Apple galloped in full speed. Tyrus bounced up and down as he held on to Ariel. Ariel wanted to waste no time. If there was a single shred of hope to revive Afiya, she would fight through Oblivion and back to do so. She arrived in two hours, pulling Apple into the stables. She hopped down and opened her arms. "Come on baby."

Tyrus jumped into her grasp. He loved being held, even though he was perfectly capable of walking. She paid the stable master and went into Whiterun. Ariel returned a new woman. Carrying a glow as she shined in the steel-plate armor. Entering the Temple of Kynareth, Danica was attending to an injured soldier.

"Greetings Ariel. Nice to see you again."

"Likewise, Danica. Is this a bad time?"

"When it comes to war it's always a bad time. However, our friend here will be fine. So, who's this?"

"This is my son, Tyrus. I adopted him a couple of months ago. Found him all alone in a barrel by the docks. Say hello Tyrus."

"Mew!"

Danica smiled. "He's adorable. Khajit's are such interesting people. They have those foreign accents that gives them such a mystique. Is he hungry?"

"Got anything sweet?"

"Hmm." She called for her assistant. "Jenssen! Bring me a piece of that apple pie."

Jenssen leaned out of a doorway. "Do I look like a maid?"

"Stop being a grouch and get the kid some pie." Jenssen grunted and slid from view. Danica cleared her throat. "Excuse Jenssen. He's grumpy. Now about Afiya."

Ariel perked up. "Yes! Anything you need. Tell me right now and I'll go get it." Ariel was ready to go.

"Are you familiar with sleeping tree sap?"

"No."

"It's a purple sap that comes from a rare tree. Normally, it's acts as a suppressant, slowing down one's movement. I can brew it with some natural ingredients I have on hand, I can reverse the effects and having it stimulate Afiya's mind to snap her out of her slumber."

Ariel's mouth turned sideways in doubt. "Would that work?"

"According to Afiya it does."

"Huh?" Ariel didn't understand.

Danica smacked herself. "Of course. I need to fill you in. As you know, Afiya is one the best restoration mages in Skyrim. She's met many people over the years who've given her advice on potions and healing. She once told me of a woman she met in Falkreath. An old lady by the name of Edna who claimed to be a witch. I think she might have been joking."

"Was she?"

"Doesn't matter. Afiya spoke very highly of the woman, so I wrote to her asking if she had a cure for a situation like Afiya's. She wrote back with a recipe that should definitely work. Her words, not mine. All we need is that sleeping tree sap." She handed Ariel a map from her sleeve. "I have the location marked."

Ariel looked it over. Knowing it wasn't that simple, she asked, "What's the catch?"

"The catch...it's in the middle of a giant camp."

Ariel squeezed the map. She'd never taken on a giant, nor did she envy those who did. Garris once told Ariel that he saw a man fly when he took on a giant. He never went into detail about what that meant. If her father fought one and lived, then she could too.

"All right. I'll do it. Have you made contact with Larina?"

Danica went over to a drawer and grabbed an empty bottle. She inspected it for cracks. "I sent out both of your letters at the same time. If she isn't on the way, then the letter hasn't reached her. Here, you can put the sap in this. There's a spigot in the tree to extract it. If it's not there, then look in the nearby cave. Are you going to wait for Larina?"

"No, I'll find a way. I want this done now." She kneeled next to Tyrus, who licked the apple filling off his plate. "Momma's leaving for a while. Can you stay here with the nice lady?"

"Mew!"

Ariel kissed his nose. "I'll be right back. Momma loves you."

"Love you." Replied Tyrus in a squeaky voice.

Ariel's eyes grew wide, and jaw dropped. He finally spoke and expressed his love. That gave her even more motivation to come back in one piece. She squeezed some more love into him and went outside.

As she approached the front gate, Farkas and two other Companions walked into the city. A nord and dark elf. They immediately noticed each other. Farkas sent his friends on to Jorrvaskr. Now alone, he and Ariel moved to a shaded area. He prepared to speak, but Ariel cut him off.

