As night time rapidly approached Whiterun and the noise and revelling in the hall of Jorrvaskr died down, Sotek leant across to Aela and whispered quietly to her.
“I’m calling it, I’ll see you tomorrow”.
Aela felt a bit surprised at his departure from the hall but she could easily see he needed the rest. She had expected him to claim his prize but to hear Sotek say ‘tomorrow’ threw her off guard. She blankly stared at the stairway before replying.
“Would you like me to come with you? Give you a bit of company?”
He slightly shook his head then gave her a quick kiss.
“No, you’re ok”. As he made his way to the living quarters he called out to the others. “Goodnight everyone. Farkas, Vilkas there’s no rush tomorrow, so don’t think you’ve got to get your heads down. We have plenty of time”.
Within moments of Sotek disappearing below, Aela found herself gazing across the hall a second time. Her eyes transfixed on the entrance to the Undercroft. As she got up, the Harbinger called out to her.
“Aela, he needs rest”.
She paused for a second then looked back at the Harbinger.
“Yes, I know”. Then almost automatically she followed Sotek below. Aela gently tapped on his door but surprisingly there was no reply. She slowly pushed the door open to see Sotek laying on his bed. He didn’t even bother to get undressed. Although she was just a few minutes behind Sotek, by the time she reached his room he was already fast asleep. As what was becoming a habit, she pulled his boots off then tossed them to the corner of the room.
Once Aela had stripped off to her loincloth, she slid into his bed then cuddled up to him. He rolled over towards her, so she moved on her back, allowing him to tuck his head in her chest. The She-wolf cursed quietly as a bone spike dug into her, until she gently turned his head slightly. She spent the next five minutes just holding him as she stared at the ceiling of his room.
She never noticed it before but Sotek’s ceiling was painted. It was all dark greens, browns and very dark blues. Two circles were also painted on as well. One was a pastel red while the other was a dirty off-white colour. The Red circle was about a foot and a half across while the other one was about a foot or so.
As she pondered on it, there was a soft tapping on Sotek’s door. It slowly opened, allowing Kodlak to step inside. After covering herself with a fur, Aela defended her actions on intruding in on Sotek as she thought that the Harbinger would be somewhat angry with her due to her defiance in not leaving her mate alone.
“I’m not disturbing him, honest. He sleeps better when I’m with him”.
The Harbinger gave her a warm smile, but then his face turned somewhat serious.
“Yes, I know. Tomorrow he’ll push himself again; don’t let him. You an alpha just as much as he is. Take charge of the pack. That’s what you and Sotek call them. Leave for Riften in the afternoon then make your way to the tomb. I suggest that you camp outside it, then enter it in the morning. Farkas and Vilkas will want to stay inside it, don’t let them”.
Aela lightly shrugged in response to his request as it didn’t quite make sense to her.
“Ok, but it is strategically sound in entering the place then fortifying our position there. Shelter, warmth… Why may I ask, do we camp outside?”
“Yes, strategically sound and sensible… Yes… But once you breach the outer doors then it’s all too easy for Sotek to start exploring it. Farkas and Vilkas will quickly follow his lead. You stay outside until dawn. He’ll argue as well, but ultimately, it’s down to you. You’re the Alpha, it’s your responsibility”. As he spoke, he pointed at the Argonian whose tail protruded from under the fur cloth and began gently swaying about.
“Is that an order?” Aela asked with an upturned corner of her lip. The look she gave was of both disdain and hope in that Kodlak might back away. She knew he was right but for some reason her psyche wasn’t prepared to let him know it.
“It’s a suggestion, and you know I don’t like giving orders. Just think about it, there’s no rush to get in and explore the place”. He added one of his infamous ‘Hmm’s?’, sealing the deal and ending the conversation at the same time.
Aela couldn’t help but look up at Sotek’s ceiling once more then she turned to the Harbinger as she pointed upwards.
“His ceilings painted, I never noticed before. The trouble is I can’t make it out”.
“Yes, he had a visitor a few weeks ago. They spent a good few hours on that. I’ll get some light”. He walked across the corridor and picked up a lantern. After he turned it down slightly, he held it up towards the ceiling.
“That’s so cool!” Aela saw the picture for what it was, a view from a woodland clearing, looking up into the night. She saw herself laying on the edge of a forest floor looking straight up past the tree tops at the night sky. All it took was a small amount of imagination and she could feel the freedom of the plains with the added bonus of the two moons which were shining their light down below.
“I wish I thought of that… What visitor?”
“He’ll do that same for your room if you asked him. Jealousy isn’t one of your strong points Aela. Curb that wolf before she eats you alive. It was an Imperial fellow”. Kodlak said with a chuckle. He could see Aela wanted it, to be able to breakdown the walls to her room.
