[IC] Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

[EliteCommander]

"Nah, Runt's never seemed to mind the name." Lorag commented. "It took forever for Alpha to get even a name out of her, and we needed something. Runt was a joke, made by yours truly. It stuck. It's like a term of ender...end...enda."

"Endearment." Ahnasha interrupted.

"Yeah, right, that." Lorag said. He moved back over to his bedroll and sat down. As much as he hated it, he really couldn't be moving around unless he wanted his leg to get worse. "Oh, if you got anything for a broken kneecap in that shop of yours, I wouldn't deny it."

Once the others had finished their explanation, Meesei answered Ariel's question. "Beyond just healing potions, something for magicka, or perhaps invisibility would be helpful. I will be using my magicka heavily on healing for most of today, so I may be magically exhausted by tonight." She recommended.

[Muttonhawk]

"I'll see what I can do." Ariel quickly nodded to Meesei and Lorag, before she turned and started to head out, "I'll not be longer than a few hours!" Janius and Sabine walked after her. Soon, they were just footsteps and voices echoing down the cave path.

When they were out of sight, Fendros came up behind Ahnasha and slowly put his arms around her. Talking over Ahnasha's shoulder, Fendros began thinking out loud. "She really seems eager to help, doesn't she?" He commented to no one in particular, "I'd hate to think she's lying. I hope she's not lying." Angling his head to one side, he mumbled to Ahnasha, "I was going to practice some shooting, would you like to join?"

---

Janius, Ariel and Sabine emerged from the cave to behold the morning sun. The weather looked forgiving today, good for a quick trip. Janius had seen the landscape before, having spent much of the previous day outside, disposing of bodies, but Sabine inspected the wilderness that surrounded them for the first time in the daylight. If wasn't too different from the landscape around Vos itself, the slightly thicker vegetation being the main difference. Still, it was a completely different scene to their approach in the dark.

While they walked, they made conversation, Janius and Ariel being the main participants. The topic was initially with Janius probing Ariel about her shop. She explained that it was a free time venture she had opened with permission from the coven, but kept and maintained more thoroughly when she separated herself from them. It had become fairly successful in its time. She was even able to secure some deals to import rarer or simply harder to obtain ingredients from abroad by various channels. It was hard to find a Khajiit caravan that was willing to hunt for so many chaurus eggs, she explained. They discussed a few other things, how long Janius had been in the pack, Ariel's more lighthearted experiences within the coven, as well as the past couple of years as a business owner. The last topic continued as such.

"So, what do you get the most demand for in your shop?" Janius asked her as they walked.

Ariel thought for a few seconds. "That would depend on the time of year, and of various other events. There is of course plenty of demands for potions of resistances to various things if the guard is rooting out a hive of unsavory types, as well as healing and magicka potions. When the Maraites come around to preach, there are plenty of girls who think I sell love potions, though cosmetics are what they normally walk out with. And then there are people who just want remedies for various ailments, both temporary and persistent. Actually yes, the medicines seem to be the most consistently in demand."

Janius chuckled at a few of the details Ariel mentioned. "I didn't think the whole love potion myth would stretch out this far."

"Oh you wouldn't believe how many times a year it comes up." Ariel said, "It almost makes me want to formulate a truth serum and label it as a love potion."

"There are truth serums as well?"

Ariel tensed one side of her face, trying to find an explanation. "Probably not as you think of them. The ones I know how to make are more about removing inhibitions. Rather than keeping people from lying, they just make them more confident to tell the truth."

Janius guffawed, "you mean like a fine wine?" He teased.

"... That is an oversimplified way of explaining it," Ariel chided, before adding quickly, "... but not far from the truth." Janius laughed further and the topic seemed to end there. It did bring up another curiosity that Ariel had, though. "Speaking of love, I didn't really want to pry at Ahnasha while I was back at the cave, but may I ask... who is the father?"

Janius raised an eyebrow at her apprehension, not really considering what conclusions she would have come to initially. "The father? That would be Fendros." He said flatly.

"Fendros... wasn't he the Dark Elf?" Ariel said, confused.

"Yes."

Ariel paused, unsure of what to make of it after living amongst a notoriously bigoted society for so long. "How... did that happen?" She asked slowly.

Janius' mouth curled into a half smile. "It involved many 'truth serums'." Janius said, "I'll explain, it's a long story." Janius cast his mind back to a month ago, trying to recollect the night of wine and games. "We had just picked up Fendros a couple of days prior, Hircine guided Meesei to find him virtually the night after he was infected. He was still very uncomfortable with everything, so we thought we might help him settle into the pack with some wine, some word games, and some conversation. After enough drinks, Ahnasha sometimes gets frisky with anything that moves, but she her eye caught Fendros that night. Rather than Meesei peeling her off him like she normally did in such situations-" Janius raised a hand to his waist height, "-I'll explain why that was later-" he dropped his hand and continued, "Fendros reacted by flirting back, rather valiantly. I always wondered how many drinks it would take for a Dunmer's stubborn pride to surpass his apprehension with beast races, but it wasn't as much as I thought, I can tell you." Janius chuckled and looked up at the trees as he thought of the next act. "The next morning, the first thing the couple saw was each other, but no one could find Meesei. You see, somehow there was a brandy found that was strong enough to get an Argonian drunk, which meant that Meesei had taken a rather lengthy hike overnight. It took us most of the day to find her, and in that time, Ahnasha's child must have been conceived before Meesei could magic her body not to. Here's the amazing part, though." Janius looked wide eyed at Ariel, who was listening intently, "Fendros stuck by her. A fresh, green lycan and he took the responsibility like a real man. He was braver in that moment than most. In fact, he has been taking care of her ever since. Over the past couple of weeks, while we traveled up here to Morrowind, they just seemed to... be drawn together as they were by each others side. They are very much in love now. I never thought I'd see it between a Dunmer and a Khajiit either."

