THIS ENDS NOW!

Death. Death is but an undefeated enemy. It evades defeat, darkened and unfound by those who cannot see. It is stronger than any warrior, and outnumbers any army ever gathered. No one is above death. No one can escape it's grip. As our counted days end, we are claimed by death to rejoin our ancestor on the other side, or to pay for the crimes we committed while alive.

To some, death can be a a sweet release. To end all suffering. A gift given to many, especially those who have fought in war. Death served as a kind face to many fallen soldiers in Skyrim over the last five years since the civil war began. Men and women of many races and creeds fighting side by side for what they deem a worthy cause. In the end we all bleed and die on the same battle ground. Where we end up after is up to the God's, and the powers that be.

My time so far embarking along the path of the warrior, I have seen death's face in passing many times. The first time was when I was set to be executed in Helgen. I saw her again in Sovngarde as she ferried souls from one side to the other. A chilling gaze she gave me as we passed each other. I never thought I would see her anytime soon after I returned to Whiterun. I was proven wrong after Kodlak's murder by the Silver-Hand, and again after we launched a full scale attack on their main headquarters.

Aela and Skjor, secretly planned a mission to attack the silver-hand leader whom they call the Skinner. She was a ruthless bitch who enjoyed skinning wolves alive and and bleeding them out. I tracked Aela and Skjor down and found them in the bowels of their headquarters, restrained and tortured. Their injuries great. Unfortunately Skjor did not make it. The torture they inflicted upon him was too much for his body to handle. He was dead before either of us could do anything to save him.

I fought through every member of the Silver-Hand as best I could, but I fear that the whole thing was a ruse to begin with. Their leader was nowhere to be found, only a decoy in her place. Finally when Aela and I were routed, we had no other recourse but to retreat or die. Knowing her she would fight until her last breath much like the demeanor of most nords. I would have joined right along side her as we were fighting for the exact same cause. But as we stood together nearly broken, I saw the face of death once again, and this time she stood waiting to claim my us. I immediately became angry. My face turned, and a fire lit in my belly as I wielded my sword against my enemy once more, screaming at the top of my lungs, crying out "Not on this day!"

On this day I fought against the will of death in order to save Aela, and together we fled from the watchtower. Fire surrounding us, arrows and enemies all around. We managed to make it outside just as it crumbled down to the ground in flames. Today death would not prevail in claiming that which I loved most. When the fighting was over, though the battle was lost, I lay on the forest floor beside my forebearer...my breath panting against the stiff winter air, looking up towards the heavens and repeat the words..."Not on this day."

With the Silver-Hand headquarters destroyed, we had an advantage. Their base of operations now gone, leaving them possibly out in the open. They would have no other choice but to make camp outdoors or in a cave. Not uncommon for bandits and cowards like these. Many of the others including Aela and Myself were eager to get back out there and finish this once and for all. However, we had far pressing matters to attend to before we could eradicate our enemy for good. I brought Aela as far north as I could. Riding as fast as I could to the nearest village I could reach. Ivarstead was close by, so we stopped there.

She was badly injured. Two of her ribs cracked and a wound in her left thigh. We needed a healer, but with us being so far from the College of Winterhold, we would have to settle for me being her healer. Thank the God's I paid attention to that priest of Kynareth when she taught me restoration magic. Though I did not know much, I pray it would be just enough to save her.

"Help!" I yelled bursting into the inn. The patrons sitting near by cleared one of the tables. The innkeeper coming to my aid with concern.

"What happened? Is she hurt?"

"Yes. Quick, get me some warm water and towels. HURRY!"

The innkeeper ran to the back to gather the items I requested. Others standing around, worried and watching. Aela's body began shivering, her temperature dropping.

"She's getting cold. Does anyone have any blankets?!"

"I'll go get some!" Someone volunteered.

I felt Aela grab my hand. Her strength leaving her, hardly able to grip my hand. She struggled to say my name even. I was worried about her, concerned that she may not make it. I did my best to hide it on my face, though I fear she could see right through it or even smell my fear. Finally the innkeeper arrived with the rags and warm water, and placed it beside me. I quickly removed her armor to get to her ribs, and gently began feeling for the broken area.

"What's the situation dovahkiin?" The innkeeper asked.

"Two of her ribs are broken, one of them is too close to her lungs. She struggling to breathe. If I don't heal her fast I'm afraid the ribs might puncture her lung. She'll bleed out internally and die."

"Is there anything I can do?" She asked.

"No. I've got this." I said. Then suddenly I heard Aela's voice as she attempted to call out to me.

"Mikel..." She tried to say. Her voice weakened, the pain becoming far greater than she would have ever experienced.

