U.O.T.W. Chapter 46 The Red Wolf

• Posted by Sotek July 1, 2015 - Filed in TSC: CB Story - 1,289 views

  

  Authors Note: Adult Themes

   

  The crossing of the plains was easy enough, it only took a few hours to get to the base of the northern mountain range. From here Vilkas took over the lead as he had knowledge of the paths and trails through the mountain side. As they made their way up one particular track, two ice wraiths attacked Farkas’s horse. Sotek blasted one with fire balls while Farkas killed the other with a few well placed swipes of his sword. By the time Vilkas turned his horse around, the fight was over.

   

  It was just turning dawn when they approached their destination. An old disused mine which ran deep within the mountain. The enterance was guarded by a Silverhand who, while on watch, patrolled the area onstantly. He wasn't slumped down on a chair or slouching as he walked around. The guard was alert and ready to react against any would be intruder. After the three Companions watched him for a few minutes, Vilkas outlined his plan.

  “Sotek you stay here. We’ll take the guard out. It’ll be nice and quick”.

   

  Sotek turned around in alarm.

  “It’s got to be fast and silent. He’s fully alert and we can’t let him warn the others inside. If you alert them, they might kill Aela outright”. Sotek was worried and with good reason. He knew that all it needed was one false move and the others would come pouring out the mine. The rescue would fail.

   

  “What? I know that! We’ll grab him by the throat. We’ve done this before you know”. Vilkas cursed.

   

  Sotek just tapped him on the shoulder as a plan formed in his mind.

  “I got a better way. It’s quick, simple, silent and we might get some information”.

   

  Without waiting for the ok, Sotek moved back away from the entrance then started walking up the pathway with a totally blarsê attitude. He even waved to the guard as he called out to greet him.

  “I bring news from Markarth, we got them all. The two worthless dogs and that leader of theirs? Kodlak? The old goats dead”.

   

  The Silverhand casually approached him wearing a massive grin on his face.

  “Great! The skinner was waiting for a report”.

   

  As Sotek walked towards the entrance he peered inside as if he was curious to their activity. All the while he kept up his façade and engaged the man in conversation.

  “Did the trap work?” Sotek asked as calmly as he could. He seemed controlled however inside his stomach was turning. “Did you get the bitch?”.

   

  “Oh yea she’s caught alright. The stupid bitch was easy to catch. Shame though…”

  The guard looked disappointed as he stood alongside Sotek to gaze inside the mine.

   

  “What is?” As Sotek asked, he struggled to hide the alarm in his voice.

   

  “We couldn’t touch her, he’s forbidden it. Still she’ll give up soon, she hasn’t eaten for two days. Won’t be long then we’ll all have some fun”.

   

  “Fun?” Sotek’s tail slammed down in anger while he wrestled with his fears. Visions of his nightmares flooded his mind causing him to lose his focus. As the Silverhand turned to him as is if to ask if he was ok, Sotek regained his composure. “Oh fun! With the bitch… Where is the whore?”

   

  The Guard beckoned Sotek to follow him inside. Sotek stared hard into the depths of the mine which coiled around a central overly large hole running straight to the bottom.

  “Central shaft, at the lowest level. Careful going down, the ceilings a bit unstable. We had a few rocks fall into the water. The she wolf’s in a cage”.

   

  “Is she alone? I want some payback”.

   

  The guard shook his head at the thought.

  “No-one is allowed to touch her until the Skinner is happy. He wants her starved for three days. Then and only then can we pass her around. Tied and gagged of course. She won’t be beaten mind you… That’ll happen when we pass her around”. With that comment the guard started laughing. Sotek felt his eyes narrow as his hand slipped down his side to rest on the hilt of his dagger.

   

  He closed his eyes for a few seconds to regain his composure before he trusted himself enough to speak once more.

  “So no one has even touched her?”

   

  “Nope not even the Skinner”.

   

  Sotek breathed a sigh of relief thanking the nines that she wasn’t too badly hurt or abused.

  “Where is he? The Skinner?”

   

  “Oh, he’s at the top”. With that the guard pointed up a path to the right.

   

  Sotek stepped closer to the edge to position himself between the Silverhand and the mine shaft. After taking a few deep breaths Sotek pointed to the entrance as he gave out a hissed warning to the Silverhand.

