We get to meet the Wolf! Finally! And...wow. Dork Dads can derp pretty hard sometimes, even when fluffy. Ugh, Felnore! Or should I say, Felnoof?
I hope you enjoy this chapter and the brief encounter with the floofy kind. Don't worry, there is going to be actual snarling werewolf action coming your way in the next few installments. As for Raido, I love that horse. If he had a voice actor, it would probably be John Cena with a truckload of sass. Also, major shout out of thanks to all of you who read, comment, and come back to this story. You are all amazeballs!
***If you want a real glimpse into what kind of relationship Felnore and Raido have, check out the music video for "Raido" by Wardruna. Just a word of caution, you might just grow an epic beard after listening to it. Can Bethesda include this in their next Elder Scrolls installment? Pretty please?
You low down dirty no-good dog brained son of a tick eater! Use me in a bet, will you? Me! After all I've done for you? After all those times I've saved your pathetic mongrel backside in battle! You just throw all that away for money? Is that all I am to you? A coin-earning carthorse that you think you can just barter with whenever you feel like it? I AM THE GREATEST WAR HORSE YOU DIRT EATING MONKEYS WILL EVER SEE, AND THIS IS HOW I AM TREATED! LIKE CATTLE! HOW DARE YOU!
The fury of Radio's bellows was ground shaking as the massive war horse reared back in a fit of anger that was usually reserved for the battlefield. The dapple-grey stallion snorted fire and brimstone as a huge steel-shod hoof tore up the ground. It was just him and Felnore in the stable yard, and neither was willing to back down from this.
"Raido, easy. Easy! Now is not the time for this."
Felnore danced to the side as Radio barreled forward in a mock charge, tossing his head up so that Felnore could not reach his headstall. The whites of the draft's eyes gleamed as he glared down at the source of his aggravation.
You have some nerve Wolf!
"Easy boy. Just take it easy now."
Radio clicked his teeth as his heavy head swung from side to side.
You donkey's arse! If you think that I'm going to let you on my back after that, you have another thing coming. Don't you touch me! Don't you touch my bridle! Back off or I WILL BITE YOU!
Quick as a snake, the stallion clamped down on the fleshy part of Felnore's thigh. That guaranteed a pained holler as Felnore swore a blue streak. The odd pair danced an odd five-legged jig as Felnore tried to pry his horse's jaws open while Raido refused to let go.
Howyouliethemaffleshuh!
Raido bit down hard enough to bruise, not maim, but he made damn sure Felnore got the message. When he finally did release Felnore, the blacksmith toppled backward into the dirt, cradling his leg to his chest.
"Demon mule!"
Dog breath!
"ENOUGH!" Jenassa snapped from where she was working on the straps of Helgath's harness. The bay mare stood primly at attention while keeping a weathered eye on the misfit duo. "Felnore will you get up and get that horse saddled? Need I remind you we are running out of time!"
"What do you think I'm trying to do? He's being a right pain in the ass!" Felnore grumbled when he gingerly put weight on his leg and instantly regretted it.
Of all the warhorses in Skyrim, his had to be the one smart enough to hold a grudge.
You started it! You're lucky I don't stomp you into the ground like the lying insect you are, you backstabbing louse!
"He's a war horse Felnore. Deal with it!"
Jenassa's fingers made quick work of Helgath's girth strap before she adjusted the stirrups. Having been in the sword-for-hire business for as long as she had, Jenassa always made it a point to travel light for obvious reasons. A well-timed exit was always spoiled if the horses were not properly seen to. She could get Helgath saddled and be on her way in under six minutes.
Felnore, on the other hand, was a different story. All that heavy armour and weaponry of his needed to be carefully arranged and that took time.
Felnore snagged Raido by his long forelock.
"Listen you." He growled through clenched teeth. "Very soon I am going to become very unpleasant to be around and if I am not away from this place bad things are going to happen to a lot of people. Do you understand what I am saying?"
