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

[EliteCommander]

There was a good ten seconds of silence from Kaleeth as she looked up to the Hist tree. She had felt their presence more strongly in her mind since they had returned to the Marsh, which had served to calm her at least to a degree as they had been searching for the village. To Janius, it would seem that focusing on them had started to calm her again. "Saxhleel souls are all bound to the Hist, and the Hist are all bound to one another. Our souls return to them when we die, until we are eventually reborn again."

However, that sense of calm was short-lived for Kaleeth. She looked down at her own hands, which were shaking slightly, but noticeably. "Except me. Once I die, I'll never see any of them ever again."

---

Ahnasha shrugged. "It's only been a week. If Rhazii has taken to his training as much as I think he has, he should be fine. I personally am not in danger of anything happening; I'm just feeling...annoyed. I don't really want to miss my parents' arrival, and they really could arrive at any point. At least now, I'm already not feeling as worried about seeing them again. I just know my mother is going to interrogate me for twenty minutes straight about the safety in using magic for travel, but that won't be as bad as the alternatives."

Slowly, Ahnasha started to bring herself to finally climb out of bed. Despite having been awake for most of the past hour, she still looked like she had been up for only a few minutes at most. She was not yet dressed, and her much of her fur still looked scruffy and tangled. She walked up behind Fendros' chair and started to rub his shoulders. Grinning, she leaned over him and looked down on him from straight above. "Of course, I definitely wouldn't mind a hunt once we get a good opportunity for it. Do either of your siblings like to hunt? It could be fun to have company."

[Muttonhawk]

Janius did not know how to respond. He doubted there was any response he could give to help matters, as much as he wanted to try. It took him a while to come to that conclusion as he knelt with Kaleeth.

Eventually, he curled his fingers around one of Kaleeth's hands to stop its shaking. "You're still here, though. And we have plenty of time. There's regret, yes, but I think it would be healthier to grieve instead. Is there anything in particular your tribe does to mourn the passed?"

---

"If we see the worst might happen, one or both of us can always take Rhazii out at night to hunt if we must," Fendros added as Ahanasha stood.

The amount of tension in Fendros' shoulders and neck felt like cold clay to Ahnasha. Not a few seconds into her massage and Fendros let out a long breath and sank into his chair. His eyes were closed when Ahnasha leant over him. He opened them to look back at her when she spoke.

"Of course," he said. "Monderyn and I used to hunt together often. I doubt he has changed much in that way. Llarasa was never much a fanatic of the wilds, though. I don't know how either of them would feel about hunting with werewolves. However, a more conventional hunt might appeal."

It wasn't long before Fendros' shoulders grew pliable under Ahnasha's thumbs. He held his head back with a small grin to face Ahnasha better. "I'll never tire of this," he said quietly. He brought a hand up to reach behind Ahnasha's head and drew her into quick kiss. "You look like you need it more than I do."

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth gave a single nod, tightening her fingers around Janius' hand. "We don't have graves, or do anything with bodies. Our bodies don't mean anything; they just return to the marsh. Saxhleel become a part of the Hist again. We mourn by communing with the Hist. Since they're part of the Hist, it's sort of like communing with them. We do it to honor them, and...hope to see them again." She paused, sobbing once more. Having her soul separated from the Hist was something that had bothered Kaleeth before, but these events were bringing all of that pain to the surface once more. It was enough that she soon pushed away from the subject.

"I didn't expect my father to want me to come back. I though...I don't know what I expected. But, he's lost everything. He's willing to forgive so much, even you. He's even willing to wait until after we've finished with our...business, but...that would mean leaving everyone else. I don't know if I want that." Kaleeth said, turning her gaze back up to Janius. "Could you ever even be happy in a place like this?"

