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

[EliteCommander]

"If it makes sense to, I will. It is a training bow, so the arrows are blunt and it has less draw strength. You used a staff last time, yes? I heard you did very well against Wutanxeex last time, even with the poison. I know I can't beat him. I...am a bit nervous to fight you." Okun-Jei responded honestly. He did not seem nearly as hostile as Wutanxeex was, and he certainly did not appear like a person that would beat on an opponent who had surrendered.

Kaleeth appeared to be at least a bit unsure. Her interactions with her father over the past few days had been tense, or at least they were from her perspective. It could have been just her own worries clouding her perceptions. "He did not yell at me or anything. I think he is still angry at you though. I just don't know if he is angry at me. I am certain that he is...disappointed with me, but I don't know anything else. When we talk now, it is only for a few minutes about important things. I am almost done with my armor, so he is going to make me a full hunter soon. I...think he is still proud. It is hard to tell."

[Muttonhawk]

Nodding, Sabine bit at the inside of her mouth and glanced at the bow again. This Okun-Jei was completely different opponent. She wasn't expecting someone who would be scared to fight her. At least he didn't seem to be too aggressive like Wutanxeex. Sabine didn't know how to respond. To be honest, she didn't want to hurt Okun-Jei at all, but the terms of the trial were laid out such that she would have to. Well, if he gave up before Sabine was too affected by the poison, all the better. "I couldn't beat Wutanxeex either." Sabine lowered her head and replied, her volume requiring Tunxeek to lean in to hear her properly, "He kept hitting me when I was knocked over. Please do not do that."

"If he still cares about you like that, I think he will forgive you eventually." Janius said reassuringly. If Zharanthixil had decided to stay angry at Kaleeth, he likely would not be talking to her at all. "Even if time won't heal his old wounds, it will heal this one." Janius popped the last shred of his breakfast into his mouth and spoke a conclusion through his mouthful, "That's how people are."

In a teasing manner, Janius took his time with his last mouthful chewing until the meat dried out in his mouth. When he finally swallowed, he stood up and smiled at Kaleeth, extending a hand to help her up. "Alright, let's walk. We'll just need to go somewhere in the marsh out of sight for a few moments."

[EliteCommander]

Once Tunxeek translated, Okun started shaking his head. 'No, I wouldn't do that. Wutanxeex is already being punished for it, at least by the Treeminder and his parents. I probably wouldn't get the chance anyway. The Master-Hunter has not been training me for too long, though the Treeminder did say I was a good match from you. I guess we are close enough in experience. I was told not to give up until I can't fight anymore, but...could you not hit me when I am down too?"

Kaleeth took a deep breath. "I hope you are not wrong. I have never seen father act like this, so I just...don't know anymore. I have been too afraid to ask mother about it. I have not talked to her either, not in days. I just have to have hope."

When Janius finished his food, Kaleeth gave a renewed smile and took his hand."Okay, we can go out to our...usual place. It should be far enough, and if not, we can go farther." She said as they started to leave the village. She could hardly contain her excitement, even as the rainclouds started to form overhead. She didn't know what Janius had planned, but the mystery of it all was making her all the more excited.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine's mouth twitched at the translation of Okun-Jei's response. She nodded, "I won't, no."

Beforehand, Sabine had been getting more and more nervous about the fight. She was still a little uneasy, but now having talked to Okun, she felt a little better about it. They would have a fight, and it was still possible that Sabine could fail, but it would be more sufferable than getting her bones broken over and over. Before she forgot, Sabine unceremoniously turned away from Tunxeek and Okun-Jei to find the healer and get her new potions checked.

Tunxeek looked on, then turned to Okun. Okun and Tunxeek didn't know each other very well, even for living in the same village, but Tunxeek clarified Sabine's behaviour to him anyway. "It's okay, Sabine may act strangely, but I don't think she will hurt you any more than the fight requires."

---

Kaleeth and Janius reached their secluded spot hand in hand. There were already fond memories in this area, but this time Janius planned something different. He motioned for Kaleeth to stay standing where she was and took a few steps back. "I am going to transform, just warning you," Janius said, removing his belongings and clothing as he spoke, "I won't need to feed this time, I fed as a werewolf only a few days ago, so I should be lucid as a monk." As he finished his sentence, Janius stood up straight and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and then grunted in pain, his body cringing, but still standing. In the less than ten seconds of sickening snapping, cracking and warping, his body changed shape and sprouted a thick fur.

