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Vilkas always had the lead in the battle.
It was expected, of course. He was a Companion from the Circle, with years of experience in his cuffs. Aside from his Shield-Sister’s skills relied more on the healing arts. Her job was to keep the team alive.
And he was happy with it; after all, his blade, and her spells, they made a formidable team.
Unstoppable.
And yet-
-it was he who was supposed to be the danger- their enemies, by logic, should go after him and not her. She had his back. She counted on him, as much as he did with her.
He couldn’t imagine nor even dared to think what would happen if she- no.
His job was to make sure that no one ever laid a finger on her. Not while he was around.
Lately Vilkas couldn’t understand anything about these feelings: the overwhelming protectiveness, the awareness, the gentleness. He couldn’t tell if they rooted from either his beastblood or himself. After years of amassed skills and an untrustful heart, it was hard to tell how genuine these feelings were. But they were there, the fact alone was enough to make him be on edge.
Being the smallest and weakest growing up, Vilkas resented it- even when it came to face Farkas’ bullies growing up. Despite how easy was for his brother to trust others, and risk his kindness being taken advantage of, Vilkas always stood up to them, no matter how things turned out.
Perhaps whenever he saw Anneberry, he saw Farkas. Someone he had to protect, someone whose spark and kindness was to be shielded from any who tried to foul or take advantage of- or even go as far as harming her.
But Anneberry was different from his own brother. She still had her sense of righteousness and responsibility that at times she reminded of himself when he was a boy. A dreamer, talkative, and when needed, she was fearless and devoted to her people, with a heart of scorching bright embers that were warmer than a thousand suns. Many times she had stood up to those who wronged her, even himself.
Whenever she was not on the battlefield, or working on her Restoration studies, she was much softer. Rather feminine, too. Caring. The kind of woman who quietly carried her faith as her sword, and her resilience as a shield. Always finding the good side of anything, she became a valued member to the pack, uniting the Companions even more than they ever did.
After some time, and many interactions between both, he somehow allowed his heart to open up to her. Now, she was far too intertwined and entangled to even let her go.
Perhaps it was sensible, after knowing how she was; he was inspired to behave like that. But all he knows about these feelings is that they are an unwavering force that wouldn’t stop him to commit even the stupidest of acts, against his own reason and logic.
Sometimes, this inner battle felt it was more between his mind and heart, rather than himself and the curse.
Vilkas tried to think it was normal of him, after all, that’s what other Shield-Siblings did for each other in battle. He has been in that position before with all of them. But why with her it felt different?
Still, it was somewhat surprising to see how far he was willing to go for her, just like at that moment.
The ice wraith hissing and hovering over her, opening for its serpent-like strike, Vilkas didn’t have time to think. Or better said, he didn’t think. His body merely acted out of instinct, a desperate means to protect his partner.
Thankfully Anneberry came out unscathed, but nonetheless horrified at the scene as he brawled with the creature on the snow, it’s teeth puncturing the flesh of his forearm and it shook and shook and shook, more out to escape Vilkas’ grasp rather than to tear out his skin. Vilkas gave it a quick end by pulling out a dagger of his belt and stabbing it with a single, clean strike.
“For the love of Mara!” Anneberry yelled as she ran and kneeled at his side, “how many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that!”
Vilkas looked at her face, eyes framed with long lashes and clouded with tears; his only response was a half-given smile. He preferred to listen to her fuss than to-
Little bird had a frown as she saw his prideful smirk, as if he had the best score from a teacher’s exam.
Vilkas’ smile vanished as he knew she wasn’t going to soften up this time, stiffening into a small, but noticeable, annoyed pout because oh Shor he was in trouble.
He braced himself for the inevitable.
“I am serious, Vilkas.” She scolded, her ice-frigid, serious tone matching his own whenever he trained any of their Shield-Siblings. He couldn’t help but notice she picked up some of his own habits, and now using them with himself, “we are a team. We have each other’s back! You cannot just throw yourself like that.”
‘Tsk! She doesn’t even let one slip…’
“So am I,” he flatly responded. “I promised you in front of the Circle to keep you safe and I am not going break my word.” He shrugged off all her worries, already expectant she was worried about his antics before adding with a hint of pride, “besides, it didn’t hurt.”
‘Aside of hero-complex, a flippant.’ She thought, her frown deepening even more.
Anneberry couldn’t refrain from sighing and shook her head. It was a lost battle to try to argue with him, even more so when genuinely, she was grateful.
As soon as Vilkas saw her frown deepen, he grunted, turning his face away from his own injury. Anneberry knew exactly what he was on about: a silent request to heal his arm.
Beginning to work on his frostbite injury as she cast Healing Hands on his forearm, she mused as soft as her character was, “I know I can heal most injuries if anything ever happens but,” she looks up to him, both their faces close to each other, “you’re not invincible. I know you won’t always come out unharmed, all I am asking is some prudence from your part.”
“I thought that’s how our dynamic works.”
“It does, but I noticed as of late you are doing it too much.”
“You were about to be harmed,” he frowned as she finished healing his arm, “do you truly expect me to stand idle if I can avoid it?”
She offered him a soft little smile.
“No, it would be too out of character of you,” she agreed. “Then again, I would miss my favorite Companion if you ever went too far out of my reach.”
When Vilkas turned, still with a frown, he met with her smile, their faces a little closer than he expected. Despite how fondly and broadly he thought of her, there was a little detail that made her stand out from anyone he had met before.
His heart throbbed a little too fast, and all his thoughts simply vanished. Whenever she made him that face and spoke to him like that, she was truly a menace. An unharmful one, but still a menace.
Anneberry was a different little thing than his curse was, that’s for sure. She was his weakness, his inner and constant battle, at night and day.
She was the only thing in the world that made his mind so quiet but his heart so loud.
He scoffed, his eyes avoiding her own as he felt the blood rushing up to his cheeks, “tsk! You and your honeyed words…”
His words, to his dismay, merely made her smile grow even more. “You’re stuck with me, with or without healing spells, with or without honeyed words. I am with you until the end of the line.”
His eyes softened at her sincere words. Oh to be blessed with someone like her, “Little bird, it was a frostbite, not a dragon bite. But… thank you.”