First Mission

Aila was pissed. The worst part was she didn't even know why. It seemed that everything she looked at irritated her. All except, of course, for Kathryn. Her day started out well enough; she was awakened by Kathryn with a gentle kiss on the lips, who said it was time to start the day. That wasn't unusual, except for the kiss, she always woke up early. If she didn't, Aela would come down and pour a bucket of ice water over her head. Aila learned that the hard way. It may have been from the lack of sleep. Aila had stayed up with Kathryn, kissing and cuddling. By the time she had fallen asleep, it was late into the night. Whatever the reason, Aila was loath to start her training with Vilkas.

She watched as he came up to her, clad in full armour and a shield, as well as a dagger strapped to his side, leaving Aila with nothing but a sword. This is utterly unfair. She lifted her blade resentfully and readied herself. "You know what to do," Vilkas said, "Let's begin."

Vilkas started. He slashed at Aila, aiming for her side. She parried the attack and swiped at him in return, only to be stopped by his shield. Stupid shield, She thought. She tried again, aiming for his leg, but he knocked her blade away. Stupid sword. Aila jumped back to avoid a blow, only to have her foot catch on a loose rock and nearly fall to the ground. Stupid rock. She regained her balance and took a swing at Vilkas. He blocked it and swung at Aila, hitting her in the arm. She grunted in pain and looked at him in bitterness. "Keep your sword up!" He said.

"I know, I know!" Aila was not in the mood to be lectured. Vilkas continued to batter her with his attacks. She couldn't keep up with them. She tried to knock away his blade, but she didn't make it in time. He hit her again, this time in the leg. "Ow!" she yelped.

"You need to move faster!"

"I can't! This thing is too heavy!" she held up her sword.

"It's not my fault you're so unfit."

Aila glowered at him. She was sick of him treating her like some weakling. How was she supposed to move fast with this heavy sword weighing her down? Vilkas hacked at her, coming in from the left. She blocked it, but he turned and swung a second time, hitting her in the hip. Before she had time recover, he swung again. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Time seemed to slow. She lifted her sword and knocked away Vilkas'. Without thinking, she dropped her sword and spun behind Vilkas. She grabbed his dagger and, in one quick motion, pulled it from its sheath and rammed the hilt of it into his helmet. He collapsed onto the ground, stunned. Whoa, Aila thought.

She suddenly realized everyone in the yard was looking at her. Aila dropped the dagger and held herself, uncomfortable. Kathryn ran over to her, wide-eyed. "Aila, that was Incredible!" she said. "How'd you do that?"

"I... I don't know." The sudden rush of adrenaline Aila had felt was gone.

"I think you knocked him out."

"What? Really?" Vilkas wasn't moving. She must have.

Aela had come over to inspect him. "He's out cold," she confirmed. "Farkas! Get over here."

Vilkas' brother came running. He looked similar to Vilkas, but a bit more brawny, and slow-witted. "What happened?" he asked.

"What do you think happened, icebrain? Aila knocked him out. Take him inside."

"Knocked him out? Wow, I haven't seen Vilkas beaten in ages." He picked up Vilkas and carried him inside.

Aela watched them go before turning to Aila. "I can't believe you actually beat him."

"It wasn't that remarkable," Aila said.

"Not that remarkable? Very few people have been able to defeat him, Aila. Vilkas is the best fighter we have."

"I didn't know that."

"He is. I'm beginning to see why Kodlak let you join."Aela looked at her for a moment, thinking. "I think you're ready for a job."

"A job?" Aila asked. "Truly?"

"Aye, and I have the perfect one in mind."

"What is it?"

"A frost troll."

Aela explained it the her. The people of The Rift have been reporting a number of missing livestock. There have even been a few cases of people who have gone missing. Locals say that a frost troll has been spotted at many of the incidents, but no one has been able to catch it. They've enlisted The Companions for help. "Your job," Aela said, "Is to find it, and kill it."

"That's it?" Aila asked. "Kill a frost troll?"

