Once the two Companions stepped outside, Aela made a beeline for the Skyforge, dragging Sotek behind her by the hand as she sped towards the ramp. As his feet scrambled across the decking, franticly trying to keep up, he glanced around the yard at the three fire bins which were scattered around the training area. Bits of table leg stuck out of one so he easily guessed what would initially fuel them. The tables, which he tried in vain to grab hold of, had been moved to the sides, creating a central floor space wide enough to stand a mammoth in. As they reached the steps of the wooden platform, Sotek swung his arm around a beam bringing Aela to a halt.
“Slow down will you; you’ll have me on the floor in a minute. Where are we going?”
Aela chuckled as she composed herself. The she wolf pointed at the Skyforge which had a stack of timber build up in the shape of a large pyre. On the top of it, resting on a wooden platform lay the ice wolf which they killed a few days before.
Surrounding the perimeter of the Skyforge were the banners from the hall. As Sotek walked up the ramp, he ran his hand across one, feeling the thick woven threads which were used to make them.
“There’s so much history here. I’m glad you allowed all the past Companions to be honored as well”.
“It’s only right”. She shrugged her shoulders in response although the tone in her voice changed rather abruptly due to the subject. "It's probably the closest I will get to giving him a funeral”.
She seemed to perk up as they neared the forge itself. A single unlit torch sat in a metal holder where it waited for the right moment to be used to light the fire. Aela tapped it with her finger and smiled to the group of Companions below. Kodlak was sitting in a chair watching them cautiously as if he was aware of their plans for the following night. Aela, who seemed lost in her own world smiled down at him before turning around to face Sotek.
“Harbinger asked me to light the fire. I know I would have lit it anyway but he singled me out in front of everyone and asked if I would do such an honor. I was so worried he was still angry with us… with them. I certainly didn’t expect the wood pyre to be so high though. I hope Eorlund don’t mind, it’s massive”.
Sotek quietly laughed as he mentally pictured himself standing in the forge where he built the base of the stack out of thick pieces of lumber.
“Yes, I built it up earlier. You remember when I had a few hours out here by myself? That’s when I started it. Eorlund asked if I wanted any help but I refused. He had the grace to let me do it on my own”.
Aela looked at him in surprise. She noticed how heavy the logs were which were used in its construction and presumed the two brothers had done it due to the weight.
“You built it up? I thought the others did. I’m not calling you weak but they are far stronger. You should have let them help at the very least”.
Sotek shook his head and quickly responded with a definite ‘no’.
“Nope that’s all me. It was gruelling and exhausting but it was something I needed to do. Never worked so hard in my life, well yess I have but you get the point. How that girl at Ivarstead copes I don’t know”.
Aela gave a curious look as she thought to the bear cave near the Seven Thousand Steps.
“Oh you mean Temba? Temba Wide-Arm, the lumberjill?”
A slight nod was all Sotek could do as the Harbinger had approached them while they were talking. He pointed to the pyre and asked about it.
“Well you certainly built it up. Why did you build it so high?”
Sotek smiled at the Harbinger as he explained.
“Well, it’s for all those that have fallen in Jorrvaskr!” He felt some relief that the Harbinger’s tone and indeed his whole attitude were friendlier than earlier. The Companion didn’t like being in Kodlak’s bad books; just the thought of it seemed to create a horrid atmosphere.
That very night everyone had started gathering in the courtyard. Jarl Balgruuf was there along with Irileth and Proventus who had several of the guards in uniform gather around him. The Dunmer, Irileth dismissed them and made sure their weapons were left in a pile along with a clear order that they were to relax. All seven guards looked around blankly until Kodlak knocked the top of a bottle of mead off and handed it to Lydia. He stood over her, literally forcing her to take a swig of it. Once she had done so the other guards seemed to relax and break away from one another as they began mingling amongst the various townsfolk.
By now Tilma had sent the Whelps out with several food parcels along with bottles of ale for the guards who happened to be on duty. Each Whelp relayed her instructions, stating that the guards were not to touch the drink until the pyre was ablaze.
