"Welcome home my love!" Walking into the house alongside Aela I'm greeted with another wonderful sight. Shadeheart watching from the side with a smirk on her face as I take in Ahlam's new outfit.
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"Ah.. Aela what are you doing here!?" Ahlam goes to cover up but I hold up a hand and she stops. Both her and Shadeheart watching and quickly catching on when I undo my belt and wrap it around Aela's neck again. Shadehearts grin nearly splitting her face while Ahlam begins to rub her legs together.
"Oh Elderin you always keep things interesting. Not even a week as a Companion and you have this one as your pet." Aela actually growls at Shadeheart, glaring at her as her stance shifts into something more combative.
"His bitch only, don't think I'll bend for you." Shadeheart only seemed even more excited at Aela's tone.
"Ooh this one is feisty; I like her Elderin." Shadeheart then slinks up to me, pulling me into a kiss before gesturing towards Ahlam. "This one has something she wishes to say to you." Ahlam nods and sinks to her knees before placing her head against the floor with her hands above it.
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"I, Ahlam Muad'ib, give myself to you, Elderin Spellblade. My heart, my body, my mind, and all that I can offer are yours. My house shall be open to you, my wealth yours to claim. Please take these offerings and allow me a place in your home as a loyal member of your harem." I have no script and so I have to think on my feet but I manage to put something together in a few seconds. It's short but I think it works well.
"I welcome you into my home, so long as I live I promise to care for and cherish what you offer me. Now please rise up and take your place as one of my most treasured loved ones." Ahlam obeys, standing up and eagerly accepting my embrace as I pull her in and kiss her, her mouth welcoming my tongue as I take the lead. Her body giving in as I grope her ass and hold her tight to feel her chest smush against my own.
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-x-X-x-
Of course if this was to be a proper relationship despite the uniqueness of it I had to let them know about my 'compact' with the Gacha or whatever it truly was.
"I see, so my Alpha has attracted attention from something in the realm of the Daedric from the sounds of it. You really are special." The contrast between Aela being so serious even as she knelt by my side stark naked except for my belt around her neck was amusing but I could ignore that.
"Truly our love will go on to do amazing things, after all it sounds like you've only taken what it's given you and used it to the best of your abilities." Ahlem smiles at me and Shadeheart simply nods.
"The source of power does not matter, merely how you use it. You're still growing and I intend to see what you become." Hearing their easy acceptance of this is nice, I doubt I'll spread the word very far but any woman I end up with should know.
"Glad to here, now lets meet this maid I received." Willing her into existence I'm surprised when a key forms in my hand but the knowledge of what to do flickers into my mind.
"Open Gate of the Maiden: Virgo!" Twisting the key in the air a white flash appears and from it a pink haired girl appears. She looks human, a handful of curves even if not the biggest in that regard. Shackles are on her wrists and ankles although only half a chain link is attached to any of them. It's the outfit that draws my attention, similar to a certain novel I once read but with a much shorter skirt that goes barely mid-thigh, shoes like I've never seen that give her an inch or so in height, legs hidden behind white stockings going up to just under her knees, and a white blouse showing off her assets. Upon seeing me she bows towards me.
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"Greetings Master, I am Virgo. I shall endeavor to serve you to the best of my abilities. Should you find my service lacking do not hesitate to punish me as harshly as you can." Well, she'll certainly fit in with the others.
"Right I'll remember that, Virgo this is our home. You'll be stationed here and your primary duty is to guard it and Ahlam." I gesture at Ahlam who bows slightly to Virgo and then gesture to Shadeheart and Aela.
"These two are Shadeheart and Aela, all three are to be trusted and listened to." Virgo nods and looks it them over.
"Of course Master, shall I dress like them as well?" Her question is followed by her clothes changing into a white version of Ahlam's outfit, shackles still remaining before that fades away and a metal collar with no latch appears around her neck.
"The maid outfit is good for now. Would you mind getting a bath heated up for us the moment; Aela and I just returned home and we could use one."
"Of course Master." Virgo walks off, seemingly already knowing where everything is.
