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

[EliteCommander]

Rukeewei took the book and looked over the first page or two. He was more used to reading Jel than Cyrodilic, but like most merchants in the city, he was perfectly used to Cyrodilic as well. It would have been nice to find a Jel translation, but it was rather difficult to find any foreign work written in his native tongue. "Hmm, I think I have seen this book before, it must be a popular series for it to be that common. I haven't read it, and I don't believe Neer has either. It must be good if it is this popular, so...yeah, I think this will work. I'll just need to get the other books in the series as well. Thank you for the idea."

As Rukeewei was waiting by the merchant's stall for him to finish with a different customer so he could pay, gave a smile, and a bit of a chuckle. "You know, you have proven to be quite a friendly person. It's not often that my customers take an interest in speaking to me for any extended time, other than my friends who stop by for drinks from time to time. Most of my other customers just give the usual small talk."

Ahnasha laughed. "No, I never dreamed of running away to be an acrobat, but I did dream of running away. I wanted to run away and live in the wilds, away from all the stresses my parents brought on me. You could say I am a person who likes to follow her dreams." She watched the acrobats jump over and slide under obstacles, and contort themselves in ways that seemed impossible. Their whole aesthetic was mesmerizing, not to mention difficult to perform. Given her own skills in acrobatics, she could appreciate how hard their performance would be to replicate. "Although, life as an acrobat would have been more exciting than life as a merchant. Really, there aren't many things I can think of that would be less exciting than my daily routine at the time. I would much rather be locked in a battle to the death with a minotaur than in a fight with my neighbors over who owns a tree between our houses."

The moment Janius tried to pull Lorag into the dance, he immediately lost his balance and fell face-first onto the ground. Meesei wanted to laugh, and she did, but she also knew she had to get him out of the way before someone tripped over him. With dancers narrowly avoiding them, she rolled him over onto his back and started to help him up off the ground. The impact looked like it hurt, but fortunately, nothing on his face seemed broken. As he stood to his feet, he groaned and glared at Janius, who was still dancing with his partner. "City-boy, I'd knock you off your feet if there weren't two of you right now." Meesei helped him out of the way of the dancers and brought him to a nearby lamp post that he could lean on.

"Why don't you rest here a moment, Lorag? Do not worry, I'll get him back for you, in a...different way." Meesei said with a lighthearted grin. Now that she had actually found something she was somewhat familiar with, she was confident she could enjoy herself at this festival. Unlike most everything else about the city, the musicians were playing traditional Argonian music, and the dances seemed just as familiar to her. Lorag nodded and she gave him two pats on the shoulder before returning to where the others were dancing. Meesei then waited on the sidelines for the current song to finish so she could join in. As long as the musicians continued to play songs she was familiar with, she was confident she could outclass Janius.

[Muttonhawk]

"W-well you see, I'm trying to make friends in this new place." Ariel laughed through smile, "The pa-, the group that's helping me get settled are friends of mine, but they... travel a lot, so they won't be around for long. I haven't activity gone out to make friends in a long time, but you and Neercana-Rei have been friendly to me." Ariel looked away and shifted uneasily, knowing that Argonians were generally slow to trust, "I don't suppose you would mind it if I considered you and Neer friends of mine, would you?"

Fendros smiled and almost laughed, it would have been far less funny if he hadn't seen an example of Ahnasha's final point in person back in Cheydinhal. "You make a good point. I think back then-" He lifted a hand in the troupe's direction, "-I just saw these performers and thought they were having so much fun all the time. And I was probably right." He put his arm over Ahnasha's shoulder, "I think I like how things have turned out now though." He chuckled, "No... I'm sure of it."

He had realised that Lorag was a little unsteady, but Janius didn't think that he would fall so quickly. He covered his mouth and stifled a laugh in concern, but was carried away by the current of the dance. Thankfully, Meesei saw to him. He went through the rest of the dance looking around but not seeing either of them. eventually the music came to a finish and he and his partner smiled and bowed. She said some kind of thanks and comment in Jel that he didn't get a hint of, but waved her goodbye as she walked off. It was then as the next piece of music started up that Janius spotted Meesei off to the side again. He approached Meesei with a smile and a challenging squint, "Feel like joining in now?"

[EliteCommander]

Rukeewei thought it was strange how Ariel could be so friendly and outgoing, yet so nervous as the same time. It seemed like her personality contradicted itself. Still, he had, so far, found her company pleasant. "For me, I'm always looking for new friends. Despite how many visitors are always coming to Thorn, few actually decide they want to live here, so new neighbors are actually kind of rare. I suppose they are not too fond of what they have to walk through to get here. You seem like exactly the sort of person that this city needs. So, yes, I think we can be friends. My brother says I trust too easily, but I think he is too hard on strangers. As for Neer, well, I can't answer for her. She is a perfectly friendly person, but she doesn't trust as easily as myself. I think she will warm up to you, though, especially if you end up opening your shop nearby. I would just be careful not to necessarily equate being friendly with being friends, especially with local merchants. They will almost always be friendly to a customer, whether they like them or not."

By this point, the book merchant finished with his other customer, so Rukeewei broke off from the conversation long enough to pay for the book. He didn't see the other volumes in his collection, so he would need to find the other books later. He walked away from the merchant's stand, but did not go far, instead stopping and turning his attention back to Ariel.

After a few minutes, the acrobat troupe finished their act and started on their break. Ahnasha applauded with the rest of the crowd, then put her arm back around Fendros and gave him a quick kiss. "So, what next? We could see if any of these other shows are worth watching, or we could look at the shops on the other side of the market. I don't really think we should spend much gold, although...I am interested to see what kind of food they have for sale." She suggested. As was all too common recently, her stomach was weighing in much more than usual on her decision making.

