Instinctively, Aela drew her bow as Soteks conjured bow formed in his hands, but then the ground shook as the massive dragon landed just in front of them. Both the Companions took aim, while Farkas and Vilkas drew their swords. However, instead of attacking, the dragon just sat there a few feet away from them, watching each and every Companion, studying them all. Slowly, and with deliberate motions, it turned its massive head around and came to a rest just a foot away from Sotek.
“Dovakiin”. The dragon tilted its head slightly as it studied Sotek with a single large unblinking eye.
As Sotek stared back, he couldn’t help but compare the eye’s size with his shield. He lowered his bow then dismissed it and motioned to the others to do the same.
“Paarthurnax. You’re somewhat bigger in the flesh… Scales”.
“Indeed, and you’re somewhat smaller… But… One shouldn’t judge by size alone”. He then turned to Aela and stared at her, as if he was studying her very soul. “For their size can be deceiving”. After watching her for a few seconds he turned around and headed towards the centre of the plateau.
He stopped then turned to the group as he spoke.
“I expected you to come alone, Dovakiin. Why have you bought others with sword and bow?” He then singled out Aela once more as he turned to her. “And claw”.
Sotek turned to Aela then sighed. He walked past the dragon while all eyes fixed on him.
“Would you walk into the den of an enemy, unarmed?” He then turned to face the dragon and cheerfully laughed. “Forget it, I guess you would”.
Paarthurnax slightly nodded then answered slowly.
“Are you saying I’m an enemy?”
Sotek broke into a grin as he bluntly replied.
“Are you saying that you are not?”
Paarthurnax looked over towards the word wall, as his voice boomed over the mountain.
“Indeed. Introductions are to be observed. I am Paarthurnax, leader of the Greybeards. Hear my Thuum Dovakiin”. He drew his fire breath and blasted the word wall with his flames. The group stepped back a few feet except for Sotek who studied the effect on the wall, which he noticed immediately.
Instinct took over and he approached the wall once again. This time however the word of power glowed as it was ripped from the wall to be absorbed by Sotek. He turned to face Paarthurnax who called out to him.
“Shout at me Dovakiin, let me feel your Thuum”.
Sotek looked at him oddly.
“You want me to use my shout against you?”
Paarthurnax looked across the ground sternly at him.
“Indeed, it’s been an age since I felt the Thuum of another. Now, shout”.
In the distance, to the west, Sotek’s eyes fixed on the plains. His eyes cast on Whiterun which he could just make out in the mist. After staring at the town for a few moments he looked back at Aela. He stood there frozen for several seconds, until Aela noticed his hand was once again in his pocket. She looked behind her to where Sotek’s gaze fell and she too saw Whiterun. She realized he was thinking upon the time when he had yearly killed her. With a huff and a groan, she called pout to her mate.
“Oh, for the love of Hircine. Oi, come here”.
As she walked past Paarthurnax she softly spoke, not a whisper, but quietly. “Excuse us for a sec”. She grabbed Sotek by the arm then pointed to the dragon, the next second she hollered at him for all her worth. “He wants you to. Look at him for crying out loud. He is not me, and we’re not down there. You have got to lay that to rest. What in all of Tamriel is it going to take?” She slammed her hand into his chest forcing him back slightly then pointed to the dragon. “Do what your bloody told, shout”. She then stormed over to the others nursing her hand as she went. “Fuck that hurt, you bloody bastard”.
Sotek glared at her then at Paarthurnax.
“You don’t know what you ask”.
Paarthurnax ignored him and turned his head to Aela.
“Is he always this reluctant?”
Aela glared back at Sotek, matching his ferocity.
“Yes, he’s a bloody moron”.
With that Sotek finally snapped. He gave Paarthurnax his full attention as he snarled and hissed at him.
“You want me to sshout at you? Fine, just remember you two assked me to. YOL TOOR SHUL”.
Flames tore through the air and rapidly engulfed Paarthurnax, coating him in an inferno. For a few seconds the flames burned savagely then just as rapidly as they appeared, they died down and dispersed.
