Author's note: This fanfic has also been crossposted at AO3 under the user solstice_sweetheart. If you see it there, it's still me! All lyrics/theory are added for fun. I'm by no means an expert. Without further ado, enjoy!

"Companions! Compaaaaanions!" a voice bellowed from behind the door of Jorrvaskr.

Vilkas pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a groan. Ignore it. If you ignore it, it will go away, he thought, still eying the shaking wooden door. Everything stilled for a moment, and Vilkas was sure he avoided the problem, until the banging on the door resumed. It grew louder and more insistent. What a persistent woman, he grumbled, pouring himself some ale. Maybe if I drink it will drown out the screeching.

His twin, Farkas, appeared out of nowhere, looking at the door. Vilkas had no qualms about keeping the pesky woman out. Farkas, however, was always the softer of the two of them. He was always compelled to do what was right, even if it was at the expense of Vilkas' sanity.

"Compaaaaaaaaanions!" the voice called out again.

Farkas' face dropped, guilty for not answering the door.

"Oh no, don't you dare let her in!" Vilkas snapped at his twin, trying to keep his voice soft so that the woman wouldn't hear them.

"She needs our help," Farkas said.

"She always needs our help! Last week, she thought someone performed the Black Sacrament."

"Well, was it?"

"No, for fuck's sake. Someone dumped waste in front of the inn that had chicken bones, and she lost her shit. She lost her shit over chicken bones."

"I mean, she's had reasons to come to us before that were good, right?"

Vilkas glared at his brother. "Last week, she accused a skeever of stealing her favorite bracelet. And the week before that, she sought us because she was scared of the spiders in her room at the inn." Vilkas moved his fingers to show a pinch, and Farkas squinted. "That's how big they were! And the worst part? She owes us at least a thousand Septims!""

"Wait, she didn't pay us for the last jobs?" Farkas asked.

"You know what she left us? A parchment with an I.O.U! That was our payment!"

"You guys know there's a back door I can use, riiiiight?" the woman called from outside.

"Shut up! You're not getting in!" Vilkas barked.

"But what if it's important this time?" Farkas asked.

Vilkas sighed. He hated to admit his brother was right. If there really was something wrong, it was his duty as a Companion to investigate the matter. He let out another sigh and opened the door, knowing he was going to regret it.

The woman was a tiny thing, barely reaching up to his chest, with a mop of messy black hair and bright green eyes. She had youthful features, and he guessed she couldn't be older than twenty-two, maybe twenty-three. He always assumed she was an Imperial because of her olive complexion, though he never cared enough to ask her. The short woman had been a thorn in his side since she first arrived in Whiterun.

Vilkas scowled at her, and she returned it with a beaming grin. He was already annoyed, yet he had no one to blame but himself. Despite his better judgment, he allowed her to enter the mead hall. All he could do was deal with whatever problem she had and send her off.

"Thank you for letting me in," she said, her voice grating against his eardrums like a fork scraping against a plate.

"You had better make this quick, woman," Vilkas hissed.

"How you hurt me with your short temper, Companion," the woman said, releasing a breathy and dramatic sigh. Vilkas glowered at her. The woman was nowhere close to being offended, not with the way her green eyes were sparkling with unbridled mischief.

If they were going to do this, Vilkas needed to be sitting down with some mead. Farkas joined him, likely curious to see the ensuing shit-show pan out.

After taking a deep breath, Vilkas said, "Alright, let's try this again. What brings you here…whatever your name is again."

"How many times do I have to remind you? It's Valentina Iantha Dravinius, but you can just call me Valentina, or Val. Most people do. Aaaanyhow, I finally travelled to Solitude!" she said, pleased with herself.

"And you didn't stay there?"

"I wanted to. I was even going to join the Bards College! I mean, I tried and… well, uh, I might have bitten off a little more than I can chew."

"What did you do this time?" Vilkas asked, repressing the urge to sigh again. He ignored Skjor snickering in the background. Vilkas wanted to scowl at him too, but the man had made himself scarce. Lucky bastard, he swore.

"Not much—I think," she added, a little too hastily. "I promised to find King Olaf's Verse."

Vilkas spat out his mead. "You agreed to do what?"

"But you're supposed to be a bard. Don't they want you to sing or something?" Farkas asked, scratching his head.

Valentina shrugged. "Beats me how finding a verse correlates to my performing skills. But you see? That's why you have to help me. If I don't go, I'm going to get mauled by draugr."

"And that's a bad thing, why?" Vilkas grumbled.

Valentina huffed before answering, "You know, I'd usually agree with you there, handsome, but I've got things to live for. It's been a solid year since I've gotten laid, and I'm not dying until I've at least had some mind-blowing sex. Last guy…urgh. Terrible. I might as well have gotten fucked by a carrot. Would have been…"

"That is too much information," Vilkas groaned, his exasperation growing with the aspiring bard's words.