Meesei gave Janius a confident smile as she approached him. Once again, the crowd seemed to be finding partners for the next song. Luckily, she recognized the tune as soon as the music began, so she knew roughly what to expect. Argonian dances did not have specific steps and instead followed a specific theme based on the song, so there was variation in what was 'correct'. She extended a hand to Janius, still with a grin on her face. "Why not, I can join you for a dance, as long as you can keep up."

[Muttonhawk]

While her heart was warmed by the acceptance, Rukeewei's response made her wonder why she needed to make a big deal of it in the first place. She silently cursed her absent mind. "Of course, yes." Ariel nodded. As Rukeewei began to move, Ariel followed him for a moment, Sabine in tow. "So, what are you going to see next in the festival? There's so much to do, I want to see everything, but can never decide what to do next."

Fendros turned his head in the general direction of the stalls that were selling food. There were quite a few nice smells in the air, and the combination with the mention of food made him realise that he was hungry. "I could go for something to eat. Just so long as we make sure it won't poison us, like Meesei warned." Fendros said, moving to disperse with the crowd with Ahnasha. A short while of moving their way through the crowds ended with rows either side of them with various vendors. Sweet, sour, and hearty smells were had, but not much was familiar. Where the food was cooked, it was tossed about in large inverted steel domes that were suspended to a frame at three points by chains over fire pits. Steaming meats and plant matter were mixed around by Argonians leaning over the food. Other vendors were selling pre-made sweets and slices of roast from meats he didn't recognise. There were even a couple of stalls that were selling Imperial and Dunmer cuisine, though they were less prevalent. They were spoiled for choice. Fendros stood and watched it all for a moment, before addressing Ahnasha. "Where might your cravings taking you, Ahna? It looks like we have a quarter of Tamriel to eat right here." he asked.

In the next dance, Janius quickly found himself lost again, but after a short time mimicking movements, he felt as if he had a grasp of this next dance. Meesei moved by him like she was swimming through the air. She had a grace which came from a familiarity with this number, he suspected. Cheater, he thought, trying to keep up. As the music progressed, Janius did an admirable job of competing with Meesei at first, but started to lose his momentum after a while. Regardless, he was having fun.

[EliteCommander]

Rukeewei paused to think for a moment. "Hmm, I had mostly came here to browse what the merchants were selling, but I doubt that would be exciting to you. I wouldn't mind showing you some of the more interesting things to do. Like I mentioned before, the Festival of Life is a week long event, and they hold special events on different days. Tomorrow is all about competition. They have athletic competitions, like swimming and running, magical competitions, and all kinds of other, smaller games. The day after that is dedicated to beauty, the one after that feasting, and so on. Today is sort of a mix of them all, giving a taste of each. I think there are a few games set up on that side of the square, if that appeals to you. The prizes usually aren't worth much, but it can be fun. Just be cautious today, and really the rest of the week. It is very easy to lose a lot of gold during the festival. it's the entire reason it exists."

"I don't suppose there is anything with moon sugar?" Ahnasha joked as she looked at the options before her. She had not been so conflicted in months on what she wanted. There were a few items she saw that she had even been craving a few weeks before, though she didn't have as much interest in them now. Khajiit foods were an option, but she wanted something she wasn't used to. Breton cuisine was also available, but it was more expensive, generally, and she felt that would be too obvious of a choice. She had been eating Dunmer foods, or at least the raw versions, for months, and considering that cannibalism probably wasn't legal in Thorn, she doubted that the Bosmer dishes were too traditional. For the moment, the Argonian foods were appealing to her the most. Like the trodh, some of them were even raw. Approaching a stall operated by a bluish-green Argonian woman, One of the dishes she could see caught her eye; it had some type of raw meat wrapped in some kind of plant's leaves and covered in a sweet-smelling sauce.

Ahnasha pointed to the dish she was interested in and looked at the Argonian woman. "Excuse me, is safe for non-Argonians to eat?" She asked.

The woman shook her head. "The lamia tail? No, it is not poisonous to other races, but that uncooked. The leaves wrapping it improve disease resistance enough that Argonians can eat it, but other races can easily get sick from it."

Ahnasha nodded in understanding. Obviously, she could not tell the woman why she wasn't worried about disease, so she needed to come up with something else. "Don't worry, I made sure to drink a potion of disease resistance before coming here. I am not worried about it."

The Argonian glanced back and forth between Ahnasha and the lamia tail hesitantly for a few moments before responding. "Alright...as long as you understand the risk. That will be five gold." Ahnasha nodded and collected the gold from her coinpurse while the Argonian prepared a fresh lamia tail. After paying, Ahnasha walked back over to Fendros, holding onto the wrapped meat by one of the spots that wasn't covered in sauce. She took a bite and immediately found that the taste wasn't what she was expecting. The meat itself was almost spicy, while the leaves had a sort of mint flavor. Combined with the sauce, it was altogether an interesting combination of flavors. Even so, she did not dislike it, and she was already considering getting another after it.

"This is not quite like anything I have eaten before. You should try a bite." Ahnasha suggested, offering the lamia tail to Fendros.

