It was not hard for Aela to track down Tyrland. She did not need to be the best tracker in the Companions in order to find her Shield Brother. Anyone would have been able to find him, as all they would have to do would be to follow the mutilated remains that led to where the Silver Hand that had attacked Jorvaskir had retreated to. The cave entrance was splattered with blood, gore, and body parts. There were deep gouges in the rocks, from where Tyrland's claws had slashed into the rocks.
Under any other circumstances, Aela would have severely chastised any member of the circle for losing control of their inner wolf like that. Yet the Silver Hand had just signed their own death warrants when they had killed Kodlak. She herself felt her inner wolf demanding to be let loose upon the Silver Hand for what they had done.
"Yet by the time I do that, Tyrland might have pulled a Fenrir." Aela said to herself, as she entered the cave. The walls were covered in more blood, and deep claw marks. "Alright I take it back. Tyrland definitely pulled a Fenrir."
Aela slowly made her way further into the cave, stepping over mutilated corpses of dozens of Silver Hand. She found Tyrland, who was no longer a wolf lying amongst the mutilated corpses of the Silver Hand he had ripped apart. To her immense relief, he was very much alive despite all the blood that he was covered in.
"Gods damnit Tyrland, you reckless bastard." Aela snarled, as she hauled the semi-conscious Nord to his feet.
"Whaat…?" Came the reply from Tyrland, whose long dark hair was plastered to his face by all the blood from all the Silver Hand he had slaughtered. "There is no way in hell you are going to tear me a new one for this…"
Aela opened her mouth for a moment, then closed it again. "No I won't." She led Tyrland to a chair that hadn't been destroyed in his rampage. "What I want to know is where you were when the Silver Hand attacked us."
Tyrland was silent for a moment, as he surveyed the carnage he had wreaked on the Silver Hand hideout. "It was a request for Kodlak."
Aela felt her stomach contract when Tyrland had mentioned Kolak. It was like a red hot glove had grabbed her insides. Her facial expression hardened, as she fought to keep her inner wolf from going on a blind rampage as Tyrland's had done. A moment and several deep breaths later, Aela spoke once more. "Tell me."
-twilight close to the hag raven cave-
Tyrland threw one of his concealed Daedric daggers into the chest of a vampire that had made the mistake of attacking him. The vampire coughed up blood, as he looked down at the hilt of the weapon. The Redguard vampire's glowing eyes widened, as glowing sigils appeared on the dagger's hilt. The vampire began screaming, as his veins visibly glowed when his blood ignited. Tyrland had enchanted his daggers, and each one had been made to specifically fight vampires. The Redguard's screams went up several octaves, moments before his body crumbled into dust, leaving only Tyrland's enchanted dagger.
"There have been way too many of these sons of bitches around for my tastes lately." Tyrland growled, as he retrieved his dagger and placed it in a hidden sheath on his belt. He sniffed at the air, and growled as he smelled more vampires approaching. He opened his hands, and two more enchanted daggers slid into his hands. He spun around in a low crouch, throwing his daggers in the same motion. Both found their mark, and embedded themselves into the chests of the two new attacking vampires. They both screamed as the enchanted daggers ignited their blood, and they crumbled into dust. Tyrland rolled to his right, as a massive fireball turned the spot he had been into molten lava.
"Gonna have to do better than that." Tyrland growled, as he extended his right hand. The molten lava from the vampire's fireball boiled violently. Tyrland visciously swiped his hand at the vampire. The lava caused by the vampire's spell completely enveloped Tyrland's attacker, who crumbled to dust as the lava burned him away.
"Gods damnit. Where are these sons of bitches coming from!?" Tyrland snarled, retrieving his enchanted Daedric daggers. "Someone seriously has to do something about this."
He sniffed at the air, to make sure that nothing else was was headed his way. He nodded once in satisfaction, and continued on towards the hag raven cave. Though the vampires were not the only enemies that Tyrland had to contest with. More Silver Hand were waiting for him just outside the cave of the hags.
"We know why you're here wolf." A Nord growled at him. He wore the armor of the Silver Hand like the rest of his allies. His face was heavily scarred, and his left eye was concealed by a worn patch of leather.
"Then why not let me pass?" Tyrland replied through gritted teeth, his right hand tightly gripping Silverbane's hilt. "You and I have no quarrel at this very moment."
"No I think not wolf." The scarred Nord spat at the younger. "We know it was you that butchered Krev, and we will have our revenge."
