U.O.T.W. Chapter 149 Final Freedom Part 01

  • Author’s Note: Adult Themes

     

    It was early evening when Sotek was woken up by a gentle shaking of his shoulder. He opened his eyes and sluggishly looked up to see Tilma standing over him.

    “Isn’t it time you both got up? It will be dark in a few hours. You’re hunting bugs aren’t you? Across the plains?”

     

    He nodded in reply.

    “Yes! Thank you for waking uss”.

     

    “Don’t thank me, get up and don’t forget my furs. Get a move on or you will miss what little light there is left”. Then Tilma left the room and closed the door behind her, allowing the two Companions their privacy.

     

    Sotek blinked a few times, clearing his eyes then he gently shook Aela, waking her up as well. She groaned loudly and then gave out a big yawn.

    “I am so bloody thirsty”. She sat up then reached out for the jug of water and took a swig of it before passing the jug to Sotek. He took a few mouthfuls as well then they both clambered out of the bed and started gathering their gear together for the night’s trip.

     

    The Argonian watched Aela with some concern. She still seemed a bit rough and he was worried she would struggle with the emotional side of things; namely their last trip out as werewolves.

    “Are you up for this tonight?”

     

    She nodded as she tightened the straps to her armour.

    “Hell yes, the last hunt we do? You better believe I’m up for this. Once I get some fresh air in me I’ll be fine. Come on you, shift yourself”.

     

    Sotek gave himself a smile as he opened two large sacks which he previously pulled down from the top of Aela’s wardrobe.

    “You want the big tent or do you prefer the two single ones?”

     

    She raised her eyebrows in contempt.

    “You can bring the singles if you want but if you do that’s how you will end up”.

     

    Sotek stopped what he was doing and tried to work out what she meant.

    “I’m sorry, I don’t understand”.

     

    She walked over to him and grabbed his groins in a tight grip.

    “If you bring the single tents then come tomorrow you’ll be bloody single so you won‘t be needing this will you? Bring the big tent you moron”.

     

    He tried to step back as he wrestled with her hand in an attempt to free himself from her clutches. She watched him squirm until she decided he had suffered enough and she relaxed her grip allowing him to break away.

     

    With eager eyes, she followed his movements as he stepped away from her until he was safely out of her reach. They would often have small bouts where they would wrestle for dominance over the other wolf and this particular time Aela won. She stepped forwards, claiming the Alpha position for herself.

    “Get the large tent and hurry up. We’re losing daylight and we’ve a fair way to go”.

     

    Obeying her command, Sotek threw the bag containing the small tents on her bed and proceeded to put his clothes and armor on. While he secured his backpack, he gave her a snide remark while his tongue stuck out between his teeth.

    “I was just asking that’s all”.

     

    “And I was just saying, come on lets shift it. I want to be able to let Red have her fun before midnight and then we can have a bit of a hunt in the morning as well”. Aela then started shoving Sotek around trying to hurry him up but he just kept getting flustered.

     

    He eventually snapped and wrestled her to the bed. Bending an arm behind her back, he managed to pin her down on her belly as he stood behind her.

    “Stop it! Get off me”. She screamed at him between fits of laughter but all she could do was wait and listen to an evil chuckle.

     

    “Huntress, pack it in or you will get it. Do I make myself clear?” As he laid out his threat, he deliberately pressed his groin against her backside.

     

    Aela snarled back at him due to having no control but despite how she felt or rather how she thought she felt, the Huntress found herself playing the game all too willingly.

    “It’s hardly a threat if I want you to do it though, is it?” As she spoke she had a wild glint in her eyes.

     

    Footsteps in the corridor alerted them of a Whelps presence so they disengaged, both of them fully intending to carry on with their game later.

     

    She shoved her shoulders, giving him a clear signal that the game was indeed over so he broke away, allowing her to get up. She straightened her armour and headed straight for the door after snapping her teeth together.

    “Try that again and I swear I’ll bite your tail”.

     

    “And if I don’t try it again?” Sotek smirked. He knew when Aela was in the mood for their games. He could smell it in her scent.

     

    “If you don’t then I’ll bite your bloody backside. Kodlak’s not falling for this for a second, you know that don’t you?” Her mood changed like a storm cloud that had just blown over a mountain top to blot out the sun.

     

    “He would do if you stopped for a second. Remember, Luna Moth Wings and Torchbugs”.

     

    “Yes, I know”. Aela groaned and rolled her eyes at the countless repeating of the two insects. She snatched her pack from the table and headed upstairs with Sotek following behind.

     

    Just as Sotek was about to shut the door, he paused and stared at Aela’s bed. For some reason he dropped the tent just inside her room and closed the door, leaving the tent behind.

     

    When they arrived at the hall, they found it to be remarkably quiet. Farkas and Vilkas were sitting at one end of the table drinking what Aela discerned to be weak ale while the Harbinger and Tilma were sitting at one of the small table’s playing cards.

     

    As for the Whelps, there were no signs of them. Even the Whelp who had unwittingly disturbed them was nowhere to be seen.

