Lol hi. Enjoy.
The snow under her boots crunched softly as she came to a halt and wove her gloved fingers into the icy rock outcropping to her side. Aela looked down, stiffening her knees as she stared at the ground below. The moons were waxing and large in the night sky, bathing the world before her in their brilliant silver light and allowing the Huntress to see the snow covered mountains perfectly. What appeared to be the top portion of ruined Dwarven tower stood alone in an iced over stone courtyard directly below, barely the size of her thumbnail from her perch far above. So deceptively close, yet so painstakingly far away. A thin, foot wide trail wove down the face of the cliff for a few hundred feet before it finally widened. From there, the slope was steep for quite a distance, but much less perilous than the path she faced now. She swallowed hard. There was no room for error here.
Aela glowered at the rocks jutting from the cliffside that created the natural stairway. This was not the path she would have preferred in the slightest. The main pass across the border was swarming with Imperial guards, and she had decided that she had no interest in encountering them again. Especially since she had stuck to the wilds for the past three days specifically to avoid them. So instead, she had been forced to follow game trails through the uncharted depths of the Jerall Mountains. The Huntress had been pleased to find that the trail she last chose lead her South-West of Riften.
It seems that luck was on our side for once. If only all quests turned out so easy.
She looked up from the Dwarven ruin, squinting at the dark outline of Lake Honrich that sprawled across the landscape before her. Flecks of moonlight danced across the waves of the distant water, glistening up to her like little beacons. The harbor city of Riften was just barely visible on the lake's edge and Aela smiled at its faded form in the darkness. She was finally almost there. She longed to be close to her dear Dragonborn and help her through her rigorous recovery. She also longed to be rid of this stupid travel tunic and to redon her beloved Ancient Nordic Armor.
The Huntress turned her attention back to the fearsome stairway that acted as her only means of descent in sight. Her breath puffed out in small clouds, anxious and erratic. This was not going to be fun. Aela took a cautious step backward, kneeling to tighten the straps of the metal spikes affixed to her boots with shaking fingers. The leather pulled taut in her thickly gloved hands and she stood again, taking slow steps to the narrow stairs. She gulped.
At least it's not windier than a politician up here.
Aela surveyed the area one last time, scowling as she yet again found no alternative path. Hands trembling, the Huntress pressed her back against the frozen stone and began to shuffle sideways down the perilous cliff. Her hands groped behind her, grasping at any hold she could possibly find. It was difficult to feel the rocky outcropping with the dense gloves covering her hands. She debated removing the offending clothing, but decided against it. Discarding the gloves now would only allow her fingers to freeze quicker than she could say 'oh shit'.
Aela's breathing was shallow, as she feared breathing any deeper would allow herself to start hyperventilating. Her heart was pounding violently and despite the subzero temperatures, sweat beaded on her brow. Aela took slow, measured steps. Her right foot inched out, carefully digging the sharp tips of her cleats into the ice and giving it a sideways jiggle to ensure her footing held. Confirming its security, Aela warily drug her left foot over and repeated the process to ensure a safe step. Her hands continued to shake as they sought new purchase in the slippery rock. The Huntress shut her eyes as she pressed hard to the deadly bluff. A whimper slithered past her blue lips, almost masked by her increasingly panicked breaths.
She was absolutely terrified.
Her knees quivering, Aela opened her eyes and dared another step, continuing her descent. She paused on occasion, mentally and physically steeling herself to push onward and ignore the overwhelming fear thrumming relentlessly through her core. Heights had never given her an issue in the past, but this… this was entirely different. Never before had the Huntress scaled down the face of a mountain in such a brutal and vulnerable fashion. And she was finding that she was not the biggest fan of her new endeavor.
Aela nearly cried in relief as she spotted a small alcove a short distance beyond the halfway point of stairs. She continued her methodical shuffle until she reached it, throwing herself into the tiny shelter. It was just large enough for her to sit down to collect herself. The werewolf remained there, steadying her frantic breathing and hugging her knees, until she was calm enough to move again.
That wasn't so terrible. Come on, Aela. You got this.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
She rose to her feet, edging cautiously out of the alcove. The minutes crept by as she shuffled diligently down the icy precipice. It was daunting, to say the least.
