U.O.T.W. Chapter 203 Lonely Hearts

  •  

    Once the four Companions stepped outside, they all blinked a few times as their eyes got accustomed to the daylight. Shielding his eyes with the palm of his hand, Farkas examined the mountainside, taking in the terrain they would have to face to reach the lake below them.
    “We’re on the southern side of the mountain. We’ll soon set up camp and get a meal going. I’m starving! By the looks of things, we still have a good few hours of sunlight left as well”.

     

    Scarface also had vision problems. He barged into the side of a tree, almost knocking it over before moving alongside Farkas. The werewolf shook his head to loosen up his neck muscles from where he had to move around on all four paws when the cavern roof lowered. The quake traveled along his spine and back, finally ending at his tail which whipped about as it flapped in the air.

     

    He stretched up to full height and snorted, clearing his nose of old air so he could search for new scents and smells. As he sniffed in the wind, his eyes seemed to enlarge and his fur rose on edge, signaling that something was nearby. Leaving the others behind, Scarface gave a low snarl then charged down the mountainside towards the lake.

     

    Farkas stepped back in surprise and pointed at the werewolf who had by now dropped to all four paws as it ran headlong through a densely-packed copse of trees.
    “Ok; what’s got into him?”

     

    Seconds later various howls echoed across the ridge as Scarface charged headfirst into a pack of wolves. The fight was short and bloody as Scarface had the element of surprise on his side as well as momentum from his weight as he ran downhill. He swiped out in a rampage through the dense pack; biting into one and carrying it off in his maw as his dagger like claws ripped into the side of the second wolf. The third beast however wouldn’t give up so easily. It leapt up on his back and bit at his neck, tearing fur as its paws dug into flesh as it scraped claw after claw across Scarface’s back. Its head pulled side to side, ripping away a chunk of fur and skin. Scarface cried out in pain. He stood up and grasped the beast with his paws then wrenched it away from him. The wolf whined as it was thrown several feet into a tree, shattering its spine.

     

    Blood oozed from Scarface’s wounds and dropped to the grassy rocky terrain where it mixed with the blood and gore of the wolves as Scarface shredded the corpses to feed.

     

    Two of the Whelps turned around so they didn’t have to look at him while he fed but the Third Whelp found herself mesmerized. Farkas looked over to Scarface who had by now finished eating and pointed to the remains.
    “I presume we won’t be skinning those ones then?”

     


    The Whelp, who watched Scarface eat, murmured a few words but Farkas didn’t hear what she had said. He walked up to her while she stayed perfectly still like she was in a trance. Her skin turned pale while her breathing was short and rapid. As he reached out a hand to her, she suddenly turned to him and bent over, throwing up over his boots.

     

    He turned around to Scarface who stood there with a peculiar look on his face as he watched the Whelp vomit her morning’s breakfast at Farkas’s feet. The Companion glared back at the werewolf who he presumed was smiling although he knew the beast could just as easily been snarling.

     

    A single shout alerted the group, warning them to remain quiet lest they befell Farkas’s fist.
    “Any one of you bastards laugh; any one of you and I swear I will beat the crap out of them”.

     

    A few seconds later, Sotek changed back. He looked at Farkas’s boots and winked to the Whelp that was sick as he spoke.
    “Really Farkas! You should keep your gear in better condition. What sort of role model are you? Come on; we’re close to the lake; you can wash your boots off there”.

     

    Taking the Whelp under his wing, Sotek pulled out a spare flask of water and handed it to her so she could rinse her mouth out. She took a few mouthfuls of water and gargled, washing away the acidic taste from the back of her throat. Now that she could talk, she spoke almost accusingly at him.
    “Pardon me for asking but did you have to do that?”

     

    Sotek gave out a small laugh and nodded apologetically.
    “Yes, sorry about that but yes I did. When we change, we become very hungry. You see, our metabolism when we are werewolves is extremely high. That’s why we eat so much in our werewolf forms. When we change we really need to feed else we suffer for it”.