Raido's nostrils flared red as they stood eyeball to eyeball.
Maybe you should have thought of that before you decided that your reputation was worth more than our partnership.
One solid whack of that thick skull and Felnore was bowled back into the dirt, head over arse, where he belonged.
Go cry wolf to someone else because I don't care.
With a swish of his tail Raido stomped off with his nose in the air to go stand next to Helgath.
"Oh, for Azura's sake!" Jenassa looked skyward. "I work with children."
Helgath bobbed her head in agreement.
"I swear, one of these days I am going to sell that animal for boot leather."
Felnore spat out a mouthful of straw as he rolled carefully onto his knees. As his hair shifted, his ears appeared, completely furred and larger than normal.
It was always the damn ears that gave him away.
For Felnore, furry ears and big canine teeth were the bane of his existence whenever his blood was up. He never knew when something would set him off. Despite the hair and beard combination, there was no way to really hide it when it did happen.
"Damn horse."
A nerve in his lower back gave a vicious twinge that bent him forward. For a heart stopping moment, his spine contracted in a ripple of seductive agony that travelled down to his tailbone. It was an all-too familiar warning. The wolf was waking, and it wanted to stretch out after being confined for so long.
But it was too soon.
"Jenassa." Felnore grunted, eyes closed tight because colours in the world stopped making sense. He had to concentrate on breathing. He was still in control, not the wolf. He had the ring. Hircine's ring. It made certain that his wolf within answered to his command, not the other way around. Yet, the skin burned around the ancient metal band with a growing heat that made his joints swell.
Why was the wolf rising now? He still had time. The moon had yet to breach the horizon.
It was the taste. That flavour of green-eyed fear infused with a rich confidence so thick, it had overpowered the coopery tang of blood. He could still smell it, the thief. The tell-tale scent of a fox in autumn, snug in the safety of its warm den. Musk, smoke, underground, night air, and the choicest morsel of cunning and stealth.
One mouthful was not enough. Nowhere near enough.
Felnore's teeth ached for more. His tongue snagged on an incisor that was too sharp to ever be human and he coughed up blood.
"Dammit! Jen-ah!"
The Dark Elf turned in time to see the shadow of the wolf fall across his face before his spine locked.
"By the Nine, not yet!" Jenassa frantically dug through her saddlebag for the one thing that could stop things from spiralling out of control, but to her surprise, she came up empty handed. "No!"
Moon or no moon, Felnore's time had run out.
Well, we're screwed.
"Raido! Help Felnore!" Jenassa whacked the horse hard across his hindquarters before she tore into the pile Felnore's belongings heaped on the ground next to Raido's elaborate saddle.
Raido was by no means the forgiving sort but the war horse would never disobey a direct command. His pride would never allow it.
With a dramatic snort, the stallion lumbered over to Felnore. Despite his size, Raido lowered himself onto his front knees and dropped his neck. It was an old riding trick that had saved Felnore in the past. Heavy armour could turtle a crippled fighter in the heat of battle and it took a smart horse to get his rider off the field before flailing hooves finished the job.
By equine standards, Raido was a very temperamental bottomless pit of a genius.
You waiting for an invitation?
Felnore managed to lock his lengthening dark-clawed hands into Raido's mane and the horse did the rest. A firm shove of his nose had Felnore secured squarely across his wide back.
Remember Wolf, you bite me I bite you back.
Raido rocked onto his hooves and left the stable behind in a cloud of dust. This was not the first time he had to put space between a place and Felnore and it would not be the last. They had trained for this and all that extra ground work paid off.
Jenassa swore as she gathered up Helgath's reins and swung into the saddle. She would come back for Felnore's gear once the moon was up. Right then, she had to make sure no one saw Felnore in his fur and decided to shoot him full of arrows before it grew too dark to see without a torch.
"Ya!" Jenassa dug her heels to Helgath's side and the mare took off after Raido.
