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

[EliteCommander]

"I understand. Gather the most valuable things you own, but I would pack light. My idea involves the weapons the hunters from that cave were using. They were silver; perhaps not completely pure silver, but high enough concentration to cause severe wounds to a lycan. As much as I despise the metal, it is valuable. If we carry as many of those as we can with us, we can sell them in Vos, Thorn, and any other city or town we happen to pass by. I would just ask that you help pack them. For obvious reasons, handling anything silver is a real pain for us. If you were to wrap them properly, we could bring them with us. I'm not particularly fond of the idea of distributing those weapons, honestly, but most merchants will probably just end up melting them down anyway. All that I would require is that you leave us enough gold from their sale for our needs. We do not require much, as we rarely have cause to purchase anything, so most of it would go to you." Meesei explained. Carrying an excess of weapons would limit the other supplies hey could bring with them, but on the other hand, the gold they could earn selling them would help to pay for emergency supplies if they needed them.

[Muttonhawk]

"Well, I... of course!" Ariel said, looking wide eyed at Meesei's proposal, "That would help immensely. Thank you very much, Meesei, you've been nothing but kind." Ariel smiled, feeling in a much better mood than before. Slowing to a stop for a moment, she addressed the pack, "I'll meet you all at the cave once I pack what I need." She held Sabine's hand in both hands and smiled widely at her, "I'll see you shortly, sister."

With that, she walked briskly off in the direction of the road to Vos from the coven. Night was still hiding them and the witches may not be checking the road at the moment.

After Ariel disappeared into the night, the pack's mood seemed to be good. "All things considered, I'd say that went well." Fendros mentioned, taking Ahnasha's hand while he walked, "I'm glad we found a friend in that woman."

Janius hummed in thought. "I probably should have asked if she needed any help," He said.

Fendros chuckled in response, "I think public nudity isn't looked upon kindly by the night patrols of the city, Janius."

Janius shrugged and grinned, before glancing over to Ahnasha. "So, did you run into anything else in your infiltration, or did it all go to plan?"

[EliteCommander]

"As am I. Honestly, we have caused nothing but trouble for her since we showed up, but I think she sees it as worthwhile. We have sort of ruined her life here in Vos, but hopefully, she can end up starting up a better one elsewhere. Thorn does sound like a nice place, if you're into cities." Ahnasha shook her head. "Actually, no. It all went fairly well. We were able to sneak by all of them except the Dunmer we encountered in the second tower. Ariel distracted her while I paralyzed her with a poison dagger. We drug her out of the tower before destroying it. Hopefully, she listened to us and got away from it. A few of you look a little...singed from flames, so I take it you met some resistance. I don't see any life-threatening wounds among you. Maybe some annoying ones, but you all look fine."

Looking ahead at Meesei, who was walking just ahead of her, Ahnasha saw the discoloration on her bruised back. She poked her scales lightly, causing her to glance back briefly. "It looks like something hit you pretty hard." She observed.

Meesei nodded and looked back ahead. "That would be the hagravens. Ariel was right about them being dangerous. Even with that potion making me temporarily immune to their magic, they were rather crafty. One of them telekinetically picked up this large metal brazier and hit me in the back with it. Unfortunately, I was not able to spare both of their lives. One of them knew magic that could enhance her strength far beyond what most restorationists are capable of. I'm guessing the techniques they used were far more advanced than the brute force tactics a modern restorationist would use for the same task. I did spare the other one, and the one hagraven was the only witch I know without a doubt perished. Others took some heavy wounds, but as long as they have good healers, they should be fine." Meesei explained. They were starting to get somewhat close to the hunters' cave, so it would not be too long before they would be able to rest.

[Muttonhawk]

The rest of the walk to the hunters' cave was uneventful, save for a little more idle chatter. The most vocal topic being from Janius insisting that Fendros give him the next several portions of alcohol they should find in order to get even for saving his life, going on to heavily dramatize pulling him away after the ice-storm spell he took. Laughter was had, but no promises were made.

