U.O.T.W. Chapter 199 True to Oneself

  •  

    Throughout the night Sotek drifted in and out of troubled sleep. He even spent half an hour sat at the large table at the far end of the corridor by the hall stairway where he tried to work out what Aela was up to. The Morning came all too quickly and he was briskly woken by the flat of a fist as it rapped against his door.

    Aela heard him moving about and she called out to him without bothering to open the door to see him.

    “Hey! Sleepy head, get up. You’ve got half an hour so don’t be late and don’t have breakfast”.

     

    He got out of bed then got ready; although he had no idea of what ‘get ready’ entailed. His mind refused to slow down as it so desperately tried to work out what the hell was going on.

     

    Once he got upstairs Farkas looked at the state he was in and laughed.

    “Oh wow; she hasn’t told you anything has she?”

     

    Aela almost screamed at Farkas, causing him to jump due to her sudden outburst.

    “Shut the hell up Ice brain”. This told Sotek all he needed to know. He was in some sort of trouble and no one was allowed to speak of it.

     

    Before the Argonian could think any further on his situation, Aela made a beeline towards him. She gave him one of his old shirts and a pair of his trousers with the express orders to wear them.

    “Get these on. Now, your boots, ermm... no to hell with it; no boots. What the hell have you got these for? Idiot; leave your weapons on the rack; you won’t be needing them. Once you are ready, get your tail outside”.

     

    Farkas laughed as he watched the hapless Argonian stare blankly back at his mate.

    “Hey Aela, you going to tell him anything?”

     

    Aela growled drowning out the sound of her bare heels thudding on the floor. Farkas gulped as he smiled at her but he knew she wasn’t playing about. He tilted his head back for protection as the Huntress leaned towards him to give an order; one which he knew was to be obeyed.

    “Farkas, shut up”.

     

    Sotek was surprised at the control Aela seemed to have in the hall on this particular yet strange morning. Despite the fact that Aela was wearing her Dragonscale armor, she picked up a second pair of brown trousers and another white shirt which had been ‘liberated’ from Sotek’s own wardrobe. With the two items of clothing in her hands she headed outside.

     

    Sotek put on the clothing where he was, ignoring everyone else who could see him. Once he had changed, which took mere moments, he wiggled his clawed toes, tapping the claw tips on the wooden floor. He looked at the Harbinger who seemed quiet and unwilling to speak. With a shake of his head, Sotek spoke and headed outside.

    “She has you all scared half to death! Cowards”.

     

    Kodlak smiled back and ‘huffed’ at him before speaking.

    “Sotek, you have no idea what’s waiting for you out there. Ignorance is the line between bravery and stupidity and you are way beyond that line. Good luck”.

     

    Sotek’s jaw dropped and his tail fell limp to the floor. He looked back at everyone in the hall and yelled in frustration.

    “What the hell is going on?”

     

    Kodlak chuckled and shook his head, flatly refusing to say any more on the matter. It was at that point that Sotek realised everyone was fully dressed. As he moved towards the door, the whole pack followed him to the yard.

     

    Once he stepped outside he saw Aela standing in his old trousers which were tied up with a piece of string. She wore the old mining shirt of his as well but she stood barefoot in the centre of the courtyard. The Whelps and the other Companions all sat around the tables; except for the Harbinger. He made his way to the Skyforge where Tilma, Eorlund and even the Jarl were all sitting in chairs, waiting for the Argonian to appear.

     

    Aela waited in silence until Kodlak was next to Tilma. Once the Harbinger was sitting down, Aela walked around Sotek in a circle like a wolf on the prowl as she spoke.

    “Has anyone explained what is going to happen?”

     

    Sotek initially tried to follow her with his head as she walked around him but he soon gave up as she passed behind him. Instead he focused his eyes forwards.

    “No. All I know is something is going on and you’ve scared everyone into submission”.

     

    The Huntress threw her head back and laughed like a maniac. She knew he was right, even Kodlak wouldn’t talk lest she found out. At this precise moment she had complete control of everyone. She was the alpha female; the alpha bitch and she loved it.

    “Good... hahaha. Listen up Whelp”.

     

    ‘Whelp?’ Sotek thought. He wondered for a second if this was some sort of initiation but the fear Aela had installed in everyone was way beyond such things. He pondered on the previous night and guessed it was personal. He just didn’t know in what way.

     

    By now Aela was in front of him. She shifted all her weight on one leg and stuck her hip out, feeding Sotek every single curve she had. She could feel his eyes on her; all she had to do was snap her fingers and the ‘hound’ would come running to her like a dog on heat.

     

    The one thing that riled Aela was that he had the same control over her. All he had to do was point to the stairway and demand that she went to his room and there she would go. Even if she tried to use all her will her body betrayed her; her body, yet it was under his command. She hated it but she knew it was true, she was his bitch.

