Chapter Nineteen

Rescuing Serah

A/N: I hope there are still people waiting for this story to be updated.

Disclaimer: I don't own Skyrim – Just Serah.

~ oOo ~

Equipped in their armor with swords attached at the sides and backs, the three set off.

No words were needed between the three, especially from Farkas. Vilkas and Aragon knew not to disturb the man, who had been fuming since the moment they left Whiterun. Farkas was a Companion to be feared. He was the strongest member of the group, and when his temper had been matched, all hell could, and would, break loose. Especially when it was about Serah. The man was wholeheartedly in love with the woman and would do anything to protect her, as he had done for as long as Serah had lived within Jorrvaskr.

Having left the city late in the day, the three Companions traveled through the snow throughout the night. Ignoring the need for sleep, Farkas led them north, well past civilization into the depths of Skyrim during the first night. Come the second, they were nowhere near the Silver Hand's refuge and decided to make camp.

Come the third day, the three still trudged through snow. It was nearing nightfall when Vilkas cried out that he could see Driftshade Refuge off into the distance. Putting some feet behind their position, they began running, with Farkas obviously in the lead. Once they grew close, they hid behind an outcrop of rocks, scanning their heads to see what they were dealing with. Outside the refuge, there were several Silver hand walking around, weapons in hand.

"Alright, it seems there are…ten Silver Hand outside. Who's to say how many are inside," Vilkas commented as he peeped his head over the outcrop.

"It does not matter. We will cut down all of them for the last time," Farkas snarled.

Just as he was beginning to move, Aragon and Vilkas held onto an arm from the large man. "Hold it right there," his brother stated.

"Yeah, just because there's three of us, they're still the Silver Hand. We need to be careful about this."

"Careful?" Farkas whispered harshly. "No, they don't deserve careful, they deserve the harsh reality that we are going to kill them. Plain and simple."

"Though I agree with you brother," Vilkas started. "We still need to be smart about this. We don't need to get ourselves killed while trying to save Serah."

"She is our number one priority," Farkas snarled, switching his gaze between Vilkas and Aragon.

"We're aware, Farkas. Let's just exercise caution so we remain alive too, alright?" The large male grunted, eyes focused forward, watching the ten men before them.

"Let's split up," Vilkas said, turning to the other two males. "I'll take the left, Aragon you take the right and Farkas you take the middle. We don't let anyone survive. Agreed?"

"Agreed," both Farkas and Aragon said at the same time.

And so, they split up, going into their agreed directions, Farkas stayed put and watched his fellow Shield-Siblings. Once the two were in place, Farkas nodded, moving around the outcrop, his legs sending him forward. The moment he was close enough, he yelled, "You Silver Hand bastards!"

This caught their attention.

"It's the deviled beasts!"

"The Companions! They're here!"

"Go let the leader know!"

Farkas chuckled as he neared closer, withdrawing his great sword from its position among his back. "Oh…I don't think so."

Yelling came from his sides and Vilkas and Aragon gave way their locations, running towards their opponents. The Silver Hand didn't move, not knowing what to do in the moment as they had been caught. Farkas burst forward towards the first Silver Hand in his way, slashing right against the male's head. The crack that could be heard was deafening, though the Companion ignored the killing blow to attacked the female that was gaining on him towards his right. He slashed and drove his blade deep into the guts of the individuals who wanted to end the Companions.

Farkas could hear the swords clash of his brother and that of Aragon, though he paid no heed. There was no need to do so as he knew they would win. And, the moment Farkas cut down the last Silver Hand in his way, did Vilkas and Aragon do so as well. Without words, they all huffed their momentary win as they moved towards the weakened wooden doors that would lead them inside. At first glance were a set of stairs, leading them straight downwards. Not one to waste any more time, Farkas set forth as the front man, with Vilkas and Aragon following behind.

Great sword still in hand, Farkas was ready for more. As he trudged downstairs, the man kept his grip tight, not knowing what they would find, or where they would find Serah. Once at the bottom of the winding steps, they found a door, and once opened, revealed more Silver Hand walking around.

It didn't take long for them to meet their end.

