Aela the Huntress

Aela

A soft breeze tickled the hairs on the back of her neck as Aela eyed up the stag she had been tracing for the past hour, determined that she would not return home empty handed. She notched an arrow and arched her bow with unrivaled precision. The stag did not sense her presence, and as the arrow pierced his heart, Aela felt a surge of energy pulse through her body. The thrill of the hunt was what she lived for, and now that she was 18, it was almost time for her to put her skills to the test. As she made her way through the bracken towards her prize, she glanced up at the midday sun and whispered a grateful prayer to her Mother, Ingte, who had died in battle when Aela was young. Her mother had been a member of the Companions, a guild of warriors who watched over Whiterun, started by Ysgramor in the dawning years of Skyrim. Every woman of her line had served, and now that she was of age, it was finally time for Aela to take her place.

Aela bound the stag and began hauling it back to her home, a small wooden shack on the outskirts of the forest where she had grown up with her father. Since her mother died when she was 8, her father had taught her almost everything she knew. From day one, her father knew Aela was fated to leave him and join the Companions, and the only comfort he took was in the knowledge that she possessed skill he had not even witnessed in his wife. As Aela entered the clearing where the shack sat she was welcomed by a gruff bark and a rocketing mound of thick grey fur.

'Down boy, you're going to spoil my surprise!' she laughed, taking a moment of relief from the strain of the heavy stag and ruffling the fur on Varg's heavy head.

'I was wondering when you were finally going to come back,' called the thick Nord voice of her father, the voice of home. Aela smiled proudly as she gestured to the glorious golden stag that lay at her feet.

'By Kynareth, he's magnificent! You're spectacular Aela, you truly have your mother's gift.'

'You taught me everything I know, Father,' she offered, handing her father the rope. Aela trudged over to the cabin and collapsed into the bench on the porch. Hunting was as exhausting as it was exhilarating, and she needed a few hours to recover before she began preparing for her departure tomorrow.

Once her father had lain the stag out on the work bench to the side of the cabin, he handed Aela a small bottle containing a rejuvenating concoction of Histcarp and purple mountain flower and sat down beside her to watch the shimmering sun lowering itself into the line of trees.

'Drink up my love, you'll need your strength tomorrow.'

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Aela woke to the familiar sound of the aging wood of the cabin gently creaking in the breeze. She lay awake for a small while, drinking in the comforting sounds of the cabin's seclusion. She knew she would miss waking to birdsong each morning – she loved the city, but it was a far cry from the peace and quiet of the woods. Her father was already awake, and amongst the birdsong she could hear him already working on the stag she had brought home. She rose and ventured out to greet him. Over a breakfast of bread and berries, she noticed how her father was unusually subdued. Passing it off as his final acceptance that she was leaving, Aela returned to her room to pack a satchel.

'You're really going to be okay, Pa?' Aela sighed as her father came in to say goodbye.

'I'm going to be fine. You know I will. Besides, I won't have need to hunt for a week by the looks of what you've brought me!'

'I'll come back and visit you whenever I have the chance, I promise.'

'I know you will. Now you're going to be late, come on.'

Varg trotted in, bowing his head as if he knew his friend was leaving him. Aela gave him a pat and turned to hug her father.

'Hunt well my girl,' he smiled.

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The archaic stone palisade walls of Whiterun were a familiar sight to Aela, as she had spent countless days running errands for her father, who preferred to keep his distance from the city. The city gates were manned by guards, who were, throughout the city, gruff and very to-the-point. The population of Whiterun was about as diverse as any of the other main cities, dominated by Nords, and while itself a large city, it had retained a certain rustic atmosphere that gave it the feeling of a small Nord village. As Aela entered the gates of the city, the looming figure of Dragonsreach Keep came into view. As a young girl, she'd always been fascinated by the stories she would hear about the notorious Olaf One-Eye and how he had imprisoned his foe, the great dragon Numinex, within the palace in the First Era. In fact, it was Numinex's head that adorned the front of the keep. Aela smiled at the memory of her mother's stories, and took a moment to gaze at the structure.

The city was comprised of three districts. The Plains District was where she currently stood, and was the market and trading district of the city. The Cloud District was the highest area of Whiterun, and between these two districts was the Wind District. This district was home to Jorrvaskr, which in turn was home to the Companions. Aela wandered through the marketplace, which was buzzing with energy this morning. Children darted around her playing tag while their mothers and fathers went about their business, buying and selling goods. The Nords of Whiterun led modest lives, maybe with the exception of the Battle-Born Clan, a wealthy and raucous family with a deep loyalty to the Empire. While their comparably lavish lifestyle may have been appealing to some, Aela much preferred her more modest approach to life.

The Wind district was not unfamiliar to Aela, as she had spent her share of time in the Temple of Kynareth that was located there. In the centre of the district was a beautiful courtyard, which was home to the Gildergreen Tree, a monument that worshippers of Kynareth revered. The tree stood 30 feet tall, adorned with deep burgundy leaves, and was truly a credit to Whiterun's beauty. North of the tree began the steps that lead to Dragonsreach, next to which was a shrine of Talos. And finally, to the east, stood Jorrvaskr. Aela took a deep, calming breath and made her way towards the hall.