The next morning a few hours before midday, Aela was busy in the yard training two whelps. After she gave her instructions she watched them shoot at their targets. While they fired off their second shots, Aela glanced across the yard to Sotek who was sitting in the usual chair watching the three of them. She decided she had enough of him just sitting around, so she left the training area headed downstairs to her room. Once she had picked up her spare bow and fifty arrows, she headed back upstairs.
Sotek turned around as a shadow loomed over him to see Aela place her spare bow on the table along with her arrows. Before he could even focus on her face, she laid out her demands.
“I have your third task. Take these arrows and the bow, head north past the watch tower. There’s a hill with hawks flying high above it. Come back when you shoot one down. She then grabbed him by the collar, her face screwed up as her eyes bore into him.
So no one was under any illusion she threatened him, loudly and quite publicly.
“Don’t… Break… My… Bow!!!”. She let him go and resumed the training. The two whelps paid far more attention due to her outburst with Sotek, since they were now half terrified of her.
Sotek took the bow and the arrows then headed off past the watch tower without saying a single word.
The moment Sotek left the training area, Aela called out to Farkas.
“Yes… Got rid of him for a few hours”. Farkas just laughed at her while she gloated at her victory.
By Mid afternoon Sotek returned to the training area. Aela was the first to spot him and immediately homed in on his position.
“Well, where’s my hawk?” she demanded holding her hand out as she waited for Sotek to give it to her.
“No hawk I’m afraid” Sotek stated as he looked down to the ground.
“Why not?” Her reply was given with a touch of her usual hostility. Now she was getting frustrated. It didn’t take much to get on her nerves, especially when whelps who in her opinion were acting stupid and messing her about.
Sotek took a deep breath before answering her bluntly.
“Out of arrows”. However as soon as he said it he took a few paces back as he fully expected to get yelled at.
“You had fifty. Fifty… Ya know, the big five zero. Fifty… Where the hell in Oblivion are they?” She was not impressed one little bit.
Sotek looked right at her and without breaking eye contact he pointed straight up. She followed his finger slowly, then found herself looking at an empty sky. Realizing what he did, she gave out a loud curse not to Sotek exactly but just in general. Farkas and Vilkas both laughed loudly causing her to rant at them angrily. “Shut up… Ice brain”. She shouted at Farkas as she gave him her ‘dagger eyes’.
At that point the Harbinger who also had a bit of a chuckle at the commotion, came over to where they were.
“Sotek. Aela gave you a task did she not?”
“Yes Harbinger, but I ran out of arrows”. Sotek explained.
“I see, well I’m certainly not going to ask where they are…”. He then went to Farkas and Vilkas and started whispering to them both. After a minute or so, they both headed inside the hall. The Harbinger just sat on a chair as he waited patiently for their return. A few minutes later Farkas called out to the Harbinger. With that the Harbinger spoke to both Sotek and Aela.
“Come with me please”. Then he led them inside Jorrvaskr.
In the hall, Vilkas was holding a pack of furs and supplies. The Harbinger smiled to Vilkas as he pointed towards Sotek. Vilkas grinned as he passed the supplies to Sotek who held them in his hands while Aela watched on as a confused expression spread across her face. The Harbinger then approached the Argonian and added a hundred arrows to the pile of furs.
“Sotek, go back and complete your task”. He stated as he pointed to the door.
“Yes Harbinger”. Completely unflustered, Sotek started to head outside and make his way back to the hillside. However before he could even reach the doors, Kodlak called him back.
As he turned around he saw Farkas walk from behind Aela with another pack of supplies along with yet another hundred arrows. Grinning wildly Farkas then handed them to the Harbinger in front of Aela. The Harbinger gently but at the same time firmly shoved the furs and arrows into Aela’s chest.
“Aela…”
A sense of overwhelming panic set in as Aela watched everyone stare at her. She meekly replied to the Harbinger as her mouth felt dry.
“Yes Harbinger”. All the while she watched the scene unfold before her as she tried to work out what was going on.
The Harbinger gave Sotek a sly wink as he pointed to the Argonian whelp.
“Don’t come back until he’s finished his task”.
“What!!!” Aela bellowed. Her eyes burned with anger as she stared at him. “You can’t!!!” She really couldn’t believe this was happening, but Kodlak just waved her on dismissing her along with her protests.
“Damn it!!!. Oh for Howling out loud!!!” She yelled as she glared at anyone who was brave enough or even foolish enough to meet her dagger filled eyes. She went bursting through the main doors, slamming them behind her.
The Harbinger opened the door and called out to her.
“Aela, don’t you kill it, he has to. And I know if you’re lying…” His voice gave the usual controlled calming effect when Aela’s temper raged out of her control.
She went back to him clearly frustrated and tried to apologize but she just couldn’t find the words. He just put his arm around her and gave her a slight fatherly hug.
“You haven’t been out for weeks. It will do you good”.
She just nodded as put her arms around him. She held him tight for a few seconds before heading off with Sotek.
“Come on you”. She grunted as she gave Sotek a light thump in the arm. “Let’s get that blasted hawk”.
Sotek never said anything but he noticed she was smiling. Watching from a distance Eorlund made his way to Kodlak who was still by the double doors.
“Are you sure about those two”
The Harbinger’s eyes stayed fixed on Sotek and Aela as they walked to the main gate.
“Do you mean short term or long term?”
They both talked in hushed whispers, not wanting anyone else to hear.
“How about short term”
“Oh definitely… He would do her some good. Calm her down a bit”.
“And long term?”
“Oh even the Divines don’t know the answer to that!!!… Sometimes there’s a spark, other times…”
“And when her world clashes with his?”
