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

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth did not say anything aloud for fear of her father hearing; he was already scowling at Janius for hugging her. Instead, she simply nodded, then let go of him. She found herself both excited and reluctant at the same time to follow her father to his hut, but nevertheless, she walked home alongside him. If Janius was right, she wouldn't have to worry about the beast for a while, but that did not stop her from being afraid of herself. Her mother embraced her as soon as she stepped foot into their hut, which brought up emotions that brought Kaleeth to tears. Her parents assumed it was because she was seeing them again after her ordeal, but the real cause of her pain was the fact that she would not be able to see them again. Looking at her mother and knowing this was going to be one of the last times she saw her face was one of the most painful experiences she had ever been through, and even worse, she would have to tell them about her "decision" soon enough. For the moment, however, all she wanted was to eat, get herself cleaned up, and above all, rest.

One by one, the hunting parties returned over the course of the next few hours. Meesei and Sabine's group was among the last. When they stepped into the common hut, Meesei's first thought was that no one had managed to locate Kaleeth, as Janius' mood was not what she would have expected if he had succeeded. She approached the group and sat down near her bedroll. "I am afraid we were not able to find her. I do not suppose anyone else had more success?"

[Muttonhawk]

As the other search parties returned, Janius informed the pack members that they were successful in finding Kaleeth, but he didn't recount all of the events, simply telling them that he'd tell everyone once the pack was gathered. Janius was somewhat disappointed that he had to wait the longest for Meesei, as her wisdom was something he desperately needed to tap into here, but he was patient enough to wait.

With the pack now gathered, Janius replied to Meesei. He sat down on his bedroll with one knee up and an elbow leaned against it. His expression was worried and contemplative, but not hopeless like it was this morning. "Zharanthixil and I found her. She's in her parent's hut now, recovering." Janius looked up at Meesei, "There was a...complication. I don't exactly know how to put this, so I'll just retell what happened."

Janius crossed his legs and looked around to everyone. Fendros put down what he was doing and leaned in to listen. He was wondering what exactly was on Janius' mind since he heard that the search was a success, but his suspicions were not conclusive. Sabine sat down next to Meesei, looking and thinking similarly to Fendros, though without as much context. Janius began, looking to the ground in the middle of the gathered pack, "The search party I was a part of looked along a river, as that was a sort of landmark that Kaleeth might have used to get home. It took a while, but we managed to find a trail. Something else was in the air as well. We found Kaleeth in the mud, thin and crying, but unharmed. We got her up, all relieved and ready to take her back, but she was scared about something and ran off. We ran after her, but..." Janius curled his lips in pause, "I was the only one who could keep up with her, that was the first thing."

Fendros' eyes looked to others in the pack. Perhaps his suspicions were true, though not in the order he had thought. He had suspected that Janius might have infected her by mistake somehow.

"She eventually gave up the chase, collapsing over," Janius continued, before stopping to lean to see the common hut door in case of any eavesdroppers. "She began to transform. I had thought at that point that she had somehow became a werewolf, but the last words that she said were 'I am not a werewolf'. She didn't grow fur, or any wolf features for that matter. I'm fairly confident that she was a werecrocodile. I hadn't seen one before, but it fit the description. She was big. Bigger than me, even in my wolf form. I stripped down and transformed to keep track of her. She had enough control not to attack me, but she ran off to hunt." Janius shuddered as the crocodile Kaleeth had found flashed in his minds eye. "She found a fully grown crododile and preyed on it. Her jaws...crushed the thing in half. I can't get it out of my mind. Once she was done eating, she transformed back to Argonian form and I went to take her back to the village. She protested, she was of course scared she would hurt someone, but I assured her that she had another day at least before she would transform again. In any case, she implored me to keep her secret safe, so I took a detour and headed back to my equipment. Zharanthixil had found it first, so I had to lie and say I needed to swim faster by taking it off. I think he might have believed me but he is still suspicious. Until now I think her and myself are the only ones who know about her lycanthropy." Janius looked up at everyone, having finished his recount, "I asked her to come along to the common hut when she was ready. I don't know how exactly to treat this situation. She's not a werewolf, so...whether she would be appropriate for the pack, I don't know. I think it's only fair that we help her to manage her condition, however. I was thinking that she could come with us at least to Stormhold, she won't slow us down, and I fear what might become of her if we don't help her."

