U.O.T.W. Chapter 82 Sheo's Shenanigans

• Posted by Sotek October 6, 2015 - Filed in TSC: CB Story - 1,448 views

   

   

  

  “Get him!”

  A single solitary masculine shout rolled across the plains as Farkas hollered out to his brother while he vainly pursued the wolf. He ran as hard as he could with his sword already drawn despite being a good hundred yards away from the animal. Vilkas, who was further to the west from the other Companions, backtracked while he yelled and waved his arms over his head as he closed in upon Sotek who was heading towards him. The wolf looked around at the two brothers positions compared to his own. They were steadily forcing him towards the northern mountain side where Aela was hiding.

   

  Sotek knew at some point it would come down to this. If he was going to succeed then he would have to take a chance and that time was now. This was it, the pivotal moment when he could change the whole hunt and the final outcome. End the chase. With his heart in his stomach, he turned to the northern mountain range and ran straight towards the ambush.

   

  Sheogorath appeared alongside him in his typical attire of a bright yellow velvet suite and a pair of exquisite pointed shoes. He tapped the heels together excitedly while he twirled around in his hands an overly large wooden stave which looked little more than a long thick stick with a round wooden node on one end. He gazed lazily towards Aela despite the fact that she was hidden from view and yawned.

  “Yaarrrwww... She is there you know. Little miss temper, temper! With the bow of extreme prejudice of fire and ice! The ambush you’re running towards!”

   

  Sotek did his best to ignore him although he had unwittingly disclosed Aela’s position. He answered briefly as he changed direction slightly to make use of the sparse cover which the rocky terrain gave him.

  “Yes I know. Trouble is she has something I desperately need”.

   

  Sheogorath rolled his eyes as he traced the wolf’s path.

  “Oh please... I know you are in love but this is no time to think of that! I knew you were watching her ass too much”.

   

  Sotek who was caught unawares by the Daedra’s comment, stopped on the spot and blindly turned towards him.

  “What?” The next instant the wolf stumbled on a rock and crashed to the ground. He yelped as he felt a slight pain shot up from his ankle and he immediately took his fumbling out on Sheogorath. The fact that Sheogorath was a Daedra Lord was completely overlooked and forgotten. “Shut it you idiot you’re putting me off!! And no, I wasn’t thinking of that at all”. He scrambled to his feet as an arrow shot past him giving him a clear indication that Aela had heard him fall.

   

  “Damn it! I bloody missed him”. Aela once again cursed out loudly as the wolf disappeared from her sight. She scrambled to her feet and moved across the rocky mountainous slope to get a better view of the mountainside in an attempt to see the wolf’s current position.

   

  “Aela the huntress! The archer of Whiterun. Hell and Oblivion, even Sotek used less arrows to hit a bloody hawk than you have trying to shoot that bloody wolf!” The moment Farkas shouted out at her, he creased up laughing like a drunken oaf. Vilkas joined in roaring hysterically at her. All the while Aela’s eyes bore down at them both with a dagger like stare.

   

  In that moment of distraction, the wolf had managed to creep up the hillside and slowly circle his way above Aela. The Huntress scanned the rocks and boulders below her while her two siblings chuckled to themselves as they started spreading out once more in order to search the area more effectively. Aela’s breathing slowed to a near nonexistent level then she stopped drawing air altogether. All her senses and her mind were fixed on one goal, to find and kill her prey. It took the whole of two minutes for her to realise that she hadn’t breathed and the air in her lungs was running out of precious oxygen. She released her breath and greedily filled her lungs once more with fresh cold air.

   

  Her eyes darted between the boulders and shrubs of the plains as she desperately tried to see any signs of her prey but there was none. She knelt down on one knee and rested the bow by her side as she waited with the patience and experience of a seasoned huntress. There she watched the plains for the slightest sign of the wolf breaking cover, not once realizing that he was actually above her instead.

   

  The wolf crept forwards then fixed his attention on his target. The musky scent of Aela filled his nostrils clouding his emotions as Sheogorath’s words played through his mind. He struggled to concentrate as his eyes switched between what he was after and the Huntresses  backside. Sotek felt the desire rise in his body despite the fact that he was in the form of a wolf, his spirit didn’t seem to care. Quietly he cursed at the Daedra Lord as he tried to regain control of his drained and confused emotions.

  “Damn it! Now I’m thinking of it... You bastard, why did you have to mention sex”.

