AN: Sorry for the wait between computer trouble, moving out of my parents' house, misplacing the flash drive shadowed pasts was on in said move, my laptop crashing, and getting a new job it's been a little hectic on my end again sorry. I also apologize in advance for poor editing by the way Amaliea's last name is from Sindarin elvish and it means Ly - Wolf Aera- song/singer so wolf song or wolf singer.
A few weeks later Amaliea was out in the training yard with her long sword rested against the side of Njada's neck who's sword point was dropping into the dirt as Njada glared at Amaliea who hissed
"Yield."
She had been keeping her deal with Farkas when someone tried to insult her Amaliea had been calling them on it. Most of the Companions seemed to respect her more for it, except Njada this was the fifth time in as many days that they had wound up in the yard sparing. Each time Amaliea had bested her yet Njada still refused to drop whatever her vendetta against Amaliea was. Amaliea thought it had been well worth it though to see Aela and Vilkas' faces the first time Farkas told Aela not to call him stupid. Amaliea swore Aela looked like she was about to faint and Vilkas looked like (if he hadn't been trying to maintain his title of the Companions biggest grouch) could have jumped up cheering. Vilkas later asked Amaliea if she knew what had finally gotten Farkas to tell Aela that, so she explained about their deal. He kissed her right there in the middle of the lower hall, then told her he had been trying to get them to stop for years. Seems a lot of good things came out of that trip as unpleasant as it was, and Amaliea had to say that one of her top three was defiantly her beating Skjor at strong arm. Granted he had been extremely drunk but still. Unfortunately, Farkas told Vilkas about Amaliea, Jon, and Jhan not knowing how to ride, so Vilkas decided that they had to learn and promptly began dragging the three of them down to the stables for lessons. Those usually resulted in Amaliea landing face first in snowbanks. She was dragged out of her reverie by the sound of the back doors to Jorrvaskr banging open. She spun around to see Jon and Jhan just in time for them to ask
"Are Farkas and Vilkas out here?"
Ria called back from where she had been sparring with Athis "No why?"
Jon answered, "Cause Skjor said they're to take us on our trial!"
"I passed them on the stairs earlier they were headed…"
Athis was cut off by the twins spinning around and racing back inside. Amaliea wished them a silent good luck, then after a moment thought to herself that who was she kidding Farkas and Vilkas were the ones that were going to need the luck. She'd fought alongside her brothers before and their fighting style is a thing onto itself.
It was several hours later when Aela opened the back door to tell them
"Kodlak wants to see everyone in the main hall."
Once everyone was assembled Kodlak spoke
"It's time to start preparing for the ceremony. Athis, Skjor, Njada could you get the wood for the bonfire? Ria, Aela, Torvar would you go to the market and get the food for the reveal? Amaliea as the newest member of the Circle, it's your turn to watch for the others return then come tell us when they approach."
Amaliea nodded then hurried out and down to the gates. As she left the city walls she took up a position on a half-collapsed wall that overlooked the plains around Whiterun. From there she could see anyone approaching the gates. As the hours ticked by she realized why this job fell to the newest Circle member, it was ridiculously boring and frankly aggravating. The guards' shifts changed three times while she waited and six different guards asked her if something was amiss. Finally just as the sun began to set she saw four familiar figures approaching Whiterun, two acting like overgrown kids and the other two honestly just looking exhausted. Amaliea jumped up nearly falling off the wall, then dashed off through the gate and raced to Jorrvaskr.
As she hurried inside everyone looked up from what they were doing and she explained
"They're coming towards the gates now!"
Everyone got up and hurried out the back doors to take their places. Aela lit a torch from another in a bracket, then used it to lite the bonfire. Amaliea was frankly not quite sure where she was meant to be. Kodlak caught her eye and motioned to a spot off to his left. Skjor was to his right with Aela to his right. Kodlak turned his head to Amaliea and asked
"Can you remember how Vilkas called you to stand before the Circle?"
"Yes sir." She said wondering why that was important.
"Good you will call Jon and Jhan to stand before the Circle."
