Eyes Opened

A Modest Proposal

Your night was- eventful. Sitting at a long table with many men and women laughing, drinking and being merry. You sat next to the only one you knew even a little, which gave you a small amount of comfort. Farkas was eating impressively fast as Aela was recounting a time when her and Skjor hunted down a group of bears. You took a drink of the ale in your mug- much more bitter than the spiced wine you were used to but literal beggars couldn't be choosers. Farkas offered to take you in for an admittedly amazing meal in the form of a feast, who were you to pass up on that. You felt a hand on your shoulder. Looking over Farkas was smiling with a bit of meat still in his mouth. "You enjoying the stories, girl?"

"Yea." You looked back to Aela who was smiling hugely at Skjor. It was easy to tell that the two had bonded, were really close. "The things you guys do. The closest I've gotten to it is a book. I won't say you're like the heroes in the book but-" You looked back to him with a small half smile. "Pretty close. You take coin but you have honor. Something has to keep this place going. The stories you tell- even if embellished- the skills you guys have. Legendary. If I were a warrior I might be in more awe, but my mother is a mage. My father is a tactician. My skills consist of making potions, enchanting items... reading. I've never swung a sword. Without Tilma I would still be bleeding from the wolf attack. I'm pathetic."

He chuckled. "Now I wouldn't say that you're pathetic- just normal." He sat back, drinking the rest of his mead. "If there were a shortage of people like you we would never get work. it's not pathetic."

Aela cleared her throat. "Ice brain is right, you know. He may be slow but he's never been unsure of his place in Jorrvaskr. He and his twin brother grew up here, just as me and my mother. We were born into this role, but not everyone was. Your mother is a mage, huh?" You nodded slowly. "So you picked up things from her I suppose. It's the same with us. But if you look at Vilkas, his brother, he also branched out from the role and learned something else too. I'm not sure what you've come here seeking our help for, but you took care of wolves, right? With just a dagger wearing no armor. That's not something just anyone can do."

You felt your chest swell with a bit of pride. She was right, at least on some level. "I just did what I had to do. What my body told me to do."

"See? That means you have potential. You were relying on instincts. Impressive for the spawn of a tactician." She smiled softly. "Why, a little training and you would make a good hunter."

You felt yourself blush a little as Skjor laughed. "Careful, girl. Aela might have her sights on you to make you the new whelp."

You cleared your throat, leaning back a little in the chair. "I uh..." You chuckled nervously. "Thank you, Aela. I've never had someone tell me I could do... well anything other than a few restoration spells. I seem to be good at them. I can only seem to use them on other people though." You now chuckled nervously.

Farkas grunted. "I'd tell you to go to the college but I don't think that place should even exist." He shook his head. "But if you can hold a dagger, you can hold a sword. Same thing."

"Brother, that has got to be one of the worst things you have said." A man that was shorter than Farkas but looked quite similar to him walked up a flight of stairs that was hidden to you until his deep voice called attention to it. A man walked up after him with graying hair and wrinkled skin, even so he looked strong as well. "There is no need to give the girl false hope."

"Vilkas- I'm not giving her false hope."

"Ice brain is right, Vilkas." The man shot a glare to Aela, though impressively she didn't back down, she stood up with her hands on the table, leaning forward. "They aren't the same weapon and skills don't transfer but fire in your heart does."