C.O.T.W Chapter 43: An Arrow To The Heart

• Posted by Hasir September 11, 2020 - Filed in TSC: CB Story - #Long Story  #Hasir  #C.O.T.W  - 930 views

  

  

  Tulen and Veezara walked up the stone steps by the stalls and turned left at the gildergreen. They beheld the mead hall, which now

  had its windows lit up with warm and welcoming light. The two Argonians moved up the steps and stuck to the stone wall that

  surrounded the mead hall. The snuck toward the training yard and spotted six wolves of various sizes and types and the

  khajiit Tulen was tasked with bringing back to his lord. They moved quietly up the ramp to the Skyforge and hid in the crevice

  between the forge and the  armor work table. 

   

  Veezara thought they would be too easily discovered so he cast a chameleon spell on the two of them. They then slowly moved, still

  crouched to the edge of the platform. The spell made it so that they could easily spy on the wolves and khajiit below them but the

  combatantss could not see them as all the combatants saw if they looked above them would be a shimmering barrier.

   

  Veezara charged up a frenzy spell in his hand and was about to bathe the combatant in a light that evoked blind rage when Tulen's

  arm shot out and held Veezara's shoulder and caused him to lower his hands, 

  "Not now," He hissed, "We have to wait until something happens, either Inigo transforms or he remains resolute in his ignorance." 

   

  They both played the waiting game as they both decided to let the events play out without any intervention-divine or otherwise.

  

  Massar and Secunda shone brightly in the night sky as the three wolves circled around Inigo, Twilight, Accalia and Ceralyne's wolf

  form as they bared their teeth, daring the other half to make a move. It went on like this for a minute and then Inigo, fed up with

  waiting pulled out his ebony longsword and ran at the red wolf with murderous intent but his anger diminished as he reached her.

  Red saw her opportunity and clamped her sharp teeth down on the khajiit's neck. He screamed in pain as fresh blood poured from

  the wound like mead from a tankard.

   

  Hearing his screams, Twilight came to his aid, standing between him and red so that the wolf could not injure him further. Twilight's

  lips pulled back in a menacing snarling. This caused red to cease any action for the scantest of seconds. Soon, though, Red lunged at

  Inigo and Twilght launched him at her using his powerful hind legs as a springboard. He sailed through the air, teeth and claws ready

  to rip into the she wolf. Red dodged this attack and sent Twilight to tumble head over tail into a training dummy which shattered

  upon contact.

   

  The black and white wolf got up and glared at the red werewolf, his hackles and tail raised and he lunged at her. She winced and

  waited for the collision but one of the black werewolves rammed in Twilight's side like a high speed locomotive. Twilight was sent

  sprawling through the air and collided with the stone wall that lay before the ramp to the Skyforge. Soon after, the attacker was

  joined by his brother. 

   

  Twilight got up and shook the pain off. The second black wolf rammed into his side and set him sprawling head over tail into the wall

  by the skyforge. The wolf padded over to the wall next to the unconscious wolf and prepared to finished off the black and white wolf,

  Coal rushed at his brother and knocked him off course, sending the black wolf spinning through the air to smash into a pile of rocks,

  the wolf was dazed but he still managed to get up and approached the center of the training yard.

   

  Red moved toward Twilight who was prime for her judgement due to her brothers' assistance. She did not intend a weak willed whelp

  to join the hallowed hall of honor. She closed in for the kill, baring her teeth she lunged at the yin yang wolf. Unseen by her, a golden

  wolf ran to Twilight's aid. Luna, the gold wolf, stood between the red and black and white wolf. The two wolves

  circled around, growling  and baring their teeth at each other. Inigo looked in Twilight's direction and ran at the red wolf,

  "NOOO! How dare you hurt my friend."

   

  She lunged at Red and fell four feet short, pulled his bow out and nocked an arrow while he saw Red's tail swaying like a drunkard

  who had one too many drinks. Sensing someone was behind her, Red lashed out at the khajiit. Inigo drew the drawstring back and

  fired.  She dodged the mad khajiit's attack, rolling to the side as the arrow continued its forward momentum. Aela gasped as she

  saw the arrow fly past her and embed itself in the golden wolf's heart. Inigo snapped back to reality as he watched her life slipped

  awau like a wind blowing over a field.

