U.O.T.W. Chapter 150 Final Freedom Part 2

  • Chapter 150 Final freedom Part 2

     

    After a few minutes of listening to the wolf pack’s howling cries, Aela took Sotek by the arm and led him away. She had a hard time leaving the wolves behind which were clearly evident as she started walking backwards just so she could catch one last glimpse of the alpha and his pack.

    “We’re running out of time! We’ve only got a few hours left”. She said in an exited voice. The air seemed to spark with electricity as she turned around and started heading northwards towards the Harbinger’s location.

    Farkas couldn’t help but laugh as he watched them both out on the plains.

    “Someone remind me. How long has Sotek been a werewolf?”

     

    Vilkas smirked back at him before giving his ‘sister’ Aela, a crafty smile.

    “Only a few weeks but with Aela showing him the path it might as well have been years. If they turn anymore ‘wolf like’ we’ll have to get them dog collars and leads”.

     

    Farkas laughed at the thought and eagerly added his septims worth to the idea.

    “Yes! We could take ‘em around Whiterun for ‘walkies’”.

     

    Vilkas’s fingers snapped together in a loud ‘click’ as he pointed to Farkas.

    “We’ll have to get them a matching set though. Hey, we could give them pet names, like ermmm, ‘Brutus’ and ‘Annabelle’”.

     

    The Harbinger laughed quietly at them both while his eyes studied the layout of the terrain Aela was rapidly heading towards. All he could see was a large mound of rocks. He knew the location to be Greenspring Hollow but there was nothing there of interest. It earned its name from the small spring which had lush grass growing along the streams banks.

    “Yes, but who would put a collar on Annabelle and who would be brave enough to walk Brutus?”

     

    Farkas automatically stepped away from him whilst he held his hands up defensively.

    “Well don’t look at me”.

     

    Vilkas nearly burst out laughing as his thoughts turned towards Jorrvaskr.

    “Hey, it could be the new trial for the whelps! First off, you’ve got to collar Annabelle, and then you need to walk Brutus around the yard. If you survive those two without getting eaten then well done, you’re in!”

     

    Even the Harbinger laughed at the thought of a whelp struggling to contain Scarface on a lead.

     

    Kodlak edged forwards with concern as Aela was now heading directly towards them. Although they were high up and hidden between the mountainous rocky terrain, he started to wonder if Aela had indeed spotted them. That was one thing he didn’t want so he openly voiced his concerns and prepared to move deeper into the mountains.

    “Damn it. She’s leading him straight towards us. Pack up; quickly now, we’ll have to move. We’ll take the horses along the trail”.

     

    Vilkas glanced around where they were and noticed as the Harbinger had done that Greenspring Hollow was a few hundred feet below them.

    “Actually, I don’t think we do”. He then pointed to the rocky outcrop and relayed its significance to the Harbinger.

    “That’s their spot. That’s where they first ermm. Let’s just say it’s their spot and we’ll leave it at that”.

     

    The Harbinger folded his arms across his chest and stared at Aela and Sotek. He summed up a few private thoughts before giving them a voice.

    “They have a spot on the plains?” Bizarrely, he discretely cursed at Tilma but neither Vilkas nor Farkas could hear what he muttered under his breath.

     

    With a loud ‘huff’ he kicked a small rock to the side and pointed to a flattish area which just so happened to be nearby.

    “We’ll stay here! We’re downwind, and the horses are ok tied where they are. Farkas, can you see to it that they are watered?” He then stated what he thought was obvious. He had presumed there was no need to but he said it anyway. “No fire. It’ll give our position away”.

     

    Vilkas mumbled back in return. He was at least thankful he had packed a few extra furs.

    “Yea, we were expecting that”.

     

    “I bloody wasn’t”. Grumbled Farkas. “And I bet they’ll have a bloody great fire, and venison cooking. Sotek always cooks venison on an open fire god damn it”.

     

    Farkas’s words struck a chord with Vilkas. He shot his head around to his brother’s horse and groaned.

    “Farkas! You’ve only two furs! Aww for hell and Oblivion!”

     

    “I was expecting to have a fire wasn’t I. Why we sneaking around anyway?” He sat down and grumbled under his breath, leaving Kodlak and Vilkas to arrange the camp.

