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Ask and you shall recieve if he recalled the saying correctly. The Silver Hand had been exclusivly in Skyrim, one that the Companions were thankful for but the threat of another group coming and joining them, even temperarly, was ill news. He glanced over at the training yard, double checking no one was listneing, everyone was to engrossed in their own buisness to notice, good. "When is it happening?" He asked after a moment, he was already onboard when she said it. The thought of more hunters coming made him snarl deeply wihtout thinking. "Anyone else know?" Something like this should involve more than just two of them, it should at leat have a shield sibling, however he wanted this done.
He rationalized it that that Kodlak didn't need ot know, to much wearing the old man donw as it was. Skjor and Aela would make a game of it and Farkas .. Farks would just flalow him blindly as always.

Night

Leaving Whitern on such short notice wans't an issue, the Circle were allowed to come and go as they pleased. The hard ride north wasn't pleasent nor difficult but the wheather seemed determined to make things difficul fo them as a light falling of snow began, only to get heaveier the futrther they traveled. She had filled him in as they rode and he knew this was risky, two agaisnt an unknown number, he had no wish to let them remain.
They needed to be routed.
They rode at a descent pace the whole time rarley speaking unless to exchange inforamtion. A strange oddity for them but neither felt the want or need to break the sialnce. The further norht the more sharp the smells of animals and people became, the more snow there was the more apparnet life was for a hnter.

Though the air was sharp and cold she felt it more agreeable than the Sanctuary . She should be thrilled that a high rnaking contract was under way, one shed be throughly envovled in, that should be enough. Any loyal Dark Sister or Brother would tell you though she wndered what it meant to be loyal in this place. She had seen the contridictions over the years but never voiced, she just watched. They were beocming more aparent and battle for dominance betwen Astrid and Cicero was draining.
Both seemed to want her int heir corner.
Astrid out of obligation while Cicero for tradition.
She didn't know which she loathed more at present.
She made frequent trips to Falkreth due to the locals beign more welcoming than most to outsdiers. Most of them anyway. She desperatly wanted to go to the Inn for sme warmth and food but her errands needed doing first.
The alchemy shop was in a corner not far off from from the center Inn. Walking in she was met with the familiar sent of herbs and plants mixed with dirt. Than again everyhing in this twon smelled of dirt, grave dirt.
The shop keeper gave her a greeting as was their custom but did not disturb her as she went about the items.
There.
Carefullly removing the item and finishing the purchase she left with the item firmly hidden in his side putch The Inn was her next stop, for alone time and just to be invisible.

When they were close to the meeting spot Vilkas could alread smell them as he dismounted his horse. This menat one of two things they were beign baited or they werne't expected. Luck wasn't a comodity he favored in any situaiton he trusted his senses and his instict and they told him to be careful. "I don't like this. Their to obvious." The meeting was in a small hamlet inside the only building that could be considered an inn. "You didn't mention they would be having the meeting surronded by civilans." However her expression read she hadn't known their, that unnerved im.
What else didnt she know about this?
If they go in there and kill them, than they are accused of murder and he'd be reconaied and htus would bring far to many problems donw on his borthers and sisters. If they transformed .... They were ******** etheir way. They couldn't leave not with what they knew, nor cold they risk leaving this meeting to be completed. The place was so simple that it gave simple an elegant comparison. The buldings were more shaks than houses and the people looked more starved and cold, than again the winters the last year had been worse than normal. Some children running aorund eyed them suspiciosuly before scooting away to a woman he assumed was thei rmother.
The feeling was getting worse the longer they stood their watching everything.The beast inside keept snorting andbarking and if he was in wolf form hsi ears would be at full atteniton. He knew she sensed it too without having o look at her, they both saw the large number of hoses being teethered in the ruined stable and aorund the buildings. A helathy dose of paranoia was always better than none howeer right now Vilkas couldnt' get thecracking like feeling in the back of his skull to go away.He smelled and heard more people than he was seeing more than there were in the inn tlaking, far more.While they were slowly makign their way through the shambled alleys and streets to the Inn he picked up on it than. Te most unmistakable smell of silver, it made his his nose tiwthc and burn and his eye stign for a beif moment, and he could tell Alva felt it as well.
There was a LOT of it to the point of it being nausiating.
He knew wht it was before it happned, the air had gone still and silent and a certain point of cold. The pure silance before the trap sprung, where he heard the firing of crossbows as he removed hsi sowrd..and when he felt the bolts tearing into his body.

