Monster

"I don't believe it," he muttered. The General sat back and ran a hand over his bald head, blowing out his cheeks. I wasn't terribly surprised by the reaction. It was a lot of information to take in, ignoring the number of revelations we had learned from the khajit. "I mean; we have always assumed they did exist. No smoke without fire. But for them to have actually assassinated the Emperor!" He paused and blew out his cheeks again. "And what of the assassin?" he finally asked.

"He's been dealt with," I stated simply, the General meeting my eyes and nodding that he knew what I meant and agreed. But I continued nonetheless, "You know and I know, everyone in this building would know, that we could not leave such a figure alive. Considering who he was, and what we now know the Dark Brotherhood are capable of, he and they left us no option."

"And now we have to scour the forests around Falkreath for their lair."

"You know I have people available for that, General. We'll find them. The question is, what do you want done with them once we do?"

"They must be brought to justice, Dragonborn. If you can find and arrest their leader, then at least they can put on trial." He paused a moment. "I'm still not sure how or what I tell the Council about Motierre."

"Tell them the truth, sir. Something like this cannot be covered up. If you want people to trust whatever government comes in next, the worst way to start off would be to lie."

"Hmmm. Good point. People are still coming to terms with the death of the Emperor anyway. His body should be back in Cyrodil by now."

"Any news on succession?" I wondered.

"None. As you know, he had no heir. So the Council will run the government while the army will maintain control. The Thalmor must be loving it." Then he smirked. "Speaking of those elven bastards, they're still demanding that you be arrested and handed over."

"Oh really?" I asked innocently.

"Yes. I could list all the crimes of which you've been accused, but I'm not going to waste my breath, as there is no chance a single man or woman would do what they asked."

"Well, that's good news at least."

"I know what a lot of Nords think about us, even those who don't support the Stormcloaks, but…" He just shrugged, "We had no choice."

"I know, sir."

"Yet you wanted to join them?"

"I did, but I didn't know all the facts. I think many who fight for them only hear propaganda. But it's also rather easy to understand why so many of them are pissed off, particularly regarding the forbidding of Talos worship."

"Do they think we liked agreeing to it? We knew what we were agreeing to but the war had to end. Our forces were exhausted. Theirs were not in much better condition, but it just couldn't continue."

"We're raking over old ground, aren't we?" I offered, thinking we should move the conversation on.

Tullius smirked. "Yes, we are. So, do you have a plan for tracking down the Dark Brotherhood, apart from your spy network, that is?"

"Apart from scouts and spies, no, not really. I'll make sure not to show our hand completely but keeping the bulk of our forces within Whiterun hold. Once we find their lair, we'll smoke them out."

"We would like to see their leader arrested."

"I'll ensure that word is passed down, but it depends on what happens once we find them. I have a question, though?"

"Of course."

"When is the final attack?"

He rose from his chair and gestured towards the map. "Let me show you, Dragonborn," he stated as we leaned over the table, side by side, the large map in front of us. He started to gesture again. "We now have complete control Riften and the Pale, Stormcloak soldiers being pushed over the border. Dawnstar itself is now under our control, but there are still attacks on the city, as the Hold is not under our complete control yet. Winterhold is still in Stormcloak hands. And Windhelm will be the last knocked out, of course."

I nodded. "Yes, the College has sent word that they have erected barricades, preventing them being used as potential hostages."

"You or they think the Stormcloaks will attempt to infiltrate them?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I just warned them to take all precautions necessary. But what about Winterhold itself?"

"What have your spies told you?"

"Well, considering how long it took to take Dawnstar, Winterhold is smaller but apparently the Stormcloaks have been busy building all manner of fortifications. From what I've been told, a frontal assault would be suicide, considering the weather conditions as well. Moving an army through a snowbound landscape is never a good idea."

"What do you suggest?"

"There is one route that a small band of people could use," I pointed towards the northern coast, "A path that leads from near Dawnstar all the way towards the College and then Winterhold. I've been told that fortifications along the coast are nowhere near as impenetrable."

"Sounds like you'd like to attempt it, Dragonborn?"

I shrugged. "I'm tempted, but finding the Dark Brotherhood is more important at the moment, considering the contract on my life would still be open. We've eliminated the Listener, but I can only think getting our hands on the Night Mother would be good too."