"Hello again Farkas."

He chuckled. "Sticking to the routine I see."

"Oh, we have a routine?"

"We randomly meet up, and then something bad happens."

Ariel squinted. "Nothing bad happened the last time we met."

"Really? I guess it was the ghost of Talos who got drunk and punched me."

She cheekily smiled and put a hand on her hip. "Right. Sorry about that."

"No problem. If it's any consolation, you've got a mean right hook. Form could use work."

"Yeah, how's this?" Ariel threw some mock punches, which Farkas swatted away. They laughed and played around like old friends who wanted to catch up. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Someone whistled at Farkas. It was the dark elf Companion asking what the holdup was.

"I'll be right there." He shouted out. Then he knocked on Ariel's chest plate. "Where are you going in that nice armor?"

"I'm off to get sleeping tree sap from a place a mile out. There's going to be giants out there." Ariel mocked Farkas, tapping her knuckles against his armor. "My sword may need a shield. That is if your offer still stands."

He answered with no hesitation. "I'll meet you at the stables."

Ariel fed Apple a carrot while she waited for Farkas. He seemed so different than before. More confident and charming. He could barely form a sentence to compliment her looks. Now her knees were ready to buckle with a stare from those bright, white eyes. Speaking of which, he made his way down from Whiterun with a stern face.

"What I'm about to ask, I need a serious answer. Do you really want to kill me?"

Ariel petted Apple, looked at Farkas, and shook her head. "I don't want to."

Farkas folded his arms. "That's a relief."

Ariel grinned. "What about you? Wouldn't Vilkas snap if he saw you with me?"

"Vilkas is spending a week in Cyrodiil, reconciling with our father. I have no love for the man after abandoning our mother. I wasn't going to stop Vilkas. More power to him. Besides, no one else knows you're a Vigilant."

"Well, that's fine, because I'm not a Vigilant anymore."

"What happened?"

Ariel adjusted Apple's saddle bags. "You might have heard about vampires wreaking havoc around Skyrim. They killed most of the Vigilants and burned our base down. Now it's only three us left. Me, my friend in Riften, and my mentor who's in a coma. That's why I need this tree sap to revive her. As far as I'm concerned, the Vigil is no more."

Farkas stroked his beard. "I see. While it's unfortunate your home got destroyed, I'm happy you looked past your bias and gave me a second chance."

Ariel climbed on top of Apple. "You're still on a trial run mister. Come on, you're riding with me."

Farkas got on, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Don't let me fall." He whispered. Ariel blushed and kicked Apple into gear.

Sleeping Tree Camp was easy to find. They headed east, staying on the main road. After passing Fort Greymoor, the giants could be spotted from afar. Ariel led Apple to a spot where he wouldn't be bothered.

"We're in luck." Said Farkas. "The mammoths are grazing, meaning the giants will be away long enough for us to be in and out."

The sleeping tree resided in a pool of its own oozing sap. The purple glow would be a cool sight if the tree remained healthy. The constant extraction of sap is what most likely killed it. Instead, the plant had become withered and dry, with not a leaf in sight. Ariel dipped a foot into the open pond. The loose sap had become thin and watery. Littered with everything that had fallen in. Bugs, rocks, possibly a dead body. Not something you'd want to be drinking. She'd have to get fresh sap from the source.

Farkas circled the tree. "I don't see the spigot. Must be in the cave."

"It's never easy is it. Shall we?"

Ariel went inside with Farkas following close behind. A giant was lost within its own thoughts, standing by a flat rock. Skeevers roasted over a large fire, surrounded by logs forming a square pit. A dead orc met his demise in an unsuccessful heist. Between everything, Ariel spotted the spigot with the giant. With no way around it, they devised a plan.

"Hello." The chin stroking giant looked down to see the cheery blonde with hands behind her back. "Hey there big fella. I'm lost, could you point me to sabre cat group meeting?" Using some of Vanis' wit, Ariel provided a distraction while Farkas snuck around the fire pit.

