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

[EliteCommander]

The Elder could easily sense the tension in the air, not just because of the awkward silence, but because of the scents in the air. Certain scents people produced coincided with certain emotions, and despite her age, or perhaps because of it, she was quite adept at picking them out. "Do not...begrudge Zharanthixil in his ways. The young and impatient are apt to take their convictions to extremes, but he trains his...hunters the way he feels will keep us the safest. He does not...trust you, he will not trust you, and that is the way it should be." She explained. She seemed to have a solid understanding of Cyrodilic, even if she had to stop at times to think of her next word.

The Elder began to pace around the pack slowly, using a walking stick to support her. It was easy to tell that her clothing was meant to appear more elaborate than normal, but the pieces of the makeshift robe appeared worn and old, much like their wearer. Since she could not see, perhaps she simply no longer cared about her appearance. Given that some patches of her scales were so translucent that one could see the muscle fibers underneath, she might not have cared about her appearance even if she had her sight. "Maybe you are aware that some outsiders still wander the marsh...intending to bring harm to us? Some of our youth might like to believe that these marauding bands of slavers and criminals are just like the Dunmer raiding parties of old, but I know better. I know enough of the outside to know it is a thing of the...past, at least as far as our sight can see. There are still some, though, who seek to subjugate us in the name of...profit, or tradition. So, we are vigilant. Zharanthixil is the worst, and greatest among us. He is our greatest protector, the one who keeps us safe, and the one who trains our future generations in the ways that keep us alive through the hazards we face. He is cursed and blessed with the impatience and resolution of his youth. Me...I am Reanaseer, an old woman the village has decided they want to listen to."

[Muttonhawk]

Janius kept an eye on the elder as she paced around them. He wasn't convinced that her blindness was hindering her ability to scrutinise the pack in the slightest. It was uncanny. In fact he felt as if she was sensing his thoughts with that nose of hers.

The elder introduced herself, as well as mentioned the name of the master hunter. Her explanation was understandable and her Cyrodilic was surprisingly fluent. Fendros wasn't sure whether the tone of her last sentence was meant to be humorous or serious, but it relaxed the tension somewhat. With her introduction, the question of whether the pack should introduce themselves became somewhat ambiguous. Still, he decided to let Meesei do the talking.

"We do not want to hurt you." The pack turned in surprise to hear Sabine speak. She was still hunched and only managed glances at Reanaseer, but the pack only hoped that the elder would have picked up the sincerity in Sabine's tone.

[EliteCommander]

Reanaseer gave a chuckle. "Well, I would certainly hope not. I haven't seen a fight in about five years, with Zharanthixil's diligence. I hope to meet the end of my life without seeing another.

Fortunately, it was not too much longer before Treeminder Thorantilth, a middle-aged Argonian male, arrived from the direction of the Hist tree. Unlike the other two leaders, his clothing was a simple loincloth, but his tattoos were much more extensive and intricate. His scales were tan in color, though many were covered by the tattoos. On his head were a pair of sizable fins, and his eyes were a deep shade of green. He approached as if he had been in a hurry, despite the delay. "I apologize for the delay, I came as soon as I could. I was told that strangers arrived wishing to commune with the Hist; I assume this is them?"

Reanaseer nodded, prompting Thorantilth to walk up to the pack. He looked over the group with a bit of suspicion in his eyes, though not nearly as much as Zharanthixil or his hunters. "I warn you. Speaking with Hist is not a easy...thing. My purpose is protection of our Hist, and we do not accept threats to it. They may yet speak to you, though. That is solely their will. Is it you who wants to commune with them?" He asked in Cyrodilic, looking at Meesei. His Cyrodilic was not nearly as polished or practiced as Reanaseer's, but it conveyed his meaning well enough.

"Not precisely." Meesei answered in Jel, since the Treeminder did not appear comfortable in Cyrodilic. She stepped over to Sabine and put her arm around her shoulder. "She is a person with a scarred soul and traumatic past, and a loving girl who does not deserve the pain she feels. I wish to put her through the ritual of binding. I am familiar with the preparation and effort required, so I offer to do all you will allow me to help."

Thorantilth's interest was certainly piqued by Meesei's explanation. He looked down at Sabine, this time with more curiosity than suspicion. "The ritual of binding? Few, even among the Saxhleel, even know of the ritual, let alone how to practice it. You speak as one raised and educated in our traditions."

Meesei nodded. "From my hatching, I was raised as Treeminder of my clan. I took on the role for a time, but my path down the river unavoidably led me elsewhere. I left the clan in the hands of my capable successor so that I could continue on my path."

"Hmm, for a Treeminder to abandon her role is an exceptional event, but it is not my place to judge the worthiness of your cause. As for your purpose here, though...the ritual of binding will not serve her in the same way as it would a Saxhleel. No matter how often or deeply a Human communes with the Hist, they can never become connected to the Hist in the way we are. Thorantilth responded.

Meesei shook her head and looked up to the village's Hist tree. "I have no intention of attempting to bind her to the Hist. I merely want to connect her mind to theirs, to let them sense her soul and judge if she is worthy to have the burden she bears lifted from her shoulders. The effect of the binding need not remain permanent.

