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

[Muttonhawk]

While Lorag's words were reassuring, Fendros didn't seem entirely convinced. He kept his eyes on the Orc and pressed him further. "Are you sure? You seemed to tense up when I asked you about it back there. Is something else on your mind?"

Each time Kaleeth gave Janius a smile, he returned it. It definitely would have been nice to explore under the water some more. If they had found a coral reef, let alone had more light to explore with, Janius had no doubt that he would see things even he hadn't laid eyes on before. This was the other side of Tamriel after all, Janius was surprised that he saw as much that he was familiar with as he did. Other issues were still pounding at his mind, however. Once he was at the shore, he took Kaleeth's hands stood on the sand with her. He brought one hand up to her cheek and kissed her quickly, before his expression turned neutral and he spoke. "I need to have a talk with Meesei about something in private, it will only take a few minutes, okay?" It was only at this point that his expression revealed to Kaleeth that something was bothering him, but before he could address any questions Kaleeth might have, he looked around for Meesei, who was nearby Sabine and Ariel.

The sisters had just finished dressing themselves and smiled at Kaleeth and Janius as they came up to the outcropping. "Ah, you two, good timing." Ariel pointed a thumb over to the city, "We were about to head off."

Janius was a little disarmed at not being able to immediately address Meesei, but nodded in acknowledgement all the same. "Right, well, enjoy yourself, Sabine." Janius said.

"I will. See you tomorrow," Sabine replied, before running to give Meesei, Janius, Ahnasha, and even a still wet Kaleeth a quick hug in an otherwise wordless farewell.

Ariel was a little concerned at Sabine getting her city clothes wet. But it wasn't as if it would be clear to anyone in the dark of the streets at night. "We'll stop by Lorag and Fendros, and pick up the cauldron." Ariel mentioned, "See you all tomorrow, then!" She raised a hand, then stepped up the outcropping towards camp.

Janius waved the two off, then was finally able to address Meesei, "Meesei, do you have a moment?" Janius asked once Sabine and Ariel had moved on. His frown and clenched jaw told of an anxiety to talk.

[EliteCommander]

Lorag started to become a bit more visibly agitated. "There's not anything more on my mind, I just...I don't like talkin' about this, alright? I don't like it when it comes up, and I don't like thinking about it. I know you're going to be young for a few hundred years, but I think you can understand that. You wanted to find something that makes me 'emotional,' then fine, you have it. You've finally found something to make me 'sad.' You want to go point and laugh about it with your mate or whatever, fine, but can you just leave me alone about it?"

After their hug goodbye, Meesei felt strange seeing Sabine leaving them, even if it was only for the night. Although perhaps not to the same extent, Meesei was protective of Sabine like Ahnasha was of Rhazii. Unlike Ahnasha, though, she didn't have near as much justification to be overly-protective. After a few moments, however, she was snapped out of her thoughts by Janius approaching her. Strangely, Kaleeth seemed to be purposefully keeping her distance, and she wondered briefly if something had happened between them that she did not see. "Of course, what is it?" She asked.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros closed his eyes and brought the fingers of one hand to his forehead, "Lorag, this isn't about finding something to-" Fendros was interrupted by approaching footsteps. He turned and looked over his shoulder to see Ariel and Sabine approaching. Both were in a far brighter mood than Fendros and Lorag.

"Alright, we're heading back to the city now. Fendros, Lorag, We'll see you tomorrow." Ariel gave them both a wave after recovering her now empty cauldron, "Bye then!"

Fendros managed to smile and look up at them both, waving them goodbye as well. "Have a good time," given the situation, Fendros' words could have conveyed more joy.

Sabine gave both Fendros and Lorag each a hug in turn, then followed her sister. "Bye!" she said in parting. Neither she nor Ariel seemed to pick up that Lorag and Fendros' conversation was amiss. Or at least they didn't show it.

Once the sisters had walked far enough away, Fendros considered whether he should push Lorag about his issues further. After a few more silent seconds, Fendros looked into the fire and spoke. "I'm sorry if I'm being a bother, Lorag. I just wanted to know that you were alright." Fendros tightened and loosened his lips uncomfortably, "I may not be an Orc, but you're still family."

---

Rubbing at the back of his neck, Janius looked down and motioned towards a spot out of the way on the outcrop. "I need to have a talk about...Kaleeth, myself, a number of things, I think. Can we move?" Janius began walking down the beach for a short distance, then stopped where the outcrop was low enough to sit down on. He held his head low and his forearms on his knees lazily. It took him a few moments to even begin. "Meesei, during this past month I've...I feel like things have changed. I'm not sure whether it's for better or for worse, but a few things have been bothering me." While he spoke, Janius only faced the sand beneath him. "I don't have my humour anymore, I've been...less confident with things, and I've been holding back all sorts of thoughts. That’s probably why, actually."

