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

[EliteCommander]

When Ariel asked about nomadic Argonian villages, Meesei nodded, having found a topic she knew quite a lot about. "I admit, you know much more of the merchant's trade than myself, but I can say that nomadic villages will trade with cities, at least some of them. Of course, customs vary from village to village, but in my village, we sent envoys to trade with the cities we passed once every few months. Pretty much every village can produce everything they need themselves, but those who are not isolationist will often trade our excess supplies for useful items we cannot produce. One thing you should know, however, is that many villages do not like to trade in gold. Some will, but most would rather barter directly for useful items. I would recommend making sure you have some physical good to trade them. As for getting into contact with them in the first place, that may be more difficult. In my village, we only traded with a few select merchants in each city. You would need to set yourself apart from other merchants in order for them to want to trade with you. I doubt they would ever really trust you, but they would do business with you."

[Muttonhawk]

Ariel nodded. It made sense that they wouldn't be lugging around gold so much. "Well it will probably have to do. The extra trust would help, but as long as they are reliable enough, it'll be better than nothing. Now I just have to think of what would be useful to these villages. Hmm." Ariel her head on her palm and her elbow on the table in thought. "First thoughts go to basics, stuff that wouldn't be suspicious; health and magicka potions... paralysis poisons for hunting. They probably take care of most of that themselves. I would probably have to ask them myself." She shrugged, "It might even be different from village to village." Ariel looked to Meesei again, "What did your village trade for? Is there anything I could make that they couldn't get themselves?"

While Ariel and Meesei discussed business, Fendros looked turned from side to side, looking around. "Where's Lorag?" He asked, "Hungover?"

Sabine didn't reply. She just proceeded to start packing away her alchemical equipment. Lorag would probably come downstairs soon anyway if he hadn't finally built a tolerance to Sabine's hangover cures.

[EliteCommander]

"Most of what we traded for were things we did not have the resources or equipment to make. Anything made from steel were the most common items we would barter for. Most of our armor and weapons were made from wood and animal parts, such as bone and scales. Considering how strong some Black Marsh creatures are, they served our needs perfectly well. However, if we ever found anything that steel would be preferable for, then we would have to trade for it. You are not a blacksmith, though, so it would not be economical for you to attempt the same thing. I can think of two things of value that you might be able to provide. If you know how to make any unique alchemical concoctions that most do not know about, they may trade for it. Otherwise, glass bottles, flasks, and vials would be a good option. I know not from where you acquire your glass containers, but they hold liquid far better than waterskins." Meesei recommended. There really was not much that an Argonian village needed to get from the outside, so she could not think of much more that would be helpful to Ariel.

[Muttonhawk]

"Following Sabine's lead, I had been washing and reusing them while we travelled. But, yes, I commissioned a glass blower in Vos to make my vessels. I will have to find a new one here in Thorn, but I don't predict it to be difficult. If the glass blowers are not already trading with the villages, perhaps I could work out a deal to get ingredients. As for something that I might know that is not common knowledge, I could make a few things and see if the villages already have them. Again, that might take a while." Ariel took a breath and leaned back a little, "Anyway, I have some shorter term goals to worry about now. I'll investigate opportunities with the villages eventually."

Janius decided to reply to Fendros' query after Sabine displayed her disinterest. "Probably. He was wobbly for the entire day after not even a cup of that Argonian concoction." He snorted, "I take it Ahnasha isn't feeling so well again?"

"I think she's just tired this time," Fendros replied, scratching lightly at the wooden grain of the tabletop to occupy himself, "She was fast asleep when I got up."

"Right," Janius nodded, before turning to Meesei, "So, thought any more about that magic competition, Meesei?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei shrugged her shoulders. "Honestly, I am not certain if I want to compete. I do not see the need to draw all of that attention to myself. Still, I see no problem attending. Perhaps I can draw inspiration from other mages for my own study into magic, if they know techniques that I do not. It could be a waste of time as well. I remember the mage who was giving a show yesterday was unimpressive, at least to me. His skills were restricted to showmanship. I suppose I will not know until I see it for myself."