"It does me good to know that you consider this a home my love, although wouldn't she be more suited to help you in your travels." I shake my head at that
"She's stronger then she looks and can apparently manipulate the earth but I'd feel better knowing you're protected." Ahlam simply beams at that while Shadeheart watches Virgo walk away, a calculating gleam in her eye but she doesn't elaborate.
[Own a house: Silver Item Ticket
Common Item: Costume Wardrobe - A regular-looking closet containing an infinite amount of clothes ranging from lingerie, formal wear, cosplay etc. As long as the clothes are completely mundane you can pull any clothing weighing less than 5kg from it, and the clothes that will come out will be according to the desires of whoever reaches inside. Only 50 outfits can be taken out per day.]
Oh, Ahlam was serious about her giving me this home. That much dedication and devotion, I'll have to do my best to return it in full.
"Well I just got something else that will come in handy, we'll no longer need to worry about day to day wear at least. Let's go put it in a proper place and then I'm looking forward to that bath." Aela nods from her place at my side.
"Agreed, I love the outdoors but a good bath is always welcome after camping in the field.
-x-X-x-
Nazeem was a piece of shit and earned his death but I'll give him this, he had excellent taste in bathes. The one he had put in the house is large enough to fit several people and apparently enchanted to keep the water warm. Aela is soaking in the water as well on oneside while Shadeheart does so on my other side. Ahlam is in front of me, kneeling in the tub as she washes my chest, cooing over me and praising my physique while Virgo scrubs my hair. Blank faced and quiet even as she's stripped to nothing. I just lean back and enjoy it, forgetting bandits, the potential civil war, and the dragons and just enjoying the now.
"Bath warm and good, world cold and grey." Shadeheart pretty much sums it up.
"I'd toast to that." Even Aela agrees despite the fact they've been snipping at each other since we returned. The power of the bath is strong, the soothing atmosphere and the company and the attention they lavish upon me soon has me in a state of arousal despite my desire to just sit there.
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"Oh, Master appears to be in a state of arousal. I shall take care of that." Virgo slides around to between my legs and starts worshipping my cock; peppering it in kisses even as she looks up at me with her nearly dull eyes but I can catch the faintest hint of lust in them. Soon she moves on to a full blowjob as I rub her head, Shadeheart curling up agains my side while Ahlam and Aela watch on.
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My life got incredibly perverted real quick and I am loving it.
-x-X-x-
The past week had been quiet, for the Companions at least. Aela and I had hunted a bear that started poking too close to a farm and I had to go collect on a debt that wasn't being payed but those were short term jobs, Aela had been quite excited to see my new archery skills but other then that there had been nothing much going on.
On the home front Shadeheart had managed to install an alchemy workshop and had been messing around with that, humming a tune as she brewed various concoctions that were put into wax-sealed jars and labeled with skulls and 'do not touch' in three different ways.
Ahlam meanwhile was restructuring her businesses, while she had been the one to do most of the work Nazeem slipped in some of his cronies among the various places and made some poor choices here or there, nothing had happened yet as it was the planning stage but it would apparently cut away a nice chunk of fat from everything.
"Elderin, you're with me." I look up from my plate at Farkas' call, scarfing down my last few bites and moving to meet him at the door.
"What do you need me for?" Aela was the one I usually interacted with, not that the twins weren't welcoming they just didn't interact much and Skjor was often busy with one thing or another.
"Got a lead on another piece of Wuuthrad but something about it gets the hairs on my neck standing up, I want some backup and you're versatile enough. Plus no offense but Vilkas is dealing with something else and Aela is off on a hunt."
"None taken, I'd be surprised if they weren't above me. Where are we going?"
"Dustman's Cairn, a Nordic Ruin. Not too far but well its a ruin. Odds are we're looking at traps, Draugr, and vermin even without the possibility of something going wrong." I nod my head at that, everyone heard at least one horror story of someone going into a ruin and ending up impaled on spikes or ripped apart by the undead. That does bring to mind something though, the question is if I should bring it up.
-x-X-x-
Better to at least try and ask rather then not and wish I did latter.