Once finished, he looked at the ground for a few moments leaning on his hands. He was breathing fast, but his demeanour calmed and his breathing quickly slowed. His wolfish head slowly looked up to Kaleeth, then slowly approached her, sniffing the air by habit. Kaleeth was not another werewolf, so Janius' beast spirit was still apprehensive, but not protesting at her presence. Janius turned his back to Kaleeth, brushing his tail against her ankles accidentally, and squatted to the ground. He turned his head to look behind at her and in a low, grumbling, growl tried to speak, "Jump onto my back. Hold on tight."

[EliteCommander]

While Sabine spoke to her opponent, Meesei found a quiet spot to sit down and relax. The fight was not set to begin for another few hours, but it could start early if everyone was ready. The only person not present was Thorantilth. He likely had other duties he needed to perform before he could join them. Meesei knew well that the position of Treeminder came with many responsibilities. The healer had began work approving Sabine's potions, so once that was finished, they could begin as soon as the Treeminder arrived.

Kaleeth wasn't as surprised as last time she saw Janius transform, but she was still in awe. Once he was fully in his wolf form, she walked alongside him and ran her hands across his fur coat. "You are so big as a werewolf. Strong muscles, sharp claws, scary teeth. It all looks so powerful, like a great predator. I see why you are all hunters. I wish I could be a powerful werewolf like you.." With a smile, Kaleeth leaned forward and kissed the side of his snout before reaching up and attempting to climb up on his back.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine waited patiently for the healer to inspect her brews. The stamina potion was passed quickly, as it was the same one as last time and had been unaltered. Though, the second potion took a while longer. Sabine was worried that perhaps the fortification effects might inadvertently counteract the poison, but in the end it was simply because of the complexity of the potion she had made. The healer wasn't expecting something like this and ended up having to ask Sabine through Tunxeek what ingredients and methods she used. Sabine answered and the healer eventually handed it back with an impressed look. It was accepted.

Knowing that the fight would not start until Thorantilth arrived at the very least, Sabine decided to seat herself down next to Meesei. Having nothing better to do, Tunxeek sat near her and invited Okun-Jei to do the same. Sabine glanced up at Okun and leaned towards Tunxeek to speak, "How old is Okun-Jei?"

Tunxeek blinked a couple of times. "I think he is the same as me, so... fourteen years? I don't know exactly." He looked up at Okun, "Hey Okun-Jei, how old are you?"

---

Janius blinked one eye as he received Kaleeth's kiss. Her words made his heart heavy with worry, but as long as she knew the consequences of becoming a werewolf as he had explained, she would not likely go down that path, even if she desired it. At least in what he intended to do, Kaleeth could at least experience some of it. It wasn't much, but it was a glimpse, as he had said.

Before Kaleeth quite got the opportunity to latch onto Janius' back properly, he leaned onto all fours and suddenly broke into a run. The moist air whistled past them as they sped across the mud and dirt at a blistering speed. The only particular direction he went was away from the village, but he made sure to maintain his sense of direction. He negotiated various obstacles as he ran through the marsh with Kaleeth holding on. He brushed through tree branches, clambered and jumped over rocks and logs, all as fast as he could. A small pool of water ahead was leaped over by Janius in a single bound. The next one was too large, forcing him to dive straight in with such speed that by the time he surfaced he was at the other side and splashed up the bank to keep running. He was now completely drenched, but refreshed at the same time. It did not break his focus. His entire world only perceived the sights in front of him, the smells rushing by, and the sound of his fast but consistent breathing. Whether Kaleeth protested or not was not something he was paying heed to. Of course he made sure not to maneuver in such a way that Kaleeth would fall off, but he didn't make it easy for her to hang on either.

Janius spotted a short dead tree ahead and took the opportunity in his run to slow down a little, redirect his momentum, and climb up to a bough to look at his surroundings from a vantage point. There were various smells in the air, but the predominant one was imminent humidity. It smelled overwhelmingly like it was about to rain. He angled his head to try and check on Kaleeth, but he couldn't see her face clearly.

