Chapter 20 — The Fourth Hunter

Kirsa and I exit the Myriad Realms in my home in Whiterun. Since there'll be little point to her joining me and Aela right now, I tell her to stay and make herself at home — though she makes me promise to take her on more adventures when we get the chance to.

The walk to Jorrvaskr is quiet. I run into Lucia, who tells me her training is going well — she even learned her first healing spell, though she can't keep it up for long yet.

Reaching Jorrvaskr, I head towards the back, where everyone is training. And since it's still early, I decide to join in for a bit. I can smell Aela inside, but she's near a few other wolves, so I don't want to interrupt whatever's happening.

My Strength increase from becoming a wolf myself is incredible. 20 Strength, even in human form, is nothing to sneeze at, and now that I'm training against humans once more, it becomes noticeable. I'm getting stronger and faster than most of them, which irks me a bit. To increase my skills, I need a challenge — whether it be of the tracked variety, or the actual weapon skills I have. I'm not sure of the difference — I've sometimes noticed that I know things I never learned, because I received skill increases from unrelated sources, and some knowledge is just granted by having a certain skill level. Perhaps just increasing the numbers will actually make me better at, say, swordfighting.

To push myself, after a while I fight Ria and Torvar at the same time. They're good with their weapons, probably even matching me, but they're so much slower and weaker that it's unfair otherwise. I pass it off as Dragonborn bullshit, and telling them I want the actual skills instead of just being magically stronger and faster has them fight me without complaint.

Besides, it's also good training for them on how to fight together against superhuman opponents.

We fight with sharp, and I heal any injuries dealt to me or them right away. Something about the pain being real forces us to take the training more seriously, even if I can heal it.

Before long, it's late afternoon, and Aela comes out, seeking me out immediately. She must have smelled me.

"Do'samma. Found anything interesting?"

"Could say that. A group of vampires burned the Hall of the Vigilant to the ground, and attempted to excavate a nearby crypt."

"Those must have been some pretty powerful vampires. But that's not really why I tracked you down. Come to the Underforge with me."

I follow her, and two minutes later we're in the secluded cave.

"You smell like a wolf, but you told me you wouldn't take it? Was it a feral?"

"No. It was you, in a way. Remember what I told you about why I trusted Kirsa?"

"Something about your special ability?"

"Yep. When Lydia liked and trusted me enough, I got that ability. And when you liked and trusted me enough, at the end there when I send you back, I got the wolfblood. But unlike if I'd have become one from drinking your blood, this is separate from Hircine. My soul remains my own." I grin at her. "And I still get to be your pack mate."

"The others." Aela says, staring at a blank wall.

"Eh, what?"

"The reason Kodlak, Vilkas, and Farkas want to stop being wolves, is because it consigns their souls to Hircine's Hunting Grounds instead of Sovngarde. If they drink your blood…"

"I don't know for sure, but I don't think it works that way."

"Worth a try?"

"Worth bringing up to Kodlak. He's been researching all this, right?"

"Oh, right. I'll bring it up. If we could remain a pack, while they also get to have their chosen afterlife… that'd be amazing."

"It'd certainly be. And how do you feel about definitely not remaining the only wolf?"

She smiles and hugs me. Not a desperately tight hug, or a fearful one begging for comfort. A content, caring, restful hug.

I hold her for a few moments.

"I'm… glad. Do'samma, words can't express..."

I release her, and she steps back with a silly grin on her face. "Then how about we use actions instead? I've been wanting to try out transforming, and maybe you can show me the ropes."

"I'd like that."

—A Dragon's Game—

When dusk falls, we are in the Underforge again, and transform into our wolf forms together. She leads me to another exit, a drop-down outside the city walls. It needs to be unlatched from the inside, and we can't use this one to get back inside.

At first, we just run over the tundra. It's exhilarating how fast we can go if we push ourselves, and I get the gait down instinctively. The smells are interesting. As a Khajiit, I got a pretty good nose, but being a werewolf boosts it even further. I pick up the scent of a deer, and glance at Aela. She trots over, inspecting the scent I found, and nods.

We follow the trail, occasionally slowing down to stay the course. Before long, we set our sights on our quarry.

Normally, wolves would chase their prey for hours before taking it down. But as werewolves, we're stronger and faster, and the chase only lasts a minute or two.

A minute or two of the most fun I've ever had, but drawing it out isn't fun. I go for the kill, biting the doe's throat. It tries to jerk away, but can't move against my powerful jaws. Her delicious blood flows into my mouth, and I tighten as much as I can. Blood flows into her windpipe, and the doe suffocates.