"The point is, if I get laid, then the draugr can take me for all I care. But I gotta stay alive for that to happen."

"That is your only reason?"

"No motivation to stay alive is wrong. So, are you gonna help me or what?"

"I don't see why I should help you. You still owe me over a thousand Septims and…"

"Right, well, about that," the Imperial woman said, flashing him a dazzling smile. "I'd like to think this is a win-win situation, Companion. You see, I'm not interested in the gold from the tomb. I just want the verse so I can get into the college. Let's say you pocket all the gold and treasure along the way, and we call it even for all the times I've called on you. Oh, and there's the added bonus that I'll be moving to Solitude once I'm admitted, so you'll never see me again. What do you say to that?"

The woman drove a hard bargain. Gold and the prospect of never enduring her presence again were motivation enough. But is it worth me going into a tomb and encountering a bunch of draugr with her? he wondered. He had a terrible image of her shrieking at the draugr the entire time. If she's this annoying while she's not scared, imagine when she is. He shuddered at the prospect.

Valentina cocked her head and added, "I won't talk to you unless it's necessary."

Now that is what he liked hearing.

...

The first half hour to Hjaalmarch was peaceful. Much to Vilkas' surprise, Valentina was true to her word. She remained quiet on her horse, sometimes humming a tune underneath her breath. If only she would stay like this throughout this entire job. Vilkas questioned whether he should just tell her to wait outside the tomb while he retrieved the verse himself. It would be less stressful than dealing with her while they were inside. No, if she can behave herself like this, then we just might make it out of there in one piece.

"So, Companion, I have an important question that I've been dying to know since the moment I walked into Jorrvaskr," the Imperial said.

"I thought we agreed you would be quiet."

"But it's important."

Vilkas didn't have to look at her to imagine that she was pouting at him. He rolled his eyes and asked, "Alright. What is it?"

"Is your brother single?"

That question stopped Vilkas cold in his tracks. He turned behind to see the aspiring bard. That was her important question? Evidently, she was sincere. Valentina waited for an answer, patient as ever.

"Where are your priorities, woman? You're risking your life to retrieve a long-lost verse and your most important question is whether Farkas is single?" Vilkas demanded.

"I'm trying to find things to look forward to once I retrieve the verse, but that doesn't answer the question."

Vilkas scoffed. "Not for the likes of you."

"Oh, really? What does that mean?"

"It means I know my brother's taste. He prefers his women to be less annoying."

If this daunted her at all, she didn't show it. Instead, the Imperial smiled at him, and said, "Annoying is a matter of opinion. I've been told I'm quite charming when I want to be. We can't all be silent and stoic like you, broody brows. However, I think I could win him over if he gave me a chance. What do you think it would take for him to notice me? Does he prefer sonnets or ballads? Or should I just opt for…"

"Enough! Farkas wouldn't give you a second glance, and that's final!" Vilkas snapped, and focused on the road ahead of them.

A moment of silence passed. Vilkas was sure that was the end of the conversation, until he heard her mutter, "Gods, you need to get laid."

By the time he turned back to glare at her, the Imperial was the picture of innocence. She blinked at him, tilted her head and asked, "Yes?" He scowled at her, let out a sigh of exasperation, and returned to focusing on the journey. There was no point in asking her if she had said something. She would probably deny it.

It would figure that Valentina would be curious about his brother. If the woman was as sex-starved as she made herself out to be, any man would do the trick. Ysmir's beard! She better not get any ideas about me, he thought, and shuddered.

Valentina wouldn't be alone in such licentiousness. Many of the bards that Vilkas met might have been talented, but most were lechers. They didn't care about glory or preserving the legacy of old heroes. Most bards wanted was to find the most attractive thing that moved and fuck it. If Vilkas had to guess, this Imperial was no exception—wait! Did the woman even have talent? Who was to say that the Bards College didn't send her on a fool's errand just to rid themselves of her?

Then there was her barb about him needing to get laid. I need to get laid, he scoffed. If I want to, I can bed a woman that pleases me whenever I want. Then he thought about it. When was the last time he had been with a woman anyhow? Was it two weeks ago? A month? Longer? No, that couldn't be, although it made sense. With the ongoing civil war, the Jarls called upon the Companions to deal with Skyrim's growing bandit problem. It wasn't the glorious work he wanted, but it brought gold in. Still, it left him tired, if not a little frustrated.

They continued along their path in silence and reached Dead Men's Respite by mid-afternoon. Vilkas had his fair share of experience with tombs, though it had been at least a few months since he set foot in one. He forgot how imposing the outside of the tombs were with their gigantic stone structures. As he dismounted from his horse, the familiar crackle of excitement coursed through his veins. There was always something electrifying about visiting tombs and, if he had to be honest, recovering King Olaf's verse wasn't the worst use of his time. If he and Valentina were successful, they would be retrieving a forgotten part of Skyrim's history.

