Part II: Hearthfire
Chapter One: Proving Honor (Turdas, 4th of Hearthfire)
Aerenwen sat at one of the large tables in Jorrvaskr. Many around her were eating their breakfast, but she had eaten at home with Hamish and Lydia before coming to the hall to see if there was any work available that day.
She had been a member of the Companions for about a week and had already done several jobs for them. They were all fairly simple jobs, meant for warming a whelp up - dealing with wild animals, a few minor bandit chiefs, and warning some citizens off from their unsavory business, roughing them up if necessary to get the point across. So far, the other members all seemed impressed by her abilities and acceptance by the higher ups, a few even a bit jealous.
The Altmer chuckled as she listened to the boasting carrying on around her by some of the other welps. Torvar was a ridiculous character, almost always drunk, but he was entertaining to say the least and a decent warrior to have at your back. Aerenwen made eye contact with Aela who sat nearby, and they smiled softly at each other.
The two women continued to grow closer, though they still hadn't taken any steps beyond friendship. They were both disappointed they hadn't been sent on any missions together and hadn't seen each other much in the last few days as Aela and Vilkas had only just returned during the night from a mission that had them out of town for several days. Both were aching to spend some time together, noticing the absence of the other more than they ever had anyone else.
Farkas approached the group, along with Skjor, wearing a broad smile. The older man even seemed to be smiling a bit.
"Well, welp, it looks like you're doing quite well for yourself amongst our ranks," Skjor stated, addressing Aerenwen. "The old man says it's time to prove your honor."
"How do I do that?" she asked curiously.
"A special mission, accompanied by a member of the Circle," Skjor replied. "You'll travel with Farkas on this one. When you return, if you've passed the test, you'll be initiated as a full member of the Companions. Farkas will catch you up on the details. You leave right away." With that, the gruff man walked away, leaving the small group alone.
"Wow, you're honor testing already," Ria commented in awe. "It takes most at least a month before undergoing that test."
Aerenwen was a bit disappointed that Aela hadn't been chosen to accompany her, but she was glad it would be Farkas rather than one of the other two men. She found Skjor intimidating and Vilkas full of himself. Though she knew she may eventually need to fight at their side, she didn't feel comfortable with them yet, and she was thankful that on a mission as important as this one apparently was, she would be accompanied by someone she was beginning to consider a friend.
Aela expressed the same thought as she walked with them outside Jorrvaskr.
"I'm glad it's Farkas going with you," she stated quietly. The two women walked closely, taking their time as they descended the first set of steps toward the pavilion. Farkas walked ahead, giving them privacy to say their goodbyes. "I know you can handle yourself, but I'll worry less about you both knowing you have each other."
Aerenwen smiled. "We'll spend some time together when I return," she promised, discreetly squeezing the other woman's hand.
As Aela stood atop the steps watching her friends' continued their descent into the heart of the city, Skjor approached her.
"What's the mission?" she asked.
"To retrieve a fragment of Wuthraad," Skjor replied. "Kodlak was informed while you were away of a piece the Silver Hand are hiding away in Dustman's Cairn."
Aela glared at her mentor. "You sent her to battle the Silver Hand as her honor proving?!" she nearly snarled.
"She's a true warrior, Aela," Skjor assured. "She has impressed us all. Aerenwen will hold her own just fine, and she will have Farkas to guide her."
"But the Silver Hand . . ." Aela trailed off, cringing as she thought of their vulgar means of torture. "If they fail, she'll meet the same fate as any of us would. They will just assume she is one of us, and it will be too late before they realize the difference. She has no idea what she's walking into."
"We have big plans for your friend, Aela," Skjor replied. "Kodlak has taken a special interest in her success, and I feel she is an excellent candidate for the Circle."
Aela looked at him with wide eyes. She agreed that Aerenwen would make an excellent addition to the elite members of the group, but she had no idea if the elf would even be interested in the sacrifices necessary to join. It was one fact that had held her back from pursuing more with the other woman. Aela had a secret, one she was bound by loyalty and honor not to reveal to Aerenwen. Yet until the other woman knew the truth, Aela couldn't ask her to commit to her in any way. She wouldn't begin a relationship with a possible life mate who she kept secrets from.
She looked back toward the city, her friends now walking through the marketplace. She prayed to whatever gods may be listening that they would return safely, and that if Aerenwen had to learn the truth on this mission, Farkas would reveal it to her gently.