Janius tried to find a better base to explain things from, and held out one hand, starting with a recount. "I fell in love with Kaleeth so quickly and so strongly that it was like a wound that kept opening. I fell in love with her because she was playful, endearing, enthusiastic, and more adventurous than she credits her courage for being. When she turned, she completely changed. She was hopeless, grim, and she hated herself. I still kept teaching her in the hope that she would gain control of her life again and display those things that I loved about her. After a while I began to lose hope myself and sort of...fell out of love with her, in a way. I couldn't just give her up, though. She was my student, my responsibility. Her condition was a mistake I made, and I needed to fix it. Still, I began to secretly resent her, and just as that happened, she started smiling again, and that seemed to be enough for me to get feelings for her again. Then she struggled further, I felt distanced, then I was brought back to her again. She began to accept what she was, then things just escalated. Each time that I felt as if I was falling out of love with her, it hurt a lot. It felt like my heart was trying to push itself out through my ribs. Eventually, the whole cycle was just anticipating that pain," Janius looked out at the sea and revealed a teary face, "Out exploring the sea tonight, even if it was fairly short, it was perfect. Being in her arms was bliss. And now I'm anticipating falling further than ever, and even thinking about it hurts me to the core."

Finally, Janius faced Meesei, "I don't want to hurt Kaleeth, so I've had to keep all this back. I've never been so indecisive in my entire life, much less about partners. With her insisting on having a child, I can only see our relationship falling apart. I'm no father; I'm not a father figure. Not to mention, I don't see us raising a child without leaving the pack, and I can't do that. I just can't do it, at least not yet." Janius sniffed back further tears, "I know Fendros probably wasn't ready for the job, but he had to make the most out of the situation forced upon him. Me, I still have a judgement to make, and I can't be a father yet. I would just end up hurting Kaleeth to argue with her about it, so I've ignored and sidestepped as much as I can." Janius looked out to sea again, wiping his eyes, "I'm sorry to have laid myself bare like this, but you've always been wiser than I, Meesei. I don't know whether I should just keep on going like I am and hope that I don't become wroth at Kaleeth and break her heart, or be honest with her and potentially hurt her again, or try to find some other kind of understanding. Either way, I just want the cycle to end, and either love her, or want to leave her. Not both at the same time." Janius sat up straighter and looked at Meesei again, "I need advice, what do you think?"

---

"Ariel, what is it like living in the city, and in a house?" Sabine couldn't contain her constant supply of questions forever. Ariel was quick to learn as much.

"Well, let's see." Ariel always answered as best as she could, but this one was easier, seeing as she had some experience travelling with the pack, "You're under a roof much of the time, so you don't have to worry about the weather. The stove can make the entire room warm when it gets cold, but that doesn't happen as often in these parts as far as I've experienced. Hmm...you don't have to hunt or gather your food, you go out to buy it...um, there's a lot more people around as well..."

"Do you ever get scared that you might get trapped?"

Ariel raised an eyebrow and looked at her sister beside her, "What ever do you mean?"

"In your house. Do you get trapped?" Sabine's face showed complete seriousness in her question.

"Not particularly," Ariel replied slowly while shaking her head, "I keep a spare key in the house, but you would have to lock the door to make sure that you can't get out. Barring that, I know magic that can unlock doors such as mine."

"What about other buildings?"

Ariel smiled. Sabine came up with the strangest of scenarios sometimes. "No, I don't think that would happen to me. Even if someone locked me in a building, I can unlock the doors, like I said. Most people wouldn't do that on purpose, I should think."

[EliteCommander]

Lorag let out an annoyed sigh, with his frustration clearly not going away. "Look, I don't know what you want from me. This is my choice, and my business, not yours. It's going to be years before I have to do anything, so you don't have to worry about it. What, are you afraid I'm just gonna lay down and die or something? That's not how it works. I'll fight to the end; 'till something kills me. If I fight this war, then, I don't know. I'll go fight a swamp leviathan or something. It's not goin' to be something that will bother any of you."

