I woke and found myself wrapped in warm blankets and an oversized red tunic. It reminded me of something like what my father used to wear. I looked around and saw the room was lit with candles and it gave the feel of a temple. The room I was in was small and only contained a chest and a bedside dresser.

'You are awake,' came a soft voice. I looked up and saw a Nord woman at the door dressed in the same robes I used to own before I found myself surrounded by bandits. She wore an amulet of Stendarr around her neck and I saw a kindness in her eyes.

'Where am I?' I asked quietly. My mouth was dry, my throat was croaky.

'You are in the Hall of the Vigilant. I am a Vigilant of Stendarr,' she said, handing me a goblet filled with water.

'Thank you,' I said, taking the goblet in my hand and sipping from it. 'How did I get here? The last thing I remember…'

'My fellow Vigilant and I were walking near Fort Dunstad when we found you lying in the snow. You were close to death but you had a chance. We have been healing you with restoration magic for the past few days. I was getting worried you wouldn't last much longer without food. I'm glad you are finally awake,' she told me.

'You found me in the snow?' I whispered.

'You have been through a terrible ordeal. I know what those men did to you in that fort and so justice has been served and they are dead to pay for their unholy actions,' she said.

'You killed them?' I gaped.

'We had intended on it, but when we arrived back to the fort they had all been slaughtered. I'm not sure what killed them, but I believe they got their justice. Whether or not the thing that killed them all was correct is another matter we will be investigating,' she said. She pulled a bucket of water from under the bed and pulled a cloth from the water. She wrung it out and patted the cloth along my head.

'You may stay here in the Hall of the Vigilant for as long as you wish, but I assume you would prefer to be in company of friends you already know,' she said after a long delay of silence.

'Thank you. I have friends in Whiterun, but I'm not sure they can help me,' I said. I sat up in the bed and hung my legs over the side. My legs no longer hurt and I inspected them for wounds.

'Our restoration magic is exceptional, you should find your wounds will no longer bother you,' she told me.

'Thank you. I am in your debt,' I said with a smile.

'Nonsense. You would repay me for doing my job? We do not do our work for people to repay us, we do our work because Stendarr requires us to,' she told me with a soft smile.

'Thank you again,' I said, 'I feel like I should repay you though. I don't know if many people would rescue someone from the snow like that.'

'I'll get you some robes. We dried off the bracers and boots you were wearing when we found you. I'm afraid all we have are the robes I'm wearing, but they should fit you nicely,' she said and took leave.

She returned with the same robes I had before and my bracers and boots that were warm and soft just like the first time I wore them back in Whiterun.

'We will escort you to Whiterun if that is where you wish to go,' she told me.

'That is most kind of you, but it's a bit of a trip,' I told her.

'Nonsense, we shall be there in a day,' she said sternly. She gave me a bowl of tomato soup and I gulped it down along with an apple and a loaf of bread before we took our leave to make our way to Whiterun. I was clutching my stomach for most of the trip, worried of what Aela, Vilkas and Farkas might say if they saw me back so soon after our departure. I was worrying myself more than I needed to about the issue though. Farkas would have no problem with seeing me again and Aela didn't seem to pass any heed. Vilkas might be a little rude in my company, but I didn't think he would hate seeing me. After all he couldn't stop me from entering the city.

'If you don't mind my asking, how did you get out of there?' the Vigilant asked.

'I don't know,' I said with furrowed eyebrows. 'I think I can use destruction magic. But I've never used it before. It happened when I was in the fort. They took me to the Keep and they had their way. I was crying and screaming and then it just happened. It happened before that too.'

'You are Breton are you not?' she laughed.

'I am, but I have never used magic before. My mother used magic and I remember her teaching me some spells before but I was only a child. I don't even remember what the spells were about!' I said with a half-laugh.

'Magic is in your blood child. If you want to learn to control it and use it you should see about enrolling in the College of Winterhold. I'm sure they'd love a new student who has a natural ability,' she told me.

'The College of Winterhold,' I said, 'Is that where all the magic folk are sent?'

'People who want to learn more go there. Don't let any Nord send you off there to rid of you,' she said with a laughed.

We arrived at Whiterun just before it got dark and I was quite relieved. I didn't want to be still travelling while it was dark out. I never had a fear of the dark before but ever since Helgen I have had nightmares and since my failed trip to Dawnstar I didn't feel comfortable being on the road while attackers had the advantage of hiding in the shadows.

