Hey Dragonborns! I absolutely love this pairing (Fem Dragonborn and Aela) and have read/reviewed a lot of the fanfics here. Finally I decided to contribute to it since I guess it's not as big as other pairings. Please don't hate or anything like that, and reviews are greatly appreciated, probably more than they should be.

The huntress rolled her eyes in disgust when she saw that lowly bard, Mikhail, flirting with Carlotta again. How many times did he have to get rejected before the milk-drinker of a Nord learned his lesson? She rolled her shoulders a bit, walking through the Plains District after having dealt with a farmer having problems with giants. Aela had done so many jobs similar to that, they started to sort of blend together at such a steady rate she was unable to tell them apart. Being experienced with that sort of situation she returned mainly unscathed, other than her shield which had taken a beating thanks to the giants' bothersome clubs. After a trip to Eorlund she knew the scrapes and dents would be practically invisible.

Right before the huntress was about to step up the stairs into the Winds District, she caught a glimpse of Uthgerd walking into the Bannered Mare. The two locked eyes for a moment, Aela forcing her expression to remain neutral while Uthgerd didn't try to hide the sneer she gave her. She didn't think anything of it. Uthgerd behaved that way towards all of the Companions. After the death of that boy the blood was on her hands, and she showed little remorse. Companions weren't just supposed to be strong. They had to be selfless and brave in the heat of battle, risking their lives to even save the most ungrateful vagabond. Uthgerd wasn't like that, she made that clear enough after storming out of Jorrvaskr with a deathly scowl. The huntress and her Shield-siblings watched her go with folded arms.

Aela changed her pace from walking to a steady jog, wanting to return to the mead hall as fast as possible for some reason. All she wanted was to down a few pints before retiring in her quarters. That giant hadn't left her with any major damage but she was a bit tired from the long journey back - the client having been on the border of Riften. Once she set her eyes on that welcoming, familiar hearth in the center of Jorrvaskr she knew that she would feel at home again. But first she had to deliver her shield to Gray-Mane so he could repair it. Aela knew that there was no way she would leave on a mission without her shield on her arm, having done so a few times before and paying dearly for it.

When Aela reached the familiar forge, stone eagle looking ready to fly, she was a bit confused to see that Eorlund wasn't there. Shrugging a bit she simply placed the dented steel barrier onto the ground near his grindstone. As she made her way to the mead hall she glanced at the courtyard behind it to see a few of her Shield-Siblings there, idly training or chewing on bread. Her stomach ached at the sight of the golden crust. Having been away from Whiterun for a good few days on that mission had left her only eating meat on her travels, and for a rare time in her life she actually craved something different.

The door creaked open, announcing her presence to whoever was in the hall. The weight of the wood made it close behind her on its own. Aela sighed heavily in content. Farkas tilted his head a bit on his thick neck and he spotted her immediately, a smile spreading across his patchy, rough bearded face. The grin was familiar to her, and her Shield-Brother walked towards his Sister, Vilkas playfully punching at his arm as he passed him by. Aela took a few steps forward and leaned against one of the support columns, the smooth wood soothing. When Farkas reached her the two shook arms, the huntress smiling as well.

"Good to have you back, Aela," Farkas greeted her, his smirk not at all fading. She always felt nothing but sheer happiness when he greeted her like that. The twin acted as if she had been gone for all of eternity, or as if the two had just recently met and he was trying all over again to befriend her. His greeting was unlike any other. Skjor's was usually nothing but a curt nod, and Vilkas' might give her a small grin if he was caught on a good day. Yet Farkas never did it any differently, no matter what difficult times he was going through. She appreciated it more than he could have known but she never said that aloud.

"Good to be back, Farkas." She released her loose grip on his arm, looking towards one of the banquet tables. Her eyes immediately went to one of the many untouched bottles of mead. She felt her mouth beginning to water at the sight and she desperately wanted to drink it. Farkas noticed her wandering eyes and he let out a throaty chuckle, making her gaze return to him.

