First Blood

Farkas had asked me to be his Shield-brother. He had accepted a contract from Jarl Balgruuf to handle some bandits that tended to raid travelers and traders coming in from Dawnstar, the capital of the Pale, the Hold north of Whiterun Hold.

Needless to say, I was eager for my first real contract. So far I had only gotten to ¨look tough¨ at then in, handle some disagreements, and chop wood. Mostly chop wood...

The reason for that was Skjor. He hadn't allowed me to take part in any real contracts until he felt I was ready. I had come to look up to him, but at the same time, that was one of the things I resented him for.

I'm Strong. I know I am. Why wouldn't he allow me to prove it?

But now he had allowed me. And I was eager to prove myself. Perhaps he had come to believe in me. Accept me even. In his own way. And I guess it didn't hurt that Farkas was the one who had asked me to be his shield-brother on this one. And perhaps that was the reason Skjor believed me safe enough to allow me to go.

Farkas had told me to pack for at least two days, and so I was both excited and nervous when I packed my gear. Food, lantern, oil, equipment, arrows, my sword...

"See you in the mead hall later?" Torvar asked as he came up to my bed.

"Not today. I'm moving out with Farkas in a moment."

"Maan… he asked you to be his Shield-brother?" Torvar was drunk... His eyes said it all. "Why didn't he ask me?" He continued as he sat down on my bed with a disappointed look.

"Well maybe if he saw you in training sometimes, he would've," I answered as I filled up my lantern with oil.

"Oh come on. You know I'm good in a fight" He said. His eyes were as bloodshot as ever and he slurred when he spoke.

"Haven't seen it yet," I answered nonchalantly.

"Don't be like that. I've been here longer than you." I could tell he was getting pissed.

"And still I could take you," I stated as I pulled my rucksack over my shoulders. He didn't seem too pleased about that comment. But for some reason, he let it slip.

"Well... guess I'll drink at the Bannered Mare tonight." He rose from my bed with a slightly pissed face. I watched as he left the room with a sulky face before I too decided to leave.

I should go tell Farkas I'm ready to leave.

The journey to the bandit camp would take at least one day, so Farkas and I had to spend at least one night in the woods. Farkas was surprisingly talkative as we walked, though he wouldn't hold any lengthy conversation. He would tell me things such as, what he liked, disliked, the creatures and men he had fought. But he also spoke highly of his brother, Vilkas. And how he grew up with the Companions and knew no other life. I asked him about his father, but he simply answered that he didn't remember him and that the Companions were his family. Farkas was always the honest type.

When we put up our camp for the night, I realized Farkas was a worthless field cook. I had brought a cooking pot along, but Farkas seemed to settle with simply holding any type of food over the fire until he thought it to be done. Seemed he didn't mind bloody meat either. I told him he would get a bad stomach, but he just kept eating and said that he ¨didn't get sick anymore.¨ I knew that wasn't possible, but he was insistent on it.

When I lied down in my tent and stared up at my oil lamp, hanging from the tent ceiling, I couldn't help but feel like I was out hunting with Erik, my father, and my brother again. I hadn't seen them since I left Rorikstead almost a year ago. Mum must miss me. I leaned up and extinguished the lantern and laid back down. I hadn't felt homesick once since I left. But now I did.

I missed my mom's cooking.

Farkas had some mead and dried meat that we shared in the morning. it was a bit too salty, but it did beat his undercooked meat. After our quick breakfast, we tore down the camp and got back on the road. "It's not far now," he said.

The sun was high in the blue sky when we arrived at the bandit camp, and there was snow everywhere. Not at all like in Whiterun. I had been much to the north, but it was insane how quickly it got colder. From the autumn of Whiterun, it seemed only one day north had taken us into winter.

The bandits had made an old fort in the woods their home. I was nervous. This would be my first real battle, and I hadn't realized how nervous that would make me. Perhaps Skjor had been right. No! this is my chance. Just remember his training. Stay calm.

"So how do we do this?" I asked Farkas as he walked in front of me. I felt we were dangerously close to the fort right now, yet Farkas walked on.

"Let's go and introduce ourselves." He said, turning his head back over his shoulder to show a smile. "All that ¨cloak and daggers¨ isn't for us… just stay behind me and you'll be fine." He said as he walked through the snow towards the broken, open, main gate.

Introduce ourselves? Was he insane? There had to be at least a dozen of them in there. And only two of us!

"HEY! MILK DRINKERS!" He shouted as he drew his large sword, still walking forwards.