Valentina jumped off her horse and approached the large door. Before she could get any further, Vilkas grabbed her by the shoulder and said, "Hold up. We need to get a couple of things clear before we walk in there."

"Do I still have to be quiet?" she asked.

"Yes, and not just because I can't stand the sound of your voice. There are probably spiders, skeevers, and draugr crawling all over the place. We need to be cautious. There's no being foolhardy and wandering into traps. We take our time and we're careful, are we clear?"

"Crystal," she said, nodding.

"Good. Now, do you have any experience with any sort of weapons?" he asked.

"I've got this," Valentina answered, pulling out an iron dagger. "I learned how to wield it while I was in Riften."

"You mean to tell me you're putting yourself in danger to get into the college, and all you brought is a dagger?" Vilkas sighed. This was bad. This was very bad. "Alright, do you at least know any spells?"

"Just an apprentice-levelled illusion spell, and how to get a magelight going. Nothing much."

It was even worse than the Companion assumed it would be. Valentina had little combat experience or magic to help him. It would figure that she wouldn't have thought of packing armor either. Vilkas groaned and unpacked basic leather armor from his supplies.

"You want me to wear that?" Valentina asked.

"Aye. This is the only way you'll survive."

"Will you help me put my armor on?" she asked, batting her eyelashes.

"No. This is your adventure, so you're going to learn how to do it yourself."

"Fine. If you insist."

And so he watched as the Imperial woman struggled to get the armor on. A tic developed in Vilkas' eyes as Valentina twisted and turned in the armor. It took everything inside of him not to bang his head against the stone walls of the tomb—and Shor's balls! They hadn't even entered yet! Great, this is going to be a babysitting job. So much for the glorious task of retrieving the verse. Unable to handle the sight of her struggling any longer, Vilkas helped the Imperial get the armor on.

"Thank you," she said, giving him a grateful smile.

"Next time, you're on your own," he warned.

"There won't be a next time because I'll be a bard by then. So, what do you say? Do we go in and retrieve that verse?"

"Aye. Let me go first."

"I believe the expression is 'ladies first.'"

Vilkas pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine, ladies first."

The Imperial gave him a toothy grin and pushed the large doors open. It wasn't much of a risk to have her go first. The first chamber in a tomb was always quiet, and low risk. Nothing would go wrong if he was right behind her.

Vilkas felt confident in his decision as he trailed right behind her until they saw the ghost of a man holding a lute. Valentina let out a piercing shriek that reverberated in the chamber, piercing the Companion's eardrum. By the time he recovered from the awful sound, Valentina's eyes rolled in the back of her head and she passed out, leaving Vilkas to wonder why he bothered agreeing to the job. Wait, did that ghost just grin at him?

The Companion bent down to the ground and shook the aspiring bard.

"Hey Imperial. Wake up," he said, shaking her.

The Imperial's eyes fluttered open. She blinked, and Vilkas assumed that she was trying to refocus her eyes on her surroundings. Vilkas reached into his satchel and found a minor healing potion. We've been here for less than five minutes, and I already need to use one of these. I hope I packed enough for this, he thought, handing the vial to Valentina. The woman propped herself up and accepted the potion, taking a swig.

"The ghost is still here," Vilkas said. The ghost waved at them. Vilkas sensed the woman was about to let out another screech and put her hand on her mouth. "Don't. This ghost hasn't attacked us, and you can't start making a scene at every little thing. You'll wake up the dead."

Valentina peered behind Vilkas to gawk at the ghost, and he was sure that the Imperial was paler than the apparition that stood before them. Despite the obvious fear written on her face, she cleared her throat and asked, "Svaknir?"

The ghost nodded in acknowledgment and vanished behind a gated door. Vilkas' eyes widened in surprise. Svaknir was a bard who lived during King Olaf's reign and wrote a scathing verse about the king's capture of the dragon, Numinex. Everything Vilkas read suggested that the king was furious enough to put the bard to death and burned all the copies of the verse with him. Was it possible that the bard's ghost lived on and was offering them help?

Valentina stood up and dusted the rubble off of her armor. "I guess we have to follow the ghost. Is there anything around the room that unlocks this door?"

Vilkas and Valentina's gazes both fell onto the object on an altar in the middle of the room. They approached it with caution. It was a dragon-shaped claw encrusted with rubies, probably worth more than anything else they would find in the tomb. The Companion worried that this was some sort of trap. No fool would leave such a valuable object front and center.

"I think we found our solution," Valentina observed, reaching out for the claw.

Vilkas grabbed her hand before she could touch it. "Think about this before you act. We don't know if this will set off arrows, or even fire."

"But I see nothing else around this room that qualifies as a key. We've already seen a ghost. What's the worst that can happen?"

"Fine. Grab it at your own risk. All I'm saying is that if you pass out again…"

Vilkas never had time to finish his sentence. Valentina grabbed the claw, a satisfied smirk spreading over her face as the gated door opened. The claw didn't just open the door. Something groaned nearby, and Vilkas spun around to see draugr awakening from their slumber.

