Rossarm spared Ahnasha a glance as he kept his eyes on where he was stepping on the unpaved ground. He gave the proposal some silent consideration. He had to stop before they came into view to fully decide. When he did he spoke staring into the middle distance. "I will speak to him, but let me be perfectly understood. It is not for the purpose of thrusting the expectation of greatness on his shoulders."

Beside them, Fendros waited without knowing how exactly to interpret what his father meant by his words. He wondered at first if it was his prejudice, though he did not wear it on his face as he had seen before. It was like he was too exhausted to be disdainful.

Fendros spoke up to try diffusing things. "We will be happy enough if you give him a chance to be your grandchild for an afternoon."

"Hm," Rossarm acknowledged. He stepped to proceed whether Ahnasha was done or not.

Ahnasha chuckled lightly. “Don’t worry, we don’t need to.”

The trio were not too late to joining the others. It was a fair gathering of friends and family, nestled in a decently private location. The pack was all of course present. Lorag had even brought his daughter, though he seemed rather unsure of himself with how to interact with her. Both Rhazii and Julan looked unburdened for perhaps the first time since they had returned. The losses still weighed on everyone, but it felt easier now for them to look forward. From this crisis, the danger had passed. No more would their parents be at risk of not returning on any given day. They could look ahead even years down the line without the uncertainty that had been with them most of their lives. Kaleeth was sat down, watching the pair. She had been noticeably distant when she first arrived, but seeing the children, that had faded at least for now.

Ariel and her husband, Rukeewei, had joined them as well. It was going to be soon that they were returning home, as were many who had come to the Silent City, if they had not already. Lunise had been invited, though it was up to her judgment if she felt it was safe to attend. The Dominion forces were in the process of readying their departure back to Summerset, and while she could likely make time, she had to be careful about letting it be known how closely-associated she had been with them. Ahnasha was not sure who, if anyone else, would be joining them. She had not personally invited anyone, but the others could have.

“Hope we’re not late.” Ahnasha remarked as she found a clear spot to take a seat. Kaleeth and Lorag both saw them approach with Rossarm, and neither could say they had expected it. For the most part, they waited to see how he was going to act now that he was here.

The family picnic was perhaps the most normal everyone had been able to look as a group ever before, though the details showed just how changed they truly were.

Janius was his usual charismatic self, driving conversations that never failed to continue. He kept close to Kaleeth for reassurance. He wanted to make sure it was an enjoyable time for her, even with the difficult thoughts plaguing her.

Rhazii, Julan, and Narsi were tak8ng turns exchanging arm wrestles, with Rhazii being the clear champion but having to fight for it all the same.

Lunise was sitting back with a quiet contentment under a lacy and prickly looking black veil held in place with a black hat which obscured her identity from those that weren't looking. Her black down and jewellery clearly marked her as in mourning, and somehow more impressively than the many mourners that walked the Silent City in recent times. However she had arranged her excuse for being out here, coming surreptitiously was obviously a motive she left unclear.

The gathering was complete with Sabine, Karl, and Sabine's packmate Tarna arriving not too long before Fendros, Ahnasha, and Rossarm.

Rossarm's appearance turned everyone's heads and slowed every conversation. The attention caused Rossarm's nostrils to flare. Even that tiny expression brought tension to the lot of them, knowing his general opinion of Fendros' found family.

Rossarm was standing almost to a soldierly attention. He projected his tired voice low. "...We have not been properly introduced."

Fendros glanced at his father and took a breath. "Everyone, most of you know my father Rossarm. Perhaps not under the best of circumstances. I would like us to try again, if you would indulge us."

The silence that had accompanied Rossarm’s arrival had been noticeable, but it was not long-lived. Certainly, Fendros had helped to break the ice. Most of those present only knew of Fendros’ complicated relationship with his father by being told, and some did not know at all. Few enough had truly met him in person, outside of matters of duty relating to the battle, so returning to introductions was perhaps appropriate.

