U.O.T.W. Chapter 100 Dragonborn???

• Posted by Sotek January 6, 2016 - Filed in TSC: CB Story - 1,197 views

   

  Despite the amount of effort that Sotek put into his Aura shout, the words were barely anything more than a slight whisper. The four auras of the horses gave off a soft reddish glow along with the three people who were gathered around them. Sotek scanned the heavens and the side of the mountain then swept his gaze across the plateau but nothing else revealed itself to him. Once Sotek was happy with the opposing numbers, he headed back down to the other Companions with Aela trailing behind him. She cast a quick fleeting glance over her shoulder at the horses then whispered to him impatiently.

  “Well? Is there a dragon? How many are there? I could only pick out three scents... Is there more? Answer me damn it!!”

  Sotek stopped with his back to her and sighed before deciding to blank her. After all, he thought, there was little point in explaining everything twice.

  “Patience, you inept she-wolf...”

  A low growl informed him that she had heard his remark which caused him to chuckle slightly despite the fact that she was still behind him.

  Instead of concerning himself over Aela’s mental state and the possibility of his backside being stabbed with her dagger, he concentrated on the more important task which lay on the plateau, the blades.

  “Farkas, tie Aela’s horse up here. We’re going to leave it behind and ride the others up the pathway”.

  Aela stared blankly at Farkas as he dismounted his horse. She watched him lead her own stallion to a nearby tree and securely tie its reins to the trunk. Vilkas glanced down from his horse to the three of them and scratched his head in a mild state of confusion.

  “Why isn’t Aela riding up there?”

  Sotek growled mischievously and gave Aela a smile which made her gulp loudly.

  “Aela’s not riding her horse for the simple reason that Aela can’t sneak on a bloody horse, can she!!”

  He held her tightly on the shoulder as he pointed along the trail towards the mountain top.

  “I have a task for you, my hound... Get your ass up there and sneak past them. There’s three of them in a group and don’t forget the four horses. You stink of wolves, so try to keep your distance”.

  Aela’s eyes narrowed due to her hostility which seemed to rapidly grow but Vilkas beat her to the punch by coming to her aid.

  “She had a bath yesterday and I know for a fact that she hasn’t been hunting. That’s a bit harsh isn’t it?”

  Sotek’s clawed fingertips gently caressed Aela’s head as they trailed through her hair before his fingers wrapped around the back of her neck and pulled her close to him. He sniffed in the scent of her hair with a long inhale of breath before kissing her on the forehead.

  “She always smells of wolves... It’s... exhilarating...” Before she stepped away to proceed with her instructions, Sotek grabbed her hand and pulled her back slightly. “Go careful”

  She was quick to notice that his words of caution were meant and sincere. She nodded slightly but she never smiled back at him. Instead, her features hardened and her mind slipped from the playful mate to the wily huntress. Her bow slipped off her back and within moments, despite the fact that Sotek could still see her, neither he, Farkas or Vilkas could hear a single footstep from Aela’s boots.

  The three Companions gave their shield sister a few minutes to get into a suitable position, and then they proceeded up the path on horseback. The group they headed towards had already acted upon hearing the three horses. One of them, a Breton woman who was clad in leather armor, bracers and leather boots, stepped to the forefront. She was obviously the one in charge as the other two backed away slightly. Two great swords rested in their hands while the woman had a long thin curved black blade which seemed to glint in the light. Sotek watched her for a few moments and took in the fact that she even had a golden sleek dagger tucked in her belt.

  She had short blond hair and was, as far as he could guess, in her late forties if  Sotek’s ability at guessing anyone’s age was being generous. She watched the three Companions dismount with a curious yet at the same time a troubled demeanour although not one which showed she was concerned with their appearance, but more like that she had been interrupted.

  As the Breton approached them, Vilkas had a flash of recognition.

  “Oh look, It’s Delphine from the Sleeping Giants Inn”.

