Chapter 10: Jorrvaskr

Marz looked up from the bottom of the steps that led to Jorrvaskr Hall. After Aela the Huntress had spoken up during the jarl's speech, Kodlak himself, Harbinger of the Companions, had told him to find the group in their hall at first light. It was now late morning. As the orc had told Uthgerd, he cared little for the opinions of the Companions as a whole, and he wanted to show them that he answered to no one but himself. Only one opinion mattered to him. He needed to win Aela's heart.

A guard walked past and inclined his head, "Dragonslayer," he said respectfully before continuing his patrol. Danica Pure-Spring, the attractive priestess of Kynareth walked by as she inspected the Gildergreen tree that was sacred to the city. "It's a fine day with you around." She said before she sauntered away. Although the orc was loathe to admit it, Uthgerd had been right. The city had taken to him well in the aftermath of his exploits, and the Companions' public invitation to join their ranks. He no longer needed to hide his face when he entered the town.

He had ordered Uthgerd to remain behind and oversee the completion of his new dragonbone armor and weapons as well as the furnishing of Breezehome, his new home in Whiterun, while he met with the Companions. Though the nord had been reluctant to do so, in the end she saw the wisdom in his command. She was still barred from their hall.

Marz walked up the stairs, but before he could open the door, he heard the loud sound of metal on metal on the otherside of the hall so he walked around the large building to its rear. Farkas and Vilkas were busy sparring one another, while a dark haired woman brawled bare-knuckled with a male Dunmer in hide armor. Aela shot arrows at a practice dummy from the furthest corner of the training area, while Kodlak and Skjor observed.

"Well well, look who finally showed up," Farkas said when he noticed Marz. "We were just wondering if orcs were able to tell time." He said with a loud laugh. Marz kept walking until he was standing right in front of Farkas. He was taller by half a head, but to his credit, Farkas showed no signs of fear or intimidation by the orc's eye contact. Everyone else assembled stopped what they were doing to watch the interaction.

"You were on time to train," Marz' deep voice rumbled across the quiet training area. "I was on time to kill the dragon." The silence was deafening. Farkas' face turned red, and a small vein appeared in his temple. He took a step closer to the orc, looked him right in the face and then- "Ahahahaha!" The Companion warrior's laugh made those closest to him flinch in surprise. Farkas gave Marz a wolfish smile. "Oh he'll do, Kodlak. He'll do."

The rest of the Companions also burst into rowdy laughter. Marz gave a small chuckle to show there were no hard feelings. Kodlak, Vilkas and Aela walked over to stand by Farkas. Kodlak grasped Marz by the forearm. "Welcome, Marzuum. You honor us with your presence."

Marz hesitated. He had shown he wouldn't be cowed, but unnecessary rudeness would benefit no one. "The honor is mine, Harbinger."

Kodlak proceeded to explain that normally it was customary for the Companions to test new recruits by sending them on a quest to test their skill before sending them on another with a full member of the Companions to witness their character. "We all witnessed your skill, and courage for ourselves," Kodlak said. "But we know nothing of your character, and your choice in--friends, has made some of the Companions hesitant on allowing you full membership." The Harbinger shot a quick glance at Skjor. "Therefore we have a task that should be simple enough for someone of your talents."

Marz growled softly. "Tell me."

It was Farkas who spoke next. "We have located a fragment of the renowned weapon Wuuthrad, wielded by Ysgramor himself. It is in a crypt, Dustman's Cairn not far from Whiterun. Travel there with me, and help me retrieve this for the Companions." Marz nodded.

"Let's go."

*

Farkas swung his greatsword, and the draugr before him collapsed to the ground. "That's another one for me, whelp."

Marz pulled his axe from the skull of the draugr he had slain, and rolled his eyes. Farkas' need to outdo the orc was beginning to wear on his patience. Slaying draugr was hardly good sport in his opinion, so he didn't understand the warrior's need to try to compare kill counts. He merely grunted, and kept moving forward down the next corridor and flight of stairs. The faster he moved the faster they would accomplish their task.

When Kodlak had said there would be a witness, Marz had hoped it would be Aela who accompanied him. The pair moved into a large room with a large patch of grass in the center. "Looks like someone's been digging here, recently," Farkas said. "Tread lightly." Marz grunted his acknowledgement. There was a gate on the other side of the room, but after a lengthy inspection, Marz determined that it was impossible to open without a key or lever nearby. Without a word, the pair had split up to search for one or the other. Aside from Farkas' tendency to count his kills aloud, the Companion had said surprisingly little else throughout their quest.

