U.O.T.W. Chapter 201 An Apple a Day

• Posted by Sotek February 11, 2017 - Filed in TSC: CB Story - #Sotek  #U.O.T.W.  - 1,212 views

   

  When Aela woke up the next morning, she automatically turned around to cuddle into Sotek just to find herself in an empty bed. His trousers and shirt were gone, leaving behind a pair of shoes adapted for his reptilian feet which was, in itself, a waste of time as he often went around bare footed within Whiterun. This had been remarked upon as yet another similarity between the Argonian and Aela for she would often be found barefooted as well.

   

  As she made her way up the stairwell, she could hear Sotek who was currently talking with the Harbinger. He stopped, mid conversation and sniffed at the air. With a knowing smile, he turned around and greeted his mate.

  “Well if it isn’t the sleepy psycho”.

   

  She narrowed her eyes and weakly smiled at him.

  “Call me that again”. She said with a daring tone in her voice.

   

  Vilkas laughed as he watched the half-asleep Huntress drearily make her way to the table.

  “Call you what, psycho?”

   

  Sotek smirked and happily corrected him causing Aela to change direction and move towards him; albeit somewhat sluggishly.

  “No, sleepy”.

   

  She gave him a slight thump in the arm then sat down rather heavily on his lap before helping herself to a few mouthfuls of water from her mate’s glass. Feeling somewhat more awake she nudged him in the chest with an elbow and enquired on the day’s proceedings.

  “What are we up to today?”

   

  “Well”. Sotek said as he chuckled at Farkas. “I have some potions to make up so it’s off to the alchemists with us. Farkas and Vilkas are helping Eorlund with the patch in the roof. This afternoon I thought Red and Scarface could have a bit of a run as Danica needs furs. While they are getting them, we’ll gather up a few deer carcases; with the farms out of action for a few weeks Whiterun will need all the food it can get”.

   

  “See, this is why I love him”. Aela stated as she flashed her eyes at the Harbinger. “I get to make poisons then Red can have some fun”.

   

  Sotek paused as he shared a worried glance with the Harbinger. Kodlak was still apprehensive over the two Companions going off in their werewolf forms but for Sotek there was another reason for concern.

  “Ermm potions, not poisons”.

   

  Aela waved her hand at him, dismissing the difference altogether.

  “Whatever, each to their own”.

   

  Farkas laughed as he listened in on their conversation.

  “Sotek, I’ll use your healing potions if you don’t mind”.

   

  Aela glared back at him then a sly evil look smothered her face as a thought entered her mind.

  “Fine! Tilma, you take it easy today. I’ll cook dinner tonight”

   

  Sotek gulped then had a thought of his own. He reached down at the wooden fruit bowl that was on the table in front of him and picked up an apple.

  “How are we for apples?”

   

  Aela laughed out loud and ‘reassuringly’ informed Sotek of their well-stocked larder.

  “We have plenty; more than what you can eat in a week”.

   

  “Good, I’m ok then”. Sotek stated with an air of smugness in his voice. He broadly grinned at his ‘victim’ before taking a large bite from the apple.

   

  Aela watched with interest as he munched on the piece of apple then she happily tapped him in the chest.

  “Sotek, while it’s true we have a large stock of apples, there is one small matter which I never mentioned”.

   

  Sotek loudly swallowed the mouthful of fruit and proceeded to take a second bite. As he munched on it, he shrugged his shoulders.

  “What haven’t you mentioned my dear she-wolf?”

   

  The Huntress span around on his lap so she could face him better. She was grinning from ear to ear as she pointed at her own chest.

  “I picked them”.

   

  Sotek gulped as he looked at the half-eaten apple in his hand. Knowing it was too late, he slowly swallowed what he had in his mouth then spoke out loud.

  “Oh crap”.

   

  Kodlak himself didn’t look overly happy. He was still pondering upon Aela’s suggestion to cook for them. With a shake of his head he politely refused; half hoping she was jesting.

