From Housecarl To Companion

The Housecarl

Once Krinna came back to Jorrvaskr, Vilkas finally took the chance to talk to her. Just like Farkas knew she would, Krinna happily took Vilkas back to the tomb of Ysgramor to cure his beast blood... but then Farkas noticed she waited for him to get back before she went off to do more "Dragonborn stuff," as she called it, and then she'd asked him to go with her. Farkas realized there was a real possibility that he'd read both of them right, and there was hope for his brother.
As he watched Vilkas head off after the Harbinger like a love-struck pup Farkas couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Not of spending time with Krinna, but of just having hope. He wondered where Lydia could be...
The weeks dragged on and Farkas envied Vilkas a little less. He returned from his first adventure with the Harbinger looking stiff and exhausted with tales of killing a dragon. When Krinna came back several days later, she'd given Wuuthrad to Vilkas, and told him she wanted him to be the next Harbinger if she didn't come back. Then the Harbinger had taken off without him. Farkas didn't need his beast blood to be able to tell his brother was a worried wreck, Farkas was worried too. Vilkas was the only one who knew where she'd gone, but the rest of them knew it was dangerous enough that she'd bothered appointing the next Harbinger just in case.

Then one afternoon, at least three weeks since Farkas had last seen her, Krinna returned... with her housecarl...
Farkas had just sat down at the table inside after finishing his usual training when the door opened and Krinna walked in, dropping her travel pack with a loud thunk. Farkas turned instinctively, a little startled by the noise. He hadn't even realized the Harbinger had a housecarl... he did a double take as his gaze fell on the woman behind Krinna...
"Welcome to Jorrvaskr," Krinna told the woman with a proud smile as she took her helmet off. Farkas's heart began to pound as the other woman removed her helmet as well... it was her... after nearly six months, he had a chance to see her again... and he froze up.
Farkas just listened and watched from the corner as Krinna introduced her to Aela. Farkas couldn't believe the coincidence... his brother was in love with the Dragonborn, and he was in love with her housecarl... Wait, in love? Did he know her well enough to know he was in love with her? Hopelessly stuck on might be more accurate, but Farkas didn't care. She was there. He needed to do something... stop staring like an idiot at least... but all he did was watch them curiously as Krinna looked around the hall. She began pointing people out and quietly explaining to Lydia who they were...
"Torvar, good guy, a bit of a drunk, but he can swing a hammer with the best of them... Athis, a little cocky, but he's kind, and great with a short sword."
Then Krinna spotted him and a smirk crossed her face, "oh, and you already know the best heavy armor trainer and one of the strongest warriors in Skyrim..."
Farkas could have hugged Krinna for that introduction. Lydia looked over to him with an impressed looking smile as Krinna led her over to the table he was seated at. Farkas's heart raced, but he did notice Krinna scan the room again before they sat down. He wondered for a moment if she was looking for Vilkas, but then Lydia sat down across from him and he had no more attention for his brother... hardly any attention for the Harbinger either...
"So you ended up assigned to the Dragonborn then," Farkas commented with a smile.
"I did," Lydia nodded. "I have the honor of serving as housecarl to the Thane of Whiterun, the Dragonborn, and the Harbinger of the Companions," she added proudly. Then with a laugh she added, "it's much more interesting than guard duty."
"Bet you've got all kinds of new stories to tell," he said with a grin.
"Oh do we..." Krinna commented as she reached for a mug. Then to Lydia she added, "tell him about the first dragon you killed."
Lydia smiled and Farkas listened in awe as she described their fight with the huge beast of legend. Krinna input a few details occasionally, but mostly Lydia told the story. Farkas was impressed. He didn't think Lydia was the type to exaggerate, and he knew Krinna was definitely the type to down-play instead of exaggerate, but their tale was still unbelievable. There had been no less than three dragons that had attacked them on their way to Riften, and just the two of them had taken all of them down.
Farkas managed to spare a glance to the door when he heard it open and Vilkas entered. Someone who didn't know his brother so well would have probably thought Vilkas was casually coming in from training and happy to sit down with a bite to eat, but Farkas didn't miss the excitement and relief Vilkas was trying to hide as his eyes fell on Krinna. Vilkas walked to the table and casually took the seat beside Farkas, across from Krinna's, and gave her a nod and subtle smile in greeting. Krinna smiled back at him, and Farkas noticed she began inserting more of her own narratives in the stories she and Lydia told after that. He also noticed how the two women never stumbled over each other as they spoke, even though they frequently interrupted each other. They both interjected their comments and perspectives seamlessly. Farkas could tell their relationship was more of a friendship than the master-servant relationship that was more typical of a housecarl and Thane. Knowing what he knew about both of them, that didn't surprise Farkas at all. Krinna was too kind to consider someone beneath her, and Lydia was too stubborn to be servile.

Farkas and Vilkas both sat and listened to the Dragonborn and her housecarl tell their stories as they all ate dinner. Several of the whelps crowded around to listen as well.
Farkas was even more impressed as they told their story of rescuing an old member of the Blades from Thalmor, and then of how they'd fended off dozens of foresworn that attacked them as they tried to pass through to find an old temple. It was amazing, in the time they'd been gone they'd traveled clear across Skyrim, from one end to the other.
As the hours passed listening to their stories, Farkas decided there was no reason he shouldn't get to know Lydia better. Now that he was a proper Nord again, she just might want him too.