Now that the walkway was lost, the battle was becoming more desperate for the defenders. Allied mages entered the fray just in time to provide support for the front line, slowing the enemy advance.

Ahnasha and Caldris found raised positions from which they could fire, but the angle they provided was not ideal. The shots they could place were few and far between. Even so, a few more clay pots came their way and they were able to shoot most of them out of the air. Any pots they couldn't hit seemed to halt in the air inexplicably before falling on the attackers, but searching around would prove that Darahil's magic was the source of the objects stopping. The oil this spread on the attackers was ignited by friendly spellfire and quickly prompted the attackers to cease using them.

The fight was virtually ground to a halt on either side for several frantic minutes. For a while it seemed like the defenders would be able to push back, but the skill and resolve of the attackers was continuing to prove superior. Before long, Vera gave the order to start withdrawing back to a corridor that could be sealed with another fortified door. The attackers would have free reign of much of the ruin, for what that would be worth, but they wouldn't be able to flank the defenders, and the door would give them time to recover.

Amongst the chaos, one young Nord warrior ran up to Ahnasha and nudged her on the shoulder to get her attention. "Vera needs you! Get over to her!"

Vera was shouting orders from a short way behind the frontline with a sword drawn. She was desperately trying to coordinate the withdrawal without causing a rout.

Outside in the snow and daylight, the surging roil of transformed lycans that made up the warband were continuing to close in. At this stage they had discovered and were following the tracks that the enemy soldiers had made. They were close enough now that they could see a tall, thin plume of smoke rising from roughly where the entrance to the clan home was. This prompted Fendros to start closing the distance with Harriet in the rush to get to his family's aid. He hoped fiercely that he wouldn't be too late.

As Ahnasha feared, her and Caldris' impact on the battle lessened once they were on the ground. They could pick out a few shots, but nowhere near as many as when they were at elevation. It was true that the enemy archers were in the same position, but as the hunters' frontline was more skilled and experienced, they were continually being pushed back. The greatest help Ahnasha could be at first was to help shoot down the oil pots being thrown towards their lines, though the hunters quickly stopped throwing them once they realized that their own men were the ones being burned.

Inevitably, the defenders were being driven back, and Vera doing all she could to keep the withdrawal orderly. Upon being informed by the Nord, Ahnasha rushed over to Vera while still trying to keep as close of an eye on the frontline as possible. Even with a shield wall in front of them, there was no place on any battlefield which could be considered safe. She had an arrow nocked, and was ready to draw and fire on a moment's notice. Once she reached Vera, there was no need for her to speak, as she was sure that Vera would say whatever she needed rather quickly.

Meesei was running at the head of the pack, and her pace only increased once she saw the smoke. They had been running for a while, but the intensity of the situation, and fear for their clan, kept them moving despite the fatigue. Once the smoke was visible, it was only a few minutes before they were upon the entrance of the cave. Strangely, Meesei noticed that the smoke rising from the cave was thinner than what she would have expected if the hunters had tried to burn the interior of the ruin. Although, she supposed that most of the ruin was not flammable, being made of stone. Since all of the warband was in their lycan forms, Meesei decided it would be best for her to shift back to normal. There were plenty of werewolves ready to fight, so her magical support would be more useful.

As Meesei shifted back to her Argonian form, the cold, snowly air bit harshly against her bare scales. Without protection, she would freeze to death rather quickly in the open air, but it was much warmer further down in the cave. She ran in quickly, casting a shield spell over herself while charging lightning in both hands. These mercenaries were striking at the heart of her clan, where Sabine, Kaleeth, and Rhazii had been waiting. She did not think about what might have already happened, and instead just focused on eliminating whatever threats were within, as that would have the best chance of keeping them safe.

While Meesei had been transforming back, several of the others had ran in ahead of her, with Lorag being among the first. He had a rage in his eyes unlike any he had experienced in years, though that was likely true for many in the warband. For most, their home, friends, and perhaps even family were in danger, so these mercenaries were going to be met with all of the ferocity that these enraged lycans could bring to bear.

Vera kept interaction brief when she spotted Ahnasha. She gestured with her shield arm further into the ruin, "Ahnasha! Get back to others and tell them to begin moving back through the ruin. They have to hide or find another way out! Go! Run!" And with that, Vera went back to keeping the lines in order.

Behind Ahnasha, a small group of particularly large werewolves were transforming into their beast forms. They leaped clean over the shield wall as soon as Ahnasha began moving and began to wreak havoc. Unfortunately, they were taking many hits and wouldn't last long. Although, the withdrawal was all but complete.

As the withdrawal was taking place, the corridor became increasingly claustrophobic. It wasn't until a chamber in which Ahnasha could run ahead of the rear group forming up that she could take advantage of her speed.

A resounding thud echoed behind Ahnasha as the fortified door was closed and swiftly barricaded. It seemed to cause a sudden haunting quiet as everyone began to catch their breaths. Ahnasha will have had time to reach the non-combatants by the time the echoing peals of the ram impacting the door began to ring out through the halls.

As soon as she could get enough room to maneuver, Ahnasha fell into a sprint to reach the non-combatants, motivated in particular by the need to get Rhazii to safety. Since this corridor was isolated from the part of the ruin which the hunters occupied, there was no chance they could reach him without breaking through their defenses, but she wanted to give the non-combatants as much of a head start as possible. The fortified gate would hold them off for a time, but they could still go back and retrieve their ram, so they would not remain safe for long.

Once Ahnasha ran through the door into the chamber with the clan's non-combat members, her presence immediately grabbed their attention, though her rushed pace and attitude did not serve to encourage them. "Everyone, listen! We are holding as best as we can, but we may need to fall back to here, so we need you to retreat deeper into the ruin. Find somewhere to hide, or another exit, if possible. Hurry!" She shouted, though as she yelled, she scanned the room for Rhazii, eventually finding him in the arms of Sabine. She could not help but to run up to them to check on him, though she was not sure what else she could do, as she had to get back to the fight in order to keep him, and everyone else, protected.

