U.O.T.W. Chapter 220 With a Flick of the Tail

• Posted by Sotek May 8, 2017 - Filed in TSC: CB Story - #Sotek  #U.O.T.W.  - 1,323 views

   

  It was early evening when both Sotek and Aela woke up. They found themselves covered in a few furs which Rikke had a soldier place over them when the night’s chill started to creep inside the camp. To shake off the tiredness they still felt, the two Companions helped each other to their feet then they proceeded to lazily stroll around the camp.

   

  Upon seeing them taking their evening walk, Legate Rikke called out to them, drawing the two Companions towards her.
  “Ahh your up. Evening, it must be an easy life for the Companions; sleeping whenever you feel like it”.

   

  Aela quickly turned to face her, but noticed she was smiling as she spoke. The Huntress kept the status quo of the conversation and jestingly replied using Rikke’s lack of experience with dragons as her weapon of choice.
  “You should try it sometimes. Mind you that’s about the fifteenth dragon we’ve killed”.

   

  Legate Rikke looked a bit shocked. She didn’t think much of the rumors and she certainly didn’t think there was that many a creature flying around Skyrim.
  “How many? I thought it was just the odd one or two”.

   

  Sotek shook his head woefully. He considered such thoughts to be little more than wishful thinking; something he found himself pondering over more often than what he cared to admit.
  “No, and that’s not the first time we killed two dragons in a day either”.

   

  Rikke thought back to when Sotek tackled the Stormcloak camp. Such a feat in itself was impressive but it failed to compare to what they just faced.
  “No wonder you can take out a camp by yourself. That must seem like a holiday”.

   

  Sotek gave a sickly laugh and smirked.
  “Not a holiday but definitely a good meal”.

   

  Aela joined in and chuckled. Red had her fair share of Stormcloaks and she knew exactly what Sotek had meant.
  “Stormcloak to go, I’ll have three please”. The devil in her caused her to sadistically smile as she grinned at Rikke. “I wonder what Imperial Officers taste like”.

   

  Sotek glanced over to Rikke as well although he let her off with a sting in the backside from his wit.
  “Tough and stringy I expect. Too many rules”.

   

  The imperial officer chuckled and accepted the easy way out. She had one run in with Red and she didn’t want to repeat the experience.
  “I’ll take that as a compliment. You both must be hungry. Why don’t we eat… food, let’s go eat some food”.

   

  The Huntress followed a rather nervous looking Rikke to a table and Aela smirked with every step she took.

   

  While they ate a meager meal of bread and meat Rikke showed Sotek the map she had laid out beforehand.
  “I’ve had word from General Tullius already. He’s actually impressed we’ve made it this far; we’re way ahead of schedule. He wants me to consolidate our camp here before pressing forwards. This does change things somewhat. Now, there are a few targets for us to deal with but nothing my men can’t handle. Could you be here in a week’s time?”

   

  When Sotek glanced at the map, he noticed a few forts he didn’t recognize so he took a mental note of their locations. One thing bothered him more than anything else; Rikke’s request to see him in seven days.
  “What happens in a week’s time?”

   

  “We attack this fort here; Fort Greenwall, then we move forwards. By then the general would be in position”. Rikke explained as she moved a few of the tiny flags about.

   

  Sotek gave her a nod of understanding.
  “I see”. In actual fact he could. The red flags were starting to dominate more and more of Skyrim while various sections of blue flags were falling in danger of being cut off. Fort Greenwall was pinnacle to the fall and capture of the Rift. “I’ll be there”.

   

  “Not without me you won’t”. Aela stated. Sotek looked back at her, he was going to argue but he immediately gave it up knowing full well such a gesture would be pointless.

   

  “Good, then I will see you back here in a week”. Rikke stated. She added a ‘thank you’ for their services then she asked about the Companion’s departure. “When are you heading back to Whiterun?”

   

  “First thing in the morning”. Aela replied. Now the meeting was over, she and Sotek headed outside to a spare tent which had been erected on their behalf.

   

  That night Sotek had trouble sleeping. He kept changing the depths of his breaths and his tail flapped about despite being half wrapped around Aela’s thigh. She started getting wound up with his restlessness and eventually she sat bolt upright and snapped at her unfortunate mate.
  “What the hell is up with you tonight?”

   

  Sotek gave out a loud huff then he sat up to face her.
  “I need to tell you something; I just need to get something off my chest”.