"You want me to get Shadeheart to come along, she's good at lockpicking and she's no slouch in a fight plus I want her out of her little lab. She's been working in there a lot lately and I'd like to get her out and about." Farkas pauses for a second and rubs his chin before nodding.
"Yeah, go get her. I break locks but smashing them and that isn't always a good plan and another blade on out side wouldn't hurt. Go grab her and meet me at the gate, just remember that if we end up camping out I don't want to hear you two." That's honestly fair. Heading to the house I nod at Virgo sweeping in the main hall and knock on Shadeheart's door.
"Shadeheart, you in a position to talk."
"Oh yes, come on in." Permission given I wander in, baskets and other containers of ingredients fill the room alongside cabinets filled with containers of finished product, Shadeheart is cleaning her station at the moment while a new jar sits by the table with warnings of death scrawled on it.
"Just finished my latest creation, should take only a few second to drop someone of average body mass, even the Bosmer and Redguards can't too much without dropping like flies. I'm hopeful even a dragon would feel it with enough in its veins."
"That would be useful … how secure are those jars?"
"Very, I don't take risks when it comes to this stuff."
"Oh thank the Nine…" I ignore her offended look, gesturing at her cabinet of death in response. "Anyway Farkas has asked me to come along to look in the ruins for another fragment but he thinks something is off about the tip. I know you can pick locks pretty well and wanted to know if you'd come with me."
"Sound fun, give me a minute and we can head out." Placing her newest concoction in the cabinet and locking it she heads upstairs to put on her own armor. Changing quickly and coming down as I pack up the last of the rations and our sleeping bags.
"Ready to go." Since we've arrived in Whiterun Shadeheart has been working on recreating an old set of armor she once had before it got too damaged. Full body covering with small leather covered plating over her vitals and limbs, all dyed black. Knight Killer and another dagger resting in thigh holders while her bow was holstered behind her. It was a nice set-up that she made work and I knew this was intended to be a prototype so it could only go up.
"Looking good, lets head out. If I'm correct about the distance we can make it before the sun even reaches halfway down.
-x-X-x-
"Well someone's clearly waiting for us." Farkas was right, I wasn't even a good tracker and even I could tell something was up, some ashes were in the grass, footprints leading into the Cairn, and Shadeheart had found some underclothes that had apparently been forgotten.
"Agreed, I'd say about 20 at a minimum. Elderin made it clear that you all are considered honorable mercenaries, who could wish to try and thin your numbers?" I answer for Farkas, a few ideas coming to mind.
"Bandits that want less people hunting them, other mercenary bands trying to thin the competition, a past mark looking for some payback."
"Elderin is right, all possibilities and each of them just as likely. We'll go with caution but if there is a fragment within we can't afford to let it slide through our fingers." Nodding at Farkas' words I draw my sword and follow him inside. Further proof of a potential ambush is right in the open with how much excavation has been done as well as a few Dragur bodies lining the ground and as soon as we enter the next room the sound of coffins falling open hits us.
-x-X-x-
"Tch, well that was easy." He wasn't wrong; between the three of us the corpses we put to a final rest fairly easily. Especially once I started using Golden Fist.
"Agreed, still we should keep our guard up. I doubt they put the most powerful one up front." Shadeheart makes a good point.
"Agreed, I'm going to send my Observers up ahead. See what might be waiting for us." Ten eyeballs come into existence and float on ahead, Farkas looking a little pale at the sight but not saying anything on them.
-x-X-x-
"I'm telling you, this is going to work. We pick off one the mutts here and then when the time comes they got less of the beasts in that doghouse of theirs."
"Yeah, but we have to be the ones to fight the thing. We're talking about a fucking werewolf that been trained in combat and has its mind. This isn't like one of the rabid mutts we put down before." I blink and turn towards Farkas, taking in what was just said. It's concerning that their talking about attacking Jorrvaskr but I can't just forget what they said about what they're waiting for.
-x-X-x-
"Farkas, these guys are werewolf hunters. They're talking about attacking Jorrvasker and how this will get rid of 'one of the mutts'; are they implying what I think they are." Farkas tenses for a second before sighing and nodding.