The smugness on Valentina's face vanished as she noticed the draugr skulked towards them. The aspiring bard froze, gawking at the undead that charged at her with its blade. Vilkas growled and stepped in front of her, blocking the attack with the pommel of his sword. He made quick work of the draugr, disarming and stabbing the first, slicing the second through its belly, and plunging the blade into the last one's chest. He didn't break a sweat, but he wasn't fooled. There was no telling just how strong the undead would be as they continued along the tomb.

"So these are the infamous draugr everyone keeps talking about," Valentina said, letting out a shaky laugh.

Vilkas rolled his eyes and looted the draugr, all the while the bard stared wide-eyed at him. What was she expecting in a tomb? Butterflies? He warned her that there would be draugr. It wasn't his fault that she didn't listen.

"Let's keep moving," Vilkas said, choosing to ignore her comments. "And next time, could you remember that you have a dagger on you?"

"Are daggers any use against the undead?"

"Anything can be used against the undead as a weapon if you don't cower. I'm going to walk through the door first. Stay behind me and keep your blade in your hand."

"Fine. After you, Companion."

Vilkas walked ahead of her, following Svaknir's ghost down stone steps. Despite his heavy armor, Vilkas kept his footsteps light, and Valentina did the same. The quieter they were, the less attention they would draw. The ghost then vanished behind a slab of rock, and Vilkas spotted a chain.

"There are more draugr in there," Vilkas warned.

"Oh, great. That's what I signed up for. Undead bodies, lunging at me with their rotting…"

"This is exactly what you signed up for. Stay quiet, keep your dagger out, and follow my lead," Vilkas ordered.

"Alright. Alright. As you command," Valentina said, bowing her head.

Vilkas pulled the chain, revealing a burial chamber. Svaknir walked past the dead bodies with no problem, but the Companion knew better than to assume they would have the same luck. He turned to Valentina, pressing a finger to his lips and making a shushing sound. For once, she didn't argue with him.

Vilkas noticed the way the aspiring bard's eyes took in all of her surroundings while they crept in the burial chamber. She must be uncomfortable, Vilkas observed. If Farkas were with him, he would tell his twin to be patient, and remind him that the bard didn't have the experience they did. Farkas was the sympathetic one. He would know how to deal with the Imperial's nervousness. Vilkas almost felt a little guilty—almost.

They were fortunate that nothing moved or stirred. It gave Vilkas a chance to pocket more gold. Vilkas opened an urn, spotting an amethyst ring. Now this will fetch a pretty Septim, he thought. The Imperial twitcher her nose, repulsed by the sight, and he glowered at her.

"Don't look so disgusted. How else did you think I would get gold?" Vilkas asked, proceeding further into the ancient tomb.

"Treasure chests? Anything but graverobbing?" Valentina said, walking alongside him.

"And what are we doing in retrieving a lost verse?"

"Hmm. Point taken. Alright, so what's next? Giant spiders?"

Vilkas spotted the Frostbite spiders before the Imperial could.

"Yes. Huge."

Valentina's eyes widened. "Tell me you're shitting me."

"Look ahead."

Valentina poked her head at the threshold. Her body shook backwards, but she didn't scream. Instead, she turned back to Vilkas, all color drained from her face. For a brief second, he asked whether this was too much for her to handle.

"They're resting," she noted, her voice steady.

"Aye."

"Do you think we can sneak past them?"

"Maybe, but we risk them hearing us later and coming after us."

Valentina shook her head and took a deep breath. "Okay."

The Imperial grabbed her dagger out of its sheath and crouched low. Instead of barking out a word of caution or an order, he held back and watched Valentina. Her footsteps were light, an impressive feat considering that she wasn't used to wearing armor. The Imperial brought the blade into the spider's back, and the thing let out a screech before going slack. The other spider stirred and the aspiring bard flinched, dropping the dagger. Vilkas stepped in and swiped his blade at the spider, instantly killing it.

"Huh. So you know how to wield a dagger after all," Vilkas said as Valentina retrieved her blade. "And you can sneak around."

"I do what I have to," Valentina answered, flashing him a sweet grin, all the while collecting poison from the spiders. The putrid scent hit both of them, and Valentina's face scrunched up in disgust before she pulled away. "Anyway, awful, revolting, and nauseating scent aside, you almost sound impressed."

"Don't get ahead of yourself. All that means is that you won't die as easily as I thought you would," Vilkas scoffed.

"You're definitely impressed. You just don't know it yet," she said, winking at him before walking ahead.

He rolled his eyes and followed behind her in case she got herself into any trouble.

They continued along the tomb, fighting off more draugr and spiders as they went. Although Vilkas did most of the legwork, Valentina wasn't completely useless. To her limited credit, she was able to stab a few draugr here and there. She was still inept, just not as inept as he thought she was. He wasn't impressed. Anyone could sneak around and wield a dagger like a common thief or cutpurse.

