U.O.T.W. Chapter 106 Cry Wolf

• Posted by Sotek February 19, 2016 - Filed in TSC: CB Story - 1,116 views

  

  The creaking of the heavy gate alerted the two Companions, Farkas and Vilkas, who were lazily sitting on a part of the ramparts with their legs dangling over the sides. Upon seeing Sotek and Aela head outside the city’s walls, the two brothers made their way down the wooden ramp to warmly greet their siblings.

  Farkas had a heavy sack draped over his shoulder. He flung it off and dropped it at Sotek’s feet leaving both Sotek and Aela confused as he never gave them any explanation as to what it contained. All he did was grin, leaving the task of enlightening them to Vilkas.

  “Hey, Aela, Sotek, the Harbinger sends his apologies… We were going to give Sotek here a ceremony to officially make him a member of the Inner Circle but that will have to wait due to circumstances….. However, I have been authorized to hand you your official Companions armor! May it serve you well”. With that sentiment both he and Farkas bowed down before Sotek then proceeded to cheer loudly, making enough noise to be mistaken for a common drunken rabble despite of the fact there was only two of them and neither of them were drunk.

  Sotek stood there stunned while Aela’s mouth fell open as she stared at the sack. Dropping to one knee, she pulled the large bag open and peeked inside. The first item she recovered was a Wolf gauntlet.

  “This must have been what Eorlund was making last week… Sotek, you’ve a whole set here! He must have been working night and day!”

  Farkas chuckled and flicked one of Sotek’s bone spikes. The vision of Eorlund throwing steel bars around caused him to smirk, knowing full well Eorlund had to face defeat and admit he couldn’t make one part.

  “Not exactly a full set. Eorlund did try, and shouted, and screamed, and yelled…”

  “And threw things about, you can’t forget that!!” Vilkas added cheerfully. “He couldn’t get the helm right due to your spiky head…” He glanced back at Farkas and they both proceeded to roar with laughter.

  Aela yanked out the new Wolf chest piece and held it aloft at Sotek, who up to this point was speechless.

  “Oi, stop gawking… Strip…”

  “Huh?” Sotek blankly turned towards her as he was still feeling surprised.

  “I said strip, you moron. Get your kit off and try this on”. She rose up and tugged at a few straps of Sotek’s Nordic Curved armor, effectively pulling him sideways and out of his trance like state.

  Vilkas stepped back away from Aela and watched the bizarre scene of her forcing Sotek to take off his armor. The gauntlets fell to the floor and were quickly joined by his chest piece and the greaves.

  He was quickly stripped down to his shirt and loin cloth. Only then was Aela prepared to pass him the new Wolf armor. A slight frown fell upon Sotek’s face when he tried on the chest piece. It felt heavier than his Nordic armor but he knew the honor which Kodlak and the Inner Circle, Aela, Farkas and Vilkas bestowed upon him. Keeping his fears to himself, he donned the outfit. As he never made himself a Nordic Curved Helm, the fact the Wolf armor was lacking one didn’t matter.

  What did though was the weight. He felt the difference instantly but decided to hide the fact and chose not to worry too much about it. He knew he would be able to adapt it as he had with the Nordic armor. It was surprising how light he could make this by spending a few hours at the Skyforge.

  Once he adorned his new armor, Aela slowly circled around him, admiring the outfit. She lifted his tail in her hand and let it slide across her palm like a snake until the tip slipped off and fell to the ground.

  “Oh wow, this is so cool. I never thought I’d see you in Wolf armor. It’s kind of… sexy”. She spoke in her husky voice and her hand glided across Sotek’s chest. As she watched his tail, she saw the tip of it start to curve around.

  Farkas puffed his chest out and brazenly strolled towards Aela, swinging his arms by his side dramatically in an attempt to add flair to his walk.

  “Do we look sexy?”

  One side of Aela’s lips rose up in a playful scowl while the palm of her hand hit him in the centre of his chest, causing him to lose the pose he was trying to keep hold of.

  “No… It makes you look fat!” She stared laughing due to the look on Farkas’s face until Vilkas’s own expression caught her eye. “I’m only messing, milk drinker! Vilkas? You’re quiet!”

  Vilkas slightly nodded and approached Sotek. He tapped the Argonian on the shoulder with the back of his hand in order to get some sort of response from him.

  “Yea…. So are you, say something… You’re a Companion of the Inner Circle now…”

  A low ‘hssss’ was the only reply Sotek could give. His tail however said it all. It snaked out in large curves along the dirt while Sotek gulped because of the intense feeling of being scrutinized by everyone. His emerald green eyes stared in front of him before hiding behind eyelids which protected them from Aela’s gaze.

  “Come on, say something…” Farkas verbally prodded Sotek in an attempt to break the silence and he quickly followed it with a light punch on Sotek’s good arm.

  He staggered sideways and grabbed hold of Aela to steady himself. Turning back to Farkas, Sotek’s face screwed up as he hissed at his fellow Companion.

  “You want me to ssay ssomething… how’ss thiss? You’re on my tail you oaf!!”

  Farkas looked down at his feet in surprise and stepped backwards, not even realizing Sotek’s tail was sprawled out to the side away from him.

