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

[EliteCommander]

"Yeah, yeah, just don't take that attitude around anyone else." Lorag warned. Quite suddenly, his attitude had shifted, becoming far more serious and direct than she had seen him at any point so far. He walked up close to her, speaking quietly, but firmly. "Your mother's crimes are serious business. Jerrick had a lot of good friends in his clan, not to mention his family. You don't want them takin' offense. Now come on; I'll show you where you'll be stayin'. First thing tomorrow, we're gettin' to work."

True to Lorag's word, Narsi was given a room alone. Even if it was not the largest, it was still at least equal in floor space to the entire home that she shared with her mother outside Cheydinhal. Unlike other clans, the Blackreach clan in particular did not house many new lycans due to its secrecy. There were only a few others in the same hall as Narsi's apart from the guards that were periodically rotated out through the night to deal with any potential, uncontrolled outbursts. Lorag had ordered her to get to bed somewhat early, though he did at least have a meal sent to her room, uncooked as it was.

The next morning, Lorag came personally to get Narsi out of her bed, not even making time for breakfast for either of them before leading her to the nearest training room. He acted like he was in a hurry, perhaps even eager, but would not elaborate on why regardless of anything Narsi might decide to ask. He simply brought her to a spacious, interior chamber with a collection of training weapons and equipment. Although, they were not the only ones present. There was a small group of four individuals of mostly Human races, unarmed and unarmored, but with the physique of soldiers. Yet, they did not seem to be doing anything except waiting, and all of them appeared to perk up once Lorag arrived. If Narsi was attentive, she might realize that Lorag had asked them to be there.

Just as he had been acting all morning, Lorag was eager to get straight to the point. "Alright, so what we're gonna do is get a sense of where you're at. I'll admit your mother didn't go completely soft in that city, but she's been out of it for a long time. If you decide to stick with it, you'll be learnin' with the recruits, but for now, you're gonna fight me. Take your beast form, you'll need it."

---

"It would be a lie for me to say that this is my preferred choice." Zharanthixil replied. However, everything about his demeanor soften once he finally approached Kaleeth directly. He reached out and took her hands in his. "But it is not about him, it is about you, Kaleeth. I have missed you more than I would have thought possible, especially after losing your mother. This last year has...tested me far more than any beast I have slain or enemy I have faced. I had dreams about just being able to see you again. That...eager smile of yours. I have missed it."

Finally, Zharan was willing to put down his guard enough to pull Kaleeth into a hug. "He is not one of us, and he does not belong here with us. But, I have earned enough respect in my life to arrange for an exception for the Human."

Even as Kaleeth was overjoyed to hear what her father had to say to her, she could not help but to have a certain dread swell up within her. She still had to find a way to tell her father that she could not stay.

[Muttonhawk]

Narsi held a scowl at Lorag. She looked about ready to lose her patience and protest about his recommendations of tact, but he did not give her a chance to speak.

Lorag left her in her room standing up and staring at nothing. He found her the next morning fast asleep in her bedroll, curled up like a cold animal. However, she was a light sleeper. Lorag's second footfall brought her to consciousness and she was standing upright in an almost military shortness of time.

All the same, she was still bleary-eyed on her way to the training room. She only started paying proper attention once she noticed the other people present and looking at her expectantly.

"Momma only taught me to fight as an Orc," she mumbled to Lorag. "Said I needed to be more lucid as a wolf before I could fight that way. But I still wanna hit you."

While she hesitated around the strangers, Narsi's anger overtook her modesty. She pulled off her clothes in a rush, throwing them down, and then straightened. She relaxed her shoulders and exhaled.

Young though she was, Narsi's own physique suggested Harriet had not let her off easily. She was spry, well built, and bruised in places often struck in sparring. If there was any cause for concern, it was her fallow torso. Lorag would have noticed the signs on Harriet as well -- they evidently had lean diets, for one reason or another.

Narsi's brief meditation was predictably interrupted with her breath catching in her throat. She doubled over and let out sounds of struggle as the transformation process set in. It was plain to see she had not transformed enough times to get used to the pain.