Several fallen draugr and a handful of annoying skeevers later, the pair found a large wooden door. It had a vibrant purple glow, and Vilkas suspected that there would be no use trying to open it. For once, Valentina didn't think of sticking her hand on it.

"Something huge must be behind there. I wonder what. Maybe treasure. Imagine a nice new sapphire necklace. That would be lovely," Valentina sighed.

"Don't start thinking about your jewelry just yet. There's a set of stairs there, and more draugr to fight off. Also, who said you'd get any of the gold or jewelry at the end of this?"

Valentina laughed. "Gods, Companion. If only you knew just how endearing you are. You don't have to give me any of the treasure, you know that."

Vilkas didn't like how that sounded, though he didn't question it. They said little else, making their way down the steps and fighting off more draugr as they went deeper into the tomb. Vilkas grabbed whatever gold he could, his satchel growing heavier with each coin he added. The whole venture was proving more lucrative than he thought. One thing he would give the bard credit for was that she didn't complain as he grabbed the gold for himself. Not that she should have, anyway. She owed him.

Across the hallway was a large iron door. Vilkas tugged at the handle, but it didn't budge. He grabbed a lockpick from his supplies. This piqued Valentina's interest, and she hovered over him as he put the lockpick into the lock. She said nothing, but observed him with the utmost curiosity. When he thought he had the correct position, he turned the tension wrench. The Nord swore when the lockpick broke on him. He tried it several more times, his frustration rising with each failed attempt.

"When were you planning on asking me for help?" Valentina asked.

Vilkas turned his head towards her. "I'm down to ten picks, and we might need them for something else. Better we don't fiddle around with them anymore than we need to."

Truth be told, Vilkas didn't think she could pull it off. The woman could sneak around and stab things well enough, but what did a wannabe bard know about lockpicking? She ignored him, grabbing the lockpick and tension wrench from his hands. The Companion protested, telling her that she would waste time that they could use to continue exploring the tomb.

Valentina was careful with the lockpick, concentrating on finding the tumbler. She hummed something underneath her breath, relaxed despite the circumstances. Vilkas was surprised when he heard a "click." She had a huge shit-eating grin that spanned ear to ear.

'Ysmir's beard! How did you…"

"Trade secrets. Thank you for the ring, by the way. It's ample payment for my skills," she said.

Valentina flashed an amethyst ring on her finger before she walked through the unlocked door. Is that the same one I took earlier? Vilkas rummaged through his satchel, searching for the ring. When he couldn't find it, he concluded that the Imperial took it.

"Hand back the ring, woman!" he growled.

"In a second. I'm trying to get this chest open," she said.

Vilkas poked his head behind her shoulder as she used her deft hands to make quick work of the lock. A minute or two later, Vilkas heard the telltale "click" of a picked lock, and Valentina swung the chest open.

Amidst some gold was a lute with flowers carved into the wood. It was a fine instrument, although its presence confused Vilkas. Was it that expensive, or was it enchanted? Worse, what if it was cursed?

"Oh, Companion! Look at this! It's so beautiful!" Valentina gushed, snatching the lute out of the chest while the Nord protested. She eyed it lovingly, running her hands down the strings. Vilkas grabbed the lute out of her hands before she could strum and raised it above her head. The Imperial jumped for it, but she was too short to reach.

"Hey! Hand it back!" Valentina snapped, still trying to grab the instrument out of his hands.

"Not until you listen to me first. No one leaves a lute locked in a chest without a reason," Vilkas said.

"It could be expensive, or important, or both."

"Or it's cursed. Either way, we should be careful."

"At least let me hold on to it. I won't strum it, at least not until the headmaster examines it once we get back to Solitude."

It was the most sensible thing she said the entire day, so he handed her the lute. Much to his surprise, she flung it behind her back, and did little more with it than that. Maybe he had underestimated her a bit. The Imperial was still annoying, and no amount of rational thinking would change how Vilkas felt about that.

The next room they entered had a trapdoor at the centre of the room. Vilkas and Valentina approached the trapdoor, revealing a staircase underneath it. The Imperial nudged him, pointing to a chain on the wall.

He shook his head. The tomb might have seemed quiet to the Imperial, but Vilkas knew better. If he strained his ear, he detected the sounds of footsteps shuffling the stone floor, and the low grunts of the undead. Pulling the chain might alert the draugr to their presence and swarm them all at once.

"Draugr," he whispered. "Sneak up on one."

"But it might kill me!"

"Godsdamn it, woman! Nothing has killed you so far!" he scolded, keeping his voice low.

Valentina's palm glowed with a green light that spread throughout her body. Vilkas narrowed his eyes, confused. She started moving, her footsteps lighter than before. So that's the illusion spell she knows, he remarked, watching her sneak through the doorway. Vilkas heard a "thud" and then a growl.

"You didn't mention there were two!" Valentina called out.

