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

[Muttonhawk]

"You're the leader then? You sound like you're the leader." The Nord spoke while she walked. She was still tense enough that she didn't feel safe, but this was likely not what she expected would happen. "If you're offering to let me go if I talk, I'll answer your questions. I'm the only one left in my mercenary band unless you found others. It's not as if I'll be doing much more in your...little war, I guess." The Nord paused for a moment, thinking. "We were told that you were a large bunch of werewolves that were ravaging the countryside, just savages. The werewolf hunters they brought in, they trained us to fight you with silver, they said you were just animals, but...this looks more like an underground village."

---

Janius looked up to Kaleeth's eyes when she spoke. Janius had thought that Kaleeth's emotions were mainly to do with killing and being injured, but the cannibalism took him slightly off-guard. He had taken the issue for granted for so long that he assumed Kaleeth had accepted it. He felt stupid for not realising it.

For a short moment, Janius considered trying to reason cannibalism with Kaleeth. He thought that he could make her think about the act not as an abomination but as the natural instinct of the creature inside of her. That would have been an idiotic thing to do as well. Distraught as she was, it was unlikely that she had any room in her mind for deep thought. Janius thought hard enough that he decided to shift back to his human form in order to properly consider the situation. He didn't let Kaleeth go while he transformed.

After another moment standing still, Janius collected a stool from nearby to sit down on. He thought he had found something appropriate to say. The fatigue of the battle had grasped Janius at this point, making his tone croaky and quiet, "I understand, Kaleeth. It's confronting to eat humanoid flesh, especially when you are not in control. All us lycans go through the same feeling that you are going through now. I can't force you to accept it, all I can say is that it doesn't make you a monster. Not while you're still a thinking, feeling Argonian that you are now. Not while you're in control." Janius' eyes flicked down, then up again, "Though, no matter what happens, I still love you. I always have. I won't ever leave you to die."

Ahnasha walked past many less fortunate defenders on the way to Fendros. Many of the more grevously wounded people were hanging onto life by a thread, some had succumbed and had blankets pulled over their heads. Most had some form of family or friends around and tears were flowing, both out of worry and grief. It was likely a worse sight out where they were lining up those defenders who had died during the fighting as their loved ones returned from the ruins. There were less casualties out there than there were in the infirmary, but that did not make the prospect any less depressing.

Ahnasha's search for Fendros came to an end when she found him on a table in Dunmer form. His lower leg was wrapped tightly in a long cover of bandages, as was his left shoulder and his right upper arm. His arm was still being dressed by a Breton healer who was channelling restoration magic into it. Fendros' first reaction to hearing Ahnasha's voice was to open his eyes. He had been awake for a short while now, but he dared not move much. "Ahna?" He said with pain in his voice. He was brave enough to crane his head up to see her, "Thank the eight, you're unharmed. Once we heard about the enemy attack, I was afraid the worst would happen."

[EliteCommander]

"That would be an accurate description, yes. It has all of the same components as a village, and serves the same function." Meesei commented. "As mercenaries, I would not expect they would have told you the entire truth of the matter. If you were an agent of the enemy, a cultist of Vile, then I can say that I would not be so...accommodating in your capture. His cultists are fanatical and willing to die for their master. They have slain countless of my kind in a war of their making. Still, do not mistake my politeness for acceptance. I may bring you through the infirmary to show you the pain and suffering you have wrought among the innocents of this family. I do not know how many you killed personally, if any, but you played a role in their suffering. But, I am no fool. I know the perception that exists among the...civilized of Tamriel about my kind. Indeed, one could likely find werewolves terrorizing the countryside in County Bruma, and across Tamriel. Ferals, or even groups of ferals, that have not learned to separate the beasts from themselves. The only interactions that people from the cities have with lycanthropes are with these ferals, as those that I lead remain separate and hidden from your people. We have no desire to murder the innocent, and even if we did, it would be foolish to attract the ire of the Empire, Dominion, or any other of Tamriel's governments. We take in the ferals and train them in self control to keep them from harming or being harmed by your people. Bandits and other brigands may be prey in our hunts, but in that, we are hardly different from the average band of adventurers. It is because of us that lycanthropes remain little more than myths in the cities; stories to pass around the campfire. Without us, the ferals would become very real, very present threats."

Eventually, they arrived at what had been Galsek's cell. Motioning for the two lycans with them to stand guard outside, Meesei led her into the cell. It was rather bare, apart from the chains that had bound the Argonian traitor, though Meesei gave no indication that she was going to force the Nord to be chained. "This is where you will remain until I have time to negotiate with you for your release. There are several matters we will need to need to address beyond just information, but I give you my word that I will negotiate in good faith as long as you remain cooperative. I cannot forgive your crimes against us, but I can understand them. I cannot cast blame upon you for being deceived. The situation is hectic at the moment, but I will make sure you are fed and have all of your basic needs within the next few hours." Pausing for a moment, Meesei reached out and placed her hand on the Nord's wound, charging a numbing spell of restoration through it which served to accelerate its clotting. "Your wound is not severe. The bleeding will stop soon. I will likely have a healer come by tomorrow to make sure it has healed properly, and determine if you have been infected with lycanthropy. Now, I do not believe you to be foolish enough to attempt to escape, but as a precaution, I am going to search you for anything that could be used to pick a lock. Give me your clothing, but do not worry, I will allow you to keep it once I am finished. I understand your need for modesty."

---

Kaleeth was silent for a while, apart from her sobs. From the outside, it was difficult to tell if Janius' words were having any effect whatsoever, as the only emotion she showed was intense sadness. Janius had been right not to attempt to persuade Kaleeth to give up her perception of cannibalism, but she was not content with just what he had said so far. He had not explicitly said that cannibalism was acceptable among lycans, but from her observations she was actually perceptive enough to figure it out.

"So...you just accept it, then? The fight is...hazy, but I remember it. I remember eating the bodies and...the other lycans doing the same. After it was over, they started eating the bodies like me, but they weren't like me. They weren't out of control like I was. They knew what they were doing; they did it on purpose, and no one did anything about it, not even you. You're...you're the same way aren't you? You don't try to stop it, you just...accept it."

