'You stole those books!' I hissed at him.

'Where are they?' Vilkas asked.

'The books? Oh… I thought you had come to help me,' he said. The three of us just stared at the High Elf, waiting for him to tell us what we desired. 'The Caller will have them. She was most interested in one of the volumes. Although not interested enough to-'

'Yeah okay, just tell us where this "Caller" is,' I ushered, the pain in my leg still stinging at me.

'You'll have to go through the Keep to get to her.'

'Can you lead us through?' asked Vilkas impatiently.

'Oh yes!' the Altmer exclaimed. Farkas helped me up to my feet and I leaned on him for support. He had to crouch down to give me support, and even then I found it hard to reach up to him. He gave me support for my right leg that was now beginning to swell up and was useless to me. Farkas grabbed my bow from the ground and held me in his other arm.

Orthorn led us up through a staircase where I heard voices getting louder. Someone was instructing people on how to cast spells and I suddenly felt myself turn pale. We crept through the hallway, stopping as we approached the room where the voices occupied. Vilkas ushered Orthorn out first and the two slowly crept behind the two students and their teacher. I let go of Farkas and sank to sit down on the floor and then slowly dragged myself silently to the corner of the corridor where I had a perfect shot of one of the mages. Farkas passed me my bow and I quietly pulled an arrow from my quiver with everyone looking anxiously at me. I began to feel slight pressure.

I drew my arrow and held my breath, everything seemed to slow as I focused completely, but I was shaking too much. I couldn't shoot like this. I lowered my bow slightly. I studied them for a minute. The three of them working on their fire spells, hitting targets in front of them. I sighed and quickly raised my bow again and shot without taking a deep breath, without completely focusing. The first one fell to the floor as the steel pierced through the back of his skull and I snatched another arrow and drew it as the two remaining turned around.

Vilkas stood up from his hiding spot and grabbed the mage closest to him and pulled him close to him as his sword went through the mages chest and out through his back. I released my second arrow and staggered the last mage as it stuck into his arm. He howled in pain and Orthorn stood up to finish him, casting a large bolt of ice right through his chest.

'Tell me there's no more of them,' I said with a sigh.

Farkas helped me to my feet, becoming my crutch again and holding my bow in his hand. He asked me if I was okay and I nodded with a small smile.

'Vilkas, go on ahead and we'll catch up,' Farkas told his brother. Vilkas nodded and turned to Orthorn. He pulled him along by his upper arm and the two moved along to the next room.

'There has to be something around here that can help,' Farkas said helping me over to the table in the centre of the room. He hoisted me up onto it and handed me my bow. He began searching the pockets of the three mages that lay around me.

'Aha,' he exclaimed with glee. I looked around at him as he held a small red bottle. He opened the small healing potion and handed it to me. He ushered me to drink it and I swallowed it down and let the liquid slide down my throat. I shivered at the bitter taste and handed him back the empty vile.

We waited a few moments for the potion to kick in and I suddenly felt better as the sting in my leg was not paining me as much anymore.

'I think I can walk on it,' I said.

'We'll catch up to the other two then,' Farkas said. He helped me down from the table and watched me closely as I walked with him, following the route of Vilkas and Orthorn. I held my bow in my hand, ready to grab for an arrow should I need to. We walked into the next room to see the two panting with exhaustion with skeletons and bodies of what looked like Necromancers lying all around the room.

'Nice of you two to finally catch up,' Vilkas said with an unamused glare for us.

'Sorry,' I said.

'The Keep is through this door,' Orthorn explained, painting up ahead of us.

-x-

I didn't care to ever remember the amount of Necromancers and Conjurers that we encountered through the Keep. I just wanted to lie down in the nearest bed and wake up to realize this was all a dream. But it wasn't and I was perfectly aware of that as we walked through the last door and saw The Caller standing before us.

She stood proud in the centre of the room with candles lit all around on the floor of the room. She stared at us for a moment as we entered. I held my bow and an arrow in my hand but I kept it lowered as I stood beside Vilkas and Farkas who were also ready to draw their weapons. Orthorn stood cowering behind Vilkas. I looked at him and then back to The Caller.