Lorag had not been quite his usual self since the battle. He had been more quiet, more reserved, but that still did not stop him from being the first to stand. By this point he was certainly fully rested and recovered from the battle itself, but something about him still felt tired. “Fragility” was not a word that could ever be associated with the likes of Lorag, but it seemed he could not put on the appearance of being quite so indomitable as before. Or perhaps he simply did not want to.

“Well, if we’re doin’ introductions, the name’s Lorag.” He said, extending his hand to Rossarm.

Fendros somehow saw Lorag and Rossarm look at each other as if mirrored, despite their noticeable difference in height and build. It was the looks in their eyes.

Rossarm did not hesitate to reach out and take Lorag's hand. "Rossarm Avarul," he said.

Off to Lorag's side, Janius waited a beat so he wouldn't interrupt Rossarm and Lorag, though the older men had no comment. Janius offered his handshake as well. "Janius. You proved quite the mage, and quite the shaper of mages."

Rossarm took Janius' hand with a frown. "Lycanthropes have a natural fortitude," he responded, almost humbly.

Fendros smiled behind him.

Of all people, Sabine was the next one eager to introduce herself. "I am Sabine Montgrave." She showed a small smile and gestured to the vision-impared Karl holding her hand. "And this is my partner Karl. I am glad you could join us."

Rossarm simply nodded. "I understand you were the protege of your late leader."

Sabine lowered her gaze. "That is correct. But, so were we all. In her pack."

"You as well, Lorag?" Rossarm asked.

There was a pause from Lorag, along with a mildly amused grunt. “You could say that. I was her second, back ‘fore I got too old for that job.”

“You weren’t too old then, and you still aren’t too old now.” Kaleeth chimed in. She started to try to stand to shake Rossarm’s hand, but after reflexively trying to put her weight on a leg that was no longer there, she frowned and stayed where she was. “I’m Kaleeth.” She introduced herself. Her downtrodden attitude seemed to diminish as she started to smile, though it was hard to tell from the outside if it was an act. “I’m just glad so many of us could get back alive.”

Now that he had introduced himself, Lorag returned to where he had been seated. “Yeah, I could do it, but it’s not really about bein’ too slow to do it now. It’s an important job; better to give it to someone who can keep it for more than a few years.” He tilted his head towards Fendros. “He earned it.”

With a shrug, Lorag returned his attention more directly to Rossarm. “Anyways, Sabine’s bein’ modest. We were all family, but she was everything to our old Alpha. Student, yeah, and a lot more than that. No one else could’ve learned all that magic stuff Meesei liked better than Sabine.”

Rossarm quietly considered Sabine for a time. He then turned to Fendros with a discerning frown. He asked Fendros, "Do you consider yourself a greater mage than Montgrave?"

Sabine's smile disappeared, partly with confusion.

Fendros felt dread sink into either side of his jaw muscles. He took a breath and reminded himself not to be how he used to be. "No, Sabine is the greater mage."

Rossarm raised an eyebrow.

"I am not the leader Fendros is," Sabine cut in, as was unlike her. "I may have greater aptitude in magic, but I do not think I can defeat him."

Perhaps mirroring Fendros' tempering, Rossarm also took a breath. "I would hear how my son earned his position as 'second' from you all, firsthand. If you would indulge me."

Fendros wished he could tell whether Rossarm was genuinely interested or looking to take Fendros down a notch. He twisted his mouth uncomfortably, but stayed quiet for now.

The tension in the air was easy enough for anyone to notice, but Ahnasha paid it little mind. Whatever Rossarm’s intentions, he would get the same answer. It was certainly a story Ahnasha had no problem telling. “That would be Meesei’s judgment. Especially after all the clans came together for the war, the Champion had to be someone both capable of leading everyone, and who could stand up to challenges from everyone who thinks they could do better. Everyone from all clans in Tamriel. After Lorag retired his position, Meesei saw two people who could do it: Fendros and Sabine.”

