A/N: I am very sorry for how long it has taken me to update this. I blame school, exams, and my sister for this. Anyway, I'm back, and so is Ria. In this chapter we learn a bit more about Falin and Ram-Ku.
Also, we learn that Ram-Ku does not exactly agree with a certain companion's stance on the war.
My mind was clouded, I could see things, things that could not, or should not exist. I saw Farkas and Aela turn into sabre cats and run off after Torvar, who then turned into a tankard of mead. The view blurred, shifted and changed, so that Vilkas and Njada appeared, merged into one giant, angry monster that appeared to be intent on punching me in the face, and then killing me with a greatsword. Suddenly Ram-Ku ran out in front of me, brandishing his own greatsword above his head, swinging it at the oncoming monster, driving it away. When the monster was gone, he turned to me and spoke. But it was not an Argonian's reptilian hiss that came from his mouth but a soothing, female, Nordic tone, "I don't know, it doesn't look like she'll be coming round anytime soon Harbinger. But she's not in any danger, not anymore." Then Ram-Ku dissolved into a blur of colours which faded as my vision went black.
The next time I saw colour again could have been seconds later; it could have been months, by the divines it could even have been years. I had no concept of time's passing in my current state. This time the vision did not appear to be the sort of thing that Torvar raved about after a particularly indulgent night of drinking. It appeared to make sense, so therefore I was probably awake this time. I tried to get up, but the pain in my arm was too great and I fell back onto the bed. I felt a weight on my stomach, looking down I saw a mess of tangled white hair resting on the bed, obscuring any facial features that might have identified the person. I suddenly felt certain that if I moved the hair aside, I would see dark grey skin, red eyes, and two thin curving scars.
As if she had heard my thoughts, the person shifted, looking up at me from behind the curtain of her hair. When she realised that I was conscious she jumped up and ran out of the room, probably to fetch the others. I lay back, staring at the ceiling, recognising it as the ceiling of the temple of Kynareth, so Falin had probably gone to fetch Danica Pure-Spring.
Several minutes later Falin, now with her hood up, and Danica entered the room, followed by Vilkas and Ram-Ku. Vilkas looking guilt-ridden and embarrassed, Ram-Ku looking relieved and faintly annoyed at being dragged down here for Falin's sake.
"It's good to see you are awake again my dear," Danica spoke with the same soothing tone that I heard Ram-Ku using in my vision. I giggled slightly at the memory. Vilkas and Danica exchanged worried glances. "It must just be the effects of the pain medication," Danica reasoned after a while, "Maybe we reminded her of a dream or something?"
Vilkas moved in front of her, "Are- are you okay, whelp?" he asked. I blinked, I was lying in an infirmary bed, apparently out of my head on pain medication, all because he'd hit me with his stupid greatsword, and still he called me whelp?
"Whelp?" I hissed, sounding vaguely, to my drug-addled brain anyway, like Ram-Ku when I had first met him. "You nearly take my arm off with your bloody greatsword, leave me in the infirmary for gods-know how long, then turn up here seemingly not caring and calling me whelp? How do you bloody think I'm feeling?" I could see the shock in his eyes at the vehemence in mine. Good. Let him be shocked. The shock quickly turned to anger. Fortunately Danica took charge before the situation got out of hand.
"Right then. You. out. You don't need to be here, and you're just making her angry. Go on get out." Vilkas glared at me one more time before leaving. Ram-Ku appeared to be grinning, then Danica rounded on him as well. "You're only here because your friend refuses to be left alone with Nords. Sit in the corner and keep quiet. Dumb-struck, Ram-Ku did as he was told. I giggled again, the sight of the massive Argonian warrior being ordered around by the much smaller priestess was one that I found to be remarkably humorous. Falin also seemed to think so, at least if the small smile that appeared briefly on her face was anything to go by.
Once Danica had finished shepherding Ram-Ku into an out of the way corner, she turned her attention to me and more specifically, the bandages on my right arm. "You're very lucky that your friend here is quite skilled in restoration magic," She told me as she unwound the bandages, "And that she was so close and so quick to react. Without her, you'd probably have lost the arm." I let her words think in, horrified. Without my arm I'd be useless in a fight, no longer able to count myself as one of the Companions. I looked over at Falin, it seemed that I owed her a great deal.