'Well, well. So you're the troublemakers who have been laying waste to all of my projects. How nice to finally meet you,' she said with a sickening tone to her voice. She had a velvety voice that laced through my ears.

'We're here for the books from the College,' I said as bravely and as sternly as I could.

'So you're just one of Aren's lackeys? That's quite disappointing. You show real promise,' she said with a sigh. She folded her arms across her chest and looked up at us with a sickening smirk. 'You come here, kill my assistants and disrupt my work… You've annoyed me, so I don't think I'll be giving you anything.'

I looked nervously to Farkas and Vilkas from the corner of my eye.

'I'll allow you the opportunity to turn around, walk out that door and never come back. I suggest you move quickly,' she said in a bored tone. I could sense she wanted to get rid of us; perhaps she was scared of us? After all we had just taken out all of her "assistants". I gulped and mustered as much courage as I could.

'I'm not going without those books,' I said.

'Are you attempting to threaten me? After I've been so hospitable? Then you won't be leaving here at all,' she snapped. She raised her hands and raised my bow. The twins drew their swords and began circling her and Orthorn raised his hands too, conjuring flames that floated in the palm of his hands, licking at the air waiting to be thrown.

I sent an arrow flying at her but she quickly deflected it. Two Flame Atronachs appeared on either side of the room, surrounding us. I began to panic immensely.

'Drop your bow!' Orthorn yelled at me. I looked at him and back to The Caller. A burst of fire was flying straight at me and as I screamed I dived out of the way. I dropped my bow on the ground and raised my hands and sent a continuous blast of ice toward her. It hit her and she sent a huge blast of fire towards me. I jumped to move out of the way again but I wasn't quick enough because of my leg. I fell to the floor in a mess as the fire scorched my skin. I could feel my skin peeling against the floor as it grazed itself along the stone.

I gasped in pain and scurried to my feet through the stinging and ducked for cover in one of the side rooms on the left. I saw spells of fire and ice flying all around the room in any direction, along with a huge gust of fire which I could only guess were the Atronachs zooming around the room. I could hear Vilkas and Farkas fighting against the Atronachs as they kept them away from The Caller. She began walking towards me as if this scene wasn't happening around her.

'I offered you an exit, but no,' she said with a sigh. She raised her hands at me with a little sickening smile.

'I don't think so,' Farkas growled at her, suddenly appearing behind her, and stabbing her with the greatsword through her chest. He lifted her off the ground and she gasped for air, choking on her own blood. Farkas tossed her to the ground as he pulled his blade from her back.

'Are you okay?' he asked me.

'No. I feel like a damsel in distress,' I said dryly. I stood up and shook my head with a smile. I walked to the book that sat in the side room and lifted it from the pedestal.

'I'll get the others,' Farkas said.

-x-

Orthorn disappeared after we got out of Fellglow. I don't know where he went off to, but I didn't really care. He didn't seem to care much about apologizing to the College for taking their books. I wondered would he ever go back to the College. Maybe that was where he was gone now?

Besides worrying about Orthorn, I was incredibly worried about my leg. It was swelling and I found it unbearable to walk the whole way back to Whiterun on. I was limping for most of the walk until Vilkas and Farkas offered to help me back. I don't think Vilkas was entirely happy about it but he was a gentleman and he was my crutch as was Farkas.

I felt horrible. Not only from the bite that had given me Rockjoint, but also because it seemed like every time I was in trouble the Companions had to come to my rescue. I felt quite weak and pathetic. They both knew I could use a bow exceptionally well, and I knew that myself, but I felt like they found me to be useless. I sure felt useless anyway.

The twins took me to the Temple of Kynareth and laid me down upon a stone bed. It was cold and hard and I didn't quite like the feel, even though it felt wonderful. It was just the feel of the Temple in generally really. It felt sacred. It smelled of berries and grass and a beautiful flowers that we just blossoming. I could smell the purple and pink and red on the flowers even though they didn't exist where I was. But the Temple was so beautiful and warm and bright it made me feel better just by being there. But the cold stone was not something I wanted to be lying on.

'Danica, we need help,' Farkas said.

'What did you do now?' she asked Farkas.

'Our friend got bitten by a wolf and now she's swollen,' Farkas explained. I was indeed swollen. By the time we had reached the Temple both of my legs and my elbows had swollen and were a raw red colour. I could just about more them, but with great pain and difficulty.

