Author’s Note: This is my answer to a recap. What I wanted to do was keep to the story and include the recap as part of the story itself. How do I this? Have a read and find out.
Warning: Contains past chapter spoilers.
Warning :- Adult themes
With still a good few hours to go before they arrived at Whiterun, the Collector, whom Sotek gave the name of Twilight to, sat back and thought about her hunt over the last few days. She sprang up in her seat as she realised something which happened at Ivarstead.
“By Sithis, you’re a cocky bastard”.
Sotek laughed slightly as he turned his attention to her.
“Now what have I done?”
“You slimy bastard”.
“Ermm, what?”
She turned to the Harbinger as she pointed an accusing finger at Sotek.
“That bloody git. He walked up to us as bold as anything when we were in Ivarstead. He even told us exactly what he would do. Take some Shadowscale armour, hide amongst us, then travel over the Seven Thousand Steps. You told me your plan. Your entire plan? And I deliberately set off in the opposite direction? How by Sithis did you pull that off? Where was Aela all that time?”
“She was in the cave, on a ledge”. Sotek replied as he tried to downplay the smug feeling he held. “I did say I’d dump her ass in a cave like the one we were in”.
She shook her head as she stared across to Aela.
“No! Not the bear cave? Oh, Sithis claim me”.
“Yess, we were sitting by the fire and she was watching us. I told you there was someone in my heart and she was close”.
“Yes, but not that bloody close. We could have killed all of you there and then. Damn it, Sotek”.
“Oh, that reminds me, I owe you lunch”. Sotek said as he chuckled.
Her jaw dropped as she stared blankly at him. The memory of them both sitting at the inn eating a meal flashed through her mind.
“Oh, fuck it. Yes, you bloody do you bastard. I’ll never get over that. Multiple Shadowscales hunting an Argonian all over Skyrim and he sat and had lunch with me. And to top it all off, I paid for it! Oh, Sithis”.
Sotek smirked as he watched her torment, the Harbinger chuckled slightly as well.
“If it’s any consolation to you, he plays with the Companions all the time. He’s rather good at it to be honest. Aela, Vilkas, Farkas, even I, we all have trouble keeping up with him”.
“How? Males aren’t supposed to be that intelligent, how come you are?”
Sotek gazed off in the distance as he remembered half-forgotten memories.
“One day I’ll tell you all about myself, about my past. Maybe...”
Aela held his arm tightly.
“I don’t care, all I care about is here and now”.
Sotek kissed her forehead gently as he gazed off towards Whiterun.
“We’ll be there soon. Shadow Walker, how’s the shoulder?”
Shadow Walker snarled out at him.
“Make the most of it, your victory is false and very short lived”.
Sotek growled back just as fiercely.
“Don’t bank on it. Others far greater than you have tried to best me”.
“Oh?” Asked Twilight. “Others like who?”
Sotek replied in a solemn tone.
“Greymane for one! I encountered him when I had my first werewolf form. He was called Omega. Short, white, as cunning as the winds”.
Aela fell sombre and silent. Her eyes drifted off to months before when Sotek had his
first werewolf form. She snapped back at Sotek for, at least in her eyes, trivializing Omega and what he had meant. Especially what he meant to her and Red.
“Omega’s not some past weapon to be gossiped about Sotek… You of all people should know about that!”
Sotek fell silent, unsure as to what to do. He held her hand and nodded while he tried to placate his She-Wolf.
“Aela, he is sorry. He never meant to cause offence”.
Before Aela could answer him, Kodlak intervened in a most diplomatic way, giving no-one room to object or hold offence.
“Aela is right. Omega deserves to be spoken about at a campfire, not on the back of a wagon. Look, the plains. We’ll rest there for the night and Sotek and Aela can tell you all about Omega. I expect there will be a few ermm. Truths I learn as well… Hmm? My limbs ach and my bones are weary. I suggest we make camp. Aela, Sotek, firewood… If you would be so kind, maybe a few choice rabbits as well?”