Ariel couldn't help but smile. "A romance worthy of song," she commented, "It's refreshing to see such a thing from two races with that history. Even with such... unorthodox circumstances." She laughed.

Janius nodded, "To be fair, Fendros was raised in Cheydinhal, he wasn't exactly from around here. Then again, it's probably not a song that should be sung while in the city. I'm sure you understand."

The rest of the trip was mostly idle conversation. By the time they reached Vos, the city was bustling, but making it to the shop was not difficult.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha grinned as Fendros put his arms around her. She rested her head lightly on his when he placed his head on her shoulder. "Even if she is, I'm sure Janius and Sabine will be enough to keep her honest during this little venture. And yes, I think I could stand to teach you a thing or two. Come on, let's get up to the surface and get some fresh air."

The pair walked hand-in-hand through the cave up to the surface, only separating to crawl through the collapsed wall of rocks. Ahnasha could see why the hunters chose the cave to be their base of operations. Aside from the obvious discomforts of being a cave, it was the perfect base. It had plenty of space, a natural source of water flowing through it, and its entrance was obscured in the mountainside by foliage. Once outside, Ahnasha led them a short distance away from the cave entrance, stopping underneath a mushroom tree next to a small clearing. Overall, it was a rather nice day outside. Ashstorms could pop up at any moment in Vvardenfell, but for the moment, the sky was perfectly clear. The sounds of birds and other creatures filled the air, making the area seem vibrant and alive, though the temperature was a bit hot.

"Alright, let's find a target for you to practice on. Soon enough, I'm not going to be fit enough for any sort of hunting or fighting, so you'll be the only archer available. I aim to get you ready for that responsibility." Ahnasha commented. Her tone did not betray it, but her words actually came with a good deal of fear. It wasn't that she did not believe Fendros could learn in time, it was that danger had been weighing much differently on her mind recently, among other issues she could not help but to worry about.

[Muttonhawk]

Careful you don't teach me too well, Ahna. I might end up getting better than you. Fendros thought as Ahnasha got into her serious training mood.

After a short amount of wandering, they spotted a suitably wide dead tree trunk and begun at a moderate distance. Under Ahnasha's instruction, Fendros adjusted his technique as required. He had improved in leaps and bounds since they first found him a month ago, but there was still room for improvement. Especially when compared to Ahnasha.

After a while, it wasn't Ahnasha's tone of voice, but her body language that betrayed something troubling her. At first Fendros played it off as nothing. As it persisted, he couldn't help but notice. "Ahna, you've been fidgeting. Is something bothering you?" He asked with concern.

---

"And... welcome to Montgrave Remedies." Ariel said proudly as Janius and Sabine followed her into the apothecary shop. With a flick of her wrist, Ariel caused a magelight on the ceiling to brighten and illuminate the room. Rows of cabinets with various jars, bottles and ingredients on display filled the small room with most of what the everyday citizen of Vos would need. Without hesitation, Ariel walked around behind the counter and picked up two small empty crates and a small empty sack. Taking out a key she walked over to one side of the shop and opened one of the windowed cabinets that was full of bottles of various liquids. "Janius, if you could put the potions from this shelf into one of the boxes?" Ariel asked. Janius nodded, taking one of the crates and beginning to fill it. Ariel then continued by looking around with an arm outstretched, looking for something in particular and mumbling to herself in the process.

Sabine walked slowly through the shop, running her fingers over the display cabinets and inspecting each label. Much of it, she understood, they were just medicines and supplements. Other things, she wasn't so sure about. Whether they were brand names, or just things she hadn't heard of before, it was still enthralling. "There it is!" Ariel said, her hand suddenly visible in front of Sabine, making her jump. "Oh, sorry Sabine, I was just looking for this fortification potion." Ariel unlocked the cabinet in front of them and pulled out a bottle of dark liquid, "I give them brand names that make more sense to spellcasters, you see. I don't really want to see these squandered with the effort it takes to make them." The bottle read Phantasm Tonic. It didn't look like what invisibility potions normally looked like, so Sabine figured that it was likely something which helped with illusion magics.

They packed up with various other things, including a couple of big, deep red potions and a small green potion from the storerooms. Ariel also gathered up a few ingredients and let her sister pick some out. Ariel made sure to bring enough of the required reagents of the suppression gas resisting potion to make enough for all of the pack later. With that, they headed off, locking up the shop behind them. "We're lucky that I didn't have any orders to fulfill this week." Ariel mentioned on their way out, "I'm sure this town can bear to have my store closed for a few days."

With Ariel and Janius carrying a crate each and Sabine holding the now full sack in her arms, they ventured back up to the cave within the day.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha sighed. "You know me too well. I won't try to hide it. I'm afraid about, well, a lot of things. Everything that seems to pop into my mind recently has me nervous for one reason or another." She said, letting out a sigh of resignation. She dispelled her bound bow and leaned herself against a nearby mushroom tree. Running her hands over her face, she let out a deep breath. "I haven't been able to see danger the same recently. I've never been afraid like this before. Death has always been something I've tried to avoid, but I wouldn't say I was afraid of it. After all, an eternity in Hircine's hunting grounds sounds like a paradise. Now, though...now I have a lot more to worry about. I'm a lycan, I can handle injury. I've been stabbed in the stomach before, but if that happened now, then I don't think our child would make it. Maybe...maybe I should start avoiding danger sooner than I planned? Maybe that would be for the best."