'Rockjoint,' Danica stated. 'We'll have her better in no time, not to worry.'

The soft chiming and the golden glow and swirls of her healing spell wrapped all around me as she held her hands out and touched my wound. It danced around my being and I could feel the pain in my joints easing. I realized that I also had had pains in my shoulders and my hips and at the back of my neck. She stopped and I felt so much better.

'Woah,' I said quietly.

'How do you feel?' she asked me.

'Better,' I replied with a small nod. I sat up on the stone bed and looked around the Temple. 'Thank you.'

'I'll get you a potion, it's going to taste odd but you have to drink it all,' she warned me. I nodded. She walked to a small room to fetch the potion.

'Thanks for helping me back,' I said to the twins.

'Don't worry about it,' Farkas replied. The priestess returned with a potion similar to that of which Farkas had given me in Fellglow. I chugged it down and swallowed the foul taste.

'Ugh,' I coughed. I stopped myself from heaving back.

'Rest for a few days,' Danica ordered, 'No adventures.'

'Okay,' I said, still gawking on the foul taste that was left in my mouth from the potion. I guess that postponed our trip to find a Briar heart, and my trip to Riften.

I noticed a few Stormcloak soldiers lying wounded on the stone beds, one with blood on his hands, moaning miserably on the cold stone. Farkas helped me off the stone bed and the three of us went back to Jorrvaskr after thanking Danica.

'I've been wondering,' said Farkas. He paused.

'Yes?' I prompted.

'You're a Breton, but you act like you follow Nordic belief,' he said, helping me up the steps to Jorrvaskr.

'Well actually, Bretons worship Kynareth too. But I mainly follow Nordic belief. My parents travelled a lot and anywhere we went was mainly filled with Nords. I had a few friends as a kid, but they were all Nords. I never actually had a Breton friend… But since any friend I had was a Nord I would go to the Temples with them. My parents were never really forceful when it came to which gods to worship. They let me decide for myself. I only realized when I was older that I had been following Nordic religion. When I was fifteen or sixteen I started to pray to some Breton gods. Bretons worship the Eight and a few others, but not Talos. But I grew up with Talos. I guess I'm a bit of both really,' I explained. Now that I had to explain it to someone I realized that I didn't even understand it properly. I guess it wasn't that hard to grasp, I worshipped the Nine Divines, along with Sheor, Magnus, Phynaster and Y'ffre. But because I was so used to just the Nine, I never really spent much time thinking about Sheor, Magnus, Phynaster or Y'ffre.

'So you worship the Nine?'

'Yes,' I said as we walked through the doors of Jorrvaskr and the warmth of the fire touched my face. I didn't realize how cold I was until the fire was warming my hands.

'You should go to bed, listen to what Danica said,' Vilkas ordered. He had been minding my bow and quiver and he placed them on the weapon rack beside the staircase.

Farkas came down to the living quarters with me and he held me gently by the elbow to guide me to the room where the whelps stayed. Njada was sat on her bed, studying a book, with her back against the wall.

'Where did you run off to?' she asked sourly.

'A job,' Farkas said briefly. She turned back to her book.

'If you want you can rest in my room instead, the others will probably be in and out,' he said. I was too tired to tell him it was fine and that he didn't need to do that for me, but I was so grateful that he was going to let me sleep in his room so I wouldn't have to try and sleep with Njada bothering me…

'Thank you,' I said as he helped me to his bed. The room still smelled of ale, sweat and dog but it was comforting to have a familiar smell. I drifted to sleep in minutes, not knowing whether or not Farkas had left the room or not, but I didn't really care.

-x-

I don't know how long I slept for, but I know when I woke up I was completely alone and lost. My head was slightly spinning around and the musty smell of dog was overwhelming at this moment. My stomach was woozy and groaning to itself. I sat up in the bed and heaved myself out. I was only dressed in a white tunic that was much too large for my body. My heart skipped a beat, wondering who had undressed me.

I scanned the room, not seeing my usual garments anywhere. I got up from the bed and took a moment of wobbling slightly on the floor before searching through the room to locate my clothes. I found nothing.