In the larger room, Farkas ran off to the side where there were more rooms with tables and empty cabinets. There was no sign of Serah. Vilkas and Aragon waited patiently as Farkas roamed around, looking through every crook and cranny to see if he could find any evidence that Serah was there. When he found none, they pressed on through the next door.

It was a winding place, filled with left and right turns, more doors and…a dead werewolf? The three Companions stared on, wishing there was something they could've done to prevented the death, but they continued venturing forward. They reached a dead end with more Silver Hand coming their way, though they were met with a quick end. Off to the side, there was an entrance to an ice cave and as they entered, they were attacked by more enemies.

"Ugh, how many are there?!" Aragon cried as he pulled his sword from the depths of his attacker.

"Enough," Farkas grumbled.

"Exactly. We've been fighting for ages, and there's still more of them out there in the world," commented Vilkas.

In the following room, Farkas found an unlocked chest and opened it, curiosity itching his insides, only for him to see it was all of Serah's belongings. The chest contained the attire she was wearing, her short swords and her great sword. Grabbing everything, Farkas packed what he could, giving what he could to Vilkas who carried her two-handed weapon.

Pressing on, they managed to find two more cages, one with a live werewolf, the other, a dead horse. Farkas could smell this werewolf was feral and knew there was nothing they could do to save it, otherwise they be attacked and would have to kill it to remain alive. Ignoring it and moving on, they were finally out of the ice cave and back into the dungeon of the refuge. Opening another door, Farkas instantly killed the only Silver Hand in the room, and then he froze.

The room was large and held several cages, some werewolves were alive, others, were dead. There were torture devices along one side of the room with blood amongst the coverings and the floor. It was a decrepit sight. As Vilkas and Aragon examined the cages, Farkas stepped forward and turned the corner, expecting to see more caged werewolves when -

"SERAH!"

Heads snapping upward, Vilkas and Aragon followed Farkas around the room to see that it was indeed Serah in one of the cages. The only thing was that she was held together by chains, attached to both wrists, keeping her hanging from the ceiling, as well as both her ankles. Dropping his sword, Farkas ran towards the cage, hands clamping the iron bars to try and see if he could open the dan thing. With no luck, he stuck his arm inside to see if he could reach the woman, but she was barely out of reach from his fingertips.

"Serah! Oh my god…what have they done to you…?"

The poor woman was smeared in blood and wearing naught but her undergarments. Whether it was hers or somebody else's, neither of the three could tell. There were indeed cuts and bruises along her arms, and wounds across her stomach, but Vilkas saw something different.

"Hey," Vilkas touched his brother's shoulder. "Look at her wrists and ankles. Are those…?"

"Burn marks," Aragon stated, kneeling down to the ground to get a closer look at her feet. "Those chains are…"

"Made from silver," Farkas finished his Shield-Siblings sentence. "Why in the hell is it burning her then?" Glancing towards the door of the cage, Farkas was apprehensive, but still tried opening it anyways. "Damnit, it's locked!"

"I got it," Aragon said. Pulling out his tools, he stuck a lockpick inside the lock along with another tool and began turning and twisting both at the same time. Moving his attention from Aragon to Serah, Farkas held the iron bars tightly within his hands. Serah's head hung low, her hair cascading over her shoulders and covered her face so he couldn't see. But then…

"Wait, stand back!" Farkas roared, pulling Aragon against the ground when he noticed something was off.

Farkas could hear the familiar cracking of bone, the stench of the hunt ran wild in her cage, and he had to wonder why. That is, until Serah, directly before their eyes, began to transform. She slowly began to morph into that of a werewolf, and all three Companions stared with their mouths having fallen towards the floor. Her back arched, arms extending at an abnormal length, body changing from skin to fur. It took several moments for the transformation to be complete and when it was finally done, all three released a heavy breath together.

For some reason, Serah was now a werewolf, having just transformed before their very eyes.

And just as quickly as she had changed, Serah altered her new form back to her human self. It was a gruesome few moments to watch as bones cracked at odd angles. What was worse was the sizzling and smell of burnt skin. The silver chains on her wrists and ankles were burning her as a werewolf, and the moment she was finally human again, the chains calmed down, for the time being.

