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

[EliteCommander]

Meesei shrugged. "You know, I can honestly say I do not know. As much as I wish I did, I cannot say that I know every detail about lycanthropy. I have not bedded a non-lycan since becoming a lycan. It would make sense, though, or at least it could make sense. The blessing behaves identically to a disease. Although, like any disease, it does have an incubation period. During this time, it can be cured just as easily as any common disease. It can also be resisted with any kind of resist disease potion or enchantment. If you wanted to seek out those services, Janius, I wouldn't stop you. I understand where you are coming from. You would just need your partner to take all the proper cures. Might be difficult."

Ahnasha felt the sudden pressure on her feet and shifted uncomfortably for a moment before settling back down. She seemed minorly annoyed for a moment, but quickly returned to enjoying the massage. Holding back a grin, she subtly moved her tail behind him, then ever so lightly brushed the fur on its tip against his shoulder, only to move it out of sight if it looked like he was turning around. She was amused, but she suspected he was starting to get used to dealing with such trickery involving her tail.

[Muttonhawk]

The pressure point resulted in a bit less of a reaction than Fendros thought it would, but Ahnasha was in the mood for games it seemed. A set of ticklish wet bristles brushed against his shoulder, which caused him to roll that shoulder in annoyance. Suspecting a fleshfly, he brought his hand up and slapped the itch, turning his head to look. There was nothing. He could have sworn... he looked about himself, then smiled and reached back into the water. After fishing around the mirk, he found Ahnasha's tail and lifted it out of the water. "You..." Fendros looked at Ahnasha with a smile and an annoyed squint. He let go of her tail and flicked the surface of the water to splash her a little, before moving onto her other foot.

Thinking on this new information for a moment, Janius took a deep breath inward and and held it for a while. He breathed out very slowly through his nose before he had anything to say. "Seems like a bit much effort. And risky." Janius concluded, he shrugged, "Good to know, though." His smile returned, "A bit less depressing."

"Actually, to be more specific, lycanthropy is transmitted through transfer of fluids into the recipient's blood." Ariel appeared on the shore of the pond with Sabine. Ariel was content to take off her shoes and dip her feet into the water, while Sabine was wading in to cool off. Ariel had been listening in since she was in earshot, which was enough to get the subject. "The fluids can infect if they are ingested, or make contact with an open wound, most commonly, but bedding transfers similar diseases. From what I researched on lycanthropy with Sabine and otherwise, the disease behaved as such. It's incredibly quick, however, especially through wounds. It would require a very strong potion to cure it before the first transformation. Resistance is likely the best way, as Meesei mentioned."

Janius lifted his head as his interest was piqued. "And how easy would it be to find or make such a potion?" Janius asked.

Ariel dipped her head to one side for a moment. "It might be a little expensive, not too difficult to make if you have the ingredients. The real trouble would be drinking it. The last time I had to take one was when I... mishandled some of Sabine's blood. It was like drinking a pint of sour milk mixed with ground pork. Consider yourself lucky if you can convince anyone to drink that."

Sighing with resignation, Janius dipped his head back again and closed his eyes. "You know what? Forget it all." Janius waved his arms up on front of him, giving up, "I can abstain for a little longer." He flashed a half-smile, "Perhaps with this war, we might meet some other werewolf packs. Perhaps we could 'socialise'." He held up one hand with his palm raised, "Who wouldn't want to get to know a member of the pack lead by the champion of Hircine herself? Such a strong, brave werewolf would make any other she-wolf swoo-oAH!" Janius suddenly splashed his hand out of the water and brushed off the beetle that had been placed on his head by Sabine while he had his eyes closed. The rest of the pack had to stifle their sniggering while Sabine did this. Janius stood upright and looked around, breathing quickly. Sabine had already disappeared under the water and had swum to shore. The rest of the pack laughed heartily.

Fendros wasn't about to dob her in, but it was odd that Sabine would be the one pulling pranks.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei laughed along with the others, quite surprised to see Sabine acting in such a way. She considered it a positive change, but she certainly wasn't about to mention it. She knew Sabine did not like to have attention on her, so calling too much attention to her might dissuade her from opening up in such a way in the future. Lorag ended up laughing harder than she had heard in a long time and ended up giving her an approving nod, likely because Runt pulling a prank was the last thing he expected.

"You're the epitome of desirability Janius, truly." Meesei joked. "I agree, though, that plan sounds much safer. Much simpler just to deal with other lycans. Thinking about it, I may end up getting a lot of propositions if we find other packs, given the title I hold. I'm not quite sure how I will respond to that. Certainly, it is not something I am used to. At any rate, Ariel, there is something you said that I noticed isn't actually accurate. I believe some of the material you researched wasn't completely true. Contracting lycanthropy can be quick, but not always. The majority of infections, especially with wild werewolves, come from contact with infected blood from scratches, or saliva from bites. Those infections can take upwards of three days to set in completely. It can happen more quickly, such as if there is a lot of blood, or if you actually purposefully ingest the blood. In that case, the transformation can happen in within the hour, if not immediately. I know this from experience. I do not think it completely invalidates your source, but there may have been some exaggerations, or false details.

