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

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth turned to the corpse of the wamasu and approached it. By this point, she had simply accepted in her mind that Janius was probably using some kind of shapeshifting magic to take on his current form, though she did not know why he had not yet changed back. As she had no previous knowledge of werewolves, she had absolutely no preconceived notions about them, so she thought no less of Janius now as she did a few minutes ago. If anything, she now found him more interesting, due to the apparent power he held.

As strange as it seemed, Kaleeth looked to be more interested in the wamasu than Janius at the moment. She ran her hands gently across the surface of its scales and just stared for a few moments before saying anything. "I killed a wamasu." She said in a soft voice, with a tone that was more of a question than a statement. Slowly, the reality of what just happened dawned on her. Now that their lives were not in danger, she could appreciate the benefits of what this would mean for her. Once she made a set of armor from its hide, she would, by all rights, be a hunter. Her expression quickly turned to a smile as she turned to Janius with an extraordinarily excited expression. "I killed a wamasu!"

Without a moment of hesitation, Kaleeth walked over to Janius and wrapped her arms around his furry neck and hugged him tightly. Perhaps if she knew the details of what a werewolf actually was, especially in regards to the beast spirit, she would have been more hesitant, but since she knew it was Janius now, she no longer felt intimidated by him in the slightest. After a few moments, she pulled back slightly to look him in the eyes. "You helped me kill wamasu. You have done so much for me. You helped me become a full hunter, you are just...you are..." She began, but after she could not find the right word to express what she was saying, she simply planted a kiss right on his snout.

---

Lorag pretty much expected Runt's nonverbal answer. She rarely spoke, at she hadn't gone through that trial yet, so why would she start now? He groaned and stretched his muscles, then stood up and grabbed the weapons beside his bedroll. "Alright, it's better than sittin' here doing nothing I guess. Just get whatever weapons you want to use and meet me outside. I think there is an empty spot near where we first entered the village that we could use. Just don't expect any miracles here. It takes months of training to become decent at fighting. Even longer to get good."

[Muttonhawk]

Janius was glad to see Kaleeth so elated. Being hugged and kissed by her should have felt warm, but not only did his guilt override most of it, but his beast spirit began to feel threatened. He needed to feed before she ended up hurting Kaleeth-Rei. At least she wasn't determined to run off and tell everyone immediately.

"Kaleeth-Rei," by how strained his growling voice was, Janius was having trouble speaking. "Wait outside for a moment. We will talk more. I have to explain some things."

Working hard to restrain himself, Janius calmly ushered Kaleeth-Rei to the entrance of the cave, then bolted back in on all fours. There was the faint sound of flesh tearing and snapping for a few minutes, but no signs of pain or struggle. When the sounds stopped, there was just some scraping, then Janius emerged from the cave in Imperial form. His axe was in one hand, and the rest of his clothing and belongings were tucked under his arm. He was painted in ogre blood from his chin to his lower torso and on his hands. Regardless of Kaleeth's reaction to Janius, he had a slightly saddened look. He took a seat near the entrance to the cave and motioned for Kaleeth-Rei to sit by him. "So... you are probably wondering what just happened." Janius squeezed one of his bloodied hands in the other and looked down at the dirt. He looked up when he thought of how to start, "Have you heard of werewolves before, Kaleeth?"

---

Sabine didn't much care about becoming a great warrior like Lorag, so she wasn't discouraged by his words. What did discourage her was picking out a weapon. She had no idea which weapon to use. Scanning over what was available, she borrowed Fendros' sword. It wasn't the best size to suit her, but it was something. Plenty of people fight with swords, right?

She ventured outside holding the scabbard in her hand. This afternoon would be an active one.

---

"So, how do you want me to pose? Just sitting up straight, like a portrait?" Fendros asked Ahnasha with an unsure smile. He sat on a log outside the common hut across from Ahnasha. He switched his pose to be laying down on his side horizontally, supporting his head with one hand. "Or are you going to draw me like one of your Breton girls?" Fendros doubted that Ahnasha would immediately understand the story he referenced. Something about a tragedy on a ship, he couldn't completely remember himself. Nevertheless, he was going to allow himself some mischief if he was finally forced to sit for a painting.