    Aela dumped her pack by a large boulder situated near a ring of big stones. Ash and half burnt logs lay undisturbed in the centre where the two Companions would have their camp fire.

    “Ditch your gear here. We’ll set up the tent then she can have a run. Move yourself, you lazy lizard!” She laughed as she began tugging on Sotek’s backpack.

     

    “I never brought it!” Sotek commented as he fought her off. He managed to slip an arm out of the straps, freeing himself from Aela’s grasp.

     

    “Never brought what? Oi moron, where is the tent?” She threw his pack to the ground in disgust and scolded him for his apparent stupidity. “Well that’s just great isn’t it. Now what are we supposed to use?”

     

    Sotek tutted back at her and walked across to the Overhang.
    “We’ll sleep here! Look, we camp out here anyway don’t we? All we need to do is clear out a few stones, lay a large fur down and set the bedrolls on that. A few more furs for covers and we’re sorted. We don’t need a tent. We’ll sleep under the roof of the overhang”.

     

    Aela stopped what she was doing and stared back at Sotek while his words toyed with her mind. A big beaming smile covered her face as she nodded back.

    “We’ll make a proper camp? A permanent one? That’s brilliant. We’ll do what you said tonight but later we’ll see about levelling the ground more and maybe add a few screens to the eastern side to block out the sun in the morning. Yes, this could really work”.

     

    Sotek smiled back at her but inside he was cursing. Her world seemed to glow brighter yet the reality that there would be ‘no other times’ had been forgotten in her excitement. He dismissed such thoughts and let her live in her fantasy. He for one wasn’t going to pop the bubble.

    “Let’s sort it out later. Red needs a run doesn’t she? Let her loose, she can go psycho as she usually does”.

     

    Aela punched him in the chest before tapping him on the nose with the tip of her finger.

    “She isn’t psycho, besides isn’t Scarface a maniac?”

     

    Sotek’s thoughts darted back to when Red ransacked the Undercroft but he wisely decided to keep quiet about it. Instead he concentrated on Scarface’s defence and jestingly snapped back at her.

    “Maybe; but that’s only because that’s what you want him to be. Deny it”.

     

    A second later, Sotek changed form before Aela could think of any come back regarding his statement. Within moments, Scarface stretched up to his full height then let out a deafening howl. Not wanting to be out done, Red followed suit, then she was off chasing a small group of deer which were grazing in the distant horizon.

     

    Scarface dropped to all four paws and watched his mate’s sleek feminine form as she thundered across the ground until he decided she had a big enough head start. He joined in with the chase, hunting down the prey.

     

    It didn’t take him long to close the gap; something Red eagerly noticed. When she saw Scarface level with her, she slowed down a fraction letting her counterpart take the lead.

     

    He had just moved in front when Red, still running as fast as she dared to, bit out at his hind leg, sending him crashing to the ground.

    Above them, the three Companions sat wrapped up in furs to fend off the mountains chilling wind. Vilkas, still feeling disgruntled over his brother’s stupidity regarding the few furs he brought along, pointed to Red while he spoke about her lack of fair play.

    “What a cheating bitch! He had her then”.

     

    “Well what do you expect from her? She plays dirty, same as Aela”. Farkas replied as he held the furs tight against him. His fingers scrunched together tightening his grip from beneath the animal skins lest he felt the frosty bite of Skyrim.

     

    The Harbinger looked on as well but he was content with having a single fur draped over his shoulders, covering his back like a cloak. He shook his head at the other two, who seemed far more affected by the cold than himself. He decided they needed toughening up so he made a mental note to send them out into the wilds more. He traced Red’s hunting pattern and commented on her wanton behaviour.

    “She isn’t playing fair; that’s for sure. He should have expected it mind. You are correct in your assessment Farkas, Red’s no different to Aela. A strong spirit drives that girl”.

    Whether he should have expected it or not made no difference. Scarface whined as he rolled across the ground with each limb sprawling outwards. When he came to a stop he lifted up his head and shook it, dislodging the confusion and dizziness.

     

    It wasn’t a matter of expecting Red to misbehave; it was a simple case of not letting her get away with it. He howled as his clawed paws tore into the ground, each limb pushing outwards, giving him unprecedented acceleration and he swiftly closed the gap. Whilst running at full speed, he came alongside Red once more.