   

  Sheogorath poked himself in the chest defensively as he responded indignantly.

  “What did I do? I didn’t do anything... Or did I? Hang on, I’ll check... Yes, ok. You’re right, it’s my fault. I mentioned you being in love with her, her curvy body, the hair you love so much and her eyes, oh how you stare at her eyes. Then there’s her odour, everyone knows that drives you crazy, let alone her touch, her soft hands moving across your....”

   

  Sotek’s emotions were once again lost in a thick fog as his mind seemed to slow down causing him to momentarily freeze. Something deep inside howled out breaking through the foggy mist like a hurricane. His head snapped to the side as he yelled at the Daedra who seemed to be Oblivion sent to confuse him.

   

  “Shut the hell up you bastard!” The wolf vainly tried to keep his focus as his mind raced while it fought with his emotions. He struggled desperately to keep a clear head. Slowly he started creeping towards the Huntress. As he lifted his head up towards her he saw her staring straight back at him. “She’s got me” The wolf charged forwards just as Aela turned around and drew out her dagger to strike at him. However she expected him to charge at her which he could well have done if his emotions were allowed to run free. Instead his will strengthened like iron and he charged straight towards his actual target. He pounced as the dagger swept out in front of Aela but he was now by her side and snatched the bow with his maw and gripped it tightly as he ripped it away from her, knocking her over in the process. With the weapon held tightly in his fangs, he charged down the mountain side to the plains, heading west away from Vilkas and Farkas.

   

  A frantic yell forewarned him that he had been spotted but having eliminated the one ranged attack the Companions had, the fact that the pursuers could see him proved to be of little use to them. He paused and glanced back over his shoulder and grinned all the while he held the bow tightly as Vilkas shouted out to Aela who was running down the rocky slope to join in with the ongoing hunt.

  “Shoot him! Shoot him! Damn it Aela shoot!”

   

  Aela screamed back at him despite the fact that she was now only a few yards away from him.

  “I bloody can’t you stupid oaf!” As she screeched at him she threw a rock at the wolf. The rock hit the ground just beside the wolf which caused him to laugh to himself then his paws pounded into the dirt as he once more headed off towards his destination.

   

  Farkas’s shoulders dropped as he slowly turned towards Aela and hollered at her as he pointed angrily at the wolf.

  “Aela... What the hell is up with you? Why didn’t you shoot it?”

   

  “Because the furry bastard has my bloody bow, you overgrown ape... Don’t you go bloody yelling at me you bloody cun....”

   

  Vilkas stepped between them both and raised his hands to them as if he was trying to break up the fight.

  “Save it for that... What the hell are you on about? The wolf has your bow?”

   

  Aela simply glared at him then she picked up a second rock and threw it as hard as she could at the wolf who was now well out of Aela’s range.

   

  Vilkas and Farkas both stopped in shock and surprise as they watch the wolf run off with Aela’s bow in his mouth. Moments later they simultaneously fall to the ground laughing while Aela yelled at them both.

   

  Over the course of the next half hour the whole chase had instantly changed from a deadly wolf and deer scenario to a leisurely run across the plains. Sotek even managed to stop a few times and watch Aela try her best to catch up while Vilkas and Farkas fell way behind. It was then that he came to realise that only he could keep pace with her when she ran on a hunt which was her typical style. He knew she set her pace to him but only now did he understand the will which drove her forwards and why until he came along that she chose to hunt alone, even with her wolf kin.

   

  However what he failed to realise was that Sheogorath, whilst he appreciated Soteks cunning and audacity, was becoming more and more bored as the danger and excitement had plummeted. The second fact Sotek overlooked was Sheogorath’s will to liven things up. The wolf ran towards the river bank and prepared to leap across it. As he drew near the edge his paws thudded into the ground and pushed upwards launching him in the air just as he heard Sheogorath shout out joyfully.

  “Wabbajack!”

   

  Instead of having the strength of the wolfs paws to clear the far bank, Sotek felt his entire body change in an instant and several legs dangled in the air as he fell over the edge of the bank. A large ‘splat’ rang out from the muddy edge of the river as Sotek promptly fell forwards onto his hardened back. He franticly waved his claws in the air as Soteks mind reeled from the new experience of being a mudcrab.

  “No! No! No... What the hell?” He desperately tried to level himself out but having a multitude of legs proved almost impossible to co ordinate. Let alone the fact that he had sunk half a foot in the mud and was stuck fast.

