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

[EliteCommander]

With Janius' size compared to Kaleeth, she practically had to crawl up his body after he pulled her down with him to get her head on the same level as his. "Lively? I guess I am. This has all brought back a lot of memories of my last few days in the village before we left, all those years ago. Mostly, they're memories that just have me worried about Julan, and him making some kind of huge mistake with Leeus. Or accidentally offending the whole village. That's nothing you didn't already know."

For a moment, Kaleeth allowed her head to rest on Janius' shoulder as she looked into his eyes. "But there are good memories there too. I don't think I could ever forget how I felt being around you. Even though I had a hard time understanding half of what you were saying most of the time, you still made me feel just...good being around you. You were so much nicer to me than a lot of the hunters, and I was really just happy to be with you. Learning what you were did frighten me, but at the same time...it just didn't matter. I still remember how you willingly helped me on a dangerous hunt, then bravely protected my defenseless hide against a full-grown wamasu. When I looked at you after that, you were like a hero out of one of the Treeminder's stories."

Kaleeth lifted her head up, then interrupted herself by planting another, long kiss straight on his snout, evidently not impeded in the slightest by his werewolf body's size or proportions. If anything, his head was now closer to the shape of an Argonian's. She ran her fingers through the fur on his head, and again started to rub him behind his ears. "I honestly don't know what ever attracted you to me back then. I was so pathetic compared to what I am now." Kaleeth added, though still in a distinctly positive mood.

---

While Shevari was carefully focused on timing Rhazii, Ahnasha was brainstorming internally on how she might insert herself into her parents' conversation without it seeming too convenient, or otherwise drawing attention to the fact that she certainly did not want them discussing the topic. Unfortunately, there were no good ideas that came to her mind, but at the very least, it was also true that Calia's explanation was not outright harmful to Ahnasha either. She was painting her as a skilled mage, not a blasphemous one.

"Well, that is...not something I expected at all." S'nashi replied, her expression showing just the same surprise as her words. It was surprising enough to hear that she had made it here so quickly with the spells of her mage friend, but that my daughter is actually a skilled mage herself...I don't know how she finds the time for so much work with having to run a store at the same time."

Gwindir nodded in agreement with his wife. "I never would have thought that to be something normal people could accomplish."

Ahnasha nudged Fendros slightly, still whispering. "Maybe we should try to slide back into the conversation? Sit down to eat, or something?"

[Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth's description of Janius as a hero made him laugh briefly, even if it sounded strange in his current form. It did not last long as she got intimate. Despite the length of their relationship, Janius could not say he kissed Kaleeth as a werewolf very often. It was awkward for him, not least of which because his instinct in this form was to simply lick her face.

After Kaleeth spoke again, Janius spent a long moment just looking at her in the eyes. After which he spoke gently. "I never asked myself that question for a long time. But when I did the answer was obvious. You chose not to give up."

---

Fendros only gave a small nod before he ducked back into a seat nearby, wearing a broad smile. "Talking behind our backs again?" he asked light-heartedly.

"Son, we would not dream of gossiping." Calia once again had all the answers. "We are merely proud of our children and wish to express it."

"What's this about the store, then?" Fendros asked.

Calia gestured forward. "S'nashi and Gwindir were, I believe, impressed by the scheduling you and Ahnasha have managed. Time for hunting and for study and for child rearing. Our timetabling of your studies must have had a good affect on you."

"...Right! Yes. It did." Fendros took the bone Calia had thrown him, so to speak, even if he did so nervously. "You and father were very strict about it. I think the discipline gave me the right tools. It has also been much easier since Rhazii has been at an age to help us." He glanced over to Ahnasha for help.

Monderyn shrugged and looked to Rhazii, who was just as unsure. "I'll try to take my turn now, then maybe we'll wait to see when your mother and father are ready."

Whatever scores Monderyn and Rhazii were setting, Ahansha and Fendros were not paying attention.