All the Shadowscales, including Twilight, were still feeling worse for wear after their ordeal on the coast of Winterhold. This pushed them to agree with Kodlak’s suggestion of halting the carriage, so they could all rest. Aela, along with her partner in crime Sotek, were more than willing to stop their return journey. So much so that they both leapt off the wagon before it had even started slowing down. Aela landed in a crouched position and rolled forwards, breaking off into a run. She had hardly taken two steps when she heard a painful crash of armor and a loud ‘Hisss’. With her bow already in her hand, she turned around to see Sotek sprawled out on the floor with his Dragonbone bow several feet in front of him along with a scattering of arrows.
Aela’s own bow fell to her side as her arm went limp. She grinned at her mate who seemed to snarl at her before lifting himself up and pointing over his shoulder.
“Kodlak tripped me up!”
“I did no such thing!” The Harbinger declared in an exasperated tone.
Twilight cast him a sultry smile then looked down at Sotek who had started to dust himself off.
“Maybe I should have challenged you to a horse riding contest. With some luck you could have broken your neck”.
“That’s not nice after I saved you from the cold sea!” Sotek said as he gathered up his arrows.
“You threw me into the sea in the first place! I hardly see how you pulling me out counts”. Twilight stated as she indignantly folded her arms across her chest.
“Oh?” Sotek declared. “So, we’re counting points, are we?”
As he tried to pick up his last arrow, he found it trapped under a Dragonscale boot. One boot belonging to Aela the Huntress, who just so happened to be wearing it at the time. She lifted the corner of her lip and shook her head at him.
“Leave it! Come on you, we’re supposed to be hunting”.
“Collecting firewood actually…” Sotek mumbled, causing Twilight to chuckle.
Aela didn’t know if Hircine was pleased with her or not but she thanked her Daedra Lord for a bountiful hunt. She had managed to shoot three rabbits and even kill a bear while Sotek took care of a rock, a tree stump and a half-eaten fish which the bear was eating when they came across it. Aela laughed to herself when she pictured the image of the bear’s face as the fish was ripped out of its claws by Sotek’s arrow when he tried to shoot the bear in the head.
As his hunting was way below subpar, he was given the task of gathering. Or rather Scarface was. He had the bear’s carcase draped over his shoulder when he and Aela made their way to the camp which Twilight, Kul-et and the Harbinger set up. All Shadow Walker did was complain about the Collector fraternising with ‘the enemy’.
One swift glare from Twilight forewarned Shadow Walker that he was on thin ice. He accepted the warning and as he had already had enough of ‘cold water’ he decided to sit down and shut up. He had some comfort in the fact that he was memorising everything, so he could give Huinzi a full report of the Collector’s actions.
Upon seeing Aela and Scarface, the Harbinger grinned and slowly, he sarcastically clapped his hands together.
“Well done Aela, you two never disappoint…”
“What’s the attitude for? We got plenty for everyone and there’s a large bear fur for the taking as well”. Aela stated smugly as she sat down on a log.
“No… Don’t sit down… Aela, you two were supposed to get the firewood? Where, my dear, is the wood?”
Aela fell dumbstruck then she glared back at a smug looking Scarface.
“Loose the grin… Furball! Come on…” She tugged on the side of his neck, pulling him down to all fours then she mounted him like a horse. She dug her heels into his sides then rode him off towards a copse of trees as she grumbled. “Wood? Do I look like a flipping Lumber Jill?”
Half an hour later, Aela came into sight once more, except this time she was still riding on Scarface’s back. Behind him, was what looked like a whole tree. Kodlak huffed then stood up and pointed to it.
“When I told you to get ‘firewood’ I meant logs? Not the whole bloody wood itself. Couldn’t you break it before dragging that to camp?”
Aela just smiled at him then untied the rope from around Scarface. Sotek changed back to his Argonian form and tilted his head to the side.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“I said… Why didn’t you break it up before dragging it over here?”
“When we break it Harbinger, it gets rather messy. It’s far better that we do it here. Trust me”. Sotek then nodded to Aela.
Having received Sotek’s signal, both Aela and Sotek transformed. Red was the first to howl out across the plains, rapidly joined by Scarface. Then, as one, they both tore into the tree, shredding bark and branches with equal ease. Red’s claws ripped into it, flaying bits of timber while Surface’s claws and strength proved to be vastly superior as he smashed and gouged through it faster than a Lumber Jack’s axe.
Bits of wood and debris flew past the Harbinger, causing him to lower his head. He shook his head at them then tutted at Twilight.
