U.O.T.W. Chapter 89 Fetch And Carry

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    Farkas, Vilkas and four of the Whelps spent the next few hours gathering all the furniture they could carry out to the courtyard. This left Sotek, Bjorlam, Aela and the remaining two whelps the task of loading it all on the wagon.

    By the time they had finished, darkness cloaked the plains while furniture of all manner and description filled the cart. Sotek leaned against the side of it and smiled at the success of their ‘mission’. Between them, they had secured beds, chests, cabinets and bookcases. They even managed to supplement Tilma’s kitchen with an array of different pots and utensils along with a collection of plates and bowls.

    Both Farkas and Vilkas were doubly pleased as they managed to secure three mead barrels which were the first things to go on the cart, much to Aela’s amusement. When they were finished, she leant against the wagon next to Sotek and pointed to one of the barrels as she chuckled.

    “I see that you prioritised everything Farkas. Barrels first, then everything else”.

    Farkas laughed as he tied the rope to the underside of the wagon.

    “I can sleep without a bed, can’t sleep without a belly full of mead”. His statement caused a few of the Whelps to cheer which only made them sound like a drunken mob.

    One of the Whelps gave Vilkas a queer look and approached him with a question about the battle cry which he heard Vilkas shout out.

    “Who was Tinsel Foot?”

    Vilkas walked off by himself after he muttered a single word.

    “No one”.

    This left Sotek and the Whelps pressuring Farkas who grudgingly explained.

    “When we were boys he found an injured rabbit. It had a broken leg, Vilkas called it Tinsel Foot. It was dark grey except for one front paw which was silver. We were only around twelve at the time. He, along with Eorlund made it a hutch and he nursed it better”.

    Sotek looked over to Vilkas and couldn’t help but see him in a different light. He guessed one of two things happened so he thought it prudent to ask which fate befell it.

    “Did he nurse it back to health then let it go or did it die from its injuries?”

    Vilkas himself came back over and laid out Tinsel Foots fate.

    “It survived two winters. I couldn’t let it go... It didn’t want to go. One day, it... It was killed, a wolf broke into the hutch and tore it apart...” He sadly lowered his head as if he blamed himself then headed to the stone wall where he could be alone.

    Sotek felt somewhat confused at the whole event so he pressed Farkas further.

    “Where did they leave the hutch?”

    Farkas pointed back at Whiterun then went to be with his brother to give him some moral support.

    “The training yard. Somehow a wolf got in and tore it to pieces. There was fur everywhere. Vilkas was the one to find it”.

    Sotek took a few moments to digest the information but he still couldn’t work out how a wolf managed to get inside Whiterun’s walls. At that point he caught Aela’s stare.

    Aela immediately turned around and hid between the horses. She patted each one and started softly talking to them just so she didn’t have to look at anyone. Sotek was quick to pick up on her avoidance attempt and took an interest in the conversation.

    “Why would that bother Aela? Oh hell no... Aela!! A word”.

    She stared at him like a deer caught in the lamps of a carriage as he methodically approached her. She couldn’t take his gaze so she just stared at the ground and whispered to him.

    “It was me... Red ate it... Harbinger had a right go at me but we never told Vilkas. You can’t tell him”.

    Sotek just gawped at her. He had visions of a small lamb size Red tearing the rabbit to pieces.

    “Red... I knew it. How old were you?”

    Aela shrugged as she turned her back to him.

    “Six”

    Bjorlam was more interested in getting back to the Bannered Mare and his horses settled in the stables.

    “It’s dark, shouldn’t we be heading back?”

    Sotek wearily agreed, knowing full well what it meant. He studied each of the Whelps and Companions as he made his short list.

    “Farkas, Vilkas, I’m going to send you two back with the cart. I’m afraid that means more work for you though”.

    Farkas objected openly although it wasn’t the prospect of more work but rather the fact that he didn’t want to leave the others behind.

    “We should stay together. I know it means walking back but shouldn’t we stay in a group?”

    Sotek pulled him aside along with Vilkas. Both the brothers knew that Sotek wasn’t going to budge. His position was helped by his logic which they couldn’t falter even for the want of trying to.

    “We can’t send the cart by itself. On foot we’ll be too far behind to help should he run into trouble. I can send Aela and one of the girls to protect it, but they won’t be able to unload it until we get back to the stables. You two can. You’re both more than capable of making a start. Please, go back with Bjorlam and when you get to the stables start unloading. As it is we won’t be finished till well after midnight. Tomorrow everyone can have a lazy day, I’ll even get a few crates of mead from the Inn. Better still, we can all have an evening at the Inn”.

    Vilkas shook his head as he climbed up on the front of the cart. He felt bitter leaving everyone else to walk but he grudgingly agreed.

    “Don’t be long. Farkas, let’s go”.

    Once the wagon started its homeward bound journey, the whelps, led by both Aela and Sotek cut across the plains on foot. In the distance various howls from a pack of wolves echoed out across the landscape adding to the sensations which cursed through Sotek’s body as he became more accustomed to the new smells and sounds due to the beast blood which coursed through his veins.

    Aela seemed to be just as aware of her surroundings if not more so. She came alongside Sotek and pointed at a herd of deer in the distance.

    “Shame it’s so late. We could do with new furs”.

    Sotek chuckled as he knew exactly what she was thinking. He could feel it too. The want to kill, to run.

    “Tomorrow maybe. We’ll get out here soon enough”.

    By the time they reached the stables, it was approaching midnight. The cart was already half way to being unloaded but Sotek didn’t wait around. He immediately put the Whelps to work.

    “Ok, let’s get moving. Girls, take the lighter furniture. The men, beds and large tables”.