   

  Inigo realized too late what he had done. He broke down and held the wolf's head with closed eyes lids,

  "I..I thought I...Oh gods....what have I done?" He said, sobbing. "Aela why didn't you stop me?"

   

  The huntress just stood there struggling to hold in her laughter. Inigo looked confused and wondered why she found this funny,

  "Ermmm... Aela, why are you laughing? this is serious, do not make death a joke." He said as he stood up and strode over to her

   

  The dam finally broke as Aela roared with laughter,

  "You moron, did you see where the arrow landed?"

   

  inigo's expression did not change,

  "No, should I have done?" He asked her, still confused

   

  Aela walked up to hm and slapped him,

  Yes, you should've you idiot."

   

  They both walked to the 'fallen' wolf and Aela pointed out the arrow to the blue cat,

  "See this? You shot her in the chest not in the undercarriage where the ribcage is."

   

  She slapped the khajiit across the face, causing him to fall on his backside. Inigo glanced up expecting Aela to lay into him again but

  instead she was smiling. Inigo's face screwed up and thought she was leading him on. Aela assured him that was not the case. Aela

  could feel Red prowling just beneath the surface, just yearning to be set free and rip into the khajiit.

   

  She tried her best to keep the beast in her cage; instead of granting red's request for freedom, she cast a bemused smile in the khajiit's

  direction,

  "You moron, you thought she was dead? Did you even trace the arrow's path? She will be fine, Inigo, don't get your tail in a knot."

  She yelled back at the khajiit.

   

  Inigo told her that he had no control over his actions, that the doomstrider made him do it. The she-wolf screwed her face up in

  confusion, 
  

  "Who the fuck is this 'doomstrider'?" She asked

   

  Inigo told her that the doomstrider is his darker half much like Hasir's yin,

  "The, er, doomstrider is, er," He stammered, he took a deep breath and started again, "Years before I met Hasir, I was in a bandit

  organization that called itself the the fiveclaws. The three other people and I served as the claws of the organization and our

  leader was a fearsome khajiit by the name of Shearclaw. Heand I did not see eye to eye."

   

  Aela scoffed and whispered to Hasir who just happened to be standing next to her,

  "Yeah, I can see why. The khajiit is one grain short of a litterbox." The Argonian hissed in indignation at her

   

  Inigo sighed, a bit annoyed and continued with his tail,

  "Anyway, as I was saying Shearclaw and I got into an argument so heated that I was booted from the group, but before I was kicked

  out, I stole his pet dragonfly and placed him in a jar." He said. "He and I went on many adventures together. After a little getting

  used to each other. Amidst the howling wind, Inigo heard a slight but impatient tapping of Aela's boots, she asked him as impatient

  as her resless feet, to continue.

   

  He apologized and did as he was so graceously asked,

  "Anyway, Shearclaw saw that I had stolen the dragonfly from him and he ran at me with a sword and attempted to kill me. It was

  then that I transformed into a hideous black furred, red eyed beast. He fell over dead with one swipe of my black furred paw

  adorned with razor sharp claws. The doomstrider then went on a rampage destroying the town-killing men, women and children

  and homes-there was no more village after that. After seeing the damage, after I was 'back in my body' as it were, I swore I would never

  let him out again and, not only that but I also vowed to be as nice as I can to people and to not raise my temper to 'doomstrider' levels

  ever again."

   

  He smiled weakly as he finished his tale; his eyes downcast so as to not let Aela see how embarrassed he really was,

  "I am not proud of that story, please do not make me tell it again." He said

   

  Aela told Inigo he didn't have to. After five minutes of silence, she laid into him,

  "You idiot, there is no one in your body except you. There is no doomstrider. There is only you and your actions, whether for good or

  ill. Try, instead of putting your actions on a made up being; own up to your own faults for Hircine's sake."

   

  Inigo recoiled from her retort as if it were poison. Aela huffed and strode over to him and lifted him by his furry collar,

  "Listen here, you moron, either start owning up to your own faults and drop this doomstrider thing or I kick you out of the companions

  perosonally?" She said through gritted teeth

   

  In all the chaos, the khajiit and nord failed to see the gold wolf get up and howl out as she morphed back in her elven form. She

  tried to stand, but she was too weak from the blow Inigo had dealt her and flopped down again.

