Changes

Kneeling before Jarl Frodnar the Fighter, Kodlak can feel the judgement from his old friend bearing down upon him like a million bricks.

"Father. Call Dagny down." Balgruuf, now steward to the Jarl after retiring from his position, walks away calmly to bring his daughter downstairs. After a long, unbearable silence, both father and daughter arrive downstairs. Dagny takes a long, hard look at Kodlak and then her gaze shifts to the floor. "I believe you two have some talking to do, alone. It is good to see that you arrived safely my old friend." Frodnar then returns to a heated discussion with his father about why he should not accept invitations from any old stranger to become his Housecarl. Kodlak is lead upstairs by Dagny and eventually they end up stood overlooking the valley outside again.

"I am sorry for what I did Kodlak. I was young, foolish and a little desperate. You have my sincerest apologies."

"I forgave you before you said anything. I understand what it's like now, falling hopelessly for someone you have no chance with. It's painful and I understand the urge to do something, anything about it now." She sighs in relief and leans with her back against the wall.

"Thank the Divines. Still friends then? For old times' sake." She extends a hand and he takes it, shaking it firmly to confirm that he has in fact forgiven her past actions. "So are you married yet Kodlak? I'd certainly think so, considering.. You know."

"I am but considering what?" She then blushes a deep scarlet.

"Considering how handsome you've become. Sorry, I had to point it out." Kodlak laughs at her awkward apology. The two young adults leave the room laughing like the old friends that they are. Stood at the top of the steps leading to Dragonsreach, Kodlak can see a large crowd gathering by the market. The Companions in the training yard at Jorrvaskr are completely unaware of it.

Kodlak runs down to the market as fast as he can in Steel armour and when he arrives he finds guards trying to intervene with something going on in the centre of the square but Idolaf Battle-Born is holding them back. Kod leaps past him, pulling out Wuuthrad and finds Lars hitting Mila behind her stall. Fury wells up inside Kodlak at the sight of that milk-drinker hurting Mila. His Mila.

"Get off her, Battle-Born. Now." Lars throws her aside and turns to face Kodlak, squaring up against the bigger man.

"Why should I? She's my wife."

"You are hurting an innocent. Leave her be, you coward."

"You call me a coward? Surely the only coward here is the man that is about to face off against an unarmed man with a war-axe. Or maybe the coward would be the one that abandoned his life in Whiterun at the first sign of danger." Kodlak doesn't let the words get to him. He stands strong, glaring at the so called man before him.

"I think you should find a priest of Mara and remove that ring from your finger before I slice off the hand that bears it. Don't make me kill you, Battle-Born. It would be a terrible shame." The fear is obvious in Lars' eyes. Yet he refuses to back down. Mila has escaped by this point and has run straight into the kindly waiting arms of Ysolda. Seeing this, Kodlak sheathes his weapon. Then Lars lunges for the son of the Dragonborn. Kodlak pulls Lars into a headlock and throws him to the ground immediately, he then stomps on the older man in the stomach. Lars cringes and then tries to go back to playing mind games.

"She is no innocent. She slapped me across the face."

"So you viciously beat her for it?"

"She needs to learn her place!" Then Kodlak turns and walks away. Mila follows after, sneaking away from the action.

She follows him to a small hiding spot behind the Guard's Barracks underneath a bridge where he curls into a ball and stares at the flowing water, trying to calm himself. Mila looks at the scene before her with pity in her eyes. Then she feels the pain from earlier. She runs to the Bannered Mare and gets Niki, telling her of her son's location. Then Mila returns to the house of Clan Battle-Born and awaits her punishment with a deep breath and a shudder.

Niki's P.O.V

I hold on to my son tightly. Why was I not there to help him? It could've been anyone. If it wasn't Lars Battle-Born hitting Mila then he may not have escaped unscathed. I need to sort this out.

"It's alright Kodlak. I'll make it all okay. Listen, we needed to talk anyway." He seems to remember something.

"Yes we do. Ma, you must stop drinking. It's clearly killing you and you don't know how to stop. I'm going to find someone to look after you, don't worry."

"I don't need that. That wasn't what I wished to talk about anyway. This whole Minette thing. Are you sure it was wise? Are you sure you don't want to back out now? I know the way you look at Mila, my son and it is not healthy."

"Stop changing the conversation. I am finding someone to look after you." A twitch appears in Niki's eye and Kodlak instantly regrets his words.

"I don't need looking after! My entire life was spent being 'looked after' by people. First Rikke tried it, then the Night Mother began 'looking after' me and Hadvar did it too! Enough. This is MY life. Nobody else's. Stop trying to take care of me, I can take care of myself. I pretty much did for the first 12 years of my life. No, I always have! The only time I haven't been able to is when people have deemed me incapable of shutting up and getting over something! I will drink if I want to, I will fight if I want to, I will cry if I want to and I will live alone if I want to! STOP CONTROLLING ME!" I run off again, back to the Bannered Mare. Why do I bother with them?

Midnight...

Kodlak hasn't left the hiding spot yet. His mother's outburst had started his thought process up again. What did she mean by that? Kodlak has no clue. He simply sits in silence, the cogs turning in his mind like they haven't had to before. His thoughts are disturbed by small footsteps. Mila has come back. She stands opposite him and they stare at each other in silence for a while. Then they hear all the Battle-Borns apart from Jon and Olfina shouting for Mila. Looking at her more closely, Kodlak can see more physical signs of beatings than before. He silently treads towards her and pulls her into a tight hug. She squeezes him back, grateful for the sign that someone cares about her. They remain huddled together until the shouting fades into the far distance, near Dragonsreach. Then the pair break off the hug and sit down together next to the thin stream.

"I'm sorry, Mila. If I hadn't left..."

"Then you wouldn't have met Minette or any of your other friends from Solitude. I forgive you, I shouldn't have fallen for his tricks."

"Tricks?"

"He tricke-" They're interrupted by the sound of a man shouting desperately. Both young adults run out from under the bridge and look down the street to see the shape of a dead person on the street. Lars.

"She didn't..."