It was only after she had settled with a warm drink that she took to unformding the evnope the innkeeper gave her. She was in some sense usign this place for her own personal letters, whatt few there were. There was one form Zev as she suspeced to revie by now, she wondered why she kept up witht he contact with him. It was dangeorus and went against the rules but she justified it with that there was nothign eclipcit or romantic between them.As much as she wanted to read his letter in the prvacy of her own bed she knew such things were not private back home, one of the others might find it and come to the wrong conclcusion. There were times she expected to be anbushed in this palce with men forcing her to return home or even some letter stating sh ewas to return home in a proper fashion. Scrunching her nose in annoance she took a bigger than normal drink of her warmed cider beforesifting thew the other envolopes, or evnoloe as it were. the seal on it made her annoaned and unconfrotnable at the sametime, the lion was a very promient smbol and one rarley seen in Skyrim, anyone with sense would know it was out of the area.
"I don't need this now." She muttered carefully breakign it open and scanning the wods. Her name still carried enough weight to where she could get information and this pleased her not. The aggrivations of home were bad enough, planning for the wedding assassination and this on top of it?
She wanted to exerpt herself from the contract to avoid this. bad enough she was being forced to be the main inplement in this but knowing this now .. she couldnt risk it not with them beign tere.
She felt a headache coming on with this and her mood did not inprove even after readng Zev's letter, normal it would perk her up a bit. OF all times for this to be happening for all this to be happening ... She wanted in that moemnt to burn the village to the gorund n fire and fury if only to release her anger. Theyd all die quickly if not out right instnalty form the intensity and thered be no witnesses to it. She forced that thought out with a storng exhaling form hr nose and took amny deep breaths, agression was so much more appelaing when she coudlnt use it.
"Your makign it ovious you want to murder everyone." She nearly lashed out than and there hearing Arbjon suddnely next to her, and sitting himself down. She glared which only amused him as she forced the letters into her bag. "Wat are you doign here?" She asked not bohtering to hide her annoyance at the intrustion.
"Besides needing air and wanting everyone to chill the ******** out well wanted to make sure you werent' running off." He wanted to make sure she was still loyal to Astrid, ever loyal lapdog. The thoguht raced across her mind and he seemed to sense it.
"Watc it Tid Bit your walking on thin ice right now." Desipte his gruff voice it wasn't a threat.
"I seem to be doing that with evryone why is your suddne appearnace s specile?" She wanted to know why he was there, Arjon had always treated her with well a mixutre of tolerate and annoyance. As he siad it was hard to not think of her as a snak so his little nicknames to her gratted her nerves.
"In truth, you need space I get it. Why I'm out here though considering your mood right now I'm surprised this whole town hasn't tkan off running." He was more amused by that than her glaring at him.
"Alright look I'm loyal to my wife thats not a secret and it's not changing. but Tid Bit I like you in that you don't annoy me so much I want to eat you sort of way so wanted to let you know thatalways room for a secodn hunter if you need it." His offer was out of character and yet so in character. She looked at him clearly confused and he was wathcing her, there was no hidden motive in this at least nothign phsycial and it was a honest invitation made form two murderously inpulsive people.
"Wont Astrid be jelaous?" Sh asked smirkign despite herself and he smirked right on back. "She doens't know, what I do when I hutn is my buisness."