As they made their way back into the cave, Fendros took it upon himself to stoke what was left of the fire to deal with the night's chill, though the task was mostly down to building a new fire. Everyone else was content to relax, though. Feeling peckish, Janius took out a serving of meat from the food store and went to find some of the spices from the hunters' stores. He sighed as he sprinkled the flavourings over the meat, regretting that he probably would not be able to bring the spices with them. Before she sat by the fire with the others, Sabine decided to pack away her own alchemical equipment, and organise the equipment Ariel brought to make things easier for her when she arrived. Judging by the distances they covered, Ariel would probably take about an hour and a half to arrive, maybe longer if she took a longer to pack.

[EliteCommander]

Once back in the cave, most of the pack settled in to relax in some form after the stresses of the battle. There were still some tasks than needed to be completed before they could leave, but they were nothing that couldn't be completed by a reasonable hour the next day. Meesei and Ahnasha would need to make clothing to replace what they lost, Ariel would need to wrap all of the silver she could find in the cave, and the rest of their supplies in general would need to be packed. It was not likely that the coven could track them to the cave so quickly, especially considering that if they wanted to find them, they likely would not start immediately.

After Fendros started the fire, Ahnasha approached him, wordlessly sat down behind him on her knees, and began to massage his shoulders. She tried to remember how he did it before, though she undoubtedly was making some mistakes. Although he wasn't seriously hurt, he did have some wounds visible on him, so she wanted to do something to make him feel a bit better.

Meesei sat by the fire as well, joining Janius in having a late-night meal. Fighting was naturally exhausting, and it was rather late anyway, so most of them were not likely to be awake for much longer. Lorag was already laying down in his bedroll, a few of the others did not look too far behind him. Meesei was going to stay awake at least long enough to ensure Ariel arrived safely, and was probably going to take the first watch.

"There is quite a distance from here to Thorn, and we will not be in the same kind of a rush as when we came to Vos, so it will probably take a few months to get to Thorn. Your sister will be with us a while yet." Meesei commented to Sabine, who was organizing alchemical equipment.

[Muttonhawk]

As Fendros was hunched over in front of the fire, sitting cross-legged and leaning his elbows on his shoulders, it came as a bit of a physical surprise to feel Ahnasha's thumbs pressing against the top of his back all of sudden. He didn't jump though, he just sat up straight and looked behind at her with a smile. She was doing a fine job so far. Fendros looked ahead and let his eyes relax. It wasn't until he started to relax that he noticed just how much tension he had built up. Before long, Fendros suddenly winced and reached his hand over his shoulder to halt Ahnasha. She had strayed into an area where one of her claws was scratching his skin. Fendros chuckled and looked behind at Ahnasha again with a grin this time. He raised his left fist up with his thumb pointing out to one side, then pointed to the joint of the thumb with his other hand. "Use this, not the tip of your thumb." Fendros said patiently, before lowering his hands and looking ahead again. It was to be expected that Ahnasha would make a few mistakes, especially with the handicaps on the end of her fingers, but it wasn't a difficult activity to learn.

Sabine nodded in acknowledgement to Meesei. After a few moments, she had finished organising the alchemical supplies and went over to the fire, sitting next to Meesei. Sabine stared into the fire, but kept glancing over to Meesei, wanting to ask something. Mostly, she felt anxious about what kind of answer she would receive, so it took a while to get the courage. Eventually she slowly faced Meesei. "Can Ariel become a lycan?" She asked quietly.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha leaned forward and kissed Fendros' cheek. "You do know Khajiit claws are retractable, right?" She said with a chuckle before continuing with the massage, sans claws. The entire pack seemed rather tired, and she was no exception, so she would not likely be up for much longer. Perhaps she would join the others in a late night meal before retiring. She was rather hungry, which seemed to be a common state for her as of late.

Meesei looked over to Sabine beside her after her question and let out a slight, uncomfortable sigh. She put her arm around Sabine and looked her in the eyes, her expression understanding, but also serious. "Sabine...that is not a question I can answer. No matter how much of a gift beast blood is, it is not something we force onto people. Ariel would have to choose that herself for me to comply with it. Joining one's spirit to the beast world is a commitment that goes through life and beyond death; it is not something I impart onto others lightly." She explained, hoping Sabine would understand why it was a complicated issue.