     

    Once they moved away from the remains, she felt better as she wasn’t breathing in the stench of blood. The event didn’t stop her from asking questions though and she quickly engaged with Sotek as she asked about their ‘secondary life’.
    “We went out hunting with Farkas and Vilkas the other day. They didn’t change though. Is that because they have a better control on their werewolf forms than you and Aela?”

     

    Sotek stopped dead then looked over to Farkas. He studied the Nord as he tried to work out why the two brothers were so adamant about giving up their werewolf forms. His mind turned back to Kodlak who, he had started to believe, led the crusade to ‘be clean’. ‘Be clean’… the very idea felt strange to Sotek; like it was a cosmic joke. No one was clean. They all carried the mark of death where they had killed.
    “I don’t know, maybe. It might be that they have better control over the wolves inside them than Aela and I. Then again, maybe we both accept the wolf is part of us and we sleep easy while they have troubled dreams”.

     

    “So, there’s no real right or wrong; if we ignore the law. What I mean is, there is right and wrong, obviously but with the curse of lycanthropy it is the individual to judge?” She semi nodded to herself, happy with the way she reworded her question.

     

    Sotek shook his head and sighed. He wished it was that simple but he knew it wasn’t.
    “Some people who bear the gift see it as a curse. It blinds them with rage and a hunger which they cannot sate. Others use the force it gives them to empower themselves. A few, embrace the wolf. They know the beast inside has its own mind, its likes, its hates. They live with it in a balanced symbiotic relationship. Take Aela; there’s the wolf and the Nord; Aela and Red. They live in harmony; ok not with anyone else, but for them, there is that balance of being. We’re accepted in Whiterun despite us being werewolves. That isn’t of our choosing but of the people there. So, who is the judge?”

     

    “It is the people around us whom judge us worthy?” She asked. Her eyes shone with a want, a need to learn.

     

    Sotek smiled back at her and nodded.
    “Werewolves can be bandits, murderers and rogues. They can be priests, soldiers and Companions. Bandits however don' have to be werewolves or vampires. They can be nothing more than simple men who do bad things”.

     

    “This is like what you said last month. Be known by my actions not by my birth! So… Red and Scarface live in Whiterun due to their actions not because of you and Aela? How do you live like that? How can you live like that?”

     

    “Live like what? Live knowing there is a beast inside?” He asked with a raised spiky eyebrow.

     

    “What? No; live knowing your entire life is on a knife’s edge. One false move and… you’ll be hunted down”. She felt queasy as she pictured having to face the worry of every single minute of her life fearing for the right to draw breath.

     

    Sotek saw the strewn look on her face. He chuckled back at her, putting her at ease.
    “I live with that easily for I know who I am. I am Sotek, Companion and werewolf. As to living on the edge of a knife; you are a Companion are you not? Every time we step outside we walk on the edge of a knife’s blade. One slip is all it takes. Why should I fear death more than you or Farkas?”

     

    With that the Whelp smiled then continued walking down the path, humming a soft tune as she went.

     

    Once they got to the lake Farkas waded in a few feet to wash off the Whelp’s vomit. He glanced back at her as he complained.
    “I should get you to do this”.

     

    Sotek laughed at him and laid the Whelp’s fears to rest.
    “Oh please! No one deserves to wash off your boots; especially after your feet have been in them all day”.

     

    The Whelp gave a nervous laugh and tittered as she grinned back.
    “I am sorry”.

     

    Farkas threw her a glare but he soon changed his tune and started laughing.
    “You had better be. It reminds me of when we entered the bear cave you and Aela explored. ‘We’ as in the Harbinger and me. We found where Aela had vomited. She never did tell us why. Just why did she stamp her foot in the rib cage?”

     

    Sotek thought back then laughed.
    “It was my fault; by her account at any rate. I had my Candlelight spell on as we explored the cave but it ran out. The next second we heard a sickening crunch as Aela trod on the rib cage. She screamed out at me and when I recast the spell she looked down at her boot and threw up”.

