Elder Scroll series 1. Day One

Vilkas paced in the mead hall, running his hands through his hair. Farkas had been missing for over four hours. Farkas didn't stay away that long unless he had a job some where else. They'd only had a fight.

_Farkas threw a chair across the room while the newer Companions cowered in the corner. "You monster!" he shouted as Vilkas dodged the chair, which broke on the wall. "You said you'd help that little girl but all you did was kill her! What's the honor in killing a child?! Huh?!" Vilkas cringed faintly at his brother's words. The child would have turned into a vampire._

_There hadn't been shops around and he didn't have a Cure Disease potion on him. So he killed the little girl. But it pissed Farkas off that he didn't at least try to find a way of helping the girl._

_Vilkas yelped as Farkas tackled him and started punching him repeatedly. "You. Are. A. Terrible. Person!" Farkas shouted, saying a word with each punch. Vilkas tried, halfheartedly, to defend himself. Farkas was right. He was a terrible person for doing what he did, but he had no choice. _

_Vilkas finally shoved his twin off and shoved him into the fire pit. Farkas cried out as he hit the still hot coals. He got up quickly and glared at Vilkas. "I hate you." he snarled before storming out._

It was an intense fight, but Vilkas had expected Farkas to come back within an hour saying he was sorry. That' how Farkas was. Sweet. Too sweet for the world, in Vilkas's opinion. "Vilkas?" The man jumped and looked to Aela, who looked worried and sad. "What?" he demanded, mind more focused on his twin. Aela sighed and handed Vilkas a necklace. "Someone found this in the nearby giant camp."

Giant camp? Vilkas took the necklace and felt his heart sink and a weight go into his stomach. It was Farkas's. "No."

"Vilkas?"

"No... No,no, nononononono. No!"

Vilkas ran outside, Aela chasing after him. "Vilkas!" Vilkas ignored the woman and ran out of the city, desperate to find Farkas.

* * *

Seven hours of searching, and no luck. Vilkas slumped against a ruined wall, holding the necklace loosely in his hand. Aela sat next to him and muttered out an apology. Vilkas growled. The apology made it sound like Farkas was dead and gone. He'd not smelled his brother's blood at the Giant Camp and he'd not caught wind of Farkas for about three hours. The search was becoming hopeless.

"Vilkas... We should give up." Vilkas suddenly burst into tears. Being separated from a sibling was hard enough, but a twin... It hurt so much emotionally that Vilkas eventually doubled over in physical pain. Aela looked away, fighting her own tears. It was hard watching someone as strong as Vilkas cry on the ground, clutching what they were sure was the last thing they had of Farkas's.

* * *

Back at Jorrvaskr, Vilkas trudged down stairs and into his room. He took off his armor then lied down on his bed and covered himself with a fur, still holding onto the bit of jewelry. He layed for what seemed like hours, just thinking about Farkas. Farkas would always pull stunts when they were kids and usually blamed Vilkas. Vilkas groaned when he realized he was going to get no sleep tonight... At least not in his room.

He got up and get across the hall to Farkas's room. Everything in the room was neat, but not really organized. Left over food was still on the desk and the bed was messy. He sighed and shut the door behind him before crawling into the bed where his brother had slept. "Good night, Farkas." Vilkas whispered out into the air.


	2. The Third Week

Three weeks had gone by with no sign of Farkas and Vilkas's mean streak reared it's ugly head. Since he was a child Vilkas had always had the tendency to be rather mean. And when he said something to you when he was in a mean mood, he would say something that hurt. The things Vilkas would say would make you cry. He never meant it though. He just angrily lashed out at people when he was hurting. It was just how he coped.

Vilkas was shocked at himself that he'd lasted two weeks before lashing out. He guessed Farkas's smell kept him okay. But the other's sent was starting to fade and Vilkas grew frantic as he tried to find anything that held the smell of his twin. Shirts, pants, shoes, furs, even weapons. But by the third week, Farkas's sent was no where to be found in Jorrvaskr, and that was when Vilkas got mean.

To try and not upset anyone, Vilkas locked himself in Farkas's room, only coming out for the bathroom or for food and drink or for more ink for his quill or even for a stick or charcoal. So, basically, he never left that room. Vilkas had cried so much those three weeks, he thought he'd become dehydrated.

He sighed and looked down at the paper before him. Another drawing of Farkas, but this one was different. Farkas was drawn looking off to the side, hand on his neck and smiling with one eye brow was the sort of face Vilkas got a lot from his brother and it was a look he hated. So why did he draw it? All the other looks he'd drawn on Farkas's face were angry, embarrassed, sad or happy.

But this one look. The look that read "are-you-fucking-serious-right-now?", why did he draw it?

Okay, so maybe deep down, Vilkas liked the look. Maybe it reminded him that he and Farkas were still brothers and were always going to be childish around one another. Vilkas felt himself tearing up again. He sighed and lied down on Farkas's bed, cuddling the pillow, wishing it was Farkas.

A loud, deep, and boisterous voice suddenly sounded throughout the lower levels of the building. Vilkas cringed, knowing who the voice belonged to. The doors to the room slammed open and Vilkas looked up at the grinning Dragonborn, a Nord most called Lurch because of the way the man lurched forward sometimes. Lurch's peppy aura quickly diminished seeing Vilkas's sad look.

Lurch sat on the bed next to the other man and sighed. "He'll come back, Vilk." he murmured. "Really he will. I promise." Vilkas rolled over, not wanting to deal with the Dragonborn right now. Lurch huffed and threw a sweetroll at Cicero, who was blabbing away about nothing, as per usual. "I'll find him, if you want."

"You look for my brother, I go too, whelp."

Lurch pouted and crossed his arms. He was the Harbinger for Talos sake. He sighed and got up. "Let me know when we can leave." he said, closing the door behind him.

Vilkas finally let go and started crying. He needed Farkas around right now. He needed Farkas to walk in and wrap him up in a big bear hug and hold him close, whispering apologizes and reassurances into his ear. Farkas would just sit like that and hold Vilkas until both fell asleep. Vilkas had taken care of his twin a lot when they were kids, so in adult hood, it was Farkas who took care of Vilkas, and Vilkas needed his brother's guidance. Farkas may have come off as the dim-witted brute others loved to called him, but he was actually very smart.