"Oh no…" Vilkas moaned.

"My little Serah…" Farkas again grasped the iron bars, staring solemnly at his beloved. And then he screamed. "WHO THE BLOODY FUCKER THINKS THEY CAN JUST DO THIS?!"

Vilkas and Aragon took a step backwards, knowing Farkas was on the verge to change himself. The one true love of his life, who had a severe fear of wolves, the one who never wanted the beast-blood, was forced to accept it. Most likely cast down her throat without her willingness. Had she been tortured like the other werewolves? Was some of the blood on the devices hers?

Thinking it was time, Aragon resumed in trying to pick the lock. With his tools, he worked silently for several moments before Farkas interrupted his thoughts. "Can't you go any faster?"

"Farkas, I'm doing the best I can, but this must be a master lock or something…"

Vilkas, having sensed his brother's anguish, grasped his shoulder. "We found her, Farkas. She will soon be safe."

"Yeah but, how're we going to get the chains off of her? It'll burn all three of us since we all have the blood of Hircine."

"Just leave that to me as well, guys."

Aragon, who had already unlocked the cage door, pulled out a pair of thick, leather gloves from his pack and slipped them on his hands. "Nothing, and I mean nothing, can penetrate these." He then knelt down to try and pick the lock to the chains on her ankles first. Once they were done and gone, he then took care of one of her wrists when he instructed Farkas to hold onto Serah. Obliging, he held her tightly within his arms as Aragon worked the last lock. Once he was done, Serah nearly fell into Farkas' arms.

Holding her against his chest, he stared at Vilkas and Aragon. "Thank you," he whispered, kissing the top of Serah's head.

"Don't mention it," Aragon stated, rubbing the back of his neck.

"She's just as important to us as she is to you, brother," Vilkas said as a matter of fact.

"Look…we both know there are still Silver Hand up ahead…why don't you two go on ahead and finish them off while I stay with Serah?" Farkas didn't want to leave her side now that he had her back again.

"Sounds like a plan. We'll be back before you know it."

And then they were gone.

Having grabbed the clothing from the chest, Farkas set to work placing the items upon Serah's body. He had to admit, he preferred taking the clothing off rather than placing them back on, but in this situation, he couldn't imagine what she must've gone through. It took the male some time before she was dressed in her trousers, loose fitting tunic and some boots. It would be an interesting journey home with an unconscious Serah.

By the time he had finished dressing her, Vilkas and Aragon had returned, triumphant smiles plastered on their faces. Vilkas was the one to speak the moment they saw his brother. "Not only have we vanquished the Silver hand from this place, we also found the last fragment to Wuuthrad!"

"No way! They had it this whole time?"

Aragon nodded. "Yep, and now, all we need to do is have Eorlund patch it together and we've got the legendary axe back!"

"I'd be more excited if our mission wasn't to find Serah," Farkas stated quietly.

Vilkas knelt beside them. "How's she doing, brother?"

She hasn't tried transforming at all nor has she opened her eyes. She's breathing, but that's about it." Farkas cupped Serah's face. There was a dark, nasty bruise forming against her cheek and they were left to wonder what exactly happened. "We need to get her back to Whiterun. Maybe the priestess can help or something…"

"Here, follow us. There's another passage that leads to the exit so we don't have to go all the way back."

Following his Shield-Siblings, Farkas held Serah tightly and closely within his arms. He feared the moment he let her go before they made it back to Whiterun, she wouldn't survive. Once out of Driftshade Refuge, dawn was approaching. Instead of sleeping, they pushed on, nearly running back to Jorrvaskr where they would have to deal with Serah and Kodlak both.

As the snow had stopped momentarily, this allowed the three Companions to cover more ground quicker than when they were on their way towards the refuge. When nightfall came, they decided to patch their tents, with Serah having not waken up at all. Come morning, it was the same situation, as if she was knocked out cold, the woman refused to wake up.

