"I Would Stand At Her Back, That The World Might Never Overtake Us..."

Looking for Work

Farkas hurried back to his own room, forcing his pulse to return to normal. He sat down at his personal bar and grabbed a bottle of mead as he heard a familiar set of footsteps approaching his doorway. He didn't bother looking up, he just reached for a second bottle of mead. He heard Vilkas click his tongue at him, and he knew his brother was shaking his head.
"What?" Farkas grunted, before offering the bottle to his brother. Vilkas accepted the bottle and shut the door before sitting down opposite Farkas at the bar.
"I don't think I've heard you talk that much or that openly to anyone but me since we were whelps," Vilkas said in a casual tone. Farkas took a long drink from his mead bottle before answering.
"Didn't want her feeling unwelcome after you sent her up to Eorland like that," he shrugged. Vilkas raised an eyebrow at him.
"Would you rather I complimented her impressive speed, strength, and physique, and wooed her into my bed with eloquent words?" Vilkas smirked. Farkas's eyes snapped to his brother's face and an angry growl rose in his throat. Vilkas laughed, "I'm teasing you, brother! Calm down," he said smugly. Farkas continued glaring.
"Don't do that," Farkas growled.
"What, tease you, or woo Aylin into my bed?" Vilkas chuckled.
"Both!" Farkas snapped. Vilkas laughed again, and took a long drink of his mead, then he set the bottle down and sighed sadly.
"Don't worry," Vilkas said suddenly sounding more serious, "I haven't seen her in at least a month, and I have no idea if she'd ever have a beast like me... but Lydia still haunts my dreams. I'm not going to challenge you for Aylin's attention."
Farkas's anger deflated slowly. He set his mead bottle down on the bar with more force than necessary and let out a heavy sigh.
"Good," he grumbled, "but I don't know what I'm doing or thinking... I don't really know anything about her..." Farkas trailed off.
"But she makes your heart race and drives your beast blood crazy?" Vilkas assumed. Farkas just nodded.
"Well don't worry, you've probably got time to figure her out," Vilkas reassured him. "She's potentially here to stay. I'd bet money Skjor sends her for an official trial before Ria."
"She's that good?" Farkas asked with raised eyebrows.
"Aye," Vilkas nodded, "my shield arm is still sore." That made Farkas chuckle and the brothers finished their mead before making their way to their own beds.
Farkas didn't sleep well, but that was normal.

