Another story requested by Liz_Danly. I very much enjoyed writing this one, because it's fun to write backstories for canon characters. It's fun to take your own interpretation of their lives, without straying too far from the lore. But I digress. Hope you enjoy this story!

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4th of Second Seed, 4E 187

Hands behind my head, I closed my eyes and sighed. The gentle spring breeze blew over me, ruffling my clothes and hair, stirring the grass beside me. The warm sunlight kissed my cheeks.

It was the perfect day in Whiterun.

With Jergen on a mission for the  Companions, my brother and I were left with little to do until he returned. Out of boredom, I had cleaned my half of the room—I left Farkas's half alone because it wasn't my responsibility—polished my sword, and helped the maid Tilma sweep the dining hall. That was what I had done just today, too. Jergen had been gone for three days already. I hoped he was coming back soon; I was about to lose my mind from boredom.

I cracked open one eye as a heavy body plopped down next to me. It was Farkas. He must have been as bored as I was, considering he was sitting with me, and not trying to start a fight with the other kids our age.

I raised a brow at him, still lying flat on the grass. "What're you doing here?"

He shrugged. "You wanna go do something?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Anything. Spar?"

"You know what Jergen said."

"Right. No fighting while he's gone. But who would tell him we disobeyed? Come on, Vilkas. I'm bored!"

"Why don't you go do your chores for once in your bloody life?"

He shot me a glare, and I rolled my eyes in return. "You know I'm right," I said, closing my eyes and relaxing once more. "Jergen won't be happy if he comes home and sees our room in shambles. Well, my half of the room will be clean, at least."

"Jergen doesn't care about our room."

"Wouldn't bet on that, brother."

When he didn't respond, I opened my eyes to see him grinning at me. Brow furrowed, I sat up and looked around. That was when I saw her.

It was Carlotta, the merchants' daughter. She was a couple years younger than Farkas and I, and she was a tiny thing. Small, thin, but tough as nails. Her tawny hair fell to her shoulders, brushing the collar of her green dress. Her olive-colored cheeks blossomed pink as our gazes met, and she hurriedly ducked her head.

"She likes you," whispered Farkas as he stood up. "See you later, Vilkas."

I grabbed for his hand, but he shot away. "Farkas—" I called after him, but he was not listening to me, bounding away with a smug grin on his face.

I had to leave before she looked back up. If she wasn't paying attention, maybe I could slip away, back to Jorrvaskr.

"Vilkas!" called Carlotta just as I was making my escape. I ground my teeth together, but turned around anyway.

"Carlotta," I said, "do you need something?"

Cautiously, she approached me, hands fisted in her skirts. "Uh, well, I was just going to ask you—do you want to play tag? Me and some of the other kids were going to play, and I wanted to invite you and your brother."

I curled my lip. Tag? I was too old to play tag. I was eleven, almost a man, and real men did not play tag. "Why would I want to do that?"

Her face crumpled. "I thought maybe—"

"My brother and I are too old to play silly games like that. We're Companions, not children."

"Oh." Her head fell, and she knotted her skirt in her hands. "Well, that's okay."

I sniffed. "I have to go." With that, I moved past her and walked away from the grassy hill towards Jorrvaskr. But, before I could get very far, I heard the sound of stifled sobs. When I turned around, I saw Carlotta wiping her face with her apron.

Guilt twinged in my chest. Sighing, I turned around and walked back to her. "Carlotta—"

"No!" She looked up, eyes filled with anger, and shoved me in the chest. Her strength surprised me, and I toppled to the ground. "You're a mean, rotten boy! You think you're so big and great because your father is a Companion! Well, you're not! I hate you! I hate you so much!"

"I don't care if you hate me!" I yelled from my spot in the grass. "You're just a silly little girl!"

"Fine!" With that, she stomped her foot and stormed away, carrying the sound of her sobs with her.

Frowning, I got to my feet and dusted off my tunic. Girls. They were always so emotional. Too emotional. I was trying to say something to her, and she got upset.

"Girls are stupid," I muttered to myself as I hiked up the stairs leading to Jorrvaskr. Farkas was there, waiting for me, with that same smug look on his face. I wanted to punch him so badly.

"Jergen's not gonna be happy when he comes back and hears how you made Carlotta cry. He's going to beat you."

I glared as he laughed. "Shut up. It was her fault."

"Sure it was. She didn't make you say all those mean things, did she?"

"You heard what I said?"

"Yeah, and you were mean. She's never gonna forgive you." He snorted. "If I was her, I wouldn't forgive you, either."

I scoffed and pushed the doors open. "So what? I don't care. I'm a Companion. I don't need friends."

"You're gonna die alone, then."

I gave him a pointed look over my shoulder. "What do you know? You're an ice-brain."

"Maybe, but at least I'm not an ass."