Ahnasha had been getting more and more opportunities to paint lately, so it was only a matter of time before Fendros had to sit as a model. Ahnasha had attempted to paint him stealthily on a couple of occasions, but he had shifted before she finished. It was because Fendros was a bit shy about it, to be honest. The only time he had sat for a painting was back at home once when he was thirteen, and he hated how that turned out. Ahnasha wouldn't have any of it though. He would be painted, and it would be today.

[EliteCommander]

Before leaving the cave, Kaleeth made sure to grab her bow, as well as a wamasu egg from the nearby nest. She would have grabbed all of them, but a single one was about the size of her head, so that would have been difficult. She did not know why Janius wanted her to leave the cave, but she trusted him enough to follow his lead. The sounds echoing up from within the cave gave somewhat of an explanation as to what he was doing. While she was waiting, she examined the cuts on her arm, which had started to cause her some pain now that her adrenaline had worn off. Some of the cuts were pretty deep, but the potion was causing them to regenerate relatively quickly. Nevertheless she took her loincloth and used it as a bandage to wrap up her arm to help prevent it from becoming infected.

At first, Kaleeth thought Janius was trying to eat the wamasu, but when he emerged in his human form, it was the scent of ogre blood that covered him. She was still somewhat confused about what was going on, and why he had decided to eat the raw flesh of the ogre, especially in the current situation. Maybe there was more to his beast-like form than just a new body? When Janius asked about werewolves, she shook her head. "No, what is a...where-wolf? Is that what you turned into? I want to know where you learned the magic to turn into it. It made you very...powerful. I am glad you were there with me." Kaleeth answered. Even with Janius' transformation, she was beyond cheerful. The goal of becoming a hunter was something she had been working at for years, and she had finally attained it. She credited Janius greatly for helping her, as she knew it would not have happened otherwise. She found herself looking at him more often, and a bit...differently than just as a close friend, as Janius would no doubt be able to see in her expression.

---

Ahnasha gave a laugh as she set up her supplies. She did not exactly have a proper easel or anything, so she had to make due with a flat rock. While she was still by no means an expert painter, she had at least graduated to using color paint by this point. Luckily, with all the plants in the marsh, Sabine was able to create dyes easily. They may or may not have been poisonous, but as long as no one was eating her paintings, it would be fine. She rubbed her chin lightly as she looked over Fendros. She tried to look the part of an artist while he was trying to act like a model. They both probably looked ridiculous from the outside, but she didn't really care. She was both enjoying her painting, and the chance to do something different with Fendros, something she enjoyed.

"Hmm, let me see." She said, holding out her hands as if she were framing a painting. She wasn't actually accomplishing anything by doing this, she just wanted to look more like a painter. "I want you to strip down, then strike a heroic pose. Something strong, like you would see in a statue. Maybe I can do justice to all the muscle you've been building recently? It seems your training with Lorag has been going well, hasn't it? Not to mention all that practice with a bow. I've been raising the draw strength on your bow, so that might have had a bit of an influence."

[Muttonhawk]

"It's not magic. At least, not like magic normally is. I think. I didn't learn it, I..." Janius itched at the back of his head. He was very relieved that Kaleeth seemed to have an open and uninfluenced mind about it. "I suppose you could say it was given to me. Some people call it a gift, some call it a disease. Blessing, curse. It's all of those things. Most people associate it with daedra worship, with uncontrolled killing, or just with plain hate. Many people are scared of me and others like me." He looked ahead, he wasn't sure he was comfortable with her intense look. Especially because he knew exactly what it was, even on an Argonian. "Yes, I'm a werewolf. There are many details, but essentially there is a spirit in my blood. A beast. I can summon it to help me fight or hunt, but it's only under my control if I feed it regularly. It's a creature of instinct, like a wolf. That's... that's why I ate most of the rest of the ogre. I couldn't get at the wamasu because it was too tough, but that's your kill anyway."

Janius put a hand on Kaleeth's shoulder and looked at her directly. "I know it might seem powerful and wonderful at a glance, but its not like that. Not completely. I didn't want to let you know because... well, like I said, werewolves aren't trusted. If the word got out, then we might be driven away before Sabine could finish her ritual, and that's the entire point of us coming here. I need you to promise me that you won't tell anyone else about me being a werewolf." His eyes glanced to the cave, then to Kaleeth again, "We can say that I drove the wamasu back with some fire magic some more before you got it, but not a word about a werewolf, okay?"

