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"Of course. We have a meeting to finish up, ourselves." Jerrick craned his head upwards as Vera and two more figures came into the light. Vera walked straight back to her seat and placed her hands on her lap, giving a smile and a confirming nod to the pack's new guides.

One was an Imperial man who looked about Fendros' age. He had black hair and a clean shaven face, but stood a hand shorter than Fendros. He seemed relaxed and held himself casually. The other was shorter. A grey furred Khajiit Suthay-Raht boy, in fact. Perhaps slightly younger than Sabine. He was the opposite of the Imperial; tense, cringed in anxiety, and seemingly unable to make eye contact with anyone. The Imperial was the one to speak, "So this is the champion's pack, huh? Didn't expect you to all look so young."

Oswall glared at the Imperial. "Have more respect, Gallus. This is the champion of Hircine you're talking to!" Oswall gave an apologetic look to Meesei, "I am sorry about my son's behaviour. His mother raised him as a...free spirit."

Gallus simply laughed, "Relax, father! It wasn't meant to be an insult." He shook his head dismissively of the subject, then threw a finger towards the child, "this is Tzirret. He's my charge." Gallus then tossed his palm up in a gesture to follow, "Come with me, I'll show you all around."

While the pack got up, Jerrick saw them off. "Don't hesitate to ask if you need anything. Meesei, I'll catch you up to speed properly later tonight. Make yourselves at home, now."

Once the door to the dining room behind them was closed, Gallus wasted no time in beginning the introductions to the ruins while Tzirret followed quietly and closely behind him. "So, we have a big place here. It's much warmer than the shanty camps and roomier than the caves we lived in a while ago. I was a kid back then, though, so I don't remember much. The smart guys that study this place have a name for it...Vahere...Veahiliec? Something like that. Everyone just calls it home, though." The pack walked across the mezzanine that looked over the cooking area again, Gallus kept a steady pace. "I don't know how many people we have here. Probably nearing two hundred now. It's lucky we found this place, or some would be freezing to death. I've never seen so many lycans in one place before. No one really knows why there are so many now."

The pack was lead back to the main chamber, where a combat demonstration between two transformed werewolves was taking place, commentated by an instructor to all the students watching. "Here's a kind of hub room. There are passages to most places from here. We use the middle for classes like this because of the strong magic light. Those people watching from the sides have charges of their own that they're looking after."

When the pack moved on, there was a moment to ask Gallus some questions while they walked. Fendros was the first to speak up. "Excuse me, Gallus. You're Oswall's son, right? Does that mean you were born a lycan?"

"Yep." Gallus responded energetically, "I mean, I didn't start transforming until I was a teenager, but mother was a lycan when I was born. In a place like this, there are more people born as lycans than you might think." Gallus glanced to Ahnasha and Rhazii, "That the same for the bundle you have there, miss...?"