Spinning on my heel, I balled my right hand into a fist and decked him in the nose. He reeled backwards, one hand clutching his face, and struck back at me. Soon, we were scuffling on the floor, kicking, punching, and yelling. I rolled on top of him and pinned his arms to the floor, but he kicked into my back and got me off his chest.

"That is enough!" yelled Kodlak as he came over to pull us apart. He grabbed us each by the backs of our tunics and held us at arm's length, so we couldn't hurt each other. "What on Nirn is this about?"

Farkas pointed at me, ignoring the blood running from his split lip. "He called me an ice-brain!"

I wiped the blood off my nose and spat at Farkas's feet. "He called me an ass!"

"You two stop it." Kodlak shook us by our tunics. "I cannot discipline you. I am not your father. But when he returns in the next few hours—"

"Jergen's coming home today?" asked Farkas.

"Yes, Farkas. A letter came while you two were outside. He expects to return in time for dinner. Until then, I suggest you both go sit in your room and think about what you've done."

I scoffed and crossed my arms. "I didn't do anything wrong. He started it."

"You started it!" Farkas tried to kick me, but he couldn't quite reach.

"Enough!" Kodlak dragged us towards the stairs. He took us to the room Farkas and I shared, where he shoved us onto our beds. "You need to sit here until Jergen returns. He will decide what to do with you when he arrives. Until then..." Kodlak retrieved some washcloths from the dresser across the room and handed us each one. "Clean yourselves up. No fighting. I mean that." After that, he left, locking the door behind him.

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Farkas and I didn't say a word to each other in the time we were stuck in the same room. I ignored him and read. He busied himself with cleaning up his mess, and had just finished putting away the last trinket when the door unlocked, and Jergen stepped into the room. My breathing hitched as he stood in the doorway, taking up the entire space with his broad shoulders. He was scowling under his thick beard, black eyes narrowed in disapproval.

"I go away to complete a job, and I give you both explicit instructions," he said as he lumbered further inside. "What were they?"

"No fighting while you were gone," said Farkas. I looked over my shoulder to see his head bowed. I rolled my eyes.

"Vilkas? What say you?"

I said nothing, shaking my head.

Jergen sighed. "Farkas, you can go. I want to speak to your brother alone."

"What about my punishment?"

"I think you've learned your lesson. Go on."

He hurried away, shutting the doors behind him.

"I don't understand you, Vilkas." He sighed again and sat next to me on the bed. "Where does this streak of arrogance come from?"

I glared. "What arrogance?"

"This arrogance. The arrogance that tells you that you've done no wrong. Do you want to tell me why you were rude to Carlotta today?"

I scoffed and looked away. "She tattled on me. What a child."

Jergen rapped me on the back of the head. "Boy, look at me when I'm talking to you."

At first, I ignored him, but another rap to my skull made me turn around. "What?"

"Carlotta's father stopped me in the marketplace, and he was furious with me. He told me that you had hurt his daughter's feelings."

"It's her fault for being so sensitive!"

"Vilkas, she's a child. She's also a girl. Girls don't think like boys do. She can't help it if she's sensitive. You need to learn how to be nicer, anyway."

"I'm a Companion. We're—"

"You're not a Companion yet, boy, and you won't be if you cannot learn to act like a man. Hurting a little girl's feelings, starting a fight with your brother, those are the actions of a bully. The Companions have no room for bullies. If you want to claim the name Companion someday, you'll straighten up." He stood up. "No dinner for you tonight. I want you to apologize to Farkas for fighting with him, and then tomorrow, I'm taking you to go apologize to Carlotta. You have all night to think about what you're going to say to her."

"You can't tell me what to do! You're not my father!"

He stopped dead in his tracks. I froze, too. I never meant to say those words. But it was too late to take them back.

Finally, Jergen's shoulders sagged. "Maybe I'm not your father, but I'm doing the best I can." He turned around, face hard. "And I can tell you what to do, and you will listen to me."

I said nothing, dropping my head. "Yes, sir."

Then, he sank to his knees before me, hands on my shoulders. "Vilkas, you remind me so much of myself when I was your age. You're young. You've a lot to learn. I would suggest you learn while you're young and adults can still be patient with you. Believe me, arrogance is not attractive, ever, especially as you get older. Learn to control this."

"Yes, sir."

He gave me something of a smile. "Good lad. Stay here and think about what you've done, all right? Come tomorrow morning, you'll have to apologize to Farkas and Carlotta. Kodlak, too, for good measure." He patted my shoulder and stood up once more. "Good night, Vilkas."

I said nothing as he left, staring at my hands in my lap. Maybe he was right. Maybe I needed to learn something from all this. I flopped backwards on my bed, closing my eyes and heaving a deep sigh.

Maybe Farkas was right, too. Maybe I was an ass. Maybe I needed to learn from that, too. But what? What was I supposed to learn from that?

Whatever I'm supposed to learn, I thought, I need to learn quick. Jergen said Jorrvaskr was no place for bullies, and I don't want to lose my home. I don't want to lose my family, either.