Tullius nodded. "Very well. I'll start organising the army. We have started putting together plans for the final reckoning on Windhelm. I assume you will want to be involved?" I nodded without saying a word. "Figured. Otherwise, we'll send a sizeable force towards Winterhold as a feint."

"You'll have to watch your backs, sir. And there are at least two large forts that could cause problems."

"True, but while I anticipate problems, we should overcome. So, while we're organising all that, I'll leave you to deal with the Dark Brotherhood. Where will you base yourself?"

"Falkreath. I won't have everyone at my disposal there, just my close allies and friends. If we have an entire army scouring the area, we'll never find them. They'd just disappear."

"Good idea."

"Anything else you need?" I wondered.

Tullius shook his head. "No. But once your mission against the Dark Brotherhood is complete, we'll focus on ending the Stormcloaks, once and for all."

*****

We took over the local inn, Valga, the innkeeper, pleased to have our business, particularly once I put a small sack of coin on the counter, suggesting we may be around for a while. I had the Companions with me, as they were good trackers, as were the Vex and Delvin, as I left Brynjolf and Karliah in Windhelm, feeding information back to myself and those in Solitude who would be interested.

Having never been to Falkreath, I remembered that I had originally intended to travel here, long ago when I first journeyed into Skyrim. I had family in the area, an uncle at least, so asked around if anyone knew him. I was eventually pointed in the direction of Solaf, who ran the local general store. I asked if he knew my uncle.

"Who wants to know?"

I offered my hand. "My name is Ragnar Dragonborn. And Erik was my uncle. He was the older brother of my father, Ragnar."

The jaw dropped immediately. "The Dragonborn?"

"The one and only."

He finally shook my hand. "Well met, Dragonborn. And aye, I knew your uncle."

I recognised the past tense. "Knew?"

"You don't know?" I shook my head. "Come with me. I'll take you to see him."

We ended up in a nearby graveyard. It was hard to miss the rows upon rows of graves, surprised to see nearly every single one was well tended. Solaf led me along a number of rows until we ended up standing side by side in front of one. I noticed the name, that of my uncle, and the date of his birth and death. He had died before I'd even contemplated travelling to Skyrim.

"Do you want to know how he died?" I nodded. "There was a sickness that swept through the town. Your uncle was a fit, middle aged man, but even the healthiest of us was laid low. Unfortunately, the town isn't exactly rich, and while Zaria can brew a good a potion as anyone, there was nothing a healer could do, and, sadly, there was something about the sickness that led to many more graves in this yard. Your uncle held on for a long time until he passed."

"Different death compared to my father."

"I know your uncle fought for the Legion. Your father, too?"

"He died fighting the elves outside the Imperial City. Did my uncle have any family?"

"He had a wife, but she is buried here too. No children. Well, none that survived to adulthood."

"Guess I really am the last," I muttered.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry, Dragonborn."

I shook his hand again. "Appreciated. And thanks for showing me. At least I know."

He left me alone as I wandered the graveyard, occasionally checking the names or dates of who was buried. I didn't even bother counting as there must have been hundreds of graves. So focused on the names and dates that it took a while for me to realise there were others in the graveyard. I walked towards the small crowd, no more than a dozen or so people, noticing a priest delivering a sermon, standing before a freshly dug grave. I stayed back but listened as the priest spoke of Arkay, left wondering if the town were devotees or whether he was the only priest in town.

Once the service finished, and the majority of mourners had departed, I approached the priest. He was standing by himself, obviously deep in thought. I cleared my throat, hoping I wouldn't startle the old man. He glanced my way upon hearing the noise. "Yes?"

"Who was the service for?"

He fixed me with curious eyes. "Who's asking?"

"I'm Ragnar Dragonborn." The jaw dropped again. "Yes, him."

"What brings you to Falkreath, Dragonborn?"

"I'm here for work. But my uncle used to live here. He's buried nearby too."

"Who was your uncle?"

"Erik."

The priest smiled and nodded. "He was a good man. His passing was most unfortunate." His eyes turned back towards the fresh grave. "As for your first question, the service was for Mathies and Indara. Their little girl, Lavinia, was taken."

"Was she sick?"

The priest said nothing for a few seconds. Then stated quietly, "No. No, it was something else. Something… inhuman."

"What do you mean?"

He remained silent again, obviously mulling over whether to share or not. "I've heard you are a problem solver, Dragonborn. Stories of you have spread far and wide across Skyrim. You've never visited our town before but we've certainly heard of you. Perhaps you could help us with this, yes?"

