[A/N: Sorry for the back to back chapters! I've been gone for a bit and wanted to make up for lost time. Not to mention, this one is one of my most favourite chapters from this story! It centres on the Circle, more specifically Aela. It is a bigger chapter, but some important matters are being dealt with here. It takes place in my favourite Hold, too. I loved writing this one and I hope you come to enjoy it, too!]

Chapter 15: Feral

Two moons. Against the wind. Heartbeat.

Three components of the wolf. Always hiding in plain sight. Much like me. Like all of us. Just pushing up against the surface like a faint scream in the wind. The two moons are an ally, the wind breathes our prey, the heartbeat reminds us of the sacrifice for our prowess. The wolf is made of it all. The ferocity and power. The speed and smell. The Totems of Hircine. With the blood I became the huntress I was destined to be. Gifted the blood is only the beginning, but will you tame the wolf, or let it consume you?

On the border of Falkreath Hold, the tall pine trees did not obey to the throw of the breeze. The branches shifted and leaves flew against the force of two werewolves. They sprawled from branch to branch then down narrow groves, sprinting at such velocity all that remained was a cloud of dust. Farkas and Aela left ruts in the forest floor. They were running against the wind and had the scent of what they pursued. They were following the scent of Vilkas. Farkas felt as if he had spent days as the wolf. It became all he knew in those moments of pursuit. Aela was untroubled. Her body and wolf were one. They were her. She firmly embraced her beastblood, and running through the wilds following a scent was always her home. Vilkas was the exception— the fear. The worst possible outcome of a moon-born. The strain of his wolf ran deep, like threading weeds. His mind a mere plaything compared to the will he painfully lacked.

The scent grew stronger, then faded away, then would come back in waves. With every curve in direction they took, they followed these strong spurts of Vilkas's scent in tandem. The markings of his claw marks in the dirt would disappear, then reappear again leagues away. Every wave of his odour threw like a punch, his trail only confirming it. Aela could smell his scent intruded with the blood of a torn deer. Moments later sprinting through forest, she passed the body. Vilkas left behind a chaotic and bloody trail, making Farkas and Aela confident they would find him inevitably.

Farkas stopped his sprint and heeled into the dirt, slowing him into a stop. Aela took a few moments to notice, and grounded into the dirt as well. Farkas evolved back to human, he knelt down inspecting the cool moss and seedlings. Aela panted heavily in wolf form, then her feet walking behind Farkas's ear.

Aela asked, "What have you found?"

Farkas stayed quiet, still in thought. He continued to inspect the floor of the forest. He answered, "Vilkas, he was here. His body lay here. Not as wolf, but as…"

"Man…" Aela said, "I know. I saw his footprints. He's turning back to human…"

"But not for long," Farkas turned his pensive gaze to Aela, "He's fighting but he's losing. He didn't just lay here, he fell here. He fell hard, like he's suffering. Each break of werewolf markings is shorter and shorter. He's losing control, Aela. He's going…"

"Don't say it. We have time."

"I know, but not much. The scent goes straight to Falkreath. We should get some clothes," he stood from the ground and shifted his eyes along the forest.

Aela grumbled, "Agreed…"

The two in human form walked through the woods for any sign of life, specifically a cabin or fort, but there was nothing.

Farkas said, "Maybe we can run around town."

"We could lose the trail if so… maybe… ugh, damn it."

"What?"

"Maybe the ol' trick in the book? You know… that one?" Farkas stayed dull-eyed for a few moments then his face lit up.

"That one!" Farkas gasped, "I thought you hated that?"

"I do, but given the situation… it's for Vilkas. Let's just get it over with. Come on."

Along Falkreath's borders, a guardsmen patrolled the skirts of town. He paced the entrance, then made a turn right into the bush. He pulled down his trousers to relieve himself. He exhaled, then a sharp sound hissed behind him.

"Pssst!"

The guard looked back, still relieving into the bush, then as he turned forward, the sound was heard again, a whisper following.

"Pssst! Hey!"

The guard ceased and buckled his trousers back up, investigating the noise. He startled to two bobbing heads into the tree line. The man and woman were nude.

The guard irked, "What in the Eight… what are you two up to over there?!"

The female shrilled, "Uhh, we need help! Please, please?"

The man said, "We… had our clothes stolen… we need help. Please, help us."

The guard walked closer, where Aela and Farkas sheltered themselves further behind the tree. He asked, "Your clothes were… stolen?"

"I know how it sounds…" Farkas stated, "Trust me, we are just as shocked as you. My wife and I… we were having…"

"Intimate relations." Aela interrupted shamefully, "We left our clothes and belongings to that tree over there, when we were… done… we came back, and they were gone! Someone must have stolen them. We were a little too preoccupied to notice."

Farkas carried the story further, "Yes, not the first time, that's for sure. You know how it is, right kinsmen? Gotta gets it while you can. She's the adventurous type," he winked jestingly, where Aela fought the vomit up her throat.

"Ha… oh you know me… honey…" her whole body cringed.

The guard was riddled in discomfort, "I… can get you something, I guess. Just stay there," he trudged through the bush and out to the street again, retreating into Falkreath.

Aela slapped Farkas up against the head. He squalled, "Ow! What was that for?!"

"I talk, you go along, Ice-brain," Aela hissed, "My 'adventurous' side will send you howling into Oblivion."

"Oh, you didn't like that? Honey?"

Aela delivered a more powerful smack.

"OW!"