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth held her head just above Janius', grinning down at him. "I didn't know my stubbornness was so, um...endowing? Or, no...endearing, that's the right word." She replied, stumbling briefly over her words. Kaleeth had been speaking Cyrodilic almost exclusively since leaving Black Marsh, but since she had learned primarily through conversation, there were still the occasional, rarely-used words that could catch her. Sometimes amusingly.

---

"Yes, and it helps to have friends, especially back when Rhazii was young." Ahnasha added. "Even so, I've had a lot of full days these past few years."

Though S'nashi was outwardly smiling, Ahnasha knew her mother well enough to notice some of her apparent concern, or at least uncertainty. Her next question was just about what Ahnasha was expecting. "I didn't really think you would still be studying magic, of all things. We were just talking about it, and Calia mentioned that you would have to be quite skilled. It's just...well it sounds dangerous, doesn't it? Dealing with your own soul and everything?"

Ahnasha managed to chuckle convincingly. "It's not dangerous, mother. I knew you'd just worry. It's difficult, and can be expensive, but I know what I'm doing. It takes some, uh, strong creature souls. And gems to trap them in, of course. Mammoths are something experienced teams of hunters can take down reliably, and they work. I, well, I'd like to explain it all in detail, but that would probably take a lot of time, a lot of background, maybe a few diagrams."

Vasiq had been mostly quiet so far, but the current topic was evidently enough to rouse his interest. "But you will actually be able to live longer?"

Ahnasha nodded. "Yes, ideally. These things are not always too precise, but I hope to live as long as Fendros."

[Muttonhawk]

The corners of Janius' mouth quirked up. "That's one other thing that hasn't changed," he joked. "You do bring up some fine memories."

Janius motioned to stand up, helping Kaleeth up with him. He did not let her go, instead taking her left hand in his and bringing his other hand to her waist. He gave her a knowing look, and with slow and deft steps treading through the water, lead her in a slow dance. He remained surprisingly balanced for his current form.

"I know there have been times where I have not been...everything I should have been," Janius said as they swayed. "There were times where I thought you deserved better than me. I did not know what I was doing half the time once we started travelling together, in the sense of committing. I am not sure whether I am a hero, but I hope I have been a good mate for you so far."

---

Fendros agreed. "That was Ahnasha's goal in it." He glanced at Gwindir. "I couldn't convince her otherwise."

"And a noble goal it is," Calia added. "Ahnasha, far be it for me to pry, but did you get assistance in getting the process worked out? I assume your friend Meesei was an instrumental part."

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth started to laugh, not quite sure what Janius was doing, but going along with him all the same. She kept holding onto him tightly, moving on by his lead. "You have. With everything that has been happening...I do really think I should say that I am happy with the life we have. I know what my father wants, and what some of the rest of the village might expect, but no matter what, I'm not going to be agreeing to anything that would take us away from our pack. It took a lot of what were probably mistakes to bring us together, but I don't regret any of them."

Kaleeth was starting to caress Janius' arms and chest, grinning at him whenever they did make eye contact. "I'll admit, when I first saw you in this form, I don't think it crossed my mind that I would one day be kissing you in it."

---

Ahnasha gave herself a few moments to think of how to answer. The truth, of course, was out of the question, but she doubted she would need to be detailed enough for it to matter. Only Calia would really understand a detailed explanation, and if she was insistent on receiving it, there were a few key details that Ahnasha could modify to make the process seem more palatable to her. "Meesei has always helped me with my studies into magic for as long as I have known her, though at this point, I would say I am more of an expert than her on this particular aspect of it. It has taken a lot of practice and research, but I was able to find some literature on the subject to help me along. I had to do a lot of the experimenting on my own. Although...I suppose I could credit Meesei with for that as well, in a way. Meesei is quite good at teaching herself; it's how she had become as powerful as she is. She really has taught me ways of teaching myself. It can be a hard way to learn, but once you get used to it, I would say it is effective."