Sitting herself down next to the tree, Ahnasha looked up at Fendros as another of her worries popped into her mind. "And...there is another thing, one not so easily solved. It relates to you, or, well, and me too I suppose. It's just that...you're an Elf, and I'm not. You could reasonably expect to his a thousand years of age, while I would be incredibly lucky if I hit a hundred years. You're going to outlive me. You'll outlive me, our child, our child's children. I won't be a part of your life for hundreds of years. I...I can't even imagine that length of time. I knew about this before, but now that we're together, I've started to think about it more and more. I love you Fendros, and I don't want to lose you. I want our spirits to roam the Hunting Grounds side by side, but how could I even begin to ask that you be alone for so long?" With the emotion in her voice, it was easy to tell that this was something she had been thinking about deeply. As much as she wanted to maintain her composure, tears began to form in her eyes.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros held his bow up to his chest in both hands. One thousand years was of course pushing possibilities without some sort of magical assistance, but it didn't alter Ahnasha's point. It was something that he had reasoned as to why he would never try to get too connected with too many people of non-elven races, that was before he joined the pack, before he fell in love with Ahnasha. It was all such a nice dream up until this point that it wasn't something he had remembered. Now that he had been reminded, it suddenly became rather hard to breathe. Fendros sat himself down in front of her, putting his bow to one side. His eyes looked at the ground next to him, his thoughts whirring and churning like an small ocean.

"Ahnasha, I..." He tried to look at her, but the pain in her face was difficult. "Come here, I'll tell you something..." Fendros shifted himself to get close to Ahnasha and took her hand between his hands. The words came to him slowly, he had to think carefully, but there was a hope in his mind that he wanted to express. An inevitability that had a harsh truth, but one that Fendros could not see an alternative to. "Ahna..." Fendros stopped to breathe, stroking her hand with his thumb while he held her, "... we elves are cursed with our lifespans. We have to be the ones who watch all good things in the world come to an end." He managed to look up at her now, the words in his mind assembled, "Ahna, you have made me happier than I could ever be in my life, in this... in this, my fate is sealed. You see... my great aunt, Mirasi, she wasn't a black sheep because she was disagreeable. It was because she fell in love with a Nord. I never knew who this Nord was beyond his first name but it just so happened that he died shortly before the Red Year commenced... with what she wrote about him, and how I feel now, I finally understand what really happened to her. She lived more than most Dunmer, I keep finding that out more and more. There was no more living for her to do." Fendros paused and let the implications sink in for a moment. "... I cannot imagine those hundreds of years I might live either, Ahna. I don't know whether it's just me being young and stupid, but all the living I want to do is with you." Fendros brought his hands, along with Ahnasha's hands up to the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "My promise that you would not be alone, the one I made weeks ago. All the hunters, all the gods in the world be damned if it is not their will. I won't break it." Fendros reached and placed his hand on Ahnasha's cheek, his own eyes were saddened and grieving as they stared into hers, "I cannot break it."

---

With the clinking of bottles and the chatter of their voices, Ariel, Janius and Sabine emerged into the main chamber of the cave, laden with alchemical supplies. Ariel wore a bright smile as she entered, it looked like her and Janius had a fine time entertaining each other with their company. Sabine didn't really feel the need to speak during their journey, but there was a colour to her cheeks, a healthy one.

Janius and Ariel deposited their crates near the light of the fire so they could sort through what they brought back, while a couple of paces away, Sabine went about organising what they had brought back in the sack. "Hello again, everyone!" Ariel announced cheerfully, "Meesei, I brought you what you asked for, as well as what will be needed. Come, I'll show you."

Firstly, Ariel removed a number of vials of restoring potions, both for magicka and physical health. "These will come in handy for quick treatments, of course." Ariel said.

The next five bottles were all of an odd set of colours and consistencies, and had Ariel's strange brand names. "These are for helping to cast spells. I brought two for making illusion easier, one for restoration, one for destruction, and finally one for channeling magicka in general, though it is not as effective for any particular school of magic as the other ones."

Not even stopping to catch her breath, Ariel pulled out seven bottles of sickly-cream coloured liquid. "This is my special invisibility mix. They don't last long so I brought all I had. I can use illusion magic to sustain my own invisibility, but I thought you or your pack might want to make use of them yourselves."

"And finally..." Ariel strained to reach in and pull out a wine-bottle sized deep red mixture, "... This is your medicine. Enough of this could remake the flesh on Tiber Septim's bones. I also have a little spice to add which should dissipate any traces of silver left. It'll probably make your entire body a little sore, but if it doesn't make you as fresh as when you were born, then nothing will heal you." Ariel handled the hefty potion carefully to Meesei. "Sip it slowly, don't try to drink it all at once." She was quick to make clear.

"The rest of it is... some of my equipment... some more ingredients..." Ariel excitedly pulled out various items from the crates like she had come back from a day of shopping for clothes in the Imperial City, "some inflammation ointment for Ahnasha... aha!" Ariel pulled out a green bottle filled with what appeared to be a clear liquid, "Lorag, this is for you. I don't think it's within my means to help your kneecap any more than what is being done now, but this..." Ariel pulled the stopper from the bottle and almost immediately the entire room reeked of menthol and chamomile. It was somewhat pleasant, but rather overwhelming, "... if you rub this on the skin around your knee every few hours, it'll deal with the pain for longer than potions will, and it will make sure that your cartilage stays healthy." Ariel explained it all rather proudly, obviously being used to the smell, as well as not having the nose of a lycan. She handed the bottle to Lorag.

"Oh! And of course I brought back enough ingredients to make enough of the suppression gas resisting potion to last the entire pack at least a few doses each." Ariel concluded, gesturing to the sack that Sabine carried back. "Um, where are Fendros and Ahnasha, by the way?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei and Lorag had been resting while they awaited the return of the others. Meesei had healed herself somewhat while they were away, but Ariel's potions would certainly still be welcome. Meesei thanked Ariel, then gladly took the potion and began to drink it slowly, as she instructed. Lorag was a bit more reluctant in accepting his potion, but Meesei had made it abundantly clear to him that he wasn't to deny her help over his pride. If for no other reason than to follow the instruction of his alpha, he took the bottle and started to apply the liquid to his kneecap. He absolutely despised the smell, but at least that meant there was something he could act like didn't bother him.

