U.O.T.W. Chapter 200 True Love Hurts

• Posted by Sotek February 7, 2017 - Filed in TSC: CB Story - #Sotek  #U.O.T.W.  - 1,178 views

  ‘True love isn’t being with the person you can live with.

  It’s being with the one person you can’t live without’

   

  Author’s Note: Adult Themes

   

  At some point in the day Sotek opened his eyes. His whole body ached and he silently wished that the rampaging mammoth which was currently battering itself against the inside of his skull would settle down and leave him be. He tried to avoid thinking back to the fight for all it seemed to do was make him dizzier as the strain aggravated the mammoth.

   

  The Argonian blinked heavily, despite the fact that it was now afternoon and he was well within Jorrvaskr’s shadow so the sun wasn’t able to irritate his eyes. He tried to lift his arm so he could rub his brow but it refused to move. Turning to his left, he understood why. Aela laid there next to him. She was curled up in a ball, asleep. His hand protruded from between her arms as she clung on to him, holding his limb against her blood covered chest. Flaky bits of dried blood clung to her face where he had hit her. The thought of them fighting made Sotek’s stomach feel like it was doing somersaults.

   

  A light grey wolf fur was draped over Aela’s legs from where someone had covered the two Companions up. No doubt he, she or even the pair of them had wrestled with it in their sleep to free themselves from its confines.

   

  The shirt Aela wore did little to cover her. Her back was exposed to the elements and from where Sotek lay he could see one of her breasts as it rested on his arm which separated her ‘pups’. He reached over her and slowly pulled up the wolf fur, covering her up. The huntress stirred in her sleep and shuffled closer to him, whining from the pain of her own injuries.

   

  Soft whispering voices caught Sotek’s attention. He looked across the porch to see somewhat surprisingly, the Harbinger and Jarl Balgruuf sitting at one of the large tables, enjoying a flask of mead. A big gap showed where the third table should have been had Sotek not used Aela’s torso to break it.

   

  Some sixth sense caused Kodlak to turn around. He half smiled as he spoke to the Companion.

  “It’s awake! Don’t be so quick to move lad. Danica healed you both but only enough so you don’t drown in your own blood”.

   

  A shape loomed over him. He looked to his right to see Vilkas peering back.

  “Don’t heal her unless she asks you to. Trust me it’s better to wait and for the love of everything, don’t heal yourself”.

   

  Trying not to disturb the sleeping she-wolf, Sotek prised himself up to a sitting position and slid backwards to a post, sliding Aela along the floor with him. She groaned a few times but she quickly tightened herself back into a ball and cuddled into her mate’s body.

   

  Sotek rested his back and his head against the post which he managed to reach before his strength left him. Wearily and totally exhausted, he let his head flop to the side. All he wanted was to heal himself and Aela with his magic but Vilkas’s warning held him in check. Instead he once again enquired as to the point of the earlier engagement.

  “What was that all about?”

   

  Vilkas grinned back at him then guzzled down half a tankard of beverage. Once he wiped his mouth on his sleeve he proceeded to explain.

  “You haven’t heard the saying have you! It goes like this. ‘You don’t know a Nord woman until you’ve had a fist fight and a strong drink with her’. Now Aela here; her mother fought Skjor, her father but he wouldn’t hit her back. Seven occasions she had him out here in the yard; fighting him throughout their relationship. Well, trying to fight him. She finally gave up, and then a few years afterwards she had Aela. Her mother always told her of that fight and how it plagued and tormented her. Aela was young at the time; five? Six? Harbinger how old was she?”

   

  Both Kodlak and the Jarl turned to each other and debated upon Aela’s age. Once they agreed, Kodlak looked back at Vilkas and answered.

  “Five: she was five years old when she last spoke with her mother about her ma and Skjor”.

   

  “See! I said five”. Vilkas stated with a grin. “Anyway; that was when Aela swore to her mother that if she did ever fell in love with someone then she would fight. If any man was to have her say she loved him then he would have to fight for that right”.

   

  Sotek pictured the two of them on the wall and their words seemed to echo through time itself. ‘Tell me you love me’ ‘Sotek, you are right. It’s time. The training grounds, be there nine am sharp. Don’t be late’. He looked down at the Huntress and shook his head.