Once enough time had passed that it was clear Janius had finished, Fendros spoke up. "How exactly did she become infected? Is there a werecrocodile in the area?"

"I don't know," Janius responded, shaking his head, "She was distraught and tired, so it didn't seem as important at the time as helping her home. I was going to ask her what happened in her journey when she arrives."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei couldn't say she was pleased to hear the news Janius brought. If the situation wasn't complicated enough already, now this was happening. There was no way she could see this ending pleasantly. "It is difficult to say at present what will come of this. I do not know what will happen in the end with her, but it is clear she cannot remain here. I could not in good conscious leave her alone, so she can join us, at least for now. I have some knowledge on werecrocodiles. They are very strong and durable, if a bit clumsy. Behavior wise, they are more independent than we are, but of course, Kaleeth's own mind would also influence her behavior. I believe it would be more difficult for her to...integrate with us than normal."

Ahnasha found herself strangely nervous at the prospect of bringing Kaleeth along. She didn't have anything against her personally, but a feral werecrocodile was not something to underestimate. Without pack instincts, she could go berserk and attack. Normally, she wouldn't feel too nervous about going head-to-head with an untrained lycan, but in her current state, she was vulnerable. Kaleeth could easily injure, or even kill her by accident. "I...am not sure I like this. It seems like it will be dangerous to have someone nearby who could lose control at any moment and have no instincts preventing her from trying to kill us. I don't know if I would be able to protect myself."

"Very true, we will need to keep a close eye on her. Since she did not attack you, Janius, I assume her mind is at least strong enough for her to be around you safely. That means you will be in charge of training her, at least at first. We will also need to leave very soon. We have already been here longer than I planned, and we need to get to Stormhold as soon as we can. The rainy season is coming up, if it isn't here already. That might cause some delays on our journey to the city; floods could be a real issue. Any ground we can make now will help if we end up getting held up along the way. Kaleeth can rest for today, but we need to leave tomorrow morning. I...cannot imagine her parents will be pleased to hear that."

[Muttonhawk]

Janius contemplated the idea of being responsible for someone for once. It was a little foreign to him, but fitting seeing as this was mostly his fault. He felt it weighing down on him particularly hard in light of Ahnasha, but there didn't seem to be any perfect solution. Janius would just have to trust in his ability to teach, and Kaleeth's resolve. "I'll do my very best." Janius responded.

Perhaps against his further judgement, Fendros made a suggestion to the group, in response to Ahnasha's concerns. "Sabine, would it perhaps be possible to make some of Ariel's suppression gas, just in case?"

Sabine's eyes shot to him and she felt a wave of fear run through her. She quickly shook her head. "I...can't make it." Sabine said with a tense apprehension, "But, we shouldn't anyway. If we do that, the beast spirit will only come back worse. It is...not calming for it, it only cages it. Please, don't."

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. We won't do that." Fendros blinked and looked down guiltily. He perhaps should have thought more before saying such a thing. Even after the ritual, Sabine was still visibly affected by some things it seemed.

With reassurance, Janius addressed Ahnasha, "It may be difficult, I think, but I will make sure that she doesn't lose control near any of us." Janius rubbed one side of his head and faced Meesei, "In any case, thank you, Meesei, for giving her this chance. I know this isn't optimal, or even safe. We're going out of our way for this. I feel as though it was my mistakes that brought this about, but..." he stopped and sighed through his nose, "...the way things have turned out, Kaleeth is going to need all the help she can get."