Still, the same werewolf Lorag had encountered on the forest trail stood up from all fours to glare and bare its teeth at him. Nothing was holding back the creature's emotion now.

---

Janius kept back and let Zharan and Kaleeth finally embrace. The back of his mind suggested he was clutching straws, but he wanted at least some moments to be savoured between the two.

If Kaleeth would not address their visit being temporary, he thought, perhaps the village elders could see sense in not allowing Zharan's request. He and Kaleeth could speak to them about it later.

[EliteCommander]

While Narsi was transforming, Lorag did not do perhaps what she had been expecting. Instead of preparing to transform himself, or even just grabbing a weapon, Lorag simply grabbed a pair of steel gauntlets, and had just finished tightening them when Narsi's body finished its transformation. He was only wearing basic clothing, apart from the gauntlets, so he appeared to be entirely unprepared to fight a transformed werewolf. Narsi, even being an underfed juvenile, was still a far stronger, faster, and deadly being than any normal mortal form, save for a few, more bestial types of Khajiit. Even a hardened warrior like Lorag could not be expected to match a transformed werewolf physically, yet he made no effort to try and further even the odds.

"Hmph, looks like you're still barely better than an animal at this point. Your mother was right to make you wait, at least outside a clan. Like I said, though, things are different here. At least it still looks like you're still you in that head of yours, so this still might be worth somethin'." Lorag said before finally giving some attention to their onlookers. "Girl could go feral, so be ready to get her under control. Just don't interrupt the fight, for any reason. If she manages to kill me...then make sure she gets back to her mother in one piece."

All at once, Lorag's full attention was on Narsi. He went from a vaguely apathetic expression, to one of singular focus. His eyes read every slight movement she made just as one would read a book. Slowly, he cracked his knuckles and took up a fighting stance. "Here that, girl? I just gave you free reign to try and kill me. So...try me."

---

Kaleeth continued to hug her father for a time, if only so he could not see the conflict in her expression. She knew that she could not stay as he wanted, but she did not know how she could tell him so without hurting him. A part of her wanted to find a way to change the subject, but she also had a feeling that it would just make matters worse to allow him to continue to believe she would for any longer.

"I...I can't come back father. I mean, I can't stay." Kaleeth said, her head still buried into Zharan's shoulder. She sobbed more loudly, while her father's expression became distinctly disappointed, and with a certain amount of anger.

"And why not? You are here now, with your people where you belong. There is no life out there that would be better than what you could have here. A Saxhleel should live in connection with the Hist, and not you, nor your son can have that anywhere outside our homeland. There is a place for you here, with your father who has wanted nothing more than to have his family again." Zharanthixil said, surprisingly keeping his voice calm despite his expression. Kaleeth, however, could not bear to look him in the eye from the guilt that was evident in her face.

[Muttonhawk]

Narsi kept low and sprung. Her ears pinned back and her lips remained curled up to show her full set of sharp teeth. Between near-constant growling and snorting were threatening barks and cautious paces around Lorag.

For all her ferocity and speed, Narsi's movements were predictable. She did what most young lycans did by instinct; she leapt with all her body-weight direcly at Lorag in an effort to force him to the floor, going for his arms with her hands and the throat with her teeth.

At the very least, her savagery did not accompany the usual relative lack of strength from a starved feral lycan. Harriet had kept her exercised.

---

Janius looked away as well, desperately trying to put together a reasonable protest to Zharan. Again, he spoke slowly and carefully. "You would be doing something tremendous by letting us all stay, Zharanthixil. I'm grateful, really. Perhaps, in a different time, under different circumstances, I could remain." He sighed. "But my place is not here."

He bit his tongue before he let out an allusion to their upcoming mission and the danger it put Zharanthixil's tribe in, let alone the rest of Mundus.

[EliteCommander]

In Lorag's great many years of experience, he had seen just about every form and style of attack there was to see, from lycans and non-lycans alike. Narsi's savage attack was trivial to predict, to the point that he knew exactly what she was going to do after seeing only a few steps of her footwork. Any sluggishness that Lorag had accumulated through age was more than countered by sheer experience, at least at the current point in his life. His eyes were still sharp, and his mind still fast enough to watch his opponent not only to see what they were likely about to do, but to have an intuitive sense for how their attacks might change based on their position and momentum. Of course, in Narsi's case, she did not currently have the state of mind to be that clever, regardless.