“I’ll have words with those two later”.
“They did say it would be messy”. Twilight stated as she snatched a piece of wood from the air as it whooshed past her. “These are nice sizes though. Kul-et? Hadn’t you best start the fire?”
Once the campfire was happily blazing away, and the furs were divided amongst the group, Sotek moved to a spare log but instead of sitting on it, he chose to simply lean against it. There was a swift, yet light kick to his thigh, telling him to part his legs, allowing his mate, Aela to sit between them. He lifted one knee which Aela wrapped her arms around as she laid back into his chest.
She smacked her lips together and sighed.
“Shame we have no drink”.
“While that is true”. Kodlak said with a grin. “It’s not entirely true. Kul-et, would you be so kind to pass me my backpack?”
Kul-et did as she was asked and was quickly rewarded with a small tumbler half full of a brownish liquid.
“Brandy, so sup it slowly”. Kodlak warned her as he passed around more metal beakers.
“And how pray tell did you foresee this event?” Twilight asked as she took a small sip of her drink. She paused as she thought about the conversation outside the sanctuary and slowly shook her head. “It was you, Kodlak. You told Sotek where to fight, and it was you who told him to look into the water and ‘reflect’. Excuse me”. She got up then moved away from the campsite to a tree where she leaned against it while she gazed out towards the distance.
Everyone watched her in silence for nearly a minute until she started laughing and looked over her shoulder straight at Sotek.
“I hate you! Aela, Omega… Who was he? Tell me about him”. She then returned to the camp and resumed sitting on the log where her drink was waiting for her.
Aela cast a quick glance at the Harbinger then shrugged her shoulders.
“Well… Where to start? I suppose, at the beginning…” She took one last sip of her drink then drew a deep breath.
“Sotek… When he first joined the Companions, he wasn’t a werewolf. Nor did he know that we were either. We had a few clashes with the Silverhand, a band of thugs who thought werewolves were a threat to everything and everyone. During one of these fights, Sotek discovered our secret… My secret”.
A warm, yet scaly hand stroked her back, causing her to turn towards Sotek. He gave her a smile then kissed the back of her head.
“It’s true. I had no idea although there was something about Aela… I think it was where she was so much of a bitch! Oww…” Sotek rubbed his leg where Aela had slapped him. “Anyhow, some weeks after, Aela and I ermm… We… Things become more complicated between us. Love bloomed and that was that. Oh, I know what you are thinking… What has any of this got to do with Omega? Bear with me, and I will explain”.
“We will explain…” Aela said as she elbowed Sotek in the gut. “I was Sotek’s forebearer. It was my blood which turned him, or rather it wasn’t. He didn’t turn, instead he collapsed and fell unconscious. It was then that Sheogorath played one of his silly games. Sotek here, he had to get me to tell him I loved him”.
“What is so hard about that? Unless you don’t”. Twilight said as she eyed Aela carefully, weighing the Nord’s response.
“Well, yes it was simple enough, but Sotek wasn’t Sotek. He was a wolf. Yes… Sheogorath turned him into a wolf and our beloved Harbinger sent me out to kill it”. As Aela spoke she started raising her voice angrily.
Kodlak sputtered on his drink and shrugged his shoulders defensively.
“I wasn’t to know. How could I have known”.
“Is it my turn again?” Sotek asked. Aela frowned at him then quickly shrugged her shoulders, giving him another chance to speak while she sat back and glared at Kodlak. “Once I managed to make her realize it was in actual fact me, which is no easy task when you are trying to communicate with a red headed temperamental She-Wolf… All I could do was growl and howl. As a conversation was out of the question, I feigned an injury then played dead. Aela cuddled my wolf’s body and sobbed. That was when she said she loved me. It was really touching… Aggghhhrrr. Your claws!”
Aela released his thigh which started to bleed from her claw like fingernails. She happily smiled at Twilight as she held out her hand.
“I really like these… Now it’s my turn!”
“It was then that Omega appeared. Hircine allowed Sotek to transform but it wasn’t a typical transformation. Sotek, stop fidgeting, the wound isn’t a wound, it’s a scratch. Where was I?” She looked down at Sotek’s leg and saw trickles of blood run down his leg to fall in droplets onto the grass. “Ok, that was deeper than I expected. Sorry!”
