U.O.T.W. Chapter 92 early Risers

• Posted by Sotek November 17, 2015 - Filed in TSC: CB Story - 1,016 views

   

  Around three in the morning, Aela and Sotek were rudely woken up by a pair of fists pounding on Aela’s door.

  Aela, who was neither impressed with the disturbance or ready to wake up what so ever, screamed out at the top of her lungs at the defiler of her sleep.

  “What the hell do you want?”
  Farkas immediately stopped hammering the door and took a few steps back as if Aela was already at the door. Despite the fact that he feared her rebuke, duty called and it had instructed him to awaken them. That never put calm to his nerves though. He called out in reply but all the while his eyes were fixed on her door handle.

  “Sorry, you’re needed upstairs”.

  The actual truth was far less frightening. She was still in bed with her head buried under a pile of furs. Aela yelled out a second time as she threw off some of the furs so she could at least see the door. To her, it looked too far away and the floor was cold.

  “Alright damn it. Farkas you are so dead... You hear me?”

  She lay back down and covered herself up again while she mumbled to herself. Over the curse of several seconds she became cocooned in a mixture of red, grey and black wolf fur... until Sotek pulled them off her. She screamed as the furs flew across the room well beyond her reach unless she faced the terror of the cold floor.

  “You bastard!! Get out my room!!”

  Sotek briskly stepped away then started to get his clothes on as he smiled at her.

  “I intend to, but I’m dragging your ass with me. Get dressed!”

  She went to shout at him but before she had a chance to, her clothes were thrown in her face. A low growl signalled the retreat so Sotek headed to her door as he swiped his boots from the base of a chair. Aela was quick to follow him as all she was wearing were a pair of trousers along with her night shirt.

  She chased him down the corridor, and ran past Farkas. Something suddenly dawned on her which she felt somewhat complied to ask.

  “Who’s needed upstairs anyway? You bloody say Vilkas and I will kill you!”

  “Sotek! Right away”. He left her standing there and headed towards the stairwell so he could nose in on the conversation which would undoubtedly take place.

  Upon hearing his name called out, Vilkas stuck his head out of his room and called across to Aela.

  “What’s going on?”

  She huffed at the unwanted intrusion and simply shouted back at him despite the fact that he was only a few yards away from her.

  “How the hell do I know. I’m not Sotek’s bloody keeper, am I!”

  Before Sotek reached the stairwell Aela grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him into the storeroom before promptly slamming the door behind them. Something else occurred to her and the more she thought about it the more certain she was about being right.

  “Damn! It’s that bloody wheat bale you set fire to I bet”. Aela couldn’t help but start laughing at the thought of his spell exploding in the wheat field.

  Sotek shook his head in disagreement. Something wasn’t right, he could feel it in the air like it was almost tangible.

  “Not this time of night it isn’t”. He left the storeroom then called back down the corridor to Vilkas who was still watching. “Can you come upstairs as well? Let’s see what this is all about”.

  When they reached the hall, they were greeted by all the Whelps who were sitting around the table. Aela cast a quick look at Farkas but he just shrugged his shoulders. It was clear to everyone that he was none the wiser.

  The Harbinger was sitting at a small table with a letter in his hand. He beckoned Sotek to join him and as the Argonian sat down, the Harbinger poured himself a flask of water then offered one to Sotek. He readily agreed as his throat was feeling parched due to the commotion and concern over the early summons.

  “I do apologise about the time, but needs must. It would seem that you are requested to go to Korvanjund right away! All I can tell you is that it’s urgent. It’s something to do about a dragon but I can’t tell you anymore. The courier asked that you leave immediately upon receiving this”. Kodlak handed Sotek a letter. It was written in ink on a piece of brown parchment. Before Sotek broke the seal he examined it carefully.

  The writing seemed to be of an almost military type although the quality was far more superior to that of the Imperial Army. He was just about to break the seal when the Harbinger bought his attention to it.

  “That seal. I haven’t seen that particular mark for many years. It’s the Blades. I won’t explain who they are, I feel you need to decide upon your course of action yourself and not take the judgements of an old man set in his ways”.

  Sotek weighed the letter in his hands almost as carefully as he weighed Kodlak’s words. He watched the Harbingers face and studied it. The old scars, his tattoos which were half faded with the passage of time. His wrinkles were set deeply in his skin like they were from a farmer's field ploughed into the very earth, and his hair. It was thick yes, but grey. Grey from countless battles and aged with worries and concerns over his fellow Companions. He was weary of the beast blood. Sotek could see it let alone feel it but there was something else, something torn between regret and concern.