[Muttonhawk]

"Hmhm, right," Fendros replied slowly with an amused smile. As Ahnasha continued, previously forgotten discomforts in his shoulders began to melt away. He took a slow breath and felt the freedom that he had regained thanks to Ahnasha kneading the tension away. "Ahna, I think you're a natural at this." He mumbled, starting to become sleepy. He couldn't exactly purr like Ahnasha was wont to do in this position, but he was certainly enjoying the feeling.

Across the fire, Sabine looked away from Meesei and into the ashes again. It was better than an outright no, and Sabine wasn't immediately upset. She sat in thought next to Meesei silently, before accepting the answer and staying by the fire to keep warm. It wasn't long before she decided to get up and head to her bedroll for the night. It had been another big day in terms of emotional confrontation. Thankfully, she didn't have to go back to the coven any more.

Nearby, Janius sat by the fire with his head bowed forward, letting the meat he had set over the fire start to become over-charred. Upon closer inspection, he had fallen asleep on the spot. Fendros spotted this through half-lidded eyes and leaned forward to take the spit from over the fire before the meat was completely overcooked. Fendros caught a whiff of the spices, it was familiar. "I think Janius may have tried to replicate that 'Khajiit style' you did." He took a bite before he passed the spit behind him for Ahnasha to consider. "Hungry?" He asked with his mouth full.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha sat down beside Fendros, gladly accepting the food. She could tell that he was correct in that Janius had tried to replicate Khajiiit style just by the smell. She tasted of the meat and shrugged. It was decent, not as good as when she made it of course, but decent. Still, she was hungry enough at the moment that she would eat practically anything, even if it was cooked. They all ate essentially in silence, mostly because they were too tired to think of any sort of engaging conversation. Meesei was the only one who was truly alert, and that was only because she used some restoration magic to give her a burst of energy. Not long after she finished her meal, Ahnasha stood up, gently placing a hand on Fendros' shoulder. "I think I'm going to bed for the night." She said before heading off to their bedroll.

As the others seemed to be going to sleep, Meesei stood up from the fire and moved to one of the hunters' chairs that Janius had placed near the chamber entrance. She sat down to begin her watch, as well as to wait for Ariel to arrive in case she needed any assistance with her belongings.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros smiled at Ahnasha, he decided that he should probably retire for the night as well. He wasn't so hungry that he felt like eating anything else, and he was only really staying up to be beside Ahnasha. Before he got up, he glanced over to Janius. It wouldn't do to have him fall to one side and knock his head in the middle of the night, so Fendros shifted over to him and shook him by the shoulder until he grumbled awake. "Hey Janius, it's probably more comfortable in your bedroll." Fendros said quietly.

Janius groaned and clumsily swatted away Fendros' hand. "I've got something cooking, wait a bit," He said, not looking up.

"I think someone might have taken it," Fendros said, looking at the fire and hiding his white lie.

It was then that Janius decided to look up and found the truth in Fendros' words. "It was Lorag, wasn't it? That greedy swine." Janius grumbled, "Ah, damn it all, I'll just eat something raw." He stood up slowly and took a smaller portion from the meat store and started eating on the spot.

Satisfied that Janius wasn't going to doze off in a position that might singe his hair, Fendros stood up and joined Ahnasha, lying beside her. Normally, it was her fur that was warmer as he put his arm around her, but this time he still had some heat from the fire on his skin that mixed pleasantly. He fell asleep swiftly after closing his eyes.

