U.O.T.W. Chapter 35 Acceptance

• Posted by Sotek June 7, 2015 - Filed in TSC: CB Story - 1,076 views

  

  

   

  That night Aela awoke from her nightmare sweating, shaking and clearly upset. Sotek was sitting up on her bed with his arms tightly wrapped around her. His scaly chest had a wet sheen from Aela’s sweat and tears as he held her close. Even Kodlak was nearby. He was on a chair besides her bed holding her clammy hand. Though she was shaken she tried to fight back her tears.

   

  “I’m ok, I’m ok. Everyone stop fussing”. She pulled herself up to her feet while the other two watched her move across her room. Aela held onto the doorframe for support although she tried to hide that fact from the two pairs of eyes which were so predominately fixed on her. Her head turned to face them but her eyes stayed fixed on the floor.

   

  “Sotek get some rest we’ve a long day today. I’m ok off you go”. Her voice was barely a whisper as she tried to put on a brave front. Then she walked slowly along the corridor despite how weak her legs felt. Before she could take more than a few steps she collapsed on the floor and curled herself up into a ball. Aela laid there silently staring along the dark passageway until her eyes closed tightly. The vivid dream flashed through her mind and she promptly bursts into tears.

   

  Within moments Sotek picked her up and carried her back to her room while Kodlak pulled back the furs so Sotek could lay her on the bed. He laid next to her and gently moved her head on his chest so he could provide emotional support. The Harbinger pulled a fur over her before he resumed his place in the chair. He felt Aela’s hand tighten as she gripped his fingers while she slowly reasserted some control on herself.

   

  Sotek then spoke to Kodlak. He held his anger in check but it was clearly shown in his voice.

  “That’ss the ssame nightmare. Nearly every night now, the ssame blassted dream”. He was feeling frustrated at not being able to help which was fully evident in his uncontrollable hissing. All he could do was watch and wait.

   

  Kodlak gently stroked the back of Aela’s hand as he responded to Sotek’s desperation.

  “As of yet we don’t know who the black wolf is or the grey one. All we can do is wait until they reveal themselves... Let Aela rest through the morning. When she is ready head to Winterhold. I’d recommend speaking to the librarian Urag. Urag Gro-Shub. He’s an Orsimer at the college. He will have books, a great many books. Hopefully there may be something he can tell you”.

   

  “I’m ok...” Aela looked up to the Harbinger, and smiled but with one look in her eyes, he could easily tell that being ‘ok’ was far from the truth. What Aela and the Harbinger kept to themselves was that they both knew it was Hircine. They were fully aware if nothing changed then that would be her fate for eternity.

   

  It was late morning by the time Aela stirred from her restless slumber. Arriving at the hall, she promptly sat next to Sotek.

  “Thanks for being there last night. Have you eaten yet?”

   

  “I was up early. I’m afraid I have”. He sat there watching her while the  feeling of guilt threatened to overwhelm him. In his mind a thought kept rolling around ‘Thanks for being there... Thanks for what? Sitting around being completely useless while you went through hell’.

   

  The moment he said he ate, he regretted that as well. She looked down at the table disappointedly. Sotek took one fleeting glance at her then gazed across the table. Moments later he was up on his feet with a plate in his hand.

  “Here, I saved you some food. He past across to her half a chicken which came from one of the farmsteads from around Whiterun. Without even waiting for a response, he went around the table collecting some rolls, fruit and a fresh flask of mead before placing the plate down in front of her.

   

  “Iss there anything elsse, my lady requiress?” He hissed as he bowed down as if he was serving royalty.

   

  She laughed as she waved her hand dismissively at him. “No, that is all. Be gone with you”.

   

  He half bowed a second time as courteous as he could then started to back away. Aela clicked her fingers at a chair as she laid out her next demand. 

  “Ssit!”

  Sotek did as he was instructed and slid on the chair next to her with a big grin on his face.

  “Have you been to Winterhold before?” He asked

   

  She shook her head in response as she franticly chewed on a large piece of chicken. After she swallowed it she washed it down with a big swig of mead.

  “Not in a while. There was a frost troll problem a few years ago but I never went to the village or saw the college for that matter.” She tore into a roll and broke off a piece of cheese. Instead of cutting up the block to lay thin slices on her bread, she simply took a bite from both the cheese and the roll. “Are we actually going in the college?”

   

  Sotek smiled as he watched her eat her way through the plateful of food. He was concerned that her eating would be affected but that was clearly not the case.

  “Yes but we won’t be staying there. I usually sleep at the inn”.

   

  After picking clean a chicken bone, Aela dropped it on her now empty plate as she cast a confused glance at Sotek.

  “The inn? Why? Don’t the college provide rooms?”

   

  Sotek dismissively shrugged his shoulders in a half hearted response.

  “Not a room as such more like an alcove. I just can’t settle there, it’s not like home”.

   

  Just then Kodlak came over to them.

  “The carriage is ready when you are. I see your appetite is none the worse for wear”.

   

  Aela looked down at her plate and realised she ate far more than she initially realised.

  “I just felt hungry today. What of it?”

   

  He just gave a smile whilst he ignored her blatant attitude. Instead of rebuking her, he accepted it as a good sign that she was feeling herself.

