-Chapter 1-
Titus sprinted westward through the snowy pine trees, an arrow drawn back across his had been hours since he had started running. A skyforged longsword, accompanied by Ysgramor's ancient shield hung from the back of his scaled hide armor, over his heavy fur cloak. As he came close to the formation of rocks ahead, he slipped behind a tree, listening for the wolves.
The growling came from the right; and so to the right he fired. The heavy twang of his bow seemed so loud in the frozen pines. He heard the canine whimper and saw the shadowy white beast collapse. Titus ripped another arrow from the quiver at his hip and nocked it on the bowstring. He listened for the growling again.
As he waited for the next dog to assail him, Titus' eyes dropped to the ground, searching for footprints. He instantly noticed the depressions in the snow, made by what seemed like bare feet. He shook his head and leaned away from the tree, expecting to see a wolf approaching. Titus saw nothing.
His bow still drawn back, Titus slipped out of cover, sprinting once more to the rocky formation before him. He spared his concentration to look at the sky. It was still snowing, and the sky had grown even darker. He heard the grumbling of one of the white dogs that stalked him and dropped to his knees immediately, scanning the foliage in all directions very slowly. He caught the slightest movement straight ahead and fired without hesitation. The wolf yelped and crumpled over.
He was very close to the boulder cluster now, and he quickened his pace. He slung the wooden bow over his head on his shoulder and drew a wide dagger from his belt. Titus crept around the boulders until he found a section that was depressed into the formation. The concave area gave cover from the snow and was protected from the wind, which blew laterally into the boulders, rather than head on.
Titus spotted the footprints again, walking (or stumbling, rather) into the cave. He strode carefully to the entrance and looked inside.
"Aela," he breathed, dashing to her side.
She lay in the cave naked, shaking from the freezing cold, her arms wrapped around her bleeding abdomen. Her red hair was matted with the darker red of blood, and the striped war paint on her face was smeared and, in some places, rubbed off.
Titus sheathed his dagger, ripped the reindeer cloak from his shoulders, and wrapped her in it, picking her up under her shoulders and legs. Her breathing was very shallow and her eyes were glassed.
"Canaan," she was barely able to say.
"He's gone away," Titus murmured penitently. "I ran to find you."
"His dogs?" she asked throatily.
"Dead," Titus stated, partially with satisfaction, partially with contempt. He stepped out of the cave, Aela still in his arms. His face suddenly fell dour. "What happened to you?" he asked infirmly.
Aela weakly shook her head. "I.. used the wolf blood, but... he had a dagger.. it.. did something..." she tried to continue but her voice trailed off as she grimaced.
"It's okay, don't talk now," Titus ordered gently. "Keep your strength."
"That's.. a little hard.. to do.." Aela replied with a painful smile. "Where's... Vilkas?"
"You need a healer," said Titus, dismissing the question. "Now," he accentuated.
Titus, carrying the wounded huntress, began to trudge southward. The closest settlement, aside from bandit camps, was the Hall of The Vigilant, home to the Vigilants of Stendarr. The occupants hated deadra and lycanthropes, but were very kind otherwise, and they were experts in restorative magics. He figured desperately that if any hope to save Aela existed, it would be with the Vigilants.
The night creatures of the forest stalked Titus as he shuffled through the woods. The wind picked up and the clouds grew thicker, blocking both of the moons' light. The snow fell down harder, dropping the visibility, even for a perceptive hunter like Titus or Aela. He almost became lost in the pines.
He continued to scrape forward through the snow, his body beginning to shake. Aela was beginning to lose consciousness. Titus' strength began to leave him; all of the running he had done finally affected him. He dropped onto his left knee, jarring Aela in his arms. His eyelids started to drop.
Titus' head jerked up. He forced himself to stand and stumble heavily even further. A warm light began to show in the foggy blizzard. He found his pace quickening as he came closer to the light. He closed in and the wooden hall appeared before him. He fell to his knee again, but, once more, he arose and continued onward.
"Halt," a voice stopped Titus. A robed figure seemed to appear out if thin air in front of him. Two more, carrying torches, appeared on both flanks as well. "State your name and your business," the voice added.
"I need a healer," Titus pleaded gruffly, swaying where he stood.
"What burdens you, kinsman?" another of the robed strangers asked, gesturing to the deerskin in his arms. He approached Titus, reaching for the fur cloak wrapped around Aela. As her face was revealed, the man's hand recoiled as he cursed in disgust. "Lycan!" he hissed.
The three men drew maces from their sides. "What are you playing at, kinsman?" the middle figure asked. "What should stop us from killing your friend?"
"We don't serve werewolves," the third added with contempt.
"Healing her wouldn't be a service to a lycan," Titus pointedly said. "You would be serving me."
"You?" middle Vigilant asked. "And who are you that you think you can bend the will of the Vigilants of Stendarr?"
"I am Titus Stormblade," he announced powerfully. "Qahnaarin Do Dovah."
The second Vigilant began to laugh. "The Dragonborn?" he asked skeptically. "Prove it," he challenged. "Shout for us, Dragonborn."
Not a fraction of a second after the challenge had been issued had Titus shouted the thunderous word, "FUS," blasting the snow around him to heights that challenged the pines, and rocking the surrounding trees. The challenging Vigilant fell onto his backside and the flame from his torch was blown out by the force of the shout. Titus turned his head to the middle Vigilant. "Now help me," he commanded desperately.