The two gated doors opened, and out poured several more draugr. The situation was not ideal, but it was nothing that he couldn't handle on his own. Valentina could handle a single draugr, and he would take care of the rest. Draugr were a tenacious lot, and a few of them nicked his armor. This didn't faze Vilkas. He sliced through the draugr as though they were made of paper. The blood spattered on his blade and armor, making for an altogether gruesome scene.

Valentina emerged from the room, her dark hair disheveled, and her lip bloodied. She appeared not to notice any of the gore, or the bodies sprawled around him. Instead, she glared at him as she approached him.

"Where were you? I almost died in there and…" Valentina stopped as she heard a crunch beneath her feet. She almost stumbled backwards, taking in all the dead draugr that surrounded Vilkas. "Oh. Oh, okay. I see you were busy."

"No thanks to you," he reminded her, not liking her attitude.

"That's not fair! That one draugr nearly had my head!'

"Just yank on the chain so we can go down those stairs," Vilkas grumbled.

Valentina pulled the chain, opening the trap door and giving them access to the staircase. The Imperial woman went first, the Nord trailing behind her with his sword drawn.

The Companion shouldn't have been so resentful that he had to do most of the heavy work, yet he found himself annoyed. It would have been one thing if he undertook this mission alone, and it was another to have an incompetent partner. Then she had the nerve to get upset at him when he wasn't there to help her out with a single, measly draugr.

Why the Imperial ever agreed to retrieve some lost verse in the bowels of a Nordic tomb boggled Vilkas' mind. She should have demanded that the college admit her the way they would for any other applicant—testing out their skills and not sending them towards their grave. If the college had done that, he wouldn't be in this regretful position.

Hold on. Why did he agree to go on this adventure anyhow? The gold? Not worth it. It was nothing he wouldn't have been able to make up within a few days of clearing out several bandit camps. The glory? Twice as worthless. For all they knew, Svaknir's ghost would corner them and try to murder them before they retrieved Olaf's verse.

Vilkas was sure they fell into a trap when they hit a dead end at the end of the staircase. He was ready to rip into the bard and reproach her for her. All of his rage died down when she pulled a switch, revealing a corpse holding a verse, and Svaknir's smiling ghost right next to it.

"By Talos…" Vilkas started.

"It's the lost verse!" Valentina exclaimed, grabbing it from Svaknir's corpse. She gazed at the verse in wonder, running a finger along the spine. "I didn't think we would make it this far, or that it was real."

The woman turned to the ghost and flashed him a grateful grin. "Thank you for all of your help. Though I won't lie, I'm very much terrified at your appearance, bard."

Vilkas swore he heard laughter in the small room, although the ghost didn't linger long. He stood up and signaled for the pair to follow him. Vilkas and Valentina shared a hesitant glance.

"It looks like he needs us for something," Valentina observed.

"We did what we were meant to do. We're best going back to Solitude and handing this verse to the Bards College," Vilkas answered. When Valentina frowned, he elaborated, "What happens if we encounter a draugr deathlord, or worse? I might fend it off, but how will you do it? Aren't you the one who said she wanted to live so she could join the college? Let's drop this and get back to Solitude as quick as we can."

Vilkas expected some witty retort about how living would be a wonderful choice, or even some joke about how she needed to live to bed her next lover. None of that happened. It was the first time he ever saw the mischief extinguish from her face, replaced with something altogether more determined. The shift surprised him enough, though it was the next couple of sentences that stunned him.

"A true bard doesn't back down from an adventure, Companion. I may be ready to shit my breeches at any moment, but I'm not walking away from this tomb until we've helped Svaknir. He helped us get this far. We owe it to him to return the favor."

Valentina didn't wait for him to answer and climbed up the staircase to follow the dead bard. Vilkas blinked. Was this the same woman who fainted when they first encountered the ghost a couple of hours ago? The Companion chose not to question it, gaining a bit of grudging respect as he followed his charge up the stairs.

...

Svaknir led them to the sealed door, and Vilkas grimaced. Watch him be able to go right through it and leave us behind like idiots.

"Can you remove the seal?" Valentina asked.

The ghost nodded, and a steady blue light grew in his hands. The Companion and the aspiring bard backed up as the light grew larger in the dead bard's palms. Svaknir flung the ball of magic towards the door, a gust of wind following it. The doors flung open, granting the ghost and his living companions passage through a corridor.

The end of the corridor revealed another sealed door with three rungs, and a strange lock that had a claw engraved on it. Svaknir passed through it, much to Vilkas' annoyance, leaving them to figure out how to get past the door. Vilkas moved the rungs, starting with the topmost and working his way down. Each time he moved a rung, it revealed a different animal.

"There must be a key around here somewhere, or some way to get the right combination of animals," Vilkas said.

He was about to search around the room when he saw Valentina's face light up. The Imperial found the ruby claw in her pack and squinted at it. She went like that for a couple of seconds, her mouth set in a tight line. Whatever she was trying to do wasn't working.

