U.o.t.W. Chapter 277 A Tail to Tell

  • A Tail to Tell

    The valley was flooded with dawns first light as the sun finally broke free from the horizon. Sotek sat there by the cave entrance watching over the others while they slept. Once more he scrutinized his map as he checked out the route he had finally picked a few hours before.

     

    He was torn between three possible routes to get to Falkreath. The first was west, keeping to the north of the plains then through the lake. Although this was his preferred route it had too many complications for him. First off they would be close to Whiterun. No doubt the Shadowscales would be trying to pick up their trail. Next the plains itself. Flat and barren with little cover, the four of them would stick out for miles. Lastly was the lake. Although he suspected it would be reasonably clear, he didn’t relish the thought of them being caught out. He remembered when he did the same thing on his field trial. If they were caught in the water, they would be defenseless.

     

    His second route was far more dangerous, along the river, past Whiterun and on to Riverwood. From there they would travel over the hill sided valley and approach Falkreath from the North. They would then have to circumnavigate around the city while staying out of sight. Although there was plenty of cover, the roads there were busy. A few gold would be all that was needed to loosen the tongue of a traveler then where would they go? With the lake to the north and Falkreath to the south, they’ll be forced to the lake and die like rats in a trap.

     

    His third option was the one he liked the least. From their current position they would have to head south and work their way up the mountainside. From there, the mountain trails would lead then near Ivarstead. But if they kept to the mountain they could join the Seven Thousand Steps around the Throat of the World, thereby avoiding Ivarstead and various settlements. But due to the narrow ledge and lack of cover they would have to go at night with no light what so ever. If at any point from the moment they started to climb the mountain they got spotted, they would be trapped. There was nowhere to run.

     

    Then the trail gets worse. They would have to descend the mountain on the south side where there are no trails, at night again with no light. Directly to the south of them there was a Stormcloak camp, no doubt actively seeking them. From there their path’s blocked by a ruin of a town. The town’s name was Helgen, it was the first sighting of a dragon and the first glimpse of what a dragon could do. Now the place was overrun by bandits, they claimed the ruins for themselves, practically turning it into a town in its own right. A town of bandits, thieves and murderers. From there it was easy, all they had to do was stay south of Falkreath and work their way through the forests until they arrived at the sanctuary.

     

    A voice snapped out at him from inside the cave.
    “Have you had any sleep?” He turned around and saw Aela shuffling around on her bedroll as she pulled herself up.

     

    “No he hasn’t. He’s been on watch since we ate”. Sotek looked across the other side of the fire. Sasha was already sitting up watching him. “He’s been sitting there for hours looking at that scrap of leather he calls a map. Presumably planning our route”. Sotek looked back at Aela for a split second then cast his gaze to the mountain once more.

     

    Aela got up then walked over to him, but he was only aware of her proximity when she gently tapped his leg with her foot.
    “Hey, you hungry?”

     

    Sotek looked around in surprise and saw her standing there bearing down on him. He cast her a quick smile.
    “No, I’m ok”.

     

    Sasha called out to him.
    “You’re a liar”.

     

    His eyes fixed on hers in an instant.
    “Sorry, what?”

     

    “I said you’re a liar, you’re hungry”. Sasha stated with a big grin on her face.

     

    Aela looked by Sotek’s feet then picked up a small stone. She held it behind her back and switched it around a few times. Once she was ready she held out two fists in front of Sasha.
    “Pick one”.

     

    “Why?”

     

    Aela slightly smiled as she explained.
    “Because one of us has to get the food. So pick one”.

     

    Sasha huffed slightly as she blankly looked at the two fists.

    “That one”. She snapped as she tapped the one on the left which Aela promptly opened. “Nope, it’s the right one”. She opened her other hand for empathizes. “Right, you get a deer or a wolf or something, I’ll sort out some more firewood. Kul-et can wake up and cook the meat and you, mister can get your head down for a few hours”. She said as she turned towards Sotek.

     

    Sasha got to her feet and started heading out the cave but then she suddenly stopped.
    “Who exactly put you in charge?”

     

    Aela felt her temper flare up but the moment she looked at Sotek, she fought to control it.
    “Sotek's in charge but when he’s not acting as leader, I guess we don’t have one. You won’t follow me and I certainly won’t follow you”. She then pointed across to Sotek who was still sitting by the entrance. “He however needs sleep, we all need food and we’re short of firewood. So, we all need to help out, he can’t carry all of us. Now do you want to go hunting or get the wood?”

     

    Sasha cast a quick look across to Sotek, then at Kul-et who was still asleep.
    “I believe I got the hunting job”. With that she headed outside and almost immediately began tracking some deer.

     

    Sotek got up to his feet then walked over to Aela, he gave her a hug as he kissed the top of her head.
    “Well done, I’m proud of you. You handled that well”.