As the two moons climbed way overhead, Kodlak saw little point in delaying the ceremony, especially as all the Whelps had now returned. The Harbinger moved to the Skyforge and addressed the crowd who had gathered in the yard. He welcomed key members first, Jarl Balgruuf in particular received an almost royal welcome but Kodlak made a point of giving special thanks to Tilma who organized the courtyard and the Inn keeper Hulda for helping with the food.
Throughout all of this time, Sotek stayed by Aela’s side like a faithful hound following his mistress’s footsteps. Aela herself had fallen in a sullen, quiet mood and brooded by herself despite the close proximity of her mate. Kodlak’s speech was short but even before he started; Aela’s gaze phased out away from him and fixated itself upon the ice wolf. When Kodlak called the Companions up the ramp, Sotek had to give the she-wolf a nudge to bring her back from whatever world she was in at the time.
Aela jumped in a direct response to Sotek’s elbow but she quickly recovered and took point, leading the Companions along with a few select members following behind. Danica could see Aela was troubled and she quickened her pace to move alongside her.
“Aela, one second child”. She whispered in the Companion’s ear then moved back to her position within the group. “The temple doors don’t just open on Sundas you know”.
Aela’s eyes closed tightly and stayed shut while she nodded back. She couldn’t trust herself to answer so she gave a slight nod while she squeezed Sotek’s hand; thankful that he was there.
Sotek knew from her face that Aela was struggling so he answered on her behalf.
“Thank you Danica, there are times when a small ounce of faith can do wonders for the soul. We’ll keep it in mind”.
Once they had ascended the ramp, each member of the group moved to their perspective positions. Aela slowly stepped forwards, taking her place directly in front of the pyre. She went to speak but her emotions tore at her, forcing the Harbinger to step up and give the speech. Such an act of speaking to the public was something he was used to whereas the she-wolf had, more for the greater part of her life, been a loner. Not quiet or withdrawn but rather keen to spend her time by herself, a ‘self imposed solitary confinement’.
Kodlak’s voice carried across the yard, reaching every set of ears that would care to listen.
“There have been many occasions when a Companion has fought besides the guards to protect Whiterun and its people. Indeed there has been a few times, thanks to some not holding their drink, when the Companions have fought against the guards but there is little point in mentioning Aela’s name so we won’t”.
Aela bent over in laughter as she wiped a tear from her cheek. Her mood lifted as memories of a few drunken brawls ended up with her being arrested. One memory in particular brought her back down to reality when she remembered her father leaving Jorrvaskr. She wasn’t sixteen when he stormed out of the hall. She drank heavy that night and started a massive fight in the Bannered Mare until Kodlak came in and pulled her off a guard. She had swung round and punched him full in the face on reflex. When her eyes saw him for who he was, the Harbinger who she had just given a nose bleed, she cowered in fear.
She had expected him to hit her back but instead he held her tight against his chest, pinning her arms to her sides so she couldn’t struggle. Moments later she had burst into tears while he consoled her along with his bloody nose.
It was one such tear which caused her to dart her head away from the crowd. A quick wipe of the back of her hand brushed it away leaving her to glance back at the Harbinger who had paused while she composed herself. With a slight nod she smiled back at him, signalling that she was ready for him to carry on.
Kodlak returned her smile with one of his own before resuming his speech.
“But... but there have been those unfortunate and oh… so regrettable times when past Companions, and lest we not forget the guards, who in their sacred duty, have fought and died. This night we honor those who have fallen so we may sleep peacefully with the knowledge that the walls and roads are safe”.
He stepped to the side as he extended his arm, guiding Aela forward towards the pyre. With a gentle nudge of his elbow, Aela slowly walked to the forge and placed a bottle of mead in-between two logs in the wood pile which for some reason, caused Sotek to sweat. His tail darted about nervously until he heard Aela’s voice as she said her line.
“'Lo, there do I see Ysgramor. 'Lo, there do I see Harbinger”.
Kodlak followed behind her, his voice carrying with the wind.
“I see my Shield Sisters and my Shield Brothers”
Next in line was Vilkas who was rapidly followed by Farkas.
“'Lo, there do I see...”
“The line of the Companions”.
Aela drew a quick sharp breath, stifling a cry which tried to escape her mouth. Pausing for as little as possible, she held her breath before continuing with the ritual.
