Companion-less

Saeko enters Jorrvaskr and comes across the surprisingly dour atmosphere, each Companion present looking as if a close family member had just died. She shifts the collar on her ebonthread Kimono as she walks inside and approaches the closest person, someone she hadn't met before. "Hello? Is Aela here? I receive a letter." she bluntly asks, ignoring the man's slow response.

"Aye? I think so? She'd be downstairs with Kodlak and the others..." he shrugs and begins solemnly nursing his drink again.

...

"What happened? You're all acting like the sky is falling." she questions with a raised brow.

The man doesn't even look at her, instead simply gesturing his arm at the far wall where the shards of Wuuthrad are... Or would usually be, right now it was empty... "Someone stole the shards!? How!?" she all but exclaims, this wasn't just a simple case of theft, to the Companions this was akin to heresy of the worst kind.

The only thing comparable would be a Mehrunes Dagon worshipper having Mehrunes Razor stolen right under his nose... Ysgramor was a legendary hero, one whose story every Nord knew of by heart. Losing one of the only things that remained of him was a huge blow, and even the newly joined Companions could feel it.

The forlorn Companions slumps his shoulders, "No idea... One moment the Shards are here, the next, they're not... Go ask the others, they might have an idea of what's going on... The rest of us though? In the dark."

...

Saeko nods and hurries down to the basement, she opens the door to Kodlak's room and finds Kodlak, Skjor, Aela, Farkas, Vilkas, and Shakeesh all sitting around pausing their discussion upon her entry.

"Saeko, you've come." Aela remarks, standing up and greeting her with a spartan handshake. "Sit, we have much to discuss."

Saeko glances around the room, "Is there a reason it's just us? Why not discuss this with the rest of the Guild?"

Kodlak sighs, "Some things can't be readily spoken about. This, is one of them... The only reason you're here as opposed to waiting in the hall is because of your friendship with Michael Tahlin."

...

Thoroughly confused now, she looks to Aela for confirmation.

Aela folds her arms, "You've heard it from the others no doubt, the theft of the shards of Wuuthread. It wasn't common thievery, no thug could steal them under our watch..."

"Not to mention the coincidence of the Thalmor leaving the city almost immediately after it happened." Vilkas adds with a scowl.

"So, the Thalmor are responsible then?" she asks, remembering the slaughter at Northwatch Keep that she and Michael had performed very recently... Was this a retaliation for that?

Kodlak shakes his head, "Not quite... You see, they had help from a group that is far older than myself... The Silver Hand."

"Silver Hand?"

"In simple terms, Werewolf hunters." Aela states.

...

"Werewolves? And what do they, or any of this have to do with Michael?" she questions, not even seeing the dots, let alone the connections between them.

...

Kodlak looks to Shakeesh, who'd been silent throughout the conversation, "It seems as though our friend knows how to keep a secret... Alas, it's too late for regrets. Saeko, the Companion's Inner Circle are all Werewolves, Hircine's hounds. Shakeesh here knows of it, having learnt it from the mouth of a Thalmor alongside Michael in Markarth."

Shakeesh nods, "It was a shock, despite the one who uttered it dying, it is a certainty that most Thalmor knows of this too."

"We would have asked for Michael's assistance instead, were the risks of publically working with him not potentially catastrophic." Kodlak says. "He's burned many bridges, too many..."

"Why doesn't the whole of Skyrim as well then?" Saeko asks, surely the Thalmor wouldn't wait for the opportunity to discredit one of the most ancient Nord guilds currently existing...

...

The from goes silent, none of them knew why the Thalmor wasn't using the information against them. If anyone cared to look the evidence was there, it was a known secret to the older folk in Whiterun after all...

"Have any of you noticed?" Kodlak suddenly asks while running his fingers through his beard. "Balgruuf, one of his children hadn't been around whenever I visited Dragonsreach..."

Saeko's eyes widen, the files she and Michael had found in Northwatch Keep that detailed a 'Guest' being held in the Embassy, they must be one of Jarl Balgruuf's children!

Kodlak acknowledges their stunned expressions, "I believe they are using our secret against him to force Whiterun to move as they wish. A kidnapped child, shards of Wuuthrad, and the potential destruction of Whiterun's most famous landmark would be too big of a blow to take, especially in wartime."

"Damned elves! We should just storm the Embassy and finish this now!" Farkas furiously growls. No one immediately disagrees with him despite how dangerous and reckless such an action would be. It was only a pipedream however, even if they wanted to, they'd have to fight through the Imperial Legion and the Thalmor soldiers undoubtedly guarding the place.

"What do we do then?" Saeko asks, tilting her head at how a few of the group perked up.

"So you agree to help us?... We weren't sure you would accept, to be honest." Shakeesh says.

Saeko nods, "Of course, even if I was never a Companion I'd still help you. The Thalmor cannot continue to run rampant through Skyrim with no regard for the people they hurt and kill." she states while resting a hand on the handle of her katana.

"Spoken like a true Nord." Vilkas smiles.

"If being a Nord means having common sense, then I suppose you would be correct..." Saeko retorts, "'ve seen too many screaming, frothing at the mouth berserkers for that to be true though..."