Paarthurnax tilted his head as he stared at Sotek.
“Your Thuum’s weak, it lacks power, and force as well as effort. However…” He paused as he looked down the mountainside towards Whiterun. “Use your Thuum against the wall, let me hear your shout once more Dovakiin”.
Sotek rolled his eyes as he looked over towards the wall which was to be his next target. The moment Aela saw him, she shouted out.
“Cut that out, don’t make me come over there”.
Sotek huffed at her, then turned towards the wall once more. He paused for a few seconds then shouted a second time. This time however, without an actual living target, he poured all his anger, frustration, and guilt, into it.
“YOL TOOR SHUL”. As before flames erupted from his shout. However all his emotions fuelled the flame shout, giving it way mor energy than the previous attempt. Roaring, crackling fire engulfed the wall. Flames tore across it, into every crack and crevasse, superheating stone and rock. Ice instantly melted along the ground where the flames ripped across, then the wall disappeared in an explosion of fire. For several seconds the flames crackled as they smothered the wall which disappeared completely from view.
Paarthurnax nodded, clearly impressed.
“Yes, Fire, Inferno, Sun. You surprise me. Dovakiins have come here from ages past and mastered the shout of fire, but you. You are the only one to master what they could not”.
Sotek fell to his knees and steadied himself on the ground, the power of the shout exhausted him, leaving him feeling weak. After a few seconds he stood up and turned towards Paarthurnax.
“What’s that?”
Paarthurnax smiled as he turned towards Sotek.
“I have spent several of your lifetimes mastering the Dova spirit in me. The need to dominate… And yet you have done it in just one of your years, Dovakiin. What happened at the training grounds in Jorrvaskr? What caused you to master so much control?”
Sotek walked over to him and produced the armour scrap from his pocket.
“I learned a shout, wuld. I then used it on Aela and nearly killed her. I was angry, I lost control. I’m not the one you seek”. With that he turned and started heading towards the path that would take him to High Hrothgar.
Paarthurnax took to the skies with an almighty gust from his wings. Moments later he landed heavily in front of Sotek, blocking his path.
“Tell me, what do you seek?”
Sotek sighed then sat on a rock as he gazed down the mountain path. “Peace. Everyone has these high expectations of me, they expect me to be this great warrior and fight for all their causes. I’ve fought so hard to carve a life for Aela and me. Out there, on the plains. That’s our spot, it’s just a stupid bloody overhang. It’s nothing to no one, if you saw it, you’ll walk straight past it because it’s so bloody insignificant. And yet just to call that our home, I’ve had to fight the Imperials and the bloody Stormcloaks. I’ve had to fight off two bloody Daedra, just so I can be a werewolf. Why? When Aela’s wolf runs out there, I can run with her. That’s it! At the end of every day I have to sit back and count the hours in spilled blood. I didn’t ask for this, yet everyone acts like I did”.
Paarthurnax looked back at the others and saw Aela slowly approach them.
“And Aela, what about her?”
Sotek looked up at her and smiled.
“She’s the one thing that don’t expect anything from me, except my heart which I give her freely. Earlier I ripped into Vilkas because of a stupid bet on my werewolf form, Scarface. Why? Because he’s the only time there’s no Dragonborn with him. Just Red and Scarface out there on the plains, running free”.
Aela walked up to Sotek then gently held his cheek with the palm of her hand.
“Hey, is your blood running cold?” Sotek closed his eyes as he felt himself relax, subconsciously he slightly rubbed the side of his face against her hand then nodded. Aela wrapped her arms around him as she pulled his head to her shoulder and took his weight. “I’ll warm you up”.
After several seconds, Sotek broke away from Aela as he resumed his conversation with Paarthurnax.
“Sorry, what were we talking about?”
Paarthurnax looked at them both then slowly walked back to the plateau. “Dovakiin, is it a case of everyone expecting so much from you, or is it a case that you expect too much from yourself. You arm yourself and train with the others to kill, but then hold back because it’s dangerous?”
Aela punched Sotek in the arm as she laughed.