     

    They all laughed as Sotek told the story then another Whelp slapped the girl on the back.
    “See! It’s not just you that’s got a weak stomach”.

     

    Sotek chuckled at the Whelp who turned red as she blushed.
    “Oh, Aela’s not got a weak stomach. The bear was torn to shreds and left to rot. It had been festering in the cave for about a week; it reeked”.

     

    The Imperial girl covered her mouth as she tried not to think about the smell. She yelled out as she headed off for some fresh air lest she was sick again.
    “Eww! Shut up”. She sat on a rock several yards away and fell silent; content to watch the dragonflies as they hovered just above the surface of the lake.

     

    Farkas’s stomach started rumbling which was like a plague descending upon him. Feeling the need to act rather than starve to death, he spurred the Whelps into action; catching Sotek off guard.
    “Right! You two Whelps start collecting wood for the fire. As for you, little miss puke face, you can start sorting out the camp”.

     

    Sotek shot him a look and stared back in surprise.
    “Camp? I thought we’d be heading back”.

     

    “Naa, we’ll stay out here tonight then head back tomorrow. It’ll do the Whelps some good to get out here for the night”. Now that their plans were laid out, Farkas dropped his pack where he wanted his bed roll to be, commandeering the space to the west of the fire before anyone else picked it.

     

    Sotek gazed across the lake towards Riverwood. Without even realizing it, he stared at the path that would have led them back to Whiterun.

     

    Farkas laid out his bedroll then looked up to see the Argonian standing there looking blankly into the distance. He shook his head pitifully at the sight then called out to Sotek, snapping him out of his trance.

    “Oh great, I’m stuck with a Whelp that’s sick and a werewolf that’s love sick. What’s up with you? It’s only been half a day”.

     

    Feeling a bit startled, Sotek shot his head around to see everyone staring back at him. He glanced at each one and shrugged his shoulders, clueless as to what they had said.
    “What? What are you on about?”

     

    “You, you bloody love sick puppy”. Farkas laughed as he began building up the fire.

     

    “I’m not that bad. It’s just, tomorrow morning I’m off to Solitude. General Tullius is expecting me there. If we stay here tonight, then I won’t get to see… ermm”.

     

    “See who?” Farkas asked in jest. “The alchemist? The blacksmith? You spend a fair bit of time with her! Oh wait… Tilma, you miss Tilma? No, wait… Stop chasing tail. You’ll see Aela when you get back”.

     

    Sotek gazed once again over to Riverwood, he stayed silent choosing not to answer.

     

    Farkas laughed loudly then waved him off.
    “Go on get out of here! I’ll bring the Whelps back around midday tomorrow. If Vilkas wants to, he can meet us here”.

     

    “Let’s get a fire going first”. Sotek said as he lightly shoved Farkas aside. “If I leave it to you, you’ll all be frozen by morning”. He cast his Flame Spurt spell on the camp fire, igniting the wood with ease.

     

    Before Sotek set off, he instructed the Imperial Whelp to retrieve the extra food rations he had in his pack. She eagerly lifted them out the bag but then she noticed his tinder box. Curiosity overwhelmed her and her eyes darted around the camp to see who was looking. Feeling she was in the clear she risked a peep inside. The moment she opened the box she knew it was full of Tundra Cotton buds and the discrete gasp gave her away. She looked up to see Sotek looking straight back at her.

     

    He could tell something was amiss so he approached her while he kept up the pretense of nothing being wrong.
    “Farkas, I’ll see if Vilkas will bring some mead back with him. I expect the five of you will do a bit of hunting later?” He knelt next to the Whelp and pulled away his pack.

     

    The tinderbox was still in her hand and she quickly dropped it although she knew he had seen her with it.
    “I ermm, sorry…”

     

    Sotek’s eyes seemed to burn through her. She expected him to shout which was clear as her hand began shaking. Instead, Sotek asked her a simple question.
    “Why?”

     

    “Huh? Why? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have looked”. She stammered as she almost trembled in fear.