I felt cold air against my skin, Danica had finished unwrapping my bandages, revealing a large, ugly scar right across my forearm. I sucked in air, I had not expected it to look that bad, and if Falin had got to me quickly with healing magic, then that meant that the injury had initially been much worse. "At least it's all healed up now," Danica said, "You should be able to go back to swinging your sword in about a week." She smiled at me.
"And how long have I been here?" I asked. Wanting to know, but not entirely sure I wanted to hear the answer.
"About a month," She replied, "Again you have to be thankful to your friend, had she not healed you, it would have taken much longer to heal an injury of that size." She applied something to my skin from a small jar that I had not previously noticed. Then she stood up, "Well, there's nothing more that I can do for you dear, you might as well go back to Jorrvaskr, but no adventures for at least another week, and if you do punch a shield-sibling in the face, not that I condone that sort of behaviour mind you, please use your left hand." She laughed at the expression on my face. "We all know about that dear. I believe Mikhael wrote a song to the effect."
I groaned, one thing that I most definitely did not need, was Mikhael the bard deciding that I would be his next 'conquest', and attempting to woo me constantly. Still, if he did try to press it, I could always punch him, with my left hand of course. Danica walked out, most likely to deal with other, more critically injured patients than me, leaving me alone with Ram-Ku and Falin. "Thank you," I said, "Thank you for saving my arm Falin, without it I wouldn't be able to count myself as a Companion any more. Thank you."
Falin looked embarrassed, burying her face in Ram-Ku's arm for a moment, before looking up at him and making a series of gestures. He nodded, "She says to think nothing of it Ria, you are her friend and she was looking out for you."
"It wasn't nothing," I said, "It means a great deal to me." Falin smiled at this. "Ram-Ku, I don't mean to pry, but…"
"Yes Ria?"
"Why doesn't Falin talk to anyone?" His face clouded, I think, I was no good at reading the more subtle expression and emotions in human faces, never mind Argonians. "Sorry," I said, "Is that too personal or something?" Ram-Ku merely shook his head.
"No, no. I suppose as her friend, you should know. That is, if she wants you to know," he glanced at Falin for confirmation, apparently receiving it, he continued, "It is not that Falin does not speak, it is that she can not speak. Her vocal chords were crushed by a Nord who attempted to strangle her. That is also why she does not trust or like Nords." I felt shocked by this revelation, she couldn't speak? I had merely assumed that she was simply very shy. Ram-Ku looked downcast, then he suddenly brightened up, "Right, let's go back to Jorrvaskr and get drunk then." He announced.
"Wait what, why?" I couldn't understand or keep up with the sudden mood change.
"Well, you're awake, I passed my trial, and Kodlak has accepted Falin on the grounds of healing people. What's not to celebrate?"
I smiled at this news, "So I'm no longer the newest Companion then?"
He roared with laughter, "No, no you're not. Come on then, last one back's a skeever dropping."
"Not fair, I'm injured." I shouted.
"Oh well, tough break." He grinned, sticking his long tongue out. As he turned to run a flash of green light shot from Falin's hand, hitting him square in the back, causing him to fall to the floor, motionless. I recognised the effects of a paralysis spell. She walked over to him, shrugged, and made another series of gestures, smiled at him, and held out her hand to me.
We left the temple, stepping over Ram-Ku's prone form, stopping to let Danica know not to worry about Ram-Ku, that it was merely a paralysis spell, and that he deserved it. As walked up to Jorrvaskr, we were stopped by a young girl begging for money by the Gildergreen, we each gave her a few spare septims, causing her face to light up, before we continued on our way.
When we entered the mead hall, we were greeted by a great wall of noise that prompted Falin to dive behind me from fright. "She's back!" Torvar roared, "Let's all have a tankard of mead to celebrate! No? Fine, I'll have tankard for everybody!" I grinned at this.
"I told you she'd be ok," Aela shouted at Skjor, "She's a warrior." She collapsed in a fit of giggles. "Torvar! Did you spike my mead?"
"So what if I did? You'd never get drunk otherwise. Besides, this is hilarious!"
"Hilarious? I'll show you hilarious! Come here!"
I joined in the laughter as a furious huntress chased a terrified Torvar around the main hall, regardless of the tankards and plates he threw in her way to stop him.