As the others were talking, Ahnasha finally made her way downstairs. She seemed tired and overall groggy; it was fortunate she remembered to get dressed before leaving her room. She lazily walked over to the table and pulled up a chair, taking a seat beside Fendros.

"Good morning, Ahnasha." Meesei said, noticing her overall fatigued demeanor.

"Good morning." She responded somewhat apathetically, though she wasn't intending to be rude. Ahnasha felt as if she had no energy, and on top of that, she had been suffering from a headache ever since she woke up. She rested her head on one of her hands and used the other to rub her temple. "Sabine, Ariel, I don't suppose either of you have anything for a headache, do you?"

[Muttonhawk]

Ariel, Janius and Fendros gave their good mornings as well.

"I believe I have something amongst the supplies in my room, I will just be a few seconds," Ariel smiled and got up to walk back upstairs. She tried not to be too loud in case Lorag was still suffering.

Fendros picked up on Ahnasha's fatigue as well. It might just be that she was still waking up, but mornings like these did happen. Fendros placed one arm around her shoulder, "We've ordered breakfast, but we can ask for some more. You hungry?"

[EliteCommander]

Shortly after Ariel returned with something for Ahnasha's headache, she ordered some breakfast for herself, then waited with the others for it to finish. They spoke for a while on their plans for the day, their thoughts on the locals and Black Marsh itself, and other general topics before their breakfast arrived. Lorag also eventually made his way downstairs for a light breakfast once his head started to feel less like it was being stabbed. Given her fatigue and headache, Ahnasha decided she would stay at the inn and relax for the time being, even if she did have interest in the archery competition.

As she was eating her slaughterfish stew, Meesei paused to ask a question. "So, Ariel, when exactly is your appointment with the An-Xileel? I would like to accompany you, if it is no trouble."

[Muttonhawk]

When asked if he was going to try any competitions, Fendros expressed interest the archery competition. Unlike the other martial competitions, he wouldn't have a great advantage over the other competitors due to his lycanthropy. He thought it would be fun to see how close he could get to besting Ahnasha, even if he knew he wasn't at her level, so it was disappointing to hear that she was not feeling up for it. He understood there wasn't much to be done about it, however.

Janius mentioned that he might spectate the fencing competition, if anything than for fun. Originally he was going to join, but he couldn't argue that he wouldn't have an advantage, even if he was technically more proficient with an axe.

Ariel looked up with a spoonful of watery saltrice in her mouth. She glanced sideways and considered for a second, before swallowing. "I don't see why not. Actually, it might help me seem a bit less foreign if I'm accompanied by an Argonian." She nodded to Meesei and smiled, "I'm booked to meet with a few of the the officials at about two o'clock, after the magic competition is concluded. Apparently one of them is running it, or competing in it, not sure."

Although it was tasty, Fendros had to take his time chewing the crocodile tail. It was a particularly tough meat. When it looked as if Ahnasha no longer had her head in an unseen vice, he paused eating for a moment. "Hey Ahna, you know how you said you wanted to get some art supplies, I could go out and get you a brush, a blank book and some ink today if you like, or did you want to pick them out yourself at some point?"

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha nodded and smiled to Fendros, even if her mood was not spectacular. "I wouldn't really know the first thing about what to get, so go ahead. Just don't expect masterpieces out of me at first." She knew there was a long road ahead if she ever wished to become skilled with drawing, and in all likelyhood, she would end up becoming frustrated and stopping, but there was a chance she could stick with it.