At long last, Aela reached the last of the frozen stairs. When she was at least fifteen feet from the bottom, she wasted no time in hopping to the safety of the fluffy snow below. The powder erupted around her in a brilliant cascade of frozen crystals as she crashed into the untouched layers. It effectively took the impact out of her fall, but Aela allowed herself a few moments to lie in her hole, reveling in the stability of the ground she now laid upon. She panted hard, willing the fear from her mind. She was safe now.
When the Huntress finally sat up, she groaned at the length of the trek still awaiting her. She still needed quite a bit more time before she could call upon her wolf spirit again. Her silver eyes narrowed at the Dwarven ruins she had observed previously.
"I suppose I can rest there for a few hours. I should be able to make it to Riften from there as a wolf no problem." Aela muttered as she pushed herself to her feet. As much as she was loathe to admit, she was tired. She hadn't rested since her first night of travel. Two full days of consistent travel across leagues and leagues of hills and mountains with no sleep was no easy feat, even for a werewolf.
She trudged forward, the weight of her boots increasing more and more with each step. The trip through the knee-high snow was faster than the previous climb, and Aela was thankful she was sure-footed the entire way.
Her teeth were chattering furiously by the time she reached the decrepit ruin. The cold was seeping to her bones. Aela shifted her bleary eyes over a few dead trees in the area, hoping one would be dry enough to start a fire with. Her hopes were not high. She made her way to them and gave each fallen log a solid kick. She was disappointed to find that they were all frozen to the core and useless. The Huntress sighed, turning her head to the tower. The large stone archway of its entrance was completely exposed and she could tell that this was merely the final segment of the structure. The rest had been buried deep beneath the snow and stone by time.
Aela frowned. This building offered very little protection from the elements. She looked around, spotting another Dwemer building perched atop the hill beside her that she had missed before. The entryway was partially collapsed, but Aela could see that some room remained inside. Her frown melded into a weak smile. That would offer far more safety. She turned away and came to a small courtyard with an oblong metal cage surrounded by a stone circle in the center. Aela cautiously approached the odd structure, noticing there was no snow in the immediate area around the contraption. A soft teal light emanated from the copper cage. Aela stopped in front of it, smirking as she spotted the source of the soft glow. A Welkynd stone.
Well, well. I haven't seen one of you in a long time.
The Companion smiled to herself and resumed her trek, making her way up the small hill and coming across a freshly fallen dead tree on her path. She was relieved to find that the log was burnable with a little work. The tree was as thick as her thigh. She pursed her lips. Without an axe, the tree might prove difficult to break apart.
Aela bent down, firmly grasping the trunk and hefting one end over her head. With a mighty heave, the Huntress chucked the log down the short hill. The wood splintered and broke into several logs as it crashed against the frosted boulders lining the hillside. She allowed her smirk to widen. That had worked much better than expected. She trudged down the hill, gathering her bounty within her arms and carting it to the partially collapsed tower's entryway. She gently placed each bundle at the door as she made her way back and forth to collect every scrap of wood possible.
With her firewood secured, Aela took her first look inside the crumbling edifice. To her delight, a small area tucked behind the rubble was visible. She climbed inside to get a better look and, when satisfied that the nook was just enough room for her to make camp, she made to relocate her firewood.
After a tedious battle to light the meager tinder she had managed to amass, the Huntress tucked her flint and steel back into a pouch on her belt as a small fire flickered to life at her feet. She leaned over it, tenderly fanning the tiny flames to coerce them to grow. The fire had been difficult to light, but by Hircine, the warmth was much needed. She pulled off her gloves and stretched her fingers over the measly flames, resuming her ministrations to stoke them. The wood popped and creaked and nearly died twice, but the Huntress prevailed. The fire slowly crept across the sizzling wood, drying the damp tinder enough to effectively burn it as it traveled.
Satisfied with the rising fire before her, Aela reached for her small travel pack. The stiff leather groaned as she undid the straps and flipped open the top. Inside were two small cuts of venison wrapped in hide that she had saved from her hunt two days prior. Not the most substantial of meals, but it was enough to last her until she reached Riften. She plucked out the top bundle and set the pack aside.
The meat was completely frozen, so she placed the bundle on the flattest rock she could find in the immediate area and placed it next the mounting blaze. Aela shut her eyes, leaning forward to warm herself. As the heat penetrated her thick travelling coat, her mind began to wander.
The past few months had been so strange. So confusing. So tumultuous. How on Nirn had she managed to wrap herself up in so much?
