Chapter 22: Joining the Companions

[A/N: Time Skip Next Chapter also school starts up for me two days after this chapter is released]

As we all let out deep breaths of exhaustion the woman who was using a bow from afar to attack the Giant approached me.

"You handle yourself well, you could make for a decent Shield-Brother," The woman wearing old armor told me.

"Shield-Brother?" I asked, confused.

"An outsider eh? Never heard of the Companions?" She asked.

"We are an order of warriors. We are Brothers and Sisters in honor. And we show up to solve problems if the coins are good enough." She continued.

"Is it possible that I can join?" I asked.

"We don't just take any milk drinker who stumbles in. Talk to Kodlak if you think you have what it takes to be a Companion," She told me seriously.

"Who is Kodlak?" I asked.

"He is the Harbinger of the Companions, come, follow me I will take you to meet him in the city," The woman told me.

In response, I gave a nod and talked to the woman's two companions who I have learned are called Ria and Farkas as we walked up the hill and into the city.

At first, the Guards tried to stop me but stopped upon seeing me come in with the Companions.

Upon walking into the city the first thing I noticed was a woman talking to a man wearing the Imperial Armor in front of some kind of blacksmithing shop.

"That's Warmaiden's, a Blacksmithing shop that sells common weapons and armor, but the quality is good so I recommend it," Farkas informed me as he noticed my gaze.

As we walked through the massive city, Farkas introduced me to all the shops we passed by before we eventually reached Jorrvaskr in the Wind District, just up a hill from a beautiful, but dying tree called the Gildergreen.

Once we neared the Jorrvaskr I looked at the rather large building and couldn't help but think...are the companions Vikings?

Why does their headquarters ' roof look like an upside-down boat a Viking would use?

"Welcome to Jorrvaskr, the Mead Hall and Headquarters of the Companions," Farkas told me.

"It's...grand?" I asked but Farkas didn't seem to notice and just said with pride, "It sure is! And soon perhaps even you will call this your home!"

"Perhaps," I told Farkas before entering the Hall with the woman who was leading me the entire time.

Once we stepped into the hall we immediately found that two people were brawling it out, but the woman just ignored this and told me to continue following her.

And so I did, I followed down some stairs and into the basement of Jorrvaskr and she proceeded to lead me down a Corridor until we entered a small room where an Old and Younger man was talking.

Upon seeing me and the Woman, the older man asked, "Aela, who is this?"

"Someone that wants to be the new Whelp," Aela answered.

Looking confused I asked, "What now?"

"Haha! Don't worry, it's just what we call the new members, so you want to join eh?" The old man who I assumed was the Harbinger Kodlak spoke as he examined me.

"I do, I heard you are all Honorable Warriors who consider themselves and every member of their group as family, am I wrong?" I asked.

"No, but if you want to join us, you have to prove yourself with your steel, Vikas, go test his form and bravery," Kodlak asked Vikas, the man sitting beside him.

"Aye, follow me," Vikas told me before getting out of his seat.

He then led me back upstairs and out to the backyard of the Jorrvaskr where he threw me a wooden sword and grabbed one for himself.

"So rules, anything goes, but we are only allowed to use these Wooden Swords meaning no magic, also to prove yourself you either have to land a solid strike that should be lethal if it was a real weapon, or disarm me, understand?" Vikas informed me as he got into stance.

"Understood," I told him seriously before grabbing the wooden sword's hilt with both hands.

"Go!" Shouted Vilkas as he charged me.

Seeing his charge towards me and slash down with his sword, I dodged out of the way and immediately slammed the sword on his wrist, almost causing him to drop it but he somehow managed to hold on.

"This obviously isn't your first fight, your quite skilled!" Vikas shouted before charging again, but this time when I dodged to the side, I left my foot out so he would trip, but he just managed to avoid it and keep his footing.

"Well played, now how about this!" Shouted Vilkas as he slashed horizontally towards my chest, jumping back I was surprised to find his fist rapidly approaching my face...damn, it was a Feint...

POW!

Backing up, I held the side of my face that was red from the punch.

"Strong arm you got there!" I complimented him.

"Thanks!" He shouted before charging, but this time, I charged towards him as well!

BAM!

Our swords collided with each other with all our force.

Suddenly, I scrapped off his sword and punched him directly in the mouth as payback before grabbing his wrist and pushing my back up against his chest before throwing away my sword and lifting him up onto my back and then over my shoulder towards the ground.

BAM!

His entire body smashed into the ground causing him to lose his breath but before he could recover, I grabbed my sword and pointed it towards his throat, "I believe it's my win?"