The corridor and stairs to the next room appeared far enough away that there was time for another question as well as introductions.
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The pack's new guide, Gallus, guided them back through to the main chamber, likely because it connected to most other parts of the city. Whatever purpose it once held to the Ayleids, now its use was fairly self-evident. Its sheer size was perfect for training, or large gatherings. And with how many lycans were apparently in the clan, they would need the space. It was so large, in fact, that most of the lycans that saw them pass did not take special notice of the pack, most likely because they were used to new faces by this point. Ahnasha nodded to Gallus as they walked along through the chamber. "Ahnasha, and yes, Rhazii is a werewolf. You said you first turned when you were in your teenage years? That is what I thought would happen. We still have plenty of years before we need to worry about that." She commented. Other than the training, there was little else actually happening in the main chamber, at least not at the moment, so the group simply exchanged introductions with Gallus as they headed into another corridor, then down the stairs to a lower floor. In addition to the general noise of people moving about in the distance, they could also start to hear the low, steady sound of flowing water echo through the spacious halls. The stairs ended perpendicular to a hallway with chambers on both the left and right on the opposite side of the hall. Just in front of them, they could see into the chamber that Gallus was guiding them to. It was well-lit, with a decently wide and deep stream flowing through its center. Given that the path the stream was flowing through was built into the ruin, it had likely always been the water source for the city. Apart from the stream, the other most notable feature about the room were the small glowing pillars on the sides of the stream, each with a welkynd stone at its top. They radiated magicka, but even Meesei did not know their function just by looking at them. From outside the room, they could also hear voices echoing through the halls to their left, but Gallus would likely take them there soon. "I take it this is the city's water source? I can see how this place would be an excellent home, given that it has its own river." Meesei commented. "Do you happen to know what those pillars do?"
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Gallus stopped and put his hands on his hips, looking up at the welkynd stones. "Well, the whole canal was frozen solid when we found it. Everyone figured that it was some kind of water source that flowed at some point, so Darahil took a look at it. I don't exactly know what he did, but he used some magic on those pillars and the stones started to glow a little less. After about a day, the water was flowing again. At first we thought he had activated a slumbering volcano underneath the surface, but the water is pure and tasteless. Not only that..." Gallus stepped up to the edge of the stream, knelt down, and dipped his hand in. He got up and showed his hand steaming. He wasn't burning, but the effect was communicated, "...the magic in the pillars keeps it between warm and tepid. Not quite like a hot spring, but much better than the cold outside. If you're thirsty, come here." Gallus turned around to leave, as there wasn't much else in the room, but he stifled a laugh on their way out. "You know, washing up in this place is probably better than most places in Tamriel. We even picked up an initiate who knew how to make soap out of all the carcasses we go through. Not bad for a bunch of lycans, huh? Especially with this ahead." Gallus took them to the chamber on their right as they exited the pillar room, it was the chamber with many the many voices coming from it. What they entered to see was another large chamber, not quite as large as the hub, but still enough to fit many people. About a third of the chamber was walkable stone, while the rest was flooded nearly to the point of spilling over the stone. There were a couple of staircases into the water from the floor, where some people were entering and exiting the water. As was common with lycans, nudity did not seem to have impact. Most of the noise was echoing from a group of children playing on the far end of the pool and causing most of the ripples. There were a few benches skirting the wall where people were scrubbing themselves or getting dressed as well. "Now you probably don't want to drink the water here. We've used it to bathe for long enough that those that can dive down to the bottom tell tales of a soft sludge forming on the floor." Gallus let out a laugh, "We didn't even think this was a bath chamber until Darahil thawed the canal. It still might not be and we simply flooded this place due to the drain here caving in ages ago." Gallus pointed to the far end of the pool, where excess water was spilling into an opening in the wall at about the rate that it was flowing in, "You can see that there's another drain, obviously the builders of this place thought ahead far enough, but a lot of gunk stays around deeper down. We haven't worked out how to drain and clean it properly. Still good for cleaning yourself, though." Gallus nudged Tzirret and chuckled, causing the boy to tense up even more, "I remember when we first brought Tzirret in. He had so much dirt on him, we didn't even know his fur was grey until we threw him in here. Remember that, kid?" Tzirret blinked, but didn't look up. "Yes," he mumbled, clearly less enthused than Gallus, "I remember." "Ah, he's just shy 'cos he doesn't speak much Cyrodilic. Well, that and he's always been afraid of anything to do with Hircine. It was to do with how he was turned." Gallus roughly brought his arm around Tzirret's shoulder and pushed their sides together, "Meesei and her pack aren't going to hurt you. Loosen up, already." Despite the encouragement, Tzirret respond with an annoyed glance at Gallus and a few words. "Do not say this!" he hissed quietly, slightly embarrassed. Fendros and Janius seemed too distracted by the amazing warm pool in front of them to pay heed to Gallus and Tzirret right now. The last thing they expected to find in such a place was a public bath. Sabine, however, felt sympathy for the Khajiit. She wasn't sure that it was appropriate to comfort him, though. He was still technically a stranger.
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Meesei found herself quite curious about the pillars Gallus described, as she was for any ancient magical artifact. Purifying water was not exactly something vital to a lycan, but nevertheless, it was not something she knew how to do with magic, at least not without boiling it. Therefore, it of course caught her interest, but she would likely need to speak to Darahil if she wanted to learn more. As for the next chamber, Meesei could not tell if it was originally designed to be a pool, but she did know that Ayleid ruins sometimes contained large pools of water. What the Ayleids used them for could only be speculated upon, but the use the pack had found for it was no doubt good for overall morale. Meesei, and indeed the rest of her pack, knew well what kind of hard work it took to learn to gain control of one's beast spirit, so any leisure time was a blessing. Gallus' initiate, Tzirret, was obviously upset with Gallus' attempt at a joke. No doubt, there were many in the clan like him, as those who were turned unwillingly could be subject to intense trauma. Gallus mentioned that Tzirret was not too familiar with Cyrodilic, which made Ahnasha wonder if she could provide some kind of help. Deciding to take a chance, she spoke up in a light tone, and in Ta'agra. "Your turning was not willing, I assume? My mate, Fendros, was turned in the same way. I know it may not seem like it now, but it does get better over time, all of it. Your beast spirit can be controlled, no matter how unruly it seems."
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Tzirret still held a frown, but his flat ears perked up slightly and he looked up at Ahnasha properly. Mostly, it was in reaction to hearing Ta'agra from someone new. He seemed to consider Ahnasha's words for a moment, but looked down again. "This one hears that from all. I am still learning. The spirit gets nervous when his host gets nervous. It still scares me."