Selene. Skor and Kodlak's death. The Assassin. Turning Lydia. And now this whole ordeal with the Diadem. She flicked a frozen leaf away from her knee as Lydia crossed her mind. Turning the housecarl without consulting the rest of the Circle was a careless move. At least, Vilkas and Farkas would see it that way. Those two could be unbelievably dense and she wouldn't put it past either of them to ignore the finer details of the situation, such as why the woman was turned in the first place. Selene would likely be more understanding. Since this was the Dragonborn's personal housecarl in question and considering the extraneous circumstances involved, she hoped Selene would be able to help ease the twins' concerns. Hopefully.
Her lips rubbed together in thought as she idly poked at the wrapped slab of meat. Had Selene found out that Lydia was a werewolf yet? The small, weatherworn mock-research journal she had found in Selene's Riften home came to mind. She hadn't thought about the little book since she had found it.
Aela leaned back against the stone pile behind her. She really didn't know what to make of its contents. Selene seemed to have embraced her wolf spirit, but then again, she had written in that journal before her blending. Aela also didn't know just how long it had been since the Dragonborn had written the diary. Things change. She, of all people, should know that.
She was pulled from her reverie by hearty laughter echoing off the mountains outside. Her back snapped straight and she whipped her head to the door. Men? Here? Aela snarled, kicking snow over her measly fire. She did not want to be seen. She ducked over to the doorway, crouching low to the ground. Though she seriously doubted that she would be seen in the darkness, she didn't want to take any chances.
The Huntress squinted at the road below and frowned. From where she hid, she could only see a small portion of the path before it disappeared into a small gorge. Her frown morphed into a snarl as she spotted the orange glow at the mouth of the gorge. It grew brighter as she stared.
Aela stayed rooted to her spot, mulling over her options. She quickly decided that she would rather avoid a conflict, as she was exhausted from her journey. She could hide, which was easy enough. It was unlikely they would search the tiny ruins. Or she could run. The Huntress shook her head at the last option as she watched a little over a dozen men appear from the gorge below, the light from their torches dancing across the blankets of snow before them. If she were to run, she would leave tracks.
A chill colder and more devastating than the icy tundra around her embraced the woman as her wide silver eyes drifted over to the deep trenches she created only moments prior.
Shit.
Aela swallowed hard, watching the men slowly wind down the path. If she stayed here and they happened to be the unfriendly, yet curious type, she was in for a bit of trouble. From what she could see, they looked fairly well armed. Aela only possessed her dagger and could not transform for some time. The snow was fresh and deep, so there was no way she was going to be able to sneak away if any of them were proficient at tracking. Her lips curled up in a frustrated snarl. What the hell were these men doing up here at such a remote location, anyway? From what she had observed from above, while she was scouting a path down, she had clearly seen that this was the end of the road. A steep cliff cut off the access to the North and East, looming mountains stood to the South, and the tiny gorge to the West. The gorge was the only way in or out of this secluded area, so what business did they have here, especially at the dead of night?
Their boisterous laughter and gossip died when the group reached a pair of pillars that flanked the end of the road and opened into the snowless courtyard. Aela's heart slammed against her ribcage as their lights reached the edges of the square, and subsequently, her tracks cutting through the snow. The men didn't seem to notice, however, as they filed into the yard and created a circle around the caged Welkynd stone. She took a moment to observe the men closer as they all knelt before the structure. She couldn't see a standard or emblem of any kind. As she continued to study them, she saw that no two men bore the same armor and that many of them did not have a complete set at all. Only five of the fourteen men bore a full set of armor, and just two of them had a matching set.
So they're bandits, huh? Strange that they are praying to a Welkynd stone. What's going on here?
Aela scrunched her eyebrows together and pondered her next move. They seemed pretty occupied at the moment. Now might be my best chance for an escape, they haven't seen my tracks. She nodded to herself at her plan, silently turning back to her camp. She knelt by the extinguished firepit and gathered her few things.
Getting around them may be difficult. That gorge is the only way out and they're standing right next to the entrance. Aela mused as she slipped the venison steak into her satchel. She turned on her heels and crept back to the crumbling entrance. She pressed her body against the doorway and cautiously peeked out of her refuge.
The Huntress' heart skipped a beat as she immediately locked eyes with an Orc halfway up the path to her hideout. His beady eyes widened in surprise and he froze in his tracks for the briefest of seconds. He suddenly grinned wide at her, clenching his fists and laughing loud at his find.
