U.O.T.W. Chapter 202 White Fluffy Lies

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    Shortly after the group exited the main gate, they passed by the last of the farms. From here they started following the southern mountain ranges, traversing along the rocky outcrops. To the north they saw the damaged guard tower from the dragon attack months ago.

     

    After walking on for another half hour or so, Sotek slowed down then started looking around; taking a far greater note of his surroundings; way more than what he usually would. Such was his change in character that the Argonian’s demeanor was putting the Whelps on edge and unsettling the group to the point where even they had started to slow down to study their environment. When it got to the point where Farkas found himself to be alone, as he kept to his typical pace, he called back to Sotek and demanded a reason for his behavior.

    “Hey, what’s up? You’ve got the whole group acting funny”.

     

    Sotek stopped then looked up the mountain side. He could smell something but as of yet he was unable to see it.

    “Saber cat; there’s one nearby”.

     

    “How can you tell?” The Imperial girl asked as she watched him with interest.

     

    “I can smell it. Its close Farkas, it’s drawing near”. Ignoring Farkas’s bluster, Sotek drew his bow from his shoulder and slowly scanned the mountains, scrutinizing the foliage and rocky crevasse more carefully as he searched for any tell tale sign of where the beast was.

     

    “Can you smell it because of the fact that you’re a werewolf?” The girl asked once more, furthering her line of questioning.

     

    Farkas half wished she waited until they were settled around a campfire. It seemed to be a damn fool of a time to ask questions about werewolves and the like. His sword slid out of its scabbard as the Whelps drew their bows and notched an arrow, ready to fight.

     

    Sotek however seemed quite placid and happily answered the Whelp.

    “Yes and its close. You know, I think it’s stalking us”.

    Farkas supposed that the reason they were always so eager to learn from Sotek was because he always tried to answer their questions. The Nord looked at himself and his methods of training; maybe Sotek had a point after all.

     

    As Farkas approached Sotek, he asked once more, hoping for some sort of direction or distance from the shadowing beast.

    “How close is close?”

     

    Suddenly the cat jumped out and went straight into the attack; growling as it lunged forwards, towards a Whelp. She screamed out in shock as Sotek fired off a single arrow, striking the beast in the side. He laughed out loudly as the Whelp scrambled up to her feet and ran behind Farkas for protection.

    “Very close”.

     

    Sporadic fire ensued as the other two Whelps joined in with the attack. They both moved backwards, a single step at a time as they let loose the drawstrings, sending two missiles straight at the saber cat’s head. One arrow pierced it in the chest but the wound only marginally slowed it down while the second arrow struck it on the shoulder, preventing it from leaping up at the third Whelp.

     

    Farkas swung with his sword at the beast, cutting into the side of the Saber cat. This drew its full attention away from the Imperial Whelp who had dropped her bow when she ran. Sotek took note of her actions but he nodded his approval as she had the presence of mind to use her shield for protection. Now that the beast was fighting Farkas directly, the girl was able to make the most of the time she was given to draw her sword so she could engage the predator.

     

    Now that both the Imperial Whelp and Farkas were fighting the saber cat, Sotek stopped firing. He quickly motioned to the remaining Whelps, the Nord and the Dunmer, to do the same. They lowered their bows and closed in with their melee weapons instead.

     

    Farkas kept the predator’s attention on him while the three Whelps closed in at its more vulnerable sides. This left Sotek with little to do except cast the odd healing spell when it was required. Soon enough the saber cat succumbed to the attacks then the three Whelps started to skin it while Farkas and Sotek looked on. Once the five Companions were ready, they all set off again in high spirits.

     

    Although Sotek had been to Brittleshin Pass before, navigating the mountains and their various trails wasn’t one of his strongest abilities. In fact it was so bad at times that Vilkas contemplated taking Sotek by himself as a training exercise. He had in fact tried it once before but they quickly became separated.

     

    Vilkas spent three hours trying to find the hapless Argonian, fearing he succumbed to the cold only to discover that Sotek has settled under a slab of rock when a blizzard drew in. The Nord warrior found his shield sibling under a rocky ledge, sitting cross-legged on a fur while he cooked three pieces of goat on a fire. Navigation was one of Sotek’s weak points; resourcefulness however…

     

    With the thought of Sotek traipsing the whole pack across the mountains for the next three days, Farkas took point, along with the leadership of the group. He led them through the rocky terrain, following an old trail where, soon enough they arrived at their destination; the entrance to Brittleshin Pass. Using a flint and tinder box, Farkas began lighting his torch; or rather he was trying to. Sotek sat back on a rock and watched as the Nord struggled to create a flame.