  “You always do when you’re going outside”. He then turned to Sotek and winked knowingly at him.“She isn’t one to be caged”.

   

  She smiled at his statement then turned towards Sotek.

  “When are we leaving?”

   

  “Ass ssoon ass you finisshed clearing the table. Look theress ssome more down there”. He hissed mockingly as he pointed to a plate of bread rolls.

   

  Her eyes narrowed as she jestingly glared at him before she glanced down the table at the plate which he had pointed out. The next second he mockingly cried out due to receiving a thump in the arm.

   

  “Owww”. He vigorously rubbed the ‘injury’ whilst keeping up the pretence that it actually hurt.

   

  “You wussy”. As Aela watched him squirm in the chair she couldn’t help but chuckle at the groaning he was making. Soon afterwards, once both of their packs were checked and restocked with potions, they made their way to the carriage.

   

  “Hello again friend. Off to Winterhold are we?” Stated Bjorlam. “Hopefully there’ll be no bandits this time”. He said cheerfully.

   

  Aela called out to him as she climbed on the back of the wagon.

  “Bandits?”

   

  He glanced over his shoulder as he pointed to Sotek.

  “Oh yes. Didn’t he tell you? We got stopped by bandits”. Then he used funny voices as he replayed the event. “Pay the toll. Pay with gold or  pay with blood”. “And then he”. As he explained he pointed to Sotek. “As calm as a lake and as cold as ice says ‘Fine we’ll pay with yours’ and shoots the bandit where he stood with his bow. Priceless... Made a good tale at the tavern that did”. With that he started laughing as he remembered sitting at the fireplace with various drinks which other patrons had bought him while he told the tale.

   

  Aela shuffled along the bench away from Sotek and lifted her feet up to rest them on the long seat. She laid back into him so her head was in his lap. Sotek moved his arm over her and slid his hand along her stomach to come to a rest on her hip. Aela smiled to herself due to the warm glow she felt inside. As she thought back to Sotek’s abilities when he first joined the Companions the sensation of a proud master filled her with pride at the rapid progress which he had made since he first entered the hall.

   

  Bjorlam glanced over his shoulder at the two Companions and smirked quietly.

  “Ah. So it is you two”.

   

  Aela looked up at him. “What?”

   

  “Oh there were rumours that you found someone, someone special. Everyone was starting to think you would stay single and grow old by yourself. Of course there are plenty of Nords, but none of them had the guts to ask you out”. With that he started laughing. “Your trouble is your too bloody scary”.

   

  Aela started to look worried which was clearly shown in her eyes.

  “What are they saying?”

   

  “Well that depends... Now I aint one to gossip, but most think you’re a good match. They’ve all seen a change in you. When I say they I mean everyone. The priestess summed it up the best. ‘Never before have I seen a couple where their spirits are so in balance’. Of course the young men don’t like it one bit”.

   

  “Why not?” Sotek asked.

   

  “Why? hell have you actually looked at ‘Aela the Huntress’ as a young woman? I’m not being funny but any hot blooded male under 30 would die to be with her”.

   

  Aela then turned to Sotek with a big smirk on her face.

  “Well?”

   

  Sotek instantly felt somewhat threatened by her tone.

  “Ermm, well what?”

   

  “Do you look at me like I’m a young woman?”. She asked as she flirted her eyebrows at him.

   

  The coach driver called out his warning.

  “Careful you got ten seconds to live”.

   

  Sotek thought for a second then smiled back at her smugly.

  “I can’t ssay that I have. No, I look at you as a friend, Companion, archer, and mate. But just as a woman? I can’t say I do”.

   

  The coach driver burst out laughing.

  “And there he goes, escapes with his life. Well manoeuvred”.

   

  Aela smirked at his comment.

  “You were lucky there”. She turned her attention back to the driver. “I was expecting the town would have a hard time with us”. She wondered why Whiterun accepted them so easily, she honestly thought it to be harder.

   

  Bjorlam stopped the carriage, then turned to face them both.

  “Hard time? The amount of times you stepped into the breach for the town? And now with the dragons? Two are already dead thanks to you. Hell the towns not happy your going away... The blacksmiths got a big order of swords to make while the herbalists supplies are bound to drop. General goods isn’t happy at all. Belethor ‘ll be starker’s by the time you get back. Even the Jarl is dreading you both  going off, what with the two towers damaged. Don’t count yourselves short. You’ve got a lot of respect in Whiterun”.

   

  He started chuckling to himself as he added to his statement.

  “In fact the only ones relieved are the wheat farmers because apparently a certain someone burnt their crops”. With that comment Aela gave a little smirk, but Sotek didn’t find it funny at all. When Aela glanced upwards and saw his face she just burst out laughing.

   

  Eventually they arrived at the road heading into Winterhold. A rider came galloping up towards them yelling out as he approached them.

  “By the nines I found you”.

   

  “Whoa there, steady”. Bjorlam called out to Chestnut, his horse as he tugged on the reins bringing the wagon to a stop.

   

  “You’re a guard of Winterhold. What’s going on?”

   

  “Winterhold’s under attack... By a Dragon!!!” The rider blurted out as he tried to control his fears.

   

  Aela spun around so she was sitting upright while Sotek moved quickly to the front of the carriage. He tapped Bjorlam’s arm as he pointed to the road ahead. "Let’s go”.