"I know what you're thinking. What's a bright girl like myself doing in a place like this?" The giant rubbed his chin, and Ariel copied the movement. "I can do that too."

Farkas circled the fire pit and carefully crept past the giant. Stepping on a rock, he stretched forward, fingertips in reach of the spigot. From seemingly nowhere, a rat darted up Farkas' arm. "Ah!" His arm jerked, launching the rat into a fiery grave. The giant turned around and grew angry.

Farkas rolled away, dodging a clubbing blow. A large boom shook the ground as the club connected. Any unfortunate man or woman caught under a giant's club, is certainly doomed. Ariel revealed her sword, stabbing the giant behind its right heel tendon. The giant screeched and donkey kicked Ariel across the dirt with its bad leg. Farkas disappeared, so the giant went after Ariel. Feeling like her organs did a waltz, Ariel barely avoided another clubbing blow. Stuck in a corner, she prepared for a hasty retreat. The giant raised its club, and before Ariel became a pancake, the giant froze in time. Ariel got clear as it slowly fell to the side like a tree cut down at the base. With the giant down, Farkas reappeared, decapitating the giant with his incredibly sharp two-handed steel sword. Ariel was stunned.

"What was that?"

"Extra strength paralysis potion. Brought it as a failsafe, in case we ran into a problem. Great for taking out giants. Also great for removing sharp objects from a whiny kid who won't sit still."

Ariel smirked. "You speak from experience?"

Farkas winked and sheathed his sword. With the spigot in hand, Ariel and Farkas stepped through the ankle high sap towards the tree, shoving it back into place. Much to their chagrin, the sap dripped with the speed of an old man writing a 300-page novel. Ariel wedged the bottle in place, letting gravity take course.

"This will take a while. Thankfully the mammoths are still grazing." Said Ariel. She leaned against the tree, holding her ribs. She popped a potion and guzzled it. The armor was now dented from that kick. If Ariel came into the fight with those flimsy robes, her funeral would have been set for the next day.

"You took a nasty hit. Surprised to see you moving."

"I didn't let a werewolf kill me. Thought I was going to let a giant finish the job?" Farkas forced a half smile, caught off guard by her comment. Ariel realized what she said and thought of a different subject. "What a second date huh? I'm waiting to bandits to show up make it a full reunion."

Farkas nodded. Once again, they were all alone. The circumstances may have changed, but the raw energy remained. Two people from conflicting backgrounds, fighting side by side. Both wanting more from this partnership. Willing to risk it all with their peers, just to be in the same vicinity of one another. Yet, in this moment, they couldn't even make eye contact. Looking at everything except for the person right there. Ariel knew she may never get this chance again. The opportunity was now.

"Last year, when we got taken hostage by those bandits, it changed me." Farkas admitted. Ariel held her tongue and leaned on the tree. "When I woke up, and saw how they hurt you, it burned me. We made it out alive, but I couldn't get that image out of my mind. I blamed myself for allowing them do that to you."

"Farkas, you-"

"I know, it's not my fault. What truly stuck in the depths of my mind, is why? Why did I care so much about this girl I met yesterday? Was it my natural instincts that kicked in? Would I do the same for another girl your place? I wasn't sure. Then it hit me. The only other person that ignited such a feeling in my heart, is Vilkas. It finally made sense."

He approached Ariel, trapping her between him and the tree. A mix of adrenaline and her suppressed feelings had Ariel's heart ready to explode. Trembling as Farkas' breath brushed against her face. He stared through the bright blue eyes, and directly into her soul.

"I care about you Ariel, and I'd spend my time in the afterlife miserable, knowing I never got the opportunity for you to know. Even if this is the last day, we-"

Ariel clutched the back of his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. A long, overdue, kiss. Months of sexual frustrations were finally released, granting them the satisfaction of doing so with the person they have longed for. Every moral and principle of the Vigilants and Companions, thrown away for what has created lives and brought nations to the brink of destruction. Love.