Aela rubs her head against my shoulder in affectionate approval, and we eat.

A quarter of a deer later, we lie down together, backs against each other.

As people, we'd have talked, but wolves have no need of such banality. We are together, we have eaten, we are safe. There needs to be nothing else. And while I know those instincts might be dangerous if always followed, always ignoring them would ruin my life just as much.

Suddenly, a white shimmering light emerges from underneath our dinner. Aela and I stand up, on guard.

The light coalesces into the shape of the deer, and it speaks with a strong, male voice.

"My most loyal wolf. And the first shapeshifter not doing so through my power. I sensed your glorious hunt, and you have drawn my curiosity."

Hircine. Why do all Daedric Lords always have to ruin my day? I transform into my normal form so I can talk. Beside me, Aela does the same.

"Lord Hircine." I greet him. No reason to alienate him. "I am Do'samma. Do you take issue with my not being bound to you?"

"The bonds between me and my shapeshifters are not to shackle you, mortal. They are required to transform themselves into powerful hunters, and through them, I can sense and bask in their hunts, their worship. Then, when their lives end, it grants them a place in my realm, allowing them to continue their hunts. However, it concerns me that one of my brethren might attempt to imitate me. For I am the Lord of the Hunt, and in this I will tolerate no rival. If one arises, we will hunt each other, until a true Lord of the Hunt emerges."

"I am bound to no Daedra. Despite my pact with Sanguine for conjuration, I am Dibella's champion in full. I can shape-shift because Aela can. But while I know this, I don't know what power decreed it would be so, and no Aedra or Daedra has claimed it."

"An unknown rival is the most dangerous. I strongly desire to turn you into my own, because now I do not trust you to interact with mine, as you might shackle them, or prevent them from the hunt."

"I am a fragment of Akatosh, Hircine. I cannot allow that."

The deer trots closer and sniffs at me. "This is true, and wise on your part. If I had your part of Akatosh's power, I would have unfettered access to Nirn."

"I bear you no ill will, Prince, and I care for Aela. Could we come to some other arrangement?"

"A task, then. I will set you a prey to hunt, and you will earn my trust. Will that work?"

"I won't slay an innocent for you."

"An innocent he is not. Sinding stole my ring, in an attempt to force control of his gift. But I do not look kindly on thieves, and my ring rebelled against him, forcing him to shift. I set this task for the two of you. Find Sinding in Bloated Man's Grotto, and under the blood moon, hunt him down. In return, I will allow you to live among my pack, without the bond. And Aela will receive my ring, for her years of hunting, and looking out for others in my pack."

I glance at Aela, who nods. Then I turn back to Hircine. "We accept this task. Is he there now?"

"Yes. Hunt well."

The silvery light disperses, and we're alone again.

"I know of him." Aela says.

"Sinding?"

"Yeah. He was in Falkreath, and slew a girl of seven years old. Just tore open her throat. He got caught, but transformed and escaped. Vilkas went to check it out, but couldn't find his trail."

"Then it's good we know where he is now."

"Indeed." Aela responds. "Even being a feral doesn't remove responsibility, and it sounded like he didn't even try to keep others safe. We will hunt him down and slaughter him like the animal he is."

"To Bloated Man's Grotto, then. It's quite close to here."

Aela transformed, and I follow suit.

—A Dragon's Game—

With our long, loping gait, we reached the grotto well within the hour.

The entrance was tight, but the red light shone through already.

Inside, it appeared to show us the night sky, but it can't have been. Instead of the same Masser and Secunda we were used to, a red moon shone, illuminating the landscape as if covered in blood.

We trot into a clearing near the entrance. The number of smells that fight for my attention is confusing, but Aela is more used to it than I. A small whine draws my attention, and I head over to her.

Ah, she found Sinding's scent. I can tell it's a transformed werewolf, now that she draws my attention to it. I'll get the hang of it in time.

We track him across the clearing, dodging the corpses of several other hunters, all with the distant scent of Hircine. He'd clearly invited other hunters as well, but none of them appreciably slowed this werewolf down.

Once we have his direction, we pick up speed. Aela goes first, being the more experienced tracker, but I learn fast. And it feels natural to hunt. Still, I concentrate on keeping my head in the game. This Sinding won't be a pushover, the corpses of the hunters near the entrance show that.