The trail was not a hard one to follow. A wide path carved through the undergrowth, headed away from the city before it diverted into the thick tree line, off the road and into the forest where no one would ever willingly venture.
The surrounding landscape was full of bandits, beasts, and all manner of dark creatures that would happily feast on a waylaid traveller. If there was an upside to this cockup, it was that Felnore would be in good company for the night. That is if he did not pick a fight with something nastier than himself and ended up torn to shreds because of a territorial tiff gone wrong.
Argh! Why did these things always happen under her watch?
Long minutes passed before Jenassa slowed her horse to a steady walk and scanned the trees. Golden birches whispered their secrets to the wind as the late evening sunlight filtered through the leaves.
"Felnore!" Jenassa listened for a response. There was none. "Raido!"
Helgath gave a nervous squeal when she picked up a potent tell-tale whiff of werewolf.
Jenassa unsheathed her sword from its scabbard and she urged her mare onward. The deeper into the trees they went, the more anxious the Helgath became until she finally balked and refused to take another step forward.
"Close enough." Jenassa dismounted and quick-tied her horse to a low-hanging tree limb. She was going to have to dismount and continue on foot.
Helgath ears perked forward as she turned her attention toward a thicket.
That must be where Raido was holed up. Felnore had trained him well. The war horse would not abandon his rider nor give away his position if the situation was dire.
"Well done lady."
Jenassa withdrew a small pouched filled with strips of dried goat meat from her saddlebag and attached it to her belt. The pouch, made from tanned horker skin, still carried the oily stink of the sea. It was potent enough to attract any sensitive nose, especially a hungry one.
The moon's deadly sway would not have taken over yet, but it was never wise to track down an eight-foot-tall wall of fur and fangs without having something to distract it. On a good day, meat often did the trick. On a bad day, well, there were not enough throats in the Nine Holds that could satiate that monstrous appetite.
Jenassa prayed that it was a good day.
Sword in hand, she picked her way into the densely packed group of trees. Twigs snarled her hair as she shoved branches aside with her blade. She was mindful of where she stepped, as tree roots threatened to trip and snag with every footfall. Carefully she pushed through a clump of thorny bushes and was thankful to be covered in scaled armour.
"Where are you?" Jenassa muttered as she studied the bushes. The area had gone quiet, so she knew she must be in the right patch. Even birds silenced their song when a wolf was about.
Jenassa whistled. A high and low tone, a herder's command, used for dogs to move sheep across fields. She waited before she repeated the call. On the third go was when she heard it. A soft nicker that came from the opposite direction.
Changing course, Jenassa kept her sword ready to stab anything that moved. There was enough silver in the blade to make any Child of Hircine think twice about having a go at her. If not the blade, then one good whack with the silver pommel would leave a burn mark that would take days to heal. Felnore had designed the sword to compliment her fighting style and she had used it often against its maker for good measure.
"Stand down Raido."
The war horse had done a commendable job of finding the worst possible hiding spot to access. He had wedged his bulk into a small opening and kept his head lowered as to not be easily spotted. The reason became very clear when Jenassa wriggled herself free of the surrounding thorn bushes.
"Seriously?" Her eyebrows swept up to her hairline in surprise at the sight before her.
What can I say? Manwolves are stupid. Funny enough, he's not the dumbest of the bunch.
The two of them watched as Felnore tried and failed to free himself from a trap of his own making. The harder he struggled the harder it was not to laugh.
"Ugh, Felnore. It's times like these I honestly wonder about your ability to survive on your own."
Jenassa sheathed her sword and withdrew her dagger. This was going to take some careful maneuvering on her part.
"Hold still and I'll get you loose."
A deep rumble of dark protest shook the trees as Felnore attempted to twist his head to see who was talking. He gagged as the leather belt around his neck cut deeper into the thick fur ruff and hooked his windpipe. With his weight acting as a countermeasure to the makeshift noose that held him captive, Felnore was well and truly stuck in a copse of supple birch trees that bent and swayed with his movement. Had they been older and firmer, Felnore's strength was such that he could have pulled himself free. But these trees were tricky. Deep roots held firm as the young supple trunks dipped and pulled back.
