Something was clearly amiss in Skyrim. Hellina could not put her finger on it, except to say that night walkers were out in force, in larger numbers than she had seen recently. All of the sources of information that they relied on for information on possible locations for fragments of Wuuthrad had gone to ground. In any case, they had not one moment to spare for any such investigations or retrievals; and the one fragment which they did not possess, but whose location they knew, was well guarded in Jorrvaskr; and given how stretched their resources were fighting vampires and werewolves (and trolls, which for some reason were wandering into the populated areas of Skyrim with alarming frequency), they could not risk the loss of men and women that would likely result from such an assault.
And it had not escaped Hellina's notice, nor Soran's, that over the past six months, as members of the Hand more frequently encountered members of the Companions, as Vala had encountered Vilkas and Farkas (thought Soran still did not know all the details that Vala had shared with Hellina) and Terek and Salama had encountered Aela and Torvar, that fewer and fewer men and women under Soran's command looked forward to such a battle with enthusiasm.
"They seem in every regard to be just like us," Dralof said during a council meeting as he described his meeting with the Companions Ria and Njada, "but for their title of Companion, there is nothing to distinguish them from us, or any other elite warrior. They would fit in here immediately."
Hellina was certain that Dralof's reasons, and his familiarity with the two women, ran deeper than he let on (in that way he and Vala were alike, though Dralof had not shared any details with Hellina); and it was not only she that had noticed the bite marks on his neck and the scratches on his back after his encounter with a pair of Companions. It seemed that Dralof had shown none of the reluctance that Vala had demonstrated in a similar situation, no reluctance whatsoever, divided between the two women he had shown it towards, in the same bed, at the same time, if Dralof's reputation was well founded.
It was a mystery to Hellina how so many of her brothers and sisters and so many Companions would finally meet and almost the first thing they chose to do was cast off their clothing and leap into bed together rather than attack each other. Not that Hellina felt the need to attack any Companion on site; they were not sworn enemies, though they vied for the same fragments of Wuuthrad, and that competition had in the past led to open conflict, and death. It was only the Companions Inner Circle, and even then only in their beast form, as well as any unnatural creature that preyed on the residents of Skyrim, towards which the Hand felt enmity. Hellina was also forced to admit that she and Soran had each other when either of them felt the need to share a bed, which they did, almost as frequently as Hellina wished and desired. Otherwise, it was possible that she would be one of the many to seek out a member of The Companions as many of the Silver Hand had done.
Many, but not all. Terek had felt no such urge towards Aela, though Hellina knew why, and where those urges were focused. And even if Salama had not returned his interest, Torvar was nothing to her except a drunkard who had somehow snuck into the ranks of The Companions and had mysteriously been allowed to remain.
When Hellina had met Kodlak Whitemane he reminded her of her own father in almost every aspect of his manner and speech. It took her a short time afterwards to remember that he was a member of the Circle, and it was her sworn duty to kill him in his beast form if she ever thus encountered him.
And the memory of Dustman's Cairn was still never far from her mind, no farther than the faces of the men and women they had lost. The growing affection between some of the Hand and some of the Companions made those deaths even harder to endure. And while Dralof was safe from having to make an unenviable choice (since neither Ria nor Njada were members of the Circle), Vala could be placed in an impossible position, though she had saved herself from the unendurable pain of having to slay a lover in beast form. But that the Hand and the Companions were similar, in appearance, in membership, and currently in their mission to wander Skyrim eradicating beasts that walked on two legs, or four, or used wings instead of legs, that was not so hard to compass. They had started out as one group. And while the Companions had devolved far from the ideal of Ysgramor, they had not strayed as far as Krev and his band had done, at least not yet.
