"We have been quite busy of late, and it is an excellent excuse, and opportunity, to rest and celebrate," Soran said when the idea was brought to him by Clesa and Balan, one of the men that Dyus had selected, and the only member of the Hand that, like Clesa, hailed from Hammerfell.
"The Redguard are fond of holidays it seems," Dyus had offered when the the Redguard pair had broached the possibility of combining two of their native holidays with another that originated in Iliac Bay, adjacent to High Rock and Hammerfell, but had long since been transplanted to the Reach.
"We are a people who enjoy our celebrations, it is true," Clesa said as Balan nodded, "but we also revere our Gods, and we offer them feasts to demonstrate our reverence."
"With wine, and reveling," Dyus said skeptically.
"That helps," Balan said simply.
"I will leave it in your hands, and Gwenyfe's," Soran answered, "though the three of you may call on me, or Hellina, for assistance. But mark me, you will not pay for anything out of your own pockets. We will all toss coins into the communal purse. Just do not go to excess. We still have work to attend to, and responsibilities to fulfill."
"They seem quite happy," Dyus said as he stood next to Soran and watched the pair intercept Gwenyfe as she was walking towards the stables.
"That they do," Soran agreed.
Soran shared their happiness. He had responded quickly to the medicines that the you son of the Thane of The Pale had delivered. It was only a matter of a few days that saw Soran and Carcette walking as they formerly did, though it was Soran that needed Carcette's assistance rather than the reverse. It was only a few days after that when his lost doves began to return home. Some returned empty handed, mostly. Sharn, Gwenyfe and Clesa had not found a fragment; but what they did bring back was a fantastical tale, and several artifacts that were much coveted by everyone who saw them. Hellina, Falco, Sigyrr and Dralof returned with the true article, but it would not be long before that hand sized fragment of Wuuthrad would make another journey, to be safely hidden once again from the residents of Jorrvaskr. Krev, Frik, Urul and Falco returned with their mission accomplished, but only Urul and Falco stayed to report fully on what occured. Krev and Frik had departed almost immediately upon learning of the promotion of Dyus, and the probable loss of six of his personal band of followers.
But it was the return of Vala, Manis, and Naar that brought the most interesting item, that item coming in the form of medicinals, and information.
"I see that you do not require these," Vala said as she opened her satchel and removed one of the bottles of potion, and a small container of ointment.
"Where did you get these?" Soran asked as he looked intently at the items she handed to him, before looking back at her.
"Thane Aric of Whiterun made these," she answered, "His daughter Lucia gave them to me to bring back for you to use. Manis received similar medicines in the temple of Kynareth, and can attest to their efficacy."
Soran walked out of his office only to return a moment later, his hands filled with an empty bottle and container.
"But these are identical," she said as she compared the items, "where did you obtain these?"
"The Thane of The Pale's son brought them to us. It is also what his housecarl used to treat Carcette when she turned up on their doorstep. The boy said his father made them."
Vala's jaw dropped, but only for a moment.
"This cannot be..."
"I believe it can be. Thane Aric is also Thane of The Pale."
"Gods," Vala said as she recalled her conversations with Lucia, "Lucia said that her sister Runa is visiting their sisters in Windhelm. He has a house in Windhelm. And her father and mother are both in Solitude. Can he truly be Thane in four holds?"
"I cannot tell. But it is certain that the same hand made these medicines, and that hand wields great skill in healing, as it wielded fire and destruction magic so effectively in combat."
Vala held the bottles in each hand, identical bottles - identical in size, color, labeling, sealed with the same distinctive wax. "It must be him. It is the same man."
"It is not so odd, is it? Any Jarl would value this man highly, no?"
"I suppose so. But across all of Skyrim? Windhelm, Solitude, Whiterun, probably other holds as well. He ranges far and wide. What type of Thane would do so? Is it not meant as an honorary title?"
"That depends entirely on the man or woman who holds the title. Some take the traditional responsibility quite seriously. But I admit that most others do not."
"I do not know what to make of him," Vala said as she handed the two bottles back to Soran.
"It is not necessary to make anything of him for the time being. Your visit to Whiterun had a different purpose. Manis said that you both had information to share."
Vala certainly had information to share, but it was just as certain that she would not share all of it.
"They seem not the least bit interested in locating additional fragments of Wuuthrad," Vala said once she, Manis, Soran, and Hellina were assembled at the table in the main room where they took their common meals, "Kodlak gave that chore to Aric as his proving task, but once his induction was completed they lost interest."
"The rumors that Naar collected when he was in Whiterun last appear to be true," Manis added, "they have devolved into a band of mercenaries for hire, not much better than common brigands. Anyone may hire them to intimidate anyone else, and as long as their fee is paid they will do just that. One of them threatened the very attractive merchant selling vegetables in the square, a single Mother whose only crime is trying to feed her daughter. I saw it occur."
"I know for fact that at least two of their members do not like the state of things," Vala said, "and they talk openly about Kodlak's age, and his distraction with some sort of research. He no longer keeps them on the true path, and has not done so for some time."
"The city is split in it's opinion of the Companions, probably because they have strong-armed or intimidated one half of it's residents," Manis said.
"But the brothers are still held in some regard," Vala said, "and in the Thane's household that regard is quite high."
"We knew that there was an attachment between them," Hellina said after Manis had recounted the tale about the fight in the courtyard, "but we did not know how far back it went. Is that the reason that the Companions are themselves divided into camps?"
"No, but it is clear that those camps exist. The brothers keep their own counsel, as do Aela and Skjor. All the others are thrown together by default. Kodlak is an island unto himself. But Aric, Thane of Many Holds, runs through all of those camps like a river in springtime. He pays no attention to cliques or camps, and associates where and as he chooses."