"I'm guessing you've been craving mead for quite some time, then," Before she had the chance to retort with something she probably wouldn't have been able to think of, Farkas turned on his heel, walked towards the table, and scooped up a bottle. Returning to her he placed it into her hand, the huntress immediately reaching towards it and ripping the cork from the neck. Taking a swig, Farkas' smile remained even broader, "I see that I'm right yet again."

Aela withdrew her lips from the bottle and nudged his steel armor with her elbow, "Quit boasting, you're starting to sound like your brother," Her eyes drifted to Vilkas a bit, who was trying to give the drunken Torvar a lecture on Companion history. That was an absolute lost cause.

Farkas shrugged a bit, "I caution you, Sister, don't let him hear those words. He'll make you eat them, and don't think this is me in his defense." He put one hand on the back of his neck, eyes being averted. Aela vaguely knew of the oaf defending his brother's conceited ways, but it was only because the two of them were so close. Maybe it was based on the fact they were related by blood and he felt it was his duty. Aela wasn't sure.

"Alright, I'll take your word for it," She turned her gaze to the stairs leading down to the quarters, taking another drink from her bottle. It was running out of alcohol far faster than she wanted it to be, "I'll see you in a bit, this journey has been a burden. I feel as if I haven't slept in days," Farkas gave her a friendly nod, clapping her gently on the shoulder. After the brief parting gesture she walked towards the stairs, finishing her bottle before she even reached the basement.

As she walked down the stone hall lined with tables bearing food, she snatched a small hunk of bread and basically swallowed it whole. She growled a bit in the back of her throat when she realized there were on more mead bottles on the tables, and tossed her empty one to her feet. The glass clattered but didn't break, rolling beneath a bench. Not caring much she simply walked blindly to her quarters, the small amount of mead making her a bit tipsy which simply added to how drowsy she already felt. At the sight of her bed, the exhausted huntress felt as if it were miles away when it was mere footsteps from where she stood. Almost worrying that she wouldn't make it, she finally got there and collapsed on the fur blankets, not even bothering to take off her armor or remove her weapons. She fell asleep as soon as she was off the ground.

* * *

"Aela! By Talos what's gotten into you?" The huntress felt a familiarly firm hand on her shoulder, shaking her roughly. Her eyes reluctantly opened, grumbling sleepily at Skjor. How long had she been out? Sitting up in her bed, her friend stood at her side. His arms were crossed and he looked far from amused. What was going on? Skjor naturally looked that way most of the time, unless he was plastered drunk, which wasn't too often. But he wouldn't have woken her unless something serious had happened. Her drowsiness left her at the thought.

"What's going on Skjor?" She asked, standing up. Her joints ached and she had an indentation of a sheath in her skin from the dagger she didn't bother taking off her waist.

Skjor fumbled around in his pockets for a few moments, tugging out a small scrap of paper. It was little more than a napkin but he held it in his palm like it was made of gold. Scraggly words were written in ink, a small illustration scrawled beneath them. It was too distant for her to tell what it was. Judging by the way he gripped it she was starting to understand he wasn't going to let her read it any time soon. He liked being in control of that sort of thing.

"It's the fragments again," He said, the one word making her realize the topic was Wuuthrad, the famed axe of Ysgramor. Honestly Skjor and Vilkas were far more interested in recovering the shards than she. It wasn't that she didn't want to see the legend restored, she just thought it wasn't as large a priority as the two made it seem. Yet she helped them every time they requested it. Doing her best to seem interested, Skjor continued, "A scholar stopped by and gave me this, running off in a hurry. I'm not sure why, maybe he had the Silver Hand on his tail. They're becoming more of a problem lately."