Somewhere near two hours later, Ariel's return became so delayed that it was tense. It was only when the tension bordered on demanding action that footsteps were heard from further up the cave. Ariel emerged into the main chamber with a clean green robe, her regular shoulder bag, and a heavy looking knapsack over her shoulders that stuck out with many different shapes. She addressed Meesei while rather short of breath, keeping quiet upon spotting all of the sleepers, "Hello again. Sorry for taking so long. It took me a while to narrow down what I could bring. I beat a hasty advance getting up here though." She stopped and took off her bags, putting them to one side before stretching her arms and catching her breath. "I had room for one last potion in my pocket, so right before I ran out the door I picked this up." Ariel pulled out a small bottle of green liquid from a pocket in her robe, "I thought I might need it coming up here, but the fresh air was good enough." Ariel extended the bottle to Meesei, "You're on watch, correct? Sipping on this will keep you awake. You may not want to drink it all at once; it'll make your heart race." Ariel glanced around the chamber, "Did anything come up in my absence?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei was reasonably alert for the few hours it took for Ariel to arrive. She had started to become concerned, but with her arrival, her fears were erased. She greeted Ariel with a drowsy smile and listened to the explanation for her delay. The potion she offered seemed like it would be useful, though considering the hours she had been up already, it would not be long before it was someone else's turn on watch. "Nothing that needs to be dealt with tonight." She responded as she placed the potion next to her chair. "You should get some rest. We have a lot to do tomorrow, and not too much time to do it."

Ariel headed off to sleep, and Meesei about half an hour later. Lorag took the next watch, then passed it off to another a few hours later. Luckily, the night was uneventful, and they were all able to sleep in relative peace.

---

The next morning proceeded through the same routine as usual at first. They spent some time waking up and having breakfast, then moved on preparing to leave. Ahnasha and Meesei would have started making clothes to replace those they lost were it not so important that they put distance between themselves and the coven, and the nearest boat to the mainland would be in Vos, so they would need to wear their city clothes for that anyway. Meesei walked over to a pile of weapons they had collected in the corner and carefully picked up one of the silver daggers by its hilt. She approached Ariel and very slowly and deliberately handed the weapon to her. "You should probably begin finding and wrapping as many of the silver weapons as you can. Not all of the hunters' weapons were silver, so try to find the ones with metal that looks like this. There are a few over in that corner, but there are also others scattered through the cave that we have not touched." Meesei said, reaching out and pressing one of her claws against the metal for a few seconds. When she removed it, there was a very faint hint of smoke coming from its tip. "For obvious reasons."

Ahnasha approached Fendros after their breakfast and gave him a quick hug. "I think I'll start packing our furs and leather. How about you start on our food stores? Maybe fill up some waterskins as well." Ahnasha looked down and grabbed a hold of the pendant she was wearing, the one Fendros had purchased for her. She moved it between her fingers for a few moments before looking back up at him. "You know, being the practical person that I am, I was thinking about having this enchanted. What kind of effect do you think would be appropriate. It could be something to bolster my life force, or my magicka....my stamina." She said with a suggestive wink and a chuckle, nudging him with her elbow. Her expression turned more serious and contemplative as she thought. "It could also be something more situational, like waterbreathing, or poison resistance. I'm already immune to disease. so extra poison resistance might make it easier in Black Marsh. Of course, there are others that are much more useful in a fight."

[Muttonhawk]

"Stamina? I thought you were wearing me out." Fendros grinned, "If you're wondering though, any one of those things sounds worthwhile." Fendros put his hand on the side of Ahnasha's neck, "If you have to choose, I would probably think about where you would be needing some help most often." Fendros chuckled, "If I'm honest, I don't know enough about enchantment to really know all of the different things that could be put into that pendant." Fendros brought his hand from her neck to the pendant and held it up to look at it, "You might like to have a talk with Meesei, or... if you can get anything out of her, Runt, even. Where do you think you would need a boost?" Fendros smiled and kissed her on the lips. "I'll get to packing up the food," he said, before letting her go and moving to the food stores.

At Meesei's direction, Ariel nodded in response. "Of course," She said, holding the dagger more closely in her hands to inspect it, before looking at Meesei, "I'll get right to it." With her task, Ariel put the dagger she had been handed back in the corner pile, then set to finding as many sizable rags, blankets and cords of rope to wrap the weapons in as she could find. She managed to find a few, but Sabine came along to pitch in, helping in locating more wrappings after finishing with the last of the alchemical supplies. Ariel made sure to keep the weapons clear of Sabine while she handled them, but her sister's help was appreciated as they wrapped each of the weapons up in their own bundles. Through the hour, an organised pile of cloth-wrapped weapons grew near the entrance of the chamber. Once the weapons in the corner were wrapped, their search brought them to other sections in the cave, but it turned out that there weren't too many more that were made from silver. What they had would be plenty enough to sell as it was, however, and Ariel doubted that they would be able to carry many more in the first place.