  Sotek ground to a halt and glanced back at him for a second like he was trying to judge Vilkas’s comment for one of wit rather than fact. When he looked back at the Breton, he found himself in a pit of confusion.

  “It is Delphine… Why is she here?”

  Delphine was wondering the same thing about the Argonian who was approaching her. She welcomed them in a warm manner with her hand which was given freely to them as a friendly gesture.

  “Hello Vilkas, Farkas. It’s a bit of a surprise seeing you two here. Why did you bring a Whelp? I was expecting the Dragonborn!!”

  Sotek groaned and just blanked her. Instead, he headed over to the pile of white branches which he realized for his folly were actually dragon bones. His mistake seemed one of stupidity if it wasn’t for the fact that the largest bones had been smashed to pieces. Well beyond they natural shapes and curves. The ribs were torn away from each other and in a hollow by the cliff face he could see the skull along with the tail or rather fragments of the tail. Sotek felt his throat go dry as he took in the scene of devastation. The dragon put up one hell of a fight which was clearly evident from the claw marks in the ground and the burnt down trees on the opposite side of the clearing.

  “What the hell in Oblivion!!!”

  Delphine grabbed his left arm and yanked him around, forcing him to face her.

  He instantly cried out in agonising pain and fell to his knees as he battled the overwhelming sensation of having his arm seemingly ripped off by a giant intent on causing as much agony as possible. He clutched his shoulder with his good hand and hissed loudly at her while his eyes slammed shut.

  Vilkas casually strolled towards Sotek and rested his hand on his sibling’s good shoulder. He seemed relaxed as if he was resting his weight on Sotek but in reality he was slightly pulling him up, giving him much needed support. Farkas dropped the horse’s reins and walked over to Sotek’s left side taking great care to swing his muscular arms with every step he took. His broad shoulders seemed to span out giving him a berth as wide as any horse.

  Further up the mountain, a loud snarl was the only indication that a certain huntress was now pissed off and beyond fuming. Deep within her soul a female werewolf howled out with a bestial rage and almost threatened to overwhelm her as she was forced to listen to her mate’s cry of pain. Aela’s eyes fixated on her target as her hand pulled back the bow string. She was just seconds from releasing the arrow when she heard a second loud ‘hiss’ as Sotek haphazardly pulled himself up from the floor. By rights, Aela should have eased the tension on the drawstring but Red didn’t want her to, she didn’t want to. It was one of those times when they both wanted the same thing, to see the arrow fly.

  Sotek, oblivious to Aela’s mood, slyly looked to his right then to his left and smiled at the woman.

  “Is that water?” His clawed finger pointed to her leather canteen as Sotek’s reptilian tongue slipped across his lips in a clear display of thirst.

  Delphine tugged at a strap releasing the flask then slammed it into Sotek’s chest. He took the bottle from her and gulped down a few mouthfuls before tipping some over his head. All the while the woman stared at him with increasingly growing frustration.

  “Now can you please tell me who you are? What are you doing here? I’m expecting someone important!! Not a Whelp”

  Sotek’s right shoulder wearily dropped as did his chin while his eyes rolled upwards adding to his long drawn out expression. Her flask was still in his hand and he held on to it loosely as if he was tempting gravity to pull it away from his fingers. He was tired and had past the boundary for such games.

   “What the hell do you want with me?”

  She looked at him disdainfully with an evident hint of disgust which she didn’t bother hiding.

  “Who the hell said that I wanted to see you? I don’t even know who you are. The fact that you’re with two Companions means little to me. Now I don’t belittle the Companions, Companions have done more than a few great deeds in their service to Skyrim. I just don’t understand why you’re here”

  It was her turn to have something shoved into her. Soteks hand held on to the letter tightly and slammed into her chest pushing her backwards a step. The corner of her lip rose up as her hand formed a fist over the hilt of her blade but as she glanced down at the parchment she saw something she didn’t expect. Her own handwriting.