Farkas used short, easy to say words because he was a blunt person, not because he was dumb. Farkas could have easily talked a Silver Hand into becoming a werewolf had he wanted to. Farkas was an excellent blacksmith too. Had he wanted to be, Farkas could have easily been the thief type with his stealth skills so damn good.

Vilkas stood up and put on his armor and grabbed his weapons. It was time to goo looking for his twin. "Lurch!" he called heading towards the door that lead upstairs. "Let's go! It's high time we find my brother and bring him home!"


	3. Farkas

Farkas groaned as he opened his eyes. His head was throbbing and the light in the room didn't help at all. At first he thought he was in his room in Jorrvaskr, but then a little boy and a little girl leaned over him. "Mommy, Daddy!" they shouted, making Farkas's head hurt worse. "He's awake finally!" A woman rushed over, shooing her children out of the way, and loomed over him. "Sweet Mara, he is." she said, handing him an herb. "Here, eat this. It'll ease any pain you have."

Pain? Besides his head ache what other pain could he ha-? He cried out as he tried to move his left leg. He shook as he put the herb into his mouth. The woman looked like she felt bad for him. After a bit of silence, the woman spoke again. "I'm Maralith."

"Farkas."

Maralith smiled and helped Farkas sit up, making sure not to jar his leg. "What happened to me?" Farkas asked, wondering how long he'd been out. Maralith busied herself, getting the man some food and ale. "My husband was out hunting when he saw a werewolf trying to fight a giant." she explained, making Farkas swallow. "The giant walked off after making sure the wolf wouldn't get up. My husband went to check on the thing but found you in it's place." She chuckled. "Butt naked too."

Farkas blushed. "Anything else I should know?" he asked. Maralith handed Farkas some bread and hot venison along with a tankard of ale. "Well, you've been out for about three weeks." Farkas chocked on the ale in his mouth. Three weeks?! Vilkas was probably freaking out and pitching Talos knows how big a fit! "Listen..." he began, swallowing a piece of meat. "I need to get home."

"You're not moving out of bed in your condition."

Farkas rolled his eyes and huffed in a rather wolf like manner. "I meant after I get better." he grumbled. "After my leg is healed, I'll help you out around the house and do any chores you ask me to do." Maralith suddenly looked sad, but she still smiled. "There's not much you can do." she whispered, making sure her kids couldn't hear her. "We live on the very edge of Riften territory and we don't have much. Money, food, anything." Farkas looked down at the plate of food in his lap.

He took two more small bites, then handed the plate back to Maralith. "Give that to the kids." The woman stared in shock. "B-but your wounds!" Farkas ignored her protests and set the plate on the dresser next to him and asked about his clothes. Maralith hesitantly got his armor. He grabbed it and began looking through his satchel. "Ah, here we go." he mumbled, pulling out his large coin purse. He counted out enough so that he had enough to get him home, but enough so that Maralith could buy food, clothes, and afford to repair the house.

As she took the money from him, she began to cry. No one had ever been so kind to her since before she was forced out of the city. "Oh, thank you!" she exclaimed, hugging Farkas tightly. Farkas grunted in pain but chuckled through it, hugging back. He hated seeing people in poverty, so he usually donated some of his own coin to beggars or people who were barely getting by. Vilkas had always yelled at him for it.

Vilkas... Yelling...

As Maralith pulled back from the hug, Farkas scrambled to get up. Maralith cried out and called for her husband. Fark, Maralith's husband, picked up Farkas and tried to hold the man back. Farkas tired to claw, bite, and kick his way away from the man holding him back!

* * *

After about twenty minuets of struggling, yelling and crying, Farkas lay on the bed again, whimpering in pain. "Who's Vilkas?" Fark asked, wiping Farkas's face with a cool, damp rag. "My twin brother." Farkas mumbled, wincing when Fark's hand brushed a wound. Fark looked up at Farkas's face and his heart broke. Farkas's face held a look of sadness he'd only seen on those who'd lost their loved ones. "Is he... Okay?" Farkas managed a shrug. "He's probably pitching about the biggest fit anyone could imagine." he muttered, thinking about what Vilkas might be doing.

"Before I ran out on him, we'd gotten into a fight." Fark nodded and sat silently, listening to the other man. "We were on a job and we ended up pretty far from any town or hold and we found a little girl. Some vampire tried to turn her and, well we didn't have an potions at the time, so... Vilkas killed her." Fark blinked and stared at Farkas for a second, taking in what he'd said. Farkas simply continued, lost in thought. "BAck at home, he and I got into a big fight.

"I beat him up pretty good and called him a terrible person... I also said I hated him..." Fark sighed and brushed some hair out of the other's face. "I'm sure he knows you didn't mean it." Farkas nodded and let out a shaky breath. He prayed to Talos Vilkas knew that.


	4. The Dream and Jergen

After four days, Farkas's wound were finally healed enough for him to move without it hurting too much. He did what he could to help out around the house whether is was washing dishes, sweeping, or folding laundry. He still got worn out pretty easily, so when he did get tired, he'd sit down in a chair or on his bed and read or play the lute. He would read stories to the kids too.

The little boy, Meric, had taken a liking to Farkas and would often sit with the older Nord. Meric was a child you was plagued by frequent nightmares and the boy's parents did little to try and ease the boy's mind. So, if Meric had a nightmare, he'd climb into bed with Farkas and sleep there. Initially it had bothered Maralith and Fark, but when they saw Meric's behavior start to change for the better, they allowed Meric to keep sharing a bed with Farkas whenever he had a nightmare.

On this particular night, it was Meric having bad dreams, it was Farkas.