"So where are we headed?" Aerenwen asked her companion as they made their way down the stone steps toward the marketplace.
"Dustman's Cairn," Farkas replied, "an old tomb not far from here, to the west."
"And what are we doing there?" she asked the man of few words.
"Looking for a fragment of Wuuthrad," he replied. Seeing she needed further explanation, he elaborated. "Wuuthrad was the great battleaxe Ysgramor himself carried. Ysgramor was the hero who started the Companions. He came from the old land and battled the elves. Years ago it was stolen from his tomb and broken into pieces, scattered throughout Skyrim. We've been searching for all the pieces ever since along with a group known as the Silver Hand. They're not big fans of us."
"Why not?" Aerenwen asked. She'd gotten the impression that the Companions were loved and revered amongst all of Skyrim's citizens.
Farkas shrugged. "Let's just call it a difference of opinion."
"So there's a fragment of this battleaxe located in Dustman's Cairn?" Aerenwen clarified.
The large warrior nodded. "According to some book type fellow who showed up at Jorrvaskr yesterday."
The journey over the plains to Dustman's Cairn took just over an hour on foot. Farkas didn't like riding horses. It was an uneventful trip, full of storytelling and Farkas' jokes. Aerenwen truly enjoyed the man's company, and she could see why Aela thought so highly of him.
The ancient tomb was barely distinguishable from the outside if not for a few stone pillars surrounding it. A great stone-lined pit was cut into the ground and climbing down into it found them outside the iron door of the entrance.
At first, exploring the old tomb was much like her endeavor into Bleak Falls Barrow - draugr, sarcophogi, rubble, and burial urns. But after some time, they came across the first Silver Hand members. To Aerenwen, they looked like nothing more than common, simply armored bandits, aside from the silver face paint they wore in the form of a handprint across their eyes. But Farkas had told her on their trip they were formidable allies, so she took his word for it.
The two Companions were able to dispatch their adversaries with relative quickness.
"They're strength is in numbers," Farkas muttered after. "It's best to catch them just a couple at a time, or they can overwhelm."
More draugr and some ancient traps, as well as a few more Silver Hand, awaited them as they delved further into the chambers, finally coming upon a room where the exit was blocked by a heavy iron gate.
"I guess we look around for a way to open that," Farkas commented. He headed in one direction, so Aerenwen crossed the room to the other.
She found an iron lever hidden in an alcove and, assuming it opened the gate barring their path, she pulled. Unfortunately, while her assumption had been correct, and the original gate opened, another closed swiftly, locking her into the alcove and separating her from her shield-brother.
"Now look what you've gotten yourself into, Little Ren," Farkas said with a deep chuckle as he approached the other side of the gate. "Sit tight. I'm sure there's a release around here somewhere." He began exploring the room again when a noise caught the attention of them both.
From the newly opened gate came a large group of eight or nine Silver Hand.
"Which one is that?" one of them wondered.
"Doesn't matter," another replied. "He wears that armor, he dies."
Farkas battled his foes for some time, and Aerenwen grew concerned as she could see they were getting the better of him and eventually had him surrounded. She felt helpless and pulled the lever several times, hoping the gate would open. It didn't work, and she was forced to watch through the iron slats as her large friend was overwhelmed.
"Killing you will make for an excellent tale," one of the Silver Hand bragged.
"None of you will live to tell it," Farkas answered. He let out a great groan and his body quickly transformed into that of a beast. Her friend was now unrecognizable. He stood on two legs, even taller than he had been, covered with black hair. His arms had lengthened, giving the impression he could now easily run on all fours if necessary. His hands bore long, dangerous looking claws. His head had lengthened and was now topped with canine-like ears and snout, with a large mouth full of long, sharp teeth.
Although Aerenwen had never seen one in person, she had heard of those infected with the lycanthropy virus though she never would have guessed her friend was one of them. She could scarcely believe her eyes as Farkas tore through the Silver Hand warriors with his claws, ripping at their jugulars with his teeth. He quickly dispatched of half a dozen of them, and then raced down the corridor following those who fled in fear.
A short time later, the iron gate lifted, and Aerenwen stepped out hesitantly. Farkas reappeared, now back in the form of a fully-armored man, a wide grin on his face, although she could see the worry in his eyes.