     

    Sotek smiled back at her and sat down, crossing his legs. He took her hand and held it, letting her know he wasn’t angry.
    “No, you need to ask me why. Why did I say that I had none when I did?”

     

    “Why did you do that? It doesn’t make sense. Farkas laughed at you for that!” She said as she watched Farkas share out the remaining rations between him and the Whelps.

     

    “Well, if I did say I had them then it would have shown Farkas up in front of everyone. We all tail pull. You, them, Farkas, Aela and even me. Showing someone up though…” As he spoke in a hushed whisper he pointed to Farkas.

     

    The Imperial Whelp nodded, finally understanding.
    “You would have belittled him. A white lie…”

     

    Sotek grinned back and chuckled.
    “Yes, a white fluffy lie”.

     

    He sent her back to the others so she could eat then he closed his pack and pulled it over his shoulders. Waving the Companions farewell, he headed off along the bank of the lake that would take him to Riverwood and to Whiterun which lay beyond.

     

    Slowly the lake narrowed as it formed the river which ran past Riverwood. Sotek ignored the town as it would only slow down his progress. With a skip in his step, he eagerly joined the pathway that crossed the bridge and followed it as it led him down from the valley to the farmsteads and plains below. Whiterun was only a few hours walk away yet Sotek’s pace seemed to quicken with every step.

     

    Two hours later he arrived at the gate. Repairs on the defenses were well under way, overseen by Irileth who had command of Whiterun’s workforce. She gave him a slight nod as a greeting which he happily reciprocated. A guard pushed open the gate to the city, allowing him access as the repairs to the stone gatehouse resumed overhead.

     

    When he entered Jorrvaskr, he first spoke to Vilkas about joining the Whelps and Farkas by the lake. The Nord eagerly left his chair and started gathering supplies along with a big bag which he stuffed full of bottles of mead. The last thing he took was his two handed Skyforged steel blade from the weapon rack before he headed off to join his brother.

     

    The hall fell silent once more. Kodlak and Tilma were sitting at a small table with the pack of cards which they would often use. This left Sotek outside where he sat on the step overlooking the Wind District where he waited for Aela’s return. At one point, he was met by Danica and the two of them sat together watching the busy market as the townsfolk went about their business.

     

    As evening approached a single soldier entered Whiterun and headed straight for Jorrvaskr. Judging from the uniform, Sotek guessed he was a courier. Especially as his armor was looking a bit worse for wear.
    “Is the Harbinger about? I have a message from Aela”.

     

    Sotek stood up then waved the soldier over to him, beckoning him to come closer.
    “You can give me the message”.

     

    The soldier readily approached him and relayed the message, giving the Companion, Aela’s report.
    “Ok, they are making camp for the night; I’m to collect Irileth and take her to them. We’ve taken out the bandit camp but a scout has reported the location of a Stormcloak camp. If Irileth feels it’s viable, we’ll mount an attack in the early hours. Aela said she would be back tomorrow afternoon”.

     

    Sotek gave out a loud sigh and looked at the hall. He envisioned the Huntress on the mountainside looking down at him. He couldn’t help but feel disappointment; not in Aela but the situation. Trying to keep his emotions to himself, the Argonian dejectedly spoke once more to the soldier.
    “Before you leave Whiterun, come to me. I will have a letter for you to deliver to Aela”. Then he headed inside.

     

    The Harbinger was now sitting at the large table with Tilma and Eorlund who had only just joined them. They all looked somewhat surprised at the appearance of Sotek, but then Kodlak remembered Sotek saying he was leaving for Solitude the next morning.
    “Harbinger, Aela and the guards are making camp tonight. It seems they have joined up with a few Imperial soldiers. Scouts have reported a location of a Stormcloak camp so they will be assaulting the camp tomorrow in the early hours of the morning”.

     

    He looked behind him at the double doors and sighed pitifully.
    “Vilkas has gone off to join Farkas and the Whelps and they are right; I feel like a bloody lost puppy”. He then sat on his step to lose himself in the flames as he gazed into the fire.