As Janius became more familiar with their current dance, Meesei gave a mischievous smile. As the music's tempo sped up, Meesei began to make her part of the dance more complicated. As it did not have set steps, she was free to introduce any variation that fit the theme of the song. As their dance increased in complexity, it became apparent to any observer that Meesei was the one leading. In her village, music and dance were common, and often took place at their social gatherings. Any sort of celebration usually involved some amount of dancing, so it was one of the few things about this festival that Meesei could actually relate to. She moved with practiced grace, challenging Janius to keep up. Considering that he did not know what he was meant to do next, she found herself greatly influencing his movements. Her steps were deliberate, and her body motions fluid. She could even wrap her tail around his leg as she moved past him without so much as disturbing his own movement. She just hoped that the musicians did not switch to a style that she was unfamiliar with...especially anything Imperial.

[Muttonhawk]

"Okay, I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Ariel said affirmitively. Unfortunately, it didn't do too much to help decide what to do next. Looking around, Ariel found Sabine's face. She seemed a little more nervous than usual. Ariel smiled comfortingly at her, "Is there something that you wanted to see here, Sabine?"

Sabine swallowed and blinked a couple of times, looking around as well. By the looks of her, she just wanted to get somewhere quiet, but eventually she spotted something that held her attention. It looked like some kind of ball throwing challenge that a group of people were gathered around on the edge of the various games and challenges. Sabine made no movement to indicate that she was enthusiastic about it. She mostly looked conflicted.

Ariel picked up on Sabine's apparent interest. "Ah, do you want to try the ball throwing game? Let's go take a look." Ariel started to walk, but halted and turned to wave to Rukeewei, "I'll leave you to your browsing then. I'll see you later, Rukeewei!" Ariel passed him one last smile before walking away.

It didn't look quite like anything he had ever tried. The thought ran through Fendros' mind as he took the Lamia tail carefully from Ahnasha's hand and craned his head to inspect it with an unsure face. Shrugging, he took a bite and chewed. "Hmm, you're right, that's interesting." he said between chews. He swallowed and licked the rest of the sauce from the inside of his mouth while handing the piece back to Ahnasha. Swallowing again, he reached a verdict that belied his initial uncertainty. "I'm getting one." Approaching the stall again, Fendros confirmed to the apprehensive stall owner than he knew the risks as well and purchased a piece of Lamia tail for himself. His mouth watered as he smelled the sauce again. "Blast what my father said about Dunmer food, this is the best food I've had in years." Fendros said to Ahnasha as he took a bite of his own portion. "What is lamia tail anyway?" He asked.

Even with his best efforts, Janius found himself completely outplayed by Meesei. Every time he tried to fit with the dance, it would change slightly. It got to the point where in the last few bars of the song, he stood still and began to laugh at his own ineptitude, shaking his head and closing his eyes in utter embarrassment. Before the song ended, however, the music changed rather suddenly into something that made him look up in surprise. It sounded different on the Argonian instruments, but it was the unmistakable tune of a traditional Niben summer festival dance. Wide of mouth, eyes and smile, Janius burst into an arrogant laughter directed towards Meesei. This was a song he had known since he was a child, and the dance was not an intuitive one. Indeed, it seemed as if Janius was one of the few around the musicians who was actually competent with the dance, and this time he was the one out maneuvering Meesei. In the time he had been in the pack, not much could make him forget this dance.

[EliteCommander]

Rukeewei packed away the book he had purchased and started to wave goodbye before he stopped himself. Now that he had his gift, he had little else to do at the festival, but he had no reason to return home yet. Before Ariel and Sabine walked too far away, he spoke up. "Actually, would you mind if I joined you?" He asked.

Ahnasha shrugged her shoulders. "I can honestly say I have no idea. Never heard of a lamia before." She lifted up one of the leaves and looked at the outside of the tail. "Looks like it has scales, and it is pretty thick, so the creature itself must be rather large. Other than that, though, I have nothing. I wonder if their meat is naturally spicy, or if they added something to it to give it that flavor? Maybe we'll kill one in the marsh and find out." With her appetite, it was not long before she finished hers off, and even then, she still felt like she could eat. They needed to be very cautious with their gold. Even though they had already divided the coin from the silver weapons between the pack and Ariel, they needed to make sure they always had enough for unexpected emergencies. Still, they could afford a few exotic snacks.

"So, I picked that one, how about you pick out the next one once you're done? If you're not hungry...just pick something for me. I feel like a surprise." Ahnasha suggested.

Meesei felt alive and energetic through the first song, but as soon as the next started, she grimaced. She did not recognize the tune in any form, but it was very apparent from Janius' expression that he did. Letting out a sigh, she did her best to pay attention to what others around her were doing. Some of the others in the crowd stopped dancing once the unfamiliar song started, but they were all quickly replaced. Janius soon took the lead in this song, and while she tried to imitate the movements of those around her, they style was completely different from any Argonian dance. For the moment, she was observant enough to make it look...decent, as long as no one was paying direct attention to her. "Enjoy it while you can, I'm sure they'll switch back to the Argonian songs soon enough." Meesei commented while they danced.

[Muttonhawk]

Ariel and Sabine stopped and looked back at Rukeewei. After a glance at Sabine, Ariel smiled and nodded, "Of course."

With Rukeewei with them, they proceeded to the throwing challenge. It appeared to be made up of a wooden surface of planks painted with various scores and sawed out with holes of varying sizes. From a few metres away, participants tossed small leather balls to try and score enough points for one of the mundane prizes on offer. The smallest and hardest to hit hole was the only one that provided enough points to win the major prize; a dagger made from moonstone and quicksilver. Elven. The sign that the smiling Ohmes-raht Khajiit operating the game stood by read in three languages: two gold purchased three throws.