"Is everything alright? Has Rhazii been okay?" Ahnasha asked Sabine almost frantically, but it was Kaleeth that spoke up first. She had been in near constant thought since she had hidden away in this room with the rest of the non-combatants, and those thoughts had done nothing to calm her mind. She had been filled with nothing but regret for leaving the fighting to the others, and now it seemed like they were losing. How many had died so far while she stayed here and did nothing? That worry had been building since she first agreed to hide, and now it was overwhelming her to the breaking point.

"I...I can't stay here Ahnasha. I have to help; I have to fight. I'm not going to hide anymore." Kaleeth said. She tried to remain firm, but her faltering tone betrayed her fears.

"Kaleeth, you're being helpful here. Just keep Rhazii safe, and everyone else here. We can hold off the hunters." Ahnasha responded.

For a few moments, Kaleeth was silent. She looked to the other side of the room, towards the door leading deeper into the ruin which some of the others were already opening. She almost looked like she was about to accept Ahnasha's advice, but then she thought of all the others that were fighting the hunters. As she had been waiting here, she had been overhearing the conversations between some of the others in the room. Many had friends and packmates that were up near the entrance holding the line, and they were all fearing for their lives. It was a thought that Kaleeth could hardly stand, and one that made her decision for her.

"No! I'm not hiding! If you want someone to keep them safe, then...you do it. I'm going to help fight!" Kaleeth yelled. Immediately, she stormed off out the door Ahnasha had entered through, not intent on being stopped. Ahnasha was speechless, and uncertain on what to do. She did not know if the non-combatants were going to face any dangers in the deep parts of the ruins, but she did not like the idea of leaving Rhazii. Not to mention, her bow was not all that useful in the tight corridors.

Letting out a sigh, Ahnasha shook her head, then looked down to Sabine. "Don't worry, I'll stay with you...help protect you all."

Sabine gave quick nods to Ahnasha's initial questions, but did not have any time to elaborate even if she wanted to. Kaleeth's display had surprised her just as much as it had Ahnasha. Despite Kaleeth's desire to help Sabine called out after her, "Kaleeth, wait!" But she was too far gone by then. Sabine's worry reached the point where she began to tighten in the face and shed a tear. However, Ahnasha's assurance that she would stay with her was enough to mollify her to a point. She hoped Kaleeth would not be killed.

Sabine followed along with the others after they opened the door to the uninhabited parts of the ruin. A few soldiers with torches in one hand and weapons in the other lead the way carefully. Many of the traps near to the door had been disarmed or destroyed, but that guarantee would wane as they explored further.

Kaleeth eventually found a sight devoid of any morale when she reached the defenders. Their numbers were considerably fewer than they had started. What were left of them were formed up by the corridor to a barricaded door. Casualties, some still shouting in pain or shivering with their silver wounds, were being treated behind the lines. The one sound that seemed to make everyone flinch periodically were the loud punches against the barred door. It rattled a little more each time.

Vera smelled Kaleeth's presence before she could be spotted herself and quickly strode over to Kaleeth. "You're Kaleeth, the werecrocodile from the champion's pack, yes?" Vera didn't wait for an answer she already knew, "If you're here to fight, fall in and stay in formation. Do not transform without my orders, understand?" Vera's firm tone was appropriate to the situation, but that didn't make it any less of a contrast with her regular behaviour.

Another thud sounded on the door, this time with a resounding split. The wooden bar across the door had shed splinters and was bent to breaking point. Now the barricades were being pushed out of the way and the attackers would come through any second.

The alarm gave enough time for the formation to brace itself before the barricades gave way. The hunters' assault began anew. This time, the first to come through was another mage. This one was not as heavily armoured as the previous one, but he was considerably powerful. His first move was to send a glowing orange bolt of fire toward the defensive line. Those on the receiving end raised their shields, but the spell exploded on impact, causing those closest to go flying. The formation was disrupted. A few enemies got through before the formation could recover, starting an unpredictable melee as they went for those unprepared or wounded.

A swordsman attempted to assail Vera, causing her to pause to defend herself. A steel-clad mercenary with a shield and a spear ran forth and thrust its silver point at Kaleeth's middle.

Despite her desire to stay as close to Rhazii as possible, Ahnasha recognized that she would be most useful near the front of the group, with the other soldiers. Being Khajiit, her night vision than that of even the average lycan, so she could be quite helpful in detecting traps, as long as she knew what to look for. Once again, she found herself trying to think back on things that Meesei had said, specifically some of the stories she shared from black marsh. She had mentioned before her interest in the history of magic, and the advancement of knowledge in general. Meesei held a certain curiosity for ancient ruins, hence her distaste for adventurers who tended to deface them. She had shared stories about the Ayleid ruins of Black Marsh, and had mentioned the traps they contained. Ahnasha just had to hope she could remember the important details before they ran across any themselves.

"Of course, yes." Kaleeth answered quickly, though she added another comment under her breath as she took her position in the formation. "I'll try..." Although she had improved considerably, Kaleeth was still far from being in control of her beast spirit. She could handle most "normal" situations, as long as she hunted reasonably frequently, but this was combat. There was going to be a lot of fighting and death, and the scent of fresh blood was already filling the air to the point where she could practically taste it. If her beast spirit was intent on her transforming, she would not likely be able to stop it.

Though she was spared from the explosion of the fireball, but she still had to defend herself from the subsequent attack. Their line had faltered, so rather quickly, one of the hunters rushed to attack her. Following her training with Janius, she moved her shield to protect herself by striking the spear away with the shield's edge. Use of the shield was actually an aspect of combat that she found fairly easy, and she was successful in protecting herself from the attack, but her attempted counterattack showed her inexperience. She took a horizontal swing at her attacker with her mace, but as her weapon was much shorter than his, she had to step rather far forward to have a chance of hitting him. Her attacker needed only take a step back to get out of her range, while his weapon could still reach her. Once he recovered from his previous attempt, he thrust his spear at her legs, which were left exposed by her poor footwork. It was only by virtue of her wamasu scale armor that she was not crippled from the strike, as his spear had not struck dead-on. Instead, it hit at an angle and glanced off of the surprisingly durable light armor.