It was Krev and his dwindling band that still showed interest in storming Jorrvaskr. Hellina did not believe for one moment that it was bravery, or dedication to their mission that drove them, it was the chance for plunder that motivated them. Krev's own personal spy Hylf, who could make himself almost presentable when it was necessary, was responsible for identifying when Jorrvaskr was left virtually undefended. That told Hellina everything she needed to know regarding Krev's motives, and his acceptable level of risk. Soran had forbade Krev from taking any unilateral action, but Hellina did not trust Krev as far as she could throw him, and not even that far; so she was also now required to divide her time between her official duties and her unofficial task of watching Krev, and his followers.
The sun was setting as Hellina drew the filled bucket from the well again. It was only half of what she normally used for her bath, but her arm still bothered her, and what she had already drawn would be sufficient, though barely. None of the worries that were still passing through her mind in no particular order would be solved today, or tomorrow for that matter. What she most desired now was a bath, and a span of time filled with nothing but peace and quiet, just her and Soran alone. It was then that the plan began to come into her mind.
I can ask Soran to fetch the next few buckets of water, and help me fill the tub, she thought as her face broke into a smile.
Two years had elapsed since their first encounter with vampires. Two years that saw them increasingly diverted from their true goal, their efforts now applied to a more immediate need. Ysgramor would understand such efforts, and applaud them even. He would have made the same choice himself, Hellina was sure, to largely suspend their search in favor of ridding Skyrim of this pestilence that spread daily.
None of them had slept more than a few hours at a stretch for several days, so Hellina was not surprised to find Soran fast asleep where he sat in his office, his tea still warm in the mug on the table in front of him, a piece of buttered brown bread still in his hand.
Her hand on his shoulder was enough to rouse him.
"Naar has news," she said to him quietly as she pressed her lips gently against his forehead, "you will want to hear it."
Soran rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he walked the short distance to the large common room.
"This one has news that Soran will like," the tall Khajiit said once Soran had crossed half the length of the room.
"Do you delay telling me for dramatic effect?" Soran asked before rubbing his face.
"Naar delays until Soran is fully awake," he said as he smiled, and the rings in his ears played their golden tune.
"I am as awake as I can manage, friend," Soran said as he sat down at the long table where they shared meals, taking his usual chair.
"Soran will be much more awake in a moment," the Khajiit said, "Thane Aric was offered a place in the Inner Circle. He declined."
Naar was correct. Any remaining clouds of sleep evaporated from Soran's mind immediately.
"He refused a place in the Inner Circle of the Companions," Soran said, making sure that he had heard the words correctly.
"Aric declined, stating plainly that he had no interest in lycanthropy," Naar said, "Skjor made the initial offer, and was rebuffed. Aela waited a reasonable time and offered again, and was also refused. Both times Thane Aric stated clearly his opposition to beast blood."
"Has anyone ever declined the offer before?" Hellina asked Soran.
"It is probable, given the number of years, and the number of Companions, since the Schism," Soran replied, "but none that I know of in my lifetime."
"This one has more news," Naar said as the Khajiit and Hellina traded a brief glance, which convinced Soran that Naar had already shared this next morsel of information with her.
"You dole out your information like alms, friend," Soran said to him.
"Thane Aric's refusal resulted in a hasty meeting of the Circle," Hellina said, preempting Naar by only a moment, "they discussed it at length, and their reactions diverged."
Soran waited a moment, looking from Naar to Hellina, but neither spoke.
"Diverged in what manner?" Soran asked finally.
"Aela and Skjor took the refusal almost as a personal affront," Naar said, "Kodlak and the twins less so. It was the reaction of those three, and of Kodlak in particular, that interested Naar."
"How do you come by this information?" Soran asked him plainly, which he never liked to do with Naar. Naar was possessive of his sources of information, even with Soran. As a result, it took the Khajiit warrior and thief a moment to answer.
"From Torvar, aided by two bottles of brandy," Naar said, "the Circle chose a poor location to discuss the matter. Torvar, who greatly wishes to become a member of the Circle, though he does not know fully what it entails, lurked nearby and was close enough to hear all. He states that Kodlak wishes to be rid of the curse of the beast blood, and has begun to search for a cure. The twins also express an interest in a cure."
