From Housecarl To Companion

The Harbinger

Farkas had expected the Dragonborn to be offered the beast blood once she'd joined the Circle. He hadn't expected the two-fold tragedy that befell them afterwards. Farkas couldn't wrap his mind around what Skjor could have been thinking. He and Aela had tried to turn Krinna in secret, and then immediately after turning her they'd tried to assault the Silver Hand... but the part that really confused Farkas was that Skjor had apparently charged into the hideout alone. Skjor was one of their strongest, most experienced warriors... he was the one who'd so often reminded whelps to take a shield-sibling... and he'd gone in alone and gotten killed. Farkas just couldn't wrap his mind around Skjor doing something so stupid...
Aela's fit of grief and vengeance that she'd dragged Krinna into hadn't surprised him, but he never could have imagined the consequences. The Silver Hand had retaliated, and they'd lost Kodlak, their Harbinger... Farkas's mentor who was practically a second father to him... was gone... Farkas didn't know what to do.
Fortunately, after Vilkas and Krinna had stormed off to take their vengeance, Vilkas had remembered Kodlak's plan for curing them, and Krinna had been able to follow through with it. Neither Farkas nor Vilkas had managed to continue on the the tomb to witness the cleansing process, but she had come back, no longer a werewolf, with Aela announcing Kodlak had named Krinna their new Harbinger.
Farkas hadn't known how to wrap his mind around that one at first either, but he did register one thing. She was no longer a werewolf. They could actually be cured...
Farkas mulled it over for a few days after they'd gotten back to Jorrvaskr and decided he wanted to go to Sovengarde like Kodlak. He asked Krinna what he needed to do one morning as soon as she came upstairs. It had hardly been a week since she'd cured Kodlak and herself. Farkas had expected her to agree to take him back later, but to his excitement and surprise, she agreed on the spot and they left for the tomb that very morning.
At the less rushed pace, they took a day to camp on the road and made it back to Ysgramor's tomb by the evening of the second day.
Krinna explained what the process was going to entail and made sure Farkas was ready for it.
He followed Krinna down an old spiral staircase, and entered the central chamber of the tomb. Farkas stared in awe at the blue burning fire in the center brazier.
"Ready?" Krinna asked as she pulled a witch head from her bag.
"Mmhmm," Farkas nodded. Krinna tossed the head into the fire and it immediately burst into flames. Farkas stumbled as there was a searing pain throughout his whole body. It felt like half his soul was ripped away. Then, suddenly, the pain was gone and there was a huge, spectral wolf in front of him. Krinna drew her swords and the wolf lunged at her. Farkas drew his sword as well and charged at the beast. He cleaved into it and it spun back to snap at him, and Krinna slashed into its now exposed side. The wolf yelped and spun back toward Krinna, but Farkas lunged at it again, forcing it to focus on him. The fight felt longer than it probably was, and Krinna made sure to step back so Farkas could deliver the killing blow himself. Farkas stumbled, panting for breath as the wolf disappeared and a comfortable feeling settled into his body. His mind was suddenly clearer than it had been in years.
"Are you ok?" He heard Krinna ask as she approached him.
"Its like I'm relaxing into a mug of warm spiced mead," he said looking up at her in amazement. "I'm losing aches I didn't even know I had." He stood up and stretched. "This is how a warrior should feel. Alive and alert. Not clouded with thoughts of the hunt."
"It's wonderful isn't it?" Krinna commented with a smile.
"It is," he nodded. "Thank you, Harbinger."
"No problem," Krinna smiled. "What'll you do now? I need to go take care of some Dragonborn stuff."
Farkas thought for a moment before answering. "I'm going to stay in the tomb for a while," he decided. "My shame kept me out before, but now I want to see it," he explained with a grin.
"Alright," Krinna nodded. "I'll see you back at Jorrvaskr."