Chapter 2- Of Vampires and Wolves
Raene reined in her dark bay stallion at the Whiterun stables. Home at last. She closed her eyes and inhaled the smell of the city; smoke from the armory as well as the fresh, green scent of the forest surrounding the city…and horse dung. Her lips curled slightly downwards in disgust as she dismounted and lead her horse towards an empty dock. Skulvar Stable-Hilt; the stable master, approached her –or rather her horse- with his arms wide apart and welcoming.
"Raene!" He boomed. "I was starting to think the earth opened up and swallowed you whole….along with my horse!"
"It's good to be back, Skulvar," Raene handed the stallion's reigns to his former owner. "Alduin could use with some fresh hay and a roof over his head just like his master."
The Nord man was about to lead the stallion to the stables when the mention of the name caused him to stiffen before whirling around in shock. "Alduin?!" the Nord balked "You named your horse after that blasted dragon from Helgen? Are you out of your mind, woman?"
"Well, if I'm to get acquainted with that Oblivion-spawned dragon one day, then why not name my horse after it? It'll be a good conversation starter for us when the time comes," Raene fished out an apple from her pack and fed it to Alduin, fondly ruffling his mane. "Get some oats for her, will you?" She tossed a gold coin at the stable master as she strode towards the gates of the city.
"It's good to see you back, Thane" the guard greeted the Dragonborn as he proceed to push the wooden gates open.
Raene stepped into the city as the gate closed behind her and took a moment to soak in the sight and sounds of Whiterun -one of the most successful cities in the whole of Skyrim. The sound of metal beating against metal brought her attention to the Warmaiden. A handsome Nord woman in a blacksmith apron hammered away at a metal rod which had yet to take the shape of its final product. An axe, maybe…it might be an axe, Raene thought distractedly as she moved down the dusty streets.
"Hail, my Thane!" a passing guard greeted Raene and she halted him.
"What news in Whiterun, soldier?"
"Just the regular ones, my Thane," the guard reported "Vampire attacks in the night. Braith claimed that a fellow with glowing eyes walked up to Adrianne last night and practically threw himself at her throat. She stuck her knife right into his face, she did! I wouldn't know though, I was patrolling in up the Wind District."
"Vampire attacks…" Raene mused "They're becoming a real menace."
"Aye, my Thane," the guard placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "But it ain't nothing we can't handle. We fought dragons and now we will fight these pale blood-suckers."
Raene smiled at the confidence of the Nord. If only all Nords were like this one. She clasped forearms with the guard and continued down the road. Breezehome came up beside her and she entered her home and deposited her heavy pack on the stone floor. The house was clean, every chair and dressing table in place. Even the mugs and metal ware looked newly-polished. Raene smiled to herself and climbed the stairs. Her housecarl; Lydia, must have tidied up recently. It was not that Lydia was expecting her today but it seemed like the housecarl kept the house ever-ready for the return of her Thane.
There was a time when, Raene wasn't one who enjoyed the company of a fellow traveler. She was a loner and she would have never expected it to change. So, she was not-so-pleasantly surprised when Jarl Balgruuf the Greater bequeath Lydia to her as her housecarl.
"I appreciate your offer of a housecarl, honorable Jarl," Raene had pleaded. "But the title of Thane will suffice for me."
"That's absurd, Dovahkiin!" the Jarl had boomed. "What is a Thane without her housecarl? The people will start thinking that I can't provide for my own Thane!"
And so Raene had turned away disappointed from the throne to find Lydia standing a few paces away. And from the set of her jaw and the glint in her eye, the housecarl had heard every word and wasn't happy about it. Not one bit. In fact, Lydia took to calling her 'Dragonborn' for almost a week after realizing that Raene detested that title.
"What can I do for you, Dragonborn?"
"Long life to you, Dragonborn,"
"I am your sword and your shield, Dragonborn,"
"No, Dragonborn, that's not how you milk a cow,"
However, after a bit, they both started warming up to each other. All it took was a mission to a Falmer-infested cave in which both of them almost ended up as fresh meat for the pack of blind, twisted creatures. Since then, Raene had come to respect and appreciate the extra sword as well as the woman who wields it. Lydia warmed up to her Thane considerably to start addressing her as Thane and later as a friend.
