Well this is miserable… William let out a small sigh as he trudged through the thick mud of the road, frigid rain still falling in sheets on them. M'rissi beside him was struggling to keep up with him, buried under his cloak to shelter her from the cold rain, and inadvertently dragging the precious heirloom through the mucky road with her shorter stature. Not that it actually bothered William. The cloak was more than sturdy enough and would be cleanable later. Keeping her from freezing to death in this rain was far more important. He himself was rather accustomed to the cold after his years growing up here in Skyrim. But even with his cold tolerance, this rain was getting to him with it's unending torrents.

"H-how much furtherrr to this Rifeteeeen?" M'ri's voice broke his thoughts, earning her a glance.

"A few miles I think. We should reach there today."

"Good. She needs a bath… And a warm bed." She tiredly staggered along, her eyes focused forward the whole time.

"If we can find one… listen, M'ri… I'm not comfortable taking you into Riften."

"Why's that?" she didn't hesitate in responding, nor did she seem anything but curious with him.

"Riften is as filled with crime as a chamber pot is filled with dung. If word has reached here about a bounty for a strange Kajiit, I wouldn't put it past anyone attacking us in the streets. "

"M'rissi will protect her Rrrangerrr! No nasty criminals allowed." She smiled to him from inside the cowl of his own cloak, her eyes meeting his.

"If you say so, fluffbut." William couldn't help but chuckle at her a little, rolling his eyes.

"What does she keep telling you about calling her anything but her name!?" she attempted to stamp her feet while she was walking, only succeeding in a slushy plop in the muck.

"Your name is fluffy though, isn't it?" he couldn't resist the urge to tease her again, knowing he was about to be smacked again for it. but she was adorably funny when annoyed like this, and she always seemed a little happier after so it was worth it for him.

"It is not! It's M'rissi! You will use it!" she crossed her arms as she huffed indignantly, her nose upturned to him.

"Hah sure it is… Fluffbut."

As he had been expecting, she swung for the back of his head, as quick as she could. Not that he let her succeed for a change, lazily ducking the swing and returning to walking as though not a thing happened. "Hey, you aren't supposed to dodge her! it makes her look bad!"

"Well, maybe she shouldn't be so predictable!"

"Quiet you!" she tutted at him, attempting to speed up and get ahead of him, not that she could in the slick muck.

"So M'rissi… I really meant what I said. About having you make camp outside the city… I don't want you getting hurt and Riften is…"

"She told you, she can take care of herself! She's not leaving your side… Not again…"

William let out a small sigh, shrugging. "Alright. But you are keeping the cloak on… should probably just buy you one at this point so you quit stealing mine."

"A cloak for M'rissi? M'rissi would like that! She would like a new bow too! Ranger did make her drop her's."

"Alright, we'll see." He smiled to her again, resting his hand on the pummel of his sword as they continued through the thick mud.

"TO JORGE BEAR-HAND!" the shout was echoed by all in the hall a couple dozen mugs all thrust into the air.

"To booze!" Jorge responded by thrusting his own mug in the air, grinning manically himself. "Oh, and ta companions of course!" he jokingly bowed to the group, gaining several laughs as he plopped down on the bench for Jorvaskr's dining table, taking a massive gulp from his mug at the same time. This particular little party was for their successful recovery of a fragment of Wuthrad. Not that Jorge cared much. Much like the knowledge of all of the inner circle of the companions being werewolves mattered any to Jorge. He was happy to have booze to drink, and folk to drink it with.

"I still can't believe we made it back! How many of those silver hand did we cut through?" Sophia's words were already slurring slightly. It didn't help that she had already drunk a whole bottle of wine before the toasts had started.

"Donno… thirty somtin… I think?" Jorge shrugged, not really caring himself, taking another massive gulp of mead.

"Don't you go selling yourself short! You killed about thirty yourself! Including Sophia and I and it was probably in the sixties Jorge!" Farkas called from across the table, laughing aloud.

