The camp, if it could be called a camp due to the lack of bedrolls and the fact that the fire was so small, was shrouded in silence. The two Companions, Aela and Sotek sat opposite one another. Each of them knew there were questions which needed asking, as well as answers needing to be told but the both of them were too worn out and mentally drained to do either.
It didn’t take Sotek long to prepare the two rabbits for cooking. The meager meal was basic to say the least. Neither Aela nor Sotek bothered with salt or any herbs, both preferring the natural taste of meat to any ‘artificial’ flavouring. Once the rabbits had been gutted and skinned, they were skewered with arrows then propped up over the fire where they slowly cooked.
Even when they ate, they never made any conversation. Aela was the first to finish her rabbit off. She threw the carcass towards the plains where wolves and other predators or scavengers could partake of the remains.
Sotek was still picking off any morsel of meat he could while Aela watched him eat. She got up, walked over towards him and straddled his lap. The rabbit was snatched out of his hands and lobbed between the trees to land near the other carcass.
Sotek playfully tutted as he looked up at Aela.
“Hey, I was eating that!”
Aela seductively leaned over him and flayed her hair in his face before she lovingly kissed him. She quickly broke off though due to the pain from her split lip.
“Not any more you’re not..... Owww!”
When she sat up, Sotek gently traced along her mouth with a single claw taking great care not to hurt her. Noticing just how bad the cut was, he offered her some assistance with the wound.
“Do you want a heal?”
Aela slid across his body to his side so she could rest her head on his chest. She whispered as she wrapped her arms around him.
“No, I need a hug”.
Sniggering to herself, she lifted her leg up and playfully slapped him on the chest.
“Tail”. Sotek laughed and watched as his tail slithered over her hip and slowly coiled around her leg like a constrictor.
The sun had finally managed to break through the tree line, and shone upon Aela’s back. Her eyes closed as she murmured softly in ecstasy.
“Mmmmnnn. The suns got some warmth to it. It’s nice”.
Sotek tutted in response.
“And it’s bright too”.
Aela lightly slapped him as she replied.
“Well of course its bright silly. It’s the bloody sun!” As she looked up at him, she understood his reaction.
He was heavily squinting in an attempt to block out the bright glare of the sunshine smothering his face.
“Ahh. Here, allow me”. She rested her palm across his eyes, blocking out the sun. His tail, which was still coiled around her, relaxed along with his face. “Better I presume?” She asked, knowing full well it was.
Sotek slightly nodded so he wouldn’t inadvertently move Aela’s hand away.
“Yesss. Just tell me before you decide to move”.
While Aela lay in his arms, she watched as a fox scurried out from between a large group of boulders to promptly sniff around where she had chucked the two rabbit remains. The fox quickly found one and carried it back to the rocks where Aela easily guessed it had made its den.
Such thoughts led her to think back on Red and Omega. She gave out a slight chuckle as one particular memory came flooding back to her.
“Do you remember when we attacked the stupid bandit base? Omega tried to climb the wall? The silly sod!”
She paused so she could consolidate her emotions but she found the silence too unbearable.
“Omega’s gone isn’t he? He’s never coming back”. As she spoke, a few tears formed in her eyes. She could feel Red howl out at her loss as if she already knew.
Sotek seemed to pick up on Red’s feelings, whether because they were amplified by Aela’s own or not the Huntress couldn’t be sure, but Sotek knew what was going on inside her. He held her tightly, giving her the much needed support.
“Yesss, Omega’s gone. You think Red will miss him? Despite having Scarface to look after her?”
Aela went to nod but instead she just stared into space. It took her several seconds to bring herself to answer.
“She already does. I can feel her inside me. She’s hurting Sotek. She lov… Do werewolves love one another?”
Sotek rolled on his side, gently lowering Aela on her back. He held her hand tightly, their fingers interlocking with one another, fortifying the bond between them. He looked deep in Aela’s eyes, transfixing her gaze into a stare and replied softly and as lovingly as he could.
“We do Aela, we do”. He leaned into her and kissed her softly so he wouldn’t hurt her lip.