[EliteCommander]

"Fourteen, like you." Okun answered promptly to Tunxeek when he asked.As Tunxeek relayed the information to Sabine, the storm that had been brewing overhead finally began, first as a light sprinkle, then as a solid thunderstorm. For the moment, the rain was moderately strong, though it could certainly become even more of a downpour. However, none of the Argonians present gave any real reaction and continued with what they were doing just as they had been before.

After a few minutes, Thorantilth finally arrived after performing his required duties. He had not expected to see Meesei and Sabine so soon, but he greeted them politely all the same. "Good morning to the both of you. I see you decided to arrive early. If you have already made all of your preparations, we could go ahead and begin, unless there is something else you wish to do first?" He asked, also repeating the question in Jel to Okun.

---

With how quick and agile Janius was, Kaleeth had a tough time keeping a hold of him. She felt like her claws were digging into his skin, even if it was too thick for them to puncture. The constant ducking and weaving between trees and bushes made it difficult for her to get oriented, but nevertheless, she was thoroughly impressed with his capabilities. She had seen his strength in the fight with the wamasu, and now she was experiencing his speed. It seemed like everything about him became superior in this form. She could see why people would be afraid of werewolves, but the kind of power they held was undeniable. If werewolves were not aggressive towards each other, she wondered why everyone didn't just take on that power, instead of trying to hunt the ones who had it. Certainly, this demonstration was causing her to look upon the condition more favorably, not to mention the enjoyment from the adrenaline rush he was giving her.

As Janius came to a halt, they were both soaking wet from diving through the pond, and it did not look like they were going to dry off anytime soon, as it began to rain shortly afterwards. It started out light enough, but became much heavier after only a few minutes. A loud crack of thunder did startle Kaleeth for a moment, though the rain did not bother her in the slightest. LIke most Argonians, she enjoyed the feeling of the moisture on her scales. Kaleeth loosened her grip now that they were stopped, then climbed off for a moment to stretch her legs. She walked around in front of him, completely without fear, and gave him a hug around his neck. "Thank you for doing this. I really like your werewolf form. I bet it makes you a really strong hunter."

[Muttonhawk]

"Yes, fourteen years," Tunxeek confirmed. Sabine nodded and looked forward as the rain began to surge. The Argonians didn't seem to mind it, and she wasn't too phased either. It was only rain. It might make the fight a bit slippery with the mud, that was the only thing. That and how thick the air became to breath in all the warm humidity. For the tropical marsh being warm all the time the rain really did just trade one annoyance for another. With the noise of the rain, Sabine didn't feel like talking anymore. She just brought her knees up to her chest and waited for Thorantilth.

It wasn't too long before the Treeminder came along. When he asked whether they had anything else they wanted to do, Sabine simply found her staff to use again and waited silently for Okun-Jei.

---

Before responding, Janius decided to hold Kaleeth to his chest while she hugged him and climb down from the tree bough with his free arm so neither of them would slip off with the rain. He felt heavy with the moisture in his fur, but Kaleeth didn't react to the rain at all. As for what she had said, Janius smiled internally. "I thought this would be fun." Janius said in his low voice, before lowering himself down to his haunches for a quick rest and to bring his head level to Kaleeth's. They would continue to run again soon, but for now they could wait as long as nothing bothered them. "It gives strength, yes. Remember what I said, though. There are downsides. I wanted to share this with you, without the downsides. If only for a morning."

Another flash in the distance followed shortly after by rolling claps of thunder distracted Janius for a moment, but he looked at Kaleeth again. "Is there a tree or a rock somewhere that you always wanted to stand atop? I might carry you up it today."

[EliteCommander]

Since it seemed like Sabine was ready, Okun slung his bow over his shoulder and picked up his spear. He took his place opposite Sabine and looked at her uneasily, clearly nervous about the fight. He had been in practice fight before, but not something as important as this. Thorantilth pulled the trial poison out of his satchel, then walked over and gave it to Sabine.

"Just like last time, once you drink the poison, the fight will begin. It will continue until one fighter submits, or until I end the fight." He explained before stepping aside to get out of the way of the combatants.

