Muffled clanking sounds of heavy armour and steel weapons echoed throughout the dimly lit, intricate and spacious tunnels built by ancient Nords. A group of professional warriors walked slowly, their eyes scanning the surroundings for danger, traps and treasures
"Never understood the fascination of ancient Nords with death... Such a grim path to power" said Skjor, who was leading the Companions in a Wedge formation
"Skeletons are brittle, what power is there to find in summoning such monsters" answered Farkas in a mocking tone
"You have to look at it from a different point of view brother, skeletons are dangerous in large numbers, besides it's hard to kill them with a slashing weapon... or with a bow, haha" chimed in Vilkas, pointing his thumb backwards, in Aela and Volfir's direction, who followed the wedge formation from slightly further back
Everybody present, except the duo in question, chuckled at the young man's comment
"Good thing I'm here to bash their heads in with my shield then" said Njada with a smirk, taking a glace at each of the senior members, seeking their affirmation
While Volfir glanced at the woman who was to his right, the red head's face was adorned with a comical frown, a result from the battle they won some time earlier... More specifically, because she felt useless in a fight against most undead and conjurations
'She is... strange...' thought the boy, his opinion influenced by the huntress' actions and words. Particularly those that had to do with battle, constant hunting and her view on death. 'But at least she is not cruel', he changed his gaze towards a burly, white haired Nord who was wielding a huge two-handed steel battle-axe
Even though he has spent minimal time travelling with the Companions for this quest, he believed that he already figured most of them out. This group of warriors was a stark contrast to the Riverwood guards he accompanied to Whiterun from the Embershard mine
'Why seek battle when you can avoid it..?' Volfir kept asking himself the same question throughout the whole journey
When Kodlak and Skjor were explaining to him the point of this job, back at Jorrvaskr, they pointed out how important it was to finish it as quickly as possible. Yet after leaving Whiterun, the group got so sidetracked killing things and those who they believed deserved it, that the group had to pass Riverwood without stopping for rest
'And that was probably around a day ago already... I'm so tired...' Volfir isn't one for whining and complaining, but his patience was running thin very quickly and the attentive senior members could see that
"We go through the Skybound Pass, survey and clear out the surroundings, then we can rest. It's no good to battle on a clouded head and tired eyes" spoke out Skjor, while the rest nodded along with the respected member, acknowledging his words
But since Volfir didn't break away his gaze from Arnbjorn, he could see the man make an annoyed expression. A testament to his character, particularly envy of those better than him
Although the white haired Nord was the least liked out of the group by Volfir, he didn't much like the company of others either. The other two porters were unsuccessfully trying to constantly lick boots; the three Companions, that stayed by the entrance for the safety, had fragile egos and made fun of him the most, be it for his equipment, silence or lackluster archery; Njada was condescending and arrogant; Vilkas was simply annoying, it's like everything was a game or a joke to him
Volfir took a look at the remaining Companions, who he hadn't labeled yet, 'Skjor is... alright, but it's like he is trying to control my every single movement, Farkas is like a friendly black bear and Aela keeps on teaching me how to be a better archer and hunter in general, so even though she is dismissive of me, it's understandable'
All in all, the boy felt disappointed, he grew up hearing stories about the Companions, their legendary feats, their long history. There were many times he dreamt of being one himself, being right there, in the stories, alongside them, fighting in a shield-wall against beasts such as werewolves
Volfir knows that one earns his place in a group of seasoned warriors and it's not like the Companions treated him as if he was a slave or a skeever, but it was still hard for the boy to accept that he felt so uncomfortable and out of place amongst the people he loved as childhood heroes and respects as powerful warriors
This conclusion came from a realisation that they were fundamentally different. He wished to learn how to fight for protection, they learnt how to fight in order to kill. He fights to build a future of a peaceful and comfortable life, while they fight for glory, honour and to feel joy in the act of taking lives
-Some time later-
The group reached a circular staircase, leading downwards. This area was better lighted than the others, that they have passed
Volfir started looking around, checking out the different urns placed around the area. Most urns are empty or filled to the brim with linen wrap which is useless, but occasionally you can find a garnet or two
"It's goes two floors down, be ready though, I can smell draugr down there" warned Aela, who was the first to walk up to the staircase
"How do I hone my sense of smell and sight?" asked Volfir, when Aela returned to his side, as the formation changed into a double column and the group started carefully walking down
The boy wanted to ask that question more than a day ago, when he first noticed how the senior members all had an unexplainable sense of smell, while Aela was also able to easily notice and track prey at fast speeds and impressive distances
The question made the huntress take an unexpected pause, as she started thinking. but she quickly escaped her stupor and caught up to the formation
"...If you become a Companion, you will eventually hone those senses to such a degree" she eventually said, leaving Volfir slightly disappointed as he wished to start training these skills as fast as possible, due to their high importance and usefullness
"You think I can make it into the Companions?" Volfir continued the conversation, interested in Aela's opinion
"We've had worse, at least you have a thinking head on your shoulders" she answered, making the teenager feel pleased to be acknowledged
"But you are too young to be a Companion... although if you can prove to everybody that you are not only capable, but have high potential, then you will be allowed to enter Jorrvaskr and recieve our teachings and instructions, essentially becoming a foundling" Aela continued
"I didn't know that the Companions did such a thing..." muttered Volfir, surprise evident in his voice
"Vilkas and Farkas were raised as foundlings, most our members bring back orphaned kids from their journeys, becoming their parental figures and instructors, been that way since long ago. Eventually these acts grew to become a proper process, the next generation of Companions, the foundlings" started lecturing Aela, surprising the boy even more, because he didn't take her for a woman who would deal with explanations and mentoring in general
"I didn't see or hear about any foundlings in Whiterun" Volfir decided to question some more, since he was interested in the topic
"The higher standing citizens know about them, but the populace tends to remain in the dark because the whelps are instructed to keep their mouths shut when roaming the city"
"...Why?"