  “Errm no thank you. Although we do appreciate your offer, no”.

   

  Aela turned her head slowly to the Harbinger. All the signs of the ‘amused Huntress’ were gone as she rose to her feet while her scowling face cut into him like a knife.

  “Are you saying I can’t cook?”

   

  The Harbinger’s eyebrows lifted as he thought of Tilma. The maid was nudging his leg with her foot; forcing him to continue. He felt like a rabbit caught between two rival foxes.

  “Humph… Last time Tilma wasn’t happy over the state of the kitchen; and the meal was well…”

   

  He turned towards her to face her down until he noticed the way she was standing. Her arms were folded across her chest while she leaned on one leg with her hip sticking out; this was her full-on attitude pose and Kodlak knew he was in trouble. He thought about her in the yard the day before and found himself taking a gulp. His moment of silence gave Aela an opportunity to state what she had previously believed over her last cooking incident.

  “Harbinger, there was a few dirty dishes. Tilma over reacted”.

   

  Tilma gasped from Aela’s audacity. She reached for her broom but Kodlak held her arm, keeping the maid in check.

  “I over reacted? You destroyed the kitchen! There were dagger marks on the work surface! Three of my pots had to be thrown away and replaced”.

   

  Aela brushed her objections aside and took the damage to be the typical wear and tear of cooking.

  “Pots always need to be replaced Tilma. Besides what was wrong with the meal?”

   

  Farkas laughed as he joined in on the conversation.

  “Besides the fact that even you wouldn’t eat it?”

   

  Aela slumped down in a chair, and lightly kicked the side of the table with the side of her foot. Sotek could see she looked miserable as she stared blankly at a crack in the floor.

  “Well at least I tried to cook for you lot”.

   

  Her mate got out of his own chair and stood behind the back of her so he could hold her by the shoulders. He kissed the top her head yet he unintentionally brought in another player to the ‘Aela can’t cook’ assault.

  “What was it she tried to cook?”

   

  The Harbinger looked across to Vilkas and shrugged.

  “Ermm”.

   

  Vilkas got up and came over towards them. Aela rolled her eyes at him as she watched him draw near.

  “Oh great! Thank you Sotek, you reptilian scum. Now they got reinforcements! Go on Vilkas, have a dig”.

   

  Vilkas bowed down and smugly replied;

  “Thanks, I will. It was supposed to be chicken pie with roast potatoes and various veg”.

   

  Sotek quietly smirked at the Nord Companion but Aela overheard him. She rapped the back of his hand with her knuckles, catching him off guard.

  “Oww”. He stated as he quickly pulled his hand away before she could hit him again. Now he was out of immediate striking range he enquired further on Vilkas’s comment.

  “What was wrong with it?”

   

  “The pie was burnt, along with everything else”. Vilkas happily stated. “The potatoes were like rocks”.

   

  Farkas laughed at him and shook his head.

  “Rocks? Yea black rocks; more like coal. And as for the pie! Even after she scraped the burnt crust off it, it tasted bloody awful”.

   

  Aela kicked the empty chair in front of her, sending it toppling backwards to crash on the floor with a ‘bang’. She left the table and scowled at the whole group then the Huntress snatched Sotek’s hand and pulled him towards the door.

  “You’re a bunch of ingrates! The whole lot of you”.

   

  The door was shoved open with the side of her shoulder as she barged her way through it, leaving the door to swing back by itself.

   

  Once outside, Sotek gave Aela a hug and he set about consoling her although he hadn’t taken into account the level of exaggeration the Companions used upon their ‘shield sister’.

  “Don’t let them get to you. It couldn’t have been that bad”.

   

  Aela’s eyes narrowed and a low-pitched growl escaped from a small slit between her lips. She looked at him glaringly then burst out laughing.

  “It was bloody awful! Vilkas took some of the pie out on the plains; even the damn wolves wouldn’t touch it. It was left out there for four days. Eventually we had to pick it up because of complaints from the farmers. The smell was disturbing the cows. When we did it was still solid”.