Kaleeth quickly jumped back in fear of her obviously more skilled opponents. She did not have the reach to fight a spearman, and even if she did, she was increasingly afraid of making some other mistake. She regretted her stubborn insistence on helping, but what could she do about it now? Run away? If she turned around for a moment, the hunter would put a spear in her back, not to mention the people behind her that she would have to try and run through. The fear started to overwhelm her, and with it, the influence of her beast spirit. With her life in peril, it was its instinct to preserve both of their lives, and she did not have the training or force of will to resist it for long. To at least delay it, she backed up a few paces near Vera and tried to see if she could get an opening on one of the hunters attacking her. Perhaps they could protect each other?

Sabine's response to Ahnasha moving was to edge closer to the front of the group, just to stay nearby. Rhazii had begun to cry again after Ahnasha walked away, but mostly Sabine didn't want to be alone.

The battle raged on around Kaleeth, filling the air with blood, anger, and fear. A couple of defenders had transformed in order to clear up those that had made it past their lines and weren't having too much trouble while they weren't overwhelmed, but establishing the formation again was proving difficult.

When Kaleeth neared to Vera, it appeared at first as though she was trying to fight, defensively, hiding behind her shield. The orders she was still giving out included prompting the two defenders to transform, but she had others to direct. It was distracting her. Suddenly, though, her assailant was taken by overconfidence in her meek offence and opened himself up to attack. Vera stepped back suddenly during his next swing and cut him under the wrist where his armour was missing. The sword fell to the ground amongst the swordsman's pained yell, and Vera was quick to place another cut under his arm, then drew her sword back and ran him through the neck with a final, deft thrust.

Vera's multitasking took the attention of Kaleeth's attacker, who decided to try and take Vera unawares while her sword was impaled through his colleague's neck.

Meesei's arrival at the chamber with the gate was a frantic one that stank of terror. The shattered gate was surrounded by a number of armoured mercenaries, arrows sticking out from gaps in their armour or steam still rising from their burned bodies. Those surviving were lying to one side, though the guards and healers that were caring for them were being attacked by Lorag, Harriet, and Fendros. A few wounded hunters tried to edge up from their beds or crawl away, but Harriet was tearing them to pieces. One runner that was trying to get to the battle lines to warn of intruders was quickly run down by Fendros and ravaged.

The biggest threats now were a meagre few bowmen drawing arrows from the walkway above the gate. At first, they seemed to have a cool confidence, but at seeing Meesei and the flood of wild ferocity behind her, their eyes collectively widened and they hastily loosed shots in her direction.

Fear continued to dominate Kaleeth's mind as she defended against the strikes from the hunter's spear, no longer even attempting to counterattack. Her defense held, but only barely. His spear nearly bypassed her shield a few times, and at one point grazed her fins dangerously close to her skull. She obviously could not threaten him in a standard fight, but it was once he distracted himself with another opportunity that she was actually able to strike.

As the hunter snapped his attention to Vera, Kaleeth did actually manage to recognize the opening. Janius had lectured and trained her on strategy, so even if she was only still a beginner, she still had some proper instruction. Kaleeth had been taught to strike in times like this, so on reaction, that was exactly what she did. It was not a particularly graceful strike, as she simply stepped forward and swung for his torso, but it was at least going to reach him. Of course, the experienced hunter had expected that possibility, so he broke off of his attack to raise his shield in defense. However, what he had not expected was the sheer strength of the blow. As direct and clumsy as it was, the mace carried such force that his shield was knocked to the side, and he very nearly lost his grip on it. Still following her training, used her shield to bash him off of his feet. Kaleeth was not quick to follow through on the opportunity she had created, but an enemy on his back was easy prey for one of the other lycans in the formation, who quickly and unceremoniously ran a blade through his neck.

Despite her limited success, Kaleeth was no farther from her transformation. Her breathing was rapid, her heart beat wildly, and her mind was becoming more and more hazy. If she did not willingly transform soon, then her beast would take over entirely. "Vera...I can't hold it back...I have to do it!"

Before the first arrows could land, Meesei let loose a wave of telekinetic energy at the barricade. The arrows were blasted off of their course, and the archers themselves were staggered back by the force of the wave. One even lost his balance and fell back off of the fortifications onto the floor behind the broken gate. The healers and wounded were cut down quickly by Meesei's allies, and the only kind of defensive line the mercenaries had prepared were the archers themselves. Evidently, the mercenaries had either not had enough time to mount a proper defense, or did not expect such a large force to flank them. As such, there was nothing to stop Meesei from rushing through the open gate and finishing off the archer on the ground with a quick thrust from a bound blade.

Unlike when the mercenaries had first broken through the gate, there was no shield wall to occupy them once they were through, so the other lycans were able to quickly climb up the fortifications to deal with the remaining archers while Meesei herself continued to advance in search of the mercenaries' main force. Although, finding them likely would not require much legitimate searching. Blood and bodies created a trail leading down the hall deeper into the ruin, all of it very fresh, indicating that the battle might not yet be lost. Indeed, the number of dead mercenaries near the gate had been encouraging, though the number of fallen lycans increased the further they advanced into the ruin.

Meesei followed the trail as quickly as she could, though she could not outpace her werewolf allies. Once they had finished off the healers and wounded, Lorag rushed ahead, along with the rest of her pack. They could hear the sounds of battle ahead, and by the time Meesei came within sight of the mercenaries' rear lines, Lorag was already tearing into their backlines. Not intending on wasting a moment in their surprise attack, Meesei charged a potent spell of chain lightning in her hands and unleashed it into a different section of the enemy force, far enough away from her allies so it would not accidentally arc into them.

For a moment, Vera's regular persona peeked through as she curled her lips in a mix of worry and frustration. She glanced away for a split second, not wanting to be too distracted. It appeared that the lines were reforming, and most of those who had got through were being contained or killed, but the defenders were being pushed back again. If there ever was a moment to try and sway Kaleeth's situation to anything better, it was now.