"Hold the claw. I want to see something," she said, propping the ruby claw in his palm.

"What are you trying to do?" he asked as the bard lit a magelight in her palm.

"The keyhole looks like it's in the shape of a claw," Valentina answered, squinting at the claw. "My bet is that the claw we found at the tomb's entrance is the key."

"That's sensible," Vilkas admitted, not without a bit of reluctance. "You think that the claw has the answer?"

"I'm sure of it. There are small animals engraved on this thing that match the ones in the door. Alright. I've got it. There's no way I can reach that top rung, so I'm going to tell you which animals to put, from the top to the bottom. When I'm done, try using the claw as a key."

"Aye," Vilkas said, and readied himself for her instructions.

"Wolf…good. Eagle…great…and…eagle!" Valentina said. Vilkas grinned and started twisting the key into the lock, when he heard Valentina call out. "Wait! I made a mistake! It's…"

It was too late. Vilkas twisted the key into the slot, causing a torrent of arrows to pour down on him. He avoided most of the onslaught by stepping back on time, although a few pierced through his armor.

"Oh shit! I'm so sorry!" Valentina exclaimed, trying to remove the arrows that poked out his armor. Vilkas pushed her away and gave her a searing stare, the type that most people told him made them recoil. She dropped her hands, a frown etched on her face.

"Just give me the correct solution so we can leave this godsforsaken tomb," he growled.

Valentina sighed. "Wolf, eagle, wolf."

Once he picked the arrows off of his armor, Vilkas fixed the last rung and pushed the claw back into the keyhole. The door shook and lowered, dust and rubble falling on both of their heads. The Imperial and the Nord wasted no time going down the newfound passage, seeing Svaknir's glowing form as they ran up a set of steps.

As befitting of a main burial chamber, the room was spacious. Along each side of the walls were the slumped figures of corpses and skeletons, each seated on a chair. At the very top of the room was a tomb. If he didn't know any better, the Companion could have sworn it looked like a royal court, with the large casket down over the other draugr. A chill ran down Vilkas' spine. He didn't like the look of it, and he sensed that those corpses would come to life at any minute.

"Stay right here," he told Valentina.

"Why? I can probably…"

"You've caused enough trouble for one day. The last thing I need is to carry your body and the lost verse back to Solitude."

"Fine," Valentina agreed. "I'll hide a bit further back so no one sees me."

"Good," he said, and Valentina lingered at the bottom of the staircase. Hopefully she was smart enough to keep herself scarce.

Vilkas made his way alongside Svaknir, who nodded to him. The ghost drew a sword from its sheath, and the Companion readied his weapon as well. If he was anything like the bards of old times, he knew how to wield his blade. He might even prove to be a better companion than the Imperial.

"Olaf! It is time!" the ghost boomed.

The room shook in response, and the undead stirred. Olaf, as in King Olaf. Ysmir's beard, that's why there are so many of them. Vilkas charged towards a draugr, slicing its head in one stroke. It was a short-lived victory as another one tried to stab him with his dagger. Vilkas deflected the attack at the right time, shoving the undead off of him, though another one took its place.

From the corner of his eye, the Companion noticed that the dead bard was having a similar struggle. Svaknir was overwhelmed by the amount of draugr that surrounded him, and couldn't fight all of them at once. With all the commotion, the dead bard was unsure of where to swing his sword first, leaving him vulnerable to the draugr's attacks. Vilkas reminded himself that though the bard's ghost would leave unscathed, he wouldn't, and he needed to kill the undead like the corpses they were.

Vilkas pushed more draugr off of him, trying to relieve Svaknir of taking on the brunt of the undead. It worked for a while, but more draugr surrounded him. Olaf hadn't just dragged the bard with him, but his whole damn court. One draugr disarmed him, resulting in Vilkas' sword tumbling to the ground. He wanted to scramble to retrieve it, but the draugr closed in on him.

"Vilkas!" Valentina screamed in the distance, but he paid no heed to the desperation in her voice.

The situation was hopeless. He would die in this tomb, and it wouldn't be Valentina's fault. This was his own doing. The Companion agreed to help her with her quest, just as he had come to her aid every time she called on him. The bard might have come to him with her requests, yet he put himself in this situation. At least he would have the honor of dying on a noble quest rather than fighting feckless bandits.

That was when he heard the strum of a lute, and a sonorous voice that accompanied it.

Hear me now, you awful wights

Drop your arms, cease your fight.

Let my friends end your lives

Accept that you will not survive.

Vilkas wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. The draugr dropped their weapons, standing around as though they were hypnotized by the lute. Svaknir and Vilkas didn't waste a second grabbing their weapons, ending the draugr's lives with ease.

The lute's music became louder and clearer. The sound was coming from a couple of feet behind him. Vilkas turned to see Valentina, smiling and still strumming the lute. Her hands moved expertly along its neck, playing a tune that even Vilkas had to admit was lovely.