It took more enrgy than he liked to drag himself behind to where Alva was. He lost his sword as one bolt had gone threw the hand holding it, and it feel into the ground far out of reach. "Easier said than done." He hissed out feeling the burnign aready exploding inside him and he didn't need to look to know that he was losing blood, a bit to quickly. One hand was useleess and one leg was gimped form a bolt buried in his claf which made him sluggish and all but dead weight to hte wood elf. They had made a break for the lale they had entered form, no oter options open to them when a burst of fire erupted cutting their path from them, fire to the front crossbowman with slver at their backs.
The fire spread quickly and the scream came wiht it, it was almost defeaning. Without thinking he fallowed her threw a window into a burning house, no other options Teh smoke was awful and reaked heavy of pitch stinging their eyes as they stumbled to the exit. Crashing threw the smoldering door he already could feel his body shifting in a desperate attmept to heal the villagers would attack him out of fear if that happened.
"Ideas!" He asked nealry blind with pain and disorientation while they narrowly avoaided being filled with crossbow bolts. the fires were spreading, intentionally he noted and blocked all exits menaing anone or anything tapped inside them would burn.

Alva's sudden presnece at his side helped draw his mind back, and thatwas to pain. His body was forcing the bolts out of him, and oh gods hurt!Forcing them out by pure strength and muscle was agaonizing but each one that feel out was like an inferno being doused inside him. Bleeding but no longer carrying the posionus bolt inside himself Vilkasfelt hismelflayon the cave floor, not fully allwoing himself to collapse. His claws had dug into the rock surface and left massive tears in them and he was still bleeding, a wonderufl little marker was being life on the cave floor.Even now as far as they were he could smell the fire and burnign bodies and the blood. They were set up and had played their roles perfeclty wihtout even knowing it.
"Where?" Was all he could get out evne n his wolf form his voice was hoarse and gravleed but his mind was clearing and his eyes were were focusing again.

Farkas was worried. Vilkas yes had left before without much wanring and had never had problems. however he couldnt stp beign restless and on edge. Soemthig was wrong was kept repeating in hsi head but he didn't know what.He knew without any form of confirmation that hsi borther needed him, just like when they were little they alwasy knew when the other was in toruble.
There was little room for him to even tell anyone, he hd paced his room, trained, beat the day lights out of one of the initiats he coudnt remeber which and still it wouldnt leave.
It was when he was wlakign with deliberate intent and purpose past Aleal and Zev tha the Huntress called after him. "Hey Faras! Where you off to?" Normally he turn and face her but he kept going and only shouted behind him. "Out!"
"Weird." Aela muttered only for Zev to hear, they had returned from a big game job that nenvoled but hadn't been limited ... four gients. And their Mammoths.

Injuries aside staying where they were was dangerous, sadly so was movig in their current state. He focused on his breathing and the solid rock underneath him to get his bearings. It worked enoug for the time being, a sublte scent stirred him and made him alert. He wans't sure how far they had fled from the village, perhapes they assumed far enough with the injuries he had slowing them. but he smelt them, horses and men, Alva's shifting was enough of a sign she was aware of them.
covering their tracks hadn't been done very well if at all. With his bleeding he made the trail to easy, while the crashing and racing threw tthe forest and snow hadn't been subtl etheir.forcing himslef onto his back legs and perking his ears up but still haunched he lsitneed. At least two miles away which meant they needed to move, thogh not wihtout the bolts inside him he had oen wounds freely bleeding now, and the nsow would show it evne more.
No choice but to run or kill. The sound and smell was large which menat there were a lot of them.Both of htem took off rnning Vilaks lagging somewhat bheind with his ijuries but still keepign pace with Alva.