Knowing where she was going to land, Lorag did not seem to have too much trouble evading, and using her momentum to push her past him, all while delivering a hefty blow from his fist as she flew past. He used his knuckle to deliver a precise strike to the joint of her jaw to her skull. She easily outmatched Lorag for strength at the moment, but he was still strong enough in his current form to harm her. Indeed, his strike could have broken bone.

If landing the first strike was not enough, Lorag also moved behind Narsi while she was recovering, to a point where she could not easily reach him without first turning her whole body, and delivered another strong blow to the joint between her left leg and her hip before finally backing off out of her range. The last thing he wanted would be to get into a grapple with a werewolf.

---

"I'm sorry, father. I feel horrible about it, but we can't stay here. I do want to be with you and...my people again, but...I can't. We have important things we have to do that I can't just abandon. I know how horrible it was that I abandoned you and mother, and I can't do that again." Kaleeth added after Janius. Although, she soon regretted saying anything at all.

Zharan clutched Kaleeth's hand tightly, and seemed to make a conscious effort to diffuse some of the anger and frustration that was evident in his expression. "What could be so important to keep you away from your people?"

Kaleeth looked away. "I...can't say. I've met many people since I left, and made friends that I love as much as family. I've made promises to them, and I have to keep them.

Again, there was a silence from Zharanthixil. His next words were slow, but steady. "And is this important thing something you are going to be doing for the rest of your life?"

"Well, no, but..."

"Then you are free to return once you are finished." Zharanthixil interrupted before giving a sharp, accusatory gaze towards Janius. Without knowing the full context of what Kaleeth was referring to, his first instinct was to suspect Janius. "Or is that an option you are withholding from her?"

[Muttonhawk]

Lorag's powerful blows did not outwardly appear to deter Narsi's movements beyond her head's yielding to his fist, but the pain was real and apparent where they landed. Narsi naturally swiped at where Lorag dodged to as if her speed would make up for her lack of skill. Lorag remained in full control, predicting Narsi's movements intuitively enough to convince her that he was reading her mind.

She remained furious. The lack of success only goaded her further. After a spin to face Lorag again, Narsi stepped up to swipe at his arms with the claws of her right hand. She followed up with a swipe from the left and planned to continue. She just wanted to land a strike at this point.

---

Janius held firm. "I could not withhold anything from Kaleeth, even if I wanted to. We have been living one life for too long." He blinked his eyes to Kaleeth. "She is telling the truth. And the situation is not as simple as singular favours. There are people depending on Kaleeth."

[EliteCommander]

Being unarmed and unarmored, Lorag could not afford a major hit, but he did not seem to have too much trouble avoiding them at the moment. The first two of Narsi's broadly telegraphed strikes were easily dodged with simple, quick dashes, but on the third, he finally went on the offensive. Her patterns were easy enough to recognize, and he aimed to push into her reach while she was recovering from her swing. It required timing within a fraction of a second, and he did take a flesh wound from two of her claws on his shoulder for his trouble, but he traded it for a solid punch to the middle of her head, mostly focused on her left eye socket. He watched her other hand for a counter attack, while following through to her temporary blind spot. With his other fist, Lorag delivered another heavy blow to the exact same spot on her jaw as his first strike, before finally dashing out of her range to the side.

Those watching the fight were mostly silent, if only for how engaged they were in watching and examining Lorag's every move. Narsi offered nothing surprising for a mostly primal lycan, but how Lorag was dealing with her had their full attention. To fight a werewolf unarmed and unarmored was seemingly suicidal, even for very experienced warriors. There were even a few of the onlookers with wagers against Lorag. Ten years ago, he could not have done so with any degree of confidence, yet now he was willingly risking everything on his own ability.

---

Janius' answer was evidently enough for Zharanthixil, as he accepted it with no further argument. "If that is true, then I do not see a problem. I have been without you for over ten years; I can wait a bit longer."

