Kun Neh Oblaan: Malingren Kalah

by RedWolfGirl

Malingren Kalah is a collection of short stories set in the Kun Neh Oblaan storyline. If you have not read the main story, be warned these shorts have spoilers. More details on the individual stories are in my profile.

5. Mahrik the Mad

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skyrim or it's characters. This story is based on the game storyline, but does on occasion fall victim to my creative liberties. Some things may be out of order, non existent, or go off on a completely new path. Hope you will forgive me, and enjoy.

WARNING: This story is rated M for language, violence, and sexual situations.

Mahrik the Mad

24th of First Seed

I can't sleep. The nightmares are just too much. Aela says they'll slow down after a few years, but until then… I keep getting thrown back in that dungeon. No matter how hard I try, I keep going back. It's been almost two months, and I'm still there. He's still laughing.

So, I can't sleep. I won't sleep. Not sure why I'm writing this. Aela says it will help. So do the others. Says it will "get what's in my head out of my head". Whatever that means. But… I'm writing this, so maybe I believe them. Or maybe I've gone crazy. That's just as equally possible, considering.

I hear a voice in my head sometimes. It's… mostly nonsense. I can't make heads or tails of it. They say it's normal for a new wolf. That it's normal for the two minds to clash in the beginning. Normal. Like anything about these past few weeks has been normal? Half the time I can hardly function properly. A sound or movement will set me off and suddenly I don't know what's reality and what's a memory. I lose time. Blackout and wake up somewhere else. As someone else. Have I gone mad? Did that bastard drive me mad?

I need sleep. I want to sleep. I want to sleep so bad. But I can't. I won't. Maybe I should have died in that pit. I wish I had. I wish Aela hadn't saved me. If "saved" is even the word for what this is… I'm damned. I'm gone. Gone like the others in the dungeon. Only I'm not lucky enough to have died. They're the lucky ones. I'm just damned. Damned. Damned. Damned.

Alessia dropped the quill, her palms digging into her eyes. The headache was back. Or rather, it hadn't ever left and was just now flaring up again. It felt like her head was splitting in two. And technically, that was an accurate way to put it. The beast she now was was making room for itself in a way. Alessia sighed. No. Herself. The beast was making room for herself in their skull. It was a horrifying image, but one that Aela had used to better explain the change in her behavior and mannerisms.

The woman she once was was now dead. The human gone. Constantly the others were reminding her that she was no longer a "woman". That was for humans. As a werewolf, the term was now "female". She was not a human woman. Not anymore. She was a female werewolf. Lycanthrope. Moonborn. Wolf. Beast. Monster.

Her body tensed. Anger coursed through her veins. Rage and hate mixed with self loathing and disgust. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to smash the table to pieces. Then the chair. Then the bed. Tear the bedding to shreds. Then the wardrobe. Then the nightstand. Destroy everything. Rip and tear and claw and bite absolutely everything and everyone. Pain coiled in her gut, a searing agony that spread throughout her entire being. The howling in her head rose until she herself was bellowing along with it.

Change! Change! The beast in her blood cried, clawing at the flimsy flesh cage she'd been shoved into.

Blackness took over.

---

When next Alessia came to, there was a heavy weight holding her down. Red hair filled her blurred vision and the sharp tips of slightly pointed canines were digging into her throat. Panicked at the scent of angry werewolf, she struggled to free herself. Alessia's body burned, a roaring fire that signaled just how close she was to shifting. Still, the body holding her didn't let go.

No! No! No! Not again! Not again!

Despite her struggling, despite her panicked snarling, she wasn't released. It took a long time before exhaustion took hold. Strong hands held her arms to the stone floor, keeping her newly formed claws from doing any real damage. The werewolf above her growled a warning, teeth biting down harder into her jugular. That got her instincts attention. She stilled. Her nose began working. The wolf above her wasn't male. It was… a female she knew. A female her wolf trusted. That she trusted.

Not him…. It's not him…

The inferno died down to a manageable candle flame. Her claws faded away, leaving a slightly painful itching sensation as they went. Without knowing she'd done it, Alessia tilted her head back as far as it would go. Surrender. At that, the teeth at her throat let go. Warm blood trickled from the bite. She tried not to flinch when a warm tongue cleaned the wound gently. Almost apologetically.

Aela, her forebear, allowed Alessia to sit up. The woman- The female was near her same age. Maybe a little older. Lithe and strong. Shorter than she was, but with just as much ferocity. More so, at times. Red hair. Hazel eyes. Currently, very angry eyes. The female leaned back on her haunches, hands braced on the floor on either side of Alessia's feet. A small smear of blood coated her frowning lips. She looked tousled, likely roused from sleep from Alessia's howling.

That was when Alessia looked about the room. The place was… trashed. Just as she'd wished, the furniture was destroyed. The bed in tatters. Splinters of wood everywhere. And blood. Lots of blood. She looked to her hands and saw numerous cuts and gashes. She hadn't even felt the pain. Not at all. Even still, nothing. The anger came again, but she hadn't the energy for another outburst. She just felt… done. Finished. Drained.

Seeing her sorrow, Aela sighed. "Come. I'll tend to the wounds."

The female stood and strode confidently out of the room, as if she knew beyond any doubt that her command would be obeyed. It was. Alessia stood and followed after her forebear without hesitation. They went just across the hall into Aela's room. Unlike her own meager quarters, her forebear's room looked like someone actually lived in it. Personal belongings were strew everywhere. Furs, antlers and tapestries decorated the walls. Books and papers sat on the desk in the corner. The bed covers were worn and tossed to the side in the female's haste to stop Alessia's rampage.

"Sit." Aela commanded, pointing to the only chair in the room. Again, Alessia did so without any hesitation or question. Why she was compelled to obey so readily was still something she didn't readily understand.

Kodlak, the current Harbinger of the Companions of Jorrvaskr, said it was because her wolf recognized Aela's dominance both in her character and as Alessia's creator. Wolves craved structure in the pack. Those more dominant than others were the natural leaders. As a new wolf, Alessia's wolf was still trying to learn her place in the structure of the pack. For the time being, she was the lowest of the low. Not mistreated. Not looked down upon. Not necessarily a weakling. Actually, the others claimed she was by far the stronger wolf in the pack. Powerful beyond anything they'd ever seen. Just, inexperienced. A pup. In truth, she was the wolf that every other member of the pack protected. Served as her guardians as well as teachers. Odd, but true.

Aela came over and carefully began cleaning out the cuts. It was unnecessary. She'd had far worse wounds before. Wounds that healed quickly without a single one scaring. At least… the ones she'd acquired after the pit. The ones from before… remained. A permanent reminder of what she'd survived. If "surviving" was in fact what she was doing now.

Though cleaning the cuts was unnecessary, Aela still seemed insistent on doing so. The female's small, gentle hands worked diligently until the splinters were removed. She remained silent while she worked, totally focused on the task. When she did speak, it startled Alessia. "What happened?"

Alessia didn't want to recall the swift decline she'd had, but did so knowing her forebear would listen, process, then talk with her about it. The female was very good at it. She was short tempered, sometimes harsh and foreboding, but when it came to Alessia's mental state of mind, the wolf did her best to help. It was… touching how much she truly seemed to care about her moonborn child's wellbeing. Instinct, she'd claimed. Aela couldn't not care even if she'd wanted to.

After Alessia stopped speaking, her forebear's lips curved down into a frown. "I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner. I was struggling out of a nightmare of my own when I heard you screaming."

Alessia shrugged. "It's not your fault. You didn't do this to me."

Aela's fingers stopped suddenly, her eyes rising slowly to met Alessia's. She spoke slowly in a calm, yet growling voice that made Alessia shiver. "Yes I did. That male is not your creator. I am your forebear. Not him."

Alessia nodded instantly, though both females knew she didn't believe that. Not really.

Done with the bandages, Aela motioned towards her rumpled bed. "Take my bed. I'll sleep on the floor."

"Aela, I can't-" Alessia started but stopped when the female gave her a steely look.

"That wasn't a request. You will sleep in my bed tonight. Tomorrow we will clean up the mess in your room."

Alessia nodded but didn't obey right away. After a long moment she said softly, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm such a… Such a…"

The female's eyes softened, if only slightly. "I am not angry with you. Despite tonight, you are doing far better than any of us expected. Forget this night for now. Sleep. Tomorrow we will begin again with lighter hearts and minds. Yes?"

With a nod, Alessia rose from the chair and all but fell into Aela's bed. As if she were a child far younger than her nineteen years, her forebear tucked her in. After she was settled, the female set to her own bedding. A bedroll was placed on the floor beside the bed, a rolled up fur used as a pillow. Aela blew out the candles, hesitating on the last one. She left it lit then crawled into the bedroll.

Though grateful for the light, sleep didn't come immediately. It never did now. But… knowing Aela was within arms reach was a comfort. As was the females strong scent on the sheets and blankets. The human part of her found that odd, her wolf didn't. The scent said pack. It said safety. It said comfort and calm. Family. Alessia breathed it in, watching the burning candle wick make it's slow descent through the wax. It melted down about an inch before sleep took hold at last.

Aela

"This has gone on long enough, Aela. Something must be done about this whelp of yours." Skjor growled, narrowing his eyes at her.

Four wolves sat around a large table in the basement office of the Harbinger. Aela had called the meeting to discuss what had happened the night before. Last night wasn't the first time Alessia had snapped seemingly out of nowhere. Not even the tenth. Nor the fifteenth. Actually, Aela had lost count at about twenty-two. Maybe… twenty-three. Still, far more outbursts than all of the werewolves in the pack combined. That said, not a one of them had suffered quite as much as their youngest wolf. Not by a long shot. Not even by two. Or three. Or a hundred. The words from the older wolf made Aela's hackles rise.

"And what exactly do you want me to do, Skjor? Beat her into submission? Chain her?" Aela snapped, daring the male to say just that.

The male bared his teeth. "No, of course not. I simply meant-"

"I know what you meant, and you can shove it up your ass." Aela tensed, ready for a fight if it came to that. The male was bigger, stronger, but slower. Of body and of mind.

"Both of you, calm down. Please. Let us speak of the lass in a civilized manner." Kodlak, Alpha of the pack and Harbinger of the Companions, spoke calmly yet forcefully. His wolf older and more dominant that the two squabbling pair combined. They obeyed. Skjor more hesitantly than Aela. Kodlak nodded his thanks, then turned to his second. "Skjor, we cannot and shall not abandon the lass. Like it or not, she is of our blood. She is pack. It is our duty to help her move beyond her past as well as learn to live with her future."

"Master, the girl is still dangerous. Both to herself and others." Vilkas, third in the pack hierarchy, was a respectful male when it came to the Alpha. Both cunning and strong, he demanded respect. "Had Aela not acted so quickly last night…"

"Then we would have done what needed to be done. Or we would have had to reveal our secret to the rest of Skyrim." Kodlak said calmly. "However, Aela was successful. Alessia's descent into temporary madness was halted, and she is finally resting. How is our lass, Aela? You said you found the journal we instructed her to keep. How is she really?"

Aela didn't like invading her moonborn child's privacy, however necessary it was to do so. Still, it was an important insight into her mental well being. She sighed. "Not well, I'm afraid. That bastard, Mahrik, still stalks her waking thoughts. It's… gotten worse."

"Understandable." Kodlak frowned. "How are we doing on that front, Skjor? Any clue as to the rogue's whereabouts?"

"None. He seems to have vanished into thin air." The male growled. "I saw that dungeon. And the pit. Believe me, I want to catch that beast just as much as everyone else."

"Good. Then you understand the lass will have no peace until he is no more." The Alpha growled low in his throat, making the other wolves tense. "I want him taken care of. Whatever it takes. What happened to our lass cannot happen again. I will not stand for it."

"Yes, Harbinger. We will do all we can to hunt him down." Skjor said with a nod.

The gray haired wolf relaxed a fraction of an inch. Everyone else did too. "As for Alessia, what can be done for her in the meantime? Ideas?"

Aela spoke up. "We can't use force. She's far stronger than she looks. I got lucky last night. Had she seen me coming, there is no way I'd have been able to pin her so easily."

Kodlak chuffed. "I'm not surprised. It took four to slow her down."

"And she still got loose." Vilkas huffed.

"Is there anything in her writing that might be of use?" Kodlak tapped the blood stained journal on the table. "Anything at all?"

Shaking her head, Aela picked up the journal and sighed. "Not much. Mostly she writes of a voice in her head. Her wolf trying to communicate with her conscious mind, I think. She's afraid of it, rightly so if Mahrik is the only example she has to draw on. There are the nightmares. Mostly the dungeon, or the pit. Again, no surprise."

"Poor girl…" Vilkas muttered under his breath.

"Aye." The Alpha sighed.

"Perhaps you should have let her die in that pit. It might have been a mercy." Skjor added. "Kinder, at least."

That made Aela's hackles rise again. "Kinder, perhaps. Merciful, maybe. But not right."

"Aela…" Kodlak started, but the redhead snarled at him. Alpha or not, they would listen.

"That girl survived something far beyond anything any of us could have. And she did it alone. By herself. She refused to give up or give in. She chose to fight rather than simply die. Perhaps the reason she can't cope with what she's become is because you all pity her more than you respect her."

Skjor set his shoulders and growled. "You need to calm d-"

Aela slammed the journal down on the table as hard as her lycanthropic strength allowed. All the males jumped in shock and surprise. "Do you honestly think I don't see the way you look at her? The way you pity her? Coddle her? Like she's some broken thing that needs coddling? Do you think she doesn't see it?"

"Aela…" Kodlak said gently. "We understand your point. Please sit-"

She snarled at him. "I don't think you do. Alessia doesn't need pity. She doesn't need coddling. What she needs is help. Our help! She's drowning and we, her pack, can't seem to figure out how to save her."

Her rage finally abated, Aela plopped back down into her chair. She hadn't meant to get so angry. Hadn't meant to let them see her frustration and fear. But… that morning when she'd awoken… Alessia was still sleeping, but not peacefully. The girl was curled tightly into a ball under the covers and pressed up against the wall as far away from everything and anything as she possibly could. Her face was scrunched up tight, deep lines of fear creasing her pretty face. Tears streamed down her eyes as she whimpered in her sleep. Her arms were up, shielding her head. Fingers digging deeply into her scalp. The girl's hair was finally growing back. Her captor had cut most of it off. An attempt to break her spirit no doubt. Worst of all… The girl's sleeping shirt was torn, exposing a large portion of her ruined back for Aela's eyes to see. How she'd survived such torture… the Gods only knew…

And what worse. The reason Aela refused to allow the males to read Alessia's journals. Swore that she and only she would ever read those pages. The girl had been abducted. Tortured. Beaten. Starved. All horrible things. But also, she'd been violently raped. Repeatedly. And even worse, if there was anything worse than that horror, she'd been pregnant when Aela had found her. Only a few weeks in, but that just made the realization as to who sired the child all the more sickening. The pregnancy hadn't survived the trauma of the first transformation. Likely for the best, but then Alessia had had to endure the miscarriage. A trauma all it's own. A pure nightmare.

The scene of her moonborn child's suffering as well as the memory of all she'd endured at the hands of her abuser had put Aela in a foul mood. Anger and rage that she could do nothing with but lash out at the males seated around her. They were silent for many, many heartbeats, just looking at her. Finally, through clenched teeth, Aela said, "I'm sorry, but she deserves better than our pity. She's earned at least that much. More, in my opinion."

Kodlak straightened, sitting high in his chair. "Truer words have never been spoken. We will strive to do better by the lass. Our best."

Satisfied with that, Aela stood and stalked out of the room. The door shut behind her with a soft click that sounded louder than if she'd slammed it. She could hear the males muffled voices inside, but cared little. Right then, all she wanted was to find her moonborn child. She wasn't exactly sure what she'd do or say, but her wolf needed to know if her pup was alright. Odd to think of a young female of nineteen as her "pup". Especially since Aela wasn't that much older than Alessia, but that was Wolf for you. Protective almost to a damned fault. She sighed… If anyone was guilty of coddling the pup, it was Aela. Perhaps she shouldn't have lashed out at the males. After all, none of them were really prepared for the mess that had fallen into their laps. She would speak with them later. Apologize again.

Aela's room wasn't far away from the Harbinger's office. She was outside her bedroom door in a matter of moments. A bedroom door that was open. Open and lacking said pup and the male Aela had tasked with keeping an eye on her while in the meeting. Farkas, Vilkas's twin brother, was supposed to be sitting outside the room and, should Alessia wake, immediately come find Aela. He wasn't to speak with the girl. Wasn't to even get close to her. Aela snarled her frustration. How would Alessia have reacted to a male sitting outside the room? Badly? Most likely considering… the female was nervous around males.

Just then, the old woman who looked after Jorrvaskr and its Companions strode by the end of the hall with a large bundle of sheets in her arms. Aela raced to catch her. "Tilma! Tilma!"

The older woman stopped and turned to greet her. "Ah, Huntress. Good morning."

"Yes, good morning. Have you seen Alessia? Or Farkas?"

"Alessia? Is that that strange young lady who was sleeping in your room?" The woman smiled conspiratorially and winked. "Quite a nice young girl. Though… a little too scrawny. How long have you two been… er… seeing each other?"

Aela blinked. "What?"

"Not that I'm judging, you understand. People can do what they like with whom they like. It's nothing to be ash-"

"Tilma, I'm not sleeping with the girl!" Aela snapped.

The woman nodded sagely. "Yes, yes, of course dear. I've learned how to keep my mouth shut around this mead hall. I've had to. Your secret is safe with me. But do try feeding the girl more. She ate just as much as Farkas did. Poor dear. Like to have made herself sick."

"You saw them? Are they upstairs?"

"They were last I checked. But that was nearly an hour ago." Tilma shook her head. "I might have overheard Farkas suggesting they take a walk about town. Fresh air and all. It's a lovely morning for-"

"They left?" Aela shouted, almost howled. "Gods! What is that fool getting her into?"

Without another word, Aela darted down the hall and up the stairs.

Farkas

The big male sat quietly across the way from Aela's room. The door was cracked slightly, so he could only see a sliver of the sleeping kid inside. He'd like to be in the room, but Aela forbade it. He didn't like it, but it was for a damned good reason. The room behind him, the kid's room, was being cleaned by the old housekeeper, Tilma. The woman pretended not to hear the whimpering coming from the room across the hall. As did Farkas.

Outside, he was calm. Inside, the male was seething. And each and every small cry, or terrified whimper made him want to break something. Poor kid. Farkas wanted nothing more than to go inside and give the kid a big hug and another blanket. Even more, he wanted to go out and find that bastard and tear him limb from limb. Then give the male's head to the kid on a silver platter. Maybe then she'd be able to sleep at night. Or at least, more peacefully. But… that would have to wait. The kid didn't need that right then, despite what Farkas wanted. No. His wants and needs weren't important. What was important was the suffering kid in the room across from him. She needed help. Someone to teach her how to live again.

His musing made him miss when Tilma finished up and strode away upstairs. The lack of noise at his back was what pulled him out of this stewing anger. As was the sudden stirring in Aela's room. The kid was waking up.

Go in now? Wolf asked hopefully.

No. Aela said not to.

Aela not here. We here. Pup needs-

What the kid needs is for us males to stay away from her. I don't want to scare her.

We not threat to "Kid". We pack. We help.

Yeah, but not right now.

Not matter. Kid coming.

Indeed the kid was starting towards the door. The moment she scented Farkas, she froze right on the other side of the cracked door. He didn't move an inch. Despite his desire to get up and greet the kid, he stayed perfectly still. He hadn't expected her to, but the kid opened the door and peeked outside. Those big blue eyes stood out starkly against the dark. Good looking kid. Save for the hair. But it would grow back in time.

Farkas kept his face turned down and just to the side of her feet, eyes even further away staring at the floor. He tried not to look dangerous, though his size and bulk made that near impossible. He was just too damned big to seem unimposing to an already frightened kid. Let alone one who'd been abused by males. The thought made a low growl rise from his throat and nearly escape from his lips. He stifled it quickly and tried to seem harmless again. If he'd had a tail, he'd be wagging it.

"Morning, Kid." He said cheerfully. She made a noncommittal sound and shied back a bit further into the room. It was more a greeting than he'd expected. "Aela asked me to keep an eye on you until she gets back. Big wig stuff. Kodlak asked for a meeting."

She looked a bit abashed at that, eyes darting from him to her own room, then back to him again. "About me, I'm guessing?"

Her voice was small, sad. But Farkas could hear the note of strength in it. Good. Something of who the kid was before… well, before, still lived. That was a good sign. It gave him a bit of hope for her. "Eh, don't sweat it, Kid. We've all wrecked a few pieces of furniture. Any wolf who says otherwise is lying through his teeth. You got a long way to go to catch up with my destruction tally."

Farkas watched out of the corner of his eyes as the kid eyed him up and down. No doubt taking stock of his body language, his tone, his scent… A wolf's gaze. She might not even be aware she was doing it. Not yet anyways. Slowly, her nervous tenseness lessened. She was still wary, but that was alright. The kid was justified to be wary after her ordeal.

"How long will she be gone?" The kid asked, eyes flicking down the hall then back to him again.