     

    She looked up at him positively beaming.
    “Yes I did, didn’t I?” A second later she gave him a gentle slap across the face. “But now mister I’m gonna get you in bed if it kills me”.

     

    At that moment Kul-et awoke, she cast a look at the pair of them and screwed her face up.
    “Oh please, we get it! You’re in love. Whoopee doo, but please have some restraint Aela”.

     

    Aela became flustered as she was completely caught off guard.
    “What? No, that’s not what I meant, I need him in bed. Wait… No… I ermm... Sotek, damn your bloody tail. Get some sleep. Kul-et, you're cooking. That’s a bloody order, damn it”. With that she headed off outside and started gathering some firewood, muttering loudly as she scavenged the forest floor.

     

    Within fifteen minutes Sasha had returned with a deer while Aela had gathered up a solid amount of wood for the fire. Once Kul-et cooked it up, Sasha cast a look at Sotek who was sleeping at the back of the cave.
    “Shouldn’t we wake him?”.

     

    Aela shook her head.
    “No we’ll let him rest. He’ll eat when he wakes up. Sasha can I ask you something?”

     

    “Sure, whether I answer or not is a different matter”. The moment she answered, she regretted it. “Sorry, I’m in a bitchy mood. What is it?”

     

    Aela chose to ignore it. She felt she had the upper hand so far and she didn’t want to lose it now. “You called Sotek a liar”.

     

    “I didn’t mean any disrespect to him but he was hungry”.

     

    “Oh, I know that. How did you know he was lying?”

     

    Sasha stared over towards Sotek for a few seconds as she worked things out in her head.
    “Right, I’ll tell you two something about Sotek, and you can cut out that look Aela, I’m not intimidated nor impressed”.

     

    Aela found herself counting in her mind.
    “One… two… three... Look can you cut the attitude, just a bit”.

     

    Sasha sat there for a few seconds then closed her eyes and paused. A few seconds later she turned towards Aela and gave a slight nod.
    “Yes, you're making the effort so it’s only fair I suppose. Sotek’s very hard to read, his face doesn’t give anything away”.

     

    Kul-et muttered under her breath.
    “Yes, we know that already”.

     

    “Well, duh, but what you don’t know, and this implies particularly to you Aela, is that you don’t read his face. I had an uncle like him once, what you got to do is… Read his tail instead”.

     

    Aela cast a strange look at Sotek who was still asleep.
    “You read his tail? But how?”

     

    “You don’t know? You really don’t do you! My, my. And yet you’re in love, really?”

     

    By now Aela had enough, she got up then grabbed her bow.
    “You know what, forget it. Kul-et I’m having a scout around”. She then turned her attention to Sasha. “You know nothing”.

     

    Sasha simply sneered at her, she knew she had Aela flustered so she was pressing home her attack.
    “Oh yea, what like his favorite fruit is apples. His favorite meat is venison, but he prefers it un-spiced just lightly salted. His best weapons a spear, a two handed spear mind you not the one handed axes he trains with”.

     

    Aela headed outside the cave but just as she got to the entrance she stopped.
    “Ok you know him, but tell me this. What’s his most important possession? What’s his favorite Familiar, and what Familiar do he use the most? What magic school is he most proficient at? No? You don’t know? Ok well here’s a really easy one, it’s a math’s question. If the four of us went out and earned five hundred gold how much would we each get and why?”

     

    “A hundred and twenty five gold each, if it’s divided fairly”.

     

    Aela sneered at her.
    “Oh really? Kul-et how much would we get?”

     

    Kul-et answered but she wasn’t happy being dragged in to the argument.
    “One hundred”.

     

    “What do you mean just one hundred?”

     

    Aela poked her in the chest as she pressed home her own attack.
    “You know Argonians, but it’s not exactly surprising though is it, you're one yourself. But you know nothing of who he is, all you know is what he is. I don’t need to know what he’s thinking to know what he is. He’s someone who would rather die for his friends and family than see them get hurt. Now if you know any of his traits that will help me know his feelings better than I already do then please tell me, if not then get the hell out of my way”. With that she started heading outside.

     

    Kul-et shook her head at Sasha.
    “You know she really tried with you this morning. We’re not in a good situation here, we need each other, like it or not”.

     

    Sasha sat there for a few seconds then got up to her feet.
    “Yea, you're right, damn it”. She headed outside to try to find Aela who was leaning against a tree with her arms folded tightly. Sasha could see with just one glance at her that she had enough.

     

    The moment Aela saw Sasha step out of the cave she fixed her eyes away in the opposite direction. A hawk hunting above caught her eye so she just set her gaze upon that instead.

     

    Sasha called over to her.
    “You coming back inside to hear what I got to say or what?”

