A/N: Yes I know I'm not following in game story lines to well, but that kind of happens when the romance centers on a pair that can't happen in game. Anyway Loki's going to help his pack one last time, then he'll return to Riften and rely on Brynjolf to keep him sane. Hope you all enjoy and remember, we still have the Skeleton key to worry about!
Italics = flashback
Title: Rest My Little Wolf
Chapter Six: I Need You My Old Friend
(Loki with his pack outside Riften)
"I've heard the Thieves Guild made a comeback, you have anything to do with that?" Vilkas asked as the passed the last Guard tower then heading though the trees as a short cut. Loki seemed distant, but blinked when Vilkas asked the question.
"Yeah, I'm the best damn thief there. Well at least that's what a close friend claims. Can't tell you his name, he'll just deny it." Loki snickered looking up at the pale blue sky, smiling as he remembered Delvin telling him that. He'd been shocked to say the least, but after he got over that he gave Delvin a grin before running off to do another fishing job.
"You seem a bit happy doing criminal work…" Vilkas trailed off finally pointing out the subject Loki had been hoping would never come up. Loki looked at him out of the corner of his eye, before looking ahead again.
"There's a distinct difference between a Master Thief and a common criminal thug." Loki stated his shoulders tensed as his voice became level and blank He stooped next to a stream they had come to. He filled his water skin, before looking at Vilkas with a blank star.
"A criminal causes terror, and chaos. Thieves, like me, are stealthy and get what they were sent for and get out. We don' kill our mark, we don't harm them. We go in we take a shiny trinket, and then disappear. If you are good that is." Loki locked his gaze and stared him down daring him to say anything. Vilkas did.
"But you're stealing from someone, where's the honor?" Vilkas had a look of confusion, and Loki gave a sly smile.
"Where's the honor in being a sell sword? It's the same as the Companion's Brother, just a different type of person for hire." Loki looked at his two other friends and waited, when no one asked anymore about the subject he turned backed up and took a running leap over the stream, landing on the other side of the bank, safe and dry. He turned and waited as the others joined him before continuing on their own trail to Whiterun. They'd been walking for around an hour, they'd reached a forest like area. Trees and more trees everywhere.
Aela grew curios as they walked, she looked at Loki. Loki looked back at her, feeling her eyes on him in an instant, as he continued walking he waited.
"How do you use your skills outside a job? I mean, all this cloak and dagger rubbish seems useless out side a Guild job." Aela looked at Loki with genuine curiosity. Loki gave her a mischievous smile.
"Want me to show you or should I try to explain with words?" Loki's yes were sparkling with excitement, his hands twitched, he even got a slight skip in his step. Aela stood still and looked at him for a moment debating if she'd regret this.
"Alright, show me." She said crossing her arms. Loki smiled showing a flash of perfect white teeth, then looked at Vilkas and Farkas, motioned for them to come closer.
"Alright, let's make it a game. You're a random group of… Bandits, let's say. I want you all to try to sense me coming. If you can't then your dead if you do you're fine." Loki stated grinning, his eyes a bright shade of emerald, they almost looked exactly like the beautiful gems. Loki dared away not waiting for a response.
The three Werewolves left looked confused for a moment, before they decided to put themselves back to back and scan the trees as they moved away from where they'd stopped.
Loki had darted off a little ways and hidden, waiting until he knew they'd moved and no longer knew where he might be before moving. His mind became sharp, his wolf interested in the game as well, his steps didn't make any audible sound as he crept after where he saw them move, toward Whiterun.
He slipped through the trees like a snake through the desert sands, silent but nonetheless deadly. When his quarry came into view again his eyes flashed with amusement and he grinned, knowing his point would be made clear.
They'd made it maybe ten feet when out of nowhere a blur shot out of the bushes and they were faced with blades to the brother's throats. Loki stood there grinning, he had a strange look in his eyes, one had bleed amber, he pulled at his wolf, and slowly his eye began to blossom back into the vibrant green. He smiled and looked at the startled three, who had not even sensed him creep up on them.
"You made you're point." Muttered Aela as she lowered her bow not that it would have done her much good anyway. Loki smiled twirled his ebony blades before slipping them back into their sheaths. He stood their pride shinning in his eyes. He looked at Farkas in the eyes.