[EliteCommander]

After getting something to eat and washing up, Kaleeth spent most of the rest of the day asleep. In fact, it wasn't until after nightfall that she finally awoke. She wished she would have awoken to her father telling her that it was all a nightmare, that the last few months were just a dream, that her brother was still alive and she was still just a regular Argonian. Alas, she knew that was not the case. She had not yet told her parents she was leaving, and until she had spoken to Janius and his friends, she didn't plan on it. She still did not know what they planned on doing with her since she wasn't a werewolf like them.

As quietly as she could Kaleeth slipped out of her parents' hut and walked over to the common hut. Most of the people inside were already asleep, including most of the pack, but both Janius and Meesei were still awake. Kaleeth approached nervously, not exactly sure how to begin. Meesei easily saw how nervous she was, so without a word, she stood up from her bedroll and motioned for the other two to follow her outside. Before leaving the hut, Kaleeth, glanced at Janius with fear in her eyes. She was stressed to the point that she could hardly think straight, so she hoped Janius would be able to help her through the conversation.

[Muttonhawk]

"Kaleeth...?" Janius whispered. As soon as he recognised Kaleeth's silhouette in the door, he stood up. He had been staying up anxiously, wondering if she wouldn't see her until tomorrow. Even though Kaleeth looked nervous, Janius stepped over to her and hugged her, holding one palm against the back of her head and kissing her on the cheek as they pulled away. Meesei quickly caught his eye and he followed her outside. "Come," he whispered, looking back at Kaleeth with a reassuring smile and leading her by her hand. She looked especially scared, but Janius believed that she would calm herself once she began to talk with them.

Once the three were out of the way, they could begin. "So, I had a talk to Meesei, and the rest of the pack," Janius started slowly, not quite cheerfully, but not solemnly either, "We've agreed that if we just left you here, it would be too dangerous. You could end up seriously injuring or killing someone without wanting to. However, Ahnasha is still due to give birth soon, and we have to make haste for Stormhold so we can find instruction on how to deliver her child." Janius breathed in uneasily, "Meesei has tasked me with teaching you how to control your beast spirit. That means you will be coming with us when we leave tomorrow." At this point, Janius looked down and took on a remorseful expression, "I can't guarantee that you will be able to return to the village, but it is better to be away from them than to hurt them. I'm sorry. If there is anything more you would like to know, don't be afraid to ask."

Janius very much wanted to get to the explanation of Kaleeth's turning, but he was well aware how much of an impact this moment held. He let the fact sink in, ready to try and comfort her if she needed it. Besides, Meesei probably had something to add as well.

[EliteCommander]

"T-tomorrow?" Kaleeth questioned, her expression becoming even more distressed. "You mean after tomorrow I...won't be able to come back here again? I'll have to tell my parents, I'll need to talk to my friends, the Treeminder, the Elder...are you sure we have to leave tomorrow? It is so soon; I won't have time to say goodbye to anyone. I'm just not ready yet."

Meesei shook her head lightly. "I am sorry, Kaleeth, but we have stayed as long as we possibly can. I already expect it to be difficult to reach Stormhold in time. If we do not leave tomorrow morning, we may end up causing undue harm to Ahnasha and her child. I can give you some time tomorrow morning to say your goodbyes, but little beyond that." Meesei said apologetically. Unfortunately, there was no way she could justify staying any longer.

"O-okay. I guess I will be able to say my goodbyes and..." Kaleeth began, her voice trailing off as tears formed in her eyes. She thought about her parents, her friends, and the rest of her family that was the village. She thought about every sacrifice that her father had made in raising her, all the love and care her mother provided no matter what the circumstance. She thought about all the history lessons and stories Thorantilth had given her. No matter how busy he was, he always found time for the hatchlings. She thought about how all of that was going to be lost to her in under a day's time, and there was nothing she could do about it.

