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

[Muttonhawk]

The silence was resounding, save for the crackling of the fire in the middle of it all. It was as if they had all come under some foreign plane where speech no longer existed. Janius scuffed his foot on the ground, avoiding eye contact. Sabine kept eating as if she knew all along, which likely wasn't far from the truth. Fendros took in a shallow breath, he wasn't exactly sure what to say, or whether or not he should be ashamed. He knew that he had imposed a burden on the pack and it was his fault. Barely three days in and still you're lowering yourself further, Fendros thought to himself, staring at his feet.

After the fact had settled in, Janius broke the silence by slowly looking up at the pack and cocking an out of place half-smile. "Well. This is not a suitable mood for such an event." Janius' tone was strangely upbeat, "I don't care if I'm not in Imperial culture anymore. Where I was raised, conceiving a child is a cause for congratulations."

Janius sat up straighter, Fendros looked up at him and found the turnaround refreshing, but was still unsure if it was appropriate. "The way I see it, the pack is going to get a new member in a few months," Janius continued, "I for one am looking forward to the challenge. You know-" Janius leaned forward and raised a finger, "if I hadn't become a lycan -well, I would probably be dead- but if I had lived and returned to my home, my father would have forced me to marry at some point, without considering love, produce a child, and then hand the creature over to nannies and educators until I was old enough to be disappointed in him. But this-" Janius gestured to Ahnasha, "-is an opportunity I would never have had."

"Lorag," Janius put a hand on Lorag's large shoulder, "it looks like we're going to become uncles."

Fendros wasn't quite sure what to make of Janius' speech, but the show of support was very heart warming. Fendros couldn't help but show a grateful smile.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha's spirit seemed to brighten as well with Janius' show of support, though it would still take more than a few kind words for her fears to completely diminish. Still, she supposed it wouldn't hurt for her to realize that the news wasn't all bad. Apparently, being a parent was meant to be a fulfilling experience, and for both her and Fendros' sake, she hoped that was true.

"I guess you're right. This is just an idea that is going to take a lot of time to get used to. I mean, I never intended to have cubs of my own." Ahnasha said, turning and looking to Fendros next to her with a bit of a smile. "And i certainly don't think you ever expected to have cubs at all. Honestly, I do not know anything about raising children; it was never something I needed to learn."

"I can help with that," Meesei responded, "I never had hatchlings of my own, but I do have experience raising them. In my village, the burden of caring for children was shared among the clan, much like our own pack. I do have some advice to share. This development will cause change for our pack, but it is nothing we cannot overcome. To that end, I should say that, for now at least, nothing has changed about what we are doing. We still have responsibilities to each other, and to Hircine. We will resume our training first thing tomorrow, Fendros."

Ahnasha nodded. "Of course. Actually, I think I will go for some archery practice after I eat, if you would like to join, Fendros."

"Good. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to need to spend the next few hours trying to wash this stuff off of me." Meesei said before walking out of camp and toward the river.

[Muttonhawk]

Much the same from here, Fendros thought as Ahnasha responded. He was about to mention as much, adding that he was probably the youngest Dunmer to sire a child since his ancestors were Chimer, but Meesei spoke up first with some reassuring clarification. They would certainly have the support they need. Fendros nodded to Meesei in regards to training, being a werewolf seemed a lot smaller a problem all of a sudden. Maybe it helped to say goodbye to his old life yesterday, maybe recent events just took the forefront of his mind.

"That sounds good," Fendros said, agreeing to Ahnasha's offer. Maybe now that the word was out they could both calm down a bit. Fendros had a few questions he wanted to discuss with her.

After finishing his meal, Fendros spent a moment retrieving his bow and finding a replacement string for it, along with arrows and his quiver. After he strung his bow and slung his quiver on his back, Fendros proceeded to find Ahnasha where she was shooting targets with a ghostly bound bow. Judging by the distance from where she was standing and the pile of painted bags of soil that served as the target, as well as the first arrow she loosed having apparently hit the target head on, she certainly wasn't short of skill.

