Driftshade Refuge was a good few hours behind them when Aela took it upon herself to go off hunting and it didn’t take her long to return with three rabbits. Sotek was pleased to see the Whelp work alongside the Huntress, skinning the rabbits so he could cook them. While he took care of breakfast he let the two girls rest. It had been a busy twenty four hours for them all and he knew a few hours sleep wouldn’t hurt. They had retrieved what they came for; Red and Scarface’s hunger was sated and the Silverhands were all but wiped out. Even if they had won the fight with the Imperial forces, they were in no condition to pursue anybody. There was just no need to rush.
Within a few minutes both Aela and the Whelp were asleep. The Huntress had just the one wolf fur over her, leaving the Whelp with two but Sotek could see both of them shivering in the cold mountain air. He decided to move the three rabbits away from the fire so he could chuck a few large logs in it. Using his flame spell he blasted the wood so they were engulfed in flames. Snow around the fire’s border started melting as a wave of heat poured out.
He spent the next hour resting against a boulder, watching over his siblings until hunger started plaguing him. Having resumed the cooking of their breakfast, it wasn’t long for Aela to start stirring as the smell of fresh cooked meat started to fill the camp.
She rolled on her side, kicking off the fur in the process so she could peer across the camp to where Sotek was.
“How long have I been asleep?”
“Only a few hours, it’s only mid afternoon”. Sotek explained. He checked one of the rabbits and was pleased to see it only needed another ten minutes or so. What he didn’t want was for Aela to start rushing about. He was tired and he knew she and the Whelp were also feeling the strain of the past few days. “Take your time getting up. We’ll stay at Dawnstar for the night. First thing tomorrow morning we’ll head back to Whiterun. We could all do with a good night’s rest and a hot meal inside us”.
Leaving the Whelp to sleep, the Companions ate two of the rabbits between them while they let their minds slip across Skyrim to the plains. Aela stretched out on her back and rested her head in Sotek’s lap while they watched the shadows gradually become longer as the sun slowly descended in the sky.
When the Whelp finally awoke, she ravenously tucked into the last rabbit, tearing off strips of meat with her teeth. Aela chuckled as she watched the Whelp eat before reiterating Sotek’s plan.
“Dawnstar’s not far now; we’ll be there in a few hours. Sotek’s buying a round of drinks and a hot meal for us. We’ll be staying there for the night”.
Sotek stopped packing the gear and glanced back at the smiling Huntress who gave him a sly wink. He tutted back at her although he accepted his fate.
Soon afterwards the three Companions made their way to Dawnstar although Sotek delayed them every time he happened to pass a Snowberry bush. His lips were cherry red due to the amount of berries he ate as they travelled along the route.
By the time the city came into view it was evening. They headed straight for the inn where Sotek placed a pouch of gold on the bar. It was half an hour later when three hot meals of beef and vegetables were laid out on the table along with three tankards of ale.
Once they ate they retired to the fire pit with their beverages. During the evening the three Companions talked about the Barrow and the treacherous Beem-Ja.
At one point the Whelp drew her sword and passed it to Sotek so he could examine it in the light. Aela looked upon the blade and felt some satisfaction in giving the Whelp the blade to replace her Orcish one. She nudged the Whelp with her elbow and spoke.
“Well that’s a tale for you to tell the others when we get back to Jorrvaskr. Don’t mention the pass though, they might not fully understand. We’ll rent a couple of rooms and sleep here tonight before heading back to Whiterun in the morning”.
The Whelp smiled back at the Huntress and set her fears to rest. She had guessed the Harbinger wouldn’t approve of the things that had happened and despite still not understanding what exactly had happened, she was sure the two Companions would always look after one another.
“They wouldn’t understand what? We killed four bandits, cleared out a Barrow. Sotek retrieved a bloody great battleaxe with that enchant he wanted and I got a cool new blade out of it. We then killed a dragon... a legendry dragon at that and caused the Nine’s knows what with a bunch of bandits and the Imperials... best I not mention them I think”.
Both Sotek and Aela laughed at her assessment of the entire trip. Sotek beamed back at her and nodded his approval.
“Yep, that should do the trick”.
After an hour of drinking and talking, Sotek went back to the bar to speak to the innkeeper about renting two rooms. Aela watched his tail flap about haphazardly as he rejoined them.
“What’s up?” Aela asked.
Sotek gulped as he eyed the Huntress cautiously. She made it clear she wanted personal time with him which he knew didn’t necessarily mean sex. There were plenty of nights when she just wanted to know he was there by her side when she woke up.
“Ermm they only have one room so we got to share”.