He huffed a choked sigh as he hung there, balanced precariously on his hind legs, trapped like a hare in a wire snare.
"You have to hand it to Balimund. The man's skill with leather is remarkable." Jenassa edged around a splayed hind-paw as she approached him cautiously from behind. One of Felnore's paws was wider than her torso and had claws large enough to disembowel a bull elk with a single swipe.
"Should we tell him that he managed to catch a werewolf with a single belt-strap? I bet that would encourage sales. Not even you can claim that feather in your cap."
Felnore snarled but the heavy metal buckle of his belt dug in deep right under his jaw and cut him off.
"Jealous, are we?"
Felnore's bright amber eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
Jenassa avoided stepping on his long tail as it lashed from back and forth in annoyance. He was always sensitive about that extra appendage and loathed whenever anyone tried to touch it. She had attempted it once, out of curiosity, and Felnore almost swallowed her arm before he stopped himself. Lesson learned.
The tail was off limits. Even if it was rather…fluffy.
Now at a better angle, Jenassa took stock of the situation as she worked out what to do next.
Somehow, he had managed to hook himself behind the ears on a forked limb that refused to break. Even if she managed to cut through the branch it would not solve the issue. The belt was fastened tight around his furry neck, a neck that was far thicker than the circumference of his human waist.
Well-treated animal hide did not just tear apart under pressure.
"I am going to try to cut through the belt, so don't you dare snap at me."
Felnore wrinkled his muzzle and a mouthful of knives gleamed wetly when Jenassa grabbed a fistful of long guard hairs to steady herself as she climbed onto his back. For anyone else, this act alone would have been suicide. For Jenassa, straddling a full-grown male werewolf like a wily unbroken colt was all part of her "other duties as assigned".
Felnore's large tufted ears flattened against his enormous skull in protest when a few hairs were pulled from his pelt. He still had enough control of his mind to tolerate this violation of his dignity, but like everything else, it was not going to last long. Once the moonlight hooked him, he would no longer see the Dark Elf for who she was, but rather what she was.
Meat. Glorious mouthfuls of hot-blooded flesh and marrow.
Grrrrrr. Stop it.
This was Jenassa. His Jenassa. His friend. Jenassa was part of his Pack. Jenassa was trying to help. Jenassa had silver. Silver was bad. He did not like it. But Jenassa had meat. Meat smelt good. He wanted that meat. Couldn't reach the meat though. He was hungry.
Grrrrr. Meat.
This irritated him to no end.
"Stop squirming." Jenassa grunted as Felnore jerked back and slammed her against the trees. The tip of her dagger must have scratched him as she tried her best to saw through the leather belt as fast as she could without cutting into Felnore's neck. "Almost free."
Felnore gave an honest-to-goodness whine as his nose twitching frantically toward the smell of the pouch at her waist. Jenassa gave the dagger a sharp tug as she cut upward with a solid thrust. The belt did not give way, but she had managed to cut through enough of it that Felnore could take care of the rest.
"Is this what you want? Go get it because I am not hand-feeding you." She stuck her dagger between her teeth as she undid the pouch and tossed it off to the side. Felnore tracked the meaty missile and squirmed frantically until his feet gained enough traction to dig long furrows into the dirt. With muscles coiled like taunt springs, he launched himself after the pouch. The sudden downward thrust tore the leather and with a snap Felnore was free.
Jenassa was off his back before all four paws hit the ground.
One click of those deadly jaws and the pouch vanished. Nose to the dirt, Felnore sniffed in a circle to see if there was anything else worth eating. Only a few earth worms and the odd grub were hiding under the leafy carpet. Nothing satisfying, but he snapped them up anyway. Frustrated, he turned with a growl to find Jenassa waiting with both her sword and dagger in hand.