Lorag was being quiet, but it was obvious he was paying close attention to the conversation. There were details of the conversation that may or may not apply to him at some point in the future, though he wasn't considering that the others might notice how intently he was looking at them.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine avoided eye contact, but she had an amused twitch in her mouth to Janius' reaction. The eyes being put in her direction did make her hunch up a little. Once Janius detected that is was Sabine who put the beetle on his face, he sighed and chuckled, before settling into the water again. "I'll have to keep my eyes open now."

"That's certainly possible, Meesei. The few existing materials I could find on the matter were not comprehensive. Not that I had the resources to validate it myself." Ariel replied, "Researching courtship between packs certainly sounds interesting. I wonder how similar or different it would be to conventional courtship. I suppose it's a societal topic more than anything. Maybe I should write a treatise on lycans, I know plenty about them already. Perhaps it could build a better understanding of them for the rest of society, and maybe even amongst werewolves themselves." Coming out of her inner-academic droning, Ariel felt Lorag's gaze and returned it for a moment curiously. "Do you have a question, Lorag?"

[EliteCommander]

"Huh, uh, no." Lorag responded, caught off guard that someone actually spoke to him. "Just...keeping track of what you're saying. Sounds like it might be important."

Meesei paused to think for a moment, unsure of what to think of Ariel wanting to share the information she had picked up in traveling with them. On the one hand, information was powerful, and anything she wrote would inevitably be found by their enemies. But, on the other, most of lycans' actual weaknesses were already well known, and she could not think of much that Ariel knew about them which could actually be harmful to them, apart from their identities. "I am not sure how I feel about that. There is quite a bit of misinformation out there about us, but that can sometimes play to our advantage. Our enemies do not always know what will work against us. However, many of those rumors paint us in a much more negative light than what is true. The truth of the matter is that we are people. People with a condition that some of us embrace and accept, and that others received unwillingly. I have heard of some lycans that learn to control their beast, then live successfully among non-lycans. In secret, of course. It is true that there are some wild lycans behave as little more than wild beasts, unable to control their instincts, but for those of us who have a pack, we are far more...civilized might be a word for it. I will not pretend that this blessing is without its disadvantages, but it is not something I would willingly give up, even if that was an option."

Meesei glanced over to Ahnasha and Fendros, then back to Ariel. "As for trying to study courtships among lycans, I think you might end up disappointed. There really isn't anything unique about them. The customs vary based on the people involved, for everything, not just courtship. There are some practices that pretty much all lycans adopt out of either necessity, or instinct, but the rest depends on the origins of the people who comprise the pack. Take Ahnasha and Fendros, for example. They both come from cities with Imperial culture. The beginning of their relationship may have been unconventional, but in essence, they found that they cared for one another and formed a relationship between only themselves. If this were a pack formed from members of an Orc stronghold, on the other hand, i would expect the Alpha to be something like a chief, with several wives. In my case, any advances on me from a member of a different pack would be based their own individual motivations. The title I bear carries with it prestige and authority among lycans, and that is something some find desirable. In any case, I do not believe it would be wise for me to embrace such casual encounters. This war between us and Vile is just that: a war. Lycan packs are not organized as some singular society, so I have no actual authority to order around other packs, but the title of Champion is something that any follower of Hircine would respect. I, and the rest of my pack, are symbols to the rest of Hircine's followers. We are meant to represent the best of his hunters. So, when dealing with other packs, I need to appear strong at all times. Even if I am broken and wounded on the inside, I need to appear strong for them. I do not like the idea of making myself appear more important or more powerful than I am, but for the sake of their morale, I need for us to essentially be a legend. If we can be heroes to them, then we might be able to inspire their confidence. I believe accepting such an encounter could serve to diminish that illusion. With my pack, with all of you, I show all that I am, my strengths as well as my flaws. I would have it no other way. But, when it comes time to deal with other lycans, I need to be flawless. We need to be flawless."

[Muttonhawk]

Ariel nodded in understanding. Even if her intention was to promote a wider understanding of lycanthropy, what wasn't widely known about them may still be a help to packs trying to survive. To her last point, Ariel recalled the heavy wounds that Meesei had sustained shortly before they met. Even though she was in no shape to stand, let alone fight, she had stood up to face her as if it was nothing.

The mention of the pack's responsibility in facing the rest of the world was something that made them all quiet for a moment. There was a common apprehension in some of them pertaining to only showing their true selves within the pack, but with how many people outside of the pack they interacted with, perhaps it wouldn't be such a problem. As long as they covered each other's flaws, they would play the part of Hircine's chosen.

"Well, it's just a thought," Ariel broke the silence, waving one hand dismissively, "for now I should be focussing on Thorn. Making a new life for myself."

