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

In the Tomb

They spent a few hours looking around the tomb. Farkas had been curious since he hadn't seen it last time, and Aylin said she'd been in such a hurry she'd hardly seen it herself. They were just starting to think about heading back to the entryway to set up camp when Aylin found a huge chest back near the side entrance they'd come in through.
"This looks more like storage than anything that was supposed to be buried with anyone," she said thoughtfully hoisting the lid open. "Hmm... a lot of gold, some armor and a nice shield... and a necklace?"
Farkas looked to see Aylin holding a large amulet with round copper designs and a blue gem. His pulse quickened instantly as he watched her studying it curiously... he realized she actually didn't know what it was...
"Oh, that's..." Farkas swallowed a lump in his throat, "thats an amulet of Mara."
"Oh," Aylin said looking a little startled. "So that's what those look like... ok..." Aylin quickly put the amulet down and looked back into the chest. Farkas didn't need his beast blood to see she was a little flustered... so she'd never seen the amulet, but she did at least know about the Nordic marriage traditions, Farkas thought...
"Well the armor's not better than what we've already got," Aylin continued looking through the large chest, "but Farkas, come look at this sheild!"
Farkas composed himself and walked up the steps to her. She nearly toppled over lifting the large sheild.
"Careful now," Farkas chuckled bracing her shoulders with his hands. Then he saw the sheild. "That's the sheild of Ysgramor!" He said in amazement.
"I thought it might be," she replied turning and handing it to him. Farkas took the shield reverently, and Aylin took a few steps back and was quiet for several moments while he studied it.
"If I had a shield like this I might actually use a one handed weapon," he commented appreciatively.
"I think you should take it," Aylin nodded.
"Oh, I couldn't do that," he shook his head, "it should be with the Companions... along with Wuuthrad."
"Of course you can," she shook her head, "it's a legendary sheild of the Companions, it should be wielded by a Companion."
"You don't think it should be displayed at Jorrvaskr for the glory of the Companions?"
"You are the glory of the Companions..." Aylin replied in mild exasperation. Farkas looked up at her with raised eyebrows and she blushed as if suddenly realizing what she'd said. "I mean," she looked at her feet for a moment before looking back at him, "Skjor used to say you have the strength of Ysgramor, so... I can't think of anyone else worthy to carry his shield."
"He also used to say my brother has his smarts," Farkas replied evenly, watching her reaction. She sighed.
"Only because you don't like talking as much as he does. You can size up a fight as quick or quicker than he can, and I don't think he's that much smarter than you. No one gives you enough credit!" She looked back down at her feet and took a few more slow steps away from him. Farkas just stared at her in surprise, Vilkas was the only other person who'd ever figured him out so well. She had both hands behind her back and was looking at the floor in front of her. Several moments passed as she seemed to be thinking and fiddling with something behind her back, and Farkas processed what she was saying. Could he really be worthy to wield the shield of Ysgramor?
"You're the Harbinger," Farkas said with a shrug, breaking the silence. "I'll take the shield if you want me to."
"Good," she said looking back up at him. She looked up at his face and seemed to consider for another several moments.
"Farkas," she said slowly, "do you remember what you said when I was officially welcomed into the Companions? About if you'd raise your shield in my defense...?"
Farkas's heart picked up speed again. "I will stand at your back, that the world might never over take us," he replied, trying to keep his voice steady. He knew she had read through the Harbinger's ceremony notes now, so she knew the line he had been supposed to say.
"Do you still mean it?" Aylin asked looking up at him uncertainly now.
"Yes," he replied without hesitation. A slight smile spread across her face, but she still looked worried.
"Then you're going to need a good shield..." she said grimly. "I need to face this dragon situation soon. Now that my mind is cleared of the hunt, I'm worried I've been putting it off too long... and I know Lydia will back me up on any mission I asked her to, but she's sworn to my service... I don't want to drag her into this when she feels like she can't back out."
"What do you need to do?" Farkas asked.
