Author's note
Sorry for the late chapter update! I had some real life issues :( There will be weekly updates from now on, so sit tight. Random, but I'm still undecided if, in my mind, Vilkas should be played by Richard Armitage or Aidan Turner. Both have their charm. Decisions, decisions...
On with the chapter!
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After a night of trembling, fitful dreams and foreign words bouncing around her skull, Amina was anything but well-rested. Truth be told, she wanted to be. The road to Whiterun was still far, and if she kept it up this way, she'd end up crawling up the steps of Jorrvaskr and falling asleep at the boots of the Harbinger before even becoming a Companion. That just wouldn't do. She wondered if they'd let her keep Meeko as she absent-mindedly fed him half her breakfast, as she always did in the mornings.
"Let's get going, cousin." Erik said, packing up their camp and provisions.
Amina turned to look at him, remembering all their adventures on the road so far – though not many, very significant. Her boy cousin had now turned into a man, and she felt that losing him would be like losing a brother. A thought flied over her head: Erik had said he'd leave once they reached Whiterun, and that would leave her horribly alone in a strange city full of strange people, Companion or not.
They reached Whiterun all too soon, and the grassy fields parted for them like they were expecting them. The edge of the city was bustling with activity, and they scarcely had room to walk among Khajit caravans with their coloured carpets and wares, the farm vendors with carts overflowing with fruits, and travelers selling on furs and leathers whatever they found adventuring and pillaging.
Amina stared in wonder at the city's large stone walls, at the banners flying in the wind, and at the proud guards keeping watch over the whole land, perched on the walls like birds of prey and patrolling the walls like clockwork.
She tugged Erik's sleeve. "Oh, Erik! This is even more wonderful than I thought!"
He smiled. "Nothing matches Whiterun, no other city in Skyrim is like it. It's just…lively."
"Lively? This place is great!"
Amina ran ahead, jumping over Khajit wares and twirling around every few steps, drinking in the sight. She was so close! So close to becoming an adventurer, living life on the edge like it's supposed to be, gaining her independence…and she was doing it all in the most beautiful place she'd ever seen.
Shouts in the distance. She turned around and ran back to Erik as the traders were trying to gather their wares as fast as possible. And then…
The biggest creature she'd ever seen.
"Shit." Erik said.
"That's one angry giant."
"As I said: shit."
"Should we fight it?"
"Are you feeling particularly suicidal today? You don't want to fight bandits and you're fighting giants?"
"Bandits only want to hurt me, at the moment. This thing could hurt every one around it."
Erik groaned. "That's not very…bandits hurt everyone on the road? Why would you…argh, fine. But I won't be responsible for your untimely death."
Amina took out her bow and arrow. "I'll go ahead and distract it with arrows. You try and hit its knees, it should make it buckle hard enough to allow us a hit to the head and knock it out."
Erik raised an eyebrow. Since when had Amina a mind for strategy?
They ran ahead and saw figures circling the giant, one woman with a bow, one mountain of a man wrecking massive damage and another guy whose hits were calculated, clean and precise.
Amina jumped into the fray, sending arrows everywhere she could, confusing the giant, who tried to take a swing at every person in its vicinity.
The three strangers became aware of her and Erik's presence. A dance began forming, every warrior moving as if they'd known each other a lifetime, as if the whole scene was nothing but choreography on stage. The two men (twins?) complemented each other, hitting the giant left and right, slicing sinew and muscle and crushing it afterwards, while the woman and Amina served as decoy, pelting the giant with arrows. All the while, Erik was between the giant's legs, hitting at the front and back of its knees, trying to make it buckle down so Amina, or whichever other warrior, could get a hit at its head and crack it like a walnut. Even Meeko was doing his job by nipping at giant's toes and confusing it with his barking.
Of course, that's what it seemed like on the outside. On the inside of battle, Amina was terrified and regretting her decision, while Erik was trying very, very hard not to get stepped on while hitting where he could, when he could.
And then it happened: Erik managed to deliver a staggering blow to both of the giant's knees, and it fell down. In one swoop, the big guy sliced its head clean off with his greatsword, much to Amina's revulsion.
"Thanks for your help." The big guy said, throwing them a beaming smile. His twin was right near him, regarding them with an air of aloofness, but nonetheless, he nodded and thanked them. "Thank you, but it was unnecessary."
"You handle yourself well. Bit scrawny, the both of you, but you could be a decent Shield Brother and Sister." The woman said, arching an eyebrow towards them.