“No, I’d just be copying him. It wouldn’t feel right. It’ll take it away from him. I’ll just have to put up with bloody stone”. Her lip curled up once more and she gave Sotek a contemptable, jealous stare.
Kodlak quietly laughed then headed back upstairs.
“Night Aela”.
“Night Harbinger”. She then closed her eyes and slowly drifted off asleep.
When Sotek eventually woke up, it was late morning. He sorted out a clean shirt and a pair of trousers then, after getting dressed, made his way upstairs. The first thing he noticed as he entered the hall was the four packs by the entrance doors. His pack was the second on the left.
Aela saw that he was looking at the backpacks, so she called out to him.
“Come and get some food inside you. I’ve sorted out our packs, and once again yours was a bloody mess. But before you complain, I never threw anything away. Oh, and I restocked your potions as well”.
Sotek sat down at the table, then got back up to gather some apples from the bowl at the far end. Upon seeing this, Ebony jumped to her feet and headed towards them.
“I’ll get them”.
She stopped suddenly when Sotek barked out his orders to her.
“No, sit. Stay, stay... Ebony stay”. He pointed to her chair as he ordered her as you would a dog when you start training it. “Stay, good girl. Sit and stay”. Ebony sat back down as she watched Sotek pick up a few apples then return to his seat. Once he ate one, he turned back to Ebony. “Why are you so eager to do things for me lately?”
Ebony blushed then rapidly looked around the hall for inspiration.
“I ermm. I screwed up, so I’ve been ermm”.
Farkas laughed at her inadequate attempt at explaining her actions so he explained for her instead.
“She feels she let you down with that message so she’s trying to make it up to you”.
Sotek laughed as he saw her fiddle in her chair nervously.
“So that’s why you’ve been hopping around me like a flea”.
“Ermm yea. The Harbinger said about that Lapsa Luna thingy might help”. She replied with a screwed up, cringing face.
A heavy growl resonated from the back of Sotek’s throat as he slowly turned to the Harbinger.
“You what! Lapsa Luna? Oh Harbinger, a word… If you please”.
“Of course, follow me”. Kodlak replied with a smug grin. He guessed what was coming and this time he was fully prepared to deal with the almost nefarious mind of the Argonian. He led Sotek to the Infirmary then after Sotek entered, the Harbinger shut the doors.
Sotek never shouted but he was certainly talking loudly, everyone in the hall could hear him. Especially when they all stopped talking so they could listen. He couldn’t help but point at the doorway as he aggressively snapped at the Harbinger.
“You can’t tell her to use that for crying out loud!”
“Sotek, calm down and listen, and for the love of the Nine speak quietly”. Kodlak raised his hands up, using them to reinforce his attempt at quietening Sotek’s outburst.
“Harbinger!! Fine, Harbinger. I made it up. There’s no Lapsa Luna repaying of blood. You know that! I invented it to sort out a problem with me and Aela. Hircine knows she’ll kill me if she ever finds out”. Sotek stated defensively while he watched the door for any signs of a certain She-wolf opening it.
“Well she’s not going to find out because whether you intended it or not, Lapsa Luna’s now a part of the Companions culture. This is a good thing Sotek, it really is. Now shut your complaining and give her a task. You’re acting like a whining mutt. Not the wolf I’ve come to expect”.
Sotek adamantly shook his head to the proposal.
“This isn’t what it was intended for”.
“It wasn’t intended for anything except to sort out a bloody mess between you two so don’t you dare tell me that it doesn’t apply here, because technically it doesn’t bloody exist. I’m as surprised as you are, but I never suggested it, Eorlund did and the others thought it was a good idea. It’s been accepted by them, so now it’s part of the Companions, a part of us. Accept it like they have and give Ebony a task”. Without even waiting for any further response the Harbinger opened the door then pointed to the hall.
The corner of Sotek’s lip lifted as he snarled at the Harbinger but then he walked over to Aela and sat down.
“Fine, have it your way. Gahh”. He slammed his palms on his knees then looked across to Ebony. She herself sat there like a frightened rabbit. “Fine… What bloody ever”. Sotek stood up then called out to Ebony who still looked half petrified. “Ebony, under the rights of Lapsa Luna... Under the rights of Lapsa Luna, you have done me wrong. As I have suffered for one day then you must do a task. Upon completion of this, our debt is settled. Do you accept this charge?”
Ebony stood up but her legs felt like jelly.
“Ye... Yes, I do. What would you have me do?”