At first Sabine still stood away as the next few people tested their skill. Few people got anywhere near the difficult hole, and most conceded for the easier objectives and walked away somewhat unsatisfied, but nonetheless entertained. Fishing for eyes in the crowd, the Khajiit man quickly spotted Sabine, Ariel, and Rukeewei watching. His ears perked up and he grinned. "Would any of you like to test your skill?" He beckoned them forward, pointing to his eye with one hand, "I can see you have skill in your arms, yes, this one knows. This one can tell." His encouragement was likely something he told all prospective customers.

Ariel put a hand on Sabine's shoulder. "Go on," Ariel said, trying to ward away Sabine's anxiety.

Sabine looked left and right, then stepped forward furtively, trying not to draw attention to herself. She drew two coins from her purse and held them forward for the Khajiit man. "Excellent! Perhaps you will be the one to win the princess' dagger, hm?" He said, taking the coins politely from her hand and flourishing towards the grand prize. With a sleight of hand trick, the man produced three leather balls seemingly out of nowhere and handed them to Sabine. They felt overly springy in her hands, they would likely bounce easily. "Good luck to you, young mistress!" The Khajiit said, holding his grin the entire time.

"My sister is normally very shy. More so than your brother, I believe." Ariel explained to Rukeewei quietly while they watched on, "It is good to see that she is coming out to the world like this. Even if is just in little steps."

Sabine took her first throw. It was a carefully aimed overarm throw that seemed to be underpowered, but well controlled. It hit the smallest hole directly, but bounced off the rim and down the front of the board. Sabine creased her brow, that was a direct hit! It became clear in that moment that the smallest hole was actually too small to fit the balls. A classic trick by games like this, but a betrayal in Sabine's eyes. She still had two shots left though.

"Well, I'm not sure if I need another portion this big," Fendros said through his second to last mouthful of the lamia tail, "but if I pick something out..." he swallowed, "... I get to taste a mouthful, okay?" he smiled, bowed his head forward and raised his brows.

They walked amongst the food stalls some more. They came across some grills that had a strong aniseed-like smell coming from some fish that were being fried. They were each about twice the size of his hand and were plump with fat and meat. They weren't any fish that Fendros recognised, but they looked and smelled tasty. Fendros approached finned, dull-orange Argonian that was cooking the fish, he wore nothing but a pair of trousers and an apron, but had a friendly grin that had a few crooked teeth. Fendros smiled back and pointed to the fish, "What are these?"

"Opah fish, friend. Spiced with my own mix, but fresh from morning's catch!" The cook was loud and boisterous, but somewhat endearing.

"Is it safe for us to eat?" Fendros asked.

"What you say?" The Argonian angled one side of his head towards Fendros. The man must have been hard of hearing.

"Is it safe for us to eat?" Fendros said slower and more clearly, pointing to himself and Ahnasha.

"Ah! Yes! Good for you! Good for child!" He pointed to Fendros and Ahnasha's stomach respectively, "Eight gold per fish!" The Argonian said over the sound of the sizzling. He raised a finger as Fendros reached into his purse, "Just don't eat more than two in a day, or you'll throw up! Hehehe!"

The cook's antics made Fendros grin as he passed enough gold to him to purchase one of the opah for them to share. The cook took one of the cooked ones from near the edge of the grill and placed it in a large thick green leaf before passing it to them. Fendros was grateful for the leaf preventing the freshly cooked fish from burning his hand. Being careful not to burn himself, Fendros pulled back the charred skin of the fish and beheld the steaming scales of flesh underneath. The meat came apart easily, like cooked salmon. He lifted a chunk into his mouth with his fingers and the meat melted away with a fantastic taste. It wasn't strongly spiced, but it was rich and satisfying. Fendros suddenly felt as if he could eat the whole thing, but he had bought it for Ahnasha, and the warning from the cook might have been in regards to its richness.

"It's so rich," Fendros remarked with a chuckle as he passed the leaf to Ahnasha, "Try it. It's like... pork belly, except it's fish."

Janius couldn't help but taunt Meesei after her display of dancing prowess faded when things took a turn for the Heartland. He was surprised that they would even play such a song, but he didn't question fate this time. "Aw, where did all that grace go?" Janius said patronisingly with a grin, "Come now, you don't want to get shown up by your lesser, do you?" The last of the song finished with a signature changing of beats that threw most people off except those familiar with it. It was one last display of dancing skill that Janius could show off before it concluded. The audience clapped to the musicians, who had performed a superb and creative rendition of the song with their exotic instruments. Janius stood to catch his breath and clapped as well. "One more round?" Janius dared Meesei.

[EliteCommander]

Rukeewei nodded to Ariel. "I see. Well, it is good that she has a sister who wants to help her. My egg-brother can be friendly to customers, but he really does not like talking to strangers in any other case. I cannot say I know why, either. Nothing in particular happened to him in his childhood; I suppose some people are just born shy. Will your sister be staying with you here as well?" He asked.

Ahnasha licked her lips as she stared at the plump fish. She glanced up at Fendros and smiled, then quickly snatched it out of his hands when he offered it to her. Fendros did say that he bought it for her, so she did not hesitate to start eating the entire thing as they explored the festival. Just as he had described, it tasted like a fish version of a freshly-killed boar and was quite filling. Even she was starting to get full by the time she was nearly finished with it. "Okay, we definitely need to catch a few of these next time we are in the marsh. I hope they are freshwater fish, and not saltwater. It would make them much easier to come by, not that I wouldn't be willing to take a detour to the ocean to catch a few of these."

