Aela the Huntress (Skyrim)

Aela the Huntress is a lycanthrope in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. She is a member of The Companions and one of the five members of the The Circle. Residing in Jorrvaskr with the other Companions, Aela serves as the Dragonborn's means for becoming a lycanthrope, and also becomes a candidate for marriage as well as a follower, deep into the Dragonborn's involvement with the Companions.

Background
When asked why she joined The Companions, she says, "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."

Interactions
The Dragonborn first encounters Aela fighting a Giant at Pelagia Farm on the outskirts of Whiterun. She approves or disapproves of the Dragonborn's actions depending on the amount of assistance given in defeating the Giant. Regardless, she suggests visiting Jorrvaskr and speaking to Kodlak Whitemane about joining The Companions.

Archer training
After becoming a full member of The Companions, Aela offers the Dragonborn Archery training for a fee and can train up to Level 75.

The gift of lyncanthropy
Aela donates some of her blood so the Dragonborn can become a Werewolf and a full-fledged member of The Circle. After the initiation, the Dragonborn wakes to find Aela standing over them. She offers congratulations and says the next task is to slaughter all members of The Silver Hand at nearby Gallows Rock. The raid does not go as planned, however, as one of the companions has been slain and Aela vows to kill who did it. From that point, she employs the Dragonborn with stifling the ongoing feud with The Silver Hand, which escalates dramatically. Aela accompanies the Dragonborn, along with Vilkas and Farkas, to Ysgramor's Tomb, where the Silverhand is eradicated once and for all.

After destroying the Silver Hand
After destroying the Silver Hand, she becomes a follower and a candidate for marriage, if the Dragonborn wears an Amulet of Mara in her presence. She then offers the repeatable Animal Extermination missions, and the ability to collect the mythic Totems of Hircine.

Blades
After escorting Delphine and Esbern to Sky Haven Temple, Aela can be recruited into the Blades. Along with two others, she and the Dragonborn root out and fight Ancient Dragons. Becoming a Blade, Aela's default armor changes to Blades Armor and her residence shifts from Jorrvaskr to Sky Haven Temple.

Quests

 * The Silver Hand
 * Retrieval
 * Striking the Heart
 * Totems of Hircine
 * Animal Extermination

Follower
As a follower, Aela does not turn against the Dragonborn for stealing or murdering the innocent. When trespassing, she informs the Dragonborn that "they should not be in here", but otherwise does not turn hostile.

Equipment
Aela is equipped with the following items when you first obtain her as your follower:
 * Skyforge Steel Dagger
 * Hunting Bow (not shown in some cases)
 * Whiterun Gate Key
 * Belted Tunic (not shown in some cases)
 * Aela's Shield (not shown in some cases)
 * Torch
 * Gold (800)

Weapons
Aela will accept and equip any melee weapon and shield that is better than her default equipment. She is most skilled with bows and one-handed weapons. Aela uses staves and may pick them up from dead NPCs.

Armor
Aela's default armor is Ancient Nord Armor. If married, you can buy a copy from her shop. Aela will equip any armor better than her default Ancient Nord Amor. All followers decide which armor is best by the armor's base value.

Clothing
If you can take her armor from her, you can get her to wear clothes, but you have to reequip them every time you change the location. You can force her armor into her shop inventory by giving her better armor. Then, you just buy both sets of Ancient Nord armor, and then take the armor you gave her out of her inventory, to replace with clothes.

Dismissing
When you dismiss Aela as your follower, she will return to Jorrvaskr by default. If she has been asked to move into the player's home through marriage, she will return there. Also, if recruited for The Blades, she will return to Sky Haven Temple. When Aela has returned to her home, she unequips any weapon and armor you have given her. She will keep all items you gave her in her inventory. To re-equip weapons and armor, you have to alter her inventory.

Behind the scenes

 * Aela, Legate Rikke, and several other NPCs are voiced by Claudia Christian.
 * She cannot be killed while the Totems of Hircine quest is currently active because of her quest significance. However, once Totems of Hircine is completed, she can be killed.
 * It is rumored among the Companions that Aela and Skjor are lovers: the player can overhear Njada ask Aela about this in ambient dialogue. Aela hastily and staunchly denies the relationship, however. Note: If player is female, Nadja implies the player character was involved with Skjor. Aela denies that also.

Bugs

 * Aela may disappear randomly. She won't return by waiting or fast traveling to another location. Simply activate the miscellaneous quest "Speak to a Leader of the Companions." Doing so will show a quest marker pointing to Aela (as well as Vilkas & Farkas). (PC): Open up the console and type : " " and then " ". (Not sure if this is what the bug means, but I've found that, for some reason, she's taken up living in the temple at Markarth, and wouldn't follow me anywhere... It made me sad.)
 * In the first Companions mission, you're supposed to return a shield to her. The quest indicator may not point to the correct location. Go to the Jorrvaskr Living Quarters, she is in her room at the end on the left and behind the left door.
 * During the quest Glory of the Dead, Aela may get stuck on the set of stairs after you fight the wolf spirit of Kodlak. Either ask her to follow you once you are the leader of The Companions, or wear an Amulet of Mara and ask her to marry you.
 * After turning in each totem for the totem quest, Aela will pray at the statues. After turning in the final totem, if you ask her to be your follower she will make her way back to the underforge and begin praying again. The easiest solution is, after placing the Totem on the altar, use the wait function for 24 hours. Aela will walk out of the Underforge. Wait a few minutes. She should then be inside Jorrvaskr, ready for rehiring.
 * Solution (PC/PS3/Xbox): Dismiss her. She then should walk out of the underforge. Outside the Underforge, immediately ask her to join you again and then, via "I need you to do something" command, tell her to move somewhere. Draw your weapon and sheath it again, then exit the command mode. Aela will start walking again to the underforge. Talk to her before she enters and ask her to follow you again. Aela should behave normally.
 * Alternate Solution: When approaching the Underforge, RUN to the door an immediately enter. Once in side RUN to the altar and quickly place the item onto it. Aela is stuck in a running position and does not pray. Immediately exit the Underforge. She has been stuck in the running position, but that goes away once the player has fast traveled.
 * All followers, Aela included, occasionally switch back to their default bow. Even if removed from their inventory via console commands (PC: removeitem 0010e2dd 99 ), it will respawn.
 * The "Can you prepare me some food?" conversation option can disappear. There is no known fix to this yet.
 * Some have experienced a bug that involves Aela continuously attempting dialogue with the player. A possible fix is to recruit her, go outside, dismiss her, wait one hour, and then recruit her again.
 * Aela randomly started to run in place while a follower, parting ways does not solve this. She simply slides around and gets stuck in another spot. A confirmed fix is to use Unrelenting Force shout on her.(She will then become hostile)
 * As a follower, even when given gauntlets superior to hers in base value, Aela has been found to keep using her starter gauntlets instead.
 * She will start sliding across the ground,flying,and sinking. The only way to fix this is to go to the last save(not autosave)
 * If you marry Aela, then constantly buy and sell things from her you may accidentally acquire her shield

Appearances

 * The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Aela la Cacciatrice