[Muttonhawk]

"I wish things could be different, Kaleeth." Janius reached and ran his hand across Kaleeth's back, being there for her. For a moment, Janius considered suggesting to Kaleeth that she explain her lycanthropy to her parents so they might better understand why she has to leave so suddenly. Unfortunately, no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't think of the right way to word it. The more he thought about it, the more the risk of them reacting badly made it sound like a bad idea. Instead, Janius let Kaleeth weep for another minute or so. At least Kaleeth was lucky enough to have the opportunity to say goodbye at all, but it didn't change the fact that her life had been turned on its head. Janius still felt horrible in his thoughts. He might have prevented all this.

"There's also something else, Kaleeth." Janius resumed after a while, "I never got to hear about how you were turned. What exactly happened after you left? Were you attacked by a werecrocodile?"

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth lowered her head and seemed to start retreating into herself, but she heard enough of what Janius said to answer. "It is hard to remember everything. I spent some time meditating first, then found a Hist tree and drank some of its sap. They showed me visions that were...hard to understand. I saw pain, death, pleasure, and happiness. I...should have spent more time thinking about them. I should have came back and asked Treeminder to help me understand, but I didn't. I started hunting. It was hard to find things on land, but I found a crocodile, a regular one. They are common here, you just have to look in the right rivers. I tried to lure it out of the water, but it wouldn't move, so...I thought I might be skilled enough to kill it in the water. I jumped in, and I did kill it, but...it got a hold of my arm. It bit me, broke the bone, spun around and tore through it so much with its teeth. It was so painful, and there was so much blood. I couldn't see because the river was so red. I pulled it out of the water, but I started feeling weird. I got dizzy, and I couldn't think. Still, I tried cutting its heart out and sacrificing it to Hircine, like you said. I...don't remember too much more, not clearly. I remember a voice and...I think it told me to jump in the river. I did, then...I remember nothing else. Not until I woke up the next day. I woke up and felt it inside of me, clawing at my mind. I think I transformed the first time later that day. I hate it; I hate having this thing inside my head. I have being afraid of myself. Before the hunt...I decided it might be better to stay here. I just wanted to see what Hircine would say. Now...I have no choice."

Kaleeth wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up, locking her gaze with Janius to say one more thing. She spoke with no real anger or malice, just a matter-of-fact tone. "I wish I never would have met you." She said plainly before turning to go back to the common hut.

[Muttonhawk]

Janius reached his hand out and opened his mouth to say something, but he had no words. He let his fingers curl closed and he lowered his arm. He looked on at Kaleeth and stood still. In the space of a minute, things had completely turned around in his mind. He could have respected Kaleeth's decision to stay, but now she was forced into going down the path she hated. The weight of the guilt was a hammer to Janius' stomach. To think that Hircine would force such a fate upon Kaleeth was sickening, but Kaleeth's words had hit him personally.

He turned around and bowed his head, blinking a few times with a face that desperately held back emotion, if only to seem strong enough to deal with this. "I...I have really made a mess this time, haven't I?" He said gravely. He couldn't quite look up at Meesei while he continued. "Meesei. These past few days, I've realised just how many mistakes I have made. I've been selfish, unthinking. I've questioned whether I should have any more input with Kaleeth's life for her own good." Janius paused, swallowed back his feelings, took a breath, and looked up at Meesei with a face that was trying to be stoic. "Right now though, helping Kaleeth...am I doing the right thing?"

[EliteCommander]

For Meesei, she held her own regrets about the situation. She wished she would not have been so focused on the idea that she should trust Janius' judgement that she could not see how far his emotions might drive him. He did not bear the entire blame, of course, but there was no arguing that this would not have happened were it not for him. Meesei believed she should have stepped in and stopped it before it was too late, and resolved to make sure the same mistake did not happen again.