"Don't be fooled, they can be hard to kill. That being said, I don't think you'll have too much trouble. Even so I'd like you to take someone with you."

Aila glanced at Kathryn. "When do I leave?"

"First thing tomorrow, would be best. We'll take care of transportation, just be ready to leave by then. You've got the rest of the day off to prepare."

Aila nodded and headed inside Jorrvaskr. She saw that Vilkas had regained consciousness and was sitting on a nearby bench, attended by Tilma, the caretaker. When he saw her, he gave small nod. Aila smiled and continued down to the sleeping quarters. She closed the door behind her as she walked into her room. She was feeling exultant. She packed up the few clothes she had and set out her bow. She would probably be using it to kill the troll. Aila heard her door creak open, and she turned to see Kathryn walking in. "Hey," she said as she shut the door.

Aila didn't bother responding. She threw herself at Kathryn, wrapping her arms around her and kissed her. Kathryn gladly kissed her back. "I missed you," Aila said when they broke apart.

"I never went anywhere," Kathryn said, chuckling.

"I know, but I've been irritated all morning, and I just wanted to hold you."

They decided not to tell anyone about their relationship. They didn't know how people would react, and frankly, they didn't want to find out. Aela was the only one who knew. She promised not to tell, as long as Aila didn't let on that she knew about The Companions' secret. She warned them, though, that the other lycanthropes would likely find out, sooner or later. They could "smell the lust between you two," as Aela put it.

"Well," Kathryn said, "I missed you too."

Aila smiled. She could feel Kathryn's arms around her waist. It was nice. She stood on her toes and kissed her again. When she pulled back she was frowning. "What is it?" Kathryn asked.

"It's awfully hard to kiss you from here," she said.

Kathryn laughed. "Then let me make it easier." She pulled Aila to an empty bed and laid her down. Then she laid next to her and pulled her into her arms, so that they could kiss with ease. "How's that?"

"Much better."

The next few minutes mostly consisted of kisses, snuggles, and cuddles. Aila couldn't be happier. She had no idea where her irritation from earlier came from, but she was glad it was gone. She was with Kathryn, and she had finally gotten a job. Speaking of which...

"You'll be coming with me on my job, right?" Aila asked.

"Of course I will."

"Good. How hard do you think it would be to kill a troll?"

"Using a bow? Well... I suppose if you aim right, you could kill it in one hit."

"Do you think I could aim well enough?"

"You'd certainly do better than I would."

"You could probably kill it with magic though, couldn't you?"

"I might take a couple hits, but I probably could," Kathryn said. "This is your job, though, not mine. You have to kill it."

"I know, I will, but first we have to find it."

"That can't be too hard. We could..." she paused. "I think someone's coming."

Kathryn and Aila uncoupled and assumed as inconspicuous poses as they could. Sure enough, a few moments later the door handle turned, and in came Vilkas. At first, Aila wondered how Kathryn knew he was coming, but then she remembered that Kathryn was a werewolf. She would have to get used to her noticing things that Aila didn't. "Oh, hey Vilkas," Kathryn said.

"I'm not intruding, am I?

"No, not at all. We were just talking about Aila's job." It wasn't a complete lie.

"Yes, well, I just wanted to congratulate you. Not many people can beat me."

"Thanks," Aila said.

"How did you do it, anyway? I don't really remember."

"Honestly, neither do I. It all happened so fast, and I wasn't really thinking about what I was doing."

"I saw it," Kathryn said. "You were moving incredibly fast, Aila. One moment you were blocking his blade, the next you were behind him, and he was on the ground."

"Was it really that fascinating?"

"It was more than fascinating."

"You don't seem to realize how rare it is for me to lose," Vilkas said. "The fact that you did means a lot. You're stronger than you know."

"I don't feel strong," Aila said. "How could I be when I can barely pick up a sword?"

"There's more to strength than how much you can carry." And with that, he took his leave.

"He's right, you know," Kathryn said.

"I don't know..."