     

    She threw aside the sexual tension between them and mentally prepared herself for what was to come.    

    “I will explain what is going on”. She stated. As she spoke she listened to her own voice, she could tell the sexual prowess in it, the electricity. She tried to blank it out. That was one distraction she didn’t need. “It is simple; you and I are going to fight! It’s only over when I say it’s over. You can’t force me to stop it; I have to willingly make that call. Do you understand?”

     

    Sotek folded his arms across his chest and his tail flumped down in the ground. It flapped about as he tried to figure out what it was all about.

    “No; I don’t understand at all. Why must we fight?”

     

    Aela just smiled at him and she ignored his question.

    “Good”. All of a sudden she kicked out at him, bringing her foot up as hard as she could. The top of her foot struck him in the groin, bringing him straight down on his knees with an agonising cry.

     

    His eyes were shut tight as his groin felt like it was on fire. He wasn’t even aware that Aela had grabbed hold of one of his bone spikes which adorned his head; at least not until she pulled up on it, lifting his head up so she could punch him as hard as possible in his face. He cried out from the blow and she threw his head away from her, forcing him to the ground.

     

    Aela walked around in a tight circle but her eyes never left her prey. Her sight was fixed on Sotek.

    “Oh yes, no magic, no shouts; nothing! All we have is our feet, teeth, fists and claws. You so much as dare use a healing spell and I will skin you! So don’t you fucking dare!” She then ran up to the side of him and gave him a kick in his side, sending him rolling across the yard.  

     

    The Jarl called out to him, coaxing him to get up and fight back.

    “Damn it Sotek! Get up you fool, she’s going to kill you”.

     

    By now a large crowd gathered on the Skyforge and by the sides of Jorrvaskr. The whole town seemed to be there watching the fight escalate between the two Companions.

     

    Sotek tried to gather his wits. He thought back to the fight he had seen when he first entered the hall but this was far more brutal. For some strange reason Aela was forcing him to fight so fight he did.

     

    Aela ran up to him again to give him another kick but he suddenly rolled towards her and grabbed her foot, wrapping it tightly in his arms. Shock and surprise filled her face as his leg kicked out, sweeping her off her other foot, bringing her down on her backside hard. She cried out as she landed but she still had the presence of mind to kick out with her free foot, catching Sotek full in the face.

     

    A bright flash filled Sotek’s vision as he was brutally kicked away from the Huntress freeing her from his hold. Half blinded he scurried back to give himself some space between him and his enemy. He blinked several times to clear his vision and yelled out at the roaring crowd.  “What the hell is going on”.

     

    Kodlak called out to him although he was nearly drowned out by the cheering as everyone watched the spectacle develop.

    “Simple, you have to beat her! Watch out!” A second later Aela punched Sotek in the side, just below the ribs. He bent over sideways, inadvertently moving his head into a second fist.  She cracked him full in the jaw, sending his head sideways from the impact. Sotek quickly recovered though and pushed Aela in the chest with both hands, forcing her back away from him.

    He spat a mouth full of blood on the ground and hissed back at her.

    “Stop it! Enough! What the hell has got into you?”

     

    “You have, you stupid bloody Argonian bastard!” Even as she screamed back at him, she leapt forwards and wrapped her legs around him. Her thighs and calves squeezed as hard as she could, making it impossible for Sotek to free himself. Moments later he hollered out as she dug her teeth into his shoulder. Blood filled her mouth but she refused to stop let alone withdraw her teeth.

     

    He tried to pull her off but she just dug her nails into his back, aiding in her death hold. In agony Sotek ran against a post, slamming Aela’s back into it. She cried out, releasing him from her maw and spilling blood over their shirts.

     

    Sotek was quick to take the advantage. Using the fact that she was holding onto him by her legs, he let her go and grabbed a handful of hair. He wrenched her head back, forcing her to look up as his fist smacked her in the temple.

     

    Aela’s head span. She tried to release her legs so she could get away but she was too giddy and uncoordinated to do so. Sotek took it as a sign of her stubbornness so he punched her a second time in the side of her jaw. She collapsed in a heap on the floor and cried out. Blood dripped from her mouth; a cocktail of Argonian and Nord liquid. Sotek grabbed her by the hair a second time and dragged her several yards across the ground, forcing her to follow on all fours before he wrenched her head sideways, throwing her across the yard by the hair.

     

    She curled up in a ball and sobbed, cradling herself as she cried.

     

    Sotek was now pacing around. He was fired up and angry; angry at her and at himself. Snarling, he called out to her; his voice full of contempt.

    “Had enough bitch? You think you’re the Alpha here? You are an Alpha Aela; but you’re my bitch!”

     

    Upon hearing these words Aela screamed out in defiance.