Glancing to her side, Ahnasha nudged Fendros' elbow. "It's the same way she taught Fendros here to cast nigh impenetrable wards. That, a lot of practice, and a blessing from the stars themselves."

[Muttonhawk]

Janius blew some air out of his nose, amused. "Me neither. Wolves don't kiss." He paused for a step. "But I did not know Argonians did, either. Not before I met you."

They danced three more slow steps before Janius twirled Kaleeth under his arm and out before him, holding onto her hand. After bringing her back towards him, he leant her back and gazed into her eyes.

"I should change back," he said quietly. "This is far too romantic for this form."

---

Calia drew in a breath as her eyes visibly lit up. She even brought a flat hand halfway up to her mouth. "Fendros, you learned magic as well?"

Fendros nodded, a little abashed.

She looked to him with equal happiness and disbelief. "But how? You never liked the taste of magicka potions and you could barely puff a gout of fire from your hands! We had you written off as a locked away atronach."

An abashed Fendros shrugged. "I guess the different perspective helped me get around the parts I couldn't understand. Meesei sees magic differently. She also knows as spell to replenish my own magicka as needed, so that helped me practice."

"Show me." Calia grabbed her dress and stood up abruptly.

Fendros looked up at her. "...What?"

Calia beckoned him. "Come and show me how you do it! I simply must see for myself." She hastily walked a few paces away from the group and pointed to her right. "Stand over there and let me see your ward."

Fendros reluctantly followed her up to the spot she indicated and faced her. After trading an unsure look with Ahnasha and Llarasa, he held his hand forward and brought the spell to his hands.

The sound of another spell made Fendros flinch. Calia flourished with one hand, sending some sort of red draining spell out towards him. The spell impacted and was absorbed almost effortlessly. There was no telling whether it was a particularly harmful spell or not.

"Mother!" Fendros protested. "You could have warned me-"

She tossed another spell, this time more intense than the previous one. Fendros caught it just as easily, albeit on guard this time.

"One more, my son!" Calia said with a beaming smile. She used both hands to bring together a bright red spell that she tossed before her in a roiling, dangerous-looking orb.

Fendros braced. The spell struck, and though Fendros tensed on its impact, the red completely dissipated into the bright light of his ward.

The next moving object to come speeding towards Fendros was Calia herself, laughing with outstretched arms. Her the decorum in her accent gave her wild laughter something of a malignant tone, but there was no doubting the sincerity of it. Fendros lowered his ward with some relief and they joined in a tight hug.

"Oooh, I never thought I would see the day. I'm so proud of you, Fendros!" Calia was almost crying.

Fendros' response was less excited. "Please don't ever do that again, mother."

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth gave a lighthearted laugh. "Well, our kisses aren't exactly the same as your kisses, but...it's the same idea." She said, though when Janius suggested reverting back to normal, she quickly grabbed one of his arms, and brought her other hand up to the side of his head. "Wait, no. Don't, um, don't turn back just yet. Your form may not be the most romantic, but it is quite...large and powerful. You could actually overpower me now. Usually I'm the one who can just throw anyone else around."

Taking a few steps back from him, the way Kaleeth was looking at Janius had shifted considerably. She was admiring him, her eyes no longer focused on his. She actually looked rather nervous, and even her scent betrayed that fact as well. "I think we should just...lay down by the riverbank together for a while. Let your fur dry off, and everything." She suggested, wading out of the water and laying herself down on the least muddy patch of grass she could find.