   

  Hasir walked up to them, grinned broadly,

  "Hey, Ceralyne's awake, great." He stopped in his tracks, furrowing his brow and bending down to her, "I thought Inigo had killed

  you, or I am worng and he missed his mark?" he said sniggering.

  

  This remark was met with collective groans from Kodlak, Vilkas and Farkas. Inigo gave a disapproving glance at his reptilian friend,

  whereras Aela glared at him and punched him in the arm. Hasir yelped and fell onto the cobblestone, feigning injury. The irate nord

  laughed at him and said that is what he gets for being a prick. Hasir got to his feet and went to punch Aela back, she dodged this

  and he was sent into the wall by the ramp to the skyforge.

   

  Inigo walked to Ceralyne and attempted to pull the arrow out of her chest; shocked by this, Aela ran at him waving her arms,

  "Inigo, what in Oblivion do you think you're doing?" Inigo raised an eyebrow, puzzled at Aela's furious expression, "you know that

  pulling that arrow can only spell doom for the elf, right?" Inigo chuckled and grinned stupidly.

   

  Aela walked over to Hasir shaking her head in disgust as she cast a quick glance at the khajiit,

  "Inigo... you are hopeless, Hircine help whoever brought a dumb khajiit into this world." She turned her head so fast that she did

  not see his crestfallen expression.

   

  Hasir tried to extricate himself but his bone spikes got stuck. He yelled at Aela to help, but she stuck out her tongue out at him,

  "How did you not stop when you saw the wall approaching?" She asked. He hissed at her as he continued to try to wrench himself free.

  Sighing, she walked over to Hasir, chuckling as she did so,

  "Alright, calm down, by Hircine you are fussy." After the next few minutes of trial and error, the she-wolf finally wrenched him free

  of the rock wall.

   

  Hasir smiled in thanks, and looked down at the unconscious elf,

  "What? Who in Oblivion would do this? He bent down and smelled her, he had caught Inigo's scent. His nostrils flared as a low growl

  escaped his scaly lips.

   

  When Hasir moved out of eyesight, She walked over to Inigo and began beating him with her bag. The blue khajiit tried to defend

  himself with his arms but they were as useful as an aggressive dog with no teeth. A good idea but altogether useless. The bag fell

  through the cracks that stuck out like a sore thumb in his defenses and connected with every blow she threw at him. 

   

  Inigo winced as she hit him, betwenn whacks, he asked why he was being assaulted so harshly,

  "Aela...what...did...I...do...to...deserve...this?" 

   

  Aela retracted the bag and told Inigo that he had hurt the Altmer. She huffed in anger,

  "Rakel's right, you are an idiot, a motherfucking blue idiot." She said as she stormed off toward the mead hall.

   

  She stopped at the top step as if she was frozen by an ice form shout. Kodlak had come out to see how the initiations trial was

  going. He smiled and nodded at Aela and proceeded down the steps to the training yard. The harbinger's brow furrowed as he

  motioned for the nord and khajiit to approach him. Rakel smiled from her seat on the porch as she saw that they got what they

  deserved.

   

  Aela saw this, gulped and approached what was likely to be her doom. She saw Inigo standing next to the harbinger, head hung low

  and tail limp. Aela tried to explain the situation to the angry harbinger who was also her grandfather, but blood took a backseat

  on occasions such as this. She dreaded being singled out as she quite often blamed others for her wrongdoings but not this time.

  She had to own up to what she had done.

   

  Her eyes darted frantically between the harbinger and Inigo,

  "Kodlak, I didn't, you know me." She said, gesturing to herself, She pointed to the indigo khajiit, "It was Inigo, he committed this

  atrosity, I was only in the wrong place at the wrong time."

