Somehow things always seemed a little less dire after a good night's sleep.
And they definitely seemed even less dire when the smell of Lydia's boiled cream buns and honey-nut treats filled the room. She went all out for the breakfast. Maybe it was her attempt to lift their spirits after last night, or maybe she just wanted to make sure she made enough for everyone. But whatever the case was, it didn't really matter. Her food was as delicious as ever and it made Aeyrin chastise herself internally for skipping dinner last night because of her… mood.
She stuffed another small bun into her mouth and a muffled satisfied moan reverberated through her throat. Lydia made them all tiny so it was easy enough to just pop one into her mouth as a whole. That was perfect. Maybe she could take some for the road? If there were even any left over after this. After her assault. Aeyrin was definitely the one who had eaten the most of them by now. Bishop only tried one – he was more interested in the honeyed treats – and Saadia and Lydia tasted only sparsely too. It probably wasn't that rare for them with Lydia cooking and baking every day.
She should really control herself so that there would be some left for her to take later.
"You know," she tried to speak in between her chewing before she gave up and took a few seconds to swallow instead. "When I'm with Aela tonight, you could teach Bishop how to bake too," she gave Lydia a conspiratorial wink.
"What? Where would I even bake?" Bishop chuckled at her. "You think I can bake on an open fire?" Though, granted, he had thought about it. Not the fire thing, but he had seriously thought about getting a small oven into the cottage. He didn't, in the end, but there was a bit of room there for it if he ever decided to. He never even tried to bake anything. He always just bought treats for Aeyrin, but he knew how much she loved anything baked and sweet. It was practically the only reason why he would ever consider learning.
Fuck, he sounded… domesticated. Disturbing. The most disturbing part of it was that he didn't really mind at all.
"I don't know, I'm sure you'd figure something out," she giggled at him. She wasn't really serious. Besides, maybe she could learn how to bake instead. It was kind of fun back in the Rift when he was making dinner and she was roasting those nuts for dessert, even if it wasn't exactly hard work.
"Aren't you going at midnight or something?" Lydia chuckled. "A little late for baking lessons. We'll probably all be asleep by then."
'Asleep'. Right.
"Oh please," Aeyrin scoffed in amusement. "You're gonna be here, drinking the night away. Without me," she made sure to punctuate that with a prominent pout. Not that she minded, but it was more fun that way. And she knew that they would be awake anyway. They would definitely wait up with Bishop – since he needed to leave the city only during night-time, he and Aeyrin had agreed that they would both leave once the meeting with Aela was done and that they would spend the night at the hunter's rest outside of the city instead. It was tried and true at least – no more dangerous than if Bishop stayed. And this way, they wouldn't have to worry about leaving during the next day. That Commander Maro person was still waiting for them after all; they shouldn't prolong their stay too much.
"Well I do need to use the time to complain about you," Bishop smirked at her and the comment promptly earned him a cream bun tossed right at his face. He was quick though. He managed to catch the bun in his hand and he instantly plopped it into his mouth instead. His other arm snuck around Aeyrin's waist though and he pulled her closer to himself affectionately.
"How long will that meeting of yours take anyway?" Lydia asked after the brief chuckles subsided.
"I have no idea. I don't really know what she wants. I have a theory, but I don't know," Aeyrin shrugged. And even if her theory was right, she had no idea how long it would take. She suspected that initiations like these involved some ceremonial stuff too. She just hoped that there wouldn't be any drama with Vilkas.
"Doesn't matter," Bishop shrugged. "I'll have our shit ready for whenever you get back. And I'll try not to get too drunk until then," he chuckled.
"Uh-huh," Aeyrin snorted. "You two are responsible for watching him, got it?" She narrowed her eyes at Lydia and Saadia. "If he gets caught leaving the city because he was too drunk, I'm holding you responsible. Because he'll be too dead to get mad at," she smirked. Everyone knew that she was kidding and Bishop was in no way stupid enough to actually get drunk tonight. But still… just the thought of that did make her a little queasy, beneath the jokes. She quickly added the last part to take her mind off it. "And if he challenges you to match him drink for drink, don't fall for it. Trust me."
Bishop let out a hearty laugh at that. It's been a while since he challenged her to that. Always fun though. It was a shame that they wanted to get to Dragon Bridge quickly. They could have spent some more time here, enjoying the evenings with Lydia and Saadia. But… he should still remember where he was. Getting too drunk here, even inside the safety of the house, it could cause trouble. He wouldn't put it past himself if, in his drunken brevity, he got some bright idea that involved him going outside. Fuck, even hanging around windows too much was a risk. That fucking bounty was a pain in the ass.