"Is that truly so Farkas?" Kodlak, smirked from his seat at the center of the table, reserved for him as the companions Harbinger.

"I'd swear on my life! Jorge definitely has a fire in his heart! I would be his shield brother to oblivion and back! Sophia's too, if she were one of us!"

"Ah. That is always good to hear. As much as I miss the days of drink and kin, I think my old bones need to turn in for the night. To the Companions!" Kodlak raised his mug once more as he stood, the hall vibrating as every voice returned his toast. With one last drink, the older man slipped away and down the stairs for the sleeping quarters.

"Hey Jorge, come with us!" Aela called out to him as she and the others of the circle stood, leaving their empty mugs on the table.

"Alright, where we goin?" He stood and set his mug down, Sophia instantly doing the same.

"Just outside. Members of the Circle only." Aela glared at Sophia with a fair level of disdain. Nor was it the first time she had.

"oh, lay off it a little Aela, Sophia has as much a right as Jorge. If she had joined us, I'd feel the same for her as I do Jorge." Farkas clapped Aela's shoulder chuckling as he stepped out the back doors to the hall.

Jorge quickly followed, the members of the circle all moving toward the skyforge. But, instead of moving up the steps, they moved to the rock face beneath it, Aela opening a hidden door in the rock itself before beckoning for the pair to come inside. It lead to a short tunnel and into a single room, just large enough for the group to gather around a large stone basin.

"Welcome to the Underforge. We of the circle all share a secret. A blood line, passed down for over an age now. A secret that both of you now know. Here, is where each of us was gifted it." Vilkas was the one to speak, calmly, almost as though he was speaking from a rite.

"The blood of the wolf runs in each of the circle. It is a bond, and a gift only for the fiercest of warriors. One that the circle has agreed to share with you, to welcome you among us."

Crap… this won't look good. Jorge sighed, shaking his head. "I'm afraid I'll have to decline."

"What!? You saw what Farkas could do!? This isn't like a rogue werewolf, these people have control! And it's pretty cool so why not?" Sophia gently grabbed Jorge's arm, but he kept his eyes on the circle.

"I… to be honest, it's an honor that ya trust me so, but I can't. it's not like I wouldn't take the wolfs blood from ya, I can't take it…" he shrugged, hoping they didn't press for more. No matter what, he knew they would.

"Why cant you? The only way you couldn't is if you were a vampire, that we know of at least?" Vilkas.

"It's… it'sa long story my friend." Jorge dropped his eyes, not wanting to tell the story if he was honest. It was uncomfortable to him at the best of times. "But I'm not a vampire, if that's what yer askin."

"If you want to join with us in the circle, go through the rite. Let it decide if you can or not." Farkas finally spoke up, calm and concise.

"Alright… but I'm tellin' ya, it won't work." Jorge shrugged.

"Aela, if you will." Vilkas nodded to the huntress, who shared that nod before her body began to deform, ripping out of her clothes into the bipedal form of a werewolf. She then held her arm over the basin, Vilkas using a knife to open a massive gash in her forearm. It allowed her blood to spill forth, filling the basin before her wound healed before their eyes. Once filled, Vilkas dipped an ornate goblet into the blood before passing it to Jorge.

"Drink, and you will be one of us."

"So this is how werewolves are made… I always thought it was a bit raunchery… or bitery…" Sophia muttered to herself, quietly enough that Jorge doubted more than he and Vilkas heard her.

He accepted the goblet, grimacing before he chugged it, trying to not catch the metallic taste of the blood. It wasn't a foreign taste to him, having his fair share of bar brawls ending with blood in his mouth, but having to intentionally drink it simply felt off for him, his body shuddering and threatening to vomit. After a few moments though, he felt a familiar tingling sensation, exactly as he expected. A werewolf's curse was magic after all. Several moments passed, the group all staring at him.