The guard returned after some time, with two sets of clothes in each hand. He approached the tree and left the clothes over the ground.

"Here you go," The guard announced, "Next time try a tent or a room in an inn, for Mara's sake."

Aela and Farkas bleated, "Thank you!"

The guard walked back into town while shaking his head in grievance. Aela and Farkas peered from the tree and back to their usual selves. Aela donned her white tunic and hide pants, as Farkas put on a dark green tunic and baggy trousers. They each had a pair of hide boots that they strapped over their pant legs.

They ventured into the road of Falkreath, closest to Cyrodiil's borders, yet the looming pine trees shrouded the town in gloom. Falkreath was known for its vast and building cemetery. Generous moss built along the infrastructure of pinewood homes and shops. There was a bank of fog over the town, and a constant dampness in the air. It smelt of rot and wet wood, heavy in generous boreal pine that cradled the town edges. The two could still breathe werewolf in the streets. The town lay almost abandoned. The only inhabitants to be seen were huddled along the entry way of the Jarl's longhouse. Aela and Farkas went closer to investigate the commotion. Torch light was lit in a few hands of the distraught villagers, seeking counsel with the Jarl's mediating steward. The banners of an Elk's head hung along the streets and Jarl longhouse: Falkreath's emblem. The steward was a High Elf woman, dressed in cleanly robes and her white hair combed back against her scalp. She stayed patient but worrisome to the villagers.

"Well, what is he going to do then?!" A man ranted, "Nothing?! Sit on his arse all day?"

A woman lectured, "A Jarl is supposed to protect his people!"

The man argued again, "If Siddgeir refuses to do anything, then we will! I won't sit idly by as my people are preyed on by a werewolf!"

Farkas's back crept in a chill, exchanging his worry with Aela. The steward spoke aloud, "Please! Everyone! You must remain calm. Our Jarl is looking into this attack and furthering ways to defend Falkreath. These events are… horrifying— shocking! We are all succumbed in grief. Mathies and Indara deserve our support, but we must cool our tempers if we wish to offer it. This was a tragic loss. Jarl Siddgeir is wrangled in grief, just as you all are. We will seek out this beast and exact vengeance in time, but for now, please retreat to your homes. Stay inside at night! We must all work together if we wish to refrain from this happening again."

One of the townsfolk yelled, "Bah! Our Jarl would sooner spend our tax dollars on a poncy party in Solitude then use it to defend our streets! Don't waste your breath, Nenya. Just don't be surprised to our own hunting party. This werewolf will die and pay for what it did to Lavinia!"

Nenya sighed as the angered villagers left begrudgingly to their homes. Aela walked through the crowd with Farkas at her back and asked, "What's going on?"

Nenya informed, "There was a murder this morning… eight year old girl. Judging from the state of the child, we'd guess an animal. However, her father is claiming it was a werewolf, and now the people are in such a panic. I'm sorry you two have come to visit our town in this stressful time."

Aela queried further, "Her father?"

"Mathies. He's the owner of Corpselight Farm. Poor man… and his poor wife. It's just awful, a parent's worst nightmare."

Farkas impatiently asked, "He said he saw a werewolf?"

"That's what he says," Nenya stated, "But grief does unspeakable things to the mind. The farm is that way if you wish to speak to him yourselves. Just please be respectful. Werewolf or not, he lost a child, that's what really happened."

Farkas fled to the farm, and Aela hastily tried to catch up. She wrangled in the horror of what this all could mean, a thought too shocking to believe.

"Farkas, wait! You're thinking the worst."

He barked back behind his shoulder, "You think I could think anything else right now?"

"Farkas!" She called but he did not heed to it. He entered a crop with tombstones aligning the acre. A man sat before a fresh grave mound, his head hung low and wilting flowers over his lap. He wore old and torn farmer clothes. The man alerted to the sound of footsteps and looked his red-veined eyes to Farkas. His eyelids were swollen and cheeks wet. Farkas leaned his troubled glare at seeing the man.

"Come to offer your condolences?" The man said, "… or gawk at the bereaved?"

Aela caught up to Farkas and stayed behind respectfully. He asked the man, "What happened to your daughter?"

He looked back down to his daughter's grave mound and croaked, "I've said it enough times today, I won't say it again. My daughter was murdered… by a damn werewolf. That's all I'll say to you."

"How do you know it was a werewolf?"

"Farkas…" Aela warned not to provoke.

The man snapped, "You think I don't know a werewolf when I see one?"

Farkas asked, "You saw it? Was it dark? You're sure you could even see what you were seeing?"

Aela scolded, "Farkas!"

"It was eight in the morning!" The man raged as he stood to Farkas, "The sun was directly on us. My daughter, my Lavinia was outside playing. I was inside… cleaning damn beets! I look down and I hear her scream. She's not in the window anymore. I run- I look- I wait! She's gone. I turn my head and she was dead. She was torn to pieces. My little girl… Lavinia…"

The man withered away before Aela and Farkas. He looked away with guilt, closing his eyes while listening to the man weep.

Farkas muttered, "I'm sorry…"

Mathies continued, "I ran to my baby. Pieces of her all over, and some parts missing into thin air… and I saw it. It was in the tree line just staring. My baby's blood dripping from its mouth. By the gods, it was terrible. It stood on its hind legs and it growled so deep like thunder. I screamed and fell back, but before I could dare another look, it was gone. It was black as ebony, taller than the staunchest Nord man. Such horrible teeth. Horrible… horrible creature."