"Well they way you're going you'd find out soon enough and given Shadeheart is involved with you and Aela she'd probably get some dispensation or something to know. Look its just the Circle and you have to earn not only the right to be one but the right to know; its something of an open secret among the people in charge of Whiterun but we've earned their trust and that means something."
"You maintain control, is that a matter of luck and discipline or have you all entered into a pack with Hircine?" Farkas looks at Shadeheart in surprise before nodding.
"Discipline plays a part but we're a superior breed obtained via a deal with Hircine ages ago."
"Hircine is a tolerable prince, I don't agree with his entire philosophy but better him then the rapist." Farkas spits and so do I, if there is one Prince to loath on principle its Molag Bal.
"Yeah, look if they want a werewolf I'll show them one. Stay back and let me take care of it and then we'll move on as a group." Shadeheart raises a hand in response.
"Hold Farkas, would it not be better to know what they plan in more detail? Jorrvasker is in the heart of Whiterun, how do they plan to get past the guards armed for the war it would be against you and your allies, do they have people on the inside, where are their strongholds, what are their numbers? Corpses may give messages but they don't give information without the levels of necromancy I doubt we have among us." We look at each other and the both of us nod at that, more information means a safer home.
"How would you do it Shadeheart?"
"I know of several concoctions that in combination loosen the tongue and fog the mind enough that if you're smart you can easily pull information from someone but I have not made any and it would take too long even disregarding travel and brewing time. We'll have to do this the dirty way, I'm not fond of this one but needs must; how confident are you in taking all of these hunters alive?"
"How many are there?"
"Eight of them, hidden in little corridors and side nook in groups of two. Something is off with their weapons, I think they're actually Silver."
"Aye, with any real werewolf hunter that's a guarantee. Course a hundred gold says they all have Disease Cures and Hawk Feathers on them like werewolfism is a bout of the sniffles. Alright we go in there and call them out, that should get the hotheads to come out and the rest will follow, Shadeheart hangs back and puts some arrows in limbs as she can."
"Agreed." It was a simple plan but it sounded solid for this.
-x-X-x-
Leaving people alive in battle is harder then it should be, Farkas clearly isn't used to it and I'm more focused on keeping my own head attached. It doesn't helped that a few even choose to slit their own throats, shouting about how they won't be turned, and I don't have time to heal them. Still in the end we manage to keep two of the men alive, roughed up but alive. I don't have high hopes for their information though; they were the ones to charge first and one tripped over a rock and nearly knocked himself out.
Shadeheart looks them over walking around one while caressing her dagger but I can see her keep an eye on the other as she does so. Some disappointment in her eye as she does so but she shrugs and flips the dagger in the air, catching it by the handle.
Be warned this won't be pretty, Elderin please do that little trick you did with the Cloaks and Imps will you." Sliding Despair Aura into a slot I watch as Shadeheart works. She correct of course; it isn't pretty. Shadeheart doesn't torture the man. No that was too soft a word for it, she dismantles him. Bit by bit she takes him apart, never asking a single question as she carves him up. Pinching salt from her ration pack into his exposed muscle and casting healing magic to draw it out.
In the end he doesn't look like a man, rather its like a red blob wheezing for death which she grants with a quick thrust to the brain. Somehow still absoultly pristine she reaches over and presses her fingers into against the neck of the other Hunter, tears rolling down the man's cheeks as the scent of urine and shit fills the air.
"Now, tell me everything you know about your band of hunters."
"We're called the Silver Hand and we have a base in Gallows Rock!! That's the base, thats all I know and I haven't even been there. I've signed on less then have a month ago and they didn't let us go near the place until we lasted a month. We just hunted down random werewolves in the wilds and it didn't seem like a set route or anything just responding to sightings or rumors." Shadeheart nods and pierces his skull like the … thing. Farkas looks unperturbed and while this wasn't pleasent I find it hard to feel for them beyond a sense of pity; these people intended to attack our home and I don't feel the urge to defend them.