"I could debate with you for days about the decisions you have been making, about which were mistakes, and which were not. You believe your choices over the past few days have been mistakes, and perhaps that is true for many, but this is one choice I believe is correct. No matter how much you regret it, no matter how wrong you believe you are, the situation cannot change. Kaleeth is a werecrocodile. That is how it is, and likely how it always will be. To leave her alone would either mean she will die, or be consumed by her beast and become near completely feral. If she stayed here, it could mean the death or infection of many more. The only right choice now is to help her gain control, and that is a responsibility that can only fall to you. I cannot quite say I know how she feels about you anymore. Perhaps this experience has destroyed the feelings she had for you, or maybe she is just temporarily overwhelmed by emotion at the moment. Either way, you have shown you can be around her without her attacking you. Even if we cannot understand it, if Hircine gave her the gift of beast blood, he did it for a reason." Meesei answered before adopting a much more stern tone. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she looked him in the eyes with an unwaveringly serious expression. "However, if she travels with us, there is one possibility you need to be prepared for. A werecrocodile is a strong, fierce opponent, not to be approached in a direct confrontation. Most of us could easily escape her if she lost control...except for one. In this environment, and in her current state, Ahnasha would be vulnerable. Any predator's first choice is the sick or weak, so if she loses control and turns on us, you need to be prepared to end any threat to Ahnasha...through whatever means necessary."

[Muttonhawk]

Janius sniffed and began to nod with more resolve. Even if he had make some wrong decisions, it didn't change the responsibility he now held as a result. Kaleeth might be furious with him for letting her fall for this, and being with her might not be the dream that he had played it out to be, but he was still obliged to help her. On top of that, keeping Ahnasha protected was a priority. The last thing Janius wanted to do was hurt Kaleeth, but similarly he would never recover if Ahnasha was harmed by his inaction. The best he could do was try to prevent the situation before it happened, but if it did, he knew what he would have to do. Janius looked back at Meesei with a determined frown, "I understand."

Meesei's words didn't quite take the pain away, but they gave Janius enough focus to continue. He turned and headed for the common hut as well. "Goodnight, Meesei."

The next morning, Janius woke up tired from staying up late and from taking a long time to get to sleep. The hustle and bustle of the pack in the morning got him up though. The pack was gathering its belongings and getting ready to head out. Janius was quiet, understandably after last night. Fendros was wary of Kaleeth, but outwardly showed a relief in heading off again. The village was nice, but he was beginning to get cabin fever after such a long stay. Sabine seemed energetic, and had taken the time to seek out Tunxeek and Thorantilth to say one last thank you and goodbye. She felt a little sad to part with her new friend in Tunxeek, but she understood that she would have to leave after a while.

[EliteCommander]

The next morning was none too pleasant for Kaleeth. Her conversation with her parents devastated both them and her. They pleaded with her to stay, and as much as she wanted to, she knew she could not. Worst of all, she could not even explain why she had to leave.She was forced to make them think that she cared so little for them that she was willing to leave for someone she had known for only a week or two. For their sakes, she tried to fashion her reasoning to make her seem even more naive and stupid. Maybe then they would not be hard on themselves. No matter how much they argued with her, she could not change her decision, and she was old enough that her parents could not decide for her.

A small group had formed outside the common hut. Both of Kaleeth's parents, as well as Thoranthilth and Tunzeek were there to see them off. The Treeminder seemed disappointed that Kaleeth had decided to leave, but his expression held nowhere near the emotion as his parents. Kaleeth's mother had her arms wrapped around her hustband, crying at the realization that her daughter was leaving her. Even Zharanthixil could not hold back tears. For him, it seemed like everything he had tried to accomplish had failed. Other than his wife, he would have no family, no legacy after this day.

As Kaleeth approached the pack with her head hung low in shame, Reanaseer emerged from her hut. She rarely left the safety of her home, but now was one of those important times. Slowly and carefully, she followed the scents and sounds around her and used her walking stick as a guide. Even in her old age and blinded eyes, it was easy enough for her to navigate with her acute sense of smell. Taking a few sniffs of the air and the familiar scents filling it, she approached not the pack, but Zharanthixil and his wife. She placed an old, frail hand on his shoulder, she looked in the general direction of his eyes. "I was not mistaken in believing this would bring...uncomfortable change. Now is the time to remember and trust in the Hist's will. This is the best choice...trust me."