“He has a point you know. You fight but you don’t give it your all. You can’t do everything, and you beat yourself up so bloody much. Stop trying to be what you think everyone wants you to be. I don’t care if you’re not a great archer, I care that you try. That’s all you got to do, try.That’s the Argonian I fell in love with”.
Sotek huffed then tapped his finger on his gauntlets.
“I tried to make a set of Dragonscale armour, that wasn’t entirely successful was it”.
Aela’s jaw nearly dropped as she pulled his arm.
“Did you just huff at me? Really?” The next second she flicked him on the nose, then she followed Paarthurnax to the plateau. Paarthurnax turned to look at her, but she pointed back at Sotek as she snapped. “What? He knows better than that”.
Both Farkas and Vilkas who had remained silent up to now, burst out laughing. Farkas pointed to Aela and Paarthurnax as he struggled to speak while he roared out with laughter.
“Now she’s giving a dragon attitude, she’s unbelievable”.
Aela froze then stood there with her hip sticking out.
“Farkas, I can start on you if you want, shut the hell up or help”.
Vilkas decided to join in, all the while he spoke his eyes fixed on Sotek. “The trouble is, he’s right. Even during training Aela, you push him to work harder. Everyone relies on him, and he hardly ever has any time to relax. If he’s not training, then he’s helping Eorlund, or Adrianna. Then he’s off collecting herbs for alchemy so he can keep us in supply of potions. But ultimately Sotek, it’s your own fault. You’re feeling stressed? Everyone does. The Harbinger keeps telling you that you need to go out on the plains, but you hardly ever do”.
Paarthurnax moved towards the edge of the plateau and looked across the horizon towards the west.
“Ahh yes, the plains. Dovakiin, look over Whiterun, watch the plains and tell me, what do you see?”
Sotek walked over to him and stood there just under his wing. He stared across the plains then told everyone what he saw.
“I see Whiterun and its walls damaged still from the battle with the Stormcloaks. I see the destroyed tower, that’s where I killed my first dragon. Further on I see the stone bridge which crosses the river that splits the plains in two. I see the hills to the south, the mountain to the north. I see Red’s home, Scarface’s home, there, near those trees”.
Paarthurnax turned towards Aela and beckoned her over. She walked up to him as he stretched his neck out so his head and Aela were away from the others. As he whispered to Aela, she looked surprised.
“Ermm, really?”
Paarthurnax snorted at her, as he glared straight at her.
“Don’t glare at me, worm. Sorry, I’m not used to being glared at, that’s my prerogative”. She then approached Sotek smiling broadly. “We’ve had a slight chat and he’s ermm… asked me to do something”.
Sotek eyed her suspiciously as she walked over towards him.
“Yes, we noticed. What does he want you to do?”
She stood right in front of him and held his hands loosely.
“Are you ok?” With tired eyes, Sotek just nodded, then his eyes shot wide open as Aela slapped him across the face, hard, catching Sotek in complete surprise. “Good, now start paying bloody attention. He’s trying to help you moron”.
Sotek rubbed the side of his face as he stared at her with disbelief. “What the hell did you hit me for?”
Aela leaned over to him and gave him a quick kiss, then she walked off allowing Paarthurnax to resume his conversation.
“Because he told me to, so start listening”.
Soteks shoulders dropped as he watched her walk away.
“What a bitch”.
Paarthurnax smiled as he studied her. “Personally, I like her. She has spirit”.
Sotek started laughing.
“Yes? Haha… You remember that when she punches you on the nose. The plains, what the hell am I supposed to be looking at?”
Paarthurnax shook his head as he turned to the plains once more.
“Look not with your eyes, but with your heart. Now Dovakiin, tell me. What do you see?”.
Sotek looked across the plains once more but then he breathed deeply and closed his eyes.