   

  Kodlak sighed and gave Aela the look that an angered father would give a petulent child,

  "Tell me the truth, young lady, did you do this?" Aela tried to interject, but failed as she saw Kodlak's stern expression

   

  Kodlak waggled his finger at her,

  "No excuses, The truth. Now." He growled

   

  Aela shook her head and kept pointing toward the khajiit,

  "I didn't do it." She said, stalwart in her defiance, "Inigo was the wone who shot the elf, not me, he was coming at me with the knife,

  so what could I do? I rolled out of harm's way and he inadvertanly stabbed, er, wounded Ceralyne."

   

  Kodlak huffed in silent annoyance and strode over to the khajiit,

  "Aela told me you have slain a wolf in a session meant only to prove yourself." He said, with an air of a Jarl addressing one of his

  subjects.

   

  He then fixed Inigo with his usual owl-eyed stare,

  "Is Aela telling the truth khajiit?" He asked, a bit curious

   

  He gazed at the sullen khajiit,

  "Well?" He asked, impatiently. "We don't have all day." 

  

  Inigo was about to tell the harbinger that it was he who shot Ceralyne when Hasir finally extricated himself from the wall after many

  failed attempts approached his friends as he saw they were gathered around something on the ground. He could not make out what

  it was because of how closely huddled they were around it almost as if it were a closely guarded companion secret.

   

  Hasir found a loose stone on the training yard cobblestone and kicked it, swearing as it missed the wall opposite the skyforge ramp

  and instead went sailing over the far wall. He turned to them and shrugged,

  "So...what are we all huddled around for? Are you guys playing Hip and Tail Ball?" He asked, grinning at them.

   

  The throng gathered around the thing collectively shook their heads not know what the sport was or how it was played, Hasir said

  under his breath that he did not know anything about the game either. Kodlak stepped back to reveal what they were 'huddled'

  around. Hasir turned on the indigo khajiit and slowly advanced on him, forcing him back onto the porch.

   

  The Argonian's hand shot out for Inigo's throat; the khajiit gave a girlish shriek and ran around the square table followed closely by

  the frenzied Argonian,

  "Inigo, I knew I smelled your scent on her, what in Oblivion did you do? I should skin you alive for this!" He yelled as his tail

  slamming down On the porch.

   

  Inigo dived under the table, hands flung above his head. He could hear the prowling Argonian brandishing his claws and sharping

  them on the edge of the table. Inigo stayed like this for eleven minutes and then he heard nothing but silence. Finally sensing that it

  was safe to come out from hiding, he crawled out from under the table and stood up. 

   

  Inigo looked across the porch and saw the Argonian sitting at the long oak table, busily talking to Aela. Inigo could only hear tidbits

  of the conversation, his tail did not even betray his secrets.

   

  Hasir told Aela about how he can hardly hardly believe such a gentle creature could do such a heartless act,

  "Aela, did Inigo really do this? I see only good in him and absolutely no darkness whatsoever." He whispered to her as he sat in a

  rock near the porch.

   

  She nodded, saying that she felt uneasy about the khajiit ever since he tried to cut her in half during the initiation. She turned to

  him and asked, on a side note, why Kodlak asked for him to undertake the trial on the newbloods because if her memory served

  correctly, he was already a whelp. Hasir nodded and said he most certainly was, but Kodlak wanted someone to train prospective

  recruits for the companions as he said there are far too few in the guild as it is. He also told her of how Rakel also attained whelp

  status. When he finished, she told him that she sensed something off about the blue furred khajiit, well smelled it to be more

  precise. Aela told Hasir of what she knew of how Inigo might be hiding some dark past that is slowly trying to reassert itself while he

  tried real hard to keep it at bay.

   

  Hasir said he will have a talk with him since he and the khajiit were quickly becoming friends. Aela smiled and told Hasir to get to it.

  Hasir's tail wagged, rather stiffly as he was wondering whether or not Aela was correct about Inigo or whether this was some wild

  goose chase where the goose is proven to be smarter than the gander, that is, whether Aela was the scantest bit wrong about the

  khajiit and the off chance he has no alterior motive.

   

  He passed the two broken dummies over to where the khajiit sat on the wall near the dummies. Not wanting to be rude, the

  Argonian asked if the seat next to him was taken, to his surprise the khajiit told him, in a hollow voice, competely devoid of his usual

  cheerfulness, that he did not care if he sat there.