Thorantilth crossed his arms and let out a sigh. He was obviously in deep thought, and quite conflicted about the situation. Fortunately, they did not have to wait long for an answer, this time in Cyrodilic. "I can not deny your request. I can help with ritual of binding, but it takes much preparation. There are tests she must go through to judge readiness. It may take days. Are you sure you want to begin this?" The Treeminder asked, this time looking at Sabine.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine slowly raised her head to look at the treeminder once she realised that he was referring to her. Being faced again with deciding whether she wanted to go through with the ritual made her hesitate. The anxiety began to build up again and she was paralyzed in place. She just felt like running out of sight, curling up under her cloak and crying. In desperation, she looked up at Meesei's face and saw her with an expecting look. Sabine's mind became so clouded that she couldn't even rationalise the situation. Thankfully her racing thoughts rolled across what Ariel had said before they parted ways.

You have a wonderful family. You don't ever need to be afraid with them around.

It wasn't much, but it was enough to gain the confidence she needed. The pack were there, Meesei knew what she was doing, there was nothing that could go horribly wrong, and if she were to truly face her fears, she would let it be here rather than bottling them up for the rest of her life. She faced Thorantilth, took a breath through her nose and nodded affirmatively.

Even though the treeminder was fairly open minded as well, Fendros wasn't thrilled to hear that they would be staying for a few days. In an ideal situation, he would be able to interact with the tribe and perhaps gain enough of their trust to not feel as though a spear was going to find his neck if he so much as breathed incorrectly. Unfortunately, not only was this a tribe of Argonians scarred by Dunmer slavers from generations ago, Fendros' Jel was hardly up to scratch.

[EliteCommander]

Thorantilth returned Sabine's nod. "Very well, then I must begin preparations. I will send someone to find you when your first trial is ready." He said before leaving back in the direction of the Hist tree. Once the Treeminder left, Reanaseer stepped forward once more, looking at least mostly in the direction of Sabine.

"I am not an expert on the rituals of the Hist in the way that Thorantilth is, but I know the path ahead of you is not an easy one. If your intentions are...genuine, then I wish you luck. Until then, you are our guests. The...common quarters in the largest of the huts will be open to you, and we will share the bounties of our hunts. In return, we expect you to follow our rules and customs. If you are unsure of those rules, you may ask. We would also expect that you...reciprocate our aid to you in whatever way is reasonable. From me, personally, I just ask that you not prove Zharanthixil correct; I would never hear the end of it if you did." Reanaseer explained with a slight grin crossing her face. "Now, you are my guests, but I know nothing about you. Tell me about yourselves, I insist."

Even if Reanaseer had accepted them as guests, the hunters did not let down their guard. Their eyes were always watching, waiting for signs of treachery. The other villagers, however, seemed to give a mixed, but overall less-hostile response. Most likely could not understand the current conversation, but with how the Elder was speaking to them, most seemed to relax. Some still looked at the pack with suspicion, but others seemed to be simply curious. A few members of the crowd that had gathered drew even closer to the pack to get a better look at them. Some even appeared like they wanted to talk to them, even if the language barrier would prevent that. The hatchlings were especially curious, but the adults around them prevented them from getting too close.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine didn't even glance up this time. Even with her brief moment speaking up, she was just as shy as ever.

Before the situation got awkward to the point of raising tension again, Fendros looked to one side and the other. Sabine was hesitating again and probably wasn't going to answer, so he might as well begin the introductions. He took one step forward, prompting some discomfort from the hunters for a moment. "Greetings, Reanaseer. My name is Fendros. I know little Jel." He attempted to say in Jel, but still sounded somewhere between asthmatic and suffering from a lisp. He glanced at Sabine, then looked to Reanaseer again. "Her name is Sabine. She does... little... talk." He wanted to elaborate, so he switched back to Cyrodilic, "I'm sorry, I don't have all the words. I am a hunter and a fighter from Cyrodiil. Sabine is shy, but she is an alchemist from Morrowind. A good one too." He looked back at the rest of the pack, "I'll let everyone else introduce themselves."

The next one to speak was Janius. "My name is Janius. I am also a hunter and a fighter from Cyrodiil. Sabine is like a sister to us, thank you for agreeing to help her." Even though Janius doubted it, he wondered whether Reanaseer's nose was keen enough to pick up on their lycanthropy. If it was, then telling them the pack were mostly hunters and fighters would probably confirm her suspicions. Letting in outsiders was one thing, but letting in lycans would be a much harder sell.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei couldn't help but to smile when Fendros began speaking in Jel. To hear it coming from a Dunmer was both a bit ironic, and oddly pleasant to hear, not because he spoke particularly well, but because it showed that not all Dunmer had disdain for Argonian culture. Certainly, Reanaseer seemed pleasantly surprised to hear him speak their language, even if it sounded like the words of a hatchling.