     

    Moments later he gave a laugh and grinned as he helped himself to a piece of parchment along with a stick of charcoal. With both items in hand, he sat by the table and proceeded to draw something. Afterwards he took a candle and dripped some wax on it, sealing it up. A few minutes later the soldier returned as instructed. Sotek handed him the letter along with orders not to lose it.
    “See that Aela gets this personally”.

     

    “Yes sir”. The guard replied. He took the note and stored it in his pack then, with Irileth by his side, the soldier left the hall and escorted the housecarl through the gate to the mountainside where Aela and the other guards waited for their arrival.

     

    Having nothing else to do and no reason to delay, Sotek repacked his bag then got ready to leave for Solitude. Kodlak couldn’t help notice Sotek’s dejected posture and spoke to the Argonian.
    “I thought you were leaving in the morning? What’s wrong?”

     

    “I was going to, at least that was the plan”. Sotek said. “There’s no reason to delay so I’m off now”.

     

    Tilma felt a bit sorry for him so she called out, hoping to ease his burdens.
    “Anything you want us to tell Aela when she gets back?”

     

    Sotek gave a chuckle and shook his head.
    “No thank you. My note said it all”.

     

    Then he said his goodbyes and left for the stables. Quarter of an hour later he was on the carriage looking out across the southern plains. The only sounds to be heard were of Chestnut’s hooves as the horse pulled the wagon along the road as they headed to Solitude.

     

    An hour or so later, Aela saw the guard approach with Irileth by his side. The Huntress welcomed the housecarl to the camp but Irileth could see she was a bit down. Irileth took personal responsibility of Sotek’s letter and handed it across to the Companion in the hope that it would ease her burden of knowing that Sotek couldn’t come along. Upon seeing the scroll, Aela perked up. She eagerly broke the seal and opened the letter to find herself somewhat surprised to see a picture rather than a note. A beaming smile filled her face as she held it tightly against her bosom. She couldn’t help but smirk as she whispered back to her mate.
    “I love you too”.

     

    Irileth looked on and wondered what Sotek had drawn on the parchment. Aela could see her curiosity and gave a chuckle as she showed Irileth the picture.

    Smiling, Aela rolled the parchment up and tied a piece of string around it to stop it unrolling so she could carefully store it in her pack.

     

     

Comments

7 Comments   |   A-Pocky-Hah! and 8 others like this.
  • Ebonslayer
    Ebonslayer   ·  August 14, 2017
    Chapter 203 [Lonely] Hearts.


    I feel bad for Sotek. Not because he didn't see her but because he lost his independence, he'd be so lost if she passed away at one point.
    • Sotek
      Sotek
      Ebonslayer
      Ebonslayer
      Ebonslayer
      Chapter 203 [Lonely] Hearts.


      I feel bad for Sotek. Not because he didn't see her but because he lost his independence, he'd be so lost if she passed away at one point.
        ·  August 16, 2017
      Way, way down the line, (way off from now) Kodlak does start separating them more. I've laid out the groundwork for it and I'm looking forwards to writing the plot lines.
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  July 13, 2017
    Finally back to reading this. Hehe at the picture.  Some nice moments with the whelp as he explains his views on the curse that is Lycanthropy. :D
    • Sotek
      Sotek
      The Long-Chapper
      The Long-Chapper
      The Long-Chapper
      Finally back to reading this. Hehe at the picture.  Some nice moments with the whelp as he explains his views on the curse that is Lycanthropy. :D
        ·  August 16, 2017
      Sotek's drawing... cute isn't it...
  • Exuro
    Exuro   ·  March 28, 2017
    Good thing Aela didn't hear the whelp call her condition a curse :-P, and man dem drawing skills!
  • ShyGuyWolf
    ShyGuyWolf   ·  February 15, 2017
    this is great
  • The Sunflower Manual
    The Sunflower Manual   ·  February 13, 2017
    D'aw, these two.