"Trust your instincts more; I saw your eye train on the spot I was in." Loki stated with a strange admiration glittering in his green orbs. Loki was surprised it was Farkas to spot him, he'd thought Aela would. He stretched letting out a tired huff, having not had much sleep before the journey, to many thoughts had been pounding through his skull.
Now it was beginning to catch up with him, but he'd grown used to fatigue with marching in the war, after all, a commander must not falter before his men. Vilkas was about to say something about it when Loki shook his head, trudging on through the harsh landscape.
They had made brilliant progress through the day, Loki being the one to look at his map, he pointed to their location, they were surprisingly around half way there, maybe another days journey and they'd be safe in Jorrvaskr. So far so good, nothing had happened, but once they reached the fields they'd be out in the open.
"Well. It's almost been a day since our last transformation; we could shift and run the rest of the way." Aela said crossing her arms in boredom. She looked at the Brothers and Loki as the three looked at each other uncomfortably.
"You know we don't like to do that for fun Aela." Loki muttered, looking at her with guarded eyes; he didn't like shifting and then not having a good idea of where the blood came. Sometimes he knew where it came from and didn't care, other times not so much.
"I know but the shift will end near the City, We'll be fine." She retorted rolling here eyes at the three frowning faces.
"Unless a Guard decides to do their job." Loki shot back with now narrow eyes, "Do as you wish Aela, but I advise against it, we'll draw attention to all Werewolves, and then it will get more difficult for us all." Aela huffed at that but consented deciding to stay near them, heading the wisdom of Loki's words. Loki nodded before looking around it was relatively open, light was fading fast, and with clouds foreboding a storm Loki had no doubt they'd need shelter.
"I know a small cave near here; we can stay there for tonight." Loki said with out realizing he'd taken up the leader position, Vilkas knew Loki didn't know how he was acting and he couldn't stop the smile. He followed the one he wished could be the next Alpha. However he knew Loki wouldn't leave his lover.
Vilkas glowered at the ground, his wolf snarling at the very though of a weak human bedding Loki. Vilkas stood stock still and reeled it in, trying desperately not to turn. He didn't realize how noticeable his halt had been. Loki had entered the cave then turned to see him standing in the open a few feet back.
"Vilkas, the cave is over here. Vilkas…" Loki called growing more concerned as the large man blinked away amber streaks from his eyes as he looked up. Loki looked around looking for the danger that he thought caused Vilkas's wolf to go on edge.
"Its fine Loki, come on." Vilkas said walking up grabbing Loki's upper arm and pulling him into the cave, Loki glared at him, growling at him to let go, as he was dragged further. Vilkas looked down at the snarling blond grinning, before daring him to make him. An instant later he was knocked to the floor with a boot pressing his chest down.
"You should never underestimate your opponent. I may be small but I can throw a hell of a punch. Don't do that kind of crap, I'm not deaf. I heard you." Loki grumbled taking his foot off Vilkas's chest offering a hand to pull the other up. Vilkas was a tad bit miffed that Loki, a thin tall ( but just under a foot shorter than Vilkas) agile man with less muscle than him, was able to knock him down with a single hit. He took Loki's hand and pulled the other down rolling to pin the man to the ground. Loki hadn't been able to resist the turn of events.
Loki looked up at Vilkas who pinned his one wrist to the floor above his head, his other was currently free, and he intended to keep it that way.
Vilkas was straddling his hips; Loki kept the intimate way this could turn out of his mind, resolute in not betraying Brynjolf's trust. He looked at Vilkas, annoyance flashing in his eyes. Vilkas was keeping his arm pinned down with a bit of a struggle; Loki was half tempted to slug the other again. Farkas walked back and cleared his throat, thinking the wrong thing. Loki struggled harder.
"Get the hell off or I'll tear you a new one Vilkas!" Loki roared thrashing underneath the larger man. His face was going bright red with embarrassment, anger and a small sprinkling of shame for being caught in such a position. Farkas stood confused as Vilkas just started laughing, and Loki started growling like a furious cat, or in this case wolf.