Fendros waited until Ahnasha had loosed the arrow she was currently aiming before approaching her. Again, she hit her target head on, not far off where her previous shot landed. "Hi," Fendros said, trying to emulate a casual demeanor, but just ending up looking unsure as he had been earlier. He stepped up and notched and arrow to have a try himself. From this angle, Fendros almost laughed at the shots Ahnasha had placed, "I think you might have me with your consistency there." Fendros took his time with his first shot, trying to assess the shot and his surroundings to place it. He loosed, the arrow flew, and landed low and to the left of the target. Fendros breathed out. Overcompensated, he assured himself. Fendros had questions to ask Ahnasha, but seeing as she invited him, he waited to see if she had anything that she wanted to say first.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha dispelled her bow after Fendros began taking his shots. He definitely needed training, and she would be giving it momentarily, but for the moment, she just wanted to talk to him, as they had not been able to speak privately about the situation yet. Being left alone with her thoughts certainly had not helped with her anxiety, so discussing it with him would be a welcome change. She took a seat on a nearby rock and let out a sigh.

"So...parents." She began, her uncertainty obvious in her voice. "I guess there is a lot we will need to figure out, a lot to decide on. It's good we have time, because I don't think either of us are ready right now. I cannot say I know what exactly happens when a Dunmer and Khajiit have a child. I mean, it will definitely be Khajiit; it's not like you're going to see any real resemblance of yourself in its face or anything, but there are a few traits that would have some influence. It might live a bit longer, or mature a bit slower. The second one could be a bit complicated, depending on the phases of the moons."

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros nodded, Ahnasha's words answered one of his questions, about whether it would be Dunmer or Khajiit. He aimed his next shot, but lowered his bow upon mention of moon phases. He turned his head to Ahnasha where she sat. "The moons?" Fendros asked. He was aware that the moons were significant in Khajiit culture, but did not know what bearing they would have on a child. Perhaps it was similar to being born under constellations?

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha nodded. Most people knew that Khajiit culture was tied to the moons, but she supposed that only someone who specifically studied them would know about their influence on their morphology. "Yes, the ja'Kha'jay, the Lunar Lattice, is the primary determining factor in our eventual forms. I'm not sure if you would have learned of this, living so far from Anequina and Pelletine, but there are well over a dozen breeds of Khajiit, most of which are very different. I am a Suthay-raht, the most common type of Khajiit you will find outside of our homeland. Other Khajiit tend to either stay in the homeland, or return to it, as they are not as...easily accepted as we are. Some breeds are similar to myself, such as the Cathay and Cathay-raht, who only differ in that they are larger and stronger than Suthay. On the other hand, the Pahmar and Pahmar-raht are similar in appearance to tigers or sabercats, while the Alfiq and Alfiq-raht are similar to a common housecat, and could easily be mistaken for one. Those are just a few examples. The thing that determines a Khajiit's breed is not its parentage, but rather the phases of the moons near the time of the child's birth."

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros looked down, it didn't make much sense to him. That a child's appearance could be influenced by the moons was hard to fathom. Accepting it for the moment, Fendros resumed his previous shot. Again, he took his time. This time, he landed it closer, but still wide. So the child may turn out to be a housecat. This continues to get stranger, Fendros thought, perhaps it might even be born a werewolf. I shudder to think how to deal with that. Perhaps Meesei will know more about that.

Slowly, Fendros' thoughts had become too distracting to keep shooting. He sat down next to Ahnasha and placed his bow on the ground beside him. "Ahna, what you said about not knowing how to raise a child," Fendros said not looking at her, "I admit I have no idea either. I would have had plenty of years to learn, I had thought." Fendros looked Ahnasha in the eye, "I was thinking, since it's going to be Khajiit, perhaps it might help to think in terms of your people. Do you remember much about your own mother? Or, perhaps, any mothers you might have known before joining the pack?"

[EliteCommander]

"The reason raising a Khajiit child would be any different from a human or elven child would be if its form was too different from a Suthay-raht. My parents raised me into Imperial culture, or at least attempted to. I am hoping Meesei will be able to help with the specifics. From everything I know about lycans, since we are both werewolves, it will inherit our beast blood. However, the ability to transform shouldn't manifest until around adolescence. At least, I'm pretty sure that is true; I may need to check with Meesei on that. Other than that, just be careful around its claws. Cubs like to scratch things." Ahnasha explained.

"Actually, I'm an adult, and I still like to scratch things." She said, holding her hand out in front of her and extending her claws. "Honestly, I just hope our child does not end up being a Senche-raht...they grow to be as tall as two Altmer and as heavy as fifty. At that point, transforming into a werewolf would probably make it smaller."