Shadeheart and I will be talking about where she learned these talents thought.
"He was not lying, his pulse raced like a horse whose tail has caught flame but the beat of a liar was not there." Farkas nods and steps towards the path to the next part of the ruins, gingerly stepping around the swords of the dead.
"Okay, I'm going to assume they have at least two or three times as many further down the ruins, probably more experience people hoping I transformed and then ran out of steam killing these whelps. We stick to the plan but we don't focus on bringing any in alive for now, likely only one or two know anything valuable and it's not worth trying to pick them out to take alive. We know their base and we can use that later but for now I want to get down their and see if they've found that fragment."
"Shit you think they already took it?"
"If they're werewolf hunters they'll want bait and the best kind of bait for us would be those."
"Alright, lets get moving then." Farkas moves on ahead while Shadeheart slides up next to me.
"You did not squirm at the sight?"
"We're talking about this later but they planned to attack our home, I won't defend them from you seeking answers even if it turned my stomach." Shadeheart looks at me with a soft smile and pecks me on the cheek before slipping back and drawing her bow.
[Discover a secret before being told: Silver Ability Ticket
Uncommon Ability: Stonewall - Create a durable wall of stone to block attacks and restrict movement, very effective against physical blows but not so much against elemental ones.]
-x-X-x-
Running into the hallway at the other end we find our way blocked by two Silverhand but a quick blast of Heat Vision takes off one of their heads and Farkas runs forward. gutting the other shocked hunter as her runs forward catching one of the Silver Hand coming around the corner and leaving a gaping wound in her chest.
"HAHH!" Running around the corner I lash out, cutting into the bow of another of the hunters and then blasting him with rays of heat.
"An odd spell but I'll admit it has its uses. Hah, so much for mighty hunters; Shadeheart what are you doing?"
"They carry a nice supply of the ingredients for Cure Disease, I prefer to have a stock of that at all times."
"Fair, Beastblood takes care of that so I forget how vital that potion can be at times. Make it quick though, rather not give them any further chance to take the Fragment and run."
"I'll grab only the rarest then." Her loot gathered we moved on ahead, nothing but Draugr corpses till we reached a room with stairs, two heavily armoured ones waiting with two archers up top. Before they could react Shadeheart had an arrow in one's throat while Farkas and I engaged up close; I managed to kill one with the lessons I had in swordplay with some difficulty as I wasn't used to fighting someone in heavy armor while Farkas easily dispatched his and Shadeheart took out the other archer before they could nock an arrow." Moving forward we kept up the pace.
The groups grew larger and stronger as we made our way further into the ruins, with Dragur becoming more common and even mages fighting against us but between the three of us we don't take even a single scratch. Shadeheart and Farkas picking out traps to avoid and my Observers allowing us to pick out any hidden enemies. Soon we reach a cavern filled with webbing.
-x-X-x-
Spiders burn easily as it turns out, Heat Vision easily taking out the ones Shadeheart didn't skewer with her arrows.
"Farkas you okay?"
"I am, my apologies to you both. Those things … give me the undead, raging bandits, even the blasted dragons over Spiders. I don't mind the little ones but the large ones fill me with dread every time I see them."
"Phobia's are nothing to be ashamed off so long as you do not let them control you. Seek to overcome it but know you have nothing to be ashamed off."
"I agree with Shadeheart, you'll overcome this in time and until then I have no problem taking care of the spiders. Now how about we go find some nice Dragur to kill." I hold out my hand and Farkas takes it gripping it and nodding at me with a wild grin.
"You're right, leave this next group to me!!" Before he charges down the next entrance, the sounds of dying Dragur reaching us. When we reach him its to find Farkas looking at a door with a hint of worry, corpses littering the ground behind him.
"Ruins like these, there will be a major burial chamber behind this door. It will have the most powerful dragur, capable of magic and some have been rumored to use the Thuum."
"The Thuum?" I answer her, tension creeping into my voice at Farkas' words.
"The Thuum, shouting, the language of the dragons. Only the greybeards can use it now along with Ulfric Stormcloak. I heard he left nothing but a bloody stain when he murdered the High King with it."