  “I tricked her into this. She wasn’t ready”.

   

  “She’s been ready for a long time. We all know it Sotek, so don’t go blaming yourself”. Kodlak stated in a matter of fact tone. He disregarded any such comments about Sotek’s ‘trickery’, dismissing them as fanciful.

  “This is beyond a basic fist fight and it had little to do with you. This was about Aela proving to her mother that she loves you. Trust me on this; you may feel guilty about hitting out at her but she wouldn’t have stopped, even if it went on for the second day or even the second week. She would not allow herself to face the same agony as her mother had to. The only blame you can put on yourself is getting her to love you in the first place. Do you blame yourself for that?”

   

  Sotek looked down at the sleeping form of his mate and shook his head. He lovingly leaned over her and kissed the side of her cheek.

  “No; no I do not. She is my all. My plains, my prey, my companion; my mate. She’s my she-wolf and I love her”.

   

  Sotek leaned back and closed his eyes as he rested. His eyelids suddenly snapped back open and he accusingly spoke in a rough voice.

  “Wait! So we beat the crap out of each other because we love each other?”

   

  Aela groaned as she pulled herself up. She held her head to try and stop it banging then she rested it against Sotek’s chest while he pulled on the fur to cover her up. She tilted her head back so she could look up at her mate’s face.

  “No you moron. We beat the crap out of each other because I love you. I know that you love me. I needed to prove it; to ma. I told her I wouldn’t say ‘I love you’ to anyone; anyone until that man earned that right”. Aela started crying, catching Sotek off guard. He rubbed her back as he held her, giving her all the comfort his aching body would allow.

   

  Between sobs, Aela murmured something to Sotek, something only Sotek could hear.

  “They... they were the last words I said to ma. I fell asleep in her arms; the next day she went off... she never came back...”

   

  She tucked her head into his chest and wept a few more tears before she stopped breathing altogether. The Huntress took in a lung full of air and pulled herself up to a sitting position. She lightly slapped herself across the face, fortifying her emotional state.

  “Stop your crying bitch and toughen up! Now; get the hell up on your feet! Move!”

   

  She clambered up to her feet, using Sotek’s shoulder as a support then she lent backwards as she took hold of the Argonian’s wrist, pulling him up off the floor. The flat of her hands rested against Sotek’s chest as she flicked her eyes across to an empty table.

  “Now we drink! I need to get drunk. We need to get drunk. Don’t argue; drink. Don’t look at me like that Sotek; we have to”.

   

  With Aela leading them, the two Companions made their way to the bench by the table and fell into it in a pile. Both of them groaned for sympathy as they leaned on the table top. The Jarl walked over to them and smirked as he placed a large bottle of brandy on the table along with two glasses.

   

  Without a word, Aela picked up the bottle and knocked the top of it against a stone block, smashing the top of the bottle clean off.

   

  The Jarl looked in disbelief at the Huntress then down at the palm of his hand. He threw a cork screw onto the table and called out to the Harbinger, pointing at the young she-wolf as he spoke.

  “This is why no one would ask her out when she was a teenager”.

   

  Aela tried to laugh but it hurt too much so she settled for a chuckle instead. With a big cheesy smirk she replied.

  “They are all cowards”.

   

  The Huntress poured out two full glasses of brandy and drank deeply of the intoxicating drink just to promptly choke and splutter. While she was gasping for breath and suffering with the ‘alcoholic burn’ in the back of her throat she pointed to the other glass and told Sotek to join in.

  “Drink, drink it all”.

   

  Sotek lifted up his glass and tipped it back, guzzling the burning liquid. A high pitch wheezing ‘hsss’ was quickly joined by an intense croaking ‘wow’ while he became temporarily blinded as tears filled his eyes.

   

  Aela cheered amidst a roar of laughter. She refilled their glasses, slid Sotek’s glass across the table to him and proposed a toast between the two mates.

  “A toast; to true love. To the one we can’t with without”.

   

  Vilkas smirked at her and questioned what she had mistakenly said.

  “Huh? To the one we can’t with without?”