"I hope I didn't scare you, Little Ren," he commented, keeping his distance just in case he had, his hands raised in a supplicating gesture. "I knew if I didn't change, they'd best me."
"You're a werewolf?" Aerenwen asked, still in a state of shock.
Farkas nodded. "It's a blessing given to some of us. We can become like wild beasts. Fearsome."
"There are more Companions like this?" she asked.
Again, he nodded. "The members of the Circle all have the beast blood."
"Aela?"
Farkas nodded, staying quiet and watching as his friend processed it all.
He may not be the smartest amongst the Companions. He had little time nor interest in books. But he knew people, especially those he cared about, and he was well aware of the strong bond developing between Aela and Aerenwen and that it went deeper than that of a mere friendship or shield-sibling. He also knew that Aela had been fearful to tell the elf about her nature, worried that it would scare the other woman off. Most didn't take kindly to werewolves. Those who were uncontrolled or evil at heart had given them a bad name, and they were hunted by many, most notably the Silver Hand. People feared them, and the Companions kept their secret close to home. Aerenwen would officially be the first member who had not been invited into the Circle to be in on it.
Aerenwen simply nodded. It was a lot to process. The stories she had heard of werewolves described them as fearsome, blood-thirsty, heartless creatures. Yet she had seen firsthand that Aela and Farkas, even Vilkas and Skjor, were not at all like that description. And with the secret as well-kept as it was, clearly they had great control over their shifting.
"Kodlak?" she asked, confirming one last thing.
Farkas nodded. "All Harbingers are chosen from members of the Circle."
Aerenwen nodded her understanding and glanced around at the massacred Silver Hand in the chamber.
"You good?" Farkas asked.
Aerenwen shrugged. "It's a lot to think about and definitely a surprise," she replied, "but you're still my friend, Farkas. You've never tried to eat me."
He laughed at that, deep and loud, echoing through the tomb.
The two warriors continued deeper into the cairn, following the twisting stone hallways and making their way through the chambers. They saw no more Silver Hand but faced more draugr, skeevers, and frostbite spiders. Aerenwen was a bit shocked at how uncomfortable Farkas clearly was with the arachnids. Although he didn't flee, he seemed unusually happy to have her take the lead as they battled them.
The final chamber of the tomb was massive with high ceilings. The walls were lined with stone coffins and on a platform at the end of the room stood a large one, clearly someone of some importance. Behind it was another of the dragon walls Aerenwen had encountered in Bleak Falls Barrow.
Farkas climbed the steps to the platform first. "Here!" he called out, retrieving a piece of metal from atop the coffin. "It's the fragment."
Aerenwen followed, but her attention was focused on the strange words etched into the wall. Again, she alone heard the chanting. She alone saw one of the words glowing with a mysterious light. Just as before, she was overcome. The chanting increasing to a volume that was deafening. The light brightening until it was all she could see.
Just as suddenly, it all stopped, and she knew another word. Yol. Again, she had no clue as to what the strange word meant. She supposed she'd need another dragon's soul to figure that out. She was going to need to address this dragonborn business sooner rather than later.
"Aela told me what happened in Bleak Falls Barrow," Farkas stated when she realized his hand was on her arm, steadying her in the absence of the woman who usually seemed to do so. "I always wondered what these old walls were for."
Aerenwen opened her mouth to speak, but just as before, when the unlocking of the wall had seemed to waken the draugr deathlord, it did so again, although this time, it was dozens of draugr climbing out of the coffins lining the chamber.
They weren't very strong, and it didn't take the warriors long to dispatch them. When they were, once again, alone in the great chamber, Aerenwen spoke.
"So we've got the fragment," she stated. "Now what?"
"We get the hell out of here," Farkas replied, glancing around.
"Aela told me there are usually back ways out of these places," Aerenwen commented. She noticed a set of wooden stairs off to the side and pointed to them.
Farkas followed her, and, sure enough, one of the now opened sarcophagi had a false back leading to a narrow tunnel at the end of which they found themselves very near to the cairn's entrance.
Outside, the two friends breathed in the fresh air and took in the beauty of the night sky. Millions of stars shone down on them, and the two moons appeared to be nearly full.
"Does the moon really control your changes?" Aerenwen wondered.
