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

[Muttonhawk]

By the time they reached the ogre, Fendros could hardly contain his excitement. He felt as if he wanted nothing more than to bite into the fat creature's neck and taste its life blood. Never mind what he had thought earlier about hunting trolls. This was a hunt, a fight. Fendros fidgeted with his ears horizontal and his teeth bared as he was kept back by Meesei, but bolted full speed ahead at the moment he heard the word 'kill'.

As Fendros burst out of the scrub, the young ogre immediately sat up and looked toward the unknown sound. The creature made a wild bellow that sounded like a threat but smelled of panic. The ogre tried to get up, but was knocked over by Fendros' leap and they both tumbled onto the ground near the rock. To Fendros' surprise, the ogre had managed to place its arm between Fendros' neck and himself, pushing Fendros back with enough strength that no matter how much snapping at the ogre's neck that the he did, he couldn't quite reach it. After a second, Fendros reeled back and snapped at the ogre's arm. Fendros tasted blood as his teeth sank in and the ogre let out a more pained bellow. It anger and pain, the ogre lifted Fendros off his body and knelt up, Blood! Flesh! Kill! Fendros was so enslaved to his beast form that he didn't see the ogre's great fist rushing towards his own neck. The punch landed, causing Fendros to let go of the ogre's arm and back away a couple of paces, coughing and growling. Prey ogre! Kill ogre! Fendros lunged again at the ogre's neck, but was knocked aside by the ogre's good fist. The ogre shouted again, with its bleeding arm tucked to its body and its other arm ready for more. No! I can't let the beast take over! Fendros let out a growl as he paced around the huffing injured ogre, he realised that his control had slipped, and he needed to heel the beast back from his mind a little. His whole mind was wracked with conflict as he attempted to control himself again. In the end, he only convinced himself to fight with more than just lunges to the throat as his instinct was dictating. Claws... Fendros feinted a lunge and saw the ogre twitch, in that instant of distraction he brought his right arm around in a sweeping rake of his claws across the body of the ogre. He felt the claws run right through the creature's flesh and its bellow was more panicked than ever. Fendros followed through with a sweep of his left arm, to similar effect. Rend! Tear! In hesitation and panic, the ogre could only shield its face from the claws and it turned to run. Once it turned his back to him, Fendros leaped at the ogre once more, this time with his claws forward. He pinned the ogre and tore at the back of its neck until its pained and fearful bellowing stopped.

Feast... Fendros suddenly backed away from the ogre's body as it continued to bleed. NO! Fendros put his head between his bloodied hands and tightly shut his eyes, he began pressing his head between his hands firmly and shaking around as if he were suffering a siezure. You will not take over me, beast! Fendros barked and thrashed more, Scent of flesh... NO! it got to the point where Fendros lost his footing and began writhing on the ground, battling with the beasts with his hands still pressing on his head.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei remained close behind Fendros, circling the pair as they fought. As expected, Fendros went straight for the ogre's throat, just as his instincts commanded him. The ogre's instinct to protect its neck saved it, however, so the ambush quickly became a fight. The ogre could hit hard, but that pain seemed to give Fendros pause enough to think, which was the true strength of a lycan. A werewolf had a fast and powerful body, with the massive claws and sharp teeth of an apex predator, but even more importantly, it had a mind capable of thought and reason. The intelligence of a person coupled with the bestial power of a wolf made for a deadly combination that few could resist. As Fendros grew more experienced, he would be able to switch between ferocity and tactical thinking at will, but for now, his thoughts would likely be in reaction to his environment.

Fortunately, Fendros managed to slay the creature without serious injury, though she had not quite expected his following actions. Instead of feasting on his kill, he was writhing on the ground as if in pain, though she saw no injury. She had expected to have to force him off of the body to claim her right to eat first, though that did not appear to be necessary. He still very much had the mind of a "civilized" individual, so perhaps he had reservations about eating the raw meat of a fresh kill? She remembered that Janius had a similar issue, though he still feasted on his first kill. Nevertheless, there were certain traditions that needed to be followed, so Meesei ignored Fendros for the moment and moved to the body of the ogre. She used her teeth to rip into its abdomen, biting through the fat and pulling out some of the intestines underneath, relishing the scent of the blood that soaked her snout. They would still need to carry the corpse back, so she had no intention of eating too much and tearing apart the corpse. She ate just enough to satisfy both lycan customs, and the hunter of her beast spirit.