Aela said remorsefully, "I'm so sorry for your loss. We won't bother you again."

She gripped Farkas by the arm and pulled him away. His eyes dull and catatonic to the ground. He stumbled against Aela's pull from Mathies and followed her into a discreet corner of town.

Aela scolded, "What is wrong with you? You think that man needed that after what he's lost?!"

"It was Vilkas, wasn't it?" He shot his glare back to Aela, his face white as ice, "That's what you're thinking, right? You want me to believe it and accept that my brother murdered a child?"

Aela reached her arm to Farkas, he thrashed away. She said, "It wasn't him. You know that… it wasn't him. It was the wolf."

"Then what? You think Vilkas could live with himself if he woke up and found out what he did?"

"No! I'm not saying that. I'm saying Vilkas needs help. His wolf is the monster, and we will avenge that girl by bringing Vilkas back to his body. It was not Vilkas. You understand me? It was not!"

Farkas exhaled trying to calm himself. Aela placed her hands to the sides of his arms. He looked up from the ground, "Vilkas… you know, I really thought he was dead. I accepted it or was accepting it. I lost my brother and gods, the pain- that pain still hurts. He's alive, though. Now after this I don't know if he's even going to want to stay alive. Vilkas can't ever know of this. If we somehow bring him back. It'll... it'll kill him. Aela… please."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. First things first, let's find him. We've wasted enough time as it is."

"I can't lose my brother again, Aela… I can't."

"I know," Aela comforted, "I know. I promise you, you won't. Come on."

She took Farkas firmly by the arm and led him out to the street. He abided her direction, accepting her guidance. She looked up to the mill where her green eyes slanted in suspicion. Farkas asked to her, "What?" He then looked up the mill as well, his face curling a scowl.

They both stayed to the mill, thudding footsteps walked off the ramp. The footsteps belonged to a lumberer. He was in his late twenties with greasy brown hair and a slim frame. His face was seeded in sweat and eyes blood shot. He quickly walked past the two ignoring their stares. Aela and Farkas kept staring him down till he walked further enough the trail he couldn't hear them.

Aela asked shallowly, "Did you smell that?"

"Yeah. Yeah I did."

"That man is…"

"A werewolf." He said, still glaring him down before he was out of view.

"Dada!"

In 4E 177 Rain's Hand 26th, in the rocky hills of the Reach, a little girl no older than five springs came skipping with a hand-made bow. She had long braided red hair, freckles all along her white skin. She wore an old dress that was sprouting rips and holes. However, along her shoulder was a small enough quiver belt for her. She carried a dead rabbit in one hand with an arrow shot into its eye.

"Dada! Look! Lunch!"

A Nord man in wet leather hides was skinning fish at a table outside a cabin by the water, "Well done, Aela! Look at that… we've got fish, now we have rabbit. It will be a good lunch. Come on. Let's get you tucked in."

"Not yet! I saw mudcrabs by the water, I wanna shoot them!"

"Whoa!" Her father laughed, "… rabbit, fish and crab meat? We already have our bounty from the land, little Aela. A good hunter takes what they need, not what they want. Hurting creatures for fun is not what a good hunter does."

"Aw, dada. I just want to practice with my new bow! No one likes mudcrabs."

"True. We have an archery post for that, my love. Mudcrabs are grumpy, but doesn't mean they need to be hurt. You can be grumpy, too, Aela. When you're grumpy, all you need is space. So do the mudcrabs."

"… when I'm grumpy I need to shoot my bow."

Talking is good, too. You don't like to do it, but it helps. When you're done shooting your bow, you'll still feel grumpy. Talking can make you feel much better."

"When is mama coming back home?"

"Aela… mama is a Companion now. She stays in Whiterun until she can make enough gold for us to move there. Perhaps get a nice town house in the city? Lots of other kids to play with and you wouldn't have to hunt with me. We'd have all the coin we need."

"But I don't want coin! I want to stay out here! I like hunting. But… I like it more with you and mama."

"Me too. Your mama is a very strong woman. She gets to fight monsters every day. She is a hero. Heroes have a big job, so she will be gone for a while so she can keep other people safe from monsters. It's called honour."

"Honour is dumb… and monsters are dumb. I just want my mama. Other people can take care of themselves…"

"Now, now, Aela," scolded her father in a soft voice, "… one day you'll be a Companion. You'll be the hero that slays monsters and gets honour. When that day comes, those people will depend on you, just like mama."

Meanwhile, in the seclusion of Dayspring Canyon, Mimzi and Serana had arrived again with their Moth Priest to Fort Dawnguard. The journey was long, their heels aching. Mimzi stayed hopeful; entertaining that Aela and Farkas arrived before them; with Vilkas safe and unharmed.

The yard of the fort was emptier than ever before. No life outside to be seen or heard. Serana paced her eyes along the destruction of the siege. Trees laying in way of the road, lingering rubble and gathering ash of the fallen vampires still over their path.

Serana said to Mimzi, "Is anyone even here?"

Dexion observed, "This… isn't quite what I pictured. This is the fort that will provide my safe keeping? Looks completely abandoned."

Mimzi replied, keeping her words optimistic, "We won't know till we get inside."

The door hinges cried into the halls of Fort Dawnguard. The familiar smell of hide, stone and the tame pens wafted out to the three. Mimzi prayed the animal musk she was smelling was the rest of the Circle. By luck, Isran stood adjacent to them as he spoke to a new recruit. He looked to the three where his constant scowl lessened and went aghast. He urgently shooed the recruit away and marched to Mimzi and Serana.