Aware that her mind was drifting off, Raene peeked into Lydia's room to find it empty. Of course. Her housecarl must be up at Dragonsreach or training with the guards at this time. She entered her room and removed her Guild Master's armor, exchanging it for a sleeveless blue tunic with brown pants made out of thick bear fur. It felt good to be wearing something light and soft to the skin. She buckled her ebony sword to her waist and left the comfort of her house to head towards Jorrvaskr –home to the Companions.
The mead hall was alive with conversations and the strong, warm smell of food and mead. A large fire pit blazed in the centre of the room, casting a warm spell on all it's occupants. At once, voices rose in loud greeting as their Harbinger entered the hall. Hard, calloused hands clapped Raene's back and arms reached out to clasp hers.
"The Harbinger returns!" a voice boomed over the rest of the din as a black-haired Nord with huge, beefy arms came up to Raene and enveloped her in a hug, almost knocking the wind out of her as she slammed into his armor. "I see Talos has been kind to you, Raene." He smirked as he turned the side of Raene's face to study a light scar that crossed her cheek.
Raene smacked away Vilkas' hand playfully. "Kind enough to leave my face intact, shield-brother," a tankard of mead was shoved into her hand and she took a long gulp from it. "Otherwise, who's face shall keep your mind company in those long cold nights alone?"
Vilkas scowled in mock anger and punched the Redguard's arm. The motion sloshed some of the mead down the front of Raene's tunic but she didn't mind. Her fellow companion was a tall, strong man with a quick temper but a quick and intelligent mind. He had warpaint smeared over his eyes, giving them a fierce look but they shined with warmth at his good friend. Initially hostile to the Redguard, Vilkas had since accepted the woman as his leader and friend after many adventures together.
Raene wringed mead out of her tunic and grinned to herself. Almost every member of the Companions will have mead, ale or wine down his or her tunic by the end of the day. There will be revelry and good food to celebrate the return of their Harbinger and Raene was never one to back down from a celebration especially if it was in her honor. In fact, it seemed like Njada and Ria had already started their own not-so-private celebration as Ria straddled the Nord woman and attacked her lips as Njada tried to balance between drinking from her tankard and attending to the smaller woman.
Raene grinned towards Vilkas as he looked torn between the need to maintain a respectable environment in the mead hall and to not be a killjoy. "Let them have their fun without you breathing down their necks," she pulled him away from the crowd and towards the living quarters.
The living quarters of the companion were divided into two parts; a long room, lined with beds, for the regular Companions and private rooms for the Harbinger and members of the Inner Circle.
"Now tell me why I'm summoned here, brother." She took a seat in the hall of the living quarters, away from the din, and looked up expectantly at the Nord.
"It's an urgent matter, Raene," Vilkas drew a chair backwards and sat on it, leaning his arms on the back of the chair. "We tracked a vampire attack party to a cave south of here. The smell of blood reeks from that cave. We need our Harbinger to lead the attack."
"Sounds good to me," Raene rubbed her chin. "And we can put an end to these attacks. They're stupid aren't they, attacking in small forces? They can't hope to capture Whiterun that way."
"Raene, they've carried off a few of the people. Travelers to the city and even a hunter camping by the Khajit camps. "
Her blood ran cold. They're kidnapping people? Kidnapped to be used as a thrall for the vampires…it was unimaginable. They have to be destroyed. Immediately! Raene rose slowly from my chair and Vilkas mirrored her, his face determined. The muffled sounds of laughter and singing continued from above.
"There's no time to waste. We attack the camp today," she declared grimly. "Get Farkas, Aela and Torvar and meet me at the gates. Tonight, we hunt them!"
The sun had turned the sky a pinkish hue when the party of five cleared the ridge overlooking the cave. Farkas pointed silently at the cave and Raene nodded. It was an ordinary cave, no markings that sets it off as an inhabited cave. Aela crouched low and took a whiff of the air.
