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

Cleansing

After his bloodlust for vengeance, Vilkas hadn't felt worthy to enter the tomb. Farkas started to enter with Aylin and Aela, but then they'd reached a room with webs and Farkas knew spiders were ahead. He knew he was too slow moving in his armor, he couldn't risk Aylin exhausting herself trying to save him if he messed up again... she had to cure Kodlak... she was going to be the next Harbinger... Farkas decided it would be better for him to stay out of the way. It was embarrassing to admit to Aylin and Aela that he was afraid of the spiders, but he could swallow his pride if it was better for Aylin.
He went back to wait at the front with Vilkas, all the while keeping his ears trained down the corridors. When no screams of pain and terror from Aylin met his ears after several minutes he relaxed slightly and told Vilkas what he'd read in Kodlak's journal. He had expected Vilkas to protest that the newest Circle member couldn't become Harbinger so quickly, but he didn't. To Farkas's surprise, Vilkas agreed with him; Aylin was brave, honorable, and she put others before herself. She would make a good Harbinger.
They both worried Aela would not accept it, but she did. In fact, when the two women reemerged from the depths of the tomb about an hour later, Aela was the first one to announce that Kodlak had named Aylin the next Harbinger.
Aylin looked up at the brothers uncertainly, as if expecting them to protest.
"I wouldn't have expected someone like you to be the Harbinger, but Kodlak trusted your judgment. And so will I." Vilkas nodded with a smile. Vilkas's genuine smiles were even more rare than Farkas's, and Aylin still looked uncertain. She looked over to Farkas and he smiled at her as well.
"Oh, you don't need to worry about me. I do what I'm told," Farkas chuckled as he took a few steps toward her, "Congratulations!" he added placing a hand on her shoulder. That finally got a smile out of her, and she stepped up on her tiptoes to put her arms around his neck and give him a hug. Farkas didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her waist and hug her back tightly. He leaned his head down to the crook of her neck and just enjoyed her smell. He still wasn't used to smelling the wolf mixed with her sweet honeysuckle scent, but he liked it. He'd missed her over the past weeks, he was so happy just to have her close again. Her heartbeat was quick, but not nervous, she seemed happy. Farkas smiled against her shoulder.
"Should we just leave you two alone then?" Aela's voice cut through Farkas's thoughts. Aylin immediately stiffened and Farkas felt the blush creep up her cheeks.
"No," she said.
'Yes!' Farkas wanted to growl, but Aylin dropped from her tiptoes and Farkas let her pull away.
"Sorry," she said stepping back. "What needs to be done next?"
"We should head back to Jorrvaskr soon," Aela shrugged.
"I want to look at some of these carvings," Vilkas replied, looking curiously at the statue of Ysgramor. "I wonder if Ysgramor ever set foot here while he was alive," he mused thoughtfully. "But you don't have to stay, if you don't want to," he added looking back at them. "I'll see you back at Jorrvaskr. Stories to tell the others, eh?" Vilkas smiled. Farkas looked from Vilkas to Aylin feeling torn... he didn't want to leave his brother alone, but he wanted to go with Aylin...
"Actually, I could stand to rest a bit," Aylin shrugged.
"That's probably a good idea," Aela put in. "When was the last time any of us slept?"
"Before the Silver Hand attack," Vilkas replied, and Farkas grunted an affirmative.
"We can all go back together," Aylin suggested.

Farkas slept horribly as usual that night. Just like on their trip to Dustman's Cairn, his beast blood urged him to crawl over to Aylin's bedroll. He'd hardly seen her in weeks, and then he'd been short and gruff with her in his frustration and grief. Her hug earlier had seemed a pretty good indication she didn't hold it against him, but he still wanted to apologize. He wanted to hold her and explain himself, but he couldn't very well do that without waking up Vilkas and Aela.

The next day they made their way back to Whiterun and Jorrvaskr. Farkas hung back close to Aylin as they walked.
"I'm sorry for how I acted the last couple days," he said in his usual low, even tone. Aylin looked surprised, but then shook her head.
"You were grieving," she said with an understanding smile. "I didn't hold it against you."
Her smile lifted Farkas's spirits almost instantly, and the rest of the trip back to Jorrvaskr was uneventful. Once they got there, in spite of Aylin's protests, Tilma prepared a feast for the new Harbinger. Farkas sat proudly beside her and enjoyed the stories everyone told over dinner.
In the week that followed Aylin settled in to her new role as Harbinger. Farkas, Vilkas, and Aela helped as much as they could, but Aylin was kept very busy.
Then, one afternoon a few days later, Aylin approached him smiling nervously.
"So," she began, "the Harbinger still has to train, right?"
"Well, we can't have our Harbinger slacking," Farkas grinned.