"Well what do you know, Amina! Didn't even have to enter the walls to meet the Companions." Erik exclaimed, slapping her on the back and making her stumble a bit.
"Oh, and why were you looking for us, pray tell." The woman asked.
"To join you!" Amina said, butting in front of Erik "…can I join you?"
"Not for me to say. You should speak to Kodlak Whitemane, up in Jorrvaskr. The old man can look right into your eyes and measure your worth. "
The smaller twin scoffed. "In her case, he would have to bend at the waist to look her in the eyes. Jorrvaskr is no place for inexperienced kids playing adventurer."
Amina puffed and took a step forward. "Bet you've got that smart mouth from bending at the waist, too. Polished many spears with that sharp tongue, have you?"
As the guy opened his mouth for a retort, his sibling started laughing, a deep, rich sound that cut through the tension in the air. He pointed at Amina "I like her!"
His twin groweled. "I don't. If I see your face in Jorrvaskr I will make it my mission to show everyone a scrawny kid has no place among us."
Amina jutted her chin out in defiance. "We'll see about that."
Erik butted in between them. "Everyone's tired from fighting. Why don't we all get some rest? You will have the occasion to insult each other all you want when we come visit Jorrvaskr."
As they went their separate ways, Erik asked: "Don't you think you were a bit too much?"
"Nobody calls me short and gets away with it."
Erik rolled his eyes. "He was just pulling the whole 'gruff seasoned warrior' act. You should've known better than to have retaliated in kind. You're no better than him if you snip at him like he did at you."
"If he thinks I'm weak, he's got another thing coming. I'll get into the Companions and bash his head in."
"Woah there with the blood thirst."
"I just hate that he was so mean without even knowing us."
"It's probably all an act to deter every kind of idiot of coming to the Companions."
Amina huffed.
"Now, Amina cousin-dearest, let's get ourselves to the inn, get some cooked food and clean ourselves up. There's mead and baked potatoes calling my name."
Even Meeko agreed to that, letting out a loud bark of approval, trotting after them through the high gates of Whiterun. The guards stood tall, following them with their eyes, but said nothing: they probably didn't look suspicious or scruffy enough to warrant questioning. That, and killing a giant was bound to ensure passing into the good graces of the guard forces.
Whiterun was a sight to behold. One of the greatest cities of Skyrim, after Solitude, it was every bit the commercial center it was said to be. Colourful banners with the horse and shied insignia of the city fluttered above their heads, and the road ahead seemed to never end, snaking and spiraling up the hill up to Dragonsreach. The city was immensely grand, with houses scattered left and right, people bustling around, the voices of children and adults waving through the air in a sort of perpetual buzzing noise of excitement. Whiterun was alive, and Amina felt, oddly, very much at home. The city's spirit seemed to be airy and light, flirty and powerful.
"I am going to get in the companions. And buy a house. And live here forever till I'm old with a few dogs to be my companions." Amina declared. Erik laughed. "Yes, yes, but first, let's get you admitted into the companions. Then you can think of saving up gold for your future dog-filled house."
It took them almost half an hour to reach the central market, a large circle dotted with markets and a large fountain, surrounded by shops arranged very much like a fairy circle.
And then Erik saw her: impossibly beautiful. Unbelievably graceful. By the gods, was she a fae sent to Earth to entice man kind into giving up her souls?! He had never seen such a beautiful woman in all his 25 years of life. He pushed his back into Amina's hands.
"What are you doing?!"
"Buying apples and conquering hearts."
Amina gaped after him, as he strode confidently towards a fruit stall a few feet away from them.
Erik looked at a few apples, picked up two loaves of bread, and then stared under his eyelashes at the woman behind the stall. He could feel his cheeks redden. Sure, he had bragged about conquering hearts, but now that he came to it, he really didn't know what to say.
"I hope you're looking at me like that because you want to buy something?"
Erik sputtered a bit more, fumbling with his apples and bread.
"Err…yes, well I…you see…Apples. Yes. I want these apples and this bread."
The woman smiled at him. "Well, you're a nice change from the brutes I usually deal with. That'd be 5 gold."
Erik handed her the money, blushing furiously from the bottom of his neck to the tips of his ears.
"Miss…err, Ma'am…Miss, you see, I was wondering if…maybe…you-" Just then, a little girl approached the stall, tugging at the woman's dress. "Momma, can I have some apples? I'm hungry."