"Not sure. These things tend to drag on. Might be another hour or two." Another noncommittal noise, then uneasy silence.

He tried to get a good look at her without being obvious about it. The shirt she was wearing was torn in places, but covered her modesty. Her arms, neck and scalp were scratched up pretty good. Probably got them from the thrashing in her sleep. There were bags under her eyes from severe lack of any real rest. She was too thin. Sickly almost. Maybe… he could get some food into her. Food would be good. He himself was hungry. Her legs were bare, but he kept his eyes away from them. Didn't want the kid to think he was ogling.

She noticed his look anyway and took a retreating step further back into the room. He frowned at the ground. "Sorry. Do you want me to grab you some clothes from your room? Tilma cleaned it up some."

"Aela left me some clothes in here." She said quickly.

"Alright." Farkas nodded. "What about something to eat? Are you hungry?"

The answer to that came right away. The kid's stomach rumbled loudly. She looked a bit embarrassed, but shook her head. "No, thank you."

"Come on, Kid. That's rule number one." He made to stand up, which made her recoil with a frightened snarl. He froze instantly, cursing himself up one said of the mead hall and down the other. Stupid. Stupid. Hadn't he just told himself to be careful with how he moved? Icebrain. Slowly, he sat back down and kept his eyes averted. Softly he said, "It's alright, Kid. I'm not gonna hurt you. None of the males here would. Most of us like our balls right where they are. And you know Aela would tear them off if we even looked at you funny."

Despite her fright, he noted the quick flash of amusement on the kid's face. There one moment and gone in a flash.

"So, you go on and get dressed. I'm going to sit right here until you're done. Then I'm going to stand up slowly, and we'll go get us an omelet. Alright?"

Her answer was to shut and lock the door. True to his word, Farkas remained exactly where he was. Inside, there was the sound of movement. Hopefully the kid was getting dressed. A minute later the door opened again. She still didn't cross the threshold. One of her hands was hidden behind the wall. No doubt she was holding a knife or something in case he went back on his word. He approved. The kid was afraid, but she wasn't a coward. Not at all. If he tried anything, she would fight.

I like Kid, Wolf grinned in Farkas's mind. He agreed. The kid was shaken, beaten, but not broken.

Slowly, arms out where she could easily see them, Farkas rose to his feet. Her eyes watched him the whole time, tense but trying not to appear so. Once up, he made a point to turn his back on the kid and strode calmly down the hall. He wasn't certain she would follow, though he hoped she would.

To his surprise, her voice came from directly behind him. "What's an omelet?"

"What? You don't know what an omelet is?" He asked, both happy and amused. "Oh, Kid. You have no idea the treat you're in for. Tilma makes the best omelets. They got eggs and bacon and cheese and…"

The list of ingredients went on and on while he led the way upstairs to the mead hall. Most of the Companions were already out in the yard training or gone on assignment. Which was good. They'd have the place to themselves so they could talk. The kid looked around with curious eyes. It occurred to Farkas that the kid hadn't really been outside that basement for any real length of time. Not for months. No wonder she was so… tense. The kid needed air. Exercise. If not for herself, then for her wolf. Cooped up wolves were bad news. Maybe if the meal went well enough he could convince her to step outside for a bit. A short walk maybe. Aela wouldn't like it, but she could yell at him about it later.

"Pick a seat, Kid. Wherever you want." Farkas said, arms motioning to the many open tables. While she decided, he went over to the kitchens to talk with Tilma. The old woman heard him calling and stepped out to meet him. "A couple of omelets please. Big ones. Make mine a double."

"Goodness. Hungry are we?" The old woman chuckled.

That done, Farkas walked back into the hall. He was surprised to find the kid had selected a table with two chairs sitting right across from each other. He'd read somewhere that females tended to be more comfortable with someone sitting beside them. However, given this female, the opposite might be true. He took a seat across from her, making sure his chair was back far enough that he couldn't easily reach out and touch her. That would likely make her more at ease.

She eyed the distance, judging it for herself, then seemed to relax a fraction more. After a moment's pause, she asked, "Is it that obvious?"

The blunt question surprised him, though not greatly. Farkas was beginning to see the cunning mind of the kid sitting across from him. She wasn't dumb. Young, but not dumb. He shook his head in apology. "Sorry, Kid. I just don't want you to be afraid of me. Like I said. I won't hurt you. I'd sooner cut my own throat that do that."

The kid blinked rapidly, fighting away tears. It made him want to whine and wag his tail, if only to make her feel better. Smile maybe. "Thank you. You're… You're really kind, aren't you?"

"Just a big ol' softy. That's me." He said with a toothy smile. "Plus, Aela really would tear my balls off."

That got him the smile he'd wanted. Albeit a small one. "She's… intense."

"Ah, she'd just as much a softy as I am. She's just protective. Prickly sometimes, but that's just cause she's frustrated."

The smile disappeared. "With me. I know."

"No, Kid. You got that all wrong." Farkas said instantly. "Aela… she's always been the way she is. Ever since we first met her. Once she became a werewolf, that just… intensified who she was. Wolf will do that sometimes. It's not you. It's the situation. She wants so badly to help, but doesn't really know how. And that makes her wolf prickly."

The kid looked confused. "Who's 'Wolf'? Do you mean Aela? Is that some nickname for her?"

"No. That's what we call our other selves sometimes. Wolf. As in, Aela's bestial side."

Something seemed to register. The kid perked up a bit. "Oh, I think I get it now. Aela tried explaining this to me. It's… like the two sides of the same coin sort of thing."

"Eh, that works but it's not quite right. Too definite. Too hard edged. One or the other. It's easier for me to think of it like this…" Farkas propped his elbows up on the table and held up both his massive hands, fingers spread out wide. He wriggled his fingers for effect. "Imagine my hands are the two sides of your brain. Both your conscious and unconscious mind, if you can. Now, the right side is you. Your human way of thinking. Creativity and imagination. Everything that makes up who you are as a human being. Now, the left side is your Wolf. The beast. Animal instinct and intuition. Cold logic. Now, imagine interlocking your fingers together to create a whole. No real defined edges. No start of Alessia and beginning of Wolf. Or vice versa. Two vastly different personalities, thought process', and so on, but still one being. That's you. That's me."

"But… Why is it you sometimes refer to you wolf as a separate being all together?"

"Because of what you did when you first came out of Aela's room this morning. You were both Alessia and Wolf at the same instant." Farkas answered, watching the poor kid get lost again. He smiled. "Alright, think back. What was your first thought when you got up and approached the door? Did you see me or smell me first?"

The kid thought a moment. "I think I smelt you."

"And you stopped right away, right?" The kid nodded. "And after you realized I was there, what went through your head. Take it slow. Each thought is very important. Even the order in which you have them."

Again, she thought. "I… got scared at first. I knew it was a male outside the door. Then… I remembered what your scent reminded me of. Rocks. Mountain rocks just after a rainstorm. Then something told me it was you sitting there, and that I didn't need to be so afraid. Wary, but not afraid. Not like I would need to be with a male I didn't know."

"Something told you? What?" He knew the answer, but he wanted her to reach the conclusion herself.

"I don't know. It's sort of hard to put into words. But… I think it said something along the lines of 'Mountain Hunter', or 'Big Brother'. Maybe 'Rock Skull'."

Farkas burst out laughing, which probably startled the kid. But he couldn't help it. "That's one thing you'll learn about our wolves. They tend to be very literal and to the point. Most allegories confuse them. That's definitely something the human brings to the collective mind."

"Wait…" The kid shook her head. "You mean my wolf was talking to me, and I didn't even know it?"

"Yup. You're still a pup, so your wolf doesn't have much in the way of a vocabulary. That's something you'll have to teach her. Until then, emotions are a pretty big part of how she'll communicate with you. It can be overwhelming if your wolf is really powerful, like your's is, but, with time, you'll learn to live with each other. Work with each other. Sort of like a team. Like you did when your human senses couldn't tell you who was on the other side of Aela's door, but your wolf could. Eventually you'll start listening to her more, and she'll start listening to you." Farkas winked at her. "Pretty neat, huh?"

The kid stared down at the table for a second. Then asked, "Is… there a way I can talk with my wolf now? Like, can she hear me?"

"Yeah. She can. She is you after all. There are ways, but we'll talk about that more later. Food's ready." Farkas saw Tilma coming with their meal. Instantly, the kid's nostrils flared as she smelled the food. Her stomach rumbled loudly again. The old woman plopped down a platter sized plate in front of both of them, two large omelets on Farkas's plate and one on Alessia's. He smiled at her wide eyes. "Eat up, Kid."

"This thing is huge…"

He couldn't help it. The opening was just too damned good. "That's what she said."

Dead silence. For a second he thought he'd gone too far, but then the kid threw back her head and laughed. His own smile widened. That was the first time he'd ever heard her laugh. It was a good sound. His wolf thrummed with pride and joy from the sound. After the kid finally calmed down, she sputtered, "No, seriously. I can't eat all this."

"Oh, yes you can. Trust me, Kid. That's rule number one." Farkas dug into his omelet, drowning it in the tomato sauce Tilma made, then carving out large bite after large bite.

"You said that before. What is 'rule number one'?" The kid asked, eying the pitcher of red sauce curiously. Nose twitching.

Farkas offered the pitcher to her. "Have a taste. It's kinda spicy, so go easy at first."

She did, and coughed slightly. "It's good."

"Here then. Have all you like." He watched as she drowned her own omelet and took a timid bite. After the first mouthful she dug in with as much gusto as he had. Satisfied, he answered her question. "Rule number one: Feed your beast. A hungry wolf is a cranky wolf. Ever heard of being hangry?"

The kid nodded, mumbling something inaudible around a mouth full of egg, onion and mushroom.

"Well it's a real thing with us. So that's rule number one. Keep your wolf fed and you'll be less likely to bite someone's head off. Literally." He chuckled when she choked on her food.

The kid took a moment to swallow, sip at her water, then asked, "Is there a rule two?"

"There's lots more than that. But, I think today we'll worry about just the first two. The second rule is to keep yourself active. A tired wolf is a calm wolf. Likely you haven't gotten a lot of exercise these past few months." She shook her head. "Didn't think so. But, you were healing, so that's understandable. We can start slow. Go for a short walk after breakfast, if you're feeling up for it. If you do alright, we'll see about going a bit further down the road. Sound good?"

To his amusement, and her surprise, the kid's fork came down on an empty platter. Just as he'd expected. Which was why he'd ordered himself a double. With a smile, he slid his second omelet onto the kid's plate and passed her the sauce. She accepted it with an embarrassed smile. Gods… the kid had dimples…

"Thanks." She said and dug hungrily into the second omelet.

Farkas finish his serving and waited patiently for her to do the same. It didn't take long. He kept up the dialog, trying to pull the kid out of her shell a little more with each question. Mostly, he was trying to learn about her past. Where she was from. If she had any family. What she liked to do in her spare time. Anything that might help the pack help her heal. Both mentally and physically.

After she finished eating, he rose from his chair. It made his wolf howl with glee when she didn't flinch from the motion. Not even an inch. He smiled down at her. "Ready for that walk, Kid?"

Suddenly she looked worried. "A-Am I ready for that? People, I mean? Is it safe?"

"You'll be fine. I won't let you hurt anyone. Or let anyone hurt you." They walked to the door and he held it open for her. "Plus, some fresh air and sunshine will do you good. It's a nice day outside."

Alessia

Indeed it was a nice day. The sun was out and the wind was blowing. The cool air felt good on Alessia's skin. For a second she got a little light headed. It had been a while since she'd been able to breath such… clean air. Jorrvaskr sat atop a large hill at the head of a long staircase. A withered old tree sat in the middle of a courtyard down below. Someone was sitting at a bench underneath it's scraggly branches.

"Think you can manage that many steps without a rail, Kid?" Farkas asked. The big male waited patiently for her to decide. He looked like he so very much wanted to carry her down, but wouldn't dare suggest it.

Alessia glared at the stairs, wandering if simply stepping outside the mead hall was enough adventure for one day. No. No it wasn't. The food and the sleep made her feel loads better. And talking with Farkas had helped in indescribable ways. She could handle a few stairs. No problem. Maybe. Maybe a problem. A slight problem. She wasn't sure. All that air was making her head swim.

Though a small voice in her head started screaming at the thought, a voice she quietly closed a door in her mind on, she shook her head. "I might need a little help…"

"Alright. Not a big deal. If you want, we can just do a few laps around Jorrvaskr. The Companions won't bother you if I'm there." He said, looked around for a safe path for them to walk.

Again she shook her head. "No. I want to try the steps. C-Can you give me your arm? It will help me keep my balance."

Farkas seemed to hesitate, but did as she asked. His arm was almost as big around as her whole head. With a shaking hand, Alessia gripped his forearm and took the first step down. The stairs into the basement living areas in the mead hall were easy enough to manage on her own with the rail. Plus, Aela was always with her if she went anywhere upstairs. There wasn't an issue with the female helping her. A male however…

Alessia ordered her arm to stop shaking. Ordered her legs to quit wobbling. Farkas was pack. Family. He'd done absolutely nothing even slightly threatening. He'd fed her. Made her laugh. Answered all the questions she'd asked. Got her moving again. Which was saying something. Or, at least she thought it should. As far as she could tell, her wolf wasn't giving her any warning signs regarding Farkas. The hangup was on her end, apparently.

He's a good one, Alessia told herself repeatedly.

Good? The thought that wasn't her own startled her so much she almost missed a step.

Farkas steadied her, and kept them both upright. "Doing good, Kid. Almost there."

She nodded, but focused inward again right away. Hello? Are you there? Um… Wolf?

Nothing. Maybe she was just imagining the voice.

Reaching the last step was a relief. She didn't immediately let go of Farkas's arm, though part of her wanted to get as far away from him as humanly possible. Run and not look back. But, the male had given his support when she'd needed it. And that really meant something. So, Alessia held on a little longer than strictly necessary and forced a small smile. It seemed to please him, so that was enough. Her hand released its death grip and they continued their slow way around the courtyard.

All the while they walked, Farkas talked. About the courtyard. About the tree. About Jorrvaskr. Anything and everything regarding the town of Whiterun. She'd only been to the town a handful of times, and never for more than a day at a time. So, it was nice to actually learn about the place. As they passed the individual, a man, sitting on the bench, Alessia felt herself tense. Her unease caused Farkas to take notice. Instantly his big bulk was between the stranger, who was doing nothing overtly ominous, and her. The man even greeted Farkas kindly.

"Hail, Companion." The man said. "Lovely morning, isn't it?"

"Aye. It is. See you around." Farkas's voice was calm, but she could hear the warning in it. Not to her, but to the man. He either got the hint, or didn't notice. The small encounter ended and they were passed the benches. Alessia let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. Farkas did. "How you doing, Kid? Want to go back?"

Alessia shook her head. "No. I'm alright to keep going."

"You got it. Just tell me when you've had enough, or you get tired."

She nodded and he kept up the commentary. It was nice to listen to his gravely voice. A surprisingly welcomed change from the quiet basement in Jorrvaskr. Not that Aela wasn't good company, but Alessia had always been one who enjoyed meeting new people. Or, she had been a few months ago. Now… there was danger around every corner. A threat in every gaze. How did people live like this? How was she going to live like this? Afraid all the time. Always looking over her shoulder. Never having a moment's peace… She'd go mad in less than a year.

"Kid? Hey, Alessia?" The concern in Farkas's voice pulled her out of her own head. He looked worried.

She shook herself and tried to pay attention. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I asked if you thought you could handle the market square. It's late enough they won't be too busy. And we could stop and get a few bites of candy from this stall I know. Good stuff."

More food? Do I really look that skinny? Alessia frowned down at herself. Yes. She was extremely malnourished. She looked like a woman three times her age. Bony knees and all. Her appetite had been next to none existent these past months. She either didn't want food or forgot to eat all together despite Aela's prodding. As a result, she just felt weaker. Tired.

Decided, Alessia nodded. "I think I'd like some candy."

That made the male grin. "Oh, you're going to love this stuff. It's taffy they make out of…"

And on again he went. The market was just as Farkas said, lively but not overly busy. The hustle and bustle, though at first slightly terrifying, actually made her spirits rise. It was just so… mundane. The townsfolk going about their lives in peace. No blood. No violence. No pain. Refreshing. As they entered the fray, most went about their business and completely ignored the giant male and his scrawny companion. Some heads turned to look at her, eyes lingering on her mess of hair or lack thereof. Self consciously, Alessia pulled up her hood to cover her patchy, near bald head. It was ugly, she agreed with them on that point. She'd been thinking of keeping it short. Not as short as it was, but growing it out a few inches. Easier upkeep, especially if she were going to be romping around the woods on all fours, and it wasn't something someone could use to grab and hold…

No. Don't think about that. Focus on the here and now. Not the past. Again Alessia closed the door in her mind that led to those bad memories and kept her attention on her surroundings. The scents were all over the place, making a literal map of the area for her nose to sniff out. There was the scent of cooking food, body odor, wood, grass, dirt, trees, stone, spices… It was almost overwhelming. And the noise. Everyone talking over each other, bargaining or simply holding a conversation.

They stopped at a stall. Alessia sniffed at the interesting scent of sugar and… something else. Honey? Molasses? Whatever it was, it smelt wonderful. Her eye lingered from the stall and roamed around the other stands nearby. Jewelry, swords and weapons, armor, a meat stall, fruits and vegetables, and… Alessia perked up at the sight of a bunch of books in a nearby stall.

Farkas noticed her eyes on them and handed her a few coins. "Go on and look if you want, Kid. Buy whatever you like. I'll keep an eye on you from here. I'll call when we get up the line."

It was only a few yards to the stall. A handful of tables were set out, displaying a surprisingly wide variety of tomes. Many were titles or by authors she hadn't read before. It didn't take long for her to pick out a few that she considered buying. When the vendor finally noticed her browsing, he walked over quickly with a big smile on his face.

"Ah, forgive me for not coming over sooner. May I help you find something specific?" The man was an elf. Wood elf with sharp ears and slanted, honey colored eyes. Though Alessia's immediate response was to shy away from the man, her spine straightened and she remained planted to the dirt.

Forcing a pleasant smile, Alessia held up the book currently in her hand. "Just looking for something to pass the time. May I ask your prices?"

"Ah, yes. I will be more than happy to suggest a few of my favorite titles to you. And the price for each one. That one there is only three Septims. Most of our titles start at that price. Depending on the book, that may go up or down. But I promise you, young lady, you will find no better prices in the whole of Whiterun."

They talked for a few moments more, haggling over prices and whether or not he could acquire the sixth book of Waughin Jarth's "A Dance in the Fire". He promised he would do so and contact the Companions when the tome was in his possession. All in all, Alessia walked away from the stall with three books. Two she'd paid full price for and the third she'd gotten for next to nothing. It made her feel good that she'd been able to manage on her own. Proud almost.

So lost in her own thoughts, Alessia didn't see the small child dart into her path before it was almost too late. Wolf saw and reacted immediately. Without knowing how she'd done it, Alessia whirled to the side and missed knocking over the child by less than an inch. She even managed to keep on her own two feet. The child, a young girl no more than three or four winters, looked up at her with wide, startled brown eyes. An almost too large rag doll hung by the neck and head under the girl's small arm.

"I'm sorry, Sweetie. Are you alright?" Alessia asked, instantly checking the child over for any injuries. There were none, but she couldn't seem to stop herself from checking anyway. The girl shook her head quickly.

"My name's Mila. What's your name?" The way she said her name came out 'Meewa'.

It brought a smile to Alessia's face. She knelt carefully down to be at eye level with the girl, her weariness all but forgotten. "My name is Alessia. It is very nice to meet you Mila."

The girl, Mila, gave a shy smile. "What happened to your hair?"

That's when Alessia noticed her hood had fallen off. Despite her embarrassment and desire to cover her shame, she didn't. "You must have startled me so much it suddenly fell out."

That made Mila giggle. Before she could say anything else someone, a frantic sounding woman, shouted out over the milling shoppers. "Mila! Mila, where did you go now?"

An adult version of the girl came shoving her way through the crowd. The woman was obviously a vendor of some sort. She was clad in a dirt smeared apron and a tattered dress that had seen better days. She was pretty. Attractive in a… rustic way that Alessia found she very much liked. Dark hair and dark eyes with the tanned skin of someone who was used to being outdoors. Young to have a child Mila's age, but that wasn't uncommon. Alessia stood to greet the woman, careful not to get any closer to the child.

"Mila, you shouldn't run off like that. I've told you a million times, stay where I can see you."

"I was just playing, Mommy." The girl said shyly.

"That's fine, just please don't scare me like that." Scolding done, the woman turned her eyes on Alessia. "Thank you for finding her… um… I'm sorry. I don't think I know your name, Miss."

"Alessia. I've just recently settled in the area. At least for the time being." Alessia smiled and offered her hand, which the woman shook.

"Carlotta Valentia. Pleasure to meet you." The woman smiled and motioned to her daughter. "This of course is my daughter, Mila."

"Yes, we've already bumped into each other. Adorable child." The complement made the child giggle.

"Thank you. She's a handful, but she's mine."