---

Again, Ahnasha's family was not nearly as alarmed as they could have been by the simple fact that they did not recognize that Calia's spells were potentially dangerous. Although, any unannounced display of magic would be enough to make her parents nervous to some degree, regardless. For the moment, though, Ahnasha was not exactly sure what would be the best way to react. On the one hand, Fendros really wasn't a mage like Calia might be thinking. It was really only wards that Meesei had taught him, and only in such a way as to take advantage of his birthsign. He still did not have the education nor experience to begin casting other spells, so Ahnasha did not think of him as a "mage". But, Ahnasha had never seen Calia so enthusiastic about anything before, and by Fendros' reaction alone, she took it that it was not a common event. She did not want to say anything that might bring down Calia's mood. Nevertheless, Ahnasha did have something to say to continue on the topic.

"Like I said, Meesei is a good teacher. She was able to teach him how to take advantage of his birthsign for his wards. Atronachs have trouble recovering their magicka naturally, but absorbing it is another matter entirely. And wards can be cast in a way to take advantage of that trait." Ahnasha explained.

S'nashi, though somewhat surprised and out of her element, clasped her hands together with a wide smile. "Well, then, that is wonderful! It seems the both of you found your own ways to grow away from home. It can be somewhat humbling as a parent, but...I suppose we can't teach you everything you need to know in life. Sometimes you just need to go and...experience it yourself."

[Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth's excuse made Janius tilt his head. It took him a moment to notice the way she was inspecting him. A few different possibilities ran through his mind.

He did not respond with more than a look to the spot Kaleeth pointed out before carefully following her to the shore. He crawled up and laid down beside her, leaning the side of his head on his hand and looking at her with as bemused a look as he could manage. "I know that look," he said flatly, "and that smell. You want to try something. Are you sure it's a good idea?"

---

After Calia's little scene, Rhazii, Monderyn, and Shevari were left standing and waiting for the other participants in their archery game. Monderyn took a second to get over his shock, though an idea struck once he realised everyone was so distracted. He leaned across to Rhazii surreptitiously. "How about you fetch the arrows, I have an idea for a joke."

Rhazii lowered his brow. "You do jokes? I mean, I meant no offense, but...you're pretty serious, uncle."

"Trust me," Monderyn looked ahead with his persistent resting frown.

Rhazii glanced away, confused, but walked off to the target anyway.

Fendros and Calia pulled away and rejoined the group quickly enough. Calia's grin was infectious. "See, Llarasa dear? I told you our family has this potential in them, even if they don't realise it at first."

Surprisingly, Llarasa was downcast and low. "Mother, you know I'm not..."

"Oh, never mind," Calia moved on back to Ahnasha's family. "I dare say you are correct, S'nashi. Humble is the right word here. Perhaps it was wrong for me to ever doubt Meesei's abilities. Beast folk have a strong penchant for surprises." She wiped the half-formed tears from her eyes.

"Ahnasha, Fendros, are you ready to prove who is the best archer now?" Monderyn called out.

[EliteCommander]

"Hmm, maybe." Kaleeth continued to grin. "I can already say it feels quite nice to hold you, to kiss you. Even your wolf form's attempts at affection are...charming, in their own way."

Kaleeth rolled over onto Janius, laughing and sitting up on his chest. She leaned down and kissed him on the tip of his nose, seeming almost playful by this point. "Doesn't it seem just a little tempting? Or are you just saying you're not attracted to me anymore?" She said, crossing her arms and looking away with an exaggerated degree of offense. "Maybe you just think I'm ugly now?"

---

"Yes, I think I would quite like to meet this Meesei." S'nashi added, nodding towards Ahnasha before turning her attention back towards Calia. "Did I mention what Ahnasha told us before? Apparently, their friend Meesei used some sort of spell to bring them all the way from Skyrim to Cheydinhal in just an instant. It sounds incredible to me; I wasn't sure that I believed it honestly, but I don't think my daughter is a liar. Have you ever heard of such a thing?"

Again, Ahnasha was not sure of what kind of a response to expect from Calia, but Monderyn's challenge easily captured her attention now that she did not feel she had as much to worry about. She was hardly halfway through her stew at this point, but it would not take too long to join in a round of speed shooting. Although, she was slightly surprised that Monderyn was taking the initiative to offer such a challenge. "Hmm...sure. If I win quickly enough, my stew will still be warm." She answered, smiling confidently.