  Sotek slowly lifted himself up from the chair and gripped the letter tightly. His other hand rested on the Harbingers shoulder.

  “I would rather take the words of an old man such as yourself over wisdom offered to me by the likes of Aela or even myself, Harbinger. If you have any words to offer, I am willing to listen”.

  The female Whelp with black hair gave both Aela and Sotek a funny look as she listened to what Sotek said. She had the utmost respect for the Harbinger and if truth was told he did in some ways scare her. However her mouth wasn’t that well controlled and this was one of those moments.

  “Why, if I may ask Sotek, would you happily take the Harbingers wisdom over your own?”

  Sotek slowly sat on the step and held the letter out. A single claw like fingernail tore through the seal allowing him to open it up.

  “Because, Aela is young like me. Kodlak, our Harbinger, isn’t. The young are rash, they react on impulse and seldom give any thought to the consequences of their actions. You don’t become old by acting rash and blindly reacting to events. There are old warriors and bold warriors. I’ve travelled Skyrim, Cyrodiil, Black Marsh and Vvardenfell. I, my twenty odd years, I’ve yet to see an old bold warrior”.

  The Whelp slowly studied the Harbinger just as Sotek had done. One question burned through her mind.

  “How come?”

  Sotek turned towards her and stared straight in her eyes with an intelligence which sent chills down her spine.

  “Bold warriors die. Careful ones survive. Do you really expect Aela and I to grow old as Kodlak and Tilma have done? We are too rash and emotional. We’ll die at an early age”.

  Tilma looked on with concern and aired her own thoughts.

  “If you truly believe that then why not change?”

  Sotek burst out laughing as he watched Aela’s face fill with concern.

  “Because we’re young. It’ll never happen to us, only to others”.

  Farkas started laughing as well. He walked over and tapped Sotek on the arm.

  “Well you are definitely dead. You’ve only got a bit of fur in your ears”.

  Both Sotek and Aela looked equally confused as Sotek became paranoid and started poking in his own ear in the search for hair. It took him a few moments to realize what Farkas actually said. When he realised, he groaned loudly.

  “Farkas you idiot. I said bold warriors die, not bloody bald ones”.

  Aela burst out laughing and sat alongside the Harbinger. She held his hand tightly like a daughter would when she gives comfort to her worried father.

  “We’ll be careful. I promise”

  Sotek opened the note then read it aloud.

  

  Once he read it he passed it to the Harbinger along with a perplexing question.

  “Where the hell is Korvanjund?”

  Aela looked over to him and started giggling.

  “That’s near where we all met up. You know? When you lost your horse!” She tried not to laugh, but she failed happily.

  Sotek huffed as he lightly slapped the back of her head.

  “I didn’t lose it, it was stolen!!” He sat back down on his step and thought for a few moments before he glanced up at his mate.

  “Aela, I need a shield sister. You up for it?”

  Aela smiled at him then stood up willing to follow his lead.

  “Yes, I’m ready when you are”.

  The same Whelp who asked Sotek what he had meant about the Harbinger earlier stuck her hand up and butted in.

  “The courier who delivered the message? He said you’re to go alone”.

  Aela stopped smiling and sank back in the chair as disappointment smothered her face. Sotek reacted differently. He stood up and turned to face the Whelp directly.

  “I’m sorry, what was that?”

  The whelp repeated herself as she found herself being scrutinised by the other Companions.

  “The courier... he insisted you go... alone”.

  Sotek turned to the Harbinger ad asked for conformation. The distant memory of Aela being captured by the Silverhands months ago plagued his mind.

  “Is that what the courier said?”

  The Harbinger looked at Aela who was still feeling rather rejected and nodded.

  “Yes he was quite insistent”.

  Sotek gazed across the hall at the three other members of the inner Circle then a moment later he made a decision.

  “Farkas, Vilkas, Aela, you’re up. Check your gear, we leave in ten minutes”.

  The Harbinger looked just as surprised as the whelp did. The Whelp simply confirmed what she had said moments before.

  “He did say you’re to go alone”.

  Sotek smiled at her and nodded.

  “I know, that’s why I’m going in force”.