There was little Meesei could say in response to Janius, as she could scarcely keep up in this song. Any of the movements she was comfortable with would not really fit the tune at all. She had to concede the victory to Janius on this one, but she hoped that they would play another familiar song that would allow her to finish strong. It was a risk, but before the musicians started on the next piece, she nodded to Janius. "I am not giving up just yet."

Meesei almost let out a sigh when the next song started with a completely unfamiliar tune. Luckily, judging by Janius' reaction, he did not know the song either. Looking around, Meesei noticed that a few Bosmer were getting particularly excited, so she assumed it was music from their culture. It seemed that most people around them were trying to imitate what the Bosmer were doing. In any case, neither Meesei nor Janius would know what they were doing on this one.

[Muttonhawk]

Holding one hand in the other while she watched on, Ariel tried not to betray a nervousness in her expression. "No..." she replied slowly, thinking quickly to come up with a reason. At least she didn't have to explain why Sabine was as antisocial as she was. "... Sabine is... she hasn't come of age yet. Meesei, that Argonian friend of mine I arrived with, she's-" Ariel breathed in, knowing what to say now, "-a foster mother." Her tone was much surer with the last words. She looked at Rukeewei directly, "They will be travelling some more."

Sabine placed one foot back a little and held the next ball up behind her. She still kept her beady expression, but she aimed carefully for a harder throw. The Khajiit raised one eyebrow and smiled at the girl's attempt. He loved it when they got cocky with his little game, it meant me might not have to give a prize away. With a strength that contradicted her build, Sabine pitched the leather ball so hard it almost made a whistling sound through the air before slamming suddenly into the board. The board wobbled, threatening to fall forward, but stilled itself. The noise the ball made and where it had landed silenced everyone in the immediate vicinity, not least of which the now wide-eyed Khajiit. The ball hadn't quite gotten through the small hole, but it was lodged in firmly, past halfway. The ball bulged out either side and was stuck fast. Before the bewildered Khajiit could step up to remove it, Sabine reared and threw the last ball in a similar fashion. The last ball hit the previous one so hard that it shoved it through the board and out the other side, while somehow the last one bounced into the frame of the pavilion that the challenge was housed and back into one of the larger holes of the board.

Sabine didn't show triumph in her face, but she had a victorious confidence in her stance. Ariel looked rather shocked, not sure whether to be impressed or mortified. The Khajiit was also shocked, but tried to recover the situation. "Err, well, uhm... yes!" The Khajiit stammered, "Yes! This one knew! This one could see you had skill, remember?" he pointed to his eye again with a nervous grin, "And for this great skill, this one shall give you..." The Khajiit turned around and rummaged around the prizes, before turning around with a trinket in his hands, "... this! A charm bracelet that will provide you good luck!" He leaned forward and held out the cheap looking chain copper bracelet that held a few dainty symbols. Sabine carefully took the bracelet and walked back to Ariel and Rukeewei. The Khajiit's expression changed to one of relief once Sabine had her back turned.

Ariel laughed in an effort to dismiss the situation as Sabine returned. "Excellent throwing! What did you win, Sabine?" She asked.

Sabine glanced up at Ariel, but had her attention fixed on the bracelet that she held up in front of her. "Bracelet." Sabine said at a volume almost too quiet to hear over the crowd, "He was cheating."

"I think you might be right, that top scoring hole was too small for the balls to fit through. There was no way to get that dagger." Ariel replied, as they began to walk again.

Sabine shook her head and held the bracelet up for Ariel to see, "He said good luck. No enchantment." Sabine looked onwards as the walked, but kept the bracelet in her hand.

"Hm," Ariel smiled in response. She might have to fill Sabine in on the concept of monetary value if she had initially believed that a sideshow would have something like a luck fortification charm for one of their prizes. "We might take a look at some of the other games. Perhaps there are some fairer ones around."

Ahnasha was truly ravenous with the fish Fendros had bought. He wanted to warn her to slow down so she wouldn't get sick, but he doubted it would have made a difference. "Another thing to ask Meesei, I think. Unless you felt like asking the vendor." Fendros said, looking back at the grill for a moment. Maybe later, the vendor would still be there. For now, he walked beside Ahnasha casually to take in the sights. "So, is it harder to fish in the salt water? I've only fished around the Nibenay Basin most of my life, but you would have been by the ocean in Leyawiin, right?"

The next song made Janius look curiously upwards as if the instructions for how to dance to it were in the sky. "What on Nirn is this?" He said, but it looked like Meesei wasn't sure either. Deciding just to try and have fun with it, Janius tried his best to adapt to the rest of the dancers, most of whom were Bosmer at least a head shorter than him. It was full of movements that seemed to require more balance than Janius had practice to pull off effectively. On a couple of occasions he stumbled. He was glad for the Argonian alcohol that seemed to still be dampening his self consciousness. Soon enough it just came down to keeping up with Meesei, that was the real challenge here. Even if everyone else seemed far more familiar with the dance than they were, he didn't want to give up on this before she did.

[EliteCommander]

Rukeewei continued to stay with Ariel and Sabine as they tried some of the other games. Sabine was of course not very talkative, but Rukeewei and Ariel spoke for a while. He also introduced Ariel to a few people he knew that they ran into, just to help her build more connections. Fendros eventually convinced Ahnasha to get away from the food vendors before she made herself sick, so they moved on to watch some of the other shows. Meanwhile, Meesei and Janius both performed rather poorly in their last dance, in comparison to those around them. Lorag couldn't help but to laugh as he watched. Although neither of them really outperformed the other, Lorag would probably say that Meesei was more impressive just to he could tease Janius about it. Of course, if he did that, he would run the risk of Janius coming up with something about him falling on his face as soon as Janius tugged on him.

