Noticed (Vilkas) 8 Scars

                                    

                                          
Vilkas helped Inga get propped up comfortably in front of the fire with her dinner, and then sat down with his own food at a close but respectable distance beside her.
Inga was mostly finished with her stew when she paused and looked up at him over her bowl.
"Vilkas... I... I'm sorry I snapped at you," she whispered, "I really do appreciate your help."
Vilkas smirked. She sounded embarrassed, and actually a bit sheepish, which was definitely not something he heard from her very often.
"I took no offense," he assured her, "you were startled and in pain, I understood."
"And hungry apparently," she added, with a hint of a smile as she went back to her bowl.
"I can relate to that," Vilkas chuckled, "hunger always makes me prone to anger... especially if you add it to waking up in a strange place without pants..."
Inga raised an eyebrow at him curiously. "You say that like it's happened before," she smirked.
Vilkas chuckled a little more. "Once," he nodded, "and I almost backhanded the poor healer who was trying to tend to me."
"Can... can I ask what happened?" She asked, looking curious and amused.
Vilkas nodded feeling a little amused as well... it wasn't a story he was proud of, but he was glad she wanted to know. He welcomed the conversation.
"It was back when we were still whelps, only recently old enough to actually be Companions," he began, and the way Inga cocked her head attentively at him made him smile... "we were hired to take out a rather nasty group of bandits... Farkas ended up in a two-to-one fight, so after I ended my opponent, I charged in to help him... only Aela was also trying to help and she ended up shooting me in the ass by mistake— or at least she said it was a mistake," Vilkas chuckled.
Inga smirked understandingly at him, clearly trying not laugh.
"So instead of really helping," Vilkas continued, "I got my helmet caved in by the brute with a hammer and Farkas had to carry me back to town... I woke up in the temple with healers trying to get the broken arrow tip out of my backside."
"Mmmrm," Inga cringed sympathetically.
"Aye, not my finest moment," Vilkas admitted with another chuckle, "Farkas said I at least made a helpful distraction though."
Inga did giggle slightly at that and the sound made Vilkas grin.
Then she sighed and shook her head. "At least that probably left a scar you can easily hide," she said as she set her empty bowl down.
Vilkas raised his eyebrow at her. "Aye, I don't tend to go showing off my bare ass," he nodded with a smirk.
She smirked at that, and looked for a moment like she was about to comment, but then just shook her head with a soft laugh and a slight blush colored her cheeks.
Then she took another deep breath and looked back up at him with a sincere, soft smile that made Vilkas's heart skip.
"You know," she began thoughtfully, "I'm realizing... I think you're the only person in the last three years who's seen my face and not asked about the scars..."
Vilkas raised his eyebrow in mild surprise. "I admit I'm curious," he said with a slight nod, "but I've always figured that to be your story to tell," he added genuinely.
She gave him an appreciative smile at that, but then took a deep breath and let it out in a heavy sigh as she turned to stare into the fire. 
"I usually just tell people it was dragons, and leave it at that," she she shrugged after a moment, "but the truth is... I don't really know the story," she admitted, shaking her head.
Vilkas raised his eyebrows in surprised curiosity. He leaned forward attentively, resting his elbows on his knees, trying not to look as eager for her story as he felt.
Inga glanced back at him and her smirk returned for just a moment before she sighed and shook her head again.
"I do remember actually getting this one," she began, pointing the the long one of the left side of her face, "a narrow miss of the headsman's axe..."
"The headsman?" Vilkas repeated, a bit stunned. That certainly hadn't been something he'd expected...
"Mmhmm," she nodded, "no idea if I deserved to be going to the block or really how I ended up in the situation," she shrugged, looking frustrated, "I imagine I've got this one to thank for that," she pointed to the crescent scar at her hairline.
Vilkas's brow furrowed but he just listened intently as she continued...
"Most of my memory is intact as far as I can tell, I remember my childhood, and my years as a sell-sword all without any major gaps... I think..." she shook her head, brow still furrowed. "I remember that I'd had a job to escort some noble woman back to Cyrodiil, that job went just fine... I got paid and was planning to head for home... but the next thing I remember I was waking up a few days later on an imperial prison wagon with a major head injury and all of my stuff gone. One of the Stormcloaks said I was trying to cross the border... which I guess would make sense... then we got to Helgen, and well... you know how Ulfric Stormcloak escaped Helgen," she said with another shrug.
Vilkas's eyes widened more. "So those rumors were true?" He whispered in amazement.
"Probably embellished by now," she said with a hollow chuckle, "but yes, I was the prisoner in front of the headsman when Alduin attacked."
"By Ysmir..." Vilkas swore quietly, trying to wrap his mind around all of this. No wonder she didn't like people asking about her scars...
"Have the imperials given you any trouble since?" He asked in concern.
"Not so far," she shook her head, "but I actually came to the Companions initially hoping I'd have someone to back me up if some past I can't remember ever caught back up with me," she admitted, looking embarrassed.
"I see," Vilkas nodded. He wasn't sure what to say, but, by Ysmir, that look on her face made him want to comfort her...
"It's also why I usually hide my face," she added quietly, "and why... before you... Kodlak was the only one I told the truth to..."
Vilkas's heart jumped and his eyes widened at that... she hadn't even told Farkas? Had he actually somehow earned a trust deeper than Farkas had?
"Then I'm honored you've trusted me with this," he smiled, and his heart skipped again as he saw a light blush creep up her cheeks, "and regardless of the circumstances, I'm glad you came to Jorrvaskr. But you don't need to hide your face, I'd be honored to fight beside you, no matter what enemy you face."
She looked back up at him and met his gaze, looking surprised.
"Even if it's the entire Imperial Legion?" She asked skeptically.
"Aye," Vilkas smirked, "imagine, you and me against an army... I pity those poor soldiers," he chuckled, and Inga laughed and shook her head.
It was a soft, but genuinely happy sounding laugh that made Vilkas's heart feel light with hope.