On the second day, they could see Whiterun off in the distance and decided to run back. By this time, the guards at the front gates were used to seeing Farkas carrying an unconscious Serah back into town. They snickered as the let the three in, who were then bombarded by several Whiterun citizens, all asking if Serah was ok and that they heard she had been kidnapped. Farkas left them behind, leaving Vilkas to answer all questions, though he soon caught up to his brother just as he was entering Jorrvaskr.

In the time they had been gone, all the bodies had been cleared and any blood that remained had been cleaned. Kodlak's body was nowhere to be seen, leaving Farkas to wonder if they already held his sacred funeral. Traversing downstairs, Farkas ignored his Shield-Siblings, again, leaving Vilkas to answer everyone's questions that yes, they had found Serah and that she had survived.

Somehow.

Placing the woman upon her bed, Aragon and Vilkas soon met Farkas down in her room. The Dragonborn then said, "Look, I know healing magic. I can take care of some of these wounds or I can go fetch the priestess. Which do you want, Farkas?"

The large male was quiet for sometime as he gazed down at Serah. Looking up towards his Shield-Brother and friend, he asked, "…can you try, Aragon?"

"Of course. Serah…means a lot to me, you know."

Sitting opposite of Farkas, Aragon held his hand over her face, his palm glowing. Tracing over her entire body, Aragon knew he wouldn't be able to heal the bruising, but the small cuts vanquished after he past over them. Then he spent some time focusing on her wrists and ankles. He tried his best. Aragon had healed the injury, but there would forever be scars to remind her of what happened. Farkas was still thrilled, but confused as to why she hadn't woken up yet.

"I don't know, Farkas. Maybe…succumbing to the beast-blood was a lot for her, mentally. Maybe she just needs some rest. We don't know how many times she tried to transform with the chains still on her."

~ oOo ~

Later that evening, Vilkas and Aragon were stuffing their faces full of venison as the rest of the Companions asked them question after question all the while Farkas remained in Serah's room below. Deciding their bickering was enough, Vilkas piled a plate high with food and headed downstairs, knowing his brother needed to eat.

"Farkas?"

"Yes, Vilkas?"

"You haven't been upstairs to eat so I brought you something."

Taking his eyes off of Serah for a moment, he noticed that his brother was telling the truth and there was a plate filled with meat and fruit. Thanking his brother, Farkas took the plate and began nibbling on a piece of cooked venison. "Thank you, Vilkas."

"Anytime," he answered sincerely. "How's…how's she doing?"

"She's still asleep…nothing's changed."

Vilkas clasped Farkas' shoulder. "She'll come around, I promise you that. I'll be in my room if you need anything." He then left, softly closing the door behind him as he left Farkas alone.

It was enough to drive anyone mad; the waiting. Farkas, however, had waited many years before he proclaimed his love to Serah, and he would wait that much longer if needed before she woke up. Staring at the beautiful female, Farkas leaned forward and cleared the hair that had fallen over the woman's face. Even while in a deep sleep, Farkas believed she was the only beautiful woman in this world.

His fingers trailed down from her hairline to her cheek. Grazing the bruise upon her skin, he then trailed his hand down along her arm to her wrist. Holding the appendage in his hand, Farkas examined the scaring that was healing - all thanks to Aragon. The man was right. She'll have the small scars for the rest of her life.

"…Far…kas?"

"Hmm…?" Peering upwards towards her face, Farkas froze, seeing as how Serah's eyes were blinking, moving back and forth.

"…Farkas? I-Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me, my love!"Reaching forward, he cupped he checksum leaning downward to kiss her forehead and Serah tried moving around on the bed. "No, no, no, you shouldn't try moving!"

"Then…can you…at least help me to lean against the wall?"

Obliging, Farkas picked Serah up underneath and rearranged her body until it was leaning against the wall with her pillows for comfort beneath her back. Once done, Farkas reclaimed his seat upon the side of the bed, hand holding here's the entire time. "How're you feeling?"

She smiled in his direction, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm mainly tired and somewhat sore. Where is everyone? Wait!" She shot up from the bed, straightening her back, wincing as she did so. "What happened to the Silver Hand that kidnapped me? Or the ones who attacked us that day?!"