  “Sorry, I ….. No I’m not!”

  Aela couldn’t restrain herself and bellowed loudly at her disgruntled sibling.

  “Leave my tail alone. You hurt it and you’ll have me to deal with!!”

  Vilkas cocked an eyebrow at her jovial outburst while Sotek gawped at her.

  “I’m sure it belongs to Sotek actually…”

  Each aggressive prod in his chest forced him to move back away from Aela’s intensity. The tone in her voice dealt with Farkas and Sotek without the need to even look at them.

  “It may be attached to him but it belongs to me!!”

  “Do you have to threaten everyone? Can’t you just try talking to people?” The moment Sotek spoke, he fell under Aela’s hostile glare. His bravado crumbled, leaving him no course other than to back down as fast as possible. “Not that I’m saying you have to, I ermm…”

  He side stepped away from her while he mentally counted the taps from her boot as the toe touched the floor. Her arms were crossed over her chest so he didn’t bother looking at her eyes. He didn’t need to. Instead, he glanced across to Vilkas and held his shoulder, making a primitive barrier between himself and Aela.

  “My own Wolf armor. Vilkas, Farkas… Aela. Thank you, this means a lot to me. I won’t dishonor it, I swear and you three shall witness. I don’t know much about the Companions history, but I do know you three. I’ll do my best to live to your standards and I will endeavor not to disappoint you or the Harbinger!!”

  Aela’s hostility was lost and she tucked her head into his chest. The fur armor felt warm and soft against her cheek. She wrapped her arms around him and whispered back.

  “You never disappoint us Sotek…”

  Farkas on the other hand was far more forthright. He slapped Vilkas in the shoulder and turned around then headed off towards the gate.

  “Too much talk. I’m thirsty. Vilkas, you’re buying, I’d sooner drink to Sotek’s honor than talk about it”.

  He had hardly taken a step when an apple core slammed into the back of his head. His fingers traced through his hair, pulling out bits of apple while he turned angrily around.

  “Aela, you bitch!!”

  “That’s for disturbing us earlier, we were… well we weren’t but we were going to till you banged on the bloody door”. She stood there with her weight on one leg while her hands rested on her hips.

  Farkas felt confused at her statement and nudged Vilkas for an explanation.

  “Huh?”

  “You don’t get it? Aela didn’t get it either you dumb ass!! Oh by the nines Farkas. The door was banged but Aela wasn’t? Sex? I need a drink!!!” He started walking away leaving his perplexed brother behind until Aela called out to him.

  “I don’t get it…”

  Vilkas started laughing and glanced back at Aela.

  “I know you didn’t get it… not my fault you two are so destructive. If you weren’t then you would have but you are so you didn’t”.

  Aela screwed her face up yet again as she tried to work out what he had just said. She started to wish she had a second apple to throw.

  “What? No, not that! Kodlak!”

  Everyone turned towards her with the same blank expression strewn across their faces leaving Aela free to explain herself.

  “The Harbinger kicks us out of Whiterun for a few days and before we even make it past the ramparts, he makes Sotek a full Companion of the Inner Circle!! What the hell is going on here? He never willingly lets me outside cause of Re… repercussions”. The look on her face said it all; she was far from happy with the latest series of events and utterly clueless to the reasoning behind everything. Cloak and dagger games were never a forte of hers.

  Vilkas came over to her and gave his ‘sister’ a much needed hug.

  “Yea about that… the Harbinger wants you to know the Jarl has insisted Sotek is nowhere near Whiterun when General Tullius arrives. Aela, this is important. If he learns there is a Dragonborn here, he will insist Sotek goes off to help quell the rebellion. The Harbinger don’t want Sotek being used as a weapon, you know the General will use him. Get him out of here, and don’t come back until we call you back. Stay away from Whiterun”.

  Sotek thought for a few seconds then nodded at the soundness of the situation.

  “This General Tullius is really that bad? Very well, we’ll stay clear. I guess Aela’s with me so I got some company”. Sotek looked at Vilkas with his typical ‘You dare tell me I’m wrong’ face.

  Vilkas looked at Sotek then slightly shook his head and grinned.

  “Harbinger never said anything about Aela being company. He did say she’s a massive pain in the arse and she’s your mate. He decided you can put up with her for a few days and give everyone else a break”. The moment he said it, both Farkas and himself burst out laughing, leaving Aela speechless.

  Sotek couldn’t help but smirk due to the face she pulled and couldn’t hold back the laughter.

  “See, I said he was a meanie to you. Come on you pain in the backside”.

  Aela glared at Vilkas then poked him in the chest.

  “I’ll get you back for that you bastard…” Before she could threaten him any further, Sotek pulled her by the arm, leaving Vilkas with an exit strategy consisting of the city gate and a cobbled path which would lead him and his brother straight to the Bannered Mare.

  Leaving Farkas and Vilkas with the knowledge of the rough location where they could be found, Aela and Sotek headed westwards on foot, skimming the southern mountainside. Now the facts had been laid out, Aela felt happier knowing they weren’t in as much trouble as she had previously thought. She was just starting to enjoy herself.