Once the point sunk in, Janius' expression became a bit more jovial. He slid his hand off Kaleeth's shoulder, held his arms beside himself and looked down at the spatters of blood on them. "Now then, I would hug you to congratulate you on becoming a hunter, but, as you can see, I don't exactly smell of roses." He laughed, and smiled at Kaleeth, "Well done."

---

Fendros rolled his shoulder and laughed. "I was wondering why I've been feeling sore," He remarked, before standing up from the log and removing his clothing. He was glad that the Argonian villagers didn't seem to have a problem with nudity. It made Fendros feel as if he didn't have to be disguised so much. "Well, you know Lorag. He's been trying to sculpt me so much that I'm surprised I haven't turned green and developed an underbite."

Once he placed all his clothes on the log behind him, he clasped his hands together and pulled an exaggerated pose that flexed his arms. "Like this?" He asked, wondering if it would actually be possible to sustain such a tensed pose for long enough. Deciding that perhaps his current pose would leave him with a pinched nerve, he instead assumed a pose that he had seen on a small statue once. He moved to pose as if he was in the middle of hurling an unseen javelin as far as he could, then looked to Ahnasha again, "...Or like this?"

Fendros smiled warmly at Ahnasha. He still enjoyed seeing her smile. "So, how have you been feeling with the day off travelling? You certainly looks like that sleep did you some good." Fendros said while trying to stay still.

[EliteCommander]

"Don't worry." Kaleeth said with a mischievous smile before wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close to hug him. "I do not mind hugging you." She continued to hug him for a rather long time before pulling away enough to speak to him. "I still am not really sure what a werewolf is, but I won't mention it to anyone. I promise. You have helped me so much; it would be terrible for me to not help you."

Kaleeth looked back at the cave and thought about the wamasu for a moment. They would need to return to village to get enough hunters to help move it, then she would need to use its hide to craft armor, which would also take time, but her time as an apprentice was essentially over. Even more, it was nearly unheard of for just a pair of hunters to take down one of the beasts. The circumstances of its death were certainly different than an average hunt, but she hoped her parents would be proud of her for the kill. When she turned her attention back to Janius, it became obvious she was looking him over. It was undeniable that it was because of him she had even survived the encounter with the wamasu, let alone killed it, so her opinion of him couldn't have been higher. She didn't think it was possible, considering he was not Argonian, but she now recognized that she was attracted to him. "You know...I really like you." She said, her tone just slightly suggestive.

---

After a few minutes, Ahnasha had set up her supplies at least adequately. The rock she was using to bare down on wasn't perfectly even and, considering the conditions they had been traveling through, her brush certainly wasn't in perfect condition, but it would be good enough. "While I really like the first pose, I would stick with something you could actually hold for a while. Besides, it's not like you have to strike a pose to look handsome." She complimented with a smile.

As she was starting her first brush strokes, she thought a moment on Fendros' question. The way he worded it seemed to have an accidental implication; it wasn't anything she was actually offended by, but that didn't mean she couldn't have some fun with it. "What do you mean that sleep did me some good? Are you saying I didn't look good before? I try very hard, you know." She retorted, feigning a tone that sounded offended.

[Muttonhawk]

After accepting Kaleeth's embrace, Janius looked back into her eyes. Their lips were barely an inch apart. It had finally come to this. He could just pretend that the condition would not be transmitted, he could just kiss her. "...I like you too," Janius mumbled slowly, caught in the moment.

Unfortunately, for as long as he had claimed this outcome with females to be some sort of objective, Janius looked away and sighed in frustration. This wasn't going to happen. "I'm sorry, I can't," Janius' words were so quick and cold that he felt a pang through his chest again. He had really come to like Kaleeth more than he intended. All at once, he was frustrated, embarrassed and remorseful. These emotions came through in quick words, "The condition is passed on through transfer of blood. There are methods to reduce the risk, but there will always be a chance that you would become a werewolf if we... you know. I can't do that to you if you don't understand what being a werewolf is. I'm sorry." Janius stood up and held an angry expression, he kept his eyes away from Kaleeth. Even though he was trying to be stoic with his expression, he wanted to escape. He was saddened to the core, but he needed to look strong.

He picked up his belongings and started towards the village again, but he waited to see if Kaleeth had anything else to say. He needed her to lead the way back anyway.