Once finished, Meesei allowed her beast to rest, shifting herself back into her Argonian form. As usual, she showed no reaction whatsoever to the pain of having her bones break and reform through the transformation. Her fur disappeared as if it were never there, replaced by her normal scaly exterior. Her hands, face, and upper chest were still covered in blood, but it did not bother her in the slightest. Meesei calmly walked over to Fendros, who was still in his wolf form, seemingly writhing in pain. "Do not resist, embrace your hunger. Feast on the flesh of your kill, your beast spirit demands it. Sate its hunger, then let it rest, as I have." She said, her voice carrying a commanding tone.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros' eyes opened quickly upon his alpha's words. He could see Meesei in her Argonian form above him. The insistence to give into the beast caused Fendros to lapse his control just enough for the beast to get up off the ground, roar in defiance of his Dunmer psyche and tear into the corpse of the ogre. Holding open the cavity that Meesei had torn open first, he tore out pieces of viscera in great chunks and snapped them up to swallow them. Time didn't seem to be of any importance while he feasted, but he suspected that he didn't take as long as he perceived to eat his fill. A slightly rational feeling of a sore stomach caused from eating too quickly was the spark that let Fendros take back control and step away from the corpse.

As if satisfied, or at the very least distracted, the beast was no longer adverse to regressing back into the corner of Fendros' mind where it lurked. With that, Fendros could feel his body shrinking and morphing back into his Dunmer form. All the way, he gritted his teeth and bore the pain through choked shouts. When he had finished transforming, he fell to his knees, blood all over his hands and face. The smell was overwhelming. He breathed in short breaths and his eyes were wearing such a pained and fearful expression that he looked as if he had just brutally murdered someone on a whim. He wasn't far from the truth. "Meesei..." Fendros panted, "No... I can't..." Fendros pounded the ground with his fists and stared at the dirt, "I can't control it." Fendros shook his head, "Once it bit the ogre's arm, it just... it didn't stop. It wouldn't be controlled."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei approached Fendros and stood over him, her expression showing a bit of satisfaction at his performance. He was by no means perfect, but he had performed better than expected; he was certainly trainable. She had hoped he would be a bit more accepting of his situation, but his feelings were nothing unexpected for a new blood. He would come to see his potential in time.

"Oh, but you have. Your beast spirit is not something you have to fight while on a hunt, it is your ally. It is skilled in the art of savagery, while your mind holds the seat of reason. I was watching the entire fight, I saw when you switched from instinct to a more...tactical approach. As you grow more experienced, you will be able to switch between the two more effortlessly. Believe me, there are times where brutal savagery is the best course of action, and that is what your beast excels at. For now, you need not worry about your beast taking control, as its hunger has been sated. If you allow it to feed often enough, it will make it easier to prevent accidental transformations, and even if you do lose control, it will not harm us. It acts on instinct, but it will not attempt to kill fellow pack members. For now, however, you should relish your victory. You have performed well; you should be proud of your actions." She explained, reaching down and offering him her hand to help him up. Her expression did not show a great deal of emotion, but looking closely, he would be able to see her satisfaction with him.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros closed his eyes and tried to calm down. He was by no means proud, more scared than anything, as much as he would loathe to admit it. Scared of himself, the beast. He glanced up at Meesei, who was hard to read, courtesy of her race, but had an air of satisfaction about her. Fendros didn't like this, what he had become, he didn't like it at all. Rejecting Meesei's extended hand, he got up on his own. He looked to the corpse that had been torn into so enthusiastically and murmured, "I could never be proud of this..."

