The next morning began a routine that would continue for the next three weeks: wake up, breakfast, training, lunch, more training, dinner, and then fall into bed. To be repeated daily from Morndas to Fredas. Loredas and Sundas were free days most of the companions that were still in training Amaliea, Ria, Athis, and Njada, spent those days either down at the Bannered Mare, roaming, or in Jorrvaskr Amaliea was the exception. The first Loredas after she arrived she found out it was to be a free day so she went up to the Skyforge to see if Eurlond was working as it turned out he was.
As She crested the hill he looked up from his work saying "If you're looking for me to forge you something it's going to be awhile I'm behind on my orders."
Amaliea shook her head saying "I don't need anything forged. I just found out I don't have training today and I was wondering if you might like an extra set of hands around? I used to help my Pa. plus I don't want my smithing skills to get rusty." Eurlond looked slightly taken aback at her offer so she hurried to say "If you don't want my help I'll just go and quit bothering you."
She started to back away sure she had offended him when he laughed saying "You are the first Companion in my memory who walked up here not because they needed or wanted something but because they wanted to help me. Of course, you can assist me."
And so she spent the rest of Loredas helping Eurlond at the Skyforge. So it went every Loredas afterward too. Sundas was a different matter though. On Sundas instead of training her body Amaliea trained her mind, reading every book Kodlak would loan her and he loaned her many most on the history of the Companions. They also spent time discussing what Amaliea had read. It was much like the time they had spent in wood valley when Amaliea was a child. Only this time instead of him telling stories of the Companions, she told him of the village, of home. How Jon and Jhan ended up hung upside down from a tree and how Briella got herself banned from the inn as well as how the Elders were doing. She learned much in those weeks but little did she know what those weeks were preparing her for.
It was Morndas again the beginning of Amaliea's fourth week with the Companions and she was all set to begin her training when Farkas stopped her at the door to the yard and said simply "Skjor wants to see you he's downstairs you better hurry."
With that, he stepped outside and she turned to go back downstairs. She found Skjor sitting at the small table between his and Aela's rooms and said "Farkas said you wanted to see me, sir."
He looked up as she spoke and said "I did your time it seems has come."
"My time sir?" she asked a bit nervously.
"Your time for your trial a scholar came to us recently with the location of a fragment of Wuuthrad. You are going to retrieve it from Dustman's Cairn. Farkas will go with you as your shield brother for this mission and will also evaluate whether you complete it honorably or not. Now go talk to Farkas and get on your way. Try to come back in one piece and don't get Farkas killed."
"Yes sir." she said then practically raced upstairs and into the yard. There Amaliea spotted Farkas leaning on one of the verandas support posts and hurried over to him.
As he saw her approach he stood up and said "You ready to go?"
she nodded quickly as Ria asked, "Where are you going?"
"Skjor said that I'm to go on my trial and Farkas is to be my shield brother for it!" Amaliea excitedly called back.
"Good luck!" Ria said back as Amaliea and Farkas set off.
Once they got to the cairn it was pretty obvious someone had been digging there and recently. Farkas looked at Amaliea and said, "Be on your toes."
Once they entered the first chamber they were attacked by some dragur which they dispatched pretty easily. they continued on their way until they came to a larger room with a gate closed across the only passageway out.
At which Farkas said, "Look around for something to open that." After looking around for a few minutes Amaliea found a lever in an annex off the main room.
"Hey, Farkas I think I've found it!" She shouted as she pulled the lever. Then she heard an ominous clang behind her as a before unseen gate slammed down her trapping her in the annex.
Farkas came over and shook his head smiling as he said "Now look what you've gotten yourself into, I'll go find the release. What was that?"
He spun around just as he did a group of armed people came running out of the previously closed tunnel and surrounded Farkas and started taunting him
"It's time to die dog!" one sneered.
'What are these guy's problem?' Amaliea thought to her self
"We knew you'd be coming!" another laughed.
'Knew we'd be coming who are these people?!'
"Your mistake companion!" another yelled.
'Wait they know we're Companions why would someone deliberately try to trap Companions?'