Tyrland sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his left thumb and forefinger. "Revenge for revenge. This is a viscous cycle we put ourselves through."
"Enough talk wolf!" The scarred Nord roared, as he drew a large battle axe from where it rested behind his back. "Now you die!"
Several Silver Hand charged at Tyrland, who instead of drawing Silverbane, inhaled as he prepared his counter. "YOL TOR SHUUL!" Fire shot from Tyrland's mouth, engulfing the charging Silver Hand in his powerful thu'um.
An arrow whistled past Tyrland's head. He couldn't tell weather or not the archer fired a warning shot or had missed. Either way, he wasn't giving that archer another chance to fire another arrow. Tyrland charged forward, opening his palms so two of his enchanted daggers slid from the hidden spring slings he had up the sleeves in his armor. The scarred Nord roared, and swung down with his large axe. Tyrland through one of his daggers into the throat of the Bosmer archer, before another thu'um echoed around the open space.
"FEIN!" Tyrland became transparent, and the scarred Nord's axe passed through the younger Nord's body harmlessly. The Nord with the scarred face looked at Tyrland, his right eye wide with shock before the effects of Tyrland's thu'um wore off. Tyrland struck out with his right hand, catching the scarred Nord in the nose with the pommel of his other enchanted dagger. The younger Nord smirked, as he heard the elder's nose break from the powerful blow. Roaring and blinded by pain, they scarred Nord dropped his axe, and brought both hands up to his nose.
Moving on, Tyrland spun and threw the dagger in his right hand into the throat of a Redguard Silver Hand whose face looked just as scarred as the Nord whose nose Tyrland had just broken. Almost like this man had been mauled by a bear … Or a werewolf. The sigils on the Daedric dagger glowed bright orange, as the Redguard's blood was ignited. His veins turned the same color as the sigils on the dagger's hilt. He screamed in pain just like the vampires Tyrland had dispatched earlier, before dropping to his knees. The Redguard's eyes rolled up into the back of his skull, before he collapsed onto the ground.
"One down." Tyrland said under his breath, as he drew Silerbane from its scabbard. "A fuckton to go."
Three Silver Hand attacked at once. Two silver longswords and a silver axe swung downward, only to be met by Silverbane's edge when Tyrland brought the blade up to counter. Turning his blade, Tyrland buried the Silver Hand weapons into the earth blades first.
"Hello there." Tyrland growled in a playfully viscious way. He brought his left hand up, and a torrent of fire erupted from his palm. It caught the Silver Hand on the left full in the face, who didn't have time to scream, as his skin was melted off of his face leaving only the now smoking white skull. He then brought his right forearm up, and smashed it into the face of the Silver Hand on the right breaking his nose. That left only the Silver Hand in the middle, who had the bright golden skin of a High Elf who still wore the robes of the Thalmor over their Silver Hand Armor. And since the Thalmor were at the top of Tyrland's shitlist, he had something special for this particular Silver Hand. His left hand still hot from when he had burned away one Silver Hand's face, He brought it to the right side of the High Elf's face, catching it in a vice like grip. Like the Redguard who had his blood ignited, the Altmer screamed in pain as his bright golden skin sizzled and burned, before he too collapsed to the ground.
By that time the third Silver Hand that had engaged Tyrland had recovered, and charged at the young Nord with two previously unseen silver daggers in her hands. Tyrland brought up Silverbane, and fast as lightning rended the Silver Hand's head from her shoulders. "And goodbye."
A loud roar told Tyrland that the Nord with the scarred face had recovered from having his nose broken. Rolling to his left, Tyrland barely got out of the way of the large silver battle axe that attempted to bisect him. Crouching low, Tyrland faced the only remaining Silver Hand that stood in his way.
"Ready to die wolf?" The scarred Nord growled, as he raised his battle axe.
"After you." Tyrland replied panting slightly, though his grip on Silverbane tightened.
The scarred Nord roared again, as he charged at Tyrland. The large battle axe met Silverbane as the two warriors clashed their weapons. Though Tyrland was strong thanks to being a werewolf, this Nord had the strength and power of two saber cats. Which was saying a lot, as even one saber cat was an immense danger to even the most experienced warriors in Skyrim.
"You've no chance against me wolf." The scarred Nord growled, as they glared daggers at each other. "I've fought and killed dozens of your kind. You'll just be another notch on my belt. One of many."