Vala recounted the circumstances that led her to meet Vilkas and Farkas, but she would definitely not recount how she and Farkas, after their armor had been removed and cleaned, and they had both drunk a mug of mulled wine by the large hearth in the main room of Jorvasskr, had felt an immediate attraction to each other. She knew that Farkas was very much attached to Lucia's sister Runa, but it appeared that some portion of his heart was available, at least on a temporary basis, to others; and Vala would not hesitate to agree that what Farkas lacked in vocabulary (compared to his brother) he made up for in looks (which he and his brother had in equal share), and a forthrightness that had Vala on the verge of pulling his tunic forcefully over his head and casting it to the floor, to be followed in quick succession by her own.
"I wish I could say yes," she had said to him finally, her heart beating almost as hard as it had during her fight with the death hounds as his hands and lips enticed her to put aside her better judgement, "but I cannot. I have commitments that make it impossible."
"I won't ask you what those commitments are," he had replied as his hands caressed her skin underneath her tunic, driving her mind and body to the brink of madness, "they are none of my business. But when I sleep tonight I will dream of what could have been if they had not existed."
She would never tell Soran about how her commitment to The Silver Hand had made her feel that her feelings for the Companion, and his feelings for her, were built on a foundation of false pretenses; that it would wound him deeply were they to give themselves to each other, only for him to find out the truth about her. She would not tell Soran, but she felt as if she would burst if she did not confide in someone, and she knew who that someone must be.
"It is understandable," Hellina said after Vala had told the unedited tale to her, "if he is as hansom as you say. You are a red blooded woman with needs and desires, just as I am."
"But you and Soran have each other. There is no one for me, and there has not been for quite some time."
"It is this life that we have chosen. Hearth and home. A husband. Children. We do not formally renounce these things, but you would not know that by looking at us. In that respect The Silver Hand and The Companions are similar."
"Not all of them. Aric is one of their number, and he has children, and a wife in all but name. He and his housecarl are Husband and Wife by any accounting, and they have raised a family together."
"Would you be Wife and Mother? Knowing that your life could be cut short in an instant?"
"Every life could be cut short in an instant. Terek and I know that well enough. But it is not a reason to stop living our lives. I do not know if the life of a wife and a mother is for me, but I know that the life of a celibate nun is not. I did not need Farkas' hands on my skin igniting my desire to tell me that. If I had to do it again, I do not think I could resist my urges. I barely resisted the last time."
"Perhaps you should not have resisted," Hellina said quietly as her eyes remained on the patch of ground in front of her feet as the two women walked through the hills behind their home.
"My mission was to spy on him and his brothers and sisters. My oath would have me kill him in his beast form. What sort of person would I be if I took him into my bed, knowing that I would shortly report everything I had learned from him, or that I might have to kill him at some future date? At the very least it would make me a liar by omission."
"Everyone takes someone into their bed with the tale only half told," Hellina said as she looked directly at the woman next to her, "it took many years before Soran and I knew each other well, and even now I do not presume that I know every detail about him; and I know that he does not know every detail about me. In any case, the two of you were not entering into a contract of marriage. Your night together would have been short, with little time left over for story telling."
"Perhaps you are right. But I still felt it would have been a deception, and I would have carried the guilt of it."
"Then it is good that you chose as you did. The guilt would have outlived any happiness it might have brought you."
Soran had watched the two of them until their meandering path took them out of eye shot. He had no idea what they were discussing, but it was clear to him that it was a serious topic; serious, but private. It was also clear to Soran what would happen if he asked Hellina to share what she and Vala discussed, and having only just recovered from serious injury, he had no interest in risking more. In any case, there were three men waiting patiently (mostly) outside his office; three men who also had reason to be happy.
"I am sorry for the delay," the Harbinger of The Silver Hand said to Sigyrr, Dralof, and Falco, "I congratulate you on the success of your mission. You bring us one step closer to our ultimate goal. For each of you, and your quest to become full members of The Silver Hand, that goal you have already achieved. Tonight's ceremony is important, but only a formality. I am happy to shake each of you my hand, and welcome you, as everyone will welcome you later tonight, as my brothers."
Three beaming faces shone at Soran as the four men exchanged hand shakes and warriors embraces.
The festivities, which combined Koomu Alizer'i, The Feast of the Tiger, and Appreciation Day, started with a short, solemn, ceremony as the Altmer Enchanter, who some believe to be old enough that he knew Ysgramor personally, performed the ritual that every full member of the Silver Hand underwent as their weapon of choice was imbued with magical silver runes, drawn by Hellina in her fine hand, before the wizened High Elf cast the spells that permanently fixed them to blade, or mace head, or hammer head, whatever the preference of the new member. The remainder of their armor and weapons would be so modified at a later date and time.
"We rejoice as we except this fragment of Wuuthrad, and these worthy men, into the covenant that Ysgramor entered into with his sons Yngol and Ylgar, and the crews of the Jorrvaskr, the Fallowfire, and the Kaal Kaaz. We walk in their footsteps, we uphold their traditions, and we pledge never to dishonor them," Soran recited as Dyus, Sigyrr, Dralof, and Falco knelt before him.
"We walk in their footsteps, we uphold their traditions, and we pledge never to dishonor them," the four men repeated together before picking up their now magically enhanced weapons.
"Now, let the celebration begin," Soran said happily.
The night rang with merriment, laughter, and song as the assembled members of the Silver Hand, joined by the Vigilants of Stendarr that were housed temporarily with them, celebrated life, or friendship, or health, or whatever individual reasons they had to give thanks.
Neither Krev nor Frik chose to attend.