U.O.T.W. Chapter 57 The Morning After

• Posted by Sotek July 17, 2015 - Filed in TSC: CB Story - 1,191 views

  

   

   

  Author's Note : Adult Themes

   

  Sotek had been lying there in Aela’s bed for hours. During all this time he never moved or even stirred except for just his slow steady breathing. Aela laid next to him, cradling him in her arms. She felt tired, she was tired. She spent most of the night awake with her arms wrapped around him, talking to him. She begged him to wake up. At one point she even screamed at him, desperately trying to get a response. Tilma came bursting in her room yelling at her before she tried to calm Aela down.

   

  That was in the early hours, Aela had no idea what the time was now. There was a knock at the door taking her attention off Sotek for a second. She opened it, to find the Harbinger outside her room.

  “Come upstairs, get some food in you. Farkas and Vilkas have taken the Whelps off on a wolf hunt for ‘experience’ so we can talk openly”. He could see she had been crying and he wasn’t the least bit surprised.

   

  Aela looked at Sotek lying there, defenceless and still. It was only his steady slow breathing which gave the slightest indication of life. She turned back to the Harbinger and shook her head.

  "I can't leave him, not like this".

   

  He stepped up to her then reached out and held her arm.

  "What would he tell you to do?" As he spoke he pointed to Sotek.

   

  Aela gave out a laugh, she couldn't help it despite how she felt. She walked over to Sotek then rested her hand on the side of his face.

  "He would tell me to get upstairs else he would kick my bloody ass". She turned to the Harbinger, smiling. "Then he would run for cover". She leant over Sotek, kissed him on the forehead then pulled a fur over his chest before following the Harbinger upstairs. She made one final point of leaving her bedroom door open as she left the room.

   

  Aela sat in a chair staring at the table, she had a bread roll in her hand but she just picked bits off it then dropped them on the plate in front of her. A million thoughts cascaded through her mind. After a few minutes she managed to put some words to those thoughts.

  “Why don’t he wake up? Why didn’t he turn? Why the hell did I make him?” She stared at the Harbinger for a second as desperation took its toll. “What have I done”. She folded her arms on the table and buried her head. She started almost crying again but more with frustration than anything else, as she struggled to gain control of herself while she tried to slow her mind down just so she could attempt to think. Her anger at Sotek and at herself plagued her relentlessly, she felt helpless.

   

  The Harbinger tried to comfort Aela while at the same time he did his best to answer her questions but he failed on both counts. He ended up giving a heavy sigh.

  "I don't know why he didn't turn. Argonians do become werewolves, but only by the blood pact. However sometimes certain people's body just refuses the change".

   

  Aela didn't look up at all, she just sat there with her head still buried in her arms.

  "Is that what happened? His body refused it. Are you trying to tell me that he will never become one of us?" She started raising her voice as anger took over from her fear. She felt cheated, robbed of a life she wanted. She wanted Sotek, she needed him. She wanted to run the plains with him hunting by her side. The two of them as one, their werewolves running as one, as a pack. Her pack, her mate...

   

  The Harbinger gave a long drawn out sigh.

  "I wished in some ways his body had, then at least we would know. The trouble is that I don't think his system did refuse it. I've seen people when they couldn't turn but this is different".

   

  Aela looked up at the harbinger almost as if the whole situation was his fault. The tone in her voice did little to change that impression.

  “In what way? How?”

   

  As he looked at her he realised how much of the night she spent crying. He could see that it took a heavy toll on her face. Her eyes alone were bloodshot. They looked sore. She had none of her usual sharpness, she was tired and it all too easily showed.

  "For a start they vomit the blood up, it’s too rich for the stomach. He didn't despite the amount he drank. People double up with cramps. Why did he drink so heavily?"

   

  Aela ignored his question, she had enough guilt without throwing that in the mix.

  "So did he! He was curled up in agony". She couldn't help but shout. She tried to use restraint but there was just too much pain, too much hurt.

   

  He got up then sat next to her so he could offer some reassurance as he held her hand.