"My name is Meesei, hunter and mage. Actually, I think it is safe to say we are all hunters in some capacity. We have to be, as we live outside of cities and towns. None of us have any desire to live within Imperial civilization." Meesei explained. Saying that they lived outside of towns by itself might have sounded suspicious, but the fact that she explained it by saying they had no love for Imperial civilization would certainly be understood by the Elder, and anyone else who might happen to understand her. Due to its independent nature, many Argonians in the Marsh, especially those from villages, disliked the Empire as a whole for its history of bringing provinces forcefully under its control. Indeed, the Elder nodded in understanding at her explanation, so Meesei moved on and pointed to Lorag. "This is Lorag, a proud warrior, and a good friend."

Lorag nodded and gave a slight wave. He appreciated that Meesei introduced him, as he did not really like these 'delicate' situations. For him, it would be best that he just remain silent. Ahnasha was more comfortable speaking, and since she had not yet introduced herself, she spoke up. "I am Ahnasha. I don't know much of your language, but I have been trying to learn since we arrived."

Once the introductions were done, Reanaseer took another sniff of the air to get her bearings, mainly by identifying the direction of the Hist tree. "Good, good. I am impressed that most of you are even trying to learn Jel. Most outsiders will not consider the thought. At any rate, my old bones do not like to stand for too long. Let's find a comfortable spot to sit down. Come, follow me." She said as she started off towards the Hist tree. She used her walking stick to help her navigate until she reached a point where the soil changed in consistency and the sun no longer shined as warmly on her scales, indicating that she was directly beneath the tree. It took her about ten seconds for her to carefully bring herself to sit down. The rest of the pack followed and sat under the tree near her, and, surprisingly, so did a few of the other villagers. For the ones who were not too afraid to approach them, the pack was a curiosity that broke up their daily routine, something to make their lives a bit more interesting. About six or so villagers joined them under the tree, though they tended to sit closer to Reanaseer.

One of the villagers looked at Fendros with a particular curiosity. He was male, not quite middle-aged, with dark brown scales. His clothes and scales, especially his fingers were muddy, indicating that he was a farmer, one who cared for the crops growing just outside the village. He asked Reanaseer something quietly in Jel, to which she nodded, then looked in the direction of the pack. "He wants me to translate his question for him." She explained before he began to speak, looking at Fendros.

"You are Dunmer, but you are trying to learn our language. Why do you wish to know about us?" He asked.

Another of the villagers sat down beside Janius. She was an Argonian female, perhaps a few years younger than him. She had light green scales, two fins on her head, and blue eyes, which was rare for an Argonian. She wore only a simple loincloth about her waist, but like some of the other Argonians in the village, she had an intricate set of tattoos. They were red and appeared like vines wrapping up her legs and torso, stopping just beneath her neck. She looked at Janius quizzically for a few moments, then slowly, and a bit nervously, held out her hand and pointed at him.

"Janius." She said in an almost questioning tone before pointing to herself with a nervous smile. "Kaleeth-Rei."

[Muttonhawk]

The question was spoken so fast that Fendros probably would have asked the inquisitive Argonian to repeat it slowly had Reanaseer not translated for him. "Well, I..." Fendros stopped himself to think. The answer wasn't as obvious as he might have thought. He idly itched at the side of his neck and tried to think of the Jel words to explain. "It is... interesting language. I like language." He started, "We travel to Argonia, so I learn Jel. It is..." he sighed and snapped his fingers a few times, before giving up and speaking Cyrodilic, "A hobby, I don't know the word for hobby in Jel. Anyway, yes, I suppose I've picked up learning Jel as a hobby, something to do in my free time. With learning the language, you learn some of the culture as well, but I'm not a sage by any means. As for being a Dunmer..." He trailed off and bit on his lower lip trying to think of more Jel phrases, "I am Dunmer, but... my path down river... is not like Dunmer in Morrowind."

While the curiosity of a Dunmer speaking Jel was attracting most of the attention, Janius was confronted by what appeared to be a young Argonian woman who introduced herself as Kaleeth-Rei. "Hello, Kaleeth-Rei," He replied, smiling back at her and bowing his head politely, "Nice to meet you." He spoke in Cyrodilic, not really expecting her to understand, but he still wanted to be courteous. In fact, even though he wasn't normally into Argonians, she might have been someone he would flirt with for fun. With how sensitive the situation was however, he was hesitant to do so just yet. Oh, what would be the harm? It's not as if I'm even allowed to bed anyone these day. He thought, extending his hand intending to kiss the back of her hand if she would allow it, or even know the gesture.

Of the villagers who weren't giving undivided attention to Fendros, there were a number who were staring at Lorag, particularly his jutting teeth. One young Argonian man in a loincloth with orange and green scales shuffled near to Meesei while looking at Lorag. "Your friend, Lorag, er... what is he? He has elf ears, but he is green and has boar's teeth." He asked. His tone showed more curiosity than maliciousness. They might have never seen an Orc before, being so far from any Orismer strongholds and too young to have seen any legionnaires.

