U.O.T.W. Chapter 156 Out With the Old

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    With a sense of purpose, Sotek strolled over to the intricately carved wooden double doors while his tail swung to and fro behind him. He was soon thwarted however when he tried to turn the handle. To his dismay he found the doors to be locked.

     

    He knelt down by the bronze lock and peered inside like he was studying the mechanism within. With a sly glint in his eyes, he called out.

    “Harbinger? Is there a key to the door?”

     

    His question was met with silence. Having had received no reply, he was forced to abandon his examination of the lock and turn around to face Kodlak directly.

     

    He was met with four smiling faces of the three Companions and Kodlak who were all grinning at him. He fell silent as he wondered what they were doing until he realised what he had said.

    “Oh for the love of... Kodlak! Is there a key to this door or shall I open it like I did Aela’s door?”

     

    He gave a joyful ‘hiss’ as he watched the grin on Kodlak’s face turn to one of mild panic as he imagined the two doors being torn away from their hinges and smashing into whatever laid beyond the room’s threshold.

     

    Fearing Sotek would go ahead with his reckless suggestion, Kodlak blurted out a reply, hoping to prevent another day of destruction.

    “What? No! No, there’s no key; not that I can remember. Surely there’s another way?”

     

    Sotek slowly nodded and greeted Kodlak’s request with a mischievous grin.

    “Actually, there is!” He snapped his fingers at Aela; summoning her to his side. “You got ten seconds, I’ll time you. One..... Two..... Three..... Hssss”

     

    She ran to the door and pulled a lockpick from a hidden part of her armor which covered her thigh. Kneeling down at the lock, she systematically started picking away at the mechanical puzzle, probing the levers and cogs. Sotek’s count started gnawing away at her. When she heard a ‘Six’, she snapped back in a hushed whisper.

    “Sotek, shut up!”

     

    Sotek chuckled due to her response. He envisioned her state of mind which seemed to be almost as if she was trying to remain undetected in the shadows which Sotek found highly amusing as she was actually in a well lit hall with several people around her.

     

    Manipulating the lock with the expert precision of a well seasoned thief, Aela’s intense concentration was rewarded with a reassuring ‘click’ as the lock gave in to her relentless assault. She turned the handle, opening the door and smugly rested her hands on her hips as she flashed her eyebrows at Sotek who was slowly clapping his hands together.

    “Seconds to spare. Well done you; and you kept your nerve”.

     

    Aela provocatively walked towards him with a sultry swing of her hips, feeding Sotek’s hungry eyes. The intense electric atmosphere between them was promptly dissipated by Kodlak’s own personal appraisal of Aela’s ‘new’ talent.

    “Aela! Since when have you been sneaking around picking locks? That’s not very honourable is it? Where the hell did you learn that?”

     

    Aela’s and Sotek’s gaze met, bringing them both to a standstill. Slowly, Aela’s eyes turned to Kodlak despite her best efforts in keeping them fixed on Sotek. She found herself staring at Kodlak’s own owlish eyeballs as he watched every move she made with a forceful, hypnotic stare. She broke eye contact when Kodlak blinked and refocused upon Sotek’s own.

     

    Kodlak’s face was covered with his palm as he drew out a long disappointed groan.

    “Oh I guessed it was him; that’s obvious to a blind man. When? We don’t teach that to the whelps! Please don’t tell me we teach that ‘skill’ to them?”

     

    Aela blushed and turned around to face the doors to try and hide her reddening cheeks. In the corner of her eye she could see everyone watching her; even the Whelps were waiting with baited breath. She half turned to Kodlak and tried to bring the conversation to an end.

    “He taught me; that’s all you want to know”.

     

    His fingertips rapped upon the top of the table, counting down the seconds in a synchronized rhythm of taps. He waited for a few moments but as no more information was forthcoming, he pushed the question further on his search for answers.

    “No it isn’t. I want the where and when”.

     

    Feeling like a wolf caught in a snare, she turned to her mate pitifully and almost begged for aid.