When Ariel asked about Ahnasha and Fendros, Lorag was the first to answer. "Catdog and lover boy went up to the surface for some 'shooting practice.' Personally, I think they just wanted to get away for some alone time, but who knows? You can go up to check on them if you really need to."

---

While it was comforting for her to know how much Fendros cared for her, his solution hardly seemed like a solution at all to her. The thought of what he was implying caused even more tears to form in her eyes until she suddenly hugged him around the neck and began sobbing on his shoulder. "No...there's no way I could ask that. That's...that's no solution. I mean...there has to be a better way. There is some magic, some necromancy that can do it, but..." She said, her words trailing off at the end. She gripped him even tighter, as if by holding him close, their souls would somehow never have to separate. "Why couldn't I have just been an elf? Everything would be so much easier. We could live our lives together, we wouldn't have to hide it...I would look beautiful to you. Right now, I'm nothing but trouble for you." Ahnasha commented, her despair turning inwards toward herself.

[Muttonhawk]

"Oh Ahna, no." Fendros held her as well, trying to think as Ahnasha cried into him. "You aren't trouble to me, please don't blame yourself." He thought for a moment about what she had said. To say that she was not beautiful was a blatant lie in his mind. To think that being an elf would solve these problems would probably have made her such a different person that Fendros wouldn't recognise any detail about her. The mention of necromantic magic to extend her life was something that deeply concerned Fendros, especially with what can go wrong. What he knew about it was limited to hearing about the practices of certain Dunmer families as well as the tribunal, but it was not something he liked the idea of.

With one hand, Fendros lifted Ahnasha's head by the chin so he could look at her again. "Ahnasha, I did not fall in love with an elf. You are beautiful. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, especially yourself." He kissed her on the forehead before continuing, "This... magic to extend your life... It could go wrong, it could make you become a husk of your former self. You wouldn't be Ahnasha any more. I can't let that happen." He then sighed bowed his head forward, closing his eyes. "What are we to do?" He whispered almost rhetorically. It was he that started to hold her tight now, it had all fallen into a hopeless conundrum again. "Maybe there's someone else who knows a better answer." He said hopefully.

---

"Oh, I see." Ariel replied briskly, blushing slightly. It was still strange to hear about such a pairing, but apparently it was true.

There was a nudge on Ariel's arm. She turned to see Sabine's eyes demanding her attention. It looked like she had set up the equipment required to make the resisting potions. "Ah, well, we might as well begin." Ariel said. The activity that followed involved Ariel writing down a detailed recipe for preparing the required ingredients and making the potion to resist the suppression gas out of them. It was a simple recipe, just as she promised, but it involved an awful lot of chopping and grinding the ingredients, before making a condensate out of one and just mixing in the others. She wrote it as she demonstrated it to Sabine and anyone else who was watching. Sabine imitated her as best as she could, and actually ended up making a purer end product than her older sister. Ariel was unsure exactly why, but she expressed her suspicions that maybe the purer mixture had more patience put into it. The end product itself was a number of vials of sickly yellow liquid that had a genuinely awful smell and taste, but had come out perfectly according to Ariel. Their first batch was a smaller one in order to practice the recipe, enough for four doses. They might have time to make a few more before night fell.

After the while it took to make the potions, Ariel looked over to where Meesei was resting and treating herself. She couldn't quite see how far she had gotten through the regeneration potion while she wasn't looking, so Ariel was curious as to her progress. "Meesei, how are you feeling now?"

[EliteCommander]

"I...don't know if that is true. About the magic, I mean." Ahnasha responded. She pulled back from him just enough so that she could look into his eyes. "I suppose it could go wrong, but...it could go right too. I remember reading about this one Dunmer wizard, Div...Divayth Fyr, I think, who has been alive since the First Era. Copies of his books used to pass through my parents' shop from time to time. He has been alive for thousands of years and is perfectly fine. I doubt I could go that far, but...a few hundred could be possible. I don't know what's involved, and I'm sure I would have to spend a lot of time learning, researching, but maybe it could work?" Ahnasha said, her tone carrying with it a hint of desperation.She wanted to find something, anything that could solve this problem. No matter how unlikely it seemed, she was willing to try anything that could keep her alive for anywhere close to Fendros' life expectancy.

---

While Ariel and Sabine had been preparing the resistance potions, Meesei had been slowly sipping away at the regeneration potion she had been given. She was mostly finished with it by this point, and its effects were quite obvious. "Well, you were not lying about the soreness." She commented as she stood up and began to stretch her muscles. She began to walk around the cave to test and see how it felt to move. Unlike before, her stomach did not pain her when she tried to move. With a short magical examination of herself, she determined the potion was indeed helping. She wasn't completely healed yet, not enough for a fight, but she had mobility now. "I may not feel great, but I believe I am well enough to move, at least for a scouting run. Is this coven close enough to Vos that I will need my full city disguise, or can I use less restrictive clothing?"

[Muttonhawk]

Ariel looked at Meesei for a moment, unsure exactly what she meant. At first, she suspected that Meesei wanted to scout the coven in the nude, as effected by her impression of Lorag during breakfast. Her sense came back to her eventually, though. "Well, er... I think in any case, if you were spotted, the coven would recognise you as an outsider. I don't think dressing to fit in with Vos would help you much." Ariel wondered whether it would be worth it to be in disguise in the first place. She had wanted to use invisibility for most of the close-quarters sneaking anyway. "That said, however, the coven is situated some distance from Vos, we won't be needing to go near the city."