  She tried to place what she had heard about the Dragonborn with Sotek but a few things didn’t add up. The surprise in her voice was clearly evident to not only Sotek and the Companions but to the other two people who were with her as well.

  “You’re Sotek? The Dragonborn? You? You have got to be joking?” As she spoke her eyes scanned him from his head to the tip of his tail and her eyes belied her confusion.

  If she expected Sotek to be intimidated or even put back by her attitude, then she was surely mistaken. Sotek blatantly bore a wide grin and hissed at her.

  “Not what you wass expecting huh! Thatss too bad...Why are we here anyhow?” He snapped at her, he was tired of all the games he found he had to play lately and she was adding to them.

  She seemed to snap out of her stare but it was a short retort before her snide comments feel back into the conversation.

  “Sorry... I was expecting you to be better equipped. That’s Nordic Curved armor! By the nines even your weapons are basic”. She couldn’t hide her surprise at his seemingly poor level of gear, nor did she try to. She screwed her face up as she glanced at Vilkas who had by now folded his arms across his chest and met her poor attitude with his own. “I heard the Dragonborn had… you had joined up with the Companions. I also hear you’re mixed up with someone although I’ve yet to find out whom. I pay beggars too... Although they don’t seem to be so fourth right in coming up with information about you. I presume you pay for their silence”.

  Sotek snapped at her angrily. Her attitude he could cope with but the beggars weren’t in a position to defend themselves and that was something which he found hard to cope with.

  “I don’t pay for their silence; I give them respect! You know me, well done. Now just who the bloody hell are you? You’re certainly not here on Innkeeper business. Answer me or go to hell”. His temper was beginning to boil and he pointed at her almost accusingly.

  She openly laughed at his attempt at dominating the situation and swatted his hand aside. Both Vilkas and Farkas took offence to her actions and stepped forwards which caused her to move back slightly. However, despite the fact that she gave them ground, she was far from being intimidated.

  “Hell? Oh wow you do know how to threaten people don’t you”. She sniggered at Sotek then slyly nodded to the two men behind her by glancing over her shoulder at them. They both moved to the side and swiftly drew their weapons. A second later Sotek found himself facing two great swords which were pointing straight at him.

  Now it was Sotek’s turn to chuckle. He pulled his left arm into his stomach and held the elbow with his good hand so his roaring laughter wouldn’t hurt his shoulder too much.

  “A threat?  Telling someone to go to hell isn’t a threat… This is what I call a threat”.

  He then threw the flask straight up in the air. Delphine, along with the two men as well as Farkas and Vilkas all looked upwards and followed it with their eyes. Above them, on a ledge, Aela finally let loose the arrow which she was so desperate to fire. It streaked across the sky and ripped through the side of the flask which exploded upon impact, scattering the remains of water over Delphine as if it were raining.

  Her eyes glazed over then they narrowed to mere slits as she wiped the water from her face. Sotek stood there smirking at her then casually glanced across the ground at her flask which was now ruined beyond repair.

  “That arrow was fired by Aela, the huntress… Now I’m guessing from all your faces that you have heard of her. She is now targeting... You!!” As he laid out the rest of his ‘threat’ he poked the woman right in the chest. “Right here, knowing her. Why don’t we all calm down and start again hmm? Hi… I’m Sotek, and you are?” As he talked he held out his hand in friendship.

  Farkas started laughing which helped diffuse the tense situation. He blatantly pointed to Delphine and slapped his hand into Sotek’s back causing him to lurch forwards.

  “She’s Delphine, you daft sod… You said that yourself”.

  She just glared at him and ignored his hand completely.

  “You were told to come alone, why didn’t you? I’m an agent of the blades”.

  Sotek had a blank expression plastered all across his face. He glanced at Vilkas and pointed to Delphine with his thumb as if he was asking Vilkas for his opinion. Vilkas, who was none the wiser, shrugged his shoulders. Sotek watched him for a few seconds until it dawned on him that Vilkas would offer no further words of wisdom.