Vera placed her hands on Kaleeth's shoulders with her sword and shield still in them. Some still warm blood dripped onto Kaleeth's shoulder as she was held firmly in place. "Kaleeth, hear my voice, know my voice," Vera had her head angled forward and was starting right into Kaleeth's eyes. She was speaking as quickly and as firmly as she could. "You are afraid, but your beast is more afraid. You cannot stop it attacking the enemy. Your best hope is to make sure it doesn't put you both in danger. Don't let them surround you! Now go, you have my permission. We'll try to protect you."

Then, Vera stepped back and gave Kaleeth some space. She barked out an order for others to give her a wide berth as well, but to cover her from enemy spears. Werebeasts were not creatures that worked best with a formation of soldiers, but throwing a berserking werecrocodile in the mix might just let them recover from the recent assault.

Following their noses and the signs of battle made catching up with the enemy force a swift affair. No orders were needed as the warband sprinted through the gate, or clambered straight over if there was no room. Most followed Lorag and Meesei, but some broke off to follow other scent trails through the ruins. Evidently some scouts had been sent out to look out those hiding or planning an ambush. Little did any of them know just where it would come from and with what magnitude.

The main force was gathered in various affairs around a narrow corridor through which many were trying to get into. There were more wounded out of the way, some archers looking around tensely with not much to do, and what looked like a circle of commanders gathered around a scroll of paper. One of the commanders looked out of place, as he was dressed in regal furs instead of armour. All eyes shot to the lycans charging at their unprepared back lines. Lorag managed to get stuck in before any of the mercenaries were able to lower their spear points. Fendros charged in a similar manner, but seemed more focussed on carving a swathe through the very centre to somehow get through. Harriet was killing indiscriminately, the silver weapons landing on her body may as well have been feathers for all the heed she was giving them in spite of the obvious damage. Meesei's jumping bolt of power managed to drop five mercenaries almost instantly.

Any killed by Meesei's spells had inadvertently received a mercy compared to all that the others saw behind the initial vanguard. A stream of black, dark grey, brown, and silver came pouring forth in a cacophonous chorus of barks, growls, and gnashing teeth. The previously fearsome phalanx that the hunters put down to repel it was successful for a split second before it was overwhelmed by the living landslide of angry werewolves. Lycans that were halted by friends in front of them leaped over to crash into the next rank, breaking up the formation and destroying the strength of the enemy.

From both sides of the hunters, it was observed how suddenly compressed they were as each retreating force pressed into one another. They had nowhere to go and were running out of space with which to defend themselves.

Kaleeth had a difficult time concentrating on what Vera was saying, as she was mostly just trying to maintain her faculties. However, as soon as she hearth the phrase, "you have my permission," she was relieved to be able to stop fighting it. She gave in willingly to let loose her beast spirit, which would hopefully mean she could retain at least some measure of control. She dropped her weapon and shield, while her armor fell off at the points that Janius had helped her design. At first, the hunters' frontline was not concerned at what they thought was another werewolf entering the fight, as they were well-trained to deal with them, but as she grew even larger, a few took notice. Instead of growing fur, her scales thickened and her tail lengthened. Her muscles mass grew exponentially, while her head and neck grew wider to accommodate the exceptionally powerful jaw muscles. By the time the transformation was over, she was the single most massive being on the battlefield, though Kaleeth herself was not entirely in control. She could move her muscles, but her will was more of a suggestion. Her beast spirit would determine what to do if she did not satisfy it.

Once Kaleeth was in werecrocodile form, the defense's frontline was quick to make space for her to charge. Her beast spirit likely would have forced her to, even if they had not. As she ran forward, she swiped her arm at the spears the enemy raised to her. For a werewolf, it was an attack that would likely end with one or more gashes on the arm, but against Kaleeth, her scales were merely singed by the silver. As her hide was much thicker and tougher, it took stronger, more direct strikes to penetrate her natural armor. Simple slashes could not cut through. Against werewolves, the hunters were trained to stagger their shields and help brace each other so their formation could resist their greater strength, but when Kaleeth's arm slammed against one of the hunter's shields, the sheer force overpowered him, and those helping to brace behind him, to knock them off their feet. The spearmen on either side of the hole both turned their focused to Kaleeth. One of the thrusts hit at too much of an angle and glanced off, but the one to Kaleeth's left managed to thrust the spearhead into her abdomen, though as he did not know how much he needed to commit to the strike, it did not go quite as deeply as he expected.

On reflex, Kaleeth, swiped at the spear, snapping its shaft in the middle, though it ripped the spearhead out rather harshly. The pain enraged her, so instead of pouncing on those on the ground, she roared and rushed the one who wounded her. The spearman raised his shield for protection, but much to his misfortune, Kaleeth intended to bite. She snapped down on his round, handed shield with almost unbelievable force. The steel bands were not enough to resist her massive jaws, so the wooden core snapped in two while the steel bands that had been reinforcing it bent around the two halves. Latching onto his arm, Kaleeth pulled him out of formation, stabbed her claws into his chest, then used them as leverage to rip his arm from is body. She spat out the remains of the shield, swallowed his arm, then released him to die of blood loss.

At the moment, Kaleeth was not fighting entirely like a beast, but she had far less control than the other lycans. One with the proper knowledge could use that to slay her, but she did have some advantage in this situation. Namely, unless most of the hunters had spent time in Black Marsh, few of them would have any practical experience dealing with werecrocodiles. Despite their strength and durability, werecrocodiles certainly had weaknesses that could be exploited. With agility an maneuverability, a team of hunters could surround and slay them without giving them a chance to respond, but if there were any experienced werecrocodile hunters among the enemy, they would know this was one of the worst environments apart from a river in which to fight one. With so many warriors filling the tight corridors, and the defenders supporting Kaleeth, there simply was not enough space to outmaneuver her. However, given her lack of inhibitions, Kaleeth still could not expect to get through unscathed, if she survived at all.

Even from the back of the mercenaries' lines, Meesei could see Kaleeth transform on the other side. This did mean that the defenders were still alive and fighting, but the battle must be desperate for Kaleeth to be picking up arms. It was good that the warband was now here to reinforce them. They had the mercenaries surrounded, but Meesei did not know if the defense was yet aware of that fact. As such, she decided it would be best to tell them herself.