Soran waited a moment while he rubbed his face again and considered what he had just heard before responding.
"You are saying that three of the Inner Circle wish to be rid of the curse of Terrfyg," Soran repeated.
"Kodlak said plainly that he is a true Nord, and wishes Sovngarde as his final resting place rather than the hunting grounds of Hircine," Hellina added, "the twins are partly motivated by their attachment to the Thane's daughters Lucia and Runa, who the twins believe share their father's opinion on lycanthropy, but also because they themselves share Kodlak's desire to see Sovngarde."
"Is such a cure possible?" Soran asked the pair after another period of stunned silence.
"This one does not know," Naar answered, "Kodlak himself does not know, but believes that a cure exists. Aela has no interest in a cure, and prefers the Hunting Grounds as her final resting place. That one spoke unkind words to the other three, though her words to the Thane were less harsh. Possibly his beauty insulated him somewhat, but she does not wish to be rid of something that she considers a gift rather than a curse."
"What was Skjor's opinion on the matter?"
"Skjor did not offer one. He remained silent, allowing The Huntress to argue for him as well as for herself. He left the meeting in haste, and in anger, afterwards. He had not yet returned when I departed Whiterun."
"They are shattered, there is no denying it now; and it was this refusal that finally broke them into pieces," Hellina said, "the circle would cease to exist if three of its five members renounced the curse."
"It is what we have worked for, and prayed for, since the Schism," Hellina said, "Kodlak would complete our sacred task without the need for further bloodshed. With the curse lifted, The Companions and The Silver Hand could unite again into a single family."
It was a dream that they all shared, the reclamation of the title of Companion, a title no longer tainted by the curse of beast blood. Up until now they never contemplated a path to that end that did not involve much blood spilled on both sides. Now Kodlak himself looked for a way to bring that dream to reality which did not involve death.
"Can we aid Kodlak in his quest?" Soran asked, "can we help him find his cure?"
"If we had one moment free to do so, we could make inquiries," Hellina said. She bore as many wounds, hidden beneath her bandages, clothing, and armor as anyone. None of the Silver Hand needed reminding why their time was so taken up that free moments were few and far between. But this cure, if it could be found, would end the enmity between the two groups and place them on the path to reunification. Soran had not realized how much his heart had yearned for such an ending to the schism between the Companions and the Silver Hand until the possibility was almost close enough to reach out and grasp.
But there were matters that were more immediate, and more pressing, matters that affected all of Skyrim, not just their two groups. Now was not the time for them to become distracted, not even by something as tempting as a reunification of The Silver Hand and The Companions.
"We will make inquiries when time and circumstance allows," Soran said, "for now, the task at hand is more important, though now I think upon it, we might kill two birds with one stone."
"What stone do you have in mind, and which birds?" Hellina asked later when they were alone.
"Given the current state of affairs between our two groups, we have several options."
"Is there a double meaning in your selection of words?" Hellina asked before remembering that Soran still had no knowledge of Vala and Farkas.
"I only meant that with the exception of Skjor, someone in our clan is familiar with a member of the Companions."
"You forget Aric; Companion, Thane, and…what did Naar say the Whiterun guards called him?"
"Dragonborn. There is a fantastical tale about Aric capturing a dragon in Whiterun and then letting it go before riding off on its back."
"Dragonborn… I know that title from somewhere, but not from that fictitious story that is too ludicrous to be believed."
"I will loan you a book on The Oblivion Crisis. And also one on Saint Alessia. They will tell you all you require on the title of Dragonborn, and those who wear it. But to your point, I do not forget him. It is Aric that I have in mind."
"I see," Hellina said before taking a moment to consider, "is he bird, or stone."
It was Soran's turn to be silent, and consider.
"I will have to ponder that question for a time," he replied finally.