Meesei silently and attentively listened through Janius' entire explanation. She had noticed Kaleeth's various shifts in attitude, but Janius was a more difficult person to read. Still, what he was saying did make sense with who she knew him to be. Before meeting Kaleeth, Janius had seemed rather proud of his non-committal reputation when it came to women. It seemed he enjoyed being an independent person, which is why it came as a surprise to her when he committed himself to Kaleeth. Now, to Meesei, it seemed that the effects of his aversion to commitment were starting to show. He was not accustomed to the struggles associated with a permanent relationship. Granted, the situation with Kaleeth was more severe than most. Given how long her depression had been, Meesei fully understood how it would put stress on even the strongest of relationships, and indeed, even Meesei could not say with certainty what she believed would be Janius' best course of action. For their overall well-being, it could be that separating would be the best in the long term, or they might end up far happier together. The best Meesei could do was to lay out the situation as she saw it before him in the hopes that she could help him clarify his own conflicted thoughts.

"Before I begin, I would like to say that this decision is ultimately yours. No matter how much advice I give, I cannot, and should not, make the choice in your stead. With that being said, I...understand your fears. I can see why you feel this way, and you should not feel that there is anything wrong with your worries. If you are going to make this decision, you are going to need to do something that you are not quite good at. You have to look not months, not years, but decades into the future if you want to chose what is truly best in this kind of situation.Though she had been closer to you, I have noticed the shift in Kaleeth's personality, both after we left her village, and in recent weeks. Her depression over the last few months was severe, but you should keep in mind the context. She lost everything she ever knew and was forced into a terrifying position all at the same time. These few months have likely been the worst of her entire life, but, though it has taken her longer than most lycans, she appears to be recovering. If you give her some more time, perhaps a month or two, I believe she will be back to the same person she was when you met her in the village."

Meesei paused, closing her eyes for a moment and taking in a deep breath before continuing. "However, do not take that as me saying you should definitely remain with her, as there is yet more to consider. I believe we have all been together long enough that I can say with reasonable certainty that I know the kind of person she is. She is someone who will display her emotions outwardly, enthusiastically, and without hesitation. It is why you love her, it is the part of her which gives her that playful and adventurous personality, but it also brings with it her more severe lows. Just as she is cheerfully outgoing when the times are good, tragedy causes her despair to be even more pronounced. Granted, unless our situation becomes overwhelmingly desolate, I cannot imagine she will ever fall into a depression as prolonged as what she has experienced so far, not again. But, the low points are inevitable, and if you remain with her, it is something you will have to bear through. Indeed, it is something that is true of almost any relationship you might find yourself in. There are very few people in the world who can remain cheerful through tragedy, which is why I believe this goes beyond just Kaleeth."

Meesei was not sure if Janius would be comfortable with what she was about to say, but she believed it was something he needed to hear. "Janius, I believe you are someone who is uncomfortable with commitment, at least in regards to your emotions. It is possible that you are not...built for a sustained relationship. Emotionally, you may not be able to handle seeing someone you care so deeply about suffering through the inevitable low points of life. And do not mistake my words, it is not something that is necessarily shameful. There are people who can live fulfilling lives while never taking on a permanent partner. It is an option which is open to you. This is ultimately the decision you have to make. In a month or two, Kaleeth will likely be back to being the same cheerful soul you fell in love with, but to remain with her, you must commit yourself to her entirely, for both the good and bad. Or, you can leave her, then continue with your life as it was before. You will keep that independence you enjoyed, but at the cost of her long term love and companionship. Instead, you will have the...temporary companions you were used to, though they may become more infrequent as you age. Also, you might keep in mind that, while you are indecisive, Kaleeth seems entirely committed to you. For all of her life, she has not been nearly as independent as the rest of us have been. She has always relied on others, such as her father, and now, she is very dependent on you. Now, this decision should be yours, and yours alone. You should not decide based on how it will make others feel, but you should be aware of how your choice will affect Kaleeth. You should also not make this decision in haste. If you still want to talk it out, I am here for you."

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros took a breath in, ready to raise his voice at Lorag. You're a pig-headed, over-tough, inconsiderate bastard, Lorag! You know that!? Fendros stopped short of saying as much. He realised that it would do no good to shout, and slowly closed his mouth. This was a sensitive topic, of course Lorag was going to get angry about it. Fendros slowly stood up. "I'll let you calm down," he said, without letting on that he was speaking to himself as well, then turned and headed back to Ahnasha and Rhazii. There was nothing more to say.

---

If Janius needed anything, it was perspective on his situation. The act of simply explaining to Meesei what was going on helped in part, but as Meesei patiently gave her response, Janius began to solve the puzzles in his mind with her take on it. It was what he needed to hear, not because of any comforting or reassurance, but because it helped him to understand his own situation much better. Even though Janius blankly looked out to the ocean while he listened, occasionally nodding, his gratitude for Meesei's words was without depth.

After Meesei was done, Janius sat silently for a long while. It was as if he had forgotten Meesei was even there until he turned his head to face her. He didn't feel as though he needed any more clarification from her, at least not right now. "Thank you, Meesei. You've been a great help. I will stay to think now."

