Foolish Girl - Part:One
Aela x Female! Reader
The commotion from the training yard resonated through the heavy wooden boards of the Mead hall. Skjor threw you against the rock foundation wall and pulled you onto the tip of your boots by the front of your leather armor. Your brothers burst through the doors to see the glint off the dagger you'd pressed against the warriors throat when he laid a hand on you. Your eyes were locked on eachother but you could feel the presence of the other Companions growing around you.
"I will never be like you." You hiss beneath your breath.
"Then you will never learn respect!" Skjor twists your arm backwards, turning you to face the growing crowd.
The sharp sound of Vilkas' inhale nearly drew your attention while you attempted to thrash away. The movements only forced more pain against your shoulder blade. A soft gasp breaks through your lips when the elder pulls your hair back to lift your chin.
"This is what it looks like when you lack honor!" He bellowed through the tense air.
"Skjor!" You met Aela's beautiful green eyes when she threw herself forward. "That is enough."
"You coddle her, Aela. This... coward." His steel boot dug into the curve of your leg.
The air whipped through your hair and you plummeted to the ground. Sharp pain radiated through your knee caps that split, bleeding on the cobble stone. Turning your head back, Farkas' calloused hand cupped your cheek, tilting her face back to his worry creased, painted eyes.
"She is no coward, Skjor. She needn't be in the inner circle to be a companion!" Aela became a physical barrier between you and the superior you often clashed with.
"That disrespectful welp will never be a companion."
That was the last you heard of the argument when Vilkas caught your wrist in a bruising grip, digging into the flesh and tearing you from his twins arms and into the mead hall. He pushed you forward. The thick carpets wrapped around the souls of your boots and you tripped forward, catching your weight in a delicate move no brash warrior could pull off. It was always a topic of argument between you and your eldest brother that you chose to be a rogue over a warrior. But Aela comforted you, trained you in archery. She helped you through the long harrowing nights and sided with you during fights with the other Companions. Vilkas never understood you, and there you were beneath his fierce scrutinizing gaze, licked by the flames from the lit fire over your shoulder.
"Why do you test him, Y/N?" He threw out his arms, attempting to reign in his temper in the form of pacing the length of the great table back and forth.
With a defeated sigh, you pulled out a chair, sitting weakly to inspect your torn knees. He was silent as you wet a cloth and dabbed away the blood that began to clot and scab.
"Answer me!" He rose his voice, surprising you. "How long will they house you if you keep this up?"
The door clicked behind you and Aela ran a hand through her red hair, careful of the braid. Anxiety and frustration were written across her features but she ignored your brother, stepping closer to your aching form.
"You overstepped today. More so than usual, I can't protect you if you continue down this path. He could kill you, he could disown you-"
A tonkard flew through the dim lighting, splattering wine across the wall. The tapestry clattered to the ground in the silence but all attention was on your brother's broad shoulders as he left the room. His footfalls echoed and the sound of the door slamming against the frame made your shoulders jolt against better judgement.
Aela pressed her fingertips to her eyes and knelt before you. Leaning forward on your elbows, you rested your forehead on hers and entwined your fingers through strands of her soft, shimmering hair.
"Why do you do this?" She whispered.
"I don't want to be a beast."
Your fingertips brushed back along her jaw, thumb running along her bottom lip and she covered your hand with her warm palm before tearing away hesitantly. She rested the heels of her palms on the waxed table, leaning toward the hot flames. The heat seemed smothering in the silent tension and neither of you could face eachother but you knew what was coming. It was always coming.
"Is that what you think I am, Y/N? A beast?" Aela steeled her voice with a strength she always kept stored away beneath the surface.
"Don't start this again." You sighed and rose to your feet with a slight limp. "I may be younger, but I'm not ignorant. Don't speak to me as though I am."
"You should leave." She whispered.
"I'm working on it." You grumbled back but a simple 'no' from her and you couldn't move. Your world tipped upside down, everything that was known seemed lost and beyond reach with a simple sentence.
"Leave Jorrvaskr." She was emotionless, impossible to read.
"I'll see you tonight for supper." There was a heavy weight in the finality of your tone as you forced the door open with your aching shoulder. You had to get away from this maddening place, these maddening people. Clear your head.
There was a glimpse of Farkas' frame as you descended the steps from the Cloud District and into the babbling, endless commotion of the city and boring lives of the common folk that lived there. You wondered far too often what the people of Whiterun would think, knowing their protectors are dark, blood driven animals. But you could never do that to her.
You'd played that moment over in your head, a painful, heart-breaking mantra. Words you'd hoped you would never hear. Though a few hours of drinks in the Bannered Mare and the scrapes of your knees and bruised pride seeped away off of your skin. But you swore, you swore to Ysgrammor himself that if Mikael played Ragnar the Red one more time-
"This is the first song I ever learned." He smiled toothily at you when you turned over your shoulder, more irritated than reason warranted.
It was a waiting game, and divines did you wait with baited breath for his next few words. They would surely be his undoing, and you were more than happy- honored even- to deliver him to the gods. He ignored the glare, relished in it perhaps and his sing song tone grated in your troubled, already raging, drunken mind.
"There once was a he-" Surprise flashed over his wide, frightened eyes when you leapt from your stool, successfully throwing him over the carved log bench. He sputtered up at you when you pulled the lute from his clenched, white knuckles.
"Heros are over rated." A large, meaty hand wrapped lightly around your forearm and pulled you away, knocking all of your weight off your feet.
"Put me down, Ulfberth..." You complained as he lifted you onto his shoulder. The crisp night air stung your cheeks when the taverns warmth left. The nord carried you with ease up the stone pathway despite your protests.
"Foolish girl." He muttered, though it came without malice. "That's no way for a Companion to behave."
"Haven't you heard?" You rasped, his harsh shoulder pressed into your ribs, lessening your air but you stayed where you were placed and let your arms sway beneath you. It wasn't worth fighting him off. "I'm not a Companion."
He tossed you down into the stream that was lightly flowing down from Dragons Reach. A loud gasp and you were flailing up from the splashing water, sobered from the cold. He stood in the shadow of the shrine of Talos, chuckling at your discomfort shaking the water droplets from your furs.
"Go back to your wife." You muttered and swatted his hand away when he reached to mess your damp hair. "Thank you, for taking me home."
"Call it what you will." He grinned in the darkness but didn't leave until you started up the steep stairs to the Mead Hall.
Only steps from the painted doors and Aela spoke behind you from her spot leaning against the wall.
"Where have you been, Y/N?"
"I did as you said. I left."
She closed her mouth on her next comment and stepped away without another word. The frustration seeped back into your body and you prepared for the harassment that awaited you beyond the doors. Warmth washed over your wet limbs when the door cracked open and brought life back to your cold body. But the music and laughter and chattering died down with each step you took towards the Companion quarters. Vilkas cut you off at the stairs.
"You must listen."
"I'm done, Vilkas." Your voice was soft and it was apparent he had expected you to yell. "I won't continue to fight the same battle with you, with Skjor."
"You've been drinking. Today we've delivered a blow to the Silverhands! Celebrate." He brushed your words off, pushing your shoulder in a light hearted way. It was at that moment, when his forced smile faltered, you knew he realized he lost you.
Skjor met your eyes from across the tables before be glanced towards Aela, sulking to grab her bow.
"I'm done, Vilkas."