Mila looked up at her mother. "Are we closing the stall early today, Mommy? Can we go to the tavern for lunch?"

"Not today, Little Fairy. I have to sell the fruit before it starts to go bad." Carlotta ruffled the disappointed girl's hair, then turned to Alessia, "We've really got to be going. Thank you again. Come see us at the stall sometime. I'll sell my produce to you at my best prices."

"Of course. I'll do that." Alessia smiled and waved to the child. "Bye, Miss Mila. Behave for your mother."

Alessia watched the pair go, a bit of melancholy seeping into her mood. A child… It was something she'd never really considered before. Her youth had been spent racing around simply trying to survive. As she grew older, relationships were never… Never anything she put much stock into. The only people she'd ever trusted enough to get close to were gone. Her foster father, Thorm, was gone. And now… Now because of the lycanthropy, she was unable to bear a child even if she could stomach being with a… The thought suddenly turned her stomach, making the omelet she'd eaten threaten to make a reappearance. Memories came rushing up from the shadows of her mind where she'd temporarily banished them. Images and sensations she did not want to revisit. Especially not now. Not now after the day had gone so well.

A loud roar made her jump. Suddenly, the bad memories were gone. Vanished. Retreated back down into her subconscious where she prayed they would remain. Alessia looked around, surprised to see no one was reacting to the vicious bellow. Not a one. Which was down right disturbing. Either everyone around her was deaf, or she'd imagined the sound.

What 'deaf'? Again, Alessia about leapt out of her skin and looked around for the gruff voice. Nothing. Wolf not outside. Wolf inside. Blue Eyes not need hunt for prey not there.

Blue Eyes?

The presence pricked its ears up. Or at least that what it felt like. You Blue Eyes. Me Wolf.

Holy cow…

Cow prey. Wolf like cow. We eat cow?

Uh, no. No we're not going to eat a cow. Alessia felt Wolf's disappointment as her own, and yet… separate from herself. This is… How can you talk?

Blue Eyes talk. Wolf no talk. Wolf listen. Wolf learn. See through Blue Eyes. Listen through Blue Eyes. Learn through Blue Eyes. There was a short pause, then her inner beast asked, Blue Eyes mate with whelp Meewa mother?

Alessia blinked. I what?

Blue Eyes mate with… Dirt Smell Female. Whelp Meewa mother. Wolf sent an image of Carlotta along with a tiny flush of heat in Alessia's nether regions. One that made her cheeks redden. Mate.

Shocked, Alessia nearly sputtered out loud. No! No, no, no, no… I most certainly do not want to-

She felt Wolf tilt her head in confusion. Blue Eyes scent change. Say want mate with Dirt Smell Female.

No, I do not.

Wolf's head tilted the other way in her mind. Dirt Smell Female prey? Blue Eyes want eat-

"Kid, you alright?" Alessia jumped and snarled at Farkas's sudden appearance, teeth bared and hackles raised. The big male jumped about as high as she did, nearly dropping the small package in his hand. It would have been funny had she not been so riled. "Whoa! Easy, Kid! It's just me!"

Alessia stifled her reaction and forced down the growl. After a moment, she said, "Sorry, Farkas. I'm fine. You just startled me."

"Yeah, I see that." Farkas bent to look at her face closely. It made her uncomfortable, but she didn't back away.

She could feel Wolf's presence lending her strength. It was an… odd sensation. To have a second set of eyes looking through your own. Analyzing and categorizing everything in a slightly, yet somehow vastly, different way. Wolf recognized Farkas as pack. Noted his posture. The slight way he bent his knees, ready to move. The tension in his shoulders. The way his eyes looked her up and down. His scent showing no signs of fear or aggression. Only concern. Concern that he had inadvertently caused her to regress back into her shell. To lose all the hard won progress she'd made that day. It made her feel… what? Cared for? Safe? Both maybe?

"You sure you're good? You were looking a little flushed a second ago."

"I uh…" The red was returning. She could feel it. Quickly she whispered. "I was talking to Wolf."

Farkas straightened with a massive grin. "That's great, Kid. See? What did I tell you? A good meal and some exercise did the trick."

His pride and joy was so obvious, Alessia couldn't help but return the smile. She started to thank him, but suddenly Wolf grabbed her attention. Her head snapped around to the direction Carlotta and Mila disappeared to. Though no one else seemed to hear the commotion, Alessia's ears picked up on the whimpering of the frightened child and the anger filled voice of her mother. The voice she didn't recognize was the man Carlotta was obviously cross with. Without a seconds hesitation, Alessia stalked towards the confrontation with Farkas hot on her heels.

The scene wasn't anything to draw attention to. To any passersby, it would only appear to be an irritated customer arguing with a vendor. However, there was something else going on. Something Alessia's instincts screamed wasn't normal. Her hackles rose when she saw Carlotta's pain filled face as the unknown man roughly gripped her wrist. The man spoke calmly, a "charming" smile on his handsome face. There was a… peculiar scent to the man. He was drunk, for one. But also, something else. Something sinister that set Alessia's temper on edge.

Where was the child? Alessia's eyes did a quick scan of the stall, relieved to find Mila had wriggled herself into a small space between the stall and a barrel. Carlotta was back up against the barrel and struggling to pull her arm away from the man. Mila saw Alessia coming, her eyes wet with tears. That did it. Whoever this man was… he was going to-

A hard hand gripped her shoulder, halting her forward progress. Farkas growled into her ear, "Don't, Kid."

"You think I'm just going to let this continue?" Alessia hissed, her teeth snapping at Farkas's fingers near her mouth. She hadn't intended to do so, but apparently Wolf found it necessary.

Farkas let go and glared at her. "Calm down. You go over there like this and you will snap. Likely kill him and the woman and child. Use your head, Kid. Don't give in to your beast's rage. Use it, but keep your head."

He had a point. Alessia was mad enough that she might very well lose control and do something she eventually regret. Her own… issues were clouding her judgment. That man… was not him. Helping Carlotta wouldn't change what had happened to her. Killing that man wouldn't do it either. All it would do was make her… like him. Nothing but a monster. A beast that cared for nothing and no one. That would not be her fate.

Alessia took a deep breath. Cool air in, rage and murderous impulses out. Farkas nodded his approval. She thanked him with her eyes, but asked, "Can I do this on my own? I… need to handle this on my own."

The male seemed to think on it, then nodded once. "Alright, Kid. Just keep in mind what I told you. If you need me, I'm right here."

Grateful, Alessia handed him her books, then turned and strode calmly towards the struggling pair. She made sure her footsteps were loud enough that the man heard her coming. Loud enough that Carlotta would hear. It was difficult not to snarl and the man, but Alessia managed. Actually, she completely ignored him. Instead she simply stepped in the space the man was occupying, as if he didn't exist at all. He let go of Carlotta and backed up, more surprised than angry. With an innocent smile on her face, Alessia picked up the nearest produce, a green apple, and held it up for Carlotta to see.

"How much for a couple of apples? They looked so delicious I couldn't resist a few." Alessia felt the man tense up behind her back, but forced herself not to act. To her surprise, Wolf approved. Something about… the man being no threat at all. Not worth the worry. Not important. Not even existing.

Carlotta's eyes flicked nervously back and forth between Alessia and her assailant, but answered as if nothing was amiss. "For you, a Septim a piece."

Alessia made a show of jangling what coins she had left from her book purchase. Two Septims. She kept up the motion for a few seconds, hoping the man would wander off. He didn't. Still, Alessia thought to prolong things. "Oh, I almost forgot. I'll be needing a couple of leeks too. Maybe a potato or two? I'm making soup for supper. The apples are just for the dessert."

"Oh, yes. Of course. They're just over here." Carlotta made her hasty way into the stall, grabbing Mila on her way, and getting the counter between her and the now angry man.

"Excuse me, I was here first. The lady and I were in the middle of-" His words were polite, but Alessia heard the warning in them.

Alessia spun on her heel as if she'd been startled. Even gave a little yelp for good measure. "Oh! Goodness, I didn't see you there. My apologies… erm…"

"Mikael."

"Ah, Mikael. I am so sorry. I was just in such a rush I didn't see you there." Alessia smiled stupidly.

The man sneered. "That's alright. No harm done. Finish your business and the lady and I will continue on with-"

"Um, no." Alessia said, dropping the act. Now that she'd gotten close enough to look, Carlotta's wrist was already showing signs of bruising. And there was a small knife in Mikael's belt, as well as the telltale bulge of one in his boot. No way was she leaving until the son of a bitch was gone and would stay gone.

The man narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"I said, 'no'. Don't think I didn't see you mistreating this woman and scaring her child."

"What I do is none of your business…" To her disgust, Mikael looked her up and down slowly. "But… I guess I could make an exception. You're kinda scrawny, but… you got some spine. I like that in a woman."

Alessia couldn't stop the growl. It made the man's wolfish grin vanish. She said, very slowly, "Leave. Now."

Mikael glared at her for a long moment, his beady eyes harsh behind his stringy blond hair. His gaze shifted to Carlotta, then to Alessia, to Carlotta, then to Alessia again. "Oh… I think I see what's going on here. You want her for yourself, don't you? Well you can't have her. I have a claim on her. She's mine. And I will have her one way or-"

Alessia's fist connected with Mikael's jaw almost of it's own accord. There hadn't been much force behind the blow, but still the man went crashing into a nearby wooden crate. That was all it took. He stayed down, rolling and cradling his face, howling as if he were dying. Though everything in her wanted to keep hitting him until the wasn't moving, she carefully, yet firmly, pushed that compulsion aside. Calmly, Alessia strode over and grabbed a handful of his shirt. She didn't hit him again, though he flinched away as if he thought she might.

In a low growl, low enough that only they would hear, Alessia said, "People are not property, Mikael. Carlotta does not belong to you. She does not belong to anyone but herself."

The man groaned a response.

"You see, I don't care if you think you're hot shit. You will not put your hands on anyone unless they willingly allow you to do so. You will not pursue anyone who expresses no interest either verbally or by their actions. You will respect woman in general. You will be courteous. You will be kind. You will be a perfect gentlemen. If I see you anywhere near Carlotta or her daughter, you and I will have a very different conversation. If that happens, I promise it will not be your jaw I break next time. Am I understood, Mikael? You will stay away from this woman and her child." He whimpered and nodded. "That's good. I'm glad we had this little talk. See you around, Mikael."

When she let him go, Mikael hit the dirt with a satisfying plop then scrambled away. Thankfully, only a handful of people were standing around gawking. It took only a single glare from her to send them scrambling away too. Crowd dispersed, Alessia calmly strode over to the mother and daughter still sheltering behind their stall. Carlotta was staring at her, just as stricken as everyone else had been. Mila however was grinning like it was her birthday and someone had just given her a pony.

Alessia eyed Carlotta's wrist. She wanted to grab it and take a closer look at it, but resisted the urge. It felt like something Wolf wanted her to do, rather than something she wished to do. Instead Alessia asked, "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No. Not really." Carlotta said shyly.

"Does this happen often?"

"It's not the first time. But… it is the first time Mikael ever really scared me. He's never done this…" She motioned to her wrist. "Usually it's just a lot of pompous and strutting about like he's the Gods gift to women."

"I'm sorry if I overstepped. I don't want to cause any trouble but…" Alessia shook her head. "But I just couldn't sit by and do nothing. Hopefully he won't be giving you anymore trouble."

"Are you kidding? After that I should be buying you a few tankards of ale. Thank you, Alessia. Truly." After slight pause, Carlotta grabbed an entire sack full of green apples and offered it to Alessia. She tried to refused, but the woman would have none of it. "I won't take no for an answer. Take them. As a thank you, and as a welcoming gift to our town from me. Please?"

Alessia sighed and accepted the bundle. "Alright, but only if you promise to tell me if Mikael comes back."

"Deal."

Feeling lighter of spirit than she had in months, Alessia ruffled Mila's hair playfully, then strode back towards Farkas with the sack of green apples handing over her shoulder. The male was positively beaming. "Damn, Kid. You got some serious grit. I don't think I've ever seen ol' Mikael run so fast."

"You don't think I over reacted?" Alessia asked as they began walking, Farkas plucking the sack of apples out of her hands and trading it for the small package of candy. She opened it instantly and popped a small piece in her mouth.

"Nah. That guy's had it coming. Even got a few requests from other women in Whiterun to sit him down and have a talk with him."

That surprised her. "Why hasn't anything been done then?"

"Mostly because he hadn't ever actually done anything. He's just been all talk. That's going to change right now though. I think one of our Companions will pay him a visit from time to time. Keep him honest to his word. At the very least, keep an eye on him. And the woman and her kid." Farkas looked down at her with another one of his goofy, yet proud smiles. "You did good, Kid. Real good. Excellent control with just the perfect amount of menace. You, Kid, are a natural. Aela's going to be livid she missed it."

Alessia thought back to that moment after she'd first struck Mikael. How she'd so very much wanted to keep up the violence. She was glad she hadn't, but still… It bothered her the impulse had even been there at all. But she pushed the feeling aside and focused on the candy. To her surprise, the entire package was already empty. Farkas laughed and handed her one of the green apples Carlotta had given her. That disappeared almost as fast as the candy.

"How is it possible I'm still hungry?" Alessia asked, not expecting an answer.

Farkas chuckled. "Well, you are working on rule two. That requires a lot of rule number one. Eventually, you'll even out. But you still got a lot of recovery ahead physically. I think you should take it easy for the rest of the day. Go read those books you bought. You like to read huh?"

The two talked a bit about books and such while they walked. Alessia accepted a second apple and bit into it. She tried taking her time with this one, savoring the sweet and sour taste of the flesh in each bite. It really was delicious. Maybe once she was finished with them all she'd go back and buy another sackful. Maybe tomorrow. Make that part of a morning routine. Up a little earlier. Eat breakfast. Go for a walk to the market, even if she didn't buy anything, then home again for…

Home. The word she'd used for Jorrvaskr took her by surprise. Was that what this place was now? Home? Maybe not specifically Jorrvaskr, but Whiterun… Alessia's eyes looked around the town, noting the nordic styled carvings on the houses and buildings. The craftsmanship so very much like Bruma, the place in Cyrodiil where she'd spent most of her adult life. Or rather… Bruma looked like here. Looked like Skyrim.

Perhaps… Yes. She could see herself living in such a place. Settling for good. Buying a house someday. Shopping in the market district. Maybe even working for the Companions. Perhaps even becoming a Companion officially. She was a nord after all. Her parents had been nord, only living in Cyrodiil. Skyrim was the home of her ancestors. Yes… Skyrim could be home. Whiterun could be home. That meant ends would need tying up in Cyrodiil. The shack she owned just outside Bruma would need selling. Debts to be seen to. Not many, Alessia wasn't much for borrowing from money lenders. It would require a few trips, but most could be done by correspondences.

Without warning, a sharp pain hit her lower belly. As if someone had gut punched her, Alessia buckled and all but collapsed. She dropped the half eaten apple, thankfully catching herself on her low stone wall alongside the path. Farkas yelped and darted to try catching her, changed his mind the last second and simply hovered helplessly over her. Alessia clutched at her lower stomach, feeling the familiar pain that told her something was amiss. It hurt. A lot. But she'd learned how to endure the pain and slowly work her way through it.

"Kid! Kid! What's wrong?" Farkas's hands reached to make sure she didn't fall, but he wasn't touching her. She felt bad for the male. He was a good male. Protective. And she was hurting. He wanted to help. Needed to help, but was afraid to.

Alessia took a slow breath and spoke through the pain. "It's nothing. Just… Just… too much excitement I guess."

That was a lie. One she thought Farkas could see right through. Still, he didn't push any further, though it was obvious he wanted to. She was grateful. The pain was a lingering fit from the miscarriage. She'd had a couple over the past few months, and they were growing fewer and farther between. It was like the cramps all women suffered once a month during their cycles. It would pass.

"What can I do?" Farkas asked, hopefully. It broke Alessia's heart to hear it. Poor guy.

Gritting her teeth, preparing herself for the unpleasantness to come, Alessia smiled at him sadly. "Get me back to Jorrvaskr?"

"Can you walk?"

"No. Not right now." Here she went. "Would you carry me?"

Farkas blinked, going a little pale. "You sure? I don't wanna- You don't want me to go get Aela?"

She shook her head. "Faster if you carry me. I'll be alright."

Still a bit resistant, Farkas glanced down the path. Carefully, as if she'd might shatter from the touch, he gently picked her up like a small child. It would have been more comfortable if he'd hold her against himself, but he didn't. He held her out away from his body, trying to keep bodily contact as minimal as possible. He was like a rigid tree holding an even more rigid stick. Alessia bit down on her sudden panic and tried not to start squirming. Farkas moved quickly, almost running.

They made it. Farkas sat her down carefully and instantly stepped back away from her. Her whole body shook, but she felt… alright. Wolf kept telling her she was alright. Farkas was pack. Farkas was good. Farkas was safe. She believed it, but the contact stirred up all kinds of mixed emotions she wasn't exactly sure how to deal with. So she wouldn't. At least not right at the moment. She would later on when she was alone and had time to think and feel her way around those emotions.

Wolf help. Her beast's words were… comforting. It made her feel good to know she wasn't alone. Not that she was ever alone. There was Aela. And now Farkas. And she was sure the other males would help her if asked. Though… maybe she would wait on that. She trusted Farkas, but the other males… still had some getting used to.

"Kid?" Farkas sounded so worried. "You alright?"

She nodded curtly. "Yeah. Thanks. I… really appreciate it."

"Sure thing. Anytime." The big male shoved open the door to Jorrvaskr and held it for her. "Come on, let's get you inside."

Aela

"Blast it! Where are those two?" Aela stalked around the small stall of fruits and vegetables. She'd followed her wayward whelp's scent all the way to the market, then lost it in the crowd. Seething she'd spent the better part of an hour stalking around trying to pick up her scent again. No good. There was just too many overlapping scents. She'd thought she'd found her girl again at the book vendor, but lost it soon after.

Once she'd stopped focusing so intently on her nose, Aela's ears picked up talk of a strange woman walking around with "that big Companion". Talk of a scuffle over a woman involving that bard, Mikael. That clue led her to Carlotta Valentia's stall. The woman was hesitant to tell her what had happened, but the pup, Mila, hadn't hesitated in the least.

"Alessia knocked that mean man on his butt." The child giggled, earning her an displeased look from her mother.

Aela's eyebrows rose. "There was an altercation? Was she hurt?"

Seeing her worry, Carlotta finally spoke up. "No. Mikael, on the other hand, probably lost a few teeth."

The girl giggled again. "He cried like a baby."

"What was the fight about?"

The woman told her, first explaining how her daughter had run off. Then how she and Alessia had met. Then the incident with the bard, as well as her past dealings with the man. Then how Alessia had tried to defuse the situation by budging in with a purchase request. After that didn't work, then the blow she'd dealt the sniveling man. Carlotta smiled warmly. "I'd thank the Gods, but I'll letting for thanking Alessia. It takes a certain strength of character to put oneself in harm's way for another. Especially for someone you don't know."

Aela couldn't believe what she was hearing. Just last night the girl had looked so… So helpless. So in need of protecting. Today… After only a few hours with Farkas, Alessia was up and running about the town rescuing damsels in distress. And not only that, doing so with absolutely no one telling her to. Strength of character indeed.

"Lady Huntress, do you know her well? Alessia I mean?" Carlotta asked.

Aela tried answering honestly. "We've only just recently met. Still, she's somewhat of a… student of mine."

That made the woman nod and smile. "Well, you've got a good student on your hands. She's something else."

I think you are more correct than you know, Aela thought as she bid the woman and the child farewell.

The story had calmed her previous worries. Apparently Alessia was doing just fine out on her own. Well, out on her own with Farkas keeping an eye on her. And she really believed he was doing just that. The male wouldn't have let their youngest wolf do anything he thought might put her or others at risk. He was an Icebrain, but he wasn't needlessly reckless.

Carlotta had told her she thought the wayward pair was returning to Jorrvaskr. At least that was in the direction they were heading. So Aela started for home. She must have just missed them in her haste to rush out and find them. And it turned out she needn't have worried. The thought made her smile. Her whelp was recovering. Even gone out of her way to help someone in need. And what more… against a man assaulting a woman. Not something anyone in the know would expect in such a short span of time.

Maybe it was time to start really focusing on Alessia's training. Once she was in better health, mostly just get more meat on her bones, Aela decided she'd take her moonborn child out for a short hunt. Go somewhere in the mountains up north where there was no one around. No one at all. It would be quiet. A place where Alessia could get to know her new body. Understand her wolf. A chance to learn and grow in relative safety and peace.

Jorrvaskr was its usual bustling self at midday. The Companions, famished from their morning training, sat or stood around in the main hall eating and drinking and talking loudly amongst themselves. Most didn't acknowledge her as she made her way towards the stairs that led down to the living quarters. The din vanished as she went below and strode down the hall towards hers and Alessia's joined rooms.

Farkas rounded the corner ahead and waved her down. "Hey, Aela. Where have you been?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She said with feigned irritation. "I heard there was a brawl in the market square this morning. A brawl involving a 'large' Companion and a slender young woman with little to no hair."