Meesei agreed with Ariel that her presence might make Ariel seem like less of an outsider, though honestly, it was Ariel's own knowledge of Argonian culture and history that would bring her the most acceptance. Of course, in a meeting to discuss a loan, Meesei doubted that topic would come up. "Very well, we can leave shortly before it finishes to make sure we arrive on time. Having your request approved at this meeting will be all about giving proper impressions. I can help, but it will need to be mostly you who does the talking." Meesei commented. It was not long before most of the group had finished their meals and were ready to start out on their plans for the day.

[Muttonhawk]

The hours that followed into the morning and early afternoon saw the previous day of festivities take a turn. Many of the vendors and attractions that were on display in the main square had been shifted and replaced by pavilions, rows of seating, arenas and stages for the hosting of a number of tournaments and competitions. The competition grounds stretched out onto other parts of the city as well. A horse racing track ran through the cordoned off main street. Athletics competitions that required extra space, such as running, throwing and archery competitions, were held just outside of the city gates on an unused farming field. Throughout the day, there were shouts of cheering crowds in support of their favourite competitors.

After a little more consideration, Fendros decided that he would enter the archery competition anyway. As trained as he was, he managed to advance several rounds, but was knocked out of a higher position by a small number of truly masterful archers that had made an appearance. Even though he was bested, he conceded that the event was still fun and managed to take note of a couple of details about the more skilled archer's techniques. On his way back to the inn, he found a bookshop that sold writing supplies and purchased a small brush, a pot of ink and a blank journal. He wasn't exactly knowledgeable about art, but he remembered the items that his younger sister used, and these would do the trick.

While Fendros entered the archery, Janius decided to observe the fencing competition, as he mentioned earlier. Most of the fighters put on a good show, but he couldn't help but notice all of the flaws in each one's movements. It might have been different had he been in the ring with them, but from where he was standing he believed he would have defeated every single one of them. Except maybe the champion; a dark green Argonian who flowed like he was made of air, and indeed made anyone fighting him feel as if they were trying to strike at smoke.

Ariel and Sabine spent most of the day making samples of some of what Ariel intended to sell at her prospective shop. Simple things, mostly, but she also wrote a list of what she would be capable of making in more time should there be demand. Where she had a chance, she tried to touch up on her Jel and Argonian history with Meesei, just in case. She still found it difficult to properly pronounce Jel, but at this point she at least understood enough to hold a short conversation.

When the time came to head to the keep to meet with the An-Xileel officials, Sabine elected to stay at the inn. She didn't mention what she had planned for the day, but she was taking out some ingredients to brew something in her room.

Walking up to the keep with Meesei, Ariel found that her knees were shaking when she stood still. She wished she wasn't so nervous about things going wrong, but there wasn't much for it. This would be a pivotal event. Here, she would either get a shop, or she wouldn't.

They entered the keep with the guards looking sideways at them. They were greeted by an Argonian porter in flowing silks. After a quick exchange, they were lead to a table off to the side of the almost empty main audience chamber. They were seated and left alone for a few moments before they were joined by four important looking Argonians. The first was a woman with bright orange scales and a pair of horns that curled backwards, dressed in leather and cloth that seemed more functional than Ariel expected. The three others were males, two with brown scales and another with vibrant red scales. Their clothing was slightly more regal, but not chokingly so.

The woman began speaking confidently in Jel at a speed that Ariel could not keep up with. She gestured to her entourage as she spoke. After a moment, one of the men began speaking over her in Cyrodilic, obviously an interpreter. "Greetings, this is Juseich, or Flies-With-Birds if you prefer, the current An-Xileel representative of Thorn and advisor to the count Stops-Sticks-Burning. I am Neiseed, the interpreter, these-" The interpreter gestured to the red Argonian, then the other brown Argonian, "-are Hasyat, and Leaps-Over-Turtles, my associates in city planning and treasury." Hasyat nodded and didn't give away much in his demeanour, but Leaps-Over-Turtles had his arms crossed and did not look pleased about something. "You are..." The interpreter looked over to Juseich, who was looking upon a scroll of parchment in from of her with an unsure face.