Despite Zharan's now pleasant attitude, Kaleeth still could not bear to look at him. She cursed at herself internally for even trying to offer an explanation. She had not expected that she would have even been welcome to stay in her village, much have actually put any serious thought into the possibility. She just could not imagine wanting to leave her pack at any point, and did not know how to approach telling that to her father.

[Muttonhawk]

Lorag's hits delivered more force than they appeared. Narsi flailed one more time to try and reach him with her claws and found herself overbalanced in the opposite direction. She staggered back and fell onto her knee and hand. She could no longer see straight, or even think straight. She growled and snapped as an automatic response.

After a second on the ground, she tried to stand up and fell forwards. She rolled onto her side, breathing quickly, half-conscious, and thoroughly concussed.

---

Janius gave Kaleeth a worried look. He could not think of anything to say either. Saving the world was necessary, but remaining away after that could only be seen as selfishness if he would declare it out loud.

"Well, for whatever might happen in the future, we still came by to visit now," Janius said, trying to move on. "I am sure you and Kaleeth have much to catch up on. Kaleeth and I wanted Julan to know what life is like here, as well. And, perhaps later, you and I might speak as well? I left a poor impression the last time. If you would give me a chance to repair it...?"

[EliteCommander]

Lorag stopped once Narsi fell, though he was still fully attentive of any sudden actions from such a volatile werewolf. Regardless, he stepped up to her, looking down on her from above. "Hmph, lasted longer than I thought you would." He said, despite the short fight. "Still awake in there, girl? Best to stop when you start gettin' dizzy. They tell me that's something' you're supposed to treat quick."

Lorag briefly waved his hand towards their onlookers. "Speaking of, you're up, Alain."

The small crowd was already sharing mumbled words and looks of surprise. To defeat any werewolf in such a way was already impressive, much less to do so quickly. One of the group, a Breton man, returned a nod to Lorag, then quickly stepped over to a wooden cabinet in the corner to collect a few potions.

Oddly enough, Lorag's gaze down to Narsi suddenly became even more intense, almost threatening. He practically started to shout down at her. "Kneel, dog, you're beaten! Time for me to talk to the girl now. Go to sleep and lick your wounds." He commanded, obviously not directing his words towards Narsi herself. As stubborn as Narsi was, her beast was not; at least not in all contexts. They were still pack-based beings, with clear instincts regarding their superiors.

---

"I believe I have made it clear that I am offering you a chance." Zharanthixil replied. "I cannot guarantee all others will. Most will not care, so as long as you do not prove a nuisance, but there are a few I know who may take offense at your presence. I cannot protect you from them, physically or by influence. If it becomes a problem, you would need to speak to an Elder for a resolution, and hope they support you."

[Muttonhawk]

Narsi growled and bayed as soon as Lorag shouted down at her. However, her show of threat was from a place of base fear. She had drawn her tail between her legs and ineffectually attempted to slide away from Lorag by pushing at the floor. With every push, her limbs shrank and her fur retracted. The black turned green. Before another moment, Narsi was young Orc again. She had her eyes scrunched shut and her mouth agape with pain. She curled up to hold her temples in her palms.

"Aaaahh," she breathed and winced. She clenched her teeth.

---

"I see," Janius said with nod. "Thank you." He gave Kaleeth another glance and then breathed in ask Zharanthixil. "Who are the elders now? We should speak to them if we are going to stay a while longer."

[EliteCommander]

By the time Narsi had completed her transformation, the Breton, Alain, was already standing over her. "Alright, hold still, unless you want something to break in that head of yours." He commented as he placed a bright, glowing hand onto her forehead. Almost immediately, any pain she was feeling would begin to dull, and her senses would begin to clear. "And drink this." The Breton ordered, practically shoving the potion into her hands.

Meanwhile, Lorag was still standing over Narsi within her view, looking down onto her with his arms crossed. "This is one advantage to all this magic stuff, I've got to admit. Train as hard as we want, within reason. You'll be fine. Magic can stop damage from settin' in permanently. Train hard enough, and I might actually have to use a weapon next time."