[Muttonhawk]

Janius rolled his eyes and took Kaleeth by the shoulders. With a sudden heave, he rolled to one side, bringing Kaleeth onto her back and looming over her, pinning her arms to the grass. He brought his face close to hers. "You are peculiar, Kaleeth," he said with something of a smile. "But you are also beautiful. If you really trust me in this form...maybe I am tempted."

---

Monderyn held out the bow for Ahnasha. "Very well," he said as Rhazii returned to them with his hands full of arrows. "Let's see, I landed nine..." He turned slightly. "And Rhazii here managed eighteen."

Rhazii's momentary surprise was the only indication that Monderyn was lying. His face remained still as a stone.

Calia stopped and looked at S'nashi, blinking. "...The only magic I have ever heard of to speed travel in such a way was before my time. Before the Red Year, before..." She grew serious. Her eyes wandered down. "If it is what I think it is, the secret died long ago. Is it true, Fendros?"

Fendros looked briefly at Ahnasha's back as she returned to the competition. He turned back to Calia and nodded. "Yes. Meesei has uncovered quite a number of secrets."

"She would surely be famous by now," Calia said suspiciously.

"She's a private person," Fendros answered.

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth did not answer immediately, instead looking to the sides and making a brief effort to pull her arms out from under Janius' grasp, without success. Though, she still returned her gaze back to Janius' eyes with a grin. "Yes, I do realize that I'm not really normal, but I still do love to be called beautiful. You do look like a monster as a wolf, but...looking at you now, feeling your strength, your weight on me...I do think that there is a such thing as a handsome monster."

---

Ahnasha was eager to take the bow and arrows, and had already nocked one by the time she started thinking about what Monderyn had said. Her first reaction might have been surprise, and to congratulate Rhazii, but it did not take much thought for her to realize that the numbers did not add up. "So...in a round of ten arrows in twenty seconds, you landed nine arrows out of ten, Monderyn. And Rhazii landed eighteen? Out of ten? Is that so?"

The idea of a mage uncovering ancient secrets was an idea that even Ahnasha's parents could appreciate, though it did not take long for Gwindir to start seeing septims in it. "So, if she can move between faraway places in an instant...well, I can't think of any better way to move goods than instant. Cutting out all transportation time and costs would do wonders for any merchant's profits. About how...feasible is it to move goods with that magic?" He asked.

The question was not entirely straightforward to answer. The clans used their propylon chambers to move supplies all the time, but that was not a secret that could be shared. However, Meesei's personal teleportation abilities would be quite ill-suited to move anything too large, or too numerous.

[Muttonhawk]

Janius made Kaleeth quiet with another kiss.

Janius was cautious at first for obvious reasons, but Kaleeth was also particularly tough. They knew the boundaries before long and the two of them spent enough time and energy to release much of the tension of the day. Some idle thoughts entered Janius' mind at times, worrying whether they should have been supervising Julan more closely. He did not speak up about it.

---

Monderyn nodded. "Yes, he just kept going with the bow. The extra arrows were right beside him."

Unfortunately for Monderyn's trick, Rhazii couldn't keep himself contained. He snorted and laughed briefly. "He's pulling your leg, mother."

"Fine," Monderyn raised his hands. "I admit it. I only landed six."

While Fendros was glad to have steered the conversation away from Ahnasha's secrets, he was out of the frying pan and into the fire. He rubbed the side of his head with his hand and looked down, worried. "Aaaah...not very? Well, that is to say, I don't think Meesei would be very interested in sharing her secrets in that way. She is a person who generally stays out of business, and politics, and...civilisation in general."

Fendros inwardly cringed at the implications of that last detail.