Juseich looked up at Neiseed and said something that Ariel roughly understood as "How is said?" Neiseed leaned over and whispered in her ear, then she nodded and looked over to Ariel. "You are Areee-el?" Juseich managed in very accented Dunmeris, of all things. She must have known that Ariel was from Morrowind.

"Y-yes," Ariel nodded briskly and forced a smile.

Juseich smiled back and extended a hand across the table. Ariel released her right hand from under her left, which had been firmly planted in her lap. She returned the handshake fast enough that she didn't quite betray her shakes. Juseich's hand was warm and Ariel could detect residual magicka flowing through it. She really did just come from the tournament.

"Niccce meeting you," Juseich said in Dunmeris, trying to look friendly. She then proceeded to begin speaking in Jel again, at which point the interpreter began speaking for her again. "We understand that you are interested in taking a loan for a shop, this is correct?"

"Yes, I wish to open an apothecary." Ariel replied.

"And this..." Juseich gestured to Meesei, "is a business partner of yours?" Juseich faced Meesei and spoke in Jel to her, "What is your name?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei was surprised to hear words of what she thought was Dunmeris she could not understand, but when they switched to Jel and Cyrodilic, she was able to follow along. When the An-Xileel representative spoke to Meesei, she maintained a professional, but friendly demeanor, just as she had been taught all those years ago by her father. As Treeminder, Meesei was one of the leaders of the village and had the capacity to speak for everyone she led. As a result, she had to know how to speak diplomatically with other leaders, whether they be of another village, or an entire city.

"My name is Meesei, it is a pleasure." She responded in Jel. "I am not a business partner precisely, but a friend. I, and the friends I travel with, met Ariel as we were passing through Morrowind. We have been traveling together for roughly two months, so I can speak for her skill in alchemy, and her desire to settle in Thorn." Meesei explained. She knew Ariel was by no means fluent in Jel, but she hoped she would be able to understand the basic meaning of what they were saying. Even just attempting to learn the language would demonstrate genuine interest in wanting to live in Thorn.

[Muttonhawk]

As Meesei responded, Ariel was glad that she had brushed up on her Jel earlier that day, else what she said might have completely flown over her head.

Juseich nodded and responded to Meesei in Jel, "I see." Her attention went to Ariel again, "Have you become familiar with Thorn?" Neiseed interpreted every word of Jel spoken to Ariel. Before Juseich let her respond, she tapped a clawed finger on the table and let out an "ummm," as she tried to recall more Dunmeris. "How much time ssince you arrived?" She said slowly.

Ariel thought it strange at first that she was asked two different questions in two different languages, but she realised that perhaps Juseich was trying to communicate in terms of time to make things easier. Such a thing was difficult in Jel, but the question would roughly translate to how familiar she was with the city. Ariel almost responded in Dunmeris, but continued to speak in Cyrodilic to Meesei could keep up. "I arrived yesterday," she swallowed before continuing, "I didn't have any contacts with anyone, but one of the innkeepers at the Wamasu's Nest has been helpful. I've since gotten to know the layout of the city, a bit about its history, and a few people I might make deals with to get the business up and running." Ariel glanced sideways to Meesei for a moment, "Meesei here has been teaching me more general Argonian history, and has been helping me to learn Jel."

Juseich's brow raised in pleasant surprise. Even Hasyat slowly turned his head to Leaps-Over-Turtles, silently exchanging impressions. "Learning Jel? Such a thing is difficult for outsiders. How well do you speak it?" Juseich asked with Neiseed's translation.

"Oh, um," Ariel raised one hand with her thumb and her forefinger almost touching, "Only small. I can understand better, but it's..." Ariel spoke her Jel slowly so she could attempt to get the hisses and sounds correct, but she was still heavily accented. She brushed her fingers together trying to find the final phrase, "...it's hard to speak." She wasn't sure that there was a word for 'pronounce', but it was not currently in her Jel vocabulary.