"We still need some supplies though before we head out," Bishop noted after a brief moment of silence. They had assumed that things would be calmer now and that Belethor would sell to Aeyrin again, but that was obviously not the case.
"Don't worry about that. Just get me a list and I'll get Carlotta to get everything for us. I need her to get us some supplies for the house too," Saadia gave them a small smile. "Belethor knows it's not for her, but he doesn't give a shit. He wants the profit. But that asshole just wants to look like he doesn't do business with us. That's all he cares about. Reputation and money," she scoffed.
That sounded about right. Everyone was probably just piling in on the harassment and ostracizing only to fit in. It was kind of sad.
"Speaking of…" Aeyrin let out a deep sigh. She kind of didn't want to talk about this anymore, but she also really wanted to. "I know that you… that you keep saying you're fine here, but…" she gave Saadia and Lydia an uncertain look. She knew that they couldn't be fine living in this. Nobody could.
"Aeyrin, it's alright. We keep to ourselves most of the time and it's not as bad every day. They just get… nastier when you're actually here," Lydia gave her an encouraging smile.
"How do you keep to yourselves? Saadia works in a tavern," Aeyrin scoffed at her. She knew that Lydia was just saying this to make Aeyrin feel better.
"I bring people booze. They're all placated when they're there," Saadia chuckled. That was unlikely.
"I… I just… if you need some money to start over somewhere else, we could…" Aeyrin tried to broach the subject nervously. She didn't want them to keep going through this, to keep living in this hostile place. She and Bishop didn't have too much money to spare but they could step up their adventuring rate for a while, plunder a lot of ruins and help them out a bit.
But before she finished the thought, Saadia suddenly threw her a very piercing and somewhat intimidating glare.
"We are not running!" she snarled. "This is our home. And it took being imprisoned by Thalmor and hunted by their assassins to chase me out of my last home. You really think I'm going to allow a group of petty, childish assholes do the same?!"
A tense silence enveloped the room and Aeyrin piped down instantly. It was admirable of Saadia to refuse to run from this. Aeyrin wished she had her tactics of dealing with judgmental crowds. She always let it get to her too much.
"We're fine," Saadia let out a sigh, seeing how tense her outburst made things.
"We really are, Aeyrin," Lydia's reassuring smile did lighten the mood a bit. "We're happy here together. We don't care about those idiots outside. The shopping is annoying, but that's that."
Aeyrin still wasn't entirely convinced, but it was obvious that this discussion wouldn't get her anywhere anyway. And it was not as if it was her decision. She just felt crappy to be the cause of this. And that her friends had to deal with this at all.
"So, what was that 'sign' you were talking about?" Bishop asked after a while. He still hadn't gotten an answer to that and he knew that it was something to do with all this harassment.
His question, however, only elicited a practically simultaneous groan of exasperation and reluctance. None of them really felt like telling him just then.
"Alright, fine, whatever," Bishop smirked when he saw their reaction. "Change of topic. This was getting fucking depressing anyway."
Before they could actually try to work on changing the subject, a knock on the door interrupted them. With an exasperated sigh, Bishop got up from the table, along with his tankard and plate, and he disappeared into the small adjacent room. Whoever it was, they couldn't see him there. And an extra setting on the table would just raise questions. Karnwyr wasn't far behind his heels either.
Aeyrin got up from her seat as well and she headed towards the door. She just hoped that this wasn't some stupid prank, but when she opened, she only found a small brown-haired boy nervously toeing the paved path.
"Uhm… hello, miss," he gave her a somewhat frightened expression. "A Companion gave me a note for you. I didn't read it! I swear!" he quickly shook his head. There really was fear in his eyes. "Could you please tell her I didn't read it?"
Did Aela threaten this poor kid?
Aeyrin only let out an exasperated nod as she took the note from the boy. Aela was very likely doing this only to ensure their privacy, but still, the kid looked properly spooked. She did notice him clutching something tellingly gold in his other hand. At least he got a few drakes for this, apparently.
She closed the door after the boy and returned back to the table with the note in hand. She already knew what this was about, but she read through it nonetheless:
.
