John paid the carriage driver with the remaining gold. He didn't know how they were going to get more when they needed it, but he put that thought aside.

Aela talked about The Companions during the bumpy carriage ride, but John had stopped listening a while ago. He was worried about the battle ahead. He knew that Aela was a huntress, and Vistha was a skilled mage, but the Glenmoril witches were very powerful. He was playing out scenarios in his head when his thoughts were interrupted by Sherlock, who spoke for the first time since they'd got on the carriage.

"By the time we get to Lake Ilinalta, it'll be the full moon." He stated.

John and Vistha looked to Aela.

"I know." Aela responded. "That can be used to our advantage. You can control yourself, can't you?" she looked to Sherlock.

"I managed alright until I got locked up."

We'll plan to attack at night. When the moon rises, you and I can go on ahead. John and Vistha can back us up."

"I should be up front, the witches use powerful magic, and I can use magic against them." Vistha insisted.

Aela agreed, and then all eyes were on John. He flushed.

"I… I don't think I'll be much help to be perfectly honest. I've encountered a few bandits here and there but I think I'd be dead within five seconds against a witch."

"John should stay back. We don't want him to get in the way of two werewolves." Sherlock said.

John felt absolutely useless. There really wasn't much point of him coming along. He'd probably just be a burden.

John and Sherlock bowed their heads as they passed Whiterun. If they were found by the guards, it would ruin everything.

The carriage drove through Riverwood, and they stopped by the lake. They thanked the driver and got out. John looked up at the darkening sky. I was be the first night of the full moon, and it would be the first time that John saw Sherlock change outside of prison. Aela talked through their strategy again before Sherlock turned to John.

"I know you'll probably want to try to help, but you really need to stay back. I haven't turned in the wild for a long time; I don't know what will happen."

John nodded in agreement. He just hoped everything would run smoothly.

John, Sherlock, Vistha and Aela headed west from the lake. They walked at a fast pace as the sky darkened further. Any moment now, the moon would come out, the Sherlock and Aela would transform. Aela motioned for the group to stop when there were a few metres from the witches' cave, behind a large rock.

"John, this is where you'll stay while Sherlock, Vistha and I fight the witches." Aela commanded.

She looked up at the sky. A dark cloud moved aside to reveal a brilliantly bright moon, perfect and round. John saw Sherlock look up from beside him when he was pushed roughly away.

"Stay back." Sherlock warned.

Aela was on the ground, her head down, resting on her knee, her arms out in front of her. John could see her back rising and falling. Sherlock stumbled to the ground. It almost looked like he was cowering under the moonlight. He was panting, his face shining with sweat. Aela was now standing confidently. She's done this many times before. She knew how to control it after all that time. It was a gift that she nurtured.

Sherlock felt the curse taking over his body; he writhed and let out a loud shout. Vistha looked towards the cave in panic. Surely the witches would have heard that. Sherlock cried out again, until the cry turned into a deep roar. His body had changed; large, brown and furry; he muscly limbs looking lethal. John looked over to Aela. He was expecting to see something different, but he had changed to something just as monstrous, but perhaps looked a little bit less shaggy than Sherlock.

A bright light flew past John's head, bursting into flame as it hit the ground. John spun around in shock. Two… (women?) came out of the cave. They were tall and thin with long limbs, and bird-like legs. Their feet looked like those of an eagle and their hands were large and clawed. They had the faces of old women with hooked noses and all-red eyes. Vistha fired back his own spell, a long lightning bolt shot out of his hand and hit one of the witches in the arm. John was frightened for everyone's life, but he did as he was instructed and stayed behind the rock. Sherlock leapt towards one of the witches and knocked her down, but she fired a spell at Sherlock and he was thrown back violently. John's heart jolted, but still, he remained in his place. His heart was pounding; Aela took a great swipe at one of the witches, leaving four wide gash marks across the witch's chest. Vistha charged up a frosty white spell in his hands, and fired it at the other witch, paralysing her. Sherlock leapt forward again, pinning her down. He took several deadly swipes at the paralysed witch until she was left unmoving. John felt a wave of relief. One witch was down. Aela was still battling with the other witch. Even though Aela was a very powerful, she was no match for the witch's magic. Sherlock crawled menacingly from behind the witch, and locked his jaw around her ankle. The witch wailed, and Sherlock pulled, bringing her to the ground. Vistha fired another lightning bolt, and held the spell so the witch was shaking from the electricity surging through her body. When Vistha let go of the spell the witch was still.

John stared for a moment before coming to his senses. He ran over to his rucksack and pulled on the sword's hilt from the leather sheath. He drew out the sword and jogged over to one of the witch's bodies. He looked around at the other. Sherlock and Aela were circling the other witch to make sure she was dead, and Vistha was watching John. He held up the sword above his head, and brought it down hard, slicing through the witch's neck. He picked up the ugly head with disgust, blood dripping heavily from the cut. Sherlock raised his wolfish head and looked to the head hanging from John's hand. He gave a short growl and reared his head. John took this as a positive sign. They were yet another step closer to the cure.