Lorag and Janius were tasked with the remaining packing duties, from gathering up bedrolls and equipment, to gathering up any other useful materials in the cave. Normally packing was a simple matter in their usual encampments, but having left many things in their previous camp when they attacked, there were a few implements to replace that they had to search the cave for. The stores in the main chamber seemed somewhat organised, and had much of what they needed, but supplies throughout the rest of the cave left something to be desired in their cataloging.

[EliteCommander]

"Hmm, I don't know. In all seriousness, some more stamina in battle would be pretty useful. It would play to my strengths, as it would give me the extra energy to be more mobile in a fight." Ahnasha commented as she began collecting their leather to pack into a sack. "I could also get an enchantment that makes up for a weakness, like magic resistance or something. I'll see what Meesei recommends, probably once we're on the road."

Once Meesei had set Ariel on her task, she began packing whatever the others were not. It was difficult to prioritize what to keep versus what to leave. On the one hand, more silver weapons would mean more gold for Ariel, but it would also reduce the number of supplies they could carry. She wasn't worried that they would be in danger of starving or anything, as they were more than proficient enough at hunting to sustain themselves if needed, but the less supplies they carried at a time, the longer it would take to reach Thorn. Ultimately, she decided to carry with them as many silver weapons as they could afford. They were not in a particular hurry to reach Black Marsh, and those weapons would help Ariel in a big way.

It took some time to collect supplies from around the cave and pack what they needed, but after a few hours, it seemed they were ready. They were each dressed in their city clothing, with bags and pouches divided among them appropriately based on what they could carry. They were carrying the bare minimum in terms of supplies, with the rest of their bags dedicated to the silver weapons that Ariel had helpfully wrapped in cloth. "It seems that we are ready to leave. Ariel, can you think of anything in Vos that you still might need while we are passing through? We should avoid selling many of the silver weapons in the city itself, as that may draw suspicion, so we will not have much extra room, but we will do what we can."

[Muttonhawk]

"I think I spent quite enough time last night figuring out what to pack," Ariel said through a small laugh, hefting her bulging knapsack over her shoulders, "Unless there's something that anyone else might need, I can't think of anything. I had thought about perhaps handing in the deed to the shop, but last night while trying to find it, I remembered that there technically isn't a deed. Another one of the coven's deals with the nobility, you see. Thankfully the silver should make up for it."

With what the hunters had left behind, and the clothing that Ahnasha and Fendros had rifled through a few days beforehand, the pack didn't have too much trouble finding clothing for the city. Fendros wore the same clothing he had used for the last time he was in Vos. Sabine managed to find a small set of trousers and a shirt her size, thanks to one of the deceased hunters being Bosmer. Janius was pickier than he really should have been. In the end, he donned a clean, gaudily frilly white shirt, a pair of probably the most comfortable black cotton trousers there were to choose from, a pair of boots with bright buckles and even an embroidered wide-brimmed hat. How he had managed to assemble such a suit was beyond anyone's guess, but no amount of payouts from the rest of the pack was deflating his ego.

They set off into the daylight feeling fresh and ready for the road. This time, they weren't in any particular hurry, and there were no directly impending matters that they needed to worry about. It felt as if it had been a while since things were back to normal. Comparatively, anyway.

Each member of the pack carried their own supplies, as well as some of the wrapped silver weapons. With the bulk and shape of the weapons and the way they were wrapped, Janius observed a useful detail. "You know, I'd bet to the untrained eye, these silver weapons would look more like wrapped up tents. Perhaps that's a good thing. If we go to a number of vendors in the city to sell these things, people probably won't add things up until after we've already left."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei silently laughed at Janius' choice of clothing, although what was more amazing was that one or more of the hunters actually willingly wore such clothing. Meesei herself just wore a simple red dress that looked clean, while Ahnasha picked the same dress she had wore the last time she was in the city. Lorag still played the role of bodyguard by wearing his armor, just as last time.As they were coming into view of the city, Janius made a point about the weapons they were carrying.