Meesei's body started to charge with lightning for a few moments, until she released it into a spell of lightning form. From head to toe, her flesh looked as if it were made of pure lightning, which would both arc out to nearby foes, and protect her like armor, though to a lesser extent than a shield spell. From there, she sprinted forward at a group of mercenaries who were clambering to form a shield wall on their flank, then, when she was almost upon them, used a spell of bolt escape. The spell allowed her to dash forward essentially as a bolt of lightning, shocking any who she passed through nonlethally, but enough to briefly stun. She passed through several rows of the enemy and reappeared in the very middle of their force. Obviously, she was surrounded on all sides, but while the mercenaries were now aware that they were fighting on two fronts, the very last thing those in the middle were expecting was for a naked Argonian made of lightning to suddenly appear directly beside them. Lightning arced out from Meesei in all directions, which was again not lethal, but enough to wound, and certainly surprise, the enemies immediately beside her. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Meesei stabbed her bound blade through the stomach of a swordsman to her right, then used bolt escape to dash away just as quickly as she arrived.

After another dash, Meesei appeared directly behind two of the mercenaries' frontline spearmen. With a quick blast of telekinetic energy, she caused the pair to stumble forward into the spears of the defenders. Since her bolt escape had briefly stunned those behind her, she was able to join the defensive line before they could recover to attack her. "The warband has returned; now is the time to counterattack!" Meesei shouted.

At first, Kaleeth's presence put the enemy on the front line in a position of backing down. Even for a werebeast, the way that Kaleeth crushed the armour and shields of the others like paper was discouraging to say the least. Of course, the leader of the assault knew better. Orders from the enemy assault kicked a reserve of discipline into the soldiers at the front. This was a risk that the defenders were making. If Kaleeth was killed, defence would be compromised.

The mercenaries took a new formation and tried to push either side of Kaleeth in an attempt to surround her. They seemed confident that Kaleeth would not back away while enraged. The initial push seemed successful enough that an enemy mage was ordered to stun Kaleeth. A green bolt of magic struck the werecrocodile and she found that she could not move. Spears were being reared to strike her, but quite another thing happened.

Meesei suddenly appeared amongst a stream of bright blue light and noise. The hunters recoiled and were shocked by gaunt fingers of lightning flashing forth from her form. The entire defence looked up and seemed to feel a surge of confidence when they saw Meesei. The advance that they had made around Kaleeth was retaken in time for Kaleeth to recover from her paralysis. Vera shouted for them all to keep up the pressure, but the enemy simply had no more room to retreat. The fight started to stagnate on the front end, but at least the defenders were not losing. On the other side, hunters were continuing to melt away. The resistance was so packed and the warband so relentless that the ground they gained was being coated in blood and bodies.

While all others were focussed on killing, Fendros had fought his way to the corridor itself. His single-minded objective of getting to the other side meant that he was now surrounded and was not fighting cautiously. He tried to defend himself while pushing his enemies back towards the defenders, but he could not win forever. He was struck deeply in the back of the leg by a spear, then in one arm, and then the other shoulder. The three spears forced him down to the floor and kept him pinned.

One hunter tried to finish Fendros off with a sword while others held him, but he underestimated how long his colleagues would last. Seemingly out of nowhere, Janius jumped forward and swiped the hunter off Fendros. In mere seconds, Fendros' crazed advance had effectively split the mercenaries into two groups in their chamber. Those resisting were killed so quickly and efficiently that the warband's front lines had reached the corridor behind Fendros in little time at all. After dispatching Fendros' assailants, Janius continued to cut a swathe down the corridor, though more carefully than Fendros. He had his own reason to get to the other side.

The mercenary force were defending themselves madly at this point. They had lost almost all of their discipline and cohesion. They were trying to survive without any hope left.

Janius eventually gained so many reciprocal cuts to his arms in the corridor fight that he was forced to back away and let another ally leap over him to continue the fight. On his way back, he saw Fendros struggling to get up. Janius dragged him back until he was out of the warband's way, though Fendros tried to resist. Before Janius was done dragging him, Fendros passed out due to his wounds. This battle would have to finish soon, both for Fendros and Kaleeth's sakes.

Lorag's anger was growing, but this time towards Fendros rather than the mercenaries they were slaughtering. He was pushing into the enemy force far too quickly and recklessly, and it did not take much to guess why. Unfortunately, he was too occupied dealing with the mercenaries immediately in front of him to stop him from getting himself hurt, but Janius was able to move in behind him and pull him out before he was killed. As soon as he could, Lorag followed through the openeing and helped to cover Janius' retreat. At the very least, Fendros had driven a wedge into the enemy force, but that was not going to stop him from properly scolding him after all of this was over. He already knew the best way to drive his point into Fendros' skull: by telling Ahnasha.

As Meesei hoped, the presence of the Champion was a rallying force for the defense. The mercenaries were sending their most experienced to the front, so Meesei intended to give them every advantage she could. All they had to do was hold, as the warband was cutting a bloody swathe through their flank, but if they could successfully counterattack, it would likely demoralize the mercenaries even further and lead to less casualties on the part of the defense.

At the forefront of Meesei's mind was protecting her pack, and from what she could see, Kaleeth was in the most danger. By the way she was acting, her beast spirit was at least mostly in control, so Meesei knew she would not be fighting with any measure of caution, and there was nothing she could do to stop her. At the very least, however, Meesei was able to aim an alteration spell at the imposing behemoth off to her right, covering Kaleeth's already tough scales in a shield spell. It would not stop her from being harmed entirely, but it would take considerably forceful strikes to break through both layers of her defense. Once Kaleeth was as protected as she could be, Meesei proceeded to lead the defense from the frontline. She stayed close to the defensive line to allow their spears to help protect her, then used telekinesis to attempt to open up more holes in the enemy shield wall, followed by bolts of lightning to injure or hopefully kill those they struck. Unless something drastic happened, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that the mercenaries were going to be eradicated. If at all possible, Meesei decided to attempt to take at least one prisoner once the enemy numbers were sufficiently depleted.