A glint of a bottle caught Marz' eye, and he saw a potion bottle on an alchemy table in a corner of the room. By the table was a lever. Marz moved quickly. He was eager for this task to be done. He pulled the lever, and swung around as a previously unnoticed gate dropped behind him, locking him inside the small room. Marz tried to pull the lever again, but it refused to budge.

"Now look what you've done," Farkas' smirked at the orc now locked behind the gate. "No worries. Just sit tight. I'll find the release." The nord turned around and scanned the room, looking for anything that could help raise the gate. Marz sighed internally. He knew he would never hear the end of this from the Companion now. Before Farkas could take more than a few steps, Marz heard a door open and a group of warriors with shining, silver weapons surrounded the nord. He heard something about "Silver Hand" and "Time to die, dog!", before the group attacked.

What happened next was something that Marz would remember until the day he died. Farkas' form seemed to shift and blur, and within moments where Farkas had stood in his steel armor, stood a beast that resembled a bipedal wolf. Its hindlegs were short and squat, while its arms were long and lanky with long claws at the end. Beast-Farkas let out a loud roar and proceeded to tear their ambushers apart limb from limb before the trapped orc's eyes.

One ambusher went down with claw marks so deep into his face that Marz could no longer tell where his nose ended, and his mouth began. Another had her head taken almost clean off from a swipe, and yet another was mauled so badly that he resembled a draugr. So much blood flew around, it was as if there were a small cloud hovering in the room itself raining blood down on the stones around them.

When the room was quiet once more, Beast-Farkas disappeared from sight and a few moments later the gate lifted. Marz was free. The orc drew his axe, and cautiously exited the little niche where he had been trapped. He was just beginning to wonder if the Companions had sent him there to eliminate him when Farkas ran up to him once more in human form. "I hope I didn't scare you." The words seemed strange coming from the nord, but they also seemed genuine.

"What was that?" Marz asked cautiously.

"It's a blessing given to some of us. We can be like wild beasts. Fearsome."

Understanding dawned on the orc then. "You're going to make me a werewolf too?" he asked.

Farkas shook his head, "Oh no. Only the Circle have the Beast Blood. It's a secret to everybody else." The nord looked around again. "We should keep moving."

As the duo delved deeper into the ruins, Farkas told Marz about the Silver Hand, a secret group who hated werewolves and hunted them. He told the orc about how he and his brother Vilkas had been adopted at an early age into the Companions and how it was all he had ever known. To Marz' surprise, he felt his respect for the nord grow.

As they moved from room to room, slaying the undead and Silver Hand alike, Marz told Farkas of his quest given by Malacath, and his goal of building his own stronghold. To his surprise, Farkas was very understanding. "The Companions have Jorrvaskr as our home. Makes sense you would want one for your people. Maybe werewolves should have their own home too."

Before long the pair had reached the final room, and found what they had come for; a fragment of Wuuthrad. No sooner had they touched it than several coffins around the room burst open and they were beset by draugr once more.

*

"Brothers and Sisters of the Circle, today we welcome a new soul into our mortal fold," Kodlak's voice rang loud and clear across the training area. The Companions wasted no time. Once Marz and Farkas had returned to Whiterun, all of the Companions had gathered for the orc's initiation ceremony. "This orc has endured, has challenged and has shown his valor. Who will speak for him?"

Farkas took a step forward. "I stand witness to the courage of the soul before us."

The other Companions looked on solemnly, and Marz grasped just how important this ceremony was to the rest of them.

"Would you raise your shield in his defense?" Kodlak continued.

"I would stand at his back, that the world might never overtake us."

"And would you raise your sword in his honor?"

"It stands ready to meet the blood of his foes."

"And would you raise a mug in his name?"

"I would lead the song of triumph as our mead hall reveled in his stories."

"Then the judgement of this Circle is complete. His heart beats with fury and courage that have united the Companions since the days of the distant green summers. Let it beat with ours, that the mountains may echo and our enemies may tremble at the call."

Now it was Aela, Skjor and Vilkas who spoke in unison, "It shall be so."

A great cheer went up. The Companions clapped him on the shoulders, and congratulated him. Farkas grasped his forearm, "I am honored to call you my Shield-brother," he said solemnly. Marz squeezed his arm back. "The honor is mine." And he meant it.

Aela smiled at him, "I look forward to our first hunt together." She said.

Marz grinned back, "As do I, great huntress." He grunted.

Before he could press further, Skjor approached him. "Follow me to the Underforge."