  
  

  The khajiit groaned and buried his head in his elbows,

  "What am I going to do?" He askeed Hasir, "When Kodlak finds out what I did, I will be in a lot of hot water." He said between tears,

  his tail limp

   

  Hasir patted his sobbing friend on the back. He leaned close to him and told him that it will be alright. He said that Kodlak is kind of

  like an old, cranky wolf; angry if you take away his meal or if you look at him funny but once you break through that barrier then

  you can get close to him emtionally and he will trust you to Oblvion and back.

   

  Inigo turned to the Argonian and hugged him,

  "Thank you for the words of wisdom my friend, I will grin and bear it and roll with the punches."  He said while he wiped his eyes

  with a cloth he had pulled out of his bag.

   

  He thanked Hasir and the Argonian smiled and said that anytime he needs to vent, he will be more than happy to listen. He hopped off

  the wall as well and told Inigo jokingly that even pack counselors need counseling as well. His tail twitched slightly then he slapped

  Inigo hard across the face as a snarl replaced his typical neutral expression,

  "What in Oblivion possessed you to shoot Ceralyne? Hmm? Answer me that." He yelled as he looked fiercely into the khajiit's eyes

   

  Inigo ran to the table on top of the stone steps and cowered beneath it,

  "It w-was not my fault my friend, Aela was the one who provoked the atttack, blame her." He said, pointing shakily in her direction.

  Hasir stormed up the steps and flung the table across the training yard. Silverware, glass and bits of wood flew to the four winds as

  the table hit the cobblestone hard. The mad Argonian looked down and saw Inigo had his hands folded, praying to the god of mercy

  that the khajiit call S'rendarr, seperate from the Tamrielic god, Stendarr. even though their role is essentially the same.

   

  Hasir tore him away from his hiding place with both hands around his throat,

  "Inigo, I loved her, and you fucking killed her, and now I shall kill you!" He yelled at the struggling khajiit

   

  Inigo struggled to breathe as Hasir's grip threatened to crush his windpipe,

  "My friend...I...didn't kill...her...I-I missed the heart, please stop, I can't breathe." He spluttered as he pawed fruitlessly against the 

  emotionally charged Argonian.

   

  Unbenownst to them, the door to the mead hall opened and out walked the harbinger. He yelled at Hasir to release the khajiit, but he was

  too intent on trying to kill Inigo to care. Kodlak whistled loudly in the Argonian's direction. Hasir released Inigo, causing him to fall onto

  the porch floor. They both looked at the harbinger, who directed both of them to join their comrades. Inigo, vigorously massaging his neck,

  went up the stairs toward the harbinger.

   

  Inigo gave the harbinger a sheepish grin and a halfhearted wave. Kodlak told a mental note of his existence and moved slowly down

  the steps. He walked past the rocky outcrop that cleverly disguised the underforge and saw in the middle of the training yard an elf

  that he only had ever talked to once in his brief time of knowing her. His face turned fiery as the realms of Oblivion as he looked

  from her seemingly dead body, splayed out on all fours like some grotesque piece of art, to the companions as he knelt down and

  carefully extract the arrow from the elf's chest, He asked every companion and whelp to form a straight line from the skyforge ramp

  all the way to the wall equidistant from it on the far ending of the training grounds. Vilkas approached him and asked why they had

  to do something as childish as this.

   

  Kodlak turned and scowled at him, poking the burly nord with the feathered end of the arrow,

  "Because I said so, damn it Vilkas do what you are told! By the divines you can be so thick sometimes not to mention stupid." He

  hollered at him, forcing him to dive out of the way as the harbinger's fist flew into a nearby rock.

   

  Everyone in attendance jumped in fright as the old man eyed every single one of them, even Inigo, who saw fit to join them back on

  the cobblestone. He walked along the line of suspects as he questioned each one in turn. Within seconds, he approached Inigo and

  Hasir. Inigo, still sore from his violent encounter with Hasir scratched his neck,

   

  The Harbinger stopped beteewn the two of them and asked his question,

  "Hasir, Inigo, care to tell me if you had any hand in causing the elf's death?" He eyed both of them with his trademark owlish stare,

  "I found this arrow." Kodlak said as he scratched his chin, "to whom does this arrow belong?" 

