Caylin's Monsters - Ch. 9: Companion

  • Caylin's Monsters

     

     

    Chapter 9: Companion

     

     

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    Upon returning to Jorrvaskr, we were met by Vilkas.  He was waiting for us… for me I suppose… at the top of the stairs.  As he led us around the building, I saw a group of Companions gathered in a circle.  Farkas and Vilkas ran ahead, but I paused for a moment on the stairs.

     

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    This was the initiation into the Companions, I was sure of it.  There’s still time to turn back, I thought. But I had learned a lot from these people, and they had treated me well for the most part.  That little voice of warning in my head was drowned out by my resolve to become stronger, not just for myself, but for Skyrim and especially for Nilindil.  When it came down to it, she was the real reason I was doing this. I was doing this to protect her… to protect her the way I couldn’t protect my own little sister back then.

     

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    I approached the Companions cautiously, and Kodlak began to speak.

     

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    “Today we welcome a new soul into our mortal fold.  This woman has endured, has challenged, and has shown her valor.  Who will speak for her?”

     

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    Farkas stepped forward and looked over at me as he spoke, “I stand witness to the courage of the soul before us.”

     

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    As Farkas spoke, I looked around the Circle, and I felt such a range of emotions.  “I would stand at her back that the world might never overtake us,” Farkas continued.

     

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    “My sword stands ready to meet the blood of her foes.”  As I looked from Companion to Companion, realizing a beast was hidden inside each one, a deep respect followed by a deep fear welled up inside me.  The power of will it must take to use such a curse for the betterment of Skyrim instead of its destruction was awe inspiring.

     

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    “And I would lead the song of triumph as our mead hall reveled in her stories,”  Farkas concluded.  I was touched by Farkas’ speech.  I thought he would be angry with me after I treated him so coldly.  Instead, he was praising me to the others. No one ever did that. No one said nice things about me; not since my parents died anyway.  Except for Nilindil, I had heard nothing but hateful remarks from people all those years growing up. I felt a lump in my throat and a tear roll down my cheek.

     

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    “Then the judgement of the Circle is complete.  Her heart beats with fury and courage that have united the Companions since the days of the distant green summers. Let it beat with ours, that the mountains may echo and our enemies may tremble at the call.”  After Kodlak finished, I was still afraid.  I never wanted to share the burden they bore, but I was honored that they would accept me into their ranks.  I was even a little happy, if I’m honest.

     

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    At that, the circle broke, and the Companions congratulated me with a touch on the shoulder or the arm as they walked back inside.  And just like that, I was officially a Companion.

     

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    I lingered in the courtyard after everyone had gone.  So much had happened in the past few days, and I was still trying to catch up.  A little over a week ago, I was just a nobody, just another orphan at Honorhall in Riften.  Now I was a Companion. I was nervous, excited, afraid, and happy all at the same time.

     

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    That night I couldn’t sleep.  I wasn’t tired, and besides that, I had so much on my mind.  For the first time since my parents and sister died, I felt like I had a home.  It was a strange home; a home filled with people who could turn into beasts, but that didn’t mean they were monsters.  If only Nilindil were here also, then it would truly be home.

     

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    The next morning, while I was training in the yard, Skjor and Farkas approached me to tell me about my first mission as an official member of the Companions.

     

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    They also told me that Eorlund had a surprise for me up at the forge.

     

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    When I went to see Eorlund, he gave me a new set of armor, a new sword, and a new shield.

     

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    It was amazing.  The craftsmanship was stunning.  I didn’t know what to say.

     

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    He told me not to worry about it.  He said it was his way of congratulating me for being accepted into the Companions.

     

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    It seems strange, but after putting on that gear, I was excited for what the future held.  With this armor and this weapon, I was ready to be a Companion.

     

     

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Comments

2 Comments   |   Karver the Lorc likes this.
  • Karver the Lorc
    Karver the Lorc   ·  October 9, 2018
    That is the curious thing. Do they take the curse for the beterment of Skyrim or for its power? That is something that always bothered me about Companions, the way Skjor and Kodlak talk about the power of the beast, the strength, and what I found lacking ...  more
    • Tralient
      Tralient
      Karver the Lorc
      Karver the Lorc
      Karver the Lorc
      That is the curious thing. Do they take the curse for the beterment of Skyrim or for its power? That is something that always bothered me about Companions, the way Skjor and Kodlak talk about the power of the beast, the strength, and what I found lacking ...  more
        ·  October 9, 2018
      Yeah, they could have done a lot more with the Companions quest line and addressed some of the things you mentioned.  I'd like to think they took the curse for the betterment of Skyrim, and that's how I role-played it, but some of them probably did j...  more