[EliteCommander]

As the Treeminder had expected, it did take several days to make the necessary amount of ink for Julan to start receiving his tattoos, which would take the better part of the week to complete with magical assistance. Julan was no longer giving any protest against receiving them, but he also did not show much in the way of enthusiasm for it.

It was the day that the tattoos were going to start being applied, and Julan was rather silent for most of the morning. Although, Kaleeth seemingly did not notice, or was simply ignoring that fact, as she seemed to almost be excited. All three of them were gathered around one of the communal fires having their breakfast, just the same as many others in the village. With as long as they had been present, the novelty of their visitors had worn off for much of the village, and most of them did not pay much special attention to them anymore. A few had been social enough to strike up conversations with one or more of them over the past few days, but they were being left alone this morning.

Kaleeth was eating trodh, which were not only served uncooked, but still alive, and were meant to be swallowed whole. Even for one who had been raised in a lycan clan as Julan, it was still strange enough to distract him for the moment. After they ate, he would be heading straight for the treeminder.

---

Ahnasha hummed a moment to herself, though did not say anything particularly revealing to her thoughts. "Hmph, is that right? Well, I'll just start out shooting with ten, and see where everything goes from there." She said neutrally.

Stepping up to the same spot they had been shooting from, Ahnasha held her bow forward with an arrow nocked, though not drawn. She gave a nod towards Shevari, waiting for her to be ready to time her shots. Compared to the last time she shot, she definitely looked different, distinctly focused. Monderyn had shown himself capable, so now, Ahnasha was looking to impress. Though not as much of an archer as she was a conjurer now, Ahnasha had not lost any of her skills over the years either. She aimed forward, tilting her bow slightly to the side, and waiting for Shevari to give the signal before drawing her first arrow.

Ahnasha fired quickly, and just as she had recommended to Monderyn, did not bother pulling to full draw before shooting. Though, it was her refined technique in readying another arrow that showed her experience. There were no wasted movements in drawing from her quiver, and with the way her bow was angled, it was easy enough to nock and load it onto the left side of the bow. She did not grip the bow tightly, but instead held it loose with her hand opened to improve her stability. When she went to draw, she did not even bother to turn her hand over to the other side of the string and waste the brief moment it would require to make the motion, instead drawing the string back in a reversed grip.

Altogether, Ahnasha loosed arrow after arrow in rapid succession. Even she could not hit the center ring every time while shooting so quickly, but that was not required for this challenge. Eight shots out of ten found their mark, but what was notably impressive was the fact that she did so with a full five seconds to spare.

[Muttonhawk]

For the past week, Janius had been enjoying his stay in the village. He did his part, of course, but with nothing on his personal agenda but waiting for Julan to receive his tattoos, he found the simplicity refreshing. It was something of a holiday from his life in the clan. He was openly appreciative of the time he spent with Kaleeth and Julan, and his Jel had even improved a little.

On the auspicious morning, Julan's quiet had not escaped Janius. Janius himself did not quite have the taste for live trodh, instead eating a simpler roasted fish from the swamps. After another mouthful peering curiously at Julan, Janius tapped him on the arm. "So, how are you feeling? I can tell you're greatly excited, at least." He chuckled.

---

Ahnasha's display was apparently just the distraction Fendros was hoping for. The skill and precision on display had everyone rapt. After her volley of ten arrows, Llarasa started a round of applause that spread to everyone.

Monderyn took a few moments to snap himself out of his own surprise. He cleared his throat. "Well shot, Ahnasha," he said. "Let's see how Fendros fares. Unless you would like to try as many as you can. You had some time left there."

"Seven, mother," Rhazii raised his hands with a grin. "I hit seven. I didn't shoot that fast, I didn't even shoot eight arrows. I think uncle Monderyn just wanted to see what you could do."

The corner of Monderyn's mouth lifted. "All in good fun."

"You would do that all the time with me and Fendros, Monderyn," Llarasa spoke up. "You got Fendros so flustered one time because you convinced him I could shoot more accurately with a bow at one hundred paces. I was only nine years old!"