"They are prone to boasting and the whelps will also recieve affection from strangers simply because they are affiliated with the Companions, such situations breed arrogance, as Kodlak says, and an arrogant wolf is a dead wolf" explained the huntress, while her eyes were focused infront, looking through the dark corridors of Skybound Pass, searching for signs of awakened Draugr
Volfir looked at Vilkas and Njada, although Vilkas wasn't overbearing like Njada, his overconfident nature was still borderline arrogant
"Those two will die soon then?" Volfir accidentally spoke his thoughts aloud, making Aela chuckle with a surprisingly soothing sound that made the kid's heart skip a beat
"Not a bad joke whelp, don't let them hear you say that though" she said with a pretty smile
Even though Aela didn't see who Volfir was looking at before speaking his thoughts, she perfectly understood that it could only be about Vilkas and Njada
"The foundlings almost always go looking for trouble while feeling entitled after they become Companions. It's understandable though, they are looking to prove themselves, Vilkas in particular is extremely talented in swordsmanship and proved himself Companion material when he was your age. The man is one of the best these lands have seen so he doesn't see himself as arrogant, but comes across as one" Aela started speaking with more warmth and interest involved into the conversation
"Njada is renowned shield-wielder, named Stonearm for her expertise in blocking, she is rude and unpleasant, but to the Companions she controls herself to be bearable" she continued, her words tinged with respect for her shield-sister even if she somewhat bashed her character
"Anyway, it's better to be overconfident as an adult, when you can protect yourself better, than when you are a whelp that can be easily killed by anything and everything, now focus" she finished and drew her bow, arrow nocked
"Three draugr up ahead!" Aela warned the vanguard as she let the arrow loose, while Volfir started firing as well
Njada was the first to move towards the undead, with her shield high, she intercepted an overhand swing. Instead of taking in the full force of the blow, she parried the strike, opening up the skeletal grey body of the monster, free for the taking
Farkas, rushed in, his greatsword in a piercing stance, letting his steel flow straight through the body of his opponent, and finishing off his move with a slash, opening up the rotting flesh and innards of the draugr for all to see
The injury made the undead lose his balance, felling him to the ground, where a heavy steel boot was ready to bash the head in
*Crack*
*Splatter*
In a matter of seconds, one of the three undead was already taken care of, the other two fighting Skjor and Vilkas, while quickly getting overwhelmed
*Swoosh*
A steel arow burrowed itself deep into the head of the draugr battling Skjor, right through one of it's eyes. The other walking corpse which was fighting Vilkas, abruptly disengaged and started running off in the distance
"Aela! The knee! The thing will wake everything in here!" shouted Skjor
"I know" she calmly replied
*Swoosh*
Once again, a steel arrow found it's target, piercing one of the draugr's knees, making it stumble and fall to the ground. Vilkas, who was running after the undead, was quick to run up to the fallen body, letting his steel sword pierce the corpse's head, dimming it's azure eyes once and for all
As the warriors started regrouping, Volfir was picking up the arrows along with Aela. He approached the body of the undead that fought Skjor, the boy felt his soul leave his body
Before him lay a draugr with the same cause of death as his late friend, the grim sight of brain remains leaking out through the shattered skull and the steel arrow painted with the monster's blood took Volfir back to the dark day when he regained his freedom
"Stop gawking and take it out brat, hope you didn't soil your pants, the smell will kill us", Volfir's stupor was broken by Arnbjorn's mocking
Regaining his senses, the boy ignored the Nord's comment, crouched down and took the arrow out. All the while the disfigured face of Ravund floated at the front of his mind, leaving no space for other thoughts
Finished with her tasks, Aela walked up to the boy, making Arnbjorn leave to join back with the vanguard
"You will get used to it whelp, undead are the least pretty, so other deaths won't affect you as much, let's go" she said, while taking the arrow out of his hands
The group started moving again, everybody was in high spirits except Volfir, whose head hung low, mind filled with chaotic thoughts, his blue eyes regaining their lost dark shades of loss and depression