"Yes and no," Farkas replied. "Not like the stories. We don't change at the full moon. It doesn't happen unexpectedly, and it doesn't matter if there's a moon or not. But the wolf inside us, it communes with the moon somehow. When the moon is up, it wants to hunt. We can feel it, pacing around, I guess is the only way to explain it. I can see why a weak man would be unable to fight the urge. Probably why there's so many stories out there, but for a well-trained warrior, it's not something that is too much of a struggle." He sat down on the raised stone edge of the cairn and gazed at the moon. "We crave meat, fresh, raw. Doesn't matter if it's from man or beast. If the wolf doesn't get any for a while, it gets restless. Then there's the sleep. We don't sleep much, and when we do, it isn't real restful. The beast blood gives us energy. We don't tire easily, so it's not a problem. We do sleep, of course, the mind needs to shut off sometimes even if the body isn't tired. But the only nights we sleep real well are when there's no moon. On the other hand, when the moons are full, we can hardly sleep at all."
"Silver?" Aerenwen asked, going through her memories to try and recall what the tales told of werewolves.
"Stings something fierce," Farkas replied. "Heals slow, too. Most other wounds are healed as soon as we shift back to normal, but silver wounds stick around. If they aren't treated with the right herbs, they can fester, and the poison can spread. Tilma knows all about that."
"And I'm assuming the name of this group we just fought isn't a coincidence," Aerenwen concluded.
"It's not. The Silver Hand are werewolf hunters," he replied. "They hate werewolves, so they hate us. Don't know how they found out our secret. Maybe Kodlak knows. It's a feud that's gone on for years."
"It seems to be a well kept secret," Aerenwen commented.
Farkas nodded. "We weren't told until we were invited to join the Circle. It wasn't really a choice for my brother and me. We had nothing outside the Companions. Our father was one, and we never knew our mother. She died when we were real young. We were raised at Jorrvaskr. It's the only home we've ever known. It seemed our duty and privelege to take on the blessing when it was offered."
"Does anyone ever refuse?" Aerenwen asked.
"No one I've ever heard of."
"What would happen to them if they did?" she wondered. "I mean, clearly it's a well-guarded secret, for good reason. If someone refused, who's to say they wouldn't tell since it had no baring on them if people found out?"
Farkas shrugged. "Those are questions for Kodlak," he replied. "Who knows, maybe that's how the Silver Hand found out about us."
"So do we head back now?" Aerenwen asked, looking off into the distance where Whiterun was simply a mountainous silhouette on the moonlit horizon.
"Aela told me to make sure you rest," Farkas replied. "I forget that not everyone doesn't get tired."
The elf chuckled to herself, remembering the night after Bleak Falls Barrow. She had been exhausted, yes, but she was more conditioned now. And while this tomb had been damp and cool, with that same horrid, musty, dank smell of death, they weren't dealing with the frigid temperatures of that mountain while down in the plains.
"Thank you, Farkas," she said with a smile, "but I've rested long enough. If it's alright with you, I'd just as soon make the trip back to Whiterun. It isn't far enough to warrant choosing a night's sleep on the hard ground over my soft bed."
Farkas simply nodded and stood, and the two traveled through the night to their home.
Author's Note: So, we're back to Aerenwen. If you haven't already read them, the first part of the stories of her five siblings have been posted. We'll follow Aerenwen through this second part, the month of Hearthfire, and then we'll go and check in on the others. In Skyrim lore, I've seen this month referred to as Heart's Fire, Heartfire, and Hearthfire. I've chosen Hearthfire because, to me, it makes the most sense. The other months in the year refer to the changing seasons, and this month, equivalent to our September, indicates cooling temperatures and the arrival of Autumn. Also, in this part, we'll begin to see some crossovers between the various stories. When that happens, some parts may be a bit redundant if you've already read the scene from another siblings' point of view. Although this is a series, I want these to stories to stand alone, so I can't just skip over sections because I've already covered it one of the other stories. I've tried my best to change it up a bit - after all, while an event may occur in the stories of both Aerenwen and Mari, for instance, this story would tell of the vent through Aerenwen's point of view and the other would be through Mari's. And hopefully enough time will go by between updates of the individual stories that it won't seem like you just read that scene. Anyway, this particular installment of Aerenwen's story is going to be quite long - a dozen chapters or so. Things are getting interesting in the Companions, and there's also that Greybeard business to take care of.