    “You tell him. I can’t!”

     

    Sotek went wide eyed and shook his head at her.

    “You want me to tell him from my perspective?”

     

    Aela’s face turned even redder. She stepped forwards and almost fell on her knees as she begged him for help.

    “No! Don’t! Help me... make something up; he’ll buy what you say”.

     

    Sotek sighed and shook his head for a few moments. He knew Kodlak wouldn’t be satisfied until he had the truth which did place Sotek under a certain dilemma; one of his own making.

    “Aela, Kodlak won’t believe me. Whatever I say he’ll presume I made up to cover our tracks... hmmm”.

     

    Sotek paused and let a small seed grow in his mind. He envisioned the seed sprouting into a tree; growing taller while thick branches spread outwards; each one a scenario with events and outcomes. As the tips of the branches sprouted leaves, Sotek smiled and turned to Kodlak.

    “A few months ago I was teaching Aela to pickpocket. We practised in the yard and once she had the hang of it we tried it on a few guards. You know some of them drink on duty? Well anyway...”

     

    He started laughing as he described a scene of one particular night.

    “There was this one guard, stank of mead he did. Aela managed to pick a pair of handcuffs off his belt when he was slumped over the fencing in the Wind’s District. You remember Aela? That night she handcuffed me to her bed and umm...... Anyway, it was only later on... or rather later ‘off’ that she realised she never had the key to the cuffs so I had to teach her how to pick locks. May I point out Kodlak it’s not easy teaching someone to pick locks while you are shackled to a bed! She’s a fast learner that one; I’d keep an eye on her if I were you”.

     

    Kodlak blankly looked on without responding to a single word that Sotek had told him. Aela was a different story. She stood as still as a deer caught in a stagecoach lanterns. Her mouth was agape as she stared off into the distance. Without changing her expression, she slowly turned to Sotek but not once did her light grey eyes loose the misty look they held.

    From where he was sitting, Kodlak couldn’t see Aela’s features. All he had to go on was Sotek’s but the Argonian hid his secrets well.

     

    Kodlak rested his hands on his legs and tutted. He gave up his quest for truth and moved on to whatever else lay in store for him.

     “I’d rather keep an eye on you!! Well if that’s the story you come up with then I really don’t want to know the truth. Just don’t get caught picking locks; it’ll be the devil to pay if you do”.

     

    With a dirty laugh, Aela mimed a silent ‘thank you’ to Sotek who, in turn, smirked back at her. Aware that everyone was watching them, Sotek moved away from his she-wolf and entered the storage room before Kodlak or anyone else could question them further.

     

    He expected to find a few boxes but nothing prepared him for what laid in wait. Numerous large iron strengthened wooden chests were stacked together on one side of the room while barrels and boxes were piled in the furthest corners of the room, half buried in a multitude of different sized sacks. The actual size of the room however gave him reason to smile and he nodded with satisfaction. Two areas on either side of the doorway formed spacious alcoves; perfect for what he had in mind.

    “Kodlak you weren’t kidding were you. There’s everything in here. Farkas have the whelps clear off the tables; maybe then we can see what we are looking at”.

     

    He glanced over to the other Companions.

    “Aela, Vilkas... fetch!”

     

    Aela’s top lip curled upwards but she remained silent. As she walked past him, she ‘accidently’ trod on his tail, causing him to hiss back at her. With a smug grin she shrugged her shoulders at him.

    “Oops... sorry”.

     

    Once the tables were cleared of the usual clutter of plates, flagons and food bowls, the Whelps and Companions started dumping the items and boxes from the storeroom out on the floor. Sotek began sorting out the heirlooms and designated Aela with the task of placing them on the furthest table so they would be out of the way. Along the length of the tables, Vilkas started laying out the various different swords while the Imperial Whelp, much to Aela’s disgust was given bows to gather up and store on any of the other spare tables as long as it was away from Aela. She looked on with contempt as one bow after the other was added to the rapidly growing pile.