“Clashes?” The Harbinger cast a strange look at Eorlund for confirmation to his meaning.
“Her world is fur and teeth, his flies and breaths fire”.
“Ahh those worlds. Well if those worlds clash, I’m off to solitude for a year”.
“As long as I can join you”. With that they both gazed across the streets of Whiterun as Aela and Sotek passed through the main gate.
Upon re-entering the hall, the Harbinger spoke aloud. Not to anyone in particular but loud enough for everyone to hear him.
“Yes!!! Got rid of her for a few days”. Then he gave Farkas a knowing wink.
It was late evening by the time they got to the hillside. The sky was clear except for the two moon’s illuminating the surrounding landscape. Aela pointed to a rocky outcrop which she had used many times before when she stayed out on the plains.
“Over there, it’s a great spot for camp”.
Aela was happy despite herself. She liked the outdoors, camping out. The Harbinger was right, out here she felt alive. She could feel the slight change as the temperature dropped slowly due to the night setting in. With the slightest sniff of the air she could sense the animals around them. Despite the beasts attempts at hiding. She could feel their eyes watching them both.
She stood there in silence with her arms by her side and her eyes slightly closed while she tilted her head back as if to watch the stars above. That’s when she heard it, a slow steady beating of a heart. Thu.. Thump.… Thu.. Thump…. Thu.. Thump. She knew instinctively it was Sotek’s. She stood as still as a deer on the plains listening out for any beast which would seek it out to kill it. Except Aela wasn’t trying to hear any approaching danger, instead she revelled in the slow steady beating of Sotek’s heart.
The loud shrill of a hawk which flew overhead snapped her out of the trance like state. Feeling slightly startled she shot her head around to see Sotek who was already at the outcrop, sitting down watching her standing there. She approached the proposed campsite to find with some surprise that the tents were already set up with the bedrolls laid out. Not only that but the campfire was ready to be lit. As for the supplies, they were already stored at the back of the camp while the furs were divided up between them both. During the whole time she was revelling in her own senses, listening to everything, Sotek had the whole camp set up. It wasn’t how she would have done it but she found it quite acceptable.
“How long was I standing there”. She asked.
“Oh about twenty minutes, not long”
‘Twenty minutes, it felt like seconds’ she said to herself. She then knelt down and started to try to light the fire.
“Damn the woods damp, this is gonna take a while”. She looked out at the landscape. Winter had set in for a good few weeks. She could already feel it’s bite in the evening air. “It’s going to be a cold night I’m afraid”. She couldn’t help but sound disappointed and a bit down at the prospect of having no campfire.
Sotek went up to her and rested his hand on her arm.
“Here let me”.
She got up out of the way and went to pass him the tinder box but he politely refused. Instead he stood over the fire, concentrated then said the words to the flame spell. A flame shot out from his hand blasting the campfire making Aela jump. Sotek laughed a little then smiled. Aela shot a look at Sotek but then she couldn’t help but laugh as well. He held the flame over the camp fire for a few more seconds then stopped casting the spell, leaving the fire well and truly ablaze. Aela knelt down as her eyes fixed on the flames.
For a few minutes they both sat there quietly until she broke the silence.
“Why did you stay?”
“Sorry, what?” Sotek looked across the fire at her.
“I was thinking… Why did you stay? We didn’t want you to. We wanted you to leave, that we made clear. But you took it all and stayed, why?” Her voice was unusually calm and peaceful.
Sotek gazed into the fire as he slowly replied.
“Well it’s my home, and yes I knew you three didn’t want me there. The Harbinger however, showed faith and so did the Jarl”
“The Jarl?” She sat bolt upright, having never had any dealings with the Jarl directly.
“Oh yes. He arranged for me to join the Companions. You see they both showed some faith in me, so I stayed”.
“Despite how we acted…” Her voice trailed off as she spoke. She felt regret at how they were towards him knowing full well that it was her and her alone who instigated the whole situation. Especially how she made the others act against him.
Sotek studied her face. He could clearly see the agony she was inflicting upon herself. He quietly sighed then decided to relieve her of the mental burden.
“Yes, but you three taught and I learned. Didn’t matter how you felt, you still taught me”. His voice was straight but it gave her some comfort knowing he didn’t bear a grudge.
“Sotek… Your bloody stubborn, you know that”
Sotek just looked at her and shrugged his shoulders, then they both started laughing. Aela laid down and pulled some furs on top of herself and prepared to sleep.
“Night Aela”. Sotek whispered. His voice was quiet and soft like the gentle breeze which blew across the plains.
Aela laid there with her eyes closed and listened to the nights sounds. Just before she was asleep she murmured softly once more.
“Sotek…”
“Yes?”
“I’m glad your stubborn”. She said as she drifted off to sleep.
In the early hours Aela’s sleep was disturbed by her shivering from the cold wintery air. She awoke to find her limbs were like blocks of ice. Looking across to Sotek’s bedroll she noticed it was empty. Just at that moment he walked past her carrying more wood to build up the fire then he used his spell on the glowing cinders. The campfire burst into life throwing a wave of warmth all around it.
From where she lay, Aela could easily feel the extra heat from the fire which quickly warmed her to the point that she had stopped shivering altogether. She just laid there with her eyes half closed as she watched Sotek with a rekindled fascination. Unaware that she was awake, he took one of his furs and covered her up with it then settled himself down. Soon he was asleep but she just laid there for the next half hour watching him rest as she thought back through the entire evening. She noticed that he never stopped pushing himself. Whether it was sorting out the fire, setting up camp or even fixing up a meal for them both.
Looking back she was realizing just how capable Sotek really was.
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