"Tell me what happened."

The more he explained about what happened, the more I understood what he meant by inhuman. And I was left with the uneasy feeling I knew exactly what had murdered the little girl. Once he was done explaining, he gave one last suggestion. "Speak with Sinding. He's currently being held in the local jail. I'm left thinking the Jarl doesn't exactly know what to do with him. Many would like to see him simply lose his head, but that would be an easy out considering the heinous crime."

I found Aela at the inn and asked her to follow me, obviously asking a couple of questions as we walked through town. There was a guard standing outside the barracks and I asked, as friendly as possible, if I would be allowed to visit the prisoner.

"Who's asking?"

"My name is Ragnar. I also have a long list of names I got by, but let's just use Dragonborn as the top."

"And what does the Dragonborn want with the prisoner?"

I shrugged. "Figured I could help out."

The guard said nothing for a few seconds. "I'm not exactly sure what help you can give. The man is guilty. But I guess there's no harm in just wanting to talk to him."

The barracks was nearly empty, except for one or two guards asleep on nearby cots. A couple of tables and benches lay empty of people though covered in plates and the remainders of breakfast, or perhaps lunch. We found the door for the jail, surprised to see only the one cell. 'Maybe Falkreath doesn't see a lot of crime?'

It was dimly lit, though the cell appeared to be open to the elements, water running down to the floor of the cell. I heard Aela sniff beside me before she laid a hand on my shoulder. "He's a werewolf," she whispered.

I wanted to ask if she was sure, then figured she'd know what she was talking about. "Guess we've got a few questions to ask then."

The man behind the bars rose to his feet as we approached. He was dressed in ragged trousers, his chest and feet otherwise bare. His hair was long and straggly, his beard unkempt and knotted. But his demeanour was surprising. There was no anger. In fact, he just looked… sad.

"Come to gawk at the monster?" he wondered.

I shared a glance with Aela, who shrugged. I turned back to the man called Sinding. "Some may call you a monster. I simply wonder what led to you murdering a little girl?"

"Believe me, it wasn't anything I ever intended to do. I just...lost control. I tried to tell them, but none of them believe me. It's all on account of this blasted ring."

I shared another glance with my companion. "What ring?" Aela asked cautiously.

He reached into one of his pockets, taking out a rather simple looking ring. "This is the Ring of Hircine." I heard Aela gasp, and it was something the man noticed too, looking at her curiously, before continuing. "I was told it could let me control my transformations. Perhaps it used to. But I'll never know. Hircine didn't care for my taking it, and threw a curse on it. I put it on... and the changes just came to me. I could never guess when. It would be at the worst times. Like...with the little girl."

"Could you not handle your transformations prior to the ring?" Aela wondered.

"Not all the time."

"Why not?"

"Why do you ask?" he retorted.

"Take one guess why I'm showing interest."

He cast her with a keen glance, walking closer to the bars. "You're a werewolf."

"I am. And I can control my transformations. So I'm wondering why you cannot?"

"Before the ring, I could though I did have the occasional…" He sighed. "The ring is cursed. Hircine did that because he believes I stole it."

"And did you?" I asked. He just shrugged, so there was my answer. I turned to Aela. "Could you take the ring and perhaps return it, at least?"

"I could, but what about him?" she asked in reply.

I looked at Sinding. "You do realise you're stuck here. There is a chance you'll either hang or lose your head."

"I can't die. Not yet. I've been looking for a way to appease Hircine. There is a certain beast in these lands. Large, majestic. It's said that Hircine will commune with whoever slays it. I tracked it into the woods nearby, but then had my...accident with the child. I want to beg his forgiveness. Give him back the ring. But while I'm stuck in here, the beast wanders free."

"Aela?"

"I can do it, Ragnar. Plus, it would give me an opportunity to commune with Hircine himself. I've never had such an opportunity."

Sinding, apparently happy enough to be at least rid of the ring, walked back into the middle of his cell and simply sat down. Aela and I wandered out of the barracks back to the inn. She didn't follow me inside, suggesting she would go and hunt the beast, returning once it was slain and after she had communed with Hircine. That sounded like a good idea, so I let her go.

I listened into one or two reports from scouts at one of the tables in the inn, no sign of the Dark Brotherhood as yet, but as the size of the woods surrounding Falkreath was enormous, everyone knew it could be like finding a needle in a haystack. We had asked some of the locals if they knew anything, and many didn't even know of the existence of the Brotherhood, let alone their headquarters could be so close to their homes. Knowing that we worried them, we had to assure everyone that they wouldn't find themselves attacked.