"He's… not changing?" Farkas broke the silence, his brow funneled in confusion. A moment later, and Aela was shifting back into her human form, still utterly naked and not a care that she was.

"Told ya." Jorge merely crossed his arms with an annoyed huff. Personally, he kind of hoped it would work, but he knew from a run in with a vampire a few years ago who also tried to turn him that it was never going to work.

"How? It always has?" Vilkas took the goblet from Jorge glancing inside as though to make sure he had in fact emptied it.

Damn it… I don't think I'm getting out of this one without an explanation… Jorge let out a sigh, moving to the rough cut wall and sitting against it. "Long story short, I don know." His eyes dropped to the floor, not wanting to look at any of them. He knew he had to give them more than that, but part of why he drank all the time was this story of his. He tried to never think of it. live life in the moment, instead of living in the past.

"What do you mean you don' know!? You seemed pretty certain it wouldn't work in the first place, so you must know something?" Sophia leaned against the wall beside him, brushing hair from her eyes.

"Honestly, I don'. It's not like I didn't try to find out. Firs' thing I remember is wakin' up in the middle of a field, bout twenty years ago. All I knew was my name. but Skyrim was familiar too me. I knew names, places, how to get there, but hadn't a clue to how I knew. I can only guess I knew the land before I awoke that day…"

"What do you mean, 'woke up'?" Aela snapped at him, glaring.

"Well what do ya think I mean!? I woke up! That's it! I guess I was about eighteen or so. By my math, I should be sittin at thirty-eight. But I don' remember a thing from before I woke up that day! And I was in the middle of a field with naught but my axe and the clothes on my back!"

"But, how did you know the rite wouldn't work?" Sophia was much calmer, her voice quiet and curious.

Jorge let out a small sigh, still having no desire to explain it to them. Ah, screw it, imma just show em'. "Vilkas, hand me that knife." He held his hand out, Vilkas obliging him without question. As soon as he had the knife in hand, he sliced his other hand open, pain bursting across his palm as blood spurted out.

"Oblivion, why!?" Sophia jumped up off the wall, immediately moving to rip some clothe from her tunic after ripping the knife away from him.

"No, stop, hit me with a spell Sophia. Don't matter what, just don't ues healin' magic."

"Are you crazy!? I only know destruction anyway, and I'd kill you!"

"Just do it."

She shook her head, muttering under her breath before forming a fireball over her hand. she didn't cast it though, biting her lip.

"Just throw the damn thing will ya? This hurts enough as is!" he raised his voice a little at her, fully understanding her hesitation. If the roles had been reversed, he would have been hesitating too.

His voice jogged her into action, throwing the tiny fire ball at him, but it was plenty. The flames washed against him, most of the group dancing away from the sudden heat. But that heat was no more than comfortable warmth for Jorge, his body tingling all over, and extra so where the gash was. As the spell finished, so did the tingling sensation, Jorge holding out his blood covered hand for the group to inspect. He could already feel that the wound had indeed healed.

Confused, Sophia quickly wiped the blood away, finding a scar in place of the wound. She let out a small gasp, stepping back from him. "Wh-what in the divine!?"

"I know right? I don' know why it happens… but magic can't hurt me. It just heals me." He shrugged, wishing he had a more satisfying answer. But he didn't. that being the reason he stopped caring years ago, simply living life as it came.

"So when the dragon hit you with that fire…" Sophia was quiet as she inspected his hand once more, her touch gentle and calm.

"It healed me. Yeah."

"How long have you known?" Aela spoke up again, her arms crossed over her bare breasts.

"Since about a year after I woke up. Bandits got me run through with a spear. Knew I was gonna die, decided to take em with me. One of the other bandits hit me with a lightning bolt. Boy were we both surprised when the spear lodged in my chest flew out and the wound sealed. Spent a few years at the college of Winterhold, trying to figure out what the hell was up with me. All I know is I can't cast magic, and magic can't hurt me. That's it." he shrugged, wishing he could tell them more. But at this point, it was all he knew as well.