     

    Farkas had the job of collecting the shields on the near side table. This left the other Whelps with the simple duty of gathering up potions, scrolls and other miscellaneous items.

     

    Within an hour the tables were full of different weaponry, bits of armour and a whole smorgasbord of differing pieces of equipment, vials and scrolls.

     

    The only one to not take part in the ascending chaos which reined in the hall was Tilma who up to now had her own chaos to deal with. She had just finished tiding up the Undercroft after the rabble of Companions and Whelps left it in the usual ‘pig sty’ state. Now that she was finished, she headed up the stairs, looking forwards to a well earned rest in her favourite chair.

     

    Instead of being greeted by the peaceful harmony of Jorrvaskr’s fine hall, she walked into what seemed to be an indoor market. She felt almost flabbergasted at the site but this emotional state did little to impede her ability to talk; or in this case, rant which she did so with her usual gusto.

    “Harbinger! Have you lost your mind? What on earth is going on here?”

     

    Aela cried out to her as if she was the answer to all Aela’s woes and sins.

    “Tilma! At last; someone with sense! Can you please tell that snake of a reptile to let me stack the bows? Please? All I got are these old bloody heirlooms. They stink!”

     

    Aela’s strange outburst caught Tilma off guard and took the wind from her sails. Everything the maid was about to say was gone, leaving her with nothing but a blank slate. She turned to Aela in complete confusion, unable to keep up with the events.

    “What? What are you on about girl? Speak up!”

     

    Sotek laughed and brushed Aela’s objections aside. He beckoned Tilma towards him and pulled out a chair so she could sit down next to Kodlak.

    “Aela you can’t stack the bows cause you would just sit there playing with them. Tilma, take a seat and I’ll explain what we are up to”.

     

    Having little choice other than to comply with Sotek’s request, Tilma headed over to where Kodlak was sitting. As she passed the table which was over burdened with swords, she noticed a long deep scratch in the table tops wooden surface.

     

    Tilma screamed at Vilkas as he happened to be the closest and the fact that she caught him red handed, placing a sword on the pile of weapons. When she screamed out, all the whelps moved to the back of the room.

    “My table! You scratched my table you giant oaf!”

     

    Vilkas fearfully peered down at the maid, unsure what to do or say.

     

    Aela pointed straight at Sotek and initiated her petty plan of revenge against him due to her having been given heirlooms.

    “It’s his fault! I told him not to put the swords there but he said you’re just a ‘stupid maid’ so you would put up with it. Sotek’s words, not mine!”

     

    If Sotek’s scales could have, they would have turned white. His tail darted between his feet as he succumbed to Tilma’s terrible gaze. In defence he yelled back at Aela, hoping to divert Tilma’s wrath.

    “You flea ridden liar!”

     

    Aela drew a short breath, almost gasping at the accusation. She hollered back at Sotek just as loudly as he had.

    “Flea ridden? Why you mangy overgrown...”

     

    As the two Companions began shouting at one another in the hope of passing on any blame, Kodlak intervened and brought the argument to a grinding stop.

    “Enough!! How did you two ever get along?”

     

    Aela stopped herself from throwing out a werewolf insult when she remembered that the whelps were in the room. She stared at Kodlak for a second then carried on with their quarrel.

    “If I got fleas then they’re Argonian ones; from you”.

     

    Sotek raised his spiky eyebrows and tutted back in response.

    “Tsk. Oh really? Well at least I didn’t stick an Argonian flea in the steps like you did with your dagger”.

     

    Tilma just stared at him as his words plagued her. She glanced at Aela for confirmation which she received the moment she made eye contact with the female Companion.

    “My steps? Did you stab my steps?” She briskly walked over to them to see for herself.

     

    Sotek was quick off the mark and joined the maid’s side. He happily assisted her by pointing out the various narrow notches Aela had caused with the tip of her dagger.

    “The second step from the bottom. They’re near the middle in a small cluster; look!”