With the topic running aground, Ariel's eyes found the waterskin, still with some trodh remaining. She extended a hand to point to the movement within the waterskin. "What are those?"

Janius smiled and looked at Ariel, "Try one. Swallow one whole and live."

"Really?" Ariel said, now so used to Janius' jesting nature that sincerity was hard to notice from him.

"Yes, really," Janius held out a hand, palm up, towards the waterskin, "They're poisonous if you kill them beforehand, according to Meesei."

Ariel curled her lips apprehensively. Janius sounded somewhat serious this time, but it looked like she needed some encouragement.

Now finished with both of Ahnasha's feet, Fendros looked over to her face. "There we are, how are your feet feeling?" He asked, lightly brushing his fingertips down one of her soles. He didn't immediately intend to tickle her, but her reaction might give him a hint.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei nodded to Ariel. "He speaks the truth. Trodh produce a deadly poison shortly after death, but swallowing them whole prevents that." To reinforce the validity of what she was saying, she grabbed one of the creatures from the waterskin and ate it whole in front of her. "Feel free to join us in the pond if you like, and perhaps try one of the trodh. I won't force you to, but I will say, they are rather good. At the very least, I'm guessing you will want a few dead ones to experiment with. If they can produce such a strong poison naturally, I can only imagine what you could do with it. Though, with the concoctions I have seen you make, I wouldn't be surprised if you made a health potion out of it."

Ahnasha gave a slight laugh when Fendros touched one of the more sensitive areas of her foot, though she tried not to call attention to it. "The potions have taken effect, the salve is working, so overall, I feel fine." She placed her hands on her stomach and smiled to draw a bit more attention towards their child. "Only about three and a half more months to go. I'm about halfway through. Just think, in only a few more months, we'll have our own cub. I've been talking with Meesei about the phases of the moons, and it seems that there will be three different phases around the time I should be due. Based on that, we think it might end up being a Cathay, Cathay-raht...or Senche."

[Muttonhawk]

"If you say so, Meesei," Ariel lifted one of the trodh from waterskin, holding firmly onto its tail. "That's one of the good things about alchemy; even the most dangerous substance can be used with another to great benefit. The trick is finding out how and what." Ariel lifted the creature up higher, but hesitated. She took a deep breath in and held it before dropping the creature into her throat and swallowing. "Oh," she said, then held her lips shut for a few seconds, "I think I could get used to that." She moved her tongue around her mouth to get some more of the taste. Judging by her reaction to the ordeal, she had sampled worse things before.

Fendros placed his hand on Ahnasha's over her stomach. "Half way," he repeated, smiling. In his mind, he tried to remember which varieties of Khajiit the ones she named were. The Cathay and Cathay-raht were at least humanoid from what Fendros could remember, though would outgrow Fendros in adulthood and perhaps adolescence. The Senche was one more likened to the size of a horse. Fendros paused for a moment to wonder how it would be to raise what would essentially be an oversized, yet intelligent cougar. It was all mostly worries and what-ifs that Fendros knew he could rightly rationalise in his mind.

Curling his fingers around Ahnasha's hand, Fendros gave her a reassuring smile. "As far as things being in the hands of the heavens, I'm sure whatever phase it is will deliver a blessing." His smile turned into a look of concern. The pause before mentioning the last variety hinted of her own concern. "Are you worried about it being a Senche?" He asked quietly.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei smiled, obviously pleased that Ariel seemed to like it, or at least not hate it. "Trodh are fairly common in Black Marsh, but there are other dishes that are actually dead before we eat them. With all the unique plants and animals in the area, Argonian cuisine is just as unique. I will warn you that you should always do research before trying a dish you haven't seen before. Some of the foods we eat are highly poisonous to other races. Anyway, I will catch a few more trodh later that you can experiment on. Do you feel like joining us in the water, in the meantime?"

Ahnasha nodded. "Yes, but not quite for the reason you are thinking. The phase of the moons associated with Senche is the full moons and, well, you know what happens to lycans in full moons. We've been through a few of those over the past few months. I'm not entirely sure what would happen if I started to lose control while giving birth. I mean, my beast spirit is instinct driven, so maybe it would know enough to try and stay calm for the ordeal. Perhaps it wouldn't even put up enough of a fight to make me turn? Either way, everyone else would be in their lycan forms, so I would be having to do it all alone...except for Meesei, I suppose. Her ring could keep her in her normal form, so she could help me. Still, I hope it happens after the full moon, and not during."

[Muttonhawk]

"Well..." Ariel looked out at the water and hesitated once again. It was a bit too murky to see how deep it was, but judging by where the others were in the water, she didn't have to venture out any further than waist deep. Even if she wander so deep that she would struggle, the others were all there to help her. While she was thinking, Sabine's eyes were inviting her as well. The water was cool on her feet. "Well, okay," She said with a smile before standing up to remove her robe, "I'm not likely to drown in water this shallow." With the pack's attitudes towards nudity, her nervous modesty had been diminished over the past few months, but she still wore her undergarments as she waded in. She reached a point where she could lower the rest of her body in, and although her navel twitched with the cold at first, she sighed with relief once her neck reached the waterline. "That's better. I never thought I'd be so grateful to cool down in my life." Ariel said, now closer to the rest of the pack.