"They're in there, all right," Her green eyes flashed with fierce excitement and her lips pulled back to expose her teeth in a feral grin. She was poised like a she-wolf with her hackles raised waiting for the signal to attack.
Raene could smell the heavy scent of blood coming from the cave, as well. It repulsed her and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. Vilkas rubbed his nose irritably. The only one who showed no reaction to the smell was Torvar, as he tugged absently at his beard and fingered the newly-sharpened blade of his axe. He wasn't given the gift of lycanthropy.
"I'll enter first and Torvar will bring up the rear," Raene announced. "Aela, stay away from close combat and cover us."
In a single file, they moved into the cave. Raene drew her orcish greatsword from its sheath, the blade shimmering blue with a frost spell in the gloom of the cave. Almost immediately, the Companions heard a conversation.
"I'm hungry…"
"Wait for your turn tonight, Sterban," a sharp voice hissed. "You drain another body and Draven will have you suckling at wild goats."
"I'll drain Draven's body if I could. That elf thinks too highly of himself,"
The talk died down and Raene took a deep breath before charging into the opening, swinging her blade at the nearest vampire. The elf's blood red eyes widened as the sword bit deep into his neck. A sharp cry came from the other vampire followed by a grunt. Bracing her foot against the prone body, Raene wrenched her sword away from bone and blood splattered on her armor as the vampire slumped to the ground.
Not waiting for the others, she headed deeper into the cave, silent footsteps trailing her. Four vampires were spread around in the second clearing. A vampire hissed at her as she raised her sword over her head. Raene raised her greatsword just in time to parry the blow. She stabbed viciously at the vampire but the Nord leapt away from the sword on nimble feet. Growling in anger, Raene advanced on the vampire. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Farkas and Vilkas battling an Elven vampire side by side. Aela and Torvar was nowhere in sight. She raised her sword at the same time the vampire raised a clawed hand.
Reacting out of instinct, Raene rolled to the side as a burst of red energy scoured past her. The vampiric drain is a deadly weapon for the vampires. Being caught in one will sap the victim's energy as well as their willpower to live. Power and energy churned in her body; waves upon waves of raw power waiting to be unleashed. The vampire was directing the energy towards Raene, her face twisted hideously in cruel anticipation as she advanced, sword in hand. Desperately, Raene reached to the centre of the ball of energy deep and released it.
"YOL TOOR SHUL!"
A gust of hungry flames erupted from the Dragonborn's mouth and consumed the vampire in a fiery inferno. The vampire screamed as her skin melted off bones until there was nothing left but charred flesh and bones. The smell of burnt meat filled the cavern. Raene got to her feet unsteadily, tendrils of smoke escaping her lips. Torvar was staring at her as if she just sprouted wings and turned into a dragon. Aela, Farkas and Vilkas were used to the Shout of the Dragonborn as they stood with their weapons ready, waiting for the signal to continue.
"Step out of it, man!" Raene barked at the frozen Companion. Torvar gave a start before clutched his weapon in his hands steadily. The next cavern brought them to the prisoners. There were six of them; Nords, Imperials and even a Khajit. Aela shot an arrow clean through the head of the vampire on guard and Raene and Vilkas unlocked the cages. The prisoners were starving and badly dehydrated. All of them had dried blood on their necks- too weak to wipe it off after being drained to the brink of death.
"Torvar, get these people back to the city," Raene carried out a limp and weakened woman from the cage as the others filed out cautiously. She turned to the weakened group of people. "Follow him. You're safe. All of you."
The group shuffled slowly out of the cavern with Torvar carrying the woman in his arms and a young man slung over his shoulder like a sack.
"Time to end this." Raene held her sword ready and moved deeper into the cave. The others followed closely.
There were a cluster of vampires in the last room and they spread out immediately as the Companions burst into the room hissing and drawing their weapons.
"For Glory of the Companions!" Raene held her sword aloof before swiping it down to cleanly decapitate a vampire. The body crumpled down as two more vampires closed in on her. An arrow whistled and buried itself in the neck of one and the vampire gurgled, clutching at the protruding shaft as he fell.
