U.O.T.W. Chapter 165 Wolf Pack

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    Once the two Companions passed the main gates, they faced the task of tracking down the pack of Whelps. Such an undertaking was easy due to them possessing the beast blood which allowed them to pick up the scents of the pack. Not that they needed it because Farkas’s voice could be heard by a deaf man as he called out to everyone in an overzealous manner while he tried to keep them together.

    “Stay with me. Don’t wander off!”

     

    Aela growled as they approached the pack. She turned to Sotek and said.

    “Who the hell is he shouting at? He’ll scare away our prey!”

     

    Sotek covered the top of his temple with his hand so he could see across the plains without being blinded by the sun’s bright glare. Feeling a bit baffled he replied.

    “Vilkas I think; some pack this is. We’ll whip them into shape”.

     

    “Whip? I’d rather rip!” Aela stated as she quickened her pace. “Farkas! Shut up, you’ll scatter the deer! Moron”.

     

    When they rejoined the Whelps, Sotek set about separating them into two groups. He gave Aela the command of one pack while he led the other. He laid out what he wanted to achieve with the Huntress, pointing out that they had an ideal opportunity to teach everyone to hunt as a single entity rather than a mob of individuals. Something they couldn’t do in Jorrvaskr’s training grounds.

    “Aela, you take Farkas with you. Don’t pull faces, you have Farkas. He’ll be no trouble. I’ll take Vilkas and the Imperial girl with me. Best she’s kept out of your way I think”.

     

    Aela glanced at the Imperial. She was leaning against a large boulder studying one of her arrows. Aela’s face screwed up as she watched the girl jump in surprise as she pricked her finger on the arrowhead when she tested the point to see how sharp it was.

    “She’s a cretin. Fine, you got ape and cretin. I’ve got monkey boy!”

     

    Chuckling, Sotek shook his head as he watched the girl suck her finger till the bleeding stopped. She nervously looked around and caught herself in his gaze where she gave him a slight smile before dropping her quiver on the ground, spilling out the arrows as she caught the bottom of it in her hand.

     

    Aela huffed with contempt and headed off in search for prey. She had barely moved fifty feet; just enough to walk over the rise of a knoll when she saw what she was after.

    “Two deer and a stag to the north. We’re about four hundred yards away”.

     

    She hastily moved back to her pack and took control, leaving Farkas little to do except fall in with the others.

     

    They finally closed the distance to around three hundred feet by crouching down and stealthily making their way along gullies and using the foliage and shrubs for cover. Now they were at a respectable shooting distance, Aela smiled and selected each pack’s target.

    “Snake, you go for the stag and my group will go for the closest deer. The furthest one is mine”.

     

    Sotek’s tail flapped about as he watched the deer which Aela had pricked for herself and offered his assistance in downing the said beast.

    “My pack doesn’t need me to help with the stag. They can take that out so I’ll help you with the last deer”.

     

    The features on Aela’s face turned from those of a girl in an almost ecstatic state of prowess to one of a demonic hell spawn wolf set out to destroy all in its path. The beast blood in Sotek had now quelled its hold but for Aela there was no relief from its intoxication.

    “No! I told you; that is mine!”

     

    Sotek gave her a funny look and studied the deer once more in case it had some Hircine related significance. Deciding this wasn’t the case, he argued somewhat unwisely against Aela’s demands.

    “What? Why can’t I go for the same deer?”

     

    She glared straight at him; her eyes almost burrowing deep within his soul.

    “Because the only female you’re allowed to chase out here is me!!”

     

    The Argonian had to look at Aela twice to see if she was joking. The will and passion which blazed within her told him everything he needed to know. She meant every word.

    “That’s ridiculous”. He stated, shoving her objections carelessly aside.

     

    Aela’s eyes narrowed to mere slits. Her breathing slowed yet it was noisy and deep.

    “Oh is it? If I catch you chasing any other bloody female then this is what’s going to happen to you both”. With lightening speed she let loose in extremely quick fashion six arrows. Every few seconds a missile struck its target, dealing a devastating blow.