After a few hours, pretty much all of the group was done for the night. They all ended up returning to the inn, though some at different times. Ariel took a detour to go make an appointment with someone who could approve a loan for her, while Sabine joined Meesei, Lorag, and Janius as they returned to the inn. Most of them would likely be heading to bed soon, but they decided to relax in the inn for a short time before retiring for the night. Those who had not eaten at the festival ordered at least a small dinner, and perhaps a drink, though Lorag was sure to stick exclusively to water this time, at Meesei's behest. Ironically, the inn seemed to be quite a strange place for the pack to socialize, at least to most of them. Usually, when they were in public places, they were there for a specific reason, then left. Now, they were simply laughing and conversing as normal. It was strange having to watch what they said to avoid implying what they actually were.

Eventually, Ariel returned to the inn as well and joined the rest of the pack. Rukeewei had not been involved in the pack's conversation, and instead had been speaking to his brother, but before he retired for the night, he decided to approach them first. "I will be going to sleep soon, but you can continue to speak to my brother if you need anything. I would just like to say, it is good to have you all here, and I hope you enjoy your stay in Thorn." Rukeewei said, pausing for a moment and rubbing the back of his neck. "I know this is a bit of shameless self-promotion, but if you happen to stay until Turdas, I am entering one of my finest wines into a competition that day. Turdas is the day of feasting during the festival, so they have competitions for all sorts of food and drink. Oh, and Middas is the day of beauty. Neercana-Rei will be entering her finest dress into a fashion competition that day, if that interests you."

Strangely for Lorag, he was not as excited for the prospect of a wine tasting competition as he would have thought, perhaps because he was currently intoxicated enough that even he knew he was drunk. Still, he had a reputation to keep, so he had to at least act excited. He glanced over to Meesei with a bit of a grin. "A wine tasting? I guess we're staying at least 'till Turdas."

[Muttonhawk]

The rest of the day was a memorable experience for everyone. With all that they saw some wondered how it would stretch into several days. Janius was slightly dissatisfied with the stalemate that the Bosmer dance left them in, but he couldn't have said he didn't enjoy himself. He spent some more of the day seeing the rest of the sights, but not spending much except for some food. Ariel was glad to Rukeewei for helping her to network. There were plenty of different people to meet, and some seemed more agreeable with others, but at least they didn't treat her with immediate suspicion like the citizens of Vos did. It made her wonder whether the people she was meeting would have reacted differently to knowing that she was, or at least used to be, a witch. Sabine continued to tag along, but spent time observing each game before deciding whether she wanted to play or not. With the amount of scams, she didn't play many. When the time came to head back, Fendros felt as if he had enjoyed himself. He hadn't been to a festival like this in a long time, and to share the experience with Ahnasha made it all the better.

Rukeewei approaching to see them off for the night turned the pack's attention while they sat at their inn table.

"I can agree to that." Janius added after taking a swig of some more conventional ale, "There's plenty to do in and around the city after all. Especially with the festival going on."

Fendros chimed in as well, "I wouldn't mind staying for longer as well, but, Meesei, Sabine." Fendros leaned his elbows against the table and looked over to them both, "When were you planning on..." he twirled his hand in front of himself, "... going out to a village and that." It still felt a little out of place to call Sabine by her real name, but the pack had agreed that they didn't need to display any more suspicious behaviour than necessary.

Still eating her soup dinner after arriving later than the pack, Ariel turned and smiled to Rukeewei, but before letting him go, she pulled a puzzled expression. "Middas? I thought you said earlier that the day of beauty was the day after tomorrow, that would be Morndas, right?" Ariel said in a confused expression.

[EliteCommander]

"Um, yes, it's the day after tomorrow. Today is Morndas, actually." Rukeewei said a bit awkwardly, assuming that Ariel had been traveling for a while and had lost track of the days. "Well, at any rate, I'm sure you will enjoy yourself on both days. Have a good night." He said before going to his room in the basement of the inn.

Shortly afterwards, Lorag decided he was done for the night and headed up to the room he was sharing with Runt and Ariel. Meesei had essentially divided their belongings between rooms without much thought, not that it really mattered to him. He had no issue sharing a room with anyone. He got out of his armor, then, instead of taking one of the two beds, he sat down on the ground and leaned back against the wall, using his bag as a cushion. He didn't feel like taking a bed from either of the other two, and he was the type that could sleep on practically anything. Ariel had become more used to the pack's lack of modesty during their travels, but still, he decided to do her a favor and not undress completely. He didn't go to sleep for the moment and instead just leaned back and relaxed in silence.

Upon Fendros' question, Meesei looked to Sabine and Ariel. "We will remain in the city long enough for you to get settled, Ariel. I suspect that may take a few days at minimum, perhaps longer. After that, I'm afraid we will have to say our goodbyes. We will be heading to the nearest village we can locate for a suitable Hist tree. It may be possible for us to send letters to you, perhaps for updates on Sabine, but given how much we move around, I cannot imagine it would be possible for you to write back, unfortunately."

[Muttonhawk]

"Right, my mind must be muddled for which day it is. Goodnight, Rukeewei!" Ariel said as the barman retired for the night.