  The air felt crisp and sharp as dawn had only passed a few hours ago. The Throat of the World Mountain’s shadow was cast across the plains but even now it could be visibly seen to shrink as the sun began to climb above the mountain range to the east.

  Aela thumped Sotek in his good arm and broke into a sprint. She leapt across small channels cut into the earthy banks and jumped over rocks and boulders as the hilly terrain covered the base of the mountain like a green blanket of grass. Having taken point, she led the way across the tundra and quickly disappeared from sight in one of the shallow yet long gullies which stretched out in a multitude of directions.

  Sotek walked up the side of a small hill and gazed across the landscape. Sniffing in the air, he picked up the scent of the she-wolf who had by now turned around and began stalking him. He side stepped to the right seconds before an arrow shot past him and struck a tree stump he was standing beside. The arrowhead embedded itself in the soft rotten wood, leaving the shaft of the arrow protruding outwards as a warning.

  A small ball of magical energy burst into life, radiating a bright white light and rested in Sotek’s hand. He threw it towards a clump of bushes which were fifty yards away and grinned as Aela rolled to her left to a new position behind a group of rocks.

  “That’s cheating!” She cried as she rubbed the blinding light from her eyes. She poked her head up just above the rock and peeked across the tundra but Sotek had already repositioned himself and now had disappeared.

  She sank back down on the ground and rested against the boulder while she gathered her thoughts. She knew Sotek couldn’t run quickly because of his shoulder but he had a fair few tricks up his sleeve. Determined to pick up his trail, she sniffed at the air. The wind was as usual, blowing from the north so she turned her attention towards the south. He would rely on the wind to prevent her detecting his smell so the southern section would make the most sense.

  The fact however was such that Sotek didn’t think two dimensional. North, south, they were just points on a map. He had other means and often used them. A growl alerted her but Aela was too late as the spectral familiar leapt over a rock and threw itself at her. The bow fell to the side as Aela rolled on her back while the familiar attacked her face with an ethereal tongue and licked her cheeks franticly despite her attempts at pushing it off.

  “Get off me you great lump… Sotek!!! Ewwww”

  The familiar rolled on his back and sprawled his legs open so she could rub his tummy which sent his back legs kicking out wildly. The shadow of Sotek cast over Aela and the wolf while she happily knelt on her knees beside the familiar.

  “I win…”

  “You cheat! Didn’t he? Yes he did… he’s a scheming cheating reptile isn’t he boy”. The wolf rolled once more and threw itself up on its paws then barged into Aela knocking her down on her back so he could resume his assault.

  While all this was going on, Sotek sat on a rock and watched Aela and the wolf fight for supremacy until the wolf dropped to all fours and whined marking its departure from the world. Aela stopped playing and fell silent and still. Her fingers slowly traced across the ground where the wolf had previously lain then she rubbed her cheek with two fingers, mimicking the familiars tongue.

  “When you first showed me him… I thought it odd”.

  He moved off the rock and sat beside her, pulling her close to him. She responded to his touch and clung on to his arm and rested against him like he was a pillow. Her pillow, hers alone to hold.

  “What was odd?” He asked as he held her tightly. While they talked, she lifted her leg up allowing his tail to trail around it in a coil.

  “You and the familiar, the way you played with it… with him. You’ve strong bond with him. You know that? I thought they would only last for a minute or so. He was here for at least three”.

  Sotek nodded and cast the spell again. From the depths of the deep blue portal, the familiar came bursting out onto the plains yet again and nuzzled into Aela’s side, making her shriek with joy. Sotek pulled her to her feet then picked up a stick and threw it as hard as he could. The familiar stopped playing with Aela and watched the stick as it began its descent before the wolf sprinted across the grass and gave chase, hunting the stick to return it to his master.

  “He likes being with me… and with you so he wants to stick around more. I’ve got to get the flaming familiar to calm down. I’m hoping she will be the same”.

  Aela giggled as she watched the wolf search around some bushes for the stick. A rabbit broke away and tried to run for safety but the wolf gave chase. The rabbit dived and leapt about; trying to franticly break the ongoing pursuit but the wolf was relentless. He came close to killing it when it dropped down a hole to safety.

  Aela came alongside the familiar and ruffled the top of its head.

  “Don’t matter if it gets away, that was a great chase. Come on, time to go!” As an afterthought, she turned to Sotek and commented about his flaming familiar. “She explodes!!”

  Sotek murmured mainly to himself in agreement, knowing his self appointed task of taming the flaming familiar would not be easy. Yet, at the same time, he felt it could be done.

  “Yes, she does…”

  Towards the north, stood the half destroyed guard tower which Sotek found himself having to defend against his first dragon when he first set his eyes upon Whiterun. Leading the way towards it, he let the familiar trot alongside Aela before it howled out and disappeared once more.

  Aela could see the hurt in Sotek’s eyes every time the wolf’s magical bindings collapsed, sending it back to the plains of Oblivion. She was just starting to understand why. Every time the familiar disappeared, it was like having a pet die over and over again… gone but never forgotten.

  Authors Note:

  A big thanks to Lissette for the screen shot.