Zharanthixil could not understand how someone as wise as Reanaseer could possibly believe Kaleeth's choice to leave was "best" for anyone, but there was no point in debating it now. He had already argued to the last with Kaleeth, and she had not budged in her convictions. At least this time losing his child, he had the knowledge that she was still alive. That was some consolation. Before saying his final goodbyes to Kaleeth, the Master-Hunter directly approached Janius. While obviously upset, he did not carry the same kind of threatening posture that he usually did around Janius. "You, Imperial, Janius. If it has not been made clear so far, I do not like you. I will not like you. You are taking away my only child and for reasons I cannot understand, she is going willingly. Since I clearly can do nothing about this, however...I need to trust you. I need to trust that you will care for her physically, and emotionally. I need to know that, even if I can never have a part in her life again, that she will be happy wherever she is. Do this for me, and for her, so that myself and her mother may at least have some comfort as we live out the rest of our days alone."

[Muttonhawk]

While they were gathered, Leaps-On-Elves scurried around between people's legs, excited by all of the movement. He eventually came to a stop climbing partway up Fendros' leg. Fendros stooped down and picked the creature up with a curious look. "What of Leaps?" He asked, at first to no one in particular, but then to the nearest elder, who happened to be Thorantilth.

Separate from this, Reanaseer made an appearance to see the pack off. Janius couldn't understand her Jel, but her words seemed to somewhat calm Kaleeth's mother and father. Fendros was a little too distracted to hear clearly.

It was then that Zharanthixil stepped up to Janius. At first Janius raised his chin to Zharanthixil, ready for whatever abuse he might sling. With what had transpired, Janius would understand if he was about to receive a fist to his jaw, but the Master-Hunter's tone was different this time. It seemed almost defeated. It caused Janius to level his head at him and consider his words. The truth was that until Kaleeth could control her beast spirit, she would never be truly safe, but Janius had taken away so much by now. The least he could do was give Kaleeth's parent's this much. He looked directly back into Zharanthixil's eyes. "As long as I draw breath, I will see to it that she is cared for," Janius said with absolute sincerity, "I swear it." Janius wished he could apologise profusely to Kaleeth's parents for all that he had done, but he had to keep up the cover that Kaleeth had built. It would only be cruel to unravel it and possibly reveal the truth.

Sabine stepped up to Tunxeek and Thorantilth one last time and smiled warmly. "I already said thank you, but...I'll never forget you both. You helped me." She turned her head to Kaleeth and her smile faded somewhat. She faced Thorantilth again, "I think there is something in Reanaseer's eyes. She's not so blind." Sabine stepped forward and wrapped an arm each around Tunxeek and Thorantilth both, bringing them both into one last hug. She spoke quietly while they were close, "Hircine guide you." When she pulled away, Sabine's smile had returned. "Goodbye."

[EliteCommander]

Thorantilth gave a slight shrug in response to Fendros. "That creature has been Kaleeth's responsibility since she found it, so I suppose it remains hers. Certainly, there is no one I know of who wishes to be responsible for it. You should take it with you; it is your choice on whether or not to keep it."

Zharanthixil showed no real emotion in his expression other than an accepting nod. "See that you do." He said simply before turning away from Janius and to his daughter. His normally stoic visage gave way to one that subtly gave away his sadness. For a few moments, he just looked upon his daughter's face in silence before finally speaking up. "Kaleeth...wait here a moment. There is one last thing I would give to you."

Stepping away for a brief moment, Zharanthixil walked into his hut, then returned a few minutes later with something in his arms wrapped in cloth. He presented it to Kaleeth, who accepted it, then pulled back the cloth to see what it was. As soon as she recognized it, her eyes widened and she looked back up to her father.

"The wamasu armor? But I never..." She began before Zharanthixil interrupted with a slight smile.

"I finished it for you, while you were lost. I know it is a bit against tradition, but if something had happened to you, I could not stand the thoughts of your last great accomplishment going unfinished. Now that you are going out alone into the world, it is only right that you have it so that it may serve and protect you on your journey. Use it to remember your home, to remember that you are and always will be a hunter, and to remember your mother and father, who love you and could not be any more proud of you." Immediately as he finished speaking, both himself and his wife wrapped their arms around their daughter, unashamedly letting out their emotions.