Dear Aeyrin,
I trust that your dirty little secret made it back to you unscathed. I want to remind you of our meeting. Be there tonight, below the Skyforge an hour before midnight. Wear only your Companions armor with nothing beneath. I know it sounds odd, but it's tradition. I'm looking forward to getting the chance to finally welcome you as a true Companion.
Aela
.
This only confirmed Aeyrin's theories. It did sound like she would be invited to join the Circle and it sounded like that initiation was going to happen tonight – it wasn't just going to be a talk.
That armor thing was a bit strange, but she had heard of things like this before. Temples only allowed the ceremonial robes during the vigil. She had never heard of armor serving the same function, but then again, she didn't know much about warrior guilds.
"Aela?" Bishop asked as he appeared back next to her on the long bench by the table. She hadn't even noticed him getting back.
"Yeah. Just… details about tonight. And she's making sure you got back here alright," Aeyrin smiled softly. Aela really surprised her. She had spoken so harshly about Bishop before, but now, when she had the chance, she let him go. And Aeyrin knew that it wasn't just 'not to piss her off'. She knew that the money was worth the risk. But Aela and Bishop always got along quite well. She probably didn't want him dead, despite her previous words. Maybe she was just hurt back then. Aeyrin could kind of sympathize with that. Bishop's past coming up onto the surface could have… unsettling effects on a person.
"I still can't believe she didn't go for the money," Saadia shook her head. She didn't just seem disbelieving, she seemed a bit suspicious too. Though, granted, that wasn't unreasonable. Still, Aela had no good enough reason but her own feelings to stop her from bringing Bishop in for the bounty. She didn't even have to kill him herself if she didn't want to.
"I still can't believe she found my camp," Bishop smirked. From what Aela had said, he assumed they started looking for him only after Aeyrin left. How the fuck did she find him so fast?
He was really lucky that it was her who 'won the hunt' too. He knew exactly what would have happened if those idiot brothers got there first. What the fuck was their problem? He would have understood the money. But why before? He was convinced that it wasn't a fucking accident back in those ruins. Vilkas tried to get him killed.
But it probably didn't matter anymore. Saadia and Lydia were told what happened and they would sure as fuck be much more careful now about discussing Bishop's any potential future arrivals. And he would be much more careful too. Maybe he would wait outside the Hold borders, even though it would take him that much longer to get inside the city at night. But it was worth it. Now whenever Aeyrin was in Whiterun, the Companions would likely get suspicious.
Ugh, he didn't want to think about this anymore, it was pointless anyway. Just one more day and they would be out of there. It was much safer to get Lydia and Saadia to meet them somewhere else instead when they wanted to see each other. Lesson learned.
Now it was too late for what-ifs. He got lucky. He should just be glad for it.
At least now they had the whole day to enjoy in the house, just like they had planned.
…
"I win! Again," Lydia smirked as she displayed her cards on the table.
She was shockingly good for someone who barely ever played. Or barely ever lied and tricked people. It was kind of frustrating.
All four of them, or five along with Karnwyr, had spent the entire day together in the house. It was a good way to make up for last night and everything that had happened. They could just forget the entire world outside completely and enjoy themselves as much as they were able to. The only brief reminder was when Saadia left for a while to ask Carlotta to buy all their supplies.
The rest of the day was spent very pleasantly. And the outlooks for the near future didn't look so bleak either. Aeyrin was going to finally find out what this Circle fuss is all about and, maybe, very soon, they would even have some help with the Brotherhood. Was it naïve to dwell on these assumptions? It was certainly comfortable.
Both Bishop and Aeyrin were just… tired. Tired of always worrying about this shit. It was so nice to actually forget that for a while.
So they spent the day just talking, drinking, cooking and occasionally playing cards.
They continued into the night, all four of them, until the time almost came for Aeyrin's ceremony, or whatever it was. Bishop, Saadia and Lydia continued the games while Aeyrin went upstairs to get ready.
It was a good thing that Lydia had insisted on not gambling away any money right from the start. At least the way she was going. The rest of them would have all been broke by now if she hadn't.
"It's an empty win, my dear. You're getting nothing out of this," Saadia smirked as she folded her losing hand on the table with a pretend dramatic flair.
"I think I'm getting your dignity," Lydia snickered. "But, if you want to give me something more, I won't say no." She looked like she was really enjoying herself. And she was definitely a bit drunk by now. They all were, except for Aeyrin. She barely drank, she didn't want to ruin the ceremony, if there was one. And Bishop didn't overdo it much either. He had stopped drinking a while ago and he would sober up completely once Aeyrin was back for certain. But Lydia and Saadia had no such obligations.