---

Rhazii was mostly by himself in one corner of the inn downstairs, having his breakfast. Although, there were plenty of patrons closer to the entrance, mostly locals having a meal or a drink. However, there was one group that entered which might have drawn Rhazii's eye, if he was paying attention. Two Khajiit, an Argonian, and a Bosmer who went straight to talk to the innkeeper. Rhazii had been far to young to remember Ahnasha's family when they first re-united, but there was no denying that the group quite closely matched the description of who he was supposed to be looking for.

---

Keeping her hands around Fendros' shoulders, Ahnasha spun herself around the chair and sat straight in Fendros' lap, pushing aside the clothes he had been patching. Already, her mood seemed to have been improved tenfold, which showed with the even more enthusiastic kiss she quickly gave him. "Oh, I don't know. I mean, what better way is there to see the glory and power of a werewolf than to see one in the hunt? We have a sort of...majesty that any real hunter would have to appreciate. Then again, it would also be fun to show off my archery skill to someone who might appreciate it."

[Muttonhawk]

"That sounds like something you should do anyway while we are here," Janius said. "It might not be the same but I think it will help."

The following question caused Janius to crane his head up to survey the village. He avoided the prying eyes of those around him. His face did not show much hope. "'Could' is the wrong word. I know I could be happy here. I would be happy anywhere with you and Julan." His eyes faltered down. "Though, it would be giving up more than I would want to. Not just the clan, not just the pack -- my best friends and things I have built. I would be giving up contact with my birth family as well."

---

Rhazii kept to himself in the main floor of the inn. The other patrons during the working day were mostly other travellers, generally too busy to pay him any heed. The locals were quick with their meals and drinks before returning to their occupations. Only once so far had Rhazii gotten away with one night of socialising over ales with a group of local men who mistook him for someone older, given his relative size, but he was sure not to drink too much. His parents could sniff him out if he was not careful.

This morning was typical. Rhazii traded his attention between some bread, cheese, and fried eggs and a small book he had purchased. Always looking to improve, his current read was a manual on mace techniques.

The sound of new patrons tended only to make him glance up. Sometimes their voices, manners, or appearance would make him look twice. He hardly saw any more than one or two Khajiit, for instance. When two arrived at once, he glanced twice. When his mind processed that an bright-scaled Argonian was with them, he looked again and slowed his chewing. When the shorter figure turned out to be a Bosmer, he swallowed hard.

Without taking his eyes off them, he pat shut his book with one finger, picked it up, slowly stood up -- almost to full height, and tried to walk to the staircase without drawing any further attention. The fact that he was the only Cathay he had seen in the city was not lost on him. The fact only made him walk a little faster.

---

Meanwhile, upstairs, Fendros brought his hands up Ahnasha's sides while they kissed. "Hmm, you will have to decide in what way to show how skilled you are in comparison to him." He said, before kissing her once more. Their hands and lips wandered. Only two fleeting seconds passed after Fendros' worn tunic had fallen to the floor before two firm knocks thumped on the door.

They halted. Fendros held his head back and closed his eyes, thinking it was the innkeeper warning that the breakfast meals would finish soon.

"Mother? Father?" Rhazii's nervous muffled voice came through instead. "Uhm...I saw some new people just arrive through the front door. I think it's mother's family."

Fendros exchanged a surprised look with Ahnasha. "Impeccable," he mumbled.

[EliteCommander]

For the moment, Kaleeth simply appeared to be lost. She was looking in Janius' direction, but seemed to be staring past him off at nothing in particular. It took a while before she finally responded. "I don't want to lose any of that either. Our lives, Julan's life, I wouldn't want to give any of that up. But, what do I say to my father? If I refuse to come back, then I'll be betraying him all over again, and after he has already lost everything else."

---

Few in the inn had reason to pay attention to Rhazii. Only one of the group, the male Khajiit, even noticed him. Though, his eyes did linger on Rhazii, squinting with an uncertain expression, but any resemblance between them would be hard to confirm from just a few seconds of a glance.

