He doesn't get it. He can't understand. I was just the soul born at the right moment. That's how the legends go.

"Perhaps legends can be wrong."

Can you just pick one personality trait and stick to it?

"A mortal soul has more than one side. You can pretend I fit in only one box, but that would be cruel while you chose to stand in more than three."

Her snarl was cut off by another's chest. "Apologies, Elana. I wasn't paying the most attention." At her silence, he continued. "Are you alright?"

"Can you smell the magic?"

"What?"

"Farkas said he could smell the fact I'm Dovahkiin, as can all of the Circle. Can you smell it on me or was his claim a lie?"

He blinked slowly. "Now that you mention it, yes. I never noticed before."

"Did you want to?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I wanted to notice everything about you. I just thought it was the soap you used."

What do I even focus on?

Vilkas stretched out a steadying hand to her shoulder. "Hey, you look a little exhausted. Take a nap. All of your belongings are where you left them."

"Farkas said I could save the world, and not because I'm Dovahkiin."

"Ah." His hands gently gripped her shoulders and steered her towards sleeping quarters. "It's scary when someone believes in you, isn't it? I always hate it when my brother gives me pep talks. He builds me up, but at the same time, I feel so small, unworthy of what he's saying."

"How do you bear it?"

"I resolve to be worthy of his faith." He let out a small noise of approval. "There's your bed. Get some well reserved sleep. And when you wake up, you can just be Elana if you want. No need to be anything more."

"Brother, what did you say?"

"Oh, you escaped a scratching I see."

"Farkas!" The younger twin sighed. "She wasn't saying anything that made logical sense. As if Elana really couldn't take down a dragon all by herself with or without being Dovahkiin. She wants to be herself. Yet at the same time, she keeps trying to make herself two people. I just wanted to set her straight."

"Maybe do so when she's not bone tired. Since when do I think clearly when I'm exhausted?"

Farkas looked as if he might argue, but he merely shrugged. "Fair enough, brother. You can talk to her tomorrow."

"What?"

"You heard me." And with that, the younger brother slipped out the doors.

When Elana blinked awake the next morning, she immediately rolled over and dug out her coin purse from beneath the bed. She grabbed the one she traveled with and did some quick math.

"Enough for a nest, little one?"

Plenty.

"Do you want to talk about last night?"

No. She shut off all of his attempts to protest and left her room, armor on snugly so that she could pass as Elan. She slipped out of Jorrvaskr without being noticed and clambered up to Dragonsreach. I will talk to Farkas, and Vilkas, later. Now, business. She stiffened her spine and strode into the Jarl's presense. In her peripheral vision, Lydia started to rise to her feet. But a raised hand from her Thane sent her sitting back down.

"Thane Elan, it has been too long."

"I apologize, my Jarl."

She took a knee. "I have been serving the Greybeards. I will not be here long. There is still work to be done."

"Make sure you rest well, before you go."

She bowed her head again. "Your advice is most wise. Thank you, my Jarl." She moved towards the Imperial at the edge of the steps. "Steward Proventus? Is the home you spoke of earlier still for sale?"

"Why, yes it is, Thane Elan."

She offered him her coin purse. "Will this suffice to purchase the home and furnish it?"

His eyes flickered with calculation as he measured the gold in his hand. "I will furnish your new home with the best I can, within reason, of course. No doubt you prefer practicality to opulence, like a true Nord. I will leave the excess on your kitchen table."

There was an insult in there somewhere, but quarreling would get her nowhere. "Thank you, very much."

"I am happy to serve." He turned away, muttering figures to himself, and Elana too left the conversation. She waved Lydia away again as she passed, leaving the housecarl frustrated, no doubt. But to scavenge in Dwarven ruins she would only risk her life, and only ask one other to gamble his.

"Hey, Farkas!"

The warrior turned at his name. "What do you need?"

Elana jogged up to him. "Shield-Brother, I'm sorry for last night. I acted poorly, and I hope you can forgive me."

He gently cuffed her chin. "Who could stay mad at that face? Apology accepted, Shield-Sister. And by the way, Vilkas is out back. He has something he needs to talk to you about."

"No one died, I hope."

"Nah, nothing like that."

"Good. I was going to speak to him anyway."

He pushed her towards the door. "Then go. Daylight's wasting the more you spend time talking to me."

She gave a mock bow. "As if a second could be wasted in your company."

"You flatter me, O Great One." He rolled his eyes once she was out the door. "And if there was never a better example of 'things will be better in the morning,' I'll eat a skeever."

True enough, Vilkas was outside beating up a practice dummy when Elana slipped out of Jorrvaskr.

"Vilkas?"

He spun on one foot around to face her. "What do you need, Elana?"

She sighed and took a step towards him. "We don't always see eye to eye. I've picked up that such a phenomenon is normal. Go figure. But your brother recently passed on some wise words to me." She stepped up close to Vilkas, and blinked innocently at his intense gaze. "If you can't talk it out-" Suddenly her fist was in his gut and she was dancing away, laughing with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Fight it out!"

"That's the last time I trust my brother to talk to women."

He launched forward, catching her middle and dragging her to the ground. As they punched, kicked, and grappled all about the dusty ground, the two still smiled.

When he first pinned her, she took a moment to look inquisitively at him. "Your brother did say you had something you wanted to talk about with me."

Vilkas swallowed and shook his head. "Nothing I can think of."

"Oh good." She instantly went limp, allowing herself the freedom in his shock to escape from the hold.

By the time Elana was straddling Vilkas with the blade of her forearm to his neck, the two were both sweating and breathing heavily.

"'s quite hot."

"What is? Defeat?"

"Not so much." He reached up with his free hand and grabbed the back of her head. Before she could react, he had pulled her down and lifted himself up so that their lips met.