"Yeah, I'd hardly call that a 'brawl'. Not even a scrap really." Farkas beamed. "The kid knocked the crap out of that bard guy, Mikael."

Aela crossed her arms and glared. "I heard that too. I spoke with Carlotta Valentia and her daughter."

"How are she and the runt?"

"Fine when last I saw them. Praised Alessia up one side of the market and down the other." Aela lost her cross demeanor and glanced past Farkas and towards her room. Candle light could be seen under the closed door. "Is she… alright?"

The male motioned her a bit further down the corridor away from the door. When he spoke, it was as low a voice as his big body could manage. "You should have seen her, Aela. She took on that bastard just as calmly as could be. And when things went sideways, she was in total control. I've never seen a whelp that green manage their wolf so…"

"Cautiously?" Aela supplied.

"So elegantly, Aela. Like it was nothing. The kid looked as though she'd been a werewolf for decades. If I didn't know better, I'd say exactly that. I had to check her anger at first, but after that…'

"What do you mean by that? What happened?"

"Well, I'd just got out of line at that candy stall. Alessia was talking with Carlotta and the runt. I didn't hear most of what they said, but things seemed to be going alright. So I hung back and let them talk. After about a minute or so, Carlotta and the kid said goodbye and walked back to their stall. Alessia… watched them go. Really watched. At first I thought she was… well, ogling."

That made Aela blink. "Ogling?"

"Yeah. As in, leering. Hard. But then I noticed she'd gone pale and sweaty. Like she was struggling with something awful in her head. You… You can probably guess what." Farkas frowned down at his feet. "I was about to head over to help, but then the kid yelped like something had scared her half to death. Then she started looking around like it had been a loud sound that no one else heard."

"A loud sound?"

"Her wolf. Wolf started talking to her."

Aela blinked. "You're kidding…"

"No. It was all over the kid's face. First it was shock, then amazement, then confusion, then…" Farkas chuckled and motioned to his own cheeks. "I startled her when I got to her, but she recovered quickly. Her scent was… excited, and she was red as a tomato. I think our little whelp has a crush on the Valentia woman."

After that, the story played out almost word for word what Carlotta had told her. She asked questions about Alessia's behavior and wellbeing. The male backtracked to their first meeting in the hall that morning, their conversation and meal at breakfast, their walk around the market, and eventually the incident with the bard. Aela listened carefully, noting everything even minutely important as well as everything Farkas had gleaned about Alessia's personality. He'd learned so much in so little a time. Amazing that he, of all the people, managed such a feat. And doing so seemingly effortlessly.

"Remember when you first brought her here and we were all wondering how in the world she'd survived what she did? Remember how impossible we thought it was?" Aela nodded to his question. She did. It was one of the things that most amazed them about the whole tragedy. How could anyone survive such an ordeal? Farkas jabbed his thumb over his shoulder in Alessia's general direction. "I know exactly how. Aela… that kid has guts. Guts, a spine made of steel and a heart of pure gold. Grit. Whatever it takes, whatever we got to do, she has to pull through. The world will be all the poorer for it if she doesn't."

The speech was probably one of the males greatest. He wasn't one for ceremony. Not like his brother. Which made his words hold all the more weight. After one day, Farkas truly believed their newest wolf was someone special. Someone worthy of their best efforts. Aela had felt the same way almost the instant she laid eyes on Alessia's torn and broken from in that pit. Despite all the death around her, the young woman fought. Crawling inch by painful inch over mounds of the dead to reach…

What? The edge of the pit was far too tall for her to scale. Especially in her condition. But crawl she had. Determined to try no matter how impossible. Farkas had seen today what Aela had seen then. Courage. Heart. A will to challenge the impossible.

Aela nodded her approval to the male, then made to go to her pup. However, Farkas blocked her. "One more thing…"

He spoke hesitantly. Aela waited patiently, knowing the male's usual blunt nature only faltered on very rare occasions.

"On the way back to Jorrvaskr, the kid had some sort of… attack." Alarm went through Aela, a scent she had no hope of hiding from the male. "Damn… It's bad isn't it?"

"Tell me about the attack." He did, and Aela's heart sank.

The lingering nature of these pains was unusual, but then nothing about their situation was usual. Some days Alessia couldn't even stand up on her own for long periods of time. Sometimes… there was even blood. Which was another worry. Alessia hadn't wanted the males to know about the pregnancy. She was… ashamed. That made Aela want to break something. Break a lot of things. But she controlled her rage, placing it in a small portion of her mind for later use when they finally found the male responsible, and focused on helping Alessia get through the episode. It was difficult to comply with Alessia wishes for the males to remain unaware. Her scent was a… potent mixture of blood, hormonal female and pain. Three things a wolf's nose noticed very quickly. Especially the males.

"Aela, what's wrong with the kid?" Farkas asked, concern lacing his voice. She said nothing, intending to keep her word no matter what. Her silence said it all. First the male got sickly pale, then slightly green, then furiously red. His fist balled into a near mace sized club and slammed into the nearby wall. Once, twice, three times. Snarling he said, "When we find that bastard, I'm going to rip him apart piece by piece."

"You'll have to get in line." Aela said coldly. Her tone softened when she continued. "Keep this to yourself. She didn't want the males to know."

Farkas made a growly noncommittal noise, eyes smoldering down at the floor. "Is she- Gods… She's turned at least twice already… The pup-'

"There is no pup, Farkas." Aela said softly, gently, knowing the effect her words would have on the male. Generally, wolves of sane minds, especially those within a pack, were protective of their member's offspring. Truthfully, they were protective of children in general. "Even if she wasn't already turning, there was just too much damage. Even if I had known she was with child at the time, the likelihood of it surviving… Well, you know the odds. It was either save Alessia, or neither."

The male glanced back towards the closed door, his eyes both sorrowful and vengeful. He struggled with the knowledge for a moment, then nodded. "On my honor, not a word. The kids already been through enough without… gossip floating around. Not that she has anything to be ashamed of. None of that was her fault. And I'll crush the skull of anyone who says differently."

That made Aela smile. Despite the unpleasantness the direction of the conversation had gone, it felt good for someone else to share her burden. Now all that remained was to repair what remained of Alessia's body and soul. The body was on the mend and, with luck and days like today, the soul would soon follow.

They spoke for only a few minutes more before Farkas made his way back upstairs. Aela watched him go, so very proud of his effort that morning. Above and beyond everything she had asked of him, or even expected. Once he was out of sight, she turned and padded to her room. She made sure her footsteps were loud enough to be heard, and that she knocked before entering, despite it being her own quarters.

Alessia was curled up on the bed munching absently at a green apple with a leather bound book in her lap. Likely one of the tomes Farkas had given her the coin to buy. The girl liked to read. Another thing Farkas had been able to learn. It was something Aela hadn't considered. Alessia was educated. "Book smart" as Farkas had put it. Trained by a Wandering Swordsman in a number of skills after she'd already spent years in the "school of hard knocks" on the streets as an orphan. Not that Aela had never wondered about Alessia's past, but… she'd just never thought to ask. Some forebear she was. She'd been so focused on keeping her alive, she hadn't seen that she needed to help her to live.

The girl hadn't looked up as Aela had entered, likely finishing the sentence she was on, but when she did, it stopped the forebear dead in her tacks. In the past, Alessia looked at everyone with a measure of mistrust. Even Aela. Like she wasn't seeing the face of a man or woman, or even that they were a person at all. No. The girl seemed to see past the skin and muscle right down the bone. To the grinning skull that lie behind the features of every man and every woman. The grinning evil, the death, that all living things were capable of. The death that eventually came for them all. Came for them sure as it had come for Alessia in that pit. The evil swallowing up her body and soul and leaving what remained for death to devour.

Now… Now there was only the shadow of that nightmare. Still there. Still skulking around behind her own grinning skull, but not as prominent as it had been. Alessia had been a drowning woman in a raging, stormy sea without a boat or a lifeline in sight. Aela had tossed her a lifeline when she'd pulled her from that pit. And ever since that day, Alessia was a female who'd clung to the tail end of that rope and held on by the very tips of her fingernails. Now in those icy blue eyes, in that slight curve of a smile, Aela saw that the drowning female was slowly, painfully, determinately inching her way up that rope. One hand over the other. Still exhausted. Still at risk of a wave taking her back down again. Still in desperate need of help. But fighting all the same.

Whatever Alessia had needed, whatever spark she'd craved, she'd gotten today. Likely in that brief scuffle with Mikael. Likely when she had put herself between the coward of a man and an innocent woman and child. The desire to defend the helpless. The need to shield others from the evils of the world that had nearly swallowed her whole. Guts. Guts and steel and gold. Yes. Farkas had spoken true. So had Carlotta. Alessia was something… else. She was taking that grinning death by the collar, as she had that bard, growled in its face and told it to "stay away".

"Hey, Aela." Alessia said as she slipped a scrap of paper in her place and set the book aside.

"Afternoon." The greeting got Aela moving again. She sat on the other end of the bed, folding her long legs under her, and faced her moonborn child. She eyed the tome, noting that it was in fact a journal. And not one of Alessia's. "What are you reading?"

"One of Farkas's journals. He thought it might help me somehow. Insight into the mind of a werewolf. It's one of his earlier ones. From his first days as a wolf. He said all the wolves were instructed to keep a journal during that time."

"And? Is it helping?"

The girl picked up the journal, gently running her thumb over a tear in the leather. "It's… interesting at least. From what I learned about him today, I thought he and I were a lot alike already. Or at least, our minds worked about the same way. This… sort of proves it. Everything he experienced and thought as a 'whelp' is similar to what I've experienced and thought. Well, most things anyway."

Again, Farkas's brilliance was showing. If Alessia liked to read and truly was book smart, then maybe the journals of all the wolves would help. "Do you think reading mine would help as well?"

Alessia thought about it, then nodded. "Maybe. If you don't mind me reading something so personal, I'd like the insight."

Without a moment's pause, Aela rolled off the bed and rummaged around in an old trunk in the corner. She came out with three of her earlier journals and sat them on the nightstand before returning to her spot on the bed. "I'll have a talk with the rest of the pack. I doubt any of them will mind you taking a peek at their journals as well. Kodlak will probably give you everything he has."

"Thank you. This is…" Alessia seemed to struggle with some inner turmoil. "This means a lot."

"You are part of the family now, Alessia. We might all be gruff and short tempered, but we want to see you grow and succeed just as any mother or father or brother or sister would." Aela thought back across the years. Kodlak had been the first. Then Skjor. Then the twins. Then her. And now Alessia. All of the same bloodline. Family. Pack. Unwilling to let the silence continue, Aela asked, "So, Farkas tells me you two had some adventures today?"

Despite already having heard the story repeatedly, Aela listened to Alessia's version. The girl was animated. Something Aela hadn't seen in her before. She'd have to remember to thank Farkas again for doing what she hadn't thought to do. When it came to the end, she expecting to hear about the attack Alessia had suffered during their walk back to Jorrvaskr, she was surprised when her moonborn child said nothing about it. She narrowed her eyes, not wanting to appear angry, she wasn't, but wanting convey her seriousness on the matter.

"Farkas said you nearly collapsed after all was said and done." The girl winced visibly, either embarrassed or scared she'd been caught trying to hide the attack. Aela didn't growl, didn't snap. All she did was place a warm hand on the girl's nearby foot and asked, "Tell me?"

Alessia did, haltingly. When the amendment to the overall story was made, the girl looked saddened. Before Aela could sooth her, she asked, "He knows, doesn't he?"

Farkas. She meant Farkas. Aela nodded once. "He does. As I told you, a werewolf's sense of smell is his or her strongest attribute. He put two and two together. It must have taken everything he had not to start howling and tear off in search of someone to rip apart."

Alessia did as expected. She buried her face in her hands, obviously mortified and wishing to crawl into a whole and never come out again. Aela didn't let her. Carefully, she pried the girl's slim and bony hands away from her face and held them tightly in her own. "No, Alessia. You don't need to hide this. Not from me. And not from him either. Do you want to know what he said?"

Tear rimmed blue eyes looked up at that, curious despite herself. Aela told her of the conversation she'd had with Farkas not ten minutes ago. What he'd said as well as his violent reaction and determination to defend her honor. It dried up the tears almost instantly. Replacing the shame with amused shock. Aela wanted to feed that growing fire, so she went on telling about what Farkas thought of "the kid". The guts and steel and gold he saw in her.

A slow smile curled the edges of Alessia's lips. "He used the word 'grit' with me."

"He said that to me too." Aela chuckled. "Farkas thinks the world of you, Alessia. So, do not feel ashamed around him. He only thinks more of you for the trials you've overcome."

"And the others? Kodlak, Skjor and Vilkas?"

"I've kept my word. I've not told them, and will not. Nor will Farkas. He's given his oath on that. Telling them is and will always be up to you." Aela added after a short pause. "But, my opinion is that they would react in a similar way. Our males are protective of us females. They can't help it. It's just part of their personalities. If they knew of your further suffering neither the Gods nor man could stop them from avenging you."

That made the girl blink. "Really? They'd be that… angry?"

Aela huffed. "Alessia, you are blood. Mine and, through me, theirs. Of course they would be the first to step up and defend you. And they will. By the Divines, they will. Skjor and Vilkas might gripe and moan about it afterward, but they won't hesitate."

Alessia was quiet for a moment, debating something Aela couldn't guess at. When the girl spoke, it was halting, but with that same steel Farkas had spoke of. "Would it be possible to… be around them more? The males? Maybe… have one sit with us during morning meal? If you're with me, and maybe Farkas, I think I can manage. At least until I get to know them more."

Hope bloomed in Aela's heart. The girl was trying. Honest to Gods she had reason to fear every male in the world, but here she was trying to get over her ordeal. She nodded happily. "I'm sure they will agree. We'll go slow. One at a time if need be. But we'll get through it."

After a little more talk, Aela left Alessia to her reading. She went to each of the males and asked for their journals and if they were willing to eat a morning meal with she and the girl. She explained the one-on-one, technically two-on-one… Well… with Farkas, three-on-one, idea and they all agreed. Agreed and instantly handed over their journals. As expected, Kodlak gave her an armful to give to Alessia. The Alpha also claimed the first opportunity to dine with the pair the following morning. The old male looked genuinely pleased with the idea. Happy that it had even been by Alessia's own request.

They tried sleeping in their own rooms that night. Aela getting up almost every half hour to check in on Alessia's sleep. It was still just as disturbed as it had been the night before. Encouraged by how well the pup had done in Aela's bed, the forebear pulled off the blanket she'd been using and covered her moonborn child with it. The effect was almost immediate. Alessia rolled herself into a tight ball, clutching the Aela scented blanket to her nose like a small child with a baby blanket. The shuddering and whimpering ceased. And Aela's heart broke all over again.

Breakfast went as well as the day before, or so Farkas claimed. They were sitting in a specific way so that the new wolf was comfortable. Aela at her side with Farkas directly across from Alessia and the Harbinger sitting across from Aela and catty-corner to the new wolf. Aela and Kodlak watched in wide eyed fascination as both Alessia and Farkas put away four monster sized omelets doused in red sauce, two each, and a handful of apple pastries Tilma had made out of what remained of the green apples. They talked, mostly conversation between the Harbinger and Alessia. Aela swelled with pride at how well the girl composed herself. It was obvious to everyone she was nervous, but she didn't falter. Not once.

Their walk was short, but refreshing. Farkas needed to attend to a job somewhere in Whiterun but pat "the kid" on the shoulder before he left. Kodlak, to Aela's surprised, decided to join them on their stroll. Despite having numerous tasks to attend to, the Alpha insisted on taking the time to get to know his youngest wolf. Alessia did well with him. Even walked in between the older wolves on occasion. After the walk, one of which Alessia had no other attacks, they went back to Jorrvaskr for lunch and Kodlak returned to his duties. Per request, the pair went out into the training yard and watched the Companions in their afternoon training. A few times Aela stepped away to give instruction, but other than that they made conversation about fighting styles or techniques. Sword or axe. Long or short bow. Shield or no shield. Light or heavy armor.

The girl truly was knowledgeable, just as Farkas had said. Well enough that Aela believed she would make a good Companion. Perhaps a great Companion. It was an offer she would present in time. For now, she would focus on insuring Alessia could function normally in everyday life. Until then, violence probably wasn't the best treatment. Aela chuckled to herself. Judging from what Alessia had done to Mikael the day before… that could prove to be a challenge. Grit. Guts and steel and gold. So it would seem.

Alessia

"Close your eyes. Clear your mind and control your breathing. Reach for your wolf. Go to her. Do not call her to you."

Alessia did as Aela said. They were sitting across from one another on the stone cold floor of the Underforge. It wasn't her most favorite place in the world, it was too much like a dungeon, but it was the best place for their current exercise. Safer should something go wrong. Aela felt confident nothing would go wrong, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Once her eyes were closed, Alessia took in a deep breath and focused. Easier said than done. There were an indefinite number of thoughts and fears bouncing around her skill of late. In the few weeks since that incident with Carlotta and Mikael, Alessia's body had flourished. The food helped her put on weight and the physical activity, exercise that had advanced from short walks into actual long periods of real running, had put on muscle. A lot of muscle that didn't seem possible with the relatively little amount of work put into it.

The first time she'd noticed was while she was changing out of a sweaty shirt after a morning run. She'd been so focused on her scars, most of which still turned her stomach, that when she'd turned around and caught sight of her belly in the mirror… Abs… Not nearly as promenade as Farkas's, or even the other wolves, even Aela, but… She'd never, never had abs before. Aela said it was normal for wolves to put on muscle. Even the arguably weaker ones. She was lean. Fit. Healthy in body, if not yet in mind.

"Clear your mind, Alessia. I can see the thoughts on your face." Aela said, a little impatiently. They'd been at this for hours now.

"Sorry."

Her forebear's voice softened. "Don't be sorry. Be better. Try again."

She did. As Aela had suggested, Alessia went through her own mind and quickly placed every thought that wasn't important to her current task into a corner of her mind and temporarily forgot it. Most were mundane thoughts. Others not so much. Those darker thoughts, the memories she fought to never recall, remained where she'd stored them; in a cage in the deepest recesses of her mind. She didn't even try to sort through those. It took time but eventually she was clear of all thought. Blank. Alessia pictured herself in that space. Not blackness, but a nothingness. With each inhale and exhale, she added something to the space. The law of gravity first. A physical ground to stand on. Light. Color. Texture. Sound. All the things that made up the world where Wolf resided in her head.

When next Alessia opened her eyes, it wasn't the Underforge she saw. Her eyes opened to a small meadow surrounded by a grand forest of tall pines. Despite the light dusting of snow on the trees, the meadow was clear of any cold. Flowers bloomed in the tall grasses. Bright yellows and pinks. Reds and blues. A small butterfly danced across her face and landed on a nearby flower. Leaves rustled in the nearby woods, only momentarily overpowering the birds constant singing. Cool wind tickled the nape of her neck. Alessia turned into the breeze, her nose instantly learning just how far the gust had traveled. The frost covered mountains in the distance rose up into the cloudless sky, reaching up towards the heavens that did not truly exist in this imagined space in her mind.

Slowly, Alessia's eyes scanned the nearby tree line. Searching for the dark shadow that she'd only caught glimpses of in the past. Her wolf roamed this imaginary landscape. Often times hid in it when Alessia tried reaching for her. Though it hadn't helped in the past, she tried whistling and calling. Her voice echoed, silencing the birds. After a moment, she tried again. "Hello? It's me again. I just want to talk. Get to know you more. Understand you maybe."

Still nothing.

"Aela told me you were likely scared. I don't know why. Big girl like you scared of a little thing like me? I said my wolf wasn't scared of anything." Alessia slowly walked towards the trees, feeling eyes on her. "No, not my wolf. Not when she stood between Carlotta and that jerk, Mikael."

Entering the trees, being surrounded by so many hiding places made Alessia nervous. Still, she kept walking. Kept talking.

"I spent yesterday morning playing with Mila. But… you already know that right? I could feel you. You sniffed her out of that barrel quick, fast, and in a hurry. Sort of cheating really. Playing hide-and-seek with a werewolf is hardly fair." Alessia caught a quick flash of black fur just out of the corner of her eye. "Are we playing? You and I now?"

Again, another flash from the opposite side. Frustrated, Alessia sat down on the ground, wincing at the cold snow seeping into her pants. Maybe next time she'd imagine herself a chair.

"Look. I don't want to play. I really need to speak with you. It's important that we… understand each other. Aela worries I might… go feral. That's what happens, you know? Werewolves who either fear or don't understand their wolves go mad. Lose control at the worst of times. Hurt themselves. Or others. Innocent people. Like Mila. Or Carlotta. I really don't want that to happen. And I don't think you do either."

Alessia heard Wolf before she saw her. A low whine came from a shadowy pit of brush just opposite her. The tip of a large nose peeked from the leaves. Then a snout. Then two huge blue eyes, a mirror of her own. She kept herself perfectly still, but didn't look away. She was the dominant of the pair. She had to be. Otherwise, she'd end up like the opposite end of the spectrum of lycanthropy.