Ahnasha let out a sigh after they were interrupted by Rhazii. For a few seconds, her arms remained wrapped around him, and her lips just barely touching him. "That is why we were waiting in the inn, I suppose. We'll just have to improve with telling your siblings the cover story. Hopefully the topic won't come up before we have time to mention it to them. Or at least allude to it.

Ahnasha stood up from Fendros' lap, looking disappointed, and leaving him and his tunic covered in a light coat of Khajiit hair. "Come on in, Rhazii." She said before beginning to get dressed.

Once Rhazii was in the room, Ahnasha spoke quickly, and in somewhat of a hushed tone. "Okay, so we've decided on a story for how we got here. Mostly, we're just telling part of the truth. We befriended a mage years ago, and she knows how to move people long distances with magic. The fact that Meesei is a powerful mage is not really what we need to keep secret from my family, it is our lycanthropy. And teleportation is really the only reasonable explanation for how we got here so quickly. Now, you're sure it is my family? A Bosmer, two Suthay-raht, and a pink Argonian?"

[Muttonhawk]

Janius frowned sympathetically. "There is no easy answer. We either return or we do not, the choice is in what is given up." Janius ran his fingers through his hair. "Or...well, I suppose there would be room for compromise, with a bit of work." He continued with cautious optimism. "Meesei and Sabine do have their powers, if only they could locate the tribe each time. If there was some way to do that, we could visit regularly without leaving everything behind. Do you think that could work?"

---

Fendros stood up promptly after Ahnasha, bending to pick up his tunic, giving it a harsh whip to remove much of the fur before sliding it over his head.

Meanwhile, Rhazii entered the room appearing neutral and collected, excepting his slightly wider than usual eyes. He was oblivious to what he interrupted.

Ahnasha's instructions were replied with nods at each line. "Absolutely," Rhazii answered. "I've never seen a pink Argonian before, and that woman was pink. All four were just like you described. The Suthay-raht woman even looked like an older version of you."

"Do you remember meeting any of them, Rhazii?" Fendros asked.

Rhazii paused for thought and then shook his head. "Not really. I only remember a few things, like the food, mother and grandmother hugging and crying..." he released his breath. "Not the faces, though."

Fendros smiled. "Well, you can relax," he said, patting Rhazii's shoulder. "They are friendly people. More friendly than my family. Just remember what we're hiding. You remember everything about that."

"Yeah," he half-grinned. "You don't need to tell me again. I've heard it so many times I might faint."

"Good. Let's go meet them. Hopefully we can catch them before they finish paying for their rooms."

[EliteCommander]

"I'm sure that they would be able to find some way for us to do that." Kaleeth agreed. She was no longer sobbing, but was far from having recovered. She took in a few, deep breaths, then slowly brought herself back up to her feet. "I just don't know if my father can be happy with that. I think he wants me to be home."

Kaleeth wiped away some of her tears, then at least attempted to put on a strong face. "We should just go talk to the Elders. Reanaseer or Thorantilth might even have advice. Just...let's hope we don't have to talk to Juran."

---

"Well, we repeat it because of how important it is." Ahnasha commented. She had put on a long, green dress, which was not terribly expensive, but consistent with something a merchant might wear. It was somewhat odd to see Ahnasha in a dress, and it tended to be obvious that she was not comfortable wearing it considering that she frequently repeated the same few complaints about it. For now, however, she was more focused on preparing herself mentally to meet with her family again. In this case, she expected they would be understandably surprised.

Ahnasha delayed only briefly to collect her thoughts before heading out of the room. However, that short time was just enough to be able to keep them from getting downstairs in time. The moment that Ahnasha turned left out of the door into the hall, she found herself face to face with her brother, and his wife. Vasiq had been speaking with Shevari, so he did not recognize her until he went to move to the side and happened to glance over at her. Immediately, he stopped right where he was and paused mid-sentence. Ahnasha also looked briefly startled to see him so suddenly, but was more prepared to actually speak up. "Oh, um...hello brother. Sorry for, uh, startling you."