"'Something more'?" Saadia leaned a bit closer to her with a mischievous smile on her face. "Like when we played this game together that one time? You're just abusing the fact that I don't have to many layers to lose."
"We're not playing that version," Bishop interrupted them promptly. "And you two are not allowed to get all mushy and flirty in front of me either." He folded his arms across his chest with a determined nod.
"What? Why?" Saadia scoffed at him incredulously, but still with a hint of amusement in her tone.
"Because it's not fair. Aeyrin's not playing anymore," Bishop smirked. He already missed having his arm wrapped around her or having her leaning against him on the bench. If he couldn't be pressing her against him, neither should those two be able to. And that was definitely not the alcohol talking at all.
Lydia and Saadia burst into laughter, either at his petty comment or at his pouting. It didn't really matter. He just grinned at them as he grabbed their cards from the table in order to prepare the next round.
"Definitely agreed 'bout… about that stripping stuff though," Lydia snorted. "I've seen him naked one too many times already. Or… two too many times." Her face turned into a deeply pondering one for a brief second as she repeated the words quietly, muttering to herself. "'Two too'? Is that right?"
"Don't remind me," Bishop groaned in response. "And learn to fucking knock." She really had a problem with knocking.
"I almost forgot that you've seen him naked," Saadia chuckled a little. It was definitely not surprising that she had heard all about Lydia's inopportune entrances by now.
"Not by choice," Bishop scoffed instantly.
"Barely. And I really wish I could forget," Lydia shook her head in turn. Though she did kind of walk into that one with that note.
"That unforgettable, huh?" Bishop laughed and Saadia snickered at the comment too. Lydia just tried to shake her head vehemently again.
"It does occur to me now that you've seen Aeyrin naked too," Saadia smirked after their laughter subsided.
"No. Not really," Lydia must have been getting dizzy from all the head-shaking by now. Especially in her light inebriation. "She had the courtesy to cover herself, unlike someone," she threw a glare at Bishop pointedly.
"I was in shock," he chuckled in response. "Most people knock, you know? Or turn away when they… hear some… sounds. And the second time I was just shocked that you did it again."
"Yeah, you said," Lydia groaned. "It doesn't matter anyway. I'm never going into that room when you're here ever again."
"Good choice," he smirked back at her.
"What does it matter anyway? Why are you reminding me of that now?" Lydia sighed as she turned back to Saadia.
"No reason. I was just wondering if I should get jealous," Saadia's voice took on a teasing tone again as she gave Lydia a wink. She was clearly not really jealous, but the comment still got Bishop's attention.
"Hang on," he narrowed his eyes at the Redguard. "You would get jealous about her seeing Aeyrin, but not me?"
"Why are you encouraging her?" Lydia groaned, but Saadia ignored her interruption as she shrugged her shoulders noncommittally.
"She's not attracted to men."
"I… never really said that…" Lydia sounded like she was mostly talking to herself, but everyone heard, of course.
"Damn. This just got interesting," Bishop laughed. Saadia looked really caught off guard, but it was likely more the fact that she didn't know than that she would mind. She looked like she still wanted to prove that she was right.
"Shut up," she waved her hand dismissively at Bishop before he turned to Lydia again. "I never saw you look at men," she furrowed her brows.
"Have you seen me look at a woman?" Lydia chuckled a bit but she looked like she regretted that question when she saw Bishop's grin widen.
"Yeah, tell us, Saadia," he snickered. "What kind of women does she look at?" He was enjoying this all too much.
"Hey!" Saadia scowled at him. "How about you tell us something instead? What kind of men does Aeyrin look at, hmm?"
"Or women," Lydia added with a slight smirk quirking her lips.
"True," Saadia grinned. Did she really think that he would answer that? Besides, he didn't really have an answer to that. He had never seen Aeyrin look at anyone like she looked at him. He did see those doting looks she used to give to Azshan, but as much as those used to piss him off, they were a lot different from when he noticed her looking at him, especially when she thought he couldn't see her.
"You having fun?" Bishop smirked. "I'm not taking the bait."
"He sounds insecure," Saadia chuckled and Lydia promptly nodded her head in accord with her own grin etched on her face.
"He does."