"I suppose that is true, but we should still avoid selling more than one or two at a time to the same merchant. We can, however, go to multiple merchants. Ariel, you will need to take the lead while we are in the city, not only because you are the only one who can safely handle the weapons, but because you know the other merchants best." Meesei commented.

Once in the city, Ariel took them from shop to shop to sell the weapons. General store merchants, blacksmiths, and even jewelers were where they found the most interest. As uncomfortable as it made Meesei, the blacksmiths were likely to just sell the weapons as is for their usefulness against undead, which were much more common than lycans. Other merchants were more interested in the silver content and would probably melt them down to retrieve and re-purpose the metal. Even though most of the merchants knew Ariel, they still had to confirm the weapons' silver content, so each sale took longer than Meesei would have liked. Since they were usually only able to sell one to each merchant, they only sold a few of the weapons. Regardless, the gold they made for each sale was considerable and would go a long way to helping Ariel, especially once they sold all they were carrying.

Their last destination in Vos was the docks, where Ariel found them a ship bound for the mainland. It was a fairly small ship, but the distance they were traveling was also fairly short. It would be only a day or two before they reached their destination. Luckily, they only had to wait for about an hour and a half before the captain was ready to set sail. As they set off from the docks, Meesei and Ahnasha stood on the top deck, looking back at Vos, while Lorag went below decks to search for the alcohol the captain had mentioned when they stepped aboard.

[Muttonhawk]

Venturing through the city was a bit less tense than the time they were tracking the Orc. The group still turned heads, but the majority seemed to be from giggling young women that Janius winked and smiled at. It got to the point where it started to get annoying, but it struck Fendros that perhaps 'a strapping Imperial and his touring entourage' was a much more likely story than 'an out of place group of a variety of races'. Whether it was the main objective or whether Janius just liked the attention was not apparent.

While she could sense a little impatience in the rest of the pack, Ariel was understanding and patient with the other merchants as they sold off a few of their silver weapons. At first, she was caught off guard at the question of silver content in the blades, but after honestly sharing that she didn't know exactly, she was able to quickly cover herself by bluffing that the weapons were bartered in exchange for potions by some customers who didn't have any coin. Some merchants that were more familiar with Ariel asked about her knapsack and the group following her, and she replied saying that she was going on a trip to the mainland with a few old friends from out of town. As the morning progressed, the cover story became more and more comfortable and believable. There were a couple of merchants that they came across who were genuine friends of Ariel, and while Ariel didn't disclose the nature of the pack or the coven, she did mention that she was leaving Vvardenfell for personal reasons. In those cases, more sincere farewells were exchanged. By the time they had visited just about every merchant in the city that Ariel could think of that would buy the silver, Ariel and the pack carried more septims than she ever could have expected to leave with if she didn't have the pack's help.

By the late afternoon, they had found a boat to take them to the mainland. After they deposited luggage, now a bit lighter thanks to their dealings, the pack settled in for the short voyage across the straight. To pass the time, Janius found a place to sit down and read a book that he had borrowed off one of the sailors. Sabine was difficult to spot, but could be seen comfortably holding on to one of the rope ladders that lead up to the mast with a better view, looking over the island in her own way. Ariel decided to join Meesei and Ahnasha, if only to say farewell to the city she had called home for nearly two years. Fendros walked up and joined them as well. It had not been a lengthy stay on Vvardenfell, but not one that he would have traded away. They had all forged memories in this place now.

"This will be the first time I've been on the mainland since taking Sabine there. It might be the last time I see Vvardenfell as well." Ariel said. She sighed longingly. "I hope Thorn will be welcoming."

[EliteCommander]

"If there is any truth to its reputation, then it will at least be beautiful." Ahnasha commented as Vos slowly disappeared behind them.