"I'd bet you didn't think you'd see us again," Mimzi said.

"By the gods, no I certainly did not. I thought… I thought you were dead," he looked to Serana and said, "I thought your father had you. Every day with the sun still rising after, I figured was a miracle. Stendarr's horn… this is…"

"A relief?" She added.

"That's a seldom way of putting it," Isran curved a small smile, "This means our fight hasn't ended. You two, I'm sorry for all the times I've doubted you. Clearly, you're both far more valiant than I would have thought."

Mimzi and Serana shared discreet delight to hear Isran actually praising the two, when just a few days ago he resented the both of them, "Wow, you really are relieved."

"That I am and full of questions," Isran announced then looked to Dexion, "First one being, who is this man you've brought to Fort Dawnguard?"

"This is Dexion Evicus. He's a Moth Priest, and he has the scroll and has read it. We were kind of hoping he could stay here for a while."

Dexion introduced himself, "Ah, you must be the 'Isran' these ladies have concerned me with. Yes, I am a Moth Priest. If it was not for the actions of Serana and Mimzi, I'm certain I'd be dead or forced into servitude to reclusive vampires. I am… pleased to make your acquaintance."

Isran shook Dexion's hand firmly, "Of course, you're welcome here. It's impressive they were able to find you so quickly. I'm assuming they've filled you in on the details."

Dexion took a moment to think and lit up, "Oh yes! Ancient prophecy, Auriel's Bow, mentally deranged father, and the possibility of a vampiric empire. Yes, yes, they filled me in, of course. In the matter of acceptance, I'm still digesting it."

"Good," Isran concluded, "We'll make sure you feel right at home here. If you need anything…"

"There's more," Serana interjected, "Dexion read the scroll but it didn't reveal much. In order to find Auriel's Bow, we need two more scrolls. Elder Scrolls."

Durak came from one of the entry ways and bewildered at the sight of Mimzi and Serana with the Moth Priest. He blurted, "Malacath's horns… you two are alive?!"

Isran asked, "What do you mean 'two more scrolls'? You saying after everything, we need to find more Elder Scrolls? Where in Oblivion could we possibly find more?"

Serana replied, "Mimzi and I have two leads, one is pretty simple, the other will be next to impossible, but we can do it. We won't stop till we find that bow. Right?" She turned to Mimzi for affirmation.

"It's either that or we die," Mimzi shrugged, "So yeah, we're pretty invested."

"Just keep Dexion safe," Serana said, "We'll need him to read the other scrolls, once we find them, of course."

Isran took a moment to accept the information, "Right then, you two better get to it. Now that we know this fight isn't close to being over, we will do everything we can to reassemble our forces and attack that castle again."

Serana patted Mimzi's shoulder to follow. Serana walked a few feet and turned back to Mimzi and asked, "Are we going?"

"Not yet! Just… give me a minute…"

Serana sighed and walked to the doors, giving Mimzi and Isran time alone. Dexion and Durak walked off into the barracks.

Mimzi asked quietly, "Did the others make it back yet?"

"No. Mimzi, there's something I need to tell you."

"Don't say it," Mimzi sharply said, "Sorry, I'm just used to receiving bad news every time someone says that to me… I'm sorry, just say it."

"Kodlak is dead," Isran stated coldly, but his eyes solemn, "I'm sorry, but he was lost during the attack on the castle. He washed up on the shores of Haafingar. Aela and Farkas haven't returned yet, I'm certain they do not know. I'm sorry, but you needed to know."

Mimzi went wide eyed as a dreadful cold distorted the air at Isran's words. She pressed her lips in an aloof nod and shrugged, "Okay, okay… I… uhh," she began to fumble her words, "He's dead… that's… by the gods… the rest don't know yet?"

"No. I haven't seen Farkas since that day, and Aela since the day after the siege. Seeing the two of you is the only shred of hope they may still be alive. I thought all of you were dead… perhaps you should prepare yourself."

Mimzi went cold and said, "They aren't dead."

"By Stendarr's grace, I pray you are right…" He moved on from Mimzi and marched back into the barracks with the others. She drifted back to Serana; her eyes sunk to the floor. She felt as if time froze, and every step fought through and forced time onward.

Serana asked lightly, "What did he say?"

"Don't worry about it. Let's just go get my horse. Winterhold… it's… far."

"Are you okay?"

Mimzi's brows curved, "I'm fine. Let's go."

She strode passed and to the doors. Serana flummoxed at whatever Isran had revealed to her. She hoped in time Mimzi would reveal what was troubling her.

Little Aela had just finished her lunch and was prancing back to the stream to go shoot the mudcrabs. Her father called back to her, "Aela! Help me clean up after lunch, please. That's a good girl."

Aela groaned and stopped over trickling rocks before twirling around in a grumpish stomp.

"Come now, little cub. You know how it goes. I cook, you clean."

"I hunt, too!"

"We both hunt. No excuses, come help your father, please."

Trots of horses were heard over the hillside. Two riders in armour came up to the cabin, catching the attention of Aela's father and herself. Aela ran to her father's side and clutched his waist. The riders were two men. One a younger man with long brown hair in a low ponytail and a scar along his eye, the other an older man with greying blonde hair.