Their laughter drowned out the noise for a while, but soon they all noticed the heavy steps from above. Aeyrin walked down the stairs a few moments later, clad in the black armor that she had gotten from the Companions. That was all she had. She didn't even have her weapon or her pack with her, but it was useless anyway, she was just going across town.
"I barely heard only a part of that conversation," she rolled her eyes at them when she made it down, but she couldn't hide the amused smile on her lips. "But now I really wish I left the house earlier so that I wouldn't hear any of it."
"Oh, come on, Aeyrin, enlighten us," Saadia snickered at her, but it only made Aeyrin shake her head in response. The smile was still on her face though. How could it not? It had been such a fun and relaxing day.
"Bye," she chuckled instead and waved her hand to punctuate the point. She was definitely not answering that.
"Hang on," Bishop reached out towards her, stretching out on the bench, and he wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her closer. She leaned down instinctively as craned his neck for a kiss goodbye, but it ended all too soon. Bishop didn't let go yet though. Instead, he looked her over once more before another smirk spread on his face. "Are you really naked under there?"
"Bishop!" she gasped and she stepped away from his embrace promptly. It was not that they all didn't know about the contents of Aela's note, but Aeyrin really didn't mean to discuss it further.
"Isn't that uncomfortable?" Lydia frowned as she studied the armor more carefully.
"I didn't say… I'm… not," Aeyrin huffed. Not exactly.
"Prove it. Let's play a strip round," Saadia laughed. Obviously joking. Or she better be, at least.
"No, no, I'll check in private," Bishop chuckled.
"Sto-op," Aeyrin groaned at them in frustration. They clearly wouldn't stop, so she might as well get this over with. "I'm wearing undergarments, but that's it. And it's not that uncomfortable. It's got fur on the inside," she explained.
"What does? Your undergarments?" Saadia laughed loudly and her comment promptly made Bishop burst out laughing too. Gods, why did she even bother answering any questions when they were all this rowdy?
She still couldn't help but smile at the good mood permeating through the house the entire day though. She felt like not even those gawking vultures that could be waiting for her outside could dampen her spirits today.
"I'm leaving," she snorted. "Stop drinking," she raised a finger at them in chastisement, but she didn't really mean it. Well only for Bishop. He needed to be ready to leave. But Saadia and Lydia looked like they were really enjoying themselves.
"We'll be good, promise," Lydia smiled at her wryly while the other two just waved at her goodbye. She turned on her heel and headed towards the front door at last. It would be time soon. Aela was likely already waiting for her there.
As she left the house into the night-time streets, she only heard Bishop call out to her one last time.
"Have fun, princess."
…
The streets were blessedly quiet.
It only made Aeyrin's mood better. No gawkers, no judgmental gossip-mongers. It was so quiet. She could just enjoy the crisp night air and the beautiful light of the moons above. Secunda was full tonight. It always meant that the night would be extra cold, she had already learned that little unfortunate truth during her time in Skyrim, but the Companions armor was very warm, shielding her from the worst of it.
She took the path through the Wind District instead of the marketplace this time. She knew that she would likely run into people outside the Mare and she wanted to avoid that. She didn't want to give anyone the opportunity to ruin her night, to get her into the state she had been in yesterday. She'd had enough of that. Today was supposed to be a respite.
There was only one drunkard outside of the Drunken Huntsman and he was too busy swaying by the tavern's wall and trying to regain his balance. Her path was clear.
She made her way through the streets towards the sapling near the temple. It was still small, but she could see how much it had grown after all this time. She always loved seeing the little tree's progress and growth. It was beautiful. And it was blossoming, like always, like all year. No winter or fall could ever stop it.
With a smile etched on her face, she passed the sapling and continued onwards towards Jorrvaskr. She didn't hear any noise coming from the back yard or from inside, but she could make out two figures by the cliffs nearby, illuminated by the moonlight.
When she got closer, she recognized Aela and Skjor standing there. She had expected all the Circle members here, and the Harbinger, but maybe they were all inside.
"Aeyrin, I'm glad you're here," Aela smiled at her warmly.
"Good to see you again, girl," Skjor nodded at her in greeting too.
Aeyrin returned the smiles, but she still couldn't help but look around the area. Nobody was there, nobody was outside. But maybe they would come later? Maybe they were all still waiting for them.
"Come, let's get in," Aela gestured with her hand towards the cliffside.
'In'? Into a cliff? What?