Aela didn't return until mid-morning the next day. She'd barely started explaining what she had discovered when there was a commotion we could hear outside. Wondering what it was, we wandered out to see guards being sent towards both gates, in serious numbers. We stopped one to ask what had happened.

"The prisoner escaped," the guard stated, before turning and hurrying off.

"That's what Hircine meant," Aela muttered to herself.

"What?" I asked.

"I'll tell you inside." We found a table, sitting on opposite sides, before she started to explain. "Sinding would have obviously turned into a werewolf as he escaped. Hircine mentioned something about a sanctuary. A place called Bloated Man's Grotto."

"Do you know where that is?"

She nodded. "I do. We can leave now, if you want."

"I'll tell the others and we can go."

Serana was curious about what we were up to, so I told her. All she did was tell me to be careful. The others told us the same thing. Our horses already saddled, we packed a small bag each and, once mounted, made our way to the grotto. Aela mentioned she could sense, or smell, that Sinding had gone the same way, also mentioning that Hircine wanted him to die.

"He should pay for the murder of the little girl. I don't care what Hircine wants."

Aela just nodded and we rode again in silence. So I was surprised by the next question as she called my name. "Ragnar, am I a monster?"

I returned her look, flabbergasted. "What?"

"I'm like him. I'm…"

"You're nothing like him."

"But I still have the beast-blood in me."

I guided my horse closer to her and grabbed one of her hands. "Aela, you are most certainly not a monster. And, besides, when was the last time you actually turned?"

She blushed. "It's actually been quite a while."

"Well, there we go. Hardly what I'd call a monster."

We arrived at the entrance of what appeared to be a cave, tying our horses to a nearby tree before unsheathing weapons, myself a sword as usual, Aela with a bow too. After walking through the entrance, we realised it wasn't a cave, as the sky still shone brightly above us. Looking around, we noticed a small campsite at the bottom of some steps, and there was no missing the bodies lying haphazardly around it. Three were clearly dead, their bodies ripped apart, blood staining the ground around them, while the fourth, a khajit, was gurgling his last breaths. I took a knee beside him, his eyes looking dull into mine. I figured he didn't have long left.

"The prey is strong. Stronger than the hunters. But more will come. Bring him down, for the glories of Lord Hircine."

The khajit lived for only a minute or so longer before his head dropped to one side. I did the right thing of closing his eyes, wishing him well on whatever journey his soul would take next.

"Do you think it was Sinding?" I wondered.

"Of course. I have no doubt these poor souls were also sent here by Hircine, but likely have never had to face down a werewolf before."

"Guess we'd better find him then."

With weapons still in hand, we cautiously found a path leading out of the campsite, eyes always forward as there was little point in looking any other way. If not for the carnage we'd seen at the start, I would have described the grotto as incredibly peaceful. The only sounds were of the insects and small animals that likely inhabited the area. But of Sinding, there was no sign yet.

Until we entered another small clearing and I came to a stop, Aela bumping into me as I looked up. A werewolf stood on a ledge above us. I heard a bowstring being tensed, glancing to see Aela was ready to fire, though I figure she was waiting for me to give the order.

"Has Hircine sent you?" he asked.

"No."

"What about her?"

"Hircine told me to find you. He said you must die."

"And I would deserve it, wouldn't I? I can't stop you if that's what you want to do. Hircine is too powerful."

"I care little for what Hircine wants," I replied, "I'm here because a little girl lies in a grave, torn apart by a wild beast. If you cannot control your transformations, then you are dangerous."

"I will remain here. I promise I won't leave."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, not good enough. A dead little girl and her parents deserve justice."

The werewolf remained silent before it appeared to nod. "Very well. When you find me, then we will see who lives." And, with those final words, the werewolf quickly disappeared from view.

"I should have fired," Aela muttered.

We followed the path around, keeping an ear out for an approaching werewolf, though we saw no sign of him for a few minutes. I thought I could hear others in the grotto, though we only came across other fresh bodies, perhaps other hunters sent by Hircine. We both assumed Sinding was responsible. After wandering along the path for a few minutes more, we finally entered another clearing. Sinding, in werewolf form, was waiting for us.

"Are you sure either of you cannot be convinced to leave me be?" he offered, I guess as a final gesture.