   

  He was still trying to pull himself upright when he heard the footsteps of Aela as she ran towards the river. Having no other option, Sotek let his new found body go limp in an attempt to escape Aela’s attention. The Huntress scanned the area for the wolf but could see nothing except the mudcrab which laid still on its back as if it was dead. Moments later she continued the pursuit and leapt the bank as she tried to pick up the wolfs trail.

   

  Before Farkas and Vilkas closed in, Sotek felt a stick pry him out of the mud and tip him over so he was upright. He came close to thanking Sheogorath for that small mercy but decided against it after all as he saw it, it was down to Sheogorath’s doing that put him there in the first place. Aela’s bow had fortunately fell underneath him so it was hidden from sight. The mudcrab fumbled about as it tried to pick up the bow which took several attempts before he managed to secure it in his main pincers. When he tried to move forwards however he shot to the side and thudded into a large rock. The body sank down as Sotek screamed out in a mixed emotion of confusion, anger and desperation.

   

  “You bastard! What the hell did you do that for? Look at me? Oblivion help me if Farkas finds me, I won’t be killed, I’ll be bloody eaten. Change me back damn it!” He tried once again to move forwards but he fell to the other side and slid down the bank while he franticly held on to the bow.

   

  Sheogorath was ecstatic as his eyes watered with laughter.

  “Oh your face when you hit the mud... Splatt!! Oh wonderful. Come one, where’s your sense of humour? Stop being so... Crabby. You’re a shell of your former self”.

   

  A loud ‘snap’ drowned out the sound of the river as Sotek’s claw tried to pinch Sheogorath on the ankle but all he had to do was simply step over the mudcrab. In Sotek’s confused state it was hard enough to stand up let alone turn around to face the Daedra Lord who was now behind him.

  “Change me back... Please... I can’t walk like this let alone do anything else...”

   

  Sheogorath waved his finger at the mudcrab as the Wabbajack staff twirled in his hand.

  “No! One change a day. That’s the limit, no more no less... Well maybe one more... Hold still”.

   

  Sotek gulped as best he could then closed his eyes. The seconds passed by as he waited to feel the strange sensation which never came. He tried his best to look up at Sheogorath who was smiling at him.

  “Well? Get on with it, I can’t stay like this”.

   

  “Well what? It worked I turned you into a mudcrab...” Sheogorath chuckled as the mudcrab flumped downwards into the mud. Sotek’s mind was reeling and his emotions started chocking his speech.

   

  He tried to remain calm but with each passing second he found that level of control rapidly slipping more and more out of his pincers.

  “What? No damn it! Change me back... Now! How the hell am I supposed to fix everything when I can’t even walk?”

   

  Sheogorath lent over him and tapped inquisitively on the top of the shell. He had a peculiar  look on his face as he scratched his chin.

  “You do seem to have a mammoth of a problem... That’s given me an idea...” He then smiled evilly as Sotek’s heart filled with fear.

   

  “No!” Sotek shouted out as he tried desperately to move away but due to the nature of mudcrabs and Soteks lack of ability and experience of living like one, his attempted escape was little more than pathetic and failed miserably.

   

  He heard the one word which he dreaded although he had only heard it the once. He cursed to himself as the word rang through him, filling him with dread.

  “Wabbajack!”

   

  A second later the whole view of the plains changed as Sotek felt himself lift up several feet from the ground. It was only when the transformation had concluded that Sotek realised he was on all fours once again. The Mammoth blasted out an angry with his trunk as his front foot lifted up and slammed to the ground in an attempt to crush Sheogorath. The Daedra Lord stepped back and grinned wildly as he lent his arm alongside his head in an awful attempt to mimic Sotek.

   

  “You fucking bastard! You son of a bitch! Change me back... Right now! I’m not playing your games any more... What the hell?” As he started yelling to Sheogorath he felt a slight rumbling from the ground. It grew in intensity and volume and as Sotek turned around to see what was happening he saw a mammoth bull come straight towards him.

   

  Sheogorath clapped his hands as he screeched excitedly.

  “Oh marvellous, he thinks you’re a threat. Defend yourself...”

   

  Sotek couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He hollered at Sheogorath as he prepared to face the mammoth.

  “A threat? To what?”

   

  Sheogorath pointed to two other mammoths who were watching the two males clash over dominance.

