Leaving the main gate behind, Sotek led the large mob like group of Companions through the plains district. Aela who was slightly lagging behind the others, slowed right down just as they passed the Warmaiden’s.
“Vilkas, Farkas can I have a word”. The whole group stopped as one as they all turned around.
Sotek glanced at Aela to find her looking straight back at him.
“Let’s go, she don’t need you lot gawping and listening in”. He made his way to the front and took point once more. Once he gathered the whelps back in a group he automatically herded them towards Jorrvaskr.
Aela sat on a stone wall and started swinging her legs as she watched the Whelps follow Sotek head off towards Jorrvaskr past the market. The heels of her boots tapped against the wall in a slow deliberate rhythm.
“What’s up?” Farkas asked as he lent against the wall beside her.
“It’s Sotek… What is he?” She looked at the pair of their faces as she studied their expressions.
Vilkas glanced across at her as if he suspected that she was up to something.
“Is this a trick? Ermm your lover, mate sorry? A fighter? An archer who fights? Ermm Dragonborn?”
Farkas turned towards the steps of Jorrvaskr where Sotek was currently watching the Whelps enter the hall.
“Hell I don’t know. What isn’t he?”
She slid off the wall then moved past them both as she headed towards the market. After she took a few paces she stopped and turned her head around so she was looking at ‘her two Brothers’ from over her shoulder. “You know he’s been giving everyone orders for weeks… You two, me. Hell I know he talks to the Harbinger as his equal”.
“You feel he’s getting above his station? Hell, if so I’m out. You can’t go there again… I thought you two were good together”. Farkas was worried, he couldn’t help but think about everything that went on before.
Aela snapped at him quelling his fear.
“No you moron, he’s one of us… He just told all the whelps to follow him and they did. I bet if he told any one of us to do something, the chances are we would”.
Vilkas joined in the conversation.
“So you feel he’s taking over? Turning a bit power crazy? Or, and be honest with us. Are you feeling a bit pushed out?”
She gave a sigh then sat back on the wall.
“That’s just it, I’m happy with it. So are you two. I don’t think I’m the Harbingers second anymore… He is. That’s how it feels… It’s like he does it because that’s what he needs to do to get the job done. He played me with the sabre cat… I bet he told you not to kill it”.
Farkas nervously nodded in response to her statement.
“Ermm yea.. Yes he did. He told me to just keep it back. He said you would kill it, which you did”.
She laughed loudly at Soteks audacity.
“Damn him… We need to have a word with the Harbinger tonight. He’s right about the whelps, they need to get out more. We’ll have to take them with us on hunting trips more often… But we have to make sure they are equipped for it… That’s our responsibility. We also need to talk with the Harbinger about him as well”.
“In what way?” Farkas asked.
“He’s still a whelp… Yes, he drank the beast blood but officially he’s still one of them. That’s the problem, he’s not… No one sees him as one, they see him as the next Harbinger. If we are all honest right now, we all do”. Then she got up and started heading to Jorrvaskr with Farkas and Vilkas following just behind her.
The moment Aela started to shove the double doors open she could hear the Whelps try to talk over one another as they told their own versions of the days hunting to Kodlak and to each other at the same time. Once the hall calmed down to its usual ambiance, Tilma with the aid of Sotek, set out the evening meal. He sat at the far end opposite Kodlak and Tilma then pulled out a second chair for Aela who happily sat beside him.
She ate her meal whilst she kept an eye on Sotek. He didn’t have more than anyone else, but he seemed to consume his food somewhat faster than usual. Aela smiled to herself as she took it to be a good sign that he still had an appetite.
The Harbinger watched him eat as well but he noticed something that made him wonder just like Aela did when Sotek talked about her being a werewolf hunting. What he noticed was that Sotek only ate the meat. He left everything else which struck the Harbinger as odd, especially when Sotek would always go for the apples.
Once Sotek finished the meal he gave Aela a quick kiss then excused himself from the table.
“It’s been a long day, I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning”. With that he headed downstairs. Once he was in his room he sorted his gear out and restocked the potions which he used over the course of the last few days. The last thing he did was to check his gold which he kept in a wooden chest in the base of his wardrobe. He had a good few hundred pieces but he needed more, lots more.
Lying on his bed he thought about the day and the relevant tasks which still needed his attention. Tomorrow he will have to make some decent gold, and send a message to Winterhold. The Shadowscales will also have to be dealt with. At this point though he had no idea how.
About an hour after Sotek left the hall, Aela approached Kodlak. “Harbinger, we need a word”.
As he looked at her he felt somewhat nervous. Her whole attitude seemed happy which made him feel mildly concerned.
“We?”
She called out to the other Companions. “Farkas, Vilkas, we’re up”. With that the two brothers came over to them then they all disappeared downstairs to the Harbingers chamber where they could talk in private.
“Ok, what’s this about?” Kodlak drew a long deep breath as he prepared himself for whatever Aela and the others needed to talk to him about.
“Two things really”. Aela stated. “Firstly the whelps… They did ok today. Yes they screwed up with a lack of supplies and gear but overall they did ok. We all feel that they should come out with us more on hunting trips. Not bandits or jobs but just hunting sprees. It would be helpful for them with regards to their training”.
He sat at the small table and thought about it for a few moments.
“That seems fair enough. Is that how you three feel about it?”
Vilkas moved forwards slightly to join in with the conversation. “That’s the other thing… There’s ermm, not three of us anymore. It’s actually four”.
Farkas put his point forwards as well.
“Even you feel he’s one of us. We all know you both talk in the early hours when you play cards. Everyone knows he’s your second”.
The Harbinger shook his head at the suggestion.
“Aela he’s not, you are. You know that”.
Aela gently held his cheeks in the palms of her hand and tipped his head slightly forwards so she could kiss him on the forehead.
“Sorry, I mean no disrespect Harbinger, he is. When you sent both of us off the night Sotek destroyed that target dummy in the yard, who was it that you told to look after who?”
Farkas grinned broadly as he blurted out at her.
“You mean when you both went off behind everyone’s backs and started screw.. OWWW”. He cried out in surprise from receiving a kick in his shin from Aela who was currently glaring at him.
“As I was saying!!!” Then she turned back to the Harbinger. “Who was it that you told to look after who?”
The Harbinger smiled at their roughhousing.
“I told him to look after you. We’ll make him an official Companion tomorrow. However he’s had a hard day so we’ll wait until he gets up. Aela are you sure you’re ok with all of this?”.
She looked at the three of them as one.
“I can’t help but think of our first impression of him. You were right. Now though I can see him surpassing even you”.
Kodlak laughed at her.
“Oh he surpassed me the moment he beat you three”.
Comments
No seriously, that's not a good sign, but I guess the werewolf caused it? No doubt he is there somewhere.
Well written, makes you guess for the werewolf chapter thats incomming (hopefully).
Uhg, so jelly of him. Not sure about this. Am I missing something?
I hope this isn't an error, it makes a better image in my head:
Aela sat on a stone wall and started singing her legs as she... [swinging]
And I thought you were paying attention .