"That's it? that's the only explanation you have!? You just shrugged off the wolf's blood like it was just bad booze and that's the only explanation you have!" Aela snapped at him, glaring across the still full basin.

"That's it. Spent half my life trying to find more of a reason, but I can't! at this point, I'm just here for the booze and the fightin and that's it."

"Huh… do we still consider him a part of the circle if he doesn't share in the wolf's blood?" Farkas finally spoke again, his quiet question drawing the group's attention.

"I don't see why not. It's not for lack of willingness after all. Kodlak will want to hear of this though." Vilkas slipped by them, heading up the tunnel for entrance.

"I am inclined to agree." Aela shrugged, slipping into some clothes of her's that were folded and set on one of the outcrops of the wall, finally covering her nude body. Once done, she followed Farkas out, leaving Jorge and Sophia alone in the Underforge.

"You know… I first heard of you in the tavern of Winterhold… I guess this is why they remember you so well?"

"Yeah, I guess. I did start my drinkin' there." He shrugged, pulling his hand from her so he could cross his arms.

"Have you ever told anyone about this? Apart from the mages…"

"No. and only the one mage ever believed me. The other's always thought it was an act and brushed it off."

"Wow… can't say I've ever heard of anything like this before myself… but I guess it means I never have to worry about hitting you on a job, do i?" She beamed at him, letting out a small chuckle.

"Please don' though. I'd like to keep this as down low as possible. Don't need folk thinking I'm anything special." Jorge shrugged, unable to not smile back to her.

"But you are, aint ya? Weird magic bullshite aside. Wouldn't be followin ya if I thought otherwise." She turned away, beginning to follow the others out of the underforge.

"Careful there Sophy, you might start soundlin like you want to do more than follow me." He smirked at here, popping off the wall.

"For the last time, I don't mean half the shite I say the way it comes out, alright?"

"Whatever you say Sophia!" he smiled, knowing she had to be blushing as she always did. It was rather cute of her. Ya know, I let her join me on a whim… but I think it's the best decision I've ever made. She makes life so much more interestin. He smiled at his thought, watching the woman as he followed her out of the Underforge.

The streets around them were empty and barren, which was mostly understandable given the heavy rain still pelting them. Even the merchant stalls were all empty, no one bothering to try and sell anything in this weather. So M'ri quietly followed behind William as he led her through the town. Not that they themselves were out in the rain for long, as he led them to an inn just off the market square. Inside was bright and warm, filled with patrons of all colors, even a few lizard like Argonians. No one really paid them any heed, each either lost in their own conversations or mugs. So she thought at least.

"You there, traveler. You look in need of a bit of coin." A man had slipped from his seat near the door when they entered, M'rissi instinctively reaching for the dagger on her hip.

"You'd be mistaken then." Ranger replied calmly and coldly to the man, almost boredly in fact.

"Oh come boy, I can tell you never earned an honest coin in your life. It's in the way you walk. The way you move."

"Brynolf. Think what you will. You don't know me."

The man's friendly expression turned to one of shock, blinking several times. "But evidently you know of me? How…?" he glanced between M'ri and William several times, continuing unprompted. "Oh… you're one of them aren't you? I guess the gig's up for me for now?"

"For now. But we could use some information. And an appraiser. I bet you know where to find that?"

"Of course I would. But you know what it will cost you." The man smirked, crossing his arms with surprising confidence.

"Not any septims, if a thief lousy enough to be known by name knows what's good for him." William mirrored his position, smirking at the other man.

"Hah, I like you kid. Know the Ragger Flagon?"

"Know of it. not been to."

"It's in the sewers. Find your way there, then maybe we can work out a deal." The man spun on the spot, returning to his drink at the table he had just left vacant.

"Um… William… who was that?"