"If this is how I have to survive from now on, so be it," Fendros continued, raising his voice. He turned to Meesei, "but don't you dare assume I could be proud of this!" Fendros' expression was a mixture of anger and sadness, as if still fighting what he had become, "I am not going to become some blood-lusting savage, no matter what my beast desires! No matter if it's an ally to me!" Fendros cut himself off, rapidly ran both of his hands through his hair, and spun away on a heel. He walked over and leaned his hands against the rock that the ogre was previously occupying. He felt a wave of fatigue wash over him as he brewed up more words to argue further. He kept seeing flashes of his family and he couldn't help but continue feeling grief. He reminded himself that shouting more would not matter, he was only really arguing with himself. Fendros wiped his eyes and walked slowly back to Meesei again, not looking at her directly, and showing less happiness than a widow. He had at least brought his mind back to mostly rational thinking rather than the emotional maelstrom that seemed to have surfaced. "Excuse me, please..." Fendros said quietly, "What happens now?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei listened to Fendros' outburst, though she seemed to be completely unaffected by it. She simply waited until he was finished, then approached him and began pacing around him, ignoring his last question in favor of her own speech. "And you are telling me you believe all of that? Truly believe it? Don't get me wrong, I understand completely why you carry the opinion you do, but that does not make it right. You were raised in an Imperial settlement with Imperial values, perhaps with influence from your Dunmer parents. You have been told that those who live in similar cities are civilized, while those who chose a life in the wilds are savage barbarians, and, as a child, you had no reason to disbelieve them. After all, the entire sum of your beliefs and morals come directly from your parents, do they not? Maybe some influence from friends too? If they knew everything, that would be perfect, but what if they get something wrong? You would believe it completely, having no reason not to trust them. But your parents are infallible, right? They taught you, or gave you the resources to teach yourself, everything they 'knew' about the world. They likely told you what to believe on politics, history, magic. For instance, they might have told you that levitation is a dead art, a spell lost to the ages that none alive know."

Meesei walker around behind Fendros, sliding her hand across his back as she charged alteration magic into his body. He started to glow a violet color as faint tendrils of magic wrapped around him. She then walked around in front of him, grabbing his arm and lifting him up a few feet off the ground, where he remained even once she let go. Meesei looked up at him, staring him in the eyes. "They couldn't be wrong, could they?"

After dispelling her levitation and letting him drop to the ground, she continued her speech. ""You need to ask yourself why you believe what you believe. Do you think our lifestyle so inferior because that is what your family raised you to think, or because you have looked carefully at both lifestyles, thought about what each one offers, then come to a conclusion based on your own ability to reason. You need to push away the bias you have been raised with and think about it objectively. Your family has a successful business, yes? But what does that success actually mean? Do you think it would be fulfilling to spend the rest of your days growing berries in field, then fermenting it into wine? Lorag might sing your praises for it, but does that life really have any goals or aspirations, anything to achieve, or will you just be stagnating? Doing the same things day in and day out for centuries, maybe with a vacation every now and then."

Meesei over in front of Fendros and placed a hand on his shoulder. "If you think you are losing any opportunities in this, perhaps I should enlighten you on my own past. You were to inherit a farm, I was to inherit an entire village. In my clan in Black Marsh, there were three leaders of our clan, which, despite the image probably going through your head, consisted of a few hundred individuals.These leaders were the Master-Hunter, the Elder, and the Shaman. I was raised to be the Shaman of my people, trained extensively in magic, diplomacy, our history, and overall, how to be a leader. I was meant to guide our entire people , especially in regards to magic and the clan's health. In most ways, the lives and well being of all of those people would have been tied to my decisions; it was a great responsibility, and a great honor. My life had purpose...or at least I though it did at the time. When our hunters could no longer find prey, I went against tradition and went to Hircine for guidance. It was at that point that I realized how little what I was doing actually meant. Sure, I had the responsibility to keep my clan alive, but that was all we were doing: surviving. We had no real goals, no purpose to attain or achieve other than simply staying alive. Granted, that is a difficult task in the marsh, but it was still not enough. As a Hunter of Hircine, I have actual purpose. I seek to grow my power, to hunt the greatest and strongest creatures this world, and perhaps a few others, has to offer. I am beyond mortal, and you can be too. You are a child to your own race, and even compared to the shorter lived races you are young. And yet, you managed to kill a werewolf single-handedly. You killed an ogre not minutes ago with nothing but your own claws and teeth. You have potential, and a lot of it; you deserve more than just growing grapes for a living, a lot more."

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros didn't know quite whether he was being scolded or encouraged by Meesei's lecture, being thrown around as such. He couldn't just make up a response on the spot, as there was truth behind the her words in regards to defaulting to what he had been taught in his upbringing. To be called out as such made his ears hot with embarrassment. For Meesei to assume that the new life he had been forced into was something superior, something that he desired, let alone that his previous prospects were stagnant, only made him angrier. His frustration was intensified by Meesei's own story; not only had she turned her back on her people, she did so willingly. As much a slave as my family's previous property... Fendros wanted to say.