     

    After a few minutes, the Imperial Whelp nudged the Nord as she pointed to the tinder he was trying to ignite.

    “That’s a funny color; what are you using?”

     

    “Dried moss!” Farkas stated as he tried to fight off his failing nerves. He knew the Whelp never meant any harm but when he was agitated she always seemed to fluster him.

     

    “Oh...” She replied disapprovingly. “Aela uses dried tundra cotton buds. They light up as if they are soaked in oil. How come you use moss and she uses cotton buds?”

     

    Growling at the tinder as if it was at fault for not igniting, he snapped back at her. As he did so he struck the flint but where he wasn’t paying attention he cut his finger.

    “Well I don’t have any do I? Oww... damn it...”

     

    He nursed his finger and watched with disdain as a trickle of blood followed the contours of his hand. The Whelp, who seemed completely unaware of the strife she was causing, pointed across to Sotek.

    “I bet Sotek has some. He’s always prepared for this sort of thing”.

     

    “Actually” Sotek said as he pulled open his bag, “I don’t think I do have any Tundra Cotton”. He discretely opened a tinder box to find it stuffed full of dried Tundra buds. He then closed the lid before returning it to his bag. “Nope; all out. I’ll have to get some later. Here Farkas, let’s cheat and use magic”.

     

    He held out his arm and cast a small fireball, holding it in his hand so Farkas could light his torch on it. The Whelps followed suite but when it came to Sotek he cast his ‘Candlelight’ spell. A bright white magical orb hovered above his head, lighting the immediate area around him.

     

    Farkas began entering the tunnel, banishing the darkness away with his torch while he wielded his sword in his other hand. The three Whelps did the same thing; brandish a weapon along with their torches. Sotek however had his light spell illuminating the area for him so he was free to wield his axe and Dragonscale shield. At that point Farkas felt somewhat vulnerable so he stepped to the side, allowing Sotek to move to the forefront.

    “You know what? You can take the lead”.

     

    Sotek gave out a slight chuckle then silently worked his way through the cave system, leading the rest of the Companions deeper underground. Initially they made good progress until they came across a cavern which Sotek recognised. It was months before but he could still see Aela’s tracks in the dirt and stone where she had walked. One of the old moss covered pillars that reached up to the cave roof had collapsed. The base of its pillar had all but crumbled into rubble and broken stone. In the distance, on the opposite side of the cave, Sotek saw movement and called the line to a stop.

     

    With an annoyed ‘hiss’ he whispered out to Farkas, demanding that he moved towards the front of the line.

    Hey, come here you bloody moron. Hssss”.

     

    Farkas’s sword scrapped along the ground as he moved towards Sotek, giving the Argonian yet more cause to be disgruntled. As of yet though Farkas was unaware of the predicament he had cast upon them so he was somewhat defensive as he replied to Sotek’s unseemly warranted outburst.

    Hey! Just because Aela calls me names, it doesn’t mean to say you can and get away with it”.

     

    Oh no?” Sotek hissed. “Sso tell me; what are we looking for?

     

    I told you that! Bears”. Farkas stated in a ‘matter of fact’ tone. He screwed up his face as he waited for an apology, setting himself up for a massive fall.

     

    Sotek gave him a slap on the back of his head then pointed to two skeletons patrolling the farthest reaches of the cavern. They seemed to be guarding an old staircase which led upwards to a ledge.

    “Funny looking bears. They must have starved to death”.

     

    Farkas gave out a curse as he watched the two undead minions, alerting the whole group.

    “Damn it. What are they doing here?”

     

    Sotek’s reply was laced in sarcasm. His immediate concerns were what manner of person or monster had summoned the undead to do their bidding in the first place.

    “I don’t know! Why don’t you go and ask them? I just hope that’s all there is”.

     

    Wasting no time, he gave the Whelps a signal. Each one silently placed their torches upon the ground before lifting up their bows. The Argonian then indicated to the Whelps which target he wanted them to attack. When he was sure they were ready he whispered…

    Fire”.