Her father soothed, "It's okay, Aela. It's just Kodlak and Skjor. Your mama's friends… I… will go speak to them," his voice withered. Kodlak and Skjor dismounted their horses. Aela stayed to the campsite. She watched as the three men conversed but could not hear what they were saying against the falls. Her father yelled, "No!" He fell to his knees and wept. Kodlak and Skjor hung their heads. Aela's body shook, knowing in her heart the news. Skjor looked up from her father and solemnly stared up to the little girl shaking.

"Mama…"

Evening turned to darkness over Falkreath, and Secunda and Masser were both full in the sky. The town lay quiet and on its' skirts, Aela and Farkas huddled in the bushes again, waiting to follow their suspect.

Farkas groaned, "You sure this is a good idea? Who's to say he will come out this way? Or if he'll leave town at all?"

Aela replied, "He's a werewolf, and any moon-born can't resist to hunt on a night like this. The moons are out, the night is quiet. He will leave town, just wait."

Farkas exhaled and slumped back against the grass. He confided, "Don't know if I should feel relieved if it wasn't Vilkas or not. Even if it is this guy, Vilkas is still lost in the woods or he could be dead."

"There is a feral preying on the people of Skyrim, and if Vilkas was here, he'd agree our first calling is to protect them."

"There's always gonna' be protecting people from being preyed on. We should be looking for my brother before it's too late."

"You want to know for certain Vilkas didn't kill that girl?" She replied, silencing Farkas. He grunted as he stayed to the ground.

It was nearing midnight, and the forests opaqued in darkness. The lit torches from town dimmed against the cold. Small footsteps came down the road. Aela was alert and quiet; she lightly placed her hands to Farkas's thigh to alarm him. He shot up, Aela hushed him quiet. A body passed the torches which illuminated the same face the two seen at the mill. He was far more drenched in sweat and pallor in tone then before. He walked out of town and into the tree line, disappearing into the darkness of the forest. Aela pressed her legs up as Farkas did the same. She signalled him to follow into the forest. Aela stealthily pursued, with her guiding Farkas to remain as quiet as possible. The forests were so dark it was no different from behind their eyelids. The farther they progressed, dim light shined behind them, following voices. Aela quickly grabbed Farkas by the arm and pulled him behind a tree with her. The two looked to the path behind them. Their blood curdled at the sight of a hunting party of villagers. They bore axes, pitchforks, and torches. The word 'werewolf' bouncing along the crowd. They passed through up the trail, but Aela shivered at the knowing of being at risk of not just another werewolf.

Farkas whispered, "Well this isn't good…"

Aela hushed defeatedly, "Damn it."

The two kept on through the woods, avoiding any detection from the crowd or the man they followed. His scent carried farther into the abyss of boreal forest. They came up to an opening generously lit by moon light. Aela held Farkas back from the grove and the man in the centre, staring up to the moons in hushed discussions with himself. He held his hands up in the air mercifully. Tears ran down his cheeks as he cried words that neither the two could hear. Suddenly his body began to shift into a werewolf. Aela and Farkas watched on patiently, silently content their suspicions of the man were true. The werewolf howled then lunged into the forests away from them, growling deeper into the branches.

Aela spoke more louder now that they were alone, "Well, he's a werewolf. I'm certain he's the one at fault for Falkreath's plight."

"He didn't look too happy about turning, almost as if he was trying to resist it…"

"Whatever, he's a werewolf, and he can't control his transformations which makes it a done deal. We have to stop him before he hurts someone else— one of those villagers. Let's turn and spread out. Maybe we can close him in."

"So what? You want to kill this guy?"

"If it means saving his next victim, then yeah, I do. You go that way, I'll go right."

He hesitated at first, but did as Aela asked anyway. He pulled off his tunic and walked left into the grass before turning. He ran west up a plateau. Aela stayed in human form for a while longer. She could hear trudging and cracking of twigs in the shrub. She crept still to the noise, patiently awaiting whatever prey or predator lurked nearby.

Aela and her father jumped through the far-reaching hillside of the Reach, stalking prey. The year was 4E 187 of the 3rd of Sun's Dawn, ten years after the death of her mother. Aela had entered her fifteenth winter, and her father and herself were following the tracks of a bear.

"Pa!" Aela yelled and she stopped. Her father was ahead but jogged back to her, "… it's there, see?"

They looked into the open groves of trees and could see a bear climbing a tree trunk to get at a beehive. Her father beamed a grin and patted her back, "Well done, Aela. Let's surprise the beast, shall we?"

"Way ahead of you."

She and her father silently crept into the grove— stalking their prey that remained blissfully unaware of the predators below. He waited for the bear to crawl higher up the tree trunk. As soon as its claw pried for the husk, her father signalled to attack. The two hunters sprang from their cover and flurrying arrows into the bear's hide. It roared and struggled to climb down the tree but the persistence of Aela's father and herself downed the beast. It fell hard onto the forest ground. Aela celebrated loudly with her father giving her a hug to the side. Her father didn't wait to brandish his hunting knife and harvest the hides and meats. Aela took out her own knife to help.

Her father praised, "You're a master with that bow, Aela. The Companions would be happy to have you."

"I don't know, pa. I'm not sure I want to leave you alone…"

"Ah, don't worry about me, my girl. I've been surviving off the wilds long before you were a twinkle in my eye. I'll be just fine."

Aela stopped her cutting and asked, "What if I end up like ma?"