She allowed him to cast his healing spell then she carried on with her tale.
“When he did finally transform, it took ages and he was in agony. When it was over, there was Omega. I called him Albino, due to him having pure white fur. He was a bit shorter than my height. Not Red’s height… Mine. Short claws too. Vilkas and Farkas endlessly tormented us both about him, calling him troll and half pint”. She paused for breath then started chuckling. “Hey Sotek, do you remember that fort we attacked? Red and Omega?”
“Howl… Could I forget”. Sotek said as he laughed. “Red charged through the gate but Omega went straight for the wall. He leapt up to climb it, but he couldn’t hold on. There was a crash as he landed squarely on his back. Red didn’t half have a go at him for that!”
Sotek eyed Kul-et cautiously then nodded to himself.
“Kul-et, I’ll tell you something, but you keep it to yourself. One day Red and Omega were set a challenge. Their goal was to see who could kill the most Silverhands. Harbinger, I know… We’re for it later. Anyhow, Omega. There was no way that he could beat Red. Like Aela said he was her size and Red was a monster compared to him. So, I ermm… Cheated. I made up some vials of poison and tipped them on the floor at the Silverhand base. Omega dipped his claws in the poison then set to work. He actually beat Red. Yep, Omega killed more Silverhand members than what Red did. Farkas and Vilkas? They think Red won. Ku-et, I warn you now… Let them!”
Kul-et nodded as she watched Aela who seemed rather quiet.
“I will. Aela, I don’t know anything”.
“Thanks. I appreciate that”. Aela said as she cast a weak smile. “It was around that time I first bumped into Scarface. And I mean literally bumped into him. Vilkas and I were fighting Silverhands, yet again… That mindless oaf set of a grill trap separating us both. Sorry, I’m jumping ahead. There we were, Vilkas and me fighting Silverhands at ermm… Gallows Rock? Well, it started going great then all of a sudden, all Oblivion broke loose. Silverhands were screaming and the sounds of battle echoed throughout the complex. We were too far inside to try and see what was happening. As we neared the northern exit, that was when Vilkas set off the trap. I had no choice but to go back through. You’re Shadowscales but I bet you never saw a scene like that. Blood was literally dripping off the walls. Werewolves, their cages, Silverhands, everything was torn and shredded. A Silverhand approached me and I backed off slightly to bump into a werewolf. I though it was Vilkas in his werewolf form, so I grinned from ear to ear. I tell you now, I have never had a grin wiped from my face so quickly. I turned around expecting to see Vilkas’s head and all I saw was thick black fur covering a chest more suited to a bloody mammoth. I nearly died”.
“Wait…” Twilight said. “I’m confused… If you are Scarface, then how can you be…”
“Omega?” Sotek replied. “Well, it was a perplexing situation and we still don’t know everything. What I can gather though is this. Hircine allowed me to transform into Omega. This gave me the werewolf form while I was still controllable”.
“You have never been controllable”. The Harbinger muttered. “Either of you”.
Both Sotek and Aela laughed then Aela egged Sotek on, getting him to carry on with his story.
“Now, at the same time, but not the exact same time, Hircine… At least I hope Hircine, took control of my actual werewolf form Scarface. Omega was a trial to see whether I would behave and to make sure my werewolf form could be controlled. A short time later, Greymane took an interest in Red and Aela here”.
“it’s cold. I’m cold… Anyone else cold? I’ll get more wood”. Without saying anything else Aela went to get up but Sotek took her hand and forced her to sit back down.
He wrapped his arms around her like they were a barrier between her and the world.
“I got you Aela… It’s ok”.
“Make it quick… Please?” Aela begged as she closed her eyes and tried to picture herself somewhere else.
“Cutting straight to the chase, there was a Blood Moon; a Great Hunt. Omega and Red both found themselves outside Bloated Man’s Grotto. So, when the hunt started… In they went, side by side. Greymane was an Alpha. He was strong, brave, and…”
“A complete asshole. He was going to take Red in the Hunting Grounds as his own. I didn’t want to be with him. Red didn’t but every fucking night I had nightmares about that bastard fucking whore raping me… raping Red!” As Aela yelled, she found herself on her two feet. Her fists were clinched tightly together as she almost screamed.