"Shh, shhhh, all is well, my little Serah." Calming her nerves, Farkas was able to get Serah to lean against the pillows once again. "We were able to drive off the Silver Hand when they attacked Jorrvaskr. And the ones that took you, well…Vilkas, Aragon and I took care of them all before we saved you."

"So the three of you are the ones who brought me home?" Farkas nodded, leaving Serah to sigh. "Ahh, thank you."

"I would do it again and again if needed, my little Serah, you know this."

"I do." She smiled. "Where is your brother and Aragon?"

"Let me go get them." Leaving the room, Farkas quickly made his way upstairs to find Aragon making his way downstairs. He then explained that Serah was now awake who then brushed passed Farkas. His next step was knocking on his brother's door who opened it fairly quickly. "Serah's awake, and she wants to see you."

"She's awake? This quickly?" Farkas nodded.

Entering her room again, he noted that Serah was giving Aragon a hug as he bent low towards the bed to assist her. Vilkas was next. "I can't thank you enough for saving me, you three. You have no idea how grateful I am."

"I must ask Serah," Aragon was cautious as he stared at Farkas then Vilkas. "What…exactly happened? What did they do to you? Ow!" Vilkas popped the male across the head, knowing that's something he shouldn't have asked so early on into her now being awakened.

Serah merely laughed, her smile somewhat faulty. "No Vilkas, it's ok, really. I want to talk about it." Inhaling deeply, she stared off at Farkas who locked himself inside the doorframe. "At first, they simply locked me in the cage and left me alone for some time. They eventually came back, placing me into the silver chains, threatening my life. But when I didn't transform like they expected, they discovered I didn't have the beast-blood. They attacked and hit me numerous times throughout they next few days so I would spill all the secrets about the Circle that I knew. I never once spoke against the Companions, I held my lips tightly. In between the beatings, I have no idea what they did to me. But…I do remember this…"

She stared upwards towards the ceiling, a lone tear cascading down her cheek. "They…they gave me the beast-blood. So now I'm…"

"Just like us," Vilkas commented, staring between Aragon and his brother.

"…yeah," she said calmly; too calmly.

"Serah?" Farkas stepped forward, kneeling beside the bed as he took her hand in his. "What's truly going through your mind right now?"

"I…" She glanced between all three of them. "I don't know, if I'm being perfectly honest. I'm none too happy to have been forcefully changed into a werewolf, but there's nothing I can do about that right now, is there?"

This is where Aragon's face lit up as he stood from his seat. "Yes, yes there is!"

Everyone stared up at him.

"This is why I wasn't there the day the Silver Hand attacked, because Kodlak sent me on an important mission!"

"Wait a minute! Kodlak!" Aragon squirmed as he mentioned the late Harbinger's name. Serah still didn't know about his death. Vilkas shuttered as Farkas remained neutral. Seeing all their faces, Serah pushed herself up further amongst the pillows. "Farkas," she called. "Where's Kodlak…?"

"Um…" Scratching the back of his head, he didn't know how to break the news that her father-figure, the man she looked up to for as long as she'd been living here, was now dead. "You see Serah, Kodlak is, um…"

"Kodlak's dead."

All four turned to see Aela in the doorway, arms crossed, her mouth having fallen as she spoke.

"Dead…? What do you mean he's de - Farkas?" Serah's breathing increased until she was gasping for breath. "Is this true?"

Slowly meeting her eyes, Farkas nodded, his eyes tightly closed, not ready to see how Serah would take the news. "Unfortunately…yes…"

"Serah…Kodlak was murdered by the Silver Hand. There was nothing that could've prevented his untimely death."

"I…I see." Silent tears coursed down her face. There was nothing she could've done…? Maybe, just maybe, if she hadn't gotten kidnapped, then…!

"Stop that thinking, Serah," Aela stated firmly. "There's nothing you could've done. The Silver hand swarmed us in the front and back, especially after you were captured. THere's nothing any of us could've done." Was Aela comparing Kodlak's death to that of Skjor?