[Muttonhawk]

"I think you read my mind there, I was wondering if it would be a werewolf," Fendros smiled, "...wait, how big did you say?" The comment about the Senche-raht form threw Fendros' mind into wondering whether she was joking about the moon phase details. "I had no idea the Khajiit were so... diverse," Fendros hung his head and lightly laughed, "to be honest, that's a little terrifying..." he breathed in a looked up, "... but that's probably out of our control. Is there a way to predict it? I don't know much about the moon cycles, but maybe we could find someone who does. Meesei might."

"Oh, before that... one thought has been bothering me for a while. Transformation. The moon cycles force us to transform, yes? What would we do?" Fendros' expression turned to genuine concern here, "the child might be in danger if no one is there to take care of it." The questions came more or less one at a time so far, but as he thought of them, more would quickly come up in his mind. It was so much to process. The question about the moon and werewolves had been dominating him the most, so it had floated to top of the list.

[EliteCommander]

"Yes, when both Masser and Secunda are full, werewolves are forced to transform. I haven't actually thought about that before, so I'm not entirely sure what we would do. It's not guaranteed that we will lose control during that time, but even I lose control during the full moons occasionally. I...guess there is one thing that might help, though. During a forced transformation, a lycan acts on instinct. Usually, that involves hunting, but I think at that point, my motherly instincts would compel me to protect the child instead. It's something, at least." Ahnasha reasoned.

"As for the moons, all of us in the pack have a good deal of knowledge about their phases. We have to in order to predict full moons. If you give me enough time, I could work out what phase the moons will likely be in about nine months from now. It wouldn't be a perfect system, but it would give a rough indication." She explained.

[Muttonhawk]

"Very well," Fendros felt a little more consoled, it made sense that instinct would drive them to keeping the child safe. He scratched his chin and leaned his cheek on one hand, looking to the ground. Whatever slack he had allowed in the knot in his stomach had tightened back up since he started asking questions.

"It's all quite a lot to take in, isn't it?" Fendros said in a low voice. His thoughts spun and spiraled, it was his fault for retrieving the drinks, his fault for not spurning Ahnasha while she was clearly drunk. No matter what she had said this morning about the events that transpired, Fendros kept blaming himself. "It all seems so unreal," Fendros gave his eyes a quick rub with his fingers, then looked up at Ahnasha "maybe we're just dreaming, Ahna." He took a deep breath through his nose, then sat up straighter, pinching himself in the arm, just in case. Nothing. He raised a small smile for an instant at his own foolish hope. He looked over at Ahnasha, "How are you feeling about all this? I'm not sure that I've asked."

[EliteCommander]

"Surprised, confused, uncertain...probably the same as you, if I had to guess. There is a lot about this I am not looking forward to, but...maybe Janius is right. Maybe it will be a good thing in the end. I've always heard parenting is supposed to be a rather fulfilling experience. I truly do hope that is correct, for both our sakes." Ahnasha commented, her mind wandering through all the things she could expect from the coming months. After a few moments, she stood up, looked down to Fendros, and conjured her bound bow in her hand.

"Come on, we'll have plenty of time to figure this out. For now, let's focus on the things we can change, namely your aim. Grab your bow and show me what you can do." She ordered, her tone becoming firm and serious. Most of the time, Ahnasha had no issue being lighthearted and joking around, but when it came time for work, she quickly became dead serious and professional.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros nodded confidently and obeyed.

Before his quiver was empty, Fendros demonstrated that his shooting was skilled, but inconsistent. It would have been enough for his previous hunting practices at best. Ahnasha gave him instruction on how to improve his technique and they practiced it until it stuck in Fendros' head. At first, it was slightly strange to Fendros the way her entire approach changed to become more serious when it came down to training, but she seemed to be a good instructor; patient and knowledgeable, but firm. It was likely that she was as grateful for the distraction as Fendros was, he deduced. The changed way of shooting was uncomfortable for Fendros at first, but with constant nudges and reminders, he was eventually able to follow along. It took more practice to employ it, but by the end of the night, Fendros' technique had improved by a perceivable margin. He had learned a lot from Ahnasha, including some more respect for her.

When Ahnasha said that they would stop for the night, Fendros was exhausted not only from the training, but the entire day. As they approached camp, everyone had either retired to their bedrolls, or was preparing to. "Ahna," Fendros said. He paused for a moment, looking to the side and considering, before smiling and looking at her once more "... thank you."