"… the Companions are an oath to Ysgramor, Aela. Skyrim is a brutal province, at best. You will face death no matter the trials you take in this land. The question is, when you leave the world, would you rather leave as a common hunter upon the land, or leave as a hero revelled in grand stories? You are an excellent hunter, Aela. I know what good you could do if you were a Companion. Makes me proud just thinking about it."

"I'd rather leave the world knowing I honoured my father."

"You joining the Companions is a great honour to me… and to your mother's legacy. You'll do your lineage proud, Aela."

Suddenly, a sharp twig snapping in the brush was heard, alarming the both of them. To their right, were animal headdresses and scarce hides. They were coated in grotesque paint designs, all wielding barbaric weapons crafted by the bones and teeth of animals and people.

Her father yelled, "It's… it's the Reachmen! Aela, run!"

"Father, no!"

An arrow went flying into her father's heart— falling him on impact.

"Father!"

The Reachmen howled and wildly hooted. Aela scrambled from the ground and ran into the wilderness with the Forsworn pursuing.

"Come, come, little doll! Come meet the Forsworn!"

They were enthralled in the chase— Aela now as the prey. She ran into tall grass and hid within the strands. The three Reachmen ran through. They passed her, rustling the tall grass. Vengeance broiled at the loss of her father— her only family. She shot up from the grass and drew her arrow at the first Forsworn she could see. It thunked into his backside. The other Forsworn roared, "Little bitch!"

Aela did not hesitate, shooting another arrow in precision. It thunked into the next Forsworn's eye. He thumped to the ground, and the remaining Reachman shot an arrow at Aela before she could release her next. She swiped right but the arrow shot into her left shoulder. A snap of harking pain. The Forsworn readied another arrow but Aela shot her arrow into the Forsworn's forehead. He went flaccid still holding the bow and fell back lifeless. Aela ripped out the arrow in her shoulder. She cried and covered the open wound that pulsed blood through her fingers. She stumbled back to the resting place of her father, tears dipping down her chin. An attack that happened so suddenly and ended just as fast, she could barely believe it had come to fruition. She was now alone in a world unforgiving, and the calling to purge the evil from it seared worse than her shoulder.

Farkas followed the man's scent up higher lands near the mountain ledges. He could see the branches and bushes up ahead shift and rattle. The other werewolf remained unsuspecting before Farkas lunged overtop it. It whipped him off and scurried away cowardly from Farkas. He kept his pursuit to the werewolf, and it ran into another open grove with a small pond. The moonlight sparkles off the water, which reflected off the werewolf. As Farkas came nearer, he could see the frame of the werewolf was larger than the one he saw with Aela. The fur was matted, with clumps of dried blood along its shoulders. Slashes spread along the creature's chest and shoulders. It was not the man they followed from Falkreath, he knew with a certainty.

He raised his muzzle to get a good whiff of the creature, which only confirmed it. Farkas was face to face with his brother again. He escaped whimpers to see him again, but the reunion was one-sided. Vilkas threatened a roar and sprinted into the woods again. Farkas pursued stubbornly, abandoning Aela's instruction.

Aela was studying the cracking twigs. She patiently waited for whatever came through and revealed itself. When it did, she befuddled at the likeness of a white elk. It stood taller than most and stepped closer to Aela without fear. She amazed at the creature's beauty. Its fur loomed like moonstone, and large antlers reached over the elk's head.

"Aela, we meet, at last. Come closer… my champion."

The voice blared in her head and the sound of her own heartbeat alongside it. She gasped in horror, but the longer the voice spoke, the calmer she became. She couldn't comprehend this animal was speaking to her, but it stayed for a reply.

She mumbled, "Did… did you just speak to me?"

"Yes, I did. I will continue to do so. You have earned the privilege to hear me, young one. There is no other moon-born worthy of such an honour."

Aela asked, "Who are you?"

"You should know. You've been my child for eight years, and each year you become stronger and wiser. One of the greatest beasts I've ever seen. You hone your gift the way I've always known you would."

She humbled at the realization that she was speaking to Lord Hircine, Daedric Lord of Man-Beasts. She felt her knees buckle and succumbed into a kneel, "My lord… I… I am honoured to stand before you. I'm so sorry for my confusion. Of course, a talking elk coming from the tree line is baffling. I imagined you quite differently."

"Ha! Yes, of course. I come in the form of one of the greatest preys in this boreal home. Prey any of my children would see as irrefutable opportunity. I currently roam awaiting my champion to hunt and slay this form for my reprisal. I ask of you to join the hunt, Aela, and become my champion."

Aela looked up from her feet to the white elk and asked, "You want me to hunt you? But my lord, I am sorry… I cannot. I seek the safe return of my shield-brother, Vilkas, and the demise of the werewolf preying on Falkreath. Please… I must continue," an idea struck and she added, "If I pursue this hunt, I ask you free Vilkas from his beast-form and grant him full control of the wolf. If you do this for me, I will do whatever you ask."

"Is that so? As it transpires, my boon is already in the greedy clutches of another man. He be the wolf you seek. He stole my boon from me, willingly. Now I wreak havoc on its power, making it repel the very purpose it was created for."

"What do you mean?"

"A ring. It grants the wearer with full control of their transformations. Only to be given to my most prominent hunters. However, Sinding has betrayed me. He stole the ring and wished to use it for his own gain. Stealing from a Lord such as I, is folly. I have cursed the ring, so now he turns when I wish. It is sealed to his finger for as long as I see fit."