  Delphine huffed loudly and explained a bit about them to Sotek who covered his mouth as he yawned.

  “We’re the blades, we sworn an oath to follow the Dragonborn. We’re dragon slayers. Look, this is serious… I’m not your enemy, at the moment you got problems and you don’t even know it… whatever did that is!!” As she spoke, she pointed to the smashed dragon bones.

  Sotek mentally spaced himself away from Delphine in the hope that the atmosphere between them would lessen. He started counting to ten quietly, giving himself those much needed seconds to calm himself down and activate the necessary mind set in order to deal with the situation.

  ‘One, two, three… damn it, that bitch is staring at me, ignore her. Four, five, six… She’s still watching me, I can feel it… Blank her, get a grip you lousy reptile. You’re acting just like Aela. Where is she anyway… Count damn it! Seven, eight… Ahh screw it’

  He waved his right hand high in the air as a way of signalling his mate Aela to join them and yelled out at the same time.

  “Aela, get your ass down here!!”

  Her answer was simple. A cloud of dirt kicked up between his feet from an arrow which Aela had fired a few seconds before. Feeling startled, both he and Delphine shot backwards away from each other. Their eyes met like they were both transfixed on one another until Sotek snarled and hissed loudly.

  “You bloody bitch. Watch my tail damn you… Hsssss!”

  Aela’s reply was forthcoming and it was obvious to everyone that she didn’t care.

  “You watch your tail. Next time you hiss at me you bastard, I’ll pin it to the ground!” She then roared out with laughter and slung her bow over her shoulder. They all watched as she threw herself off the ledge and skidded down the mountain side along a gully. Her fingers barely touched the ground as she guided her rapid descent with her hand like it was a rudder while her boots kicked up a trail of debris and dust. Small stones rolled down behind her and spread out along the ground as she leapt up in the air and cleared the last few feet of the drop.

  Aela landed perfectly on her feet in a crouched position with her other hand out in front as if she was tracking something. She chuckled to herself as her eyes fixed on the remains of the flask.

  “I’m thirsty! Has anyone got a canteen I can borrow? Anyone? I want a drink!”

  Sotek covered his eyes with the palm of his hand and groaned to himself. Fortunately for him, Delphine blanked her and headed towards the dragon bones which were lying in a heap.

  Sotek followed her from behind after he tapped Aela on the nose with the tip of his finger as a warning. He had barely taken a few steps when he felt a sharp prod in the base of his tail. He turned around sharply to see Aela walking alongside the mid-section of his tail. In her hand was an arrow which she was swinging about. She bore a large smirk on her face and shrugged her shoulders at him.

  “What?”

  When they closed in upon the bones, Sotek and Delphine began their investigation. Both Sotek and Aela had to look twice at the damage that had been wrought.  Massive claw marks ripped out chunks of bone which were shredded and lay scattered to the four winds. Various streaks were gouged out within the very ground itself which was bare rock and three large patterns of the dragon’s flames marked the bottom of the cliff face.

  Inside, Sotek felt sick. It actually surprised him to find that his voice was quieter than he had thought.

  “What the hell did this?”

  Delphine pointed to one of her men and beckoned him over to them.

  “He’s been tracking a pack of Thalmor for a few weeks. He thinks… We think, they did it”.

  Sotek stood up straight then slowly turned to her.

  “Thalmor? Did this? How many? Why say pack? Surely you mean a group? Unless they are acting like a pack of animals”.

  Delphine falsely tittered at Sotek. There was an air of contempt in her voice which she didn’t bother to hide.

  “My, so many questions… So at last you start paying attention”. She then turned to the man she had introduced as her ‘scout’. He was in a set of leather armor and had a hunting bow on his back.  Just as he was about to speak, she added one last comment which tore through the Companions like a storm. “Animals? I find it amusing that you should say that. More like wolves… Werewolves to be precise”.