Ahnasha had a hard time retaining her composure as she looked upon Fendros in his wounded state. It reminded her all too strongly of the ordeal they had suffered in Black Marsh, even though it had been her in his position. Mercifully, Rhazii was tired from all of the activity over the past few hours, so he was practically falling asleep in her arms. Even an infant could recognize the signs of pain in a parent, and she did not want him seeing it. Ahnasha reached out and lightly grabbed Fendros' free hand. "I came as soon as I heard. Lorag said you were hurt, but that you will be fine. Don't worry about me; I'm fine. Rhazii was out of danger the whole time, and all I have is sore ankles from all the running around. I know you wanted to make sure we were safe. I love you, Fendros, and you know I would do the same, but...you were an idiot, Fendros. A stupid...idiot!" Ahnasha shouted quite suddenly. "I heard what you did, just running straight into the enemy like that. What were you thinking? Are you crazy? I know we were in danger, but that's no excuse to be suicidal, not when you don't really know how much danger we were actually in. You can't just...lose all ability to think every time I'm in the slightest danger. Eventually, you're not going to be this lucky, you'll get yourself killed, and I just can't handle that, Fendros!" She yelled, her anger mixed with tears. Rhazii had been close to falling asleep before, but now he was beginning to whine from all the noise.

[Muttonhawk]

The Nord flinched at Meesei's magic, but understood its purpose soon after. What made her uneasy was the request to be searched. She looked at the makeshift guards that Meesei had brought along and narrowed her eyes. Even if they themselves were not wearing anything, or even leering at her or Meesei's bodies, they were male. The Nord looked back to Meesei. "Can I at least have some privacy from them?" She said, nodding in the guards' direction at the end of her question.

One of the guards nudged the other and they both turned around away from the prisoner. Their curiosity was mostly at what Meesei was going to with this prisoner, but they were meant to be keeping watch anyway.

It was only then that the Nord began to remove her clothing, handing them off to Meesei and keeping a close eye on the guards at the door. Searching the Nord's belongings revealed a steel dagger in her boot, a handful of septims, and some personal affects. There didn't appear to be anything that could realistically compromise the lock on the gate to the room.

"You aren't just saving me to eat later, are you?" The Nord asked Meesei darkly.

---

Janius wished it were as simple as Kaleeth implied it was. He could only reply honestly. "Most of the time it isn't a choice, it's one thing that the beast spirit doesn't suffer to be denied; its prey. Whenever anyone tries to stop their beast spirit in that regard, whether it be a humanoid or an animal quarry, there's no stopping it on your own." Janius took a deep breath, "Meesei likes to justify it by saying that we will not ever eat or kill innocent people, but really, the beast is part of who we are, along with everything it does. There's no use in being ashamed of it anymore."

Being forced to confront a morality of this nature after ignoring it for so long was making Janius feel ambivalent. While Kaleeth was upset, he felt that he needed to distract himself for a moment. He stood up from his stool and let go of Kaleeth's hand. "I'll fetch us some water," he said as he turned and walked away with his head hung low.

Janius was away for a few minutes, giving both himself and Kaleeth a moment to calm themselves slightly and think. He returned with a full waterskin that he swigged from before holding it out for Kaleeth to take. "Have a sip, you'll feel a bit better, I promise."

---

Fendros was taken aback by Ahnasha's escalation. It was the familiar serious side of herself that she was showing. However, this was less fortified. The veneer began to break down as she continued. Seeing the tears form and her tone waver made Fendros' own eyes burn in empathy. Overwhelming that, unfortunately, was a confusion. Fendros thought he was doing what was right, even if it put himself in mortal danger. As was too often a habit for Fendros, his confusion bred anger.

"You could have been in that fight beyond the corridor, Ahna!" Fendros lowered his brow as he tried to assert himself, "Your life matters, Rhazii's life matters! I did what I knew I needed to do." A twinge of self-awareness alerting to Fendros' rash behaviour crossed Fendros' mind, but not his bull-headedness.

The healer who was bandaging Fendros had just finished tying off his arm. He looked to both Fendros and Ahnasha and tried to take a diplomatic tone. "Brother, sister, please. There are others trying to rest."

[EliteCommander]

"If you were truly intent on believing that, then I doubt anything I could say would change that opinion." Meesei answered as she searched through the clothing. Even being steel, Meesei of course took the dagger, but there was nothing else of interest to her. As such, she put everything else back into a pile between them and allowed the Nord to reclaim the rest. "But no, we have no such plans for you. Lycans do not have a particular need for Human flesh; it is simply that our beast spirits do not like being denied their meal after a kill. Even if you do not believe that, the battle left behind enough corpses to last months. Yours would be entirely unnecessary, if that were the case. Now, I have wounded to tend to. We will speak about the information you have, and negotiate your release, as soon as I have the time." Meesei added before finally leaving the cell and locking the door behind her.

"Stand guard here for now. I will send others to relieve you shortly." Meesei ordered before taking her leave and heading to the infirmary.

---

Kaleeth was silent before Janius left, and remained so after he returned. She accepted the water unenthusiastically, and while she was no longer sobbing audibly, there were still certainly tears in her eyes. Janius had at least managed to convince her that they were not intentionally monsters, but to her, an unintentional monster was still almost as bad. How could she just accept committing these crimes against nature?

For what seemed like hours, Kaleeth was entirely unresponsive until she finally said something in a weak, despondent voice. "There has to be a way to cure this, Janius. I can't live like this anymore."

---

Upon the healer's request, Ahnasha did lower her volume to a more normal speaking level, but the anger was still apparent in her tone. "A lot of things could have happened, like you getting yourself killed in that suicidal charge. Me being in danger doesn't give you an excuse to be stupid. Just...think about it for even a second and you'll see how much of an idiot you were being. Say I was in danger; say I was fighting on the other side of those hunters. Was it you that saved them? Did you get to the other side? No, you got yourself surrounded and nearly killed before Janius and Lorag had to come in and pull you out of the fire. Those two, Meesei, the rest of the warband, they fought smart, and they were the ones who saved the defense. Not you. If you want to help, then you won't forget all of your training as soon as I get into a fight."

[Muttonhawk]

The Nord watched Meesei leave the room until she was out of sight. The guards were disciplined enough not to complain about keeping watch so soon after the battle, but leaving them in the cold corridor without any clothing or weapons made them look out of place.

---

Janius looked to Kaleeth for a short while, trying not to looked as saddened as her words made him. It took him a few moments to get his senses back together and realise how selfish his thoughts were. Naively, he had assumed that Kaleeth wouldn't think about a cure. It was only natural, though. Janius had thoughts about a cure a long time ago, shortly after he was turned and at odd times afterwards. He leaned the heel of his palm on his chin and thought of how to respond. While Kaleeth was so upset, she would not easily accept her current situation, but Janius could at least try to sow some thought.

"Kaleeth...if you woke up tomorrow morning and you were no longer a lycanthrope, what would you do?" Janius asked without any accusation.

---

"Well if I'm so forgetful, I may as well have forgotten that those hunters had pushed you all the way back into the ruin from the gate." Fendros said quickly and defensively. Ahnasha's advice to think didn't seem to register. "I may as well have not trained at all for all the trust you now have in my abilities. How about I just give up now? There is plenty of silver from the enemy soldiers, I could just crawl over to a blade and cut my arms off. Does that sound preferable?"