_He was sitting at a campfire, the only source of light in the area. Everything else around him was pitch black, and blood stained the ground. A few minuets later, Vilkas sat down across from him. Vilkas seemed... Shocked to see Farkas. "F-Fark?" he whispered. "Is that you?" Farkas furrowed his brow. "Yeah... What are you doing in my dream?"_

_"Your dream? It's mine!"_

_Okay, now both were confused. Were they sharing a dream? It was possible. Nords believed that when twins were separated and needed each other the most, they could communicate through dreams. "Vilkas..." Farkas began staring behind his brother. Behind Vilkas, bodies started to show. Not just corpses... The bodies of the people behind Vilkas were torn apart, cut open, and looked like they'd been tortured. "Where are you?" Vilkas blinked. "I'm camping just outside Morthal with Lurch and some Kahjiit. Why?" Farkas was frozen as he stared in fear at the tortured bodies behind his brother._

_Then Vilkas started to fade out. "No! I can't go!" Vilkas got up and tried to go to his brother, but the campfire flared up. "Farkas! Where are you?!"_

_"I'm in R-."_

* * *

Vilkas cried out as he woke up, making everyone in the camp wake up too and rush to his aid. "Vilk?!" Lurch asked, panicked. "Are you okay?!" Vilkas stood up quickly and pushed passed everyone, running out to the edge of the camp. "Farkas?!" he called desperately. "Farkas!" Lurched covered the man's mouth and held him back. "Hush! Farkas isn't here, Vilkas."

Vilkas went limp in Lurch's arms and sighed. So it really was just a dream. But the smoke and blood he saw around his brother, and the dead giant... Were all so real. Farkas seemed frightened in the dream. He could faintly hear groans and chains behind him in the dream, but he'd overall ignored it. What had Farkas seen?

* * *

Farkas screamed when he woke up. Loudly. He fell off the bed in his panic and curled up in a ball. "Oh dear!" Maralith rushed over to him and knelt beside him while Fark tried to keep Meric and his sister, Lilith, back. "Are you in pain, Farkas?" she asked, petting his hair.

She got no response, just muttering and tears.

"What in the name of Mara could have spooked him?" she wondered aloud as her husband gathered up the trembling Companion and set him on the bed. "I'm not sure, but whatever it was, it seemed to involve his brother." he noted, hearing Farkas mutter something about Vilkas. Maralith sighed. What ever was going on, she didn't know, but she did know that Vilkas needed to come to his twins aid, and soon.

* * *

Vilkas sat staring at the camp fire while Lurch cooked breakfast. He was pissed, lonely, and sad all at once. Pissed because he couldn't find his brother, lonely because his brother wasn't at his side, and sad because Farkas was likely lonely too. Right now, he could only take comfort in knowing Farkas was alive. "Cicero! Give that back!" Vilkas chuckled as Lurch tackled Cicero and tried to take back the sweetroll the jest had taken.

Vilkas frowned as he remembered how he and Farkas used to fight over sweetrolls as kids. The one time he really remembered was just before their father, Jergen, left.

_"Vil! That's mine!" Farkas yelled, making slurring sounds seeing as he didn't have his front teeth. "No it's mine, ice-brain!" Vilkas retorted, sticking out his tongue. Jergen came up behind his sons and snatched the sweet roll and took a big bite. "It's mine now, pups." Farkas and Vilkas screamed and started yelling at Jergen, only making the man laugh. He set aside the roll and picked up his sons, hugging them close. _

_The twins were his world. He loved his sons more than anything in the world and would do everything in his power to keep them safe and happy. "I love you boys." _

The 'I love you' Jergen had said that day was so final. Like it was the last thing he'd ever get to say to his sons. And it had been.

After the hug and the I love you, Jergen left Jorrvaskr... And never came back.

_"Vilkas, Farkas, your father isn't coming home." The seven year old twins looked up at Kodlak and tilted their heads. Of course their dad was coming back, he promised he would. Kodlak continued, knowing his next words would make the twins's world collapse. "Your father is in Sovngarde." _

_Farkas was the first to start crying. Vilkas did his best to simply be strong for his twin, but found id hopeless and soon started crying as well. Kodlak gathered the two in his arms and held them close, letting them cry into his chest._

That had been a painful day for both of the twins, but they gained strength from it too. The strength to keep going.


	5. The Threat

R... That one letter was enough information to help Vilkas find his brother. But so many places Started with R. Rorikstead, Reachwater Rock, Reachwind Eyrie, Riften, Redoran's Retreat, Rimerock Burrow, and many other places, so at the end of the day, Vilkas was stumped. Where to look? Riften didn't seem likely to him. No one there would be selfless enough to take Farkas in so he crossed that off the list.

Rorikstead was likely but, again, no one would take Farkas in. Crossed off. The only other places seemed to be tombs or forts, so those were likely too. Well, if he wanted to find his brother dead that was.

Vilkas growled in frustration and huffed childishly. He hated being stumped. He knew he couldn't give up though. Farkas was counting on him to find him. He sighed. He'd never thought he'd miss his twin so much. Then again, the two had never been apart for very long so they never knew what it'd be like to be apart. Vilkas guessed that it was subconsciously scary to the both of them. It was likely the reason that both men, both in their thirties, weren't married.

Most men their age were married unless they had an occupation that prevented them from being married. Vilkas snorted as he jokingly thought about marrying his brother. As if being brothers wasn't hard enough, adding marriage into that equation was just stupid. They fought over their funds enough as it was, being married would make that fighting worse.

Still, in a way, it wasn't a bad idea. Vilkas laughed at himself for thinking such nonsense. He then turned his attention back to his map and eyed it, looking for his brother's potential location. Normally, Farkas wouldn't be hard to find, but seeing as the man had been missing for nearly a month now, so now there were nearly endless possibilities. He was worried about Farkas for sure, but worrying wasn't going to help find him.

Lurch walked over and set a plate of food next to Vilkas, who thanked him. "You know, " Lurch drawled, looking at the map. "Rorikstead might be a good place to check first, actually. "

"And why's that?"

"It's a small farming village and the locals may have seen something."

Vilkas nodded. "To Rorikstead then."

* * *

"What's Vilkas like?" Farkas turned to look at Fark, who was helping him work in the garden. "Pardon?" Fark chuckled and smiled fondly. "Vilkas. Your twin. What's he like?" Farkas smiled sadly. What was Vilkas like? "Well," he began. "He and I are a lot alike. Except, he's hot-headed and has earned the ranking of 'the smart one'." Fark snorted and helped the Companion lift a few logs into the cart. "And what are you?"

"The dumb one. My friends call me ice-brain."

Fark raised an eyebrow in question. "You seem pretty smart to me." he stated, crossing his arms. Farkas just shrugged. "I'm blunt and don't use big words." he explained. "Plus I'm strong and not very quick to register things in my mind. But, contrary to my fighting style and behavior, I'm better suited as a thief. I use light armor better than heavy and I'm damn good at sneaking. I can also haggle pretty well, and talk anyone into anything I want... Should I choose."