Nearby, Lorag chimed in with a chuckle. “Tough competition, too. This was all after Sabine got captured by the enemy. ‘Cept, before we could even find her, she’d ended up recruiting the enemy general, recovering the Staff of Magnus, and killing a dragon. Came back to us all on her own. Plenty of people would be happy to fall in line behind the Dragonslayer.”

“Probably.” Ahanasha remarked with a shrug. “People like heroic tales and titles.” She put one arm around Fendros, glancing at him with a smile. “Good leaders aren’t made through dramatic stories, though. Meesei saw the potential in him through a decade of war at his side. Every little success and failure. I’m sure you know how difficult it can be to teach magic to someone born under the sign of the Atronach. It can be crippling not to be able to replenish your own magicka, but there is power in it too. They have the innate power to absorb magic, and Meesei taught him how to harness that potential into his own defense. He is a warrior that no mage can touch, a fighter that no one in the clans can best.”

Ahnasha’s gaze went back to Rossarm directly. “He’s certainly taught me how different power can look, from what I used to think.”

Rossarm paused to ensure Ahnasha was done. He then slowly gave a nod.

"Fendros can carry the pressure, too," Janius added, putting on a smile which repelled Rossarm's quiet judgement. "He has many lives on his shoulders, many responsibilities. But he has demonstrated he knows when to get involved directly, when to trust, when to delegate, and when to hold himself accountable. We support him where we can, though that kind of weight could still crush anyone else."

Sabine also spoke. "He is also calm without being easy to push around. He is better at doing that than I am."

Rossarm also gave Sabine a nod, but did not say anything to either of them in return. Instead, he walked quietly over to Rhazii, Julan, and Narsi. They had been silently watching on, either sensing the gravity of the situation or not knowing what the matter was at all.

"You are Rhazii, correct?" Rossarm asked.

Sitting down, Rhazii did not have to look far up to look back Rossarm's eyes. He glanced at his mother and father unsurely.

Fendros gave him an encouraging look.

"Yes, sir," Rhazii said to Rossarm.

Rossarm craned his head forward. "What is your father to you? How does he measure in your eyes?"

Rhazii furrowed his brow. He stood up, taller than Rossarm and most everyone at the gathering. His ears were pinned back and his mouth was clamped shut in an effort not to bare his teeth. "Stop trying to knock down father," he said firmly.

With his back turned to the adults, it was hard to discern Rossarm's immediate reaction.

Ahnasha’s expression carried a sly smile. She was always proud of Rhazii and his tenacity. Whether it be against Rossarm, or even herself, he was certainly willing to stand for whatever he felt was right. She was not wholly convinced Rossarm intended to “knock down” Fendros just yet. From everything she had heard about him, Rossarm had a distinctly abrasive manner, even to his friends. Honestly, it was amusing that this well could be him trying to be nice. Perhaps she was wrong and he would be as dismissive of his son as ever, but if that were the case, all that would accomplish would be to make everyone disappointed in Rossarm. He may not have been aware, but he was the one being judged here. He was the only one who stood to fail.

In any case, Ahnasha would not insult Rhazii by stepping in. Not just yet, anyways. What Rhazii would see from her at the moment was simply her grin. She was there, she was ready to support him, but she could let him stand on his own two feet. Not to mention, she wanted to give Rossarm his fair chance to answer.

Rhazii's physical size usually elicited some trace of fear from those he showed it to when he really wanted it to. But Rossarm stood so cooly in his presence as to make Rhazii twitch in his knees.

Rossarm turned slowly on his toe around to Fendros, showing his back to Rhazii as if there was no threat at all. He looked unimpressed, if that was a distinguished expression from always.

Rhazii couldn't help but look a little incredulous.

"He is right," Fendros stated calmly. "If there is a better reason for this scrutiny, father, it would help us all to know."

"You know the reason," Rossarm answered. "You have known the reason since you yourself became a father."

Fendros bit his tongue. Rossarm had barely acknowledged Fendros' relationships with any Khajiit until now.