Aela’s hand held the back of his head and pulled him lower, intensifying the kiss and held him there until she was gasping for breath. She tried to draw a lungful of air but all she could muster were short random puffs. A single tear ran down her check and she pulled her head up to his chest, holding herself tightly against him.
“I thought I lost you. I begged you to stay with me; I was so scared I lost you”.
Sotek rolled over taking Aela with him. Using his weight, he forced her on top of him while he lay on his back. She sat up and rested her palms on his chest and looked down at him to see his eyes were closed and his breathing was slow and steady. She thought for a split second that he was enjoying her sitting on him yet his tail thrashed around. Sensing Aela’s apprehension, Sotek started talking while his eyes stayed tightly shut.
“Aela, for a moment there... you did... I don’t want to think about it”. Sotek’s eyes snapped open, his resolve bright and untainted. “Greymane, the bastard’s gone. We got the son of a bitch and he’ll never threaten you or anyone else again”.
Aela gulped as a new fear clouded her horizon. She found herself tinkering on the edge of her emotions once more.
“The Shadowscales, you’re running out of time”.
Sotek smiled back at her as he shrugged.
“Aela, I can’t beat them. They are vastly superior to my abilities. So, that being the case...”
Aela looked over her shoulder towards Whiterun. She could feel Sotek’s heart. Its beat was slow and steady, unlike her own heart which beat so much faster.
“You have a plan don’t you? Don’t be a bastard and keep it to yourself, please, tell me”.
Sotek slapped her on the backside and wagged his finger at her face. He seemed serious but he grinned as he spoke.
“Only if you stop your swearing, it’s getting out of hand. Now, when I was younger I was told something. If you can’t fight then find someone who can”.
Aela screwed her face up as she watched his own emotions. Even now she had a hard time reading him. His grins and snarls were exactly the same to such a point that she thought he did it deliberately.
“Who do you have in mind?”
Sotek roared with laughter. He held the side of her face and smiled warmly.
“Oh Aela, do you really have to ask? If you can’t fight them?”
Aela laughed hysterically and nodded like a wild creature. She lay down on top of him and kissed him on the cheek.
“If you can’t beat them, eat them! Hahahah”.
Feeling more confident, Aela closed her eyes, shutting out the midday sun. Her head was pounding with all the stress and worry, all the emotions whirling around her brain. Now though she started to feel some fragment of peace. Her finger traced along Sotek’s chest as it followed the pattern of his scales. While she drew weird shapes with her fingertip she started thinking about Sotek’s new werewolf form. Certain questions rapidly followed, questions needing answers.
“You’re Scarface! Your werewolf form... is Scarface! Bloody hell, I can’t believe it”.
Sotek peered along the length of his snout at her. He never bothered moving his head, he was too tired for such things.
“Yes, it’s kind of weird I grant you. I miss the troll”.
Aela snapped at him defensively as her palm slammed into his chest.
“He’s not a troll!”
Sotek groaned in pain. He ached all over, every muscle and joint hurt and now after everything he was in the process of being beaten up. He hissed back at her angrily but then he quickly backed down as he corrected Aela in regards to what she had inadvertently said.
“Aela, he wasn’t a troll, he’s gone. I’m sorry, I tried, we both tried...”
Aela wrapped her arm around Sotek holding him close.
“He didn’t try. You hear me Sotek? Omega didn’t just try, he fought with everything he had, everything. And he never ran, he stood his ground to that bastard! And so did you!”
She nudged him in the side with her elbow, forcing him to look at her.
“Heal my lip. I want to kiss you properly”. She stated demandingly.
Sotek gave her a sleazy grin or at least that what she thought he did. A single hand lifted up and started glowing in a soft golden light. The swelling in her lip disappeared as the wound and bruised cheek muscles healed over. She ran her tongue across her lips and smiled.
“Perfect. Are they not?”
Sotek glanced down at her chest then looked up to her mouth and scratched the side of his head.
“What are we talking about?”
Aela growled at him as she pointed to her mouth.
“My lips you cheeky bastard”.
Sotek rolled his eyes and raised his eye brows.
“Oh right. Yes they are more than perfect. At least your lips are”.