---

Fendros smiled and glanced Ahnasha for a moment at her compliment, keeping the pose. He tended to stay humble with her compliments, but he appreciated them. As for the pose, he thought he could hold this one.

The reply to his question cause Fendros to raise an eyebrow. "What? I didn't mean-" Fendros was caught off guard by Ahnasha's sudden change of mood, but he stopped before he let his tone become defensive. He didn't want to induce a full mood swing. Even though Ahnasha sometimes joked around, it was occasionally difficult to tell. Nevertheless, the same slower and more considerate approach tended to be the best option for all times. "I was just saying that you've had more energy today. You look brighter." He lowered his head and his eyes looked up at hers, a consoling expression, "But you're always beautiful, Ahna."

[EliteCommander]

At first, Kaleeth seemed excited as Janius looked into her eyes. She liked being close to him, and wanted to be even closer. By his expression, he seemed to be sharing the same feelings, which is why it came as such a surprise to her when he suddenly refused. Even he seemed disappointed in it, which even further added to her confusion. She struggled to understand the words he was saying with how quickly he was speaking, but she gathered that he did not want to spread this werewolf disease. Even so, she did not want to give up. Surely it wasn't as bad as he was making it out to be?

Kaleeth approached Janius with a confused, yet hopeful expression. "Are...are you sure there is no way? You say it is a disease, right? I could take potion...and I am Saxhleel. I resist disease. I have never even been sick before." She wanted to try and persuade him to reconsider. Disease was something she had never really worried about before, so she was sure that if she took a potion, she would be safe from whatever he had. Honestly, she was rather curious about werewolves and what it was like to be one. She wanted to ask him about it, but the current matter was much more pressing on her mind.

---

Ahnasha gave Fendros a stern stare for a few moments, but then broke the illusion when she couldn't stop herself from laughing. "Don't worry, I'm just joking. I know I am beautiful. Now hold still, I can't draw you properly if you move too much. I mean...I probably can't draw you properly anyway, but moving would make it harder."

After starting on her outline of him, she went back to answering his original question. "Anyway, I've been enjoying the rest. I didn't think too much of these mud huts when we arrived, but they actually keep out the elements really well. It is much more comfortable in that common hut than it is out in the marsh. I suppose it makes sense; Argonians like these have been living in the marsh for as long as it has existed, so they probably would have picked up on a few useful tricks by now. I definitely like that I can keep my fur dry now. All the rain Black Marsh gets has been weighing me down, quite literally. I'm enjoying it while I can, but it's making me dread the trek to Stormhold even more. I really wish we didn't have to go to a city, honestly, especially so close to a full moon. It seems risky."

[Muttonhawk]

Janius couldn't bear to look Kaleeth in the eyes as he spoke. "Argonians... Saxhleel. They catch it as well. I know because Meesei is also werewolf." As much as he wanted to reduce the amount of information Janius gave to Kaleeth-Rei about the pack, he needed to convince her somehow. "And taking a potion, like I said, it would make it less likely, but what if it doesn't work?" He motioned to her swiftly, "Then I have not only forced this condition on you but an entirely new way of life as well. You would probably have to leave your village, stay away from them for their protection, as well as yours. You might never see your friends and family again. You would always be under threat from groups of werewolf hunters. You would need to isolate yourself from much of the world just to survive!" It was at this point that Janius realised that he had let his voice rise to shouting at Kaleeth. He didn't need to yell, but frustration had got the better of him. He took a breath and lowered his head, than took Kaleeth gently by the shoulders, "Kaleeth-Rei..." he spoke quietly and looked at her with a pain in his soul, "You are such a beautiful woman. I can't take this risk. I'm sorry."

---

As Fendros returned Ahnasha's stare, he lost composure in sync with Ahnasha and laughed along with her. The topic of conversation turned more serious in comparison afterwards. Fendros nodded while trying to keep still otherwise. "I know, but there doesn't seem to be any other way around it. It makes me wish we had thought to seek instruction while we were back in Thorn, but... spilt milk and all that. As long as we don't get held up in the city and as long as what we hunt doesn't get to close to the city, then we should be okay. Unless any night travellers or patrols get unlucky. Hm, risky." Fendros agreed. Even though his pose was looking away from Ahnasha, he moved his eyes to look at her momentarily. "You don't suppose that it would be worth asking the wise woman, Reanaseer, if she knows anything about birth, or if she knows anyone who might? We might get lucky and not need to head to Stormhold in such a hurry."