Ariel had a couple more mouthfuls of soup as Meesei spoke. She nodded at the time estimate, and the mention of leaving. The letter business was something she hadn't thought of, but it stood to reason that it was within the pack's power. Ariel swallowed and considered this. It would be wonderful to hear how Sabine and the rest of the pack were. She put her spoon on the table for a moment to reply. "If you could do that, I would love to hear from you. From you all, even." She smiled and put her hand up at Meesei to gently halt her, "But, don't trouble yourself unnecessarily. If you have to keep information to yourself about anything, I won't mind, I understand." Ariel put her hand back on the table and cocked her head curiously at Sabine, who was staring at the table in front of her. "It would be wonderful to hear from you, sister. Would you write me letters every now and then?" Ariel asked.

Sabine looked up and breathed in.Then looked away, unsure. She could read passably, but she wasn't very good at writing. She tightened her lips for a moment. "I'll try," she mumbled, not enjoying that a nod or a shake of the head wasn't sufficient to communicate at that point.

In response, Ariel smiled. She might not get frequent or long letters, but to know that Sabine was okay was good enough for her. She was especially interested to know how the ritual that Meesei planned was going to turn out. If it would help Sabine to overcome her fears.

Ariel addressed the entire pack, she appeared tired after such an activity-filled day, but her tone was upbeat. "I should probably tell you that I have an appointment with the An-Xileel... oh, what did they call him..." Ariel snapped her fingers a couple of times and looked at the ceiling, trying to remember, "I think he was a guildmaster of sorts? Or an adviser? Something in Jel along that... line of thought... Anyway, they said that if I come by tomorrow afternoon at about four o'clock, I can discuss a loan to purchase a shop and have it fitted." She bobbed her head to the side, "Of course, they were too busy to discuss much else at the time, as you can imagine with the festival. I'll also have to contact suppliers and scope out what any other alchemists are selling in the city, but who knows? Perhaps I'll have a place to call my own by tomorrow. It's funny, I never thought..." Ariel stopped and leaned her head against her hand, covering one eye. She was smiling, but her next breath had a hint of emotion to it that she was trying to suppress. "I never thought I would end up here. I couldn't have done this without you all." She sniffed, but she didn't quite let go of any tears. Looking at each of their faces in turn, she continued, "You have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you all."

Janius, who was sitting next to Sabine, grabbed her shoulder and ran his hand over it comfortingly. "Any family of Sabine's is family of us," He said, leaning back on his chair. Fendros nodded in agreement from across the table. For all Ariel rightly could have been, she had turned out to be a friend of the pack. She wasn't a lycan, or even a follower of Hircine, but she had shown understanding and actively helped the pack and any lycan besides who might have fallen to the suppression gas.

The reaction Ariel had to this was gradual. Her face became red, and her jaw tensed until her mouth opened suddenly with a short, sharp exhale. A tear ran down from the eye she wasn't covering and dripped into her soup. She tried not to sob, but she was tired and overwhelmed. She closed her mouth for a moment to sniff again, this time her nose sounded like it was running. "... I'm going to miss you all..." She managed to say shakily as she wrenched her eyes shut and bowed her head forward further. It was all she could communicate as she cried in almost silent sobs. Over the past few months, the pack had become some of the best friends she ever had. That when they left she might never see them again held no small amount of grief, even if it was something she couldn't change.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei stood up silently from her seat and approached Ariel. She wrapped her arm around her and gave her a hug, pulling her close to herself. "You are a friend to all who are like us." She said, choosing her words carefully, given the setting. "And you are especially a friend to us. As much as I wish you could remain with us, I fear our paths must diverge. When we leave, it may not end up being the last time you see us, depending on how tough the...challenges we face will be. I of course cannot guarantee that, but we will certainly not forget you." She said reassuringly, being careful not to directly mention the war with Vile.

Ahnasha smiled. As emotional of a moment as it was, she was currently in a good mood and wanted to try to elevate Ariel's, even if it was just by a small amount. "With as much as you have helped me, I certainly wish you could be there to see our cub be born. I have been thinking about trying to learn to draw recently; maybe I will become skilled enough to paint a picture the cub for you? I do not know how easy it would be to deliver an entire painting across the marsh, so...maybe a small one?" Since they had been traveling together, Ahnasha had actually become used to Ariel's presence, so it would be a real change for her to no longer be around. Of course, with the amount of danger they were expecting to step into in this war, that would probably be for the best.

[Muttonhawk]

Ariel raised her arms and returned Meesei's hug. "Of course, Meesei. You will always be welcome if you come by." Even if they were going to leave, she was happy to have friends like these. She managed to open her bleary eyes to reply to Ahnasha with a smile, "That would be lovely, Ahnasha. I wish I could be there too."

Letting go of Meesei, Ariel tried to level her breathing and calm herself. She wasn't particularly hungry now, so she decided to leave her soup. What she realised was that she was tired. "I think I need to go to bed," She sniffed, wiped her eyes, and got up from her chair, "Goodnight, all."

"Goodnight, Ariel," Fendros and Janius said just out of unison.

To everyone's surprise, even Sabine spoke. "Goodnight, sister."

Sabine's words caused Ariel to halt before she sauntered off upstairs and she looked back to give Sabine a wide smile before she continued. The table became silent again for a moment. It wasn't an awkward silence, there was a warmth in the air. Janius lightly tapped his finger against the table's surface idly before breaking the silence, "I think I'm going to miss her too."

"Yeah," Fendros said through a yawn, "I don't think I'm be far from heading to bed myself."

---

Ariel entered her room rubbing her eyes and breathing through her mouth rather than her now blocked nose. She found Lorag leaning up against a wall and assumed he was sleeping, so she crept quietly to one of the beds and began to remove her shoes. It was strange, she thought Lorag would have taken one of the beds. Perhaps he was too intoxicated to realise.

