After Hasir left for the temple of kynareth, Aela, Farkas, Vilkas and Rakel walked up the stairs and outside to the porch. The circle
members and Rakel headed for the docks of Windhelm. They walked past the training yard and out into the streets of Whiterun. They
heard a fight going on in the vicinity of the clan battle born house.
Aela could only hear parts of the argument.
"Battleborn, give me your money or else I will bloody you up good."
Aela could hear the footsteps of a girl who had apparently challenged the boy to a fistfight. The boy, named Lars, frantically backed
away from her, repeatedly saying that he had no money, but the girl kept on insisting he owe her the money for some reason.
Instead of getting involved with something that was none of their business, the companions and the whelp pressed on as they had a
schedule to keeep and couldn't stop for anything. They went down the stairs, ignoring all the merchant stall owners who were
frantically trying to sell their wares and exited out of the main gates. Upon exiting, they spotted the stables and Bjorlam.
He smiled from his horse drawn carriage.
"Anywhere special you need to get to, I can take you there."
Aela reached into her bag and tossed him a pouch full of coins. He caught it with amazing accuracy.
"Bjorlam, we are headed to the Windhelm docks to pick up a few people." She than stared him in the eyes and asked, "Can you take
us there? The ship arrives at the docks around four o'clock in the afternoon."
The carriage driver nodded. She and her entourage climbed in back, with Vilkas and Farkas sitting across from her, and the carriage
sped off towards Windhelm. As the carriage rattled on the cobblestones roads, Alela lent close to Bjorlam.
"So Bjorlam, we have two new whelps for the companions, one of whch we have with us, the other one is doing something else, their
names are Hasir and, this one here," She gestured to the person sitting beside her, "is Rakel."
Bjorlam waved a hand dismissively in the air and head tight the rein with the other.
"I already met Rakel." He nodded his head to Rakel, the nord returned the gesture, I also met the lizard Hasir.. .if those are the
whelps you speak of?" He asked, cocking his head slightly.
Aela nodded.
"They are indeed."
Aela settled back in her seat. The rest of the carriage ride was spent in silence. They passed crystal clear streams and lush green
valleys. The further they traveled north, the snowier the landscape had become. Aela could see the throat of the world rising up
to the left of the carriage.
Brjom held the rains in only hand as he shouted to the Companion and whelps, albeit a bit too loud.
"To my left is the infamous throat of the world, where many 'way of the voice' hopefuls go to meet the greybeards, otherwise known
as the masters of the way of the voice. Our next step is the docks of windhelm." As the carriage pushed on, he continued rattling of
the various points of interest to the newcomers while at the same time pointing them out.
He turned back around the control the horses. The carriage passed a pack of wolves that was fighting amongst themselves for
ownership of a bunny that the leader had trapped in a dense patch of plants. Sounds of the wolves tearing into the rabbit and the
rabbit's feable squeals for help made everyone but Aela and Rakel eiither look away or swallow the urge to vomit. Aela aand Rakel
got hungry just by watching the wolves tear apart the defenseless hare.
Vilkas turned around and slapped Aela in the shoulder.
"Eyes front, girl. We are on a mission and you think of food?"
Aela rubbed her shoulder where her brother had slapped her.
"Damnit Vilkas, that hurt and unlike you, my wolf has to constantly feed and right now, she is hungry." She stuck her tongue out at
Vilkas.
She returned her eyes to the road and could hear running water, then she saw a magnificent stone bridge covered with snow
connecting the mainland with a magnificent city fashioned of the same stone as the bridge. They took a right, though as that was not
their destination, where they were headed was below it. It was four o'clock when they had finally reached the docks. They all peered
over the left side of the carriage to try and spot it. Rakel was the first to see a ship coming through the icy waters towards them. It
slowed and anchored at one of the many docks.
Aela, Farkas and Vilkas got out; leaving Bjorlam to wait patiently for them along with the new passengers, got into water that felt
like it was filled with a million ice spikes and swam to where the Crimson Fang was docked, once they got on dry land, well, stone,
Rakel and the two companions saw the gangway lower.. Quinchal along with Inigo walked down the plank onto the stone platform
and greeted them.
Aela was the first to shake their hands.
"Quinchal, Inigo, I'm Aela of the companions... erm, how was your trip? were you successful?" She asked with building curiosity.
The blue Khajiit nodded.
"Yes it was, we procured the two artifacts that we set out for." When he finished, he smiled, with a toothy grin.
Farkas interrupted the khajiit before he could say anymore.
"I only see two of you. Where is the nord that Valjira sent with you?" He asked, his forehead creased.
Quinchal stepped forward.
" I... I'm afraid I am to blame for that. Yoou see," He scratched his neck nervously with his clawed hand, "I wanted my ancestry
restored, so I took his life." The tsaesci bowed his head in sorrow.
Aela sprang forward and grabbed Quinchal's throat, lifting him off his feet.
"How dare you. Do you think your fuckiing ancestry is worth more than an innocent's life?" She hissed at him through gritted teeth.
Quinchal gulped loudly and Aela released her hold on him. Inigo tried to go reason with Aela, but, the female nord turned back upon
him touching her shoulder.
He recoiled in fear as he could plainly see the fires of Oblivion burning in her eyes.
"Back the fuck up cat. Else I will make a rug out of your fur." She said, brandishing her sword at him.
When Aela got like this, there was no reasoning with her. Farkas and Vilkas knew this all too well, but the newcomer scarcely had
any idea. They all walked around the lake and got into the back of Bjorlam's carriage. They made good time getting back to Whiterun
as they talked the whole way back; making the trip seem faster than it actually was. Everyone got out of the back of the carriage
and made for the city gates. Aela turned and waved farewell to Bjorlam, who waved back.
When they got into the city, they proceeded directly to Jorrvaskr.
Upon seeing the giant boat on top Ingo remarked.
"What a big boat, I doubt anyone has oars that big." He said with a shrug.
He and the others went inside the mead hall. they past the horseshoe table and headed down to the undercroft. They entered and
saw Kodlak sitting at the picnic table. Inigo and Quinchal sat next to the old man while the companions sat on the other side.
Kodlak tented his fingers and look intently at the travelers through them.
"So, companions, I see you have successfully brought the Akaviri travelers home. Best get to the underforge as it is close to nine
o'clock and the service will begin soon.
The companions said they understood. They got up, told Inigo and Quinchal to follow them and exited through the door. Once
outside, they walked down the steps, and everyone but Rakel entered the underforge. Rakel had a different thought in mind. She
instead went to the temple of Kynareth, found the place mostly empty. So she instead headi for Arcadia's cauldron, where she
believed a certain reptile would soon visit.
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