Rossarm continued. "I commend your son's courage and his concise answer to my question." His face darkened but did not blink. "You have...inspired a genuine loyalty. And fostered them well."

In the pause that followed, Fendros could hear Rossarm deliberately steadying his breathing. His heightened senses gave him this insight now, perhaps, but he had never known his father to be so hesitant.

"You do not need the likes of me anymore," Rossarm finally said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the folded note he hid upon entering his chambers earlier. With tired steps, he came over to Fendros and pushed it into his hands. "This is for you, when you have a quiet chance. I will take my leave." He bowed his head and turned.

Fendros took Rossarm's hand. "Please, stay a while." He said.

Rossarm looked up at Fendros with a frown.

Fendros knitted his brow. "I won't make you say what you wrote. I think I understand what you were doing now. Just...enjoy some food and drink with us before you go."

Rossarm sighed. With closed eyes, he threw aside what he might have said decades ago. Now he said something different. "...I can see this is important to you. Very well. Red wine, if you please."

Fendros smiled.

Janius was quick to find a cup and fill it from a bottle. "The finest for you, sir. Glad to have you with us."

It seemed there was no need for Ahnasha intervene. As she suspected, Rossarm’s intentions were not quite as he had led on. She doubted he was going to be making a habit of visiting at any point in the future, but there was an understanding now. Between all of them. They did not need to dwell on it. Right now, in the moment, Ahnasha could be happy to just enjoy a glass of wine herself. Another piece of the past had been put to rest. Fendros getting some closure with his father was a...small thing, compared to everything else they had been through, and she knew that he would have been alright no matter how it had gone. While she imagined he probably would have cared if he had been less accepting, she knew he had moved far beyond his father. Just getting the answer, one way or another, would have been enough to put it behind them, which was why she had encouraged him to make the invitation.

There was a bit of a lull in the conversation that followed. For a moment, she looked out across the others, holding on to her glass of wine in silence. With the war over, what were the next few years going to be like for them? Or even just the next few months. The Silent City had been home to them for years, but it was known now. Imperials and Dominion both had been allies with them against Vile, but could they really trust that it would stay that way? Even if the two major powers kept their word, it was now inevitable that word of their location would get out. Too many of their soldiers had been here. Would it be worth it to try to stay, or would a new home be somewhere in their future? Perhaps many new homes? A return to how they had lived before the clans was always on the table.

Even aside from the clan as a whole, the reality of how much was going to change for just their pack had only recently set in for Ahnasha. Understandably, Kaleeth’s mood had been sour recently with her injury, but Ahnasha could already tell that would not last. Now that the situation with Rossarm had settled down, one look at Kaleeth was all she needed to know how well she was going to settle into peace. It was easy to see how happy she was just to be able to spend time with her son again in peace, and that was nothing that an injury would take away, even in the worst case. Kaleeth and Janius still had each other, they had their family, and they had the kind of future they wanted for them. Ahnasha could be happy for them...but that sort of life would never be enough for herself.

There had been a lot of talk of peace since the war ended, though it had taken a while for Ahnasha to come to understand what it was about that thought which had been unsettling her. It was not that she particularly loved fighting, not like Lorag. He had already felt the need to look for his perfect end once before, and while he had become more patient in that regard, the day he stopped fighting would be the day he died. No, for her, it would not be the fighting, but what that fighting had done for her which would be missing from her life. The war had demanded everything from them, and Ahnasha had been forced to rise to meet that challenge. Out of sheer necessity, she had become greater than she had ever imagined she could be. Her power, what she had accomplished, it was more than enough for her to know that her potential could still go farther. She would not just stop and just let this be enough. That was not who she was, nor anyone who she would ever want to be. Unlike some of the others, she could not just settle down. Rhazii would only be a child for a few more years, and with his upbringing, she had an inkling he would not be content with a safe, boring life either. He had grown up surrounded not just by the stories of adventure and heroism, but by the people who lived them, yet he had never been able to participate himself.