“He hit me… That’s when Omega attacked him. He was like twice Omega’s size, but he wouldn’t back down. He kept trying and trying to fight back but that bastard was too strong. He killed Omega. That bastard killed him but that wasn’t enough… He just kept on lashing out at Omega’s body…”
Sotek gently touched Aela on the shoulder but she sprang around like a snake uncoiling and grabbed him by the throat.
“Don’t touch me! Don’t you fucking dare!”
She blinked several times as it dawned on her where she actually was. Nearly bursting in tears, she flung her arms around Sotek and wept in his chest. As she started to regain control, she carried on talking.
“That… that was when everything changed. Even Omega’s body. His body heaved, and black fur broke all over it, tearing the body apart from the inside. Sotek’s wolf spirit had already left it and he was walking off with Hircine when he yelped out and was dragged… Pulled back inside the body. Omega was no more but, in his place, stepped Scarface. Red and Scarface, we chased down that bastard Greymane and Scarface tore him apart. Sotek finished him off with a sword and trapped his soul in a Black Soul gem. Greymane will never enter the Hunting Grounds. Never!”
She composed herself then sat upright and pointed at the fire.
“You remember that Huinzi wanted proof about the two Shadowscales? It was Omega’s funeral. Sotek and I killed a Frost Wolf and we used that body to represent Omega”.
“You ask who Omega was? He was brave, clever and loyal. He never gave up and he died trying to protect me… Protecting Red. That’s who Omega was and if Scarface is half the werewolf Omega was, then I count myself lucky to have him by my side”. Aela looked around the camp and grabbed a fur to cover herself over with. “Enough of this emotional crap. I need sleep”.
It was half way through the night and the fire was burning low. Everyone was asleep and Sotek was no exception. He was, however, vaguely aware of a hand moving up his chest and he could smell the scent of his mate as she moved alongside him. He awoke to several kisses as Aela kissed him repeatedly, caressing his face with her hands as she did so.
“Sotek… I need you. I need to feel something. Anything!”
She rolled on her back and pulled at him, telling him to move on top of her. Over the next few minutes, clothes and armor were thrown off and a fur was pulled across Sotek’s naked back as he made love to Aela while her legs wrapped around him. At the height of their passion, Aela tipped her head right back and flailed about with her arms. She howled out, causing Sotek to grin. His enjoyment in Aela’s passion was short lived as she suddenly dug her claws in his back, drawing blood. The pain forced him to thrust forwards with his hips, going deeper into her, causing her eyes to roll back into her skull. As she started to relax, Sotek saw the yellow coloring of Red’s eyes. Aela’s own light-grey eyes were lost to the yellow pigmentation.
For some reason, Sotek increased his pace, forcing Aela to howl out again. She slammed her hands in his chest, stopping him in his tracks as yet again she lost control.
As she started to recover, he whispered in her ear.
“One day, my She-Wolf… I will break you. I will keep going and break you, Aela the Huntress. You can beg me to stop all you like but I won’t until you break”.
“You… You can’t force me to change using sex… It won’t happen… My heart! Oh… Wow! You won’t. I won’t let you”. As she spoke, she tried to control her breathing but even now Sotek could see the yellowing of her eyes. Red was just a step away and inside him, Scarface loved it.
“You won’t be able to stop me Aela. My She-Wolf… One day I will break you”. Sotek stated as he kissed her neck.
Aela groaned and her neck went limp as she succumbed to Sotek’s passionate kiss.
“If you do… I will… I will… I’ll suck you off so fucking much that your balls will implode!”
“Is that even possible?” Kul-et asked as she had been listening in.
Aela shot up with a start to find her, Twilight, Kodlak and everyone else, all sitting at the fireside.
“Do you all mind?”
“You’re the one’s screwing at a camp. We’re just sitting around the fire. Did either of you even notice we were all awake?” Twilight said with a grin.
Kodlak however didn’t look overly amused. He tutted as he pointed his finger at Aela who was still trying to cover herself up with the fur.
“I am old, and I can only take so much… I trust you both are done, because I certainly am. I see Sotek is being quiet now. Good. Aela, you have five seconds to get some clothes on. Three, two, one…”
Aela sprang up and grabbed a shirt. She quickly threw it on before the Harbinger opened his eyes.