"It would be interesting to try some things with trodh. Most commonly, ingredients harvested from such fish are used in poisons, but sometimes they can be mixed with some things to sharpen the mind or the body temporarily. Or to change it temporarily. It seems appropriate that some types of fish can be used in a brew to allow someone to breath underwater. It's a kind of natural alteration effect." Ariel's initial concerns seemed to be all but gone by now. Even though the floor of the pond was slimy and at the same time gritty, at least she could feel herself seated on it. Talking about alteration also reminded her of her own ability to cast a waterbreathing spell. Practicing in a bathtub meant that she was well prepared to use that in the worst circumstances. "If only there was an alteration spell that would allow me to swim in the first place," she mentioned.

The full moons, that complicated things. Truthfully, Fendros wanted to be there to help Ahnasha when she gave birth, but whenever the moons were out, his beast spirit was under the least control. That was the time that they had no choice but to hunt. There was no point blaming his beast spirit, or even himself for not being there for her. His condition was a fact of life at this point. Still, would his beast spirit be more inclined to stay around, or hunt? Fendros was silent for a short while, thinking on it. He sighed and looked from Ahnasha's stomach to her face. "I hope so too. I'd like to be there for you. If it does turn out that way, however, I'm inclined to think that your beast spirit would know to stay still at least." Fendros' eyes went down, "I don't know, though. Will the child be okay?" He looked at Ahnasha again. He wished he had more control over the situation.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei noticed Ariel's hesitation to get in the water. She knew about her inability to swim, but had not thought greatly on the matter before this point. Being that they were in Black Marsh, water was ubiquitous, and flooding was a concern. Most of the cities were built in places that were safe from rising waters, but if she ever wanted to go elsewhere, being able to swim would be helpful. "You know, Ariel, I should teach you to swim. Well, maybe I should not be the one to teach you; I would not know the first thing about teaching someone else to swim, as it is basically instinctual for Argonians. Perhaps one of the others could teach you? As I am sure you can tell, there is no shortage of water in Black Marsh, so it is something you may want to learn. Failing that, you could always learn a water walking spell, although it may not be wise to rely only on your magic to deal with water."

Ahnasha paused for a moment in thought. She was relatively certain that a lycan could safely transform at any point during a pregnancy, but it would still be rather unfortunate timing if it happened exactly during the full moons. "I don't know, I think it would be fine. I mean, I know childbirth in and of itself is a dangerous thing. Mothers and children alike die all the time from complications. I admit, I get a little afraid when I think about it sometimes, but I do believe I have better chances than most. Khajiit cubs are born smaller than elven babies, so it is less risky by that fact alone. The bodies of lycans can live through much more punishment than those without the blessing, so that also helps me. Not to mention the fact that Meesei will be there to help with her magic. I don't think there is much of a reason to worry. It will probably hurt worse than anything I have ever experienced, but...there isn't much I can do about that."

[Muttonhawk]

Looking down and to one side for a moment, Fendros shifted and laid down on his back next to Ahnasha, still holding onto her hand. "You're strong," He said, looking beside himself at her, "Things will turn out fine, I'm sure." He move his head forward and kissed her. Even though he had his worries, Fendros knew that all things considered, the odds were in their favour. As long as he and Ahnasha stayed strong, he had a feeling that more good was going to come from the future than ill. "You know," he started with a more lighthearted tone, "your feet seemed to make you twitch and laugh. You wouldn't happen to be..." Fendros pressed his thumb roughly in a spot near Ahnasha's kidney, "... ticklish, would you?"

"Hmm. Well, while we're here I suppose it would be a good idea." Ariel said, nodding once, "If I'm going to be living in such a place I'll probably need to learn how to swim." Her brow creased and she looked at Meesei "Didn't you teach Sabine to swim? I would have thought..."

Ariel trailed off as Sabine drifted up to her and tugged on her arm. "Follow," She said softly.

Even though she glanced to the rest of the pack with a look of confusion, Ariel didn't put up any resistance as Sabine pulled her to a spot in the water out of the way from the pack. With a series of gestures, and a small number of words, Sabine began to demonstrate and instruct Ariel on some basic facets of swimming; kicks, strokes, floating, breathing. They remained in the shallows, but where needed, Sabine proved strong enough to hold Ariel above the water for certain instructions. It was all a bit unexpected, but Sabine seemed rather enthusiastic about teaching her sister how to swim. Ariel appeared to be receptive, but was definitely uncomfortable. She seemed to learn the bare basics quickly, however.