There were the ones who feared and suppressed their wolves. Those were the ones who lost control and turned in the middle of a town or village and went on a killing rampage. An accident, yes, but still their fault. The middle wolves were those like her pack. Those who partnered with their beasts. The human was more in control, but the two personalities worked together as a team. They hid well. Hunted well. And fought even better. The last, the one Alessia feared the most, was those who were more beast than man. Those who liked to hurt. To kill. Let their beasts run the show even if they were in their human forms. Those like Mahrik.

Wolf pulled back her lips and bared her teeth, growling at that. Alessia didn't flinch. She understood the meaning of the act. Wolf didn't like the idea of being anything like Mahrik either. Alessia nodded to her. "I thought you'd agree. So… please come talk with me? Aela will probably have me keep trying if you don't."

One huge paw parted the leaves, followed by a second. Wolf Mother stubborn.

Alessia chuffed. "She doesn't like to be called my 'mother', by the way. Says it makes her sound old."

Wolf tilted her head to the side once. But is Wolf Mother.

"Yeah, I know. But maybe we can call her something else?"

The wolf that crawled from the underbrush was huge. She was far larger than any normal wolf. At least as big as a small horse. A thick pelt of black fur covered her from snout to the tip of her long, bushy tail. Her fangs were almost as large as Alessia's index finger, as were her claws. Bigger perhaps. Wolf sat across from Alessia, leaving a space of at least ten feet or so.

Sister Red. Forebear name Sister Red. Good?

Wolf stumbled over the word 'good'. Alessia nodded. "That is good."

To her surprise, Wolf mirrored the head nod. What is?

Wolf meant the nod. "It means 'yes'. Or 'alright'. Or 'okay'."

Wolf huffed. Human speak too messy. Wolf nose better.

Alessia smiled, shower her teeth. Mistake. Wolf's hackles rose and she growled, baring her own fangs. Aela had warned her of this. "Easy. That's a human thing too."

Is threat.

"No. It's smiling. Humans smile when they're happy or amused. Sort of like… when you wag your tail. You're happy or amused when you wag your tail, yes?"

Wolf thought about it, started wagging her tail, then nodded once. Human smile not threat. It human tail wag. Wolf understand. Wolf try remember.

Alessia smiled again, just to see what Wolf would do. As expected, the wolf's hackles rose, but she calmed herself quickly. "Good. Much better. And you didn't growl at all."

Mad One smile. Mad One smile and hurt same time.

That memory almost shattered Alessia imaginary forest. The ground literally shook beneath her. For a moment she black out, waking up curled into the fetal position with something furry, heavy and warm lying almost on top of her. Wolf breathed slowly, letting out a slow whine with each exhalation. Alessia moved to get up slowly, and, to her surprise, wolf let her. Even more of a surprise, Wolf sat close and allowed Alessia to lean into her thick coat of fur. It was soothing. The slightly musky scent pleasing somehow. She curled her fingers in the long tuft of fur right before her nose. This close, Alessia noted that the fur was the exact same shade of her own raven black hair.

Wolf sorry. Forget bad memory hurt Blue Eyes. Wolf growled low in her chest. Alessia could feel it vibrating against her ear. We kill him. We hunt Mad One and tear apart.

"The others are already working on that. They say it's only a matter of time before they find his new lair." Alessia said, not wanting to remove herself from Wolf's side. This was the closest they'd ever been. The longest they'd ever interacted. It was nice, not being afraid of the beast she held within.

You not afraid? Not fear Wolf?

"Aela says you are me. And I am you. It only scares me that I don't understand you sometimes." Alessia admitted. "I mean… we are of him."

Wolf growled again. We not of Mad One blood. We of Sister Red. Of Big Brother and Smaller Big Brother. Of Angry Moon and Alpha. Not of Mad One.

"How can you be so sure? He started the change." Alessia recalled the moment she knew she had been beyond all saving. Or at least she thought she had. While she choked on a mouthful of Mahrik's blood, while he begged for her not to leave him, she felt her death racing towards her like a charging bull. Saw it coming and welcomed it. But, fate had had a different plan. No matter how small the desire, something deep inside drove her to live. To fight. It clung to the small amount of blood she'd involuntarily swallowed, and burned. The first pop of her ribcage made her reflexively swallow more blood. The second made her scream. His blood started it, but it wasn't strong enough to repair the damage done to her body. Not nearly. Aela's blood, however…

Wolf turned one huge head and looked down at her. Not menace. Not even concern. But absolute certainty. Not forebear. Wolf know.

Alessia smiled. This time, Wolf didn't even flinch. "I'll just have to take your word for it, huh?"

The big chest beneath her head chuffed. Blue Eyes stubborn too. Like Sister Red.

Now she laughed. "Come by it honestly I guess."

Wolf agree. Need peace between Wolf and Blue Eyes. Need… understanding. Fight better. Hunt better. But… hard. Wolf not know human. Not understand most. Get angry. Get scared.

Alessia pat the big wolf's side, the hollow thump sounding pleasant to hear. "That's what I'm here for. Helping you adjust and understand is my job. Just as you helping me with wolf things is your job."

It not easy. Hard work.

"Nothing ever is. But we'll work on it."

Wolf huffed and gave a doggy grin, lolling tongue and everything. Easy scent Blue Eyes like Dirt Smell Female. Why no want mate with Dirt Smell Female?

"You know the answer to that." Alessia didn't have to elaborate. Thank the Gods.

Dirt Smell Female not male. Female. Blue Eyes like females?

Hesitantly, Alessia answered. "Yes."

Only female?

"Yes…" Alessia felt her face redden. "It's just not a good time to get involved with anyone. Especially not someone with a kid."

Wolf huffed. Not understand. Why female? Not have pup with female.

"I can't have kids now anyway." That unexpected pang came back again, but she shoved it away. "You know that. So, what does it matter?"

It startled her when Wolf's big, cold, wet nose poked into Alessia's belly and sniffed. Hurt?

"Not so much anymore. I barely feel it most of the time." Wolf whined, and Alessia dared a calming touch. She scratched the wolf behind her ears, which made the big girl start thrumming away. "So, are we going to give this a try? I have a good feeling about it."

Just then, Wolf's ears twitched then pointed straight up. Yes. Wolf and Blue Eyes try. But Blue Eyes go now. Sister Red call. Sound worried.

"Right. We'll talk like this again later on tonight. Until then, don't be afraid to pop into my head and ask me questions. I could use the practice guarding my expressions." Wolf let Alessia rise and start off towards the meadow again. She didn't think it was required for her to leave the forest, but it somehow made it easier to separate herself from the mind-scape and reenter the real world. Wolf watched from just inside the tree line. A darker shadow amongst the darkness under the branches. The snow did nothing to help the contrast. Alessia waved, pleased with their talk, and Wolf howled her response.

When Alessia opened her eyes, she was back in the Underforge. And a pale hand was racing towards her face, and from the stinging on her cheek, it wasn't the first slap she'd received. Without conscious thought, her arm rose up and caught Aela's slim wrist and rolled. Though her body was still from the cold and lack of motion, Alessia was able to pin the smaller female beneath her and hold her there. Teeth bared and body ready to continue the struggle. Aela froze, eyes wide and shocked. Slowly she lowered her one free hand and placed it flatly against the stone floor. Then she rose her chin a fraction of an inch upward, exposing her throat slightly. Submission.

Alessia bit down on her snarl and swallowed. Aela remained perfectly still. "You stopped breathing for a few moments. Went white as a sheet."

As she'd asked her to, Wolf chimed in. Mate Sister Red? Blue Eyes like females. Sister Red female.

Gods… No. Not a chance.

Why?

She's like my sister. A mother even. Just… ick…

Alessia felt Wolf roll her eyes, a very human gesture. Picky.

"Alessia?" Aela's worried voice brought her back out of her own head. The female was still lying prone, throat exposed, chest heaving in slight panic. She was afraid, but was trying to hide it. "Let me up, Alessia."

Alessia blinked and instantly let go of her forebear's wrist. She pulled back a few feet, couching on her haunches and watched her friend get up slowly. Aela kept her eyes on Alessia, either still worried or afraid she'd snap again. Alessia averted her eyes. "Sorry. I came to and your hand was coming at me. I just… reacted. You alright?"

"Fine. Just…" Aela sat up and looked her over for a moment. "You succeeded."

It wasn't a question, but Alessia answered with a sly smile. "A little bumpy, but yes."

She spent a few minutes telling her forebear what had occurred. All but that last conversation about her preferring females and Wolf's suggestion for Aela and she to "mate". Inappropriate was an understatement. Her forebear sat patiently and listened. Once the whole experience was told, Aela sat back and thought some more. Alessia was about to say something, but her forebear beat her to it. "You still believe Mahrik is your forebear?"

Alessia couldn't miss the look of… hurt in Aela's eyes. A little ashamed, she frowned down at her boots. "Yes. And no. I know his blood wasn't strong enough to repair what he'd done to me. Enough to start the change, but not nearly enough to help me survive it. I know you are my creator. Your blood. Your guidance. But… part of me still… fears his blood made me too. It's one of the nightmares I can't shake myself out of."

Aela knew the subject of most of Alessia's nightmares. This one, the one she had most often, was one she hadn't shared. Her forebear waited patiently, giving her time to decided whether or not to continue. Might as well.

"It's… a dream in which we finally catch him. All of us. The pack. We have him cornered. All his Sons dead at our feet. We've beaten him and I'm about to deliver the killing blow. Then he looks at me. And… and I freeze. With a single look he… makes me stop. I hate him, Aela. I hate him with every fiber of my being. But in that dream, I want so badly for him to love me. To take me back. To accept me. And I'm his again. With a word he takes control of me and turns me against you and the others. No matter how much I try- I-I kill you all. And he laughs the whole time. Laughs and laughs until I wake up screaming."

There was a long pause. One in which Alessia found she couldn't breathe. Finally Aela spoke. "You have every right to be afraid. I won't lie to you, Alessia. I never will. It is possible that Mahrik has some hold on you. Maybe not much, or perhaps far more than I, but that is something we've known from the start."

Alessia's head snapped up. "We have?"

"Yes. We have. Every breath you take is because of him. Not for him. But in spite of him. Because he could not break you." Aela said. "You live. You fight because you wish no one else to endure what you have. And you will end it. We will."

"You're not afraid I'll turn on you all?" Alessia asked, only partially joking.

Aela's smile turned wicked. "You may have doubts, but I do not. You are my whelp. Mine. And he will not wrest you from me while there is still life in this body."

Aela

Full moons were always a rough time for a new werewolf. Even for older wolves, the three days were a trial. It wasn't uncommon for fights to break out among the pack. Often triggered by a simple look or word from another person, even one not of their kind. Tempers were already hot by the time the full moon came. The males were having little luck tracking down their mad wolf. Frustrated, Skjor and Farkas had gone at each other once already. Luckily Vilkas and Kodlak were nearby to halt things before blood was spilled.

And luckily Aela and Alessia were out gathering supplies for their monthly romp in the wilderness. It was best to put distance between civilization and a new wolf. This would be Alessia's eighth full moon and, even though she was doing remarkably well controlling herself and her beast, Aela still didn't want to take any chances. And, if she were honest, she was looking forward to some time among the trees and mountains to the northwest of Whiterun. Alessia seemed excited too.

The girl didn't see it, but Aela believed she was suited to her new self. The girl was a natural fighter. Just ask Vilkas. He had the bumps and bruises to prove it. Alessia had traded swords with him a short while ago. The watching Companions placed bets and hooted and hollered. Aela hadn't been there, but word was that Alessia beat him soundly and with apparent ease. But even more than Alessia's prowess in battle, the girl was… Aela struggled with the words. Alessia was… adaptable. Resilient. Her and her wolf worked amazingly together in most things. Yes, there were problem areas that sometimes Aela had to step in and sort her out, but overall the girl seemed born to be a werewolf. The temperament and the will. Kodlak even believed she'd one day make an amazing Alpha.

They set off for the distant mountains north of Rorikstead three days before the eve of the full moon. While the night of the full moon was when a werewolf was most likely to change, the day before and the day after were still on the table. Three days to reach the mountains, three days in the mountains, then home again. Maybe even a short stop in Rorikstead to rest. And also, Aela wanted to see how Alessia did around new people. It was a stop they hadn't made in the past, but Aela was feeling confident. Her moonborn child was, after all, doing very well.

Three days on the road passed quickly. They'd brought enough food to get them there, but they would need to hunt in the mountains. Again, Aela wanted to see her pupil's progress. When they reached the mountain, Aela led the way up a hidden path she and Alessia had used time and time again. The path winded up the mountainside and came down again in a small glade. Evidence of their previous ventures to the mountain still remained; a circle of stones they used for their camp fire. The camp was in place in short order, a lively fire blazing away and the last of their edible supplies boiling in a small pot on the fire.

Aela tended to the meal while Alessia grabbed her bow. "I'll go out and catch us some breakfast."

Before anything could be said, Alessia was bounding out of the glade like an excited deer rather than a hunting wolf. The stew would keep long enough for Aela to follow. Still, she sat it a short ways away from the fire to insure it wouldn't burn. Then she was up and after her whelp as silently as possible.

Alessia was quick. That Aela had noticed that right away when she'd first started training her. Fast, strong, and surprisingly clever for her age. Farkas said the kid was as simple as he was, which was true most of the time, but that simple nature seemed to… mask the girl's intelligence. Which, as Kodlak had pointed out numerous times, smart and intelligence are two very different things. Even then… Aela believed her charge was both intelligent, clever, and smart. Perhaps not a genius, but definitely smart. Alpha material indeed.

Aela was careful not to get too close. Doing so and perhaps startling a hunting wolf was not a wise thing to do. A few hares would suffice for the time being. Tomorrow night they would hunt as wolves so a morning meal was all they'd really need. Aela watched as her moonborn child stalked a deer. A doe, to be precise. She disapproved, but did not intervene. This was Alessia's hunt. Aela had taught her all she knew and was confident in her girl.

The tense draw of the bow was loud in comparison to the silent falling snow all around them. Aela held her breath, waiting. Just as she expected Alessia to loose the arrow, the girl didn't. Instead, she let go of the tension in the bow and put the arrow away. Confused, Aela looked to the doe, and smiled. It was a doe alright. A doe with a small fawn scampering around her legs. One that was very, very newly born.

Most hunters wouldn't have cared much about the doe having a fawn to care for. But most hunters were not Alessia. The girl's beast wouldn't be happy, but she would get over it. Alessia could not kill the mother deer without killing the fawn, either by her own hand or allowing it to live on a few more days without the care of it's mother. It would die, one way or the other, without it's mother. And so… Alessia would not kill the mother. No matter what the reason.

Alessia ran off in another direction, but Aela didn't follow. She'd seen enough to know her lessons had been well learned. Pride filled her as she made her way back to the camp. Just as she'd expected, the stew hadn't burned. She put it back over the fire and waited for Alessia to return. She did about half an hour later with a pair of hares strung over her shoulder. Aela said nothing of what she saw, and Alessia didn't tell her. All in all, it was a good start to their full moon trip.

That night, Alessia woke in the middle of the night shrieking something Aela hadn't understood. A horrible sound that sent shivers down Aela's spine. She'd been sitting by the fire piddling with a small wooden wolf she was carving. Alessia had gone inside the tent to read. The snow was falling and she was afraid of it damaging her book. She must have fallen asleep. By the time Aela got to her whelp, Alessia was already in the throes of a transformation.

Before Aela could get to her, pin her down and try to calm her, Alessia rolled to her hands and knees and growled to herself, "No. We're alright. W-We're okay. He's not here. He's- n-not here. Just a dream. Just a dream. Easy girl. Calm down."

Aela froze, amazed at the sight. Slowly, painfully slowly, the crunching bones beneath Alessia's flesh stilled. Her muscles stopped twitching. Her breathing leveled out into something less than a mild snarl. When it was all said and done, the girl flopped down onto her bedroll panting. Aela went to her, but didn't touch. A werewolf's skin during and after a transformation was extremely sensitive. Even though she'd pulled herself back from the brink, touching Alessia now would hurt.

When enough time passed, Aela rolled Alessia on her side and looked her over. Aside from the paleness and sweat, she seemed alright. When she opened her eyes and looked up at Aela, her heart broke a little. Those eyes were far too old for the body they were in. Far too old and tired. Oh, so tired. Alessia blinked, then her eyes were clear again. As if the pain and sorrow had never been there. She at up slowly, like an old woman with pains in her joints and bones.

In a small voice, Alessia said, "I'm alright. Just… another bad dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Aela asked, as she had countless times before.

Alessia shook her head, also as she'd done countless times before. "It's nothing new. Darkness. Chains. The lash."

Perhaps the girl hadn't noticed when her hand reached to her shoulder where they both knew one of the many scars resided. That particular one wrapped nearly all the way up and around her shoulder nearly to her breast. Aela knew the girl hated the scars. Hated seeing them. Hated others seeing them, namely the pack. Some of the Companions, those who were not in the know, had asked about them. A few could be seen just above the collar of Alessia's shirt. One of the Circle would bark and get the inquisitive Companion to run off, but it still bothered Alessia. And thus it bothered Aela.

The girl was beautiful. Even as sickly as she was months ago, Alessia was a "knock out" as Farkas had so bluntly put it one night. Blue eyes were not uncommon among Nords. Not even among people in other countries. That said, however, Aela had never seen eyes so blue. So icy and yet so warm. When her hair had grown back, it was like looking at a raven's feather. So black it was almost blue. Though Alessia said she'd kept it longer and braided in the past, now it was a only a few inches long. And she intended to keep it that way. "Harder to grab hold of", she'd said. Her face was near on perfect; high cheekbones, full lips, slightly slanted eyes that said both danger and loveliness. And the girl was fit. Muscular, more than Aela, but not overly so. She was lean and strong, yet curvy in all the right places.

But that's not what Alessia saw. Not the beautiful young woman, both in mind and in form. What Alessia saw was a cadaver that hadn't realized it was dead yet. Something that had been placed through a meat grinder and been stitched back together afterward. The scars were hideous, yes. Aela fully expected that they would turn away even the most iron gutted and determined of pursuers or admirers. Fools. Fool all of them. What Alessia would eventually understand was that she needed someone who was just as stubborn as she was. Someone who would look past the scared hide and see the survivor underneath. The guts and steel and gold that the pack had come to see.

Forgetting the whittling she'd been doing, forgetting the fire outside that would eventually burn itself out, Aela helped Alessia settle back down into the bedroll, then curled up in her bedroll right next to her. She would have curled up with her, perhaps held her while she slept, and had once or twice, but didn't. She'd finally figured out that Alessia favored females, or rather her own wolf had finally figured it out. Not that she was against a female taking another into their bed, actually Aela herself found the female form appealing, but that wasn't what their relationship was about.

Alessia needed a sister. A mother even, sometimes. A friend. Not a lover. She needed to trust that Aela wouldn't hurt her in that way. Not ever. And the only way to be certain of that was to not tempt fate. It was already bad enough that on mornings after their hunt as wolves they often woke up naked and curled around each other. The first time that had happened, Alessia had blushed so badly Aela thought her face would catch on fire. She hadn't understood the reason why at first. But as time went on and it kept happening, Aela's wolf finally explained it to her. It was a surprise at first, but then, after a mere moment's thought, it wasn't a surprise at all. Perhaps Alessia preferred females before being dragged into that dungeon. Maybe not. But no why in hell was she going to ask.

But, ever since then, Aela had tried to limit how often they woke up like that together. Limited how often the males woke up with them, which was never. Her wolf understood what had happened to Alessia. Understood and drove the males away if they hunted together. The only reason they, the more dominant wolves other than Farkas, didn't bite and snap at her was because they understood as well. And so, they allowed themselves to be driven away. Gave Alessia the time she needed to heal mentally before subjecting her to having to look at another male's bare body. Not until she was ready. If ever she was ready.

Before Aela drifted off to sleep, Alessia spoke. She sounded like a wounded child. "Have they found anything yet?"

She didn't have to explain more for Aela to understand. She sighed and rolled to face the other wolf. "Skjor and Vilkas are checking a lead."

"Where?"

Aela wasn't sure she wanted to say where. Not that she expected Alessia to race off after Mahrik, but… She shook her head. "Markarth. Or the mountains nearby. People have gone… missing."

She hoped Alessia wouldn't ask, but… that was like asking water not to be wet. "Young women?"

Aela nodded once. She didn't like telling Alessia, but she wouldn't lie. "Mostly. Some men. It could be nothing. There are quite a few savages in those hills."

"Yeah. But how many of them snatch up dark haired, blue eyed, young women?" Alessia asked, testing.

Aela flinched. Either the girl had overheard something or guessed. All the women taken were, in many ways, similar in appearance to Alessia herself. Even the men. Dark hair and light eyes. It had been what caught the pack's attention. "It still could be coincidence, Alessia. We don't know anything for certain."

"But what if it is? What if he's got some poor young woman in some other dark place and is-" Alessia snarled, not wanted to continue. "I can't just do nothing and let him do to someone else what he did to me. I can't stand the thought of it."

"Alessia, you're not ready yet. And you're not doing nothing." Aela said calmly but assertively.