  "Yes, but not from stomach cramps. His eyes changed colour, so did his complexion. It was almost like he couldn't change, like something was stopping him, preventing him from changing..." He stopped in mid sentence then studied her face once more however this time far more closely. He realised none of this was helping so he broke away from the conversation. "You need rest, but before rest, you need to eat something. Your no help to him like this. Are you going to eat, or do I get Sotek to kick your ass and make you eat".

   

  She narrowed her eyes as she stuck her tongue out at him while her face screwed up with as much attitude as she could muster.

  "If Sotek was able to kick my ass, then I wouldn't have a problem eating anyway so there". She couldn't help but laugh a little as she thought about when she and Sotek messed around. Her mind soon snapped back to the present. "What are we going to do?"

   

  He reached out and held her hand.

  “All we can do is wait”.

   

  She shook her head at the inadequate suggestion.

  “We can’t just wait... Those bastards said he’s got two moons, that’s three weeks away. If they come back and find him like this he won’t stand a chance. We got to do something”. She picked up an apple, then barely bit into it, taking off the smallest piece possible. Even a mouse would have bitten off more.

   

  All of a sudden she felt a shaky hand rest on her shoulder, she recognised it instantly. Jumping up out of the chair, she grabbed Sotek and held him tightly. Her arms wrapped around him like two constrictors after the same prey. He was standing there just in his loin cloth covered in sweat. Aela’s emotions ran wild while tears of relief and joy fell onto his chest as she buried her head under his chin.

  “God I’ve been so bloody scared, I’ve worried myself to death about you”.

   

  He looked down at her as one hand gently held her back while the other stroked her head.

  “Aela, I need to breath”.

   

  “Oh god sorry”. She instantly let go as she tried to move back away from him to give him space but he still held on to her.

   

  “Just not so tight ok?”

   

  When she held him again she felt him stagger slightly.

  “Sit down before you fall down”. As she spoke she pulled out a chair.

   

  Sotek went to sit down but ended up just collapsing into it. He sat there with his head right back, closing his eyes from the glare in the room. He felt rough and tired while his whole body ached.

   

  Aela stood over him, then gently lifted one eyelid briefly so she could check the colour of his eyes.

  “Shhh, I just want to check your ok”. She gave him a kiss on the lips, Sotek tried to respond but miss timed it completely. Aela then disappeared downstairs for a few minutes, all the while Sotek just sat there.

   

  She came back up carrying some furs along with a pair of Sotek’s trousers along with a miners shirt. The furs were laid out where their special spot was, near the fire pit. After that she approached Sotek. “Let’s get you settled”.

   

  He sat there shaking his head at her, albeit very slowly.

  “No. Not moving”.

   

  “Oh yes you are!” Then she held his arm, getting a grip to pull him up. “And you can’t argue with me so there”.

   

  “Have you eaten yet?” He turned to face her, but kept his eyes closed. His question stopped her dead in her tracks. “Oh silence... Ok you eat then I’ll settle. And you won’t fight with me cause I’m ermm... What am I?” Sotek opened his eyes, giving them a few seconds to focus. Looking across the room he faced the Harbinger who was little more than a blur. “I take it that this isn’t what normally happens”.

   

  Aela faced the Harbinger then sat next to Sotek as Kodlak tried to explain.

  “What happened? Well, we don’t actually know. By the looks of what you went through, it was as if you couldn’t change. Like something was preventing it”. The Harbinger looked straight at Sotek, he couldn’t help but worry about the effect this would have on them both.

   

  Sotek closed his eyes resting them. He knew it must be Hircine he said as much some weeks ago.

  “I’m too tired to work this out. Tomorrow I’ll put some thought on it”. Sotek could feel himself drifting off, he just took a deep breath then simply let it run its course.

   

  “Oi you’re not sleeping there”. Aela gently tugged on his arm as she tried to coax him to move.

   

  “Have you eaten yet?…. No”

  He didn’t move when he spoke, he just stayed perfectly still.

   

  “Ok, ok, I’m eating”. Aela grabbed the apple she had earlier then she took a bite. While she started chewing on it she glanced at Sotek.