    Instantly the Whelps started grumbling to each other in protest. It was a long day already and even Sotek had enough. His shoulder was throbbing and all he wanted to do was rest it. Aela was tired as well, but she stepped up to the mark and quelled the rebellion in its tracks.

    “Shut the hell up you lazy bastards. Cut your damned whining. We’re all bloody tired. You can all have tomorrow off but tonight we need to get this gear shifted. You might hate it now but you won’t be complaining when you’re sleeping in a bed and not on the bloody floor”.

    One of the Whelps had already worked out the maths. She had short black hair and was one of the more timid whelps although she was quite boisterous at times. The sort of person who wanted to be everyone’s friend. The same one who refused to kill the bandit earlier. She pointed to the beds and stated the facts as she saw them.

    “What beds. We’ve six small beds. You three will bloody take them; the Harbinger will bag the double so three of us are still on the bloody floor”.

    A loud growl marked the fact that Aela was in no mood for her antics. The Whelp grabbed a chair and started heading towards the gate the very instant that Aela took a step forwards.

    Aela watched her for a few moments until the Sotek pulled her aside.

    “We’ll work out who gets what soon enough. Let’s get everything inside first. Come on damn you all. Look lively”. He then aided Aela with a table despite the fact that he could only lift it with the one arm.

    At one point the guards started to notice what the Companions were doing so a few of them lent a hand to help. Soon the furniture was moving quickly which increased the bustle as well. Sotek took a moment to sit on the wall as his shoulder now prevented him from doing anything. From the corner of his eye, he saw a lamp behind the shutters of the Bannered Mare’s window.

    Sotek sneaked across the grounds and stood right outside the window in question. He could faintly hear voices from inside and guessed it was the harbinger along with Tilma. The lamp was put out then slowly and inexorably the shutters opened out. Tilma tried to sneak a peek outside but she found herself face to face with Sotek who was less than two feet away from her. He hissed loudly, startling her from the surprise which along with the menacing look of the outline of his silhouette, caused her to bang the two shutters together as she hastily retreated back inside.

    Sotek couldn’t help but laugh as he followed Farkas who was carrying the last large table by himself.

    Once the doors to Jorrvaskr were shut, Sotek took it upon himself to hand out the furniture. He had expected the Companions to have a few complaints but to their credit, Aela, Farkas and Vilkas were more than willing to go along with his suggestions.

    “Right, six beds... We'll let the Whelps have them. We’re used to roughing it so sorry Aela, we’re still sleeping on furs”.

    Aela seemed keen to sleep on the floor, unlike both Farkas and Vilkas who huffed at each other until they heard Aela’s reply.

    “That’s fine with me, I prefer it on the floor”.

    Even Sotek had a bit of a smirk on his face. Aela was quick to rectify herself but it was too late.

    “Sleeping... I prefer sleeping on the floor! Aw you’re all a bunch of apes. Apes and a hissy reptile”.

    Sotek dodged as she tried to slap him which would only meant that he would suffer later. With what he knew about her, Sotek wasn’t one little bit surprised. He then planned the rest of the furniture as evenly as he could.

    “Harbinger, he gets a large bed, one bookcase, one chest, a small table and four chairs. Vilkas, there’s two weapon racks and a chest for you. Farkas, you have a barrel of mead, one small table with two chairs and a chest. Aela, one wardrobe for you along with a small table and two chairs, as well as a chest. Me! Two book cases and a chest. The six Whelps, a small chest of draws each. That leaves three bookcases for the stores and three barrels, along with two barrels for mead. That’s it... It’s not ideal but it’s a start”.

    Farkas clapped his hands together which echoed around the hall like a thunderclap. While everyone was recovering, he hollered out at the Whelps.

    “Come on, sooner started sooner finished”.

    While the Companions arranged the furniture, Sotek ‘borrowed’ two of the Whelps and started cooking some venison on the fire pit. Within half an hour they were all sitting around the table but hardly anyone was talking. One by one the Companions and Whelps disappeared from the hall until only Sotek and Aela remained. She never spoke to him, but instead she kissed him on the forehead before she slinked off downstairs.

    Sotek spent the next few minutes taking stock of the events along with the fact that he was now a werewolf. In some ways he couldn’t believe it. After all this time he could actually change form and hunt the way his ancestor did except he wouldn’t have to hunt alone.

    Movement from the stairway caught his eye and he whipped his head around to see Aela holding a pile of furs. Without even bothering to speak, she laid them out in a large circle, kicked off her boots and let her armor drop to the floor where she stood. A few moments later she was in Sotek’s arms, resting her head on a fur which was rolled up so they had a pillow. After she gave him a kiss, she wrapped his good arm around her along with his tail then closed her eyes.

    “Night Sotek... You did well today”.

    Sotek couldn’t help but smile despite the fact that he was exhausted.

    “Thanks, we all did well”.

    Aela’s eyes half opened as she whispered her final words before she would settle down to sleep.

    “You’ve yet to show them your werewolf form. Wonder what that prick Proventus will say when he finds out what we done”.

    Sotek’s eyes shot wide open as he glanced at the stairwell.

    “Stuff Proventus! What the hell are Farkas and Vilkas going to say when they see Albino?”

     

     

Comments

3 Comments
  • Exuro
    Exuro   ·  November 15, 2015
    Moving day always sucks
    @Lissette, that's the real reason they let the whelps have it
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  November 13, 2015
    Fun to see them band together and sort out the furniture, though I certainly hope Tilma cleans it up some. Was owned by bandits. There is a certain ewww factor to that. 
  • ShyGuyWolf
    ShyGuyWolf   ·  November 13, 2015
    great piece bud. glad to see the whelps to work