[EliteCommander]

After Reanaseer translated the Cyrodilic portion of Fendros' response, the farmer seemed to think for a moment. It was obvious he had never met a Dunmer before, but equally apparent was the fact that he did not hate them. They would not be having the conversation if that were the case. Some of the Argonians in the village probably held animosity towards the Dark Elves, but to most, the Dunmer slave raids were just stories to frighten hatchlings. Not all of them latched onto the stories completely, but in such an isolated place, not many had any real knowledge of Dunmer culture.

"I have not met a Dunmer before; all I have are the stories of events that happened centuries ago. They are not favorable for your people. Perhaps you can help clear the waters for me? Are you from Morrowind? How do your people live, and why did you take a different path?" He asked, with Reanaseer translating.

Meesei could understand how the villagers would not know what an Orc is. In her own village, only leaders such as herself, and traders would know much about other provinces. Usually, they would be happy to share the knowledge if any of the villagers were curious, but with the day to day worries of surviving in the marsh, there was little reason to care about what the world was like beyond the Marsh. "He is an Orc. They are a race of Elves from the far northwest of Tamriel, though they do not usually identify with other elves. In fact, some may be offended if you identify them as such. They have no independent homeland, as the Empire chose not to protect them when the nations around them attacked, as has happened many times. Still, they are a proud race of warriors, and Lorag is a loyal friend." She explained.

Kaleeth seemed slightly confused at first, but after a few moments, she extended her hand. She did not expect the kiss he gave her, but she did not react negatively. In fact, she smiled and laughed. In contrast to some of the other cautious, or in some cases, angry Argonians around them, she seemed to be in quite a good mood and had no apprehension about speaking to an outsider. She stopped for a moment, then very visibly concentrated on what she was going to say next. "You. Are. Im-pear-ee-al. Yesss?" She asked, demonstrating a very rudimentary understanding of Cyrodilic. "I don't suppose you speak any Jel, do you? Like your friends?"

[Muttonhawk]

It was nice to hear the Argonian express an interest in Dunmer culture with an open mind after the events of last week. Fendros thought for a moment on how to respond, then tried his best in Jel. "I am not from Morrowind. I am from Cyrodiil. My..." he was sure he knew this one, but passed it onto Reanaseer in Cyrodilic, noting how she translated it, "My parents." He switched back to Jel, "They are from Morrowind. Dunmer in Morrowind live in villages that stay. They do not move like Argonian villages. Some villages are big, like Thorn. They... make animals and plants. They... make objects and trade. They trade with..." Fendros didn't know the word in Jel for Septims, so he just pulled one out of his pocket and named it, "Coins." He was talking slowly and it took a lot of energy to think of the right words in Jel, but he was honestly grateful for the opportunity to practice. "Many Dunmer are proud... they don't like others. They would take Argonians, Khajiit and others, and they would work farms. That is not allowed. Not anymore. But not all Dunmer... don't like others. There are many Dunmer."

Thinking on his last question, Fendros wracked his brain further, "I took a different path. I became a friend of Meesei and Ahnasha. I learned about them and... I learned they were like me." Fendros sighed and reached the limit of his Jel again. "I think I have to explain this one in Cyrodilic as well. I used to be disdainful of Argonians and Khajiit, and other races in general for the most part. I hadn't really learned much about them. As I got to know Ahnasha, Meesei, everyone in the p-, in the group, I found that they weren't what I had been lead to believe. There was more to them, and more to other races. I was raised in Cyrodiil and in Imperial culture, but still had some Dunmer ties. That changed when I joined the group. I'm a hunter with them now, and I wouldn't take that back for anything." Fendros tried to follow up with satisfying his own curiosity about Argonian villages. "And you? How is it in an Argonian village? What do you do?"

Most of the people curious with Lorag lit up with some amount of understanding when Meesei responded. Lorag had a very alien appearance in comparison to any humanoid they had ever seen. Even some of them had seen Khajiit such as Ahnasha, but Lorag was very different. The same young man that had asked Meesei about Lorag opened his mouth to speak to Lorag directly, but stopped and looked at Meesei again. "He has such big teeth. Can he talk?" he asked cautiously, still holding an unsure expression.

"Yes, I am an Imperial. I come from a city called Bravil." Janius spoke slowly and clearly to Kaleeth-Rei could understand. It didn't quite help with the Jel she hissed out afterwards. Janius looked blank for a few moments, then chuckled. "I am very sorry, I do not understand."

When there was a pause in Reanaseer's translating, a couple of Argonian women, one young adult and one who looked about middle aged, approached the elder and tapped her on the shoulder. The middle aged woman, a brown and green scaled Argonian with curled horns on either side of her head, began to murmur into Reanaseer's ear with a fearful tone. "That Khajiit woman over there. Are they meant to be bloated like that? At first I thought she was just fat, but the rest of her body is normal. I fear she may be diseased as these foreigners seem to get." The women that approached Reanaseer were looking at Ahnasha with concern, but they didn't want to be disrespectful if it turned out that it was normal for Khajiit to have a bulge like Ahnasha.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei nodded back to the man. "Yes, he can speak, he is just a quiet person. He also does not speak any Jel, as some of my friends do, so he cannot understand us. If you wish to speak to him, I can interpret between you."