Momma?! Amina sniggered. Just like Erik to pick the wrong woman to fall in love with. Erik, in the mean time, gulped, ready to be pummeled in the ground by the probably soon approaching husband.
"I'm sorry for disturbing you ma'am, I didn't think…I promise, no more of this for me! Just more gold for them apples." He said, biting into one. "These are really good!" he exclaimed, forgetting his previous blunder due to the deliciousness he was facing. "I grew apples at my old farm too, but these…!"
The woman and her daughter laughed. "Freshest produce in all of Skyrim! And, do not worry, you're forgiven. At the very least you were polite about it."
"Yes, well, at least your husband wasn't here to hear it and pummel me into the ground!"
"Ah, well, no husband here, but be sure, I can pummel you into the ground myself."
Erik laughed. "I won't take you up on that offer. Well, I guess I'll see you around. And I really do apologise if I was being…err, too forward…or insulting…or anything else. I do promise to buy my apples and bread from you from now on to make up for it!"
She laughed. "Name's Carlotta Valentia. And this is my daughter, Mila."
Erik lowered down to eye level with Mila, and took her hand and kissed it. "Pleasure to meet you, my lady! You take good care of your mother, alright?"
Mila giggled. "Yes, sir."
Sending another smile over to the beautiful Carlotta, Erik went back to where Amina was standing, giggling at him.
"You lady killer, you!"
"Shut up, cousin. She's taken…by motherhood."
"I don't see why that should stop you." She shrugged. "Unless her kid's a hellion, in which case, better become a monk."
He rolled his eyes.
"Let's just get to the inn and find ourselves a warm place to stay."
"Didn't you say you'd leave once I made it to city?"
Erik blushed. "I've reconsidered. The Companions sound good to me right now. And I can always leave after you've settled, right?"
Amina laughed loudly, snorting a couple of times in mirth. "Of course, loverboy."
"Oh, shut up."
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The oddest thing about Jorrvaskr weren't the many dogs running around, or the peculiar absence of cats, but the fact that the whole construction was the shape and size of an upside-down Ancient Nord ship. Vastly decorated, but still very much a downturned ship.
However, when Amina stepped over the sole of its front yard, marveling at the banners and at the statues of Ysgramor guarding the gates, she knew she was were she should be. She could feel it in her bones that this is what she was meant to do.
"I have a good feeling about this, cousin." she said. Meeko approved with a bark.
She started to knock on the door, when it was flung open, hitting her right in the face and sending her sprawling on the steps. Two figures barreled through the opening, rolling around the floor and then down the steps, hitting one at a time while they were raining punches and insults on the other. They ended up brawling on the floor of the wind district, right at the feet of a preacher, who yelped and ran away from the scene. They left a trail of blood in their wake, and Amina and Erik's surprised reactions.
"Don't worry about them. Just sorting through some issues, the way they always do."
She looked at Amina's bruising face, and gave out a snort. "If you're not able to dodge a door, how will you face when we give you your first mission, eh?"
Amina grinded her teeth. "Much better, I assure you.
Aela smirked. "That's the spirit. Are you both joining?"
Amina turned to look at Erik questioningly. "My cousin wants to join, but I work better alone. I'm here to watch over her."
"And seduce the fruit stall vendor!"
"Will you shut up about that?" Erik said, his ears and cheeks turning a very brilliant red.
"Carlotta? Hah! You''d have to wait until her daughter gets married to even get close to her."
"That's not the point!" Erik flailed his arms wildly, first towards Amina "She " then towards Jorvaskrr "-wants to join you. What does she have to do, and how fast can you get her away from me until she forgets about…Carlotta?"
Aela let out a laugh that sounded oddly like a bark. "You have to speak to Kodlak, he's in charge." T
"He's your leader?" Amina asked.
"Not quite so. We govern ourselves, and we're free to come and go as we please. But Kodlak is the oldest, and wisest. We all follow his will because we respect it. And he respects us."
"So I should go to him?"
Aela's eyebrow arched. "Do you usually ask stupid questions?"
"Right. Erik, I think this is something I need to do alone. I'll see you later."
Amina tentatively entered Jorvaskrr, surveying the people gathered around in the hall. The folk in the hall paid her no heed. She wasn't the first, nor the last, pathetic looking whelp entering their hall and asking for entrance. Considering there was a fair chance she'd get out with her tail between her legs and wouldn't shadow their doorstep again, they didn't spare more than a glance towards her.
