After a week of hard traveling they made it to the tomb just shy of evening, but after traveling for so long with little rest they were not ready to take on whatever dangers lay inside. So they allowed themselves a night of rest just outside to gather some strength, though their bodies probably demanded at least three days worth.
Before they all settled down for the night, and after had engorged themselves on freshly slaughtered and cooked Horker stakes, Gunnar asked them the fated question.
“Are you all ready for this? To cure Kodlak?” His normally calm voice was thick and husky with emotion, and while saddening to hear him like this, Vilkas pretended not to be attracted to the rockiness in that voice.
The other three agreed and they all laid down to rest, ignoring what he had really asked.
Are you ready to let Kodlak go?
~*~
Vilkas awoke some time during the night, probably sometime just before dawn, and couldn’t help but feel as though something was off. And while he knew he needed his sleep, and he desperately tried to regain it, the feeling nagged and nagged at him until finally he pushed his head free from his bedroll.
The cold was unwelcome on his sleep warmed face, but he pushed that aside and looked at the makeshift camp they had made but a few hours ago.
There were two full bedrolls, Farkas’ snoring coming from one and Alea’s whimpered punctuated sleep from the other, but the third was empty and the Companion that was supposed to be there wasn’t in sight.
Vilkas looked around until he saw Gunnar sitting a ways away, back to the camp, running his fingers through his hair. And even from the distance away Vilkas could tell that his skin was shimmering with sweat. Those broad shoulders were slumped heavily, as though they were burdened with some great weight.
The knight figured that Gunnar was just nervous of the day to come and its consequences and slipped back into his bedroll. The memory of Gunnar’s nightmares didn’t come to mind until he had his own nightmare about Gunnar screaming in his sleep and the knight was powerless to stop the soul crushing noise.
When the sun rose, the Companions were more of less ready to take on the task of freeing Kodlak’s soul.
Without fanfare they packed everything up and stowed it away by some rocks before entering the tomb, weapons ready to face any challenge set before them.
~*~
Getting the tomb opened wasn’t too much of a hassle, just had to figure out how Wuuthrad played its role (they ended up realizing that Eorlund was right and ‘gave’ it to Ysgramor and that finally opened the door) before readying themselves to go into the tomb.
“Everyone ready?”
It was then and there that Vilkas hesitated.
Was it really right for him to go now? With such muddled thoughts and a confused heart? Could he really fight alongside this man without continuing to blame him for what has happened to the Companions?
Vilkas looked to Gunnar, rubbing at the deep shadows under his eyes, at the self suffering he was already enduring.
“I cannot go on” He announced sullenly.
“What?” Alea and Farkas asked in union.
“I…can’t go on… this whole mess… I can’t think straight” Vilkas struggled with the right words “First we lose Skjor, then we almost lose Kodlak, and here we are readying to basically go kill him! All because of one mistake and everyone getting too caught up in revenge”
“Y-you can’t be serious you sniveling milk drinker?” Alea suddenly growled “After all this you’re back down now of all times?!”
She took a menacing step towards Vilkas, but Gunnar quickly intercepted her.
“Go” He said firmly “You two start without me, I’ll join you shortly”
Had Gunnar said it was any less authority, any less like the father figure Vilkas kept thinking him as, Alea probably would have resisted. But he didn’t and Alea only gave him a stiff nod and a stubborn pout before going into the tomb with Farkas, leaving the old warrior and the knight alone.
Old Scales 37b/42
Before they all settled down for the night, and after had engorged themselves on freshly slaughtered and cooked Horker stakes, Gunnar asked them the fated question.
“Are you all ready for this? To cure Kodlak?” His normally calm voice was thick and husky with emotion, and while saddening to hear him like this, Vilkas pretended not to be attracted to the rockiness in that voice.
The other three agreed and they all laid down to rest, ignoring what he had really asked.
Are you ready to let Kodlak go?
~*~
Vilkas awoke some time during the night, probably sometime just before dawn, and couldn’t help but feel as though something was off. And while he knew he needed his sleep, and he desperately tried to regain it, the feeling nagged and nagged at him until finally he pushed his head free from his bedroll.
The cold was unwelcome on his sleep warmed face, but he pushed that aside and looked at the makeshift camp they had made but a few hours ago.
There were two full bedrolls, Farkas’ snoring coming from one and Alea’s whimpered punctuated sleep from the other, but the third was empty and the Companion that was supposed to be there wasn’t in sight.
Vilkas looked around until he saw Gunnar sitting a ways away, back to the camp, running his fingers through his hair. And even from the distance away Vilkas could tell that his skin was shimmering with sweat. Those broad shoulders were slumped heavily, as though they were burdened with some great weight.
The knight figured that Gunnar was just nervous of the day to come and its consequences and slipped back into his bedroll. The memory of Gunnar’s nightmares didn’t come to mind until he had his own nightmare about Gunnar screaming in his sleep and the knight was powerless to stop the soul crushing noise.
When the sun rose, the Companions were more of less ready to take on the task of freeing Kodlak’s soul.
Without fanfare they packed everything up and stowed it away by some rocks before entering the tomb, weapons ready to face any challenge set before them.
~*~
Getting the tomb opened wasn’t too much of a hassle, just had to figure out how Wuuthrad played its role (they ended up realizing that Eorlund was right and ‘gave’ it to Ysgramor and that finally opened the door) before readying themselves to go into the tomb.
“Everyone ready?”
It was then and there that Vilkas hesitated.
Was it really right for him to go now? With such muddled thoughts and a confused heart? Could he really fight alongside this man without continuing to blame him for what has happened to the Companions?
Vilkas looked to Gunnar, rubbing at the deep shadows under his eyes, at the self suffering he was already enduring.
“I cannot go on” He announced sullenly.
“What?” Alea and Farkas asked in union.
“I…can’t go on… this whole mess… I can’t think straight” Vilkas struggled with the right words “First we lose Skjor, then we almost lose Kodlak, and here we are readying to basically go kill him! All because of one mistake and everyone getting too caught up in revenge”
“Y-you can’t be serious you sniveling milk drinker?” Alea suddenly growled “After all this you’re back down now of all times?!”
She took a menacing step towards Vilkas, but Gunnar quickly intercepted her.
“Go” He said firmly “You two start without me, I’ll join you shortly”
Had Gunnar said it was any less authority, any less like the father figure Vilkas kept thinking him as, Alea probably would have resisted. But he didn’t and Alea only gave him a stiff nod and a stubborn pout before going into the tomb with Farkas, leaving the old warrior and the knight alone.