In the morning while everyone was gathering in the hall for the first meal of the day, Aela approached Sotek.
“I have your second task. Are you busy this morning?”
“No, not today. What is it that you want me to do?”
“Well actually there’s two parts to it. Initially, I need you to collect four nuggets of steel, two nuggets of iron, one piece of firewood and…” Then she glanced over to Eorlund who then mimed out something to her. “Oh yea and two leather straps. Quick as you like. When you’ve gathered them all, take them to the forge please”.
“Ok, but it will take all morning. Would about midday be ok?” Sotek asked.
Aela was taken back a bit.
“Ermm yea. Yes midday would be fine”.
Without any further delay, Sotek picked up an apple from a wooden bowl which was on the table and proceeded to munch on it as he headed outside into Whiterun.
At around midday Aela was waiting at the forge somewhat impatiently pacing up and down. With every step she took, both Eorlund and Farkas found their nerves fraying until Farkas snapped at her. He walked up from the training area calling out to her.
“What’s up with you? Your pacing up and down, up and down, you’re putting everyone off. It’s like waiting for a volcano to pop. You got fleas or somthin’?”
Aela just ignored him and turned to the blacksmith snapping at him as she spoke.
“What’s keeping him?”
“He’s working” Eorlund replied. He was half listening but mostly trying to block Aela out.
She threw him a stern look as she tried to understand what she was just told.
“What? Working? What do you mean working?”
“Well, he hasn’t got much gold so he’s helping Adrianne down at the Warmaidens. He’s earning the items you asked him to get”.
With that Farkas’s curiosity got the better of him so he joined in.
“Doing what?”
“Making swords I think… For the Imperials”. As Eorlund replied to the Companion, he carried on with the sword he was sharpening.
Aela looked over to where the Warmaidens was in the other side of the town.
“But he isn’t a blacksmith!”
“Oh no? And I don’t suppose he makes potions either. Like the ones you lot use nowadays, hmm? Where do you think they come from? Farkas, who do you think fixed your armor? Often he’s here helping with everyone’s gear. However today he’s there helping her. Look for your selves”. He then put down the sword he was working on and led them down from the forge towards the Warmaidens.
The three of them made their way round the back of the buildings and houses where they could watch Sotek without being spotted. They knelt down making sure that they were all keeping out of view.
“There you go, told ya”
Sure enough Sotek was there hammering away at a sword, finishing it off. All the while he worked he was laughing with Adrianne while she sharpened a sword she picked up from a pile that Sotek had already made. Eorlund whispered across to Aela.
“He’s getting good at it too. Soon he’ll be using Glass and Ebony”.
Farkas looked over to Arcadia’s cauldron.
“And he makes potions as well?”
“Yup, and he’s getting good at them too”.
Aela couldn’t help but notice despite her attitude Sotek was doing all he could to help. She watched the townsfolk say hello and greet him as he worked. One guard even gave him a small bag of gold when he fixed their strap on their shield. He immediately tried to give the gold to Adrianne but she refused it. Aela’s guilt started to work overtime. That bag of gold she had received from the Harbinger for the killing of the cat started to feel heavy.
She stood up and backed off a few paces then looked at both Farkas and Eorlund.
“God, I’ve been a bitch haven’t I”.
The Blacksmith just looked at her and nodded. Farkas got up and put his hand on her shoulder.
“I’m Sorry Aela. You know, I look up to you… Yes, you have”
She turned around and headed back to the Skyforge without saying another word.
Comments
It's also good to see Aela's character development throughout the last few chapters, well really I kind of just l... more
Yea and she's shorter than he is .