They separated after a full minute of bliss. Ariel's hand slid from his neck and onto his cheek, reveling in the moment.

"Hm, the bottle's full." Ariel yanked it from the spigot. "We should get out of here."

Farkas gently thumbed her bottom lip. "You're riding with me this time."

Ariel smiled and nodded. It's not like she was going to object. Returning to Whiterun, Ariel passed on the bottle of purple goo to Danica.

"Many thanks Ariel. You as well Farkas." Danica shook the bottle. "Did you run into any trouble?"

Ariel looked over her shoulder at Farkas, who raised his eyebrows. "Nothing we couldn't handle."

"Great. I'll get right to work on this. According to the recipe, this will take 52 hours to brew. I don't know if you'll still be in town but check back in a few days."

"Bless you Danica."

The priestess went to prepare this secret potion, and Tyrus scurried over to Ariel's leg. "Mother?"

Ariel's heart couldn't take any more. She scooped him up. "I can't believe you're speaking. I'm so proud of you! Tyrus, meet my friend Farkas."

"Hey there." Farkas tickled the Khajit's paw, who licked his hand in response.

"That means he likes you." Said a giggling Ariel.

"He called you mother."

"Well, yeah. He's, my son." She spoke with such conviction that Farkas almost believed it.

"Huh. Is there another guy I don't know about?"

Ariel broke out in uncontrolled laughter. Loud to point where it echoed in the temple.

"Quiet down out there! I'm trying to concentrate." Shouted Jenssen.

"Sorry!" Ariel took a deep breath. "Tyrus is my adopted son. I found him all alone and took him in. He's been my little bundle of joy ever since. Right Tyrus?"

"Mew!"

"That's right." She planted kisses across his furry head. Then in her usual fashion, she pulled out a bag of gold, handing it to Farkas.

"What's that for?"

"Come on goofball. I'm not letting you get away with taking down a giant for free."

"I'm not taking it. You'd have to kill me to put it in my hands."

"So, we're back to that?" Ariel tucked her septims away. "How about this. You come to Solitude with us. I cook dinner, and we...spend some time together."

Farkas grinned. "I'd like that."

Ariel paid the Whiterun stables to take care of Apple until she returned. All of them riding would break the poor horse. Instead, they took the traveling carriage outside of every major city. She waited with Tyrus napping on her lap. The kiss fresh in her mind, shocked at how aggressive she played it. Wait until he got the next one. Farkas climbed in, dressed in his civilian clothes and carrying a personal bag. He sat next to Ariel, kissing her, putting the metaphorical ball back in his court. Beaming, Ariel laid on his shoulder, and he placed his arm around her.

They got to Whiterun at a fairly decent hour. Ariel unlocked her front door. Farkas followed her inside, carrying the sleeping Tyrus in his arms.

"Nice place."

"Isn't it." Ariel pointed to a closet she furnished for Tyrus. "His room's right there. Put him to bed for me."

Farkas traversed the home and dipped under the curtain covering where the door would be. He gently placed Tyrus on his fluffy bedroll. Farkas rubbed the little Khajit's head, making its ears twitch. Farkas wondered how Tyrus would react to his Lycan form. Best keep that a secret. He went under the curtain again, only to find Ariel missing. It wasn't hard to notice, considering the door was in eyeshot from the house's other side where Farkas stood.

"Ariel?"

"I'm upstairs!" Her voice came from above. Farkas yawned and walked up the flight of steps. His arms sore. A million thoughts running in his head. Hungry, and hoping Ariel was going to cook something nice. Really, all he wanted is a good night's sleep. He opened Ariel's bedroom door to a surprise.

She laid under the bed sheets, seductively staring at him. Biting her lip, shining with the saliva from licking them. The sheets were thrown off, revealing herself to be naked. Suddenly, all of Farkas' problems went away.

She sweetly asked, "Are you coming to bed or not?"

Farkas yanked off his shirt so fast he nearly hung himself. That night, under the candlelight, capped off what has been the best day of their lives.