"Which one is that?" a woman asked.
"Doesn't matter he wears that armor he dies!" one said.
'His armor? it's the same as Kodlak, Skjor, and Vilkas wear. Are they trying to kill the Circle?!'
Then one said "Killing you will make for an excellent story."
'These people are crazy!'
To which Farkas responded, "None of you will be alive to tell it."
Then to Amaliea's horror, he dropped his sword and began changing into something from her worst nightmares and memories. A were-wolf she wanted to run, to scream, to hide but she was frozen. All she could do was stumble backward and fall against the wall. As the were-wolf began fighting with the people her memories dragged her down. She was no longer in the cairn she was ten again running through the woods, being caught by that monster. Being dragged to that cave and thrown in the cage. she felt herself grab her right arm with her left as she remembered that night the necromancers' death screams and the monster coming and opening the cage before turning. she once more felt the burning pain of the muscle and flesh of her arm being torn to shreds, as she tried to keep the monster from killing her. The feel of her own hot blood flowing down her arm. The heat from her flame spell and the despair that no one was there to hear her scream for help. Then as though from far away she heard the sound of grating metal and felt someone shaking her.
Then Farkas' voice sounding muffled saying "Amaliea, Amaliea are you alright?! Oh, gods please be alright!"
And just as fast as she had been sucked down she resurfaced into the present, to Farkas shaking her looking worried. All she could think to say was a cautious "Farkas?" she could hear the tremble in her own voice but that was enough.
He stopped shaking her and asked, "What happened to you I looked over and you were as pale as a ghost, shaking, and clutching your arm, screaming and crying."
He looked at her waiting for an answer all she could choke out was "You're a werewolf?"
"Aye. Did I scare you? I'm sorry." he answered sincerely.
Strangely looking at him she felt the paralyzing terror recede, this was not the monster. This was Farkas her shield brother. He had been nothing but friendly to her since they had met.
"You have nothing to be sorry for you couldn't have known." she choked out the words it was the truth she was always careful to hide that part of her past.
"Known what?" Farkas asked.
"What happened." she whispered.
He still looked worried and asked "What did happen? Why did you act like that when I turned?"
So sitting there in a burial crypt she took off her right-handed glove and rolled up her sleeve to show her shield brother the marks that the monster had permanently etched into her flesh. The scars started at the crux of her elbow and ended on her hand just beyond her wrist.
He stared for a moment and she waited for the rejection, but he simply asked "A were-wolf attacked you?"
she nodded unable to look at him "How old were you?" he asked.
"Ten." her voice was choked and trembling.
"You're not a werewolf though, I would sense it if you were." whether he was simply saying it or asking a question she wasn't sure. "You were remembering the attack weren't you?"
she nodded once more in response to his question. she could feel her entire body shaking and tears threatening to escape. Then she felt the last thing she expected Farkas' arms encircling her and pulling her against his armored chest. At first, she stiffened then she was undone. she felt the tears escape she was not sure how long they sat there but he held her until she regained control.
Once her trembling had stilled Farkas asked, "You ready to go on?"
she leaned away from him saying "yes." and he released her. they stood then continued on their way. The cairn was full of armored people who attacked them as soon as they came in sight. There was a lot more Dragur too. They also came across a lair of Frostbite spiders and some skeevers.
When they reached the last chamber the fragment was just sitting on a pedestal on a table. If Amaliea had stopped to think she would have seen it for the trap it was. As soon as she picked up the fragment dragur started bursting from coffins tucked into recesses along the walls. Farkas let out an oath not fit for delicate ears and charged into the fight. Amaliea lost count of how many dragur they fought. When she finished one she was fighting and turned looking for the next opponent she saw Farkas was trying to fight two at once both had battle axes. she raced over and stabbed one between the ribs. Farkas nodded and got the other one after they were down the chamber was silent, other than the sound of their own breathing. The battle was over so they left the cairn through a tunnel behind one of the coffins.
Once they were back outside in the light of the setting sun Amaliea finally asked "Who were those people in the cairn?"