Skjor approached the rocks first and he moved his hand to one particular spot. Aeyrin couldn't see what he did there in the dark – if it was a button or a lever or something – but a part of the cliff suddenly started to move – the rocks parted, revealing a cavern, right there, below the Skyforge.
Skjor disappeared inside instantly and Aeyrin felt a nudge from behind her as she stared at the scene. Aela was ushering her inside as well.
Aeyrin was still a bit dumb-struck from the scene, but she followed. She entered something that seemed like a small cavern, but she couldn't see a thing. It was pitch-black all around her. She jumped a little in spot when she heard the stones shift behind her once more. She couldn't help it. It was eerie. She didn't really think that there was anything bad in the cavern, but such complete darkness made her uneasy no matter what.
But luckily it looked like she wouldn't have to spend too long in the darkness. She heard a flint ignite and then the crackling of flames as torchlight illuminated Skjor's face some distance away from her, deeper inside the cavern.
She felt a hand land on her shoulder in reassurance a second later, and Aela's voice behind her ear.
"I know it's odd, dark cave in the middle of the night. But it's tradition. We are here to welcome you among us as the newest member of the Circle, though I'm sure you've expected that," she chuckled.
She had expected that. What else could it be? She didn't expect this place, but that didn't matter much.
"Kind of," she smiled at Aela wryly. "What else could it be? And it was obviously not that urgent. I'm… sorry about that…" It had been months since Aela had first asked her to meet her here. Every single time something drove Aeyrin away instead
"It's alright," Aela smirked. "Like you said, not urgent. But important nonetheless. You have earned your place here, among the best of the Companions."
Aeyrin wasn't sure how. She was sure that the other junior members did countless more contracts. Was it just because she was the Dragonborn? They had given her special treatment from the start. But… she didn't really get along well with the other junior members because of that. She wouldn't say no to actually belonging among the Circle, those that had been kind and welcoming to her from the start.
But there was still something that bothered her about this place. As Skjor finished lighting the sparse torches around the circular cave further in, only with some sort of basin in the middle, otherwise empty, she couldn't help but wonder. She didn't really want to see them. Not after last night, not after their hunt for Bishop, but… she was still confused about their absence.
"Where are Vilkas and Farkas?"
"Ah… well…" Aela scowled at the question, as if she had been hoping that Aeyrin wouldn't ask. "We've had… some… differences."
Aeyrin gave her a questioning look. She could tell many times before that there seemed to be some bad blood between Aela and Vilkas, but she still didn't understand why they wouldn't come here. Was it because of Bishop? They knew that she was still with him now.
"They… they never shared my opinion. They don't believe you should join the Circle," Aela sighed regretfully.
What? Was she serious? Aeyrin would understand if they had a problem with her joining now. She was harboring a wanted man, no matter how unjust Bishop's bounty was, it could be viewed as problematic by the Companions, especially those who wanted to claim it. But she said 'never'. Aela wanted to meet her here even before everyone knew about the bounty. That meant that they didn't want her to join them because of something else.
"W-why?" she asked, trying to imagine the possible reasons. "Is it… is it because I'm an elf? I thought they were just making jokes about that. Offensive ones, but… still…" she scowled. Vilkas and Farkas often made quips about her being a 'tiny weak elf' or some such, but she never thought that they actually believed her to not be enough to be in that Circle of theirs. That was… hurtful.
Maybe she didn't deserve to be in the Circle though. Maybe they didn't want her there for the same reasons why she had these doubts. She wasn't really a proper Companion. She didn't live here with them, she barely did any contracts, except for when she needed money, and she didn't get along with everyone at Jorrvaskr.
But if that was the case, why cause this in the first place? It was Farkas and Vilkas who took interest in her. And Aela too, a little, but those two for the most part. They gave her special treatment. They dragged her away from the junior members to welcome her in their fold instead and now they didn't want her?
She was mad at them about Bishop, true, she didn't really want to see them or talk to them, but this still hurt.
"Does it matter why?" Aela gave her a challenging look. "Are you going to let them decide this for you?"
"N-no…" Aeyrin sighed. Aela had a point, but it still felt… odd. She wasn't wanted here. It felt wrong in a way. But at the same time… she didn't want to give Vilkas and Farkas the satisfaction.
"Is Bishop alright?" Aela suddenly tore her attention away with a change of subject. Maybe she could already see how much Aeyrin started to overthink this.
