When Aela returned from wherever they had run off to, she was two Companions short. She looked filthy and exhausted, withdrawing to the edge of the hall. Her face was carved sharp by the shadows into lines that clearly marked her as upset. Vilkas was afraid, sitting across the hall near the rack of weapons that Eliana was the cause for her distress, but that thought was in vain. Before he could get up and interject, Njada stomped over to her and demanded to know what was wrong in that no nonsense way she had. It was instantaneous, the realization that he'd been focused on the wrong person.

If it had been the girl who'd been murdered, Aela would have been hurt, but it would have come later, after her defiance and self-righteous attitude forced her to defend herself against accusations before they would have been spoken. Instead, Aela looked entirely defeated, her normally prideful spine hunched slightly, eyes unable to meet the face of anyone in the room so she closed them instead. Taking a deep breath through her nose, her voice quavered as she said slowly, "They...that is to say, we...Skjor is...gone."

A shocked quiet settled over the hall, like someone had thrown a cover over the building like a canvas over a wagon, deafening sound to the world beyond. A cold weight settled in his gut, spreading throughout his body causing his muscles to tremble with a fury he hadn't felt in a long time. Despite their disagreements, Skjor had been his friend. The world faded away as he stood and paced aimlessly across the wooden floor, his footsteps alternating between dull thuds on carpet and sharper steps on smooth stone. The speed of his canter increased with his agitation.

He had about twenty things he wanted to bark at her, including an impressive lecture to serve as a reminder of why a Shield-sibling was so essential. However, given that she'd just been given a first hand demonstration, he didn't think she really needed it. He felt a hand grab his left hand as he turned to make another pass.

Grabbing for the steel sword at his waist with his right hand, he pulled back as Farkas released his arm, "Easy, easy."

Shaking his head from the thoughtless place it had been, he pushed the sword back into its sheath, "What?"

"Kodlak wants to meet with the Circle in his quarters," he replied, eyes not betraying how he felt, if he felt anything. Good. He was learning.

Nodding once sharply, he followed as his brother walked down the stairs to the lower levels. He, and no doubt his brother could also, hear Tilma crying quietly as she cleared one of the small sitting tables of discarded books. A somber mood had befallen the usually joyful mead hall. Even though they were a warrior guild, it was a rarity for them to lose a member. When their numbers were already so low, the blow was an even harder one to handle.

As they approached the end of the hall, he could see that Aela was already there, seated in the same chair Vilkas had occupied the day they'd met Eliana. Her head was in her hands, arms trembling slightly though she wasn't yet crying, if she even would. She'd likely had already before she'd arrived. Kodlak was in his favored chair near the doors to his chambers and looked toward them as they entered, "Farkas, close the doors if you would."

As the doors shut behind them with a soft snap, Kodlak nodded to the chair at his desk for Vilkas to take. It wasn't entirely offered to be nice. Kodlak no doubt knew if Vilkas was left standing with his brother, who was leaning against the wall near the doors, it wouldn't take long for him to start his pacing again, an act that drove the old man berserk. He settled into the chair and Kodlak spoke, "Tell us what happened."

"I'm afraid there isn't much detail to the story," Aela replied, her tone more subdued than he'd ever heard it. "After Eliana escaped from Whiterun, I followed behind her. It was going to be hard for her to shift back as riled as she was, but the transformation never lasts long. Eventually, she collapsed in the snow and shifted back while she slept. The Whiterun guards were out for blood and looking everywhere for her, so I dragged her into Eastmarch, knowing they would stop at the boundary lines. I stayed with her, keeping guard as she recovered. Skjor found us a few hours later, just as day was breaking."

She paused, picking at her fingernails. Vilkas leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest impatiently. Kodlak simply waited, using the silence. Eventually she continued, "We were near Gallows Rock. Skjor and I decided it would be an...initiation of sorts for her."

"Like the havoc she caused in Whiterun?" Vilkas interjected. "Was that not enough of an initiation?"

"Vilkas," Kodlak warned. Indeed, Aela had turned to glare at him, her eyes glazed with a wet emotion she would never admit to. "Continue, Aela."

She faced him once more and breathed out, "Skjor moved on ahead to scope out the fort. Eliana woke shortly thereafter and we followed after him. There were several members of the Silver Hand outside and when we got in, they had locked the place down. Otherwise, they were fairly calm. It didn't sit right with me, but we continued through the place. Eventually we found Krev the Skinner. He-"

Aela cut off, looking down at her hands, wringing them in her lap. Kodlak leaned forward, "Go on."