Farkas hadnt answered bakc nor had he siad anything as they went to the stables and got the horses. He hadn't evn waited for Zev and was already heading down the road at a run. Zevs horse hd caught up withhis shortly ater and evne than he wouldnt be detered, if he could get far enough formt he cty he'd be able to go much faster and get to his brother.

even with the fur, muscle and fat the water was cold and went into the bones making his open wounds roar in pain. A single adult troll could fight severle armed men on its own, though it would only slow them for so long he did is best to keep up with Allva. She was purprosly slowing herself to stay with him he noticed and was angry with himself for it.Despite te adrenaline it was getting harder to jump and weave threw things, he was not running stright into them more than avoiding, causing him to slow and leave a larger blood trail. It was bad enough he was going to get himself killed, but Alva would be killed for styaing with him. Though her actions were in the act of survival he loathed the idea of her dying becuase of him. Passign into a snow covered valley with high cliff faces on ehtier side the two found themselves in a dead end.
Without stopping Vilkas onto the cliff face and began using his claws and strength to pull hismelf up. alva had beatne him to the top evne though he started before her, his injuries were now becoming blaring obvious. Though he couldn't feel the pain so much the exertion was cuaisng him to bleed faster and h was starting to feel light headed, if the constnat crashing into trees was nay indication.

Farkas was off hsi horse before it fully stopped looking frantically for anything. the smell was .... sickening. Bodies burnt ones were awful but it was the silver he smelled.wild animals were already gahtered and feeding ont he bodies, despite the large pack of wolves near by they chose to ignore Farkas evne after Zev rode up and dismounted. In irratation Farkas let out a snarl which caused the pakc to yelp and flee back into the forest.
He thoguht he heard Zev say somehting to him but he wasn't hearing right now as he searched threw the shambles of the village, and the bodies. The crunching of the snow under his boots and his heavy breathing was all he heard, nothign else it was dead silent. The wolves flet and heard him and had backed off for safety, least he wouldnt have to worry aobut them. he foudn his way itno what was once apparnelty the twon swuare and where it looked like most of the carnage happened, the sheer number of bodies gave it away. It was as e was passing by the body of a young girl that somethign caught his eye, the dyign flames and the light illumated the smallest trace of steel under the red snow and the girl body.He had to roll her over to remove it careuflly and it was in that moment his mind went to every horrible conclusion.
'Swords are common ...' His mind kept saygn over and over again to the point he heard nothing but that.Despite the rank stentch of death and silver he smelt it more than anything else. He felt anger boiling inside him and his midn raced.
'hey hurt him ..! if they killed him...!' He saw red and felt overwhelming rage over take him as hefallowed the tracks of the horses. he didn't bother with his his senses took fully over and he smelt their poson and hteir blood and he was was going to rip them apart.

The deer was small and barley filled him, but it was osmething. The silver had drasticlally slowed his helaing, and the small meal dd little help eleveate the pain. He had inhalled the whole thing, bone, fure, everything and licked up most of the blood. Alva still had to use her weight to help him stnad, another thing he was growing to hate, his front paw that had held his sword and had been iecred was beocming near inpossible to wlak on.Running on all threes would slow himt o a limp, on two legs he could run faster but he'd be far more noticable. Despite her smaller form beign dwarfed by the massive bulk of his own she managed to stay on hsi inured side and supliment his injured arm, they were evne slower now.

Everything was turning red, the cold was getting more sharp and warm at the sametime and he still kept running. The sent of blood and sivler was gettng stronger and he was getting angrier.
The change came on him without conscience thought and he ran even fater fallowing the sent. we the sounds of fighting reached his ears with the sent he made a beeline for it. Coming upon the scene of hunterss fighting a troll he didn't hesitate to charge right in roaring n fury.
They were weak squishy things under his claws. Their skin broke like btter under a hot knife, their bones broker like spinters and their blood sprayed and flowed painting the snow red.The Trolletheir form fury and injury or paina nd fear attacked with what it had left.
Trolls were tougher than humans but no less weak.
The ones cowerign were worse and broke easily under his teeth and claws.It was ony when the scremaing stoped did he resume right away again fallowing the sent.