---

Kaleeth looked down at the ground as Janius spoke. "I know there are a lot of bad things with it..." She began, looking up just enough that she could make eye contact with him. "...but maybe the good things are better? Maybe it is worth it?"

With the claps of thunder and Janius' last question, Kaleeth refocused her attention on the area around them. Her village moved across Black Marsh, but since they usually stopped in the same locations, she was familiar with the areas around most of them. Especially as a hunter, she was able to explore wide sections of the marsh, so there really wasn't anything around that she had not seen. However, the same was not true for Janius. She guessed there would be plenty of places he would like to see. "I have been all over this place. How about you take us to where you think would be fun. I want to see what you want to see." She responded while gently scratching behind his ears.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine placed one end of her staff on the ground, leaned it against her front and took the poison from Thorantilth. Before she drank it, she held it under her arm and swigged down her fortification potion. When she got to the poison, she felt more ready than she had ever been for this trial. She snatched up her staff and held it forward in a guard stance, focussing on Okun.

Part of Sabine felt sorry for Okun, she could relate to his nervousness. At the same time though, to know that her opponent was as fearful as she was seemed oddly reassuring. This time, Sabine decided to strike first. Lauching off from one foot, she raised her staff over her head and feinted a swing at Okun's side, before stopping it and swinging around to his other side. Already, she felt her potion giving her swifter and finer control of her movements. That would be overcome by the poison over time, but she intended to press every advantage she had.

---

Involuntarily, Janius perked his ears and twisted his head in the direction of Kaleeth's scratching about an eighth of a turn. For some reason it felt nice, as if an itch was being scratched that he hadn't noticed until now. How did she know to scratch behind his ears if she didn't know what a dog was? A lucky guess, maybe.

Janius had to pause for a moment to think of where to go. His thoughts were mostly distracted by Kaleeth's hopeful comments. It was clear that she wanted to try being a werewolf. That made Janius wonder whether what he was doing was only encouraging her, that perhaps this wasn't a good idea after all. Janius decided that, when it would be more appropriate, he would make it clear what Kaleeth would be giving up. She may be disillusioned with her family, but that would pass. If she had given them up by then she would regret it more than Janius could justify.

After a while, a memory came across Janius' mind from their first day in the village. The corners of his mouth curled upwards as he looked up at the rain. "There is a grove of trees that I saw when the pack was travelling here. I believe it is outside of the hunters' patrols, but... they would be good for running through the air." Careful not to dig into Kaleeth with his claws, Janius picked her up almost effortlessly and helped her onto his back again. As before, he bolted off as fast as he could, now making far more splashes in the new newly formed rain and mud. He was going in a certain direction this time. It was harder to navigate by scent in such heavy rain, but Janius knew the general direction he was headed.

Eventually they came by the grove that Janius mentioned. It was merely a part of the marsh that was a more densely packed set of trees. Most of them were mangrove-like trees that sat in a consisent and huge body of water. Janius leaped onto the trunk of the first tree he saw and climbed up to its middle branches. Running through the air, as Janius liked to call it, was merely jumping between tree branches fluidly amongst the mangrove. It was something he didn't get to do often as not many places were suitable for it, but it was one of his favourite things in wolf form. It combined the strength and agility of the beast spirit with his own judgement of whether the branches would hold his weight and the path ahead to take. In this mangrove-like body of trees, jumping over a void that was over rain-churned water filled with any sorts of hidden creatures only made it more invigorating.

After mapping out much of the patch in his mind, he found the tallest tree and climbed to the top of the canopy as far as the branches would hold him. There, as he had hoped, he found a verdant view of the tops of the trees. The green leaves glinting with the rain pouring onto them. From here he could see further across the flat marsh than most places. Even though the clouds greyed and darkened the view from above, patches of mist and fog were visible weaving amongst the foliage, painting eerie streaks of white through the dark green and brown marshland. Of all of the treetop views he had seen, this one was unique to Janius.

"This is what I wanted to see," Janius said while panting his breath back. In a distant part of the marsh, a fork of lightning flashed briefly. The thunder came many moments afterward and was quieter than the other claps, but it was mesmerising all the same. "Here, we can watch the storm if you like." Janius carefully seated himself on the branch while holding onto the trunk. He helped Kaleeth-Rei off his back and onto his lap where he could hold onto her without her slipping from the branch or digging into his back. He glanced down at her and chuckled slowly, "Have you been in this place before?"