     

    Aela glared across at her.
    “That depends on whether you’re going to say anything or just bitch at me, cause if that’s the case, I’d rather I just smack you one”.

     

    Sasha laughed.
    “Didn’t you learn anything from last time?”

     

    Aela headed into the cave, but as she passed Sasha she suddenly lashed out punching Sasha in the face. Sasha, who was caught completely off guard lost her balance from the force of the blow. She fell to the side of the cave entrance as she clawed at the rock to steady herself.

     

    Aela gave herself a smirk.
    “Oh yes, I learned alright. From now on I’ll use my fist”. Smiling to herself, Aela walked back inside the cave then took her seat by the fire.

     

    Sasha entered the cave menacingly as she angrily approached Aela. Kul-et however stepped in her way.
    “Enough, let it go”.

     

    “Don’t you tell me to let it go, you bloody bitch”. She formed a fist in her hand and started to raise it at Kul-et.

     

    Kul-et however was quicker, she stepped backwards as she bought Sotek's spear out from behind her back and swept Sasha’s leg from under her. She fell to the floor within a second but in the few seconds she recovered, she found herself looking up at the spear point inches from her throat.
    “Your making too much noise. Soteks asleep. Quit it now and walk away. If you want to tell us about him then do so, I‘m sure Aela would be grateful, but this stops now. Do I make myself clear?”

     

    “Yes, now get that bloody stick out of my face”.

     

    Kul-et threatened the pair of them.
    “It’s not a bloody stick. But if you two keep it up, it will be”.

     

    Both Aela and Sasha sat there by the fire in silence while Kul-et stood by the cave entrance gently wiping the spear with an old cloth she kept for her own weapons. Aela got up then walked over to Kul-et and whispered to her.
    “Thanks for that, I appreciate it”.

     

    Kul-et slightly nodded.
    “You're welcome, I could see you were really trying earlier”.

     

    Aela gave her a slight smile.
    “Yea, not that it helped. Kul-et, don’t you ever threaten me again”. She gave Kul-et a quick threatening smile then headed back inside. She sat down again then cast a look at Sasha. “So you gonna explain then or just sulk?”

     

    Sasha sat there nursing her jaw. She was just about to snap back at Aela when Kul-et shook her head at Sasha. She resigned herself to allowing Aela that particular round.
    “Fine… whatever. His tail. Earlier when you asked him if he was hungry. When he said he wasn’t, his tail snaked. My uncle’s tail did that as well, when he was lying”.

     

    Aela smiled to herself then she cast a quick look at Sotek who by now was laying on his back.
    “Any idea on how to tell if he’s really asleep? I’ve given up on that one”.

     

    Sasha quietly laughed.
    “You’re not much of a werewolf are you! He’s asleep now. All you got to do is listen to his breathing”.

     

    Aela smirked at her.
    “I’ve been laying next to him. I’ve monitored his breathing, his pulse even listened to his heart beating. I just can’t tell when he’s asleep or awake”.

     

    Kul-et looked over to him.
    “What’s his tail doing now?”

     

    Sasha looked across at it.
    “it’s twitching slightly, he’s asleep”.

     

    While Kul-et watched Sotek, an eye shot open. He immediately focused on Kul-et then gave her a quick wink. She instantly burst out laughing. “Sorry. Sorry, I’m going on watch”. Then she walked outside laughing her head off.

     

    With the racket Kul-et made, Sotek pretended to stir then wake up. Aela pulled out her dagger then cut off two large pieces of venison.
    “Hey, come over here and cook yourself some meat up”. Sotek sat down besides her then skewered the meat. He cast Kul-et a slight smirk, which prompted Kul-et to head further outside.

     

    Once Sotek ate, he gathered the others around his map then he outlined their possible routes.

     

    “The way I see it, and please if anyone has another idea please say, is that we have three possible routes. Firstly, there’s across the plains. We could keep to the north side, then head across to the lake at night. Secondly we could follow the river to Whiterun and pass through Riverwood then up the valley slope as we head south”. He paused as he took a swig from his flask.

     

    Sasha looked at the map as she thought about the proposed routes.
    “Why not head through Ivarstead?”

     

    Sotek shook his head.
    “Not an option, that route is the only way past the mountain. They are bound to have it watched”.

     

    “Well I’m for the plains, we hunt there. Scarface and Red hunts everything there. Come on Sotek you know we do, we know every mound and hill. We can sneak past them there”. Aela stated.

     

    Kul-et added to her argument.
    “Whiterun isn’t an option. We have no choice, it has to be the plains”.

     

    Sasha, sighed then sat next to Aela.
    “Sithis knows at times she pisses me off, but Sotek, Aela’s right we have to go through the plains”.

     

    Sotek smiled at the three of them.
    “Agreed! The plains is our only route. So… That’s why I decided we’ll take the third option”.