Aeyrin looked towards Skjor briefly. He could definitely hear them talk. Was it alright to talk about Bishop in front of him? But Aela only gave her a reassuring nod and a warm smile. He probably knew what was going on anyway.
"Y-yeah. He's fine," Aeyrin nodded, before she looked up into Aela's golden eyes with sincerity. "Thank you." She didn't even want to imagine what would have happened if it wasn't for Aela.
"I'd say you're welcome, but I didn't do it for you," Aela chuckled. "Well… maybe in a way, but not entirely. He… is not like a bandit at all. There's worth in him. Didn't seem right."
"He hasn't been a bandit for a long time now," Aeyrin nodded. And even before, when he was one, he wasn't exactly a regular bandit, reveling in the brutality of that life.
"Yeah, I gathered as much," Aela nodded. "I'm glad I found him first."
"Me too," Aeyrin nodded. She really didn't want to think about the alternatives.
"Now, come," Aela smiled encouragingly. "Let me show you why we're here. There's a… ritual, of sorts, that needs to be held first." As she ushered Aeyrin towards the circular chamber, she ran her hand down the back of her upper arm – where there was no plate covering her to allow better mobility. Her fingers ran over Aeyrin's bare skin only very briefly, but it still sent shivers down her spine in the eerie cave.
"Heh, sorry, just checking. We're big on traditions," Aela winked at her. Were they? Aeyrin had always thought so, but it still felt strange that this wasn't… different. She had expected everyone there and probably some feast or something.
"Don't worry," Aela whispered to her ear with palpable amusement in her voice. She must have noticed Aeyrin's hesitation. "It's not an orgy or anything."
Aeyrin chuckled at her in response while she was led into the chamber. There was only that basin there, filled with liquid almost to the brim. Skjor was waiting patiently next to it. The place was already illuminated by three torches on the walls and Aeyrin noticed another passage leading further in. But other than that, there was nothing else in there. She still expected something grander for a Companions ceremony, but truth be told, she was kind of relieved that she didn't have to be the center of attention for people who resented her all evening.
With nothing else to concentrate on, Aeyrin looked at the only thing of interest there – the basin. The liquid looked strange. It was definitely not water, but it didn't look like anything she had seen before. It was kind of dark. She couldn't make out what it was in the dim room but… wait… it looked like…
"Is that blood?" Aeyrin gasped. She wasn't sure why, but things like this always just gave her the creeps. No matter the fact that blood was used in numerous ceremonies.
"Yes," Aela nodded calmly. "It is the blood of our predecessors. Our blood too. Each Companion chosen for the honor to become one of us adds a few drops of their own into the basin. This represents all of us since the time of Ysgramor. It is what ties us together in a… special bond."
"So… I should… add my blood to it?" Aeyrin gave her a questioning look. It was kind of nice – all of them sacrificing a bit of themselves to create this… collective whole. She still wasn't exactly sure whether it was her place, since she was unwelcome by the others. And… even the Harbinger wasn't here. Shouldn't he be? Did he not want her to join the Circle either?
"Not yet," Aela shook her head. "We will do that another time, when you have… spent some time as one of us. It is not part of the initiation."
Ah, alright. That was less… permanent then. That was good. Aeyrin really didn't want to go through some dramatic spats if the others had a problem with her being here.
"This isn't the part where you give back from yourself," Skjor nodded at her. His expression was always so serious, but his voice was kind. He stepped around the basin and approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder while he stood slightly behind her in a supportive gesture. "This is where you take what you've rightfully earned."
"How?" Aeyrin couldn't help it. It still bothered her. "How have I earned this? I'm barely here. I barely do any work for you."
"It's not about quantity, Aeyrin," Aela smiled. "It's about who you are. You are a strong warrior. Strong enough to face dragons and the dangers of the wilderness every day. You are a worthy hunter. Worthy and deserving of the power we offer. We are confident that you will not squander it."
"'Power'?" Aeyrin looked at her in surprise. What did that mean? There was something to gain besides status? Or was she talking about the status. The Companions were very well regarded everywhere, but Aeyrin had no illusions about this ceremony giving her a break from those vultures outside.
"There's power in our blood," Skjor's voice echoed from behind her and he squeezed her shoulder again. His hand hadn't left her this entire time. "I think it's time."
Aeyrin was starting to feel uneasy about how confusing this was getting. It didn't sound like just some ceremony anymore for some reason.