I fixed myself to look as decent as possible before peeping my head out into the hallway. I knocked on Vilkas' room door but to my dismay there was no answer. I knocked again and then poked my head through the door, but there was no one there. I frowned and wandered out to the main hallway.

'They're gone to The Reach,' Ria called from the top of the hall.

'Oh,' I huffed, 'Thanks.' They had gone without me?! Perhaps they were right to do so though, we would only be waiting longer for me to get better and then I didn't know how far away we would have to travel.

I awkwardly disappeared back into Farkas' room and plopped my exhausted vessel onto the bed. With nothing else to do I began inspecting the back of my leg where I had been bitten. It was healed up perfectly, minus the white lines that traced over my pale skin to show the bite mark. It was so large.

After inspecting my old wound I had nothing else to do. I couldn't bring myself to go out to get food or anything else dressed in just this. Dibella knows what I looked like after staying in bed for far too long! I was far too embarrassed and self-conscious so I just curled back into the bed and closed my eyes again.

-x-

I awoke with groggy eyes and stiff limbs from sleeping awkwardly on my arms and legs. I yawned and wrinkled my nose. The dog smell didn't seem to bother me anymore.

'You're back,' I said with a sleepy smile.

'I am,' Farkas replied.

'You didn't say you were going.'

'You were asleep when we left,' he replied.

'It didn't take you very long,' I commented with a small frown.

'It's not that long of a trip if you keep moving,' he replied. His eyes were tired.

'You probably want to go to bed,' I said, pushing my legs over the bed. 'But before you go to bed, where did you put my clothes?' I looked awkwardly up at him.

'Oh,' he said blushing violently, 'No, no! Tilma said she would wash them for you so she took them before we left. They were covered in blood.' I sighed with relief inside. 'She said she'd leave them in Vilkas' room when she was done, she didn't want to disturb you.'

'Aw, that's sweet,' I said, unable to stop the awe in my voice.

'I'll go get them,' Farkas said nervously.

'Thanks.' He fetched my robes and boots and waited outside while I changed. I left the white tunic folded neatly on the bar, unsure as to who it belonged to. I opened the door when I was finished and Farkas stood up straight, alert at my presence.

'Hey, when you wake up do you think we could talk about Riften?' I asked.

'Uh. I don't know about that Luna. It's pretty dangerous,' he said awkwardly. I sighed and left the room, walking up towards the stairs. I knew they wouldn't let me go to Riften. Maybe I could go by myself. Maybe I didn't need Farkas or Vilkas.

I knew that I did need to go to Riften, but I didn't necessarily need Vilkas or Farkas to come with me everywhere I went. I strolled casually into the hall and took a seat alone and picked at some bread. I sat fiddling with the bread, eating small pieces that I would pick off every few minutes.

I felt hallow inside. For most of my life I had been fending for myself, doing things alone, for myself and I was doing just fine. One trip to Skyrim and suddenly I feel like I can do nothing anymore. Maybe it was because the Companions were better than me. I probably wasn't good enough to be a Companion. I wondered how different I would be if I were good enough to join the Companions.

If I were a Companion I would have been able to make a trip to Fellglow by myself. I would probably have been able to go to The Reach to get those Briar hearts too. I most definitely would be able to make a trip to Riften on my own if I was a Companion.

Maybe I could be a Companion… As far as the other whelps were concerned I practically was, although I'm sure they questioned how or why I was "accepted" into the Companions. But if I were a real Companion I'd be able to make that trip to Riften, get what I needed and then make a trip to Solstheim…

I put the bread on the table and stood up and walked back down to the living quarters. I snatched my bag from under my bed in the room, with the whelps, shoving the books from Fellglow back under the bed along with the items I had already collected for Neloth and hurried back up to the hall where I grabbed the quiver full of arrows and the bow that I had used in Fellglow.

No one even noticed that I had just left Jorrvaskr and no one would notice until one of the twins came looking for me. The guards wouldn't pass any remarks on me walking out the gates and heading along my path until one of the twins started asking around the city if anyone had seen me, by then I would be far ahead of them.

I could hunt and I knew how to find fresh water and survive for a few days by myself in the wild. I would be sticking to the road on my journey to Riften so I wouldn't run into much trouble really. Keeping hidden on the way to Riften from the Companions was going to be my biggest task.