The healer counted it a mercy when he finished tying off Fendros' wound. He was able to slink away from the drama to tend to more peaceful patients.

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth slowly shook her head. “I don’t know, I haven’t thought about that in a long time. Before, I would have wanted to go back home. I still kind of want to, but…I care about the rest of the pack now. I don’t want to leave them, and I don’t want to leave you. I want to have little hatchlings with you and make a family. I just don’t want to do it all like…this. I don’t…I don’t want to live knowing I could end up just tearing apart everyone I love without any warning. This…beast had no problem doing it to those bodies.”

There were a few moments of silent, broken up by sobs from Kaleeth. “Surely you understand; how can’t you? I’m going to lose control, and I’m going to hurt someone; I know I will. What if I kill you, or Fendros, or Rhazii, or anyone else? I won’t be able to live after that.”

---

It was not long after Meesei left the Nord that she sent a pair of more properly equipped guards to relieve the two she had left by the cell temporarily. Afterwards, she focused her attention fully on the patients in the infirmary. She helped to treat Fendros at one point, but given the relatively minor nature of his wounds compared to some of the others, she mostly left him to the other healers.

While she was working with the wounded, Meesei could not track the progress of the other tasks that needed to be completed around the ruin; she simply had to trust that the lieutenants were coordinating the others effectively. She focused on the most dire cases first, some of which even she could not save. Silver wounds tended to be particularly damaging, and persistent. Nevertheless, she performed to the best of her ability, and saved some that may not have otherwise survived.

Eventually, Lorag returned and sought out Meesei, having finally shifted back to his Orc form. She was dealing with internal bleeding on a young Breton man when Lorag walked up behind her.

“Alpha, I went through the ruin with some others and took out the stragglers, but I think there’s a problem: I can’t find Harriet anywhere. I’m sure you don’t want her slipping away.” He explained.

Without interrupting her healing, Meesei took a few moments to consider what to do. If she was not among the bodies, then it was possible for Harriet to have ran out of the ruin in the aftermath of the battle, but with the collar around her neck, she could not escape so easily. “Head outside and see if you can find any tracks leading away from the cave.” Meesei requested. Looking up from the Breton, she picked out someone who did not appear to be busy, a Nord boy who had helped to set up the temporary infirmary, and motioned for him to approach. He walked up to her nervously, but listened to her intently.

“I would like you to go find Vera, Oswall, and Darahil. Tell them that the Champion wishes to speak to them all, but that they should complete whatever tasks they are performing at the moment before coming to me.” She instructed.

“Trust in your abilities? It’s been what, a year since we started training you?” Ahnasha retorted, having to put in considerable effort to keeping her voice low. “You learn quickly, I can’t deny that, and you have the mechanics of fighting down pretty well, but obviously your judgment really needs the training. I wouldn’t have rushed in like you did, Janius wouldn’t, Lorag wouldn’t, Meesei, well, she would, but you’re not her. Unless you can command all the same spells as her, then what you did was just suicide. It was brave, it wasn’t heroic, it was just panic and bad judgment. But, since the advice of your mate obviously isn’t good enough for you, why don’t you go ask Janius, or better yet, Lorag for his thoughts on it? You know, the Legion veteran who has been fighting as long as you’ve been alive? Let him set you straight, since my words are apparently so meaningless.”

[Muttonhawk]

Giving a nod, Janius put both his hands on the table. "Kaleeth, you might be afraid of yourself now, but I want you to try something. Come here..." Janius shifted to sit on the table and carefully tried to lift up Kaleeth's upper body until she was sitting up, trying his best not to hurt her. He craned the side of his head near to the side of hers and swept his arm over the entire dining chamber so that she could see was he saw. "It wouldn't be so easy to see for just our pack, but everyone here, they lived through a point in time where they didn't trust themselves. Many here are probably still scared that they would lose control at some point and do something horrible. Like everyone else, they'll learn how to control themselves, but in the meantime, what do you think keeps them from running away? From isolating themselves so they can't be a danger to anyone?" Janius gave a half-smile and turned his eyes to Kaleeth, "I'll give you a hint, it isn't just the food and shelter."

---

The boy that Meesei had picked out to fetch the lieutenants obeyed Meesei, though outwardly it seemed to be more out of fear than anything else.

Vera was the first to arrive as she was directing the actions of the infirmary. She had taken off her armour, but she was still covered in blood from the battle. If it weren't for the resilience of lycans, her sanitary practices might have doomed whoever she helped to treat. "Hello again," Vera gave Meesei a nod. She was back to her regular, softer self, but she was visibly running on a high of activity that belied the dark rings forming around her eyes from fatigue.

With some hide clothing and patches of sawdust on his leggings, Oswall arrived next. He seemed mildly frustrated, probably from being interrupted in his large task of barricading and fortifying the gate. Such a task would have taken all night anyway. "Meesei, I assume this is important," He said, crossing his arms.

It was another half an hour before Darahil arrived. His reason for being unusually late was immediately evident in his stride. He was leaning heavily on a crutch. A dried, blood-stained welt on his robe curtained down from one hip. A sharp eye would spot the small frayed hole where an arrow or crossbow bolt may have struck him. "I am sorry for delaying," He hissed through his teeth, "I could not walk until I had seen to my wound. Even numbing the pain is difficult where silver is concerned and restoration is...not a focus of mine."

---

Fendros sat up quickly, letting his wounded arms hang loose. "They don't mean nearly as much to me as you do!" The words came so instantly to Fendros that he didn't bother lowering his voice. He caught the eye of some other people nearby who had looked over to them in the commotion and it seemed to bring him down somewhat. He let out the rest of his breath and closed his eyes, "It's not...your words aren't meaningless to me Ahna." Fendros' tone had turned away from his anger, "I was scared for you. There, I admit it. I'm sorry." Fendros was not exactly enthusiastic to apologise, as if he was a child who was forced to say it, but enough of him wished that he hadn't shouted at Ahnasha that it was sincere.

[EliteCommander]

"I don't know. Family, I guess." Kaleeth answered with a rather uncertain tone. "That is the only reason I stay: you. And the others. I love you more than I hate myself. It...it keeps me from leaving, but it doesn't make me happy. I'm not like you, I'm not a wolf. No one here is like me, and none of them had the same problems. The way Meesei talks about it, werewolves won't hurt their own pack. It isn't...instinct. But I'm not like that. Every time I turn, I have to fight not to hurt you; I have to just...convince myself that I want to hurt something else even more. When I was...eating those bodies, the beast would have tried to kill you if you got too close. It would have killed you, eaten you, and it would have been proud of it."