"That's unfortunate. I suppose my limited knowledge of Cyrodilic will have to suffice. Who knows, maybe I can help teach you a little Jel?" Kaleeth said, though she wasn't precisely sure why she said anything aloud. It wasn't as if he understood what she was saying. "You from Sssee-ro-dil? I've not left Black Marsh...before. You. greet. with. kiss?" She said, shrugging her shoulders before returning the gesture.She felt that it was strange to greet people with a kiss, but she really didn't understand Imperial culture at all. Unlike Janius, however, she did not understand the specifics of his gesture and simply gave him a kiss straight on the lips, oblivious that anything was wrong. "Greet-ings" She said with a lighthearted chuckle. "You. like. Black Marsh?"

Those listening to Fendros' explanation seemed genuinely interested, even if some still seemed uneasy and suspicious, perhaps not at Fendros specifically, but the group in general. Many of the hunters watching them had not let up in their suspicious glared, and they likely wouldn't. They were the protectors of the village, so they could not afford to let down their guard. Just as the farmer was about to respond to Fendros, one woman brought up her concerns about Ahnasha. When she whispered into Reanaseer's ear, she gave a bit of a chuckle. Apparently, she at least understood what was really going on with the Khajiit.

"She is wondering why you appear bloated. We do not give birth in the same way you do, so many here do not understand what...pregnancy is like for other races." Reanaseer explained.

Ahnasha wasn't exactly sure what to think about it at first, but after thinking about it for a few moments, she did find the situation sort of funny. She guessed she really couldn't blame them for not understanding. After all, as she glanced over to the nests of eggs sitting in pools of sap under the tree nearby, she supposed their biology seemed strange to her. "Non-Argonians do not lay eggs like you do. For us, our children live inside of us until it is time for them to be born. I will be having my child in a few months." She explained.

Once Reanaseer translated, the woman mumbled in Jel to her friend beside her for a moment, then returned with another question. "That seems so strange. If you wait so long with your child in your body, it would have to be painful for it to get out. Who is the father of your child? Are there more Khajiit in your group who are not here?"

Ahnasha shook her head. "No, the father of my child is not Khajiit." She said, taking the hand of Fendros beside her. "Fendros is."

Ahnasha's explanation created a bit of a stir between the villagers listening to them. They spoke amongst themselves for a few moments in Jel before one of them, the farmer, spoke up enough to warrant Reanaseer translating. "Really? I did not even know that was possible. You mean Dunmer are willing to mate with Khajiit? That certainly does not match the stories I have heard of you."

Once the farmer finished speaking, another young woman interjected. "No, I think it makes sense. I remember the stories of some Dunmer slave owners falling in love with and running away with Saxhleel their families placed in bondage. I do not see why it would be different for Khajiit."

The farmer cocked his head to the side slightly as he looked over to the woman. "Yes, but he said the Dunmer no longer keep slaves, so I don't see how that applies here."

The woman let out a sigh. "Julneen, by the Hist you can be dense at times. I didn't mean that she was a slave, I meant that it makes sense that he could become her mate, since similar things have happened in the past." She clarified, with Reanaseer giving a chuckle as she interpreted.

[Muttonhawk]

The young man who was asking about Lorag looked from around the ground uneasily. "Um, well..." It seemed as if he was trying to recollect what he was going to ask before, but an even younger Argonian male, one who didn't look older than twelve, but very similar to the young man, came up behind them. He looked like the younger brother of the young man. "You're the biggest hunter and warrior, what's the biggest creature you've hunted?" The boy was certainly excitable. It was clear that he looked up to hunters in his clan. To see foreign and strange hunters must have been particularly exciting.

"Wait-" Janius couldn't speak up in time before Kaleeth-Rei pecked him on the lips out of nowhere. He was slightly embarrassed, but couldn't help but laugh and rub the back of his head. "Um... I think I should explain," Janius started, still emitting the occasional laugh, "In Cyrodiil, a man will kiss the hand of a beautiful woman to greet her. A kiss on the lips usually comes...hmhm... later." He wore a wide and amused grin, she probably didn't know any better in the first place, "Usually a kiss on the lips is during courtship." He laughed again and took a deep breath and exhaled out of pouted lips to try and collect himself and stop laughing. "But now that you ask, yes, I quite like Black Marsh. The weather is horrible, but there are beautiful sights and the people are very friendly when you get to know them."

Fendros looked to Ahnasha and gave a quick smile. The reaction of the villagers at first made Fendros slightly uncomfortable, but with Reanaseer's translation it at least seemed relatively harmless. The villagers still just remained curious, it seemed. Fendros was surprised to hear about Dunmer slavers running away with Argonian paramours, but he supposed the perceived shame in such an act would not have propagated the story in his direction until now. "That is correct. Ahna and I..." He paused to find the word, but he still didn't have everything in Jel. "We fell in love." He switched to Jel again, "You are also correct as it is very... between Dunmer and other races... it does not happen. Not normally. But I said before, my path is different." Fendros looked down at his hand held by Ahnasha's and rubbed her hand with his thumb, "It is a... large story." Fendros hoped that his choice of words was appropriate. It wasn't as if a 'long' story would make quite as much sense in a language that didn't quantify time. If he were honest, he wasn't sure that he wanted to attempt to recount the events to the village due to the... by chance nature of its beginning. He left it up to Ahnasha if she really wanted to divulge.