    “Where are the Whelps?” Aela asked as she looked around the hall. Everything had a strange surreal feel about it but she couldn’t figure out what was wrong.

     

    The Harbinger pointed towards the main doors while he explained about the Whelps strange disappearance.

    “Oh, they are having an evening at the Inn. So, Aela, what are you both heading out for? Hmm?”

     

    Aela smiled back at him while she tried to hide a smug feeling. He was bound to ask her and thanks to Sotek she knew just what to say.

    “Oh yes! Bugs! We are getting Luna Bugs and Torch Moths for Arcadia, the alchemist”.

     

    The Harbinger gave himself a slight smile but in reality he was trying to suppress a chuckle. He repeated what she had said while he watched Sotek’s tail flap about as the Argonian’s panic filled him with disdain.

    “Oh Luna Bugs; well you should find loads out there on the plains”.

     

    Aela glanced at Farkas and Vilkas, studying their expressions before she headed towards the doors.

    “Yup. That’s the plan”.

     

    All Sotek could do was silently grimace as Aela’s words rang through his ears. He cursed to himself while he tried to bring his tail to heel but the more he tried to assert control the more it flapped about until he was forced to snatch the tip out of the air and hold it, restraining it in his hand. He finally rolled his eyes at her and opened the doors to Whiterun.  

     

    Once they stepped outside into the cool evening air, Aela nudged Sotek and commented on how well she played her part.

    “See! I told you I would remember”.

     

    He shook his head in contempt and hissed back at her before dragging her by the hand along the pathway towards Whiterun’s main gate.

     

    A few minutes after they left Jorrvaskr, the Harbinger and Tilma nodded to each other as if it was a pre-arranged signal then he spoke to the two remaining Companions.

    “Farkas, Vilkas, its time. I trust your backpacks are in order as there’s no time to waste. Let’s go”.

     

    As one, the two brothers arose from the table and armed themselves with their choice of weapons from the racks which stood to one side of the hall. Vilkas’s two handed Skyforge steel blade shone in the lamplight as he fixed it to his back while Farkas armed himself with his Nordic shield and the one handed Skyforge blade which he always used. The Harbinger took his own two handed Skyforge blade and attached its scabbard to his back in a similar fashion to Vilkas, although Kodlak’s scabbard seemed to be a fraction lower down. Such a position aided with the speed of drawing as it was also angled slightly. Something older warriors came to respect while younger fighters such as Vilkas had too much stubbornness to change their preferred methods.

     

    Kodlak gave Tilma a knowing nod then without another word the Harbinger, Farkas and Vilkas left the hall and made their way stealthily towards the main gate where Aela and Sotek had just gone through moments before.

     

    For reasons unbeknown to anyone but himself, Kodlak started running down the steps. He called out to the other’s demanding them to follow.

    “Quickly now, move yourselves. Damn they don’t hang around do they?”

     

    Farkas sped up and came alongside the Harbinger while Vilkas fell in behind them. As they ran through the deserted market, Farkas asked for an explanation.

    “Who doesn’t hang around? Harbinger, where are we going?”

     

    Kodlak came to a stop as the gate was now just ahead of them. He turned to the two brothers and shrugged his shoulders.

    “Truth be told I don’t know where we’re going until we get there; where ever ‘there’ is. Although, I can tell you we’re heading to the plains”.

     

    Vilkas scratched his chin and glanced at the gate. Nothing made sense and the Harbinger’s actions as well as Tilma’s were strange. They both have been acting oddly all evening.

    “Are we meeting Aela and Sotek?”

     

    Kodlak waved his hand and wholeheartedly dismissed the very idea.

    “No, no we’re not meeting them at all Vilkas. We’re not meeting them, we’re following them...”

     

    By now Sotek was heading towards the stables but when he turned around to ask Aela what horse she wanted, he realised the she wolf had already started walking across the plains. Leaving the stables, he ran behind her and rapidly caught her up.

    “Don’t you want to get some horses?”

     

    Aela gave him a warm smile but she carried on walking. In fact Sotek was quick to realise her pace had actually sped up.

    “No. If Red can’t do this anymore then I don’t want horses. Sotek, I want to feel the wind on my face, the ground beneath my feet, everything. Hear every sound, bask in every sensation. I want to remember tonight for the rest of my life”.

     

    She moved to the stream which ran away from Whiterun’s small waterfall and chose a large rock to sit on. As she gazed across the plains, Sotek noticed her eyes seemed alive as if a thousand wolves looked out from them. Her hair was tangled and in a desperate need of brushing while her feet were dirty from where she had taken her boots off when she had left the city. Both boots hung behind her from where she tied them to her pack. She was as wild as the wolves who hunted the plains.

     

    Sotek knelt down and took his own boots off. His clawed toes scratched at the earthy soil, clawing up narrow channels in the ground. Aela chuckled at him and took hold of his hand as she spoke.

    “That night when we made love for the first time; I remember everything. Your anger in the yard, the atmosphere in the hall. My fear when we walked out of the gate. What we said to each other. Your touch...”

     

    She climbed up to her feet and pointed across the plains towards the overhang which lay beyond their sight.