     

    The maid knelt down slightly just so she could see the impressions clearer. Sotek looked on until the scowl which now dominated Tilma’s face was given new life in the form of a loud shrieking cry.

    “Aela!! You did damn you. What’s wrong with you child?”

     

    Aela glared across the hall at Sotek who had eagerly ‘dobbed’ her in and yelled back at Tilma while she pointed at the Argonian.

    “I’ve got a bad influence in my life and no one will get rid of him for me”.

     

    Tilma’s temper got the better of her. She grabbed hold of one of Sotek’s bone spikes, pulling his head down below her shoulder and dragged him across the hall. His pleas and cries were ignored while all Aela could do was fearfully look on at the raging maid as Tilma headed straight towards her like a storm closing in upon a port.

     

    Without saying anything, Tilma seized Aela by the ear and tugged on it, lowering her head down as she had done with the Argonian. The two Companions both grimaced as Tilma ranted at the pair of them

    “Never in all my years have I come across two upstarts like you. I swear if there is any more damage I’ll hang the pair of you! Do I make myself clear?”

     

    The more Aela thrashed about, the more Tilma twisted her ear lobe. The young she-wolf ceased her struggling in the hope that Tilma would lessen her hold but Sotek still fought against Tilma’s grip.

     

    As the maid hadn’t relaxed her vice like hold on Aela’s ear, Aela punched Sotek in the chest; stopping his squirming so Tilma would stop restraining them. The two companions both looked at each other then as one they responded to Tilma’s demand.

    “Yess!”

     

    Now that she had complete control and the two renegades were now compliant, Tilma threw their heads away from her, releasing them from her presence. Without slowing her stride she snapped at Kodlak who seemed content to sit back and watch Aela nurse her now red and very sore ear.

    “Harbinger? Haven’t you got anything to add?”

     

    Sotek timidly stuck his hand up and slinked away from Tilma so he was out of her range.

    “I’m Harbinger for a few days”.

     

    Tilma nearly fainted on the spot. She held onto the table for support and leaned across it at Kodlak who merely shrugged his shoulders at her.

     

    She stared at Sotek with complete disbelief; adamantly refusing to believe her own ears.

    “You! You’re Harbinger? Oh heavens; the Nines save us all. Kodlak... what have you done?”

     

    Hiding a sneaky smirk from Aela, Kodlak casually replied.

    “I’ll find out in a few days I expect, but time will tell”. The tone in his response made it seem that he either didn’t care or even like he was above whatever damage Sotek could cause in the ‘Harbinger’ role.

     

    Aela just stood next to Sotek holding her ear.

    “Damn; that hurt” She mumbled. She looked up at Sotek who was smiling back at her so she slapped him hard across the cheek.

     

    His head was thrown to the side and he hissed back at her while he reeled from the unexpected blow.

    “What the hell was that for?”

     

    Aela ranted back at him while she pointed to her ear. She laid out the unjust actions of Tilma where she had suffered yet her counterpart remained unhurt; an injustice she saw fit to fix.

    “Well I’m hurt so I’m damned if you’re getting away with it”.

     

    Sotek rubbed his cheek as he hissed back at her.

    “Well you can’t sslap the Harbinger. Hssss”.

     

    Aela’s eyes narrowed as she glared back at him in open defiance.

    “I didn’t! He wasn’t there; my ex-mate was”.

     

     

Comments

4 Comments   |   ShyGuyWolf and 3 others like this.
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  November 30, 2016
    There actually isn't a chapter where Sotek teaches Aela how to lockpick. This is one of those scenarios where the reader (and Kodlak) find out afterwards. Sorry about that.
    It's a bit of a shame as it would be interesting having Sotek teach Aela.
  • Ebonslayer
    Ebonslayer   ·  November 29, 2016
    Could you please point out the chapter when Sotek shows Aela lockpicking? I completely forgot in my absence.
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  November 18, 2016
    I've no idea where that is Exuro. Well done for finding it. I will work on links over the next few weeks.
  • Exuro
    Exuro   ·  November 18, 2016
    Found where I left off