Disclaimer: I only own a copy of Skyrim.

Meh. I know I promised that I wouldn't follow the questline, but I ended up doing so and not adding as many changes as I promise. I'm flipping things around, so hopefully it will feel different.

"Vilkas? I need to talk to you."

Said twin groaned and rolled over in his bed.

"Vilkas?" Farkas called out again, knocking at the door. "This is important."

"What is it?" Vilkas finally mumbled.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Farkas opened the door, looking at his twin lying on the bed.

"Vilkas, when Lilith and I went on our trial, we got ambushed by the Silver Hand," Farkas told him. Vilkas snapped up in bed.

"What happened?" he demanded to know. "Did she fail to watch your back?"

"No. She actually did surprisingly well at handling herself," Farkas replied. "I tell you this because there were so many of them at once coming…I ended up changing in front of her. I managed to convince her that nothing happened, but I'm pretty sure she's really suspicious."

"She's blind, why would she suspect that you changed?" Vilkas wondered.

"I asked why she was suspicious, and she said that my normal scent was replaced with the smell of a wet dog, plus she heard the growls and snarls of a wolf," he explained. "She's blind, Vilkas. She is not stupid. Lilith can't see with her eyes, but she clearly knows what is happening around her with her hearing and sense of smell."

"Why did you come to me?"

"You always know what to do."

Vilkas sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"What did you do after you assured her that she was going crazy?" he asked his stronger twin.

"I told her we should get back to Jorrvaskr before we got ambushed again, and she didn't ask anything about it the entire way back," Farkas replied.

"Then she probably believes you," Vilkas grumbled.

"Are you mad that I transformed in front of her?" Farkas asked, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"No, I'm angry that Kodlak let her in. She cannot properly watch our backs. If she could see, she would have been able to handle it, and there would be no need for your transformation!" Vilkas scowled.

"We can't change her sight," Farkas told him. "But she's a good Companion for somebody who cannot see. You really need to get over this personal issue, Brother. Companions cannot fight well if they cannot work with their Shield-Siblings."

Vilkas took a deep breath, remembering his promise to Skjor. He and Farkas were right, as well as Vilkas himself. The blind couldn't make good Companions, but he couldn't be a good Companion if he was constantly at war with Lilith. Everybody else liked her, especially Kodlak. He had to try to at least get along with her.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"Jon came and took her home."

"Do you know where she lives?"

Farkas nodded.

"She lives in that little house near Warmaiden, Breezehome I believe," his twin replied. Vilkas nodded and walked out the door. "Where are you going?"

"Breezehome," Vilkas's voice said as it became distant. "I owe our Shield-Sister an apology."

Vilkas looked at the door of Breezehome before sighing and knocking at the door. A moment later, Jon opened it. He stared at him, observing him.

"Looking for Lilith?" he guessed. Vilkas was sure that Jon barely remembered him, but he nodded anyway. "She's at the alchemy station, just around that corner."

Lilith did alchemy? But she was blind. How could she see what she was doing? He awkwardly made his way past Jon's observant stare and followed the directions.

She was bent over the station, grinding something into a powder before picking up a flower. The girl sniffed it before putting it down and repeating the process two more times before finding what she was looking for, adding it to the mix. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail that was still wet from a recent bath and dressed in a simple light blue dress.

"I'd never imagine you did alchemy," Vilkas finally spoke up. Lilith jumped some, but calmly put her stuff down and turned to face him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, giving him a suspicious look. "Come to complain about me to my face since everybody else is apparently tired of hearing you?"

Vilkas flinched at the harshness of her words with the hint of hurt. She must have heard more of his complaints than she let on.

"Actually, no," he replied hotly before softening his tone. "I came to apologize for my behavior. It was unprofessional."

Instead of a response, Lilith turned and began to continue her alchemy. Vilkas glared at her back.

"I just apologized, and you continue playing with plants?" he grumbled.

"I need to finish my cure all diseases potion, because you're obviously sick if I heard you correctly," she teased. Vilkas rolled his eyes.

"I am not sick," he scowled.

"Who put you up to this?"

"Nobody!" Vilkas began to wonder why he even bothered. "I came on my own accord."

She had completely paused and stilled, listening hard to his words to detect any hints of a lie. Soon her shoulders relaxed, and she turned to him, smiling.

"Then I accept your apology," she told him, stepping towards him. Before he knew it, she had her arms around his neck and was hugging him. Awkwardly, he wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her back. She smelled nice, like flowers.

Upon pulling away, she smiled sweetly at him and bid him goodnight. He stood there dumbly for a moment before he finally pulled away. Wishing Jon a peaceful evening, he left Breezehome.

Vilkas rolled his eyes, but smiled and leaned against the wall of the Bee and Barb when he saw Lilith talking to the Priest of Mara. Jon had warned him in the beginning that when traveling in a major city like Riften, Lilith had a nasty habit of randomly wandering off.

The blind girl had been in the Companions for nearly two months by now. She proved herself to be a good warrior. With help from the other Companions, she had learned how to use most weapons, but Lilith was now a master when it came to her Skyforge steel sword. Aela was even going as far as beginning to train Lilith to use a bow. Vilkas wasn't sure how that was supposed to work, but he grew tired of Skjor's constant glares and scoldings on being nice to his Shield-Sister.

He glanced out the door when a customer walked in. It was growing light outside. They needed to move soon if they wished to get to Whiterun before dark.

