I have seen multiple threads but none commented on this and my comments in such threads just melded in and went unnoticed so that brings me here...

Yet another morality question, doing it the "non beastial, pro Kodlak way" are there varied options... do you know for SURE

upon completion of this quest, (killed the skinner, stood over skjor's body...)

Aela says how she is going to make sure "we got all of them" and then the next option comes up in dialogue... (What's our first target?)

I have tried two things after choosing that conversation option... thus starting the next quest (stealing plans in this case)

1st.) I returned to whiterun, sold loot, sorted items... took ages and aela beat me to jorvaskr saying that no-one has caught on to your little campaign... and no other dialogue options are available to any of the other companions.... so i went to the cave hideout and it crashed repeatedly (must have been random glitch) in any case I reloaded and did ~"The silver hand" all over again.... I started the next quest again "whats our first target?" but this time -->

2nd.) I returned to jovraskr straight away, talked to Kodlak and said the newly available option (skjor was killed by the silver hand) he was pleased with the information and said "this is a time to mourn, grieve in any way you know", I proceeded to tell the two brothers but I left the newbloods to it (I believe they are all abit too headstrong for that information)
A while later, Aela makes it back and the "skjor was killed" option is now unavailable to anyone and she proceeds to tell you that no-one is on to your little campaign... (having last spoke to aela earlier and starting the next quest to steal plans or kill silver hand lieutenant - that is essentially working for her)
I approached the other companions and you can ask them for work but they say your already doing a job for aela...

I want to know if after killing the skinner in the previous quest, and the option (what's our first target?) comes up, that you don't choose that... instead you were to not start the next quest there and go STRAIGHT to Jovaskr to tell the other members of the circle about skjor, and await Aela's return, whether there is a different outcome...? if you could ask for work from one of the other companions? or would they simply send you to aela again?

Has ANYONE tried that? I may try this again but it will be a couple of hours till I get there... only available save is MILES back... also I don't believe people have tried with many questlines... the unwritten choices....

there seem to be some unwritten - invisible objectives in quests that change story outcomes slightly...
I first thought and tested this on many quests (some successful) after skjor said after joining he said "you don't have to or shouldn't always do what your asked to do" - spurred on the alternate route idea... sometimes it works... like leaving an objective for a while and then a new part of that quest opens up or doing something you would do even if its not an objective... and something different happens...

Last time I played through this I tried going to Jorvasker right away and pickup another job without taking Aela's 'first target'. Didn't work, as the only dialog option I got with the other job-givers is to tell them about Skjor. I ended up waiting until Aela came back to Whiterun and did the stealing plans quest. I didn't wait a particularly long amount of game time, though.

I don't think there are real alternatives, and at best you're just delaying the inevitable, given that the Companions questline is set to progress a certain way.

ahh dang, what a shame... maybe content that they intended or perhaps just a moment for you to say something and hear something back before doing the inevitable...

thanks folks! saved me alot of backtracking lol
I officially denounce my character being a saint, he is now doing the best he can with what he is given....

perhaps a new playthrough I will avoid ALL bad quests... apart from MQ which is destined or perhaps I just wont do that either lol

but again thanks for your help folks! much appreciated!!

EDIT:- no doubt I will try again in the future anyway to settle that devil on my shoulder issue -.-' but that won't be for a good few months (if i remember)