"Tzirret had some rough experiences. He's been seeing old Najirra about it." Gallus commented, "That old cat has a knack for helping marks of the mind."

Gallus' words caught Fendros' attention so rapidly after he described this 'Najirra' person that he swore his own ears visibly perked up. "Do you mean like wounds in the mind?" Fendros asked in a low voice.

Gallus shrugged. "That's one way of putting it. Many people have bad experiences in turning. He has this weird way of helping people. Some think it's magic, but I'm not sure that it's magic, at least not completely."

Fendros had gone from mildly interested to intrigued. "How might one go to meet this Najirra?"

"If he hears that you're having trouble, he'll send for you. I don't know how he hears so well, but no one can hide their problems from him for long." Gallus looked at Fendros directly, "Got something you need to deal with?"

Fendros looked forward and didn't reply. He didn't want to elaborate, really.

"Ah, fair enough. I had some problems in the past that Najirra helped me live with. I think he'll ask for you soon." Gallus looked forward again, "When he does, just trust him. He's got strange methods, but he won't harm you or waste your time."

The pack touched on the last chamber in the corridor with the canal nearby. It wasn't a particularly large chamber. In reality, most of its size was cordoned off into alcoves with various barrels, vats, buckets and crates. Circles of clothing hung on lines around the radiant warmth of more magical stones, casting shadows about the slightly darker room. A few people stood or sat around, apparently sewing clothing and working leather. "This is where we store some furs, soap and tools. Generally, if you want to clean your clothing, this is the best place to go to dry it off. There aren't always spaces available around the stones, but hanging up clothing elsewhere is difficult."

Given that the room was fairly simple, the pack moved on further. The next corridor lead to the cooking area that the pack had looked over from the balcony near to Jerrick's inner circle's quarters. There were many people here, going about their business eating and drinking. Anders and a portion of his pack could be seen talking and laughing around a fire. Lining the edges of the room was a similar, albeit larger scale, set up to the one that the werewolf hunters led by the Orc had used. Crates and barrels of food, utensils and other knick-knacks gave everyone clear access to anything they would need to feed themselves.