And truth be told, this particular prospective Companion certainly didn't look to live up to the expectations of the shoes she was supposed to fill. She was shorter by almost half a head than most Nord women, and way too skinny, even under her rusty iron armour. She was baby-faced, with a wide Redguard nose, thick lips, and vivid hazel eyes…though they really couldn't see those because they were hidden by her fringe. What respectable warrior held their hair in twin braids?
She's show them, Amina thought. She'd show them that no matter how weak she was now, she'd become a great warrior. She'd show Aela, and that ponce Vilkas, how powerful she could really get. She turned towards an old woman sweeping the floor, and asked her were she could find Kodlak.
She found herself running down the stairs in excitement, almost skipping towards the end of the undergrownd hallway towards Kodlak's study. She slowed down when she started hearing Vilkas' voice floating down the hall.
"The prick has a beautiful voice when he's not busy being a bastard." She thought. She couldn't yet make out the words, but the tones were deep and rich, soothing her nerves. In the end, the Companions weren't just warriors. They were people, who laughed and talked, and probably felt like she did at the beginning.
"But I still hear the call of the blood."
Amina stopped short. The call…of the blood? She realised she was probably listening to something she shouldn't've been witness to in the first place, and quickly hid herself behind a particularly thick wooden pillar.
"We all do. It is our burden to bear. But we can overcome."
"You have my brother and I, obviously. But I don't know if the rest will go along quite so easily."
"Leave that to me. In the meantime, it seems we have visitors."
Amina startled. She was sure she hadn't been seen, or heard!
"Come forth."
"We do not bite." Vilkas added. "Hard." He smirked as he saw her approach. "Haven't I told you not to come?"
Amina snorted. "What are you, my father?". She then turned towards Kodlak.
"Sir…I'd like to join the Companions."
"Would you now? Let me have a look at you." He said, taking Amina's chin into his calloused hand, and looking deep into her eyes. She felt her heart beat wildly, in happiness or fear she didn't know, but she held his gaze.
"A certain strength of spirit….a desire to overcome your station. Weak bodied, but strong minded. Yes, perhaps, you shall become a Companion yet."
Amina let out a brilliant smile from ear to ear, resisting the urge to jump in place. Vilkas interrupted her contained celebration.
"Master, you're not truly considering accepting her?"
"I am nobody's master, Vilkas. And last I checked, we had some empty beds in Jorrvaskr for those with a fire burning in their hearts."
"Apologies. But perhaps this isn't the time. I've never even heard of this outsider."
He was interrupted at his turn by the doors to the study banging wide open, pushed aside by a panting guard.
"Dragons have been stopped at Helgen! We have word from Riverwhood that the dragon swooped over their town!"
Kodlak stood up. "Dragons?!"
"But the dragons are long dead!" Vilkas exclaimed.
"We need one of your men to go to Helgen and asses the damages. We've had no one come from there, and we do not know the situation. Jarl's request, Harbringer."
Seizing the opportunity, Amina interrupted "I'll go!"
"What?" said Vilkas. Kodlak looked appraisingly at her, a small smile on his lips.
"Look, you're right – you've never heard of me. I look weak. But I'll go there and back, and show you that I can be useful! And that I'm worthy of training! And good as a Companion!"
"Very well." Kodlak nodded. "You will go there, assess the situation, and come back."
Vilkas took her arms. "Let's go and get yourself some proper armour."
"What?" Amina asked, surprised.
"You now act in the name of the Companions. I won't have us become a laughing stock because of your rusty armour and sword."
He lead her towards the Companion's armour room, which was a mess of steel and iron and contained everything a warrior could ever need and dream of. At Amina's surprised expression, Vilkas explained: "We're not above taking away armour from dead foes. It comes handy in emergencies."
Amina smiled and patted his shoulder, earning herself a glare which she ignored. "I think I'm going to fit right in."
He snorted. "If you don't get eaten by this supposed dragon first."
"You wish." She snorted.
"I wouldn't be so lucky."
A few moments later, Amina was equipped and ready to go. She had a new scimitar as sharp as Vilkas' tongue, and good armour top to bottom. The improved state of her armour made her feel more powerful than she ever did in her life.
"You take good care of yourself out there." Vilkas said, crossing his arms and glaring at her.
"Ah, so you can be anything other than venomous when you want to."
"Idiocy isn't a reason to wish somebody death. But keep it up and I just might."