  “The heard. He thinks you’re after his girls”.

   

  “What bloody girls?” At that precise moment Sotek glanced past the mammoth and saw the two female mammoths Sheogorath was pointing at. His heart skipped a beat as he yelled back in response to realism dawning on him. “You’re bloody joking? And you can piss off!” He charged into the rampaging mammoth and locked tusks with his opponent. Upon impact he felt his hind feet slip backwards but he bent his front legs slightly to bring the full weight of his overwhelming mass into play. Gradually he managed to push back just as hard and prevent himself from being rolled on his side. “Do something!”

   

  Both mammoths clashed a second time slamming their heads together stunning Sotek from the colossal impact. He fell to the side as his legs failed him and he landed with a loud crash shaking the very ground itself. He staggered to his four feet as the mammoth once again charged towards him with the full intent of making the most of his vulnerability.

   

  Sheogorath rolled his eyes as he admitted defeat and pointed the staff at Sotek once more.

  “You’re taking the fun out of everything... Wabbajack”.

   

  Sotek once again transformed under the influence of the Daedric staff. He felt the familiar shape of the wolf which he formed into however one thing he didn’t feel was the ground. At least he didn’t until he fell eight feet and slammed into the earth whilst yelping out loudly.

   

  The mammoth bull was startled to say the least and reared up in an attempt to crush the wolf that had so suddenly appeared in front of it. The fact that the second mammoth had disappeared didn’t seem to bother the bull what so ever. Sotek scrambled to his paws and snatched the bow which was lying on the ground and held it tightly in his fangs as he broke into a run just as the mammoth bellowed angrily. The ground shook like an earthquake as the bull charged forwards but the wolf opened up as much ground between it and the bull so the charge itself was little more than a display of the mammoths strength.

   

  Aela had heard the ruckus and decided to investigate which awarded her with a fresh sighting of the wolf. She turned back to her siblings in disdain as they were a good few hundred yards to the south.

  “Hey, get your lazy fat butts over here... Damn it he’s getting away”.

   

  Sotek ran as hard as he could  for the next hour through ever increasingly familiar tundra. With every passing minute he drew closer and closer to his destination. As the overhang came into view he sighed in relief and slowed down to a more leisurely pace.

  “Thank the bloody Nine, I’ve made it” The wolf breathed some relief and pranced around an old campfire to the exact spot which he had spent the best of the last three days on the run in a desperate attempt to reach. Now though those troubles were over. Now his survival was dependant on someone else. A Companion of Jorrvaskr, an archer known as Aela the Huntress.

   

  The wolf slumped on an old pile of straw situated underneath the overhang as if the rock ledge was a roof. The bow fell to the side as the wolf whined softly while he mentally prepared himself for the final reckoning. Sheogorath appeared on the ledge itself with his feet dangling over the edge. He peered down below him at Sotek with a curious glance as he tried to work out what was going on.

  “What are you doing now? This is no time to rest you know, they are only a few minutes away”.

   

  Sotek huffed loudly then rolled his eyes upwards to look at Sheogorath without moving his head. His eyes cast a long tired worn out stare at the Companions who had already moved into view before he even considered answering the Daedra Lord.

  “I’m not resting here... I’m ending it here. This is the spot where everything changed, it happened before and it will do so again. You’ll see”.

   

  Sheogorath looked down at him with a confused expression which was a feeling he often had whether he cared to admit it or not. Haskill however would quite openly comment on Sheogorath’s state of mind and in actual fact he often did.

  “Here? What’s here, an outcrop! This is your plan? Ok so now what?”

   

  “Here is everything... This is it, this is the plan”.  With that simple yet un informative comment he sat up where he lay under the overhang and watched the three companions in the distance approach him.

   

  Sheogorath’s head flicked between the wolf and the Companions like he was watching the prequel to a big fight like a crowd would observe the different fighters in an arena as they sized up their opponents.

  “Ermm ok, generally I know what’s going on. Sometimes I don’t but mostly I don’t care but this I don’t get... Oh wow I have no idea what you’re up to...  Damn you are bloody good at this aren’t you. Wish Haskill had a cheese wheel. I would love to roll it down that slope”.

   

  Sotek paused for breath as his gaze fixed on Aela. He picked up the bow once more as the seconds counted down in his mind.

  “Oh I hope I know what I’m doing ‘cause I can’t run no more, I’m out”. He could almost feel the pit in his stomach grow as the companions came ever closer.