There were a few moments of silence before Kaleeth suddenly leaned over and hugged Janius tightly. "I'll do the best I can, Janius, but please promise me you won't let me hurt anyone. Kill me if you have to, but please don't let me hurt anyone else, especially not you."

---

Meesei was still tending to wounded when the lieutenants all arrived, and she showed no indication of stopping. The matters they needed to discuss were rather important, but they did not have the luxury of time. "My apologies for bringing you all away from your duties, but I do not believe I can delay these matters. First and foremost, Harriet seems to be gone. I have Lorag searching for tracks outside the cave, though I do not have too much hope for that approach. I do not know what her exact intentions are, given the issue of the collar around her neck. It will kill her if she attempts to remove it, as I designed the enchantment, and only I know the proper method to disarm it. As well, it can be tracked just as I did with Galsek, but I need the corresponding ring. Unfortunately, it is buried in the snow with the rest of the warband's equipment. I need to have that ring recovered, but I cannot afford to leave this infirmary right now. I do not doubt the competence of the clan's healers, but the fact remains that I am still among the most skilled restorationists in the clan. I would rather allow Harriet to escape than to let anyone in this room die unnecessarily. I was hoping one of you could send a group to recover it as soon as possible, unless you do not believe it to be worthwhile to pursue her. Justice has not been delivered, but she is no longer a threat to us."

Without wasting a moment, Meesei quickly brought up her second point as well. "And of course, there is also the matter of succession. This may not be the ideal time and place, but we have discussed it long enough. One of you needs to be selected to take on the responsibilities of the Alpha of this clan. I know you do not wish to have the title, Darahil, but I still value your input on the matter."

---

"I know you were scared for me, and that's the problem." Ahnasha responded, though it was considerably more calmly than before. She sat down on the side of his bed and started to rock Rhazii in her arms in an attempt to coax him back to sleep. "You got scared, so you stopped thinking. You wanted to get to us so intensely that you couldn't think about what it would mean for you. Throwing away caution like that could even get one of us hurt, in the wrong situation. You will have to accept that I am going to be in danger in the future, Fendros. I'm going to get threatened, and I'm probably going to get hurt, but I'm not a kitten, Fendros. I can handle myself, and you're going to have to be able to trust me."

[Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth was getting close to Janius' answer. He though she would lead on to it before she wrapped her arms around her. "It won't come to that, but I promise that as long as I can help it, I won't let you hurt anyone." Janius returned the hug and held her for a few moments longer. When he pulled back, he kept his hands on her shoulders, "But you didn't quite guess correctly." He looked around briefly, "Plenty of people make friends and family here, but no werewolf can instinctively live in a pack of this size. Yet still, while some may not trust themselves yet, what keeps them safe is their trust in those around them. I had a chat with Oswall about this. They can feel safe because there will be people around to stop them doing harm." Janius angled his head forward, "You may not be a werewolf, and that may mean you're not part of a pack as far as our beasts are concerned, but you can trust us all. In fact, if I made a promise, I would like you to as well." Janius moved one palm to the back of Kaleeth's neck, "Will you promise to trust me?"

---

Attention was brought to Darahil. He slid a nearby chair up and lowered himself carefully down with a wince. "If you would have my counsel in choosing a leader, Meesei, I would rather do so in confidence. I suggest we resolve Harriet first. I did not see her during the battle or afterwards, what does everyone else know?"

Vera shrugged, "Only the same as you do, Darahil. I didn't see her amongst those who came through the corridor."

"The last I saw of her was when we were cornering the last of the main force before assaulting the corridor." Darahil said gruffly, "If she escaped during that time, no one would have stopped her. She would have a few hours head start on any search party, and in freshly fed beast form, no less. If we were to send out a group to hunt her, it would take from the manpower we have and slow our recovery. If she sent for another attack, she would have succeeded by now, though judging by how she behaved on the previous hunt, I would not think that is the case."

"It's getting cold and dark outside," Vera added, "The warriors are tired from the day. We have higher priorities here. I would rather have as many as we can to stay behind to help."

Darahil gave a nod of acknowledgement. "I see no reason to track her immediately, then."

---

"...Right..." Fendros opened his eyes again and stared at his knees. "You're right. I trust you. I just...I don't know, I just can't bear to see you in danger. My mind just..." Fendros lifted a hand and gestured to his head indirectly without straining his wounds, "...gets overwhelmed. I get flashes of the...table and the chains. We were both helpless then. I can't let that happen again." Fendros lowered his head and closed his eyes again, this time to discourage crying, "I hope that the old Khajiit...Najirra, I hope he calls upon us. I would be willing to try anything at this point."

[EliteCommander]

"You know I trust you with my life, but..." Kaleeth began. She held on to him even more tightly, and allowed her head to rest on his shoulder. "I might not be easy to stop in a place like this. If I'm not in one of the big chambers, then you won't be able to move around very much. I know you will do everything you can to keep me from hurting anyone. I know you are better than me, the same as everyone else in the pack. I know all of that, but I can't stop being afraid. I'm afraid you might just get unlucky when you're fighting me, or it just won't be possible for anyone to stop me in time to keep me from killing anyone. I just...I need more training, right?" She said, raising up her head to look at him once more. At this point, she was just trying to force herself to be hopeful.

---

Ahnasha nodded. "Soon, hopefully soon. I imagine all of this will keep both us and Najirra busy for a while, but I'm sure he'll call on us once he can." Ahnasha moved Fendros over on his cot, then laid down beside him with Rhazii in between them. "Until then, I think I'm going to give you more training. No excuses; as soon as you are healed up and ready, I'm going to have you training straight through both of Azura's hours. I'm sure Kaleeth would just love to watch Rhazii for us, with how much she likes children." She said, craning her head to look over at Kaleeth and Janius on the other side of the infirmary. "I do wonder how long it will be before she finally convinces him to have children, or if she can do it at all. That is just not something I can imagine him going through with."

---

"Very well." Meesei responded. "I do agree that it is more important to ensure our own safety. With how she has behaved so far, I doubt she is truly an agent of the enemy, but even so, we should attempt to pursue as soon as we have recovered sufficiently. She should not be allowed to escape justice. As soon as I have that ring, I will be able to track her, as long as she has not ran too far away by that point. Although, there is the possibility that we will only find a corpse. I will not say it is impossible to remove that collar without me, but it would require a very experienced enchanter, and considerable time to study it, neither of which she is going to have by tomorrow. If she ran out in lycan form, then she also has no clothing to combat the weather, unless...she could run for the equipment and supplies we left behind. If that is the case, then we can only hope she does not attempt to find the ring as well. I never told her it existed or that it was needed to activate the enchantment from a distance, much less that it could be used to track her."