Shevari, being less familiar with her, did not recognize Ahnasha until she identified herself, at which point she turned her head to Vasiq in confusion. "Your sister? I didn't think she was going to be here."

Vasiq had not moved from staring at Ahnasha, but he finally managed to speak. "Neither...did I. How...how did you..."

Ahnasha held up one hand. "I know, I know, all the way from Skyrim. It's, um, kind of a long story. Well, not really long, but...complicated. I'll tell you once everyone is together, but...it's not coincidence. We did come here to see you again."

"I...okay." Vasiq replied with a nod. He was clearly still confused, but was at least accepting what Ahnasha said for now. He finally managed to break his focus off of Ahnasha for long enough to notice Fendros and Rhazii just behind her. "So you brought Fendros here too, and..." He began, raising his gaze up to make eye contact with Rhazii "...it really has been a long time."

[Muttonhawk]

"Okay," Janius said. He stood up with Kaleeth and gave her upper arms a quick rub to help ground her. "I would like to hear what they have to say about all this."

Janius took Kaleeth's hand again and walked with her to the closest of Thorantilth and Reanaseer's huts. He eyed the tribespeople that were still paying them attention. He grew anxious to know what impact their arrival was having. Perhaps he was also keeping a lookout for anyone who looked like his name was Juran.

---

"Greetings Vasiq, Shevari." Fendros nodded to each of them. "It's good to see you again. You remember Rhazii?" He pointed a thumb to Rhazii, who gave an uneasy smile. Fendros continued. "Were you heading to your room? We would like to talk to everyone as soon as it is convenient."

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth seemed to be ignoring most of the villagers, though it was hard to tell if she was doing so on purpose, or if it was because of everything she had on her mind. She did not say where she was going, and indeed, was not consciously thinking about it herself. She brought them towards Thoranthilth's hut, perhaps just because she had comforting memories of the Treeminder.

There was a hunter on guard outside of the Treeminder's hut, which, to Kaleeth's memory, was not normal unless there was a potential danger in the area. If Juran was the Master-Hunter, Kaleeth wondered if he considered her or Janius to be sufficient as a threat. However, the guard was not openly hostile towards them, and stepped aside as they approached.

"The Treeminder will see you." The woman announced in a fairly cordial tone.

Thorantilth's hut itself was not terribly different in size or material than any of the others around it. Only the belongings within identified him as the Treeminder, though most of what would have normally been decorating the home had been packed away into bags for the coming move. All that was left to remind Kaleeth of childhood visits to the Treeminder's home were a few small, scattered carvings and the scent of burning incense. Thorantilth was faced away from the entrance, working on brewing some sort of potion when Kaleeth pushed through the curtain and stepped inside.

"So, you have finally returned to your people." Thorantilth said without so much as even looking back at Kaleeth.

Kaleeth froze in place, her heart beating anxiously. At this point, she was was worried about how many people in the village disliked, or even outright hated her. "You...knew I was coming?" She asked.

Thorantilth placed down his mortar and pestle on his small, wooden table. "I knew you were back in the village, yes." He said before finally turned around, bearing the warmest of smiles. "Although, to be entirely honest, I also ended up saying that to the second hunter that came to inform me as well."

With no further hesitation, Thorantilth stepped forward and hugged Kaleeth tightly, despite the rough armor she was wearing. It was an even more friendly welcome than her father had given her. "It is wonderful to see you again after all this time, Kaleeth-Rei."

Even after releasing Kaleeth and facing Janius, Thorantilth remained almost as friendly. "And it is good to see you too...I am sorry, but I lost your name."

---

Vasiq and Shevari did have a few bags they were carrying, but Vasiq had not yet recovered from the sudden surprise, and remained frozen in place. "I, um...yes, we were going to our rooms. My...our parents are still downstairs. Father got talking with the bartender, then pulled mother into it, and it seemed like it was going to take a while, so we were just going to put away our things. I just, um...sorry, it's just that this is all very, well, 'surprising' is an understatement."

