A good few nights later, Farkas stirred from his slumber. He found himself lying there on his bed for about half an hour in which he spent staring up at the ceiling, muttering to himself about not being able to sleep. After giving up on rest he decided to head upstairs so with no particular goal in mind, he left his room. As he walked down the corridor he decided to check on the various whelps quarters. As usual Sotek wasn’t there nor had his bed been slept in. ‘No guessing where he is’ he thought to himself. He then couldn’t help but think about Aela and Sotek.
Aela the Huntress. Archer, fighter and Companion. A true Nord female with the temper to match. The only thing burns more bright than her hair is her spirit.
Sotek. An unknown Argonian who just so happens to be the Dragonborn. A few months ago he couldn’t hold his drink let alone a sword. Took him nearly three days to master the double doors. Farkas laughed a bit when he remembered that Sotek got his tail jammed in the door. What made it doubly funny was the amount of gear he was carrying. What a bloody racket that made clanging down the steps in the wind district… The priestess came running out of the temple half expecting Dragons Reach to have collapsed. As for the farmers crops they never let him near the fields again. With that thought Farkas laughed loudly.
The other thought he couldn’t shake was Aela and Sotek being together. It didn’t matter how he looked at it, it seemed wrong on so many levels. However that being said he couldn’t shake the thought that if Sotek was a Nord or Aela was an Argonian then they just wouldn’t work. Spiritually they were meant for each other, that’s the one thing he was sure of. Whether it was in the yard training as a group or in a fight, team them together and you won. You didn’t even need to enter a cave of bandits to help them. Knowing they both were there was all you needed. Having those two together was enough.
Just then a door opened disturbing his train of thought. He rapidly covered his eyes as Aela walked out from her room just wearing a loin cloth. She was completely topless and completely oblivious to the fact. Something made her turn around, some sense which warned her that she wasn’t alone.
“Hi Vilkas, someone’s laughing. I’m getting a drink”. Her eyes were all squinted despite the minimal lighting from a few lamps which were still burning. All she could make out was the basic shapes of the furniture in the corridor. It was obvious to him she was half asleep, she just walked past him, picked up a flask and headed to the store to fill it.
“Aela, you know your naked… Right?” Farkas called out as he wasn’t entirely sure what to do with her.
As she disappeared into the stores room, he headed to her doorway and knocks on it loudly despite the fact that it was partially open.
“Sotek, you awake? Its Aela, she’s topless you gotta…” That was when he peeked his head around the door frame but to his surprise her bed was empty. “Where the hell is he?”
“Where’s who?”
Turning around he saw Aela walking towards him. To his horror she was still half asleep and still half naked.
“Ermm Sotek”. He replied as he adverted his eyes from her direction.
Aela just shrugged her shoulders.
“Dunno haven’t had him all week”.
Farkas grumbled as he pushed her door open for her.
“Aela you got to cover up”.
“It’s ok Farkas I got it”. She stated as she walked up to him holding the flask high above her head totally unaware of the fact that she was showing the world her chest. Ignorant of her behavior, she walked past him and put the flask on the table without drinking any at all.
“Vilkas is here somewhere”. The next moment she climbs into bed and falls asleep.
Farkas pulled the cover over her then shut her door quietly.
“Un-believable”. He shook his head at her then went off looking for Sotek.
Upstairs he could hear a clashing of weapons so he decided to investigate. He crept up to the doors to the courtyard and silently opened them ever so slightly so they were only just ajar.
There in the yard in full armor was Sotek practicing his attacks on a training dummy.
“He’s out there 2am every morning”.
Farkas turned in surprise to see Kodlak who was still sitting in a corner draped in shadows. On the table was a jug of mead and his flask from the earlier drinking session.
“Every night he’s out there for two hours”.
“Every night?” He glanced out to the yard feeling somewhat startled at the news. Even though the Harbinger had said it, there was still a part of him which didn’t quite believe what he had heard. They all knew he was improving but no one knew how. Farkas quietly shut the door then went back to bed.
The next day Sotek as usual spent his time observing the others train the whelps. Farkas approached Vilkas and Aela.
“Meet me at the Sky forge tonight, midnight. Don’t tell anyone”.
Aela gave him a funny look although she was curious.
“Why? What’s it about?”
Farkas just briefly replied.
“Got something to show you both. Oh Aela…”
“I know… Don’t tell Sotek, you told me that” She replied snapping.
