"You should come with us."
Vilkas raised an eyebrow at me, looking over at me from where he laid in the grass. We had actually planned to spend the day roaming Whiterun's shops, but we had managed to wander outside of Whiterun's gates and into the fields. We were resting side by side, looking up at the clouds and talking about my upcoming trip to Solitude with Cassius.
Much had changed in the months since Kodlak's death, and though I usually welcomed change with open arms, it seemed that the fates had more change planned for me than just becoming the Harbinger of the Companions. The title itself came with many obligations, some of which included meetings with figure-heads in Whiterun, mainly Jarl Balgruuf. Aside from that, I spent my days meeting with clients who had problems they wanted the Companions to deal with, and that came with loads of paperwork.
Perhaps the most massive change was the surprise Farkas and Vilkas brought to me in the middle of the night so many weeks ago. They had traveled that day to meet the Dragonborn and fight a dragon, but they'd had a change in plans when it was revealed that Skyrim's greatest hero was actually my brother, Cassius, who I hadn't seen in an incredible amount of time.
Things had been so different since then. My brother and I had been inseparable before the ambush that drove us apart in the first place, and we had spent most of our days making up for lost time. Since Cassius' obligations as the Dragonborn were nothing much shy of flaunting his voice and flirting with strangers, he had all the time in the world to follow me around Jorrvaskr and train with the Companions. He and Farkas had become very close in the time he'd been in Whiterun, and Aela spent a great deal of time with Lydia, my now sister-in-law. The two had very similar personalities.
That's how I found myself out with Vilkas on a relatively warm Morndas afternoon. Cassius and Farkas were at the Bannered Mare for a drink, while Lydia and Aela were training with Ria in Jorrvaskr's courtyard. I had been growing claustrophobic staring my walls all hours of the day, and craved fresh air and some quality time with my favorite moody Nord.
He had a small smile on his face beneath his beard, which he had grown out in the past months. It was now larger than Farkas', and inching up on my brother's. I wondered at first if he was trying to actually change his look, but I soon realized he had just lost motivation to shave at all. Shaving, bathing, even eating, all things he rarely did any more than necessary. He had been rather depressed since Kodlak's death, and when my brother returned to my life, he seemed happy for me, but I worried it only furthered his sadness over Kodlak's loss.
"You want me to accompany you on your trip?" he asked. I couldn't stop myself from laughing. He look so genuinely confused.
"Of course I want you to."
His brow furrowed, then he looked back up at the clouds. "I doubt your brother would like that." Vilkas and Cassius had a more complicated relationship. Though they had mutual respect for each other, Cassius was playing the "protective brother" game with Vilkas, and I realized Vilkas was taking it more seriously than the rest of us.
I rolled my eyes. "Cass will get over it." I poked his cheek. "Come on, grumpy. It will be fun! I'll show you all of my favorite places from when I was a youngling, you'll get to see the dreaded Bard's College, and you can meet my mother. It'll be a grand vacation."
He looked back over at me, brushing his hair away from his face. "You want me to meet your mother?" I feel him well up with embarrassment, but he felt excitement shortly after.
I felt my face blush. "Well, uh, yeah. I think she would like you."
Vilkas beamed at me for a moment, but his face fell shortly after. "I don't know, Kara. I don't want to irritate your brother."
I sighed, scooching toward him and resting my head on his shoulder. "You shouldn't worry so much about Cass. He's only joking half of the time."
"And the other half?"
"Well…" I laughed. "I know you're worried about Cass, but I don't know if I can make this trip without you, Vilkas." I looked up at him. "The last time I was in Solitude, Cassius and Viarmo seriously hurt each other. I was younger then, weak. Now, I'm not sure that I could control myself if something like that happened." I shivered, memories of my last day in Solitude pairing with the last time I lost my temper. The beast had a sick sense of humor, laughing within my chest at my concern. "In addition, I don't think I've ever spent more than a few hours away from you. I'm not sure I could keep my sanity." I poked his cheek again, hoping to earn at least a small laugh from him.
It worked, and Vilkas chuckled. He kissed the top of my head, leaving his face pressed into my hair. "I would miss you too, pup." He sighed. "I'll go to Solitude with you."
I tilted my head to kiss him quickly, his beard tickling my cheeks. "Thank you."
We were quiet for a while after that, both of us consumed in our own thoughts. I found myself thinking about the day I'd told my brother about Viarmo's visit to Whiterun.
"The damned elf has no right to stick his nose in our business. We're not his kin."
"I know, Cass, but he seemed so worried. I am too. I've done a lot of thinking about it. What if Ma is sick?"
He had been very thoughtful for a few minutes. Though he was stubborn and fiery, Cass loved our mother more than anyone in Tamriel. Leaving Solitude the way he did had been hard for him, but he just kept reminding himself that she picked Viarmo over us.