[EliteCommander]

Okun readied his spear to block Sabine strike, but he fell for the feint and was struck hard in the side by her staff. He was quite surprised with how much pain the blow delivered. Despite her size and appearance, she could hit really hard. He recoiled back, but was able to jump back enough to avoid any follow up strikes. He readied his spear in an offensive position, but remained outside her range for a moment while he tried to think. What advantage could he press? The poison had not really kicked in yet, so she wasn't too debilitated. She was strong, and her staff had just as much reach as his spear. He wished he would have gone with a staff, as he had to be careful with his spear. The spearhead was blunted to the point that a sizable gash with a normal spear would be little more than a scratch with his, but he still needed to be cautious. Following her example, he started to lunge forward, but them moved to slash at her legs to sweep them out from under her. If he could trip her to the ground...he wasn't sure what he would do. He was improvising at this point.

---

Just as before, Kaleeth held on tightly as Janius ran, but once he started to climb up a tree, she held on with a death grip. Not only was it more difficult to hold on, but...she wasn't especially comfortable with heights. Actually, she was terrified of them. As he jumped from branch to branch, moving higher towards the canopy, she closed her eyes and just focused on holding onto his fur. She tried not to think about the fact that they were climbing higher than she had ever been and just paid attention to the feeling of the rain gliding across her waterproof scales. His fur was nice and moist, so that felt good as well. Anything that could get her mind off of the possibility of falling to her death, she thought about.

Eventually, Janius came to a halt at the top of one of the trees and moved her from his back to his lap. The lack of movement was helpful to get her to at least open her eyes. With how thick the canopy was, she couldn't even see the ground, which she considered a blessing. After all, it was possible they might not even be that high up, or at least that is what she told herself. She was still shaking unconsciously a bit, but she tried to hide her nervousness as much as she could. Janius was being nice, and she did not want to ruin their good time. It was a romantic location with a scenic view, and between being with Janius, the freedom they had to be away from the village, and the rain, it was a perfect day. She was being held safely within Janius' powerful werewolf arms, so there was no way she was going to fall. Looking up, she gave him a kiss on the end of his snout and smiled. "We can stay as long as you want. I just like being with you. Maybe you can tell me more about being a werewolf? Is it hard to talk?"

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine tried for a swing at Okun's lower right after striking him, but he was able to leap away and recover. Sabine stood tensed and focussed for Okun's next move, which at first appeared to be a lunge straight at her body. Sabine positioned to deflect the thrust, but merely deflected the air as Okun's spear suddenly swung for her legs. In a reflexive reaction that would have been impossible if not for her potion, she was able to jump Okun's spear before the hit her legs and caused him to overswing. In a counterattack, Sabine stepped forward, pulled her left hand back and swung her staff diagonally down with her right hand at Okun's shoulder. She appeared to have the upper hand, but she was close to overextending.

---

Janius just assumed that the reason for Kaleeth's shaking was because of the adrenaline. He had no idea she was afraid of heights. Still, looking back at Kaleeth, Janius nudged his snout against hers playfully after she kissed it, then looked across to the flashes of lightning in the distance. The rain started to slow from a torrent to a shower, so he didn't have to speak too loudly. "Talking is very difficult at first. You have a different mouth, tongue and throat, so at first all you know how to do is whine, bark, growl, and howl." Janius let out a low and short laugh through his nose, "If it weren't for practicing with the pack, I probably would not know how to talk well at all in this form. When hunting, though, Meesei talks to us like a wolf would. She uses gestures and small sounds. Talking like that is much easier, but limited." Janius had been one for so long that not much else came up beyond what he had already told her. He looked down at her again, "I am happy to speak to answer any other questions you have. It is no trouble."

[EliteCommander]

Nothing Okun tried seemed to be working. She was fighting aggressively from the start, likely to end it before the poison could fatigue her. She seemed to just be better with polearms, and there was no way he could put enough distance between them to use his bow. When her staff struck his shoulder, not only did he wince in pain, but one of his feet slid through a mud puddle, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground.