Kaleeth's fury only increased after the paralysis spell wore off, and her influence over her beast spirit faded even farther. The shield spell Meesei cast upon her did not even register in her mind as she stood back to her feet; only her thirst for blood mattered. The Breton who had paralyzed her had to advance close to the front to cast the spell, and given Kaleeth's size, it had taken a considerable amount of magicka to successfully immobilize her. As such, there was little she could do resist when Kaleeth lunged forward and stabbed her shortsword-like claws through the mage's back as she tried to retreat through the tightly packed offensive line. In a final, futile defense, the woman tried to charge what electricity she could through her own body into Kaleeth, which she promptly ignored before plucking the mage out of the enemy's lines, slamming her into the ground, then crushing her under her foot. In celebration of her revenge, Kaleeth's beast compelled her to rip off and eat a chunk of meat from the mage's side.

While the werecrocodile was distracted, a pike-wielding Nord among the mercenaries managed to lunge forward hard enough to drive the head of his weapon through both layers of Kaleeth's protections into the area just below her neck. It was a potentially dangerous area to wound, but the blade had been stopped by her collarbone, so it was not fatal. It did, however, provoke an immediate response from Kaleeth. As the Nord pulled back his weapon for another thrust, Kaleeth rushed forward, ignoring the blades and spearheads that were mostly deflecting off of the magical armor as she trampled over the Nord, through three more rows of defenders behind him. Kaleeth was now surrounded on three sides, but she had opened a fairly large hole in the offensive lines for the defense to exploit. In a berserk frenzy, Kaleeth slashed her claws in all directions around her, with as much force as she could muster. Many around her did not have shields at the ready, and her claws could cut through anything weaker than steel with ease. However, she was being attacked just as much as she was attacking. Many of the blows were deflected away harmlessly, but for those hunters who were able to maintain their composure, they could, and indeed did, penetrate through her defenses with forceful, well aimed strikes. The wounds were shallow, but they would add up.

With Kaleeth's last loss of control, Vera's advice to her was directly contradicted and she found herself with enemies all around her. Not only was she surrounded, but these hunters were panicked and had nowhere to run. They knew their only hope, however false, was to cut their way out, and they went for the biggest target. They didn't have room to cast nets, they couldn't get the space to pin Kaleeth properly, but enough blades burrowed shallowly into her flesh that she was overcome. The hunters may have bypassed the magical shielding around her body and outright kill her if they had the time or the space.

Quickly enough, however, the hunters that were trapped and surrounded in corners began to fall to the last man. Lorag's push through the corridor was enough to allow the warband through and attack the remaining forces. Indeed, the invigorated defenders let their own formations relax to allow through their frenzied brothers and sisters. The sheer numbers and aggression of them supplanted the need for order to win the day now.

Such was the storm of death around the enemy that it was an impossibility to pluck one of them out to safety without somehow parting the warband that was tearing them asunder. There was a cry of victory from all of the defenders, quickly joined by a deafening choir of howls from those that had transformed.

By the time the last fighter fell, there was a new coat of red on the nearby walls. Pools of blood made the ancient stonework slick and reflective. The smell was a raw mix of blood and insides to reflect the aftermath. Very few bodies were identifiable and complete. Even those that were still intact had suffered gruesome wounds. Werewolves feasted on the bodies to sate themselves and calm their rage, but everyone else was simply relieved by the end of the fighting.

Vera did not allow the relaxation, however. The work was not done. She immediately ordered groups of defenders to look for wounded allies and treat them, as well as sending a couple of runners to the unexplored ruins to collect everyone. Nevertheless, the rush of battle hit some people hard. There were defenders that collapsed against walls in exhaustions, others that were younger and not used to battle even ran for spaces to vomit due to the sheer abundance of gore flooding their senses. Vera, through all of the commands, found time to approach Meesei for a quick comment. "You and the rest could not have come sooner, Champion. We would have been done for." She glanced around the room while she caught her breath and her eyes landed on Kaleeth. She pointed her sword lazily at the wounded beast. "You should rally your pack. Ahnasha, Sabine, and the child are with the non-combatants, Kaleeth looks like she lost control."

In Kaleeth's direction, the werecrocodile was not the only point of interest that caught Meesei's eye. In the nearest corner, the last few hunters were piled up as they were slaughtered in the fight, but beneath two thoroughly dead bodies, there was one gauntlet-clad pale hand sticking out from the pile that seemed to be reaching for something.

It was then that Janius strode through the corridor, still in beast form. "Meesei, Fendros is in the next room," He announced, "He was wounded, but he'll live." His hands and forearms were covered with cuts to the point that he was holding them to his chest. His ears were flat because of the pain. He looked around for Kaleeth and quickly approached to help her.

The fighting died with the last of the mercenaries. Surrounded as they were, they had been forced to fight to the last. Meesei might have accepted a surrender, if only to take advantage of whatever knowledge they had, but even she might not have been able to stop the enraged lycans around her, particularly Kaleeth. Regardless, the enemy was defeated, and the clan, though it had been damaged, was victorious. Now, they just needed to tend to the wounded and repair any other damage the enemy might have caused. Lorag, being as military-minded as ever, would not be satisfied until every last corner of the ruin had been scoured for hostile survivors, so he gathered up a few of the others from the warband and ordered them to help him search the area.

Meesei nodded to Vera and Janius respectively. "Understood, I will tend to him as soon as I can." She answered. By Janius' tone, Fendros' wounds were not immediately life threatening, and Kaleeth presented a much more present issue. "Vera, I assume you sent runners to the non-combatants? We need to focus on the wounded, first and foremost. Given the number we will be tending to, it may be best to set up a temporary infirmary in a chamber with more space to give the healers plenty of room. I would request that some of the non-combatants set it up and help move the wounded once they return. We also need to have the main gate barricaded and our defenses restored as soon as possible. I have no reason to believe there will be any further attacks soon, but I do not wish to take chances." Meesei suggested before turning her head to look at Kaleeth. "I will make sure she does not become a problem."

Since Janius was approaching Kaleeth, Meesei took a brief moment to investigate the hand in a pile of bodies which was still moving. Undoubtedly, there were still several among the hunters clinging to life. The others would likely deal with them, but for this one, Meesei decided to see personally if he or she was worth the effort to save. Walking up to the pile of bodies, she used telekinesis to cast aside the corpses to investigate the hand's owner.