"I think you're right," Aela gave Skjor a brief smile before she looked at Aeyrin again with strange eagerness in her eyes. "It's time for you to see what I mean. What we are."
Aeyrin kept staring at Aela in confusion, but then, something started to happen.
Her body began… contorting, rapidly transforming. Her hair seemed to grow longer and her black armor suddenly sprung off at the buckles holding it together. It was as if it was made to be torn off like this easily. Aeyrin had always thought that the buckles seemed oddly flimsy and now it seemed that it was on purpose. Aela was completely naked under it as well, but her body soon got covered by long auburn hair.
Or… fur.
The only thing recognizable was the color. And the golden eyes piercing her with their gaze and a very familiar glint in them.
For a moment, all thought left Aeyrin's head entirely. There was nothing, no reaction, no gasp of shock. She just stared. There was a word repeating in her mind, over and over, and it wouldn't let anything else inside.
A werewolf. A werewolf. A werewolf.
She felt like she couldn't breathe. Was she even breathing?
When her mind cleared a bit from the word, images and words started to flash by – everything that happened, everything that now made sense. Karnwyr's behavior around them, the mauled corpses in the dungeon she raided with Farkas so long ago, when he disappeared from her sight for a while. She couldn't even make sense of all those memories suddenly overwhelming her in a very different light.
"It's alright."
She felt a hand on hers as Skjor spoke in a reassuring tone. She hadn't even noticed that she began to clutch her Stendarrite amulet subconsciously. She never took it off, not even for this. And she never took off Bishop's ring on a chain around her neck either. Those would never come off. But now Skjor was reaching for her hand and he gently removed her own from the amulet.
"It's an honor." He kept talking, kept holding her shoulder, but all she could concentrate on was the auburn-furred werewolf in front of her.
Not werewolf… Aela.
Or… no… it was the same thing. She wasn't human, not anymore. That's what they taught her. That's what Vuaerion said. None of them were human. Why did she seem human? Why did she act like her friend? Why did she protect Bishop from the twins?
Why would she do that if she was a monster?
Aeyrin needed to take a breath. She needed to understand.
"Drink."
WHAT?!
She felt pressure on her shoulder, Skjor ushering her to bend down and drink from the basin. Drink blood.
Drink werewolf blood.
Was that how it was done? She had learned about curses, but not this. Not like this. That was impossible, wasn't it? And she wouldn't drink blood! She wouldn't do anything until she understood.
Until she understood how her friend, how all of them could have been beasts underneath the façade.
Her breathing was still coming out in shocked gasps, but she shook her head vehemently in response. Could Aela speak like this? She wanted to talk to her. She felt strange with Skjor holding her like that. She just wanted it all to stop now and to leave this place and to calm down and think clearly for just a second.
But Aela didn't speak and Skjor never let go of her. She felt like Shouting, but she didn't want to. She didn't want to do anything to them until she could make sense of things.
And then, Aela made a sound. It was no word, nothing that might classify as 'speech'. It was a grunt. But it sounded oddly… affirmative.
Like she was telling her to go ahead.
It was too late when Aeyrin realized that Aela hadn't been communicating with her.
The pressure on her shoulder got suddenly violent and she was shoved forward before she could react, bent over the basin. Skjor still clutched her hand and now he yanked it back, twisting it behind her back painfully.
Aeyrin let out an involuntary gasp at the shock, but before she could even close her mouth, her entire head got submerged in the blood. Skjor's hand left her shoulder and instead it tangled in her hair, holding her there under the surface.
She struggled. She tried as hard as she could, but she was in no way a match for Skjor's pure strength, especially when he held her subdued like that. She wanted to Shout, but she couldn't. She could do nothing at all.
Was he going to drown her in this? Was he going to turn her into that monster and then let her die, forever trapped in Oblivion as Hircine's beast?
She could taste copper on her tongue. There was no way to escape some blood getting in like this. Especially since she was pretty sure that she had swallowed some right away with that stupid gasp of hers.
Her mind felt blank again, she couldn't even process this.
She felt strange. She felt… different. She didn't know what it was. It was like something was screaming inside of her and trying to tear its way out. It was terrifying.
And then she felt Skjor yank her head back.
She took a deep gasp, but that was all she could do before she felt it. Like something was pushing her away, pushing her consciousness aside.
The only thing she could process were the last words, uttered by Skjor and echoing through the chamber. His tone felt disturbingly merry.
"Don't worry. You'll be thanking us later."