“Like hell!!” Almost throwing her flagon at the wall, Aela stormed across the old creaking wooden flooring and banged the tankard on the bar to get the innkeepers attention. After talking to him for a few minutes, she slammed down the flat of her fist and angrily returned to her mate and the Whelp.
“This stinking reptile’s right. There’s only one blasted room!”
Having little choice, Sotek paid for the room then led the two girls upstairs. The room was squalor with a single bed against one side of the room while an old wardrobe which was in such a state that if it happened to be a wagon then it would have been condemned, stood against the other wall. It wasn’t particularly useful to them except for the fact that it covered a hole in the wall from the room opposite.
Sotek took two of the furs and made a make shift bed on the floor, leaving the actual bed for the others.
“I’ll sleep here you two can sleep top/tail It’s not overly big I know but! It’s just for the one night. We’ve had worse”.
With a big tired yawn he placed his axes by his sides and stretched out with a single fur acting as a bed roll and the second wolf fur as his only cover. There he closed his eyes and settled down for the night.
Less than half an hour later he awoke from his slumber due to the feint shuffling of bare feet from within the room. He kept his eyes shut and sniffed the night air and relaxed straight away. His cover was pulled off him as a warm body slid next to him and cuddled into him. Aela pulled his arms around herself, then she covered them both up with the fur.
Under its own will, Sotek’s tail forced its way between Aela’s shins and systematically began to wind around her leg.
As she laid there in his arms she listened to his breathing. She then held her ear against his chest, trying to convince herself that he was asleep. Just to be on the safe side she whispered to him.
“Sotek? Are you awake?”
She listened out for any change but he just laid there. She tucked herself up in his arms a second time then whispered ever so quietly at him.
“I love you”.
Sotek laid there without moving, still and motionless. Aela breathed a sigh of relief and then she closed her eyes. After a few minutes she too fell asleep, but as she did so she had the feint traces of a smile upon her face.
Once her breathing slowed down, Sotek’s eyes opened. He never moved but his eyes just looked down at her then he whispered back to his mate.
“I know, but it’s nice to hear you say it. I love you too Huntress”.
A good few hours before dawn there was a loud banging on the door. Sotek answered it to find a courier standing there waving a letter at him. The Companion stepped back into the room where there was more light, allowing the courier to follow him inside. The man stopped dead in his tracks when he was greeted by both Aela and the Whelp. Each of them had their bows drawn and ready to fire at point blank range. He shrieked in shock and turned squeamishly to Sotek just to find the Argonian was wielding one of his axes. He hid it behind the door, positioned above his head, ready to strike.
“See! You see! This is why I hate delivering messages at night; it’s always the bloody same. Three times I’ve been shot at. I’ve been kicked in the nether regions, scalded in the unmentionables with hot water! Hot water! I want kids one day damn it! I’m not doing this again; never!”
Sotek growled and impatiently held out his hand.
“What’s the message?”
“Message? Oh the message! Here you go. Can I leave now?” The courier passed Sotek the message then left practically running down the stairway. Sotek shrugged at the fleeing courier then shut the door. After lighting a lamp so it would be easier to read, he opened the note.
“It’s from the Harbinger. I suppose he guessed we would stay here. Oh... this is odd. I have to get my tail to Solitude and speak to a General Tullius? Aela, you two have to head back to Whiterun as soon as we get the note..... Which means now”. He then passed the note to Aela.
“Damn it” She cursed as she kicked the wardrobe as a way of venting her frustration. “What the hell could be going on? He’s that Imperial Officer who’s supposed to be dealing with this rebellion crap. The one that bloody Nord, Ulfric poxed Stormcloak started”.
Sotek took the note back off her and held it over the lamp, burning the corner of it. He tilted it about until only a blank corner and a pile of ash remained.
“Pack up. We’re out of here”.
Aela felt miserable. She stared at the doorway and in a depressing tone, she wished Sotek a safe journey.
“I guess we’ll see you soon enough at Whiterun I suppose. Good luck Sotek. Please go careful. The Jarl here at Dawnstar? He’s sympathetic with Ulfric’s cause”.
Sotek wondered about the whole political situation in Skyrim. He could see Aela was concerned; the signs were all over her face.
“How sympathetic?”
“He’s joined him. Don’t let on you’re going to see the general”. Aela added, making sure her mate knew how much danger he had been unintentionally placed in.
Sotek pulled Aela close and kissed her on the forehead.
“Tullius be damned. I’m not sending you both back. We came here together and we’ll damn well leave together. Load up all our gear; we’ll get the carriage to Solitude. We can all go and see this General Tullius”.
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