I've had this chapter in my Doc Manager list for about three months now and had totally forgotten it. I caught it just as it was about to expire though.

Anyways, we'll be getting to the adventure stuff real soon in my next chapters. I've had the stuff planned for my Companions, Brotherhood, and Mage's College questlines. Only issue is getting to it... Which is gonna' be my focus after finishing Weep and What We Need.

"So, Alec," Faendal asked, "How did that book, Mace Etiquette, turn out?"

Everyone save Vilkas and Kodlak were in attendance for dinner that night in Jorvaskr's mead hall. All were waiting on Tilma, who was running behind schedule with dinner tonight. It was Faendal who got the idea to pull out some blank paper and color charcoal from his belongings to keep Alec entertained while he waited. It had looked so fun though, that he couldn't resist joining in. Now both were coloring their little papers together at the long banquet table seating the other Companions.

"I don't know," Alec answered, "I had been expecting a book that would tell me how to be polite when using my mace. I mean, I would never want to offend somebody and start a fight or something. That would be awful."

"I guess. What was the book about, then?"

"It was just all about how to use it in a fight. It was all, 'oh, don't stiffen your wrist when you swing or you'll snap it' and all 'oh, aim carefully cause it's easy to dodge.' Totally useless. First of all, everyone knows that you not supposed to be hurting yourself with a weapon in a fight. And of course your missing everybody when you swing- you just snapped your wrist with your own weapon, dummy. That's why you have good etiquette so you don't get into fights. I'm trying to learn just that so I don't turn into a dummy with a bum wrist writing dummy books with a pen I shouldn't be able to hold, too."

"I'm sure we'll find something else like it," Faendal reassured him.

"Well," Aela said to Skjor while looking at Alec. "He doesn't look like he's hit puberty yet. So there's hope for him, I guess."

"The little one is fine," he replied. His voice started breaking into a sob when, "But that other guy is an ass-hole! Made fun of how I decorated."

Aela looked at her friend and mentor, whose lips were quivering, knowing she had to say something to comfort him.

She had never been very good at the whole lying to protect your friend's feelings stuff.

"Uh. Oh, look. One's done with a picture!"

"Look, Faendal," Alec said as he held up a paper. "I drew a picture of you and Camilla on your wedding day."

Faendal finished with scribbling a little something on his paper before he looked up at what Alec was showing him.

"I love it! The red corsages are a nice touch!"

"Those are flowers."

"Oh."

"I made myself the best-man, if you're alright with it."

"Why wouldn't I, man? You're the best friend I've ever had."

"Aww."

The two hugged.

Everybody else at the table watched the whole exchange like a group of hardened warriors watched a pair of complete and utter idiots hugging eachother over a sissy drawing.

By now, everyone knew about the newest whelp and his friend. And while the opinions were overall unanimous, the reactions were not. For example, Athis was right now balling his eyes out, talking to Ria, as Njada rubbed his shoulder sympathetically.

"I'm so s-sorry," he sobbed, "f-for when I ha-had I said you d-di-din't be-l-long here! I'm so ha-appy for you- that you're k-killing bears!"

Ria nodded, crying heavily herself. She went in for an embrace (totally different from a hug), which Athis returned whole-heartedly. Njada smiled, waiting for the moment to end so she could then counsel Ria on what to tell Athis.

"This was my picture," Faendal went on saying after the two finished the hug. He held up his paper which was covered with a blend of grey and blue smudges so Alec could see it.

"It's a landscape."

"That's a fantastic- er..."

"The tundra outside of Whiterun. It was supposed to be on a really foggy day."

"Oh, of course it was! I just... um," Alec said. He wasn't very good at this this lying stuff either.

"Uh... Oh, look. It's Tilma!"

The Companions watched impatiently as the haggard old woman struggled getting past the door while holding the large platter that she did. After kicking the door out of her way for the fifth time, she was able to move soon enough to evade the thing before it shut itself again. She straightened herself, huffing, and stomped over to the table.

"Looks like it's beef roast, baked potatoes, and buttered bread rolls for tonight." Faendal observed.

"Ooh, it smells so good! I can't wait to dig in-"

"Oh, no you won't!" Tilma yelled as she slammed the platter onto the table.

"You're going to go clean that shit-pit room of your's before you do anything! Understand me, boy?"

"Yes, ma'am." Alec whimpered. He quietly excused himself and scurried off to his room.

Tilma watched as the boy left, thinking wistfully of what it would be like if she could have that power over all of them.

"Is this guy even supposed to be here?" Skjor asked while pointing to Faendal with his fork. "He doesn't really need to eat with us."

"Does it really matter?" Aela asked him.

Skjor grunted.

Aela huffed, "Well, we can't just throw his ass outside to eat. We've already gotten enough shit from the Whiterun Committee of Racial Sensitivity. You can deal with him for now."

"Uh, thanks... Aela." Faendal said.

He shifted his eyes back to Skjor, who looked back at him murderously while hitting one of his fists onto his other palm. Faendal gulped and looked away.

Vilkas burst through the doors at that moment.

"Unbelievable!" He shouted.

The Companions groaned. "What is it now?" Njada asked.

"I asked that old man what I could do to get rid of that- that- Alice-"

"Alec?"

"Yes! And he tells me to take him on a dangerous mission!"

"That's not very nice," Faendal said.

"Cork it, wood-imp!"

Aela took a sip from her tankard languidly. Vilkas was the reason for all their issues with the WCRS.

"That's not such a bad idea," Athis commented.

"I know it's not! But I don't actually want to be the one bothered to do it!"
Ria spoke up, "Maybe I can-"

"Yeah, yeah, Ria. You killed a bear- once. Yippie for you. Now try shutting the hell up and doing something that's actually impressive, thank you!"

Ria looked away with her lip quivering. Athis rubbed her shoulder supportively and threw a glare at Vilkas, who went on yelling.

"Farkas!"

The beady eyed Nord looked up, his head snapping in the direction of his brother.

"Uhh... Vilkas?"

"No, you! I want you to take that new guy a mission with you. Make sure he dies on it."

"Erm, new guy?" Farkas's head flipped around, looking for the new face and settling on Faendal.

"Scrawny-guy?"

"Farkas!" Aela groaned.

"No, the other one!"

"Other one." Farkas nodded as if that narrowed it down, which to him it did.
"Take him and make sure he dies on some mission. It shouldn't be too hard. A gust of bloody wind could blow that fool away."

Farkas nodded then turned back to his pies, something he could pick up and eat with one hand like a large biscuit.

Vilkas went over and slapped the pie out of his brother's hand. The sudden disappearance of the pie distressed Farkas and he was about to call out it's name to see if it would come back.

"I meant now, Farkas!" Vilkas shouted.

'Kay, so here's the dealie: I knew I was always going to have a challenge with Farkas. He susposed be the dumb-one, you see.

Issue is: how the hell was I gonna' make Farkas look like that when everyone else (particularly Alec) had already set the bar so ****ing low? I mean, come on! How do you get someone under that?!

Anyways, my plan had been that, in the face of such trials while surrounded by such helpless morons, Alec will have to grow up fast. What will that be like?

Thanks for reading and please review!