Two men showed themselves on top of the wall and one man reacted in the entrance to see what the ruckus was all about. Before they could yell at us to ¨get lost¨ Farkas turned into a sprint towards the man in the entrance. The tree men jerked in surprise and drew their weapons, the two men on the wall wielded bows and the man in the entrance took out a club.

Ysmirs beard... this is it...

I pulled out my bow and reached for an arrow. My hands were shaking and my legs seemed to have trouble with starting to run. I had to keep up with him, but my armor was heavy and gnawed at my joints as I ran. And the snow didn't help either.

This was the first time I had seen Farkas fight outside of training. He was fast. To fast for his size. When an arrow came flying he would slightly turn his body, mid-sprint, and make sure the arrows hit the plated parts of his wolf-armor. They flew off in splinters as they did so. I could never do that. His reflexes seemed inhuman.

With the three men focusing on Farkas I run behind after him to get inside the fort as quickly as possible. My heart was hammering and my legs burned with adrenaline. How would I even be able to aim my bow?

Farkas had reached the man by the entrance and ran straight into him before he could react. His sword going into his stomach. Farkas lifted the screaming man into the air with his sword and threw him to the ground by swinging his sword to his side. I knew Farkas was strong. But to lift a full-grown man like that? I couldn't believe what I saw.

But I didn't allow the sight to stun me and I quickly moved underneath the entrance where we were safe from the archers.

"You draw their attention and I'll go up the stairs," Farkas said as he pointed at the stairs halfway across the courtyard. And before I could say anything Farkas ran off towards the stairs. I stood with my back against the wall and stared down at the dead man, who was lying in a growing pool of blood. He had a horrified expression on his face.

What have I gotten myself into?

I clutched my bow and shakingly nocked an arrow in place. I had to support Farkas. I leaned around the corner and took aim.

The two men on top were already firing arrows at Farkas who blocked them in the same manner as earlier. It was insane. I lifted my bow and took aim. Breath. I let loose my arrow towards the first man and to my surprise, it hit. It hit him in his side and by instinct, he grabbed the side of his waist where my arrow had struck. The other man turned towards me and lifted his bow.

Shit!

I quickly took cover back around the corner and arrow flew by where I just had been and landed hard in the snow in front of the opening.

I had hit? I had hit!

That was the first time I had ever injured a man. But oddly enough I didn't feel any different. Skjor had told me people tend to ¨freeze up¨ when first injuring or killing a man. But I didn't feel any different. In fact, I felt good. Exhilarated even.

I nocked another arrow on my bow and leaned back around the corner. Farkas had already dealt with the man I had injured and was moving towards the last one. Again I lifted my bow and let loose another arrow towards the remaining man. Again it was a hit. He screamed in pain and anger as Farkas came up close and finish him off with a slash.

This was insane.

Farkas came walking down to the courtyard as I waited for him, blood dripping from his sword.

"Well done." He said with a smile. "The contract said there is six men, so we'll have to go inside to finish off the rest," he said as he signaled towards the door to the only stone building in the fort.

Six men? why hadn' he told me so earlier? I thought there had been more. It had felt like it.

When we entered the building we came into a large dining area. Two men were over by the far table, talking and drinking, and obviously drunk. One was standing and the other one was sitting.

They both reacted with confusion as the saw us. Farkas instantly spurted towards them.

I couldn't be slower so I lifted my bow and let loose an arrow towards the standing man. I missed. of course I missed!

I fumbled for another arrow as Fakas sprinted across the dining hall and was upon the sitting man just as he had risen. The man had not yet had time to react to what had happened and had a confused look on his face as he reached for his sword. Farkas swung his sword and the man's head fell to the floor even before his body did.

I lifted my bow and let loose another arrow.

The remaining man lifted his sword to charge for Farkas. My arrow hit his thigh as he charged, not at all where I had aimed, and he stumbled to the floor. Farkas instantly lifted his sword and stabbed down to finish off the man.

Farkas gave me a grinning look as he drew his sword out of the man's body. As if he was enjoying himself. Was this what it meant to be a Companion? To enjoy battle? Death? But it felt good. It felt good to know I wasn't useless in a battle. even though Farkas had been the one doing all the killing.

"You're doing good," He said as I walked up to him. It felt reassuring. But I also felt as if I could have done more, but at least my hands weren't shaking anymore.

"One man left?"

"Now we just need to find the bastard," Farkas said as he started walking toward a staircase.

As we walked up the stairs I noticed Farkas would tilt his head every now and then. It looked odd. Almost as if he was smelling the air. Or listening for something.

"Here," he said as we came upon a door, the second of three doors. He was smiling as he gestured to the door. Grinning, almost. "After you."