“What indeed”. He said sarcastically. “I suppose you giving the Harbinger a message is out of the question? No, I have a better idea. I have a question for you, and you have four hours to find the answer. Two lovers are taking a midnight stroll across the plains, one lover’s blood while the other is a shadow. Two Nord bandits, a girl and a man are lost and have wandered far from their path. As they head back towards it, they hear two howls. They turn to run, but the girl trips up and breaks her ankle. The man looks back and sees two werewolves approaching them… Extremely fast. The man has three choices. Does he try to fend off the werewolves? Does he try to run with the girl in his arms? Or does he flee, leaving her to her fate?”
“He pick’s her up and runs?” Ebony replied with more than an air of doubt.
Sotek leaned across the table as he watched every slight expression on her face.
“Is that your answer?”
Ebony shook her head as she became less sure of herself as her doubt turned to a strong sense of misgiving and uncertainty.
“Ermm, no”.
“Good. Now here’s the question. What does yellow eyes say to green eyes?” A wide sadistic grin formed on the Argonian’s face as he watched the Whelp’s panic levels rise to a near record height.
Aela looked up at him oddly. She and everyone else fully expected the question to be based upon the man’s actions. All this done was to leave her and everyone else staring blankly at Sotek.
“What sort of question is that?”
Sotek chuckled to himself.
“One with a simple answer”.
Ebony sat back in her chair and thought for a few seconds.
“I can’t answer that”.
If anyone thought that Sotek would give Ebony any help, then they were surely mistaken. All he did was make things worse with his reply to Ebony’s dilemma.
“No, you can’t, you’ll have to ask someone”.
Ebony glanced around the hall at the others.
“Who?”
“Someone who can’t answer and isn’t here. So, you ask someone else who is here what the other one would say. Come on think, I’m not giving you any more clues. You have four hours. If you fail, then you’ll have to fetch me something”.
“Fetch what?”
“Ermm, ah… A Mammoth”. Sotek replied with a big grin. He pictured Ebony with a long stretch of rope, trying to pull a mammoth.
Ebony’s temple banged on the table as she wrapped her arms around her head.
“Bloody lizards, no offence Kul-et. What in Oblivion...”
Aela poked Sotek in the side while everyone else all stared at each other.
“What sort of bloody question is that? What would yellow eyes say to green eyes?”
“Aela, she’s been told everything that she needs in order to ask the right person, the right question. It’s a simple question, but she must work out who to ask, and what to ask. All the clues are there, even Farkas can work it out”. He cast a quick glance across the table but then he realised everyone was just as confused as Aela was. “Although… He might need time to work it out. Ebony… The first thing you need to do is work out who is ‘yellow eyes’. I’m not giving any more clues”. With that he picked up his apple then headed outside, leaving everyone struggling to work out the riddle.
Aela glanced over to the Harbinger but he just shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t ask me, I’ve no bloody idea”.
Ebony got up off her chair then started looking around the hall.
“Right, work out who has yellow eyes. So, who has yellow eyes? Aela’s are light grey, which is kind of cool but odd. Harbinger’s are ermm grey, as is Farkas’s and Vilkas’s and Kul-et’s…. Kul-et it’s you, you’ve yellow eyes.”
Aela threw a roll over towards Ebony and struck her in the chest.
“What the fuck do you mean my eyes are weird? You pissy little Whelp!”
“Sorry, it’s just unusual, but I guess it’s you, being a werewolf. Kul-et, it’s got to be you”. Ebony’s face was taught with anguish. Unknowingly, she moved towards Kul-et.
Kul-et stepped back a few feet the held her hands up defensively.
“You stay away from me. What’s me?”
“Your eyes are yellow. You have to be ‘yellow eyes’. So, who in all of Jorrvaskr is green eyes?”
Farkas turned to Veezara then pointed to him.
“Ebony, you’re right. Veezara has green eyes”.
Upon hearing this, Aela joined in.
“Come on, help her damn it. What would you say to Veezara if you both saw two bandits, and the girl fell and broke her ankle?”
“Ermm, hell I dunno. Say something witty like… ‘Talk about a lucky break’ I suppose”. Kul-et said with a measure of doubt to her voice. She added a shrug for emphasis.
Ebony excitedly threw open the doors then called out to Sotek.
“I got the answer!”
Sotek laughed then entered the hall.
“Ok, so tell me. Wat would yellow eyes say to green eyes?”
Feeling chuffed with herself at solving the riddle, Ebony stood up and replied.
“Probably something witty like ‘Talk about a lucky break’”.
Sotek nodded his head then started clapping at her. Ebony, who looked pleased with herself, called out to him.
“I’m right, aren’t I?”
Sotek laughed loudly then looked at her with a serious face.
“No, you’re wrong. Think it through. Blood and shadow? Yellow eyes can’t answer and she’s not here. Aww rats, there’s a big clue. Take your time and work it out. Go through it again”.
Ebony stared at him as she recalled what he just said.
“Yellow eyes is a girl?”
