"Come closer. Bask in my presence."

The voice was deep, warm; it oozed like thick molasses - artificially sweet as it took its time moving to consume and cover everything.

Vilkas shifted uncomfortably behind Elana as she replied, knowing the answer, "Who are you?"

"I am Hermaeus Mora. I am the guardian of the unseen and knower of the unknown. I have been watching you, mortal."

A spike of fear shot through her, echoed by Mirmulnir's hiss in her mind.

"Most impressive," the Daedra intoned, and Elana took an unconscious step back.

"What do you want from me?"

"Your continuing aid of Septimus renders him increasingly obsolete. He serves me well, but his time is nearing its end." He spoke slowly and clinically in that deep voice, no more regret in that final statement than one might muse about a lost childhood pet. "Once that infernal lockbox is opened, he will have exhausted his usefulness to me."

There was a shift in air, a massive presence shifting from reminisce to consideration. "When that time comes, you will take his place as my emissary. What say you?"

Elana pulled herself up. "I will never serve you, silver-tongued serpent."

He seemed to chuckle darkly as Vilkas stiffened for a fight. "Be warned; many have thought as you do. I have broken them all. You shall not evade me forever."

The dark cloud of the Daedra manifesting faded away, tentacles pulled into the ever shrinking swirl of purple until it vanished completely. The air suddenly seemed lighter, as if it were no longer pressing down on the two Companions as if to reshape them into the desired vessels.

"Elana, did you just tell off a Daedric Prince?"

Elana turned slightly to look at Vilkas, pulling the essence extractor back out to fiddle with as she replied, "If he wants to complain, he can take it up with Talos and Hircine. I've got enough patrons already." With one last glance at Septimus, who was muttering to himself over his books, Elana dropped the extractor into the snow-dusted tunnel and left the hovel for good.

Vilkas argued with Elana the whole walk to Whiterun about the axe. He seemed to have taken it as almost an insult that a fellow Companion had gotten involved in the war, no matter how many times Elana replied that 'Elan' had made it clear he was acting as a free agent and not for the Companions.

"Right. And Ulfric respects that so much which is why he didn't ask a thane of Whiterun to deliver the ultimatum."

"It's more complicated than that."

Vilkas laughed, though more like a wolf's dismissive huff. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're interested in how I sleep at night."

He growled, "That doesn't invalidate my concerns about a general with priorities that aren't your wellbeing abusing your goodwill with Jarl Balgruuf."

Elana punched Vilkas in the shoulder. "If Ulfric wants to fight Whiterun, he knows he's going to fight me."

"You'd make an enemy of him?"

"That's his fault for thinking he can abuse the goodwill I have with Jarl Balgruuf."

Vilkas chuckled. "So I didn't have to worry about you, after all. You can tell me your plans, you know that right? Then I won't fight you about them as much."

"As much?"

"I reserve the right to pull my ShieldSister back from any fires that might be too big for her to handle alone." But he grinned as he said it, warmth contrasting with the dark warpaint.

Elana smiled back, still a little sore in her heart. "I'll consider it."

Aela was the only one in when they returned to Jorrvaskr - even Kodlak was out getting some fresh air or something. It was a lot easier in Elana's opinion to regale one person with the tale - that would no doubt be a little wilder when it was told back to them later by someone else - while Vilkas fetched some things from his space downstairs and dropped off a few of Elana's as well.

The huntress only quirked an eyebrow when they made to depart together, shaking her head in silent amusement.

"Does she think you're moving in?"

Vilkas chuckled. "Elan," he replied casually as they doubled back to Breezehome, nodding to passersby. "What do you call 'keeping a change of clothes and weapons at my place just in case'?"

"Good sense."

"Of course."

With the quick search that confirmed her housecarl not home, Elana continued, "I know Lydia is honorbound enough she won't breathe a word about our personal business."

"Aela will only repeat our tale about Blackreach."

"Same with Tilma. But can you say the same for Athis? Or even Farkas? He'll be too excited. I'm not saying we keep our understanding a secret! Just, to be reserved. Is that okay?"

"It's a little different than what I'm used to, but if it matters that much to you I can handle it."

Elana smiled. "Care to take care of that rogue bear the farmers were talking about before I deliver the axe? I think I'd like to try kissing you before things spiral out of my control."

He gave her a Look, brow furrowed and finger raised warningly. "One. One more distraction and then you are handling this, and finishing this. You only get one more use out of me to procrastinate on your problems, got it?"

"Got it." She grabbed her sword back up. "Let's go."

A/N: I am still salty that the game has you care about Whiterun first, and then Ulfric says "thanks for being cool; okay now go bring war to your home."