“Ba… back to… the beginning…”
A heavy hand held her shoulder. She looked up to see Kodlak standing next to her. He whispered down to her, egging her on.
“Say the rest with me”.
She nodded slightly then drew a deep breath and along with the Harbinger, she finished the speech.
“'Lo, they call to me. They bid me, take my place amongst them. In the hall of Sovngarde. ‘In the Hunting Grounds…’ Where the brave… May live… forever”.
Kodlak noticed what Aela had whispered; his words drowned hers out but he knew she said what she needed to say. He was just thankful she had the guile to whisper it.
The Companions and the Whelps repeated the last line as one, a single entity, a single pack. All the while, the Jarl and everyone else stood silently watching.
Aela approached the lit torch and hesitated. She was drawn to Sotek’s smile and watched him as his hand wiped a single tear from her face. She took the torch from the metal stand and moved slowly towards the pyre. As she held the torch out to light it, she softly spoke her last goodbye to Omega.
“You saved my life and you died fighting for my soul. Thank you Omega, thank you...”
Only the Companions heard her, Sotek included. As she stepped back away from the rapidly rising flames, Sotek wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. He turned around, revolving her body so her back was to the crowd lest anyone saw her cry.
The Harbinger signalled to the bard, Mikael, who started singing a song of warriors of old, taking the attention away from Aela and her sorrowful whimpering. The crowd moved back to the yard where they separated into small groups, leaving just the Companions and the Jarl watching her as she tried to hide in the coils of Sotek’s arms.
After a minute or so, she calmed down and composed herself. She watched the flames stretch upwards and the tiny ‘fire fairies’ which comprised of red hot glowing ash as they rose in the sky, riding the waves of heat from the fire.
While she gazed at the fire which greedily consumed the body of the wolf, she spoke.
“Do you think Hircine is proud of us?”
“Pardon?” Sotek pulled her gently round so she was facing him. “What did you say?”
Aela glanced over her shoulder so she could feel the heat of the flames upon her cheeks.
“I said, do you think the Harbinger is proud of us? What we done? What Red and Scarface have done?”
Sotek looked back at the Harbinger in complete confusion. He could have sworn Aela said Hircine and he knew the Harbinger wasn’t impressed with their latest exploits.
“I ermm… Are you hungry? Look! Farkas is moving towards the table; once Vilkas gets there all will be lost”.
Aela moved to the edge of the plateau and peered down to the yard. Both the brothers had ignored the pile of plates and had started filling two silver platters instead. As for Aela, her nose screwed up at the sight of the food laid out on the table and turned away in disgust.
“I’m not hungry. I need a drink”. She took hold of Sotek’s hand and led him down the ramp before working her way through the crowd until she reached the ‘bar’. It was nothing fancy, just one of the large tables with various small barrels on one of the long edges along with a considerable selection of different bottles.
She picked up four bottles, two in each hand and looked around the yard for somewhere to sit. The other tables were already full and her usual wall was hidden behind a large group of people, all of them talking over each other, desperate to have their words heard.
Sotek took charge and told her to stay where she was.
“Wait here!” He headed inside the hall and returned moments later carrying a small table. He smiled goofily at her due to the presence of a golden yellow beeswax candle which he held in between his spiky teeth.
He nodded towards the far side of the yard where the light of the pyre had failed to reach and set the table down amongst the shadows. After he set the candle on a small metal plate, he gathered two chairs and seated Aela down in one. Using a piece of thin kindle wood, he lit the candle and proceeded to pull off two bottle tops. The corks, made from bark, were flung over the wall, much to Aela’s amusement.
While the Jarl applauded the Harbinger on the ceremony, he thought back to Aela’s distress and felt some empathy towards her. As he was already in conversation with Kodlak, he decided to ask about it.
“That was a nice speech you gave. I would like to thank both you and Aela for the inclusion of the guards in the speech and for inviting them to join in with the ceremony”.
The Harbinger shook his hand in a firm grip and patted their bonding with his spare hand, strengthening the hold.
“The guards fight for Whiterun as we do. They deserve it just as much as the Companions do but I thank you for your kind words”.