  A few minutes later they are all waiting except for Sotek. Aela started tapping her foot as she watched the stairwell. Patience wasn’t a virtue which she held dear nor was it one she found particularly useful or necessary. A shout was far more effective than patience.

   “Sotek!! Hurry up damn you! He told me not to hang about ‘get your gear together’ so I rushed... Where the hell is he?”

  Two minutes after she hollered at him, Sotek came up from downstairs much to Aela’s delight.

  “Oh look he’s here!” She started clapping sarcastically at him. “Oh well done, you made it”.

  Sotek walked up to her and shook his head as he winked at Tilma.

  “You don’t like being rushed do you Aela?”

  “What I hate is being kept waiting!” She snapped back at him, ignorant in her haste to respond to his question.

  Sotek shrugged at her then started chuckling in her face.

  “Ok you want to go there? Fine by me...”

  He talked loudly so everyone could hear him as he reprimanded Aela for her lack of care and preparation.

  “I’m sorry I was a few minutes late but I have to make sure my shield sister is equipped properly because she can’t be rushed”.

  “Aela, here you go, your bootss. You have thosse old tatty oness on which are only good for walking around Jorrvasskr”.

  “Aela! Here you go, Arrowss... You have only a few left after chasing a wolf for three dayss”.

  Vilkas and Farkas immediately burst out laughing which just added to Aela’s anger at being showed up. She stood there glaring at the boots then snatched them from Sotek’s hands. “Oh yes, Aela, a new bag. Yours was ermm. Destroyed? Now when you’re really ready we’ll leave”.

  Then Sotek sat down and watched Aela throw the old boots across the hall.

  “It’s bloody early alright, smart ass!!!” she shouted as she put the boots on.

  Two minutes later she gingerly walked up to him, and rested her head in his chest.

  “Ok, I’m ready and I’m embarrassed. Can we go now?”

  Sotek held her in his arms and whispered to her.

  “Not before I get a kiss”.

  She looked around to find everyone was watching them. Her eyes closed as she tried to block everyone out.

  “You really don’t give a single damn do you?” The moment she kissed him, everyone cheered at them. She instantly went bright red then ran outside. Sotek just smiled then slowly followed her out the door.

  When they got to the Stables, Sotek handed out the two hundred septims to the stable hand for four horses but as he tried to take one of the horses reins he was stopped by the boy.

  “I’m sorry that’s not enough”.

  Sotek looked back at him as his tail slammed down on the ground.

  “What do you mean? It’s not enough? Its fifty septims to borrow a horse?”

  The stable hand looked terrified and he backed away slightly despite that though he still stood his ground.

  “I’m sorry but for you it’s a hundred septims”.

  Aela snapped straight away. She strode over and grabbed the boys arm while she demanded to know why they had to pay more than anyone else.

  “How come for us it’s a hundred?”

  The stable hand shook his head at her as he quickly explained.

  “Oh for you three it’s fifty each, but he ermm”.

  Sotek sighed as he glanced at the empty stable.

  “Lost my bloody horse”. He handed over another fifty septims and climbed on the beast.

  Aela laughed as she examined her mount.

  “Oh yes! Your horse hasn’t been seen since”.

  Sotek slightly sulked as he tipped out a few coins from his pouch. It had grown considerably lighter during the last few days.

  “Aw damn it all”.

  Once they mounted up they headed to the north past Whiterun. Aela moved alongside him and gave him a ray of light to his dark early morning.

  “Don’t worry too much. Me and Vilkas, we have something for you when we get back. We forgot to give you it earlier in the week”.

  Sotek smiled at her brazen attempt to cheer him up.

  “See, you do love me”.

  Aela scoffed at the remark. She dug her heels into her horse and spurred it on.

  “Giddy up”. As the horse galloped off, Aela looked back over her shoulder and called out to the three Companions. “Catch me!”

  Sotek sped up his horse and gave chase. He could hear her laugh as she raced ahead. Vilkas caught up with him and called out in concern.

  “How’s your shoulder?”

  Sotek yelled back in response.

  “Hurts like hell”. The three of them sped up even more in their vain attempt of catching up with Aela as she headed off in the distance.

  Soon afterwards Sotek slowed up but he waved them on as he yelled at them.

  “Don’t let her win, get her”. Then he slowed his horse to a trot so he could rest his shoulder. Vilkas and Farkas carried on along the path despite the fact that they all knew they wouldn’t catch Aela up.