Loki was pissed that Vilkas was acting like this, and that he wasn't kicking Vilkas into the dirt by now, and how wrong the whole thing probably looked, no defiantly looked. No doubt his eyes were amber by now, his canines had lengthened into short fangs, and his ears were slightly pointed.
Loki's one hand he'd offered was pinned above his head while the other was pressing against Vilkas's chest trying to get the other off. To say the least if someone, like Farkas had, walked into the middle of it all they'd get the wrong idea fast.
To make it worse, Loki's hair had come out of its braid and was now ruffled with his face red he looked like he and Vilkas were in a battle for dominance and not a slightly less than friendly wrestling match. When Aela walked in she gasped. She actually gasped. She was shocked that Loki was behaving like this, she'd thought…. No it had to be Vilkas doing it.
"This is done!" Loki screamed his hand shot up and he slugged Vilkas, the larger man falling back, Loki sat up and scrambled away from the other, breathing hard, with a pissed look in his eyes.
"You fucking bastard! I told you not to do it!" He was too pissed to even pay attention to what he was doing, he was on his feet marching over to the dazed Vilkas. He stood looking down at him his eyes narrowed amber slits.
"You stupid ass! You realize that they," Loki pointed over to Farkas and Aela, "Probably are thinking that I was going to do… Gah!" Loki stopped snarling in rage and ran his hands through his hair, pulling at it in frustration. Tears had started falling, leaving two wet trails across his cheeks. Vilkas looked horrified that his cocky attitude had come to bite him in the ass, and upset Loki so immensely.
Loki stormed out of the cave as the clouds rolled over the last glimpses of the sun, turning the twilight into a dark shadow. Lightening flashed over head as a howl ripped through the night, a silhouette of a werewolf was illuminated at the cave entrance, the black from stood on it's hind legshead thrown back, fangs sharp and long, arms held on either side had hands with fingers that curled with tips that looked like small daggers. With the next flash of brilliant white light it was gone.
Aela looked at the mouth of the cave, expecting their friend to come loping back in when with a rumble of thunder a down pour of rain began, but Loki still didn't come back. She looked down at the guilty looking Vilkas. She narrowed her eyes.
"What the hell?" She asked looking at him expecting an answer from the ashamed man. He shrugged.
"I was just being my normal cocky self. It back fired." Vilkas stated looking off to the side he felt guilt rip at his gut. Loki had been through the war before he came to them, Vilkas had thought he'd just had some bad battles, but as time had gone by he'd realized that Loki had been through a good deal more than a few bloody battles.
(Flashback!)
He had heard something coming from the whelp's room one night, he hadn't been able to fall asleep and when he heard the noise, he'd decided he'd investigate. He'd left his room and walked down the hall to the recruit room.
When he got there he saw that Loki was the only one there, and he was thrashing making strangled noises, as if he were in a great deal of pain. Loki's teeth were ground together and his eyes were screwed shut, from the closed eyes tears drained like falling rain, and his hands were fisted in his furs.
Vilkas didn't know what to do, He just watched Loki thrash and cry silently. He stood in the door way as a wave of Loki's fear drenched scent hit him hard. He actually stumbled back, he turned away fighting his wolf as it went wild. Kodlak was now standing with him looking into the room, with a frown etched onto his face.
"Why haven't you woken him?" Kodlak asked looking back at Vilkas, who blinked and shrugged, unsure of what his Alpha was asking. Kodlak shook his head and walked up to Loki's bed, placing a hand on the blond man's shoulder.
Loki suddenly stopped thrashing, sitting up as if the bed was on fire, he leapt away from Kodlak and spun on his heel, bringing up his fists a wild look frozen in his eyes. Loki's chest was heaving as if he'd sprinted for miles and he had backed up and had pressed his back to the wall. Kodlak raised his hands palm up, and tried to calm Loki.
"Loki it's me, Kodlak. You're Harbinger." The grey haired man murmured softly, tying to sooth the panic and fear evident in Loki's eyes. As he crept closer to the cowering blond man, Loki whispered something that had Kodlak's scent suddenly fill with rage. Then it seemed as if something had snapped the young Nord out of his fear.