"Shh, love. I have to concentrate." I said. My mind racing, heart nearly jumping out of my chest. I had to keep it together for her sake. "I have to admit I'm not very experienced at this whole mage stuff." I said smiling down at her trying to keep her positive.

She shivered in my arms, her body getting colder. Her breath slightly labored, restricted as the break in her ribs made it harder for her to catch a breath. The look of fear became evident in her eyes as she looked over my shoulder. Almost as if she had seen something horrifying! I knew that look. An all too familiar stare I had seen many times in battle, even in an enemy. I had to pull her back, keep her from death's grip. God's only knew what I would do if I lost her.

"Aela, Aela, look at me. Look only at me." I said calmly.

She started panicking. Her chest heaving as she continued freaking out. Pretty soon she would either pass out from exhaustion or over exert herself to death. I had to act quickly, so I placed my hand over her forehead gently shushing her to calm her down. I summoned all of my restoration powers to try to sooth her. Seconds after, I began to see a calm wash over her. When she was relaxed enough I moved my hands down to her broken ribs, and closed my eyes praying to the God's to grant me the strength to make her well again. At first nothing happened, until suddenly I felt the bones crack back into place.

"Aaaaah!" She screamed, the pain from the bones cracking caught her off guard.

I held her in my arms trying to quiet her down. So far, the hard part was over. Her ribs no longer broken and her breathing improved. But the fun part was yet to come as I still needed to deal with her wound. Ordinarilly I would have used restoration to heal it, but having to fix the broken ribs took every bit of magika I had. Which meant that unfortunately I would have to heal her the old fashioned way.

I examined her thigh to see just what I was dealing with, and found that a piece of the blade from one of the Silver-Hand's daggers was still inside of her.

"It must have broken off when they stabbed you." I said.

"No..." She answered panting. "He broke it on purpose. He knew, that I would heal fast. Wolves do not heal slow like most mortals..."

"He wanted you to suffer." I added.

"Yes.." She replied.

"Then that might just make my job a little bit more complicated I am afraid. The blade is too close to an artery. We're going to have to do this right, or risk you bleeding you out."

"What does that mean?" She asked worriedly.

"Aela, I need for you o trust me." I said, preparing her for what was about to come. I motioned to the innkeeper and one other person standing by for them to hold her down. She tried to fight back, trying to stop what was happening but she couldn't. She was far too weak. I hated having to do this, but there was no choice.

"Hold her legs! She has to remain still if I am to do this right." I instructed.

"No...NO!" She cried out. God's I hated having to do this, but I had no choice.

Now that she was restrained I was able to get her wound. Carefully I stuck my fingers inside of her thigh trying to avoid any major arteries as I navigated my way to the broken blade. It was difficult at first as it had been driven far deeper than expected.

"Almost." I said. Getting closer and closer to it. I could feel the butt end of it just centimeters away.

"I'm almost there...almost..." Just a little further, a little bit more until...

"GOT IT!" I exclaimed! Carefully I removed the blade from her thigh and placed it on the table beside us, and then quickly covered the wound site with the warm rag I had.

"Hold that there someone, while I get a suture."

Aela screamed so much, protested so hard, that eventually she was exhausted from the whole ordeal and passed out.

"Is she dead?" Someone asked.

"No." The innkeeper replied.

"I should be right back." I said.

"No need." The innkeeper replied. "I have some sutures in the back ans some twine. I'll just be a moment."

"Thank you." I said. A gracious grin on my face.

I returned to Aela, who lay unconscious on the table. I comforted her, holding her in my arms and gently rocking her. Sopping up the beads of sweat gathered on her forehead with the rag I had. Gladdened to know that she would be alright.

FOUR HOURS LATER...

Several hours had gone by, and finally Aela had awakened. She sat up in her bed looking around the room for signs of familiarity until finally she noticed me sitting beside her in the chair. Startled slightly as she had not sensed my presence before hand.

"By the god's!...how did I end up here? Where are we?"

"In an inn in Ivarstead. We fled from the Silver-Hand and ended up here."

She began rubbing the back of her head, eyes tightly shut as she tried to gather herself and remember what happened. I could tell some of the details were a little foggy. She asked me about what happened after I arrived at the watchtower.

"Don't you remember? The whole place burned down to the ground."

"And Skjor? What of him? Did he make it out? Is he here?!"

"Aela...I think it's best you get some rest. We can discuss this later."

"I don't want to discuss this later! Skjor could be out there injured while we sit here-"

"He's not, injured Aela." I said interrupting her. She froze for a moment having studied the expression on my face.

"What are you talking about Mikel?"