Farkas’s eyes narrowed as he grinned at her.
“For the love of the Nines wear a top”. No sooner as he said it, Farkas went off leaving Aela feeling perplexed just as much as Vilkas was. She looked at Vilkas as if to say what the hell was that about. Vilkas just shrugged his shoulders none the wiser.
That night around midnight as arranged the three companions met at the sky forge.
“Good you both came, keep it down” Farkas exclaimed.
“Why are we here?” Aela asked on behalf of her and Vilkas.
“We’re waiting”
“Hell I can do that in the hall, and I’ll have a flask of mead as well” Vilkas moaned.
“We’re waiting for Sotek” Farkas stated.
Aela’s eyes lit up the moment she heard Sotek’s name mentioned. Her voice was noticeably higher more enthusiastic.
“He’s coming as well?”
“Shhussshhh, no. We’re gonna watch him”
“Huh?” Aela was confused just as much as Vilkas was.
Farkas tried his best to explain the situation.
“At around two in the morning Sotek comes out here”.
Upon hearing the news, Vilkas was defiantly unhappy. His voice trailed off as he growled.
“Two? Two in the morning? So why are we out here at half past bloody twelve”.
“Shhhushh so he doesn’t know we are here”.
Farkas and Vilkas watched and waited while Aela curled up between them and fell asleep. Farkas threw a fur over her that he brought up to the forge with him.
Just as the smallest of the two moons started to disappear behind the mountains, Farkas gave Aela a gentle shake waking her up. She made her way to the edge with the others with the fur wrapped around her.
“Its bloody freezing”. Just at that moment the door opened, Sotek came outside in full armour with his Axe, shield and bow.
They sat there watching in secret as Sotek practiced by himself. First off his training list was his axe and shield. He copied near perfect all the moves Farkas taught to the whelps the day before.
“Damn he remembered all of it”. Farkas remarked feeling somewhat surprised. As they watched him, Aela studied how Sotek moved when attacking and blocking against imaginary enemies.
Then he practiced with a battle axe which was hidden in the undergrowth. He virtually duplicated every one of Vilkas’s moves he’s been working on over the last three days. After he completed a tough sequence, Aela couldn’t help but comment on him.
“Not being funny with you Vilkas but he’s got that perfect”. Inside she was feeling proud that Sotek was becoming a formidable fighter.
Vilkas wasn’t so easily impressed.
“Naa I don’t have anything to worry about. His footing in the final stance is wrong. He’s not too shabby though”.
For the last hour of Sotek’s ‘private’ training session he drew his bow. Over the course of several minutes he stood there firing off arrows as he worked on his speed and accuracy. It was obviously paying off as the three Companions each noticed he was gradually becoming faster while his arrows slowly drew closer and closer to the bulls eye in the archery target.
Vilkas was impressed this time. He started to realizehow much training Sotek actually did. He leaned towards Aela and gave her a nudge in her ribs.
“Not shabby at all girl, he’s doing you proud. Rates not as quick as you, nor his accuracy mind you but I’d put him against the other whelps”.
Sotek casually strolled over to the target to check where he hit with his last few shots but all of a sudden he stopped and lifted his head up slightly. His reptilian eyelids were shut tight as he listened to the soft breeze of the night air. After a minute or so he shouted out.
“Las” Unlike all the other shouts, this particular shout was quiet and soft, almost like feint whisper.
Looking around the yard Sotek could see the guards on their night patrol, or rather he can see their Aura as they moved around the city’s streets on their patrol. Then he glanced around the yards perimeter. There at the top of the outcropped rock by the forge he could make out three auras of the Companions spying on him. He sneaked up to the rock edge then followed it along towards the forge as quietly as possible.
Aela peered down the edge of the Skyforge before turning to the others.
“Was that a shout?”
Vilkas replied.
“Hell I dunno he’s your boyfriend… Mate? You tell us. Whatever it was it wasn’t loud”.
Farkas looked down the edge but he couldn’t see Sotek anywhere.
“Hey where he go?”
Sotek replied as loudly as he could.
“I’m behind you!!!”
All three of the Companions jumped as one. Aela even screamed out from the shock of Sotek’s sudden appearance.
“You stupid moron. What the hell are you doing sneaking around?” She was angry but only because he had seen them.
A guard came running up to them from the Wind District waving his arms around franticly.