"I've never seen Sabine being so open with someone." Janius observed, now upright in the water and watching the two, "I wonder what's got into her that she's... not so reclusive today."

[EliteCommander]

Lorag shrugged. "She is with her sister, I guess." He said, breaking his silence. He did find it strange as well how Runt was acting, so much so that he was genuinely curious as to what caused it.

Meesei nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Ariel most likely was part of Sabine's life since she could first form memories. Even if some of those memories ended up being bad, that is still quite an imprint to leave. I think it is good that she is getting along well with her sister. Being able to settle her problems from her past will make the ritual that much easier."

"Wait, I wouldn't happen to be...no, wait stop!" Ahnasha shouted before she began to laugh uncontrollably. She twitched and curled up around the spot Fendros was tickling. "No!, Please, I can't..." She said, unable to form complete sentences. As her arms were flailing around, she accidentally ended up dragging one of her claws across Fendros' inner thigh.

[Muttonhawk]

"Maybe this is more like how she was before all the bad stuff happened." Janius remarked, "It would surprise me if all her scars had suddenly disappeared, she used to be afraid of the very aspect of her sister before they met again. Interesting." Janius leaned back and lightly paddled through the water with broad strokes, but his eyes were drawn to one side by the sudden commotion from Ahnasha and Fendros. Sabine didn't strike them with a beetle prank as well, did she?

Fendros grinned and laughed along with Ahnasha as he brought both his hands to bear against her. The ticklish assault was cut short when he felt a sharp pain on his leg. He winced and stopped for a moment to look at what had caused it. There was a long, shallow scratch that started to weep blood on his inner thigh. Ahnasha must have accidentally scratched him. Fendros paused to look at it, then looked at Ahnasha. His grin returned. "You're going to have to do better than that!" He said, sitting up a bit more and resuming his assault.

By sunset, Sabine had instructed Ariel on basic survival strokes and how to stay above the water. It was more of a workout than Ariel had anticipated, but she was grateful for the lessons. They might save her life one day. There was still plenty to learn later of course; faster strokes, swimming while completely submerged, generally gaining more confidence in the water. For now, though, Ariel had been taught well enough that she wouldn't panic and sink like a rock if the water was deeper than the length of her body.

Strangely enough, when they gathered for dinner that night, Sabine's stature was more open in general. She still didn't say anything more than a few words and didn't make eye contact, as usual, but her back was straighter and her shoulders were held further back. The pack got a better look at her face than they normally did. Unfortunately, the improvement only lasted for that day. Whether it was internal worries, or a nightmare during the night, she turned reclusive again by the next day. Ariel asked her about further swimming lessons when there was the occasion, and Sabine agreed to continue them, but the apparent confidence boost had a reduced effect.

[EliteCommander]

Unlike usual, most of the pack was not in too much of a hurry to dry off once they finally got out of the water, as the cool of the water was a great way to counterbalance the warmth of the air. For once in her life, Ahnasha was glad to have fur which trapped in the water for an extended time, since it kept her at a comfortable temperature for longer than the others. She made sure not to let up on bragging about it to Fendros to get at least a little revenge on him for his relentless assault before, though she still needed to do something else to truly get even.

Normally, the pack traveled through the wilds to reach their destination, but since most of the pack was not adept at traversing marshlands, Meesei consulted their map to bring them to a road...if it could be called that. Waterways were the primary method of travel in the marsh, so land-based routes were often overgrown, but it was still faster than wading through the swamps. It took a few days of travel for them to near the city, during which time the road seemed to become more well-maintained. They ended up passing more travelers than Meesei expected, a surprising number of which were non-Argonian. Even so, they received far fewer strange looks for their choice of attire than they were used to in Cyrodiil, since Argonians from smaller villages often wore more 'tribal' clothing. The most curiosity from strangers seemed to be as to why such a mix of races would all adopt the same style.

When they finally reached the city, they easily saw why it had gained such a reputation. The marsh had become much less dense as they drew closer to the coast, so when they crested the hill just beyond the city, they were greeted by the magnificent sight of Thorn set against the vast expanse of the ocean behind it The region was still marshland, but the area immediately around the city had been cleared and was fairly open. Along the side of the well-maintained road cobblestone road leading up to the city were multicolored flowers, some native, and some imported from other parts of Tamriel. The walls were a fine, white stone with flowering vines growing up them, while the gate was carved and painted with patterns of thorn-covered vines. Inside the city, the architecture and aesthetics were just as majestic. The buildings were made from either a similar white stone to the walls, or carved wood. For Meesei, it seemed just as alien as any other city she had been in, as the style only seemed to have slight Argonian influence, almost to the point where it would not be noticeable if she did not know what to look for. Regardless, she had to admit it was quite beautiful, which was clearly something the residents of Thorn cared greatly about. Hanging above them as they walked through the surprisingly crowded streets were more flowering vines suspended from wooden beams running between buildings. Indeed, there seemed to be colorful flowers growing in many places across the city.