   

  Hasir was the first to speak. In truth, he felt like he had a burning white light obstructed his vision with the harbinger demanding

  answers from him, even though this was not the case. Hasir was unusually calm for a situation this dire. The harbinger asked the

  question again, leaving Inigo out, only focusing on him. The Argonian told him that he did not kill the high elf, only hurt her. The

  harbinger thanked Hasir for his honesty and turned to Inigo.

   

  Ingo gulped as he felt the harbinger's owlish stare upon him,

  "Inigo, your friend tells me you have some confessing to do." Kodlak said as he prodded the khajiit with the arrow.

   

  Inigo eyes went wide as septims. Kodlak saw this And smirked,

  "Oh, so you do recognize this arrow, well then this will be easy."

   

  Ingo sighed and held up he paws in defeat as he knew arguing was useless,

  "Okay, I did shoot the elf but I was aiming for Aela because she hurt my friend."

   

  The harbinger sat down on the bottom step leading to the porch and gestured of Inigo to join him; the khajiit did so. Kodlak stared

  at Inigo like a volcano that was about to erupt,

  "Inigo, why would you do this? We do not settle differences like this. You know better, at least I hope you do. Inigo what were you

  thinking?" He was positively fuming. 
  
  

  He then walked passed Inigo and Hasir to Aela and scolded her,

  "Aela, I thought you knew better, Iniigo I can forgive, but, you? Utterly inexcusable." He said as he shook his head in disgust.

   

  He turned to Hasir,

  "Hasir, you are free to go." Hasir started to leave but the harbinger stopped him, "Hasir, we will talk later."

   

  He turned to Aela, looking like a hot burner on a stove,

  "Why did you goad Inigo into injure the elf? Have I failed you in some way you're not telling me?" 

   

  Aela shook her head, making her fiery red hair sway around head face like a curtain taken by the wind. Aela tried to apologize and

  told the already rehashed story from Inigo but from her persperspective. The harbinger angrily stuck out a hand toward her and said

  he did not want to hear it. He yelled at her that such transgressions are not to be tolerated in the honored halls of the companions.

   

  The Harbinger told Inigo and Aela that they both had to appease Hircine because they, well more Inigo than Aela, injured a

  creation of Hircine. He angrily pointed toward the underforge,

  "Inigo, go to the Underforge, you must pray to Hircine and hope that he forgives you."

   

  Hasir vocally scolded Inigo. The angry harbinger rounded on Hasir, yelling at him for threatening to kill Inigo over some love betrayal

  and he also scolded the Argonian for hoisting the khajiit up by the throat. the harbinger asked Hasir how he would like it if someone

  did that to him? He sighed and said he would not like it. Kodlak nodded firmly. He turned to Aela and directed herto the underforge

  and told him to do the same thing he directed Inigo to do. 

   

  The khajiit and the fiery-haired nord opened the stone door and stepped inside and went to one of the stone platforms that the three

  totems of Hircine lay on, folded their hands and begin to pray. They did it regardless of whether they thought it was stupid or not. They

  both knew they had wronged Hircine in one way or another. Out of nowhere a voice boomed out, reverberated off of the rock walls

  like an energy wave,

  "My sister told me you two would come for injuring one of my creations." He said, matter of factly

   

  Inigo frowned and looked for the source of the voice,

  "Ermmm... who is your sister Mr. mysterious voice?" He called out.
  

   

  Aela glared at him and sighed in indignation. She walked over to him and punched him in the shoulder,

  "Inigo, that, is Hircine and his sister is Kynareth. You should've know that." She said, shocked

   

  Inigo chuckled and waved this whole this off as if it were a joke,

  "A wolf pisses on a tree but they do not see each other as siblings." Inigo said, sniggering 
  
  

  Aela cast a dark look at the khajiit and frowned,

  "You shouldn't mock Hircine." She said, folding her arms

   

  Inigo wondered why an aedra and daedra would end up being siblings. He thought they were sworn enemies. He didn't have much

  more time to think on this matter because the voice boomed out once again,

  "Khajiit, I don't sense my wolfblood on you, why exactly are you here?" It asked

   

  Inigo stumbled over he words as he tried to respond to the wolflord,

  "You see, I-I was, er, I was the one who injured your, er, creation."