"Put some leagues between you and the city. Head toward the mountains and go hunt for your supper there. I'll track you down in the morning. Do not try to follow me or else I will give you something to really growl about. Understand?"
Everything from the way she stood to the tone of her voice was about control. She was in control. Her eyes glared into his without blinking. If he approached she would strike, and it would hurt. She meant what she said, and her point was clear.
Beat it or bite it, there was nothing to eat here.
Felnore grumbled. The rumblings in his chest vibrated through the forest floor as he locked gazes with the dark elf. Burning amber against deep red, Felnore saw her challenge and decided to answer it. On all fours, he stood as tall than the assassin. But on his hind legs, he dwarfed her. One smack of his paw could break her in half. One slice of his claws would tear through armour and flesh. One snap of his teeth and her skull would crack like a chicken egg.
This was Jenassa. Jenassa was his friend. Jenassa was part of his Pack. But Jenassa was trying to be top wolf.
Man or monster, Jenassa could read Felnore like a book. She saw what went on behind those heated eyes and did not hesitate. She struck first, fast, and hard.
"Oh no you don't! Get out of here! Get!" The tip of her sword tagged him high on the shoulder. The sting of silver accompanied the stink of singed fur as the blade bit into the skin.
Felnore snarled and lashed out with a sweep of his claws but Jenassa ducked under his long reach and brought the flat of her blade down on his muzzle as hard as she could. One good smack across his sensitive nose and Felnore backed off with a surprise yelp.
"Now GET!" It was her turn to snarl and she swung her sword around for another pass. The next strike was going to go right between the eyes and it would not be pretty.
The silver-grey werewolf glowered under the threat, but the message went through his thick skull. Some fights were worth the pain, but this was not. He was in no mood for a fight, not when hunger was the foremost thing on his mind. The elf was too stringy to satisfy anyway. There was easier prey to hunt in the trees, bigger prey, he could smell it.
He dropped to all fours with a thud and gave himself a good hard shake. Long strands of fur floated off him in a silvery cloud. It would be shedding season soon and when it hit, the thick undercoat that insulated him from the elements would end up carpeting the territory. The major change in seasons was always a dangerous time for wolves. It made it easier for hunters to track down their whereabouts and set traps in hopes of a big payoff.
But the forests of the Rift were not Whiterun, and this was not his home territory. Caution was an instinctual driving force as he inhaled deeply and sneezed to clear his nostrils. Finally, he could breathe.
"You done?"
Felnore flicked an ear back in acknowledgement before he scented the wind. His nose locked onto something important. Something large. Something blooded. Something...
Stag!
There was a stag nearby. It smelt young. It smelt of the best tender meat. It smelt terrified.
That stag was his.
Strings of slobber dripped off his fangs as hunger took over. He gave Jenassa a canine grin, full of deadly promise, before he bounded off into the brush with a sweep of his tail. On all fours, only another werewolf could ever hope to keep up with him as his incredible stride ate up the distance.
In the time it took Jenassa to sheath her weapons he was long gone, and a prime stag was running for its life. A life that was about to end in a grizzly finale.
"Well, that's that." Jenassa exhaled slowly as she forced her muscles to relax. Azura had heard her after all. Today was a good day.
Until the moonlight lit up the night sky.
But by then, Jenassa would be safely holed up behind thick walls and a battalion of armed guards. She just hoped Felnore could stay the course long enough to get as far from Riften as possible before his mind went dark. Only time would tell, and she was not going to be wandering the forest, alone, when it did.
"Come Raido. You get an extra ration of carrots tonight."
The war horse did not kick up a fuss when Jenassa led him out of the thicket. She had said the magic word. Carrots.
Toss in a few apples, and I'll be your new best friend.
Helgath gave a snort of greeting when Jenassa emerged with Raido in tow. The fact that they had not be reduced to wolf food made her tolerate Raido, who pranced alongside her with his neck arched proudly.