"Well done, lass. Play on," Svaknir said before he turned to the tomb and bellowed, "Arise, Olaf! My vengeance is at hand!"

More draugr emerged from their tombs, and Vilkas noticed that Valentina picked up the pace of her song, perhaps out of nerves. The aspiring bard didn't flinch as she observed the draugr emerging from their seats.

And as you undead start to rise

You'll soon meet your true demise.

For heroes win and truth prevails

To shine a light on Olaf's tale.

Valentina kept her voice steady and strong. Vilkas resumed his onslaught on the draugr with renewed vigor, the Imperial's music still ringing in his ears. He wouldn't admit it to her, but her lyrics emboldened him. They would survive this tomb, and they would return with Olaf's verse.

With all of Olaf's minions defeated, they ran towards the large casket at the center of the room. There was only one opponent left to defeat—King Olaf himself. For the first time in months, Vilkas felt the exhilaration of battle come back to him. This was more satisfying than taking down bandits, and more thrilling than roughing up some local braggarts for gold.

"Olaf!" the dead bard beckoned.

The casket shook, and a hand shot out of the opened lid, pushing it off. Out came a tall draugr wearing Ancient Nord armor. Valentina's song stopped with a jarring halt. Vilkas knew she was terrified at the sight of the undead king, and he saw her knuckles turn white as she clutched the lute closer to her.

"Insolent bard. Die!" King Olaf growled, lunging to attack the bard.

"Imperial! Try the lute again!" Vilkas shouted, before joining Svaknir in his attack.

Valentina cleared her throat and tried her hand at another song.

Oh shit, I'm scared…uhhh

Drop dead, drop dead, drop dead

Just please crawl back to where you came from

Or drop dead.

Fuck why isn't this working?

By Mara drop dead!

Vilkas, don't stare at me like that!

Shit! Look out! Behind you he's coming with his long pointy sword!

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

Thanks to Valentina's warning, Vilkas dodged Olaf's strike, but the draugr lost interest in him. Instead, it approached Valentina. The Imperial dropped the lute and grabbed her dagger, trying to put on a brave face. Vilkas rushed to get to her, but he was too late. She was no match for the dead king's Thu'um. The Companion saw her fly down the stairs and tumble down on the floor, unmoving.

"Valentina!" he screamed.

He wanted to rush to her side to see if she was still alive. Olaf had other plans, lunging at Vilkas to bring the blade towards his head, yet the Companion parried his strike. Svaknir joined Vilkas' attacks, trying to swipe his blade at the dead king. Olaf was just as skilled with a sword in death as he was in life and blocked Svaknir's attacks.

The ghost and the Companion weakened the king, though it wasn't quite enough to end the fight. Although the ghost was tireless, Vilkas felt the exhaustion in his bones. He wouldn't be able to keep up this fight much longer, even though Olaf was on his last leg. The Companion told himself that he had no choice but to pull through; he didn't want Valentina's bravery to go down in vain.

Svaknir and Vilkas continued to attack the king with little luck. It seemed that the king had the upper hand until Olaf released a sharp hiss of pain. He froze and tumbled down to his knees, revealing Valentina withdrawing her blade from his back. Svaknir delivered the final blow, decapitating the draugr and sending his head rolling down the steps.

"Shor's bones, you're alive!" Vilkas exclaimed.

Valentina flashed him a coy grin. "You can't get rid of me that easy, handsome."

Vilkas glared at her, but he didn't feel the annoyance he did before. More than anything, he was relieved that the woman was alive. He tossed her a healing potion and said, "Drink up. A fall like that's going to leave some bruises tomorrow."

"And not even the type I like," Valentina sighed, gulping down the potion.

Svaknir approached the Companion and his charge, a broad grin on his face.

"Many thanks to both of you. You've done me a great service in assisting me. Don't forget this," Svaknir said, handing Valentina the lute. "It's a powerful instrument. Take good care of it. Good luck on your adventures, bard."

A radiant yellow light beamed on Svaknir. He grinned, waving goodbye to them. Vilkas found himself a little sad to see the bard go, but he was reassured knowing that Svaknir's soul would be at rest.

"Wait! Come back! I don't understand what I'm supposed to do with this now, or how it worked before! Svaknir!" Valentina called out, and Vilkas laid a hand on your shoulder.

"He's gone to Sovngarde now. Let's loot this place and get out of here as soon as we can. I believe we have a verse to return to Solitude," Vilkas said.

Valentina nodded, though the disappointment on her face was clear. "Check Olaf's corpse. He may have the key to get out of here. I'll check to see if any of those draugr had anything valuable."

A small smile settled on Vilkas' face as the Imperial flipped over a draugr's body. He was debating if that shade of green on her face was because of the lighting in the tomb, or nausea. Valentina was no warrior, or mage, or even thief, but she was truly a bard at heart. Vilkas respected that.

It still didn't mean he had to like her.