With that, Ariel began to gather up some of her belongings, assuming that they would be leaving soon. "Will it just be you and I, or are some others coming?" She asked.

---

With Ahnasha's response, Fendros just looked right back at her. His face showed fear. The words that she was saying were all out of a frantic scramble to solve a problem that neither of them really knew how to deal with. It was scaring him that Ahnasha was talking so hopefully about what could destroy her. There was very little hope in Fendros' mind about the magics that could extend her life, but he didn't want to end up losing her sooner because she had attempted it without knowing the consequences.

Just before she finished indirectly asking him whether it might work, Fendros wrenched his eyes shut and shook his head slowly. "Ahna, please," he sighed angrily. He let out more of his thoughts with an upset and frustrated tone, but one that pleaded all the same, "Please don't do anything rash. This magic..." He opened his eyes, "... it just doesn't seem right. Let's at least ask Meesei about it before committing. For all we know it's impossible."

Fendros breathed and tried to calm down, he was cursing himself that such an endeavour had seeded in Ahnasha's mind. After another outward sigh, he held Ahnasha gently by the shoulders. He spoke with a slower and more collected tone now, but his face was still laced with fear, "I'm sorry, I'm just... talking about this... I'm scared too."

[EliteCommander]

"It will just be you and I. It would be best to keep our group size to a minimum to avoid detection." Meesei answered as she began to gather her belongings to prepare. She dressed in her usual clothing, then filled her satchel with a few useful potions, including a magicka potion and one of Ariel's invisibility potions, in the event of an emergency. In addition, she collected one of the enchanted bone necklaces and put it around her neck, then approached Ariel and offered the other to her. "Here, take this. It bears an enchantment which connects it to the one I am wearing. Both of them can be used to find the other, in the event we get separated. If there is nothing else, we should get moving. You should take the lead."

---

Ahnasha had calmed down considerably, but she was still greatly conflicted. She knew what she was proposing was dangerous, but it seemed like the only real option. One thing he said was certainly true, however; Meesei could definitely be of help. "I...I know. You're right, and I'm not going to step into anything blindly. I am afraid, but..." She began her gaze moving from the ground up to his eyes. For a few moments, she looked at him silently before slowly wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a very long, very passionate kiss. She eventually pulled away with tears still in her eyes, but a more content expression on her face. "...but I won't be giving up. It will take time, it will take effort, but we will surely be able to figure out something. I don't know what it will take, but if we set our mind to it, we will do it."

[Muttonhawk]

"Of course," Ariel said, taking the necklace from Meesei and loading up the rest of the things she would need. On top of what she brought in initially; a health potion, two magicka potions, a brown potion that improved her destruction spells temporarily, a scroll and a dagger; she also brought along a dark potion that held a shield effect and a purple potion that would reflect magic for a time. "Let's get moving, then. I'll tell you more about what to expect on the way."

Ariel began to walk to the cave entrance with Meesei in tow. Before exiting the chamber, she turned and addressed Sabine, Lorag and Janius, "we'll be back well before morning I think." She said with a small wave.

As they walked through the cave complex, Ariel began her briefing of sorts. Outside of talking casually with the pack, she talked with a tone that spoke of a confident level of knowledge, rather than her slightly nervous, conflict avoiding self from before. "The Vos Witches Coven is situated in an old ruined fortress on a hillside. The local authorities lost their deed to the land due to some swindle the witches pulled at least a century ago, but their presence has been tolerated for a number of reasons. I know a few side entrances we can use, so finding a way in shouldn't be difficult. You just have to be careful of runes set on the ground that will alert sentinels to our presence. They can be hard to spot if you aren't looking for them. White runes, they are, about the size of your palm." Ariel held her hand up as an example, before crawling through the hole in the cave in that she still couldn't work out what happened to cause it.

She continued walking after dusting herself off on the other side. "The sentinels themselves are animated skeletons, often armed and armoured. They aren't too tough or smart, but there are a lot of them, and they can raise an alarm quickly. As long as we stay out of their vision and don't make too much noise, they shouldn't prove to be a problem. If we approach at nightfall, most of the witches will probably be asleep, but there are many that like to perform rituals under the moonlight, so we shouldn't be complacent." Ariel turned her head to Meesei for extra emphasis on her next point, "Oh, and if you see a particularly hunched witch, one with feathers on her, that is one of the hagravens. They are very old and very powerful, especially in this coven. Don't try to best them, it's not worth it." Ariel's words were truthful, but underneath she still had a respect for her old mentors. The hagravens often weren't as much involved with the coven's practices as they were used to, they more interested in their own pursuits, they were smart enough not to get involved with a Daedric war in any case.

They eventually found the mouth of the cave and stepped into the light of the day. "There won't be much to see from outside the walls, so I was going to try a headcount with a life detection spell and maybe slip in for a moment to see where they had set up the equipment to make the gas. Did you have any thoughts?"

---

With Ahnasha seeing more reason now, Fendros wasn't so worked up. After kissing her, he felt as if they weren't rushing towards something they would regret. He nodded slowly in acknowledgement, he was put at peace for now. He brought her close and held her body to his chest, wanting to just sit and embrace for a while. "You don't have to be afraid, Ahna," He said quietly, feeling her heart beat. They sat in each other's arms for several minutes. It was another moment that Fendros didn't want to see the end of. Here, they could just be together, comforting each other. Never had he felt more like doing nothing was the best thing in the world.

After those several minutes had passed, Fendros looked down at Ahnasha. "As for staying out of danger, you do what you think is best, Ahna." He stroked the back of her head, "I understand protecting the child."

