Getting to Know the Harbinger

Secrets

Vilkas and Kaya had been on jobs together for weeks now, several of which involved kissing and cuddling by a campfire afterward, but Vilkas still got the impression there was something major she was waiting to tell him. But that hadn't stopped his mind from jumping to a very appealing possibility that morning when he noticed the chain of a necklace around her neck, tucked under her armor, mostly out of view.
He'd almost asked about it before they set out, but didn't want to make the trip awkward if he was wrong. So they set out to clear out another bandit camp as usual.
They made comfortable small talk most of the way to the camp and then handily cleared them all out.
Vilkas suggested they make camp for the night, but Kaya pulled out her map.
"We're actually not far from somewhere I was thinking I should take you," she said a little nervously.
"Oh? Where's that?" Vilkas asked curiously.
"Uh... just let me show you?" She replied hopefully.
"Alright," Vilkas nodded slowly, beginning to feel a little suspicious, remembering uncomfortably that he'd thought she was hiding something ever since he met her.

They walked in silence for just under an hour, the sun was beginning to set and Vilkas began hoping it wasn't somewhere they were going to have to set up a camp for the night because they would definitely be setting up in the dark. Then he caught sight of a rooftop, and as they continued to approach a large manor on a small homestead cane into view.
"My... uh... my house..." Kaya said quietly, looking down, a little embarrassed.
"You have a house?!" Vilkas asked in disbelief... he looked from Kaya to the manor and back again.
"Y-yeah..." she nodded, "I built it after... well..." she trailed off looking uncertain.
"So what you told me about your life before you joined us... that was a lie?" Vilkas asked in disbelief... he didn't know how it could have been... he could hear and smell her pulse and breathing... she shouldn't have been able to lie to him...
"No," Kaya replied quickly, "no, I never lied, I just... left some things out..."
"Same difference," Vilkas grumbled. He was hurt... she'd basically lied. Part of him was seriously considering turning on his heals and walking all night back to Whiterun, but a larger part of him wasn't about to let her go that easily...
"Vilkas," she said pleadingly as she took his hand, "please just let me explain."
"I'm listening," he growled stiffly. She sighed.
"There was part of my life I just wanted to leave in the past... to let it go and be my own person again... but when I decided I want you in my life I realized you're going to have to know... I've just been trying to figure out how to tell you."
Vilkas sighed, trying to let his temper settle back down.
"Alright... What were you really doing for nearly four years after Helgen was destroyed?"
"Mostly exactly what I already told you," Kaya insisted, "running around Skyrim, adventuring, solving everyone's problems but my own, and... hunting dragons."
Vilkas blinked are her in disbelief... hunting dragons? Like what, the Dragonborn? Had she traveled with the Dragonborn? Why had she told him she'd been alone? Wait... Had she killed dragons?
"Please," Kaya said quietly, "come inside so I can explain."
Vilkas barely noticed he was letting her lead him up to the entry way of the large manor. Inside were weapon wracks lining the walls with swords ranging in quality from iron to ebony and daedric. Vilkas stopped in his tracks, staring.
"Welcome home, my Thane," a woman's voice greeted from inside the dining hall.
"Thanks Lydia," Kaya answered politely, "sorry I didn't send word I was coming this time."
"It's your house my Thane," Lydia laughed, "you don't need to warn me."
"How have things been here then?"
"Everything's fine," Lydia shrugged, "retirement is peaceful."
"That's good," Kaya nodded, "you'd tell me if you were getting bored, right?"
"Oh don't worry, that one stubborn chicken keeps that from happening," Lydia replied.

Vilkas just stared at the two women trying to process what he was hearing... the woman, Lydia apparently, had called Kaya 'my Thane'... she was a Thane? And he recognized Lydia... she used to be one of the housecarls around Whiterun... but he couldn't recall for whom... she couldn't have been the Dragonborn's housecarl, could she?