As they had been speaking, Meesei had managed to at least stabilize the patient she had been working on. His fate was still uncertain, but his chances were better than they had been. "As for the matter of succession, if you wish to speak in confidence, then we can go somewhere else for a short time, but I would like to return here as soon as possible." She said as she stood up, motioning for the others to follow. Given the current state of disorder that the clan was in, there were likely more rooms vacant than usual, but even so, Meesei still began to speak as soon as they were alone in the hallways.

"Vera, Oswall, the responsibilities of the Alpha will fall to one of you. I have been judging all of your actions so far through the crisis we have faced, but first I would like to hear your own opinions on yourselves. Do either of you believe yourself to be the most qualified?" Meesei asked.

[Muttonhawk]

"That's the long and the short of it, yes," Janius said, "In the meantime, worry as much or as little as you dare, but be sure to trust in us." Janius smiled and gave Kaleeth a quick kiss. "I love you."

---

Fendros looked with his head still hung over to Ahnasha and couldn't help but give a small smile at the prospect of yet more training. Just because all the emotion had been drained out of the situation, that didn't mean that Ahna was going to let Fendros' behaviour slide. He was almost going to joke that they try to train Leaps to replace Rhazii's soiled loincloths when his attention was brought to Kaleeth and Janius.

"I didn't imagine him so much as getting together with Kaleeth in the first place." Fendros tried to lay back again to rest properly, "He has changed quite a bit since meeting her. I don't think we'll see the last of it any time soon."

Fendros stroked his hand over Rhazii's head. The way the cub slept like a rock at a moment's notice was astonishing to him sometimes, at least until he was inevitably awakened by something. "It would be nice for Rhazii to grow up beside someone closer to his age." Fendros' eyes found Ahnasha's again, "Whether or not Kaleeth and Janius have children, do you think we could convince Meesei for the pack to stay here for a while? I mean, it's safer for Rhazii. There's help, education, and friends for him as well. I know it's not like us to stay still, it doesn't have to be for too long, but..." Fendros trailed off.

---

Whether out of politeness or uncertainty, neither Oswall nor Vera spoke immediately. Vera eventually encouraged Oswall to start with a low wave of her hand.

"Very well..." Oswall cleared his throat loudly, "I still believe that my place is with the coordination of the clan's fighters and the defence of our home. My realms are in discipline, training, and organisation. However, I have learned that my judgement has not been the wisest in dealing with this leadership strife. I was deceived too often, and acted too defensively and suspiciously. In that, the greater needs of the clan were ignored compared to my own position, and I must own up to that mistake." Oswall pointed a thumb to Vera, "I personally believe Vera to be more in tune with the clan as a whole, and will act in its interest at all times. She has the humility to admit when she is wrong, and the willingness to make up for it. That is not to say that she is easily manipulated; her wisdom is better found in full leadership than mine."

Whatever Vera had planned to say, it was all lost in a look of bewilderment at Oswall. "I...um, I did not expect such praise. I don't think all of it to be completely true, but...if you say so." Vera looked down and paused. She let out an uneasy laugh as she failed to think of what to say initially. "Oswall, I feel like I too often let my own personal feelings get muddled in my decisions. We may not be perfect, but you are at least decisive in practical approaches." She glanced to Darahil, "What is your opinion, Darahil? I honestly don't know which of us would make for a better leader."

Darahil's normally stoic, mouth-full-of-needles expression now twitched whenever he put weight on his wounded hip. He didn't return Vera's gaze, rather he concentrated on the path ahead of him. "I would bear no ill will to either of you, but when I said that I would prefer to speak in confidence, I meant to speak with the Champion alone."

[EliteCommander]

"Hmm, I don't think we will be persuading Meesei one way or the other." Ahnasha answered with a slight chuckle. "That being said, we don't really have a reason to go anywhere else for now. It's not like we have any leads on Vile or his followers. In fact, we would probably have a better chance of getting that kind of information with the support of the clan. If we do leave here, it will probably be following the orders of lord Hircine himself, so...there would be no changing her mind in that case. Still, I know I would like to stay here as well. Since Rhazii was born...I've just always felt nervous out in the wilds. Here, there would be safety, and other children for him to play with. Not to mention, plenty of people to help watch him if we are ever...occupied with anything." She grinned. "It will probably get too cramped for Leaps eventually, but, well, it will be many years before that becomes and issue. I couldn't have imagined saying this a few months ago, but I think I actually want to stay put for a change."

---

Oswall and Vera's assessments of one another were not too far off from Meesei's own opinions. The pair both had their own strengths and weaknesses, and it was good that they both acknowledged them. However, even with Oswall declaring Vera to be the better choice, the decision was not so cut and dry. The ability to recognize the areas in which others were more skillful than one's self was an important trait for a leader, and Oswall was indeed displaying that quality.

Meesei gave a nod to Darahil and waited until they found an empty room before continuing. Looking inside, Meesei could not tell precisely what it was used for. There were boxes and barrels that made it seem as if it were for storage, but also bedrolls, though Meesei could not imagine why. Some of the boxes seemed to have materials used in tanning leather, some of which had a rather strong odor. Nevertheless, it was an empty room, so it would serve their purposes.

"Please, wait outside." Meesei said to Oswall and Vera before stepping inside with Darahil. She allowed him a moment to take a seat before speaking, so he would not need to worry about putting weight on his hip. "I suppose we should not waste any time. I have the impression you have some specific opinions you wish to share, yes?"

[Muttonhawk]

"It would be nice, yes," Fendros looked up to the soot-covered ceiling of dining hall and searched with his hand for Ahnasha's hand. He weaved his fingers with hers and closed his eyes with a deep sigh. "I didn't realise it until now, but this is the first time since we arrived that we can just...relax."

---

Darahil took his time seating himself. He looked around the room as if he were searching for something, but for what, he didn't say. "Thank you for accommodating my desire for keeping my opinion between us. I have some details to share, yes. We'll start with Oswall."

What followed was said in a level tone, despite Darahil's word choices. It felt like a disconnection that Darahil expressed. "What he said about himself is largely true, but it also means that he will carry his leadership style to all of whom that are not soldiers. He is not used to confiding in others, to relate to them and have them relate to him in turn. He is also rash, working off instinct and intuition. While this serves well on the battlefield with his prior experience, it does not serve operating around complex issues. You would have seen as much in his behaviour before Harriet was found guilty. Not only this, but while he broke expectations by giving a considered answer regarding his own and Vera's merits, in a supreme position, he is stubborn and often uncompromising. He is not flexible. That said, his rule would enforce a stability forged with respect and decisiveness. He is still our best military commander, and if this clan is to participate in the war, we may benefit from his leadership."