Fendros just clenched his teeth and bore it, however. The levitation was likely a very mild taste of what could be provoked from Meesei. He only had one last question that was of any use, "What's your stake in this?" he asked with a low tone.

[EliteCommander]

"My stake? I believe you have already caught a glimpse of what that is. When we were tracking this ogre, you enjoyed it, did you not? Don't bother denying it, for I know it is true. For a lycan, the hunt is invigorating in a way that cannot be described in words. It can only be experienced, as you just did. The blood pumping through your veins as you chase down your prey, the feeling of sinking your teeth into the soft flesh around the neck, it fulfills a part of us that lesser mortals may only experience a fraction of. Through every hunt, we increase our strength, chase faster and stronger prey, build our power. We are the apex of they cycles that drive our natural world. In that respect, I live for myself, to increase my own power, but for our pack, we also live for each other in a way beyond even those in my village could understand. The replacement I trained to take over as Shaman is competent enough to keep them alive, and they will be perfectly content with it. They have no aspirations to improve themselves, not like we do. Everything we do in our pack is for the betterment of each other, the strength of our group.We strengthen each other just as much as we strengthen ourselves. As I have said before, that is the reason we want you here. As inexperienced as you are, your potential is obvious. There is much you can learn from us and, in time, we may even learn from you." Meesei said, taking a seat on the nearby boulder and motioned to the empty space next to her.

"Have a seat, rest for a moment. The first kill is an exciting one, and it can bring up a lot of emotion. Transformations can also be exhausting, especially for new lycans. It will take a few hours to drag this back to camp, so you will need your energy. In the meantime, I will keep answering any questions you have, whether it be about our lifestyle, how to properly skin a creature, or all of the different jokes Lorag has played on Ahnasha over the years. Anything. I also have a few questions for you, if you don't mind." Meesei said, wanting to diffuse some of the emotion she had brought up in him. Even though their pack had discipline and definite hierarchy, they were still all a family, and she could not expect to bring him into that family if they could not first be friends. He needed to be comfortable around them, which, given his situation, would be a difficult task. Still, having a simple conversation about that didn't involve trying to change his entire world view would help.

[Muttonhawk]

Part of Fendros was glad that Meesei appeared to have a desire to stop arguing for the moment. Again, she was right. Fendros was tired and worked up from transforming. He set himself down on the offered seat with his knees up and his forearms resting on them. "I would mention that I know how to skin a creature, I had hunted for long enough before all this to know that much at least... but I haven't skinned an ogre before." Fendros ended his statement with a sharp exhale that had a hint of a laugh behind it. He looked to one side and tried to think of something to ask now that he had the opportunity.

It was a few moments before Fendros conceded that the only questions he had immediately were indirect insults that would perpetuate his outburst. "I suppose I can answer your questions. I can't think of anything to ask right-... hold on. Now that I think of it..." Fendros' tone was quieter and less venomous than his previous rant as he continued, "Why does everyone but Janius eat their meat raw? Beyond the whole food poisoning business, I would have thought that the cooked meat was tastier."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei grinned, looking over to Fendros next to her. "To some it is, but I disagree. I find that uncooked meat is just so much more tender. Heating it like that sucks out all the juices. Of course, if you are vulnerable to disease, then losing that bit of flavor is well worth not having to put up nausea, vomiting, and all sorts of other sicknesses. Janius is a relatively new lycan, though, and he was raised in much the same way as you were. He's not Dunmer, obviously, but he was raised in a wealthy Imperial family. You two probably have a lot in common."

Meesei leaned back a bit, getting into a more comfortable position. "As for my questions, well, other than that you know a bit about hunting, and your parents make wine, I know almost nothing about you. If you wanted to tell someone else the things you find important about yourself, what would you tell them? Skills, hobbies, goals, other things you like. One of my best skills and favorite hobbies is magic, but I'll let you answer first."