“What the hell is going on? Its early, keep it down”.
Aela slowly turned towards him in her ‘full glare mode’. He thought better for it and resume his patrol albeit keeping an eye on her as he walked away.
Sotek waved his finger at her face.
“You three are up here doing what? And I’m sneaking around?”
Sotek strode towards the three of them fully intent on relaying his argument and annoyance at being spied on but Aela stepped in front of the other two. She had her own questions and she demanded answers.
“Why are you practicing at night?”
Sotek looked at Aela, then he glanced down at the target dummies. After he muttered to himself he then sat by the forge resting his hand in his pocket.
“Because at night you’re not there. I don’t want you there”. His voice sounded drawn out and heavy.
“But why don’t you want me there?” Her face looked like she was ok with his decision however the emotions in her voice gave away her true feelings.
Sotek slowly wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. She rested her head on his chest, while he gently swayed her back and forth.
“Because I don’t want to hurt you again. If you’re not here when I train then I can’t”
Aela stood there in his arms for a minute thinking then she broke away from him. She stepped back a few feet so she could look into his face.
“Do you love me?”
“What?” His train of thought was totally derailed due to her sudden and rather bizarre question.
"Do you love me?” She repeated herself but this time her voice was soft with an air of mischievousness to it. As she spoke she swayed side to side which was typical of her when she was up to something.
Sotek stepped forwards reached out and held her waist as he looked straight into her eyes.
“Yess”.
As she glanced across to Vilkas and Farkas the tip of her tongue stuck out almost like she was gently biting it. She snapped her head back to Sotek and spoke abruptly all the while keeping the low soft tone.
“Would you die for me?”
“Aela, you bloody know I would. You all know I would”.
Aela smiled broadly like her entire plan had just bore fruit.
“Then train with me, with them… I need you. I don’t want to lose you”. The next moment her voice raised in pitch and volume as she started prodding him in the chest angrily. “If I lose you cause you don’t train properly then I’ll bloody kill you myself. As from tomorrow, as in later today, you get your bloody backside out here and bloody train… Well?”
After sighing to himself, his eyes switched to the training yard. His stomach started turning which he struggled to control.
“Ok”. He slowly nodded while at the same time he rested his head on Aela’s shoulder basically giving up the fight.
His eyes were tightly shut for several seconds while he fought with his feelings the his eyes snapped open. He straightened himself up as he mentally prepared himself for the task at hand.
“Vilkas, could you show me that sequence. My feet were wrong at the end”.
“What now?” Vilkas was half hoping to be in bed by now the last thing he wanted was to spar a few hours before daybreak.
“Please”
Aela watched Vilkas’s face then decided to lend aid to Vilkas’s decision making by punching him in the arm.
“Well?”
Vilkas glanced down at her with a certain look on his face which seemed to say ‘What the hell are you doing?’. Aela’s eyes narrowed in response with an air of aggression. Grumbling loudly Vilkas led the others down the ramp to the training area. He took Sotek through the moves step by step, just correcting the small mistakes Sotek got wrong while Aela and Farkas sat at the table and watched. One thing they couldn’t help but notice is every time Vilkas walked in front of him, Sotek lowered his weapon. Soon Sotek knew and could do the whole sequence by himself. Aela clapped excitedly then ran up to him to give him a hug and a kiss for encouragement.
From the doors to the hall came a loud heavy voice.
“About bloody time…” They all turned around in surprise to see the Harbinger watching them. “Now of to bed, all of you”. They all went inside but instead of heading to her own bed, Aela literally dived into Sotek’s room.
Kodlak froze at the doorway to his study and called out over his shoulder along the corridor.
“Your own beds tonight please! There has been enough disturbance already without wolves adding to it thank you”.
Aela climbed out of the bed, gave Sotek a long kiss then pretended she was in a bad mood and went to her room shouting out playfully.
“Meanie!”
As he lay in the darkness, Sotek laughed at Aela’s response. From along the corridor, he could just make out her laughing too.
Comments
You both raise a good point, one I seem to have overlooked. I'll look into that. The one line would solve the problem.
Line 6 from the top, I suggest to capitalize "huntress", as well as "fighter". Would make it more smoothly, I guess.
And a thank you for following the story. Glad you're liking it so far.
Farkas threw a fur over her that he bought up to the forge with him. Farkas threw a fur over her that he brought up to the forge with him.