Aela smoothed her crimson hair down, finding it more and more difficult to keep herself focussed. Everything was getting so monotonous around Jorrvaskr lately and she found herself taking more and more jobs just to get away from the mead hall. Skjor was getting suspicious and a little bit more clingy whenever she was around. It was clear that he missed the times they used to spend together but that was done. She just prayed to the Divines that he didn't try to rekindle what was lost. Her silver eyes drifted at the memories. He was awaiting a response to what she had said but the huntress was becoming lost in thought.

Footsteps that came down the hall echoed in the stone hall outside her room, making her beast-like sense pick up that it wasn't any of the usual companions. They sounded to steady to be Torvas, too light to be Farkas, and too even to be Ria or Njada. Brow furrowing, she looked towards the open door to her bedroom, having a feeling that whoever made the sounds was going to stop there. In mere seconds, a figure appeared there. It nearly made the huntress gasp aloud.

Never in all of her years had she seen a more beautiful sight. A Nord woman stood in her doorway, donned in scaled armor reeking of custom magic. On her back lay a bow and quiver, on her waist a sharpened dagger. But her protection and weaponry wasn't what had the huntress' attention. The Nord was gorgeous. Her face was perfectly set, deep blue eyes staring at her, brow furrowed a bit. Her skin was flawless and pale, the only noticeable thing on it a shallow scar on the right side of her jaw. Her lips were crooked into a sort of pout, a pale red color standing out greatly in an amazingly attractive way. Reddish brown hair cascaded down the sides of her face, tied in a few loose braids that stopped at her chin. She was the most perfect looking woman Aela had ever seen in her entire life. The huntress felt her mouth drop open a bit but did her best to hide it.

"Are you Aela?" The beautiful woman asked. Her voice sounded brave and stoic, tone even and almost making the huntress faint at the sound. It was only then that she spotted her shield, repaired in the mysterious Nord's arm. Eorlund must have asked her to deliver it.

Aela knew that she was being ridiculous and that her staring would soon be detected by Skjor. Resisting the urge to clear her throat, she nodded, "Yes, who are you?" She hadn't even expected to ask that but for some reason the huntress yearned to hear the woman's name.

The woman shifted a bit where she stood, taking Aela's shield from her arm and walking a bit further into her bedroom. Extending her hand, the huntress' tool of blocking still in it before speaking again in an alluring tone, "Annika Vvanderfell. Here," Aela took the shield, feeling Annika touch her hand just a bit and almost feeling herself freeze there, wanting their hands to remain connected forever. Using nothing but her willpower she pulled her hand away, grasping the handle of her shield with white knuckles to keep herself composed, "Eorlund sent me." Annika didn't bother stepping out of the room and Aela didn't want her to leave in the slightest. But Skjor was going to keep that from happening.

"I saw you training in the yard with Vilkas earlier," He took a step closer to Aela in almost a protective manner. He must have noticed the huntress' enthrallment with Annika and was worried, "You gave him quiet a thrashing."

Aela found herself getting more and more interested in this woman. Beautiful and a strong enough warrior to nearly best Vilkas? The thought made a chill go up her spine at the sheer perfection that stood before her. If she was training with a Shield-brother that must mean she planned on joining the Companions. But why at such a terrible time? Kodlack had just recently instructed them to start waning themselves off of the Beast Blood, and now he was allowing in more new blood.

Annika shrugged, being modest no doubt. That was good. Aela hated it when the Companions boasted about training, no matter who it was or how good they really were. Bragging was unneeded and it made whoever did it sound more than conceited, "It was even enough. He's strong with a hammer."

Aela cut in, needing to talk more with the woman, "How do you think you would fare in real combat with Vilkas?" It sounded strained and thrown into the conversation awkwardly. But when Annika locked eyes with her and another series of chills went up her spine, she didn't care how, she just knew that she wanted to befriend her. And maybe a little more than that.