   

  “He’s stopped...” Vilkas stated as he watched the wolf intently. “But I bet he’ll run again. He’s toying with us”.

   

  Farkas looked around at the area which seemed somewhat familiar to him. It took several moments for him but then the memory came flooding back. He gave Aela’s arm a slight tug as he pointed to a particular patch of grass close by.

  “Hey Aela, isn’t this the spot we killed that dragon?”

   

  Aela stopped dead in her tracks as if for the first time she realised where the wolf had actually led them.

  “Ermm yes it is”. As she spoke her eyes fell upon the wolf and the overhang which she had many a time before used to make camp. Just like the time she and Sotek stayed out the night the Harbinger sent the both out to settle their differences. Which they did although in a rather unorthodox manner, one which she had never since found any reason to regret.

   

  Farkas fully comprehended the strange look Aela had on her face as he knew the importance of that location to her as well. Unfortunately for her though his discretion was the last thing he was thinking about.

  “Hey that’s the spot where you both slept....”

   

  Aela instantly butted in cutting him off before he could finish.

  “Yes Farkas it is. Now shut the hell up”.

   

  Vilkas moved cautiously towards his brother and whispered in his ear.

  “What about this spot?”

   

  Farkas softly replied back to his inquisitive brother as he blatantly pointed to the overhang where the wolf was sitting down.

  “That’s the spot where they first did it”.

   

  Vilkas gave him a strange look then lightly punched him on the arm as he asked for clarification as to what Farkas had meant.

  “Did it? Did what?”

   

  Farkas chuckled discretely as he replied back by slightly tilting his head towards Vilkas.

  “That’s where they screwed each other... Remember when the Harbinger sent them out after Sotek hunted the hawks?”

   

  They both quickly looked up to see Aela’s eyes burning into theirs as she angrily crossed her arms. The single sound of her tapping boot was a sure sign that she had heard them talking about her.

  “One more word and I swear I’ll remember this spot for a different reason”. The next moment she hollered at the pair of them as her temper rose way above her control. “And so the hell will you two if you don’t shut the hell up about my bloody sex life”.

   

  Farkas couldn’t help it. His shoulders started shaking as he tried desperately to stifle a laugh but he couldn’t contain it. He suddenly burst out roaring with laughter as he pointed to the wolf.

  “We’ll keep out of it  but you might want to mention that to the wolf. He’s the one that bought us here. Didn’t know Red had a boyfriend”. Instantly Vilkas bellowed boisterously as he joined in.

   

  Aela’s teeth clenched together as she snarled at them but something made her turn back to the wolf. One thing Farkas had said rang true, the wolf had indeed led them here.

   

  The Huntress slowly headed towards the outcrop with her hands slightly raised as if to show the wolf that they were indeed empty. When she got close to the campfire the wolf headed out towards her cautiously with Aela’s bow in his maw. He dropped it in front of him then moved backwards a few paces then sat there watching her for the slightest signs of any hostile actions. She stepped slightly towards him then briefly whispered back to the other Companions.

  “Stay back you two”.

   

  Vilkas huffed with some concern at Aela’s actions which now seemed just as odd as the wolf’s.

  “What the hell are you doing?”

   

  “Just stay back” she slowly knelt down on both knees and little by little her arm stretched out so she could touch her bow. All the while the wolf sat there a few feet away from her and patiently waited. A second later Aela let out a loud gasp of shock as her eyes locked themselves onto the wolf’s stare.  Aela’s mind raced over the last few days as she realised what she had done and who she had been hell bent on hunting just so she could kill him out of hand. Her jaw dropped to the floor as she shook her head side to side while she whispered to herself.

  “No... You can’t be... You can’t be... All that time? It was you?” The Wolf moved at a snail’s pace back under the outcrop and started howling out, long low howls, which carried in the wind.

   

  Vilkas moved towards Aela and half whispered to her for conformation as to what she had so quietly said.

  “I hate to break up the conversation between you and that noisy bastard but... What was who?”

   

  A few tears ran down Aela’s cheeks as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. To help control them, she took a deep breath and wiped her face with the back of her hand. The bow fell to the floor as she pulled herself up to her feet and walked towards the wolf with a lot more confidence and authority than she had previously felt. With a big smile on her face she called back to her siblings as she moved ever closer to the overhang where the wolf sat wagging its tail.