  “Watch out! Behind you! Hssss”.

   

  The guard drew his sword as he spun around on the spot to challenge anyone who had entered the mine. Despite his eyes flicking to each side keenly to spot any movement, he couldn’t see anything. Suddenly a reptilian hand smothered his mouth and gripped it tightly stifling any screams he could make. His eyes opened wide in fear as Sotek hissed menacingly in his ear.

   

  “I ssaid behind you. Hssss”. Less than a second later Soteks dagger was thrust in the man’s throat up to the hilt no fewer than three times in succession. Blood sprayed out from the wounds but Sotek held the man’s head tightly against his chest until the blood lessened. Only then did Sotek slowly and quietly lower the body to the floor.

   

  Sotek’s eyes darted about while he checked to make sure he wasn’t spotted then after he was satisfied that he was in the clear, he gave Farkas and Vilkas the signal to enter the mine. Vilkas tried to take charge, but he and Sotek rapidly entered an unfortunate dispute.

  “We go in quiet, take them out one at a time as we go. We’ll head towards the bottom and get to the holding cells”. Vilkas demanded as he pointed to the ramp.

   

  Sotek disagreed entirely.

  “No, that will take too long. If we’re seen they will raise the alarm. If that happens then she’ll be killed. They won’t take chances, she will be dead before we are half way. Let me go in while you two stay at the top. If you act like him then you shouldn’t be bothered. I’ll infiltrate the central shaft and get to Aela. Once she is safe then we attack. Us two heading up, you two heading down. They won’t know what way to turn”.

   

  “How will we know you made it?” Farkas asked.

   

  Sotek thought for a second then chuckled to himself.

  “I’ll shout, that will be the signal”.

   

  “But that will attract them” Farkas replied.

   

  Sotek smiled broadly as he shrugged his shoulders.

  “Don’t  matter, by then it will be too late. Trust me I can do this”.

   

  Farkas crept to the edge but the moment he looked down the sheer drop he felt sick.

  “No, no you can’t. Look”. He pointed to the only path leading down to the holding cell, three sections had numerous Silverhands on patrol making it impossible to sneak through.

   

  Sotek’s head wobbled side to side as if he was pondering something. After a few seconds he smiled broadly as he pointed down the shaft.

  “Yes, but I’m not walking down. Look at the bottom”. One section at the bottom opened into a lake on the side a path lead to the bottom chamber. “I bet that’s the holding area”.

   

  “Yes but what’s your plan?” Vilkas could see the path but that was all. Everything Sotek had said meant nothing to him.

   

  As calmly as if he was going to order a meal at the Bannered Mare, Sotek responded with two words which caused both Farkas and Vilkas to turn towards him with shock all over their faces.

  “I jump”.

   

  “You what? That could be just 6 inches of water”. Farkas stated. He admitted to himself that Sotek was brave but in his mind this was nothing short of suicide.

   

  “Looks deep to me”. Sotek bluntly stated as he peered at the water a second time.

   

  “Hell a puddle looks deep from this height”. Farkas snapped, however his harsh reply wasn’t in anger but more from sheer desperation.

   

  Sotek nudged him in the arm.

  “Ok you jump. If its deep enough let me know”.

   

  Farkas nodded without thinking about what Sotek had actually said.

  “Ok, we’ll try that”. Once he said it he saw Vilkas grinning at him. Only then did it occur to him what he had agreed to. “Hey!” He turned to face Sotek but he was too late. Sotek had already leapt off the edge.

   

  There was a mighty splash as Sotek hit the water. He instantly dived down and settled below the surface near the bottom then he patiently waited for five minutes until the surface of the water had settled and the ripples from his entry had dissipated. One silver hand walked to the lake edge but as he couldn’t see anything he just presumed the splash was from a loose rock in the ceiling which had finally given way. With no other conclusion to hand he shouted out his warning to the others.

  “Careful, the rocks are falling again”.

   

  Sotek silently rose out of the water and grabbed hold of the Silverhand’s mouth before he could raise the alarm. The next moment they both disappeared from view as Sotek dragged him under the water and pulled his flailing body down to the depths of the deep underground lake. The attack was swift, silent and fatal.

