Soon the sky was darkening and I was getting hungry. The others had gone inside hours ago and I could hear the laughter from the Hall. I pulled the last of my arrows from the target and turned to join them. As I did a narrow figure unfurled from the shadows.
Skjor was watching me. How long he'd been there I had no idea.
"Skjor?" We'd barely spoken more than a handful of words since I'd joined. "Igne. I need to speak with you. In private." "Umm, okay?" Had I done something wrong? Or was there another mission or something? He turned, stalking off in the direction of the Skyforge, "Come on." I followed. To my surprise he didn't head for the Skyforge, stopping halfway up the path. He pressed the rock face and a hidden door opened, Skjor gesturing for me to go first. An illogical, apprehensive feeling was unfurling in my stomach but I ignored it, stepping into the gloom and heading down a short tunnel to a cave. The only feature to it was a small stone bowl, hewn from the very rock and filled with fresh blood. There was a small cup resting on the rim of the bowl and beyond that was Aela. In her werewolf form. I froze but Skjor was behind me, pushing me gently into the cave. "What's going on?" "I would hope you recognise Aela. Even in this form." I nodded. "She's agreed to be your forebear." My what? Wait- "We do this in secret because Kodlak is too busy trying to throw away this great gift we've been granted. He thinks we've been cursed but we've been blessed. How can something that gives us this kind of prowess be a curse." All I could think of was Vilkas's words to me, under the porch in Karthwasten, "Because the price you pay for it is too much." Skjor stared at me, almost coldly, "Well, we're taking matters into our own hands. It's been almost a decade since a new member fully joined with us in the shared blood of the wolf." I began backing off towards the exit, "I'm honoured, really, but I don't want to be a werewolf." Skjor shook his head, "I'm sorry, Igne."
Before I knew it Skjor had pinned me, clapping one hand to my mouth, the other held in a vice-like grip behind my back. I struggled but it was no use. Aela had transformed back, she dipped the cup into her blood and approached me, I tried pleading with my eyes and she sighed, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry it has to be like this. But you'll thank us when it's done, sister. It's a blessing, not a curse I promise." Her hand pinched my nose and I held on as long as I could but it was too much and I had to breathe. The thick blood slid down my throat, a viscous, metallic poison that I could feel spreading through me even as I retched and spat, trying to force the cloying blood out. Skjor released me and I fell to my hands and knees, both of them backing away, watching me intently, a feral gleam in their eyes.
A shiver ran through my whole body, muscles rippling and trembling in its wake and I screamed as I felt my body begin to twist and distort in sickening alien ways. Pain blossomed in my head, an exploding ball of fire that obliterated every conscious thought in my head. And I was free.
Call of the Blood 9.3/?
Skjor was watching me. How long he'd been there I had no idea.
"Skjor?"
We'd barely spoken more than a handful of words since I'd joined.
"Igne. I need to speak with you. In private."
"Umm, okay?" Had I done something wrong? Or was there another mission or something?
He turned, stalking off in the direction of the Skyforge, "Come on."
I followed. To my surprise he didn't head for the Skyforge, stopping halfway up the path. He pressed the rock face and a hidden door opened, Skjor gesturing for me to go first. An illogical, apprehensive feeling was unfurling in my stomach but I ignored it, stepping into the gloom and heading down a short tunnel to a cave. The only feature to it was a small stone bowl, hewn from the very rock and filled with fresh blood. There was a small cup resting on the rim of the bowl and beyond that was Aela. In her werewolf form.
I froze but Skjor was behind me, pushing me gently into the cave.
"What's going on?"
"I would hope you recognise Aela. Even in this form."
I nodded.
"She's agreed to be your forebear."
My what? Wait-
"We do this in secret because Kodlak is too busy trying to throw away this great gift we've been granted. He thinks we've been cursed but we've been blessed. How can something that gives us this kind of prowess be a curse."
All I could think of was Vilkas's words to me, under the porch in Karthwasten, "Because the price you pay for it is too much."
Skjor stared at me, almost coldly, "Well, we're taking matters into our own hands. It's been almost a decade since a new member fully joined with us in the shared blood of the wolf."
I began backing off towards the exit, "I'm honoured, really, but I don't want to be a werewolf."
Skjor shook his head, "I'm sorry, Igne."
Before I knew it Skjor had pinned me, clapping one hand to my mouth, the other held in a vice-like grip behind my back. I struggled but it was no use. Aela had transformed back, she dipped the cup into her blood and approached me, I tried pleading with my eyes and she sighed, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry it has to be like this. But you'll thank us when it's done, sister. It's a blessing, not a curse I promise."
Her hand pinched my nose and I held on as long as I could but it was too much and I had to breathe. The thick blood slid down my throat, a viscous, metallic poison that I could feel spreading through me even as I retched and spat, trying to force the cloying blood out. Skjor released me and I fell to my hands and knees, both of them backing away, watching me intently, a feral gleam in their eyes.
A shiver ran through my whole body, muscles rippling and trembling in its wake and I screamed as I felt my body begin to twist and distort in sickening alien ways. Pain blossomed in my head, an exploding ball of fire that obliterated every conscious thought in my head. And I was free.