"This is where we go to cook, if that's your thing. Plenty like their meat raw, but you get an appreciation for warm meals up here in the Jeralls." Gallus took a long sniff of whatever meats were in the process of being cooked. "I love it here. You can eat anywhere, but most people just eat here if there's space. You probably spotted the hole in the ceiling, that lets the smoke out. It's one of the few here at home that doesn't get snowed in, and the only one with a room this big beneath it. Jerrick uses this place for announcements as well."
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Hearing about this Najirri quite understandably caught Fendros and Ahnasha's attention. Just as they had hoped, it seemed there was someone who could deal with mental trauma among the clan. For a group that dealt with so many new lycans, it was sensible that such a person would be quite important, or at least helpful, to have. However, given the importance of them dealing with Vile's followers, it could be some time before they would have the chance to see him, depending upon how their investigations unfolded. Still, for Ahnasha, it gave her something to hope for. Besides, according to Gallus, Najirri would be the one to call for them. The next chamber, where clothes were washed and dried, would likely not be too important to them unless they ended up staying for a sufficient length of time. Although, with how long they had been traveling away from warm bodies of water, a lot of what they had could use washing. The next, and much more interesting, chamber they visited was a mix between a dining room and a kitchen. The scents in the air were tantalizing, though it was Meesei's guess that the food would have to be rationed, given the number of mouths that needed to be fed. Still, the crowded room was obviously quite a popular location. "Hmm, I would have guessed that Jerrick would use the main chamber for announcements, though I suppose more people often find themselves here. And his balcony would make it easier to project his voice." Meesei reasoned. Looking up at the chimney which handled the smoke created a few thoughts in her mind that concerned her, but she would need to investigate further before bringing anything up. A few of the pack were hungry enough to eat, but as they were still in the tour, they moved on. The next point of interest was not a chamber they stopped in, but rather a long hall with open rooms on each side. Inside were long rows of planters growing corn, wheat, potatoes, and many other kinds of food crops. Surprisingly, there were no openings above to let in sunlight, but rather there were magical lights suspended from the ceiling above. Normally, plants could not grow under artificial lights, even most magical variants, but she had heard of some magic that was capable of mimicking sunlight. Mostly, it was used to combat vampires, but she could see how it might be useful in other pursuits. The enchanted lanterns above did not look Ayleid, so she supposed that there was someone among the clan who was capable of said magic.
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"Now this is probably one of the strangest things we have. When our numbers increased beyond being able to feed people with just hunting and foraging, we started raising livestock. When that wasn't even enough, and we had a greater need to feed ourselves than our stock, we moved on to growing our own crops." Gallus waved to one of the people with a bucket of water who was watering one of the rows, "It doesn't rain down here, so we have to move plenty of water. Thankfuly someone worked out how to use those blue stones to fuel some kind of sunlight making spell. It wasn't Darahil this time, it was one of his students. Tora, I think her name is." The pack moved completely to the end of the hall, where the smell began to get worse and worse. They reached the end of the corridor to behold one of the Ayleid gates with a man made lock securing it. Beyond was the calls of animals. Hens and pigs mostly, by the sounds of it. There were only a couple of stalls visible, however. "Beyond this gate are the animals, as well as a more secure larder. We have to protect them from any midnight snackers or unplanned transformations, so we keep it under lock and key." Gallus knocked his fist against the gate, "A minotaur couldn't get past these old gates. Only a few people have a key and most are already inside, tending to the creatures." Gallus turned around and started heading back to the hub chamber. "So this farming area is probably the biggest place in the ruin. It was empty when we got here, but the guys who study this place were convinced that this place used to be a library. It would explain all the shelves, I suppose." Gallus looked up to the ceiling in thought as they made their way back, "Let's see, you probably saw the armoury when we came in, I guess that just leaves the forge, the study rooms, the training chambers, the gate to the rest of the ruined city, the latrines, and finding you a place to sleep. There might be other things to point out as well, I'll remember as we go." In the quiet they had while heading back, Janius walked up beside Gallus to ask him a question. "Hey, Gallus, how long did it take for this place to get set up?" "Oh, I think it was about a year before it really felt secure." Gallus looked ahead, reminiscing, "For a while it was just a dark, barricaded hole that we were all sheltered in. We had to keep watches for creatures that lived in this place. Undead, mostly. Old undead. Even now, this place is so vast that we don't use all of it. There are still noises from down lower sometimes, but clearing the whole place out would take too long and too much manpower. We've just bricked up a bunch of openings and put a lock on the last remaining gate to the rest of the ruin. The only people allowed beyond are people studying the ruins, and that's with a bodyguard and permission from Jerrick himself."