When Jenassa returned to the stables, got the horses settled and fed, and their gear stored for another night, she was in desperate need of a hot bath. No doubt she would not be welcomed back at the Bee and Barb but maybe she could ask Mjoll for one last favour. It would just be for the night.
As for Felnore's whereabouts, she had a list of excuses that she could choose from. Hunting vampires would probably go over well with the city's high-minded protector.
Fighting back a yawn, Jenassa made her way to the city's north gates just as the sky turned a deep shade of burgundy. She took a moment to watch the sun set beneath the mountain range that encased the Throat of the World and its haunting reflection that gleamed across Lake Honrich. That was when she heard the commotion.
What now?
Despite her better judgement, Jenassa went to investigate. Upon reaching the gates she saw a smattering of guards blocking the way of a scrawny Redguard youth in ill-fitting clothes that had clearly belonged to a much larger man at one time. The boy could not be older than fifteen or sixteen winters and the horse that he rode was older than time itself.
The nag's head hung between its knobby knees as it wheezed for breath. Sweat and foam dripped from its mouth and shoulders. It was clear that the poor beast had been ridden hard for miles and it did not look like it was going to live to see another sunset.
"The gates are closed. Either pay the fee or come back tomorrow."
"But I need to deliver a message."
"What did we just say? The city is closed boy. Only way you're getting in is if you pay the visitor's tax or camp out in the woods until morning, like everybody else."
"But you don't understand! I was told to come here and deliver the message without delay. I wasn't told of a visitor's tax. I don't have the money to pay you but please, you must let me through. I need to deliver this message!"
The guards were giving the young man the shake-down treatment but Jenassa did not feel inclined to step in and help in any way. This was not her problem to solve. Let the guards have their fun.
"What's so important about this message?" One of the guards asked as he pointed his spear at the nervous rider.
"I-I don't know. But I must deliver it. To a man, a blacksmith. Do you know him?"
"Blacksmith? You mean Balimund?"
The boy shook his head.
"No. Another one. There must be another one. A man with grey hair. You would know him by the axe his carries. His name is...umm...it...something Longstride? Whitemane? Felnoof? I-I can't remember."
The guards looked at each other before they broke out laughing.
"This kid's supposed to deliver a message to a blacksmith and he don't know what his name is? That's rich!"
"What, by Talos' mighty beard, is a Felnoof? Never heard of such a thing! Ha!"
"Maybe the sprat means that Felnore bloke?"
The Redguard nearly jumped out of the saddle when the guard mentioned the name.
"Yes! Him! Felnore! That's it! I need to speak to Felnore. To deliver the message. It's important!"
From the shadow of the city wall, Jenassa closed her eyes when she heard the confirmation.
Why did these things follow them like a bad smell? What deity did they anger in their travels? Who did Felnore eat to have cursed them with such unwanted attention? They could never catch a break.
"Sorry to burst your bubble kid, but he left here hours ago."
"What? No! I rode all the way from Windhelm for days to get here, to deliver..."
"Deliver the message. We heard you the first time. But that doesn't change things. If you want to come into the city, either pay up or bugger off! What's it going to be?"
Before the kid could dig himself into a deeper hole with the guards, Jenassa stepped out of the shadows and grabbed the worn-out nag by the bridle. The horse was so spent it did not even react to her sudden presence.
"Now where did you come from?" One of the guards jumped as she shoved him out of her way.
"The lad's with me." She glared at him before she took the reins and jerked on the bit to get the gelding to move. The horse complied while its rider sat on its back, speechless.
"Before you say another word know this. You are as close to death as you will ever be right now so if you do not tell me everything about why you are here, why you wish to speak to Felnore, and what your message is, I will stick a knife in your ribs and dump your body into the lake before the sun finishes setting. Is that understood?"
When she glanced up at the rider all he could do was nod stupidly. She meant every word.
"Smart. Now speak."