  Farkas and Vilkas just stared blankly at each other although their hearts were hammering like a pair of drums. Aela, with her over sensitive hearing shot them a glare if only to distract herself from her own reaction. She closed her eyes and tried to block out the sounds of their beating hearts but the more she tried, the more she seemed to focus on them. She could even hear Soteks but his rate was slower than theirs, even hers. She cast him a curious glance which caught his eye. All he did in return was give her a quick wink before walking off to the side away from her and the other Companions.

  Sotek focused on the task at hand and turned towards the scout as he crouched down next to a few large bones.

  “What makes you say werewolves? Thalmor werewolves to be precise”.

  The scout threw down two blades just in front of him. Sotek examined them where they lay. Two glass daggers, each with an intricate handle had dug into the ground. Both of them were smothered in blood.

  “I presume they are Thalmor daggers then. And the lack of bodies mean they were in a state to leave. Why werewolves though?”

  The man simply pointed to the dragon remains to back up his explanation.

  “There’s no signs of any weapons being used. Only claw marks. So, Thalmor changed into werewolves, killed the dragon after being wounded, then left. Judging by the state of it, I would say three, maybe four of them”.

  Sotek stood there like a statue for a good few seconds. He couldn’t help but stare at Aela.

  “I happen to know someone who is somewhat of an expert on werewolves. Aela have you got a minute”.

  The man looked at her in an odd way as she approached them.

  “You’re an expert on werewolves?”

  Sotek quickly butted in and laid out the foundations for Aela’s reply.

  “She’s fought against loads, mainly feral ones but a few others. She knows more about werewolves than most”.

  Aela nervously approached them, at least her first few steps were made with trepidation but she quickly fought it back and buried her seemingly evidential fears. Acting far bolder than what she felt, she picked up her pace and stuck her nose straight in, hiding behind a screen or bravado. 

  “There’s no way werewolves did this, no way at all”.

  Delphine laughed at her quick assessment and openly dismissed Aela’s opinion as being rash and blind to the evidence presented to them.

  “Oh so much for your expert, they were here. Maybe three maybe four, but they were here”.

  Sotek held Aela’s arm then led her to Farkas and Vilkas. His allegiance was to Aela and he didn’t care who knew it. His pace quickened so he could whisper to the Companions while his eyes searched around the old pathway they used to reach the plateau. 

  “Search around for tracks because I’m damned if I can see any”.

  The three companions carried out his orders swiftly, methodically and quietly. About five minutes had passed by the time Aela herself reported back to Sotek.

  “We can’t find any signs of werewolves or anything else. I don’t know what the hell it was, but it left no tracks”. Her eyes seemed to mist over as they gazed past him and seemingly became lost on the horizon. Bizarrely, Aela screwed her face up tightly then snapped her eyes open and coldly but intently fixed her focus on the very cliff itself. “Oh bloody hell!!”

  Sotek took a step back in reflex and his right hand fell to the handle of his axe. It was rare that Aela acted like this and each time she did, it meant one thing, trouble.

  “What is it?”

  She slowly circled him so she was behind his back then lightly tugged on his arm, forcing him to turn around so he was facing her and also the cliff.

  “Sotek… discreetly look at the cliff face above my head. You see those marks? They're claw marks. It climbed the bloody cliff!!”

  Sotek carefully looked up as to not draw Delphine’s attention. Instantly he felt sick as he followed the cliff upwards. In set intervals claw marks could be seen which were cut into the very rock face itself. His throat felt dry and a sickly feeling claimed his stomach.

  “Oh crap”. He studied Delphine as he pondered on the best way to approach such a matter before he finally called out to her.

  “So we are looking for… say four werewolves then”.

  Delphine nodded as she shuffled through a few bones in her search for more evidence.