   

  She lit the lantern then moved next to him where she could see he was troubled.
  “What’s wrong? Is this about the ring?”

   

  Sotek began telling her what was bothering him. His throat felt dry and his voice seemed croaky as he spoke.
  “When I fell, down the mountain slope, I broke my arm and leg. I tried to get the ring but I couldn’t! I passed out. I was there; in the hunting grounds. Hircine spoke to me”.

   

  Upon hearing her master’s name, Aela’s eyes lit up. She seemed far more alert and her ears picked out every word.
  “Hircine!! What did he say?”

   

  “He wasn’t happy I gave you the ring. He said that I should have kept it; that was why he gave it to me, for me to keep. That’s why he’s took it back”. He had spent the last half hour replaying events and now he was certain the ring was in Hircine’s possession.

   

  “Has he taken it or is it still up there in the mountain side?” Aela asked. She half hoped it was somewhere on the mountain. She had a rough area to search and she knew of scrolls which would help locate enchanted items; although such scrolls were rare.

   

  Now his throat felt unbearable. He paused to take a gulp of water from his flask before continuing with his story.
  “Just before I passed out I saw it right next to my hand but when I awoke it was gone. Hircine has it and now I fear I’m once more out of favor”.

   

  Aela gave a sigh then she remembered something which she thought would ease the heavy burden on her mate.
  “Look, you changed this morning when we went off and hunted, yes?”

   

  “Yes, we went by the lake”.

   

  “Right, but you also changed when we fought the dragon. If you never had the ring then he made you change. You may be in his bad books, for that I’m sorry, but you’re not out of favor with him”. Aela said as she lovingly rubbed his back.

   

  Sotek hissed at her words whilst showing contempt for her master.
  “I couldn’t give a rats tail if I’m in his bad books or not. To be honest I prefer it. That way we both know where we stand. I… my concern is that I might drag Red down with me. You might want to have Red hunt alone for a few days”.

   

  Aela’s eyes twitched as she blankly looked back at Sotek. She felt numb as all the feelings of the past week came back with a vengeance to haunt her.
  “I… see! How is your face?”

   

  Sotek felt mildly confused with her comment and shrugged in response.
  “Ok… why?”

   

  A single loud thump caused the nearby soldier who was guarding the camp to cringe. Sotek cried out in pain from where Aela thumped him in the jaw. She tended to her fist; rubbing the knuckles as she growled at her mate.
  “Say that again; I didn’t quite hear you due to a pathetic Argonian crying out”.

   

  The Huntress decided to bring the conversation down several levels. Instead of lashing out, she chose a different tack and rubbed his cheek.
  “Look; we just need a good hunt; Hircine’s far happier after a good hunt. He likes to watch. When we attack the fort, Red and Scarface can do it, for the glory of Hircine”.

   

  Sotek sat there sullen for a few seconds but then Aela lent across and gave him a kiss on the forehead.
  “Feel better now?”

   

  He nodded then kissed her back, she let him kiss her, but then she pushed him away before their passions led them any further.
  “Not here you don’t. Sleep, we have an early start”.

   

  In the early hours Sotek woke up to find his tail twitching. As he turned around both Aela and Rikke burst out laughing then they ran from the tent while a pillow flew outside just missing them. Sotek smiled to himself when he heard Aela laughing.
  “See! I told you it flicks up”. She said with a chuckle.

   

  Later that morning, Sotek awoke to find Aela was already up and about. She heard him moving around and stuck her head inside the tent.
  “Hey sleepyhead, come on, our carriage is waiting”.

   

  “Carriage? From here?” Sotek got up and blinked a few times then he headed outside. True enough there was the Riften carriage waiting to take them back to Whiterun.

   

  “Rikke sorted it out for us. Let’s go, Whiterun here we come”. Then Aela started shoving him towards the wagon. Once they climbed on Aela passed him a small sack of food.
  “It’s not much, but here you go. Breakfast”.

   

  Sotek took it gratefully then paused as a troubling nagging sensation screwed his nose up.
  “Ermm did you cook it?”

   

  “What? They're apples, no I didn’t”.

  Sotek laughed with relief.
  “Thank the Nine for that”.

   

  Aela smiled at him until she realized what he said.
  “Oi you bastard”. She gave him a slap on the leg and wondered why she bothered in the first place.

   

  Sotek cried out far louder than what the gentle slap called for.
  “Owww!”

   

  Upon hearing his cry, Aela laughed.
  “You bloody wuus”.