"Argonians do not tend to have any specific problem with Bretons, if you are worried about that." Meesei added. "There are some groups who distrust all outsiders, but incidentally, they tend to stay in the inner marshes, away from outsiders. As I mentioned before, Thorn is one of the cities in the Marsh that was founded by the Empire in their attempts to settle the region. They eventually met with failure, of course, but the city remains, as does that influence. The outer marshes are not too inhospitable for non-Argonians, and the city itself will be no harder to live in than Vos. The culture and demographics will obviously be different. I've heard that city Argonians are not as communal as those raised in villages, such as myself, but I would expect neighbors who will help you when you need it, and expect help from you when they need it. Once you earn their trust, of course. From what I have gathered in my travels outside the Marsh, Argonians do not trust as easily as other races, but are very loyal to friends."

Meesei smiled, placing a hand on Ariel's shoulder. "If you have any questions about my homeland, your potential next home, just ask. I want you to be as prepared as possible."

[Muttonhawk]

"Well, now that you mention it, are there any taboos I should avoid? Apart from harming a hist tree of course. I don't want to give a sour first impression." Ariel asked, looking down into the water. It would be a long time before they actually came upon Black Marsh, but she figured she would ask Meesei while the question was fresh in her mind.

Fendros put his arm over Ahnasha's shoulder and held her close. He looked into her eyes, then glanced down at her stomach. Smiling, he ran his other hand over her stomach, curious. "Ahna, I'd been wondering about it all day, but I think you're beginning to show." He said quietly into her ear. It was difficult to perceive at first, but Ahnasha's navel had the slightest change over the course of the past day and night. A slight bulge uncharacteristic to her normal figure. Even if he had accepted the fact in his own mind, the physical presence of the child was quite another feeling in Fendros' mind. A buzz ran over his brain that he suppose he would describe as excitement.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha chuckled. "If that isn't a dangerous statement, I don't know what is. At any rate, I'm not sure. I've been thinking I might be, but it might just be my mind playing tricks on me, since I know it is going to happen. It has only been a month, after all. It could also just be all the food I've been eating at this stage; I've had quite the appetite, if you haven't noticed. Khajiit pregnancies do not last as long as those of Dunmer, and our cubs are born smaller, but mature quickly. I will not get as big as you would expect of an elven woman, but it will be quite obvious."

Meesei thought for a moment, trying to think on what social mistakes an outsider might be apt to make. As with any civilized society, there were plenty of obvious ones, but there were more subtle differences she should be made aware of. ""Well...there is one aspect of our beliefs I do not think many outsiders are aware of. Sithis also plays a role in our beliefs. It is difficult to explain the specifics, especially to one without much knowledge of our culture, but the Hist show...reverence? Respect? I'm not sure which word adequately described their relation with Sithis. At any rate, you should also avoid disrespecting Sithis. I can tell you one way to make a good impression is to make an effort to learn more about our history and culture. Showing that you are at least attempting to be educated about us would help identify you as someone who wants to live in the Marsh with the Argonians, as opposed to merely living alongside them. As I said, I cannot tell you much about the specific culture of Thorn, so you will need to pick up on that as you go. Most residents of the cities in the outer Marshes speak Cyrodilic, so you should have no trouble there, but it may also be helpful to learn some basic Jel, just in case. Non-Argonians often have a hard time pronouncing some words, but just understanding it could be useful."

[Muttonhawk]

Ariel leaned against the balustrade with both hands. "Sithis, now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. That there's a connection with the Hist is interesting. Well, I suppose I have some studying to do, hmm... perhaps I should have bought a book in Vos about Black Marsh before we left. Oh well. Um, Meesei," Ariel looked up at Meesei with a reluctant expression. She didn't want to be a burden, she had been given so much by the pack already. "I don't suppose, where there are spare moments, you could instruct me with Jel and the history of the Marsh? I don't know how much there is to learn, but I've not looked into it much myself."

"Huh, that didn't cross my mind," Fendros replied guiltily at his insinuation towards Ahnasha's weight, "I guess I got a bit excited." Fendros moved to slowly bring both his arms around Ahnasha's shoulders and face her directly. "Hmm, if they are shorter pregnancies, then when would you expect to start showing about now? Surely if it wasn't now, then it would be soon, right?"