I didn't want to tell her just yet what happened. I didn't think she could handle anymore stress after all that had already happened. But I knew that she would not let up that easily. She would demand an answer, especially since it was Skjor-her mentor and father figure.

"I tracked you both down for miles until I found you in the dungeons. The Silver-Hand had already done a number on Skjor. He was dead when I arrived. I'm sorry Aela, he's gone."

"No...no, you're lying!"

"I wish to Talos I was, but I am afraid I'm not."

"How is this possible? He was alive before you...before...It just doesn't make any sense!"

"Aela, you and Skjor were tortured by the Silver-Hand, you know that. Does it not surprise you that his life became forfeit at the hands of these people?"

"It's not that Mikel. Skjor was the strongest of all of us. Even stronger than Kodlak! How is it possible that a man like him gets killed by bastards like that?"

"Anyone can lose their lives in any way the God's see fit. I knew someone who lost their life to a thief. A scrawny loking Argonian with no title to his name. The slimy bastard stuck a knife in my friend's throat and stole all his coin. Left him bleeding to death in the middle of the road."

"What was his name, this friend of yours?"

"Tolin." I replied.

"I'm sorry for your friend. But Skjor was no easy kill."

"Neither are you, yet you both got captured, and he wound up dead. You should not have come out here without us Aela! Because of this Skjor's life is now forfeit!"

"You take that back!" She snarled.

"I will not." I replied.

"You take it back Mikel Bjorn or you will surely regret it!" She hollered at me.

Seeing the situation would only escalate and get worse, I decided I take my leave.

"I shall return once you have calmed down. I don;t think either or us are in any position to discuss this."

"Just leave Bjorn!" She snapped at me. The look of disgust in her eyes as she looked away from me.

I was hurt. More so angry more than hurt really. To go through all that I did t save her, to protect her, only for her to run willingly into the face of danger...The whole thing confused me! I always knew Aela had a certain fondness towards Skjor, but I started to wonder if there was something more than Aela was letting on. For her to go to the lengths she went to, lying to me about her whereabouts, sneaking off to fight the Silver-Hand...I was beyond furious with her at this point! It was clear that even though we were together, she did not trust me. Not as a partner, a shield brother, or lover.

I stepped outside a moment to gather my thoughts. I needed to clear my mind before I went back in there. God's only knew how angry Aela was, or how badly she was tearing up her room. Were's are not exactly rational beings. I hoped that after a little time had gone by, she'd cool down, and so would I. While I was out there I walked the grounds for a bit to get a good look at the place. I had only been to Ivarstead once in the past during the beginning of my voyage up the step to High Hrothgar. It was good to see Klimmek again.

"Well well, dragonborn! It's good to see you my friend!"

"Good to see you as well Klimmek. How have you been?"

"I've seen better days. Business has dropped as of late since I busted my knee. I had help for a while, but then he left."

"Where did he run off to?" I asked.

"Joined the legion last I heard. It seems more and more people are enlisting into this war. Men and women from all over either joining the rebels of the Legion."

"You don't seem happy about it." I said observantly.

"Why should I be? Because of this damn war I've lost the only help I had. No one around to give me a hand. My business is done, and now I am struggling to keep coin what with the tax collectors harassing me every week. I don't know what I'm going to do?"

Without hesitation I reached into my satchel and grabbed my coined purse filled with over a thousand in gold, and handed it to Klimmek. At first he hesitated to take it, rejecting my offer to help him out. I knew he didn't tell me all of that to see what he could get, he was just venting. But it was because of that, I was more inclined to give him the help he needed. To which he seemed grateful.

"Thank you Mikel. You're a good man!"

"No problem my friend. You take care."

After Klimmek left, Aela joined me. She overheard the transaction between me and Klimmek and commented on how kind I was being to the old man.

"It's nothing really. I was just helping out a friend." I said. But she saw through that. Aela saw something more to me than I was willing to admit to. She could see in my heart the kind of man I really was and commented on it. She looked into me with such reverence and love as she placed her hand over my heart. The next thing I knew I heard her utter words that no man had ever heard come from her mouth, EVER!

"Mikel, I am sorry for how I acted." She said.

I was speechless! To hear her admit fault for her behavior!...I thought surely it was a joke.

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, why?"

"Because you said you were sorry for doing something. You never apologize."

"I never apologize unless I feel that I am wrong dragonborn. And for this, I was wrong. I realize you were only trying to help me. All you have ever done since you came into my life, was help me. I should have trusted you and come to you with honesty about the Silver-Hand plans. I'm sorry for lying to you."