"I don't care much for boasting..." The way that she mischievously trailed off made Aela smirk a bit. Although this Nord wasn't being totally honest about it, Aela could tell she was confident in her chances of winning. Skjor then took another step towards her, the space between the two not that small. Before he had tried to hide his attempt at getting closer, but now he was being more outright with it. Aela felt her cheeks burn with a light blush, not wanting Skjor to do that sort of thing at that moment. Her face paint covered it and the dim lighting of her room made it practically invisible.

"Farkas!" Skjor called out, a little too loudly for how closely she was to him. Aela tensed up a bit, glaring at him from the corner of her eye. Annika was still staring at her, brow furrowed. Every now and then her gaze drifted at the space between the two Companions before she smiled knowingly, crossing her arms. Aela's blush deepened.

The twin's heavy, uneven footsteps were easy to detect as he stomped through the hall. The black-haired Nord reached the doorway to Aela's bedroom and hovered at Annika's side. The way he didn't even glance at her made the huntress shocked - how could you not look at that beauty? Aela clenched her fist behind her shield, for some reason wanting to smack the oaf upside the head with it.

"You call me?" He asked in his scratchy voice. Again, his cold eyes didn't look at Vvanderfell at all. Although Aela and he were close friends sometimes the two did butt heads. At that moment she almost wanted to lash out at him when she glanced at Annika's stunning beauty again but she didn't. Aela was good at restraining her anger.

"Of course we did, ice brain." Aela spat out the insult and it felt a little unnatural rolling off her tongue. The last time she had insulted him like that was years before, and that had been after she missed a deer by mere inches with her arrow, him heartily guffawing. It was too late to apologize for the insult, plus she wasn't sure if she felt badly or not yet. Staring into her friend's eyes and trying to convey what she felt through them, she continued, "Show Annika where the others sleep, will you?" Her voice sounded a bit more soft that time. She felt Skjor's good eye on her but she didn't meet his gaze.

Annika was still staring at the huntress. She didn't know why but it was making her nearly shake. For some reason she felt as if Vvanderfell had literally crawled beneath her skin and was wriggling about there, even though the two had barely had a legitimate conversation. The huntress also felt as if Annika knew that the huntress was looking at her in a certain way and was toying with it. She hoped to Talos that wasn't the case.

"Annika?" Farkas asked, tilting his head to look at the Nord for the first time. His expression remained the same, "Oh, I remember you." The two must have already met. That explained it, "Here, follow me." Farkas stomped out of Aela's view. The huntress locked eyes with Annika again, the sapphire and silver clashing a bit. Something was displayed there but Aela couldn't tell what it was. After hovering for a good few moments, the Nord turned on her heel and walked off. Aela found herself watching the Nord's hips as she left. Skjor's voice snapped her out of the trance Annika's departure left her in.

"You seemed a bit interested in that whelp," He observed, turning fully to face her. The space between them was much smaller than she would have liked it to be. Turning as well, Aela looked him up and down with a slight sneer, the look of distaste not making Skjor mve.

"She seems interesting as all. Plus she must have been pretty impressive if Kodlack let her in at a time like this." The huntress crossed her arms, wondering if her friend was going to start an argument.

"I suppose so. But she's the same as all the others, cocky. That'll go away after her proving, I'm sure," He shrugged a bit, a silence growing after his words. Aela wasn't going to break it, not feeling the need to. Although it was thoroughly awkward she simply stood, eyes averted from his face. Skjor spoke again, "We should go on a hunt. Sometime soon... I'll see you later, we can discuss this Wuuthrad issue then." He stepped away, relieving the huntress greatly, "Also I'm going to help with that new one. I wonder if she'll be able to handle it..." Skjor then left her bedroom before she had a chance to question his quizzical wording.

Handle what? The Companions? The proving? Or was he foreboding something greater that she missed? Annika seemed like a strong Nord who could definitely handle herself in a fight. Aela moved to her bed, sitting down to think for a moment.

For some reason she had a feeling that Annika's arrival was going to change everything.