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth lowered her head as Janius started to raise his voice. It was easy to tell that this was something that brought up a great deal of emotion for him, as it was for her as well. Though, most of her emotions right now were of disappointment and sadness. Killing the wamasu had made her happier than she had been in a long time, but the rejection by Janius had turned all those feelings bittersweet.

"What is risk?" Kaleeth asked in a meek tone. "If I drink a resisting potion before, and a cure after, what is risk?"

---

Ahnasha shrugged her shoulders. She had managed to finish an outline on Fendros' body, but now came the much longer and more difficult part of actually filling in the details "It wouldn't hurt to ask, I guess, but I also wouldn't expect many results. She is the leader of a fully Argonian village, so I don't see why she would have any real experience with live births. She is really old, so I guess she could have learned about it as some point during her long life, but I just wouldn't count on it."

Letting out a sigh, Ahnasha shook her head lightly. "I really don't want to worry about it right now, though. I would just like to relax and paint. Speaking of which, I appreciate you finally agreeing to do this. I suppose that means I owe you one, now. What do you want to do after this? If I can, I'll do it."

[Muttonhawk]

Remembering the discussion that he had with Ariel and Meesei on the matter, Janius held a glimmer that it might be possible. It faded into the ambiguity of the situation. The cure might be taken too late. She might contract the disease anyway. Janius closed his eyes and sighed, feeling horrible for putting a mark on Kaleeth's day like this. "The risk is enough," he said finally, before letting her go and retrieving his belongings so they could get going. "Let's head back to the village."

When he turned, Janius had an epiphany. He hadn't felt this way in a long time, but it was recognisable. He wasn't just attracted to Kaleeth, he wasn't just feeling bad for giving up the opportunity of finally bedding someone in year, or for hurting her feelings. He was afraid all along of falling in love with her. He was acting this way because the pack would leave eventually, and he knew that if he let himself fall for her that it would hurt even more to leave. In his feelings, he didn't realise that he had already fallen in love with her until now. He knew it was probably for the best that he tried to keep her away, but it didn't stop it hurting worse than any wound he had sustained. He bowed his head and kept silent on the way back.

---

"Hmm..." Fendros' mouth curled into a more sly smile. He toyed with the thought of what he could get Ahnasha to do. This time, though, there wasn't much else that he thought Ahnasha would refuse to do that he would like her to do, so he let it go. "As much as I'd like to see you in a dress just to get you back, I don't mind much." He turned his head to her briefly, "How about a kiss, then we can call it even?"

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth lowered her head again and nodded. "Okay." She said quietly, obviously saddened. She picked up her wamasu egg and started to lead the way back to the village. She wanted to keep herself in a good mood; after all, she had finally accomplished a dream she had been wanting for years, but...the day just didn't seem like much of a victory at the moment. It was a silent walk back, with neither of them really having anything to say to the other, not after such an emotional ordeal. After just under an hour of walking, they finally made it back within sight of the village.

Kaleeth looked over to Janius sheepishly, her disappointment with the situation still obvious on her face. "I need to go find other hunters, lead them to wamasu so we can bring them back. I...talk to you later, maybe?" She said. She tried to keep a smile, but it was obvious that it was forced.

---

Ahnasha grinned and gently placed her paintbrush on the rock next to the canvas. With Fendros still holding his pose, she walked over to him, put both hands on the side of his head, and kissed him deeply. She then pulled away slightly and laughed. "You know, you bargain too low. I would have done far more than that. You really need to take more time analyzing the relative value of the services you provide. Your loss, I guess." Giving him two light pats on the cheek, she then walked back over to where she was before to resume her painting.

[Muttonhawk]

Once they had reached the village again, Janius gave no response except for a quick glance at Kaleeth. His expression was still stern as he walked off to the common hut. He couldn't bear to be around Kaleeth anymore.

Fendros angled his head and nodded in fairness to Ahnasha's point. "I'll keep that in mind for next time then," he said in a tone that warned Ahnasha to be careful of what she might encourage. He stayed in his pose for a little while without much else to talk about immediately, but after a few moments, Janius walked by. Fendros nodded as he passed, "How did the hunt go, Janius?"