     

    The first to fall was the closest deer. Two arrows tore through its rib cage before it even fell to the ground. The second doe turned to run but it hadn’t managed a single step when the first of two arrows tore into its back, felling the creature in seconds. The stag bolted, or rather it tried to. Well under thirty seconds of Aela launching the first of her arrows, the stag, which Aela fired at last, was dead as a single steel arrow tore into its neck, shredding arteries and the windpipe, slaying the beast with a perfect kill shot.

    Aela slammed her bow in Sotek’s chest along with the rest of her threat.

    “And the Stag would be you!”

     

    Once he got over the shock, Sotek mockingly clapped at Aela’s marksmanship and her total lack of restraint. He looked over to the three deer in a mixed sense of awe and fear, knowing Aela executed the three animals from over two hundred yards away.

    “Oh well done! Now I’m nervous, the Whelps are terrified and you killed their targets. Nicely controlled there Aela; brilliant”.

     

    Aela looked up at him in bewilderment like she had just snapped out of a trance. Glancing back at the two dead doe’s and the stag, the Huntress mumbled incoherently.

    “What! What did? Ermm... well... I erm...”

    Leaving the Huntress behind, Sotek sent off the six Whelps with instructions to skin them and strip the deer of meat while Sotek set about retrieving the antlers from the stag.

     

    When they returned, Sotek pulled Aela aside and had a quiet word. For the first time he exercised his rank as Harbinger, laying down the law upon her.

    “Aela; if you can’t control this then I’ll have no choice but to send you back or stand you down. I will ask you once... who is in control? Aela... or Red?”

     

    Aela’s lip started quivering as her eyes began swelling up. She sniffed and wiped her nose on the back of her hand before brushing off the start of an emotional tear. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, pushing down the wolf within her.

    “I... I am...”

     

    Sotek tilted his head and whispered back at her.

    “But who is ‘I’?”

     

    “Me... Aela...” She slowly opened her eyes once more and took a few more deep breaths, reasserting herself. “Aela is in control”.

     

    “Ease your storm my mate. She will have her chance before the night has passed. For now you keep her in check. Either that or I will”. Leaving her to ponder upon his warning, Sotek called the rest of the pack to them and began searching for new ‘living’ targets.

     

    Half an hour later, once they left the damaged tower way behind to the east, Aela stopped and lowered her hand, signalling to the pack to fall in behind her. Sotek moved out of position and joined her while his eyes scanned the area ahead. On the wind he could smell the scent of fresh prey. The Huntress managed to redeem herself as she pointed to the small heard of deer on the horizon.

    “One doe, one stag”.

     

    Sotek took her by the hand and led her away from the brow of the hill. Aela resumed her earlier attitude and laid out her threat once more, warning every one of them of the consequences should they disobey her.

    “Remember your packs after the stag. Down the doe and I’ll down you; permanently”.

     

    The Argonian nervously gulped as he addressed the Whelps; reminding them of his fate.

    “Ok, we’re on. Now, for the love of the Nines, please don’t shoot the doe; I don’t want to die”.

     

    The pack separated into two smaller groups although they only moved a few yards apart. Each bow rose up and aimed to bear on their targets; each Whelp and Companion waiting for the order to let loose iron arrows across the sky.

     

    Aela blanked her mind. She focused on her target and drowned out the group’s breathing and the annoying shuffling of feet as each member tried to find that ‘perfect position’ in which to fire. The Huntress listened to the stag’s heart beating slowly in its chest as she fed off the creature’s life force, using its scent to energize the beast blood within. The stag realized the danger; some sixth sense alerted it to their presence. It lifted up its head and looked straight at Aela, marking her as a threat but it was too late; the stag acted on its instincts and tried to warn the doe but the Huntress was faster.

     

    She released the drawstring, sending the arrow to shoot across the plains with deadly accuracy as a singular loud cry shouted out to the pack.

    “Now!”

     

    All at once the Whelps and Companions released the drawstrings sending the projectiles free to bring death upon their targets. Most of the arrows struck true, although not every arrow were a kill shot as some just struck the beasts in the legs or shoulder. With the amount of arrows fired though, death was certain and with a minimal ‘barking’ cry, both stag and deer collapsed where they grazed, covering the fresh green grass with blood.