   

  Aela’s face fell blank as she pondered on Vilkas’s words. She clicked her fingers at Sotek and reworded her toast.

  “To true love: To the one we can’t live without”.

   

  They both wolfed down the whole glass, the pair of them spilling the expensive brandy down their chins as they tried to swallow the liquid as quickly as possible. Aela looked up at him once more and her face turned to shock as she slid off the bench to crash on the floor on her backside. She cried out in pain and looked around for her mate.

  “Oww... That hurt. Sotek? Where you go?”

   

  She looked up and found him still sitting on the bench. Aela drunkenly waved to him as she tugged on his leg. He slid off the seat although with more care than what she did, so he could join her. Now that they were together again, Aela turned her head towards him and pulled at his chin, forcing him to face her.

  “Look at me please”.

   

  Sotek turned to her but all he could see was cuts and bruises. He felt sick at the sight of her face. She seemed to know what he felt but she just smiled back at him. With large ‘girly gooey eyes’ she told him what she had wanted to say for months.

  “I love you Sotek. I love your tail; I love your beautiful spiky head... I love you. Harbinger!! I love him!! I love him, I... I... I feel bloody awful”. Aela promptly burst into hysterical laughter although every limb ached.

   

  Sotek looked at her with an amused grin on his face. He felt dizzy again except this time it was due to the beverage.

   “I love you too but why?”

   

  Aela snarled as her temper flared. She punched out at him, hitting the Argonian in the chest as she ranted for all she was worth.

  “No!! No! Don’t you dare!! You don’t tell me you love me! This isn’t about you! All you got to do is shut the fuck up. Don’t you even dare to say it! You don’t have the right. Not here, not now; I have, it’s my right and mine alone! This is my moment, my time. I tell you, all you do is shut up and listen”.

   

  She slammed down her hand, hurting the palm of it on the floor. Sotek gently picked it up and kissed her on the back of it. She looked back at him and smiled.

  “Sotek?”

   

  “Yes?”

   

  “I love you, I really do love you”. She then turned around and although she was in agony she cuddled up to him, holding him as tight as her body would allow.

   

   He held her in his arms, the pair of them lying there on the floor.

   

  The Harbinger walked over to them and tapped Sotek’s leg with the tip of his boot, causing the two Companions to look up at him.

  “I think you two have suffered enough. Cast a few of those healing spells then get yourselves inside. And for the love of the Nines have a bath. Aela, here’s a spare shirt”.

   

  Sotek helped his mate up then he set about casting his healing spells, releasing golden light which swirled around them. Aela kept trying to grab a handful of ‘magical sprinkles’ but every time she opened her hand she found it to be empty. For ten whole seconds they were bathed in light as their bodies recovered from the earlier ordeal.

   

  The Huntress looked down at her near exposed chest and grinned.

  “Opps, shirts a goner”. Brazenly she walked to the centre of the yard so her back was to Sotek, Kodlak and the Jarl. Kodlak tried to call out to stop her but he was too late. She promptly tore the wasted shirt off her torso exposing her back to them before she put on the newer shirt. Two sets of ‘groans’ made their way across the yard along with a ‘wolf whistle’ which caused Aela to giggle.

   

  Now that Aela was looking more decent, she walked back to Sotek, took him by the hand and proceeded to head inside the hall.

   

  That night, when they were all sitting at the table, enjoying a hot meal of venison and potatoes, Farkas commented on the fight or rather on the outcome.

  “Oh yes Sotek; well done you! We’re all going to suffer now because you couldn’t put Aela down in the dirt. You had to go and get yourself knocked out. Yes everyone, Aela knocked that useless frog out cold. Sotek, you do know now that Aela’s fear factor has risen by about two hundred and fifty percent don’t you? If the guards weren’t scared of her before they certainly are now. She is going to be a bloody nightmare!”

   

  Aela smirked at herself. She knew it was true; she felt so pleased with herself over it. Something the Harbinger was quick to notice as he had watched the grin form on her face.

   

  Sotek didn’t; he was too busy pointing out something to his shield brother.

  “I asked each and every one of you what was going on and not one of you had the guts to tell me. It’s not my fault you’re all scared of the bitch!”