"The Silver Hand, bad people who don't like werewolves. They hunt them for sport." he answered quietly
"Are you the only werewolf?" Amaliea asked in a whisper fearing the answer.
He looked slightly worried and hesitated before answering "Nay. All of the Circle are."
At this, she felt thrown off balance but she had to know so she asked warily "Is Kodlak?"
"Aye." he answered with that they started back to Jorrvaskr as her world whirled around her.
Once They got there Amaliea went to go inside but Farkas stopped her and indicated they go around to the yard, so she followed. When they came around the side of the building Amaliea was stopped in her tracks by what she saw. A bonfire had been built and the Circle was standing before it, while everybody else sat on the veranda.
Vilkas called from where he stood with the circle "Come stand before the Circle for Judgement."
Farkas gave her a small push then joined the Circle. she stepped forward to stand before them feeling as though her legs were made of jelly she was so nervous.
As she did Kodlak intoned "Brothers and Sisters of the Circle, today we welcome a new soul into our mortal fold. This woman has endured, has challenged, and has shown her valor. Who will speak for her?"
'I sure don't feel valiant.' she thought
Farkas smiled as he said, "I stand witness for the courage of the soul before us."
"Would you raise your shield in her defense?" Kodlak questioned
"I would stand at her back, that the world might never overtake us." He once more answered strongly.
Kodlak then asked, "And would you raise your sword in her honor?"
Farkas looked Amaliea straight in the eyes as he said "It stands ready to meet the blood of her foes."
"And would you raise a mug in her name?" Kodlak asked
"I would lead the song of triumph as our mead hall reveled in her stories." He stated
"Then this judgment of the Circle is complete. Her heart beats with the fury and courage that have united the Companions since the days of distant green summers. Let it beat with ours, so the mountains may echo and our enemies may tremble at the call." Kodlak intoned
Then everyone chorused "It shall be so." Then everyone streamed off the veranda coming to congratulate Amaliea, pounding her back and welcoming her. She was then lead inside Jorrvaskr and sat at the table as a feast began. While the others reveled she sat quietly trying to wrap her head around the events of the day. Most of the Companions were too caught up in the drink and food to notice, but three sets of eyes did Farkas' stilled worried, Kodlak's wondering and Vilkas' confused.
After the revels had ceased and everyone retired to bed, Amaliea laid staring up at the ceiling realizing that her search for sleep to take her was pointless. She got up and snuck out of the quarters being careful not to wake the others. She then made her way upstairs and outside.
Once there she sat down in the grass alongside Jorrvaskr and stared up at the stars. she was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that the Circle was werewolves, Kodlak was a were-wolf. Amaliea sat there for what felt like hours until she heard the doors open, followed by footsteps on the veranda.
Then Vilkas spoke, "you'll be exhausted tomorrow if you don't sleep."
"I couldn't sleep." Amaliea said not looking at him. His footsteps came closer until he was standing next to her.
Then he sat down beside her saying "Farkas told me what happened in the cairn."
At that, She stiffened and turned to him pleading "please don't tell anyone."
Vilkas looked a little startled before saying "I was coming out here to ask you not to tell anyone. Farkas came and woke me up to ask if I'd seen you, he looked worried. When I asked him what was wrong he told me that some Silver Hand had set a trap in the cairn and he turned in front of you. Then he said that you weren't in your bed and he had to find you, so I decided to help him."
Amaliea relaxed realizing Farkas hadn't told him about the attack. When Vilkas looked at her strangely she said "I swear I won't tell anyone. I would not betray Kodlak like that not after what he did for me."
Vilkas then asked "so how do you know Kodlak? I mean I'd never seen you before you came here, and no one else recognized you. So how do you know each other?"
"He saved my life." She answered simply, hoping he'd realize just how much she owed Kodlak.
Then he asked, "From what?"
"I don't want to talk about it," she mumbled reliving that once in a day was more than she could handle, she does not want to go through it again. They sat there together watching the stars for some time both lost in their own thoughts. Until Amaliea finally got up and went back downstairs where sleep found her at last.
AN: please review, favorite, follow, and all that lovely stuff thanks for reading!