It was difficult to tell just by looking exactly how serious Kaleeth's wounds were, but her beast certainly was not paying them any attention. She was feeding on a pile of the hunters' corpses, tearing away at their armor almost without effort to get at the meat underneath. As Janius approached, however, she grew tense. At first she growled, then as he took a few steps more, she let out a threatening roar. At this point, there was nothing of Kaleeth in control of the behemoth before him. Her beast spirit had pulled control from her entirely and suppressed her within her own mind. Right now, she was an animal; an animal who currently saw Janius as a competing predator attempting to steal her food.

Vera gave a nod to confirm that she had sent runners, then wiped her sword and slid it back into the scabbard on her belt. "I will see to it that the wounded are tended to. We will clear room in the dining chamber, it has tables enough for treatment, and will be close to the hot water we can boil on the fires. Everyone else can help clean up and eat in the main chamber." Vera stood up more straight now that she was less out of breath. "Oswall?"

"Right here, Vera." A low grumble sounded behind Vera. Oswall's white and grey-flecked beast form began to contract back into the size of a human in short order. He slumped slightly, exhausted by the fight.

"I was just mentioning to Meesei that you arrived just in time. This was a losing battle before you returned." Vera swallowed hard, her voice was rough from all of the shouting she had been doing, "I will ask to hear of what happened in your hunt later. For now, I need you to help gather the wounded to the dining hall and build barricades at the gate."

Oswall shook his head to try and get the last of the tingling from his recent transformation out of his face, then nodded. "Of course, but I have another concern. Where is Harriet?"

Without answers, both Oswall and Vera turned to Meesei. They observed as she threw the bodies off the living hunter.

The hunter was a tall Nordic woman in steel armour with warpaint across her eyes. Her helmet had been knocked off, revealing tightly braided blonde hair. She had a shield on one arm, and a dagger at her belt. If she had any wounds, they probably weren't worse than bruises. Her hand stilled when she was revealed and she kept her eyes closed. Even if she hadn't given herself away before, Meesei could smell her breath. Her attempt to play dead would not work.

Meesei looked over the Nord woman for a moment, then back to Vera and Oswall. "Harriet may be among the dead. She...did not approach the fight with caution. Her collar would identify her, though do not touch it if you find her. If removed improperly, the collar will activate."

Standing over the Nord just out of reach of any weapon she might have, Meesei looked at her with a severe, though not quite aggressive expression. Meesei had no arms or armor, but her displays of magic had likely been enough to inspire fear, not to mention the fact that the Nord was hopelessly outnumbered.

"Stand up, mercenary. Discard your arms and armor; we both know you have been defeated. I know not what you think of me or my kind, but I have no particular desire to execute you. If I did, your weapons would not stop me. You are a prisoner of this war, whether or not you knew it was actually a war you were fighting. Approach your loss with civility, and I promise to return the gesture. Cooperate, and you will not be mistreated. Now, are you going to comply, or resist?" Meesei questioned authoritatively, though as she finished speaking, Kaleeth let out another roar, and looked as if she might lash out at Janius for a moment before returning to feeding on the corpses. Meesei regarded Kaleeth for a moment, then looked back to the Nord. "Do not approach her."

"We had best get to work then," Vera said finally. Both she and Oswall walked off to direct their followers.

Janius halted his approach when Kaleeth made eye contact. He searched her expression for any hint that she was still at the forefront of her consciousness. When Kaleeth roared, Janius backed off a couple of paces. He knew that trying to look submissive in order to put her at ease didn't work. Werewolf body language did not translate well to Kaleeth's beast form. He wanted to try and speak, but Meesei interrupted. Janius decided to sit on his haunches a distance away from Kaleeth. She would turn back eventually. In the meantime, he could ward her off hurting others and steer away anyone who edged too close to her.

There was a long moment where the Nord continued to lay still. Eventually, her eyes opened a sliver. She knew her trick had not worked. Her eyes met Meesei's and she began trying to breath properly again. It was pained, however. Slowly, she rolled over to one side and stumbled up upon the remaining bodies below her. She was evidently wounded in some fashion. Blood leaked from her side where a claw had caught her under the cuirass. She clutched at it with her shield hand. The rest of the blood that covered her belonged to other people.

At this point, a couple of other werewolves had noticed her and stalked up behind Meesei, growling. They did not like this one being alive, but they would not get between the champion and her prey.

In reaction, the Nord slowly and shakily pulled out her dagger and held it out beside her. "If you want to eat me, I'm already tenderised." The Nord spoke with a heavy accent from Skyrim, "Go on, come and take me to Sovngarde. Let me meet my ancestors." The Nord's knees began to tremble. It didn't look like she would put up much of a fight at this point, but she wasn't going to give up without one.

Meesei did not budge from her position and made no effort to strike down the essentially defenseless Nord. "Even if you were in good health, you could not challenge me, and as I said, I have no interest in an execution. Unless Galsek was lying in his final moments, which is indeed a definite possibility, I know you are a mercenary. Is gold worth your life? Perhaps you think me a mindless beast? A berserker or barbarian? No, I would say I have far more civility than you; I did not go to your home and try to murder your family. Listen for a moment and you would hear that I am letting you live. I will not torture you or commit whatever other atrocities you are imagining. If that was my intention, your cooperation would be irrelevant. I can cast a spell of paralysis; you will be detained no matter what you do. Now, disarm and remove your armor. You will be taken to a cell, and I will have one of the healers tend to your wounds. After we have tended to our own, of course." Meesei ordered in a tone that was best described as neutral. She was not threatening, though not particularly comforting. Her threats were rather matter-of-fact in tone, demonstrating complete and utter confidence in her superiority in combat ability over the Nord.

Being left to herself with her meal, Kaleeth began to calm. Her beast spirit's bloodlust was satisfied, so even though it bore no kinship to the other lycans, it did not feel compelled to make prey of them either. After a few minutes, she curled up a short distance from the bodies and began licking her wounds before slowly making the transition back to her Argonian form. For a few moments, it was uncertain if she was still conscious, but the light sobbing that could be heard emanating from her soon answered that question. From head to toe, she was covered in blood, and while an uncertain proportion of that had belonged to the hunters, the blood that was starting to pool underneath her was unmistakably hers. Given the number of silver wounds she had suffered, she was undoubtedly in considerable pain, but she did not seem intent on moving.