Since fighting with their weapons clearly wasn't working, Okun decided to try something different. As soon as he hit the ground, he tried reaching out to grab her ankles. If he could get her on the ground too, maybe he would do better in trying to grapple her...somehow. Her strength would not play in his advantage.

---

"Oh, so it is like being a animal at first. It sounds frustrating, but I guess you had your friends to help you. All of you seem like a happy family, like my village. You would probably like it in the village, and I would probably like it with your friends. We all seem to live the same way." Kaleeth commented. She was avoiding looking out over the canopy at all, and instead focusing on Janius' eyes. They were different from his normal eyes, as they were amber with slitted pupils like her own eyes, instead of the round Human pupils. They seemed fitting for a powerful predator.

"Other than the people who hunt you, what is bad about being a werewolf? It seems like it makes you very strong. Any hunter would love to be able to do what you can do. I would." Kaleeth asked.

[Muttonhawk]

All the movement served to quicken the poison into Sabine's head and limbs. As early as she saw Okun's attempt to grab her ankles, she couldn't quite dodge back before he got a firm grip. As helpless and desperate as Okun-Jei was in his position, Sabine had promised not to hit him while he was down, so she refrained from trying anything but pulling her foot free. Not only was she unsuccessful in this, but Okun managed to pull with enough force that Sabine's feet both lost traction in the mud. Her back found the ground in a similar splat of mud to Okun's fall.

Being in no position to get up unless Okun let go, Sabine tried to kick at him with her free foot to get him off.

---

Another flash of lightning brightened the landscape and Janius sighed and nodded. Their families did seem to live very similarly. It made it ironic that their paths had to diverge.

Janius held Kaleeth slightly closer and looked down, thinking on how to articulate an answer to Kaleeth's next question. She seemed so small when he was in this form, but she still had her charm in Janius' eyes. He wished things could be different. "There is much more to the world than hunting, Kaleeth. Becoming a werewolf means you give up on so much. You cannot live with other civilizations, whether it be an Argonian village, an Imperial city, or even an Orcish stronghold. The only reason we are welcome in your village is because our condition is secret, and they never last for long." Janius looked at Kaleeth with lament in his eyes, "I often did not like my birth family. It took me a long time to realise that I liked the pack more, but it took me even longer to realise how much I missed my mother and father. Because of this condition, I can never see them again. They would not accept me and my way of life. They think I am dead."

Janius closed his eyes and shook his head, this was all Kaleeth knew already. She needed to know other, more immediately impactful things, "There is, of course, another detail that might affect you more than it did myself. If you are a werewolf, your soul is bound to Hircine, the daedric prince of the hunt. When a werewolf dies, its soul, bound with its beast spirit, goes to Hircine's eternal hunting grounds. There, you hunt or are hunted for all eternity alongside Hircine's pack, if you are found worthy. Paradise to some, but a sacrifice." Janius opened his eyes, "For me, Arkay will not carry my soul into a new life, but for you, when you die... you will never hear the Hist again."

[EliteCommander]

While Okun still felt that he was falling behind, he had at least managed to pull Sabine to the ground as well. Since they were both on the ground, it was fair to fight, and he definitely felt the effects of that when he was kicked in the head. Neither of them were really able to use their weapons at this point, but Okun still wasn't in an advantageous position. Getting up onto his hands and knees, Okun quickly tried to crawl towards her and grapple her. If he could get his arms around her neck, maybe he could force a submission? Of course, with all the mud, and with a disadvantage in physical strength, how he was going to do that was beyond him.

---

"Oh..." Kaleeth began, though her voice quickly trailed off. She rested her head against Janius' chest and tried to think about what she should do. The idea was not out of her mind, but she was very conflicted. No choice she could make seemed to lead to a good outcome. For a few moments, she simply tried to enjoy the feeling of the rain against her scales, a part of her wishing that all of her troubles could just vanish. What was the point of all of this if they were going to be torn apart so soon? And what was the point of continuing with her normal life if she couldn't be with the only person she had ever really cared about in this way? At this point, she was not choosing what she felt would be best for her, but rather what would destroy her life the least.

"Well...what are the good parts?" Kaleeth asked, trying to at least see all sides of the issue.