[EliteCommander]

Normally, Lorag would want to avoid talking too much to strangers, especially children, but fortunately for the boy, he hit on a topic that Lorag could talk for hours about: his own exploits. "Heh, you want to hear stories about what I've killed? Ever heard of a mammoth? They live up in Skyrim. Tough beasts, bigger than your huts, with thick fur, tough skin, and tusks longer than you are tall. They have trunks, somethin' like a really long nose, that they can swing around with enough force to crush a man. Didn't scare me, though. Took almost a half an hour of fighting to wear it down, but I did. I killed that behemoth and got enough meat to feed a small army." Lorag explained, making sure to leave out the part where he killed it in werewolf form. He was rather enjoying the chance to build up his ego a bit more.

Kaleeth-Rei looked at Janius with a confused expression. He spoke quickly, and it was clear that she did not understand everything he said. She was able to pick out a few parts, however, and one of them made her grin. "I..not understand everything. Sorry. But, you say I am...beautiful woman?" She asked, appearing to be flattered. "You are...beautiful man, too." She said in an attempt to give him a compliment in return, though evidently, she did not know the word "handsome."

"I told you it made sense, Julneen." The woman remarked after Fendros' explanation.

The farmer gave a slight grunt towards her, then went back to speaking to Fendros, being sure to speak slowly enough that his words could be interpreted. "Well, may your time together be sunned and warm. Anyway, you ask about our lives here? There is little more than you see here. We travel across the marsh with the seasons to avoid the rivers' floods, in which we are mostly successful. I am one who tends to our crops. We grow fast-growing plants to supplement the meat from our hunters. They can survive all but the strongest of floods and can keep us fed when beasts prove hard to find. Otherwise, we honor the Hist and give our respect to Sithis. We sometimes have to fight against beast or bandit, but as you can see, none have had the strength to destroy us so far."

[Muttonhawk]

The boy's mouth and eyes were wide at Lorag's explanation once Meesei interpreted. His older brother seemed to have an impressed expression, but was somewhat embarrassed by his sibling's behaviour. "Wow! An army? It must have been huge!" The younger one exclaimed. The older brother commented to the younger, "I doubt it was that big." The younger brother sneered and stuck out his tongue at the older one before seating himself down leaning forward with his cheeks in his hands. He seemed in awe of Lorag already. "What other big stuff have you caught?"

Letting out a quiet laugh, Janius accepted the sentiment of the compliment. "Thank you," he replied, bowing his head again. Janius considered trying to explain his point about the kiss more clearly, but decided to leave it to later. Perhaps he could try and learn the right words in Jel as necessary and they could have a laugh about it later. That is, if he could even pronounce the words properly. "So, Kaleeth-Rei, What is your job in the village?" Janius spoke slower and more clearly this time, realising that he had slipped back into his usual pace earlier.

Fendros smiled and nodded in thanks to Julneen's blessing. It was a nicely worded one. Fendros also listened on with interest to his short explanation of their way of life. It was simple, hard working and mobile. Similar to the pack's own way of life at a glance. So this was Meesei's culture before she started the pack. These people are so friendly. Taking a breath, Fendros paused to gather together more Jel, "May your village stay strong. And thank you for... peace. We travel a long path to here for Sabine." He looked around for Sabine, "Actually," he found her seated with her knees up in front of her, as she often did. It seemed that everyone in the pack was talking with someone in the the village except for her. Fendros doubted that she would be open to conversation, but he asked just in case. "Hey Runt, why don't you come and say hello?"

Sabine was looking at empty space, but glanced up at Fendros when she heard her name. Fendros tried to give her an encouraging smile, but she wrapped her arms around her knees and hid the lower half of her face behind them, going back to staring at nothing and not drawing attention to herself.

Giving up quickly, Fendros looked at Ahnasha, then to Julneen. "She has seen much," Fendros explained slowly, "She is very... little talk. Very much little talk with... new people."

[EliteCommander]

"Well, like I said, the biggest thing was the mammoth, but I've killed plenty of other creatures. Ogres, minotaurs, all sorts of things. I think you have ogres here, so you should know what that is. Minotaurs are like ogres, but with the head of a bull...or, well, you probably don't know what that is either. They stand like an ogre, but have giant horns are are smart enough to use clubs, or even hammers. One of those is strong enough to take down any of these houses with just its hands, so obviously, they are tough to kill. Clean strike to the throat will do it just fine, though." Lorag answered. He couldn't say much about the specifics of his hunts without lying, since most of them involved at least one werewolf, but he still didn't mind talking about it.