Juseich squinted for a moment. Ariel's pronunciation had left some things to be desired, but she still managed to communicate well enough. "Indeed it is hard to speak for outsiders," Juseich agreed, "but I can see the effort you put forth. That is admirable. Now," Juseich leaned back and looked to Hasyat, "Hasyat here has a few questions to ask you about your background." Juseich took a small jewel on a chain out of her pocket and placed it on the table in front of them, the point of the jewel directed at Ariel. "I hope you don't mind, this will glow if you speak betrayal in your thoughts. You must understand that in order to keep steady relations with Morrowind, we cannot harbour criminals. It will not be a problem for you, I think."

As Hasyat steadied a scroll in his hand in preparation to begin asking questions, Ariel tried not to get any more worked up. She stared at the jewel. She wasn't in trouble in Morrowind, not unless the coven convinced the Redorans to put a bounty on her. What if she thought the wrong thing by accident? she didn't want to be thrown in a dungeon or kicked out of the borders.

[EliteCommander]

Hasyat started to read the questions on his list, showing almost no emotion in neither his voice, nor expression. Meesei showed absolutely no change in her demeanor, but the jewel caused her both a small amount of worry, and a good deal of interest. For the situation they were in, most of the questions Hasyat could ask would give them no problems, as Ariel could answer with no ambiguity. Depending on how his questions are worded, however, some might require her to reveal information that would best remain hidden. As for the jewel itself, the enchantment on it was nothing Meesei had seen before. One advantage of travelling as much as the pack did was seeing new and interesting types of magic not seen in other places. Even within her own homeland, the worlds of mash-dwelling Argonians and city Argonians were entirely different. She eyed the jewel, staring at it with fascination.

"Have you committed any crimes against the Great Houses of Morrowind or the Dunmer people?" Hasyat asked emotionlessly in heavily-accented, rehearsed Cyrodilic. Before Ariel could respond, Leaps-Over-Turtles took notice of Meesei's interest in the jewel and looked at her accusingly. "You are taking quite a lot of interest in the jewel."

Meesei remained completely composed and nodded to Leaps-Over-Turtles. "My apologies, I am a mage and enchanter myself. I have never seen a similar enchantment on an object before. I would ask if I could examine it, but I assume the details of its creation is a secret." She responded, with the jewel giving no reaction.

[Muttonhawk]

Leaps-Over-Turtles continued to look at Meesei with a suspicious glare, but did not answer her. Juseich instead spoke with a smile to Meesei, "An old gift from the Psijics. We would claim its workings to be secret to spare our own pride. I have been studying it all my life and only understand portions of it. Perhaps after the interview you may have a look, it's not often that enchanters come by."

Ariel instantly became more apprehensive than she should have been, but the words between Meesei and Leaps-Over-Turtles gave her just enough time to rationalise. Hasyat was asking about the Dunmer people and the great houses. Technically the Vos Coven was an independent organisation. They were not a great house, and barring the Dunmer that were among their members, they technically weren't affiliated with the Dunmer citizenry. The important detail was that the coven was not under the protection of Morrowind. A crime against them shouldn't count, right? "No," Ariel answered flatly, looking tense.

The gem did not light up.

Hasyat looked at the jewel for a few more seconds, before writing some Jel script on his scroll and going to the next question. "Do you have any outstanding debts and credits amounting to more than one hundred gold? If so, list the parties and amounts."