"Hey," Kathryn cupped Aila's cheek with her hand. "Don't ever doubt yourself." She lent forward and gave her a long kiss. When she pulled away, Aila stared into her mesmerizing, silver eyes. "Okay?"

Aila nodded. "Okay."

"Good. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry."

"Tell Karsten that she's ready," The woman said.

"Geh, Regi," a voice responded. It was deep and guttural; not a human's. "I will tell him at once."

"Thank you, Deloth. And make sure it's weak. She's not that strong."

"Of course."

"Also, tell him to hurry. I don't think I can take the stench of werewolves any longer."

The voice made a strange rasping noise, that could only be laughter. "Geh. Sosnakke ahrk mungrohikke dreh ni hilk."

"No," the woman agreed. "We do not."

The next morning, Aila woke feeling refreshed with anticipation. The day had finally come for her to do her first job. Kathryn was going with her, as well. It would be at least a week before they reached Riften. That was a week with Kathryn, with no worrying about who was watching, or if they were alone. That was just as exciting. Aila slung her bow across her back and headed out. Kathryn was outside Jorrvaskr, waiting for her. When she saw her, Aila gave her a quick hug and a discreet kiss before heading down to the stables together. Aela was already there, along with two horses. As they neared, She called out to them. "Nice to see you finally made it. I was about to go and find you."

"We're not that late, are we?" Aila asked.

"You're late enough. Come on, let's get you saddled. The sooner you guys leave, the sooner you'll reach Riften."

"Are you that eager to be rid of us?" Kathryn said, feigning sorrow.

"Not at all." She lowered her voice. "I just thought you might like some... alone time."

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "Har har." She hopped onto her horse. "Seriously though, don't tell anyone. Just because you took it well doesn't mean others will. Some people can be very intolerant."

Aila struggled onto her horse as Aela said, "Don't worry, I won't. Now, go. There's a troll that needs killing."

Aila spurred her horse forward, following Kathryn. When they were a ways away Aila asked, "Do we really have to?"

Kathryn looked at her. "Have to what?"

"Hide. Do we really have to hide our relationship?"

Kathryn sighed. "No, we don't really have to. But... some people would be... they wouldn't like us."

"Why? Who are they to say who we can and can't love?"

"I don't know, Aila. This is Skyrim, home of the Nords, and you know how Nords are so fixed on tradition. The standard is one man, and one woman. If people found out about us, they would go berserk."

It was Aila's turn to sigh. "I hate having to hide."

"So do I."

The long hours of the day were filled with the riding of horses, while the nights were filled with kisses, to make up for the lost one while riding. One night, a few days into their journey, Aila decided to voice some questions that had been on her mind for a while. The had just set up their tent, and were about to go to bed when she said, "Kat?"

"Yeah?"

"Um... about you being a werewolf..."

"Oh." Kathryn seemed to tense a bit. This was obviously a sensitive subject. "What did you want to know?"

"Do you really turn into a wolf every full moon?"

"Only when both of them are."

"Both moons? That only happens once a year," Aila said.

"Yeah, for that much I'm grateful."

"You don't like being a werewolf, do you?"

"I hate it."

Aila found that depressing. What would it be like to live, all the while hating what you are? Aila pulled Kathryn to the ground and sat in her lap, wrapping her legs around her waist. "You shouldn't feel that way," she said. "Like it or not, it's part of who you are."

"I suppose so," Kathryn said. She reached up twirled a strand of Aila's hair.

Aila stared into her glimmering eyes. She remembered when her eyes had turned yellow. "Can you change on other days, not just when the moons are full?"

"Yes. I can actually do it whenever I want. I could even do it right now, if I wanted to. The moons just force the transformation."

"What are they like?" Aila asked. "The transformations."

She thought about it for a moment. Aila felt her shiver. It wasn't from the cold, she knew. Kathryn was never cold. "Painful," she said eventually. "There isn't a single thing more painful than when I have to turn."

"Why does it hurt so much?"