Lorag too knelt down, bringing himself closer to Narsi and speaking more intensely. "That is the kind of strength I'm offerin' to you here, girl. The kind of strength that lets you stare certain death right in the eye, then gouge it out. Back in her day, your mother was the strongest there was in this place, but that bar's only gotten higher and higher in this war. I can't really say if your mother's gotten soft but she hadn't been gettin' any better loungin' around in that city of yours. We've been in a war, fightnin' for our own survival. No surrender, no option for defeat. We've gotten stronger, because we had to get stronger. Now? Your mother's hardly even average compared to the warriors I've been trainin'. You want strength? This clan is where you'll find it."

---

"Treeminder Thorantilth lives in his hut nearest the Hist tree, and Elder Reanaseer should be in her hut on the other side of the tree with her attendants." Zharanthixil answered to Janius, though he received a curious look from Kaleeth.

"Reanaseer is still the Elder? I did not expect her to still be...alive, after all this time." Kaleeth said, finding it useful to try and distract herself from her guilt to keep it from showing.

For the first time in their conversation so far, Zharanthixil actually showed a smile, if only for a moment. "Nor did any of us, I would imagine." He said, returning to his serious tone just as quickly. "Master-Hunter Juran-Selth lives in the largest hut on the very south edge of the village, along the stream. Though, he will most likely come looking for you."

Again, Kaleeth appeared surprised, but there was a hint of something more negative in her tone. "Juran is the Master-Hunter now? But he was...is so young. He's hardly any older than me."

Zharanthixil remained firm. "You know very well that the Master-Hunter is not a position for the aged and feeble. And he is capable; I selected him personally as my successor. Your personal history with him had no bearing on his ability, or judgment. You will simply have to get past that if you want his approval."

Kaleeth lowered her head and gave a sigh. "I understand."

[Muttonhawk]

Narsi's breathing steadied with the healing magic. She sat up and took her time opening and drinking the potion simply due to the shaking of her hands. Whether out of shame, fear, frustration, or a mix of the three, she kept her eyes forward, avoiding Lorag's gaze.

His proposal, if it could be called as much, stewed in Narsi's head for a long moment. She almost seemed like she would remain without an answer. Then, after giving Lorag some nervous glances over her scowling face, she spoke. "I wanna try again. When I can change again, I wanna fight you again."

---

Janius took a few seconds of deep thought. He breathed halfway in and narrowed his eyes. "Uh, Kaleeth? I am trying to remember that name." He exhaled. "Forgive me, did you ever mention this new master hunter before?"

[EliteCommander]

After a few moments of silent thought, Lorag shook his head. "No, not yet. Nothing to be gained from me just slapping you around again. I'll teach you techniques, we'll spar, but it's gonna be a while before you're ready to actually fight me again. You need to train, you need to get better, and you'll need to prove to me that you're ready for that kind of a chance again. If you want that chance, then you'll need to agree to stay here and train. You'll be goin' through the same lessons as all the rest of the recruits.

Lorag grabbed a hold of Narsi's shoulder and pulled her up to her feet after Alain stopped his healing. He looked her over for any leftover wounds, then took a few moments just to stare at her eyes to see if there were still any signs of disorientation. "Hmph, you look fine. Good enough, at least. Potion'll take care of the rest. You know, I think I'll at least give you somethin' solid. If you can get good enough to at least beat the other children in my pack consistently, then we'll fight again. You've got Kaj-Julan and Rhazii: a lizard and a big cat. Their parents ain't Orcs, so they're bein' raised soft, but they do got the advantage of better trainin' than you, so they're still tougher than you. Lizard's about your age, little younger. but Rhazii's got a few years on you. Don't matter, though; you'll need to get better than both."

---

"No, I doubt I ever did." Kaleeth answered, shaking her head. "He's not someone I would have wanted to be around. We can talk about it later."

Kaleeth looked nervously back to her father. "Actually, if he is Master-Hunter, then we should probably speak to the other Elders soon. I think they can help keep everything civil. Do you want to come with us, father?"

Zharanthixil was quick to shake his head. "No, you can handle that yourself. I want to speak to your son."