"Sinding? That's the werewolf that stole from you. That murdered the child in Falkreath? He has disgraced you. Don't you have the power to take it back and make him suffer for his treachery?"

"Do not mistake my opportunism for complacency, Aela. I allow him to keep the ring as my own greed for revenge. However, he cannot keep the ring forever. He will owe a debt to me in the Hunting Grounds, but for now, I need a new champion to fulfill the ring's power."

"But I do not need it. I can control my wolf. Vilkas can't."

"Vilkas has never appreciated my gift. He has sworn his hatred for me time and time again. Who's to say he will honour the ring as a champion should?"

"Because if you want me as your champion. Then you must bring Vilkas back to us. He can use the ring for good. He could be a superb hunter if he was only given the chance to control his wolf, perhaps he could learn to appreciate it. I will serve you on Nirn and in the Hunting Grounds for eternity, but only if you grant Vilkas the ring with its original purpose intact."

The elk lifted its head in favour and bowed.

"Hmm. Perhaps. An intriguing deal, Aela. You seek neither power nor control. You simply seek the favour of a fellow moon-born. It's something I've rarely faced with my hunters."

"He is my family… please… my lord."

"Very well. I will grant my boon to Vilkas, but only if you can hunt this fantastic prey. The white elk. You will have to defeat Sinding and take the ring for yourself. With the elk and Sinding slain, I will bless the ring to you, and Vilkas, thereafter."

"Thank you, Lord Hircine, thank you for this graciousness. I will not fail you."

"I hope not. Now, let the hunt begin!"

The voice faded, the white elk swiftly pranced back into the trees. Aela pressed off the ground and transformed in hot pursuit of the prey.

Farkas ran after Vilkas through tall pine. The chase grew nearer but Vilkas evaded him just narrowly. Farkas howled again, hoping the howl would strike familiar to Vilkas, but to no relief. They kept running through an open forest. Vilkas leapt in one spot then continued. Farkas ran right through and a sudden shriek of pain gripped his ankle. He flipped down to the floor as the pain pulled him back down.

Hovering torch light crowded, and excited voices followed. Out of the tree line came the crowd of werewolf hunters from Falkreath. Farkas went to gnaw at his ankle to break free from whatever held him- a bear trap. He helplessly looked up to the gaggle of villagers, bloodlust burning in their eyes. They all thrashed their torches and chanted.

"We got it! We got the monster!"

"Burn it with fire!"

"Kill it! Kill it! Kill the werewolf!"

Farkas did not transform back to human, knowing he'd still be helpless against the villagers if he did. He stayed in his wolf form, patiently awaiting whatever demise Falkreath's mightiest had in store for him. They came wielding pitchforks and axes, with villagers tossing their torches before him and fire catching onto the dry leaves. He tried to lunge away from the fire, the heat aggressively intruding.

"Die!"

"Back to Oblivion with you!"

"Wild beast!"

He whimpered fearfully, prying into the eyes of the villagers. People he'd normally save from danger. They were labourers, shopkeeps, lumberers, and blacksmiths. They were not evil people. He would not raise his claws or teeth to any of them, no matter what pain they inflicted on him now.

Then a werewolf leapt from the trees and roared like curdling thunder. They all screamed and hollered into the dark woods. It lunged towards them and roared again, sending the villagers scurrying into deeper reaches of Falkreath forest. Farkas clamped his teeth to the bear trap and disengaged it. His ankle was released but left a gash. He limped up off the ground, the other werewolf staring down at the ground motionless.

Farkas slowly turned back to human, "Vilkas! I go where you go. I'm not leaving you."

Vilkas squinted his eyes and snarled down to the floor, his eyes shimmering in silver then turning to black. He leapt back into the woods again. Farkas screamed out, "VILKAS!!"

He turned back to werewolf, and pressed on through the woods, fighting against the sting in his ankle. Farkas followed Vilkas, not surrendering to losing his brother again.

Aela followed the white elk through thick forest. The elk was fast and evasive, despite the white fur, it blended in with darkness so perfectly, Aela would pass the creature in pursuit, then regain its scent and turn back to chase it. The sharp branches thrashed through Aela's skin as she sprinted. The tuff of the elk's tail could be seen ahead in glimmers of faint moonlight. It sprinted fast ahead, with Aela losing the fatigue to follow much further, but she stayed on.

Aela was then lunged to the ground by another werewolf; not Vilkas or Farkas. Its' scent was familiar, but different. She cried as the werewolf clamped down its jaw on the back of her neck. Aela flopped on her back, stunning the wolf under her. The werewolf whined from the blow and shifted back to human form. It returned to Sinding, the man from the sawmill. He clutched at his ribs and hoarsely spoke, "Please… please don't kill me… I know you can hear me."

Aela turned back to human herself. She stood over the cowardly man with a glare. She could see the ring over his shivering finger. The moons illuminating the back of her head, "You have something I need."

Sinding wept, "I would give it to you if I could. Please… I didn't mean to upset Hircine… I just wanted control. I couldn't live anymore as the monster I was… but now I'm far worse than I've ever been."

"You murdered that little girl," Aela gritted her teeth, "You're a monster that's far passed redemption."

Sinding bargained, "I know I am. I did not wish to hurt that child. Hircine did. He turned me when all I wanted was to ignore her, but he wouldn't let me. I didn't… I didn't want any of this! Please…"

Aela stepped over him and clutched her fists tight, "I'm not here for revenge. I'm here for that ring. You can't take it off then I'll rip it from your body. Stay still."