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The variety of magic, Ayleid and otherwise, that was being used throughout the ruin was fascinating to Meesei, and the fact that, according to Gallus, some of the clan were actually intent on studying the ruin was encouraging. While an Ayleid city made for an excellent, defensible hideout, inhabiting it brought the risk of damaging the ruins themselves. However, if there were members that were working on preserving the knowledge found within, then less might be lost than Meesei feared. The Ayleid Empire was a cruel, oppressive entity, and Tamriel was overall better off without them, but the loss of their contributions to magic was also a tragedy of its own. In Meesei's mind, recovering what they once knew could turn the workings of what was essentially an evil empire to the benefit of Tamriel. If Meesei had the chance, she would study everything she could about these ruins, but their present task had to take priority. Meesei diverted her attention from her thoughts once Gallus started to describe their history in the city, which was both depressing and encouraging. Gallus indicated that there were still untouched parts of the city in the lower floors, but they were still hazardous with undead, and probably traps. "They entirety of Ayleid civilization were housed in cities like these, so I imagine its true extent is massive. This is obviously one of the larger cities, so in its day, there were probably thousands of Ayleids within its walls. If ever you ran out of room up here, you would likely have plenty of room to expand into. I admit, I would love to see an Ayleid city being used for the purpose that it was built, but sadly, that may no longer be possible. Even if the clan had enough members to fill this entire city, it is unlikely to ever be brought back to its glory days. As I am sure you know, magic was an everyday part of their lives, and much of that magic has been lost. You have figured out how to operate some of the arcane mechanisms they built into their city, but there are certainly more that people today simply do not know how to operate. The Ayleids solved many of the problems of living underground with magic, and any of the objects around us could have some lost function. The city will probably never be inhabited in the same way the Ayleids lived in it." Meesei commented, her tone almost solemn.
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The rest of the tour progressed about as expected. The forge was rudimentary, but it served the clan's needs well. It was placed in a room that appeared to be the symmetrical counterpart of the dining room, but the furnace had a brick chimney build up to its own hole in the ceiling. The training chambers were fairly simple rooms with a few statues around. There were some lit areas that people used for sparring and a space off to the side for archery training. The locked gate to the rest of the city turned out to be mundane, as they couldn't see very far past the darkness beyond. A similar notion could be said about the latrines, though at least flowing water could be heard running under the wooden structure. The study rooms were at the top of a staircase that Gallus didn't even lead the pack up into, reasoning that the few people up there did not like to be disturbed and he would have to answer to Darahil if they complained. Throughout the tour, the pack observed that despite the organisation of important supplies, many things were tucked away in crates in random places. Mementos, tools, and materials were in many places where one could stub a toe. They at least seemed to be off to the side, but there was no telling how everyone kept track of it all. As far as most of them could tell, the tools appeared to be nearest to their point of application. The weapons were near the gate, the smithing tools were by the forge, and there was even an amount of books, parchment and chalk stored around an empty chamber with chalk written upon one of the stone walls. Apparently it was where schooling was held. Additionally, the clan seemed to be relaxed about where one could set up a bedroll. Many people seemed content with taking unused rooms as pack groups, but some slept in corridors, alcoves, and sometimes main chambers. When Janius asked Gallus how people slept in areas where there would often be noise, he responded saying that he didn't know exactly, but that he has heard some say they prefer the noise as it helps them with their dreams. It made little sense on the surface, but Janius took Gallus' word for it. It took some wandering around for Gallus to find a space for Meesei's pack. Eventually they settled for an empty stone room with one wall missing, overlooking the main hub chamber over a stone balustrade one story up. It was more claustrophobic than they were used to, but not as bad as it could be. Upon request from Gallus, Tzirret ran to fetch a heating lantern for the pack and placed it in the centre of the room. Apparently they had the spare Ayleid stones to go around after sojourns into the unused depths of the city. "The main chamber gets much more quiet during the night, so noise shouldn't be an issue. People find it rude when a lot of noise is made around those times anyway," Gallus described, before flashing a mischievous grin, "As for privacy, well, no one is really going to be looking up here, but if you need some space, there are plenty of places out of the way. You just have to go looking." Just as quickly, Gallus reverted his demeanour and lightly punched Tzirret on the upper arm, "Anyway, Tzirret here is due for his tutoring on control. Is there anything you champions need before we go? Oh yeah, and if there's not enough food out by the cook fires, just look for a guy called Grolak. He's in charge of rations." Gallus raised a finger, "Careful though, he's all about that fair share rule, and he knows when you're lying."
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"Thank you." Meesei said with a polite nod. "Myself and my pack will get settled in, then explore the city in more detail, and get to know some of its inhabitants. I will find Jerrick once we are properly accustomed to your clan." She explained briefly. Once Gallus left, the pack started to unpack their bedrolls and situate their belongings. It seemed like they were going to be staying longer than a few nights, so they unpacked more of their things than they would for a night at an inn. As they had been in Bruma earlier in the day, they were all in their city clothes, which most of them were quick to change out of into their normal clothing. Their city clothing had been worn for over a month, with few spares, so all of them could use a good wash. Now that they were alone, Meesei had a chance to speak to her pack in private. Firstly, she used her magic to detect life around her and see if anyone might be listening in. As well, she attempted to detect any magic that could be used to allow someone to listen in on them. This room had been unused before they arrived, so it was doubtful that any traitors among the clan would have prepared to eavesdrop within, but she could never be too careful. "This city is certainly impressive, but we should avoid getting distracted. We have to ensure that it is well-protected, and to do that, we need to first make sure none of Vile's agents are within."