  “Sotek... It’s Sotek”.

   

  Vilkas almost fell backwards with astonishment. He grabbed Farkas’s shoulder to steady his knees which suddenly felt weak and unsteady.

  “What?”

   

  “It’s Sotek, its him. This is where we first made love” Right there where he’s howling” Her eyes started watering as the wolf approached her. She just lifted her arms up to him, then she knew for sure. For the first time she could see his left eye and she almost screamed out.

   “There! His eye!! The scars he made at Jorrvaskr”.

   

  She ran forwards wrapping her arms around him in tears, holding him tight.

  Sheogorath who up to this point remained unusually quiet peered once move over the ledge.

  “Well she defiantly loves you... But she hasn’t said it, she has to say it. Rules are rules. Haskill’s a terrible bore if we don’t follow rules”.

   

  “Aww come on, cut us some slack. You’ve got to be joking... You are joking aren’t you?” Sotek couldn’t believe he was so close but so far at the same time. His head fell heavily against Aela’s chest and nearly pushed her over. Completely ignorant to Sotek’s plight and Sheogorath’s presence, Aela laughed as she had mistakenly thought it was a deliberate act in an attempt to cheer her up.

   

  The last three days took their toll upon Sotek let alone the massive drain on his spirit. The wolf sat next to Aela then laid on her legs. As she wrapped her arms around him, she gave up trying to contain her own emotions and her face quickly covered in tears. The wolf sat up again and licked her face causing her to laugh as she playfully fought him off. She grappled with the wolf for a few minutes until they both collapsed on the ground in a tangled mess. Aela eventually  rested her head on his side while she just held him tightly.

   

   Vilkas who was sitting with Farkas by the old burnt out campfire, came over to them and tapped Aela’s leg with his boot.

  “Well this is all well and good but how the hell do we explain this one? ‘Oh Harbinger Sotek’s with us and he’s a ermm wolf. What he turned into a werewolf? Ermm no, a wolf, a big black cunning sneaky flea bitten wolf’ ”  He shook his head as he played the conversation over and over in his mind. No matter how he thought it through, that was one conversation he didn’t want to have. “Nope... There is no way in hell I’m going to tell him”.

   

  The wolf growled slightly then slowly headed to the back of the Overhang and laid down as he softly whined. Aela drew a few deep breaths then nodded to herself as if she had decided upon a plan.

  “I agree with him. We’ll try to work this out in the morning. The poor bastards been on the run for days. He’s tired, I’m worn out and I just can’t think straight anymore. Aela grabbed her bedroll and set up her bed next to the wolf. She pulled a fur over them both and cuddled up to him before calling out over her shoulder. “Vilkas, we need a fire”.

   

  Vilkas and Farkas just glanced at each other as they shook their heads simultaneously.

  “Well we aren’t getting the wood”.

   

  Aela’s eyes closed for a few moments as she quietly cursed but then she started laughing. She nudged the wolf who jumped up on his feet and started growling at them both.

  “Oh I would if I was you, else I’ll get him to bite ya”.

   

  Two groans rang out as the brothers rose to their feet. A few minutes later they gathered enough wood for a fire which Farkas lit using a tinderbox and flint then they all settled down for the night.

   

  Vilkas cast one last glance at Aela who had cuddled up to the wolf and wrapped her arms around his thick neck. He had his front paw resting over Aela’s stomach as if he was holding her. Vilkas started chuckling as he closed his eyes.

  “Well he’s going to bite you in the morning”.

   

  Aela turned her head to him as she asked curiously as to what Vilkas had meant.

  “What? Why would he?”

   

  Vilkas laughed louder as he gave her his answer which caused Farkas to chuckle.

  “Because you’re the bitch that shot him in the hind leg… Remember”.

   

  Aela’s eyes shot wide open as she quickly threw a look at the wolf who was staring straight at her intently. He started growling at her as she gulped.

  “I ermm. Don’t you growl at me you bastard…”

  

  Aela awoke in the middle of the night to a soft rumbling sound. Her head lay against the wolfs side. It whined softly as Aela realized it was his stomach which had awoken her from her slumber. She quietly moved out from under the overhang and looked out across the plains where the two moons were near their peak then softly called Sotek to her side.

  “Hey, you hungry? Come here, hunt with me”.

   

  As one Sotek and Aela headed out into the night to start their hunt while Farkas and Vilkas both slept soundly.