---

Before long, Ariel and Sabine's back and forth about life in the city carried them past the gate and through the streets faster than they kept track of. Eventually they reached the turn-off to Ariel's shop and Ariel paused. "Um, Sabine, do you mind if we make a stop at the Wamasu's Nest? Just for a moment?"

Sabine knew exactly why Ariel wanted to take such a detour. She nodded and gave her sister an encouraging smile.

The two took the road to the familiar inn to see the yellow of fire flickering faintly through the windows along with the muffled song of tavern chatter. Entering blasted them both with the smell of rich food, stale alcohol, and the now distinctly un-muffled version of the prior chatter. The difference to the interior as opposed to earlier that day was the addition of a number of patrons come to enjoy drinks and meals with friends. There were many Argonians and a hodgepodge of other races, but Ariel's eyes were looking for a particular Argonian in the crowd. She approached the bar with Sabine and tapped her fingers on the counter. Rukeewei would turn up eventually.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei gave an understanding nod as she stood up. Honestly, she wished that Janius wanted to continue to talk with her so she could help him reason through his emotions, but she understood why he would want to be alone. She was not absolutely sure what she thought would be best for him, and though she did have an idea which option might be better, she decided it would be best to keep it to herself. Meesei had tried to present as much of a neutral case as possible so that Janius could make his own decision, but whichever he chose, she just hoped Kaleeth could handle the results. If Janius left her, it went without saying that she would be beyond devastated. If that happened, Meesei doubted that Kaleeth would be able to remain with them forever. If Janius remained with her, she would have to deal with the fact that Janius did not want children at the moment. Although, the fact that she was only nineteen would make that a bit easier, as it meant she still had plenty of time left.

Meesei stood up and placed a hand on Janius' shoulder as she walked past him. "I am here to talk whenever you need me. Just...try to make the choice that will make you happiest in the long term. And I would not make the decision without talking to Kaleeth as well. I believe being open with her may be even more helpful than being open with me. Come to me if you need any more advice." She said before returning to the campfire.

[Muttonhawk]

Janius gave one last nod to Meesei before he watched the waves and looked inward. He became so still and focussed that the soft night breeze became unrecognisable. The options spun in his head until he listed them, weighing them up in a manner which looked into the future, both far and near. It was a strenuous exercise to keep track of it all, and by the end of it, the night had well and truly fallen.

There were a few different ways to go about the next course of action, all of them would risk some degree of pain, both for Kaleeth and Janius. Eventually, Janius found that the obvious solution to deal with these problems was not the one that would give him happiness in the long term, as Meesei said. What became the best solution was one that would risk much, and possibly hurt in the short term, but in the end would have the best set of possible outcomes.

Janius rose from his seat feeling stiff from being still for so long. He had to be careful heading back to camp in the dark. Although he wore a frown, he knew exactly what he needed to do. He went searching for Kaleeth, wherever she was. Hopefully she wasn't too worried. He was actually surprised that she didn't come looking for him after what felt like hours of thinking. Well, it might have been a shorter time than Janius thought.

[EliteCommander]

Janius did not have to search for long to find Kaleeth, as she was right by the fire waiting for him to return. In the hours that had passed, the others had retired for the night, but she could not bring herself to sleep. With how long Janius had been away, she had become worried, and Meesei did not say specifically what she had talked to him about. She was worried that she had upset him in some way. As soon as she saw him, she ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him with a smile. "There you are, I have been getting worried about you." She said quietly.

---

Rukeewei stepped into the Wamasu's Nest a bit later than was usual for him. He would have returned sooner, but one of his friends had kept him in conversation a bit longer than normal. His brother's shift was still to last a while longer, so he had not been in a rush. He, of course, saw Ariel after only a few steps inside and, quite surprisingly, her sister as well. His mind was immediately filled with questions, but he felt somewhat reluctant to approach. Since their argument, his anger had all but dissipated, but he still felt fairly nervous, and as a result ended up standing by doing nothing for an awkward length of time.

[Muttonhawk]

"Sorry, I took longer than I said," Janius smiled and put his arms around Kaleeth's waist. "We need...to have a talk," Janius' smile faded as he spoke. A part of him was tempted to just take the night to be happy with Kaleeth, but he needed to get this out of the way now. "Come," Janius took Kaleeth's hand and lead her to the beach.