Fendros exhaled into a broad embarrassed grin. "I'll never forget that. I was up until after dark trying to beat your champion score, Llarasa." He stood up. "Alright, if Ahna gets to show off, so do I." He approached the group and took the bow.

All the while, Calia leaned in to speak quietly to S'nashi and Gwindir. "Perhaps, if possibly, we might keep each other informed about Meesei should we find out more information. There is a great deal of unexplained power that our children may be embroiled in." She smiled. "But for now, let us enjoy the picnic."

[EliteCommander]

Julan pried his eyes away from the squirming fish long enough to acknowledge his father. "I, um, yeah. I guess." He answered, having been distracted enough to not entirely register Janius' sarcasm. "It will be nice to get it over with, but...it's just going to take so long! He said I'm going to have to be still for hours today, and do it every day for most of the week. It just sounds so dull. Leeus did say she would try to stop by when she's done with training and everything, but..."

Julan looked away, letting out a sigh. "I, um, just told her not to worry about it."

---

S'nashi and Gwindir were not quite sure what to make of Calia's worries, but it certainly did not serve to allay their own natural fears. All of the talk of powerful mages, life extension, and other sorcery about which they were ill-informed was just enough to plant a vague sense of uncertainty in their minds. However, it did not amount to anything for at least the rest of the picnic. If it was not their archery competition distracting them, it was Shevari strongly urging them to enjoy their meals before they got cold that kept their conversations more mundane and lighthearted.

Eventually, everyone had their fill, though Vasiq had to hold his wife back from trying to convince everyone to try more of her desert. She volunteered herself and Vasiq to clean everything up while everyone else headed back, but Gwindir and S'nashi both insisted on helping as well, so most everyone ended up helping, which did not take terribly long with so many hands to assist.

Ahnasha began to walk back down the path with everyone else, holding one hand in Fendros', and the other over her stomach. She felt that she may have fallen victim to some amount of nervous eating, as she realized that she likely had a bit too much of her fill. She was on the edge of being sick, but as long as she could relax and not eat anything else, she supposed she would be fine.

[Muttonhawk]

"Hm?" Janius tilted his head. "Why's that? With all that time sitting still, wouldn't some company be nice?"

---

While Fendros had not been eating quite as anxiously as Ahnasha, he inwardly realised how Vasiq gained his figure. If Shevari produced this kind of food on a regular basis, even Fendros' usual lifestyle would not prevent him gaining some extra weight.

The trip back started with a small measure of difficulty in the horses Fendros' family had ridden up to the lake. For some reason, they were stubborn and anxious to the point where they decided just to lead them back behind the group. Only Calia was able to ride hers with confidence, though that may have been due to a spell she used. Fendros, Rhazii, and Ahnasha kept some distance, as it was clear to them the animals were frightened by their smell.

"Thank you again for all the wonderful food, Shevari," Fendros said. "That was an unforgettable feast."

"I don't think I'll need to eat for the rest of the week," Llarasa added from behind them.

Rhazii was smiling but looking down almost sadly. "I wish we had desserts like that back home."

Fendros smiled and turned as they walked. "And thank you, Gwindir and S'nashi for suggesting this. It was a good idea."

[EliteCommander]

Julan started to look nervous, if not somewhat embarrassed. "Yeah, I know, but..." He began, pausing and picking at the roasted hackwing leg he had been eating. "...well, she's just so boring! At first we asked each other a lot about where we're from, but after that, there's just nothing else. We don't even like hardly any of the same things, but she just keeps wanting to talk to me. I don't even know why."

---

Ahnasha did see that her family was giving the horses a few odd looks due to their behavior. They did not have any particular expertise with horses, but it was easy enough to tell that something was wrong with them. Still, no one was questioning it at least for the moment, since they were able to get moving with only slight delay.

Gwindir smiled back at Fendros, with S'nashi nodding along with him. "Well, I can think of no better way to make friends than over a good meal, with a good view."