Balgruuf nodded simplistically while he watched Aela drink her second bottle of mead.
“Yes, indeed. I would like to thank Aela as well personally but I noticed she was somewhat upset. I have to ask Harbinger, had someone died lately?”
“Ermm... She’s over there with Sotek”. As he spoke he singled them out while he tried to think of a suitable answer. “Sotek! The Jarl would like to thank Aela for her part of the ceremony”.
Leaving her bottle of drink behind, Aela made her way through the crowd who parted for her, opening a pathway to the Harbinger. Her nerves were more settled now although she could feel the alcohol’s bite already. Leaving ‘ladies’ courtesies behind, she offered her hand to him rather than bending her knees in respect.
Her mannerisms were noted by both Kodlak and the Jarl but her words gave sufficient cause to forget her minor indiscretions.
“Balgruuf… No thanks are necessary I assure you. It was my pleasure”. She finished her sentence with a smile directed at the Jarl himself.
In response, he didn’t smile but instead he found himself frowning. The slight shake of his head brushed her words aside.
“I wouldn’t say that it gave you pleasure Aela. You were upset and I am curious as to why. I’ve voiced my concerns that someone has died and yet my line of questioning has yielded little except for delay tactics and blank faces. The feelings you showed when you spoke at the Skyforge were unmistakable. What has happened?”
Aela shot a worried glance at the Harbinger who in turn just looked blankly back at her. He tried to think of a reply but the Jarl had already stated he had used delaying tactics. Something had to be said but he couldn’t think what.
Sotek watched them both from the sidelines and inwardly groaned. Kodlak was never one for mind games and the like. He lived in the world of reality and straight talk. Subterfuge wasn’t a part of his skill set. Sotek’s mind was wired different, Quentarii, his mother saw to that. Sensing the building panic within them both, he rolled his eyes and stepped into the breach.
“A few days ago we fought against a band of Forsworn. The Harbinger fears that this particular group may have been the ones responsible for the death of Aela’s mother. Although she died when Aela was still a child, Aela has fond memories of her. It was this particular fight that gave Aela the idea for a ceremony. From there it seemed logical to include the guards as well. For us, it’s a ceremony of remembrance to all those who have fallen. For Aela; for her it’s her mother’s funeral. We’ve never found her body”.
Both the Jarl and Kodlak stared at him in equal shock while Aela fell speechless. Before any of them could say a word, Sotek took Aela’s hand and whisked her away to the shadows where their small table waited for their return. He pulled out her chair and sat her in it before returning to his own seat. Reaching across the table, with the candle burning between their arms they held onto each other’s hands. Fearing he overstepped the mark, Sotek swiftly apologized for bringing up such painful memories.
“He is sorry for mentioning your mother. He didn’t mean to add to your burdens. He had to think fast”.
She sat in silence for a few minutes, while her fingers intertwined with Sotek’s. Every so often her hand would break away then her fingertips would start the whole process off again. With a sharp inhale of breath, she met his concerns head on.
“How did you know? That was supposed to be a secret”.
Sotek guessed there was little point in hiding the facts and pointed at Farkas as he replied.
“Farkas told us; me and Vilkas. Don’t you be angry with him, he was worried about you”.
Aela glanced over her shoulder and watched her brother while he ploughed through a second plate of food. Her head felt heavy and subconsciously lowered down so she was facing the floor.
“I’m not angry, you did well”. She lifted his hand up and pulled it towards her so she could tenderly kiss his knuckles.
Moments later she downed the rest of the bottle before asking him to fetch another drink for her.
Sotek gave her one of his own along with a few words of caution.
“You are setting out to get drunk aren’t you? Why don’t you try to eat something?”
Over exaggerating her movements she nodded, tipping her right back over the back of the chair so she could see who was behind her. She lifted her head up again and struggled to refocus her eyes; partly due to the blood rushing to her head but the alcohol took its toll as well.
“Yes, yep, yup. Get me another please. I need drink not substacna… substan… food”.
“Ermm I just passed you one”. He stated as he watched her flushed cheeks. He knew she would regret it in the morning but for the moment he let her carry on. He knew she needed the mead far more than wise words.