Ahnasha’s wandering eyes caught Fendros’ gaze, and she found herself keeping it for a while. There was just one question left for her: what would he want for them?

Somehow, Rossarm took it upon himself to chase away the awkwardness of the situation. He swirled, smelled, and gently tasted the wine Janius had handed him, before striking up a conversation with Janius about the wine's origin. A topic Rossarm could matter-of-factly swim in without weighing the whole atmosphere down. This in turn brought everyone else's voices back to where they had been before Rossarm's arrival.

Fendros took a deep, luxurious breath in and out. His perspective on his father was now properly changed, albeit without forgiveness for the past. His own temper crept close to imitating his father towards Rhazii and his other packmates, and in that he saw Rossarm as a man who was not fortunate enough to have Fendros' circle of support.

But that was then. Fendros' family now had a much kinder way to love and grow each other. He was unsure of whether the close care he wished he could give during the war would prove a greater challenge to now embrace, so late after the unrelenting worry and exhaustion of their continent-spanning conflict. He smiled at Rhazii as the boy swallowed the embarrassment of his actions, not knowing yet how admirable they were. He smiled at his pack, scarred but together in this next, happier chapter. And he smiled at Ahnasha, wordlessly looking back into her eyes with that familiar feeling of love welling up inside of him.

"Thank you, Ahna," he said to her quietly. "This was the right thing to do, bringing father here." He glanced at Rhazii. "I actually have been mulling over an idea, Ahna. I have received word from a few clan leaders of some minor threats to the clan homes after the losses inflicted by the battle. Some renegade daedric cults, beasts, other creatures, that sort of thing. Being the new champion means these could be opportunities to help directly and show some commitment to protecting the clans. But, I thought you might be interested in joining me on these hunts, given there could be some rare resources available from them. And..." he tilted his head. "I think it's time Rhazii got a taste of a hunt outside of this place. What do you think?"

“Hmm…” Ahnasha leaned back, supporting herself on her hands as her gaze went up towards the roof of the cavern far above them. The glowing fungus spread throughout Blackreach gave something approaching the appearance of stars above, though Ahnasha was fairly certain it was midday at the moment. One effect of living underground was that day and night tended to be indistinct. As good as their home had been to them all these years, she did still prefer open sky.

“I think any of these ‘common’ threats will be outright relaxing compared to what we’ve just been through. But it has been a while since we’ve been on that sort of a journey, hasn’t it? Well, I suppose the propylons will make it a lot easier to get around than last time, but...it should still make for a nice outing for him. I am curious to see how well he has been learning from his lessons.” There was, for a moment, a light frown across her expression. “We haven’t been as involved with him as we should have been recently. Preparing for the battle took so much from all of us, and we’ve been too distant.”

Despite a few clear regrets, Ahanasha seemed to quickly replace them with more hopeful thoughts. “We can now, though. That’s what matters. I think it’s fair that we give him some of the adventure he’s been missing out on.”

Ahansha went to pick up the glass of wine from beside her, and as she did so, the strangest feeling washed over her for just a moment. It was the quickest chill up her spine, and something she might have simply dismissed if she had not already been familiar with the magic at play. Time had just been interrupted, and there was only one group they knew with that sort of power. She gave a quick look around, and sure enough, Lunise was nowhere to be seen. Given the circumstances, she had hardly been the center of attention. She had been somewhat off on her own, content to simply be present. It would be easy enough for one to think that she had slipped away without notice, but Ahnasha knew better.

“Hmm, I suppose the Psijics still had something to say to her.” Ahnasha remarked softly to Fendros. With just a few moments’ pause, however, she soon smiled and raised a glass to him. “Well, whatever fate-of-the-world business they might have for her, I think I will sit it out for now.” She said, kissing his cheek. “So, where should we go first?”

Fendros clinked his glass against Ahansha's. "I'm taking input from the council, but my mind is at dealing with a group of ogres who moved into the old clanhome near Bruma. And maybe staying a little longer to hunt something else."

The smile would not fall from Fendros' face. They were living again. Not just surviving.