The moment she opened the door, an overwhelming sensation of warmth hit her. At last, she was home. The woman only needed to cast a quick gaze around the hall to remember the woodwork, red textiles and the homely fire. How she loved this house, her first permanent home since leaving the Imperial City, a place to which she could always come or flee to find company and shelter.

Aurora looked down on the floor. Wooden, praise the Gods! How she had grown tired of the castles' cold, hard stone. There was so much life in the wooden planks that covered the ground as opposed to the grey floor in Windhelm and Solitude. Not that she complained, the castles had been a great change from the tombs and caves she spent, what seemed as a lifetime, exploring. The main fact that made the woman's heart rush was that somewhere beneath these planks, a man was sleeping. Her man. Her beloved Vilkas.

She had spent so many nights imagining what she would tell him once they met again. At first, she would have begged for him to have her back. How distant those times were now, she thought and smiled slightly. What a fool she had been, what a milkdrinker. After a while, just after taking Solitude, she wanted for him to hear of her success. The woman wanted for him to know what a warrior she was and what she was able to accomplish once she had her mind set about something. She wanted to rub it in his face that he had lost a woman like her.

That time seemed far gone too. How strange. So much time spent planning, thinking, building scenarios. Yet once the fantasy became reality, all of that was gone. The only thing she wanted was to see him again, his beautiful, ice cold eyes, his sharp face and black hair. She wanted to find shelter in his strong, protective arms.

With the anticipation and eagerness of a child, she ran inside with her eyes set on the stairs. Aurora had been so quick to draw the conclusion that everyone was asleep that she had missed to spot the huntress who was sitting alone in a corner of the hall. Aela must have realised this, for she stood up and waved slightly with her hand.

"You're back," she stated.

Aurora turned her head to see a smiling huntress. The smile almost slapped her. How stupid she had been. There was no disdain or sarcasm to be found in Aela's gaze. She did not envy Aurora for her position. The Dragonborn was not prepared for this. It was always easier to be paranoid, to think that everyone turned against her when she needed them the most. She shook her head, disappointed over her own silliness that had hurt herself more than anyone else. Well, that was history by now. Aurora had grown and matured since leaving the Companions back then. She promised herself not to look back, but to focus on the bright future that awaited her and all of the shield-siblings.

"I am," Aurora answered with a grin.

"Forever?" the huntress asked, crossing her arms.

"To take my rightful place as Harbinger."

Aurora's smile reached from ear to ear, and so initially had Aela's. A short silence followed during which the two women stared at each other, thinking of something to say, each in her own thoughts.

"Where are the others?" Aurora asked to break the silence.

"Downstairs," the huntress answered and shook her head. "It's late, you know. You should go to bed too – it looks as if you've been travelling far."

"All of them?"

Aurora could tell by the look of her shield-sister that it was not the case. She turned around to search for the man's greatsword, which he usually left leaning agains the wall close to the door leading out to the yard. It was not there, and neither was it anywhere else for what the Dragonborn could see.

"Aurora..."

"Tell me where he is!" she demanded. The woman began to feel the burning sensation of tears, but what hurt the most was to go from complete happiness to frustration in the matter of moments. Why and why could nothing be easy? Just one thing, that was all she asked for. Why could not just one thing go right in her life? Was it too much to beg for?

"He left for Morrowind five months ago..." Aela said with a concerned tone.

"Oh Gods..." was all Aurora could utter. She fell to her knees and hid her mouth in her hands.

"Calm down..." the huntress spoke and rushed to her shield-sibling's side. She took her in her arms and held her like a child. "I can't understand how you haven't figured it out yet. After you'd been gone for a few weeks and he started to realise you weren't coming back, he broke down. I've never seen him so quiet and melancholic before."

Oh Gods. Forgive her. Please forgive her. Please let Vilkas find peace at heart. He had loved her then, he really had! Aurora wanted to slap herself across the face. How stupid she had been, she should not have focused so much on herself, for it meant that she missed something important within Vilkas. A clue to why he behaved the way he did.

"He really hates me then," she cried.

"It is difficult for a man to see his beloved one in the arms of another, but the two of you belong together. For months, he had been putting off his journey, until he saw you again. Aurora... He has been trying his best to forget you for so long now."

"I... I came back hoping that I would find him here. I would beg for his forgiveness on my bare knees. I... I would gladly walk to the gates of Oblivion and beyond, had he just told me to. And when I finally get back here..." Aurora submerged into her own thoughts, but quickly shook her head. "I must find him."

Aurora, be realistic. He could be anywhere by now, she thought, but as soon as the initial shock passed, she felt ready to go out in battle again. The price was too high not to, and the reward dearer than ever before. She dried her tears away and took a deep breath before getting up so quickly that Aela almost flew up with her.

"Where did he say he would cross the border?" she demanded to know.

"He did not leave us with any information..."

"Why did he have to go to Morrowind?" she asked with her eyebrows wrinkled. It was more of a neutral question, and she hoped that Aela would not see it as if Aurora did not trust her, but it would not really matter right now.

"He had been talking about it for a while. In fact, he's been speaking of it for years, but never had the time or energy to do it. But listen, it is a long journey. He can't be travelling very fast, and he is bound to leave traces. I recommend for you to start with Blacklight. It's just across..."

"I know. I've been to Morrowind before."

Aela seemed surprised, for she stood there with a completely blank expression, probably shocked by the other woman's reaction.

"Not in Blacklight, but I know where it is," Aurora explained.

Aela shook her head and smiled, as if to both complain at and praise the woman who had changed so much since their last encounter.

"Then go. Look at every inn, ask all farmers and guards you meet on the way. Go. Find him."

The third novel (coming this summer) in the series will be called The Adventures of a Dragonborn: The Morrowind Journey. A big thank you to all those great reviews, and thank you for following and reading this story. You readers give me inspiration. Once again, thank you.