The wind is at our backs, which is bad — he'll smell us before we smell him, and might lie in ambush. On the other hand, if we are too careful about ambushes, he might extend his lead on us. No real good options, but we're with two against his one.

I cast Courage on Aela. I'm not risking anything more than I have to. I also take the lead — healing myself is easier than healing her. Aela lets me, though, with some reluctance.

We follow his trail until we find out the hard way that Sinding indeed lies in ambush.

He's on my neck before I even know it, but my mane is thick enough at the back. I twist, and I breathe out.

"Fire!" yol

Sinding yelps in surprise and jumps back from the fire. However, with just a single word, it's not powerful enough to take him down that easily. He recovers quick and attacks again, but he's lost the element of surprise.

He goes for the throat again, but I give him a good scratch over the snout. Sinding snarls and slashes back, but I catch his claw with my own.

A moment later, I start losing our contest of strength. He's stronger than I am.

Good thing that I'm not alone. Aela just got behind him, and Sinding cries out when she tears his lower back open.

He furiously turns around to retaliate, but during his turn, I get a hit in. I feel my nails carve at his ribs, but he's too tough to lethally injure that easy.

From there, Aela and I tag-team him, darting in and out of his reach, getting in any hit we can while remaining as safe as we can.

It takes an ungodly six minutes of bleeding him, but he slows down. Meanwhile, we only have minor scratches, and even that is mostly on our arms.

Aela gets in the first lethal hit, a horizontal cut across his belly with her claws.

He makes a mad dash towards her, but I trip him, and as he rolls over, get a good grip on his throat. I grab his wrists to keep his claws away from me, while locking my bite as hard as I can.

Aela darts to my aid, helping me hold down his arms. With all the blood he already lost, even the strength of desperation doesn't let him overcome us. I taste blood from his throat, and after a minute, he stills.

I withdraw my jaws from Sinding's throat. Slowly, he transforms back into his human shape. He's dead, may he forever be prey in the Hunting Grounds.

However, instead of transforming back like normal, the extra mass melts off, and collects into a pool of silver light, arising in the shape of Sinding's werewolf form.

"Well done, my hunters. You have displayed skill, persistence, and the strength to see the hunt to an end, and I will hold up my part of our bargain. Dragonborn, you are welcome to hunt with mine forever, if they and you agree." Hircine bends down in a move most irregular for a transformed werewolf, and deftly slips an engraved white bone ring off Sinding's finger.

The two of us shift back, as we'll probably need to respond to him verbally at some point.

The Daedric Prince continues. "Aela, my dearest daughter, I give you my ring. May it be a signal for all my people that you bear my favor beyond any other, for you are the most skilled of huntresses in this realm."

"Thank you, my Lord. I will not disappoint you." Aela the Huntress responds, accepting the ring. She kept her eyes slightly below his, which I recognized as the way wolves show deference among each other.

It's odd to see Aela of all people being submissive, but I won't tease her for something this important to her.

She puts the ring on the middle finger of her left hand, and I can feel her power surge. It bears a detailed engraving of a werewolf's head.

"Hunt well." With those parting words, Hircine's form dissolves into nothing.

Aela remains pensive, and I sit by her side. She doesn't need words, but she needs company.

Your Tracking has increased by 8 (36)!

Your Butchering has increased by 2 (28)!

Your Piercing Proficiency has increased by 2 (50)!

Apparently, eating in werewolf form increases Butchering, because I got this for that deer we ate. And the tracking is also a significant boost. It also seems like biting in wolf form increases Piercing Proficiency… I don't know what to think about that.

Suddenly, I feel my amulet warm up. The one I got from Babette, which would signal when the Brotherhood Sanctuary was in danger.

Aela is still pensive. I put an arm around her to get her attention. A second or two later, she looks at me.

"I got to go. Emergency. Might be gone for a few days, okay?"

She nods, and gazes forwards again, still processing everything with Sinding and Hircine happening.

I can't really do anything for her, and it's not like she's in any danger. I kiss her on the crown of her head and step away into oblivion. I need to grab Kirsa and get to the Sanctuary as fast as I can. Can't take Aela with me — explaining would take far too much time, even though I think I could convince her it was okay.

A/N: Well, that took a while. I had most of it fast enough, but those 300 words of combat took three weeks. Though admittedly I wrote most of Harry Potter and the Coven of Life during that time, or at least what I already published. Check it out if you haven't — unlike A Dragon's Game, it's only on QuestionableQuesting and . This is because of a NSFW concentration to high for Spacebattles.