   

  He still didn’t move but he had one eye open which was fixed on her. “You have to swallow or it doesn’t count”.

   

  She gave up then swallowed the chewed up piece of apple, that was all it took. She realised just how hungry she really was. Once she ate properly, she passed Sotek his old shirt and trousers. He put them on then sat down where Aela previously placed the furs. She laid besides him, resting his head on her stomach. Within a minute he was resting peacefully. She pulled a fur over the pair of them then gradually fell asleep herself.

   

  Around mid afternoon she woke up to find Sotek was still asleep with his head resting on her chest. His arms were dangled over her so she gently tried to slide out from under him but in doing so she inadvertently woke him up.

  “Hey you ok?”

   

  He simply nodded, then slowly took in his surroundings once more. His body still ached, but his arms and legs felt stiff. He stretched out then rested his head back on Aela’s stomach. After a few seconds he slowly stood up. Although he was feeling a bit dizzy, he soon regained his trust in his legs. His arms slowly swung back behind him as he stretched out, giving off a big yawn.

   

  “You still can’t be tired?” Aela asked him, knowing full well that he was.

   

  “I’m more achy than tired”. Sotek exclaimed. He looked around and to his surprise, except for them the hall was empty. “Ermm, where is everyone?”

   

  Aela got up to her feet as she glanced at the doors.

  “Oh their all out on a hunting trip. Farkas and Vilkas took them all out. It gets them out of the way for a bit”. As she spoke she watched Sotek standing there. His eyes were fixed on the door as well.

   

  Sotek turned to her, and then rested his head on her shoulder as he clung on to her waist.

  “You want to gear up and take a walk?”

   

  She just looked at him in astonishment.

  “In your state?”

   

  “It’ll do me good. Get some fresh air. Get my limbs moving”.

   

  “Ok but we take it slow. Only if we take it slow”

   

  As they headed downstairs, to Aela’s surprise Sotek followed her to her room then laid down on her bed.

  “Ermm, your gear is in your room”.

   

  He just stretched across and held her hip before he pulled her towards him.

  “Yes, but I’m not after my gear yet”. When she was close enough, he held her waist with his other hand then gently pulled her on top of him.

   

  She sat on his legs with her own knees spaced out either side of him then she glanced down to his trousers and smiled at him.

  “And what is this?” Slowly she reached down giving him a gentle squeeze. “Have you bought me down here under false pretence or is this a coincidence?”

   

  He pulled her forwards and kissed her.

  “It’s a coincidence 'cause you’re not wearing a loincloth”.

   

  She sexily flailed her hair as she shook her head at him.

  “Oh but I am!” The next second she felt a hard tug between her legs then she heard a loud ‘rriiipp’ which caused her eyes to shoot wide open. “Oh, apparently I’m not...” Then she gently slapped him in the face.

   

  She reached down and brazenly released him from his trousers.

  “Ooops”.

   

  A few howls later Sotek was sitting on the bed. Aela managed to put on a new loincloth before she was grabbed then she found herself being pulled towards him. He rested his head in her naked breasts as he talked to her.

  “You still up for a walk?”

   

  She held his head with both hands and kissed the top of his forehead.

  “Sure, if you’re up for that”.

   

  He took one long look at her with a big smile on his face.

  “Definitely if you’re going like that”

   

  “Ermm, no that’s not happening”. She shook her head then she continued to get dressed all the while a grin filled her face. Through all that time Sotek just sat there watching her.

   

  Half hour later they headed outside and slowly made their way past the shops in Whiterun before heading out towards the main gate.

   

  Sotek suddenly stopped then walked behind Aela. He stood there for a few seconds while she wondered what he was doing.

   

  “You better not be eyeing up my backside. I’ve seen you do that a few times”. She stated as she prepared to punch him.

   

  Sotek grinned as he came alongside her once more.

  “What me? Naa, I’m just checking you got your bow”

   

  She glared at him in her usual manner.

  “That’s not funny”.

   

  They passed through the main gate then followed the path past the stables and headed off towards the farmsteads.