Janius began talking as they walked, starting as soon as he believed they were talking in private. "I've done a lot of thinking, and I've decided to be honest with you completely. Although I didn't show it as much, these past few months have been rough for me as well as you, Kaleeth. I love you, and I always loved you, but seeing you struggle through the melancholy made me resent myself and...it really wasn't your fault, but I started to resent you as well. But then there were times where things were better, and I came to love you just as much again. It has been very painful, so much so that even the good times made my chest ache because I thought it would just spiral down again."

They reached the edge of the beach and Janius turned to take both of Kaleeth's hands in his. "Once you started to accept who you were, though, everything started getting better. You smiled again, you were lively. Now here we are, at a high point, and I have to be honest with you. This pressure to have a child has made be afraid that our relationship would fall further than ever. I could argue with you angrily, but the truth is, I just don't think I would make a good father. My own father is someone I'm afraid to become, so I just don't think I'm ready yet. I'm young, you're young. We don't have to rush into this. I promise that if you want a child, we could try in a couple of years, but right now, I'm not ready. I understand if you're upset about it."

Janius continued while looking down, wanting all his feelings to be expressed. "In deciding what to do, I thought about ending the pain by separating from you, but I couldn't do that. I would never meet anyone like you again in all my life. I thought about keeping on going, and keeping this all bottled up, but then I would just end up shouting at you, or running away in desperation. That would have been even worse." Janius glanced out to sea, "But, today, out in the water, I felt that I'd fallen further in love with you than ever before." Janius looked into Kaleeth's eyes and felt a burning behind his own, "I decided that even through the times where you or I struggle, I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life." Janius looked down again, guiltily, "I'm sorry to keep this all back for so long, but I didn't know what else to do. Now, everything is here, I just want to know if you can still love me. I understand if you can't."

---

Having misjudged when Rukeewei's shift started, Ariel had been worriedly tapping on the counter for what felt like a while. Sabine was keeping an eye out, though, and spotted Rukeewei starting at them from across the room. Sabine nudged her sister and pointed him out to her.

Ariel turned and looked back at Rukeewei. She didn't quite have the courage to stand up and talk to him yet, but she managed a nervous smile.

Sabine looked between the two of them and displayed a little impatience. Didn't Ariel work out what she wanted to say beforehand? She proceeded to grab Ariel's hand and pull her towards Rukeewei.

"Ah!" Ariel was startled by Sabine's pull. Just like Ahnasha had mentioned, Sabine's strength was deceptive for her size. She staggered off her stool as she followed Sabine, it would be rather embarrassing to fall flat on her face in front of everyone. Before she could take a full breath in, she was face to face with Rukeewei and still out of words. "Hello! I mean- Rukee, it's good to see you, I, well-I-thought-it-might-be-nice-to..." Ariel raised a hand and bowed her head, before taking a deep breath through her nose and looking up at Rukeewei again, "Ah...I'm sorry for calling your inn a smelly cesspit. I didn't mean it, and it was a stupid, immature thing to say, so I am sorry." Ariel glanced diagonally to the floor, then up at Rukeewei's eyes again, "Are you still cross with me?"

[EliteCommander]

As Kaleeth and Janius walked along the beach, her head lowered and her expression was as melancholy as Janius' tone. She had no idea that Janius had been going through so much pain recently, and she felt guilty for not noticing. She was always so distracted by her own suffering that she failed to notice his, and to make matters worse, she was the cause of it. She hated that she did not recognize what she had been doing to him. She was saddened by the fact that Janius did not want children as she did, but at least with that topic, he did say it was something they could try in a few years. It was something she could latch on to in order to keep up hope that she might have a family one day, but that slight relief did not overshadow her own regret for how she had been acting over the last few months.

When Janius looked into Kaleeth's eyes, tears started to form within them. "I...I'm sorry. I didn't know I was hurting you like that. I was selfish, too selfish to see what I was doing to you. I should have...been stronger, I should have trained harder. I shouldn't have let the fear get to me. I shouldn't have made you hate me."

Kaleeth lowered her gaze to her feet, now silently sobbing. "I still love you, Janius. I don't think i can go on without you. We...we don't have to have an egg now...or ever, if you don't want." She said in a pained voice before raising her head back up to look at him once more. She closed her eyes for a moment and took in a shaky breath before trying to smile. "I just want to have more days like today."

---

Inwardly, Rukeewei breathed a sigh of relief. As much as he had been trying to distract himself with other things, he had been going through what he had said in his mind since the last time he spoke to Ariel and had been regretting it more and more. However, the surprise of Sabine suddenly pulling Ariel over to him made his response just as nervous and awkward as her apology. "Oh, well, um, no. I mean...I'm not mad...anymore...is what I meant. I'm sure you didn't..." Rukeewei stammered, but luckily, he managed to stop himself, take in a deep breath, and collect his thoughts. "What I mean is I'm sorry too. We were stressed and not thinking clearly. Can we...just forget it ever happened? I would much rather just move on to other things, like your sister here. When did she get back to the city? Are her friends here too?"