Shevari, meanwhile, turned her attention to Rhazii. "You know, Rhazii, I could try sending you back with a few recipes. Though, I suppose I would need to know what kinds of ingredients you usually have available."

[Muttonhawk]

Janius couldn't help but smile to himself at the absurdity. Still it was reasonable that Julan would end up with a different opinion after a while. "Maybe you're just too interesting, Julan," he commented. "But I see. Well, I suppose you'll just have to be patient with your tattoos. Are any of your other friends going to visit during the day?"

---

Rhazii lifted his ears, but he turned to Shevari with less certainty. "Oh, I guess, I just...I was never good at cooking those kinds of things."

"No reason not to try again," Llarasa said. "You have plenty of special methods, Shevari. I'm sure...Rhazii could...practice..."

She trailed off as her attention was brought to the figure rounding a curve in the road ahead. Everyone spotted him, one after another. Walking with a highly strung march that only hinted at clumsiness in his ankles was Rossarm. He glowered ahead. His eyes stared daggers at them all, landing ultimately on Fendros.

The group slowed to a stop as he did in front of them. Everyone was silent. Fendros, Ahnasha, and Rhazii could smell red wine on him from the short distance.

"You," he said, holding out a hand to Fendros. "That sword doesn't belong to you. Return it to me."

Fendros clutched the pommel of the family sword on his belt. His face hardened.

[EliteCommander]

Julan shook his head slowly. "I don't think so. The apprentices are all pretty busy most of the day. They train for hours, and especially now that they're going to move the village, they're going on hunts almost every day to stock up on meat. I'll probably be done for the day before most of them are. Leeus would only have been able to stay for a few minutes anyway."

The hackwing leg Julan was holding was mostly bare of meat by this point, but he was still picking at the scraps regardless. "I wish there was a potion or something that could just put me to sleep. I'm just wanting to get this over with."

---

Ahnasha's family, of course, did not recognize Rossarm on his approach, but it did not take much thought for them to piece together who he was. Even without being lycans, S'nashi, Vasiq, and Shevari all had strong enough noses to smell the wine, as Rossarm had apparently cared little to hide it. Gwindir's senses were not as precise, but he could still adopt the discomfort of most of those around him.

Ahnasha herself was almost as nervous about her family and what they might do as she was about Rossarm, but at least for the moment, they were keeping silent. They lacked most of the context about Rossarm that everyone else understood; for all they knew, Fendros could have stolen his father's sword when he ran away from home.

It was up to Fendros to respond first, but what he might easily notice was Ahnasha's demeanor beside him. Last time they had spoken to Rossarm, Ahnasha had held herself back, allowing Fendros to take the lead. However, she was now standing side-by-side with him, not budging an inch even as Rossarm approached them. If her words ended up matching her actions, then she was not going to be backing down this time.

[Muttonhawk]

"Oh, it'll pass quicker than you might expect, I think," Janius said. "Thorantilth won't necessarily be putting you to sleep, but I am told the two of you will be taking Hist sap during the process. Perhaps the Hist will make for interesting conversation, hm? You might end up learning something about yourself."

---

Fendros tried his best to maintain eye contact with his father. He responded as calmly as he could, which was unlike how tightly he was holding onto Ahnasha's hand. "You gave it to me, father."

Rossarm lifted his upper lip. "I gave it to my son. You are not my son."

"Father, you're being unreasonable-"

"You turned your back on your ancestors the moment you bound yourself to this animal!" He shouted. "I want what's mine. The sword."

Fendros teeth ground in his mouth. He managed not to raise his voice. "...If I give the sword back, will you at least talk to me?"

"The only mercy I would owe you is to let you out of my sight, to decay in the mud as you have been for the past decade." Rossarm wiped a drop of spit from his lips. "And I'll bury the sword, hold a funeral for my only child of blood. My waste."