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros looked up at the sky and hummed in thought. He had been destined to take up ownership of the vineyard eventually, or at least be at the same level of its administration as his parents, but he did have other desires. "Hmm, where do I start?" Fendros curled his lips and swallowed before he continued, "I'll admit that I get the most enjoyment out of fighting with the sword, and being a help where that skill applied. I am-" Fendros hesitated as he wondered whether his words would still technically apply, "I am part of the Fighter's Guild in Cheydinhal. They don't have so many incidents now that much of the legion is back to patrol the roads, but I've been training with them for the past four years." Fendros sighed, "I won't lie to myself the reasoning for joining with them. I wanted to be remembered. Remembered for bringing the Avarul name back into heroic repute." Fendros motioned with his hand as he explained, "my family and I... well, I was a baby when we moved to Cheydinhal, but my family had been displaced on two occasions due to war. First, from Morrowind, where our estates were burned to the ground and our status as a noble family shattered, and again from Skyrim when the Nords decided that their traditions were too big and oafish to take us in as refugees. We arrived in Cyrodiil expecting similar treatment, but Cheydinhal was more tolerant of Dunmer, especially when anyone with enough leftover septims could start up a taxable venture in the war-ravaged province that it had become after the Aldmeri had invaded. Still," Fendros bobbed his head to the side, "we kept stories from when we were influential. General Ondar Avarul, bane of the Marshfolk. Deidra Avarul, hero of the Scourge of Necrom. All of them have fantastic tales to them, ancient and exaggerated by now, but still admirable to me. I wanted to join them. So much so that when I was very young I wanted to run away to join a mercenary band, but not only would my parents not allow it, but I was too young at that time. What really kept me at home, however, were new arrivals. In likely the first time I've seen my parents express so much empathy, they adopted two Dunmer orphans, a boy and a girl, five and six years younger than I respectively. I didn't like them at first, but they became friends of mine, and partly my responsibility." Fendros bit at the corner of his mouth, drawing parallels with what he just said and the situation he found himself in, even if the roles seemed to be reversed now. He wondered what else to mention, "If your wondering why I had hunted with a bow before, my parents can sometimes be stifling, the forest was a place to clear my mind, and I needed an excuse to be away."

"What about you?" Fendros asked, looking over to Meesei, "did you always want to become the shaman of your village?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei listened, getting a bit of a better idea of Fendros' motivations. She almost chuckled, as his desires seemed to match every stereotype of the young and naive adventurer, seeking fame and glory sufficient enough to put his name down in history. Still, for the dedicated and skilful, it was not a complete impossibility. As a lycan, attaining fame and recognition would still be possible...just not in the same circles as Fendros was used to. The power that went along with that fame, however, would be much easier for him to attain.

"Well, from the moment I hatched, I was trained to take my father's place as shaman, so yes, I did want it." Meesei answered. "I am grateful to have been born in that position, as it opened me up to mysteries of magic. We spent the majority of most days training, which likely would have made my brothers and sisters jealous, were it not for the fact that they had their own paths. I do have to admit that it was rather easy for me to transition into the style of living of the pack, as Argonian villages are very communal in nature. Argonian children, at least in my clan, were raised by the community, so the attention my father gave me did not garner too much envy from my siblings. As I indicated before, though, I did eventually change my mind. When my father died, I took over his responsibilities, and in the middle of a crisis too. Our hunters could not find prey, so I went to the one whose is the master of that sphere. I am glad to have found my lord Hircine, but I will not pretend it was easy to leave my family. I understand the issues you are going through now, as I went through them myself. My ancestors were perhaps not as exciting as yours, still, there is some history with them. There have been no great wars in my clan since the last era, with the Oblivion crisis. In that war, the Hist called every Argonian into action, from the cities to the deepest of marshes. Most answered the call and defended our home. Quite well, I might add. Black Marsh suffered very little from that war, which in turn gave it the strength to declare its independence. The following invasion of Morrowind was more...politically motivated, and many clans had returned to their lands in the marshes, mine included. My clan did not participate in that war, not that they were particularly needed. Between the Empire failing in its duties to protect Morrowind during the Oblivion crisis, and the eruption of Red Mountain, the odds were never stacked in the Dunmer people's favor."

Meesei chuckled. "I suppose I am going off on a tangent, though. All-in-all, though it pained me to leave those I knew and cared about, I trusted Hircine in his word that I would find family once more, and that has turned out to be true. Even if we are not related by blood, I feel closer to my pack than I ever did with my family. All that being said, however, there are still a lot of lessons I took to heart from them, particularly from my father in regards to magic. He taught me not only how to cast spells, but how to ask my own questions and do my own research. Curiosity and a desire to learn are the greatest traits any mage can gave. What of you? Dunmer culture generally has a great respect for magic, have you had any interest in the arcane arts?"