She understood Alessia's pain and worry. Understood very, very well her desire to rush ahead and hunt Mahrik down. It was simply in her character. She was a protector. A guardian. A shield. Dented and scraped, but a shield nonetheless. Alessia didn't like what she was hearing, and growled her anger. Aela bared her teeth, growling her own warning. It was a ritual they'd done numerous times before. Her moonborn child was a dominant wolf. As Kodlak had predicted. Alpha material. Already she was struggling with her wolf's instinct to rise in the pack hierarchy. Not a month past, she'd overtaken Farkas's position in the pack and rose a level. Not that Farkas was angry about it, the male was the lowest member of the pack long before Alessia came. Now she was pressing her luck with Aela, which was dangerous. It was an unconscious thing, but still dangerous.

It was the full moon. Even Aela felt it's power. It's influence. Alessia knew it too, but was still green enough not to know how to resist. That would come in time, but for now… Aela needed to defuse the situation. Still conscious of Alessia's anger, Aela bit down on her own rising anger. Her wolf protested, but Aela convinced her there was no need for a fight. Instead, they would talk.

"Why didn't you shoot the doe today?" Aela asked, though she already knew the answer.

It was enough to distract Alessia. "Is that why you followed me? To see what I would do on my own?"

"Yes. That's my job." Aela said. "Answer the question. Why not shoot the doe?"

The girl blinked and shook herself then answered. "Well, for one, we didn't need that much meat. We eat a lot, yes, but we'll hunt in our other skins most of the time. Plus, she had a fawn with her."

"Wolf didn't protest?"

Alessia signed. "Oh, she protested alright. But I explained why killing the doe wasn't right."

"And?"

"She didn't understand, of course. Food is food, after all."

Aela smiled. Her own wolf didn't understand some of the things she did, but that was to be expected. "What did she say?"

"She said, and I'm paraphrasing here… Wolf still has a sort of limited vocabulary." Alessia said. "She said, 'I don't get it. Food is food. Two deer are a hearty meal. Aela needs to eat too.' I told her that killing the doe would kill the baby. Killing the young of any species isn't right. She said, 'It's not human. Not a wolf. So why does it matter?' I said it matters because I say it matters. Wolf huffed and gave up trying to understand why killing them was wrong."

Aela nodded. "Wolves aren't usually too concerned with right and wrong. Or even good and evil, really. That's a human thing. Animals just are. Human emotions and feelings make things complicated."

"But, Wolf understands that what happened to me was evil. That Mahrik is evil." Alessia ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. It was a habit she'd pick up here of late.

Aela answered. "Wolf understands pain and suffering. Needless or otherwise. A natural order in all things. What happened to you, what Mahrik did to you and those others, wasn't natural. It wasn't sporting. It wasn't required. It was just cruel. Wrong. Unnatural. Perverse. Trust me. Wolf understands that. And Wolf knows that Mahrik still being alive causes you pain. You suffer from that knowledge. It possible the knowledge might have killed you in time. Still could. So… Wolf's natural response is to eliminate that threat. Doing so will give you peace of mind. Both in knowing your abuser is dead, and also that he won't be hurting anyone else."

Alessia thought about it, then frowned. "How is that any different from knowing the difference between right and wrong? Good and evil?"

That made Aela chuckled, and thus burn away all tension between the two. "Just as Wolf doesn't understand some things about us, there are things we will never understand about Wolf. You'll get used to it in time."

---

Aela stood still, waiting patiently while Alessia writhed and screamed in the snow. Her own wolf wanted to come out. Wanted to turn. Wanted to run and hunt. It was hard to resist, but she would. She kept telling her wolf that their time would come. Kept insisting patience. Just wait. Just wait a little longer.

Alessia wailed. A sound that barely covered the snapping of bone and the tearing of muscle. Coarse black fur was sprouted all along her bare back, covering the scars. The human sounds of agony soon turned to Wolf's grunts and snarling growls. Huge lungs bellowed out a long, horrible howl that made Aela's hair stand on end. It wasn't the night of the full moon yet, but Alessia wasn't able to resist the call of the wild hunt. She was still too young. Perhaps she could resist the day after the full moon, but not tonight.

Eventually the transformation ended. In the spot where Alessia once writhed there was now a mass of fur and muscle. Wolf breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath. While she rested, Aela underwent her own shift. It took far less time for her to change. She'd been a werewolf far longer than Alessia. More time to cope with the pain of it. More time to learn control. She recovered quickly once the burn in her bones cooled. Her own wolf, red and smaller than Alessia's much larger, black haired beast, waited while her whelp struggled with her own pain.

Aela wasn't in total control of her own body anymore. While in Wolf's skin, her wolf's instincts were far more powerful than her own. She knew how to move, how to think, how to react, better than Aela's human mind. So naturally, Aela let go of the reins, so to speak. There was no fear her wolf would harm Alessia's wolf. Defend herself, yes. But Aela's wolf would sooner tear off her own nose than hurt her whelp. Her pup. Carefully, the red wolf sniffed at the dark, haired wolf. She whined, licking the snow and dirt off Alessia's muzzle.

Okay? Wolf asked.

She's alright. Remember, she's still a whelp. She doesn't recover as quickly as us.

We want to run. Want to hunt with Pup. Wolf stuck her nose in Alessia's ear, which earned her an annoyed growl. Come, Pup. Play. Run. Hunt.

After a little more prodding, the dark wolf crawled to her feet. It still caught Aela's breath every time she saw Alessia's wolf. She was absolutely huge. The biggest of their pack aside from Farkas himself. Big blue eyes looked around the clearing, searching for anything of interest or danger. When her eyes landed on Aela's wolf, Wolf practically wagged her tail with excitement. The dark wolf wagged her tail too. At that the red wolf barked happily and bounced around the bigger wolf as if she were a puppy again.

Play! Run! Come on!

The bigger wolf did. She stumbled about a lot at first, still feeling the effects of the transformation, but eventually she was leaping about and yipping right along with her forebear. They did that for a short while, simply enjoying the cold night air and the freedom they had. When Aela's wolf took off into the woods on all fours, Alessia's wolf was hot on her tail. It was thrilling to run all out, feeling the cool night air and the moon on her fur. Knowing her whelp was right behind her. That they could hunt freely without worry or fear.

The red wolf howled her joy and delight, hearing the wolf at her side echo the sentiment. No. No fear for them that night. The prey, however…

Kodlak

"Awe, come on Boss. I should have gone with them. If it does turn out to be that bastard, they're going to need help."

The Harbinger sighed, calmly placing his quill in the ink bottle and blowing on the letter he'd been writing. Farkas, the big male angry and not afraid to show it, paced back and forth in front of the desk. He was obviously antsy. The full moon will do that to a wolf. Kodlak, however, was old. Tired. Having spent a large portion of his life as a werewolf, his beast had little patience for the recklessness of the young. Even as he thought this, Wolf's hackles rose. Kodlak calmed his inner beast like an old friend. A friend he felt had overstayed his welcome, but a friend nonetheless.

"Lad, I know you wanted to join Skjor and your brother, but I have need of you here." The old man eyed the lad, pacing like a caged animal.

He understood. If Skjor and Vilkas actually found this… Mahrik the Mad, the male wanted in on the hunt. Rightly so. Even Kodlak felt the urge to tear into that monster's hide for what he had done to all those people, let alone their lass. Farkas cared very much for the lass. Wanted to protect and guard her, as any older brother would do. As any of the pack would do. However, if it was Mahrik… Then the male's life did not belong to any of them. His life, or rather his death, belonged only to Alessia. That much Kodlak and Aela agreed upon. The lass would likely have no peace until she saw him die. Felt him die.

"Boss, this bastard had two other wolves with him last time. He'll likely have the same, if not more, this time. I should have gone."

"Farkas." Kodlak stood from his chair, his alpha wolf's dominance rising up without him needed to call for it. The younger male stopped and lowered his gaze. The older wolf didn't like throwing his weight around, well, the human side of him didn't, but Farkas needed to calm down. "I understand, lad. Believe me, I do. But our brothers are not going to fight unless they must. They are under strict orders not to. They are to search. They are to observe. If, if, it is Mahrik, they are to report back."

Farkas growled down at the ground. "Can I at least go to Rorikstead and wait for Aela and the kid? I don't like them being out so far on their own."

Kodlak chuckled. "Our females can take care of themselves, Farkas. Us males need to remember that."

"But the kid-"

"Needs to know we trust her enough to let her be. The lass can't learn how to fly again if we keep her in the nest, now can she?" Kodlak chuckled at the younger males sour expression. "Aela won't let anything happen to our lass. They'll be fine. And it's best they are out of Jorrvaskr during the full moon. With just us two and Aela, likely we couldn't hold the lass back should she transform in the city walls again."

Farkas frowned. "Alright. You're the boss. Any contracts around town? I need to punch something."

With a feral grin, Kodlak handed Farkas a sheet of paper. "A request came in today from that lass, Ysolda. Seems she's been having some trouble with that Mikael. I know Alessia knocked him down a few pegs that time in the market. How about you go and do it again. Don't kill him, just make him understand his behavior isn't welcome."

With that, the big male trotted out of the office and down the corridor. Kodlak wasn't worried. The male wouldn't do any serious harm to the cretin. It was the dying night of the full moon, the weakest of the three days. It would at least give Farkas something to do, and get him out of Kodlak's beard. He had enough problems to worry about. Aela and Alessia would return the day after tomorrow. And with good luck, Skjor and Vilkas would return with news regarding the disappearing townsfolk of Markarth.

Alessia

Rorikstead was a tiny hamlet a few days ride west of Whiterun. Alessia had been there only once before, spending a night in the inn before continuing onward towards Falkreath Hold, and from there further south to Cyrodiil. The night hadn't been anything special. However, the night Alessia and Aela came to town, the tavern had some sort of party. A birthday, as they heard it. Plenty of rooms, but little space to sit and have a meal. Still, Aela's… irritated air and "boisterous" personality got them a table in the corner. The food was good. The drink fine. But the ruckus made Alessia a bit nervous. Even Jorrvaskr never not that rowdy.

Aela seemed to notice her tense shoulders. "Do you want to leave? We can camp alongside the road."

Despite the noise, this was the first time they'd been anywhere outside Whiterun that wasn't in the middle of nowhere. The party was loud, but it felt good to be out and about among the living again. To be apart of the world and all its chaos. Well, perhaps not chaos, though the party was chaotic. More like… villagers drunkenly frolicking about having a good time. She didn't want to spoil the fun by being a wet blanket. Alessia shook her head. "No. This is fine. The music is good."

Aela frowned and glared across the room to the sauced man playing the flute. "You actually like this stuff? It sounds like someone strangling a cat."

Alessia laughed. "Drink some more and it will sound better. Let me get you an ale."

She stood to do just that. Catching the eye of the barmaid was difficult, but eventually the young woman headed over. She was a tiny thing. Cute button nose and a dimple in her left cheek. She looked haggard, her apron smeared with something brown. Likely ale, but Alessia didn't want to get a good whiff of it anyhow. A lock of her curly golden hair had escaped her bun and hung loosely across her green eyes. Wolf's ears perked up and Alessia took notice. Pretty. And if she didn't know any better, the young woman's eyes lingered on her.

"Can I get you ladies anything? Ale, rum? Maybe something to eat?"

Wolf's tongue lolled out at the steamy look the barmaid gave and Alessia practically felt the responding rumbling thrum crawl up her throat. Yes… eat.

Aela kicked Alessia's foot under the table. She yelped and said, "Ale. Ale for my friend please."

"Sure. Be right back." The young woman said, giving Alessia another quick eye over before spinning on her heel and walking away. Alessia watched her go, noting the sway of her backside as she walked.

Eat. Wolf repeated. Alessia had to resist the urge to get up and follow after the woman. Fun…

"Your wolf is as bad as the males…" Aela rolled her eyes and groaned. "Just be careful. Try not to break the poor flirt please?"

That startled Alessia. She turned a surprise eye on her forebear. "What?"

"Alessia, I'm not blind. Nor has my nose stopped working." The redhead turned and glanced towards the young woman at the bar. "That was an obvious invitation. Go if you want, but just be careful. Remember, she's human. She breaks easier than you or I do."

"But…" Alessia couldn't finish.

"For the love of Talos, Alessia… I know. It's alright. You don't have to hide it from me. Go. Have fun." Aela smiled wryly. "I'll see you in the morning."

Her mind made up, Alessia rose from her chair with a grin. But still… she asked, "You sure?"

Aela chuffed. "Goodness knows you deserve some fun. Go on. Get. Cancel my ale. One of us needs to be the responsible one."

Alessia did. The room was crowded, but she made her way over to the bar quickly enough to catch the order before it went out. The young woman seemed surprised to see her there, but it quickly vanished. Replaced by a pleased wolfish grin that Alessia found… attractive. There was a little small talk in between orders. But eventually the young woman motioned to a hallway behind the bar. No one saw them go. None accept probably Aela.

She was led down the hall and into one of the back rooms. It was a cozy bedroom. One set aside for the workers occasional use. Likely the owner. It smelt of the woman. Like fresh bread with a hint of rosemary. The woman obviously baked. Before the door had even closed, the young woman jerked Alessia's head down to her own. She tasted of ale and wine. Alessia hadn't kissed anyone in a long time. Hadn't actually touched anyone since she couldn't remember. Hadn't been touched since…

No. Not now. Live in the now. Think of only her. Feel only her. Alessia chanted as Wolf took over. The young woman gave out a muffled gasp of surprise when Alessia pressed her against the wall and deepened the kiss. Wolf howled in the back of her mind as she took control again, trying for a more gentle touch.

When she let the woman up for air, Alessia asked, "What's your name?"

"Brine." The woman, Brine, panted. "What's yours?"

"Alessia."

They returned to the kissing for a while, Alessia tearing at the laces on Brine's dress while the young woman helped. When next they needed air, Brine said, "Alessia. Good name. How about making me moan it?"

Alessia grinned, snarling as she lifted the smaller woman up and plopped her on the edge of the chest of drawers. In seconds she had the dress loose and pooled up around Brine's ribcage. A second later, the woman's undergarment was down around her ankles. Wolf growled in hunger.

"Oh, I plan on it." Alessia gripped the woman's hips and settled between her thighs.

---

Later, Alessia thought that perhaps she'd pushed the young barmaid too far. After Brine's first… trip to the clouds, Alessia had her again in the small bed. That time she took her time, keeping her word about having the young woman moan her name repeatedly. After the third and fourth climax, Alessia still wanted more. The young woman was game, but lasted only another release before all but passing out into exhausted sleep. Alessia let her, content to lay beside the smaller woman's warm body and watch her sleep.

Though she hadn't been fully satisfied, Alessia felt… relief? Yes. Relief was the right word. Relief that she still could enjoy herself between the sheets at all. Mahrik hadn't taken everything from her at least. Perhaps her pride. Certainly her dignity. But not her ability to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. At least with women. And what more… Brine hadn't reacted to the scars. At least not in disgust, as Alessia had expected and prepared for. It was dark, but still the candle light revealed the worst of them. But, there was no reaction. Only a slight pause, a gentle touch of a finger on the long one over her shoulder, then nothing.

The warm body beside hers twitched and rolled, throwing one arm over Alessia's bare chest. It was a comfort. Touch always was to a werewolf. More so if it was pack, like Aela, but still. She enjoyed Brine's touch. Enjoyed the feel of a body beneath her hands. Also beside her.

Alessia slept some. Grateful that she didn't dream. Last thing she needed was to wake up howling and frighten the woman. And then people would come rushing in response to the scream. Aela would probably bash a few skulls in. Just a whole mess… Gods…

When she awoke to find early morning sunlight shining through the window slats, Brine woke up too. The young woman yawned and stretched, a motion that Alessia paid extra attention to. Brine had small but pleasant breasts. And suddenly Alessia wanted nothing more than to be sucking at them. She thrummed, though she tried to hide it.

Brine chuckled. "You are insatiable, aren't you?"

"It's been a while."

"Mmm. Could have fooled me." The woman's green eyes drank in every inch of Alessia's naked body, then grinned. "I… don't have to be in to work until later. Think your companion will mind me keeping you a few minutes more? Or, knowing your stamina, an hour?"

Alessia made to roll over and take the woman's breast into her mouth, just as she'd wanted, but Brine pushed her back down. Alessia allowed herself to be pushed and stayed perfectly still as the young woman grinned. Her slender hand slowly disappeared underneath the sheet and slid between Alessia's legs.

"No, no… Honey. You were all about me last night. Now, we're going to be all about you."

They stayed in bed for far longer than an hour.

---

Breakfast was quick, then the pair was back on the road. Alessia felt lighter than air. Calmer than she had been in months. She ignored Aela's questioning glances, though later she would tell her forebear that things had gone well. No details, but no need to worry either. For now, she enjoyed withholding the tale of her overnight adventure and make the female squirm a bit. It was… surprisingly fun.

"You are really going to make me ask, aren't you?" Aela groaned.

"I don't know what you mean."

Aela chuckled, but didn't ask. Alessia blinked, disappointed. Which… what precisely what Aela wanted. The two looked at each other and laughed heartily. Again, laughing felt good. Life was good.

"You are alright, yes?" Aela asked seriously. "Truly?"

Alessia took a deep breath of the clean morning air. "I'm… good. For the first time in a long time, I really believe things will turn out okay."

Aela paused for a beat, then huffed loudly. "Seriously? One night of very loud, very loud, rutting and you're all better? Gods… you are such a male… Had I known that was all it took, I would have gotten you a woman in Whiterun months ago."

Alessia took a playful swipe at her forebear, which she dodged effortlessly, and they both started laughing again.

Aela

"Come on, Kid. Don't be shy." Farkas growled. "Hit me!"

Aela watched the pair scrapping out in the training yard a few weeks after returning from their moonlit run in the mountains. Most of the Companions were out watching the show and taking bets. Most were betting on the big male tying the young female into a knot. If only they knew. Alessia was circling Farkas in the ring, hands held out wide and knees bent. She'd beaten Farkas more than once in a hand-to-hand match. Actually beaten him more often than not. The female was faster than her bigger, stronger opponent. Faster and more clever.

Without warning, Farkas charged forward, his big bear paw hands coming down to snatch Alessia up and toss her like a sack of grain. No such luck. Alessia ducked the grab and rolled out of reach again. Only this time she didn't remain still. She rushed at the bigger male, her knee landing a solid crack to Farkas's skull. He staggered. That's when she finished him. Alessia dropped and swiped her leg out, knocking Farkas's legs out from under him and bringing him crashing to the ground with a audible boom. The watching Companions all cried out in dismay as Alessia leaped into the air and brought her elbow down on his solar plexus, driving all the air out of the big wolf's lungs.

"Hah! What did I tell you? Pay up you louts!" One of the Companions shouted, a woman by the name of Ria.

Aela chuckled. The woman was going to make a fortune off of Alessia's victories. While the Companions squabbled, Aela approached the pair in the ring. Alessia was panting, hands braced on her knees, while Farkas rolled on the ground clutching his stomach. Aela prodded the male with her boot. "Should have known better, Icebrain. My girl is faster than you."

"O-One of t-these days…" Farkas rasped. "I'm gonna b-beat her. Good followup, K-Kid. Next t-time, don't wait u-until the last second. Hit hard right o-off the bat."

"Got it." Alessia sat up and rolled her neck. "Again?"

Farkas wheezed. "Nope. Done for the day."

Chuckling, Alessia looked at Aela. "What about you? Care for a tussle?"

"I do not 'tussle' in the dirt like some rabid dog." Aela huffed, which made both Farkas and Alessia burst out laughing. She kicked dirt at both of them.

Alessia coughed and covered her face. "Alright. Alright. How about some sword practice? That enough finesse for you?"

In answer Aela walked over and grabbed two of the practice swords the Companions trained with. They were steel, fully weighted, but dulled. Cutting was near impossible, but they could break bone if used improperly. She tossed one to Alessia and waited while Farkas cleared the fighting circle. Him safely away, the pair traded experimental blows with the blades. After a few minutes, the fight truly heated up. Aela felt the eyes of the bystanders, but ignored them. Instead, she watched her whelps movements. The placement of her feet. The grip of her hands on the hilt of the sword. Her blue eyes. She gave nothing away. Made no mistakes. Her teacher, the Wandering Swordsman, Throm, taught her well.

The next flurry of blows were tests to see just how well her whelps guard held. Well, it seemed. Alessia's sword seemed to move effortlessly to parry or block. That done, Alessia attacked with her own series of strikes, most of which Aela expected. One however, nearly caught her on the thigh. Thankfully she'd been able to bend enough to catch the blow on the flat of her blade, but just barely. She glared up at her opponent, Alessia's blue eyes bright with amusement.

After nearly a quarter of an hour trading strikes and counterstrikes, Aela called it a draw. Much to the gambling Companions complaints, but the match had gone on long enough. Most walked up and roughly pat Alessia on the back or shook her hand. They'd grown used to having the young female around, and she had grown used to their boisterous and teasing ways. Part of the family now. Just as Aela had expected. Perhaps she would talk with Alessia about becoming a legitimate Companion. She had the knack for it, after all.

"Aela. I need to speak with you." Kodlak's tone was dower and concerned. Before Aela could turn to call Alessia, her Alpha shook his head. "No. Leave the lass be. Only you."