“I see us, the Companions… camped out by a fire. It’s the evening and Kul-et’s cooking some deer which Aela, Ebony, Kul-et and I hunted earlier while Farkas and Vilkas set the camp. We all share stories of ages past, while we drink bottles of mead. In the distance I can hear them, the others are oblivious to them, but I know Aela can hear them too. Wolves, they exit their den and prepare for the nights hunt. That night Aela takes me by the hand and leads me off, like thieves in the night and we make love under the stars. Midnight, when the moons are full, we both change, neither of us say a word, it’s just instinct. Then over the course of the night, Scarface and Red hunt. They are blind to me, you never know what they will get up to, I prefer it that way”.
Paarthurnax also had his eyes closed while he listened. He turned back to Aela as he slowly spoke.
“Red and Scarface may be in the shadows with you, Dovakiin. But not with me, for I’ve watched them hunt and play. Alduin knows your strength, but he underestimates you. This is good, you can use that. If Red and Scarface are to hunt the plains and lay together then someone has to make a stand. If you fight for anything, fight for that. It’s going to take a Dovakiin to stop him, so… My one real question is this. Are you that Dovakiin, or will you stand aside and let another defend Red’s home?”
Sotek gazed across the plains for several seconds then started walking away from Paarthurnax. Once he was about twenty feet away, he stopped then turned to face him. Sotek stared at him for a second then smiled.
“YOL TOOR SHUL”.
Aela gasped in shock as Paarthurnax disappeared in a massive jet of flame as the very air itself ignited all around the dragon. For several seconds the fire burned, forcing Vilkas and the others to back away. Once the flames died down, Paarthurnax turned to face Sotek.
“That’s the Thuum I expect from a Dovakiin. If you don’t fight, no one will”.
Sotek nodded at him.
“I’ll fight, but you knew that already. Yes, I’m a Dovakiin, and I’ll fight”.
Aela came up to him from behind and wrapped her arms around him. “Not looking like that you won’t. Let’s get back to Whiterun and fix your armour”.
Sotek looked down at his chest piece then called out to Paarthurnax.
“I made a Dragonscale armour set, yet it split fighting a dragon. That’s Aela’s second bow, because her other bow snapped. Why? It’s supposed to be tough and last, but it never lasted six months. What have I done wrong?”
Paarthurnax examined the Argonian’s Ancient Nordic armour as he answered.
“Who taught you to mould Dragonscale and bone?”
Sotek opened his backpack and pulled out a tatty old book.
“I learned it from three books like this one. It explains how to treat, mould and work Dragonscale”.
Paarthurnax turned to the setting sun then spoke.
“You taught yourself? It’s time you were on your way Dovakiin. But before you do, I have a task for you. Go to Eorlund and to the blacksmith Adrianna and ask them to show you how to make an Iron dagger”. His eyes seemed to bore into Sotek, studying him. With a slight disagreeable nod, he then turned towards the Huntress. “Aela, I give you a task as well. Don’t let him deviate from his path, I fear your task won’t be an easy one”.
Aela walked up to Sotek and looked at him right in the eyes.
“He’ll do what you ask, won’t you?”
Sotek shuffled about nervously and, more so for a sense of wellbeing, Agreed.
“Yes, but I know how to make one. I don’t understand”.
Paarthurnax nodded slowly.
“No you don’t, but you will with some luck. Now go, rest in High Hrothgar”.
As the group started heading away, Sotek paused then turned back to the dragon.
“You never explained why I don’t need the armour I collected”.
Paarthurnax simply laughed and replied dryly.
“And you never explained to me why you need it. Go now, there is much for you to learn, but you’ve come along way Dovakiin. Yet there is still a long road to tread. When you are ready, when you truly understand, come to me. I will teach you how to meditate upon a shout, a Thuum and make it stronger. Now go. Remember Dragonborn, for every step taken in the wrong direction, precious seconds are forever lost”.
Sotek whined to himself and mumbled back to the dragon.
“Wrong directions for whom though?”
By now Aela had enough. She tugged him by the arm and started leeding him away from the plateau.
“Let’s go, Farkas is hungry, his stomachs rumbling louder than when you used that blasted storm shout”. On the way back down the mountain path, Aela paused as she started sniffing the air. “There, it’s a goat. Shall we?”
Sotek nodded in anticipation despite the promise of such a small meal.