Although Argonians were still the largest group, over half of the people they saw were a mix of other races. One group that stood out was a group of Khajiit draped with flowing, multicolored cloths walking beside them. Ahnasha recognized them as a kind of traditional Khajiit acrobats, but was rather confused on why they would be in a city in Black Marsh. As they continued on, however, they walked with the crowd into a sort of open market area that explained why the city was so exceptionally lively. There appeared to be some sort of festival going on, with people from all over Tamriel coming to experience it. Certainly, it explained the extravagant decorations all over the city, though it would still be quite beautiful even without them. Music filled the air and the scents of all sorts of foods and flowers mixed to form an odd, but pleasurable sensation. Meesei felt rather strongly out of her element in such a place, but as usual, she maintained her composure.

"I heard this place was beautiful, but...this is definitely not what I expected from a Black Marsh city. It's so...lively, and vibrant." Ahnasha commented.

"Neither did I." Meesei added. "I think Thorn may be unique among Black Marsh cities. The Argonian influence is not too obvious, at least not on the surface. I suppose we still do not know a lot about the people here. I am guessing many of these people are only visitors to this place. Still, we have time to learn. I think at some point soon, we should purchase some clothes for use in the city. We have these city clothes, but they do not match the local styles of city Argonians. Many of the visitors aren't wearing clothing in that style, but it may help Ariel not to be seen as a simple visitor."

[Muttonhawk]

Even though the weather didn't seem to shift, the pack eventually moved on to finally reach the city of Thorn. As soon as they laid their eyes upon it, they were beholden by a great walled town rivaling the Imperial City itself in aesthetic design. Even though it was nowhere near as big, it was teeming with vegetation against the white walls framed by the backdrop of the sky and the endless ocean behind it. As they walked through the gate, they found themselves slowing down as they constantly looked up and around at the various decorations that seemed to flow around the buildings like a storm of leaves and petals frozen in place.

In their mostly Morrowind-style city attire, the pack stood out against who appeared to be the local populace, even though a great many wore a variety of styles as Meesei mentioned. Indeed, Ariel in particular still had her modified robe and looked somewhat dilapidated. They had all been traveling for a long time, however, so there wasn't much they could really do to about it.

"Everyone I can see is wearing silks," Janius pointed out, needing to raise his voice over the chatter of the crowds, "I'd bet that'd be a far better material for this climate." He looked to Meesei in particular, knowing that she was not used to the city, "However, I think our first priority should be to find an inn and book rooms. If there is a festival on, we might have trouble finding enough free rooms with all the visitors."

"He's right, if we don't find rooms, the inns will be filled to the brim by nightfall," Fendros added.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei nodded understandingly. "I see, so how should we go about finding an inn with vacant rooms?"

"We should look for somewhere away from the festival, probably out of this district, which I am assuming is a wealthy district. The inns elsewhere might not be as nice, but it is not like that really matters." Ahnasha advised. They approached and asked one of the guards for directions and were pointed to the far side of the city, just east of the docks. As they left the festival, they saw that the buildings in this area were much less elaborate, and likely belonged to the city's working class. It wasn't what one would call a slum; far from it, it actually seemed rather quaint, but it was unexceptional compared to the rest of the city. Following the guard's directions, they eventually found the inn. It was a two-story building with a sign reading "The Wamasu's Nest," written in both Jel and Cyrodilic.

Stepping inside, they saw that the main room was, surprisingly, quite empty, apart from a pair of Argonians drinking at a table on the far side of the room and an Argonian male behind the bar cleaning one of the mugs, who they assumed to be the innkeeper. It seemed to be more of a tavern than an inn, but from the guard's description, they rented rooms as well as serving drinks. When the innkeeper saw the pack enter, he placed the mug aside and gave a friendly smile. He had chocolate colored scales with red eyes and six, small horns on each side of his head, and was of about average height and build.

"Hmm, I didn't expect to find an inn so empty during a festival." Ahnasha commented as they approached, more thinking out loud than actually speaking to anyone.

The innkeeper gave a chuckle. "Actually, I'm busier than I have been all year, it's just that most of them are gone at the festival. I have rented over half of my rooms in the past few hours. Anyway, how may I assist you?"

"We are actually looking for lodging ourselves, do you still have any open rooms?" Meesei asked

The innkeeper nodded. "Indeed I do, I have four remaining. How many would you like for your group?"

Meesei glanced over to the others, then back to the innkeeper. "I am not sure. How large are each of these rooms?"

"Well, they are designed with two people in mind, but I would say they could hold three comfortably, if you don't mind things being just a bit tight." He answered.

Meesei paused, thinking for a moment. She was not picky at all about how crowded her room was, and fewer rooms would mean spending less gold for their stay. "I do not think we will need more than three." She answered.

"Alright, that will be thirty gold total. Just pick out any three of the empty rooms upstairs. And if you need anything: food, drink, advice on local attractions, just ask me." He responded.