It was getting dark out and the air was getting colder. I had just passed through a small town and I knew it would be safer to stay in the inn, but I knew if I did that there was too much of a chance of a Companion finding me and dragging me the whole way back to Riften.

I moved in off the path, keeping a close eye as to how far away from it I had moved so I wouldn't become lost in the rustle of the leaves. I could see a small cave hidden into the floor of the woods. I scanned the area for bears or wolves before approaching quietly. I could see nothing and so I crept into the cave. It wasn't very dark inside yet, but I knew when the sun went down completely it would be as dark as every other cave. I couldn't light a fire in case something found me, but I was wrapped up well in my robes.

I couldn't see far into the cave so I stayed at the entrance in the tunnel leading in and tucked myself into a corner and rested my head on the cool soil. I squeezed myself into the bottom of the wall and drifted to a small sleep in the damp smelling cave.

-x-

There was a hot breath pouring on my face, filling my nostrils with its horrid breath. I could smell the blood from its mouth. I could almost feel the shaggy fur touching my cold skin. I froze and I felt like I was completely made of ice, ready to be shattered into a thousand pieces as I lay helpless on the floor of this cave. I stayed as still as I could, gently feeling my bow in my hands as I had it tucked into my chest as I slept.

I couldn't reach for my arrows.

I could hear the ferociousness in its fowl grunting as it sniffed at my face and my hair and then at my robes. It stood up on its hind legs and let out a horrific roar, its lips curling back and forth in a rush.

And then came the howling. The great brown bear turned towards the entrance of the cave and slammed its paws on the ground, roaring out into the night. And the howl came again, louder this time. The bear growled and then charged towards the entrance, only to be thrown back into the cave, just past me.

A familiar huge being came chasing after it, large and coated with a thick layer of black fur it smelled of dog. The howling and roaring made my heart beat faster than it should, I thought it might explode.

Get up Luna. Get up. Run. You won't make it to Riften if you don't

I scurried to my feet and clasped my bow in one hand. I sprinted form the cave and jumped out onto the road and then I began running as fast as I could along the road. My footsteps were so loud on the cobble stones, I knew I wouldn't get far, but maybe if I got far enough I could persuade whoever it was to let me continue.

I couldn't hear any howling behind me, but I kept running. Running faster than I could before. I felt a sharp pain soar through my chest and I couldn't catch my breath for a few moments, slowing down, but still moving. I needed to find somewhere to go so that my scent would be lost, but I couldn't see any water and the trees weren't dense enough to climb through. I couldn't see much off the path, it was too dark and the moons were clouded.

I kept running and running and then I could hear it running.

I could hear the water running on my left. I stopped and looked behind me and saw nothing and then hurried to the left where I ran straight into the river. I put my bow on my back and dived under the water and began swimming as fast as I could down towards Riften. I dunked under the water and swam under every few minutes to stop my scent from trailing back along the river. I went under a bridge and around a large meander in the river.

I felt my legs cramp up and my arms were getting exhausted. I pushed myself back to the shore on the other side of which I was. I panted and sat on the bank of the river for a few minutes. I knew I was going to get a lecture from the twins anyway, but if I had this Jarrin Root at least then sitting through their lecture wouldn't be as punishing as it would be if I were caught and brought back to Whiterun.

I was soaked from head to toe and now I was freezing from the soft breeze that was catching in the cold water. I wrung out my hair and parts of my robes. I had to keep moving now. If I sat in my cold clothes and got colder I would only freeze to death. And Talos knows how cold it gets in Skyrim. The last thing I wanted to do was freeze to death after escaping an encounter with a bear and a friendly werewolf…

I continued moving East, hoping that if I kept going straight I would eventually hit a path and be able to get to Riften quickly. I just feared I would have an encounter with some horrid Skyrim creature. I didn't so much fear the dark as I did what lurked in the dark.

The sky was beginning to brighten a little as I continued through the forest of red and orange and I sighed with relief as I encountered nothing. I could hear bees and butterflies wings floating past, but nothing that was going to hurt me. I passed a few foxes that were hard to see as their burnt coats blended with the surroundings and I suddenly felt sorry for the hunters in these parts, although I'm sure they were well used to it. In fact they probably thought the same about hunters like me trying to find animals with white coats in the snow, but it was easy to spot with a little practice and some experience to follow.

