I sat down on Kodlak's—no, now it was my—bed, his journal in my hands. It had been almost a week since all of the Circle had come back from Ysgramor's tomb, and it had been four full days since I was recognized as the new Harbinger. Since then, I hadn't had much time to myself. All the whelps kept asking for advice or news of any jobs that needed to be done. The other members of the Circle didn't act like anything had changed, which I was grateful for. I didn't want anyone to think they had to revere me or anything. I was no leader. I was just the new advisor of the Companions.

Someone knocked on my door. I rolled my eyes and carefully placed Kodlak's journal into the end table next to my bed. "Yes?"

Vilkas stepped inside my room. "May I speak with you, Harbinger?"

I cringed. Him calling me "Harbinger" didn't sound right. "Please don't call me that. I'm still Ylva to you."

He nodded, then sat down next to me on the bed. "Is everything all right? You disappeared right after breakfast."

"Everything's fine, Vilkas. I just needed some time to myself. The whelps can be a little..."

"Overwhelming?"

I laughed softly. "That's one word for them."

"Just give them time to adjust to the change. It all happened a little suddenly."

"I know. It was a shock to me, too."

"I will admit, I was a little surprised, as well. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that you were the best choice to lead us. I have no desire to lead. Farkas doesn't have the strength of spirit to keep the whelps in line. And Aela would much rather hunt and be alone than lead others. You've proven that you can be kind-hearted yet firm. The perfect leader for honor-bound warriors such as us."

My cheeks grew hot. "Did you come down here just to embarrass me, or did you actually have a purpose for your visit?"

He laughed. "I suppose I don't have any real reason. I just wanted to see you alone. We haven't had much time to talk since we got back from the tomb."

"No, we haven't, and I'm sorry about that."

"It isn't your fault, Ylva. You don't have to apologize."

I nodded. "So you just came down here to see me?"

He smiled. "Yes."

"You're pathetic. How do you function when I'm not around?"

Instead of answering, he leaned forward and kissed me deeply. We hadn't had a real kiss since we left for Driftshade. It took me by surprise, but I loved it. I kissed him back, letting him cradle the back of my head with his hand. I rested my hand on his chest, savoring this moment.

When we broke apart, I sighed and almost melted against his chest. "You still didn't answer my question, you know."

Chuckling, he wrapped his arms around me and let my rest my head on his shoulder. "I don't know how I get along without you."

"It's nice to be needed."

He murmured something in response, but I didn't catch it.

"Vilkas?" I asked after we'd been sitting like that for a while.

"Hmm?"

"As much as I wish we could stay here forever, the Companions need us both. You have whelps to train, and I have advice to give."

He chuckled a little. "Yes, yes, I know."

I pulled away, my hair falling in my face. Vilkas reached up and brushed it behind my ear.

"Do you remember when I first came to Jorrvaskr?" I asked. "You and Kodlak were talking, and I walked in on your conversation. You didn't believe I would amount to much."

His cheeks blushed crimson. "I was hoping to never be reminded of that."

I laughed. "Well, that just goes to show you can't judge a Nord by her looks."

"Indeed." He stood up, holding his hand out to me. "Shall we?"

I took his hand, letting him pull me to my feet. "Yes."

We left my room together, hands clasped until we reached the hall. If the others were suspicious of us yet, they didn't say anything. We wondered how they would react to us, but we didn't have much time to think or talk about it.

As we walked, I thought about the strong urge I had to hunt last night. It had nearly driven me mad. I wanted to give in, to let the beast free, but I resisted. And it almost killed me. I wondered if my fellow Circle members had suffered from the same urges. "Vilkas?"

"What is it?"

"How are you coping with the urges to hunt?"

He sighed. "The call of the blood is hard to resist. Even those who've lived with it for years have trouble suppressing the urge. I am among those. I was kept awake last night by the call."

"As was I. My wolf spirit was howling for blood. I fear I won't be able to resist much longer."

"We have the cure now. If you're ready, we can travel to Ysgramor's tomb and rid ourselves of this plague together."

"You would go with me?"

"Of course. You would need someone to help you get over there, wouldn't you?"

I punched his arm, which hurt me more than it hurt him. "You aren't going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Never. The fierce Dragonborn, the savior of the world, needed my help getting across some ice."

"You're an idiot." I sighed as he chuckled. "Anyway, I think we should leave for Ysgramor's tomb within the next week. Are you sure you want to cleanse yourself?"

"Yes, I'm sure. This isn't how a warrior should live. I want to see Sovngarde, see Kodlak again. Join the other Companions who've fallen in battle."

"As do I."

"So it's settled. We'll head to Winterhold again and rid ourselves of this curse."

I nodded. "Soon, it'll be over."

Vilkas returned my nod. "Soon, we'll be free."

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A/N: So I think this chapter was pretty much pure Ylvkas fluff. I apologize if it melted your heart or made your head explode. 😁 But it also set the stage for the next big event: will Ylva rid herself of her beast blood after all she's been through? Will she give up what she sees as a curse, or will she keep it? I suppose y'all will have to wait and see in the next few chapters!