   

  As they walked towards the Alchemist’s shop, Irileth, who seemed to be briefing a small squad of guards, quickly dismissed them so she was free to intercept the two Companions.

   

  She singled Aela out by taking her arm so she could lead her way from Sotek.

  “Ah there you are! I was hoping to bump into you. Could I have a moment?”

   

  The Argonian lent against the side of the well and waited with curiosity as the two girls talked. Irileth spoke in a whisper which Sotek thought was odd as he could still hear them as they were only a few feet away. It was only when Irileth started explaining what she wanted that Sotek realised why she was being so quiet. She was simply trying to prevent the city’s populous from overhearing.

  “I have been informed that there is a bandit camp only a few hours away. It’s not a large camp but the Jarl and I feel with the vulnerability of the city now, that they might try to ransack the farmlands. We are weak and vulnerable from the battle and I can’t spare many men. Would you be prepared to come along with two of them and size up this camp? If possible we need it taken out”.

   

  Aela seemed somewhat surprised. She expected the city to be far more anti with them especially over the next coming weeks until they had gotten used to the fact that she and the other Companions were werewolves. To be asked for her assistance after just a few days of their secret being thrown to the four winds was little short of astonishing.

  “You want us to help you? Despite knowing what we are?”

   

  Irileth looked back at Sotek with a critic’s eye. She knew he had heard the entire conversation but she also knew he was too much for the men and woman under her command to take in. She wondered what Lydia, the only female guard would say if she found herself having to work alongside him. Lydia was one of the few who didn’t question her orders. She had no qualms about accepting another woman’s commands while other guards seemed somewhat resentful that Irileth, a Dunmer woman no less, held so much power. She certainly had a few problems with Proventus over the last several years.

  “No, just you. Sotek, he’s ermm… the men are having a hard time with this. I feel he’s too much to take in at this present time. They aren’t ready to face him. You though, that’s a different matter. The guards have known you for years. They don’t trust what you are but they trust who you are. You are after all a Companion; one who have walked these streets for twenty years. Would you go with them?”

   

  Aela freely nodded, accepting the given task. Sotek however slightly shook his head at the whole situation and he decided to intervene. He pushed back against the wall, breaking away from it so he was free to join the two girls. Before any more was said he butted in, taking the decision away from the Huntress.

  “I think it best if we inform the Harbinger before you go running off. It’s not just the guards we have to be wary off. I warn you Irileth, he may think it’s too early to go shoving Red under the city’s nose. I know that is what you have in mind. Aela, have a word with the Harbinger first. Make sure he is ok with it”.

   

  Irileth nodded back at him in agreement although she easily countered his argument.

  “Yes Sotek, you are quite right. It is too early to stick Red out there for all to see. It’s a shame you never thought about that on the wall the other night when she howled at the two moons”. Her arms were folded across her chest as she stood facing him off.

   

  Sotek snarled back at her but he knew she was right. What he had said made sense at the time but with the recent events it was a moot point. Before he or Aela could respond, Irileth lowered her hands and slightly bowed down in a diplomatic stance.

  “I spoke harshly; that day was a difficult day for us all and nerves are still stinging from the battle. Forgive my words Companion, you are right; we should discuss this with Kodlak”.

   

  They entered Jorrvaskr to see Vilkas peer down the large gap in the roof. Several roof planks had fallen through the hole, scaring Kodlak and Tilma half to death as the timber collided with the table they were sitting at. The Harbinger greeted Irileth then pointed up at the sky.

  “Vilkas and Farkas are helping Eorlund fix the roof so watch your head. Sorry, did I say fix?” He then looked straight up at the Companion and to everyone’s surprise he shouted.

  “Supposed to be fixing! Not making the hole bloody worse”.

   

  “Careful!” Eorlund yelled back. “You nearly made me drop my hammer!”

   

  Kodlak huffed back and wagged his finger at the three men as they resumed the roof repairs before he went about his next task; enquiring about Irileth’s visit to the hall.