"K-kodalk?" Loki muttered bringing a hand to his sleep fogged eyes, his brain must have still had pieces of the memory/dream playing in his mind. He blinked the sleep from his eyes to meet Kodlak's gaze. He suddenly looked ashamed and looked down.
"My Harbinger, forgive me, I-"Loki was cut off by Kodlak who held up his hand, walking up to pat Loki's shoulder. Loki looked stunned as he listened to Kodlak as the elder began to speak.
"Loki, let's talk in my rooms." The older man stated giving the younger man a gentle smile that calmed the others apparent nerves. Vilkas stood in shock as the man he'd grown to know as a fearless, brave and fiercely loyal man was lead, his frame shivering like a feeble leaf, by Kodlak to the rooms at the end of the hall.
He didn't know why but he'd followed them and stood out side the door and listened in on the conversation between Loki and Kodlak. He hid in the shadow of the door trying to be stealthy as possible. He was stunned by the words that Loki said next.
"Vilkas, I suggest if you would like to hear this you come into the room and not hang outside the room like a stalker." Loki's words were flat as he watched the door and waited as Vilkas slowly walked in standing and watching Loki closely. Loki gave him a blank stare before looking back at Kodlak.
"I understand if you wish me to leave." He stated it like he had no emotion, but Loki's tight jaw, and fisted hands were tell, tell signs that he was stressed.
"I'd like to know what would rile you so. What was your dream showing you?" Kodlak asked looking between Vilkas and Loki, seemingly unsure of what was going on between the two younger warriors.
"It wasn't a simple dream, just and old memory that's not settling well. It's nothing" Loki stated, looking grim and tired. Kodlak nodded, Vilkas remembered that look. Kodlak was going into father mode.
"This memory, would you like to talk about it, take its weight off your shoulders?" Loki looked at Kodlak with a reluctance shining in his eyes, but he nodded. Loki sighed relaxing his shoulders as he told them of the horrors he'd faced in the recent war, the cruelties of the Thalmor, the harsh conditions he had to endure just to stay breathing, and watching his men and comrades either die in front of him or getting hurt in his stead.
"I watched men die just so I'd remain breathing, I've also endured Thalmor cruelty, they tried to break me, and in some ways they did." Loki finished he rubbed at his temples apparently trying to get the screams echoing in his mind to stop.
Vilkas had been shocked, all this time he'd thought Loki was just distant, now that he knew… He felt for the blond. Loki looked at him with tiered resignation.
"What? Nothing? No input? And here I thought you'd never be struck speechless. Have I achieved the impossible?" Loki asked dry sarcasm dripping like venom from his tired voice, he was tiered, and probably thought Vilkas was going to berate him. He was stunned to find out the truth.
"I'd thought you were distant in arrogance, now that I see the truth I feel that I should apologize for my own arrogant behavior." Vilkas stated simply shrugging in his nonchalant way. Loki blinked as he stared at him.
"No need to apologize for a misunderstanding. Thank you my Harbinger, and thank you… Brother." Loki stated standing, bowing to Kodlak and then the stunned Vilkas before going back to the room he'd shared with the other whelps.
"May your roads lead to warm sands my friends." Loki called over his shoulder. Vilkas stood stunned before nodding to Kodlak and going back to his room.
(End Flashback)
Farkas looked at his brother's far off look and shook his head. He was going to go and look for Loki; Vilkas could do what he wanted. Farkas walked out into the storm after striping down, he shifted and began to look for his friend calling out and trying to hear any answer over the rumbling roars of the thunder.
Aela stood with Vilkas, wanting to know what happened and not willing to smell like a wet dog. She waited for Vilkas to come out of his musings. He sat for a while against the wall before shaking his head.
"What the hell did you do to make him snap like that?" Aela asked as the howls that echoed from Farkas faded into the cave. Vilkas looked away guilt and shame boiling in his gut.
"I didn't listen." Was his simple answer as he stood stripped and shifted before running into the night in search of his angry friend. Vilkas looked through the woods finding his mud covered brother, but no sing of their pale pack member. Farkas and Vilkas looked like drowned rats by now, their fur was matted to their skin by the chilled rain, and some places were cacked in lifted their heads and let out a final desperate howl. They stood heads cocked and ears straining forward, in a silent wait.