[Muttonhawk]

"Me too, Kaleeth." Janius let go of Kaleeth's hands and placed his hands on her shoulders, "You have nothing to apologise for." With those words, Janius brought his arms around Kaleeth and pulled her into a slow and passionate kiss. Janius did not intend to put off having a child forever, but just knowing that Kaleeth was willing to wait was enough for him. He would have been as devastated as she would be to leave her. In this moment, Janius was entirely convinced that he would commit. For once in his life, he would truly commit.

---

Ariel didn't give Rukeewei a chance to finish his questions before Ariel formed a smile and threw her arms around him in a hug. "Let's not forget it, but let's get over it," Ariel murmured into his ear, before pulling back so she could see his face. Ariel glanced to Sabine and was quick to explain, "Sabine and everyone else arrived today for a surprise visit. Their path went through Thorn again, so they stopped by. Sabine is spending the night with me."

Ariel beamed at Sabine, who smiled back. "Hello Rukeewei, how are you?" Sabine asked with such a more confident posture and tone that she was almost unrecognisable in comparison to her former self.

[EliteCommander]

"I couldn't agree more." Rukeewei whispered back as Ariel pulled away. Rukeewei had not known Sabine long enough to know what she had been like from experience, but Ariel had certainly talked about her before. She had never told him exactly where Sabine went when they left a few months ago, but she had told him some about her personality. Of course, what Ariel had said about her did not seem to be holding true, though Rukeewei wasn't quite sure what to make of that.

"I have been good, all things considered. I need to take over for my brother soon, but I do have some time to talk. How about we have a seat?" Rukeewei suggested, motioning to the nearest empty table. As they were taking their seats, Rukeewei seemed to be in a genuinely good mood, as a lot of the stress of the past few days had been lifted off of him. "It's nice to see that you two have the opportunity to spend time together once more. How long will you be in town this time?" He asked.

[Muttonhawk]

Ariel and Sabine gladly took seats with Rukeeweu. Ariel sat close next to him, and for the first time in a few days, held onto his hand on the surface of the table. The others had been right all along about how he had felt. It was good to finally get over the tension and see it for the lack of consequence that it held.

"We are leaving the day after tomorrow," Sabine answered, "We are going on a ship to Cyrodiil, to the Imperial City. I have not been inside it, only seen it from a distance. It is the biggest city I have ever seen, though."

"I haven't either. I've never even been to Cyrodiil myself. I would like to see it some day." Ariel looked at Rukeewei with a smile, "Have you gone travelling before, Rukee?"

[EliteCommander]

Rukeewei shook his head. "Not beyond Black Marsh. I do have some family in Helstrom that I have visited before, but for the most part, I've always been in Thorn. I have heard about the Imperial City before, though. Mostly from my patrons. They say the tower at its center reaches above the clouds, though I'm sure that is an exaggeration. If you ever find yourself back here, I would love to hear about it from someone with a little less of a bias than the travelers who call it home."

Out of the corner of his eye, Rukeewei saw his brother looking at him, but he still had at least a few minutes before it was time for his shift. "Anyway, if you're only going to be in town for a short time, we should all do something together, your friends too. I know the festival isn't going on or anything, but even just a dinner would be nice. I'm sure we could find at least an hour or two of free time in the next two days."

[Muttonhawk]

Ariel chuckled at the issue of free time in the context of what had caused the previous falling out. Luckily, this time, she did have time for a dinner. "That would be quite nice, I think."

"Um..." Sabine became a little uncomfortable in impinging the proposition, she held her arm in one hand and looked away. This was probably the first time that she had to explain away the pack's activities. "We are going to be busy during the day. I don't know how long the..." What did people do instead of a hunt? "...walk will be, but we normally have time for dinner." Sabine's mind went briefly back to Ariel's mention of purchasing food in cities all of the time, her tone became even quieter, "And we don't have much money, we have to save for the ship."

Trying to be comforting, Ariel reached across the table and put a hand on Sabine's shoulder. "I'm sure it will be fine, Sabine. I have a bit of extra gold tucked away that I can pay for the rest of you."

Sabine looked up with a new worry. "But Ariel, you said you have to be careful with money! Don't pay for us."

"I'm doing just fine, Sabine, I can afford to spend a night with family and friends." Ariel's eyes grew wider in trying to convince her, "Don't fuss, now."

"...Okay," Sabine said, still concerned about it. Ariel leaned back again, but Sabine looked up more hopefully, having had an idea. "We still have fresh meat from hunting. Maybe we could eat that instead?"