"Ha! I told you, Kir'rev! We do have a straggler!" He boomed to his comrades. Aela pulled her dagger from its sheath, glancing desperately at the mountain pass below. She could probably get around this goon and cut across the hill, then jump down into the gorge from the short cliff above. It was a jump she could surely survive without injury. But even once she got into the gorge, there was no telling whether or not she would be able to keep a lead on them. Some of the men were lightly dressed and there were two Khajiit with them. She may have been a fast runner in her human form, but she was no match for a full grown male Khajiit.
She looked back to the Orc, who had resumed his climb up the hill. He was closing in on her fast. A battered Orcish Warhammer came loose from his back as he cackled at her, crossing it over his chest. The Huntress swallowed hard as his companions fanned out behind him and bounded up the side of the hill towards her as well.
She was trapped. There was no escape this time. These men were clearly well rested and ready to fight. She was not.
With shaking hands, Aela sheathed her dagger and stood tall. She splayed her hands in front of her and swallowed hard as she moved to stand in front of the rubble piled in the entrance.
"Hey now, boys. No need to do anything hasty, eh?" Aela called out, steeling herself. This was no time to show fear. The men had reached her refuge. They all took up positions around her and kept the tips of their weapons locked on her. The Orc that spotted her took several final steps towards the woman and was joined by one of the Khajiit.
"Hasty? No, we are never hasty, Sister." The Khajiit purred to her, combing his whiskers as he spoke. He took a few steps forward, scrutinizing her carefully. "And who might this one be, so alone and cold on the edge of Skyrim?" His yellow eyes bounced down to the ground as he scanned her.
"Freja. Freja Stonefist." Aela replied curtly, keeping her hands up.
"What brings Freja so high in the mountains, to our sacred home, hmm?" He crossed one arm across his chest, propping his other elbow onto his fist and keeping his hand in front of his face. Aela cleared her throat.
"I'm just passing through… I went to visit my family in Bruma and got a little turned around on the mountain pass." She lied, praying the feeble excuse was good enough for the Khajiit. His eyes narrowed at her.
"Bruma, you say? How long has Freja been in these mountains, this one wonders?" He asked, circling around the Huntress. Aela tensed as the cat disappeared behind her.
"Uh… a few days." She managed as he reappeared beside her. He was close. She locked eyes with him for a few tense moments before continuing. "The Imperial Guard has the main pass blocked too, so I had to travel the spine pretty far to get around them."
His eyes narrowed at her again and his lips pulled back into a snarl. Aela swallowed hard.
"This one thinks Freja is lying," he hissed at her, stepping even closer. "This one recognizes you. Where have we met?" His teeth glinted at her in the moonlight and Aela felt her entire body tense.
"I-I don't know. I've never seen you before," she replied, holding her hands higher between them. His slitted eyes studied her hard, slowly creeping closer and closer to her face. "Look, I think you have me confu…" she stopped abruptly as his face fell in a brief moment of shock. The expression only lasted for a fraction of a second before it was replaced with a menacing snarl of pure rage.
"YOU." He spat, his hands flying at her so quickly that she did not have to react. One hand went for her throat, the other her arm. Aela's hands flew to the vice grip on her throat, prying desperately. He grabbed her hard, digging his claws deep into the flesh of her arm. He ripped them out of her, covered in blood, and held her to face him. He smeared three fingers across her face, gripping her even tighter as he finished.
"You…!" the cat hissed again.
Aela was getting dizzy at the sheer force of his grip. She gurgled as she urgently tried to free herself from the crazed Khajiit. Though her vision was beginning to blur, she could see that his pupils were gone. His eyes were two swirling pools of molten copper burning back at her.
"This one… has finally caught you, Aela the Huntress…" His voice had changed. It was deep. Guttural. Beastly. "You will pay for what you have done. This one will make sure of that." He shook her once and tossed her to the ground with all his might. The Huntress slammed to the ground, wheezing and gripping her bruised throat.
As she blinked away the stars that had blinded her vision, several rough hands seized her. Aela struggled, kicking at the men as they laughed and bound her tightly with a rope. She roared and pushed against the restraints.
"You sons of bitches! I'll kill every la-" Aela's world went dark before she could finish her sentence. The Khajiit dropped the heavy log he had clubbed her with into the deep snow with a deadly snarl. He stared at the unconscious woman lying in the snow before him and spat on her. He turned away, leaving Aela as she lay for his men to collect.
"This one will not fail like the Dark Brotherhood. You may count on that, draj."