Still, Aela called to Alessia and told her to get cleaned up. "You smell like a mangy dog."

That got the Companions laughing, each playfully ruffing up Alessia's dusty hair. She gamely shoved them away and trotted towards Jorrvaskr to do as Aela said. Kodlak waited until their young wolf was inside, then he nodded towards the Underforge. That made Aela's heart stop. If they'd gone to his office, that would have meant Companion business. If they were going to the Underforge… that meant pack business.

Inside, Aela was surprised to find Farkas, Vilkas, and Skjor already waiting. Farkas had recovered from his brawling, though he still looked dusty. The other males looked no better. But all wore gaunt expressions. She cursed. "It's him, isn't it?"

Vilkas handed her a small scrap of paper with a symbol sketched on it. A full moon circle with the mark of Hircine inside of it. The symbol for the self proclaimed Incarnation of Hircine. His mark. The one carved into the walls of that dungeon Alessia was in. She cursed again, crumpling the paper and tossing it into a nearby lit brazier.

"As far as we can tell, he's got prisoners down in one of the tunnel systems near Dushnikh Yal. The orcs in the stronghold don't seem to know he's there." Vilkas growled in anger. "He has five of those Son bastards with him. At least that's all we counted coming in or out. So far, no pits of dead bodies."

"At least none we found." Skjor added. "Those tunnels go on for miles under the mountains. He could just be stashing his victims underground."

Farkas snarled. "That bastard's gotten smarter. Keeping the bodies underground makes it harder for us to find him."

"Aye, but find him we did." Kodlak shook his head in dismay. "Five Sons. He's been busy."

"Awe. Five ain't nothing, Boss. We can take five." Farkas beat his fist against his chest once. "One of us are at least ten times older than they all are combined."

"Remember, brother. Alessia said Mahrik himself was a formidable opponent. And he is mad. None of us really know what he's capable of." Vilkas said.

That made Farkas growl at his twin. "Yeah, we know exactly what he's capable of. Kidnapping and raping innocent people like the kid. Torture. Mutilation."

"Farkas." Kodlak's warning growl went unheeded.

"Boss, let's go bust this bastard's balls. Show this coward how a real male fights with honor in fair contest."

Aela let the big hearted male go on for a time. As did the others. He was angry. Angry and eager to dish out some much needed vengeance. Like Aela, Farkas had seen some of Alessia's darker moments. The others had from time to time, but not like him. But like the big softy he was, Farkas kept it all hidden until he was alone. Then he'd rant and rage and weep for the kid who's tears stained his shirt while he held her trembling panic racked body.

Once the rant was over, Kodlak spoke in the silence. "Farkas, I fully intend on doing just as you say. This menace has gone on long enough. However, we need to go about this carefully. Our goal is not only to kill Mahrik and his Sons, but also save as many lives as we can. Or, if the situation demands, give his prisoners a quick, painless death and the proper burial they deserve."

"And the girl?" Skjor asked. "Will she come with us? Mahrik's death belongs to her by right. If she prefers, I'll gladly drag his ass back here and hold him while she carves him up."

For that, Kodlak turned to Aela. "What say you, forebear? Is the lass ready for this hunt?"

Aela thought for a moment, but she already knew her answer. The only problem was what Alessia wanted. "I believe she is. Alessia hasn't had a lose of control in months. I think she can handle it. But… I will speak with her. If she says she is, then you have your answer. If not, no doubt she will appreciate your offer Skjor."

Kodlak nodded his approval. "Go then. Talk with the lass. We will prepare ourselves to be gone without delay. We leave at nightfall."

---

Aela stood outside Alessia's room for what felt like forever. Inside she imagined her moonborn child lying in bed with a book propped up on her knees. That was the usual scene she walked in on. That or she was sitting at her desk with a book. Or in the chair, with a book. Always with a book. The girl devoured them almost as quickly as her morning meals. It made her smile to think of that. How far her whelp had come in so little time. Not even a year ago Aela was rushing into this room to calm down a raging, panicking werewolf frightened of her own shadow.

"Aela, stop looming. It's creeping me out." Alessia said through the door. "Geez, I can practically hear you grinding your molars. Come in already."

She did. As expected, Alessia was laying in bed with a book propped up on her legs. It was one of the males journals, Skjor's if she had to guess by the handwriting. Aela said brilliantly, "Hey."

"Hey. What's wrong? You look like you just swallowed a bug."

Slowly, carefully, Aela sat on the bed beside her whelp. Alessia closed the journal and sat up, sensing the seriousness of the impending conversation. She didn't know exactly how to breach the subject, so Aela just came right out with it. "Our two males are back. They… they found him."

Alessia blinked, the journal sliding from her fingers and falling to the mattress. "Oh."

"Oh." Aela confirmed then went on with all Skjor and Vilkas had reported. Alessia listened carefully, saying not a word. Asking not one question. When she was done, silence overcame them both. After a time, Aela asked, "Do you understand what I've told you?"

Alessia nodded once. "They… They're really giving him to me? They want me to be the one to-"

"You told me once you wanted to kill him. If that's true, your pack agrees that it should be you to do it. You have the right to claim his death."

The girl seemed to think on that for a long time. Finally, she nodded. "Fine. If it's possible, then yes. I want to end him myself. But if it's not, if anyone has a shot, I don't want them holding back for my sake. I want him dead more than I want to kill him. I want that made very clear. If he can be taken alive, great. If not, I don't want to risk him getting away again."

Aela nodded. "That's a good attitude, Alessia. I'm proud of you."

To her confusion, Alessia shook her head. "Don't say that. You shouldn't be proud."

"Why?"

"Because of what's going on in my head right now. What I want to do to him…" A visible shiver ran up Alessia's spine, making her arm hairs stand on end. "I'm not proud of what I want to do. You shouldn't be either."

Aela understood. "Would you rather stay here? I'll stay with you if-"

"No." Alessia said instantly. "He has five wolves with him now. That's an even one-on-one if you count Mahrik on their side and me on ours. If I stay, and you stay with me… I don't want any of our boys getting hurt because I was a coward. No. I'm going with you. I'm going to fight."

"Are you sure? You don't have to, Alessia. Even if you came but let us handle the fighting."

Alessia shook her head. "No. I'll fight. I want to fight. If there's a chance those prisoners are still alive… I'll fight."

"As I said… I'm proud of you, whelp." Aela smiled, taking her pup's hand and squeezing gently. "Now get your things together. We leave at nightfall."

Alessia

Horses. She liked horses, but horses didn't like her. At least not after she'd become a werewolf. They wouldn't have ridden had time not been of the essence. She rode with Aela since she had no steed of her own that could bear the scent of her. Even the mare Aela rode disliked her greatly. But, her forebear was an accomplished rider and quickly brought her mount to heel. The six of them raced westward along the road. Any other time they would have stopped and rested in Rorikstead, but the didn't now. Alessia would have liked to see Brine again, but… under the current circumstances, she wasn't feeling up for the flirting. But they didn't go that far north. At the ruins of the old guard outpost, they kept going west rather than veering north.

They made amazing time in the hills outside Whiterun Hold. Remarkable time in fact. By the time they slowed enough to let the horses rest, morning light peeked over the nearby mountains of the Reach. According to Skjor and Vilkas, they should reach Mahrik's new lair by midday. Time enough to rest and plan an attack.

"Easy, Alessia." Aela whispered back to her. "You need to breathe. And loosen your grip."

When she looked, Alessia noticed just how tightly her arms were around Aela's ribcage. She loosened up. "Sorry. Nerves."

"Understandable. Just remember what I said. I will not leave your side. Not for a moment. If it gets to be too much, just say so and I'll get you out."

"I'll be alright. Don't worry about me. Let's just get this done." Alessia said feigning confidence, then added in a mutter to herself. "Just keep it together. You can fall to pieces afterward."

"What?" Aela asked, turning to look at her. It was obvious she'd heard the words clearly, but pretended she hadn't.

"Nothing. Just… nothing."

"We'll rest here. I don't want to get too close and have them sniff us out." Kodlak said as he dismounted.

Everyone did. Alessia needed a bit of help from Farkas. Her butt was sore from all the riding. They all sat or lay down, eating or napping while they had the opportunity. Alessia munched on some of Skjor's deer jerky, not really hungry but not tired enough to sleep. As promised, Aela stayed right beside her. The female slept, or attempted to sleep, but kept at least one part of her body pressed up against Alessia. A sort of… tether to know where she was at all times.

"Vilkas, show me where the cave is." Kodlak ordered. "Farkas, you come too. Skjor, stay with the females. Be vigilant."

"Harbinger." The second nodded and set himself up to scan the nearby forests while the other three males trotted off to the south. Without looking, Skjor handed Alessia another large strip of jerky. "Here whelp. You'll need the extra energy."

"Thanks." She said and accepted it.

"You good?" The male tapped his bald skull. "Here?"

"Yeah. Nervous, but yeah." Alessia admitted. "I just want this over with."

"Don't worry. This is the hard part. The waiting. When things start to happen, instinct will kick in and you'll just do." He handed her another strip of dried meat. She hadn't even noticed she'd finished the other. "That said, you're safe with us. Trust your pack. You can count on us. This bastard will go down, so will his acolytes. And then you can go about your life and never have to think of him ever again."

Timidly, she and the male hadn't really gotten close, Alessia said, "Thank you, Skjor. That means a lot."

"You're one tough kid. I'll give you that. Mahrik made a mistake when he threw you away. And now that mistake is going to cost him everything." The male turned his head and looked at her for a second, smiling. "How much you want to bet he starts weeping tears of joy when he sees you alive and well? Sick bastard will probably try convincing you to come back to him. Be ready for that whelp. We started calling him Mahrik the Mad for a reason."

Alessia chuffed. "Don't have to tell me that. The guy's a few apples short of a bushel. Believe me… I know."

That made the male laugh, though he bit down on it quickly. "Aela, why didn't you tell me your pup was funny?"

From the ground nearby, Aela growled. "I did. You're just too damned thick skulled to hear it."

The two bantered back and forth for a while, obviously an attempt to distract Alessia from what was about to happen. It didn't work, but she was grateful for the attempt. An hour passed before Kodlak and the twins returned. Their Alpha silently beaconed for Aela and Alessia to follow him. They obeyed instantly while the twins remained with Skjor. The three moved quickly through the trees and underbrush. She allowed Wolf's instincts to bleed through a little, lending her swiftness and agility to Alessia's motions.

As they passed a particular unseen barrier, Alessia's nose caught a scent that almost drove her to her knees. Suddenly, she wasn't running behind Kodlak or beside Aela. She was back in the dungeon. Back in the dark with those cold, merciless shackles holding her to the loop in the floor. She was screaming, struggling to get him off. Get away from him. Eorlir was shouted obscenities, cursing and spitting at the male holding her down. Forcing her to-

She threw up in the grass. Wolf howled in her ears, roaring and thrashing to force the sudden memory away. But still… his scent lingered in her nose. She stink of his sweaty body on hers… She cringed and threw up again. Aela was there, grabbing her by the face and forcing her to look up into her hazel eyes. Forcing her nose away from the grass and dirt. She was saying something. Talking. And… Kodlak. The Alpha was there too. His low baritone voice in severe contrast with her forebear.

Slowly, breath by struggling breath, Alessia locked the memories away again. Shoved them into a dark hole and slammed the door on them. That done, she worked on getting control over her body again. The shivering went first. Then the nausea. Then the solid ringing in her ears. Finally she could hear Aela again. The female was in a panic, but speaking softly enough not be overheard at a distance. "Alessia? Alessia?"

Alessia turned and looked at the vomit in the nearby grass and sighed. "Skjor's going to be pissed I wasted his jerky."

That made Kodlak relax a bit. He sighed in relief and touched her arms. "By the Gods, Lass… You just about put this old wolf in his grave."

"What happened?" Aela asked, either not willing or unable to let Alessia go.

Alessia pointed to the patch of dirt and grass she'd been running over when she'd smelt him. "Take a sniff."

They did. It was obvious that Aela recognized it. Kodlak hadn't. "We picked it up earlier, but none of us males have scented Mahrik before. That's him?"

"Yes." Aela growled down at the offending patch of earth for a moment, spat on it, then turned to Alessia. "Where did you go?"

Alessia felt her gorge rise again. She wouldn't be surprised if she'd turned green. She swallowed the rising bile, tried to talk, but couldn't. Instead she put her nose into Aela's shirt and breathed in the comforting scent of pack. Seeming to understand, Kodlak growled low in his chest. "Don't try, Lass. Don't put yourself through that again."

Grateful, Alessia nodded. "Thanks, Boss."

Kodlak smiled at her. A father's smile. "Of course, Lass. Aela, get Alessia back to the others. Send Vilkas this way once you get there. I'm going to follow this scent trail. Perhaps our prey comes and goes by a different entrance we don't know about."

"Be careful, Harbinger." Aela said as she helped Alessia to her feet. "We want this male dead, but not at the cost of you."

Alessia seconded the comment, which made Kodlak chuckle. "I may be no spring chicken, but you have to get up early in the morning to pull a fast one on me, females. Don't worry. I'll be quick."

At that, the group parted, the Alpha forward and the females back. Alessia walked slowly beside Aela. She was so… frustrated and angry with herself. Aela seemed to notice. "Don't beat yourself up, Alessia. You couldn't have known this would happen until you were in it."

"I should have known. Really, I should have expected it." She sighed. "Are you going to make me stay behind?"

Aela thought about it. "No."

"Is Kodlak?"

Her forebear thought again. "I don't think so. But I can't be certain. The others might suggest it, but that's not for them to decide."

"Because I'm a liability. I could freeze at the worst possible moment."

"Yes. That's true, but… I don't think that will happen again."

Alessia turned to look at her. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because I'm your forebear. I know you." Aela answered simply. "And you usually don't make the same mistakes twice. That scent caught you by surprise this time. You won't allow that to happen again. You'll be expecting it now."

"If you say so." Alessia said curtly, jokingly. "The others won't agree. Maybe Farkas. Maybe Kodlak. But Vilkas and Skjor won't want me to go."

Aela huffed. "They aren't the Alpha."

When everyone got back to their camping sight, the conversation went almost exactly as Alessia imagined it would. Farkas agreed with Aela, the surprise wouldn't spring it's trap again. Skjor and Vilkas disagreed. The decision hinged on what Kodlak believed. He sat and thought for a time, watching as the sun sunk in the sky. Finally he nodded.

"The lass comes."

"Harbinger, is that-"

The older male growled angrily, shutting Vilkas up instantly. "I said, she can come. End of discussion."

"Yes, Harbinger." Both the twin and Skjor said in unison.

The tension died. Kodlak stood and pointed at a map of the area. "As we hoped, Mahrik's trail leads to a back entrance up in the hills. It turns into a short water way out of the caves. Hidden by rocks and moss, most wouldn't see it unless you know where to look. That's where we go in."

"Do we know where it goes?" Farkas asked.

"No. But my guess is only Mahrik does. I scented no other wolves using that path. Only him. With luck, it leads into the heart of his complex. We strike hard and we strike fast. If this fight drags on, likely they'll kill the prisoners and make their escape. Skjor, I want you and Vilkas at the main entrance. If they try to escape, you slow them down."

"Harbinger." Both males nodded.

"Farkas, you and the females are with me. We go in, push them towards Skjor and Vilkas. Understood?" Farkas, Aela and Alessia all signaled the affirmative. "Alright. Let's move."

They did. They ran together for the first part of the trip, separating at the branch. Skjor and Vilkas continuing on while the others veered off upstream. The path snaked around for a bit, twisting and winding until they came up upon a short waterfall. Kodlak led them behind and around the boulders and into a large cave. Despite the water droplets in the air, Alessia still smelt Mahrik on the air. It made her want to start screaming again. She pushed away the impulse and focused on the back of Farkas's head. Aela beside her watched her carefully.

Alessia looked to her forebear and tried to convey to her that she was alright. It must have gotten through because Aela's eyes brightened. Her wolf coming forward for the hunt. Alessia felt it too, Wolf pressing on her consciousness. But that wasn't going to happen. At least not yet. Instead, she drew her sword and kept up with the others.

The tunnel branched off in two different directions. One, Alessia could smell the males who dwelt in these tunnels the strongest. The other… Blood. The others didn't have to ask which way they were going. They followed the scent of blood. The dungeon was just as she remembered, only… different. The walls were different, but the same splashes of blood and bile. The chains were the same, but in different places. The prisoners… like mirror images of herself all those months ago. They were thin. Sickly pale. Weak. And covered in numerous cuts and bruises. Seven in all. The women were the worst, though the single man bore similar claw marks on his hips and shoulders. It made her want to vomit again.

But she didn't. In an instant she was tearing at the chains around the nearest woman. Alessia tried not to notice the dark hair, the frightened blue eyes. The woman flinched away from the touch, but Alessia didn't mind. Gods knew she had reason to be afraid. "It's alright. We're going to get you out of here."

"Aela, you and Alessia work on the chains. Farkas and I will keep guard." Kodlak said as he cross the room to the opposite side of the chamber. Farkas stayed by the one they'd come into.

The metal shrieked as the shackle separated from the chain. The woman looked… surprised that her arms could rise higher than the mere foot the chain allowed. But that was about as far as she could move on her own. The woman weighed next to nothing in Alessia's arms as she picked her up and carried her over to the far side of the wall near Farkas. That was the only known way out, and likely the shortest. Aela did the same with the man, helping him stagger along and plopping him down next to the freed woman.

One by one the chains were removed and the prisoner helped to the far wall. Alessia's heart broke when three of the seven were beyond help. Two dead, and one nearly there. Moving her even as far as the wall might kill , with Alessia holding the young girl's hand, broke her neck quickly. No pain. No fear. Just blissful release. The mercy Alessia had been given the chance to turn down. This girl hadn't. Still, Aela carried her over to the wall, unwilling to leave her or the other dead two in the filth they'd been chained to.

"Company, Boss." Farkas whispered.

The old male growled. "Aela, Alessia, do not leave those prisoners. Stay put and guard them well. Understood?"

"Yes, Harbinger."

While they still had the time, the males began their transformation. Alessia watched in horrified fascination, part of her wanting to scream along with the prisoners, the other half knowing these males were pack. Safe. The sounds and screaming alerted the enemy that there were intruders in their territory. Snarling howls rose up and echoed through the tunnels, sound that brought back old memories that Alessia struggled to keep at bay. The prisoners had no such determination. They wailed and shrieked their terror and madness, driving the howling into a frenzy.

Farkas, now a huge gray wolf, bellowed a challenge and dove at a flash of brown fur. Kodlak, now a black wolf with gray streaks in his coat, did the same for a second brown blur that dove from his tunnel. The bloodshed was instant and violent. Alessia looked closely, deciding that neither of the brown males were Mahrik. His pelt was dark brown, yes, but he was a larger wolf than these two.

A sharp yelp jerked both Alessia and Aela's head around. Kodlak was in trouble. A third gray wolf had appeared out of the darkness and flanked him. The old male was pinned down, holding one wolf off his throat while the other was free to tear at his exposed belly. Alessia almost raced to his aid, but Aela snarled. "Stay put! Don't leave the prisoners!"

Though she said this, both females drew their bows and took aim at the wolf pinning their Alpha down. The first arrow, Aela's, hit the neck while the second, Alessia's, struck near abouts the eye. That did the trick. With a loud shriek the snapping jaws of the second brown wolf hung limply open, allowing Kodlak to defend himself against the gray ripping at his belly. The female took aim at that one too, but didn't get the chance to fire. A fourth wolf came hurling out of an unseen balcony above and landed right in front of Aela. A sandy blond wolf that almost took her head clean off. Aela ducked and rolled away, dropping her bow and drawing her sword in one single motion.

Alessia shot the wolf with the arrow meant for the gray. He yelped and roared angrily. That gave Aela the opportunity to slash at him, but the blond was fast. She bellowed her own challenge and charged, shouting, "Guard the prisoners!"

So, Alessia stood her ground while chaos stormed around her. She fired multiple arrows at the sandy blond, trying to give Aela an opening. No such luck. She'd run out of arrows before doing any real damage to such a big creature. A familiar bellow echoed from the chamber Kodlak had been guarding. Two familiar wolves came barreling down the passage. Skjor and Vilkas plunged into the fray, snapping and tearing at anything that wasn't pack. It gave Aela a moment to shift. She'd lost her sword from a swipe of that sandy blond's massive claw. Faster than she'd ever seen before, Aela's red wolf tore into the enemy wolf with such ferocity it made Alessia step back a pace. The male went down quickly under the combined efforts of Aela and Vilkas. Skjor was currently tearing into the first brown that had attacked Farkas.

Two more enemy wolves slammed into the pair, taking them by surprise. One black and another brown. Still no large dark wolf. Still no Mahrik. Aela took her previous place beside Alessia, the red fur coated with red blood. Alessia exchanged her bow for her sword and growled, "Where is he?"

The furry body beside her whined and bumped gently into her side. A wolf's way of comforting a scared or worried pack-mate. That short instant when her eyes were directed to Aela. That mere second was all it took. Then there he was. Not in wolf form. Not a beast in body as well as spirit. But as a man. He simply appeared right before her. Tall and muscular. Dark hair cut nearly to the scalp. Eyes black as night. Wearing that same… red silk robe he always wore.