Ariel opened her mouth, now believing that the responsibility had turned disproportionately towards the pack. She should have guessed that Sabine didn't really know the manners of having guests for dinner. Ariel responded slowly, "I think it would be best if we consulted Meesei first," she glanced at Rukeewei, "but perhaps we can do some sort of combination, like we did tonight." Ariel turned fully to Rukeewei to explain, "Sabine and her family are camping outside the city walls to save money. I went to have dinner with them tonight and brought a cauldron of rice and vegetables. They have been living off the land for so long while they travelled, you see. Perhaps if they brought in some meat tomorrow, we could cook it over the fire in the inn, here, and have it with some other food? I know it's a little unorthodox, but what do you think?"

[EliteCommander]

"We...can do that. It might not be an extravagant dinner, but it would be cheaper certainly. But.." Rukeewei began, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Your friends are camping outside the walls? That doesn't seem particularly...great, especially with the city so close by. I mean, I suppose you do what you must if you don't have any gold. I...I wish I could help you. I really do want to, but...I just don't think I can afford that many free rooms. We are close to being booked to capacity as it is. I could perhaps spare one or two, but that would be very cramped for how many of you there are, not to mention your belongings. Maybe...camping out is the best option after all." Rukeewei reasoned. He knew Sabine did not ask, but he still felt somewhat guilty that he could not offer them assistance.

"But, yes, I think it would be nice to have a simple dinner here. My brother has the night shift tomorrow, so...how about tomorrow night, about an hour after this time? The inn usually is not too crowded by that point, and as long as we are not too loud, we shouldn't disturb anyone." He suggested.

[Muttonhawk]

"That would be lovely. I'm sure everyone would be glad to see you as well." Ariel said with a smile, before putting a hand on Rukeewei's arm reassuringly, "And don't punish yourself too much about giving away free rooms. We all understand."

"Thank you for..." Sabine tried to find the right word, thinking? Offering? "...considering us." She smiled as well.

By this point, Ariel was starting to detect, the prying eyes of Rukeewei's brother. She took a breath in and sat up straighter, "Right then, I can see Hides-In-Trees staring us down. I think we should leave you to your work, Rukee." She faced him with a vibrant look, "We'll see you tomorrow, then. And thank you, I'm glad we felt the same way about the argument." She leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, then stood up with Sabine to leave. She almost needed Sabine to guide her way with how reluctant she was to stop looking at Rukeewei.

The walk home had revealed the breeze through the streets to set the sisters at a comfortable temperature as they walked to Ariel's abode. She was smiling the whole way back, and Sabine didn't have to ask why to know the cause. Sabine's mood seemed good as they left the inn, but she slowly looked more concerned as they walked. Ariel had noticed when they were halfway there. "Is something wrong, Sabine?"

Sabine didn't respond immediately. She wondered whether it was worth discussing at all. However, back at camp, they didn't really have time to go over it all before Ahnasha joined the conversation. "Fendros and Ahnasha. I'm scared about them." She said, looking to the ground.

"I see. Is this about their torture?" Ariel asked, her face becoming more serious.

Sabine nodded. "They sometimes get grumpy or tired, and they wake up with terrible nightmares. I can see that they are getting scared all of the time, like I was."

"Right, I imagine the horrors they had to witness left a similar mark." Ariel began to look forward and down as well, "And they seemed normal when I talked to them. They must be holding a lot back. How terrible."

"I don't know what to do," Sabine said, "but I don't want them to be like I was. Everything was difficult before the ritual. Many things hurt."

"Have they opted to try the ritual themselves?"

"No, but they are pretending that it doesn't hurt them, but I can see that it is. I know that they would refuse. We're going to Cyrodiil anyway." Sabine stopped short of crying. It was clear by her tone that she was incredibly worried.

"Have they tried anything?" Ariel asked.

"No, not really."

Ariel took a moment to think a little further about it. It was clear that Sabine did not want to have her family go through the same pain that she did, and that was understandable, but given that they were at least able to function socially, it couldn't have been exactly the same as Sabine's case. Ariel put an arm around Sabine's shoulders and pulled her to her side comfortingly. "Sabine, I understand why you want to help here, but Ahnasha and Fendros are both adults, and they have it different to you. They have each other, they have the pack, including you, to call upon if they need help. I'm sure they are finding a way to deal with it in their own way. If it becomes a problem, then I'm sure the pack will be able to make the right decisions as to how they can be helped. For now, I think it would be best if you were there to give support when they need it, but it sounds like it is their own path to tread." Ariel rubbed Sabine's arm and looked to her face with a smile, "Can you do that?"