     

    Three arrows shot across the cavern, striking the first of the two opponents squarely in the chest. The skeleton fell apart as the magical energy binding it to this world was obliterated, sending out pieces of shattered bone amidst the remaining parts of the arrows which flew outwards to bash against the cavern wall.

     

    This alerted the second skeleton to the Companion’s presence but Sotek was waiting, within a few precious moments he had fired his bow but the arrow flew past the skeleton, missing it completely. Sotek groaned then he quickly fired again. This time the arrow struck its intended target, or rather it would have if it had a body. With a light ‘chink’ the arrow whizzed through the gap between two ribs, barely marking the skeleton at all. Seconds later fire erupted in Sotek’s hand as a large fireball roared with the fury of an inferno. He threw the ball of destructive energy at the skeleton and watched with satisfaction when the fireball exploded, killing the undead creature instantly as it was blown apart.

     

    Farkas gave him a slight shove and ridiculed him for his marksmanship.

    “And you made us take archery lessons? You wait till I tell Aela you missed”.

     

    Sotek gulped at the threat then shrugged his shoulders.

    “I never said I was a crack shot did I”.

     

    The Imperial girl started laughing and quickly joined in with the tail pulling.

    “Crack shot? More like crap shot”. She looked up to see Sotek glaring at her so she sheepishly turned away.

     

    Under a barrage of ‘hisses’ and disgruntled moans, the Whelps scouted the area to see what they could find. One of them, the Nord man, found an old battered chest under the stairway. It took him several minutes but he was eventually able to pick the lock; adding a few gold and a scroll to their loot. Sotek moved to the stairway and proceeded to climb it while Farkas sniggered from behind him.

     

    Once the area had been thoroughly searched, the three Whelps joined the two Companions at the top of the stairwell. When they neared the top they saw Sotek’s tail flap about in an agitated state. The Argonian flagged them down, warning the group of possible dangers.

     

    Quietly, the Argonian pointed to an alcove which was cut into the rock by the far wall. In the centre of the recess was a necromancer who was casting various spells on a corpse which lay on the stone altar.

     

    Sotek quietly smirked at Farkas, and issued the command to attack; although he did so jestingly.

    “Hey, there’s that bear! Go get him. Watch out for stray wolves”.

     

    Farkas grumbled his reply.

    “Oh very funny. I got this”. He started sneaking forwards while the Whelps and Sotek stood back to watch.

     

    Just in case his shield sibling needed backup, Sotek notched an arrow and took careful aim. Following his lead, the three Whelps also raised their bows and prepared to fire.

     

    All of a sudden there was a flash of light as Farkas trod on an ice trap, setting off the ice spell. He cried out in pain as he was thrown back three feet as icy shards impaled his legs.

     

    The necromancer turned around in surprise and saw Farkas lying prone on the floor. Dark magic started to flow from the man’s hands as he began casting a spell. He grinned sadistically at the unexpected visitor. “Well well, another subject. I’ll have fun with you”.

     

    Sotek had other plans for Farkas, namely taking him back to Whiterun alive. He shouted out his order, unleashing hell.

    “Fire!”

     

    All four of the Companions let loose their volley of arrows. The missiles flew past Farkas and struck the necromancer’s torso. Two slammed into his chest while one hit his stomach. The fourth arrow which was released almost half a second after the rest, hit him in the shoulder spinning him around as he crumpled to the ground.

     

    Sotek grinned as he cast his healing spell on the stricken Companion.

    “Sorry Farkas, could you show the Whelps the art of sneaking again please? I think they missed it”.

     

    Farkas mumbled under his breath while he took Sotek’s hand and pulled himself up to his feet. His legs ached and felt stiff as the remnants of the ice spell dissipated. Now that Farkas was once again moving about, albeit sluggishly, Sotek went over to the necromancer’s body and examined the arrows. To his dismay the green flight had struck the man in the stomach. Knowing this flight was his own, he quickly recovered the arrows before Farkas could comment on his shooting a second time.

     

    The arrow with the pink flight, which belonged to the Imperial Whelp, was buried in the shoulder, giving the other two Whelps kill shots. One thing which Sotek was pleased about is that they had all managed to hit their target whereas a few weeks ago it would have been a different story.