Now that he was able to get a longer, closer look at Vasiq, Rhazii would be able to see the resemblance between him and his mother. Their fur had similar shades of color, and even the same style of patterns, but those similarities ended with their natural traits. Just about everything else about them was as different as could be. Ahnasha was in peak physical condition, while Vasiq was actually somewhat rotund, having put on some weight since the last time they had met. It could not be said that he was not financially successful.

The surprise war off sooner for Shevari, but she seemed almost entranced in amazement looking at Rhazii. She hardly thought before speaking her mind. "You are Rhazii? I was told you were a different kind of Khajiit, but...I was not expecting you to be like this. You were so small when I first saw you. And you look like you could wrestle a troll." She commented, taking note of his muscular form.

[Muttonhawk]

Janius had his hands clasped respectfully. He returned Thorantilth's smile. "I am Janius. It has been a long time since you helped my little sister, but I have not forgotten you, Thorantilth. Good to see you again." He bowed his head and held out a hand to the treeminder.

Without being an Argonian himself, Janius could never speak perfect Jel. However, he hoped demonstrating his vocabulary would give a good impression. Not that Thorantilth was unfriendly by any means.

---

Rhazii was made a little nervous by the way his aunt and uncle appeared uncomfortable. He felt as though something was being left unsaid so far.

Rhazii brought his hand behind his neck and gave a tense grin. "Yeah, I'm a Cathay," he said, almost as if it were an admission. "Uh...nice to meet you again."

Fendros smiled. "He's like a bean sprout. Leave him alone for five minutes with some food and water and he outgrows you." He held his hand out. "Listen, how about we let you get settled and meet you downstairs with Gwindir and S'nashi? It's really quite important that we speak to you all."

[EliteCommander]

"My, that is better than I would expect from a Human. I might have been right about you after all. Zharan thinks I have lost my touch." Thorantilth replied. He bowed his head back in response to Janius, though did not shake his hand before walking back over to his alchemy tools, perhaps just out of unfamiliarity with the custom. He certainly was not showing anything aside from friendliness in any other respect. With a quick gust of frost magic, he staunched a flame that had been heating one of his concoctions in a large stone bowl, then poured some of its contents into two cups made from hardened clay.

Kaleeth was already obviously much more relaxed, but was now starting to look guilty. "I'm sorry for showing up here so suddenly, Thoran. I know you usually have a lot to do, especially when it comes time for the village to move. I hope we're not causing any trouble by interrupting you. What kind of a potion are you making?"

Thorantilth was silent at first, taking both cups and walking back over to the pair and offering one to both of them. "Tea." He said simply, handing off the cups before taking a seat on one of the cloth mats on the floor. "I have to assume you have already spoken with your father. So, what has you visiting me so soon?"

---

"Um, okay, sure. I guess we'll put away our things and...actually, wait." Vasiq said after only one step. "Maybe you should wait, just a few minutes. Let me go put away our things, then I'll go down there and tell them that you're here. I think if I'm the one that tells them that you're here, then it won't be as likely that someone will make some kind of a scene in public. No screaming or anything. You know how excitable mother can get when she's in a good mood."

Ahnasha started to grin. "Yeah, I remember. Still, do you really think that's necessary? I mean, she never got that crazy."

"I guess she did always hold back before, but now I think she's old enough that she realizes she can get away with it now. Just come down in five minutes or so. We'll be ready for you." Vasiq suggested.

With a shrug, Ahnasha agreed and allowed Vasiq and Shevari to head down ahead of them to inform her parents. Meanwhile, she, Fendros, and Rhazii would just wait upstairs in the hallway until it was time to join them.