Though Fendros expected Janius to be amused at his current position, he didn't even look at either of them, let alone speak. On top of all of the dried blood, Janius simply looked angry and unresponsive. When he walked into the common hut, Fendros looked at Ahnasha with a concerned expression. "Something bad must have happened." At first, Fendros thought that the worst had happened, but he could clearly smell that the blood that covered him came from an ogre, not an Argonian. Still, there was no reason for there to be such stains on his chin and torso unless he transformed. Perhaps that Argonian girl he was hanging around with was scared away by him. That didn't bode well if she was going to tell the village leaders. Especially the master-hunter.

Janius threw down his equipment unceremoniously before walking out of the common hut heading to the body of water he had swum in yesterday. "Hey! Janius! What happened?" Again, he did not acknowledge anyone on his way there, even Fendros shouting out to him. Once he reached the water, he inspected it for any unwanted life as usual, then waded to the point where he could wash off the blood. He cleansed himself with jerky and angry movements, escalating until he broke down and lowered himself into the water. He sat with his head above the surface and his face buried in his hands. Why did he let this happen? It didn't have to go this far, he could have refused earlier. Silently, tears started to mix with the water on his hands.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha was just as concerned as Fendros as to what happened to Janius. He looked like he had turned, but he gave no response to Fendros. No matter what happened, he knew Janius well enough to know that he would tell them immediately if something happened that would put them all in danger. Even so, he was acting quite strangely, and she wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Perhaps something happened with the Argonian woman he had been seeing, something he didn't like. Regardless, he looked angry enough that she really wasn't keen on approaching him, and his presence had brought her down from her good mood.

Returning Fendros' concerned expression, Ahnasha sighed and rolled up her canvas. "Maybe...we should finish this later."

The rest of the day was uneventful for most. Lorag and Sabine trained off and on for most of the day. They made some good progress, but as Lorag said, there was really only so much that could be accomplished in such a short period of time. Ahnasha and Fendros spoke to Meesei about Janius, who was, unsurprisingly, just as concerned, if not more, about him. They spoke for quite a while, but in the end, Meesei agreed that it would be best to give him some time to himself before speaking with him. She trusted that Janius would inform them if there was something they needed to know, and she would make sure to talk to him the next day if he was in the same kind of mood. She did at least go and check up on him after he did not show up for dinner, but once she saw that he had fallen asleep along the riverbank, she decided to let him rest and retired to the common hut for the night.

Kaleeth had been busy for most of the day moving the wamasu back to the village, then skinning it for its hide. It took an entire team of her fellow hunters to carry back the beast, and while she was around them, she was at least able to keep up the appearance of being in a good mood, but on the inside, all she could feel was depression. Even she couldn't figure out why this was affecting her to such an extent. She had been interested in men before and had been rejected, why was this any different? She was generally confused and frustrated at the situation, and could not stand to leave it as it was. After everyone had gone to sleep and she noticed Janius was not in his bedroll, she silently slipped outside and searched around for him, following his familiar and pleasant scent to his location.

After a few minutes, Kaleeth found Janius asleep just outside in the river, along the bank. His head and shoulders were resting on the shore, while the rest of his body was partially submerged in the slow-moving waters. Kaleeth, in addition to a replaced loincloth, was now wearing a satchel on her waist, something she had taken from her parents' hut.

"J-Janius. Are you awake? I want to talk to you." Kaleeth said, unable to hide the nervousness in her voice.

[Muttonhawk]

At first Janius thought it was a dream when he heard Kaleeth-Rei's voice. He could hear and smell her, but the coolness of the water brought him back into consciousness. Janius' eyes slowly opened to find that it was dark already. He didn't know that he would sleep for so long. He looked up to see that Kaleeth had found him. He took a deep breath to wake up and sat upright, wiping some dried tears from his eyes before turning and addressing her. "Kaleeth. What is it?" His tone was not angered like it was before. Rather, it was low and lethargic. Even though he didn't show it, it felt good to see her again.

[EliteCommander]

"I just...I want to talk to you." Kaleeth responded as she sat down beside Janius with her feet in the water. "I don't want to go on without talking to you about...before. I know what you said about the risk, but...I don't know. I don't know what I really want to say. I am confused, very confused. You are nice to me. People are not usually nice to me like you are. I like you; I like being around you. When you said no, I thought I could stop thinking about it, but I can not, and I don't know why. I...I want to know, is it same for you?" Kaleeth looked at him with an uncertain expression. It was clear she was facing just as much inner turmoil as Janius.