Fark smiled widely. Farkas was blunt and did seem dimwitted, but it was very clear that the man was highly intelligent. Farkas was also a hard worker. It seemed all Farkas ever did in his life was work. Fark wondered if that were true, so he asked. Farkas sat down, back against the house, and nodded. "Yeah. When Vilkas and I were kids, out father left to fight in the Great War, he never came back though." He sighed and leaned his head, closing his eyes. He pictured his father's smiling face as he spoke. "Vilkas and I were sort of on our own from then on. Sure we had our mentor, Kodlak, but our father did teach us something important before he left.

"You see, Vilkas and I wished on stars and prayed to Talos a lot as kids and our father would always tell us, 'Boys, wishing and praying can only take you so far. You have to work hard to get to what you want.' We learned that at an early age and it stuck with us."

Fark listened intently to the younger's story, drinking in every word. He found himself glad that someone else in this world knew the meaning of hard work. Too many people had it easy, and anyone who didn't, didn't work to get what they wanted. They all expected some sort of handout. It made him happy to know at least two souls knew what it was like to have to work.

Farkas cried out suddenly and fell over. Fark hurried to the younger man's side. "Damn it all, boy." he scolded. "You reopened your stitches. Come on." He lifted Farkas up and carried him into the house. "I swear you'll be the death of me." Farkas chuckled despite the pain he was in. "Sorry." he mumbled, allowing himself to be set on the bed.

Maralith made quick work restitching the wound on Farkas and smacked his hand in a motherly fashion. "What did I say about straining yourself?" she demanded. "Not to do it." Farkas mumbled, rubbing his now stinging hand. He hadn't meant to strain himself. He hadn't even felt any pain until he'd relaxed. Oh well, he just hoped Vilkas was okay.

* * *

Vilkas growled angrily at the barman in Rorikstead and grabbed the front of the man's shirt. "Tell me what you know, or I snap your damn neck." he snarled, fed up with the man trying to haggle money out of him for information. The barman whimpered and quickly complied. "Alright alright! There was a guy here that matches your description! He bought some mead and drank a lot of it. He got drunk and left the building."

"Where did he go?!"

"I don't know!"

Vilkas snarled and threw the man backwards before storming off back to his table, where Lurch and Cicero were sitting and grinning. Lurch handed Vilkas a letter. "Apparently, it be urgent." he said, taking a swig of mead. Vilkas rolled his eyes, but took the letter and opened it.

_Vilkas,_

_We know you're out looking for your brother. Let us give you some advice. Stop. He's now on the watch list for us and if you continue your search, you'll end up dead, just like he will._

_,The Silver Hand._

Vilkas swore under his breath and tore up the note. If the Silver Hand thought he'd stop looking for Farkas just like that, they were dead wrong. (Pun fully intended.) Vilkas loved his brother more than anything and he'd not give up the search. He'd not gotten word from Aela about Farkas, so he could only assume Farkas was hurt somewhere. Hopefully he was somewhere safe. But he'd not give up looking for his brother just because some damned cut throats told him to. No, he'd find his brother, if it was the last thing he'd do.


	6. Captured

Farkas's wounds were finally fully healed so he could move around like he wanted. He'd lost weight over the past month and he was determined to gain it back. So, when ever he wasn't helping Fark or Maralith he was practicing with his sword and exercising. Fark admired the younger man. Farkas was strong and very determined. More so than most men he knew. Farkas was becoming a huge inspiration to Fark.

Fark had wanted to try his hand at smithing but he didn't have the funds to have some one teach him. But he'd do what he could do help make some money. Poor Farkas would occasionally flinch as his scars were stretched but it was nothing too unbearable, he'd live through it. "I'm going to the lake to wash up." he told Fark. The older man nodded and watched as the younger walked off. Strange lad, but a good one.

* * *

The cold water felt good on Farkas's warm, sweaty skin. He looked over his body at all his scars. The more recent ones were the most raised and some you couldn't tell were there until you looked closer. He then wondered, how many scars did Vilkas have? Likely about as many as Farkas, but maybe more... Maybe less.

What were those scars from? Maybe some were from giants and trolls. Perhaps the Silver Hand had gotten a lucky hit... Maybe some of Vilkas's scars came from Farkas in training and Vilkas just never said a word about getting hit. Farkas felt a pang of guilt. He didn't like hurting his brother, especially on accident when Vilkas didn't admit he was injured. Farkas sighed and sat down in the water.

He loved the feel of water on his body. It felt like he was safe in water, for whatever reason. He may have been commonly affiliated with mountains or rocks, but Farkas was more attuned to the water. He felt as if he could drift in it forever. As much as he loved water, it scared him too. He often had nightmares where he was drowning, or where the ones he loved were being pulled down into the dark depths of the ocean, never to return. It was a scary thought, but he couldn't help but love the water.

He was about to stand, when something hit him on the head and he blacked out.

* * *

Vilkas stopped his horse suddenly. Something felt wrong. Not with him or with Lurch and Cicero, but... With his brother. He felt like something happened to Farkas, but he couldn't know what. Someone without a twin might have said that Vilkas finally realized Farkas might be dead. But Vilkas simply felt like his brother was in trouble. He sighed, shook his head, and continued moving.

Lurch had been watching Vilkas's behavior the last few days and it just kept taking turns for the worst. He was getting angrier and angrier, meaner and meaner. The threat to the Rorikstead barkeeper hadn't been real, but the threat he'd made to a few Imperials who wanted proof they were allowed to be in the area, had been genuine. He'd threatened to kill each of the Imperial men slowly while the others were forced to watch.

Vilkas's voice had been laced with venom when he told those men that. Vilkas needed his brother around to keep him level. Lurch had payed the Imperial men to forget the incident.

Now, Lurch watched Vilkas's slumping shoulders and worn out demeanor. When Vilkas wasn't angry, he was simply depressed. Vilkas normally had a lot of energy, but now... He was just a shell of what he normally was.

Later, the trio settled down for the night just next to the road and went to bed, not a word spoken between them.