It was faint, but they heard an answering call, one too strong for a normal wolf. It was also painful, it sounded as if Loki was in danger. Vilkas and Farkas leapt forward with a fresh surge of energy, their pack mate was hurt, they weren't going it keep it that way.
As they ran forward a sickeningly familiar scent, although damp and faint, began to flood their noses. Vilkas let out an enraged roar and moved faster through the scattering of trees, Farkas howled out a warning as he picked up his pace. A howl answered their cries, but now they realized this howl was a call for help; Loki was defiantly hurt.
They found Loki he was stuck with his back to the wall surrounded by Silverhand. At least thirty of them, and Loki had at least taken out ten. Loki had faced forty strong as a wolf that wasn't good. Loki was bleeding heavily from wounds he'd gotten from the silver blades. And just to make things worse, a tree feel just when Loki wasn't paying attention. He'd looked back to his two pack-mates and was about to call to them when he was pinned by the twisted black branches of a dead tree.
Now not only was he surrounded, he was pinned to the dirt by a dead and burning tree. Thankfully the rain quelled the flames quickly, and hey didn't need to worry about Loki getting burned alive, but the Silverhand were closing in on the now defenseless beast.
Loki lifted his muzzle from the ground, only to be met with the faces of his enemies, he lifted his head as high as he could and howled to the two moons high in the sky floating behind the clouds. His ears twitched waiting for an answer, and he got one, two werewolves charged through the Silverhand, snapping and clawing and reeking havoc. Loki gave his equivalent of a smile before dropping his head back down to the dirt where he huffed painfully.
Vilkas turned and snarled they'd downed maybe ten more with their initial charge that left twenty. Twenty left to slaughter, Vilkas's wolf howled in excited approval. Loki whined from behind them in warning, knowing these Silverhand were better trained then the common foul smelling men they normally faced. Farkas turned to Loki but Loki barked as a Silverhand took a step forward, getting his dark shaggy brown pack-mate to turn back to the fight.
Loki let his head fall to the dirt; his wounds were causing an incredible amount of pain, his whole body felt like fire raced through it. He let out a small howl that sounded like a sad groan. Vilkas looked back to him whining softly but Farkas smashed into his side as a blade came crashing toward his heart. Vilkas snapped at Farkas irritated but they had to finish the rest of the Silverhand, now only eighteen or so strong.
Out of no where a red wolf crashed into the fray, leaping over the blackened tree and the two quarreling brothers. Aela had found them. Loki looked at the side knowing a flanking force was waiting, he needed to warren his pack, but the pain was clouding his senses.
Loki whined from his prison of branches as a stray Silverhand approached him. He gave a weak snarl, but the Silverhand continued his approach, he growled struggling to try to stand that gave the stray pause. When Loki collapsed back down with a pained whine, the stranger got closer, and then a flash of lightening illuminated the man's face. Loki snarled in confusion. It was his elder brother.
"Loki." The man said, he sounded weak, and then Loki noticed the stench was not on him, his brother wasn't a Silvehand, or at least didn't smell like one. Then the copper tang hit his senses. Blood his brother's blood. The burnet collapsed a few feet away a dagger lodged in his shoulder, he looked at Loki after a struggle, and he smiled softly his tarnished gold colored eyes shining with a radiant and calming joy.
"Brother… I… you dead. Promised…. Mom…. Protect you." Loki whined in confusion as his brother's voice wavered and faded out, he heard a few words, but then the tarnished gold eyes rolled back and his brother's head was in the dirt. Loki was in too much pain to feel his shift end, the shadows consumed his vision, then all was black, then he was sky-clad, pinned down by the cage of branches.
His eyes weren't focused, he looked at his brother, the soft brown waves that framed a young but battered looking face with wise gold eyes was spread over the dirt, soaked by rain and his own blood.
Then shooting pain spread over Loki in a searing wave. He screamed as the pain bleared his world into a small cage of agony. Loki hated to admit it later but he couldn't handle it and collapsed in a dead faint.
A/N: I like ending it here forgive the delay to this chapter life drama my internet was cut off soooo... I dunno, can't get mad at me wasn't my fault. Sorry for the delay all the same.