"Fine. We'll go see her."
Cass and I had planned the trip a month ago, but we had been waiting for the Burning of King Olaf to pass. Viarmo had always been very involved in that, and usually became very irritable around the time of the celebration. We weren't sure exactly what day the Bard's Holiday was, but we knew it took place sometime in Morning Star, so we avoided that month all together.
Vilkas wrapped his arm around my shoulder, giving me a squeeze and pulling me away from my thoughts. "Maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps I can spend some time with Cassius along the way, really get to know him."
"He would like that." I sat up, looking back at Vilkas. "It will be fun, I promise."
Vilkas sat up too, planting a soft kiss on the tip of my nose. "I trust you." He looked back toward Whiterun. "I'm sure they'll wonder where we are soon. We should head back, before I give your brother any more incentive to dislike me."
"He doesn't dislike you, Vilkas. Unless that's your goal, then I would recommend kidnapping me or something along those lines. Maybe hold me for ransom. Make him pay for my return."
Vilkas laughed, standing and extending a hand to pull me to my feet. "Maybe tomorrow, pup. For today, we'll just go home."
I jumped up as I stood, excited to have Vilkas in a better mood. "Tomorrow, then." We locked hands as we headed toward Jorrvaskr.
A few hours had passed since we returned home, and I had returned to my study to finish filing some scrolls that I'd been working on. It had taken me a while to understand Kodlak's filing system, but once I figured out the arrangement, completing the paperwork wasn't difficult.
That being said, it was incredibly tedious. Every time someone in Whiterun Hold brought a job to us, it was easy to deal out to another Companion to handle the physical part. The documentation behind it, and the payment paperwork, fell to me. My brain was surging at this point in the evening, and I dropped my head to the desk. I rested it there for a few moments, enjoying the silence.
It didn't last long, though. A knock at my door startled me, but I didn't lift my head from the wooden desk as I invited the unknown visitor in.
The door opened, and I immediately recognized my brother's iron boots. "Stressful night?" he said sarcastically, pulling a chair up to me from across the room.
I sat up, turning to look at him. "I wouldn't say stressful. Just annoying. And repetitive." Cassius sat backwards in his chair, his bonded iron chest plate shining as the candles in my room flickered and bounced off of the metal. His exposed arms were folded across the back of the chair, his chin resting on top of them. My brother look so different now. Though we both looked sort of raggedy in our year hunting in the Rift, he looked an entirely different level of unkempt now. His hair had always been long and shaggy, but the beard was new. The scars that surrounded his mouth, no doubt from shouting and breathing fire, were a very prominent part of his face. When Vilkas brought me to the Dragonborn, I'd hardly recognized him.
He smirked at me. "I don't see why you have to take tally of every ass you kick. Just collect the coin and move on."
"It's not for me. Balgruuf and his housecarl like to know what's happening in their hold." I said to him, yawning as I said the last words.
Cass rolled his eyes. "Balgruuf is insufferable. I can't stand him."
"Oh I know. You've told me once or twice or a hundred times before. Talking about yourself has always been your favorite hobby." I gave him a playful nudge.
He glared at me for a moment, then smiled. "Careful, Karl. Most people know not to piss me off. I eat dragons, you know." He flicked the scar across my eye, something he taunted me for quite often.
I laughed. "There you go again, talking about yourself. How does Lydia stand your constant state of conceit?"
My brother smirked. "Lyd likes it just fine. Loves it, actually."
I rolled my eyes. "Did you need something? Or did you just come to bother me?"
"Actually, Lyd and I were going back to the house later to pack a few things up for the trip. Figured we could have some drinks and play cards too." He shrugged. "Lyd invited Aela and Farkas. Thought you and Vil might like to come."
I grinned. "That actually sounds great, Cass. I need to get out of this place."
He raised a brow again. "Didn't you just spend time out of this place with the gothlord?"
I glared at him, trying to seem intimidating. "Keep it up, and maybe we won't come to your little party."
"Don't make promises you won't keep." he said with a sly smirk.
I rested my back in the chair, relaxing before I began a different discussion. "I invited Vilkas to come with us to Solitude. I want him to meet Ma. I hope you're alright with that."
Cass's face displayed a wide array of emotions very quickly, but it settled on indifference. "Sounds fine to me."
Now I was confused. "Oh, I thought you'd be mad."
"Mad? No, of course not. I'm happy to have Vil along with us."
I laughed a little. "Well, good. Because it wasn't an option."
Cass grinned. "Then it's not an option that you two come over tonight. Lyd wants to discuss the trip, too."
"We'll be there, then." As I spoke, Cass gave me a pat on the back and stood.
"I'll leave you to your boring files, then." He walked to the door, slipping through the frame. "See you tonight, then."