Hearing her admit so much to me meant the entire world next to her choosing me to be her mate. Without any hesitation I embraced her in my arms and kissed her with the utmost passion! I poured every part of my heart into her, all of my emotion through that kiss. I knew she could feel it, could sense it within her. She embraced me tighter, holding onto me as if she was not ready to let me go. In that moment neither did I. After a while when our lips finally departed, both of us were stuck in a daze as we looked into each other's eyes. I wanted so badly to say how much I loved her, but I stopped myself.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"I should be asking you the same thing." I said chuckling softly.

"Come on, we should start heading back to Whiterun at once. The others will be waiting for us."

"Aela wait, don't you think we should you head back inside. You should really get some rest, get your strength up."

"Aw come on Bjorn. Don't be a milk drinker! I'm fine!" She said teasing me.

"I'm serious Aela, I just want to make sure-"

"That I'm alright? Yeah, I kind of got that already. I'm fine Mikel. I'm a werewolf remember? And now with that blade out of me, I was able to heal properly. Took less than no time."

"Alright then. We will go in the morning." I said.

"As you wish my love." She replied in a playful tone. Though she was toying with me, she still respected my wishes.

By the next morning we gathered our things and left for Whiterun. Thanks to the shortcut I found, we were able to get back to the city by the evening. Once we rejoined the others at Jorrvaskr, Vilkas and Farkas as well as Athis met us at the door, eager to know how things went at the watchtower of the Silver-Hand.

"Unfortunately we were unable to defeat their leader I'm afraid." Aela said.

"What happened? Where is Skjor?" Asked Farkas.

Aela and I looked at each other knowing that the news would destroy Farkas. He was the closest to Skjor out of all of us there. He and his brother Vilkas were raised by him as young boys. He was also their forebearer. Vilkas picked up on our stunned silence and removed Farkas fro the room. No doubt the news would serve as a devastating blow to his brother.

"We have to do something about this. The Silver-Hand are becoming an issue by the day. I don't know how much more of this we can take!" Commented Athis.

"I don;t know how many more leaders we're going to lose before this stops. We have no one! First Kodlak, now Skjor?! What are we going to do?" Fussed Raya.

"I'll tell you what we are going to do. We are going to get our strength back. We are not going to take this sitting down like some lowly milk drinkers!"

"And just how do you expect to do that Aela? Who is supposed to lead us through all of this?"

"I'll do it." I said.

Everyone fell silent for a moment until Athis spoke.

"And just what are your plans Mikel? Face it, we have lost. We might as well accept it and move on."

"No! We will find our strength again, I promise. And I know just how we are going to do it"

I reached into my bag and pulled out a piece of metal with a strange engraving on it. The engraving resembled that of a wolf. When I showed it to Athis and the others, all of them marveled at it's shine and craft. Aela knew right away what this was as she took it into her hands examining it.

"I know this weapon well. Only one other man has wielded this weapon once before."

"Who did it belong to?" Athis asked.

"Ysgramor." I replied.

"How did you get this Mikel?" Aela asked.

"I always had a piece of it. My father gave it to me when I was a boy. He said it once belonged to my grandfather. A weapon called Wuuthrad. Ysgramor and my grandfather fought together in the great war in Cyrodil. They formed the Companions together, they built this fortress...TOGETHER!"

My grandfather believed in the Companions. I believed in the Companions. Though we were badly beaten, the war was far from over. Somehow we needed to gather ourselves and get back to the glory we once had. Wuuthrad was our way of doing that.

"Here Athis, take Wuuthrad to Eorlund. See if he can do something with this."

"Mikel, you'd be wasting your time with this." Warned Aela. "The blade was demolished years ago! There's no way it can be fixed."

"If you believe that, then you are not the woman I know you to be. We have to keep faith. Believe in something." I said.

"Do you think that restoring the axe will mean anything? That it will change, anything?" Questioned Raya.

"Wuuthrad is a symbol of our strength, and right now the Silver-Hand think us weak because they killed our strongest members. Once Wuuthrad is restored we will cut down the Silver-Hand for good, and restore the Companions to it's former glory! We will show them, that they may never defeat the Companions! WHAT SAY YOU?!"

"AYE!" They all said in unison.

"Good! Raya, gather the new bloods. Make sure they are ready."

"Aye Dovahkiin!" She replied.

"Aela, gather Farkas and Vilkas. We need to come up with a strategy to defeat the enemy. Have them meet in the Underforge."

"Aye my love." She replied.

Tomorrow, we bring the fight to the Silver-Hand. This ends, now!

TO BE CONTINUED...

*QUICK MESSAGE FANFICTIONERS, THIS IS ANOTHER TWO PARTER. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT ON THE SERIES, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK SO FAR. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK, IF YOU FEEL THERE IS SOMETHING MISSING OR SHOULD BE ADDED.*