   

  Vilkas was watching the water line, praying to the Nines that Sotek made it. That was when he saw a lone figure sneak out of the water, and enter the lowest chamber. Vilkas gave Farkas the heads up and as one, they prepared to fight.

   

  Sotek carefully entered the chamber to be confronted by three cages. Each confine housed a werewolf that was unmercifully chained up by their wrists. Even from Sotek’s current position he could tell they were already dead. A fourth werewolf was tied up on a rack. He had all the appearances of being skinned alive.

   

  Towards the middle of the chamber was a single cage however it was somewhat smaller than the others. Straw was strewn about the floor of the cage forming a rough bedding. Sotek instantly recognised Aela who was curled up in a ball in the furthest corner of the enclosure. She looked weak and the signs of her being beaten were obvious as blood lined her armor which was torn from the blows while her face looked battered and swollen.

   

  Standing at the other side of the enclosure was a Silverhand who had fortunately failed to see Sotek enter due to the cage blocking his view. He was standing over Aela as he threatened her with a small wooden pole.

   

  “Hey bitch, your times nearly up! The boys are all dying to meet you”. His voice then dramatically changed to one of sympathy and his empathy shone like a lantern. He kneeled down beside her and spoke solemnly like he was genuinely upset. “By the way, we encountered your friends. I’m so sorry. I hear there were no survivors. Oi! You listening?”. He suddenly burst out laughing as Aela slightly lifted her head up to meet his glare.

   

  He continued his taunts by poking the stick through the bars. Aela uncoiled like a snake and grabbed the end of the stick surprisingly fast making the silver hand step back in fright. She pulled the stick into the cage and snapped it in half.

  “You’re a bloody liar! You want to play with me then come in here you bastard”.

   

  The man kicked the side of the cage in anger.

  “Oh don’t you worry you whore. When it’s my turn to play with you, its gonna bloody hurt. I’m gonna make you beg like a common dog”. The silver hand then stepped back into the darkness and  disappeared from sight.

   

  Aela’s eyes strained to break through the shadows as she tried to see where he went.

  “Where are you, you bastard? Play fucking games then!” She then sat down turning her back on the cage door. Her hand brushed against her face wiping away a few tears. Desperation and fear tore at her making her scream out once more.

   

  “You fucking bastards!”

   

  A few seconds later she heard her cage door open. She jumped up in fright as she assumed the worst from her tormentor as she was expecting hell to be thrown at her. For the last thirty six  hours all she could do was listen to endless taunts and threats of torture and rape. She turned around and faced the door but there is no one there, just the cell door swinging slowly open by itself.

   

  The Silverhand came running up to the cage to see what had happened. From out of nowhere two blue shimmering blades materialized causing Aela to cover her eyes from the glare of the blue haze. The blades slashed down at the Silverhand striking him in the shoulders. He collapsed on his knees instantly from the force of the two blows. Blood sprayed upwards as Sotek yanked the blades away from his target then he savagely swept them in front of himself in a deadly scissor action slicing off the Silverhand’s head in one foul strike. The body sat there on its knees for several seconds before toppling over to the floor. Blood poured out from the neck forming a large puddle of red life giving liquid onto the rocky ground.

   

  From outside the cavern another Silverhand charged into the chamber. By now Sotek had stepped into the shadows leaving Aela in the cage staring blankly at the Silverhand who was perplexed as to what had just happened. He drew his one handed silver swords and charged at Aela.

  “You bloody bitch!”

   

  As he closed in upon the cage, Aela ran to the back of it in fear for her own survival. She watched in shock as two ethereal arrows shot out from darkness and struck the Nord. One arrow hit him in the stomach and ripped through the armor to protrude through his back while the second arrow embedded itself in his chest.

   

  Sotek’s conjured bow dissipated into blue vapour before disappearing altogether as it was cast back to the realm whence it came from. He moved to the front of the cage and held the door open while Aela stood there stunned as to what had just happened. They look at each other for a few seconds, then she ran up to him and threw her arms around him.

  “I was so scared, they said you were all dead!” She tried to hold back her emotions but she just couldn’t. Her eyes swelled up and she burst into tears.