"Think about it, Aila. Your whole body is changing. Your bones are growing, shifting, bending and breaking. That doesn't happen painlessly."

Aila imagined Kathryn turning into a werewolf. She pictured her hunch over in agony, and screaming in pain. The thought frightened her. She laid her head on Kathryn's shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said.

"It's not your fault."

They held each other for a while, before Kathryn suggested that she get some sleep. Aila reluctantly agreed and slipped inside the bedroll. Kathryn was about to climb in after her when she thought of one more question. "Have you always been a werewolf, Kat?"

She stopped suddenly. "No, I haven't."

"How did you become one, then?"

"It's... a long story."

"I want to know," Aila pressed gently. "Please?"

Kathryn looked at her softly. She was quiet for a long while. Finally, she let out a sigh. "Okay." She began to unlace the straps that held her tunic.

"What are you doing?" Aila asked. It was a puzzling, yet not entirely unwelcome sight.

She ignored her and slipped off her tunic, and Aila gasped. With her no coverings but her smallclothes, Aila could see why Kathryn had taken off her tunic. From her left hip, to just below her breast, were three long scars. It looked as if some great beast had slashed at Kathryn. Aila got the feeling that she wasn't far off. She ran her fingers along the scars. "When I was in my seventh year," Kathryn said, "I was walking through the woods one day, when I was attacked. This great beast of a wolf came running at me, and before I could even react, it clawed at me, and sent me to the ground. I tried to stand, but it bit me in the leg, and nearly tore it off."

"By the Gods Kat, that must have been horrible."

She nodded slightly. "I thought it was going to kill me. But then it suddenly stopped and howled, before running off."

"What did you do?"

"I crawled back to Riverwood. I don't know how close I was when Alvor found me. He took me to Delphine, since she had the most medical knowledge. I don't know what happened after that. All I know is that I woke three days later with these scars, and silver eyes."

"Gods, Kathryn that's... that's just..."

Kathryn placed her finger on her lips, silencing her. "You don't have to say anything."

So instead, she kissed her. Aila pulled Kathryn into the bedroll with her, and held her close. She could feel her smooth, warm skin against her body. She gave Kathryn a kiss, light and quick. Then she gave another, longer one. Kathryn, apparently, did not like being teased, and after the second one, gave a kiss of her own. She kissed her long and amorously. Aila moaned in pleasure. This was paradise. All she could ever want was right here, next to her. So what was that feeling dread growing inside her?

Aila pulled away from Kathryn. "Wait," she said.

Kathryn looked at her in concern. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just... It's probably nothing." Aila peeked out of the tent and looked around. The stars were twinkling in the sky, and the moons were as bright as ever, taking up a quarter of the sky. She could see the silhouettes of trees around them and could hear the chirping of crickets. There was nothing. Aila crawled back to Kathryn and tried to ignore the feeling in her gut.

"What were you looking for?" Kathryn asked.

Aila shook her head. "I don't know, just... something."

"There are no bears or anything out there."

"I know, but... oh, forget it." Aila resumed kissing Kathryn, trying to take her mind off the strange feeling, but it kept getting stronger. Aila pulled away again, and this time she climbed completely out of the tent and looked around again. Kathryn followed shortly after, with her tunic back on.

"Aila, what is it?"

"I don't know. I just feel like... like something's coming."

"There's nothing out there."

Aila looked anyways. It seemed like she was right. The feeling wouldn't go away, though. "Aila, come back in the tent," Kathryn said.

Aila sighed. "Okay."

She had only taken a couple of steps when she heard it. It was very faint, yet unmistakable. Kathryn heard it too. "What was that?" she asked. Aila felt tears start to form in her eyes. She knew exactly what it was. It came again, much louder this time. Kathryn noticed her tears. "Aila? Why are you crying? What is it? " her voice was full of concern. It came once more, louder than ever. Aila covered her ears against the deafening roar that filled the skies. Aila saw it in the air, beating its massive wings to keep in aloft.

"It's a dragon," she said, her voice shaking with fear.