Immediately, Julan appeared to be nervous to finally have the attention on him. His grandfather had done little to make himself seem approachable. There was only the occasional glimpse of anything other than a severe, serious attitude from him. Zharan was not trying to be intimidating, but his stare still had the same effect as he looked down on Julan.

"You said your name is Kaj-Julan, yes? And you have been raised entirely outside of Black Marsh?" Zharan asked.

Julan kept his answer short and direct. "Yes, sir."

Zharan looked up again, somewhat more towards Janius than Kaleeth. "Has he been allowed a proper naming ceremony? Does he know of our customs? Has he been taught to hunt and care for himself as a Saxhleel boy should?"

[Muttonhawk]

Narsi pressed her lips together around her tusks. "Fine," she said firmly. "Just so long as I get to beat you up in the end. I'll do that one way or another." She got just brave enough to give Lorag a glance in the eyes. "Every time you talk shit about me and momma, I promise I'll hit you harder. And she didn't raise me to go back on what I say, you hear me!?"

No one could claim Narsi did not have her heart in it. It was almost pathetic.

---

Janius started with a few nods. He clasped his hands behind his back as if he was being inspected by an officer. "He did have a naming ceremony and we have taught him to hunt in...different terrain to the marsh, but he is a self-sufficient and sharp boy. His experience here has been limited to our journey to find you, so we have caught some food together and Kaleeth has taught him some customs." Janius swallowed. "But he has not lived here, as you might understand."

[EliteCommander]

"Stick to your training, and you just might pull that off sometime [/i]before[/i] I die of old age." Lorag replied. Since the fight seemed to be over, most of the crowd that had been watching started to get up and disperse, after exchanging a few coin purses. Lorag, meanwhile, gave Narsi a simple wave for her to follow him.

"What you're going to do for now is rest and recover at least a few hours while the potion does its work. No one ever made themselves stronger by givin' themselves a permanent injury. Now, I doubt you've got much of an understandin' of magic. Relying on it can make people soft, but even I've got to admit that mages do have their place. I've seen too much to not have learned that. A good healer can help you get every last little bit you can out of your training. They can help you find exactly where your limits are before you're doin' more harm than good. We've got a lot of healers in the city assigned to the training areas; never fight without one. They let you fight harder to get more out of your training. Less limits than what you had with your mother. As long as you're not afraid of some pain, of course. I'm gonna go make sure the instructors know they're gettin' a new recruit. You...go find something to do. I don't care, really. Get to know the place. Meet in the square in five hours."

---

Zharanthixil acknowledged Janius' answer, though did not say anything in response. He turned his attention back to Julan, then took the time to kneel down in front of him, which took no small amount of effort for him, as he had to use his cane to carefully support his weight as he lowered himself down. Zharan examined Julan closely, from his scales to the clothes he was wearing. He was not dressed much differently than anyone else in the village would be, but some of his belongings were clearly foreign. He had a satchel with metal buckles, filled with glass potion vials that his parents had given him for emergencies. He did not carry any weapons, apart from a knife that was meant more for utility. Although, its blade was clearly made of solid Dwemer metal. Zharan noticed all of the details, but focused more on Julan himself. "Hmm, well maybe some of what your father says is actually true. You do have the build of a hunter. Perhaps even more muscle than I would have expected."

Some of Zharan's prior harshness appeared to fade from his expression, and he took on a more friendly tone. "I don't care what else is in your bloodline, if any of it is from my lineage, then you've had the makings of a great hunter from the day of your hatching. It has been the honor of our family to serve as warriors of this village for generations."

Zharan gave a quick glance up to Kaleeth and Janius. "I wish to speak to the boy for longer. You go and speak with the Elders, and try not to get yourselves removed from the village." Julan looked nervous to stay behind with his grandfather, but Kaleeth did not actually have any reason to deny her father.

[Muttonhawk]

Without anything else on her mind, Narsi followed Lorag as he talked. She assumed she was going to be lead back to her room and shut away for a while. After being told in vague terms to occupy herself for the next several hours, she suddenly found herself at a loss. She looked around the training area with tired eyes.

She had a blank silence about her for only a few more seconds. Her stomach made a noise which drew her eyes down, both to her hunger and her clothes on the floor nearby. She went about dressing herself before listlessly navigating to where Lorag had showed her to get food.