* * *

Vilkas awoke the next morning... In a cell. He quickly sat up, trying to figure out where in the hell he was. It was an old fortress, by the look of it. He could see many of the Silver Hand bustling about. He growled low in his throat. So, they'd kidnapped him and locked him up like a wild the hall way was clear, he saw the cell across from him.

This was why he'd had that feeling!

He watched as Farkas's chest rose and fell in his sleep. He appeared to have gotten injured awhile back, but seemed fine otherwise. If he wasn't in a cell seven feet from his brother, he'd have cried out of joy. But he couldn't show any more weakness, not around the Silver Hand.

Farkas soon woke up and took in his surroundings, quickly spotting Vilkas. "Vil!" He shot forward and grabbed the bars of his cell, wanting to do nothing more than hug his twin tightly and never let go. Vilkas smiled and leaned on his own cell door. "I... I finally found you, Farkas." he said, biting his lip. "I'm sorry... Sorry for being so thick headed." Farkas sighed and shook his head. "Vil, I should be sorry. I was the one who did all the insulting and hitting and running out." he argued, glaring at the ground. Vilaks sighed and stared at the ground.

The twins were silent for a moment before a screech sounded, alerting the two to the fact that Lurch was also locked up. "Noooo!" the Dragonborn yelled. "I'm too young and pretty to die! Whhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyy?!" Farkas chuckled while Vilkas rolled his eyes. Lurch was useful but, damn he was fucking annoying.

Of course, Lurch was only twenty-six so he had his excuse.

At any rate, they weren't getting out anytime soon. So they'd sit back and wait for Aela.


	7. Vilkas's Choice

Cicero sat in a shack in the woods somewhere near Falkreath and sighed. He knew he three options. He'd even written them down and placed them on a rock out in front of him, yes he did! Option one was to barge into the fort where the Listener and the Listener's friends were, where he'd likely die. That didn't sound too appealing at all, so he scrapped that one. The second option was going to the Dawnstar Sanctuary where Nazir and Babette were, but then again, they'd kill him before he could say a single word.

The last option, and probably the most logical was to go the Jorrvaskr. The Listener was also a Companion so they'd save the Listener and the wolf twins! Cicero laughed joyfully, clapping his hands. "Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes!" he cheered, gleefully. "Cicero shall go to the Companions for aid!" He giggled and gathered his things, making sure not to leave evidence that he was there. He stepped over the corpse of the woman he'd killed and began making his way towards Whiterun.

* * *

"Aela!" The huntress turned to look at the newest whelp with a raised eyebrow. "What is it, whelp?" she demanded, not liking her lunch to be disrupted. "Um... There's a... _Jester_ asking for you." Aela furrowed her brow. A jester? The only jester she knew was the one that followed Lurch around. She got up and headed upstairs. The moment she opened the door, she knew it was the same Jester.

Cicero was talking away, making jokes and dancing around making everyone in the mead hall laugh. Aela shook her head. If Cicero was here only to make a fool of himself, why did he ask for her? "Cicero!" The jester looked up and his demeanor changed instantly. He approached her and spoke. "Vilkas found Farkas, but in a most unfortunate turn of events." Aela raised an eyebrow, but remained silent so Cicero could continue. "The Silver Hand took them and locked them up, only then did they find one another. But they also took poor Cicero's Listener in the process!"

Aela knew that Cicero's "Listener" was Lurch, her Harbinger. She said nothing, only gathered her things and pulled Cicero with her as she left the hall. Farkas was alive and probably pissed, Lurch was likely losing what little sanity he had and Vilkas was more likely than not angry and close to pulling out his hair.

* * *

As it would turn out, Aela was quite right. Lurch sat in his cell mumbling and occasionally screeching, making Vilkas highly annoyed. Of course Farkas was just kicking and hitting his cell door, trying to get it open, adding to Vilkas's annoyance and onto his already massive headache.

Vilkas's head snapped up when he heard a door open. Three of the Silver Hand walked in and went straight for Farkas's cell. Farkas pressed himself against the back wall, ready to turn if he needed to. The Silver Hand stepped into the cage and one used a subduing spell, making Farkas fall over, weak.

The three carried the big man out of the cell and into another room.

Vilkas could only glare at the three guards as they carried his brother away. What they were going to do to Farkas, Vilkas had no idea. But he could imagine. Of course... Farkas sudden screaming didn't leave much to the imagination. They were torturing him. After awhile, Vilkas had to cover his ears and huddle in the corner. He didn't want to hear his brother screaming in torment. He swore he could faintly feel the pain those... _Monsters_ were inflicting upon his brother.

He wanted to cry. To scream, but nothing would come out but a choked whine. He shivered in fear for his brother. Vilkas hated the thought torture. If you were going to kill someone, do it quickly or let them die fighting. Don't kill them slowly, it's cruel. Vilkas was a harsh man. Hot-headed and strict but he had his morals and honor. He hated people who tortured others, like it was a game.

* * *

Four hours of screaming stopped as suddenly as it had started. Vilkas feared the worst. Soon, several guards came in and placed Farkas back in his cell, then left. Vilkas eyed his brother carefully, checking for life. When he saw the faint rise and fall of the other's chest, he left out the breath he'd been holding. It seemed Farkas had handled four hours of torture before passing out. Of course, that wasn't really comforting.

He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, muttering prayers to Arkay and Talos to let Farkas live... To let them both live to see the light of day again. He wanted to see Aela, Vignar, hell, he wanted to see Cicero! He sighed once more. He didn't want to be a Companion any more. There was too much risk to not only himself, but to Farkas. When the other woke up he'd talk to him about it.


	8. Poor Old Cicero

Oh why, oh why, oh why, did that horrible woman leave poor old Cicero alone!? He knew he was talking a lot but that's what he did when he was nervous! That Aela should know that! The Listener told her! So, now here he was, wandering alone and cold and hungry in the wilderness with only his knife to keep him company. Oh how he longed to hear the laughter again. At least then he'd have some form of company. But no, Cicero was the laughter.

Oh poor old Cicero. So lonely without the laughter or the Listener. At least the Listener listened to him when he rambled and babbled on and on about really nothing.

Cicero shivered and crawled into a crevice in the mountain side. Nothing would get him in here, no sirie! He was safe and sound. Well... For now. Oh! But he couldn't stay here for the night! The Listener needed help! Oh but, Cicero was cold and tired-. No!