"Me?" she asked startled she thought that she was just to stand here not actually say anything.
"Yes, you." Kodlak said in a tone that made it clear he was not going to change his mind, not that there was any more time for discussion as both sets of twins were coming around Jorrvaskr.
As they did Skjor, Aela, and Kodlak all glanced at Amaliea and she somehow managed to get her voice to work and not stutter as she called
"Come and stand before the Circle for Judgement!"
Jon and Jhan looked startled and hesitated, then Farkas placed a hand on each of their backs and gave them a light shove forward. Once they were standing where they were meant to be, Vilkas came to stand between Amaliea and Kodlak. While Farkas went to stand next to Aela so that they were standing in a semicircle with the twins facing them. Then Kodlak intoned
"Brothers and Sisters of the Circle, today we welcome two new souls into our mortal fold. These men have endured, have challenged, and have shown their valor. Who will speak for them?"
Vilkas and Farkas both spoke in unison in calm level tones "We stand witness for the courage of the souls before us."
"Would you raise your shields in their defense?"
"We would stand at their backs, that the world might never overtake us."
"And would you raise your swords in their honor?"
"Our blades stand ready to meet the blood of their foes."
"And would you raise mugs in their names?"
"We would lead the song in triumph as our mead hall revealed in their stories."
"Then the judgment of this Circle is complete. Their hearts beat with the fury and courage that have united the Companions since the days of distant green summers, Let them beat with ours, so the mountains may echo and our enemies may tremble at the call."
Then everyone called together "It shall be so!"
And Kodlak quietly added, "Well boys your part of us now I trust you won't disappoint."
Before Jon and Jhan had a chance to answer, everyone rushed them. Pounding them on the back and cheering them, Amaliea joined in wholeheartedly hugging the two proud of her brothers for proving themselves and finally taking something seriously.
Once everyone was inside and several rounds of drinks had been drunk, Vilkas told of Jon and Jhan's trial. It had been to go retrieve a stolen axe. Upon hearing that Amaliea couldn't help but wonder what it is with Nords and axes? Anyway, Vilkas was saying
"Skjor decided it would be a good trial for Jon and Jhan, so we sat off. Once we got there and entered the bandit's lair, a maze of caves and tunnels, Jon stopped us and pointed out a trap on the floor. He worked with it a few minutes, then signaled us it was safe. As we proceeded we heard talking up ahead and the twins picked up their pace, then started up a conversation about how thick-headed bandits must be. That enraged the bandits and they charged Jon took out two with his bow and Jhan got the other two with his sword. Then they returned to their conversation. They kept it up all through the bandits' lair, occasionally adding in comments about individual bandits. They had angered every bandit they came across, they fought honorably but like insane people, at the same time, Farkas and I never had to lift our blades. We found the axe in the last chamber. They then spent ten minutes arguing about who should carry it back, Jon thought Jhan should and Jhan thought Jon should. I finally took the axe and shoved it into Jon's hands. Farkas made them leave. Then on the way back Jon tripped over a rock and dropped the axe into a pond, so they spent another ten minutes wading around trying to find it in the murky water. Jhan found it so he has it now."
As Vilkas dropped off rubbing his temples Farkas took up the story laughing
"Don't forget that afterward, they got into an argument over who had gotten muddier looking for it. Between the two of them, they gave us both headaches."
Everyone laughed and poked fun at Jon and Jhan until Torvar challenged them to a drinking contest. Needless to say by the time the party broke up Jon had passed out and fallen off his seat. While Jhan appeared to be trying to teach Torvar to sing a Bosmer drinking song in between complaining that mead was nowhere near as good as jagga or rotmeth, which would have been funny except their drunk singing sounded like a pair of dying sabercats and the complaints were just repetitive and all too true. It wound up with Farkas literally carrying Jon downstairs While Ria and Athis guided Jhan and Torvar. Amaliea followed them not long after.
Things settled out after that for the rest of the winter anyway. Until a day in early First Seed when the Companions were approached by a courier bearing a missive from the Jarl of Falkreath. The town had been attacked by a dragon and they wanted The Companions to kill it.