Ariel had to take a moment to breath in through her nose and out through her mouth while she trawled through her memory. Had she perceived that such a question would come up, she would have brought her old ledger with her. "I am owed one hundred and fifteen gold by Hlasda Redoran for an order of a greater magicka regeneration potion. There are no other accounts. I was just going to write that one off though, I probably won't see her again."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei smiled in response to Juseich. The prospect of examining a Psijic relic was almost tantalizing to her, so she was hoping Juseich's offer would come to fruition. As for the jewel, Meesei noticed it gave a very faint flicker, then nothing. None of the representatives, even Leaps-Over-Turtles, seemed to pay it any particular attention. Hasyat simply wrote down a note like last time, then moved on to the next question. Since they gave no reaction, Meesei guessed that was normal behavior for the relic, even when the subject was telling the truth. It made sense, as the artifact would have no way of knowing if what its subject said was actually "true." It likely detected something within its subject's essence that was associated with lying. Perhaps the enchantment was not completely perfect, and an activation would only be suspicious if it was significantly stronger.

"Have you ever committed a crime against the An-Xileel, the Argonian people, or the sanctity of the Hist?" Hasyat asked.

[Muttonhawk]

"No," Ariel shook her with quiet confidence this time. She had only been in Black Marsh for a short time. The jewel's inactivity appeared to agree.

What followed was a number of bureaucratic questions that pertained to average incomes and personal details, such as full name, date of birth and other mundane details. Each time, the jewel didn't show any particular activity. It didn't take long before Hasyat had completed his queries. He looked over at the other two and spoke, "She is eligible." He said in Jel.

Leaps-Over-Turtles shook his head and replied, still with his arms crossed. "There are other apothecaries in the city," He gestured to Ariel as he spoke to Hasyat and Juseich, "Why do we need another? There are few medicines that the people need."

Looking to Leaps-Over-Turtles with a firm expression, Juseich put her forearms on the table. "It is promotion to our expanding population, and if this business is viable, it adds to the economy."

Ariel looked at each of them as they spoke. She couldn't understand much, but they were likely trying to make a decision.

"I do not see a viable business. I see a flood for the existing businesses, and a detriment to them all." Leaps-Over-Turtles voice was starting to rise, "How can an outsider know how to provide for an Argonian city?"

Her expression turning contemplative, Juseich turned her head back to Ariel. "It is rude to speak of others in person as if they were not present. Neiseed, if you please." Neiseed resumed translating. "What of your alchemy, Ariel? What do you know, and how did you learn it?"

Even as she carefully removed the parchment she brought with her listing her initial catalogue, Ariel's heart began to beat faster. She wasn't sure what the impression would be to her being a witch, but she wanted to avoid answering the question of her education if at all possible. She pushed the parchment along the table for the interviewers to consider. "I can make everything on this list, as well as a few specialised remedies and mixtures to order." Ariel said briskly, "I also intend to create some cosmetics for Argonians in particular. Waterproof body paint that can be easily removed, for instance."

Juseich looked over the list, but quickly passed it on to Hasyat, who was better versed in Cyrodilic script. Leaps-Over-Turtles and Juseich looked at Ariel expectantly as Hasyat studied the paper. She glanced at the jewel. She wasn't getting out of this. She considered lying, but as if it knew her thoughts, the gem began to flicker. She dismissed the thought and the gem calmed down, but she needed to provide an answer.

"I learned what I know because..." Ariel entire head buzzed with fear, "... because I was raised in a witches coven. I was banished because I disobeyed them."

[EliteCommander]

None of the representatives gave a strong reaction until Neiseed gave a translation that suitably explained the meaning of the word "witch." Leaps-Over-Turtles' reaction was immediate, and disapproving. He crossed his arms and glared at Ariel. "A witch?" He exclaimed, though the word he used had a meaning closer to wild mage. [i]"How can we trust a witch to even just refrain from harming the city, let alone contribute to it?"

The others were silent for a moment, with even Juseich looking contemplative and unsure. After a few more moments of awkward silence, Hasyat finally spoke up, still in a neutral tone. "One cannot decide where they were born." He said, with Neiseed interpreting.

Juseich nodded in agreement. "Indeed, the river can split many times from its source. Ariel, you were raised in a type of group known for their cavalier attitude towards innocent life and dubious means of acquiring power. Did your coven commit acts that the average person would find wrong, and if so, were you banished as a result of either disagreements with the morality of the coven, or actions you took as a result of those disagreements?" Neiseed translated for Juseich.

