The Dragonborn's Family

The Dragonborn's Absence

Set right after "Preparations and Cheese," Farkas's perspective while Krinna and Vilkas are away.

"Farkas, you and Aela handled things well while we were off fighting dragons. I hate to put this burden on you on top of taking care of Sofie and Blaise, but if we don't come back, I'm trusting you to appoint an appropriate Harbinger. I'd appoint you to the position myself if I thought you wanted the responsibility."

The words Krinna had pulled him aside to quietly say to him played back through Farkas's mind as he tried to sleep that night. He didn't want to be Harbinger. He wanted to stick to scaring debtors and taking care of the occasional bandit problem while he raised his children in peace. He wanted his brother and sister-in-law home. He didn't want his niece and nephew to be orphaned twice... there was no question that he and Lydia would care for them as their own if they were... but the possibility scared Farkas.
He also knew Aela wanted nothing to do with the responsibilities of being Harbinger either. Kodlak had said she was too solitary for the position, and that had only gotten more true over the years.
Farkas sighed. That left Lydia. She had been handling the bulk of their paperwork for the last while. She would be good at the job, but he knew she wanted the position just as much as he did... but she would at least do well until another member grew to be worthy of the title.
Farkas sighed again and looked up at the small shrine to Talos, silently praying it wouldn't come to that.

The first couple of weeks passed uneventfully, but Farkas could tell Sofie and Blaise were getting worried. His suspicions were confirmed one night when he woke to hear a soft sniffling coming from the children's bedroom. He was about to go in and try and comfort his niece, but then he heard his daughter's voice.
"Shh, I'm sure they're fine. They were gone longer than this when they went to fight vampires, and they had to go all the way to Solstheim this time."
"I know," Sofie sniffled, "but this time is different. I heard Mama and Papa talking about who should be the next Harbinger. And... and when they said goodbye this time, they told us h-how much they love us and that they're proud..."
Farkas cursed silently to himself as he listened to his niece sniffle. Vilkas and Krinna had definitely expected not coming back was a serious possibility.
"I'm just so scared," Sofie whimpered. Farkas heard the beds shift and fabric shuffle as it sounded like Lucia pulled her cousin into a comforting hug.
"You'll be ok," Lucia whispered comfortingly, "you've still got a family here and we'll be here for you." Sofie just sniffled in response to that.
"You know what I bet," Farkas heard Lucia say several moments later, "they'll save the world again, and be back. Then you'll be the next Harbinger when your Mama retires, a long time from now."
"You think I could?" Sofie asked in a cracked whisper.
"Definitely," Lucia replied.
"What'll you do?" Sofie asked. Farkas could hear that Lucia had dragged Sofie into her daydream about the future.
"Run jobs like my Papa I hope... maybe I can be the first full time healer at Jorrvaskr... we'll be the next inner circle, you, me, Blaise, and Jergen."
"And maybe Lars," Sofie added, Farkas could hear the soft smile in her voice.
"Maybe Lars," Lucia agreed, "not Braith though."
"Definitely not," Sofie said with what sounded like a shake of her head.
Farkas smiled and crept back to his room feeling proud of his daughter. He climbed back into bed, careful not to wake Lydia.

Another week passed without incident, but then one morning after breakfast, Farkas was up on the balcony watching Jergen play with his toy sword while Lydia helped Ria clean up inside. Blaise, Lucia, and Sofie were playing a game of tag in the yard below, and Gregor was working the mill.
Farkas's attention was drawn by movement coming toward the manor from the trees to the south. Farkas and Gregor both stopped what they were doing and cautiously peered into the trees. Suddenly a small group of bandits leapt from the trees and then suddenly Lucia was screaming from the front of the manor.
"Papa!!!"
While Gregor charged the bandits rushing toward the balcony, Farkas grabbed Jergen in one hand and his sword in the other. With his son tucked securely in his arm, clinging to his bicep, Farkas and charged around the side of the manor.
Blaise had one hand lit with fire and the other with an ice spell, trying to cover for the girls to run inside as four bandits approached. With a furious battle yell, Farkas rushed the men, cutting down two of them with a single swing. A third was impaled through the face by an ice-spike before Blaise turned and ran inside after the girls. The fourth managed to graze Farkas's shoulder with his sword as Farkas turned to keep Jergen out of harm's way. Then Farkas swung furiously back with his sword and the man fell right before Lucia ran back out with Farkas's shield.
"'U'ia!" Jergen cried in fear as Farkas quickly took his shield and handed Jergen to his sister.
"We've still got him out numbered!" Farkas heard another bandit yell from further down the hill.
"Tell your mother they were coming from the south too," Farkas told Lucia quickly before turning back to face the oncoming bandits. A golden healing spell flashed around him and Lucia hoisted Jergen onto her hip.
"'Apa!" Jergen cried reaching back to Farkas as Lucia turned and ran back inside, carrying the crying toddler with her.
Two of the bandits tried to rush him at once and he caught one with his sword, and bashed the other back with his shield.
Moments later Lydia was at his side and he heard Ria join Gregor in the fight with the bandits that were trying to get in from the balcony.
Then arrows and firebolts began dropping the bandits as they were still running up the hill. After several more fell to his and Lydia's swords, the few that remained began to retreat.
"I told you this was a stupid idea!" One of the bandits yelled as they ran back down the hill.
"Should we go after them?" Ria asked running around the corner with her sword still drawn.
"Nah," Farkas grunted, "let 'em tell the others how bad we beat 'em."

Ria sent word to the Jarl, who spared a couple of guards to help her and Gregor clean up the bodies. Farkas and Lydia gathered the four children inside to make sure they were all ok.
"'Apa 'urt?" Jergen asked, reaching up to him as soon as he saw him.
"I'm fine," Farkas smiled, picking Jergen up and setting the boy on his lap as they all sat around the table.
"Thankfully," Lydia sighed.
"One of them said the rumor around the hold is that the Dragonborn has left Skyrim," Blaise said quietly.
"Well now the rumor will be that her family is still not to be messed with," Lydia said with a reassuring hand on Blaise's shoulder.
"Yeah, you three did real good shooting from the library tower," Farkas added proudly.
"It was Sofie's idea," Lucia said excitedly. Sofie just looked down at her knees.
"It's what Mama said we should do if there was any trouble," she shrugged, "get somewhere safe and try to defend from a distance."
"They're gonna be real proud of you when they get back," Farkas said with a smile.

Farkas was surprised by how quickly Ria, Gregor, and a few Whiterun guards got the mess cleaned up. By dinner that night there was hardly any sign of the attack.
"Uncle Farkas," Sofie said uncertainly as they gathered on the patio for dinner, "could you tell us a story about you and my Papa?"