She nodded to Sotek and dragged him away from the camp and in a few seconds, Red and Scarface was running for the hills, distancing themselves from Aela’s and Sotek’s embarrassment.
It was around twenty minutes later when Twilight broke away from the camp. She could easily follow Red’s and Scarface’s tracks as they made little attempt to hide them. Twilight moved to the hillside while the two werewolves hunted and played on the grassy, rolling tundra of the plains. Twilight was suddenly disturbed, and she swung around to see Kodlak approaching. He settled beside her and joined in watching Red and Scarface hunt a deer together.
“I hope I’m not disturbing you. And while I am at it. Don’t be disturbed to what you see with those two”.
As if to answer his meaning, Red howled out as Scarface moved behind her and took her waist in his paws. Red’s head and her shoulders were pushed down towards the ground as Scarface mated with her. Kodlak sighed and turned around as did Twilight so they could talk.
“Now they are at it. Oh, Aela. Sotek’s just as much to blame”.
“They cannot control what they are… Who they are”. Twilight said, easing Kodlak’s mind. “I know you are worried about what is in store for Sotek when we get to Whiterun. I have listened and watched. Sotek beat me, ok he beat me with a fucking apple and by half drowning me in freezing bloody water, but he did beat me. The agreement will be honoured Kodlak. I will make sure of it”.
She half turned towards Red and a tear seemed to flow down her cheek.
“Harbinger, you trust him, don’t you? You all trust each other. He blindly followed your lead to the tomb. He listened to everything you said, and he blindly followed you. He had complete faith in you. What does that feel like? To have so much faith and trust in someone?”
“He isn’t someone to me Twilight. Aela isn’t either. We are family, we protect and help one another. We are strong for we have the love of a family and that is a chain which seldom breaks”. As Kodlak spoke he rested his hand on her shoulder. “Aren’t the Shadowscales like that?”
“Mistrust and a dagger in the dark… That is my world”. She looked up at Kodlak and weakly smiled. “What would it take for one such as yourself to trust and have faith in me? How do I have faith in one such as him and yourself?”
Kodlak smiled down at her and gave her a hug. He slowly led her back to the camp as he replied.
“By taking little steps Twilight… By taking little steps. Sotek is prepared to give you that trust”.
“How can you be so certain of this?” Twilight asked.
“Here, you can hold my sword. Do you like it?”
“Yes… It’s Skyforge Steel. A two-handed sword. A bit heavy for me though”. She said as she examined the blade.
“You ask how I know that Sotek is prepared to trust you? He makes quick decisions on people and as of yet, no-one has let him down. You want to know how I know he is prepared to offer you his trust? My sword… It’s called Twilight”.
“He… He named me after your own sword?” Twilight turned around and saw Red and Scarface laying alongside each other. Scarface was behind his mate, facing her with an overlay large front leg flopped over her side.
Once they were back at camp, Twilight wished the Harbinger a good night then she settled down to a long overdue restful sleep. In the morning, everyone was up early and with little conversation, Aela, Kul-et and Sotek packed up their gear then the group began the two-hour trek home to Whiterun.
After they passed through the gate which was manned by Lydia who gave Aela a friendly wave. She greeted them all, thankful that they were ok. They made their way to the Bannered Mare then Sotek pulled back Kodlak’s arm, stopping him from taking another step. Sotek walked over to Kodlak as they approached the doorway.
“Harbinger, has my ermm arrangements been taken care of?”
“Oh yes, but… Oh, I do wish you would explain things more”. Kodlak said as he sighed.
Sotek simply smiled at him.
“All in good time, Harbinger. All in good time”.
As he walked up to the inn door, he paused momentarily then briefly looked back at the others. He spoke out loudly, so everyone could hear. But as he talked, it became obvious to everyone that he was actually speaking to himself.
“Aela, Kul-et, Red... Even Skyrim, it’s all yours Sotek. All you got to do now is reach out and take them. But can you keep them? Well Sotek, it’s all up to you now. The anchor is up, the sails are full, and the ship is put to sea. There’s nothing else you can do. What will be, will be as mother always says. Come on Sotek, let’s go see how smart you really are”. He then threw the doors wide open and walked boldly inside.
Comments
Can't believe they were just sitting there... watching. Gross.