"As for Vera..." Darahil changed the angle that he held his head. It was the only expressive movement that he had given thus far. "...She is far more nurturing, and would do much better in managing the clan's internal affairs. Given the tumult of recent events, stability from her would work far better in the long term. However, she is right in saying that her feelings often affect her decisions. The difference is that she is far more open to advice, and may be kept level by sound input. If she is forced to make a difficult decision, she will do so wisely after gathering all pertinent information. That said, the loss of her husband has struck her harder than she would ever dare to admit. I fear that if she gives too much to this clan, it will wear her down. If she is selected, she will require more support than Oswall, but will, in my opinion, bring the clan safely out of the darkness of this flux with the least damage."

Darahil leaned his crutch against a nearby crate and folded his hands together in front of his chin. "In conclusion, Champion, the leadership decision will be a trade-off. Neither candidate could ever replace Jerrick completely, though he was tempered by experience and mentoring." His folded hands bent forward towards Meesei at the wrists, "Your decision must be based on the priorities you would place on this clan and the changes you would make. Know that either way, we shall stay together as a council." He lowered his hands, "Is there anything else you would have of me now?"

[EliteCommander]

Darahil's summation of the other lieutenants' traits was certainly consistent with Meesei's experience with them thusfar. Given that Darahil had known them much longer than herself, she trusted the additional details he provided. Namely, those regarding Vera. Meesei had only really been around her after the death of her husband: a greatly emotional event. Granted, Meesei had been impressed with how well she managed to reign in her emotions after the initial shock of his death, even while being a suspect of the murder. However, Meesei did not know of her personality before the tragedy.

"Yes, I do." Meesei answered with a nod. "I did witness the behaviors you describe with Oswall. During my investigation, he did disobey my order to help maintain the peace when he gave a vague 'warning' to some of his followers. Had events transpired differently, it could have compounded the harm to the clan. Were it not for that event, I would likely consider him much more strongly. Indeed, he does have some strong merits for leadership. In all likelihood, he would make for a better war leader than Vera, but I do not believe it would be worth the tradeoff. If Vera is as open to the counsel of her peers as you say, then that may serve to counter her comparative disadvantage in matters of war. As long as she does not begin to ignore Oswall's advice for combating the followers of Vile, then she may be best option available."

Pausing for a brief moment, Meesei leaned forward and looked at Darahil more intently. Vera was certainly not a bad choice for the position of alpha, but there was another line of questioning Meesei intended to follow before rejoining the others. "But, I do have one more question. What of you, Darahil? You said that you do not want to take the role of alpha. That is a position I can certainly understand, as leadership, especially of a clan this size, requires taking on many stressful responsibilities. However, those who desire such power are often not the ones who are capable of handling it. With the war against Vile, the situation we find ourselves in is not one of wants, but of need. The clan needs a strong and capable leader. I know you do not want the position, but it is a position that needs to be filled by the most capable among you, regardless of desire. What I want to know is why you believe yourself to be less qualified for the role than the others?"

[Muttonhawk]

"The answer to that question may be simple or complicated, depending on your understanding of the mind, champion." Darahil changed the way he held his hands such that one fist was enclosed in his other hand. "You will have noticed by now that the way I speak, think, and hold myself is different to most. My decisions are as such as well. I may have an eye for detail and nuance, but the way I exploit that information to take a course of action is...it has been described as too brutal. I saw the way it affected the clan when I was previously leader and it was one of the reasons that I stepped down. The clan was efficient and orderly under my rule, but not content, not happy. They felt the pain of one another where I did not. Therefore, however deeply I can academically understand the behaviour of others, there is something innate in others that I always miss. At the same time, the decisions I make tend to incite a fear that detracts from others giving needed advice. It is not an optimal arrangement for the clan or myself."

Darahil angled his head upward slightly, "Do not mistake me for a madman. There are others like myself that thrive on cruelty and power, but I garner no such enjoyment from it. I wish nothing but for the welfare of the clan and the continuation of my research. Thus, I believe my role is best limited to advice, assistance, and reasoning, not supreme leadership. I have found that the leaders of the clan are wise enough to utilise me to those ends." Darahil leaned forward, searching Meesei's face, "Do you understand what I describe, champion?"

[EliteCommander]

“Indeed, the world would be a more orderly place if it could be ruled through logic alone.” Meesei commented. “But regardless, I can respect your reasoning. I merely needed to know it. There may not be a perfect choice for this situation, but if Vera is as receptive to the counsel of her advisers as you say, then she may be the most well-rounded option. There is also the matter of other lieutenants to consider. The clan has lost two of its leaders in this whole sordid affair. Vera will be receiving the role of alpha, but that leaves the clan with two less lieutenants than before. I would advise against allowing yourselves to become overwhelmed with responsibilities, so others will need to rise to fill those roles and help shoulder the burden. But, we should rejoin the others before discussing that topic.”

With that, Meesei rose from her seat and prompted Darahil to follow her back into the hallway. Vera and Oswall were silent when she stepped out of the room, though she could only guess at what they had been thinking or speaking about. Both of them had their attention raptly on Meesei as she approached the pair, so she wasted no time in giving them the answer they were waiting for. “With Darahil’s counsel, Oswall’s recommendation, and my own observations, I believe that you, Vera, are the one who is best-suited to take on the responsibilities of being the alpha of this clan. You have considerable experience in handling the clan’s internal affairs, and a willingness to heed the advice of your peers. Jerrick obviously considered you to be a woman of good character, and I believe it is you who will most likely be able to unite the fractured groups that make up this clan. With this appointment, however, I also have a warning. The years to come will not be like those of the past. We are entering into a war for our survival, and the entirety of the clan will have to dedicate itself to the effort. Not all will fight, but all will play some role in the struggle. It will be a significant transition for the clan, and it will be your responsibility to facilitate it. It will not be easy, but you have your advisers and will not be taking on the burden alone. I can say that, unless lord Hircine commands me otherwise, I will be remaining here with my pack for quite some time.”

[Muttonhawk]

Far from any shock, Vera nodded solemnly. It was obvious that she had prepared herself for this eventuality. "I understand. I will do my very best. And...thank you for all of the help you have provided so far, champion." Vera looked sheepishly between Darahil and Oswall, her former equals. "You two are fine with this?"

Oswall's face twisted into a smile as he snorted, "Always thinking of others before yourself, Vera." He clapped a hand against her shoulder, "We shall follow you 'till the end. May it be far into the horizon."

"I trust the champion's decision in this, Vera," Darahil said.

"Well then..." Vera took a deep, invigorating breath and stood up a little straighter, "...we had best get to work. Champion, is there anything else you wished to discuss while we are gathered? I intend to hold a meeting tonight. There are several matters that need addressing."