    “This night is going to stand against that night. I’m going to run like I’ve never ran before. Red’s going to be free one last time and she’s going to remember this forever”.

     

    He held her tightly in his arms and caressed her back whilst he watched a single tear run down her cheek.

    “Hey, we’ll be ok. I’ll sort out something, I promise”.

     

    Aela angrily pushed away from him and spat on the ground. Frustration and loss filled her heart, causing her to snarl back.

    “Like you said before, how can you? There’s no fixing this. No! I’ll not be angry tonight. Kiss me! Kiss me like it’s the last kiss you’ll ever have”.

     

    Sotek held her cheek in his hand and did as she asked. Once they broke away, he whispered to her.

    “Why like the last kiss?”

     

    She smiled back at him and pulled his head down so she could kiss him on the forehead.

    “Because I want to feel passion and not anger. Now, my mate, can you keep up this time?”

     

    Sotek smirked at her as he prepared to run.

    “Keep up? Hell I’ll be on your ass in a second”.

     

    “Yes, but I’m talking about running not sex”. As soon as Aela said it she shoved him in the chest, pushing him over. Even before he hit the ground she was off, running as fast as she could across the open grassland; leaping over the streams and vaulting over a large boulder.

     

    Sotek lifted himself up and grinned. He watched her form for a few seconds then he was off chasing his prey. He knew he wouldn’t catch her up but he was determined to try.

     

    By now the Harbinger and his two siblings had traversed Whiterun’s threshold. Vilkas looked across the plains and groaned as he watched the two figures they were supposed to be following as they ran across the rough terrain like two wolves on a hunt.

    “Oh great! So now we got to run to try to keep up and keep out of sight? You’re bloody joking? Harbinger, there’s no way we’re following them. Why are we doing this anyway? You know damn well what they are going to do!”

     

    Kodlak snapped back in frustration.

    “Vilkas, that’s enough!” He stopped himself and slapped the back of his own hand for letting the situation take over. “I apologise. We all know what they are going to do. They will change and hunt together. This isn’t about what they do but rather why. I can’t explain it Vilkas, I just have to see it with my own eyes. Please, just put up with the whim of an old man”.

     

    Vilkas fell quiet and shuffled on the spot in shame. He felt the heavy hand of the Harbinger on his shoulder and returned the friendship by returning the bond. As he held Kodlak’s own shoulder he lowered his head.

    “I’m sorry Harbinger, I meant no disrespect”.

     

    Farkas ignored them both as he eyed one of the stallions at the stables.

    “It’s a shame we can’t take some horses”.

     

    The Harbinger looked across the plains then his gaze diverted to the northern mountain side. With a big smile he turned towards Farkas.

    “Oh but we can. We’ll keep to the outskirts in the hills and follow them from there. We’ll be able to see where they go if we keep to the mountains edge. Farkas, get us three horses please”.

     

    Within a few minutes the Harbinger along with the two brothers were riding across the plains in a northerly direction where, once they reached the edge of the mountains, they hoped to be able to keep an eye on their two fellow siblings while at the same time be hidden from them as well.  All of the while each member’s eyes were fixed on Aela and Sotek, ever watchful in case their direction of travel changed.

     

    Unaware of the three Companions presence, Sotek raced across the rugged terrain and finally caught up with Aela. He knew she had slowed down, allowing him to gain on her but even so she still kept a good pace.

    She came to a stop and grinned wildly while she drew rapid breaths.

    “Now that’s better! You see? That’s what I wanted from you. I’m faster but you’re never too far behind”.

     

    Sotek went to answer but a scent on the wind drew his attention away from her. He stared off towards the south, causing Aela to do the same as curiosity buzzed around her.

    “What? Ahh! Over there, wolves...”

     

    Sotek took a few steps towards the wolves then he cupped his hands together and howled out. The Wolves stopped their hunt and each one turned their heads towards the two Companions and twitched their ears. The alpha of the pack lifted his head up and sniffed the air then he started howling back, as if to answer Sotek’s call.

     

    Aela laughed with glee as she listened to her mate and his ‘new friends’.

    “I thought I was the only one who could do that”. She cupped her hands as well then howled out. The pack responded by joining in with the she wolf’s howls; their cries joined in unison and echoed across the landscape. 

     

     

Comments

4 Comments   |   The Long-Chapper and 3 others like this.
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  November 18, 2016
    Forward Links are a bit broke atm. I'm gradually going through fixing them as I reformat the chapters. I have to get this sorted out. 
    My apologies. 
  • Exuro
    Exuro   ·  November 18, 2016
    fyi, the previous button links to itself. Just trying to remember where I left off. I have so much catching up to do.... Wait that's a good thing, I can binge Netflix style!
    • Exuro
      Exuro
      Exuro
      Exuro
      Exuro
      fyi, the previous button links to itself. Just trying to remember where I left off. I have so much catching up to do.... Wait that's a good thing, I can binge Netflix style!
        ·  November 18, 2016
      and ch.149 previous links Herr.
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  October 1, 2016
    Ah, I remember this hunt well. :)