"Leave him for me, Ragnar."

"Why?"

"Because I can only think of a little girl murdered."

Before I could reply, she walked past, already transforming into a werewolf, her clothes unclipping and falling to the ground. As soon as she was in werewolf form, Sinding burst forward and leapt towards Aela. The two collided and rolled on the ground. I immediately had no idea who was who, so stayed back and let the two werewolves fight. There was the gnashing of teeth and the swinging of claws. Soon both were dripping with blood, but one clearly had the advantage over the other.

The pair broke apart for a moment, deep rasping breaths, both now carrying injuries. If Sinding lived, I'd have no problem killing him. If Aela lived, then she was going to need medical treatment. They started to circle the clearing, both feinting to start an attack before halting, and circling again. I was ready to tell them to get on with it when they both charged forward, leaping at each other. The werewolf charging from my left circled while in mid-air and left an enormous gash along the chest and then stomach with both claws. The werewolf that took the blow landed on the ground heavily. The other werewolf landed on its feet, turned and leapt again, jaws at the throat of the other. Within seconds, one of the werewolves lay dead.

The werewolf then turned to me, immediately starting to transform. Once back in human form, I stepped forward and grabbed Aela, bleeding from numerous wounds, on first appearance to be barely alive.

"Ragnar," she whispered, barely audible.

I carried her in both my arms, somehow managed to pick up her stuff at the same time, before I quickly carried her back towards the campsite. I laid her down on one of the bedrolls near the fire and quickly ascertained how bad her wounds were.

"Aela?" I asked. She opened her eyes for a moment. "Do you have anything in your pack outside?" She nodded. "I do, too. I'll only be a moment."

I hurried outside and grabbed both of our packs, returning to see Aela had passed out. Or worse. I checked her for a pulse, thankfully finding one. I managed to wake her up and gave her a potion to drink before I tried a healing spell. But her injuries were too severe for me to do much, so I simply starting to apply rags to stop the bleeding.

"Ragnar." I stopped applying pressure to one of her wounds and met her half-open eyes, "I don't want to be a monster."

"You're not."

She shook her head, grimacing in pain. "Ragnar, I want to go to Sovngarde."

"What?"

My surprise was heightened when I noticed a tear or two drop down her face. "I'm so lonely, Ragnar. There's no pack anymore. I'm the last one left. And… If I die, I don't want it. I thought I did, but I don't. I'm a Nord. I'm your shield-sister. I don't want to be alone anymore. Can you take me there now?"

"Take you where?"

"The tomb where I can be cured. I want to be cured before I die."

I grabbed her hand. "You're not going to die, Aela."

"Just in case, Ragnar. Please, for me?"

I couldn't say no. I still held a great deal of affection for the woman. She was one of my best friends. And I definitely didn't want her to die. Gently, I managed to dress her. Thankfully, she spent her time in and out of consciousness, so while awkward, at least she didn't appear to be in pain all the time, but the amount of blood loss did concern me.

Once I had her dressed, I quickly took the packs back to our horses before returning to Aela, gently lifting her. She groaned as I did so, apologising to her if she was in more pain. She didn't say anything as I carried her outside before somehow managed to lift her onto my horse. I tied her horse to the rear of my saddle and, once mounted, slowly rode us back to Whiterun.

I left Aela with one of the workers outside the stables as I quickly headed up to Jorrvaskr. We still had one witches head. It stunk to high heaven, so I wrapped it in a blanket before putting it in a bag. I grabbed a few provisions, figuring we would be gone a couple of days, before heading to Belethor, asking him to send a message to Falkreath, letting my wife and everyone else know what I was doing. I would have preferred company, but I had no idea if Aela was going to even live long enough to get to the tomb. I shook my head of the negative thoughts as I wandered back towards the stables.

Figuring it would be wise to avoid Winterhold and Windhelm, I headed west towards Rorikstead, barely making the village before night started to fall. I hired a room, the innkeeper giving me a look as I carried Aela inside.

"Is she okay?"

"I don't know."

"Looks like she needs a healer. The closest would be in Whiterun."

"I need to take her somewhere else. It's what she asked."

"Are you sure?"

I shook my head. "No. I should take her back to Whiterun and ensure she's healed. But it's what she wants."

She lived through the night. I tried healing her again but my talent was limited in the extreme. I think whatever I was doing was keeping her alive but… barely. She was alive the next morning, waking for a time. I managed to give her a little food, only soup, but she managed to keep that down, before giving her some water too. She still couldn't walk, so carried her to the horse, seating her again before mounting myself behind her. I wouldn't stop until we were at the tomb.

