The three of us had taken horses back from the Rift, leaving the wagon for whoever else needed it. Galmar had left shortly after the battle, ready to return to Ulfric and tell him all about the fight, no doubt. If Ulfric was anything like me, and I was certain that he was, he'd want every detail.
My wife was on a horse to the left of mine, sitting pretty but looking absolutely exhausted. I had told her before we even left that she shouldn't come with us. Not because she couldn't handle herself, obviously she could, but because I'd grown concerned for her health.
Vilkas, who had his shoulder cleaned and wrapped by one of the nice ladies at the camp, was riding on my right side. He was thoughtful, staring up at the sky as we traveled. I knew he'd saved Lydia in the city, and that she very well may have died if he hadn't seen her, and I decided at that moment that I wanted to repay him.
"Hey, Vil. You like surprises?"
He looked over at me, a confused scowl on his face. "No."
I nodded. "I didn't think so. But Karl, she likes surprises."
"Aye. Kara has said before that she hates surprises, but I think that's a front. She likes surprises a lot."
I nodded again, a smirk stretching across my face. "Want to get in on a surprise for her?"
Even Vilkas couldn't contain a small smile. "Aye. I'd like that."
I turned to Lydia. "Mind if we take a small detour, Lyd?"
She shrugged. "Not at all."
After that, we'd headed south of Whiterun, toward the guardian stones. Helgen wasn't too far from here, if I remember correctly. Within the hour, we were passing Pinewatch.
"Where exactly are we headed?" Vilkas asked.
"You'll see." I assured him, and we continued down a small path toward a large opening in a field. We approached the large house from the west end, near the entry way. Vilkas stared up at the light wood with wide, confused eyes.
"What is this place?" he asked, staring at me in surprise.
"This is Lakeview Manor, Vil." I explain as we dismounted. "When I was away from Whiterun for those weeks, I wasn't leaving because I was mad at my sister."
Vilkas looked over at me as we hitched the horses. "You weren't mad? I don't understand."
"Follow me inside." I said, my arm around Lydia's shoulder. We all walked into the house, which was hardly furnished yet. Right now, it was just a hollow wooden building with a bed and a kitchen. Lydia walked to the fire place, starting a soft ember glow to illuminate the room.
Vilkas had a small smile on his face, catching on to the secret. "So you're moving?"
I took a breath. "I wasn't leaving because I was mad at Karalissa. Don't get me wrong, I was mad that she was keeping secrets, and that sort of fueled the building process. I left because Lydia and I are moving, yes. I was building this house."
He raised an eyebrow at me. "You aggressively built an entire house?"
Lydia snorted. "One hundred percent pig-headed man, this one is."
"Watch it, Lyd." I said with a smile. He turned back to me. "We're leaving Whiterun."
"Why, though?" he asked, leaning against the staircase.
I sighed, looking over at my wife. "We're starting a family, Vilkas. Lydia's pregnant."
Vilkas' eyes widened, a smile stretching across his face. "This is wonderful news. Congratulations!" Lydia offered him a small smile from where she sat near the fire's edge.
I cleared my throat. "Actually, Vil, I wanted to thank you for all you've done for me." He shook his head, not quite understanding.
Lydia pointed up. "Show him the balcony, Cass. I'll wait here."
I nodded, patting Vilkas on the back. "Let me show you the balcony."
He nodded, and we climbed the stairs above what would soon be out bedroom. Vilkas followed behind me past the door to our left, and straight out to the door at the end of the hallway. Through the door, we were on the balcony. It was getting late in the evening, and the sun was setting over the lake. The sky was brushed with magnificent oranges and purples, and they reflected off of the shimmering, sanguine lake.
Vilkas leaned against the railing. "Wow." he breathed. "It's incredible, Cassius."
"It is." I agreed, resting my hands on the rail. We were silent for a few moments, then I spoke to him. "Vil, I'm not exactly good with emotional ballads, so bear with me."
He nodded. "Okay."
I took a deep breath. "When I think about all of the things I've done in my life, all the things I'm proud of, I don't think about the dragons or the war or the glory. My fondest memories are images painted in my head, moments that I captured in a split second before the context fell away with the rest of the world."
Vilkas looked over at me then. "Like what?"
I smiled. "Scaling the wall in Solitude with my sister when I was thirteen. Sneaking out of the Bard's College late at night with Karalissa to swipe drinks from Corpulus at the Winking Skeever. Bringing Ulfric Stormcloak back to Windhelm after Helgen was destroyed. The first time I met Lydia in Dragonsreach. The day we both realized we were absolutely in love with each other." I looked back at him. "And then, there was the day the four of us went to fight that dragon."
"The day you and Kara were reunited."
I grimaced as I thought. "Well, yes, of course. But more than that, it was the day I realized that my sister hadn't been by herself. You took care of her."
Vilkas' face turned red. "It was all of us taking care of her, Cassius. Not just me."
"Yeah, but you loved her, Vil. And that's the only thing she's ever wanted. To be in love and have someone love her back." I patted his back. "I owe you every day for giving that to her, and now I owe you even more for saving Lydia back in Riften.
"Cassius, I—"
"You've protected the two people who mean the absolute most to me in this damned dark world, and I can't thank you enough for that."
Vilkas was silent for a moment, then he smiled, looking back out at the lake. "You're a good man, Cass."
"As are you, Vilkas. And I want you to have Breezehome."
He stared at me like I was crazy. "You're not selling it?"
"Nah. I don't need the coin." I looked back out at the lake. "I don't want my kid to grow up knowing me as the hero of Skyrim or the Dragonslayer who saved Tamriel. I just want them to know me as their dad, and I want to spend my life making them as happy as my dad made me for a little while. I know Karalissa doesn't remember him, and I know that takes a toll on her some days. I don't want that for them. I always want to be here.
"Breezehome is a good home, but it's the Dragonborn's home. This is Cassius' home, and it's where I want my life. I want to wake up every morning with Lydia in my arms, and I want to sit on this damned porch and look out at this lake and watch my kids playing." I looked over to him. "Karalissa wants a family, and you need a home for that. Her birthday is coming up, and I want to give Breezehome to the two of you."
"Cassius, we can't accept a home from you."
I snorted. "Oh, but you will. I won't take no for an answer."
Vilkas spent a few moments in thought, a smile on his face. "I was just thinking about my father a little while ago, on the horses. I wonder sometimes if he would be proud of me, if he would think I made the right decisions. I'm almost positive that Kodlak would be proud of me and Farkas, and he was more of a father to us than Jergen ever wanted to be. But still, am I anything like what Jergen wanted me to be?"
I leaned against the rail, facing away from the lake. "I think about that too, whether or not my father would like the man I've become. The way I figure it, Vil, it doesn't matter what they think anymore. We both made the decisions that we thought were honorable, or most of the time at least, and I think that's what matters." I gave him a nudge. "If it's any consolation, I'm proud of ya. You're a good man to my sister and to everyone you interact with. I'm proud to say you're my brother."
Vilkas looked near tears, but he tucked that emotion away rather quickly. He grimaced, the closest I could probably get to a smile. "Thank you, Cass. And thank you for the home. Kara will love it, and so do I."
"You're welcome, brother."