"Die, mortal!" The second vampire directed an ice spike at the Dragonborn and Raene was barely able to duck out of the way as the cold spike sailed past her shoulder. She swung her sword upwards and took off the upraised hand of the vampire from the wrist. Screaming and clutching at his bleeding stump, the vampire didn't look up as Raene drove her sword into his face. She pulled her sword free and looked around the cavern at the chaos reigning around her.
Blood streamed down the side of Farkas' head from a head wound but he seemed unperturbed by it as he roared in rage and pushed his attacker back with wide arcs of his blade. Aela had slung her bow and was slashing at a female Dunmer vampire with a long, deadly dagger. Raene's searched for Vilkas and found him dueling a vampire in vampire armor. Their leader, Raene presumed. She rushed to aid the burly Nord, taking her place at his side.
"I need this one alive for now, shield-brother." I said grimly.
Vilkas nodded and as one they advanced on the vampire.
"You weak fools!" the vampire spat. "I'll keep you alive just to drain each of you to a husk!" He raised his hand at Raene and she drove forward, slicing at his hand. Blood splattered on her face as the vampire howled. Vilkas darted in drove his armored knee into the vampire's belly, his fist simultaneously cracking the vampire's jaw. The leader folded to the ground with a groan.
Kneeling down, she grasped the vampire by his neck and lifted him up to a sitting position. "Now you're going to tell me where all you blood-suckers come from or I'll make your passing as painful as possible."
The vampire spat blood from his mouth as he coughed. "I've experienced pain way past anything you have ever imagined, mortal-" He let out a scream and Raene jerked back to see Aela's steel dagger pinning his hand to the ground. The huntress' face was carved from stone, her eyes cold.
Raene turned back to the vampire. "Tell me and I'll kill you right away," she snarled, her face inches from the vampire's fangs.
"Castle…Castle Volkihar. L-Lord Harkon sent us out to-to gather human cattle." The vampire gasped.
Slowly getting to her feet, Raene stepped back as Farkas drove his greatsword into the vampire's throat. Castle Volkihar….it was something to work on. Wiping the blood off her face, she turned towards the Circle.
"I owe everyone here a tankard of mead," she grinned, baring her teeth. "We celebrate victory tonight!"
"Hear, hear!" Farkas pumped his fists in the air, his bloodied sword held aloft. Vilkas crossed his arms and gave a small smile and Aela dropped her cool demeanor to flash the Redguard a toothy grin.
"And the vampire gave me a grin that could freeze any men in their tracks. But not me! No, I slammed my axe right into his ugly face!" Torvar crowed as he lifted his tankard up high, splashing ale onto his listeners. The crowd in Jorrvaskr's mead hall burst into thunderous applause, raising bottles and cups into the air. "And to our noble and fierce Harbinger," Torvar got down unsteadily to a knee from his position on the wooden table. "I pledge to follow you into battle whenever you need me. My axe is yours!"
Raene nodded and beamed at the eager and very-much-drunk Companion, raising her bottle of Nord mead in salutation. She had shed her armor for a plain black tunic with wide sleeves that showed the toned muscles of her arm. Farkas leaned next to her in a similar tunic, clutching a tankard of ale.
"It's a good life we have here, shield-sister," he knocked the tankard back and dashed the back of his hand over his lips. "Gold, glory and honor. More than a simple man like me can ever ask for."
"More for us both…" Raene looked around the hall. "Where's Aela?"
"She must be out the back," the Nord took a bottle off a tray from a hired serving woman and gave her a hungry look which she took in her stride as she winked and sauntered off, hips swaying.
Raene chuckled and punched Farkas in his arm as she headed out of the hall, taking a bottle of Alto wine and two cups with her. She found the huntress near the training grounds. Aela sat cross-legged on the ground her back against a pillar, her head tilted up to watch the moon.
The Dragonborn took a place next to the redhead and waved the bottle, giving her a small smile.
"It's the finest thing Jorrvaskr has to offer,"
Aela looked at the bottle for a moment and smiled indulgently at the Redguard. Raene took it as an invitation to pour as she uncorked the bottle with her teeth. A soft chuckle drew her attention and she looked questioningly at the huntress.