"Again, this is where I come in. I know of a way you can see him, Serah." Stepping off his chair, he knelt on the opposite side of Farkas, taking hold of her hand. "Do you want to see Kodlak one more time?"

"…yes," she sniffled. "More than anything."

"Then there is a way." Aragon looked around the room, knowing that only the Circle members were here and only their ears could hear what he had to say next. "Kodlak had been discussing with me how he was tired of having the beast-blood course through his veins and wanted to be rid of the curse before his death. He found a way to remove the curse, which is where I was for the week."

This seemed to brighten Serah's mood as her eyes lit up. "And…?!"

"I can't really explain how he discovered this, but the pathway to seeing him lies in Ysgramor's tomb off to the north."

"Not just north of here, but to the far north, almost near Winterhold!" Vilkas explained.

"Are you saying, Dragonborn, that we can relieve Kodlak's spirit of the beast so he can travel to Sovngarde?"

Aragon nodded. "That is exactly what I'm saying. If this is something you wish to see, I will gladly travel with you, Serah, to Ysgramor's tomb."

"Not without me you won't!" Vilkas exclaimed.

"Nor I!" Farkas was next. Holding onto Serah's hand tighter, he stared at her straight into the eye. "What with everything going on, I won't let you out of my sight."

"Is that a promise?"

"It's a promise," he agreed.

"Then it's settled." Everyone turned their heads towards Aela who had her back turned away. "We leave first thing after Kodlak's funeral afternoon."

Vilkas and Aragon stayed longer to keep Serah company, talking about many different topics, though they ignored that of the Silver Hand and of Kodlak's death. They did talk of Kodlak when he was living, however, passing along stories of the man that made everyone laugh and smile. Eventually, Serah declared she needed her sleep when everyone left except for Farkas. He remained by her side, helping the woman change into something cleaner and more comfortable to sleep in.

By the time she was dressed, Serah was nearly falling sleep. "I can't believe after already having been asleep, I crave it more now."

"Your body needs its rest to recover. Besides, we have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow. You'll need your strength." Carrying her to bed caused the woman to squeal as she was placed gently upon the straw mattress. "Would you like me to remain in here with you tonight?"

Serah nodded eagerly. Rolling over onto her side, she scooted towards the edge of the bed, but the moment Farkas fell upon the bed, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her directly into his chest.

"And where do you think you're going?" He asked.

"Nowhere," she said, a small smile plastered on her face.

But then, that same smile fell.

"You've…gone quiet." Rolling around on the bed, Serah turned to face Farkas, her face suddenly full of tears once more. Farkas lifted his hand, gently caressing her cheek, thumb ready to wipe away any tears that were to fall. "Why do you cry, little one?"

"Because…of K-Kodlak, Farkas. If I hadn't been taken, if only I paid more attention to what was around me, I could've…I could've…!"

"Shhh, shhh…none of that." Farkas moved his hand from her cheek to caress her hair, fingers flowing through the soft locks. "The Silver Hand had us pinned down, there was nothing anyone, you or me, could've done. And - no, no, I need you to listen to me." Serah had opened her mouth to speak, but closed her lips instead. "I need you to understand that there was nothing we could've done. Kodlak…Kodlak is at peace now."

"No he isn't, not with the beast-blood still coursing through him."

"Which is why we're headed to the tomb after the funeral tomorrow afternoon. For now, sleep. You truly need it, little one."

"…I'm not little," she mumbled into Farkas' chest before the hour of dreams consumed her once again.

~ oOo ~

Serah woke the following morning alone. Farkas was nowhere to be seen and she was ok with that, for she awoke with tears in her eyes, streaming down her face. She had dreamt of nothing but Kodlak, all the memories she had with him, and those she did not. Still, knowing today was an auspicious day as they were to head to Ysgramor's tomb, Serah sat up in her bed. Her muscles were still sore as she glanced down at her wrists, knowing the scars would be there forever.

Standing, she removed the clothes she wore to bed and dressed in her newest set of armor, that which belonged to her mother. Gathering a pack, she filled it with all the necessities one would need for a long trip, because, according to Vilkas, the tomb was a fair distance away.

There was a knock on her door.