[EliteCommander]

"Agreed, there is yet more we need to discuss. For instance, we will need to promote others to return your council to its former number, but that can wait for the meeting tonight. For now, I am sure we all have duties we must attend to. I would recommend announcing your appointment to Alpha at some point today, after the clan has mostly calmed. I will return to the infirmary, and will likely remain there for some time should you need me." Meesei answered as she took her leave. She already disliked having to be away from the wounded for any time, and did not wish to extend it any further.

As per usual, Meesei would have quite a few matters to worry about over the coming days. Tending to the wounded took precedence over other concerns, after which she would need to deal with Harriet. She would certainly have a head start, but that did not mean she could not be tracked. Alone, Harriet had few options, and would be stuck with the collar until she could find a sufficiently skilled enchanter with enough time to study the enchantment in-depth. Of course, Meesei had not directly mentioned that removing the collar would activate it, so if Harriet did not assume that was the case, then there was always the chance they would stumble across her corpse. Meesei was not entirely certain what she would do with Harriet when and if she found her, but she did not intend to let her escape justice. She would also need to deal with the Nord prisoner when she had the chance, and while the work certainly would not be finished, it was possible she might actually have time to rest after it was all over.

[Muttonhawk]

The meeting that night was a long and fatigued one, but the number of immediate issues that needed to be addressed and prioritised demanded such. Everyone left with a list of responsibilities that they had to deal with, starting from the very next day. In light of Meesei's desire to try and find Harriet, Oswall opted to take responsibility for guarding her prisoner for the foreseeable future. One of the more important points, one that took much of the discussion, was picking new lieutenants.

In his physically weakened state, Darahil had taken it upon himself to assess the competence of various promising alphas in the clan. His short-list was mercifully few, but Darahil was nothing if not thorough in his analysis. By the end of it all, any political agenda Darahil might have had was completely rebuked by his well-rounded and scathing criticism of those he deemed worthy. Discussion went on and on, eliminating one or two contenders before calling the remainder into the meeting room to ask questions of them. The final two were eventually selected after more private discussion amongst the council. The general consensus was that the best would be the ones to cover the weaknesses left by the loss of Jerrick and Harriet, while at the same time bringing their own passion, creativity, and aptitude to the table.

The first was a stout Breton woman named Pierrette Mousara, an alpha with skills and experience primarily in farming and logistics. She had a keen foresight, especially where supplies and treasury were concerned. The second was an Imperial-raised Nord warrior, Tola Corvus, who had been instructing martial arts alongside Harriet for years now. She had a knack for establishing rapport with others and would be a fine negotiator as well as a skilled fighter.

Almost immediately, the new lieutenants were put to work. Ceremony was not something that the clan made a habit of with regards to leadership. Even if they did, it would not be the most appropriate time to do so.

The next day, Meesei was able to treat enough people in the infirmary that she would organise her hunting party the next day with no concerns. Fendros and Kaleeth's wounds were serious enough that they were in no shape to track anything down by that time, but Lorag and Ahnasha were well enough. Meesei was able to find some hunters to pad her numbers easily. Janius opted to stay behind until he was sure that Kaleeth would not transform, but that was more for the sake of Kaleeth's sense of safety than it was for the possibility that she would lose control. Sabine, of course, was left out again, though this time it was because she was virtually depended upon by the alchemists to help brew healing potions and medicines for the infirmary. Rather than complain, Sabine seemed to be comparatively thriving with the routine of it all.

The hunt itself was a gruelling few days. They tracked at a fast pace back down the many tracks of the warband as it had poured back to the clan home. There were no tracks from Harriet that seemed to stand out, at least none that deviated from the original path. The day brought them back to the hurriedly hidden cache of weapons and armour that the warband had left behind, and they found it disturbed. There was a dusting of snow that covered Harriet's movements, but it was clear that she had stolen some warm clothing, weapons and supplies, and then left in a rush. What was left was pocked with the beginnings of rust, but the clan would send some teams to pick it all up before it perished.

Searching around found a faint trail that headed south, then drifted slightly to the east. That trail continued down the hill country for two more days, drifting further east until it appeared that Harriet was aiming for the north-east end of the Lake Rumare if she kept her course. On the end of the fourth day, the decision was made to head back. They were already out of clan territory and the distance they were gaining on Harriet was not worth the effort. It was a bitter defeat, but Harriet would not be a threat to the clan as she was.

Meesei came back to a freshly fortified clan home. The laquering on the new gate and hoardings were being laid on as they approached. It was certainly more formidable looking. Oswall's proud explanation of the improvements confirmed that sentiment.

By that point, much of the crisis driven activity had been resolved, so Meesei's pack found time to relax, train, and integrate themselves properly into life with the clan. Unfortunately for Meesei, her work as an honorary lieutenant was almost endless. Between juggling attempts at altering the clan structure to reduce factionalism and organising envoys to other packs in the region and other clans further out, her days were as full as all in the leadership.

One thing that had to be settled quickly was the Nord prisoner Meesei had taken from the mercenaries. According to the guards, she had been heard crying during the night when no one was looking. She was a resistant prisoner, never trusting any of her captors. By the time Meesei reached her, she was thin, bleary-eyed, and reeked of sweat and body odour. Her name was Arnora, and she was forthcoming with all she knew; she was a mercenary in one of the bands hired to clear out the clan home. Their band was trained by a werewolf hunter and were given silver weapons, preparing for an entire month to attack. Their employer was the regally dressed man who was killed during the counter attack, but there were no leads on his person as to any higher-level orders. The attackers weren't meant to be flanked like they were. They were meant to flush out a hideout of savage shape shifters who wouldn't be prepared for them. That fell to pieces halfway through. She had heard rumours about an informant within the hideout, but was never privy to that information. She was just a soldier. Far from being okay with her situation now, she refused to trust Meesei. The reason she cited was the cannibalism that she had witnessed.

Once all the useful information had been gained from Arnora, the council agreed to release her, but Vera insisted on bathing and provisioning her first. It was a sentiment of forgiveness that was not unanimous amongst the council, given that Arnora was part of the attack against them, but she was the leader and her word was law. Arnora was last seen being escorted to Bruma with fresh clothes, some food and drink, and enough coins to go somewhere. She didn't share with anyone what her plans were exactly, but she did insist that she was done with mercenary work. She waited until the last moment to reluctantly thank Meesei and Vera for their mercy.