[EliteCommander]

"Understood." Meesei said with a no as they exited the cave. "We need not take any unnecessary risks for this scouting run. I would like to gain as much information as possible, but not at the risk of our own lives. I am a capable illusionist and have the enhanced senses of a lycan, so I should have no issue remaining hidden. The poison gas is of course a point of interest we should investigate, but I am also interested in their undead guardians. Magical constructs such as those are useful, but they have their weaknesses. If I can get close to them, I may be able to get a sense of what type of energies are binding them together. Even better, if we manage to capture one, I could examine it, and perhaps create enchantments we could use to disrupt them. That, of course, would only be possible if one happens to be far enough away from the coven to capture without raising the alarm."

The pair had immediately began towards the coven's lair, but according to Ariel, it was a bit of a walk, so they did have some time to spare. "At any rate, since we have the opportunity now, I had a few questions I wished to ask you. Firstly, this coven, how are you expecting these events to unfold. I know these witches essentially kidnapped you as a child, but it would be foolish of me to think that you do not have personal ties within their group, even if it is only with a select few individuals. I do hope you realize this raid could easily turn to bloodshed."

---

Ahnasha nodded. "I...I do think it would be best if I kept away from the most direct dangers. I don't like it, but I have to think about more than myself. I wouldn't be able to handle it if harm came to our child because of my pride. Don't think I'm just going to be useless, though. I can find ways to help that won't put me in the direct line of fire, and don't think this will get you out of our training. Even when my belly looks like I swallowed a melon whole, I'll still be teaching you how to shoot."

She gave him a genuine smile, then a quick kiss as she stood up. For a moment, she looked out across the sky at the sun that was quickly setting over the horizon. "Maybe we should get back inside. We can get some dinner, rest by the fire, or maybe take another of those very relaxing baths. If that fails, I'm sure we can find some way to mess with Lorag while he can't walk. It would be too easy." She said with a slight chuckle.

[Muttonhawk]

"Right, if we're lucky we might be able to get one." Ariel said in regards to capturing one of the sentinels, her mind overlooking when exactly the witches might take stock of them.

Ariel frowned uneasily at the next question, "I know. I knew that this would be dangerous, but I wanted to avoid killing any sisters of mine," she looked at Meesei for a moment, "figurative sisters, I mean," she returned her gaze back to where she was going. "I guess having the pack as a diversion might put them in more danger... or less danger if they are going to be away from the laboratories to defend." He released a slightly exasperated breath, "the thing is, even if they are hurt, they are very good at keeping themselves, and each other, alive. I daresay that the survivors would likely reconsider siding with Vile after this mission. As for connections..." Ariel pulled a leaf off of a bush they passed by and folded it in her hand as they walked, "... there are only a few of them that I was truly friends with. There many others that I have respect for, in terms of skills, but they are not the best of people. Regardless, they exiled me, I was not to ever see them again. It may sound slightly cowardly, but as long as I can find Lilia and destroy the gas, then what happens to the others is not something that I have much control over. I have to trust them to take care of themselves." She looked at Meesei again, "That said, when your pack engages them, please try not to kill them outright, just distract them. It would put my mind at ease."

---

With a grin, Fendros stood up as well. The movement caused his stomach to grumble. "That sounds good, I could go for something to eat. the rest of them should be back by now as well, we might see what they brought with them."

Picking up his bow in one hand and putting his other arm over Ahnasha's shoulder, Fendros walked from the clearing and back to the hunter's cave. Once they got back, he unstrung his bow, lifted his quiver off from his shoulder and went to get something to eat with everyone else. Sabine was grinding some more corkroot bulb, preparing more of the resisting potion. When she looked up at them both when they came in, she still held a beady stare, but her face seemed warmer and slightly less fearful. Fendros just smiled back, unsure. Janius was sharpening his axe by the fire, he had a thoughtful look on his face while he worked. "Hello," he greeted as Fendros and Ahnasha walked in. He didn't look up from his work while he talked. "Has Fendros learned how to shoot an apple off a distant tree yet?" He japed with a half-smile.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha joined the others by the fire with a cut of meat for herself, though this time she took a bit more time with it. The hunters did not have any moon sugar that she had found, but they did have an assortment of spices. She spread them over her meal, then allowed it to roast over the fire. She of course intended to remove it while it was still mostly raw, but allowing it to roast with spices for just a little while would add to the flavor. Before Ahnasha could even answer Janius' question, Lorag, almost predictably, chimed in.

"Heh, you act like they were actually practicing up there. We all know what you two do in your 'alone time,' no need to hide it." Lorag commented.

Ahnasha crossed her arms. "Our intentions were purely innocent this time, Lorag. I know you're jealous because you don't have anyone to share a bed with, but still. Fendros has been making good progress. He's good enough now that I would consider him a good shot. The next step is helping him keep his aim under pressure, then we move on to making him a great shot.

"Hmph, jealous. Right." Lorag huffed. He turned his head to Fendros and gave a slight nod. "Hey lover-boy, how about you give a demonstration of what Catdog's been teaching you?"

---

Meesei looked over Ariel's expression, examining her features. While more difficult for her to discern than other Argonians, she had grown accustomed enough to humans to differentiate most of their emotions. She seemed to care about the lives of at least some of the coven. Meesei let out a slight sigh. "I cannot guarantee that. I will tell the others to try and strike non-fatal blows, but if they fear for their lives, they will have to go for a fatal strike. I cannot afford to risk the lives of my pack, just as I do not want to risk yours. Killing will not be the first option, though, I can promise that. Speaking of sisters, though, there are some questions I have regarding Sabine. As you have seen, she is a quiet individual. Is is hard for even me to convince her to speak to me. I was wondering what you can tell me about what she was like before she became a lycan, before the torture. At this point, I am not certain she even remembers."