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros nodded as he listened. He never really knew that the Argonians could be so organised, but he understood very little about them after all. It was at least vindictive to Fendros' feelings that Meesei could somewhat relate to his separation from family. Then he almost groaned when he was asked if he was interested in magic.

"Not particularly," Fendros bowed his head and smiled, before looking forward and continuing, "My mother and father have always tried to teach me magic, but it was frustrating." Fendros looked at Meesei and pointed up to the sky, "You probably know as much as any mage the destiny of those born under the atronach. Well, I found it extremely difficult to practice anything I was taught. It got to the point where I started disliking lessons in magic." Fendros paused to lick his teeth within his mouth, he caught a small chunk of what he assumed was ogre cartilage and just swallowed without thinking, "The best I have is this." Fendros extended one palm out in front of him and emitted a jet of flame that was sustained for about ten seconds before petering out, "And now I have to wait for about three or four minutes before I can do that again. Even with them teaching all of the theory to me, I have difficulty understanding any of it without being able to do it. My parents even went out of their way to try and source magicka restoring potions to allow me to practice further, but drinking too much of the stuff makes me feel sick, and there seldom enough in town at any one time. I haven't really pursued magical skills so much."

Fendros tried to think of another question. Idly, he itched at his eyebrow, some blood that had dried crumbled off, he looked forward to washing the smell off his body. "So, the pack has been hiding out here all this time? Have you ever been caught by legionnaires? I've run into foresters in this area on occasion." Fendros probed. I hope I won't have to be killing any of the Imperial Legion. Even the beggars know that they need every soldier they have these days.

[EliteCommander]

Fendros' demonstration of his magical abilities, just as he had described, was not too impressive, though given what he had said, his aversion to magic made sense. Those born under the sign of the atronach could make for incredibly deadly mages, given their ability to absorb magic, but their learning curve was considerably higher. If he did not have the training of a dedicated mage, it was sensible that he would gravitate toward other skills.

"Understandable, though you may find it advantageous to learn how to conjure a bound dagger. It is a simple, easy to learn, low cost spell that would be useful if it is ever impractical to drag a carcass all the way back to camp. You can simply skin it right there and use the pelt as a sack for the meat. I have done that many times in the past." Meesei commented. "As for legionnaires, we do see them from time to time, though it is rare. It would be easy enough to kill them, but there is no need to. We rarely stay in one place for long, and even if a forester happens along our camp, it is not as if they would immediately be able to identify what we are. At most, they might suspect us to be bandits, but with no proof, they just tell their superiors to keep an eye out in the area. In case you are wondering, we do not attack the weak and defenseless, like traveling merchants or farmers. We have no need of their goods, and there would be no sport in such kills. Are there other lycans who do? Definitely. We do not. We follow a more honorable code than simple beasts. People cannot run like a deer, or, unless they are trained, fight like a bear. There is nothing to gain from such kills. Bandits, mercenaries, and adventurers, however, they are more...difficult kills, usually moreso than simple creatures."

[Muttonhawk]

"Hmm," Fendros nodded upwards, "I'm glad to hear it. I don't think I would want to cause anyone to end up like that ogre over there." Fendros sucked in a breath through his teeth, "As for the bound dagger, I seem to remember having just as much trouble with conjuration, but I can understand the utility. I'll consider it." Fendros found himself reluctant to try and pick up magic again, but maybe Meesei would be a more effective teacher. It appeared that a greater proportion of her life revolved around magic than Fendros' mother and father, after all.

It took a moment for Fendros to realise Meesei's wording, but he raised an eyebrow when he did. "You mention armed travelers and such being more difficult. Does that mean you avoid them more, or prey on them?" Fendros looked intently at Meesei as he asked. He sincerely hoped that the pack weren't simply bandits with standards.