Kaleeth stared intently at Janius as she concentrated on his words. This time, she got enough of them to figure out what he was saying. "Oh, I, uh...learning. I learning hunting. Learn to feed village, keep family safe. Not easy. Marsh is, marsh is..." She began, trying to think of the right word for what she wanted to say. "...danger-filled. Important job, though. You hunt too, you say? You have job like mine? You...you want hunt with me? Teach me about hunting?"

Some of the villagers thought Sabine's behavior was strange, but at least it helped demonstrate why the pack was even at the village to begin with. "She does not seem well. I have never seen the Hist communicate with a Human before, but I do not doubt that it is possible. The Hist's influence spans all of our world; I do not see why that would not include other races as well. If she is able to pass her trials, I suppose you will see." Julneen commented.

[Muttonhawk]

"Teach you hunting? Well, I..." Janius raised one eyebrow and looked to the leaves of the tree they sat under. He wasn't sure whether that was a good idea. He had been hunting in the marsh for long enough to be comfortable doing so. However, it wasn't often, and seldom successful, to hunt without someone who really knew their way around the marsh such as Meesei. Wait, why would I have to hunt with this girl on my own? Why can't I ask for help here? Janius sighed at himself, It's because you're a prideful fool, Janius, and you neither want to be seen to lack hunting expertise, or to be used to maybe, just maybe, admitting defeat and not treating this like a courting. You are just flirting for fun! What is the matter with you!? Just proceed as if that's not an objective... because it isn't, you know? By now Janius' smile had lowered, completely lost in his thoughts, but he had to reply before his pause became strange. "Erm, sure, I could do that." Janius' answer hardly had a certain tone. He explained slowly just in case he would end up making a fool of himself, "I have less experience hunting in the marsh though. I am used to Cyrodiil. It's very different. Um, how much do you know about hunting?" It was during the final sentence that Janius' mind realised that he might have to transform if they ran into any danger. It was a realisation that caused him to ring a series of curses in his brain for agreeing to it.

Fendros nodded to Julneen again. They would all see eventually. Having apparently run to the end of the topic, there was a pause before Fendros said anything else. "I am interested. There was word said to Janius before, the master hunter spoke." Fendros tried to recall the hateful sounding word or phrase that Zharanthixil had uttered when he left them, "What is 'Waxhuthil' meaning?"

The young boy was grinning as he listened to Lorag. He had indeed never heard of a minotaur before, but they sounded dangerous. He looked down with disappointment once Lorag finished recounting, but it wasn't because of him. If his Argonian lips would allow it, he would probably be pouting. "I've never seen an ogre before, mother says I'm too young to go out hunting." He said.

"That's because you are. You're only thirteen, flybrain!" The older brother spoke up. Sure, he didn't exactly want his younger brother to be out trying to hunt minotaurs, but it by his tone it seemed like they didn't get along as siblings in the first place.

The younger brother sat up straighter and turned around to retort to his brother. "I'll be old enough soon, so shut up, dunghead!"

"You're the dunghead! You should have been called dunghead on your naming day!"

"I am not!"

"You are so!"

"I am not!"

Their argument went on like this, attracting the attention of most of the pack, but the villagers seemed to view it as normal. It was probably a common occasion between these two. At least it didn't look like either of them were willing to be physically violent with each other. It wasn't long before one of the older hunters shook his head and broke rank for enough time to walk up to them and flick them both on the back of their heads. "Ralith-Ei, Caatot, play nice around the guests." His voice was deep and held a firm authority.

Both brothers winced at being flicked and rubbed the backs of their heads as they looked up at the hunter. "Yes, father," they said in unison. Satisfied, the hunter moved back to his post, the brothers glared at each other while he had his back turned.

Once the moment had passed, the older brother asked Lorag a question. His demeanour was calmer than his younger sibling, but still held interest. "Do you hunt these beasts on your own, or with your tribe?" He referred to the rest of the pack, but assumed that there was more than just the few gathered here in their group.

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth face lit up upon Janius' response. Her Argonian version of a smile showed that she couldn't have been in a better mood. "Thanksss you very much. I am...egg-sight-ed to hunt with you. I learn hunting for years. I am almost full hunter by now. I been using bow and...and, what is word for...long sharp pole? Sorry, I am not very good at Cyrodilic. I should learn more. You being nice to me. Very nice Imperial, not like Master-Hunter saysss. I like talking to you." She said before giving a light chuckle. "Even if I almost certainly sound like an unlearned hatchling." She added to herself in Jel.

No one immediately gave a response to Fendros, instead returning only silence Julneen glanced awkwardly towards one of the villagers near him, then looked hesitantly back to Fendros. "Who said this to him, precisely?" He asked.

Lorag gave a chuckle at the two boys' argument, even if he couldn't understand any of it; it wasn't as if Meesei was going to translate it. Their tone alone was enough for him to get the gist of what was going on. Growing up, he didn't have any brothers to argue with, but he made up for it picking fights with other children around the city. It would have been entertaining to see a scuffle between them, but one of the villagers shut them down before it got that far.