The middle Vigilant hesitated. "Fine," he finally said. He then pointed a finger at Titus. "But only because you are the Dragonborn," he added. "Do not expect us to help a Lycan, or you, ever again. If you or your friend ever return here, I will have your heads, Dragonborn or not. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Titus said stiffly.
The middle Vigilant withdrew his fur hood. "I am Tolan," he said. "Let's get her inside before she get's any worse." He walked toward the hall, waving Titus over.
Titus followed, as well as the other two Vigilants. They walked up the steps to the front door. Tolan pushed the door open and the heat from the hearth warmed Titus' body immediately. Bookshelves full of texts on daedra, dremora, vampires, and werewolves lined the walls. A shrine to Stendarr, the divine of mercy and ransome, stood on the far left of the hall, next to a stone table.
Titus, faltering, treaded to the table and gently laid Aela down on it. He pressed his fingers to the side of her neck, checking her pulse. Though weakly, her heart remained to beat. He sighed in exhausted relief as he stepped away from her. In stepping back, he stumbled and let himself down gently against a wall. His eyelids sunk down again. This time, sleep claimed him.
"Titus," the tired voice rumbled.
Titus felt the words, rather than hear them.
"Titus!" it repeated, more imperatively this time.
Titus looked forward. He saw a man walking toward him, armored in steel and the fur of a wolf. "Vilkas?" he asked.
"Yes, Titus," said Vilkas. He placed his hand of Titus' shoulder. "We'll all be together very soon," he said.
His face seemed to age rapidly, his skin paling, his breathing halted. Vilkas' hand became bony and his eyes were glazed. "Together," said a haggard voice, not like Vilkas'. "Very... Very... Soon!"
Titus jerked awake, gasping. His wide eyes darted everywhere. He slowly recalled the previous night, as well as what had happened over the recent days. Vilkas, he thought. He turned and saw Aela's hand, extended from within the fur cape, laying on his shoulder. "You were dreaming," she said softly.
He arose, the joints in his knees crackling, and took a seat next to Aela on the table. "I'm sorry if I woke you," he apologized.
"You were dreaming about Vilkas," she said, ignoring his apology. She sat up next to him. "I asked you where he was last night, Titus," she pressed on.
Titus shook his head.
"Where is he?" She asked shakily.
Titus shook his head once more. "Canaan," he said quietly.
Aela nodded. Her her friend- her brother- was dead. Titus never actually said it, but she knew. They both sat for a long moment, silently consoling each other.
Titus stood and composed himself quickly. He swept his hand through his long, dark hair and walked to the door. He yanked it open and stepped out.
"You've lost someone," Tolan said plainly. He stood beside the door, behind Titus.
"Yes," Titus replied in a low voice. "Someone important."
"How did he die?" the Vigilant asked.
"He was killed by a man named Canaan," Titus answered. "The man I was hunting."
"The Wolf Hunter of the Silver Hand?" the Vigilant asked.
Titus turned and stared furiously at Tolan. "Yes," he said flatly.
Tolan nodded. "Sad as that is, your woman is alive and well now; I trust you will move on today. Sooner would be better than later. I would hate to send you into another blizzard."
"Thank you for healing her," Titus said, tiredly dropping his glaring eyes. He opened the door and stepped over the threshold.
"Never again, Dragonborn," Tolan asserted. "Remember that."
Titus saw upon his reentry that Aela had taken to the floor in front of the hearth, still swathed in only the reindeer fur. He took a seat on the floor next to her. They sat in silence for a moment.
"What happened to you?" Titus finally asked.
"The three of us," she began to recount. "We were hunting Canaan. When we chased him into the forest, I lost you two. He had his dogs, so I tried to turn. I thought the wolves would side with me." She shook her head. "They didn't," she continued. "I chased him for a whole day, until we got to his camp- he'd set a trap. I was caught, and he stabbed me." She rubbed her sides, remembering very well the wound she was left with. "It did.. something. It confused me, made me run away." She paused. "I think maybe it was some kind of poison. I had gone through the woods and into that cave when I changed back. By then my injury had become pretty bad. All I could do was wait."
"Vilkas and I found him at his camp after you lost us," said Titus, trying to fit his story with hers. "You had already been there- he told us so. He also said that you were dead."
"I guess you didn't believe that," Aela interjected.
Titus shook his head. "I saw your foot prints. Vilkas said he could handle Canaan, and that I should follow your trail. I guess he already knew I would go after you. I stayed. I wasn't enough, though. Canaan cut Vilkas down, and then he ran into the forest, in the same direction as your foot prints. I tried to chase him, but I lost him. His dogs were there though, so I let them try to hunt me. I killed many of them, and I still followed you. After a long while of it, I'd finally killed off all of the dogs, and I found you in that cave."
"I'm very lucky you did," Aela said after a moment. "I should be dead-"
"Canaan should be dead," replied Titus, silencing Aela. "We need to go soon," he said suddenly, changing the subject. "The Vigilants don't want you here, and won't be as hospitable as they were next time they see us."
Aela nodded, and then looked down at herself. "But I..." she began. "My armor is gone."
"Keep my cloak," Titus suggested. "The Vigilants would die before giving you one of their robes. We'll head north, to Dawnstar. You'll be able to find appropriate enough clothes there."
Aela pulled the cloak tighter around her body. "Okay then," she agreed.
"And then," said Titus. "We will go back into the forest, we will recover Vilkas' body, and we will kill that bastard Canaan."
"With pleasure," replied Aela. "We will leave nothing left, to bury or to burn."