Any anxiety that Ahnasha still had was at least less obvious now. She realized that her brother was probably one of the easier of her family to run into first, so she supposed they had been lucky. "It sounds like my mother is back to her old self. I remember she was somewhat subdued when we saw her in Leyawiin. She was probably overwhelmed after learning I was still alive. My brother does have a point; there would probably be some screaming if she suddenly saw us here."

[Muttonhawk]

Janius paused at first to glance at Kaleeth. He looked to Thorantilth when he thought clear to answer. "Something is coming up in due course, back home. It will tenuous. While we would rather keep the details to ourselves, it suffices to say we wanted Kaj-Julan to meet his grandparents and know better his heritage." He looked to Kaleeth again. "And Kaleeth wanted to visit her family as well, for a number of reasons."

He raised the tea to his lips, allowing Kaleeth to elaborate if she desired to.

---

Fendros smiled and lowered his brow. "Your mother's reaction was subdued when we saw her last? Granted, you came back from the dead, but are you suggesting she'll be even more emotional now?"

"They seemed...uncomfortable," Rhazii commented. He looked to his parents. "Was that just because of what they said your mother would do, mama? Or was something else wrong?"

Fendros leant against the doorframe of their room and thought for a moment. He shrugged. "What do you think, Ahna?"

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth took a sip of her tea, but did not add anything beyond what Janius said for the moment. In the mental state she was in, she was glad that he was willing to explain for her at the moment.

Although there was more tea left, Thorantilth did not have any for himself at the moment. He simply listened to Janius, while watching Kaleeth closely. "I see. And I will also assume that your father has shared all of the...recent developments with you, Kaleeth. My hut will always be open to you to talk for as long as you are here, should you need it. And this Kaj-Julan, the boy the hunters mentioned, I gather that he is your son? Well, first, I would like you give you my belated congratulations, Kaleeth. I always thought you would make for a good mother. Second, is there anything that your son needs from me, or anything that I can do for him? Was he able to have a proper naming ceremony? Drinking of the Hist sap for the first time is very important for a young Saxhleel."

---

Ahnasha shrugged. "I don't think anything is wrong, no. I just think Vasiq was surprised. I mean, we did just show up right in his face when we were supposed to be all the way in Skyrim. He's still probably confused about how we're even here. I think that's what was distracting him." She reasoned. "As for my mother, I don't know if 'more emotional' is the right way to put it. She was plenty emotional last time, it's just that she can be more bold about what she feels or thinks. She likes speaking her mind, and doesn't like holding back. And now she's getting old, and doesn't care as much what people think about her. It's a good thing that she is a kind woman, for the most part."

[Muttonhawk]

Janius raised a hand to temper Thorantilth's enthusiasm. "We were able to provide him a naming ceremony with help from some friends. Thank you for the offer. We were hoping to have Julan learn more about the tribe and the customs here, as it happens. He is speaking with Zharanthixil at the moment, but perhaps you could meet him later?"

---

"Some of those details seem familiar, somehow," Fendros said knowingly. "It would make some sense, then."

Fendros leaned his head back against the doorframe as well. "However, if you speak the whole truth, I doubt we will be waiting much longer than it would take for your mother to come charging up the stairs."

[EliteCommander]

"Of course. The most important thing for him to learn is of the Hist, and his connection to it. I would certainly be the perfect person for him to speak to about that. Thorantilth remarked.

Kaleeth nodded. "Thank you. We, um, my father also said we should ask the Elders for permission to remain in the village, at least for the next few days. Since I...left the village."

Thorantilth leaned forward and placed a hand upon Kaleeth's shoulder. "Kaleeth-Rei, you may have left the village, but you are still one of the tribe. We cannot keep you from your home. The village will be moving soon, but not within the next week. You can stay as long as you need, and the other Elders will say the same."

"Even the Master-Hunter?" Kaleeth asked worriedly.

Thorantilth did not hesitate in the slightest. "Even Juran-Selth."