When they finally pulled away from each other, Kaleeth tried to stay strong as she looked at them. "Mother, father...goodbye. I love you."

Kaleeth maintained a somewhat strong expression up to the point where she turned around and started heading towards the pack. Once they were unable to see her face clearly, she looked down at the armor she was carrying with tears in her eyes and perhaps the most saddened expression she had ever bore.

[Muttonhawk]

The family said their goodbyes, complete with the parting gift of Kaleeth's wamasu-hide armour. It didn't particularly look like much, but if it was the hide of the wamasu they killed, Janius had no doubt that it would be staggeringly effective. Janius put a mental note in his mind to remind Kaleeth to modify it so it wouldn't be destroyed if she wore it before transforming.

The high emotions were such that Janius looked down and held the knuckles of one hand in the palm of the other in front of him while he waited patiently. Again, he tried to stay strong. Janius stood for a couple of seconds when Kaleeth turned away, then raised his head. He held no pride or smugness in his face. An apology was battering at his throat, trying to get out. "Goodbye Zharathixil." He glanced around to Kaleeth, then back to her parents, considering saying something else. In the end, he let go of his hand and turned to follow Kaleeth to the pack without any more words. That was, save for two whispered out of earshot of anyone. "I'm sorry."

Even walking just behind Kaleeth, Janius observed the way she bowed her head and held herself. It betrayed enough of her sadness without needing seeing her face. Janius wasn't certain if Kaleeth was angry with him at all, but he tried to be some comfort by placing a hand on her shoulder.

By the pack, Fendros looked down at Leaps' face and thought about it. "Well, if it turns out to be too much, maybe there'll be someone interested in adopting it in Stormhold. Hm, we'll see what Kaleeth has to say."

As if her named summoned her, Fendros looked up to see Kaleeth and Janius approach them. Holding Leaps against his body for a moment, Fendros tugged at his bag strap, then looked back to the people gathered. He raised a hand and smiled, directly at Thorantilth, Tunxeek and anyone else he recognised, and indirectly at everyone else. He decided to switch to Jel and address Thorantilth for the farewell. "It is event for leaving, I think. Thank you for...hospitality, and for Sabine help. Goodbye." Fendros then took Ahnasha's hand, but didn't quite start walking yet. Seeing Kaleeth closer up changed Fendros' expression. In her face she read his own feelings when he had to leave his family several months ago. Fendros looked at Ahnasha with a concerned expression, but perhaps it would be best to leave it until they were out of the village.

[EliteCommander]

There were a few more words of goodbye, but it was not long before the pack finally took its leave, heading out north and west in the direction of Stormhold. Everyone in the village eventually dispersed to their own homes and tasks, including Kaleeth's parents. They returned to their hut and simply held each other wordlessly for a while. It was jarring to suddenly have their daughter leave their lives, and there were really no words that could help repair that pain. As a result, Zharanthixil had time to just sit and think. The stress of the past few days had more than distracted him, but even he had managed to notice the peculiar behavior of her daughter and the outsiders. While their explanations did seem at least somewhat reasonable at the time, there was a feeling that Zharanthixil just could not shake that something was amiss. And now that his daughter was gone, his mind started to wander.

The first few days of travel were uncomfortable in many ways. Periodic thunderstorms caused them to start at a slow pace, and they particularly held back Ahnasha, who had a hard enough time navigating the terrain in fair weather. Frequently, they would have to stop entirely and seek some form of shelter. As it was the rainy season, this was something they were going to have to deal with for their entire journey to Stormhold. If it rained too much, there was even a good possibility of floods posing a danger to them. Beyond that, Kaleeth was silent and distant, almost like Sabine before her ritual. She had a hard time motivating herself to talk to the others, even Janius, beyond what was absolutely necessary. Janius was prompt in teaching her how to modify her armor to handle a transformation, but again, she remained very distant.