[EliteCommander]

Lorag opened his eyes shortly after Ariel entered. "Oh, hey there. I'll let you two take the beds. The floor won't bother me none. Could use a spare pillow if there's one around, though." He requested. Since he had stopped drinking, he wasn't as intoxicated as he was before, so he was thinking somewhat reasonably. He was actually looking forward to some parts of this festival. Although, he wasn't exactly sure how long they would be staying. He knew they wanted to help Ariel get set up in this new city, but he really didn't know much else about that. "So, um, Ariel. How did things go today? You manage to talk to someone about that shop, or something?" He asked.

"I think we all will, Janius. Who knows, maybe even Lorag will miss having her around?" Meesei said with a bit more of a lighthearted chuckle. She glanced over to the stairs, then back to the others. "At any rate, I will be heading up to my room for the night. Goodnight." She said before walking away from the table. Ahnasha stood up along with Fendros as well, telling the others goodnight before joining him in their room.

When Meesei reached her room, she found a place for her belongings, then undressed and neatly folded and packed away her clothing. Instead of trying to go to sleep immediately, she sat down on her bed and started to meditate. She had not expected that herself and the rest of the pack would form such an attachment to Ariel, not that she regretted it. Still, it was going to be painful for all involved for them to separate. For now, Meesei simply wanted to relax, and meditation always seemed to serve that purpose rather nicely.

[Muttonhawk]

Ariel was at first a bit surprised by Lorag. Whether or not he was sleeping, he didn't appear to be upset by being woken up. Ariel smiled and swallowed before replying, "Yes, I did, in fact. I had just told everyone else." She slid her shoes underneath her bed, but stayed sitting up to talk. "I made an appointment with an An-Xileel official to talk about a loan. If all goes well I'll be sleeping in my own bed by tomorrow." She looked around and removed one of the pillows from her own bed, she never liked to sleep with two pillows anyway. She held the pillow for a moment and looked at it. "It will be sad to see you all go," She said, holding back her sadness this time. She smiled at Lorag and passed the pillow to him. "Did you enjoy yourself at the festival today? What did you get up to?"

With the rest of them heading to bed, only Janius and Sabine were left at the table. Janius glanced to her, "You heading to bed as well?" Janius asked.

Sabine didn't respond. instead she pulled a soul gem out of her pocket and the bracelet she had won from the throwing challenge. Ignoring Janius, she placed her hands over the items and began to weave an enchantment into the copper charm bracelet. Janius shrugged and finished his ale before leaving Sabine to her task. She could take care of herself well enough.

Up in Fendros and Ahnasha's room, Fendros began to undress to go to bed. "So, how do you like Thorn so far? It looks like it's preceding its reputation, especially with this festival." He held Ahnasha's cheeks in his hands and kissed her, "I'd say we're in luck to come at this time of year."

At first, Janius opened the door to he and Meesei's room roughly, but closed it quietly and went about his preparations for bed so as not to disturb her meditation. While the candle still burned in their room, he opened a book that he had been carrying around and began to read while sitting up against the head of his bed.

[EliteCommander]

"Eh, I didn't really do much today. Mostly just watched Alpha and City-boy failing to dance. Too much alcohol in me to do anything else." Lorag responded, giving a chuckle and resting his head on the pillow. "Not something I thought I'd ever catch myself saying. Anyway, I hadn't thought about the fact that you'll be splitting off from us after this. I mean, I knew of course, but I didn't really think about it. I guess that is kinda sad, with how long you've been around. How do you think Runt'll feel about it?

Ahnasha undressed and laid down beside Fendros. Her nap earlier meant she wasn't completely tired at the moment, but it probably wouldn't be long before she got to sleep, regardless."Well, it definitely feels better than the rest of the Marsh. It's on the edge of the marshes, near the coast, so it is pretty much exactly like Leyawiin in terms of climate. I've actually been fairly comfortable since I got here. Of course, this city is a lot more beautiful. I've never seen so many colorful flowers lining the streets. At least in the area where the festival is being held, it's like every nook and cranny is designed to be aesthetically pleasing. If it's name is any indication, I can only imagine what it will be like on the day of beauty. Other than that competition Rukeewei mentioned, I don't know what they are going to do on that day, though I doubt I would be winning any beauty competitions with this stomach of mine."

Meesei appreciated Janius' efforts not to disturb her meditation, but she eventually stopped anyway, as she had thought of a question she wanted to ask him. "So, Janius, what do you think about this city? Do you think it will be an appropriate place for Ariel to settle down?"

[Muttonhawk]

"I can't say I know," Ariel said, shaking her head slightly, "Sabine's always a bit difficult to read. I love her, but I know her place is with the pack, and my place is here. That's something she'll have to accept if she hasn't already." Ariel shifted so that she was sitting up against the wall on her bed. Ariel leaned her head back up against the wall, but rolled it to the side to look at Lorag. "Has her behaviour changed since I have been around? I heard from Meesei that she was just as shy, but..."

Fendros lay on his side facing Ahnasha. At her comment, he smiled and ran his hand over Ahnasha's stomach. "I don't care, you still win my beauty contest, Ahna."

In the next room, Janius looked up from his book for a moment. "I'd say she'll fit in. She's getting along with the locals after all." He took a deep breath through his nose and looked down at his book again. "I don't think she really needed to worry, she could have settled down in any city. This one though, it's nice. Out of direct danger, not so xenophobic, not to mention a beautiful place. Short of Morrowind and Black Marsh waging another war, I'd say this is a good place. What do you think?"