As Meesei was getting the gold to pay for their rooms, Ahnasha figured she would make good on his offer for advice. "I have a question, actually. We have been traveling a long ways and are in need of new clothing. Can you recommend any tailors in the city?"

The Argonian's face seemed to light up upon Ahnasha's question. "Yes, my brother's wife is a tailor. And a jeweler. Quite a talented one, she is. She owns a shop just down the street, closer to the docks. It is called the "Loom and Lapis." You should pay her a visit; I'm sure she would be happy to help you. Tell her I sent you...maybe then she will forgive me for forgetting her hatching day last year."

"Will do...what is your name?" Ahnasha asked.

The inkeeper laughed. "Well, visitors to town have taken to calling me Serves-Drinks-Faster. It's not my name, but I don't complain. No, my real name is Rukeewei."

"Well, thank you, Rukeewei." Ahnasha said politely.

"It is no problem." He said. After he accepted the gold from Meesei, he looked over the rest of the group. "Let me know if you need anything to make your stay more comfortable, and if you have any more questions, I will be happy to answer."

[Muttonhawk]

"If I may, Rukeewei," Ariel stepped forward, readjusting the knapsack that she had carried all this way, "We've traveled from up north, in Morrowind. My friends here are to visit and are helping me get settled, but I'm looking to immigrate here and set up a business. Do you know who I would need to talk to for real estate?"

The innkeeper looked at the ceiling and rubbed the underside of his chin in thought. "You would probably need to go up to the keep and talk to someone there. Probably wouldn't be the count, more likely one of the administrators." He shrugged, "I can't say for sure. Try asking around at the keep, someone is bound to have what you need. If I may ask, what business are you intending to start?"

"An apothecary," Ariel replied with a smile.

"I see, I see," Rukeewei nodded, "You might have a small amount of competition in some of the tribal alchemists in the area, but you have the look about you of someone who was taught with a different skill set. Yes, you may find a market yet. In fact..." Rukeewei leaned forward slighty, with both hands on the bar top, "... You wouldn't happen to sell that paint that Imperial woman put on their nails, would you?" The innkeeper moved his hands about as if he was stroking an invisible paint brush over his fingers.

Ariel turned her head slightly, "I might in the future, why do you ask?"

"Well, my own mother is rather obsessed with Imperial fashion. I'll refer her to you if I see you in the market, or maybe drop in once you have everything sorted to let me know where she might purchase something."

With Rukeewei's Argonian face not making his intentions as obvious as they should have been, it was a moment before Ariel processed the sincerity of his tone. "Um, sure- of course!" Ariel replied, taken rather off-guard at finding a potential customer after barely having spent an hour in the city. "Of course, that would be wonderful." In truth, Ariel didn't much know whether there would be the right pigments available for nail polish, but she would be on the lookout from now on.

Ariel glanced at the pack. No one immediately seemed to have any more questions, so she turned back to Rukeewei, who was still smiling patiently at them. "D-do you mind if I borrow a key to one of the room's strongboxes? I have a few odds and ends that I won't be needing to carry around all day." Ariel asked, pointing a thumb at the stairs that presumably lead up to the rooms.

"Sure," Rukeewei leaned underneath the counter and retrieved a small metal key, handing it to Ariel. "This one should be for the first room on your right after you climb the stairs, but keep your most precious valuables to yourself. I'm not quite as wealthy as the proprietors of the Potted Purity up in the noble district. No metal banded chests in their inn rooms, just sturdy wooden boxes with a lock on them riveted to the floor beams. We don't get burglaries in the city often, and in truth they go for the richer places anyway, but I would hate to risk having anything essential stolen if you're just about to move here."

Ariel rolled her sore shoulders and looked at the key in her hands. There wasn't much in her knapsack that would be difficult to replace in all truth. It was just a few basic potions, some vessels of preserved ingredients, and some of her personal wares. She still kept her most valuable belongings in her shoulderbag. She looked up at the innkeeper and nodded, "Thank you."

The pack waited a moment for Ariel to put away her knapsack, and she came back with something of a spring in her step. Even though they had spent much of the day traveling, she was full of energy and excitement at such a new place. Their next stop was eventually the Loom and Lapis, as the barkeep suggested. On the way there, on the comparatively quiet street to the festivities further in the town, Ariel came to a realisation that made her chuckle out of the blue. "I think I just got what that man meant by 'a different skill set'," Ariel said, not quite sure what to feel except amused, "Argonians have so few diseases to treat. My biggest market among these folk will probably be cosmetics. That might just be amongst the working class though, I'll have to keep my ear to the ground to find out more."

[EliteCommander]

As the group was beginning to leave, Rukeewei nodded back to Ariel with a smile. "You're welcome. I wish you luck settling here. If you get a chance, you should take the opportunity to enjoy the festival. I myself will be heading over there this evening once my brother takes over here."