"He was dead on the floor when we arrived," her eyes were shining, though her voice had steadied in her anger. "He hadn't been dead long, his body still warm to the touch. My guess is when Skjor was scouting the place, one of the sentries noticed him and tipped Krev off."

Kodlak nodded sadly, "Was he avenged?"

"Brutally," her lips thinned as she met his eyes. "I took care of Skjor's burial before I came back. I...I asked Eliana to leave me. She asked what our next target was before she left and I gave her the details Skjor and I had heard of a Silver Hand lieutenant. She likely took off to take care of it."

"You let her run off alone?" Vilkas was astounded. "After Skjor just died from running off alone-"

"She's stronger than you think, Vilkas," Aela snapped back.

"I used to think the same thing about Skjor," he retaliated. "Look what happened to him."

Aela jumped to her feet, "Why can't you just accept it?"

"That's I'm not as foolhardy as you when it comes to the Silver Hand?" he still leaned back, arms tightening to restrict him from lashing out.

Aela glared, "No. That your judgment is clouded with anything concerning the girl. I gave her a mission and asked her to leave me be. If she runs into that cave with no one at her back, it would be her fault, just as it was Skjor's."

He looked away to the floor, his voice quieter as he answered, "You're right. I'm...I'm sorry."

Farkas spoke from near the door, "Do you know where she is now?"

"Last I heard, she was heading to Orotheim, that little cave the Silver Hand kicked the bandits out of."

Conversation fell awkwardly as no one knew quite what to say. As per usual, all eyes fell on Kodlak who put his hand together beneath his bearded chin, not saying anything.

Vilkas swallowed the litany of complaints like an overripe snowberry and stood to leave. Farkas opened the door, obviously intending to follow him out.

"Vilkas. Farkas."

They turned to Kodlak, who pierced them both with the infrequently used but effective Harbinger glare, "You will not intervene. If the girl comes to either one of you, you are to direct her to Aela until I say further. Do you understand?"

When they'd both replied in affirmative, he nodded toward the door for them both to leave, "Aela. Stay behind. I need to speak with you further."

Vilkas heard the door close after he'd left. He was still angry, so angry, but not at anything in particular. He knew Aela and Eliana were paying the prices for their choices, Skjor having paid the heaviest of all, but it didn't extinguish the feelings he had. His notorious fiery rage still present and needing an outlet.

"Hey, Vilk?" Farkas unsheathed his sword and grinned sadly at his brother after he twisted to see him, "It's been awhile since we fought."

"Indeed," Vilkas grinned wildly. "Are you offering?"

"Skjor was my friend too."

It was all the answer he needed, "Not here. Outside."

"Where?"

Vilkas thought as they climbed the familiar staircase, the stairs creaking violently beneath their weight. After a moment, he grinned, "Eorlund should be finish with the Skyforge for the day."

Farkas laughed, snatching a hunk of bread from a nearby table with his free hand as they exited to the yard, "And Skjor said I was the dense one. Eorlund will be furious if he finds us up there."

"Exactly."

And so they fought for hours atop the forge, looking out over the city they'd grown in, acting like the children they'd never been allowed to be. Trading insults more frequently than jabs and drinking ale like water, they fought until their feet could no longer hold them up. Darkness had fallen over them hours before, the stars blinking down on them like the souls of those they'd lost. As the rest of the world faded in those silently cherished moments, they remembered how blessed they were to have and what it felt like to not.

And Vilkas's war reignited itself. How precious the people he loved were, and if he was in a position or ever would be to love one more than the rest. The battle of wills, of whether he could let go of his responsibilities, of his obligations, in favor of a relationship that was tenuous at best. Likely the poor woman had no idea how he felt.

And Vilkas was once again his biggest fool.

For watching him from behind the hall as they moved from the forge to the yard as the rest of the city slept, was a young Nord who had just returned to speak with Aela only to be given a second assignment. No matter the fight he thought he was engaging with his own perception of their relationship, Eliana was preparing to lay siege to him. Eliana was many pieces of one grand puzzle and Vilkas, however dimly aware he was of her thieving ways, was completely unprepared for them.

For what a thief wants, a thief will get.

On that particular night, a thief decided she wanted Vilkas. And Vilkas, she would get, one way or another.

Thank you for reading!