Fendros was able to walk again after a week, but he required a crutch. His training was largely restricted to less physical activity for the time being. Kaleeth was not as deeply wounded, so she was able to step out of bed a few days after Meesei's hunting party returned. Her wounds did make her sore for a while, but her recovery was all but complete. Janius had spent the time focussing on meditative and calming techniques. Such things were not useful in a combat situation, but Janius had often turned to them to help with more general anxieties and tried to keep Kaleeth levelled. There had been no word from Najirra to any of the pack as of yet, but further inquiry revealed that many who had lost family in the attack were walking in and out of his chambers. He was probably helping people all day.

Sabine was perhaps the most active of the pack for a change. As soon as another pack was due to rotate into Bruma, she had prepared a letter to send to Ariel with the help of her pack-mates to write it. Working with other alchemists some of the day and making friends closer to her age in the rest of the day had awoken something new in her. She was becoming more confident with her speech, she was picking up pieces of slang that the other teenagers used, and less time was committed to practising the magic that Meesei had taught her. When questioned about her floundering commitment to her training, Sabine became surprisingly defensive. She didn't look Meesei in the eye, complained about wanting to be on her own and always needing to do this, that, or keeping an eye on Rhazii. On one occasion even ended up storming off in a huff. At the time, Janius was training Leaps-On-Elves across the same chamber and remarked with a laugh out of Sabine's earshot that it was about time she was a teenager. Meesei was able to reel her in after that, but her rebellious spirit was not getting any weaker.

---

A full two and a half weeks had passed since the attack. The pack was gathered for lunch in the dining hall. The able-bodied of the pack had been scheduled to some menial labour during that morning, but they were free for the rest of the day. Sabine was a special case as she did so much for the alchemists that she was unofficially giving her full contribution through them, so she had spent that morning with some of her friends. Most of the rest of the pack were chatting amongst themselves or with other packs, but Fendros noticed that Sabine was looking more deflated than usual. She was eating slowly and had her legs drawn up in front of her like she usually did when she was anxious. She hadn't done that for a while.

"Hoy, Sabine, what has got you in such a mood today?" Fendros asked while bouncing Rhazii in his arms to make the cub open his mouth in joy.

Sabine hummed flat a note to herself quietly. She considered her response as she slowly chewed on a slice of goat leg.

"Did something happen with you're friends today?"

Sabine turned her head slightly towards Fendros, but stopped short of looking at him directly. "How do you tell if..." Sabine stopped herself and shook her head. She took another bite from her meal and tried to dismiss the issue.

Fendros thought for only a moment before smiling knowingly and leaning over to Ahnasha. "A boy," he said as if it were boring routine.

Sabine's face scrunched in anger and she cringed further to try and hide. A red flush was creeping up her face.

"Leave her alone, Fendros, I'm sure she has it all worked out," Janius remarked from across the fire they were gathered around.

[EliteCommander]

Throughout their meal, Meesei was noticeably and unusually distant. Indeed, she had been distant for the past few weeks, though it was mostly due to her responsibilities in that case. She had of course spent a good deal of time with several members of her pack while tracking Harriet, but even then, she had been driven and focused on their goal. Idle conversation had been sparse, at least where she was involved. Besides the hunt, Meesei's other responsibilities had taken up nearly all of her time. Over half of the day after she returned had been spent dealing with the Nord prisoner, Arnora. She had been free with her information, and in return, they agreed to release her with adequate supplies. Some were not happy with the decision, but Meesei understood that a simple mercenary was not their true enemy, and she intended to remain true to her word.

Even after dealing with the problems that had fallen to her, Meesei did not stop herself from taking on new ones...many new ones. Nearly every aspect of the clan, she was finding herself involved in. She helped to inspect and fortify the clan's defenses, and began work on creating enchantments in the area around the ruin's entrance that would serve to offer early warnings against intruders, or at least large groups of them. She met with both Oswall and Darahil to organize larger expeditions into the unexplored sections of the ruin, with the eventual goal of making the whole of the ancient city safe for the clan. She spoke with Pierrette and Vera to lay the foundation of her plan to expand the clan's economic capabilities in County Bruma, and perhaps beyond. She intended to look for clan members who had connections that still might be used, as well as opportunities for acquiring land in the mostly uninhabited wilds. The unusable equipment from the mercenaries who attacked the clan, particularly the silver, could be sold for a considerable amount of gold, so the clan would be receiving a boost to its treasury soon enough. As a related goal, Meesei began work on organizing envoys to other clans and packs to establish lines of communication across Tamriel. She personally only knew of how to contact the clan in Black Marsh, south of Helstrom, but there were others who knew how to find some of the other clans. Still, it would take some time to locate and communicate with all of Tamriel's clans. She did anticipate that there could be resistance to her plans, or even her right to authority in general, from some other clan leaders, but with Hirecine's blessing, Meesei expected to be able to bring them all together eventually. Though, perhaps the most daunting challenge Meesei intended to face was the restructuring of the clan itself. The factions that the clan had fractured into were obviously an exploitable weakness, but it would not be easy to undo an entire social structure. The livestyle of lycans naturally lent itself to compartmentalization, so it would be difficult to overcome that instinct. Still, lycans were also rational beings. It could take years, but Meesei had a plan to slowly bring them all together.

In their current conversation, Meesei heard what the others were saying to Sabine, but was unusually silent on the matter. Normally, she took great interest in anything related to Sabine's progress. Most of the pack likely expected her to give either encouragement or cautious advice to Sabine on what could be a major event in her life, but for a while, she said nothing. Adding to her strange behavior, she had only eaten about half of her lunch before stopping, despite having skipped both dinner the evening before, and breakfast due to her work with the clan.

"I trust in Sabine's judgment." Meesei finally said, but with half of her meal still remaining, she stood up from her seat on the floor. "My apologies, but...I have something I need to tend to. I will talk to you all as soon as I can, I promise." She said, and without another word, walked away.

As Meesei left the room, Lorag shook his head and let out a sigh. "Alpha's going to work herself into an early grave."

Ahnasha was obviously concerned as well, but she was trying to think about it optimistically. "I know she has a lot of work to do, but...I'm sure she will be fine. She is wise enough that Hircine himself trusts in her abilities; I'm sure she knows what she is doing." She began before looking to Sabine. "And I think you'll be fine as well. We're always here for advice if you need any help."

---

Meesei stepped into the pack's room and quietly closed the door behind her. Leaps raised his head up for a moment to look at her, but curled back up on Fendros' bedroll to continue his midday nap. The pack was going to be given several separate rooms soon enough, but with how hectic the past few weeks had been, Meesei and the rest of the clan leadership had been too busy to bother with it. Meesei sat down on her bedroll with her knees pulled up to her chest and buried her head in her arms. She felt her whole body shudder as she tried to erase her worries from her mind, even if it was only briefly. It was a moment of weakness to which Leaps was the only witness.