---

Again, Zharanthixil's confidence in their staying in the village for good made Janius feel awkward, especially when directed to Julan. Nevertheless, Janius did not feel Julan was in any particular danger. Janius placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll be close by, son," Janius said in Cyrodilic. "Sniff us out if you need us."

Janius smiled. His turn of phrase could be interpreted more literally for Julan. He then gave Kaleeth a look before making his way out of the hut.

He did not know what to say to Kaleeth when she joined him. He simply exhaled from nose and lifted his brow, blinking as if settling from a shock.

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth was slow to move, and seemed altogether uncertain as she left her father's hut. Zharanthixil had given them directions to find the elders, but she still ended up looking around the village aimlessly, unmoving from the front of Zharan's home. Most of the village were going about their business, but of course, visitors to the village were more than rare enough to attract quite a bit of attention. Even moreso once people began to recognize who Kaleeth was. She felt their eyes on her, which only served to put more pressure on her, though she did not know why. She had hardly began to process everything that she had just learned, and it was already overwhelming her. She was only a few steps away from the front of Zharan's home before she leaned up against the nearest hut, and lowered herself down to the ground. Without so much as a word to Janius, she lowered her head, covered her face with her hands, and began cry without reservation, despite the eyes on her.

---

Ahnasha, Fendros, and Rhazii had been in Cheydinhal for the majority of a week. Meesei came and went occasionally to check up on them, but they had been staying in the inn for the most part, when they were not visiting with Fendros' family. Though, even then, they tended to stay away from the vineyard, just to avoid any potential unpleasant confrontations. Already, Ahnasha was starting to show some hints of frustration at the fact that they had been in the city for so long. Compared to their livelihood in their clan, being in Cheydinhal was restrictive. There was some entertainment to be had in the city, but she could not leave to hunt, since her family might arrive at any time. She was stuck exclusively in her Khajiit form for longer than usual, and though she had more than enough control to deal with it, it was still irritating to have a frustrated beast spirit. She had no outlet for training, physical or magical, so when away from Fendros' siblings, she was mostly doing nothing.

Despite the fact that it was well-past morning, Ahnasha was still laying in the bed. She and Fendros, of course, shared a room, while Rhazii had his own, since they had intended to stay a while in the city. Ahnasha had been awake for a while, but was in no hurry to get up. She was stretched out and splayed across the bed, looking lazily over at Fendros across the room. She could tell he had been having an easier time in the city; even for a lycan, Ahnasha did not particularly like to feel trapped. "Say, have you thought of any actual explanation for why we're here? To tell my family, I mean. I've been trying, but it's hard to come up with some believable reason that we could be here, all the way from Skyrim, before my family even arrived."

[Muttonhawk]

"For what it's worth, I think it was wise to..." Janius trailed off when he realised the way Kaleeth was wandering. "Kaleeth? Are you okay?" he asked.

When Kaleeth burst into tears, Janius reached out to her in surprise on her way to the ground. He knelt to hold her, wrapping his arms around to hold her up even as she let all her emotions out.

In the hut, around Zharan, Janius was reserved about his reactions. He could now act more or less freely. He held onto Kaleeth quietly at first, then a little tighter as he murmured to her. "I'm sorry. I am...I'm sorry we didn't get here in time."

---

Fendros' time in Cheydinhal so far had been challenging for different reasons. While the time to catch up with his family had made him grateful for visiting in the first place, he could no longer hide from other connections within the city itself. People started to recognise him. He could no longer feign ignorance or claim that he merely looked similar to the young man that disappeared a decade and a half ago. He worked with his siblings to adapt Ahnasha's lie into his existence in the city; he had run away from home, met a woman, had a child, and set up a hunting shop in Skyrim. Now, here he was, visiting his family. The hidden benefit was the familiarity it gave Llarasa and Monderyn with the cover story to use with Ahnasha's family. However, it was no less awkward to come across his aged friends and acquaintances changed and living entirely more grounded lives than he could ever realise.