Cicero crawled out of the crevice and began walking again. He should have been more concerned about the Listener, not himself. Oh no, no, no. The Listener was much, much more important than Cicero. Oh, The Listener would be so angry if he found out Cicero was thinking of himself while The Listener was locked up like an animal!

Of course...The Listener could be a very understanding man. Yes. Yes! Perhaps the Listener would forgive poor old Cicero for being so selfish! Yes, that did sound like the Listener. To forgive. After all, when Cicero attacked Astrid, he'd forgiven the poor jester. Well, maybe not forgiven, but he didn't kill Cicero when he was ordered to. So, maybe in a way it was forgiveness... Maybe...

It wasn't long before Cicero came across a camp. Only when he found the camp did he realize that it had gotten dark. Funny how getting absorbed into one's own thoughts can make one lose track of time. He cautiously pulled out his dagger and slowly approached the camp. As soon as he saw the owner of the camp, he began to pitch a fit.

"How dare you leave poor old Cicero alone in the cold!" he shouted, making Aela jump up and draw her own dagger. Seeing it was Cicero who was yelling at her, she put the dagger up and sighed, letting the lunatic rant. "Poor Cicero was so cold and hungry and alone! Why?! Why did you leave me to rot?! Why leave little old me to fend for myself?!"

Aela shook her head and handed the jester some venison steak, which quickly shut him up, allowing her to explain. " Look, I got up early to go hunting for food. When I got back, you were gone. So I went looking for you. I had to set up camp when it got dark, so I figured I'd wait for you to find me." Cicero processed the information and blushed. So, he'd misunderstood the situation. "M-my apologies." he stuttered, feeling like the fool he was dressed as.

Aela nodded and looked up at the sky, praying to Arkay for Vilkas and Farkas's safety. Cicero looked to Aela and his own look softened. He knew the look on her face. It was the sort of look a other got when she thought of her children when they left the house and moved somewhere else. It was the look an elder sibling got when they worried over their younger sibling... It was the look he'd seen on the Listener's face more than once. Cicero had once asked about the look and the Listener just smiled sadly, chuckled, and told Cicero that he missed his spouse and parents.

Poor Listener... Lurch was such a kind man. Albeit loud and eccentric, but kind. He loved to help people. Cicero never understood how someone who killed for a living (people, dragons, or animals) could help harvest crops and give them to the farmers. He didn't see how Lurch could just... drop something and help someone out with something else. Like when he was busy finding this out about Markarth, he dropped that to get the Smelter Overseer to let up on the harsh treatment of the workers.

Lurch was sweet and didn't deserve the harsh treatment he got from many of the people in the world.

Even poor old Cicero knew that the Listener was too good in his ways, but something made him not care. Something made Cicero want to help the Listener help others. Perhaps he was just thinking too much into things, but maybe, just maybe, the Listener was helping him regain his humanity and his sanity.

"Go to sleep Cicero." The jester looked up and tilted his head. "Go to sleep." Aela repeated. "I'll wake you up when I get up, okay?" Cicero nodded and went to lay down. Covering himself with a fur, Cicero thought about the Listener's ways. Kind, but merciless. Gentle, but strict. Cicero pouted. The Listener was practically the epitome of irony, he realized. Oh well.

The Listener did his job well and that was all that mattered to dear Cicero. The jester made a note to ask the Listener about his family. To ask why he looked so sad thinking about them. It couldn't be too much to ask, right? Maybe it hurt and that's why he didn't talk about them, Cicero realized. It hurt the Listener to speak of his family,so he didn't.

Perhaps, in some way, Cicero could help ease that pain. Maybe he could be like the Listener and help someone else. Maybe.

Maybe.


	9. See? Farkas is Smart

How long had it been since they'd seen the sun? Days? Weeks? They didn't know, they just wanted out, wanted to go home and feel safe again.

Every day one of them was taken out of their cells and tortured. Sometimes they'd pass out and sometimes they'd be let off easy. No matter what happened, they'd wake up tired and hungry. They'd not eaten since they got there. Lurch figured they were trying to make them suffer because it was some how amusing.

Farkas wasn't fairing so good after about the fifth day. He was weak and sick. Eventually, the Silver Hand left Farkas alone, preferring to let the man die of illness. Vilkas cringed every time he saw puss coming out of his brother's wounds. The wounds were infected and it seemed that that was what was countering Farkas's beast blood, which should have kept him from getting sick.

Vilkas shuddered as he kept asking Talos to send help. If not for him, then for Farkas. As long as Farkas was safe that's all that mattered to him. Of course Farkas saw it the other way around. But in the end, neither wanted to die. At least not alone in a cell without their twin close enough to touch. They were each other's strength in their prison.

Vilkas sighed as he heard Lurch sobbing. Poor Lurch. He was so alone. Talking to himself seemed to help at first, but he started insulting himself, leading to fits of tears. Eventually, he just stopped talking all together. And that terrified the twins. Sure, Lurch wasn't as talkative as Cicero, but boy did he talk.

So, when they stopped hearing Lurch speak, they panicked. This situation was really bad if even Lurch didn't speak.

Vilkas hugged his knees and sighed again. This was all becoming just too much for him to handle. He ached all over and he had to watch as his brother lay dying and as Lurch went mad. He suddenly remembered Cicero. Cicero must have not been taken! And of course the insane little jester would never leave Lurch to rot. It was very likely Cicero had used the little bit of logic he had and went for help.

Well, of course Vilkas could only hope that's what had happened. All he had to do was wait.

* * *

Hours flew by and no one came and got any of them to torture. Maybe they'd decided to just let them rot, let them die slowly.

Farkas coughed harshly, catching Vilkas's attention. "Are you alright, brother?" Vilkas asked, once the coughing subsided. Farkas shook his head. He was in pain. His wounds burned and itched. His head hurt so bad the room spun. His lungs felt like they'd explode when ever he breathed. So, no. He wasn't not alright. He wanted to die,but he wouldn't. Not without getting to hold his brother one last time.

He coughed again. This time blood came up. It didn't scare him, just made him angry. He was dying and he knew it, but he couldn't die yet. He refused to let go of life until he was home.