Once again, the pack was caught having to make camp long before the end of the day. What had been a moderate shower in the morning had shifted to a torrential downpour, and they were not fortunate enough to have a cave or any other kind of solid shelter. They made camp on the largest hill they could find under a tree to wait out the storm. There was a river just to the west that they had no choice but to cross before moving on, and at present, it was nearly overflowing. They would need to keep a good watch on the water level overnight, just in case it started to flood. Even with that danger and the general discomfort the storm brought the majority of the pack, there were still issues they had to deal with. Namely, it had been four days since Kaleeth last turned, and she had mentioned that she was starting to feel strange. They needed to let her turn before she transformed against their will.

Meesei approached Janius as he was checking on some of their supplies and knelt down beside him. She had to speak up for him to even be able to hear her over the rain, but was careful not to let the others overhear. "I know it is not an opportune moment, but it is time for your first lesson with Kaleeth. She is going to turn soon if she doesn't do it on her own. Just be careful, the water itself can be a danger in the marsh, not to mention how deadly a werecrocodile can be while submerged."

For a moment. Meesei glanced over to Kaleeth across the camp. She was sat down next to a tree in her full armor with her knees brought up to her chest and a blank expression on her face. She seemed to be staring at the scales on her armor's sleeves and legs, though what she was thinking, Meesei could only guess. "You may also want to see if you can get to her on a more personal level. She has been quiet and distant. It makes it difficult to teach her when she does not seem to want to be around any of us. Not to mention the fact that she is no doubt depressed and needs the help. I know you have been trying, but...just try again. You might be able to get through to her eventually."

[Muttonhawk]

Janius nodded and put aside his current task. He thought it might be useful for Kaleeth to grieve on her own for a few days, but Meesei was right. At this point she wasn't showing any signs of recovery. Her transforming was also an issue, but Janius had to motivate her first. He stood up. "I'll see what I can do."

Putting his mind off the softing mud beneath him, Janius walked up to Kaleeth and sat down beside her, looking at her and bringing his knees up as well, except then opening his legs a little such that his ankles were crossing and his knees were secured by the bottom of his elbows. Janius looked at her for a few seconds, then tried to start a dialogue. "What are you thinking?" Janius asked, loud enough for her to hear, but not in a demanding way.

[EliteCommander]

For a while, Kaleeth was silent. She stared straight at the ground and was almost altogether unresponsive. It wasn't only depression from being separated from her family that had overtaken her, though it was a factor, it was that she had still not completely accepted that she was never going to be able to return home. In the back of her mind, she still thought about going back to them, about the day she would be able to hug her mother's neck and see all of the friendly faces. It had only been a few days, but that was still the longest she had been away from the village since her trial.

There was about thirty seconds of silence before Kaleeth finally gave an answer to Janius, and even then, it was not a particularly descriptive one. "Home." She said in a meek and defeated voice. She looked at the ground in silence, and would probably continue to do so indefinitely until someone spoke to her again.

[Muttonhawk]

"I see," Janius said patiently, thinning his lips in a sympathetic smile and continuing to look at Kaleeth.

It took another third of a minute before Janius could think of something else to say. "You know, we all know what you are going through. Even though some of us had different circumstances, leaving home and...knowing that we would never see it again, it was difficult. Even now, sometimes it's painful to look back and see what we left behind. It's easy to get caught up in, especially when you might not know the way forward. You've nothing else to focus on."

Janius looked forward. It was probably not enough just to say that. He needed to engage her some more. After another few moments, he licked his teeth nervously, then looked at Kaleeth again. "Let's try something. I know it might hurt, but, put it in words. What do you miss the most about home?" Janius' tone wasn't questioning Kaleeth's lifestyle or opinions, he just wanted to help her think and hopefully to grieve properly. We wasn't sure if it would work, but hopefully he could help Kaleeth out of this pit by leading her down the path of thinking he took personally, or at least a similar path.