"I don't really even know," Aylin sighed, "the Graybeards told me to come back to them after I'd retrieved some horn that's buried with their founder in Ustengrav, so maybe that's my next step." Aylin shrugged, and Farkas could see the confusion and frustration on her face. He took a couple steps toward her.
"Well, whatever it is," Farkas decided with a confident smile, "the shield and the strength of Ysgramor will be at your back."
Aylin looked back at him with a relieved smile. She tucked whatever it was she'd been fiddling with into her pocket and closed the distance between them.
"What did I ever do to deserve a friend like you?" Aylin asked as she reached to give him a hug. Farkas chuckled as he reached for her as well, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.
"You've been a good friend to me," Farkas smiled, "that means something." He leaned his head into the crook of her neck and was happy to realize he could still smell her honeysuckle scent when he held her close like this. The wolf scent was gone.
"You've just been so nice to me since I met you," her voice was muffled as her face was against the crook of his neck. Her breath on his neck gave him goosebumps and made his heart pound faster.
"Not a lot of people who would run into a giant fight to help a stranger," Farkas shrugged gently, "I knew you were something special."
"Then that was the best split-second decision of my life." Aylin laughed and Farkas pulled her a little closer. The wolf was gone and he still wanted her just as badly.
"We should go get some rest," he said quietly, "it's probably close to midnight."
"You're probably right," Aylin sighed. She slowly let go of him and he reluctantly let his arms loosen so she could pull away.
"I'll grab my things and meet you upstairs," he told her. She nodded and turned to head up the spiral stairs. Farkas picked up the shield and stepped back to the chest wanting to find that amulet of Mara... but it wasn't there. He shifted through the coins in the chest, making sure he wasn't missing it, then he searched the ground where Aylin had been kneeling as she searched the chest. Finally, he concluded she had to have taken it... his mind raced wondering what that could mean... he briefly imagined finding her wearing it when he got upstairs, along with several other exciting scenarios... he walked hopefully upstairs.
Farkas found Aylin standing in the hall right before the entry way.
"What's the matter?" He asked.
"Nothing," she said turning to look back at him. To his disappointment, Farkas immediately noticed he didn't see the amulet anywhere. "I was just debating where we should set up. It's really cold in the main entry, but I don't know if setting a fire inside is a good idea... it's freezing and snowing something crazy outside, so that's a bad idea even with a fire..."
"I thought you were a Nord," Farkas teased with a smirk.
"I am," she grumbled, "but just because I can handle cold better than an argonian doesn't mean I like it." She stepped out of the hall into the entryway and Farkas followed, chuckling. The entryway was considerably colder than the hall had been. Aylin crossed her arms and shivered.
It also occurred to Farkas that without their beast blood they wouldn't be such light sleepers. He suggested they sleep in the hall to make keeping watch easier, and Aylin showed him how they could close the hallway off once they were inside. They set their bedrolls out end to end in the hall.
"And," Aylin pointed out sounding relieved, "with the door closed we should be safe enough to sleep without armor." Farkas looked up as Aylin began unstrapping her boots and gauntlets. Farkas set his pack down and tried not to stare. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she pulled a long blue tunic/dress out of her pack. She turned her back to him and took off her shoulder and chest plates. Farkas did stare then. Her bare back was a sight to behold... smooth skin with lean muscles, streaked with a few scars... he watched the muscles ripple across her back as she raised her arms to pull the tunic over her head. He looked away quickly before she could turn back around and catch him staring, and he busied himself taking off his boots. When he looked back she had wrapped herself in her bedroll with her whole armor set sitting in a pile by her feet. Farkas was sure that cotton tunic she slept in was not as warm as the leather padding in her armor. There was a cool draft blowing through the open door, and it gave Farkas goosebumps as he took off his own chest plate. He resisted the urge to smirk down at her as he noticed Aylin glance at his bare chest. He settled himself into his own bed roll and Aylin sat up and pulled the chain on the wall. The door slid up from the floor, closing them into the hallway and sending them into darkness.