She paused and wondered about what he had said and the way he said it. Aela couldn’t help herself. For once she felt self conscious which was an alien feeling for her. She pulled out her Ancient Nordic chest piece and looked down at her breasts, mentally comparing them to the other women in Whiterun.
“Are my boobs small?” She looked up to Sotek and burst out laughing, rolling on the ground alongside him.
Sotek chuckled as he playfully pushed her on the shoulder.
“Leave your pups alone. I like them the way they are, besides... I don’t know of any spell that can help!”
Aela’s mouth nearly dropped to the floor. She stared at him in disbelief then threw herself at him.
“You bastard!!”
The two of them fought each other playfully as if they were in the safe confides of Jorrvaskr, finally letting go of the stress and emotional rollercoaster they were thrust onto.
Sotek managed to pin Aela down on her back. He leaned into her grinning face and whispered.
“How about my kiss?”
Her knee came up sharply catching him in the groin. He cried out and rolled on his side while she laughed at him.
“No chance, you said my pups were small”.
As she lay on her side, she felt Sotek’s body snuggle up to her. With the sun blazing overhead, and the feeling of security as she was tucked up tightly against Sotek, Aela gave out a wolfish cry as she yawned. Everything seemed to hit her energy at once, the warmth of the sun sapping her strength and the emotions draining her will. Without even meaning to, her body relaxed and her arms became limp as she fell into a deep sleep.
Aela awoke to find herself alone. A thick fur was draped over her while a second one was rolled up and placed under her head as a pillow. She sat up with a start to see Sotek, who was no more than fifty yards away, firing an arrow up in the sky. She knew he was firing way too high regardless as to what he was aiming at... unless.
Her eyes scanned the sky above but not one solitary hawk flew overhead.
“Blasted reptile’s useless. Oi, slug!!”
Sotek lowered the bow dejectedly and turned around to face her. His tail whipped about as he hissed.
“Ssslug? Are you referring to me?”
Aela approached him with her bow held loosely in her hand. It gently swung in step with her body as she closed in upon Sotek’s position. Aela scrutinized his stance and groaned to herself as she prepared to stab him in the leg with an arrow.
Just as the ‘instrument of pain’ was being pulled out of its quiver, Sotek called out to her and waved her closer to him.
“Hey, Aela. How much gold do you have?”
Aela’s fingers tightened around her bow as she quickened her pace. Her free hand jingled the pouch of septims which was tied to her belt.
“About 50 gold at a guess; why? What the hell are you shooting at?”
Sotek slyly winked at her then pointed across the plains towards Whiterun.
“Oh my not very sweet and quite hostile she-wolf, do you see that flat piece of rock over there?”
Aela glanced along his finger and followed it to where a large flattish area of granite bedrock lay stretched out. Feeling somewhat disinterested, she huffed her reply.
“Ohhh... yes. What about it?”
As Sotek drew back the drawstring, he paused and eyed Aela cautiously.
“What one you looking at?”
Aela stepped to his side and waved her hand at the bedrock as if she was shooing off a butterfly.
“That large flat one”.
Tutting, Sotek shook his head and nodded towards Whiterun.
“No you silly mare, the one beyond it. I bet I can hit it from here”.
Aela’s face scrunched up as she covered her brow with the flat of her hand. She stared off in the distance then cried out laughing.
“That one? It’s no bigger than a bloody shield! I can barely see it for crying out loud. Sotek, you couldn’t spit on it if you were standing next to the bloody thing”.
Sotek’s tail snaked along the ground and his eyes narrowed. He had an intense look about him as he drew back the bowstring once more.
“That would depend on the strength of the wind. Anyway, one arrow. 50 gold says I can hit it from here”.
Aela’s chest puffed out while she rested her hands on her hips.
“This I’ve got to see. Go on then, you’re on; milk drinker”.
Sotek smugly held his hand out for an arrow despite still having a good few left in his quiver.
“Let’s use one of yours”.
Aela huffed at him then pulled out an arrow. The hawk feathers which she used when she fletched the batch of arrows felt silky smooth. She held out the arrow which balanced perfectly on one finger and presented it to the Argonian.
