Aela a Caçadora

**Aela the Huntress**, a Nord thief, is one of the elite members of the legendary Companions which reside in Jorrvaskr, the overturned ship and mead hall in the Wind District of Whiterun. Aela is one of the highest-ranking members and as such, is a member of the secret group, the Circle, along with Skjor, Farkas, and Vilkas. She is a passionate hunter but does not always hunt for game, as a group of werewolf hunters have attracted her attention, for reasons you will discover as you progress through the Companions quest line, where she plays a huge part. She will also provide a variety of radiant quests, some of which you will have to complete to advance in rank. She will join you on many adventures and can be hired as your follower once the Companions quest line is completed. At that point, it is possible to ask for her hand, as she will be available for marriage. She is also an expert trainer in the art of Archery, a service she only provides when you have joined the Companions by completing the initiation quest.

Although the majority of Skyrim's citizens make fun of the amount of mead being downed in the hall, especially by the newcomers, Aela takes great pride in the team of warriors and spends all of her time in or around Jorrvaskr. Her room is located in the private quarters downstairs, adjacent to Skjor's room, and she sleeps there every night between midnight and 8am. When she wakes up she heads upstairs and spends most of her day there, either wandering around chatting to the other membersor relaxing in one of the chairs. At 10am she sits down for a three-hour breakfast and at 3pm she heads out to the training court behind the building where she strolls around or relaxes on the ground next to the target pads. The rest of the time is spent in the mead hall until she heads back to her quarters and goes to bed at midnight. There are numerous exceptions to this routine, all described in this section.

Aela wears a set of ancient Nord armor, with matching pairs of gauntlets and boots. She is equipped with a Skyforge steel dagger and a hunting bow supplemented with 100 iron arrows. She carries a torch and a key to Whiterun's main gates.

Aela will readily provide lots of background information, including why she joined the Companions: *"My mother was a Companion. And her mother. And all the women in my family, back to Hrotti Blackblade. I stayed with my father in the woods until I was old enough for my Trial. We hunted everything there was to hunt. Good training. Ma didn't live long enough to see me join, but I fight to honor her and all my Shield-Sisters through time."* She will also tell you what it means to be a Companion: *"It means resting your haunches in Whiterun more than I care to, for one. But when it comes time to draw blood, there's no one in Skyrim I'd rather have at my back. It means waking up every day knowing that you could die, and having to earn your life by clawing for every breath. I don't know how those cozy lords manage to drag themselves out of bed every day. Why bother if you're not living?"* Lastly, she will share her thoughts on the civil war: *"Kodlak says not to worry about it. I worry that a bunch of snowberries are out there earning glory while we stay out of it. But I will follow the old man's lead. As ever."*