---

The three of them waited just a few minutes to allow Vasiq enough time to inform Ahnasha's parents before finally heading downstairs. Most of the patrons did not seem to be acting strangely, so it appeared like Vasiq had at least succeeded in preventing any sudden outbursts. However, that did not last too long, as Ahnashap's parents spotted her immediately as soon as they were down the stairs, and they did not make it halfway across the inn before her mother shot up from her seat to meet them. "Oh, divines it is true! And I thought Vasiq was just making some kind of prank. My little cub and her husband...oh this could not be any better!"

Naturally, S'nashi ran up and hugged her daughter immediately, but once she released Ahnasha, her attention finally turned to Rhazii. She too had similar fur in pattern to Ahnasha, though greyed. Her dress was a simple and modest tan garment, and certainly much less expensive than she would have been able to afford as a merchant. She showed less surprise than Shevari, but was still overjoyed to see him. "My, how you have grown, Ma'rhazii! I feel like I am dreaming, finally seeing my grandson almost all grown up. My grandson. Oh, how wonderful that sounds to say!"

[Muttonhawk]

Janius took a slow drink from his tea. He switched his eyes between Thorantilth and Kaleeth with curiosity about the new master hunter once more. He pursed his lips, noting to ask Kaleeth about it when they finished with Thorantilth. It would be rude to bring up here.

"Thank you, Thorantilth," Janius said. "We know our welcome here is mixed. It has been reassuring to receive a warm welcome from you." He held his cup in both hands and gathered his words. "So...How have you been faring these past years? Has anything else changed since we were last amongst the village?"

---

S'nashi's happiness was rather infectious. Fendros couldn't help but grin and even Rhazii, nervous and subdued though he was, had a small smile as well.

"Hello grandmother," Rhazii said. It felt odd to call someone he hardly knew by that name. "How are you?" It felt redundant to ask but it he said it by reflex.

"It's wonderful to see you again, S'nashi," Fendros added. "I hope the road kind to you all."

[EliteCommander]

Thorantilth finally stood up for a few moments to go grab a cup of tea for himself, and was smiling towards Janius as he made his way back to them. "Oh, I think you will find that everything is much the same as when you left. There have been some impressive hunts, some brigand raids, but our village has followed the same lifestyle it has for countless generations. I do believe travelers like yourselves lead much more interesting lives than us. The last time this village experienced any real upheaval was during the Red Year."

Pausing, Thorantilth lightly blew on his tea and took a small sip before setting it down in front of him. "But, I believe history speaks for me when I say that I would prefer to live in uninteresting times."

---

S'nashi snorted as she laughed. "Oh, I am wonderful, though I don't think the road could have been anywhere near as kind to us as it was to you all. Akatosh himself must have taken you through time to get you all the way here."

Since they now had a plan, Ahnasha was calm and laughed along with her mother. The time they had been waiting had been enough for her to come up with some decent wording for her explanation in her head. "Our trip went quite smoothly, I'd say. It is an interesting story how we got here, but...okay, well I wouldn't exactly say it's a secret or anything, but we had help getting here in a way I probably shouldn't spread around too much. I promise I'll tell you once we're not in a public place."

S'nashi was naturally curious at the answer, but did not seem to be upset by it. Perhaps because she was still so focused on Rhazii. "If you say so. Honestly, I would probably believe you if you told me that Rhazii here carried you both here on his shoulders. You have definitely been keeping yourself healthy, even for a Cathay. I think my not-so-little Vasiq could probably learn some things from you. He has been spoiled a bit too much on his wife's, admittedly delicious, sweetcakes."

[Muttonhawk]

Janius grinned briefly at the comment. After sipping his tea along with Thorantilth, another thought came over his mind.

"We were surprised to hear about Reanaseer," he said. "From what I remember she was a very aged and experienced Saxhleel. We were going to see her next, but perhaps you can tell us how she is faring?"