Sotek slowly clapped then sat down on the steps.
“Yes, now you work out the rest”.
Over half an hour past and Ebony got more frustrated with every minute. Even Aela was getting on Sotek’s nerves as she kept pestering him for the answer. Eventually Sotek looked across to Ebony.
“Look, there’s specific things you need to think about. The five ‘W’s”.
Ebony was as perplexed as ever.
“What in all of Skyrim are the five ‘W’s?”
Sotek rolled his eyes then began answering her.
“What?...”
Before he could say any more, Ebony repeated her question.
“I said what in all of Skyrim are the five ‘W’s”.
All Sotek could do was sigh and cover his eyes with the palm of his hand. He drew a slow deep breath then tried again to answer her.
“What…”
“I’m confused!” Ebony stated. “How am I expected to know about them when you don’t?”
A loud hiss stopped everyone from talking and Ebony froze as Sotek snapped out his response.
“Shut up! I’m trying to tell you. Silence! What… Where? Why? Who? And finally, When. The five ‘W’s. Now ask yourself these five questions and you’ll come up with the answer”.
Upon hearing this, Ebony huffed and rolled her eyes in disdain.
“Fine. What happened. Two lovers went across the plains, a bandit fell and broke her ankle. Where? Out on the plains. Why? Ermm why what?”
Sotek decided to help her along a little more.
“Why did the bandit break her ankle?”
“Because she was running from two werewolves… Duh!” Ebony said sarcastically, causing a frown to form on Sotek’s face.
Sotek chose to ignore Ebony’s attitude and decided to coax her along a bit more.
“Who?”
“Ermm two bandits and two werewolves”.
“Now, here’s the key. When?”
“At night”. Ebony stated. She was trying but none of the information made any sense.
Sotek slowly nodded then resumed his silence as he watched her struggle with the problem.
“Now piece it all together.”
“Two bandits? The bandits were the lovers... What would a lover say if she was in dire peril?” She jumped up and slammed her hand on the table. “I know the answer. Save me, she would say, ‘save me’”.
Aela shook her head.
“Not if she was in love. If it was me, I’d say leave me, save yourself”.
Ebony clicked her fingers then pointed to Aela.
“Yes, that’s the answer. Leave me save yourself”.
Sotek’s shoulders dropped as he slumped down.
“No, no, no! Think about all the facts. You’re close, but you’re missing some things. Look at all the facts”.
Ebony could have cried at that moment.
“Aww for crying out loud. It’ll be easier to get the bloody mammoth. Ok, one last go, who isn’t here? No one. Who has yellow eyes? Kul-et. One is blood and the other shadow? What in oblivion is that about?”
With that, the Harbinger stood up then addressed Sotek.
“Enough of this nonsense. Sotek, put her out of her misery, she’s spent hours trying to work this out”.
Sotek huffed in response and hissed back defiantly.
“No! Hiss! And you can blame yourself”.
“Fine, put me out of my misery then”. Kodlak said dejectedly as he slumped down in his chair.
“Aww for the love of... Ebony, you need to ask a girl. Now don’t look bloody confused… There’s only three here, and you’re bloody one of them”.
Ebony looked at Aela then back to Kul-et.
“Kul-et it’s got to be you, Aela wouldn’t let two werewolves chase her, she’ll be the one chasing the bloody bandits. Not the other way around. Kul-et, come on”.
Sotek groaned out loudly.
“Aww come on Ebony. There, right there. You literally said it, but you just don’t see it do you. Think about what you said”.
“Aela wouldn’t let two werewolves chase her, she’d chase them instead?” Ebony muttered as she scratched her head. Her brain was starting to hurt, and she just seemed to go around and around, getting nowhere.
Sotek stood there staring at her, after a few seconds he shook his head. “I swear I’m going to slap you silly, think!”
Ebony almost screamed in desperation.
“I’m trying to, damn it”.
Sotek then turned to Aela.
“Help her out, don’t just sit there”.
“How the hell am I supposed to help her? I don’t get it myself”. Aela said, half screaming back at her mate.
Sotek leaned back and closed his eyes. He couldn’t help but smile as he knew Aela was getting wound up as well as the others.
“Well think. Then you would”. He looked around the hall then shook his head. “Not one of you made the connection? Grief. Fine, here’s a massive clue. If it was Kul-et chasing the bandits, then she would kill them. However, if Aela was chasing them, she wouldn’t kill them. Now please work it out”.
Aela snapped at him angrily.
“Wouldn’t kill them? I’d rip their bloody hearts out and shove them down your bloody throat”.
Sotek smiled evilly at her then sat down on his step. He gazed into the fire and chuckled mischievously.
“No Aela, my Huntress…. You wouldn’t touch them”.
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