"The old man looked into it, Ulfric managed nothing that bad but this would be a powerful corpse with no mortal limitations. We proceed with caution and be ready for anything.
-x-X-x-
"This was sad, I've fought children that put up a better fight."
"I think the scarecrows from the farm could beat these things."
"I mean no offense to your people, but were these truly the greatest they could muster?"
"I'd prefer not to think about it, the fragment is here and we're all alive." I nod at Fargas' words, these were some pitiful last defenses. One of them is actually stuck in its coffin unable to open it.
"And are the glowing, floating words normal?" I look at Shadeheart confused?
"I'm sorry the what?!" Farkas' reaction is only slightly more composed then mine as he simply shoots her a befuddled look as she points behind the alter.
"Those words, right there. You do not see them or heart the chanting?!" For the first time since I've met her Shadeheart sounds truly afraid even as she walks closer. I start casting healing on her as well as using Healing Light upon her but it's clear she's still hearing and seeing things we can not.
"Gahh!!" Shadeheart clutches her head but remains strong, standing even as whatever is happening intensifies. I grab her in hug and help her stay standing but she doesn't need it in the end even as she pushes back against me in response. Soon she lets go of her head and breathes a sigh of relief. I press my head against her's.
"Are you okay, what happened?"
"I do not know, something … I know something I didn't before but even knowing its there I can't describe it beyond a sensation of burning." Farkas comes up beside us, a worried look on his face.
"And another reason to avoid these places added to the list Come, lets get back to Jorrvasker, Kodlak might have some idea of what's going on." I nod and pick Shadeheart up in bridal carry, not willing to let her walk after what just happened.
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[Clear a Dungeon unscathed: Gold Random Ticket
Elite Trait: Nature's Embrace - Well, you can officially call Mother Nature mommy so that's nice. Nature itself favors you, trees bend down branches to offer you fresh and healthy fruits, animals and nature-aligned beings favor you and are more affectionate towards you, you know how to maneuver around a forest, and wild animals will help you. You also recover energy faster the closer you are to nature.]
Huh, given just how much of Skyrim is wilderness this will be extremely helpful. I imagine this will help me on my travels a great deal.
-x-X-x-
This new trait is already proving useful as I manage to walk around small holes in the ground, wolves give us a wide berth and almost seem to nod at us as we pass, and even the air feels different now.
"Shit, we need to move back slowly and take the long way around." I take a look at what Farkas is gesturing to and see a group of corpses, bandits or poachers from the looks of, torn apart surrounding a Spriggian. Arrows pierce its body, wood is scorched, and it glares at us but doesn't move.
"What is that?"
"A Spriggan, a creature of Kyne and not something we want to mess with. If it doesn't strike out at us it will curse us to be haunted by animals and nature itself."
"Ah, yours are more tree then." Ignoring that statement for the moment.
Farkas is correct, Spriggans are one of the most dangerous creatures in Skyrim. We should walk away but I can't find it in me to leave this creature to its fate; people are dead but the majority of Spriggans live and let live unless you hunt to excess or attack their personal groves, something I bet these people did one of or both.
Setting Shadeheart down I walk forward, ignoring Farkas' cry to get back. The Spriggan keeps its eye on me, hand raised toward me but I keep mine up and don't do anything but approach slowly; Shield at the ready just in case.
"Hey there, I'm going to assume these men either went into your territory or got greedy while hunting?" No response but I'm not being hit with it's magic bees so I keep going. "Look this is going to help you but I need to pull out those arrows first. Okay." It's glowing stare meets my own and it lowers its hand. Taking that as permission given I reach down and grasp one arrow and then slowly grab her shoulder.
"This isn't going to be pleasant, please don't attack me as I do this." This time a nod is given and I begin teasing the arrow loose. A rustle behind me and Shadeheart comes up behind me, a vial in her hand.
"Here, this is a mild painkiller. I've never tried it on a creature such as you but it should help." Shadeheart leans forward, pouring the contents over the Spriggan's wounds, a light hiss at the liquids contact but it relaxes slightly after.