---

Rhazii was evidently not sure how to react to all the attention. He stayed humble in his voice while holding onto his forearm. "Oh, well...heh, maybe that's just it. Mother and father were always very strict about sweets."

Fendros raised an eyebrow. "Only when you were a child, Rhazii. These days you eat anything in great quantities. You're a growing boy."

Keeping his smile, Rhazii slowly shrugged.

Fendros leaned to see around S'nashi. "Speaking of members of the family, however, we have yet to say hello to Gwindir."

[EliteCommander]

"How does Elder Reanaseer fare? Well, I would say she is even more aged, and even more experienced." Thorantilth answered. "She is not as active as she once was, though. She spends most of her days now in her home, cared for by her attendants. Now, we must visit her in order to be chided for our mistakes. I have applied my magic to care for her health as much as I can. She has been a woman as willful and hardy as Hist bark; some of the hatchlings are convinced she is immortal. But, I do believe her soul shall be returning to the Hist soon. Her body will likely fail her before the next season. There is no sadness in the village about that fact, though. It would seem foolish to be upset about the eventual end of such a long and storied life. At the very least, take care not to show such sadness in her presence, else she will instruct one of her attendants to smack you atop the head with her cane."

Despite the somewhat solemn news, Kaleeth could not help but to smile back at Thorantilth. In the case of Reanaseer, she could not help but to understand and agree with the Treeminder. Indeed, Kaleeth had not even expected Reanaseer to still be alive to begin with, so the fact that she might have the chance to visit her again was mostly just a pleasant surprise. "Well...it will be good to visit her again, at least one last time. Reanaseer has been such a big part of our village for what seems like forever. My father told me stories about her accomplishments from when he was a hatchling. I remember she was always nice to me; I don't expect she'll have a problem with us staying here."

"Indeed, and I could tell you even more from my own youth. She is a woman of over one hundred and fifty years, and has been a constant for our village for all of that time. I am sure she will appreciate your visit, although...if you need to speak with an elder for anything other than a personal visit, you should take any concerns to Tsaletikim. Reanaseer's body no longer allows her to fulfill her responsibilities, so he has taken them on as her successor. He is our Elder in everything but name at the moment. Of course, he will be just as glad to have you with us as Reanaseer will be." Thorantilth explained.

---

Gwindir had been patient, and wisely allowed his wife release her enthusiasm before taking his turn to greet them. Vasiq's plan to avoid causing a scene had mostly been a failure due to his mother's energetic reaction, but most of the patrons had returned their attention to their own business by this point, and Gwindir was much slower, and not nearly as loud about approaching Ahnasha. He hugged her as S'nashi had, then Rhazii in turn. "Ignoring whatever miracle brought you all here, I could not be happier to see you all. Being able to speak to you in person is indescribably better than the occasional letter. Have there been any major developments for all of you since your last letter? I am not sure if you received the last one we sent, but I have quite the potential deal to negotiate here in Cheydinhal. It really could double my business."

[Muttonhawk]

Janius nodded. "Understood. I look forward to meeting him as well." He put down his tea cup. "And, I must say, Reanaseer has remarkable..." He waved his finger in the air, and then defaulted momentarily to Cyrodilic, "...longevity, I do not know the word in Jel. But, yes, I had no idea that she has been part of your village for quite that long."

After a short pause, Janius glanced to Kaleeth. "At any rate, one or both of us will speak with you again later, I think. We have taken enough of your time. Unless you had anything else for now, Kaleeth?"

Janius did not want to force the topic of their invitation to stay indefinitely. Especially not so soon after all the other news. He simply left the option open.

---

"Yes, the letter," Fendros cleared his throat. "The last letter we received was the one mentioning you were planning to travel here to Cheydinhal. In honesty, that is why we decided to make the journey." He raised his hands. "It is great to see you. There is no doubt in that. However," Fendros' mouth hung open for a quiet moment. "I understand you were planning to make contact with my side of the family."