  “It’s not been a day since we made the agreement and yet you’re both brought home by the Jarl’s housecarl. I’m not surprised with Aela but I had expected better from you Sotek”.

   

  Sotek looked back in astonishment and hissed back at the Harbinger.

  “Whaaattt?”

   

  Aela was even less amused. Instead of scorning the Harbinger she turned to or rather turned against her mate.

  “That’s not funny! See? You’re always getting me in trouble”. To Irileth’s surprise Aela turned around and punched Sotek in the chest.

   

  Irileth stepped away from the two Companions and watched them while they bickered with each other. She lost herself in their argument until Kodlak discreetly coughed.

  “Hmph hmm. Irileth?”

   

  The Harbinger noticed the blank expression on Irileth’s face as she had momentarily forgotten what she had come to see him for. He raised his white bushy eyebrows and looked owlishly at her, catching her deer like trance in his stare. She glanced back at Aela, remembering the task at hand and eagerly spoke up.

  “Harbinger, there is a bandit camp only a few hours away. I have advised Jarl Balgruuf that it’s a threat to our farmlands. They could mount a surprise raid while Whiterun is weak. I was enquiring as to whether Aela would help with the removal of the camp”.

   

  “Aela, or Aela and Sotek?” Kodlak asked as he tapped his finger at the two Companions, forcing them to disengage from their tiff.

   

  Irileth thought back to Red and Scarface. Although he would undoubtedly be useful, the Jarl had instructed to her that she was not to push the city too hard. ‘There will be a time’ she murmured to herself; but for now she knew to follow the Jarl’s lead.

  “The men, they aren’t ready for him. If he could lose a few hundred pounds and dropped a few feet from his height then yes, but not at this point in time”.

   

  Aela laughed as she nudged Sotek with her elbow.

  “See I said he needed to go on a diet”.

   

  Sotek retaliated by slightly shoving her back, sending her forwards a step towards the Harbinger. She turned back at him and issued a warning not to push her any further.

  “OI watch it, I will bite you”.

   

  Sotek laughed back at her. He was enjoying their game and he knew all too well Aela was two seconds away from laughing. Her face was stern but the dimple in her cheek told him everything.

  “Go for it but I get to bite you back”.

   

  The Harbinger coughed a few times making them stop. He knew they were playing but their roughhousing usually ended up with one of them pinned to the floor.

  “You might not believe it but despite their constant bickering, they do work best together. I advise you take both but... if you just want Aela then she is free to help you if she wished”.

   

  “Thank you Harbinger” Irileth said gratefully. She knew the Huntress would be a great boon to their small raiding party whatever form she was in. “I do feel it would be better if just Aela came along; until the men get somewhat used to things”.

   

  Sotek looked over to her in disappointment as he had only just realised that it could mean their plans were completely destroyed.

  “When would you be leaving?”

   

  “Immediately if that’s possible” Irileth stated, confirming Sotek’s fears. “The guards are waiting outside the main gate”.

   

  Unaware of how Sotek was feeling, Aela headed downstairs to get her gear leaving the others in the hall. Sotek looked around the tables at everyone then dejectedly sat down on his step to gaze pitifully into the fire.

   

  Vilkas was looking down from the slowly decreasing hole in the roof at him and laughed.

  “Hell, he’s got it bad. She’s only down stairs and he already looks lost”.

   

  Sotek grinned back at him in the hope of waylaying the Nord’s teasing.

  “I’m not that bad”.

   

  Farkas saw straight through his bluff and grinned. He pointed at Sotek as he spoke to Irileth.

  “Oh no? You watch how he acts once she goes through the main gate. He’s like a lost puppy”.

   

  Moments later, Aela came up from the stairwell and beckoned Irileth to follow.

  “Right, I’m all set; let’s go”.

   

  Sotek got up and walked over to the pair of them. He had no intentions of being the blunt of the two brother’s jibs so he quickly took exit of the hall.

  “I’ll walk you to the gate”.