[Muttonhawk]

Even though Sabine managed to land a foot on Okun's head, he didn't seem to relent. He was too close to use her staff, so she let go of it for the moment. As he made a move to try and get at Sabine's upper body, she sat up, her head already heavy and overbalancing from the poison, and grabbed at his arms before he could strike or grapple her. Sabine could barely see with the rain in her eyes, but with all her might and bared teeth, she resisted him and managed to get on one knee. Slowly, Sabine pushed Okun back enough that she was over him. She had a clear shot to knee his chin, but again, Sabine was fair. She aimed further down to his chest to knock the wind from him, hoping to turn the tide enough to wrestle and pin him to the ground.

---

By Kaleeth's reaction, Janius' reasoning had the desired discouraging effect. He wondered why he didn't think to mention it sooner with how important the Hist was to Argonians. It would be something for her to think on and hopefully second guess her desire to become a werewolf.

As for explaining the better parts, Janius thought for a moment whether he wanted to risk encouraging her even further. Perhaps it was a wave of selfishness or absent mindedness, but he thought it only fair to share the upsides too. Besides, he wanted to brighten the mood a bit. "Well, your pack becomes your close family, as well as your friends. We travel much, so I have seen more of Tamriel than I ever thought I would in my life. You don't have to worry about disease, though that's nothing new for someone like you," Janius paused to chuckle, "You can live for yourself and the pack, without the expectations of any society. That was a big relief for me from Imperial culture. You can hunt great beasts. Be an unstoppable force of nature as part of your pack. Strong, swift, enduring. Living in the wilds means you see and learn many new things. Having wealth is a non-issue, and finding food is rarely an issue. Amongst my pack in particular, as well, you can aspire to improve yourself and achieve great things. It will not likely win you fame, but you nonetheless can strive for personal achievement. Hunting a particular beast, winning the favour of Hircine, travelling, mostly whatever you want." Janius lowered his head, but not in sadness, "As for me, I am just satisfied to have great friends and family. They are honest and sincere, and we take care of each other. Such was not the case with my old life, which was why I was ultimately able to leave it behind."

Janius looked at Kaleeth directly, or as well as he could while she was leaning on his chest. He decided to stop playing games and get to the heart of the matter. "I can see that you are weighing up if you want to join the pack. I would want nothing more for you to come with me, Kaleeth, if it weren't a big issue for you. I have been warning you against it because to rush into something like this would only cause you pain and regret. I cannot force you to decide either way, but just remember that you still have a loving family and a wonderful life in the village. If you joined us, you would be giving that all up forever, even the Hist. I couldn't bear to see you torn apart in such a way."

[EliteCommander]

Okun could not breathe for a few moments after Sabine's strike. The sudden reversal left her in an advantageous position, and himself confused. She had both of his arms and was pinning him to the ground. Luckily, he was on his back, as if he was on his stomach, she would probably be able to pull back his arms and force him to submit. Still, he was out of breath and at an altogether terrible disadvantage. He tried to struggle to get his arms free of her, but even with the mud and rain, he couldn't shake her grasp. As a last ditch effort, he tried to put as much force as he could to pushing her off of him so he could roll onto her and give himself the advantage, but with her strength, he did not hold much hope of succeeding.

---

Kaleeth kept her head lowered for a few moments before looking up at Janius meekly. "I...not know what I want." Most parts of the life Janius described sounded great, apart from the separation from the Hist, but she knew she loved her life in the village as well. None of the other downsides really bothered her too much. She didn't care about living among civilizations, other than her own, and the village was always in danger just as Janius' family was. The physical capabilities of werewolves seemed amazing, but that was less of a factor in her decision than the ability to be with Janius. Everything she could choose involved giving up something and someone. The whole situation was almost too much for her to bear.

"I just don't know; I can't think. There is so much to think about. Both choices will take me from more than one thing that I love. I...am already torn apart, I just want to know what to pick to put myself back together more. If...if I joined you, what would happen?" Kaleeth asked, with a hint of desperation in her voice. The indecision, more than anything, was what was tearing her apart.