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros looked at Lorag, glancing to everyone else for a moment. He wasn't quite sure whether he liked his new nickname, but he knew Lorag well enough that he wasn't going to have any control over changing it. "Well I just unstrung it-, oh alright then." He collected his bow, an arrow, and a short plank of wood from nearby. After taking a moment to string his bow, he handed the plank to Janius. Standing between Janius and a fairly open area of the chamber, Fendros nocked his arrow. "Toss it down that way, far as you can." He said to Janius, nodding to the space in front of him. Janius shrugged, then threw the plank overarm, high and far.

As it hurtled through the air, Fendros pulled back his bowstring and tracked it. A short distance past the height of the plank's arc, Fendros released and there was a loud tack as the arrow collided with one face of the plank. The arrow clattered to the ground with the plank. The shot had not pierced the solid wood, but when Fendros walked up to collect them, he held up the plank to reveal a fresh splinter on one of its surfaces. "A bit easier to hit than the ash yams Ahna was throwing, but I should hope I got it right after practicing all afternoon." Fendros said modestly. It felt more like a party trick at this point, but practicing on small moving targets was important. Rarely would his prey be standing still. It was true what Ahnasha said earlier though, doing this under more pressure was not something Fendros was used to at this point.

Janius simply nodded and pulled a sturgeon frown at Fendros' demonstration. Sabine was too distracted to care.

Feeling like he'd swelled his ego enough for one night, Fendros proceeded to put his equipment aside and grab his own meal. He wasn't even aware of the spices the hunters kept until Ahnasha found them. The smell of them over the fire drew him to do the same. "Never thought I'd see you cooking your meat, Ahna," he mentioned when he began to roast his dinner. Still feeling a little raw at being put on the spot by Lorag's nicknaming, even though he didn't have to be ashamed by it, he was made curious about it. "Hey Lorag, did you ever get any nicknames? Either in the pack, or when your were in the legion, or otherwise?" he asked. Almost immediately he prepared himself for a self-indulgent regaling about his time as the 'great hero of Windhelm', or the 'great stud of the medical tent', or other some such 'great' title. He might have an honest answer, though.

---

On Meesei's promise, Ariel nodded solemnly. It was really the most that Meesei could do in the circumstances, she understood that much.

Ariel had to angle her head upward and think about how Sabine was before she was infected. It had been a number of years, Ariel had almost forgotten herself. As the memories came back to her, Ariel slowly recited them. "Let's see... Sabine was... well she was still shy, but not completely withdrawn. She liked to play with the people she knew and trusted, but always hid behind someone's robe when meeting strangers." Ariel furrowed her brow as she remembered, "I actually remember her talking much more openly than she does now. An innocent child, as you would expect. Loved to make potions, was always interested in what the other witches were making, and we indulged her curiosity most of the time. It was a number of them who collectively raised us, you see." Ariel smiled suddenly, "I remember she had a penchant for tasting whatever ingredients were left out, even into her later childhood. The more dangerous ingredients were always kept hidden and locked away, naturally, so no real harm came from it." Her smile turned into a laugh, "One night she ate too many milk thistle seeds and she ended up glowing in the dark for the rest of the night. She must have liked the taste."

Ariel's smile faded as she was brought back to the present. "So, yes, she was playful and innocent, like most children, but shy."

[EliteCommander]

Lorag didn't seemed to be obviously impressed by the demonstration, though it was possible he was just hiding any reaction. When Fendros asked if he had any nicknames, he let out a short, but hardy laugh. "No, no one's been clever enough to come up with something that stuck. Catdog tried, but she never got far. She didn't have as much of a talent for it when she first joined the pack. Still, I like to think I've rubbed off on her." Lorag said, giving Ahnasha a light nudge on the shoulder as she began eating on her undercooked meat. "If she was as clever then as she is now, she probably would have come up with something. A bit too late now, though. As far as the Legion goes, my commander never would have allowed anything like that. He was a strict, serious man, to the annoyance of everyone under his command. Don't get me wrong, though, I respected that man to death. He was a Khajiit, believe it or not. One of those Cath...Cat...Cathe..."

"Cathay-raht." Ahnasha interrupted.

"Yeah, right, that. His name was Do'Rhajul, and he was one fearsome fighter. He could use all sorts of weapons, but mostly stuck with blunt ones. I'm not ashamed to admit he was much stronger than even I am now. I don't even know if I could properly wield the hammer he carried, and when he was at the head of a shield wall, there was nothin' getting past him. He led his men with a strong hand, but he was always fair. I don't really know what happened to him, honestly. He was with our patrol when we were ambushed by the werewolves. We all got separated, so I didn't see what happened. If anyone was going to survive that, though, it would probably be him." Lorag explained, thoroughly enjoying recalling his past in the Legion. He wouldn't want to go back, of course, but he had fond memories of that part of his life.

---

"I suppose that is sensible. Her current traits could not have come from nothing, after all. Still, I believe she can be cured, her mind restored. It shall not be easy, but i will go to any length to ensure the well-being of my pack.It is good that you are so willing to help your sister as well. It will be difficult for you to redeem yourself fully, but you are certainly on the right path. I cannot help but to wonder, though, how will you deal with our eventual departure? We will not be staying in Vos forever, and once we leave, we may not end up returning. It depends on where Hircine sends us. Will you be able to handle being separated from the sister you have only recently reunited with, potentially permanently?" Meesei asked. Her question may not have been easy or pleasant to think about, but it was important to consider nonetheless. Even if Ariel was not of her pack, Meesei did not want to cause her any pain she was not prepared for.

[Muttonhawk]

Casting his mind back to the tall Khajiit that had died in the ambush on the rival pack, Fendros tried to imagine one in Legionnaire armour with a war hammer. It was an impressive image, even in his imagination. Lorag's suspicions that his commander might have survived was not hard for Fendros to believe. "Maybe you'll get a nickname at some point, Lorag," Fendros said.

"Teddy..."