   

  Aela tapped the table with the tip of her finger as she glared back at the Argonian.

  “Excuse me? Who are you calling a bitch?”

   

  Sotek hissed back at her, showing his teeth making it perfectly clear that he wasn’t going to be intimidated by her at all.

  “You!”

   

  Aela screwed her face up then chuckled back at him and nodded her approval.

  “Good. See! He’s not afraid of me!” She pushed back with her feet, shifting her chair away from the table then she took Sotek’s hand and led him down the stairwell. Once they were in her room she shut the door, sealing them both in.

   

  The Huntress started undressing Sotek but his arms stayed limp as his sides. Once she pulled off his shirt she took his hands and placed them firmly on her hips.

  “My clothes won’t come off by themselves you know”.

   

  Sotek apologised for his lack of interest. He shrugged and slightly shook his head at the Huntress’s suggestive actions.

  “I’m sorry; this has been one messed up day”.

   

  Aela smiled at him and nodded. She whispered in her husky voice while she rubbed her body against him.

  “Well you might not be in the mood, but I am and if I’m not mistaken...” Seductively she grinded her crotch against his leg as her hand slid down from his chest, past his stomach to finally rest with her fingers coiling around his groin. “Yes, Mr. Wolf is in the mood as well, so you’re out voted”.

   

  Half an hour later the other Companions came downstairs to settle for the night. Upon hearing Aela howl, Farkas shouted out at her.

  “Aela, pack it in already will you!”

   

  She laughed back at him which disrupted her rhythm, forcing her to stop. Aela looked down at Sotek who was lost in her eyes. She smiled lovingly then she leaned over him, almost rubbing her chest in his face as she whispered.

  “I love you”.

   

  He tried to whisper back to her but she held her finger to his lips, silencing him then she started moving her hips again.

   

  Upon hearing the two Companions, Farkas called out but this time he directed his complaints to Kodlak.

  “Harbinger can’t you stop her? They have been at it for bloody hours now”.

   

  The Harbinger, Kodlak shouted back in return.

  “They only came down here half hour ago Farkas. Besides, I thought you were there in the yard earlier?”

   

  “Yes I was”. Farkas stated, unsure as to where the Harbinger was going with his line of questioning.

   

  It became all too clear as Kodlak laughed out his reason for asking.

  “So what makes you think I’m going to interrupt her? You have my utmost permission to tell her yourself”.

   

  Farkas thought back to the fight the Huntress had with Sotek and cowered beneath his fur cover.

  “Ermm, no I’m fine”.

   

  Both Aela and Sotek has stopped and listened to the exchange between Kodlak and Farkas. All of a sudden Aela shouted out at him.

  “Farkas! You’re a bloody coward”.

   

  He yelled back in the hope of finally getting them to stop.

  “Aela shut the hell up and give it a bloody rest”.

   

  The she-wolf growled then clambered off Sotek. The next second Farkas cried out as he heard Aela’s door slam.

  “Harbinger; tell her”.

   

  Kodlak groaned and muttered to himself.

  “It’s like being in charge of a kindergarden. Aela, where are you?”

   

  She called out to him, refusing to give her location.

  “You don’t want to know”.

   

  Farkas shouted out once again as his nerves got the better of him. He was sure she was outside his room. He had visions of being pelted with eggs and flour, ice cold water or anything else Aela could get her paws on.

  “Harbinger she’s outside my room; I can see her shadow”.

   

  The Harbinger’s arms flumped down by his sides as he lay in bed. He groaned in despair then yelled out across the corridor.

  “Sotek where is Aela exactly”.

   

  Aela shouted out again, answering on Sotek’s behalf.

  “You don’t want to know”.

   

  “If I didn’t want to know then I wouldn’t ask. Sotek, where is Aela?”

   

  Sotek shrugged his shoulders, causing Aela to burst out laughing as she heard him cry out.

  “She’s underneath me!”

   

  There was several seconds of silence then Kodlak called out once again.

  “Aela, you were right; I didn’t want to know”.

   

  Sotek collapsed to the side of his mate while she rolled on her side in hysterics. The two Companions held each other in their arms as they laughed.