We arrived in Solitude late Middas evening, earlier than I had initially imagined. It was actually rather satisfying, to be able to sleep before going to meet Cassius' family. Partly because I wanted to be fresh and level-headed, but mostly because I know he gets irritable when he doesn't sleep enough.

Unfortunately, only one of those things would be likely to happen. Since I had slept for so long on the ride there, I couldn't sleep a wink. Though Cassius was out the second his head hit the pillow, I couldn't shut my brain off. I had found myself at the bar in the Winking Skeever, lulling over a tankard while I wallowed in my own thoughts. My head was swimming with possible scenarios that could unravel, and proper ways to react in certain situations.

Mostly, I was nervous Cassius' mother wouldn't care for me. Though I enjoyed Cassius' beautifully crafted speech about how she would like me, it was still difficult to imagine anyone's initial reaction. The two of us would just have to agree to disagree, as we usually did.

In all honesty, Cass and I very rarely agreed on anything. We never did. When I was appointed to be his housecarl, I had actually been irritated. I had gone to Jarl Balgruuf to join the guards of Whiterun Hold. After being a blade for hire for so many years after leaving home, I had grown tired of living someone else's adventure. I wanted to settle down and have a cozy job that didn't require following some thick-skulled Nord around and doing their bidding.

That's exactly what I got, as my luck would have it. Appointed to be the Dragonborn's housecarl. I remember how the entire cloud district cracked up when I asked what exactly a housecarl was, and how furious I was when they explained that I would have the exact life I never wanted. I would be someone's maid. Someone's servant.

The fates had a different plan for me on that day. To my great surprise, the Dragonborn, though incredibly hot-tempered and self-absorbed, was actually rather lonely. He invited me on every one of his adventures. All, except one.

My thoughts were interrupted as the seat beside me was pulled out and Vilkas sat down. He held two tankards, one in each hand. As he relaxed, he pushed one in my direction.

"Thought you could use a refill if you're as nervous as I am." he said, taking a long swig from the metal cup.

I grinned, finishing my first glass and reaching for the one he'd brought me. "Thanks." I said to him, and I received a grunt in return. "What are you nervous for?"

He raised an eyebrow at me from over the brim of his mug. He finished the drink, and raised his hand to the bartender, signaling for a refill. "Same as you, probably."

"You're meeting your husband's mother tomorrow?"

Vilkas laughed. "I am in fact. Maybe you can meet him before we leave." We shared a laugh as a red-headed Nord set two more mugs on the bar top.

We both swallowed some more liquor, relaxing before we continued to chat. I watched him drink, a small smile on my face. "What are you really nervous about?"

Vilkas set his mug down, leaning back and letting the mead calm his nerves. "A confrontation, mostly." He thought for a moment, then shrugged. "That's why Kara asked me to come. She's worried there will be some sort of fight."

I felt my forehead crease in confusion. "She expects another fight?"

"Well, I'm not so sure that she expects one, but rather is preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. That's how she usually approaches things." He shrugged, taking another drink. "She probably hopes I'll have the muscle to restrain your husband."

I finished my second drink before responding. "You know that's not the only reason she invited you, right?"

Vilkas smiled a little. "Aye. I know."

I offered a small laugh. "I haven't had the opportunity to really get to know her. It's odd, the idea of having a sister, of sorts."

"You don't have any siblings?" he asked.

I really laughed then. "Oh no. I have six older brothers."

Vilkas nearly spat his drink across the bar. "Six?" he asked me, coughing the word out around inhaled liquor.

"Yes, six." I said, grinning as I watched him wipe liquid from his beard.

"Is that where you got your inclination to be a warrior? Raised in a house of boys?"

My smile fell a little at the question, but I quickly brought it back. "Actually, no. They weren't very nice to me when I was young. Half of them pretended I didn't exist for almost a year." I grinned, remembering my childhood. "I spent most of my time with my, uh, youngest older brother."

Vilkas finished his third drink. "What's he like?"

"He's great. Probably married now, with a few little farmers running around."

"You haven't seen him in a while, then."

I shook my head. "No, not since I left home." I shrugged. "But that was a long time ago. What about you? Is Farkas your only family?"

Vilkas' face fell. "Aye."

"Has it always been like that?"

He thought for a moment. "No, not always. But recently, yes."

I reached for his arm, patting him quickly. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Vilkas shrugged, then smiled a little. "Things were absolutely perfect for a moment. An incredibly blissful few days."

I rested my elbow on the table, leaning my face against my closed fist. "Tell me about it. Were they the best days of your life?"

He exhaled, thinking about that. "Well, they were very good. It was the week following the day Kara was officially inducted into the Companions." He laughed a little. "Things were perfect. There was no fighting, no battle; nothing but peace."

"Things changed, though?"

"Aye. Nothing wonderful ever lasts very long. I assume Aela has told you about Skjor."

I furrowed my brow. "I've never heard the name. Who is Skjor?"

Vilkas stared at me for a moment, as if he thought I was joking. "Farkas and Aela don't tell you two anything, do they?" When I shook my head, Vilkas grunted. "Skjor was a Companion. He was supposed to be the next Harbinger."

"What changed?" I tried to ask as politely as possible. Obviously, something colossal happened, because Karalissa was the Harbinger.

Vilkas signaled the red-head for two more drinks, though I doubted one was for me this time. After drinking another whole tankard, he explained. "They went out…hunting. Skjor and Aela and Karalissa." He began his fifth drink. "They were attacked, and Skjor was lost. Kara nearly was, too." He sniffed. "We lost a lot of people recently."

I felt a pang of sadness in my heart seeing the sorrow spread across his face. Cassius and I had made an attempt to connect all of the dots with the Companions, what had happened, without actually asking. I hadn't known so much death was involved.

"Things are better now, though?" I asked, trying to lighten his mood.

Vilkas smirked beneath his beard. "Aye. Better." He shook his head then. "I suppose I'm just bitter. Our most recent Harbinger, Kodlak, he was a father to me and Farkas. When he died, I lost most of my interest in the things I used to love." He finished the fifth drink. "I guess being here is difficult, meeting Kara's mother when I know I can never bring her to meet my family."

I felt so bad for him all of sudden, but I didn't let it show. "Why agree to come, then? If it actually pains you to be reminded of this, why accompany us?"

Vilkas scowled. "There's no escaping it. The pain is constant." Then, his scowl stretched into a smile. "But it's Kara. She's getting me through it. All of it." He looked at me, his cheeks a deep shade of red in embarrassment. "She reminds me of everyone I've ever known, yet she's someone I've never met before. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for her, and if she wants me to meet her mother, I'm honored."

I smiled too, glad to know so much that was supposed to be a secret. "Thank you for telling me all of that, Vilkas." I finished the drink in front of me, unsure at this point of the count. "I've wanted to spend some time with Karalissa, get to know her. She's just so busy all the time, and I always feel like I'm intruding on her. I don't want to give her any incentive not to like me."

Vilkas laughed rather loudly, shaking in his seat from pure enthusiasm. "You're joking." He said, but when I shook my head, he leaned toward me. "I feel the exact same way about Cassius. I want to get to know him, but I'm worried he already dislikes me."

We both laughed in genuine amusement as the red-headed Nord put two more drinks in front of us. I raised my mug, and he raised his. "To trying not to make the Felstead siblings dislike us. Because if Karalissa is anything like my husband when she's angry, we're in trouble."

A new kind of smile stretched across Vilkas' face as we clanked our mugs together and took a swig. "You have no idea."