     

    Irrespective of any individual success or failure, as he had noticed some arrows never hit their mark at all, Sotek, who was feeling pleased with the results, congratulated the pack.

    “Well done all of you; even those that missed their target”.

     

    One of the Whelps raised their hand and questioned him about his decision not to point out those who had done particularly well or even worse, those who didn’t do well at all.

    “Why even those that missed? Surely those of us who had hit the targets should be congratulated, not that Imperial cow who missed. I clearly saw her arrow miss”.

     

    She had expected Sotek to turn on the Imperial girl or even Aela to but instead Sotek diverted his attention straight back at her. He stepped towards her and gathered the group around them both in a circle then spoke.

    “I remember you from the yard. You’re the one who complained about her and her blade. Think on this; will I ever outshoot Aela? Will I ever beat Farkas with a shield? Will I ever fell Vilkas with a two handed blade? No; not unless I change the rules and bring other things upon them. So, if I cannot beat them then why do I train with them? Why for that matter do we train you six Whelps? When a blacksmith creates a weapon for a warrior he does not hand over the bar of iron and send the fighter off to battle. It’s what he creates with that bar. She missed today yes... but will she miss tomorrow? If I wanted or even expected you all to hit a perfect kill shot then I would be here now with just one of you. This isn’t about just one Companion training, this is about the pack. We are today hunting in a pack. Now unless I’m mistaken, everyone fired, no one got smacked in their nose with their bow, and all the arrows flew in the right direction. What really matters is this; everyone is safe and Aela hasn’t peppered me with arrows so we all get to go home. That is why I said well done”. He raised his eyebrows, raising the intricate yet tough small protruding bonespikes which formed his eyebrows and smiled, breaking the atmosphere before it became too tainted with anger and emotions.

     

    Leaving little time to digest his words, he pointed across the plains, sending his mate loose to hunt down their next set of targets.

    “The plains are in a state of balance; wolves, sabre cats, bear and deer. We strike down one then we strike down another and keep the equilibrium. We’ve killed five prey so now we search for predators. Seek out a bear or a few wolves while I organise the Whelps and skin the deer. We’ve plenty of venison for the stores so Tilma will be most pleased with today’s results as will the Harbinger”.

     

    Aela tutted and gave him a punch in the arm before drawing her bow as she broke into a run.
    “You are the Harbinger... you stupid reptile!”

     

    The Argonian hissed back in mockery at her words.

    “And I’m pleased. I told you the Harbinger would be... Hsssss”. Once she was out of earshot Sotek turned to the Whelps and hissed. “Ssmart arsed bitch”.

     

    A good hour or so later Aela saw what she was looking for. Leaving her targets undisturbed, she ran across the terrain using every ounce of her speed and agility as she darted over rocks and grassland to report back to Sotek with her findings.

    Towards the west; two wolves resting on the rocks. There’s a taint of blood in the air so I guess they had recently killed. I’d guess they won’t be in a rush to move anywhere. We’ve got two prime targets if we’re careful”.

     

    Sotek nodded back at her and replied as seriously as he could.

    “That’s perfect. We’ll get the bitch to lead the way”. He then moved towards the pack and slyly winked at the Imperial girl as he spoke.

    “Aela, you go first; we’ll follow you”.

     

    Without realizing exactly what Sotek had meant, Aela eagerly nodded and took point; leading the pack towards the wolves while her two ‘brothers’ and the Whelps sniggered behind her.

     

    The Huntress stopped the group when they had neared their target and eagerly pointed the two wolves out to her counterpart.

    “There you go. I thought we were going to let the bitch lead though”.

     

    With a knowing smirk, Sotek nodded in response.

    “We did. Right everyone; same as before except this time there’s just two wolves. This time they won’t try to run away but they will attack if we screw this up so don’t miss”.

     

    Aela gasped at Sotek’s open audacity but she didn’t stay in a state of mild shock for long. Suddenly the Argonian jumped while trying to stifle a scream. His tail slid through the grass and flicked up to rest in his hands while a trace amount of Argonian blood dripped from the softer underside of the tail where one of Aela’s arrows had somehow ‘accidently’ stabbed him.

    “That hurt!”                     

     

    Aela, who was far from being anywhere near remorseful, grinned back at him as sarcastically as she could.