Farkas thought over Vilkas's choice to leave the Companions about five times, until he realized... They should leave. With their condition now, and their condition after they healed, they'd be useless in fights. So, Farkas agreed. Of course, they'd still visit Jorrvaskr, they just couldn't live there anymore. Aela would have to add a few new members to the Circle and Lurch... Well,they didn't know if Lurch was going to be okay after this.

Farkas lied down on the cold stone floor of his cell and closed his eyes. He wanted to sleep so badly. His eyes had been drooping all day, but he had to wait for the torture. But seeing as no one was coming to get them, he was going to sleep for the first time in three days.

Sleep did not come easy though with his aches and pains, but eventually he did fall asleep. He didn't expect to dream. He rarely ever dreamed. But this time, as he slept, he heard his own voice calling out fr Aela. He saw flashes of her sleeping on the ground, Cicero on the other side of the camp fire. He called out to her again again, but she did not wake.

He then whispered to her...

* * *

Aela's eyes snapped open and she shot up, drawing her dagger... No one was there and Cicero still lay in fitful sleep. The voice that had whispered her name... It sounded like Farkas... But he was no where to be found. Okay maybe she was going mad. The voice got louder though. "Follow my voice." it said. Aela quickly got Cicero up and ran after the direction of the voice.

Cicero whined as he tried to keep up. What in the world was that mad-woman chasing?! Then they stopped.

The fortress... The one the Listener was being held in.

* * *

Farkas opened his eyes and yawned. Okay, so his dreams were weird. But they always seemed so real. He sat up and shrugged. He'd figure it out later. "Hey, uh, Vilkas?" Vilkas looked tiredly to his twin. "Yes?"

"Slide that bone over here."

Vilkas raised an eyebrow but did as the other asked. Farkas quickly picked up the bone and broke one end off. Vilkas thought his brother was going to eat the marrow but he soon realized that Farkas was making a lock pick out of the bone. Vilkas watched in awe as Farkas carefully shaped and carved the bone. Sure, he'd seen his brother like this before, but he still felt like it was a great honor to see Farkas so focused and crafty. This was one of the reasons why Vilkas was glad his brother was best at being a thief.

"Lurch." Farkas called out. Lurch lifted his head. "I need you to keep a look out for guards. You're closest to the door." Lurch mumbled an okay and adjusted himself so he could see to door. Farkas then got to work on the lock to his cell. He was very, very careful. If the bone pick broke while he was trying to pick the lock, that wouldn't end up good. Sure, there were other bones around, but bone got stuck in locks far more easy than metal.

How did he know that? Well, it wasn't like this was the first time he'd been locked up.

He smirked when he heard the tell tale click of the lock. He quickly opened his cell door and went to lock the doors on either end of the hall. Vilkas stared in awe at his brother. He had to learn that! Farkas worked as fast as he could to unlock Lurch and Vilkas's cells. Once the cells were unlocked, he went over to a chest at the end of the hall.

Lurch quickly followed the bigger twin and waited patiently for a weapon. Farkas handed Lurch the man's glass sword and took two silver swords for himself and Vilkas. Vilkas put a hand on Farkas's shoulder, making the lager man turn. He chuckled and shook his head. "I'll hug you when we get out of here." Farkas smiled and nodded. "Of course, brother."

The trio jumped as an explosion went off. Lurch smirked and chuckled darkly. "So it seems to me the Keeper has found the Listener." he muttered. Farkas grinned and looked to his brother, who was also smiling a bit.

Farkas kicked down one of the doors and started for the exit, Vilkas and Lurch close behind.

* * *

Aela pulled her dagger out of the throat of one of the guards and looked around for her friends. No where in sight yet. It was getting annoying how many guards there were. She called out her friends' names, hopng they'd hear her over all the chaos.

"Aela?!" The huntress turned to see Vilkas and Farkas. Neither of them looked good. She hurried over to them and hugged them both. "I've missed you both so much!" The twins smiled and hugged back.

"Listener!" The hugging trio jumped as Cicero tackled Lurch, who screamed. "Not my face! No! Cicero! Cic-! EWWWW!" The twins snorted and chuckled as Cicero kissed Lurch's cheek in a moment of joy.

Aela shook her head and sighed. "Let's get you all home."


	10. Leaving Home

Jorrvaskr... They were home at last.

Vilkas lay in bed and thought about the last month or so. All because of one little incident, because of one little fight... His world had turned into a nightmare. He swore he'd gone to hell. But now everything was okay. He and Farkas were alive. He still had one little issue. Telling Aela he was leaving.

He looked up as Farkas limped into the room. "Oh Farkas." he mumbled, reluctantly scooting over to make room for his brother's large frame. Farkas pulled Vilkas close and held him there. "I missed you." he mumbled into Vilkas's neck. Vilkas smiled and buried his nose into Farkas's soft hair. "I missed you too."

They were together again. They now knew they couldn't stay. They were endangering themselves by remaining Companions. And after what they'd just been through, they knew now they needed to start thinking about themselves and what would make them safe and happy.

Aela wasn't going to like it, but this wasn't about her. This was about them. "Where would we go?" Farkas looked up at his twin, who had a bit of a pout on his face. "What?"

"Where would we go? When we leave."

Farkas smiled and chuckled. He knew just the place. "There's a small farm just outside Riften." he explained. "The family that lives there helped me out before I got kidnapped. I'm sure they'd help us out." Vilkas nodded and sighed happily. He'd missed being able to hug and cuddle with Farkas. He missed the feel of Farkas's big, strong arms wrapped around his own smaller frame. He missed the quiet sound of his brother's breath, and the long rise and fall of his chest.

He'd missed hearing Farkas's low, gravely voice, and the low rumble in Farkas's chest when the man chuckled.

All in all, he'd missed Farkas.

"What did you miss about me?" he asked suddenly. Farkas looked up and thought about the question. Well... He'd missed the warmth of his brother's smile, the feeling of Vilkas's smaller frame against his own larger one. He'd missed the way Vilkas played with his hair, like he was doing now. But, he chose not to say that. Instead he said, "I missed everything. I just missed you." Vilkas smiled and kissed his brother's forehead. "Same here, brother."