A small cottage began to build into my view and I could see the crops growing in a small enclosure. I picked up my pace; hurrying along to try and see could I catch someone to ask for directions. I stopped at the farm and looked around me. I could see no one until a Dunmer woman emerged from the cottage, staring at me.

'Excuse me!' I exclaimed, hurrying over to her. 'I'm looking for Riften, could you help me, please?'

'Calm down,' she said, moving away from me. I probably smelled horrific. 'The stables are right over there. Keep going that way, you'll be there in a matter of minutes.' She wrinkled her nose in disgust at me and pointed me towards the stables.

'Thank you, sorry,' I murmured and hurried away toward the directions she had given me. I could see the stables and the city growing before my eyes as I got closer and closer. And as I saw the stables I could feel myself getting weaker and weaker as the exhaustion and hunger took over my body.

I stumbled through the gates of Riften for the first time and I was shocked to say the least. The smell of the river stung my nose and the stinging made my tired eyes water. I could feel the depression lingering in the air. The guards sat back against the walls looking bored, waiting for their shift to be over. I began to worry that I wouldn't find what I was looking for in Riften after all. But I couldn't stop here.

I dragged myself through the city to find the inn. It was beside the marketplace where people were calling about desperately trying to make sales. I could smell the sourness of some of the meat on sale. My stomach lurched as I entered the inn. Thankfully it was warmer in the inn than it was outside and there was no horrific smell of the water below the city. It smelled sweet like ale and wine. I wondered how many people drank in here in order to obtain that smell or did they just pour the drink on the floors.

I walked into the inn to see an Argonian woman leaning casually against the counter, almost about to fall asleep. I approached the counter, but just before I could reach it I could smell that oh to familiar smell of dog. A loud "ahem" caught my attention and I turned my head to see Vilkas sitting at a table on his own with his arms folded across his chest.

'Nice touch, going through the river,' he said, clearly unamused.

'How did you get here before me?' I gaped. Surely he hadn't passed me out?

'I can run much faster than you, I thought you might have gathered that in your studies. Sit,' he ordered. I sighed and plopped myself down on a chair across from him at the small table and prepared for the lecture.

'You could have died,' he said simply.

'I know, but I didn't and you have to give me credit for that at least,' I said with a hope of receiving a smile from him.

'Tell me, how would you have gotten away from that bear?'

'Well I wouldn't have had an encounter with that bear if you weren't going to chase me. I would have stayed in Ivarstead and then came here. If you weren't going to hunt me down and drag me back to Whiterun I wouldn't have had to camp out in a stupid cave,' I muttered angrily.

'Do you know how dangerous the roads are?'

'Are you just changing the subject because you know I'm right about that last one?'

'Luna, there's a war going on at the minute, you know that,' he sighed, shaking his head.

'I know, but you weren't going to let me come here and I need to. I have to do this and frankly this is the only way,' I said.

'Did you not listen to me when I told you about how dangerous it was?' he hissed.

'I did. Just because something is dangerous doesn't mean I don't have to do it,' I said defensively.

'You came here alone!' he hissed again, growing angrier again.

'I had to, you weren't going to come. No one was. I can do this myself, I don't need a babysitter Vilkas,' I told him.

'Is that it then? You don't need a babysitter?' he scoffed, looking at me in disbelief. I had just trampled on his toes. 'I'll remember that the next time you're about to get eaten by three bears.'

'Three?'

'There was two more in the cave, why do you think I didn't catch you before you went swimming?'

'I'm sorry. Thank you,' I said in a small voice, looking down at my hands with a guilty feeling hanging on my shoulders. 'I just don't want to have to rely on you guys for everything.'

'You'll get used to family pestering you,' he said with a small smile. I smiled back at him shyly.

'Where's Farkas?' I questioned.

'He'll be here shortly, he was tailing you. Get a room and get some sleep,' he sighed, rubbing his eyes with his fingers and then pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger, keeping his head down. He plopped a small coin purse on the table and I took it up.