[Muttonhawk]

This blasted jewel. Ariel could tell that letting them know about her past had hurt her chances. She thought carefully for a moment about how to respond, wringing her wrist in her hand. "I guess you could say that they did commit some acts that most would find... questionable. I didn't understand them to be immoral until I was banished though." She took a deep breath through her mouth, "No, I was banished because... well there was a point where I realised a suffering I was causing, and I picked the lesser of two evils to stop that suffering. This was against the will of my... superiors." Ariel was not looking at her interviewers directly at this point. With a glance at Meesei, Ariel decided not to divulge further, but she looked up with a quite serious face at Juseich. "I promise, I have no intention of hurting anyone in this city, or endangering it by any means. I'm..." she looked down, "I'm not really a witch anymore. I left that life behind."

There was only a flicker in the jewel as Ariel thought that they might disagree to bringing a pack of werewolves into the city, but Ariel knew the pack meant no harm.

Ariel could see skepticism from Leaps-Over-Turtles still, she had a feeling he would want to investigate further. Juseich, however, leaned forward and looked over her, still thinking. "And what has made Thorn your new home? It seems a long way in any case." Juseich asked.

Ariel started to answered with a similar tone to her previous answer, but she was glad for the moment that not all of them had decided to shun her away. "It was a few things. I had read about Black Marsh before and was quite astounded by the diversity of life here. Both plant and animal. As an alchemist, I've always been interested in discovering more about the properties of possible ingredients in this place." Her hand moved from holding her wrist to holding her fingers, "Additionally, I had heard that Thorn was reputed as a beautiful city, one that I had always wanted to visit." She managed a smile, "This festival has proven its reputation, I must say." She sniffed and her smile faded, "My friends here were travelling down this way anyway, so I took the opportunity to accompany them."

Ariel hoped that the change of topic would detract from her past, but she doubted they would all let it go that easily.

[EliteCommander]

Leaps-Over-Turtles leaned forward slightly, eying Ariel suspiciously before looking to Juseich. "I am still not convinced this is a good idea. Wild mages can know terrible and profane magic, rituals that can bring harm to the city, even unintentionally."

Juseich was silent for a few moments as she thought, then eventually crossed her arms as she looked back to Leaps. "The jewel has not revealed any deception so far. It takes great strength to rebel against the life one was raised in, like the sons and daughters of slavers who sacrificed everything to help their victims. Now, please, back to the questions."

Leaps-Over-Turtles grunted slightly and refocused his attention to Ariel. He was skeptical, but not entirely unreasonable. If Ariel could answer his questions in a satisfactory manner, he would allow it. "Do you believe that your previous association with the witches will bring harm to Thorn, and will your skills be a benefit to the economy and well-being of Thorn's people?"

Meesei wished she could speak up, but these questions only Ariel could answer. It was she who was going to be living here, so only her answers had any true value. Meesei could provide her recommendation and attest to Ariel's skill, but she could do little more at the moment.

[Muttonhawk]

Ariel knew that the real reason she had come this far was to be out of the sphere of influence of the coven. They would not bother tracking her down beyond Vvardenfell. Apart from that, she knew the consequences of the more dangerous rituals she knew, and would not practice them here. No harm would come to the city from her as far as she could help it. As for the benefit to the city, she intended to follow the law and pay her taxes. She was still sure that she could make things that the other apothecaries could not. For this answer, she knew she had to be confident, so she sat up straight and kept a calm expression. "It will not. I promise that I will be a boon to the city." She said quickly and surely.

Juseich looked between the jewel and Ariel's face for a short and silent while. With no telling feedback from the jewel, she leaned back and looked either side to Hasyat and Leaps-Over-Turtles. "Are there any more questions?"