* * *

"You're what?! No!" Three weeks had gone by and the twins were fully healed and now they were telling Aela their plan. Vilkas rolled his eyes and huffed. "Aela, we can't be Companions anymore." he argued. "Farkas's leg makes it hard for him to run, meaning he can't chase someone or something. And I can hardly use my left arm anymore." Aela pouted and crossed her arms, making her look like a child who just got told to sit in timeout.

Farkas started speaking. "Aela... Please." he pleaded with her. "Vil and I don't want to endanger our own lives anymore. Sure, Jorrvaskr is our home, has been since we were kids, and it likely always will be... But we can't stay, or be Companions. We're sorry."

The woman shifted in her seat. "Will you visit?" she asked pitifully, still pouting. Farkas nodded and smiled fondly at her. Aela sighed and nodded. "I give you my blessing." Farkas perked up and smiled brightly, making Vilkas chuckle. Farkas was like a puppy.

"I'll start packing." Vilkas offered, standing up. Farkas stood too and followed his brother. "I want to help." he murmured.

Aela watched Farkas walk. Vilkas was right. Farkas's leg was pretty screwed up. The poor guy had a limp. She felt so bad for them. "Are you going to leave too Lurch?"

Lurch looked up from his lunch ad shook his head. He had no reason to leave. Plus... This was his family now.

* * *

Aela sighed as she watched the twins walk away from Jorrvaskr. This wasn't like their normal good-byes. Their normal ones were full of teases and smirks. This good-bye had been filled with sad smiles and hugs. She didn't want them to go, she wanted them to stay. She growled as she felt tears well up in her eyes. She hated crying, it made her feel weak.

But... She let herself cry... Just this once. She was watching her shield- brothers leave. When the twins were out of sight, she ran to the Underforge. She was sad, but also happy for the twins. So she let herself cry. Not out of sadness, but joy.


	11. Starting New

"Farkas!" Farkas laughed as Meric and Lilith ran to hug him. "Hey kids." he greeted with a smile as the children hug his legs. Maralith ran out of the house and hugged Farkas as well. "I thought you ran off without telling us!" she scolded, hugging the man tightly. Farkas mumbled out an apology and hugged Maralith back.

The hugging stopped when Fark walked up, looking torn between anger and relief. "Farkas..." he said, glaring. "When we get inside, you're telling us what happened and then you're going to help me cook dinner." Farkas smiled and nodded. Fark led the way into the house.

* * *

After telling the full story of what happened to him, Farkas waited patiently for Fark's reaction. Fark simply shook his head and smiled. "All I can say is, well for one, I'm glad you're okay. And for two... A lock pick out of a bone?" Farkas blushed and chuckled. "Yeah. It's all I had."

Maralith smiled and looked to Vilkas. "Who's this by the way?" Farkas smiled brightly. "This is my twin. Vilkas." Maralith gasped and made a happy noise. "So you're Vilkas!" Vilkas nodded and scooted closer to Farkas. Fark put a hand on his wife's shoulder and chuckled. "It's good to meet you, Vilkas." he said. "When Farkas was staying with us, it seemed that all he spoke of was you."

Vilkas smirked at his twin's embarrassment, and ruffled Farkas's long hair. Farkas playfully shoved away the offending appendage. "So what brings you back to us, Farkas?" Farkas looked to Maralith and scratched the back of his head. "Well... If Vilkas and I helped out around here, would you let us live one your land?"

Vilkas blinked. So this was his brother's plan. What if they said no? But to his surprise, the answer was yes. He looked to Fark, who was smiling a bit. "I'll even help you and your brother build a house." he said, nodding towards Vilkas. Farkas thanked him and stood up. "Vilkas and I have some business up at The Bee and Barb anyways, so we'll stay there tonight."

The couple nodded and let the twins go.

* * *

"What business do we have there?" Vilkas asked as they walked up the hill to Riften. Farkas chuckled. "We haven't really gotten time to ourselves, Vil." he explained. "I figured we give ourselves some time on our own. Without people bugging us." Vilkas smiled. He liked that idea. He'd not gotten to be alone with his brother in ages and he wanted to be able to sit in their familiar, comfortable silence.

Most people couldn't understand why they liked the silence that often fell between them, but they understood it. They just liked knowing that the other was there for them. There to be of help if needed. There to love the other. They knew hardly anyone else would get it. They were twins, they just naturally had this strong, loving bond between them. A bond nothing could break.

"Oh and, Keerava and Talen-Jei owe me a favor, anyways." Vilkas blinked and looked to his twin. The Argonian couple owed Farkas a favor?

Inside the inn, Keerava quickly noticed Farkas and smiled. "Farkas!" she called, waving the man over. Farkas smiled back at the Argonian woman and went to her. "Hey, Keerava." he greeted warmly. "Brynolf finally leaving you alone?" Keerava nodded and began washing a tankard out for Farkas."Thanks to you, Talen- Jei and I finally have some peace." she said, setting a tankard full of ale in front of Farkas as the man sat down. Vilkas sat next to his brother just as Keerava turned to him. "And who is this, Farkas?"

"My twin brother. Vilkas."

Keerava got a look of recognition and smiled a bit at Vilkas. "Same drink as Farkas, I assume." Vilkas nodded, glad she was at ease with him around. Keerava busied herself getting Vilkas's drink while Farkas told her the story about what had happened to him recently. She handed Vilkas the drink and listened intently to Farkas's story.

At the end of it, her eyes were narrowed in anger and her breathing came out in short pants. Talen-Jei happened to walk over at that moment and noticed his lover's distress. "Keerava?" he questioned. Keerava perked up and smiled at him. "Oh I'm okay." she said, cheerfully. "Farkas just told me how he'd been kidnapped and tortured and now I want to murder the ones who did that to him." Talen-Jei blinked, trying to process the information, while Farkas chuckled.

* * *

Later that night, while Farkas slept peacefully, Vilkas was up drawing the floor plan to their new house. It would have an underground cellar to store food. Three bedrooms, one for him and one for Farkas and one for a guest. There would be a kitchen and dining room set up along with an alchemy and enchanting table.

He planed on putting a smelter, grindstone, and forge behind the house so that Farkas could teach Fark and Meric to blacksmith.

He smiled to himself and chuckled. This was going to be fun.


End file.

Elder Scroll series, Family, Hurt-Comfort