     

    He was called away by Farkas who was examining a large cage, similar to the one which Aela was held in when she was captured by the Silverhands. This one however had the body a Nord. The unfortunate soul had been locked up for weeks if the state of his clothing was anything to go by. Judging by the smell he had been dead for days.

     

    “He must have been experimenting on him, the poor bastard”. Farkas commented.

     

    The Whelps looked uneasy so Sotek hurried them along, putting their minds on the task ahead rather than the Nord’s fate. After finding a few soul gems and a small bag of gold they all preceded through the tunnel which led them further into the mountain side.

     

    The next section they found themselves in had a single skeleton which as before, patrolled the tunnel. Feeling somewhat pissed off with the image of the Nord who was left to rot by the necromancer, Farkas saw red and charged forwards. His shield bashed into the skeleton’s side, knocking it to the ground then the edge of the shield was slammed downwards at the neck, breaking it into several pieces. He kicked the skull, sending it bouncing along the tunnel where it rolled to a halt. Throughout all this time his sword remained in its scabbard. He never even bothered to draw it.

     

    The temperature started to drop which was clearly evident as the Companions breath formed into clouds of misty vapor the moment it made contact with the cold air. The reason for the rapid change of environment lay ahead where the path led the group to a bridge which passed through a catacomb of frost and ice. To the right of the bridge was a stone ramp leading down but this too was frosted over. As Sotek moved cautiously to the top of the ramp, Farkas crept up to him and ‘accidently’ shoved him, making him slip on the ice.

     

    Sotek lost his footing and slid all the way down the ramp then crashed at the bottom into the cave wall. He hissed loudly as he gathered his senses.

     

    A troll, attracted to the noise came out of a subsection to find the Argonian laying flat on his back. The creature roared with rage, fortifying the threat display as it moved towards the unexpected food source which seemed to give itself up so willingly.

     

    Sotek however wasn’t prepared to give up at all. He flipped himself over to his hands and knees then howled out as his body transformed. With a howling cry, more terrible than that of the troll, Scarface dug his claws into the side of the cave and pulled himself up to his hind legs. He towered over the troll, causing its charge to falter.

     

    The ice troll bellowed its own cry as it moved to engage the intruder in an attempt to protect its territory while Scarface’s mind was set on food. The ice troll, who had hunted these caverns for years, suddenly found itself on the receiving end; it was now the prey. There were no thoughts of fleeing for this was its territory and it would defend the caverns with its life.

     

    It struck the first blow, shredding fur and flesh across Scarface’s chest. He snarled in anger and pain then struck back, slashing deep cuts along the troll’s torso from its groin to the beast’s neck. It staggered backwards crying out in pain. Within seconds the troll’s wounds closed up as its body regenerated. Scarface’s wounds also healed up causing the Imperial Whelp to comment on the standoff.

    “They’re on equal footing. We need to help!”

     

    She stepped forwards just to be yanked back by the collar as Farkas pulled her away from the slope.

    “He doesn’t need your help. All you will do is get in his way”. He called everyone to the edge of the bridge and pointed down at the black werewolf so they could get a better look at him.

    “This, everyone is Scarface. You all know we’re werewolves so you might as well get used to the idea”.

     

    The Imperial girl gazed down in awe as she watched the two creatures face off each other. The ice troll seemed unwilling to close in a second time while Scarface stood poised and calm. His chest heaved with each breath as he watched his prey creep closer.

     

    The troll gave out a roar as it started attacking. Two paws of white fur and claws cut into Scarface’s unprotected chest, spraying out a swathe of blood while he delivered two blows of his own. Scarface staggered backwards, reeling from the pain while the troll crumpled in a heap. Its wailing cry of pain and hate filled the cave as Scarface regained his footing. Blow after blow pummeled the troll’s body, overpowering its healing ability. With a final swipe of his paw, Scarface struck the troll in the head, clawing off half its face.

     

    The creature’s chest slowly moved up and down as it took in a lungful of air while it lay on its back. The bestial mind was all but spent as the body went through the last stages of life; breathing it’s last. Even this was denied to the creature as Scarface’s claws tore open its chest, shattering ribs and shredding muscle so he could feed.

     

    Once his hunger was sated, Scarface looked up at the bridge where the Whelps and Companion watched from above. Ignoring the ramp, Scarface dug his claws into the icy rock and began climbing up the shaft until he was a good few feet above the walkway then he jumped off the cavern wall and landed just a few feet away from Farkas and the Whelps.

