So, you’re looking for Aela the Huntress. Maybe you just joined the Companions, or maybe you’re desperately trying to find your wife because she disappeared with all your dragon bones. It happens. Skyrim is buggy, and Aela is particularly prone to wandering off into the tundra without telling anyone.
The short answer? Where to find Aela in Skyrim depends entirely on how far you've progressed in the Companions questline. If you haven't started "Take Up Arms," she's outside Whiterun. If you're the Harbinger, she's probably in the basement of a mead hall or your house in Solitude. Usually.
💡 You might also like: Free to play poker and why you are probably playing it wrong
Where to Find Aela in Skyrim Before You Join the Companions
The very first time you see her, she isn't in Whiterun at all. She’s at Pelagia Farm. Just outside the city. You’ll see her, Farkas, and Ria hacking away at a Giant. Honestly, it doesn't matter if you help them or not. If you’re too slow, they’ll kill it anyway and then Aela will proceed to judge you for not being fast enough.
"I see you've already made a name for yourself," she might say, or more likely, she’ll tell you that you look like a "milk-drinker." Classic Aela.
Once that scripted event is over, she walks straight to Jorrvaskr. That’s the big building that looks like an upside-down boat on the windward side of Whiterun. If you can't find her inside the main hall, check the Jorrvaskr Living Quarters. This is the basement level. She has a room in the northern wing of the barracks area. She sleeps there. She eats there. She spends an inordinate amount of time just sitting on a wooden bench staring at a wall.
The Silver Hand Quests and Location Shifts
Things get complicated once you start the "Proving Honor" quest. Aela moves around during the Companions' internal war with the Silver Hand.
During "The Silver Hand" quest (the one where you finally get that wolf blood), you’ll find her at the Underforge. This is a secret cave hidden behind a rock face underneath the Skyforge. Eorlund Gray-Mane has to open it for you. After the initial ritual, she becomes a mandatory follower for a while. If you lose her during the assault on Gallows Rock, don't panic. She stays at the end of that dungeon until the boss is dead.
📖 Related: Finding the Right Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth Vocational School Answers Without Losing Your Mind
Once the main faction questline is done—after you've cleared the ghost spiders out of Ysgramor's Tomb—she defaults back to Jorrvaskr. But there’s a catch.
Why She Isn’t in Jorrvaskr Anymore
Did you marry her? If you went through the whole "Amulet of Mara" thing and had a wedding at the Temple of Dibella in Riften, she goes wherever you told her to go.
If you told her to move into Breezehome, she’s in Breezehome. If you have the Hearthfire DLC and built a mansion in the middle of a swamp, she’s there. Sometimes, though, the AI pathing breaks. If you can’t find her at home, check the road between Whiterun and your house. She actually walks the distance in real-time. It’s annoying. You might find her fighting a random Sabre Cat near Loreius Farm.
Dealing With the Aela Disappearing Glitch
Skyrim wouldn't be Skyrim without bugs. Aela is notorious for getting stuck in "waiting" mode. If you told her to wait somewhere and forgot where, she stays there for three in-game days before she gets bored and starts walking back to Whiterun.
Sometimes she gets stuck in the Underforge forever. This is a common bug on PC and console alike. Even if you aren't doing a quest, the game thinks she needs to be in that secret cave for a Totem of Hircine quest.
If you are on PC, you can just cheat. Open the console with the tilde (~) key and type:player.moveto 0001A697
This teleports you directly to her. If you see her floating in a void or stuck behind a wall, you'll know why you couldn't find her. If you're on Xbox or PlayStation, you don't have that luxury. You have to wait. Sit on a bench and use the "Wait" function for 24 hours. Repeat this three times. Usually, the game resets her cell position and she pops back into the main hall of Jorrvaskr to eat some bread.
The Totems of Hircine Quests
After the main story is finished, Aela is the only one who gives out the "Totems of Hircine" quests. These are vital if you want to be a powerful Werewolf.
When these quests are active, she becomes a "quest giver" and often moves to the Living Quarters specifically to wait for you. She won't wander around the city as much. If you've accepted a quest from her and haven't finished it, she won't leave the location associated with that quest. For example, if she told you to meet her at a random cave like Faldar's Tooth, she will stay at the entrance of that cave until you show up. She won't be in Whiterun. Check your quest log for "Animal Extermination" or "Totems of Hircine." That’s usually where she’s hiding.
The Recruitment Factor
If you joined the Dawnguard (from the DLC), you might have sent Aela to join them. If you did, she moved to Fort Dawnguard, way out east of Riften. She’ll hang out in the main hall or the dining area there. This is rare—most people keep her in the Companions—but it's a possibility if you were trying to rebuild the vampire hunters with the best warriors in the game.
Summary of Known Locations
- Pelagia Farm: Only during the very first encounter with the Giant.
- Jorrvaskr Main Hall: During the day, usually near the long table.
- Jorrvaskr Living Quarters: At night (2 PM to 8 AM) or when she's bored.
- The Underforge: During specific Lycanthropy rituals or glitches.
- Your Spouse's House: Only if you're married.
- Fort Dawnguard: Only if you specifically recruited her for the Dawnguard.
- Quest-Specific Dungeons: Check your map for active Companions markers.
Honestly, the best way to find Aela when she's lost is to check the Underforge first, then the Jorrvaskr basement. If she’s not in either, and you aren't married, she’s likely stuck in a "waiting" state at the last dungeon you cleared together.
🔗 Read more: Mowlee Bros. Explained: The Kirby Triple Deluxe Mole Boss You Probably Forgot
To prevent this in the future, always make sure you officially dismiss her as a follower before fast-traveling across the map. It forces the game to update her "home" location immediately. If you're still having trouble, try sleeping in a bed in a different hold (like Markarth) for 48 hours to force a cell reset for the entire Whiterun area. It's the "turn it off and back on again" solution for Elder Scrolls NPCs.
Actionable Next Steps:
Check your "Miscellaneous" quest tab for any Companion-related tasks. If there's an active marker for a radiant quest given by Aela, that marker will lead you directly to her location, regardless of where she has wandered off to. If no marker exists, travel to Jorrvaskr and wait 12 hours in the basement; this is the most reliable way to force her AI to spawn in her designated sleep area. Finally, verify she hasn't been "hired" by the Blades, as she will relocate to Sky Haven Temple if you brought her to Delphine.