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Fendros, Janius and Sabine all found various places to set up their bedding. They were all relieved to finally put down their luggage and wander freely. Sabine felt relatively safe here, more safe than most places. The only company were other lycans, it was hidden from outside, and anything else was behind barriers. Fendros and Janius, however, were not so comfortable. They had been wary as to the friendliness of their fellow residents since they walked in, not only for Vile's servants, but for the trust of Jerrick and his clan. Perhaps it was too reminiscent of Molag-Bal's xanmeer full of cultists, perhaps it was just their beast spirits being wary of so many potentially rivalling packs at once. "This place certainly seems like it has it all," Janius observed, looking over the ancient masonry again, "but you're right. We should make sure that there are no spies around." Fendros was leaning on the wall next to the railing with his arms crossed, looking out at the training in progress. "How are we going to find such spies?" Fendros asked, "We can't just going around interrogating everyone, one by one."
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Once Meesei was reasonably sure they were not being watched, she joined the conversation, keeping a decently low volume. "No, and knowing who we are, any spy would be cautious. However, there may be some angles we can pursue. For one, I would suppose the initiates are being closely watched. Anyone new would not be allowed to leave without supervision, so it would be difficult for a spy among them to get out a message. It makes it more likely that we could catch them in the act. Of course, if a spy is higher up in the ranks, it could be more difficult." Meesei paused to think for a moment. Part of her wished that she could have gotten into the clan's hideout without revealing that she was the Champion. Sure, it granted her greater respect and authority, but a spy would also be cautious around her and her pack. If they were to ferret out any potential traitors, they would need to be more resourceful. "Unfortunately, a spy would be very careful about his or her actions around us, but asking around may yet be useful. Most of the lycans here are likely loyal, so we could have some of them act as our eyes, even if they do not know they are doing so. While we are here, we will be helping to bolster their defenses and find the lair of Vile's followers. While we are doing so, we should do what we can to become friendly with other members of the clan. We can build connections and ask them what they find out of the ordinary. Some of them, if we trust them enough, we might ask directly keep an eye out for trouble, but even normal conversation can reveal useful information. We just need to make sure to make friends at all levels of the pack, from initiates to officers. That way, they have more of a chance of coming into contact with spies."
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Janius pulled a sturgeon face a nodded. "That ought to help. It would be nice to know what the people here are like, as well. I've had some strange looks." "We're strangers and we're in the champion of Hircine's pack, of course some people are going to give us looks," Fendros declared. "Hm, I guess I can understand that." Janius looked up at everyone else, "In any case, we might start in the food hall. I'm famished." That seemed to get everyone shifting to move in agreement. Everyone was hungry after being out in the cold for most of the day and climbing partway up a mountain. The cook fires seemed to be a good place to start getting to know people anyway. Janius approached Kaleeth and took one of her hands as they started to move. He had noted that she had been quiet since they left the meeting room. "A bit enclosed, but it's a nice place, I think. What's your opinion? How are you feeling?" Before everyone left, Fendros pushed himself off the wall and addressed everyone. "Just one thing. Jerrick and his 'inner circle' seem to be accommodating, respectful and all, but it feels like he's putting on a face. This pack has been around for a while, but...can we trust him?"
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"I don't know, it's different." Kaleeth began, uncertain of how to voice her thoughts. "I mean, there are a lot of people here. It is crowded, but not like the other places we've been. The cities and towns are filled with people that don't know each other and aren't really...connected. But here, everyone is a lycan, and lycan packs are supposed to be like a family, right? It kind of feels like a really, really big village. Well, if a village was in a giant Ayleid city. I've never been in one of these before; I've just seen them from the outside. I never expected they would be so big inside. Meesei said it used to have thousands of people living in it, right? That closed off area must be huge too. I like the way it looks, the stones and the way it is built is just beautiful, but the thing I really, really like about it is that its warm. I hate the cold. People who live in the cold are just insane." Meesei stopped as she started to answer Fendros' question, since it was not best to discuss the matter in the halls. "We are newcomers here, and we do not know exactly what we are stepping into. No one is above suspicion, even the leadership. It does not seem likely to me that all of the inner circle would be under Vile's influence, but anything is possible, and I am not going to assume anything. According to their own word they have all been in their positions since before this trouble with Vile began. A good place to start would be to see how accurate that word is. When talking to others, we may wish to ask around for opinions about the clan's leadership...subtly, of course. If we start getting too much variety in the answer for how long they've been here, we may need to focus our investigation on them." She recommended.