   

  “You weren’t scared, you stood strong. Are you hurt?” Sotek held her and gently lowered her to the ground.

   

  “N-nothing I can’t handle. I’m just so weak, tired”. Aela’s eyes fell upon the other cages then lastly they set upon the rack. “Those murdering bastards wouldn’t let me sleep. They just kept banging on the bars, threatening to rape me. The others! The bastards skinned them alive…  Their screams!” Aela started crying again, trying desperately to stop.

   

  Sotek sighed heavily as he climbed to his feet leaving Aela on the ground. He tried to tell her that he knew about the Companions secret but no matter how hard he tried he just couldn’t  find the right words. After giving up trying to say what he now knew about her, his eyes fell upon one of the corpses. He smiled broadly as he picked up the foot of one of the dead Silverhands and promptly dragged the body across the floor to dump it in front of Aela.

  “Aela… You need to eat”.

   

  “Wh… What?” She blankly stared at Sotek while the tears dried up instantly. A solitary sniffle escaped her lips.

   

  Sotek’s eyes closed as he prepared for the difficult and yet horribly short conversation due to their situation.

  “I know… Now’s not the time, it’s not safe here. You have to eat”.

   

  She still stared at him, unsure of his meaning. Sotek huffed as he glanced back to the cavern entrance. He knew at any moment a vastly superior group of Silverhands could come charging in at any moment.

  “You’re a werewolf. You, Farkas, Vilkas, hell even the Harbinger. I know… It’s not safe here, Farkas and Vilkas are up there at the top waiting. We have to move, you have to fight. Please, change so she can eat”.

   

  “You know?” Her mind was reeling, trying to think of what to say but all she could do was stare at him.

   

  The frustration began to overwhelm Sotek’s emotions. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet.

  “Aela, you got to snap out of it… Eat damn it”.

   

  She looked at the corpse, then once again at Sotek. A few moments later she face contorted as her chin narrowed to a blunt point while the sides of her skull expanded. Her eye sockets grew and her eyes changed in size and colour. Where before they had shone with a light grey, they were now an almost bright yellow. Her whole body seemed to stretch up to then arch forwards as her legs rapidly grew in thickness while they expanded in length. Her arms became elongated in seconds as her clothes disappeared from sight as thick red fur smothered her and her armor. The transformation took just a few seconds then she stood there in her second form watching Sotek.

   

  A slight smile formed on Sotek’s face as he examined the six and a half foot female werewolf who now stood in front of him. She was smothered in thick red fur except for her chest which was like the purest silver Sotek had ever seen. It tapered down to a point past her stomach to stop just above her crotch. Her claws werethree inches long and her fangs glistened with saliva which dripped from the side of her maw. Two wolf like ears twitched as she listened to every sound from both Sotek and the Silverhands deep within the mine. While her eyes flicked between Sotek and the two bodies. She stretched up and growled menacingly however to her surprise Sotek wasn’t fazed what so ever. Despite the fact that she expected him to run, he just smiled back at her as calm as a frozen lake and he watched her just as coldly.

   

  As she stood there in front of him, Sotek cursed out loudly. He walked  up to her and slapped her across the face, but not overly hard, just enough to snap her out of her stare.

   

  “Bloody eat!” As he spoke to her he kicked the corpse for emphasis. She leaned over the body then cast one last confused look at him. Sotek found himself growling back at her. “Don’t make me kick your bloody ass girl, I’m angry enough with you as it is”.

   

  She leaned over the body and sniffed it a few times before her fangs bit half-heartedly into the corpse. However, the moment she tasted the blood and flesh in her mouth, her hunger took over. Within seconds she lost her inhibitions and gouged on the corpse. While she ate, Sotek picked up a foot of the second dead Silverhand and yet again pulled it towards her. Once she finished she moved cautiously towards Sotek and sniffed his chest. As she stood there Sotek slowly rested his palm against her cheek and lightly tugged on her fur so she would look at him.

   

  “Are you ready?” Sotek asked.

   

  She simply growled lightly at him as she brandished her fangs.

   

  Sotek went to the edge of the cave and drew in a deep breath before looking up at the cavern wall. The next moment he shouted out for all he was worth.

  “Fus Ro!”