'Where will you go now?' I asked the Vigilant.

'I will venture further and make my way to Riverwood. I have an old friend there I would like to visit,' she told me, 'You should go inside the city and find your friends.' She bid me farewell and disappeared gracefully into the night. I walked through the gates, nodding shyly at the guards as I passed.

As the gate shut behind me I looked up and saw Vilkas standing in front of me. He seemed larger than usual and a lot more intimidating.

'Vilkas,' I said in fright.

'What happened to you?' he demanded.

'I went to Dawnstar,' I said, my voice shaking.

'Farkas insisted on making sure you'd gotten their safely, but you weren't seen coming near Dawnstar. The poor bastard has been worried sick about you. Talos knows why, because I sure don't,' he stated. His sharp tongue made me nervous and I worried about Farkas worrying about me. Could he have known about what happened to me? Should I tell him what happened to me?

'Vilkas you can't tell Farkas,' I told him as sternly as I could.

'Oh he knows,' he told me with a menacing laugh.

'What? What do you mean he knows? What does he know?' I paused, 'What do you know?'

'We took the same path as you and Aela stood on the dagger you dropped in the snow. The place reeked of bandits. Their stench is unbelievable. We went to Fort Dunstad and you weren't there but the chief was very descriptive of what his bandits had done to you when Farkas was giving him a going over,' Vilkas explained. I bowed my head a little and wrapped my arms around myself, hugging my chest. Vilkas noticed my sudden change in stance and I heard him sigh before he put his arms around me and held me into his chest. My forehead was resting against his breastplate, the cool metal touching my skin.

'I'm sorry that happened to you,' he said flatly.

'It's not your fault, you have nothing to be sorry for,' I muttered into the breastplate.

'I know, but that is generally what people say when something horrific like that happens to another person,' he said. I smiled and shook my head, pulling back. He let go and I could see how awkward he looked after that.

'And Farkas knows everything?' I asked.

'Yes.'

'He was the one who killed them,' I stated.

'He didn't do it for fun Luna. They were nothing more than filthy abominations,' he said.

'I know,' I said sadly.

'Come see him, he won't leave his room. He left a few times to look for you along the road and he waited by the gate for a few hours yesterday. He won't eat anything so you had better go and see him before he starves.' Vilkas led me to Jorrvaskr and as we reached the market he gave me an odd look.

'You didn't come here alone,' he stated.

'No,' I replied.

'Who were you with?'

'A Vigilant of Stendarr; they're the ones who found me and took care of me for a few days. One of them walked here with me.'

'That would explain the odd smell from your robes, they're not the ones you got from Eorlund,' he said giving me another odd glance. We walked through the great doors of Jorrvaskr and I planned on heading straight to the living quarters, but Farkas was already hurrying up the stairs from the quarters and into the hall where we stood. He threw his arms around me and lifted me from the ground. He placed me back down gently to my feet and I balanced myself as he pulled away.

'I was worried,' he said plainly. I gave him a smile.

'I was worried too,' I replied.

'What were you worried for?' he asked.

'Take a trip to Riften already,' Aela called from the dining table. I didn't understand what she meant but Vilkas chuckled and Farkas gave her a quick glare.

'Please don't go anywhere for a while,' he said to me. I looked up into his eyes that looked so sad. They were almost as silver as his armour.

'I won't,' I said, a little worried about him.

'I guess I'll be the one asking Kodlak about a spare bed,' Vilkas said dryly as he walked away and disappeared down the stairs.

'I can't stay here,' I said shyly, 'I'm not a Companion.'

'You could join,' Aela suggested.

'No, it's dangerous. You can stay here and work around Jorrvaskr for a while. It's safe here,' Farkas said, nodding his head in agreement with his own statement.

I guess now is not the time to tell him that I wanted to go to the College of Winterhold…

-x-

'I told Kodlak what happened,' Vilkas said, entering the room he shared with his brother.

'And?'

'There's a bed in the room where the new bloods sleep, so you can stay there,' he told me.

'Thank you Vilkas,' I said to him, 'I still don't think I should stay here Farkas.'

'Good luck telling Kodlak you're going to stay somewhere else even though you have nowhere else to go and you have no money to stay in the inn,' Vilkas scoffed.