"Brynolf. He's a member of the thieves' guild. Frankly, pretty desperate if they are trying to recruit folk in broad daylight. Come on, lets see if we can spend the night. Maybe get our clothes dry if were lucky." He gestured for her to follow him, moving toward the bar at the back of the room.

She didn't pay any attention to his conversation with the innkeeper, instead watching the people around them. At first, she felt it was a normal lively inn, likely busier than normal due to the inclement weather. But, as she watched, those around the tavern were constantly glancing around, flashes of concern discernable on their faces. As if every person was expecting something to go wrong. It was unsettling, filling the room with a soft fear that while almost palpable, was barely discernable. Like it lurked in the nooks and crannies of the room. Hidden from sight and smell. Simply waiting for it's moment to strike. It was a feeling she was all too familiar with.

"She really does not like this place…" she muttered more to herself than anything, her eyes darting around the room. She nearly jumped when someone gently squeezed her shoulder, glancing over to find Ranger giving her a calm smile.

"Got a room. And they have a bath and some robes we can use while our cltohes dry. Ladies first?"

"S-sure…"

He led the way up the inn's stairs, heading for the end of the hall found at the top of them. That door led to a small bath space, the stone tub large enough to fit a few people at once. Likely meant as a communal bath. Thankfully no one was currently using it, a stack of clean, grey robes laid out beside a wash basin for clothes. There was no clothes line for drying them though, so it left her to assume they would have to lay their clothes out in their rooms.

"Well, I was hoping for separate tubs or something… I guess I'll wait in the room." Will shrugged, turning back for the door out of the bath.

His words though brought a dozen rampant thoughts to M'rissi's mind, all of bandits or Thalmor taking advantage her being in the bath to take her away from here, not even her imagination able to puzzle together what they would do to her after. The lack of something to come after made the thought of that event occurring even more terrifying to her. "Wait, don't leave her! what if they come for her here!?"

William stopped before he could cross the threshold out of the room. He seemed to think for several moments, shaking his head. "I can wait outside the door?"

"N-No! I don't like this place Ranger!"

He let out a quiet sigh, slipping back inside and closing the door. "Okay. I'll clean our clothes while you bathe, keep me occupied. Work by you?"

"But… then you would see her naked!? Wouldn't you!?" she found her mind reeling again, it not crossing her mind a moment ago that him staying in the room would mean her naked in the same room as him. nor was it something she was comfortable with. Though, she herself wasn't even sure why it was so uncomfortable of a thought.

"I promise, I got no interest in looking. Once you're done, you can take over washing clothes while I clean up a little. Sound fair?" he held his hand out to her, smiling gently.

"Okay… but only if you promise her you won't peak!" she glared at him, satisfyied with his solution.

"Of course." He moved over to the stacks beside the wash basin, grabbing a towl and tossing it to her. "Hand me my cloak so I can get started with it."

She quietly obliged him, slipping his cloak off before handing it to him. as soon as he had it, he got busy scrubbing the cloth, completely facing away from her. she took a deep breath, her heart already racing. She was exhausted and tired, sure, but that wasn't what was making her muscles quiver now, slowly stripping out of her clothes until she was in her bare fur. Not that her fur was thick enough to hide any of her body. Something she found more than uncomfortable, and somehow seemed wrong to her. like her fur should be longer than it was. She tried to shrug it off, folding her towel and setting it beside the bath before gingerly moving as close behind William as she dared, so she could set her dirty clothes at his feet, scampering back as soon as she did. He wordlessly scooped up the clothes, tossing them in the basin to soak as he continued to scrub mud from his cloak.

She took another deep breath, watching him for several moments. As she did, her heart slowly calmed down, a small smile creeping onto her face. She shouldn't have been so worried… she trusts Ranger. And she knows he will always keep his word with her. with her thought, she finally slipped into the warm water, not sure how it was so. Nor did she care, that warmth being utterly blissful to her.