Standing properly, he approached Lilith and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, we need to get to Whiterun before it becomes dark," he told her. She turned to him, smiling and nodding. Taking his hand, she put a necklace in it.

"Can you put this on for me, please?" she requested. Vilkas looked at the Amulet of Mara before looking at the priest. The priest was looking from Lilith to Vilkas, then from Vilkas to Lilith before smiling widely. A smile Lilith never saw.

"Why did you buy an Amulet of Mara?" he asked, staring at it. Lilith shrugged her shoulders.

"Why not? I do not plan to always be a Companion. One day, I hope to be married. Very few men care for a blind bride, but I can always hope," she explained. "This is mainly to show that I'm available."

"Many men don't care for a blind bride, but you hardly act like you're blind," Vilkas scoffed, but turned her so that he could put the necklace on for her. "You wield weapons like the best of us."

He saw Lilith's cheeks turn light pink from his compliment, and he could suddenly smell her heart beating faster than normal.

"I think that is the nicest thing you've ever told me," she replied. Vilkas rolled his eyes.

"You ready to head home?" he asked. She nodded and slipped her hand into his. "Thought you hated it when people guided you."

"You're not guiding me. I'm guiding you. You get us lost easily," she insisted. Vilkas scowled.

"I got us lost one time," he complained, letting her pull him out of the inn. One time. One time on a trip to Windhelm, and he accidentally lead them to Winterhold. So he read the names on the map wrong, it was a simple mistake anybody could make. "And you will never let me forget it, won't you?"

"Nope!" she chirped, flashing him a grin.

"Is that an Amulet of Mara?" Torvar asked in amazement. Even more amazing was that he was mostly sober. The drunken misfit winced under Vilkas's harsh glare.

"It is. And I got you some Black-Briar mead," Lilith replied, searching through her bag before producing the bottle. Torvar's eyes lit up as he took it.

"My favorite drinking buddy! Let's go put this bottle of mead to good use!" he cheered, throwing an arm around her shoulder and leading her to sit outside.

"We're going to Solitude tomorrow! Control your mead!" Vilkas yelled after her. She waved him off as they walked out the door. Vilkas sighed, rubbing his face with his hands.

"Vilkas?"

He turned to face Aela, who was smiling wide.

"Yeah?" he grouched. He was tired from the trip and just wanted to go to bed.

"What's your problem?" she asked, smile falling a bit. "Was she not interested?"

"What are you talking about?" he grumbled.

"The Amulet of Mara?" Aela questioned, suddenly giving the same smile the damn priest gave him and Lilith. "Oh, forget it. Do you want to go hunting with Skjor and I tonight?"

"You know that I change as little as possible," he sneered. Aela shrugged.

"Your loss," she replied, crossing her arms. "The Circle is having a meeting in the Underforge at sunset. We're hunting afterwards, if you change your mind."

"I won't," he stubbornly replied.

"So what is the purpose of this meeting?" Vilkas asked. Aela shot him a wide smile.

"Aela and I have been talking, and we think that it would be best for all for Lilith to join in the blood of the wolf," Skjor replied. The other Circle members seemed surprised, and Vilkas was stunned at the idea. The blind don't make good Companions, and the Circle is certainly not a place for the blind.

"Why do you think it would be best?" Kodlak asked, being the first to speak.

"She tells me often that she relies on her hearing and smell when fighting," Aela explained. "We all know the blood of the wolf heightens those senses, even in human form. It could help her become a better fighter, and it will serve her greatly in day to day life."

"I personally do not believe she should be part of the Circle just yet. She hasn't proved herself to be one yet, but I agree the wolf blood would help her," Skjor added.

"I want her to join the Circle eventually though," Aela cut in. "We need another girl. But of course, everybody in the Circle must agree before we bring in a new member or share the beast blood."

"From the jobs I've done with her, I think the wolf blood may be helpful to her," Farkas said slowly.

"I do not like the beast blood," Kodlak said softly. Vilkas let out a small breath of relief. At least somebody was going to say no with him. "This is Lilith's decision though. You must tell her all the consequences, that there is no Sovrnguarde for the beast blood, the heightened senses and everything in between. She must know what she's getting into."

"Do you have an opinion, Vilkas?" Farkas spoke up. "You're really quiet."

"You know my opinion on the beast blood," he snapped.

"This would be beneficial for Lilith," Skjor began.

"I won't let her be cursed like us!" Vilkas interrupted.

"Vilkas loves Lilith, so he doesn't want to her to be a beast because he believes it to be a curse," Aela explained.

"What? I do not lo-"

"You love Lilith?" Kodlak asked, raising an eyebrow at Vilkas. "Since when?"

"I don't! She's just my shield-si-"

"How come you didn't tell me?" Farkas wondered aloud, sounding a tad hurt.

Vilkas wanted to rip his hair out.

"I do not love her," he scowled. "Aela is just jumping to conclusions. Again." He shot her a Look that made her shift a tad uncomfortably. "I do not agree that we should even allow Lilith the chance to have the blood of the wolf. This meeting is over."

Vilkas promptly turned and began to walk out.

"Where are you going?" Farkas asked, moving to follow him.

"Hunting," he grumbled. Before Aela could re-invite him, he continued. "Not that kind of hunting. Normal hunting with a bow and an arrow."

"But it's dark outside."

"I don't care."

And with that, Vilkas left the four Circle members in the Underforge.