     

    Aela’s jaw dropped
    “What third option? There isn’t one”.

     

    Sotek sighed as he prepared himself for the swarm of objections and protests.
    “We know the plains is our only real path but so do they. What we are in fact going to do is the very opposite. We’re going across the mountainside, just before Ivarstead we can rest in a bear cave. Aela and I use it regularly, but it’s only known to us two as a safe haven, others avoid it because of the bears”.

     

    Sasha glanced across at him with a confused look on her face.
    “But you said that Ivarstead would be heavily guarded”.

     

    “Yes it will be, so we hide out in the bear cave. Then at night make our way along the Seven Thousand steps towards High Hrothgar”.

     

    This time it was Aela that looked confused.
    “Sotek, that takes us up. We need to get to Falkreath”.

     

    “Not exactly, we need to get to the south of Falkreath. Once we hit the south side of the mountain… we head down it, avoiding the pass altogether”.

     

    Aela screwed her face up.
    “That’s stupid. There’s no path there”.

     

    Sotek smiled grimly.
    “That my dear Aela, is the point”.

     

    Sasha’s face was full of concern when the full impact of Sotek’s suggestion finally dawned on her.
    “Are you proposing that us four climb down the mountain? That’s nuts, it would take half a day, let alone the real possibility of falling. It’s suicide! That’s why there’s no paths there”.

     

    Sotek chuckled quietly.
    “No Sasha, I’m not proposing we climb down the mountain in half a day. I’m proposing that we climb down it at night, with no torches. If we climbed down in the daytime we’d get spotted by the Stormcloak camp below us. It’s the only way, they will expect us to cross the plains or to head to Ivarstead. This is our only option”.

     

    Aela stared at him.
    “How the hell do you propose that we do that?”

     

    Sotek looked over to Kul-et.
    “Did you bring some?”

     

    Kul-et walked over to her pack and pulled out a long length of rope then threw it over to Sotek.
    “You three climb down with this tied to the each of you. One end will be tied to Scarface. He’ll take point and find a route”.

     

    Sasha protested heavily.
    “No way, this is stupid”.

     

    Aela cast her a reassuring look.
    “Scarface can climb, he’s more than capable of climbing the mountain let alone descending it. However, Sotek, if one of us fall, he’ll probably have to bear the weight of all of us. If one of us slips, then all three of us will go”.

     

    Kul-et looked more than worried.
    “But what if Scarface slips?”

     

    Sotek smiled at her grimly.
    “Then we all go down the mountain a lot faster than we intended. But… On the bright side, it wouldn’t matter if they found us or not”.

     

    Kul-et gulped as she asked her final question.
    “Why wouldn’t it?”

     

    Aela smiled as she answered her.
    “Beause if Scarface falls, then we’re all dead”.

     

     

     

Comments

6 Comments   |   Ebonslayer and 6 others like this.
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  July 9, 2018
    I'm always a fan of mountain passes myself. :D
  • A-Pocky-Hah!
    A-Pocky-Hah!   ·  June 22, 2018
    Apologies in advances, but I had to edit the format a bit since I can't read a giant wall of text. There were no changes except to the spacings.


    They're climbing down... the mountain? Okay... seeing as how steep the Throat of the Worl...  more
    • Sotek
      Sotek
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      Apologies in advances, but I had to edit the format a bit since I can't read a giant wall of text. There were no changes except to the spacings.


      They're climbing down... the mountain? Okay... seeing as how steep the Throat of the World is... wouldn't t...  more
        ·  June 22, 2018
      Oh for howling out loud... yea I noticed that too in the next chapter. Hate it when that happens. Yet to find a cause for it though. Thanks for your help there.
      Suiside yes but then what choice do they have.
  • Karver the Lorc
    Karver the Lorc   ·  June 21, 2018
    Climbing down the Throat? Heh, pun intended I guess. Sounds risky AF. I sure hope that no rocks gonna fall on the Stormcloaks' heads at the foot of the mountain. Or an avalanche. Avalanche would be bad. 
  • Ebonslayer
    Ebonslayer   ·  June 21, 2018
    The valley was flooded with [dawn's] first light as the sun finally broke free from the horizon.


    “[Sotek's] in charge but when he’s not acting as leader,


    “Yes I did[,] didn’t I[?]” (Add the comma and the questio...  more
    • Sotek
      Sotek
      Ebonslayer
      Ebonslayer
      Ebonslayer
      The valley was flooded with [dawn's] first light as the sun finally broke free from the horizon.


      “[Sotek's] in charge but when he’s not acting as leader,


      ...  more
        ·  June 22, 2018
      Funny thing here is I checked for it. You won't believe the amount of issues I had here with the comp. Thanks pall. fixing a second time