Fendros did not know how to feel about it but tired. Tired to be dragged back into all the old superficialities he left behind.

Rhazii had his own difficulties as well, though they were closer to Ahnasha's. Being shown around Cheydinhal and exploring where his father grew up was interesting. It was no outlet for his beast spirit nor his own youthful energy. Fendros was worried Rhazii would get cabin fever at any moment.

As for now, Fendros was happy to be sewing closed a tear in one of his shirts. Anything where he did not have to risk going out in public was a less anxious task. He peered over to Ahnasha with a pair of pins poking out of his mouth. He spoke out of the corner of his lips. "Well, one thing I was planning to be truthful about was how much we didn't want this whole situation to blow up. The differences in culture and all." He paused to take a pin out and used it to secure a pinch in his shirt. "You're right, though. Just rushing down here does not explain how...well, how instantly we got here." He shrugged. "I don't know, maybe we just decided to come visit my family? Anything we say would have to be some wild coincidence, otherwise we would have to be here because we got the letter, which would mean we would have to make the journey from the time the letter arrived to a few days ago...You understand."

[EliteCommander]

Janius was correct on why Kaleeth was breaking down before him. There was little else that could be so devastating as the knowledge of her mother's death. "There's...so much I didn't get to say to her. She never got to learn that I was okay, that I was happy. She never got to meet Julan, because I didn't come back soon enough. Why did I have to be so afraid to come here? Why did I have to do that to my own mother?"

Kaleeth raised up her head just enough to be able to see Janius, albeit unclearly through her tears. "What can I even do now?"

---

Ahnasha rolled over onto her back, letting out a long breath. She stared straight up at the ceiling in thought, tapping one of the claws on her feet rhythmically against one of the bedposts. "Yeah, I didn't worry too much about it before. The important part was just getting here, making sure we were ready. Making sure that your family knew to expect them. I just figured that I would come up with something to say if I thought about it for a week." Ahnasha shifted in place and leaned her head back off of the edge of the bed, looking upside down at Fendros. "That did not happen."

"My family are not stupid; I don't think we'll just be able to brush it aside. They will probably get suspicious if we try to tell them something too unlikely. Honestly, as much as I would hate worrying about it, it might be best to leave if we can't come up with something. We've warned your family what to expect, which might have to be enough. A weak, contrived story about how we're here might just make things worse. I just don't know if there is a good enough story we can tell them." Ahnasha said, with no real confidence. Although, after one particular thought crossed through her mind, her ears twitched and her eyes grew slightly wider. "Unless...maybe we don't tell a story? Maybe we just tell the truth? Not all of it, of course, but...just the right pieces. We say we've befriended a mage. Someone friendly, maybe a bit eccentric. A mage who was kind enough to send us here. None of my family is educated in magic; they won't really understand how difficult or rare that kind of magic is. I mean, they would probably understand that it's not something most mages can do, but they won't find it unbelievable. Besides, it's not like Meesei's teleportation has anything to do with lycanthropy."

[Muttonhawk]

With sympathy on his face, Janius looked sadly back at Kaleeth. He turned his head away, thinking for a time. He had not lost either of his parents yet, but he was no stranger to grief.

"It's awful when one comes to ask such questions," Janius began. "I wish such a hurtful thing had not happened." He sighed and faced Kaleeth again. "There's no way to bring her back, it's true. But...well, back home, when there were things we wanted to say to our late family, we would visit their headstones. I know being a wandering tribe makes such things infeasible, but...She went back to the Hist, didn't she?"

Janius peered over his shoulder to look for the Hist tree the tribe had congregated around this time around.

---

Fendros stopped and looked at Ahnasha directly. The idea took him by surprise at first, though it made more sense when Ahnasha put more constraints around it.

"It'll be risky," Fendros said. "But it's a good idea, Ahna. It's a more a likely story than anything else. If you think they will buy it for long enough, I say let us use it."

After fixing another pin into his clothing, Fendros finally had the rest of his mouth free to speak normally. "We can let Rhazii and my siblings know about that extra detail some time today. I just hope Rhazii has the patience for all this. And the willpower. I know your family could arrive at any time but I think one of us should take him hunting soon."