As everyone continued laughing, I noticed Tilma coming over to speak to me. "Are you ok dear? I was so worried about you, what with your arm and all. Will you be able to fight?"
"Yes Tilma," I replied, "Thanks to Falin here anyway. It's good to know that you care about me."
"Oh I care about all the warriors of Jorrvaskr, dear," but especially when they get themselves injured."
Yes, but I didn't get myself injured did I? Vilkas did that. Speaking of Vilkas, where was he? I heard the doors of the mead hall swing open behind me, I turned to see Ram-Ku walking in, still slightly stiff from the Paralysis spell.
"That was uncalled for Falin." He said.
"Oh well, tough break." I interjected, sticking my tongue out for good measure. He stared at me for a few seconds before tipping his head back and laughing.
"I suppose I deserved that," He said, "As they say, 'All's fair in love and war.'"
Kodlak's voice carried over the unmistakeable sounds of Aela beating Torvar about the head with an empty tankard, "Now that our newest shield-brother has returned, along with our recently-healed shield-sister, let the celebrations commence."
The words were greeted with a loud cheer from everyone, including Aela, and a slightly concussed Torvar.
When the Companions drink, we drink hard. Amongst the highlights of that night were Ram-Ku and Skjor having a dance-off on the tables, Athis and Njada hugging and announcing that they loved each other before passing out, and Aela attempting to build herself a house out of sweetrolls.
Eventually though, the talk turned to the civil war that was currently plaguing Skyrim. Despite being an Imperial, I took no sides in the war, holding to the code of the Companions to remain neutral. Many of the others held a passing belief that one side was better than other. Athis supported the Empire, Njada supported the Stormcloaks, leading to a fight between the two to decide which was better. Kodlak remained neutral, as did Aela and Skjor. Farkas didn't really care, or know enough about the war to have an opinion. No one really supported either side, other than as a hypothetical thing, apart from Vignar Grey-Mane, who was strongly on the side of the Stormcloaks, and would often, as he was doing so now, hold forth his opinions on both sides of the war.
"When the Empire surrendered to the Aldmeri Dominion, they shamed us all. The cowardly Imperial politicians would rather roll over and submit to the wishes of those foul elves, rather than fight for their beliefs." There was some slight groaning, we'd all heard this before, "Now the elves are allowed to take us from our homes if they so much as suspect Talos worship," Vignar's voice became louder, but so did the groans, as he began to disturb some of the more hung-over Companions with his rantings. "The only way we will be able to be free of the Thalmor's tyranny is if we side with Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King of Skyrim. He will give us the land that we desire and deserve. He will rid us of the Thalmor menace. He will- "
"Ulfric Stormcloak can go and bugger himself up the arse with a greatsword." Ram-Ku cut across Vignar's monologue.
"How dare you," the old man seethed, "Have you no respect for- "
He was interrupted again, "That racist piece of self-interested mammoth-shit? No, I have no respect for him, because he has no respect for me. Think about it Vignar. If you follow Ulfric, you will get the land that you desire. But it will be the land that Nords desire. Look around you, if Ulfric becomes High King, how many of your shield-siblings will he force to leave? Athis, Falin and me? Quite definitely. Ria as well possibly. Ulfric will turn Skyrim into a land where there are few, if any non-Nords. Any that do remain will be shunned, and forced to do the most menial jobs, the jobs that the Nords do not want!"
"How dare you insult Ulfric like this!" Vignar's face had turned bright red by this point, "He would never do such a thing."
Ram-Ku laughed bitterly, "Have you ever been to Windhelm, of course you haven't. He's already doing it. The Dunmer live in slums, and the entire Argonian population is forced to live in a tiny, cramped building outside the city walls. Go to Windhelm and see what your precious Ulfric Stormcloak would do to Skyrim." With that, he stormed out of Jorrvaskr, slamming the door behind him.
At the same time, Vilkas came in from the other side. He looked at everyone's faces, especially Vignar's expression of fury, "What the hell have I just missed?"He asked.
A/N: I wrote the last part after getting pissed with Vignar for constantly telling my characters that "When the Empire surrendered to the Aldmeri Dominion, they shamed us all." He really annoys me. Ram-Ku's opinions mirror my own here. Ulfric is racist, and will expel most non-Nords from Skyrim, in order to meet the requirements of the Nords.
Characters and settings c. 2011 Bethesda Softworks LLC