One by one I get the arrows out and then I use Healing Light upon the nature spirit. Holes fill in and her burnt bark returns to normal, her eyes and 'veins' glowing far more brightly then before.
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It stands up and looks down upon us before raising it's hand; its hard but I keep from tensing as it reaches up and proceeds to pet my head gently. Even with bark for skin it's gentle and scratching is soothing rather then painful, probably have to check my hair for wood fragments though. It then gestures for us to stay and walks over to the packs of the dead men, ripping them open and grabbing a bowl from the mess.
The nature spirit holds its hand out over the bowl and sap begins to drip into it, only when the bowl is nearly full does it stop and pass it over to us. I take the bowl from it, already using healing light on it once more just incase that hurt it.
"Thank you." The Spriggan nods and then walks into the woods, branches shifting to block the view of it as it walks away. Farkas approaches as it leaves.
"So Aela likes the crazy ones, should have known. The rest of them aren't going to believe this, the newbie walks up to a Spriggan and walks away unscathed.
[Gain Kyne's attention (minor): Silver Item Ticket
Uncommon Item: - Kubikiribocho - Naruto - An oversized cleaver-shaped curved sword revered as one of the blades wielded by the seven swordsmen of the mist. This blade is incredibly durable and conducts energy well. In addition, no matter how damaged the blade is, it will repair itself as long as it absorbs blood.]
I get a picture of the blade in my mind, its a massive thing, a complete change of style to what I've been using but for some reason using a massive blade sounds right to me, the fact any damage can be fixed by stabbing it into my enemies only adds to it's value.
Good deed done and apparently a goddess's eye briefly upon me we start heading back to Whiterun, Shadeheart cooing over the mage-killer poison she can make with the sap.
-x-X-x-
The mood back at Jorrvaskr might have been excited upon our arrival with another fragment but once we were secluded away with the Circle it became much more serious. All of them staring at Shadeheart and myself, eyes hardened and searching; Aela was no exception as she listened to our description of events. Kodlak's voice was firm when he spoke upon our tale finishing.
"I see, so you two are aware of our secret. Farkas, you maintain that they would have found out no matter what?"
"We were facing a werewolf hunting party even if it was the dregs of the Silverhand they would have questioned the reason such a group targeted us. As such I felt it was better they heard it from me rather then from the ones that would do their best to paint us as bloodthirsty monsters preying upon the innocent." Kodlak nods in response and the rest seem satisfied with that answer.
"I see. Elderin, Shadeheart; I would ask how you feel about this all."
"I have no reason to believe you mean any harm, clearly you are better then the skinchangers who prey upon whoever catches their fancy. As such I feel no issue in promising that your secret shall never pass my lips."
"I agree with Shadeheart, the Companions have been honorable for generations and this is clearly a part of your all's history. I have to ask who else would no about this?" The circle looks around at one another, satisfaction showing on their faces.
"The Jarl, certain leaders of the community, they don't ask questions so long as we keep control." That honestly is a big relief, if the Jarl is okay with it then that's one less blade waiting to fall. Shadeheart follows up with her own question.
"Still this secret has leaked and to perhaps the worst group it could have, is there one that might have done so?" That had teeth bared and hackles raised, further showcasing their nature; Aela seems the most furious among them and you can hear it in her voice.
"There is one, a member that we chased out. Arnbjorn, he was violent but we thought it well in hand … I thought it well in hand. After making his way up the ranks he soon revealed how savage he was; he reveled in the carnage he wrought. When he began to go after innocents we made to hunt him down; he slipped away scared but alive; it would not surprise me if he made sure whispers of our gift reached these hunters ears. Kodlak, let me go and take care of this base."
"No, right now they scurry about and only strike at the vulnerable. Provoking them will only see escalation; we'll keep watch and let them make the first mistake. All members travel in pairs at least and be ready for anything." His piece said the Circle disbands, Aela leaving with us as we head home for the day. Shadeheart eager to play around with her new ingredient while I'm ready for a good meal.