[EliteCommander]

"I have no remorse for preying on those who live their lives preying on others. The slaughter of bandits is actually encouraged by the Imperial government, and most mercenaries are usually just a few steps away from them in terms of 'morality'. They will follow the gold, whether it means saving an orphan or burning down a remote town. The ones we avoid are those who would incur the attention of the Legion. As much as I would appreciate the challenge of fighting their army, they would not give up after one or two battles. I have to make sure that our hunting grounds are not too dangerous to operate in. Your Fighter's guild allies, Legion patrols, and other, more organized groups would attract too much attention if we attacked them. Some lycans would call this cowardice, but it is no different from a fox running from a larger predator, or a rabbit using its fur to camouflage itself against the grass. Protecting one's self from harm is a natural part of life, and there is no shame in doing so. We lycans may be apex hunters, but we are also prey in our own right. The Imperials have no issue with hunting us down, and there some who dedicate their lives to that very pursuit. In this way, we fulfill both aspects of Hircine's sphere: hunter and hunted." Meesei explained. She was aware that Fendros might have reservations about attacking some of those they preyed upon, but for the most part, there was little moral ambiguity, even from an Imperial perspective, about killing most of their targets.

"Upon my own order, there is also one class of individuals that I specifically forbid attacking, regardless of how powerful they may be: scholars. Even if I was raised in a remote village, that does not mean I am ignorant of the plight of scholars and thinkers in Tamriel. Despite the fact that I would despise living in Imperial culture, I do recognize that it has its purposes in the world. The advancement of knowledge is a worthy cause and not one I wish to impede. That is also the reason I have such a considerable distaste for adventurers. Even if they are not out attacking families or extorting farmers like bandits, they do far more harm to this world than people realize. They have no issue with breaking into ancient and untouched ruins and taking their contents for themselves, all in the name of greed. Do you know how much knowledge has been lost to those looters? I would say they are especially worthy to be prey." Meesei said with a hint of her intense passion on the subject in her voice. She [i]really[i] hated adventurers.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros looked sideways at Meesei as she elaborated. There were a few points that he didn't even think of, but also a few that he thought were a little unfair. Whether he would manage to convince Meesei otherwise was something that he would have to convince himself was possible, given how sure she sounded. Fendros rolled his shoulders and pondered, now that he wasn't so worked up. Maybe the answer was in front of me the whole time, Fendros thought, the pack are made up of werewolves with standards.

"I never thought of it that way," Fendros admitted. So adventurers are hated in the eyes of some as well, but I know them as role models, Fendros began to think, it makes me wonder how I can ever make up my mind about this pack. Fendros looked to Meesei after his quick thought and responded, "You would kill someone for looting a ruin? That's very..." -Fendros searched his mind for a word that would not make her extreme viewpoint look as such- "...ardent." He had a feeling that his pause to find a word didn't do favours for his intended tact.

[EliteCommander]

"Yes, indeed I would. Perhaps you do not understand the harm that has befallen many ancient sites due to these looters. Sure, they usually end up selling their finds, and some of those may eventually end up in the hands of real scholars, but without knowledge of where the pieces came from, they are often useless. Ancient ruins are like the tombs of dead civilizations, so in that respect, adventurers are little more than legal graverobbers. Delving into ancient ruins may not be the only thing adventurers do, but it is rare to find one that would pass up the opportunity." Meesei said, trying her best to explain her hatred of those parasites.

"Besides, it is not as if they would grant you any more leniency if they discovered what you were. Have you ever met an adventurer who would be accepting of a lycan? I have not. We kill them for something they do, while they would kill you for simply being what you are." She added.

[Muttonhawk]

Perhaps she had a respect for archaeology before she turned. She probably still does, Fendros thought, still, I wonder. Adventurers come in all different forms, so...

"Have you ever mistaken a scholar for an adventurer before?" Fendros asked. There was not animosity in his words, rather a curiosity that probed the boundaries of Meesei's opinion. If Fendros thought of adventurers so differently, then surely things cannot be so clear-cut as Meesei had claimed.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei gave a bit of a smirk. "To my knowledge, no, but if I had, would I really be able to tell you? Scholars, especially those from reputable organizations, generally have armed guards, even if they are accomplished mages themselves. When they enter a ruin, they carry themselves entirely differently from someone looking to loot the place. I tend to avoid groups fitting that description, though I do find it likely that I have mistaken adventurers for scholars before."

Meesei crossed her arms and chuckled slightly. "You know, I think I'm getting the sense that you've considered becoming an adventurer before, the way you seem to be focusing on them. Perhaps you would want to delve into one of those ancient ruins one day? I could take you to one sometime, provided you don't try to take anything from the site. There is a lot you can learn from such places, and it is always interesting to see history right before you. I may not be a historian, but I could probably teach you something in the process, if you are interested."