[Muttonhawk]

Janius listened to Kaleeth, looking at her with his head angled forward. When she finished, he looked forward into the water and lifted his knees up to lean his arms upon them. He couldn't lie to her and say that he didn't feel the same way, else why had he been sitting in the water moping all night?

After a few moments, Janius replied, still facing the water. "Yes. It's the same for me." It sounded like Kaleeth-Rei either had not learned the words to articulate how she felt, or she simply had not fallen in love before. Janius had spotted it in her eyes a while back, but now it was confirmed, along with his own feelings. "I... think we've made a serious mistake, Kaleeth. I think we've fallen in love." Janius closed his eyes and bowed his head. Even if he had finally admitted the fact, it still felt hopeless to him. "Please forgive me, I should have put a stop to it earlier."

[EliteCommander]

"I...I not know." Kaleeth said, her emotions clouding her memory of the grammar Janius taught her. "This is all so confusing. I never wanted it to be like this. I know...you won't be here forever. You have the ritual, then you will be gone. I like you, I...love you, and I can't stop. I want to, but can't. In few days, you will be gone, and I can't stop it. I think we would be happy with each other. I not know for sure, but I think so. If we try to find out, I think it will hurt when you leave. I know it will hurt."

Kaleeth stopped for a moment and looked down to Janius with a hint of tears in her eyes. "But will it hurt more than never knowing at all?"

[Muttonhawk]

With his head bowed, Janius had to think carefully about Kaleeth's question. It seemed like she was having just as much trouble as he was. If it were up to Janius, he would have liked to either stay in the village, or have Kaleeth come with them. Both options were impossible as he well knew. Still, they had at least a couple of days. Would it really be worth staying apart during that time as if nothing was between them? Every second that he thought about how it was impossible only made his heart ache more. Having that ache sustained for so long while Kaleeth was in reach would be torture. It has been torture. She was right, leaving would hurt, but it would hurt either way. For now, though, they could enjoy what time they had.

After taking the time to weigh it up. Janius' head looked up slightly, then turned to Kaleeth sitting next to him. His face was still saddened, but it held some hope. "Do you think, maybe..." his eyes looked across to his arm, "...just for the time we have left, we could..." he paused, then looked at Kaleeth's eyes again "...pretend... that it won't hurt in the end? We could..." he swallowed and moved his arm around to stroke his fingers lightly across the side of her jaw, "...give in, and give it a chance?"

Even though he thought he was going back somewhat on his earlier decision, the rest of the day had been killing him with regret. He had been unfair because he wanted to protect his own feelings, and for what? More pain? When he looked into Kaleeth's eyes he saw reprieve from the sadness, and a chance to just be with her. Throughout the rest of the day, there was nothing else he wanted more. Even if they could just sit talking by the river until the sun came up, he would feel better.

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth was silent for a few moments as she thought. She put her hand on Janius', then took a deep breath. "I...do not know if I can pretend. I do not want to. I know this will not be easy, but I do not care."

Kaleeth removed her satchel and loincloth, then slipped into the water beside Janius. She put her arm around him, then looked at him with equal amounts of fear and longing. She was definitely scared, but she was also certain, and it showed in her expression. "I would regret more if I did nothing, and never learned what would happen." With that as her answer, she wrapped her arms around him more tightly and gave him her deepest kiss yet.

---

In the middle of the village, a figure walked, obscured by shadows. It walked with purpose, in utter silence. It peered through the cloth that served as the door for the common hut and observed which bedrolls were empty. Then, without a sound, it left just as quickly as it had arrived.

[Muttonhawk]

Without apprehension this time, Janius closed his eyes and returned the kiss, putting his arms around Kaleeth as well. It felt better this time, even with the caveat in the back of his mind that it would not last. When they pulled away, Janius opened his eyes and smiled. "I'm sorry that I yelled at you before." he said quietly, "I was upset, but I didn't realise until after how I really felt."

Carefully, Janius lowered himself and Kaleeth onto their side on the riverbank. He kissed her again, a smaller kiss this time, but one where they were both more relaxed. He ran his hand over her arm and thought for a moment. "I didn't think I would fall in love like this." He chuckled lightly, "Well, it's rarely planned anyway, I suppose."