Mahrik looked down at her. Looked down as he always had. And suddenly she wasn't on her feet with a sword in her hand. Suddenly she was in chains again. On her knees with him standing over her with that smug smile on his face. Only, now he wasn't smiling. He just looked… surprised. His voice broke when he spoke. Even that sounded different. "You- You're alive?"

She couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe.

"It really is you." Mahrik's big hand reached up to touch her cheek. "You came back to-"

Aela slammed into him before his finger could touch Alessia's skin. She bit down on his shoulder, wringing an agonized wail from him. She shook her head, but lost her grip as he slithered out of her teeth. He lost a lot of tissue doing so, but he hardly seemed to notice as he crouched and bared his teeth. There it was. Alessia saw the beast now. It rose up in the male like a storm. His muscles bulging, his eyes widening, his teeth sharpening.

Mahrik roared. "She is mine! She has always been mine!"

The shift was as quick as Alessia remembered. One second the man, the next the beast. He was big. Farkas size if not bigger. Bulkier. He towered over Aela, snarling and howling his fury. To her credit, the female didn't back down. She placed herself between the male and her pup and growled a low warning. A sound that made all the hairs on Alessia's body stand on end. Even if that threat wasn't aimed at her. Alessia could hear Aela's response. Almost as if their minds were melded together.

"Not anymore." Aela's wolf seemed to say.

The two clashed with the sound of thunder rolling. A loud booming collision that Alessia felt in her bones. Teeth snapped, claws tore. For a time, Aela held her own. She was just that angry. But… Mahrik was bigger. He was stronger. Rested. The male hadn't already fought another wolf that day. Hadn't spent an entire sleepless night on horseback. Something snapped and Aela went down hard. Alessia looked to the males. All were still engaged with Mahrik's Sons. They couldn't help.

Fight! Mad One kill Sister Red! Fight! Wolf howled, and Alessia could only obey.

She wouldn't get to Aela in time, not with Mahrik so close. It was never a good idea to throw away one's weapon in the middle of a fight, but… when the situation called for it. Alessia threw her sword, watching it go end over end until the blade slashed down at Mahrik's head. He ducked, but caught the edge of the blade on his brow. He retreated, giving Alessia enough time to place herself between the mad wolf and her forebear.

Mahrik recovered quickly, pausing in his attack to look at her. He growled and bared his teeth. She did the same, invisible hackles rising. "Let's see how tough you are now that I can fight back, you son of a bitch!"

Wolf tore her way free from Alessia's human skin. It hurt, and she knew she would pay for the speed later, if there was a later, but for now… she didn't care. The transformation was fast. Blink of the eye fast. And before she knew it, Alessia was looking through Wolf's eyes at a very stunned male. Stunned… and elated? The male's aggression stopped instantly the moment Alessia changed. He wagged his tail and all but crawled on his belly towards her. Wolf didn't care. She dove on the prostrate male and tore into him.

He didn't fight, not at first. But when Wolf got a good mawful of his neck and shook, he did. He yelped and rolled and tried to shake her off. Not a chance. Alessia dug in and clawed at whatever part of his furry hide was within reach. When he finally got loose, the back of his neck looked like nothing so much as ground beef. He lunged at her, but she was quicker. Training with Farkas gave Alessia the knowhow to fight larger opponents. She dipped and dodged and lashed out when Mahrik gave her an opening. He was far more a brawler than anything else. No real strategy in his movements. No planning involved. He just saw and lashed out. A brute.

At last she landed a blow that put him down. The body can only take so much. A werewolf can take a lot more than a human body, but the rule still applies. A swift turn of the head might not do too much, not for a neck as thick as Mahrik's, but a fraction more past its limitations and that's lights out. Alessia put all her strength into the swipe, catching the bigger wolf in the tip of his snout. That was enough. Mahrik dropped like a sack of potatoes and stayed there. Wolf howled to dive on him and rend him to pieces, but didn't force the issue. Even Alessia thought she would have done it. But, Aela was far more important than her vengeance. The death of Mahrik the Mad was not worth her forebear's life. Not by a long shot.

Alessia let Wolf fuss over the downed red headed woman for a time. Aela's had turned back to human once she'd gone down. It happened sometimes. Maybe even know Mahrik was shifting back into his human self. Alessia looked, glad to see that was true. Aela grunted, clutching at her bruised ribcage and coughing up blood.

Wolf whined. Her forebear pat her big nose. "I'm alright. Where is he?"

Wolf pointed with her nose, and Aela looked. The female was up on her feet, wincing at the pain in her side as she shuffled over and clapped a nearby shackle and chain to his ankles and wrists. By that time the others were finishing up with their own battles. Kodlak and Skjor were already turning back. The twins were tearing into one of the Sons, the wolf's high pitched shrieking unpleasant to hear. Alessia couldn't tell which of the Sons it was. All she could see was mangled flesh and blood. Lots of blood.

"Aela. Are you hurt, Lass?" Kodlak asked, rushing over to see the bruise. He himself was clawed up pretty good.

Aela shook her head. "Just battered.'

"And you, Alessia?" The Alpha turned his eyes on her, even running his big hand through the ruff of fur around her shoulders and neck. Finding no wounds, he smiled and pat her side gently. "Well done, Lass. Well done."

"Get your hands off my female!" They all flinched at the snarl that came from Mahrik. The male was straining against the chains, but couldn't get any leverage to pull himself free. "She's mine! She has always been mine!"

Wolf bared her teeth and growled a warning.

"By Hircine…" The snarling male suddenly began to laugh, a mad laugh, then looked her up and down in awe and adoration. "You are so… beautiful. More than I ever dreamed you'd become. My beloved Mate. Come here. Let me see-"

"Enough!" Aela snarled placing herself between the mad male and Alessia. It was sort of funny considering, in wolf form, Alessia towered over the small, naked female.

Ignoring her, Mahrik had eyes only for Alessia. "I mourned you. I mourned you, my Mate. I thought of you every day since you left me."

Aela sneered. "Left? You threw her away! I pulled her out of that festering heap and repaired what you broke!"

Alessia's cold nose touched her forebear's shoulder, trying to comfort. The smaller female was tense, angry, ready to explode with rage. Though Alessia felt the same anger, she spent it worrying about her friend. She nipped gently at Aela's bare skin and whined. Aela reached up and pat her muzzle and scratched the spot just behind Wolf's ears. A spot she knew Wolf liked to be scratched. Mahrik watched the exchange. Watched in horror, his fury rising again.

Farkas padded up to the group. "The place is clear, Boss. No more enemy wolves."

"Good. Skjor, you stay with me. The rest of you, take the prisoners out of this place. See to their wounds and get them some clothes." Kodlak commanded as he glared at Mahrik. "Once that's done… Aela, Alessia, you two come back here and we'll finish this."

The twins began helping the wounded to their feet. Aela turned to Wolf. "You need to shift back."

Wolf glanced at Mahrik, the male still straining against his chains. Eyes still locked on her.

"Alessia, he can't hurt you anymore. Kodlak and Skjor will hold him until we get back." Aela said, though Alessia still looked worriedly at the mad male. Her forebear motioned towards the far side of the room where the prisoners were cowering against the wall. "They need you. We need you. You're the only one who really understands what they've been through. Help them be free of this place."

That did it. Alessia felt Wolf release her hold on their body, and she practically dissolved to the floor. It took a while for her body to stop hurting. Longer still to gather her courage and stand. As she did, Mahrik crooned. "Look at me, Beloved. Look at me."

Alessia turned her scarred and mangled back on the male and strode calmly over to the prisoners. Mahrik shrieked in protest, but she ignored him. Even pretended she hadn't flinched at his shriek. The prisoners shied away from Vilkas and Farkas's attempts to help them. Understandable. She'd been much the same. Still was sometimes. The abused responded better to Aela and Alessia. One of the women even spoke a little.

"Y-Your scars…" The small woman clung to Alessia's arm. Her words pulled all eyes to her back, frightened yet curious eyes.

Alessia nodded, allowing them to look. "He got me too. I survived. You will too."

"W-We will?" Another creaky voice asked.

"Yes. You will. With patience and time, you will." Alessia smiled at Vilkas and Farkas standing off to the side a little. Both looked like chastened puppies. Obviously they wanted to help, but didn't know how if their touch frightened those they were trying to save. "Those two are my big brothers. I promise they won't hurt you. Let them help you out of here. That's all we want. To help."

It took a bit more coaxing, but eventually they got the man and women moving. Aela and Alessia focused on the living while the twins carefully carried out those that hadn't made it. All the way down the tunnel out, Mahrik shrieked Alessia's name. Begged, pleaded for her to come back. Promised to love her. Promised to cherish her. Promised her the world if only she would come back to him. The shrieking silenced abruptly about halfway out. Likely, Kodlak or Skjor had struck him. Likely Skjor, though the Alpha was angry enough to lash out if provoked.

Outside, it took an hour or two to get the survivors patched up. Most would need actual healers from Markarth to take care of the really bad wounds, but they would keep for the time being. Mostly it was just getting them warm clothes, food and water. They would have all that and much more once their business in the cave was done.

Before heading back in, one of the women clutched at Alessia's leg. It was the same woman she'd first freed from her shackles. The one who'd cringed away from her that first few minutes in the dungeon. Her eyes were blue and haunted as she looked up at Alessia. "Are you going to kill him?"

Alessia nodded once, saying nothing.

The woman mirrored her nod. "Make it hurt."

She was surprised, and yet, not surprised by the vehemence in which the woman spoke. Looking around, Alessia saw the damage done to these people. Each bore the same… distant, lost stare. The same fearful twitch at each and every sound or touch. The same, hopeless, helpless, broken air about them. Suddenly Alessia couldn't keep her anger at bay. She'd not been proud of the things she wanted to do to Mahrik. The pain and suffering she wanted to inflict upon him. Now? Now… the shame was gone. It would likely return some dark night while she lay awake in her bed. Sleep just beyond reach. Just beyond the memory of the things she had done in her rage. Now though? Now she didn't give a damn.

Alessia snarled, spun on her heels and marched back into the cave. Aela darted after her, actually struggling to keep up. The tunnels were tricky but, even if her nose hadn't shown her the way, she need only follow the sounds of maddened shrieking. Not an uncommon sound for these caves, no doubt.

It took a moment for the males to realize Aela and Alessia had returned. Even Mahrik. The mad wolf was too busy bellowing out in rage and struggling violently against his restraints. Kodlak and Skjor just watched him, saying nothing at all. When the writhing male finally noticed Alessia, he stopped wailing instantly. It was such a drastic change in the male's behavior, Kodlak and Skjor were suddenly on edge. They relaxed when they caught sight of the females.

"You came back." Mahrik said softly, almost weeping. "I knew you'd come back, my Mate. I-"

"Shut it!" Skjor roared and lashed out with his foot, kicking Mahrik in the face.

As thee foot rose to kick him again, Alessia snarled. "Stop! Don't touch him!"

That got everyone's attention. Especially her pack. Aela walked up beside her. "Alessia…"

"Leave. All of you."

"Lass, it's not good for you to be alone-" Kodlak said softly, stopping at the icy look she gave him.

Aela tried again. "No, Alessia."

"Aela, please. I… need you to go." Alessia tried not to growl, but couldn't help the rumble in her throat.

No one moved. Alessia glared at them, challenging each of them in turn. Finally, Kodlak nodded. "Out. Both of you."

Aela didn't go. Didn't even take her eyes from Alessia's. "At least let me stay outside in the tunnel. You don't have to do this alone."

"Yes, I do." Alessia sighed, relenting. "Stay in the tunnel if you want, Aela. Just… don't come in unless I call."

To her relief, they obeyed. Kodlak and Skjor left to go help with the survivors while Aela paused just outside the chamber. She gave Alessia one last look before taking her place out of sight just around the corner. She'd be able to hear everything, hear if Alessia called, but she wouldn't see. It was the best Alessia had hoped for, fully expecting her forebear's resistance in leaving her totally alone with the male. It warmed her heart. She stamped out that warmth quickly, replacing it with cold, unfeeling ice. Numbness.

The whole conversation, Mahrik hadn't taken his eyes off her. Now, he tugged at his chains, trying to get closer to her. If only by the smallest fraction. His smile was… chilling, though no doubt he thought it warm and loving. "Such a lovely name you have. I'm sorry I didn't learn it before. No mere saint or queen… You are my goddess. Alessia…"

He said her name slowly, carefully. Like a lover's gentle touch. It made Alessia want to vomit. She crouched, bringing herself eye to eye with the mad male. "No relation to the Slave-Queen, though… now that I think of it, she and I have a lot in common. We both broke free of chains and returned to punish those who bound us in the first place."

"Ah, yes. That is true. But, Beloved, you must know I only wanted the best for you. I only ever wanted to make you strong. Strong so that you may rule by my side as my mate." The bastard practically sighed with reminiscence. "I knew it from the first moment I saw you. I knew I had to have you. Make you mine."

Alessia growled. "You tortured me."

"Steel grows stronger in the fire and under the hammer. And now look at you." Mahrik's eyes roamed up and down her body. "What a specimen you are. And you are mine."

"That's where you're wrong. I am not yours. I never was."

The beast rose again. He jolted forward against the chains, muscles bulging as he roared. "You are mine! I made you! I gave you my blood! You are mine!"

Alessia didn't flinch, though every instinct she had screamed for her to run. Run away fast. She let him rant and rage for a short while. The chains rattling violently. They held, thank goodness.

When he quieted, he purred. "Removed these chains. Now."

This was what Alessia had been waiting for. The command to set him free. Though her doubts about who had created her were mostly gone now, she had to be sure. She had to know for certain that it was Aela who was her forebear. Aela's blood in her veins. Not this… thing. There was a slight itch in the back of her mind at the command. A nagging twitch that took Wolf's notice. Took her notice, but not her will. The impulse to obey wasn't there. Not like it was between Aela and Alessia.

When she didn't move, Mahrik bared his teeth. "I said remove these chains, female. Remove them and I will accept you back. We will hunt and feast on these pretenders. And when they are dead, we will seal our mating bond atop their innards. It will feel glorious to have my mate writhing beneath me again."

Alessia's gorge rose at the sultry gaze he gave her.

"I've missed you, my Mate. I've missed your warmth on these cold nights. How I've longed to be inside you again." The male purred. Alessia kept her eyes up from the growing length between his thighs. "Be a good female and do as you're told. Then we will hunt together until we bathe in the blood-"

Alessia roared. She'd not wanted to remember the feeling of his body on hers. Not wanted to recall how he'd forced himself on her over and over again. Worst of all… he acted like she'd asked for it. Like she'd begged for the violation. Her wolf usually chased those memories away. But now… Wolf used them. The beast tore her way out of Alessia's skin, ripping and tearing until she was in control. In her own mind, Alessia didn't try to stop herself as she opened her jaws and clamped down on the mad wolf's face.

Aela

The screaming went on for hours it seemed. Aela kept herself planted to the stones. Kept perfectly still. At first there had been only talking between her pup and the mad wolf. Talking and a little yelling. She hadn't understood what Alessia was up to until that heavy silence after Mahrik ordered her to let him go. Of course Alessia hadn't obeyed. Aela hadn't feared she would. However… it was obvious Alessia thought she might. Thought that Mahrik had some hold over her as her forebear. Despite Aela's insistence on numerous occasions that Mahrik was not Alessia creator…

Still, her pup had to be certain. Had to know from whose line she was from. One or the other. Or… both. Aela had asked Kodlak if such a thing was possible. He hadn't wanted to answer, but did. Aela's heart sank when she learned the truth. Such a thing could happen. Not often, and only under very specific circumstances. But still possible. She hadn't the heart to tell Alessia. Nor had Kodlak. However, Aela swore never to lie to her whelp. Even by omission. So, the night before they set off to hunt Mahrik down, she'd told Alessia the truth. Which was why her whelp had sent them all out of the room.

A forebear had… power over their moonborn children. Even if Alessia was the Alpha and she the lowest member in the pack, her word still held sway. Still would be heard and obeyed. If Mahrik was, at least in part, her forebear, he would have that same influence over her. Thus… Alessia needed to know if she would comply with his command. A simple test, but a dangerous one. Which was why Aela wasn't willing to leave her whelp alone with the bastard.

A crunching bone tore Aela's attention away from her thoughts. The animalistic scream that followed made her blood run cold. She didn't begrudge Alessia her revenge, but… a part of Aela thought the female was perhaps going a bit too far. The other part hoped she was enjoying herself. A very wolfish part of her.

I should stop her. Aela thought, trying to convince herself to round the corner and put an end to the male herself. Stop this abomination before it swallowed up what was left of her whelp's mind and soul. Vengeance was one thing. This was… something else entirely.

Still, she didn't move an inch. She remained where she was and listened to Alessia's wolf tearing the male limb from limb slowly. Genius really. Vicious, but genius all the same. Go slow enough that his wounds healed some, then tear them open again. Turning the lycanthropic gift of healing into a curse.

It took a very, very long time for Mahrik the Mad to die. Longer than Aela thought possible. But at last the screaming died down, replaced by a snarling and tearing sound that could only be Alessia's wolf finishing off what remained of the male's corpse. Likely he would be in so many pieces that they wouldn't be able to tell one organ from another. Silence came then. Eerie in its loudness. Slow, wet footsteps came towards the tunnel where Aela waited.

Alessia appeared, human and naked and covered from head to toe in blood. Her usually expressive eyes were dead, the soul in them currently vacant. She walked by like one of the walking dead, looking at nothing at all. Aela reached for her pup, but stopped herself. Alessia didn't seem to even notice she was there as she walked right on by and up the tunnel to the left. The wrong tunnel. Aela only glanced into the dungeon for a moment, her bile rising at the sight of the carnage, then followed after her pup.

The tunnel lead up into a few other rooms. Rooms that smelt of the male whose blood dripped from the female walking zombie-like through its bare furnishings. Aela paused for a moment, thinking to grab a blanket or something to wrap Alessia in. She decided against it. Last thing she needed was to wrap her whelp up in Mahrik's scent. But she needed something to clean her up with, and she didn't dare leave to go fetch something at the camp. Aela snatched up a torn cloth that was being used as a curtain. Sniffing at it, she decided it smelt more of mold and dust rather than mad werewolf. It would have to do. When she caught up to Alessia, the female had stopped. They were in a tunnel open on one side to the outdoor air. Alessia had seated herself on a boulder and was looking blankly out over the hills and the setting sun.

Aela approached cautiously. One step. Wait. Second step. Wait. Third step… until finally she was kneeling before her whelp. Alessia still stared out over the landscape, seeing none of it. Carefully, Aela used the old curtain to clean the blood off her pup's face. First around the eyes. Then the nose. Then the lips. The hair was a lost cause, so she settled for cleaning up to the hairline. Then around her ears. Then her neck.

Hot tears dripped on Aela's hands as she moved down to Alessia's collarbone. She looked up to see the droplets streaming down her friend's cheeks. They did more to clean off the blood than the curtain had. Slowly, Aela rose so that she was eye to eye with Alessia. "I'm still proud of you."

That brought the young female back to life again. She wept openly.

Aela tried to comfort her. "Easy. It's over. It's over."

Alessia shook her head, sniffling slightly. "No. He's dead, but… I doubt it will ever really be over. At least not for me."

"That's… likely true, Alessia. I think a part of you will never leave that room." Aela narrowed her eyes, going for stern rather than anger. "And maybe that's a good thing. What happened in that dungeon needs to stay there. Whatever you became… leave it there."

They were quiet for a short while. Aela continued to try and clean the blood from her whelp's skin. It would be better if she had some water.

"Aela…" Alessia's voice was so sad it made Aela's heartbreak. Again. "I don't want to ever be that… lost again. If I ever lose myself like that again… kill me. Do what you must, just… don't leave me in that state."

"You're not him, Alessia. Your little test proved it." Aela gave her a look that said she didn't approve of said test.

Alessia huffed. "A test that I passed only to fail miserably in self control."

"He deserved every second of it."

"Still doesn't make it right." Alessia muttered. "And what worse, I'm not sorry for doing it."

Aela gave her own huff. "Well, if you hadn't done it, I would have. Or one of the males. You're not the only one who would have enjoyed doing what you did."

More silence.

"Promise me." Alessia said.

Aela shook her head. "Only if you promise never to put me in that situation."

Her whelp regained a bit of her former self. She rolled her eyes. "That defeats the purpose."

"Exactly. You promise to never lose control again, then I don't have to promise to kill you should you lose control again."

"Aela…"

"I am the forebear here. You answer to me." Aela grinned wolfishly. "Swear it. Swear it in good faith, and I will do as you ask. Don't glare at me like that. Do as I say, whelp."

Finally, Alessia chuckled. It was half hearted, but contained heart nonetheless. "Fine. You're the boss. I swear. Now you."

"Not that I will ever need to keep my word, but alright. I solemnly swear that when you lose yourself, I will knock some sense back into that thick skull of yours."

"That's not what we agreed."

"I don't care. That's all you're getting."

"For the love of…"