'Luna, just stay one night at least,' Farkas pleaded with me.

'If I say yes we're going to have the same conversation tomorrow and you will say that exact line again,' I sighed.

'So you'll stay?' Farkas asked. I looked up at him, smiled and shook my head.

'I suppose I'll have to.' He smiled at me and stood up from the bed and told me he'd be back with some food.

'Vilkas I need help,' I said quickly. Vilkas shut the door and glared at me.

'And it has to be my help?'

'Please,' I begged, 'I'm going to travel to the College of Winterhold soon. I want to know if they can help me. I'm just worried your brother isn't going to let me go.'

'You're going to the College for help?' he inquired. I knew I wouldn't get away without having to explain to him.

'It only happened for the first time at Helgen, twice. Then it happened again when I…,' I swallowed back the lump in my throat and held in the tears, 'The Vigilant I came here with told me I had a natural magic ability. I want to learn more.'

'And you need my help to do what? Run away from Farkas?' he raised an eyebrow at me.

'No, no! I just want him to let me go when I have to. I think he's wonderful, and I care for him, but I think he worries too much. He has a very kind heart. You two and Aela are the only real friends I've had,' I explained. Vilkas looked taken aback by this; he had a surprised look slapped across his face. He shook it off and smiled at me weakly.

'I can't stay here Vilkas,' I told him, 'I'm not a Companion and I don't want to join.'

'But you will,' he stated. I looked at him oddly. 'Then you'll be able to stay with Farkas.' He gave me a smirk. I rolled my eyes.

'I'm going to the College of Winterhold,' I told him sternly. He snorted.

'By the Gods, do anything other than that,' he sighed, rubbing his face with his both of his hands.

'I know Nords don't care for magic, but it means a lot to me and I hope you can respect that. I respect your choice to wield a sword,' I said, holding my voice as strong as I could.

'We're headed North in a few weeks. Tell Farkas before that. We'll bring you to the College. In the mean time, if anyone around here asks, you're new blood. If anyone in Whiterun asks, you're part of the Companions now. Can you hunt?'

'With a bow,' I said shrugging my shoulders.

'Good, there's a spare upstairs. Get some leather tomorrow and Eorlund will make you some armour. You're going to need more than some robes to protect yourself.' Vilkas stood up. 'Eat and Farkas will show you to your bed when you've finished.' He walked out of Farkas' room and into his own room across the hall.

Farkas then returned with a platter filled with meat and baked potatoes. The smell was delicious and my stomach started to grumble. He placed the platter on the bar in his room and handed me a leg of rabbit. I thanked him and he began devouring the meat on the platter. I finished my rabbit leg and ate two baked potatoes.

'Do you hunt?' I asked him.

'No,' he said.

'Why not?'

'I usually make too much noise. Aela tried to teach me but I messed up all her hunts,' he said, taking a chunk of venison.

'I can teach you,' I offered, 'If you teach me to hold a sword.'

'Deal.'

When he finished off the platter and threw all the bones onto the silver he showed me down the hall to my room.

'You'll be in the room with the whelps. If you need anything you know where I am,' he said. He opened the door and I walked into the room. There were people in the room and I felt a little nervous at being the newest member, even though I wasn't even a member.

'Just fall anywhere,' Farkas said before giving me a smile and closing the door. I went to the left of the room and sat on one of the beds.

'That's my bed,' demanded a Nordic woman. She wore her helmet and two red stripes on each cheek. I stood up and apologized and sat on the bed across from hers.

'That's also mine,' she said.

'Leave her alone Njada,' said an Imperial woman lying on her bed beside me.

'Whelps have to learn their place,' the Nord snapped.

'I was under the impression we're all whelps here,' I said. My voice didn't shake, but my heart pounded against my ribcage.

'Shut it Breton,' the Nord spat at me. I stood to my feet.

'I was also under the impression the Companions was a family. Being a racist is not very family-friendly,' I told her sternly, 'I'm going to bed.' I lay down on the bed and turned in to the wall and shut my eyes.

This was just great, I was stuck in Jorrvaskr having people believe I was part of Companions even though I can't even lift a sword, I was sharing a room with a woman who clearly didn't want me there, and everyone was giving me vibes that they assumed that I was in love with Farkas or something. Not to mention that I had to tell him I was leaving for the College of Winterhold…