[EliteCommander]

"And thank you for your support. I don't think I could do this alone." Ahnasha responded, nodding to Fendros before retiring to her own bedroll, along with much of the rest of the camp. A short time later, Meesei finally returned from the river, carrying her jewelry and a few leather straps and pouches in her arms. Through great effort, she managed to wash the stubborn, foul-smelling substance off of her own scales. Anything she wore made of bone or leather could be cleaned as well, but it had soaked so deeply into anything made of fur that she was forced to discard it. She would begin work on crafting a new set of clothes after training the next day, but for the moment, she was just glad to be able to get some sleep.

Instead of the usual restless, nightmare-prone sleep, Meesei received a rare blessing in the night: orders from her lord Hircine himself. She could see herself in her wolf form, kneeling on the ground before him, his massive stature, intimidating spear, and impressive antlers giving her a sight that inspired awe within her. There were dozens of other lycans around her, all bowing before him awaiting what he had to say.

"Listen, and listen well, my hounds. A new threat has arisen; a new challenger to my realm. This challenger has already taken to targeting my hounds, but this predator will soon find himself as my prey. You all will be the participants in a great hunt the likes of which has never been seen before, but first I offer to you, my chosen hounds, this: a challenge of my own to determine who shall be my champion in this hunt. In the eastern reaches of Vvardenfell, there is an Orc who serves our new enemy. He is a master hunter in his own right, but he has killed more of my hounds than any of my enemy's servants, including my former champion. Kill this Orc, take the ring he bears, and claim for yourself the title of my champion."

It was early morning when Meesei awoke. The others were just starting to wake up and get themselves ready for the day. She still intended to proceed with training for the day, but their path had now been irreversibly altered.

The next month was a rather strenuous one. After explaining to the others what Hircine intended for them, they set out for Morrowind. The pack became focused almost entirely on two things: traveling, and training Fendros. With a new threat looming over the horizon, he would need to be ready much sooner than Meesei had anticipated. Luckily, he was a fast learner and was making definite progress. Each pack member had something to teach him, from combat tactics, to meditative techniques designed to help control his beast. It would take time, but he was definitely on his way.

Travelling by foot was a long and arduous process, but the group eventually made it to Morrowind and took a boat to a small fishing village on the western shores of Vvardenfell. It took time to hunt enough creatures to trade for gold to buy passage, as well as more "civilized" clothing to help blend in, but they were well on their way to their destination. Once they were far enough away from the settlement, they took shelter in a cave for the night to protect them from the ashstorms that were all too common on the island. They packed away the clothing they had purchased as well in favor of their normal clothes, as they would need to keep them undamaged in case they needed to go to a settlement again.

As Lorag and Janius were setting up the fire deeper in the cave, Meesei and Ahnasha were standing by the cave's exit, observing the ashstorm that raged just outside.

"We should probably dedicate some time tomorrow to finding local creatures to hunt to make cloaks for ourselves. These storms can pop up at any time, and we are going to need them for protection." Ahnasha suggested.

"Agreed. We need to keep up our pace as much as possible, but we do not need to take any extra risks, especially you." Meesei responded.

Ahnasha nodded. So far, she had shown no visible signs of pregnancy, but it would not be long before the symptoms, such as nausea and fatigue, began to set in. She would need to be prepared to deal with that, even in this harsh climate.

[Muttonhawk]

The news form Meesei about Hircine's announcement was something that Fendros was especially receptive to when they were all told. He had not forgotten his aspiration to try to talk with Hircine, even though he knew deeper down that fatherhood would tie him to the pack in any case. On top of that, they were going to visit his spiritual homeland of Morrowind. It served as motivation as the rest of the pack spent time training him on their way to Morrowind.

They made good time. Along the way, Lorag's training was mainly focused on strength and fitness, with smatterings of combat and a few pointers on taking care of his own equipment. Janius and Fendros would spend their time sparring, initially with Janius coming out on top most of the time, but soon became evenly matched bouts as they read the strengths and weaknesses of one-another. Janius, although with a tongue that would often say what didn't need to be said as much as what did, started to become a friend of Fendros through this friendly competition. Sabine was withdrawn as usual, but upon being pushed to contribute, would let Fendros know which plants not to eat in the area when she came across them. There were so many to keep track of that eventually Sabine gave up. Fendros continued to practice with his bow under Ahnasha's instruction, he at least developed some consistency in doing so. Sparring with Ahnasha was something that was expressly forbidden by Meesei for risk of miscarriage, much to Ahnasha's disappointment. Meesei's instructions were wide-ranging, but mostly focused on the nuances of his beast blood. Attempts to teach Fendros any magic made little progress from any instructors that tried, but focusing on at least being able to conjure a bound dagger found some ground. Succeeding to bring the blade into Mundus was fickle at best, with Fendros struggling to practice, but the progress he made in that month was further than his parents had managed over a decade.