"It's always best to hunt in a group." Lorag responded once they got back to asking questions. "Some beasts out there are tough enough to take off your head in a single swipe, or punch through the toughest of metals. There's no shame in relying on others for help in a fight, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Now, that don't mean I haven't taken down some tough beasts all by my lonesome. That's just 'cause I didn't have a choice, though, and I have the scars to show for it." Before joining the pack, Lorag's opinion on fighting in groups would have pretty much been the exact opposite, but the pack mentality, along with his time in the Legion, had reversed his old lone wolf mindset.

[Muttonhawk]

Janius smiled and chuckled along with Kaleeth, try not to make it sound nervous given the circumstances. Why do I get the feeling that this is all going to end in tears? He thought to himself. At least she'll have some experience if things get hairy, but Janius wondered whether she was going to prove herself far more capable than him in this environment. "Thank you. You are very kind. You also have good Cyrodilic. There are not many Argonians outside of cities I've heard speaking it. Oh, and, a sharp pole? The word is 'spear'."

With the silence that the question caused, Fendros feared that he had said something wrong. Julneen followed up though. "The Master Hunter. Reanaseer, you said his name was... Zharanthi-...xil?" Fendros spoke cautiously. Perhaps it was a curse word or something?

The older brother nodded in understanding to this, but the younger just got more excited. "Oooh! Scars! Can I see?" He shuffled closer to Lorag to see if he could spot any immediately visible marks.

While the younger brother was distracted, the older one looked at Meesei. "He's always wanted to be a hunter, like many of us. But thinks it's about being flashy and getting glory. I've been training to become a hunter and I know it isn't all that. My brother is an impatient dunghead." He looked forward and hissed in annoyance.

[EliteCommander]

"Ah, thanksss you. I remember it. Maybe I teach you Jel words too?" Kaleeth responded. "I wish we...could talk better. I not always...understand you easy. I still like it though. Talking to you. You...interesting. Exciting. I never talked to a Imperial before." Kaleeth paused for a moment to look up at the sky and see how much daylight they had left. Hunting at night in the marsh was extremely hazardous, so they would need to pick a time where they would not risk being caught away from the village after dark. When she looked back to him, she took notice of something that interested her. Hesitantly, she reached out and touched a finger to his chestplate to feel the metal of the iron armor. "Do you hunt in metal? Looks heavy. I never seen metal-clothes before." She said, not quite remembering the word for armor. "You get it in Cyrodiil?"

"Uhh, maybe it would be best if you didn't know." Julneen answered. "It is not kind. Master-Hunter Zharanthixil does not trust outsiders, especially Imperials. Actually, many here do not. Strangers have harmed us before, but...we trade with outsiders. They help us too. Not all of you are bad, I think. I'm just curious to know more about you, personally.

While Lorag was showing off what scars he had that didn't require removing armor plates, Meesei spoke to the other boy, as Lorag would likely not need her to interpret at the moment. She smiled at him and let out a soft laugh. "Ahh, but at what point were you just like him? Excited, ready to take on the world. I can see he has the passion. It is the training which will bring him wisdom. Your Master-Hunter, he seems like a man who excels at his role, and cares about his village. I was raised to become Treeminder in my village, but remember seeing my friends train to become hunters. I would be cautious not to become lax in your training simply because you have the advantage of a few years on your egg-brother. Whether you want to be or not, you will always be a role-model in his life, and he will always be looking for a way to best you. If you are not careful, you may find that he will succeed."

[Muttonhawk]

"Well, I could learn some Jel if you are willing to teach. Fendros and Meesei are much better at it than I am. I only know hello, goodbye, thank you, excuse me, yes and no." Janius replied. His pronunciation of the Jel was atrocious, but the few words he knew had served him well enough. "If you will teach me Jel, I will help your Cyrodilic. Does that sound good?"

Janius found Kaleeth's curiosity about his armour interesting. He would have thought they would have seen some kind of metal armour. Well, they didn't exactly mine the stuff in these parts, so perhaps not. "Yes, I traded for this armour in Cyrodiil. I take it off to hunt, but I wear it to fight." Janius held his hand flat and ran the side of it across his cuirass, "It keeps weapons from cutting me. Do the villagers not wear armour to fight?"

"I understand," Fendros said to Julneen. It was just as Reanaseer had mentioned. The word said to Janius was probably something hurtful, but the master-hunter was probably brought up with that attitude, or something happened to him or people he knew at the hands of Imperials. Fendros didn't find either possibility difficult to believe. There wasn't really much else Fendros could think to say, so he addressed Julneen once more. "Is there more questions? I do not want to..." He couldn't find the word, "I don't wish to distract you if you are busy."

The older brother looked to Meesei with a disagreeing brow. "Hmph, who ever said I was slacking off? Caatot will never best me! At least not yet." Ralith-Ei exclaimed, before looking away and shrugging in agreement, "I guess your right, though. He'll learn. I don't think I'm a role model though. We get into fights all the time. He's so stupid." He turned his head to look at Meesei again, "Do you have egg-siblings?"