"Oh you know what? Fuck this!" Tyrland spat, as he produced one of his enchanted Daedric daggers. The enchanted weapon sliced through the haft of the large battle axe, which said something about Tyrland's skill with magic if a small dagger could cut through the haft of a large axe so easily. The scarred Nord could only stare at his ruined weapon, as Tyrland inhaled again.
"FUS RO DAH!" The scarred Nord was blasted off of his feet, and smashed back first into the side of the mountain where the hag ravens made their home. He struggled to get back to his feet, but when he did, Tyrland had tackled him to the ground inhaling deeply once again.
"YOL TOR SHUUUUL!" Fire erupted from Tyrland's mouth, as the young Nord held the fire breath shout as long as he could. When he finally stopped, the scarred Nord's body was reduced to nothing but ash.
"That absolutely sucked." Tyrland said, spitting blood out of his mouth. "Damnit, too many shouts in such a short amount of time…"
-present time-
Aela looked at Tyrland clearly impressed with how her Shield Brother had dealt with both the vampires and the small force of Silver Hand. Yet Tyrland had eluded her primary question. "But what were you doing at that cave?"
Tyrland brushed his wet hair out of his eyes. As he told his story, Aela had guided him to a river to wash the blood off of his body. "I said it earlier. It was a request from Kodlak. He wanted me to retrieve one of those hags heads."
Aela's eyes widened, as everything came together. "He didn't want to be sent to the Hunting Grounds."
Tyrland nodded, as his Shield sister finally understood. "He wanted to be sent to Soverngarde when he died."
Aela sighed, and sat along the bank of the river after handing Tyrland the armor he had shed upon transforming into a werewolf. "Yet he was slain before he could achieve his dream."
A sharp pain, like a red hot glove clenching Tyrland's insides shot through his stomach as he thought about Kodlak, and how he was doomed forever to Hircine's Hunting Grounds in Bloodmoon. He sighed and sat next to Aela, after putting his armor back on.
"I failed him." Tyrland said. His eyes downcast.
"You did nothing of the sort." Aela replied in a tone halfway between a growl and an attempt at a comforting voice. She set her head on Tyrland's right shoulder, and closed her eyes.
"How were they able to attack us?" Tyrland asked after a long moment of silence passed between the two.
Aela shook her head where it rested against Tyrland's shoulder. "That I do not know. Though I wish I did."
"Was anyone else…?" Tyrland couldn't bring himself to finish his question, but Aela understood all the same.
"No." She replied. "Though Ria impressed us all."
"How so?" Tyrland asked, turning his head to look at his Shield Sister.
"You saw the mound of Silver Hand that … That Kodlak's body was on top of?" Aela asked with some difficulty, to which Tyrland nodded. "All of those were Ria's kills."
Tyrland scoffed, clearly impressed. "I'd say she should be brought into the circle."
"Agreed." Came Aela's reply, followed by more silence. The two stayed like that until the sun's first light crept over the top of the mountains.
"The red dawn rises." Tyrland said, looking at the blood red light that shone over the mountains.
"We should return home."
-The Skyforge-
Tyrland and Aela were the last of the Companions to return to Whiterun. Kodlak's body had been removed from where it had fallen in Jorvaskir, and taken up to the Skyforge where a large funeral pyre had been erected for the Harbinger of the Companions. All the members of the Companions, Circle members and those considered New Blood had gathered to pay their final respects to Kodlak.
Tyrland looked to all the members of the Circle, who all looked too grief stricken to speak. "Who will start?"
Aela stepped forward. "I'll do it." She took a breath to steady herself, before speaking once again. "Before the ancient flame."
"We grieve." Everyone replied.
"At this loss." Tyrland said.
"We weap." Came the reply.
"For the fallen." Vilkas started.
"We shout." Came everyone's reply.
"And for ourselves." Farkas began.
"We take our leave."
Aela stepped forward, a torch in her hand. She lit the funeral pyre, her fists clenched so tightly to keep herself from weaping over Kodlak's passing, her knuckles were white. "His spirit has passed. Members of the circle, let us retreat to the Underforge to grieve our last."
Slowly, as if they did not want to leave, the members of the Circle made their way down the stone steps of the Skyforge until it was just Tyrland and Aela left alone at the Skyforge.
"Tyrland." Aela said, placing a hand on his arm. "We have to go." Tyrland remained silent, tears streaming down his face. Aela's hand lightly contracted around his arm.
Tyrland nodded, wiping his eyes. He and Aela slowly made their way to the steps of the Skyforge, yet at the top of the steps. Tyrland stopped and turned around to face Kodlak's funeral pyre. "Goodbye Kodlak."