     

    Farkas fearfully looked up at him then he shoved the closest Whelp at him; offering her as his escape goat.

    “She did it! Blame her! Honestly I’m not bringing out these Whelps if they can’t behave”. Then he started to walk past them all and headed off to the next tunnel.

     

    The Whelp fell forwards, colliding into Scarface. Her face was half petrified as she looked up and stared at his cold bright green eyes. Blood dripped from his snarling maw, causing her to shriek with terror. This was furthered by her gaze as she watched a huge black paw move across her path. The Imperial Whelp held her eyes tightly shut as she envisioned a quick and painful death just to end up being eaten. Instead of feeding off her, Scarface pushed her out of his way with the back of his paw and growled as he lunged forwards to catch up with Farkas who had now broke into a run.

     

    Farkas came to a junction and ran to the right just to find himself trapped. He cursed his bad luck and turned around to face the oncoming juggernaut.

    “Great dead end. Oh crap; why did I have to say ‘dead’? Hey, it was a joke. You know? Joke? Ha-ha?”

     

    Although Scarface had caught up with him, he never closed in. Instead Scarface moved backwards, disappearing in the shadows. His jet black fur hid him all too well and Farkas soon lost sight of him. The Companion moved forwards cautiously to try and find the werewolf but he couldn’t see anything in the darkness. The Whelps were staying well out of the area so their own torches did little to aid him.

     

    As he crept forwards, Scarface moved out of the shadows and positioned himself right behind the Companion. The beast’s soft padded paws allowed him to move quietly and remain virtually undetectable.

     

    Farkas only became aware of Scarface’s position when he felt hot breath on the nape of his neck. He turned around to see off white fangs snap shut just a few inches from his face. He screamed and ran backwards, tripping over his feet where he sprawled out on the bedrock. Scarface gave out a low growling grunt as if he was laughing then stepped over the Nord as he walked hurriedly past.

     

    The Whelps sheepishly walked past Farkas leaving him where he lay, each one of them were afraid that if they offered any assistance then they would draw the beast towards them. The only one to offer a hand was the Imperial Whelp. She almost fell over as Farkas tugged on her arm but she managed to stay on her feet. She dusted him off then tutted at him.

    “You should know better. He’s a bit on the large size isn’t he? Is Aela’s werewolf that big as well?”

     

    Farkas looked down the corridor where Scarface and the other Whelps moved off to. The stuffiness of the caverns seemed to clear and as they turned a long bend in the passageway, they saw daylight start to creep inside from the mountain side. The air felt fresh and clean marking the end of the tunnel system. He looked down at the Whelp and answered her question before moving off to rejoin the others.

    “No, Red’s around half a foot taller than Aela”.

     

    The Whelp screwed her face up and replied.

    “Eww… good job they don’t mate; he’d kill her”.

     

    Farkas kept his thought’s to himself. Under his breath he mumbled quietly.

    “You don’t know the half of it”.

     

     

Comments

6 Comments   |   A-Pocky-Hah! and 9 others like this.
  • Ebonslayer
    Ebonslayer   ·  August 14, 2017
    Farkas fearfully [looked] up at him then he shoved the closest Whelp at him; offering her as his escape goat.



    I bet Aela would approve of what Scarface did to Farkas.
    • Sotek
      Sotek
      Ebonslayer
      Ebonslayer
      Ebonslayer
      Farkas fearfully [looked] up at him then he shoved the closest Whelp at him; offering her as his escape goat.



      I bet Aela would approve of what Scarface did to Farkas.
        ·  August 16, 2017
      Aela would laugh her boots off.  :D
      Fixed the mistake. Thanks for that.
  • ShyGuyWolf
    ShyGuyWolf   ·  February 23, 2017
    this chapter isn't available to click on in your TOC.
    • Sotek
      Sotek
      ShyGuyWolf
      ShyGuyWolf
      ShyGuyWolf
      this chapter isn't available to click on in your TOC.
        ·  August 16, 2017
      Fixed. don't know howl I missed that.
  • The Sunflower Manual
    The Sunflower Manual   ·  February 13, 2017
    Bad idea, Farkas. Really bad idea.

    Not to mention mean!
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  February 12, 2017
    Seems that Scarface is getting more action now. :D