"No!" He kicked Aela back and scrambled into the woods again, turning back to werewolf. Aela transformed as well, giving chase to him.

The two ran to the shores of Lake Ilinalta. Sinding tried to run into the lake, but Aela leapt and pulled him back to shore, then pressed her claws against his throat. She bit into his claw, trying to rip it off. He loudly barked and snapped at Aela's muzzle. She released and snapped back. Their teeth clacked as they rustled in the dirt, sending mudcrabs fleeing from the carnage. Sinding caught notice of the white buck along the shore a yard away. He threw his hind legs into Aela's belly. She thudded back, and he sprinted after the elk. It buckled and ran back into the tree line. Sinding went after it, with Aela going after him.

She kept on Sinding's trail, who pursued the elk ahead. She buried her pain and fatigue down into her core, internally screaming to keep going. Vines and twigs tangled at her feet, but she ripped through the resistance. Sinding's stamina ran dry, and he began to slow. Aela leapt over him and dug her teeth into his neck. She clamped down over Sinding's arm, then thrashed it. It snapped bone and tore skin, the arm disembodied in her jaw. Sinding shrilled guttural cries and thudded to his back. His remaining forearm geysered blood. The brawny, black-haired limb turned back to a man's arm. Aela crawled away with the arm still in her mouth and growled at Sinding, who turned back to human. The animal shrieks morphed to the horrified wailing of a man. She dropped his arm and clamped his neck, snapping it with one movement. Sinding's screams silenced and his body went still.

Aela went back to the arm, which wore the embedded ring to his finger. As she did so, she caught a glimpse of eyes staring from the left into the branches. She halted herself. She huffed through her nostrils and stayed still for a moment, not turning back to see what was lurking in the bush. She caught the scent, and as the creature cracked another twig, she dropped the arm, and leapt back in a powerful lunge that sent her flying like a thrush. She tackled the creature and gnawed into its belly. The creature cried then went silent. As the taste of the blood pooled into her mouth, she looked down to see the white fur and branching antlers.

"Eat the heart of the beast, Aela. Only then will our deal become a pact."

Aela ripped into the chest of the elk, breaking through ribs and looking down at the heart that still weakly beat. The blood from within bursted inside her mouth like a grape. She threw her head back and swallowed the heart in full. The power of the organ was a newfound energy and prowess she had never felt in all her years as a moon-born.

"It is done. You are a worthy champion and victorious wolf. You bring honour to the beasts of the world, and to the hunt. Well done."

The voice of Hircine faded, and Aela ran back to the arm of Sinding and picked it back up. She thoroughly sniffed through the air, trying to find the scent of the Farkas. She caught one faint scent and followed it.

Farkas panicked as he lost Vilkas into the woods. His sprint outran his, and he continued to scurry through thick shrub, hoping he'd see something into an opening. As he neared the opening, Farkas stopped to a man lying in the grove. Farkas whimpered and crawled to Vilkas, who lay unconscious. His body slashed and bruised. Deep cuts still not healed from his time in Castle Volkihar. His jet-black hair greased and wet with strands to his face. He lay completely nude, and his skin pale as snow. Farkas nudged his muzzle against Vilkas's cheek and softly licked his nose. He whimpered and sniffed, dreading the sound of a faint heartbeat in Vilkas's chest.

Snarling and cracking of twigs came up behind them, and out came Aela. She plopped the arm from her mouth and shifted back to human. She picked up the disembodied arm in her hands. Her eyes wilted as she came closer to Vilkas. He was back to who she remembered. His darkly painted eyes closed and lips parted. His chest barely moving with air. She knelt down to his side and pried the ring off Sinding's finger. It was carved in rusted iron and had the likeness of a wolf's head. She threw away the arm and picked up Vilkas's. She gripped his hand and held for a while. Farkas watched on as he too turned back to human, and his hands took Vilkas's, as well. She held the ring and gently pressed it over Vilkas's finger, then laid his hand back down to his stomach. Farkas stayed to Vilkas's side, praying he would awaken.

"We're here, Vilkas," Aela muttered through a shaky voice, "…you are in control now. Please… please wake up."

They stayed with him for what felt like hours. The moons slowly drifting back behind the mountains. Birds began to chirp in the trees and skies indigo from the rise of the sun. His feet shifted in the ground, which caught the shocked attention of Aela and Farkas. They both looked to his toes beginning to twitch, and his breaths more patterned. Farkas looked to his brother whose eyelids flickered, then cracked open. Vilkas blinked a few times to retain his sight and opened his eyes fully to see Farkas. Aela swept her hands over Vilkas's hair and smiled.

"Hey, basket head… it's been a minute."

Vilkas stayed vacant until wearily creasing a relieved smile. Farkas immediately pulled Vilkas by the shoulders for a tight embrace. Vilkas grunted and weakly grinned, holding onto Farkas.

"Ysmir's beard, brother…" Vilkas huskily said through Farkas's shoulder, "You couldn't let me wake up first?"

Both Aela and Farkas blurted into weepy laughter, as Vilkas wheezingly chuckled. Aela joined in and leaned her head against Vilkas's back, wrapping her slender arms over him and Farkas.

Farkas spoke through tears, "I thought I lost ya… I'm allowed to be selfish…"

Farkas and Aela gently helped Vilkas off the ground, who wobbled and stifled as he regained his strength to walk. They both helped him and shambled over pine needles and twigs, making their way from Falkreath's forest together.