    “Good. It was supposed to... reptile!”

     

    Moving away from her so he was out of range, Sotek hissed back before beckoning the pack towards them.

     

    The two groups separated upon Aela’s command and quickly formed into their relevant packs while she studied her prey. Taking control, she issued out her orders giving no room for error as to what she wanted or expected from them.

    “My half will take the left wolf; Sotek’s take the right wolf. You four follow me; quietly!”

     

    She then sent Sotek off towards the rocky outcrop where he could have a clearer line of sight as they had the rocks and boulders for cover so they could move closer undetected.

     

    As the Argonian made his way to their position, he cringed as his ears couldn’t help but listen to every single footstep his group made.

    Try to walk quieter, we want surprise”.

     

    Vilkas listened to the erratic movements of the Whelps as well. He tried to hear Sotek’s footsteps but it was impossible. He soon found himself watching Sotek creep along to where Aela had indicated moments before.

     

    Once Sotek was in position, he turned to face his group only to find Vilkas was several feet behind everyone else. The Nord’s gaze was fixed on his yet Vilkas made no move until Sotek waved at him. He suddenly snapped out of his trance and moved across the ground once more. Thanks to the fact that he was used to sneaking about in tombs and other places around Skyrim, Vilkas had no trouble in catching up whilst he made sure he didn’t alert the wolves to their presence.

     

    Feeling baffled over Vilkas’s erratic behavior, Sotek questioned him about it but as there wasn’t anything actually wrong, the Nord quickly apologized and pointed out a much more evident threat.

    “Sorry about that; I got distracted. Crap! Aela’s irritated; mind you she’s always aggravated over something”.

     

    Sotek glanced over to his mate. She stood there glaring at him with her arms folded across her chest while her foot impatiently tapped on the ground.

    “She’s not happy, that’s for sure. Let’s get some kills and sate her thirst”. He quickly spaced out his group then gave Aela the signal, letting her know he was finally ready.

     

    While he relayed his instructions to the group, he raised an eyebrow in surprise when all Aela seemed to do was to lift her hand up and make a fist. Sotek watched in awe at the Huntress as her pack raised their bows and prepared to fire.

     

    Sotek quickly realized that he had fallen short of the mark as the Alpha, whereas Aela had clearly organized her pack far better than he had. After making a mental note to prearrange a few basic hand signals, he whispered to the pack while silently cursing himself for his lack of insight.

    “Ready your bows. Remember; we are going for the wolf on the right”.

     

    As they all lined up their shots Aela turned to him and awaited his signal to fire. He had expected her to initiate the attack but the nod she gave indicated that she was happy for him to have command. He smiled at her then drew a deep breath. Making a slight adjustment in his aim to counter the wind, Sotek prepared to shout out but just before he could, a single arrow from Sotek’s group shot out and struck the wolf on the right hand side in the back leg, maiming it but also causing it to cry out in pain.

     

    Three more wolves that were previously hidden in the undergrowth ran to their feet and charged towards Aela along with the wolf she had earmarked as her pack’s target.

     

    The Companions now found themselves facing four wolves in an ambush. No longer were they the predators; they were the prey.

     

    Letting loose her drawstring, releasing the steel arrow from the confines of her bow, Aela the Huntress yelled out…

    “Fire!!”

     

     

     

Comments

5 Comments   |   The Sunflower Manual and 6 others like this.
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  November 30, 2016
    *Harrow
    I'll work on discipline... don't hold your breath though.
    *Lissette Sotek has to be whipped into shape first.
    *Ebonslayer If you mean the Imperial Whelp.... 
  • Ebonslayer
    Ebonslayer   ·  November 30, 2016
    Let me guess, it was that whelp with the pole up her ass who shot the wolf?
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  November 1, 2016
    On the hunt and making a lot of noise. LOL, here's hoping Harbinger Sotek whips them into shape!  ;)
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  October 22, 2016
    Made a few small adjustments.
    Discipline? Ermmm  We'll get the Harbinger to work on that.
  • The Sunflower Manual
    The Sunflower Manual   ·  October 22, 2016
    I'm noticing a trend with the Companions' discipline. Or lack thereof.