It was well after dark by the time we arrived. Aela had slept for most of the journey. My crotch and arse were sore from a day in the saddle. It was cold, the wind whipping off the sea. I had wrapped Aela in a coat once we hit the snow, but I didn't have a spare, so my hands were starting to feel frozen, but all I tried to do was keep Aela as warm as possible.

I carried her inside, the witch's head attached to my belt. Aela was still barely awake, though I thought appeared a little stronger than the day before, though that didn't mean much. At least her wounds had stopped bleeding, but the amount of blood she'd lost still worried me. I wasn't sure she was strong enough to lose the beast inside her.

Placing her gently on the ground near the fire, I unwrapped the head and prepared for whatever was to come. Taking one last look at Aela, I unsheathed my sword and placed the head on the fire, stepping back for what was to come next.

Aela screamed, her back arching as her cries echoed around the chamber. I remembered the feeling, and I wanted to comfort her, but I had to be ready for the wolf spirit. Aela screamed again, her face one of only agony, as the wolf spirit finally appeared. The spirit must have been strong, and deep, as the wolf was twice the size that had been in myself, larger than the one I had faced down from either of the twins.

The spirit wasted little time moving into attack, and it was only dumb luck that got my shield up in time. The power of the spirit surprised me as I ended up stumbling backwards, only turning in time as the spirit jumped at me. I shook my head and lifted my shield again, readying for the spirit to attack, my sword perched on top of the shield, eyes down the shaft.

There wasn't a lot of room in the chamber, and I didn't want to get in a long fight. The spirit growled at me as it slowly walked towards me. I just kept my eyes on it, waiting for it to make its move. Once it was within a few feet, I noticed it tense, ready to leap. I started to crouch, waiting for it to leap. Once it did, I crouched further and moved my sword, hoping the idea would work. The spirit landed directly on my turned up sword and I lunged forward, feeling my sword bury itself deeper into the spirit.

I withdrew the sword and stepped back, the spirit starting to sway. There was no blood, the thing wasn't alive, but it was clearly wounded and I struck fast, turning the sword in my hand and jamming it down through the back of its neck. Instantaneously, the spirit simply ceased to be.

Sheathing my sword, I walked back over to Aela. She didn't look well. I put two fingers to her throat and was relieved to at least feel a heartbeat. I sat down beside her, waiting to see if she would wake up, while ensuring she continued to breath at the same time. It was sometime later when she finally opened her eyes. I just grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"How do you feel?"

"I love you."

I smiled. "What?" I asked, unable to hide my surprise.

"I never said anything. I know how I felt about you before, when we were together, but… I was scared, because I thought I'd be… I guess betraying Skjor. But the more I got to know you, and the longer time passed, particularly when we were together in a physical sense, the more I realised that I only loved him because of the blood we shared. Or I thought I loved him but… It wasn't real. Or real enough anyway. With you, it was most definitely real, even if we both had the blood at the same time."

"So… you love me?"

She nodded and looked away. "Another reason why I'm lonely," she stated quietly, "I missed my chance."

"I'm sorry."

She turned back towards me and smiled. "You have nothing to apologise for. Maybe if I told you, perhaps things may have been different. Did you… ever feel the same way?"

"I love you, Aela, but probably not in the same way as you love me. But I hold no end of affection for you at the same time."

"As a friend?" I nodded. She smiled again. "I'll take what I can get with you. And I would certainly do nothing to hurt Serana. She's like… a sister. I just wanted you to know."

"How do you feel?"

"Oh, I hurt like anything but I feel… invigorated. Like a new woman."

"Do you want to lie there a while longer or go?"

"Give me a hand and I'll see if I'll be useful."

I got to my feet and offered her my hand, Aela gratefully accepting it but groaned as she got to her feet. I then pulled her close and hugged her, feeling one of her arms wrap around me in return.

"Thank you," she whispered. I knew what she was thanking me for. "But I'm not dead yet. But, one day, I will journey to Sovngarde. And, with Kodlak, we will ensure that all those Companions lost will be returned." She leaned back and looked into my eyes. "That sounds like a good plan, right?"

"Sign me up."

She smiled and kissed my cheek. "Come on. We should head back to Falkreath. We have a bunch of assassins to catch."