"Do you always open things that way, Harbinger?" Aela arched an eyebrow at her.
"Most things," Raene purred suggestively as she poured a cup for her Companion and handed it to her. Aela's face did not betray any reaction but the upward twitching of her lips.
"How kind of you to join me out her tonight, Raene," the Nord woman sighed as she took a sip of wine. "I don't fancy drinking myself senseless after a fight."
Raene lay down on the soft grass and propped herself up on her elbows. "What do you fancy then, Aela?" she drew the name slowly across her tongue.
"Thinking of life…and how easy it ends at times," Aela looked up into the night sky. Like diamonds on black velvet, Raene though to herself as she looked up as well. A cool breeze ruffled her red hair and the scent of leather and scented oil wafted towards Raene. "I enter each battle with the realization that it might be my last. It doesn't matter how strong a warrior is…sometimes all it take is a wrong move, a slip of your guard."
The Nord woman shivered and drew her legs towards her. She took another sip of wine and turned to Raene. "Do you dream of the Hunting Grounds, Raene?"
Raene frowned. Werewolves were chosen to hunt eternally with the Daedric Prince Hircine after death. Raene was never a believer of the Nordic gods and have next to no respect for the manipulative Daedric Princes. But the possibility of spending eternity bound to both Hircine and Nocturnal does trouble her at times. She's a free spirit and wanted to remain so even if there was such a thing as life after death.
"Seems like a lot of work considered that I'm dead," she said as she raised the cup and drained its content.
"Maybe it is," Aela turned her face back to the moon. "Or maybe it's more than that. More glorious..."
With her face turned away from the Dragonborn, Raene took the chance to study the finely-sculpted face of the smaller women. Aela had washed off her war paint and ran a brush through a hair from the shiny, luscious look of it. Her red hair was shoulder-length and swept over to the right in an elegant arc. Her lips were naturally pink and had a strong, determined set to them. Her eyes, shone silver in the moonlight but Raene knew their deep, forest green color. The color of grass after rain with the dewdrops still glistening off them. She realized that she was staring too hard and tore her eyes away reluctantly. The huntress was beautiful and she knew it. Raene wondered just how many Companions have looked at her the way Raene just did and she felt a surge of jealousy.
Shaking her head to rid the unwanted emotions, she took the bottle and upended it down her throat. The wine burned a fiery trail down her throat but it kept her mind off the woman beside her for a while. When she turned back to Aela, the woman was watching her silently, her eyes unreadable. Raene flushed and grinned weakly at her. The Nord smiled and got to her feet smoothly.
"I'm going back in now," she murmured. "Care to join me?" Her eyes grew intense.
Join her? For the revelry or….oh..ohhhh. But Raene knew that whatever the offer meant, she was not ready to break the calm spell she had woven around herself at this moment. She was not ready to move on. Move on to what? she wondered. She looked up at the woman. "I'll just stay here for a while. The moon is beautiful and the breeze…" she closed her eyes and inhale as the wind brushed her cheeks like a lover's caress.
Aela smiled understandingly at her. "I've enjoyed this, Raene." She turned and walked towards to lights on the mead hall. "Perhaps we should do this more often."
The Redguard lay back on the grass once she was alone and pillowed her head with her strong arms. "Agreed, my fiery huntress…"
Whatever feelings she might harbor for the Companion, she was not ready to explore. She was not ready to be tied down. To be committed to another person. The redhead was not a women to be trifled with and the least Raene can do out of her respect for the other woman is to be certain of her feelings for Aela.
She closed her eyes.
The wine bottle lay on its side, as a single red droplet gathered and fell onto the grass. The wind whistled a soft, harmonious tune. Torches glowed in the night as guards silently patrolled the city. A lone wolf howled in the distance. Whiterun remained silent.
So that's Chapter 2, folks! Hope you enjoyed it and please read and review! And thanks to those who followed my story! Much appreciated
Note: My description of Aela is based on a mod called Aela Sylvan Makeover Standalone. I makes her look smokin' hot!
~Ayden