“Yes, but it’s not much”. As one they both transformed, then the silence of the evening was broken as Red and Scarface’s voices howled out as they began their hunt.
Vilkas smiled as he watched them disappear along the pathway.
“Here we go again”.
When they reached High Hrothgar, the group settled down in the entrance hall on some furs as Sotek wanted to disturb the greybeards as little as possible. The greybeards bought them over two baskets of food which Aela thanked them for while Vilkas and Farkas just tucked into the gratefully received bounty of fruits, bread and cheese.
Soon after, the main hall fell quiet as the two brothers fell asleep, leaving Aela and Sotek talking quietly with eachother. Aela glanced over to Sotek then quickly turned away as she tried to put her thoughts on what Paarthurnax had told them into her own words.
“Sotek… What did he mean? The dragon, Paarthurnax?”
He gave her a funny look and waited for a few seconds for her to continue but his gaze was met with silence, forcing him to probe deeper.
“He said a lot of things… You mean the daggers? I don’t know”.
“No… Well yes, but no. Dragonborns have come here from ages ago and they all mastered the fire shout. What is it you mastered? He said no one else had done it and it took him ages to learn? What was it?”
“Wuld… It was Wuld. Well no, it was because of Wuld”. Sotek said with a shrug. “When I used the fire shout on Paarthurnax the first time, it was weak. I never put any effort into it. Dragonborns and Dragons always give it one hundred percent of effort. They give it their full force and attention. I ‘mastered’ the simple ability of controlling how much force I can put into a shout, thereby controlling its strength. To a degree at any rate. The fire shout is way too powerful to use to start a camp fire, but if one could master the shout properly, with control, then maybe… Maybe it can be used to set fire to a patch of corn rather than incinerate the whole field…”
“Yea, Jarl Balgruff would love that…” Aela said with a smirk. She gave him a slight elbow in the rib as she giggled.
Later that night Sotek awoke due to Aela shivering in her sleep. Farkas and Vilkas were both sleeping but Sotek smiled as they shifted in the night and now rested near the braziers for warmth. Sotek changed his form then laid next to Aela, who responded automatically when she felt Scarface’s body next to her.
In the morning Vilkas awoke to see Scarface laying on his back, while Red was drooped over him. Once Vilkas and Farkas started moving about, preparing their kit, Red rolled off Scarface and awoke with a start as she was now laying on her back sprawled out on the floor. Farkas laughed as he watched her bewildered expression.
“Don’t look at us, we never woke you”.
Her response was a low heavy snarl as she blamed them, whether they were guilty or not. That in itself awoke Scarface who simply growled out just for the hell of it. Angier, who was bringing a basket of meat and rolls, froze as he saw the two werewolves slumped on the floor.
“Oh dov, he’s massive”.
Aela changed form then got to her feet. She seemed slightly embarrassed as she smiled at Angier.
“Erm, morning”. She cast a quick look at Scarface then gave him a slight kick with her foot. “Oi, get up”.
Scarface growled lowly at her then Sotek transformed back. He got up as he stretched out, yawning at the same time. Aela poked him in the side then pointed to Angier who was just standing there watching.
“Oh Morning, we’ll be out of your way in a few minutes”.
Before Angier could say a word, Farkas took the basket from him.
“Oh breakfast, thanks”.
Aela shook her head at him, but said nothing as she still felt a bit odd having Angier see Red and Scarface sleeping. Angier, saw her expression and came over to her.
“Did you sleep well?”
Aela nodded sheepishly and quickly became flustered.
“Yes, she did. We did, me and her…Red, not me and him, we didn’t sleep…Together ermm nor did they, ermm. Let’s go”. Then she turned around and immediately headed towards the door.
Vilkas looked at her oddly then turned towards Sotek.
“Red and Scarface… They didn’t, did they?”
Sotek growled at him.
“No, they bloody didn’t”.
Vilkas studied him carefully then thought about that morning.
“Yes, but what about you two?”
Sotek grabbed his pack as he called out to Aela.
“Hold up”.
Farkas laughed as he watched them both exit the entrance hall.
“Those dirty bloody dogs”.
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