Despite the training ranging from useful and fascinating to frustrating and tiring, Fendros got to know his pack better during the trip. Hunting with them cohesively only served to help in that regard. As for interactions with Ahnasha, Fendros felt a fondness for her, and thought that maybe being the co-parent gave them some kind of connection, but friendship and pack familiarity were the only feelings that seemed to prevail so far. It was a dilemma that persisted during the trip.

Morrowind was not something that Fendros could have imagined on his own. The architecture, the landscape, the creatures, plants and weather were a world away from Cyrodiil. He recognised a few things that had been described to him by his family and other Dunmer in Cheydinhal, but most things were completely new to him here. Wearing ordinary clothing was slightly surreal after such a time in furs and leathers, but reminded him of the comforts of his former life in some ways, even if it was a temporary feeling.

From the cave in which they camped, Fendros approached Meesei and Ahnasha after depositing his share of luggage. He wore the finished form of the fur vest that he started back in Cyrodiil, as well as a pair of cloth leggings over his loincloth and his usual belt. He considered making a pair of sandles or some kind of foot coverings, but never got around to it after getting used to having bare feet for so long. "How many days out are we?" Fendros inquired, "We're on Vvardenfell now, surely we're getting close."

[EliteCommander]

"Indeed, but Vvardenfell is a big place, and there is a lot of ground to cover. This Orc is meant to be in Eastern Vvardenfell, so the city of Vos is going to be our best bet for finding him. It was one of the early cities to be rebuilt after the Red Year, so it is one of the largest in the area. Unfortunately, to reach the city requires cutting across the heart of the island, through the foyadas and lava flows of the Molag Amur region. It will still be a few weeks before we arrive, but we are much closer than before." Meesei explained.

"I just hope the other packs Hircine chose for this hunt had to travel as far as we did. If not, he could be dead by the time we arrive." Ahnasha commented.

Meesei nodded. "Indeed, but I would not underestimate this Orc. He is one of our enemy's most proficient werewolf hunters. He likely has an entire band of hunters supporting him. If a pack rushes themselves to reach him first and overexert themselves, they may find themselves the prey."

"Well, I am not going to let my condition stop myself from helping. If he is that dangerous, we will all be needed. I am still well enough to fight for the time being." Ahnasha said. Meesei nodded in response. She was not comfortable with it, but this was something they had discussed before, and as much as she wished it wasn't true, Ahnasha was correct. This Orc was not going to be some base prey.

[Muttonhawk]

"What are we likely to expect from this werewolf hunter and his band?" Fendros asked, "Lorag let me know about silver weapons, would they employ traps as well? Magic?"

Fendros was curious. Although he had learned a lot about lycanthropy over the past few weeks, he still didn't quite understand enough to feel like he could deduce how to hunt other werewolves. At least not to match the notoriety of this mysterious Orc. As far as Fendros had been in the pack, they didn't have to deal with dedicated werewolf hunters yet. It seemed obviously a folly to try and take werewolves in a head on fight, that much Fendros could work out for himself. It made him uncomfortable.

[EliteCommander]

"They will have ample silver weapons, I imagine, but the true strength of a werewolf hunter lies in how well they know their prey. They are experts at tracking werewolves while simultaneously hiding themselves. All skilled werewolf hunters are intelligent and crafty foes, as the unintelligent ones invariably perish. They can form ambushes and traps that are near impossible to survive, let alone escape from. If you fight on their terms, you should expect to lose. Their weakness, however, is that, when they do not have a trap or ambush to rely on, they are barely any tougher than normal foes. Even silver weapons cannot make up for the sheer force and ferocity a werewolf is capable of. If we are to kill this Orc, we will need to track him before he tracks us. It will be a battle of the mind, of our skills as hunters, as much as it is a battle of fighting prowess." Meesei explained.

"If we manage to find him first, just follow our lead into the fight and you will be alright. Just remember the training we have been giving you." Ahnasha added.

"Indeed, you have been learning quickly. On that note, I intend for us all to go on a hunt together tomorrow, both to kill enough creatures to make hide cloaks for the pack, and to teach you how we all work together during a hunt. Unlike our previous training sessions, this one will not be focused on you, but on the unit. Every single one of us will be hunting together, so you need to find your role within the group." She explained.