"Serah, are you awake? I brought you some breakfast," came Farkas' voice.

Turning towards the door, the woman cleaned her face, smiling at the same time. "Come in," she said just loud enough for the man to hear.

Farkas entered, holding a plate of bread and cheese with a tankard of ale to accompany the food. "Good, you're awake!"

"Yeah, I've been up for some time, getting ready for today," she pointed towards her pack on the bed.

"Smart thinking," Farkas said, placing the plate next to it. "VIlkas has done the same, maybe I should get started on mine." He scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, you probably should," Serah answered quietly.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Taking a step forward, Farkas engulfed the woman in his thick, muscled arms.

"Everything," she said. "Kodlak's not here, I'm now a werewolf…the itch to transform is so unstable I fear I might in front of others. How did you and Vilkas manage this itch? I can't make it go away!"

"It never goes away," he answered honestly. "That's why not transforming for months has been hard."

"You've had practice though," Serah said, glancing upwards at the handsome man. "Twelve summers compared to what, three days?"

"Yes I've had practice…but if what Aragon says is true and we can get rid of the beast inside at the tomb, then you'll be rid of it in no time."

There came another knock on the door; this time, it was Vilkas.

Serah sat on her bed, starting to consume the bread and cheese. "Good morning, Vilkas," she said.

"Good morning Serah. How're…you faring today?" He asked cautiously, knowing the woman had gone through enough in the last few days.

"I'll survive," she admitted. "I'm somewhat sore, but it's nothing that can't bring me down."

"That's good to hear, little one." She huffed at the nickname only the twins still called her. "Still though, are you prepared and ready for this journey? You can always stay here and - "

"No! I-I want the chance to see Kodlak. If Aragon is right about the whole thing…"

"I know Serah, we're the same. I would give anything to see our Harbinger again."

"Speaking of," she swallowed what was in her mouth, tearing his glance between the twins. "Who will take on that role now?"

The twins peered at one another. "We don't know," they said simultaneously.

"…I hate it when you do that."

"We know," they said.

"Are you birdbrains coming?" Aela appeared behind the twins, arms crossed. She held a solemn look upon her face, one they all shared internally because of what they were about to do. "Almost everybody is at the Skyforge waiting for you three."

"We're coming!" Serah took her bread with her as the four of them left the living quarters and made their way outside. Leaving through the front doors, they curved off to the side where the stairs were that would lead them up to the Skyforge. Aela had been right. The other Companions and members of the community were already there, standing near the edge of the small cliff. The members of the Circle took their place before the forge, Aela holding onto a lit torch.

Kodlak had been placed upon his funeral pyre. Several layers of logs constructed this pyre with this Harbinger on the top, seemingly at peace, though others knew the truth.

Eorlund stood off to the side when he suddenly said, "Who will start?"

"I'll go," Aela said. Taking a deep breath, she began. "Before the ancient flame…"

"We grieve," everyone muttered. Serah stuck close next to Farkas, holding his hand tightly.

"At this loss…"

"…we weep."

"For the fallen…"

"We shout!"

"And for ourselves," Farkas stated.

"We take our leave."

Aela, after a few moments, stepped forward. She placed the torch beneath the pyre, igniting its flames so Kodlak could peacefully reach Sovngarde. "His spirit is at peace," she said after she had turned around. "Members of the Circle, let us meet in the under forge to grieve our last."

"Agreed," they all stated.

Leaving the funeral behind, Serah stopped at the top of the stairs and glanced backwards one last time towards where Kodlak lay. "Goodbye," she whispered. Farkas, having stepped downward several steps, climbed back up and claimed her hand. Traveling down the stairs, they made their way into the under forge where Aela was already waiting for them.

"So…all you four all ready then?"

"Just need to grab our packs," Vilkas answered. He stared at his brother then down towards Serah. He knew she wouldn't be willing to talk.

"Then it's settled," Aela said, uncrossing her arms. "Grab your packs, Companions, for we're about to embark on the journey towards Ysgramor's Tomb!"

~ oOo ~

Please let me know what you think, I would greatly appreciate it.

DragonGoddess629