   

  Vilkas and Farkas started making whining dog noises, causing Aela to look at them oddly.

  “What’s that about?”

   

  Sotek glanced knowingly at the housecarl and tapped the side of his nose, telling her to remain quiet as he brushed aside Aela’s question.

  “Oh nothing”.

   

  Once they got to the gate Sotek pulled Aela aside and gave her a big hug. She returned his affection but she seemed somewhat surprised by it. Feeling something was wrong, she asked him directly about it.

  “Hey, it’s only a bandit camp. Are you ok?”

   

  “Yes” Sotek stated but it was obvious he had something on his mind. He pondered on it for a few moments, forcing Aela to wait as he weighed up his words.

  “I have been thinking; I want you to have something. I’m giving it to you; it’s yours to keep. But, if I ever need to borrow it, I can. Do you accept that?”

   

  Aela looked at Irileth in confusion, but it was obvious she had no idea what he meant either. Having no other choice, Aela enquired as to what Sotek meant.

  “What are you on about?”

   

  “It’s simple” Sotek said with far more confidence than what he seemed to have a moment ago. “If I give you something, would you let me borrow it if I need it?” Sotek stated

   

  “Yes, but this doesn’t make sense! Are you ok?”

   

  Sotek reached into his pocket and pulled out a simple silver chain. He placed it around her neck then tucked it into the top of her armour, resting something small yet heavy in her bosom. A second later he gave her a kiss then went off after wishing them luck.

   

  Aela pulled the necklace up from beneath her chest armor and looked at it. Threaded through the chain was a silver ring. She gave out a loud gasp as she held it in her hand, Irileth glanced down at it.

  “That’s a nice ring”.

   

  Aela put it on her finger and admired it.

  “Yes, it is. It’s the ring of Hircine; he gave me his ring”.

   

  “What does it do?” Irileth asked. She knew of Sotek’s enchanting abilities and she thought the name ‘Hircine’ was a generic name for it despite her knowing Hircine was the Daedra Lord of Werewolves.

   

  Aela had a massive grin on her face as she spoke.

  “It gives me freedom”.

   

  The housecarl gave her an odd look as she never understood Aela’s statement.

  “Freedom? From a ring? I don’t quite follow”.

   

  Aela chuckled as she causally explained about Red and her ability to change.

  “I could only transform into Red once a day, but with this I can change as much as I like. Don’t you see? He didn’t give me a ring; he gave me Red’s freedom”.

   

  A few hours later Sotek got back to the hall with a big bag of various flasks and potions. He had spent most of his time in Arcadia’s Cauldron, brewing potions and other beneficial concoctions. He placed the sack carefully on the floor then asked the three Whelps to store them.

   

  Now that his first task was done, he spoke to the Harbinger about their supplies.

  “That’s a good start but we are still low. I’ll have to go out and see what I can find”.

   

  Farkas, who had since returned to the hall, called over to him.

  “I got a job to do as well. You want to team up?”

   

  Sotek nodded back at him and agreed. It had been a while since he and Farkas had done anything together. Leaving such things was bad for fellowship between kin.

  “Sure, what you got?”

   

  “Bear cave! We’ve been asked to gather furs and as you and Red; sorry Aela, aren’t getting any I thought I might as well get some. There are probably three bears and maybe the odd wolf. I was going to see about taking a Whelp along”. Farkas said eagerly.

   

  Sotek looked across to the Whelps who were sorting out the potions and vials as they placed them on the large bookshelf in the Infirmary. He wondered which Whelp Farkas would pick until something occurred to him.

  “Why don’t we take all three of them?”

   

  Farkas shrugged his shoulders at the idea. With the two of them there was no reason why they couldn’t so he agreed.

  “Why not. Hey, you lot... check your gear. Meet us out by the main gate in fifteen minutes”.

   

  Once they all met up by the gate, Sotek doubled checked the Whelps supplies. When he was happy everything was in order, the five Companions headed off along the plains keeping to the southern mountains as they made their way towards Brittleshin Pass.