[Muttonhawk]

"Understood," Fendros said with a nod. The concern he felt going up against someone specifically adapted to kill him and the pack was something he could not shake easily, especially with the constraint of Ahnasha's pregnancy overshadowing the hunt. Fendros decided to take Ahnasha's advice and try not to worry. If anything, he should be prepared to face other werewolf packs if they turn out to be hostile. If what Meesei said about Hircine's message was true, it would be more than likely that werewolves from across Tamriel would be clawing at the chance to become Hircine's champion.

My role in the group, Fendros repeated to himself, leaning up against the wall of the cave, Well, I'm certainly not the strongest, that'll be Lorag. Stealthiest, Runt, no question. Quickest, Ahna, as well as the best with a bow. Magically adept, pfft, as if it wouldn't be Meesei. Janius? Well, he's clever, and a bit too brave, and he can use magic. Where am I? Fendros thought back to his training and tried to reflect. I'm faster than Janius and Lorag, but not as much as Ahnasha... I can shoot, I have a passable fighting style... I've no hope with magic... How would it all fit together? I was learning with the group hunts on the way here, but this time I think I'll be expected to fully pull my weight... Fendros wracked his brain, but couldn't quite find exactly where he fit yet. Maybe it will make more sense when we get started. We will probably have a completely different plan than usual in this environment.

Not wanting to pester Meesei and Ahnasha further, in case he had interrupted a previous conversation, Fendros settled for going back into the cave and sitting by the fire with Janius and Lorag. They were all staring into the growing flames they had just set. In some darker corner of the cave, Fendros could hear Sabine grinding something in the small wooden mortar and pestle she had brought along. Fendros had wondered why she seemed to approach most of the ingredients in this wilderness with as much expertise as in Cyrodiil. In reality, Sabine was silently experimenting with the samples she found on the road, but still gave off the impression that she knew what these plants and seeds could do.

"So, have you two fought werewolf hunters before?" Fendros asked Janius and Lorag.

"Aye, once," Janius said, "they were tracking us down, somewhere just north of Leyawiin I think?" Janius looked over to Lorag with a questioning expression to confirm his memory. "Anyway, these folks were like the worst kind of wily bandits. They lit the upwind part of the forest on fire to drive us to move. We almost ran into a gigantic... harp of tripwires, I suppose you could call it. I was the first one to trigger one of those blasted traps," Fendros detected a tiny shiver from Janius as he recalled the memory, "a poisoned dart paralyzed my leg and drained the strength away from my body. We were lucky, though, we found a cave that the hunters had obviously not considered and we sheltered until the fire passed. After that, they tried searching for our crippled bodies. I had to stay in the cave, but the others managed to find a couple of them and tear them to shreds. There were a number of others that escaped to within towns before we could catch them. We all got some silver souvenirs that day, some in the form of scars as well as weapons." Janius looked over at Lorag, "Lorag, tell him what you told me about how they fought once you caught them."

[EliteCommander]

"Hmph, they weren't anything spectacular, honestly. Once their trap failed, they tried to run, but you don't just escape a lycan, If they get the jump on you, you're probably gonna die, but you break down their ambush or avoid their traps, then it gets much more fun.They fight dirty though, I can tell you that. When we caught up to them, some of them ran, while others fought to the last breath with outright suicidal zeal. I guess they wanted to make sure at least one of them escaped. There was this one little Bosmer woman with a silver shortword that I came barreling straight at in my wolf form, and you know what kind of an intimidating sight that is. This one was fearless, though. Instead of running, she charged straight at me. I tackled her right to the ground, of course, but it didn't seem to matter to her. She just kept trying to stab me over and over again, and managed to get a few of them in. She didn't even try to do anything defensive. Didn't put her arms up to protect her throat when I went for it, nothing. She just wanted to stab me as many times as possible before I killed her, hoping I would bleed out later. These guys are zealots for their cause, and they'll fight to the last if you put 'em in a corner. Remember that." Lorag advised. He took a drink from his waterskin and sighed. He was still disappointed that they had ran out of wine. After that whole business with the celebration, most of the others had began to avoid the alcohol, but not him. He was more than happy to drink whatever the others wouldn't, not really caring about any possible risks. In a small way, he had been kind of glad Ahnasha was with child, as it meant more wine for himself.