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"It does seem a bit more like a village, doesn't it?" Janius agreed, chuckling at Kaleeth's comment about the temperature, "It is beautiful and warm down here as well. Up until we got down here, I thought I decided that the humid marsh was preferable to the cold, but now that I have a little perspective...it's nice not to sweat all the time." Janius grinned. "It's the main reason why most people think living in the marsh is insane," he quipped. Fendros nodded, "Right. That's a good idea." With some direction, now Fendros felt a little surer. Still, he wouldn't go wandering astray until he felt more comfortable that this wasn't all a big trap. Even though these people were probably the closest to sure allies they could depend on in all of Tamriel, save perhaps for Ariel, the memories surrounding the xanmeer kept him from relaxing. "I don't think I like being underground in places like this." He commented to no one in particular. When the pack came upon the cook fires, it only took one person to spot Meesei point her out. "There she is! The champion!" He shouted through his mouthful. A few more people had turned up for a meal, turning what might have been a small group of people into a small crowd as attention was brought to Meesei. From all directions, men and women moved forward towards the Meesei's pack excitedly and greeted Meesei all at once. "You're Meesei, right? The one who killed the Orc that appeared in all the alpha's dreams?" "The champion of Hircine! It is an honour." "Tell us how you won the ring!" "Here, have some of my pack's venison. We hunted it ourselves." "You don't carry weapons, are you a mage? My packmate is a mage, you two could talk." From between the people, young children peeked in and just seemed to want to touch the pack and run off. Thankfully, many other people present were content to watch on from their seats. It was clear that is was mostly the young and the excitable that were giving them attention. There were no shortage of those kinds of people in a clan with so many initiates. The others in Meesei's pack were not spared. Everyone was accosted by their attention in some form. "I heard your name said, Janius, correct?" "Lorag! Is it true that you punched a man's head clean off?" "You're the werecrocodile, right? I've never met one before, what is it like?" "Are you going to be winning this war?" "Your child is beautiful and healthy, what's its name?" "Please teach me your skills, I want to be a great hunter!" "Come, sit with us! We will share our kill with you." This and many other words were thrown at the pack. Fendros smiled and tried to ward them off. Janius seemed happy to indulge his ego a bit, but was eager to get forward and deal with his hunger. Sabine was just confused at all the attention and the endless questions that didn't make sense. At first, Rhazii was curious as ever, but the overwhelming attention brought him to the point of pushing his face into his mother's shoulder in fear and nearing the point of crying. Unfortunately, the crowd did not yield easily to the pack. Meesei may have to raise her voice and calm everyone down. At least people weren't being hostile. "Word travels fast, it seems," Fendros said to Ahnasha, keeping her close.
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Even for Meesei, the walk into the dining chamber was a wake-up call. In her mind, she had known what being Champion meant. She had known that it signified that Hircine found her to be the strongest among his hounds. She had known that it was a station his followers would look up to, something they might even idolize. Now, however, she was seeing it firsthand. The ones that were running up to meet them were mostly younger initiates, but even the older lycans had their attention firmly on her. Of course, the rest of her pack were also receiving their own share of the attention. Kaleeth was nervous at the sudden barrage of questions and stuck close to Janius silently, but Lorag and Ahnasha were much more open. Lorag initially was annoyed by the questioning, but as soon as he realized that it was an opportunity to brag about his own exploits, he started giving some mostly-true answers. Ahnasha responded similarly, though she also had to worry about calming Rhazii. To Fendros' comment, she simply looked at him and nodded with a slight chuckle. Meesei was receiving most of the questions, to the point that she could not answer them all if she wanted to. She was holding on to Sabine's hand, and it was clear that she was not comfortable with the sudden attention. Meesei had to put on a public face, an attitude with which to address the crowd. She had to find something that was a mix between friendly and assertive. Her position was one of strength, so there was no circumstance in which she could allow herself to be viewed as submissive, but at the same time, she did not want to be known as a cruel or distant leader. She wanted to be someone they could approach or admire, but she had to be sure that she was always seen as being in charge of the situation. Meesei raised up her hand and spoke in a voice that was not harsh or rude, but loud and firm enough to demand attention. "Now, even I cannot answer you all at once." She began to bring them to relative silence, making sure to continue before she was interrupted. "I am sure you all have many questions, and there will be time for answers. We are here to help protect your clan, to bring our might down to bear upon its enemies. We will be with you for some time, so for right now, let us sit and eat together, as brothers and sisters of Hircine's blood."
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The crowd seemed to settle only a few words into Meesei's main response. The reaction of the crowd was a momentary cheer. This time, when Meesei moved forward, they parted to give her pack space or walked backwards while facing her. The barrage of questions was more subdued now, but it still hovered beyond reasonable for anyone to answer at once. The slowed pace to the food was somewhat hectic in this way, but at least everyone could grab what they wanted. There was not only native game from the area, but also some pork and eggs on offer. To the side, a few large pots steamed with roasted or stewed vegetables as well as a few loaves of old hard looking bread. Given the way the meat was apparently portioned, the vegetables were necessary to fill the meals out. There were good cooks in the clan, though, so the stock and seasoning in the said vegetables made them smell delicious enough to be worth foregoing a little meat. Fendros helped to serve a meal for Ahnasha while her hands were occupied and then served himself. He hadn't had eggs for a long time, to he was sure to grab a couple as well as a skillet to fry them, along with some wild board meat and vegetables. All he needed now to complete the hearty dish was some wine, but the rations did not seem to take its luxury that far. Janius' meal choice was similar to Fendros', though he didn't go for the eggs and decided to try the domesticated pork. He was sure to explain what the eggs were to Kaleeth-Rei. He didn't see any hens in Black Marsh, and in the dim light the larger chicken eggs might have been mistaken for other kinds of eggs. Additionally, Janius found a lamb shank to occupy Leaps while they ate. The little wamasu was excitedly jumping at some people's legs, but stayed close to Janius