     

    Red wolfishly grinned as she saw him in the corner of her eye and she slowed down just a fraction, just enough to give him the lead.

     

    Red counted down the seconds, preparing for the crucial moment in which to strike. Just as she was about to take out Scarface’s hind leg a second time, Scarface lowered his head and turned into her. The very next second he ran underneath her stomach and flipped his head up. Red was thrown upwards, somersaulting in the air. She whined and hollered as she fell to the earth with a loud thud.

     

    Scarface stopped running and turned to face the snarling werewolf. She clambered up to her hind paws and howled out at him before charging forwards. Red launched herself through the air straight at him with her paws flailing as she tried to swipe at the male werewolf. He retaliated, trading blows while they both howled and snarled for dominance.

     

    Farkas stepped towards the edge of the pathway with growing concern. He called out to Vilkas hesitantly as he wondered if they should intervene.

    “They’re fighting! We need to get down there; break them up”

     

    Vilkas moved across their camp and laughed at him when he saw for himself the fight between Red and Scarface.

    “Nope. That’s what Sotek and Aela do in the courtyard; and in the hall for that matter. They’re actually playing”.

    Scarface fell back from Red’s onslaught and crept around her whilst keeping his distance. With a howling cry, he swung his body round and charged straight at her, brandishing his claws to strike.

     

    Red tried to dive out of the way but she was too slow; the next second all hell broke loose as they fought each other. The plains silence was shattered as they growled and snarled like two feral hounds overwhelmed with blood lust.

     

    The Harbinger wasn’t happy one little bit. He had even started to draw his sword although he had no idea what to do if he made the decision to separate them. He gave Vilkas one last chance to convince him.

    “Are you sure? They look like they mean it”.

     

    “Oh yea, mind you I never seen two werewolves play before”. Regardless to the fact that Aela and Sotek weren’t there, Vilkas could see the bond between them.

    Then next second Scarface collapsed in a heap and Red pinned his arms down. Scarface was stuck underneath her as she put all of her weight down trying to stop him moving. She snarled and snapped her fangs together near Scarface’s throat while he growled back at her.

     

     

    Vilkas however saw through such threats. He had seen these games before and he eagerly pointed it out to the others.

    “See! There is no way she can hold him down! He’s too strong, he’s letting her and I bet she knows it”.

     

    Red lifted her head up a fraction and sniffed the night air. Her senses detected a deer in the distance and with a kick of her paws she suddenly bolted for it, leaving Scarface on the ground.

     

    Scarface scrambled to his paws then gave chase. Joining in with Red, they hunted down the deer as it tried to get away. Within a minute both werewolves had managed to catch up with their prey. Scarface swiped out at its hind leg, bringing it down so Red could sink her fangs in the back of its neck. Canine teeth broke through fur and tore apart arteries, killing the deer in seconds.

     

    Red turned towards Scarface with bits of fur in her maw and blood dripping from between her fangs. She watched him with curiosity as he moved alongside the carcass. Scarface bit into the neck and gripped it tightly then shredded his claws along the deer’s torso while he held it in place. The body opened up, revealing the soft tissues and meat inside.

     

    Instead of eating, Scarface backed away whilst his eyes stayed fixed upon Red’s. She accepted his offer and hungrily fed off the deer, tearing off chunks of flesh which she greedily consumed. Before she took her third maw full of flesh, she stopped and moved to the side. Red growled back at Scarface, allowing him to partake in her meal.

     

    Scarface all too eagerly joined in and between them they soon devoured the deer until little else but bones and fur remained.

     

    Once she had finished feeding, Red approached Scarface on all fours and rubbed her shoulder along his side. She stood just in front of him, all the while staying on all four paws. Scarface moved alongside her and rested his head on her back as she stood there as still as a statue.

     

    Accepting her submission to his dominance, Scarface positioned himself behind her. She turned her head to the side and watched as he moved a paw on her hip holding her in place. Just as he was about to take hold of her other hip, she suddenly whipped round and snapped her fangs at him as if she intended to bite him, then she shot off, leaving him standing there.