Aela tipped her head back and drank as fast as she could even spilling some down her chin as she guzzled the drink. Then, with a drunken smile she held it upside down.
“See! It’s empty! Be a deer and get me another one? No! Make it two”.
Knowing what Aela had actually said caused Sotek to chuckle. As he moved off his seat to fetch the next round of drinks he questioned her about her choice of words.
“Is that dear as in sweetheart or deer as in, ‘oh good a hunt?’ I feel a pressing need to ask”.
Aela eyed him coldly and scrunched up her face.
“If you don’t move your lovely tail, it’ll be a hunt”.
He soon returned with two flagons and a jug full of mead. Aela preferred mead to ale, it was no secret she had a bit of a sweet tooth. She watched with hungry eyes as he poured out the honey based liquid but when she realized he was giving her more than himself, she grabbed his arm, nearly knocking the jug out of his hand.
“You got to down one of them to catch up with me.” Her eyes seemed glazed over but there was a certain desperation to her voice which made him feel compelled to obey her request. “Don’t let me get drunk by myself, please”.
Giving in despite knowing the whole thing was a bad idea; he gave up the restraint and downed an entire flask. As he poured out his second tankard, Aela reached over and slapped him on the back. “Yaay! My favourite drinking buddy”.
Shortly after, the bard started singing again. One of the female Whelps jumped up on a table.
“I like this one”. She stated as she started dancing. The girl shook her hips as she danced to the cheers of the group of men who gathered around her.
Not being out done, the Imperial Whelp climbed on a second table opposite her and tried to outdo her dance; unintentionally starting a dance competition. Several people took it in turns, dragging the contest on for an hour until Mikael, the bard, couldn’t sing anymore.
Throughout all this time, Aela sat in the chair and watched while she set out to break her own record, drinking her way into Oblivion.
A few hours later, Aela’s head was resting on the flat of the table while her arms were wrapped around a bottle of mead. The Jarl smiled to himself and walked over to her.
“Sotek, I think you should put her to bed. She’s had a hard day”. He tried to take the bottle away from her hand but the moment she felt the bottle move she growled. Her eye’s stayed shut and with the distortion in her mind, she had no idea who was there. All she knew was someone was taking her drink away. The effort of opening her eyes proved too great so she left them shut while her hands closed around the bottle strengthening her grip.
The Jarl stepped back in surprise and bewilderment as he pointed at her.
“Did she just growl at me?”
Sotek was quick with a response and shook his head while he gave her a light kick from under the table, causing her to pay attention to her surroundings.
“Oh no, she’s asleep. When she sleeps, especially after she had been drinking, she tends to snore. It sounds like a bear, a loud bear. In fact you would think she was a bear if you just listened to her”. Aela gave a sneaky smile and started pretending to be asleep, giving herself ample opportunities to growl even more.
A few minutes later, Aela lifted her head up only to find herself in a worse state than she had thought. The whole yard started spinning around, causing her to groan as she held her head in the palms of her hands. She tried to get up but she just collapsed in her seat and sprawled her arms across the table.
The Jarl quietly laughed at her, along with the Harbinger who was talking with him and Irileth. Vilkas and Farkas happened to notice Aela’s lack of coordination despite being on the other side of the yard. They never offered any help, all they did was sit back against the wall and crease up laughing at the state of their ‘sister’.
Aela pulled out her dagger and pointed it at Sotek while she growled at him.
“You! You, you bashtard got me drunks! Wait, wot I’m drunk? Damnsh you. What was I doing sosh not to notish you geten me drunksh”.
Before Sotek could answer her, she slumped over the table and fell asleep. He covered her up with a fur and left her there for a few minutes, knowing that with every second she fell into a deeper restful state. When the ceremony started spreading inside the hall, he picked her up and carried her to his room. He laid her down then stripped off her clothing, leaving her in just her loincloth then he laid next to her where she cuddled up to him.
Author’s Note:
One section in the Companions Quest chain, which I felt was rather poor was Kodlak’s funeral. I have never liked the choice of words they used. This gave the scene an empty and meaningless feeling.
One film, The 13th Warrior however had a great scene so it is from that film that I adapted the ceremony for my story.
Comments