    “You bloody bastard, you... whore”. She spat out a mouthful of blood and scrambled up to her feet, running forwards as she rose up.  Her head slammed into Sotek’s stomach, taking him down like he was hit by a giant’s club. He fell to the floor on his back where Aela straddled him, pinning his arms under her legs.

     

    The Huntress started punching him as hard as she could in his face, raining down blow after blow. He managed to get an arm out then he gave her an almighty slap across the cheek, sending her sprawling on the floor.

     

    Despite her head which was once again spinning, she managed to get on her hands and knees. She spit out another mouthful of blood and glared across to Sotek. His face was smothered in blood just as much as hers was. She couldn’t get up so she stayed on all fours and hissed spitefully at him.

    “You bastard! You can only slap, you worthless pile of shit”.

     

    Sotek pulled himself up and staggered towards her. He moved behind her where she had to look over her shoulder at him. She tried to turn around but she couldn’t. All she could do was watch.

     

    Sotek eyed her backside which was covered in dust. Her eyes glared at him, daring him to try anything. He stepped forwards, delivering a hefty kick in her rump, sending her forwards with a scream as her face hit the floor.

    “Down bitch! And stay down!”

     

    She laid there for several seconds crying from the pain, then slowly she crawled up to her knees spitting out more blood as she did so. Her clothes were torn to pieces, showing her torso covered in cuts and deep purple bruises and she kept mumbling to herself.

    “One more ma... I can take one more. Just one more... for you”.

     

    With sheer willpower she slowly got back to her feet, and then she staggered towards the Argonian. One of her eyes swelled up so much it was practically useless. She threw a punch at him at close range. He saw it coming towards him but he was too far gone to dodge it. Aela’s fist caught him full in the face. As she went to throw a second punch, Sotek decided to finish it there and then. He grabbed her arm and launched her over his shoulder, sending her into a table. She screamed as she hit the table leg, breaking it on impact.

     

    She groaned and murmured in pain as her knees slowly hitched up to her stomach as she formed the foetal position. Her feet tucked together while her arms held her shins and pulled them closer to her body. 

     

    Sotek stumbled towards her and as he neared her side he dropped down onto his knees. The shirt she wore was barely covering any flesh, gaping tears and rips turned it into little else but rags. Rags soaked in their blood. He reached out and touched her, gingerly stroking the side of her torso with his clawed fingers, taking the utmost care not to scratch her skin.

     

    Aela gasped with fright at the unexpected touch of her mate. Her eyes flicked wide open and she stared into space. The Huntress didn’t know if she was dreaming or wide awake; it didn’t matter. What mattered was through the crowd she could see her mother standing by the wall at the edge of the yard. It wasn’t a ghost; it was a memory of her mother facing off Skjor, her father. Her ma had punched him in the face but he refused to strike back. He turned around and walked away, leaving her mother there by herself in the yard.

     

    As the memory faded, Aela watched her mother sink to her knees in despair. All Aela could hear was her mother’s anguished cry.

     

    Deep inside Aela a fire erupted into life. Red howled out from within her soul fuelling her spirit. From out of nowhere she found the strength to let fly a fist and she cracked Sotek squarely in the temple, knocking him to the wayside.

     

    He looked up in shock and disbelief at two light grey eyes which bore the will of a she-wolf.

    Aela snarled her lip as she yelled out.

    “Who’s the bitch now! Bitch!”

     

    Her foot shot outwards, catching Sotek in the side of the head, throwing him limply sideways. He was unconscious before he even hit the wooden floor.

     

     

Comments

6 Comments   |   The Long-Chapper and 7 others like this.
  • Ebonslayer
    Ebonslayer   ·  August 14, 2017
    I'm so confused right now. How'd he ever get into a relationship with her again?
    • Sotek
      Sotek
      Ebonslayer
      Ebonslayer
      Ebonslayer
      I'm so confused right now. How'd he ever get into a relationship with her again?
        ·  August 16, 2017
      This chapter has thrown a fair few people into confusion. Aela's reaction when I read it was no different. All will come clear.
  • The Sunflower Manual
    The Sunflower Manual   ·  February 9, 2017
    ????

    Why?

    I suppose because it's Aela and Sotek, and they try to kill each other on a regular basis, but still, this seemed a bit sudden.
  • ShyGuyWolf
    ShyGuyWolf   ·  February 7, 2017
    sweet, glad I helped you out with this.
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  February 7, 2017
    Lol, interesting to see where this goes. No fair she is using the water works though. 
    • Sotek
      Sotek
      The Long-Chapper
      The Long-Chapper
      The Long-Chapper
      Lol, interesting to see where this goes. No fair she is using the water works though. 
        ·  February 7, 2017
      You know, now you said it, it does seem that way. I don't want Aela to cry to draw him in, rather show how emotional this is for her. The next chapter reveals why. I might have to look at this part a bit more closely. If others see it as she is baiting hi...  more