Fendros looked over his shoulder, Sabine was still busily grinding bulbs into fibre, giving no indication that she had talked, but Fendros was certain that it was her voice. Fendros quickly exhaled with a grin on his face. He looked at Janius, who seemed similarly amused.

"A big huggable bear..." Janius muttered, looking over to Lorag. He lifted his chin and began to erupt into hearty laughter, "I'm not sure that we could do that to Lorag, Runt dear!" He said through his laughs. At the end of his laughter he waved his finger around, trying to compose himself, "It's a thought, though."

"I don't know..." Fendros added as he laughed along with Janius, "it seems a bit cruel."

---

Ariel looked at the ground, she was not really sure whether she would ever be fully redeemed.

"Oh Meesei, I know I cannot have Sabine stay. Her place is with your pack." Ariel assured her with a comforting face that hid her own grief, "I will be satisfied knowing that she is being taken care of. That she has found such a loving family is wonderful." Ariel looked ahead again, "Still, it will be sad to say goodbye."

She released a longing sigh, then looked at Meesei again, gesturing with one hand. "However, if you do come by Vos again, do come and visit. You will always be welcome at my shop. I can't guarantee that I'll be able to let go of so much stock as I have already, but this was a special circumstance," she smiled and put her hand on Meesei's shoulder and stopped for a moment. "You are a wise woman Meesei, I've seen that much. I cannot thank you enough, and I cannot think of anyone I would rather have raising my sister."

She let go and continued to walk, the mention of having Sabine's mind 'restored' was an interesting prospect, even if it was mysterious. "I'm curious about what you mean by 'cured', though. Is there a way you mean to treat her mental trauma?"

[EliteCommander]

Lorag chuckled. "Yeah, I don't think that one's going to stick, Runt. This bear is more than happy to maul someone's face off." He said, pointing to himself. "A fact these witches are going to be well aware of once we start our raid."

Ahnasha looked around a bit nervously for a few moments. Now seemed to be a good time to bring up what she wanted to say, but it still wasn't exactly something she was proud of. "I...I think I want to stay out of the fight when we raid the coven." She said quickly, her face clearly showing some embarrassment.

Lorag looked at her quizzically, with what seemed to be genuine shock. "What did you say? I must've misheard you, because I could have sworn you said you were staying out of the fight. You going soft of me, Catdog?"

"No, no, it's not that. It's just...I fear for the life of my child. I can take some punishment, but the cub I'm carrying cannot. If I get hit or stabbed the wrong way, it could die. I'll find a way to help, just not in the fight." Ahnasha explained.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Lorag answered. Even he recognized that, in some cases, it wasn't a good idea to step into a fight. "I won't give you any trouble this time. Just keep that little kittenpuppy safe."

---

Ariel's reaction was about what Meesei expected. Separating from Sabine was of course not going to be easy for her, but Ariel seemed strong enough to handle it. After all, she had released her sister with the expectation that she probably would not see her again. She was also curious about how Meesei intended to repair Sabine's mind, which was understandable. "As I mentioned before, anything that is broken can be repaired. Sabine's mind was broken by the torture, but there are ways for another to 'enter' her mind, so to speak. There is a ritual involving the Hist that I have performed many times which could accomplish just that. There are no guarantees, of course, but I have hope that she may be healed. Unfortunately, it is not an experience I can describe too clearly. To truly understand it, you have to experience it. I will answer your questions as best as I can, though. About anything. I cannot say it is likely you will have the opportunity to speak to lycans on friendly terms again, so I understand if you have questions you wish to ask."

[Muttonhawk]

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Janius joined with Lorag's sentiment, "if I had a child tied to my front I wouldn't want it in a fight either."

Fendros smiled in support. In a way it was a relief for him as well. Despite the Orc werewolf hunter being slain, he still had niggling worries about Ahnasha's safety, and that of the child.

Now that the sensitive matters were being brought up, it reminded Fendros of their talk on lifespans. It was frustrating that they had missed Meesei, she must have gone out with Ariel before they came back inside.

Satisfied that his dinner had been roasted for long enough, Fendros carefully lifted the spit from the flames of the campfire and began to tuck in. The spices were stronger than he thought they were going to be, but they gave the meat a wonderful flavour, one that broke up the normal monotony of their diets. Between mouthfuls, Fendros spoke to Janius, "so how did the trip to Vos go?"

"Not too shabby," Janius replied with a small shrug, "Ariel is a very charming woman, and very generous."

"What did you and up bringing back?"

Janius went on to explain the various things that Ariel had brought back, the ingredients, the equipment and the potions. "Though the spellcasting potions, I... can't really remember which one is which. Two were for illusion magic, one for destruction, one for... restoration? I can't remember what the last one is for." He held the last one up, Aether supplement wasn't much of a clue as far as labels went. "There was also this..." Janius put down the potion he held and picked up the small jar filled with a white paste, simply labeled Foot Ache Relief. as he turned it, Janius found instructions. "'Apply liberally to the surface of the affected ankles twice a day'" Janius read out loud, "Oh, right, Ariel said this was for you, Ahnasha. I'm not sure why... does pregnancy make your feet hurt?" Janius asked as he handed the jar to Ahnasha.

"Oh yes, that reminds me. Lorag, have you reapplied your special oil yet? I think it's about time." Janius said in a teasing tone, recalling Ariel's gift to him and Lorag's reaction to its smell.

---

"The Hist..." Ariel pondered for a moment, she had not had dealings with the Hist before. Her experience with deities had been limited to Aedra and Daedra. She knew what they were, though not much else about them. "And you are sure that the Hist will help? I thought they were only patrons to Argonians."

Ariel had a few other questions that hovered to the front of her mind in regards to Lycans, as she had taken an interest in their nature when trying to cure her sister, but for the moment she was more curious about the Hist.