     

    She stopped a few hundred yards away and whined back at him, calling him to her. When he moved closer, she trotted around in a circle so she could come up from behind him. Again she rubbed her shoulder along his side then as before, she stood in front of him and flicked her tail in his face. He rested his head on her back but she snapped at him and ran away once more.

    The Harbinger moved away in embarrassment. He looked around at their surroundings and picked a trail leading away from the overhang.

    “Let’s go off this way for an hour shall we?”

     

    Farkas followed behind although he couldn’t help himself. He glanced over his shoulder at the two werewolves.

    “I don’t get it. If she wants him then why fight him off?”

     

    Vilkas slapped him on the back and hurriedly walked past, leaving his brother in his wake.

    “She’s playing hard to get”.

     

    Farkas shrugged his shoulders and sped up his own pace so he wouldn’t be left behind.

    “I don’t get that! It seems a waste of time to me”.

     

    The Harbinger smiled at him and pointed down the mountainside.

    “Well she doesn’t think it’s a waste of time; that’s for certain”.

     

    Although he had an air of misery about him which he managed to sustain over the last few hours, Farkas cheered up as he realised they were no longer in view of the plains; more particularly in view of Greenspring Hollow.

    “Hey, Harbinger, as they’re busy, can we have a fire?”

     

    Knowing they were well out of the way, the Harbinger readily agreed for the sake of peace and tranquillity.

    ‘If nothing else, it would stop Farkas’s complaining’. He thought, or rather hoped. “I can’t see it doing any harm”.

    Scarface yet again positioned himself behind Red but instead of gently holding her by the hip, he brought both his forelimbs down either side of her waist and moved them tight against her. She tried to break away from him and force his arms apart however he increased the pressure, fortifying his grip. His paws lifted up and took hold of her by her waist, causing her to snarl when she felt the tips of his claws dig into her fur as he held her tightly.

     

    Red looked over her shoulder and growled threateningly, warning him to go slow and cautious. She enjoyed having the control over him, making him dance to her howls.

     

    Scarface had enough games though so he made his intentions perfectly clear. Large fangs gripped the scruff of her neck as Scarface bit her. In this one instant she lost all power over him. He was the dominant alpha now. Complying with his desires, she hunched her shoulders and pushed her body backwards so her haunches were pressed tight against him. When she lowered her head submissively, a primal instinct told Scarface that she gave in and would now succumb to his will.

     

    Scarface growled a warning to all around him as he took Red under his terms, claiming her as his mate.

    Farkas grumbled despite having a small fire as soon as he heard Reds howling echoes which seemed to ripple across the plains. He shut his eyes tightly when the first cry reached them but when they heard several other howls in succession, Farkas finally cracked.

    “Oh for the love of the Nines! Why the hell are we out here? And why do we have to spy on them?”

     

    The Harbinger gave a sigh and beckoned them to gather around nearer to him. The way he talked in hushed whispers made them think he was afraid that some stranger would chance upon them and discover their secret.

    “Tilma happened to hear them both talk. Tilma happened to hear them talk... that old cow was spying on them. Aela, Sotek... they aren’t happy about not being able to hunt as they feel they need to. Aela mentioned something about having to move away. The argument you all heard was Tilma telling me to give them some space. I thought they would be able to handle it more than they have but Tilma insisted we follow them so I would actually see them both out here. I thought it was just a case of them pushing their luck with me. See how much they can get away with. I was wrong”.

     

    He cursed at himself for his short sightedness. Aela and Red were certainly different. Each had their own traits but despite Kodlak knowing her all her life, he missed everything. The bitterness tugged at him, it drained his strength as a sense of failure filled his heart.

    She’s right, Tilma’s right. Red and Scarface, they need the plains. They need to run free. We can’t stop them; if we try to she’ll leave and probably go to her father. I thought they came out here to hunt but they don’t”.

     

    Farkas sat upright and looked around the camp for answers to Kodlak’s overly heavy words. Clutching at straws he blurted out a reply with little thought or regards to the situation.

    “They come out here for sex then?”

     

    Kodlak tutted, more so at himself than his sibling.

    “No Farkas. If that were the case then it would be a whole lot simpler. They come out here to live. Red and Scarface come out to the plains to live”.