  “Yes. I’d say four myself. I’m glad you’re finally on board”.

  Sotek laughed at her. He tried not to but the whole situation was just too bizarre for him to do anything else.

  “I wouldn’t say that exactly. So we are looking for four werewolves? And I presume they are Thalmor? Oh wow do we have our work cut out”.

  She threw a hostile look at Sotek and cursed out loudly.

  “I fail to see where any of this is amusing. If you can’t help, then shut the hell up”.

  Sotek smirked back at her and headed to the dragon’s skull. He lifted his foot up and rested it on the jaw of the dragon as he examined it one final time.

  “Ok, tell me this. If a pack of werewolves did this, then where are their tracks? Look, if you want help then come and find me, I’m at Whiterun. But do yourself a favour and lose your hostility. And for god’s sake open your eyes, we’re out of here”.

  Without any further words, Sotek led his horse back down the trail with Aela by his side until they came to her own mount. Once the four of them were ready, Aela lightly dug her heels into the horse’s side and trotted down the pathway effectively taking point.

  Once the four Companions reached open ground and the mountain was well behind them, Sotek moved his horse next to Aela’s and took hold of her reins, bringing her and the horse to a stop. He paused before saying anything to her so the other two had a chance to come alongside them. Once they were back in a reasonable formation, Sotek spoke out with all his thoughts.

  “That was a single set of tracks going up the mountain side. Those claw marks were about the same size as the ones you and Vilkas showed me when we headed to Winterhold. You’ve seen him Aela, could Scarface do that? Could he kill a dragon?”

  Aela looked straight at him and right before his very eyes, he watched the color drain from Aela’s cheeks.

  “If he had surprise on his side, to be honest I think he could. His claws were sharp enough and long... And he definitely has the strength”.

  Sotek cried out loudly.

  “Gahhhh!! Damn you bitch! There, right there! One simple lie, ‘Why no chance Sotek I don’t think he could’, that’s all you had to say. That’s it, just that! But no… ‘I’m a good girl so I’ll tell the bloody truth. Yes, the eight-foot monstrosity can kill a dragon’”

  Vilkas added to his dilemma with the straitening of one single fact.

  “He’s not eight feet. Aela reckons he’s around nine and a half!”

  A second later Vilkas blinked heavily as the tip of a clawed finger was now just a mere few inches from his face.

  “Shut it… Hsssss”.

  Aela chuckled at Sotek then smiled at him in a state of mixed sympathy and jest.

  “It’s no good taking it out on him is it. I’ll tell you what, next time I see him I’ll ask if he had killed it. Is that better? Poor Mr Dragonborn”. She couldn’t help but laugh at Sotek as he had stuck his tongue out at her.

  On the way back to Whiterun, Vilkas took them on a different route around the other side of the hills. After a few hours they passed an old mine which caused Sotek to stop as soon as he saw the entrance.

  “Hey guys!! Hold up”.

  All three companions stopped then Aela rode her horse next to him and rested her hand on his leg.

  “What s up? Your shoulder again?” She smiled at him then started to dismount.

  Sotek’s next set of words stopped her in her tracks. She ended up having one boot in the holster while she still held on to the saddle.

  “That mine! Its occupied by Silverhands!!”

  Vilkas immediately rode his horse next to Sotek’s while Aela climbed back up on her horse. As Vilkas drew alongside him, he studied the entrance but he personally could see nothing to indicate that Silverhands were in fact there. All he could see was an old camp nearby and three horses.

  “What gives you that impression? Miners? Bandits? Silverhands is a bit precise isn’t it?”

  Sotek pointed to the camp for Aela’s benefit.

  “Hey, you see those horses there by the trees?”

  Aela looked across to where he was pointing and nodded.

  “Yup, the two brown ones and the black one. What about them?”

  Sotek slowly turned back to Aela as he spoke.

  “That brown one with the white socks! That’s my bloody horse!!”