***

The next day Aylin got up fairly early, but Farkas was already awake and sitting at the dining table. He heard and smelled her coming up the stairs... he was still trying to place that hint of a sweet smell she had... it wasn't honey... it reminded him of sunshine... honeysuckle maybe... the iron, sweat, and grime was unmistakable though. He watched her approach from the corner of his eye. Farkas was a little surprised she actually walked right up to him, he looked up at her with a friendly nod.
"Good morning," she greeted quietly before sitting in the chair beside him. Farkas had more trouble than usual keeping his expression neutral, he let a subtle smile show instead.
"I'm sorry I passed out so early yesterday," she began, "it's just been a good while since I've seen a real bed, and it's been a long week."
"What've you been doing since that giant fight?" Farkas asked, he tried to keep his expression neutral, but he was finding that was difficult around her. Aylin sighed and grabbed an apple from the bowl on the table.
"Well," she began, "after I spoke to the Jarl, his court wizard sent me to Bleak Falls Barrow, then there was that dragon at the western watchtower, and then..." she paused to take a breath and looked at Farkas uncertainly. Farkas gave her a gentle, attentive smirk, and she continued, "I got summoned to High Hrothgar..." she paused again, seemingly watching for Farkas's reaction. Farkas nodded.
"So you're the Dragonborn then?" He asked evenly. She nodded. "Vilkas and I were wondering about that, I thought you might be," he added. "I don't know what that all means, though."
Aylin gave a light chuckle before saying, "me neither honestly, the Graybeards said some things about my destiny that I'm just not sure I'm ready for..." she took a bite of her apple and Farkas considered carefully for a few moments, and when she said nothing else about the matter he added;
"I'm glad you came to the Companions then. Nothing we can't handle." He gave her a small but confident smile, and Farkas noticed Aylin seemed to relax a little at that. She took another bite of her apple before smiling back at him. They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes. Farkas finished a chunk of venison and Aelin finished her apple. All the while Farkas watched her from the corner of his eye and thought. She was a nord, but she hadn't even heard of Jorrvaskr before the day he'd met her... everyone in Skyrim knew who the Companions were...
"Where'd you come from?" Farkas asked curiously as he passed her a sweet roll.
"Valenwood," she replied. Farkas raised an eyebrow.
"How'd a nord end up in Valenwood?" He asked.
"That's a long story," Aylin sighed with a shake of her head.
Farkas nodded understandingly. "I hope I have time to hear it one day," he said with a slight smirk. He started to get up, he was thinking he'd invite her to train with him, but she spoke again before he could.
"You said I could come to you if I was looking for work?"
"Yeah," he nodded, "if you're looking for something to do... We've got trouble right here in Whiterun Hold. Nothing we can't handle."
"What kind of trouble?" She asked eagerly.
Farkas thought about the selection of jobs he'd received. He decided he'd start her off with an easy one, "We've received a letter about a dispute in Riverwood. I don't know what it's about, and that's not our problem. I just need you to go act tough and scare this milk-drinker into submission," he explained as he handed her the letter, then he added, "I don't want to hear about a killing, understand?" For a brief moment Farkas was afraid he'd come off too gruff, but then he realized her eyes were wide with excitement, not fear or apprehension.
"I can handle that," she grinned. Her grin made his wolf restless and his heart began to pound.
"Go, bring honor to yourself and the Companions!" He told her with a grin of his own.
She'd left quickly and excitedly, and was back by lunch. Aylin found him in the yard as he was just sitting down with a mug of ale and a loaf of bread.
"I've taken care of it," she smiled, "actually, that was fun. I haven't had a good fist fight in years," she added.
"Good," Farkas laughed. "Your payment is secured, and you have my thanks." He handed over the pouch of coins he'd had waiting for her. She smiled and thanked him before hurrying off again.

She was back out in the yard about two hours later, her mismatched iron armor had been replaced with steel that actually fit properly. Farkas was leaning against the wall in the shade, and he did not resist the urge to turn and look at her as she approached. She had an even better figure than Farkas had originally realized. The scent of iron and grime that had clung to her that morning was replaced with steel and new leather, but that sweet smell that reminded him of honeysuckle and sunshine was still there.
Farkas also noticed Vilkas and Torvar were watching her as well, he hoped his brother wasn't going to go back on what he'd said the night before...
To Farkas's satisfaction, however, Aylin looked around the yard, greeted Vilkas politely, and then turned and walked straight out to him.
"Nice steel," Farkas commented approvingly as she approached him. She grinned at that. "Wanna test it out?" He asked. "I'm thinking I need to train some more."
"Sure," she said excitedly, "what can you teach me about heavy armor?"
"Come on," Farkas replied gesturing to the more open section of the yard. "I'll show you what I can about protecting yourself."

For the next couple of weeks Farkas enjoyed the routine Aylin established; she'd meet him at breakfast and ask for work, she'd make it back by afternoon, and then she would train with him until dinner. She warmed up to the other companions as well, but she always came to him for work and training. She still made his heart race, especially when training her gave him an excuse to be closer to her... he was fairly confident he was hearing her heart race as well on frequent occasions... but their conversations became more comfortable, and Farkas came to consider her a friend.

She told him how her parents had fled Skyrim under circumstances they'd never disclosed, and so she'd been born and raised in Valenwood. Her Pa had taught her to use swords, and well, it was hard to live in Valenwood and not pick up archery. When her parents died, she'd wandered for several years, making a living hunting, but eventually decided she wanted to see her proper ancestral homeland, so here she was. The dragons and Dragonborn situation had come as a complete shock to her.

She'd been entirely enthralled when Farkas told the story of how he and Vilkas had been rescued from necromancers and brought to Jorrvaskr as children, and they became the youngest Companions anyone could remember. She'd told him it was impressive.

Farkas quickly found he enjoyed talking to her, he enjoyed listening to her, and he enjoyed working with her in the training yard. She kind, she was tough, she was quick, and she learned fast. Farkas was glad he didn't take Vilkas's bet about Aylin's official trial, because one morning after Aylin had gone off on a job, Skjor approached him.