To Protect the Dragonborn

The Conpanions

As the ceremony concluded most of the Circle members turned to go inside, but Kodlak hung back, asking Duna to have a word with him. Farkas started to hang back as well, but Kodlak gave him a stern but gentle look that told him to keep going. He followed his brother instead, but before they opened the back doors, Vilkas paused and looked back at him.

"It's faint, but I can still smell the transformation on you," he said quietly, "I'm assuming Duna saw?"

Farkas sighed. He wasn't surprised, he could always smell when Aela and Skjor had gone off to hunt in their beast forms... among other things they did.

"Yeah," Farkas answered just as quietly. He glanced back to the yard at Kodlak and Duna, and Vilkas did too. She looked nervous again, but Kodlak didn't look too upset.

"I'm also assuming you had a good reason..." Vilkas added with a resigned sounding sigh.

"I did," Farkas grumbled. Vilkas nodded and met his gaze before continuing inside. There were some things the brothers could communicate best without words; despite Vilkas's frequent comments about brains not being Farkas's strong suit, Farkas knew Vilkas trusted his judgement... on at least some matters. He also knew that that wasn't the end of the conversation, but there was a time and place for such discussions. Farkas expected Vilkas would be paying him a visit once the celebrations died down that evening.

The brothers continued inside, and Duna and Kodlak followed them a few minutes later. To Farkas's relief and satisfaction, she didn't hesitate to join him when he motioned her to the chair beside him. She gave him a small smile when she sat down.

"Here's the woman of the hour," Skjor declared enthusiastically raising his mug of ale.

"Did you really kill a dragon?" Ria asked excitedly.

"I mean... I had help both times, but..."

"Both!?" Ria squealed interrupting Duna's modest reply, "you killed two dragons?"

"Not by myself," Duna shook her head.

"Well I heard about the first one," Aela laughed, "I heard you jumped on its face and ran it through with your sword!"

Duna sighed and glanced over at Farkas with a suspicious look. Farkas just grinned back at her before pretending to be very interested in his mug of ale...

"I did," Duna nodded finally.

"This is your party, Dragonborn. Stop being so modest," Vilkas grinned, grabbing his own mug of ale. She blushed a little at that, and didn't look pleased to have all eyes on her. Farkas laughed and put his ale down.

"If you don't tell it they're gonna get my version of the story," he warned with a playful grin.

"Be my guest," she replied evenly, "I'll chime in if you get it wrong." She gave him a challenging smirk that made Farkas's wolf spirit stir excitedly, and his blood began pounding in his ears. Vilkas chuckled from the seat on the other side of him and Farkas quickly began trying to control his thoughts again...

"Alright then," he shrugged, then turning to the rest of the mead hall, "it all started when Aela asked me to go help her with a giant..."

Farkas told them the story of the events that had gotten Duna to this point. As he spoke he realized it might have been best that he'd ended up telling it; having shared many stories in this mead hall over the years, he knew how to tell his story around the secrets and related details that needed to be left out... any time something didn't add up, he could simply pretend to be an idiot who'd forgotten the details, so no one ever questioned him. He wondered if that had been part of Duna's concern...