     

    Vilkas interrupted with a loud ‘slap’ as he struck his thigh with the palm of his hand.

    “Well we can’t let them go off to Solstheim. We’ve been there; you’ve been there Harbinger. That place is no good for her”.

     

    Kodlak shrugged his shoulders in defeat. He knew Vilkas was right but he could see little in the way of options.

    “What else can we do?”

     

    Farkas had a thought and gazed across the eastern plains towards Whiterun. He mentally took note of the towers and the fact that they were so far away in the distance gave him cause to wonder.

    “What is the harm in them hunting here? They are well out of the way”.

     

    Kodlak wasn’t convinced he knew how fragile their livelihoods were and how quickly their whole world could come tumbling down.

    “And if they are spotted?”

     

    Vilkas shushed them both and cupped a hand to his ear.

    “Hey, it’s gone quiet”.

     

    Farkas headed back to see if the two werewolves had gone off somewhere else but he soon found out that it wasn’t the case. He returned a few seconds later and asked the Harbinger to follow him. Returning to their original position, Farkas pointed out to a large patch of tall grassland.

    “Aela’s changed back”.

     

    The Harbinger tried to spot her but all he could see was a large black silhouette.

    “There’s Scarface but where the hell is Aela. Find her damn it. We don’t want her finding us instead”.

     

    “No need to worry Harbinger”. Farkas stated. “She’s under Scarface’s arm. He’s keeping her warm”.

    A few minutes later, Sotek transformed back. He stretched out on his back and gazed up at the two moons and started forming star constellations. Aela moved alongside him and sat on his stomach. She tipped her head back so she could look straight up.

    “What you looking at?”

     

    Sotek hummed a few notes and held her by the waist. The tune caught Aela’s attention and she fell silent as she listened to it. He noticed she had unintentionally started swaying side to side as she listened to it so he carried on humming it for a few minutes before coming to a stop.

     

    Aela rolled over and pulled him on top of her. As they both kissed, her heels dig into his lower back.

    Farkas and the Harbinger scuttled back to where they had built their camp fire where Vilkas was waiting. He dejectedly handed out three dry rolls along with three pieces of hard cheese.

    “All there is I’m afraid. I thought we’d get some hunting done not hide out like a group of Forsworn and hide in the mountains”.

     

    Farkas glumly bit into the roll and moaned back at his brother while he chewed on the bread and a small piece of cheese.

    “Now Sotek and Aela are at it. Can we go home? I want to go to the inn”.

     

    Vilkas laughed at him and threw on the fire a few pieces of wood which he managed to find.

    “Oh have some control brother!”

     

    “What like them?” Farkas stated as he pointed to the south towards the plains. He almost cried when they heard the all too familiar howling coming from Aela.

     

    The Harbinger turned to the others defensively and tried to play down his part in their predicament.

    “Well I thought they would just hunt. It’s not my fault! As soon as it starts getting light we’ll head back. There’s no way they won’t be coming back to the plains. Like it or not, this is Red’s home. All we can do is try to hide their activities”.

     

    Farkas once again just managed to control himself. He stifled a yell as he snapped back angrily. His frustrations had started wearing him down and he wasn’t one to show restraint when he had enough.

    “Contain their activities? How the hell do we contain that bloody racket?”

     

    With that the Harbinger shrugged his shoulders and pulled on two furs which he used to cover himself with. As he closed his eyes, he gave the two brother’s one last piece of advice.

    “Try to get some sleep”.

    Leaving their armor and clothing at the scene of their ‘crime of passion’, Sotek carried the naked form of Aela in his arms and headed back to the Overhang which lay less than a hundred yards away. He laid her down on the bedding then proceeded to build up the fire.

     

    Once it was burning brightly, filling the camp with a wave of heat, the Argonian settled down behind his mate, holding her in his arms. Two furs were folded up and left by their sides as both mates were content with just the glow of the fire and the warmth from each other’s hearts.

     

     

Comments

2 Comments   |   The Long-Chapper and 2 others like this.
  • Aela The Huntress
    Aela The Huntress   ·  October 13, 2016
    They were watching us? You are so dead!!
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  October 2, 2016
    Aww, I alway like the chapters where Sotek and Aela just get to be together.  :)