[Muttonhawk]

The rain wasn't the only thing that was causing Sabine's vision to blur. Now the poison had progressed to making her actively dizzy. A lapse in her concentration allowed Sabine to be shifted by Okun-Jei's next effort, sending her partway rolled over before she regained her senses. She had to let go and plant one arm against the ground to stop herself being rolled onto her back, but it gave some space for Okun to lash out while she regained her balance. In order to preserve her advantage, Sabine braced to take whatever would come of the opening and planned then to try and stand to pull Okun around to his back. Everything was slippery though, it was a chance for Okun to escape.

---

"Kaleeth..." Janius ran his hand down her back, sorry to see her upset. He looked away to think, still stroking her comfortingly, then looked into her eyes with sympathy. "If you joined us, you would come with us while we travel. You would leave your village and might never see it again. You would have to say goodbye to your father Zharanthixil, your mother, Reanaseer the Elder, the Treeminder Thorantilth, everyone. It will be hard then. It will be saddening for a long time. Depending on how you adapt to our way of life, which for you may not be so hard, you will eventually accept it. However, from time to time you will feel dreadfully homesick. I think everyone in the pack does, even myself." Janius looked out at the storm again, "Only you have the answer, but know that either road you take-" He looked down at the vines that ran over her body, then to her eyes, "-you will survive. You are resilient, remember? Whether for me or your village, you might regret, but that will not last forever." Another flash of lightning engulfed them both, and amongst the thunder that rolled afterwards, Janius made one last suggestion. "You say that you have not talked to your mother in days? Perhaps speak to her. I would rather that you not mention the detail about being a werewolf, but talking to her may help you to decide I think."

[EliteCommander]

Okun had not expected to have any success, but he somehow managed to push her off of him, at least mostly. She was still right beside him, and still very much a threat. He had to act quick, to hit her hard enough to throw her off balance and allow him to really get a good hold of her. Unlike Wutanxeex, he didn't want to hurt her, so he actively avoided the head and instead tried to deliver a strong punch to her stomach. Instead of retaliating quickly as he expected, however, Sabine braced defensively. As Okun wound up for his punch, she moved her arm in the way so that his fist deflected off of her forearm into her stomach, instead of a direct hit. While her arm probably hurt, it reduced the overall force of his blow, meaning he had now left himself open and had nothing to show for it.

---

Upon Janius' suggestion, Kaleeth stared ahead, deep in thought. Even one who could not understand more subtle Argonian expressions would be able to tell she was conflicted. There were aspects of this situation she had not even thought about, and honestly, really did not like thinking about. "I...can't even imagine talking about this to mother or father, but...I will have to. The Treeminder, I don't know what he will say. I know my path through the river is my own, he will probably say the same. It's just...sometimes the waters are cloudy and the way is unclear. Sometimes, people do not understand the path the Hist want for them. It's just...could the Hist's path for me really make me separate from them? I mean...your friend Meesei, she said she is following her path faithfully, right? Does she believe being a werewolf is what the Hist wants from her? Or do you not know?"

[Muttonhawk]

Okun's strike came came easier than Sabine expected, but from his position he didn't have the leverage to do much damage. She was glad that she had decided to try block it, as if not then he might have caught her on her recently fixed rib and broken it again before it could perfectly recover. In any case, Sabine now stood over Okun with a firm grip on one of his arms and he no longer had the space to wriggle free. Just as planned, Sabine tugged hard on his arm with all her strength, pulling him up to his side, then she brought her weight down upon him, twisting his arm so that he was pinned with his chest to the ground. She had first intended to do so with her knee pressing into his back, but with how disoriented she was becoming she settled for just landing her entire body on his torso.

She held onto his arm and kept him on the ground as best as she could. It was only in that pause that she noticed how quickly she was breathing. If she kept holding on, maybe Okun would submit before Sabine lost all of her energy to the poison.

---

Janius rolled one shoulder and tried to recall Meesei's stance. "I think Meesei still respects the Hist, and still hears them. That's what she said to me. She has accepted that she will go to the hunting grounds when she dies though. She is a fervent worshipper of Hircine, I think she would like nothing more than to be by his side when she dies." Janius' brow lowered slightly, "But I think, from the sound it, it was her own decision. I am unsure, you would have to ask her yourself." His face relaxed, "I think she is a very different person to you. She became a werewolf for different reasons. Still, some circumstances were similar. Perhaps it would help if you were to talk to her as well. She is a wiser person than myself."