Confusion flashed across the Nord's face. Meesei's reasonable tone took her by surprise. "...You're not going to kill me? You..." the Nord regained her aggressive stance, fearing a trick. "You speak like the slimy elf that hired us. You're too pompous to be what they told us you were." She looked down at her silver dagger, "None of this is making sense anymore..." Her eyes looked up to Meesei again as she considered whether she might be bluffing. With a harsh sigh, the Nord put her dagger back in its place and began to strip off her weapons and armour. When she was done, she nudged the pile of metal and leather off the pile of bodies towards Meesei with her foot. "Who are you, anyway?"

Janius stood up and moved to Kaleeth when she transformed back into an Argonian. He knew the mix of pain and fear Kaleeth was experiencing. It wasn't the first time he had witnessed her feeling it. He didn't say anything to her, he simply picked her up in both arms as gently as he could and carefully carried her to where they were treating the wounded. He wished he could do more. He wished he was there to keep her away from the battle.

Once Janius had found Kaleeth a table and laid her down, he sat down on the floor next to her. A familiar guilt kept Janius quiet. He could have transformed back if he wanted to, but he didn't. In a language only he heard, Janius' beast spirit expressed the need to clean Kaleeth's wounds by licking them. He managed to clean much of the blood by the time healers arrived to provide aid and dress Kaleeth's wounds. It felt like odd behaviour to Janius, who was in complete control at this point, but both himself and his beast spirit were sharing worry for their companion.

It would be a while before the healers would be available to treat Janius' arms, as they were not serious wounds. In the meantime, he decided to stay by Kaleeth's side and be there for her. For some comfort, he reached out and lightly took Kaleeth's hand in his own, though the size difference of their forms meant that his fingers closed over Kaleeth's wrist as well.

Though it took a while for the runners to inform everyone who was hiding that the hunters had been vanquished, Sabine and Ahnasha eventually heard. Sabine's pace to get back was as fast as she dared while carrying Rhazii. She had to know whether everyone was alright.

Lorag's scouring of the clan home cropped up a few groups of mercenaries that were likely marauding for loot or other people to kill, but they were dispatched quickly and without any further casualties. The speed of his followers and himself made for quick work. He was done by the time the non-combatants had returned from the uninhabited ruin.

Once the Nord was disarmed and unarmored, Meesei looked to two of the werewolves standing behind her. She did not know them, but they had been part of the warband, so she trusted they would follow her orders. "Come with me, we're taking her to a cell." She ordered, turning back to the Nord. "Walk in front of me and make no sudden movements. I will guide you to the cell. I do of course want something out of you, and that is information. I do not have time to decide the terms of your release right now, and frankly will not have time for a while due to this attack of yours. But, you will be fed and your wounds cared for until that time comes. Unless you give us a very good reason, you will not be harmed. Now, let us move." She said, walking behind the Nord and placing her hand on her back to guide her forward.

While they were walking, Meesei decided to answer the woman's question, if only to improve the chances of getting useful information out of her. "We are lycans. That is, of course, obvious, but there is nothing much more complicated about it. We have a condition, what some would call a disease, imparted by the Daedric Lord Hircine. Some of us took the condition on willingly, but most in this clan were infected by other means. We have banded together in this clan for survival, so as to avoid the fates that often befall feral lycans. This is a home and safe haven for those who can live nowhere else. Farmers, merchants, laborers, children, those were the people you were sent to kill. It is fortunate we returned in time to protect them. I know not of your own personal code of ethics or honor, but I know that your employer has none. Whether you know it or not, you were acting in service of another Daedric Lord: Clavicus Vile. Of course, if you were asking about me specifically, my name is Meesei. I am the Champion of Lord Hircine. I am the alpha of all packs under his name."

---

For the time that Janius carried and cleaned her to the point that the healers came to tend to her wounds, Kaleeth was largely unresponsive to anything that might be said to her. The only sound she made was sobbing, which she would not stop. The healers most likely assumed it was the pain that had sent her to tears, and while it certainly had not helped, her sobbing was originally brought on by something deeper. Her spirit felt even more damaged than her body, which was not in a good state itself. Like many of the wounded, it would take sustained treatment to deal with the silver wounds, so she would be under their care for a while.

Seeing as Janius was not leaving, Kaleeth eventually worked up the will to speak, softly at first. "You should just...let me die. I deserve it. I ate them, Janius. I ate them and...liked it. I'm...sick. I'm a monster! I should be killed like a monster." She said weakly. Although it was not something Janius might think about anymore, Kaleeth, despite the months she had been with them, had not actually been in a position to experience the more cannibalistic tendencies of lycanthropes. Her prey thusfar had been simple creatures.

It was a great relief to Ahnasha when the runners informed them of the success in the battle above them. They were able to return from the depths of the ruins before anyone fell prey to any traps. Like Sabine, Ahnasha had to know about the safety of the others, so she rushed up to rejoin the rest of the clan along with her. Once they were back to the chamber they had been hiding in before retreating to the unexplored areas she took back Rhazii from Sabine and thanked her for caring for him.

Lorag was the first of their pack that they were able to find, as he had returned not long before from searching the ruins. He told them that everyone from their pack had survived, but it was from him that Ahnasha learned not only that Fendros was injured, but how he had been injured. Immediately, she made her way to the temporary infirmary in the dining hall, where he had evidently been moved. For Lorag, he decided to search around and see what happened to Harriet. With all that was happening, he felt like knowing if that was a loose end they still needed to deal with.

In the infirmary, Ahnasha searched around for Fendros' sent until she found him. He had already received some treatment, though he would likely be bedridden for a while. The healers did not seem to like the idea of too many people crowding into the infirmary, but they simply did not have time to stop and argue at the moment. As long as she stayed out of the way, she doubted there would be a problem. "You awake, Fendros?" Ahnasha asked.