Sotek smiled back then slapped the tip of it, sending the arrow falling to the ground. Aela scrunched her face up and shoved him in the shoulder, yelling at him over his impertinence.
“What the hell did you do that for?”
Sotek chuckled as he knelt down to pick the arrow up. Before he was back on his feet, he grinned at her.
“You owe me fifty gold. I told you I could hit a single arrow from here”.
Aela shoved him in the side sending him sprawling upon the rocky terrain. She ranted at him, firing off each word in quick succession.
“You told me you could hit that bedrock with one arrow!!”
Sotek picked himself up and dusted off his legs. His tail flipped about in the air as he cupped a hand around his ear.
“I didn’t catch that, what was it you said?”
Aela huffed loudly then kicked a stone, sending it bouncing away towards the road to the south of them.
“I said..... You told me you could hit that bedrock from here with one arrow”.
Sotek cheekily wagged a clawed finger in front of her.
“No, I actually said; one arrow, I bet I can hit it from here!”
Aela’s jaw dropped open as she stared back at him. His words played through her mind and she realised she had been tricked.
“Hit the arrow? You bastard!”
Sotek burst out laughing then resumed his stance and took aim. He pulled back the drawstring and released Aela’s arrow. It flew way up in the air then started to curve downwards. Aela stared in disbelief when she saw it shatter as it slammed into the bedrock Sotek had pointed out earlier.
“How? Seriously, I mean... How the hell did you hit that from here?” In a mild state of shock, Aela pulled off her bag of gold and handed it across to Sotek all the while her eyes stayed fixed on the bedrock.
Sotek took the gold then roared out with laughter. He handed it back to a confused Aela along with an explanation.
“You see these two rocks on the floor? I found out if I stand on them and aim just above The Throat of the World Mountain then the arrow hits the bedrock. I spent two hours finding the perfect spot”.
Aela snatched the bag back then scornfully growled at him.
“You bloody stinking cheater!” The next second she cackled like a witch and shook her head. “Rhahaha! Shame the others weren’t here. We’d make a fortune!”
As she looked across the plains, a single stag bolted as a wolf gave chase. She watched in fascination as the stag easily outpaced the hungry carnivore. When she turned back around towards the camp, she remembered about their horses which due to the circumstances, she had completely forgotten about.
“My stallion? We forgot about them, the poor bastards”.
Sotek held his hands up to her, cutting her off before she ran away with herself.
“I’ve taken care of them. Both fed and watered”.
Aela stopped where she was and glanced back at Sotek while she tried to act as casual as possible.
“Oh right, yes of course you did. Ermm, time to head back then I think. Flask; now!”
Sotek haphazardly handed her his flask almost dropping it in the process as Aela snatched it away from him. She walked over to the fire then emptied both bottles on it, dowsing the flames as best she could.
“Right then... back... we go”.
She untied her horse and quickly climbed up on the saddle but once she turned the horse towards Whiterun she seemed to go off in a world of her own. Sotek noticed her far away stare and approached the stallion, startling her in the process.
“Hey, are you ok?”
“What? Yes, I’m... what are we going to tell the Harbinger and the others?”
Sotek rested his hand on her leg and smiled up at her. He understood her emotions and the hurt she felt over Omega as he felt it too. He just wished Hircine or Sheogorath for that matter told him exactly what or who Omega was.
“I don’t know; let’s start with what we can tell them; then we can worry about the blanks. With luck we’ll fill them in time”.
Aela returned his smile but she was far from convinced. She wondered if it was a simple case of too much emotion but despite everything they had been told she still felt like she was in the dark and she hated it. Having little choice she sent Sotek off to get his horse.
“Mount up, we’re heading back. We’ll just have to take it one problem at a time”.
Once Sotek’s mare came alongside her own mount, they rode back to Whiterun; both horses side by side.
Comments
Fun chapter, but poor Omega. I hope he's not completely gone.
Sotek does have this excessively annoying habit of keeping things to himself. Hence Aela swearing at him about it. Downgraded it so it's not so objectionable.
C**t? That's new. That's the last thing I expected her to say.