighter," Vilkas chided.
"If I'm a poor fighter, then what does that make you?" Kjell asked.
Vilkas narrowed his eyes. Instantly, Kjell knew he'd made a mistake. Ugh, my idiotic mouth, he thought helplessly. Vilkas stared him down for several moments before reaching out a hand toward Ria.
"Hand me your practice sword," Vilkas commanded Ria, receiving her large, two-handed training sword. Then he turned back to Kjell. "If you can pull off a repeat performance, you can sleep in every day for the rest of the month.
"I'm empty-handed," Kjell protested.
"Athis," Vilkas said, "give him yours."
Athis handed Kjell a smaller, one-handed training sword. Damn, Kjell thought. He'd brought it up hoping to get out of fighting Vilkas, not to be given a sword to use.
"Ready?" Vilkas asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Kjell replied unenthusiastically.
Vilkas waited a beat, then charged forward, taking a swing at Kjell from right to left. Kjell dodged around to Vilkas's right side. Once Kjell cleared the blade, he swiped his right foot around Vilkas's in a half-successful trip. Vilkas stumbled forward and left with his follow through, but didn't fall.
When Vilkas turned to face him again, Kjell feinted left and Vilkas followed, leaving Kjell an opening on his right side. Kjell took the opening and, given this was a training exercise with practice swords, tapped Vilkas's left arm – enough to notice, but not hard.
"Got you," Kjell said casually.
Vilkas grunted angrily, scowling at Kjell, his sword still raised. I guess the fight isn't over, Kjell thought disappointedly. Starting to get a little cocky, Kjell attempted several direct hits on Vilkas, but each was blocked solidly. Vilkas was on the defensive. Kjell feinted again, now to his right. But this time, Vilkas had read his intention. He met Kjell's follow-up with the cross-guard of his sword, slamming into Kjell's blade so hard it knocked the weapon from his hand. To Kjell's surprise, Vilkas didn't stop immediately. He pressed forward, backing Kjell up against the city wall that ran behind Jorrvaskr with the large sword held to Kjell's throat.
"Okay," Kjell said, his hands held up in surrender. "I get it."
"That feint won't work more than once or twice on any worthwhile opponent," Vilkas said, before dropping the sword down and releasing Kjell. "You have a tell."
Vilkas went back to the training dummies and returned Ria's practice sword, continuing to critique her form as if nothing had just happened. Athis walked over to Kjell to retrieve his own.
"You know, I never thought they would actually let me join the Companions," Athis said as he took the sword from Kjell. "But now it looks like they're letting anyone in these days..."
. . .
Late that evening, Kjell found himself out on the veranda again, as he had the previous evening. The Companions were a different breed than the Thieves Guild. Outside on the training yard, they were one thing; inside, especially in the sleeping quarters, they were another. Njada, Ria, Torvar, and Athis were a high energy bunch. It was hard to get used to being around them all the time.
When he made his way outside, Kjell found the outdoor area mostly empty. He took a seat on a chair at the edge of the veranda and released a long, slow breath out, allowing his body to loosen and hang lax. Getting a few moments of peace was like lifting an enormous weight off of every muscle he had. It was several minutes before he realized he wasn't alone.
Looking up across the stony ground, Kjell saw Vilkas in the training yard. He was sitting on the ground, against the city wall, his head tilted upward toward the sky, just as he had been the evening before. Kjell watched him for a moment, wondering what he was looking at, what he was thinking. He seemed not to want to be bothered – why else was he out here anyway? But Kjell couldn't quell his curiosity. He rose from the chair he had sat on, walked over to where Vilkas was, and sat on the ground about a foot away from him. Vilkas cocked one eyebrow and side-eyed Kjell. For a moment, Kjell remained quiet, looking upward to the sky, wondering what Vilkas had been looking at.
"So what is it?" Kjell asked after a moment.
"What is what?" Vilkas asked. "And I never said you could sit here," he grumbled under his breath.
"What's the tell?" Kjell specified.
"Why should I tell you?" Vilkas asked, his tone challenging. "If you're so smart, you figure it out."
"You really want to risk one day being stuck with me watching your back, not knowing?" Kjell replied.
"Hah," Vilkas scoffed. "You watching my back? Won't come to that. You may have gotten lucky, but you and I aren't on the same level."
"Is that so?" Kjell said. "Cause from where I was standing, I haven't seen you win any sweeping, decisive victories against me yet."
Vilkas glared at Kjell, and Kjell glared back. They stared each other down for a moment, until finally Vilkas broke the silence.
"You look first."
"Huh?" Kjell asked.
"You look left, conspicuously, then feint right," Vilkas explained. "Or the other way around. Whichever. You look first."
"Doesn't everyone?" Kjell said, rolling his eyes.
"Sure, I guess, but it's noticeable when you do."
Kjell scoffed. Vilkas shrugged and rolled his eyes.
"Don't blame me," Vilkas grumbled.
Vilkas abruptly ended the conversation by getting up from the ground and walking away, around to the front side of Jorrvaskr and presumably off into the city somewhere, leaving Kjell to think about what he'd said. Kjell spent a while longer outside, looking up at the moons and the stars, savoring the peace of the late evening. Eventually, when he felt tired enough to ignore all the commotion of his sleeping companions, he rose and entered Jorrvaskr, heading down to his bed.