on his command. Throughout the entire ordeal, Sabine held on tightly to Meesei's hand. She normally liked meeting new people, but all the questions were just intimidating. She didn't feel particularly hungry, so she put less than a complete portion into her bowl. Eventually, the pack wandered to what appeared to be an unoccupied cooking fire, but may have just been one that was cleared for them to sit by. Immediately, other people sat and stood around the same fire and attempted to introduce themselves. Some had food of their own, which made things less awkward. Mainly, the questions started to divert towards the orc slayer that all the alphas of Hircine had witnessed in his vision. Clearly, some situations had been exaggerated, but everyone wanted to know the tale from the pack that created it. "I think we should finally tell the tale, Meesei, else we might be regarded as more powerful than gods by the end of the night!" Janius said across the fire, while playing a small tug of war game with Leaps for the shank he had been given. "Indeed! It's about time I heard it as well." An older voice sounded behind the crowd that made everyone quiet. The people parted for Oswall, who had his own bowl of food. He stood watching with a smile. With his authority, it validated everyone else to eye Meesei expectantly. Fendros spotted out of the corner of his eye a couple more people looking down from the mezzanine. Jerrick was leaning against the railing, watching on, and Darahil stood at his side, his posture impeccable.
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Once Meesei and her pack were settled the crowd was quick to follow. Their curiosity, especially about the story of their slaying of the Orc. Most of them were the younger lycans and initiates, but soon enough Oswall showed up to hear the tale. As well, there were other members of the inner circle who were watching from a distance. Meesei grinned as she looked over the crowd. "All of you wish to hear the story of how I became Champion? Well, I think I can oblige. It was indeed a harrowing experience, wrought with danger and bloodshed. But, if you are expecting the classic tale of a hero facing down some terrible beast alone, well, this is not that tale. No, this is a different story. Now, it does have some of those classic elements, like a greatly formidable foe, perilous battles, a divinely beautiful heroine..." She joked, producing some brief laughs from the crowd. "...but I was far from alone." "I suppose I should start with our arrival in Northeastern Morrowind. We were not the first pack to arrive; there were others who had recieved the same vision from Hircine. Just like us, they were strong and motivated. They scoured the city, searching for clues as to the Orc's wherabouts. One pack did find those clues, but unfortunately, they brought them to their doom. You see, the Orc's hunters had its eyes and ears in the city, and those "clues" they found led them straight into a trap. Near nightfall, this pack left the city towards what they thought to be the hunter's lair, but along the way, they were ambushed. These hunters were brutal and efficient, true professionals at their craft. They set upon them with silver weapons. Barbed crossbow bolts shot out from all sides, each of them attached to ropes tied to trees. They could not move, could not fight, and were killed in but a few moments." Meesei told her story loudly enough that the room could hear. She paused briefly after describing the death of the other pack to allow her description of the hunters to have more impact. She wanted to be sure to convey how dangerous their foes were.
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Meesei's story had everyone rapt. Some in Meesei's pack were glad to have relief from the never-ending questions while everyone sat silently. So far, with the way Meesei was presenting the tale, the stage was set for an exciting recount. Fendros and Janius were listening on, feeling a little uncomfortable at the images of the pack they were shadowing getting slaughtered in front of them. Sometimes Fendros wondered if they might have been able to help them if they had charged forth, but it was in the past. Up on the mezzanine, Darahil and Jerrick conversed quietly. Eventually, Vera emerged from the meeting room, and then she and Jerrick walked hand in hand out of sight towards the hub. Darahil remained to watch on. During the story, Sabine quietly stood up and weaved her way through the crowd to find a place out of the way to eat. She found an unused table that would do and resumed her meal, but she spotted a bunch of children, boys and girls, looking at her from across the room and whispering amongst themselves. Amongst the crowd that formed one person spoke out of turn. "How many were there?" He shouted, causing a number of people to glare and shush at him.
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Meesei was concerned when Sabine got up and moved, but as she was in the middle of the story, she could not stop until it was complete. Instead, she moved on, giving a slight chuckle to the person who had spoken out. "Oh, it would have been unwise to get close enough to see. These hunters were fighting on their terms, in their own ambush. They were prepared and ready to fight and kill lycans, and it was very likely they had others in the shadows, just waiting for something to go wrong. Let it be a lesson, the enemy we face, their lycan hunters, are very efficient in their own element. They know all of our weaknesses, and how to exploit them. When they lay a trap, when they are fighting on their own terms, you should never underestimate them. No, what we did was to move our attack to our own terms. " Meesei gave a brief pause to take a few bites of her meal, then continued. "We tracked the hunters and followed them to their hideout, a cave in the side of a mountain. Like the other pack probably intended, we were going to charge into their lair, but unlike them, we made certain we were not expected. We caught them completely off-guard and charged into their hideout. A lycan hunter's advantage over us is diminished when they lose the ability to plan ahead. It was only their silver weapons which gave them some kind of edge. If you can overcome or subvert a lycan hunter's plan, that is when you should press your advantage. We are stronger than them, faster than them, no matter our form. In a tight, close range environment like that cave, the hunters became the hunted." She decided that was a dramatic enough point to give a pause for the crowd to react, and to give her a chance to take a few more bites of her meal.
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