Once they had dropped off most of their belongings in their rooms, the group left the inn to go to the tailor Rukeewei recommended. As they neared the shop, another impressive sight came into view. In the center of town at a sort of junction between the districts was the city's Hist tree, which was quite a bit larger than the sapling they made camp near a few days prior. It stood out drastically from the buildings around it, but was impressive all the same. It was surrounded by a fence at least twice as tall as the average person, with two guards posted at each gate, and it was easy to see why. While the tree itself was too large to be easily harmed, there were seemingly hundreds of Argonian eggs in nests near the pools of sap at its base. The only people inside the fence were the treeminders who cared for the tree and the eggs it was nurturing. Needless to say, this particular tree was not likely suitable for Sabine's ritual.

"If you wish to sell cosmetic products, I would make sure to learn more about Argonian styles in this city. I am afraid I am not able to help in that regard, so you will have to talk to locals. I suppose that is as good of a reason as any to attempt to make new friends. Perhaps the owner of this shop with be more open to you, since Rukeewei referred us." Meesei advised as they approached the shop. The building was of a similar, modest construction as the inn, and also had its sign written in both Jel and Cyrodilic.

"Yeah, you could also serve other markets as well. There do seem to be quite a few non-Argonians in this city, so you might be able to make something helpful for them." Ahnasha added as they entered the shop.

Just as one would expect, the tailor's shop had sets of clothing neatly slacked on shelves along the walls, with sets of different styles on display on mannequins. The materials ranged from fibers from local plants, to leather from native creatures. One dress was even made from dyed, finely woven spidersilk, though it looked rather expensive. All of the clothing seemed to match the Argonian styles they had seen people wearing since they entered the city. In addition, there were display cases with Argonian styled jewelry positioned in a way that they were easily visible. The Argonian behind the counter set down the book she was reading as soon as the group entered. She had light, tan-colored scales with no horns and green feathers on her head. There was a hint of excitement in her expression at such a large group entering her store. "Greetings, welcome to the Loom and Lapis. I am Speaks-With-Thread, how may I help you?" She said, giving the translation of her name since she saw that the group was mostly non-Argonian.

Meesei answered as she approached the counter. "Our clothing has become worn from our travels, and we would like to find replacements, as opposed to repairs, specifically in the local style. The innkeeper, Rukeewei, recommended we come here."

"Well, he was correct, I can certainly help you there. All of my clothing is handcrafted in the latest styles popular to Thorn. I have clothes tailored for Argonians, as well as other races, in a variety of sizes. If you find something you like, but it is not in the right size, I am of course more than happy to make the proper alterations. Feel free to browse, and ask me if you need any help. Should you need it, there is also a room to my right you may make use of."

[Muttonhawk]

With such a warm reception, the pack did not have to be encouraged further to peruse the Loom and Lapis' items.

Having what he considered to be an eye for fashion despite rarely being in contact with it, Janius was certainly intrigued by the clothing of the Argonian styles. He felt the materials between his fingers, scrutinising them. It seemed that most of the materials were local. They were rough but durable, while still managing to have some eye-pleasing patterns and colours. It wasn't like most clothing he had come across, such as the now yellowed shirt and slightly sodden trousers and boots that he took from Morrowind to wear in cities. What was on display had a charm that he seemed unsure about at first, but transitioned to appealing the more he looked at them. He was the first to pick out a few items that looked about his size and disappear behind the door of the changing room.

While Janius went straight for the clothing, Fendros was swiftly entranced by the intricate jewellery on display. Though there were mostly amethysts amongst the stones, there were less prominent pearls and, behind glass cases, more valuable gems. Whether they were wrought from gold, silver, copper, wood, bone, brass, or a material Fendros didn't recognise, they each were made with such fine detail that Fendros had to lean his head in close to properly appreciate them. "You weren't lying about Argonian jewellery, Ahna." Fendros said, looking at a gold ruby ring that he was almost too afraid to ask the price of. "These are exquisite," he breathed.

Sabine was about as used to clothing stores as Meesei was, having rarely seen the inside of them. People would normally pick out her clothes for her if it was for the purpose of temporarily disguising in cities. Even though her eyes scanned various points of interest within the store, she stayed beside Meesei for the moment.

Upon Meesei's suggestion, Ariel approached Speaks-With-Thread and glanced to one side, slightly nervous at engaging someone new. "Hello Speaks-With-Thread," Ariel said with a quavering voice, "my name is Ariel. I'm actually about to move here, my friends and I just travelled from up north." She extended a hand to the tailor, "A-anyway, I was wondering if you could advise me with something." Ariel took a breath, her voice levelling as she gained momentum, "You see, I'm hoping to open an apothecary, and while I do make medicines, there isn't as much of a demand amongst a people that has adapted to resist disease and poison." She ended her sentence with a nervous laugh, "The way things are, I'm probably going to be selling more perfumes, ointments, make-up, that sort of thing. You are a woman who is familiar with this city's fashions, I don't suppose you might know what kind of cosmetics are in demand in Thorn?"