   

  When it came, the voice sounded half shocked and half offended,

  "A wolf does not choose his pack, he runs with whoever will accept him." That is the same with Daedric princes." Inigo looked

  thoughtful at this rather obscure observation.

   

  A sheepish look crept over Inigo's face and his tail slid between his leg,

  "Ermmm... fair enough, so, er, what punishment do you have in store for us?" 

   

  Hircine told Aela and Inigo and that they will participate in a great hunt. a broad grin spread across Aela's face. Inigo, on the other

  hand seemed to be in the dark about great hunts as he had no idea how one would work or even he role in one. The voice formed

  into Alrabeg; Aela knew this aspect all too well whereas Inigo didn't have a clue who or what it was,

  "My hound I would not be so quick to celebrate, you will not be participating in a hunt," He looked thoughtful for a minute, "Not you

  exactly, you are off the hook, this is Inigo's punishment because he injured my hound in a fit of rage, you, on the other paw, did

  nothing wrong."

   

  Aela screwed her faced up,

  "Ermmm ... okay," She walked over to a bench by the stone basin and sat down, thankful to not undertake this punishment with

  Inigo.

   

  Alrabeg shrugged and looked sternly at the fiery-haired nord, 

  "Instead of being part of the punishment, you and Hasir will be part of the hunt. You and he tried to protect Luna; well you tried to

  protect her while he threatened Inigo, while it was bad, he did it out of love for her.

   

  Aela looked at him shocked as she could hardly believe her ears, he thought he would be madder at Hasir for strangling Inigo for

  almost killiing the one that stole his Argonian heart. He, however gave Hasir an easy off when he made Hasir the hunter rather than

  the hunted.

   

  The hunter aspect of Hircine looked at her and smiled,

  "I knew he only did what he did out of compassion for the Altmer, you can hardly blame him." His hardened face broke into a wide

  grin, "You always said you wanted to kill the khajiit." He said chuckling

   

  Aela nodded but she said that she didn't really want to kill him, that it was more a figure of speech. She then asked Hircine how he

  heard about this,

  "Like I said before," it said spreading his arms, "Nirn is both mine and my sister's realm. I created man-beast and wild animals and 

  Kynareth created Nirn proper, but I guess that is correct."

   

  Aela looked confused at this,

  "You never told me this." She said

   

  Alrabeg said that he was certain he did. He quickly dismissed this with a wave of his hand. He told Aela to go and fetch Hasir

  because the great hunt is around the corner. He smiled, carrased Aela on the shoulder and said he had to be ready for the hunt and

  vanished into thin air. 

   

  Aela walked over to the blue khajiit who was drawing a circle in the sand floor with his finger and clutched onto the khajiit's shoulder,

  "Now you've done it, you asshole. Hircine expects us, Hasir and I to hunt you," Her eyes suddenly swam with tears and she hugged

  the khajiit, "I don't want to do this Inigo, you know I don't ... and I doubt your reptilain friend does either." Inigo felt her tears soak

  in his fur.

   

  Inigo patted her on the back,

  "Than why do it my friend? you have options, you always do." He said, his voice calming

   

  Aela lifted her head and an idea occured to her that she hadn't thought of before,

  "Inigo, I think you're right, I certainly hope Hircine feels the same way." 

   

  Inigo said that he had no doubts about that. He and Aela left the underforge getting ready for the task that would soon befall

  them. They were still worried however. What in Oblivion would Hasir think about having to hunt down his feline friend for a

  punishment that the nord and khajiit wasn't sure he was aware of yet.

   

  Tulen watched as Aela, Inigo and his brother exited the underforge and went inside the meadhall, looking disappointed about

  something. He smirked to himself,

  "Looks like I won't have to worry about the khajiit after all. He thought, smiling conspiratory as the spell dissipated. He and Veezara

  became visble again. Both Argonians walked down the ramp and to the gate. Once there, they rode to Falkreath via Bjorlam's

  carriage and his initiation into the brotherhood would soon begin.