Sabine looked around and blinked, then nodded with a frown. "I'm still scared about them."

"That's perfectly alright, Sabine. They're your family. I was scared for you when you turned, and although my actions were definitely the wrong ones, I learned that comfort and an open ear are sometimes the best you can give in some situations." Ariel looked ahead, "Now, I think we have some time to crack the mystery of that fern with the blue veins through it that you found in the inner marsh, but I think that'll be all before we head to bed."

[EliteCommander]

The next morning found Kaleeth in a cheerful mood. She awoke earlier than most of the others, and even took it upon herself to get the fire started and begin cooking their breakfast. The previous day had seen extremes of emotional highs and lows, but now, she had an energetic enthusiasm for the future in a way she had not felt for quite a while. As the meat on the fire was cooking, she crept over to Janius and sat down on her knees just above his head. She carefully placed her hands on his shoulders, then shook him awake. As soon as his eyes opened, she gave him a kiss before he could react. After a few moments, she pulled away and looked down at him with a bright smile. "Good morning! How are you feeling, because I feel just...great. I feel, what is the word...motivated."

Only one other person awoke before Kaleeth, and she was laying curled up in a ball on the other side of camp, with a leather blanket obscuring her from most of the others. Once again, Ahnasha was awoken by her horrid nightmares, but she managed to awaken quietly enough that she did not even disturb Fendros beside her. It had been about half an hour, but there was no way she was going back to sleep. Instead, she was silently sobbing, the fur on her face soaked with tears. There had to be some way for her to stop this torture. Even if the nightmares were less frequent than they had been, the fact that she was having to suffer through them at all was almost maddening.

[Muttonhawk]

Although he was surprised at first, Janius brought his hand up to Kaleeth's hand once he had come to his senses and relaxed under her kiss. Good morning indeed. "I feel good that you're here, Kaleeth," he responded with a grin. As he sat up onto his elbows, he smelled breakfast and noticed the pit in his own stomach grumble its way into existence. He wasted little time in rubbing his eyes, standing up, and putting some meat of his own on to cook. He sat down by the camp fire to watch the cooking and gestured for Kaleeth to sit next to him. Before Kaleeth could move, Leaps came scurrying from his sleeping spot to curl up on Janius' lap without invitation. Janius didn't mind paying the creature some attention, though. Janius felt great as well.

Fendros woke up to the small movements of Ahnasha's sobbing and recognised them immediately as being from a nightmare. He still felt drowsy, so he wrapped his arms around her kissed her on the neck while he kept his eyes closed. "Another nightmare, Ahna?" Fendros took a deep breath as the rest of his consciousness spilled into his mind, "It's okay, hold onto me."

Laying by her for another minute, Fendros eventually opened his eyes and discerned the time of day. It was just after dawn, enough light to awaken. "Ahna, it hurts to see you in such a state. We have to do something about this. Something decisive." Fendros mumbled, taking in another breath through his nose, "Each time we put this off, we just end up like this, in more pain. I think we need help." Fendros raised his head and glanced to Rhazii swaddled up next to them. His nose flared open and closed the tiniest amount, in sync with the rising and falling of his chest. He normally stayed asleep about this time unless noise woke him up. He would eventually wake up feeling hungry, though.

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth leaned over and scratched Leaps behind the holes that were his ears, causing him to chirp enthusiastically. She then sat down beside Janius and leaned up against him, still smiling widely. "I think I know what I want to do today. It...might seem strange, but...I want to practice. To train. After what we talked about yesterday, I want to stop myself from feeling so sad again, so grim. I felt that way because I felt helpless, so...I want to make it so I never feel helpless again. I want to practice; I want to get better, stronger, faster. I am motivated to actually do all of those things. Meesei did say we need to turn before we get on the ship, so we could train me for a while with the mace and shield again, then maybe go for a hunt as a crocodile? What do you think?"

Ahnasha accepted Fendros' comfort, but was completely silent for a while, not because the nightmare was too greatly scarring, but because she was concentrating in thought. Since she had awoken, she had been trying to think about some way to fight the night terrors between flashbacks to her torture. There was one thing that came to her mind which would not be too disruptive to try. It was not likely to work, and even if it did, it would only serve to bandage the issue, but at least it would be something. "I don't know how to fix this, but, I was thinking, maybe we could ask Ariel? Maybe there is some kind of potion that can help. I doubt there is anything that can stop nightmares, but maybe there is something that can just stop us from having dreams altogether. It's not perfect, and it would only last as long as the potions, but at least it would let us rest peacefully for a while. Should we pay Ariel's shop a visit later?"