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

[Muttonhawk]

As soon as the last of Ra'maranja's pack had left the tavern, Gallus pushed up straight to his feet again, picked up his drink, and exhaled audibly through his nose.

"It's something of a relief, but..." Fendros shifted uncomfortably, "why would they simply cut off the messages? There must be some scheme hatching that we've yet to see finished."

"Personally, I don't know who to trust." Janius spun his empty mug between the table and his finger, his face showed concern as he spoke. "I would much rather be at the..." Janius looked up with an mildly annoyed expression, "...Do we have to call it a headquarters?"

Gallus, who was now pacing very slowly and ponderously around the table, mumbled his own comment. "The clan's fate is still unknown. For all we know, we might not be able to trust Ra'maranja or his friends. Still, it's no use not acting just because we have limited information." Gallus lifted his head and spoke up, "Let's just try not walk into any choice ambush locations any time soon. This leader - whoever he is - is the next step as far as I can see."

Until now, Peiter, Sabine, and Tzirret had not taken part. Tzirret took the next pause to ask, "What of now? Are we to wait here longer, or go somewhere else?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei became noticeably more relaxed once Ra'maranja and his friends had left. When meeting with strangers, particularly fellow lycans, she always seemed to have an uncompromisingly serious demeanor. It was a part of the appearance she wanted to give to others for the Champion of Hircine. "We do, Janius. Remember where we are. We can leave...specific details for when we are truly in private." She answered. Indeed, few of the other patrons in the tavern seemed to be seemed to be anywhere near actually trying to listen in on their conversation. In a place like this, most were probably criminals in some form or another, but regardless, avoiding specific terms in public places was standard for them.

"Regardless, I am in mind with Gallus." Meesei continued. "There were some details of this meeting which did seem...strange to me, but we know too little to make judgments. We just need to proceed with caution. Keep watch for any hint of treachery. We would not have been...sent here if this were a simple matter to resolve. I intend to stay here, but everyone can do as they wish while we wait. Just be sure to be here by the time the hour passes."

For a few moments, silence lingered in the air as most everyone thought. Having to approach this clan with such scrutiny brought back memories of when they first arrived at the Bruma clan all those years ago. They had a traitor confirmed among them, and they had no idea who they could trust. Hopefully, this situation would not end up the same way.

Lorag broke the silence when he slammed his now-empty mug of mead down on the table. "Well...at least 'lizard-Janius' was there to lighten the mood." He said, producing a few light chuckles among the pack. Ahnasha was not the only one to make that connection. Even Kaleeth smiled and nudged Janius with her shoulder. She was still terribly worried for Newt, but she could at least attempt to get her mind off of that fear.

[Muttonhawk]

Janius was so deep in thought when Lorag mentioned his name that he seemed confused at first. He lifted his eyes and looked around to the his laughing packmates as if he had missed something important. "Hm? What?" Janius lowered his hand from his face slowly.

The response elicited a further laugh by Fendros. "The Argonian, Sees-No-Colors. He just reminded us of someone with his dashing introduction."

"Hey, I was never as clumsy as that," Janius furrowed his brow.

"Yes you were," Fendros retorted, still grinning.

Janius turned to Kaleeth for support, pointing his thumb to where Colors had been, "I was never as clumsy as him, right?"

The seriousness of the situation washed off a few, but Gallus still seemed serious. He paced around to where Meesei was sitting and took another sip of his now warming drink. He spoke facing Meesei, but he addressed everyone, "If anyone is to move, none shall go without at least two others." Gallus turned and found a stool to pull up near to the table and seated himself. As soon as he did, his brow raised and his voice reverted to how it normally was. "Speaking of which, I'm starting to get rather peckish. Do they sell food here, I wonder, or will we have to go out looking?"

Sabine had been laughing at the banter surrounding Janius, but being slightly away from that table wasn't conducive for joining in the conversation. She instead turned to Peiter and Tzirret, "More time waiting now. Another game, or shall we explore?"

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth gave a laugh. "Well, you clearly don't remember the day we met. Bowing down, kissing the hand of a young, naive Argonian girl. I didn't even know what it meant. Good thing too, or I might have laughed you straight out of the village. Or father might have, with less laughter, and more spears." She teased.

Surprisingly, it was Meesei who next commented. "Oh, he has been through worse than that, I assure you."

Grinning mischievously, Kaleeth leaned in towards Janius. "Yes, why don't you share some of those stories? That sounds like a great way to pass an hour."

Almost as soon as Gallus mentioned food, a familiar Khajiit voice sounded out from halfway across the tavern. "For the last time, anything you like." The waitress said, quickly making her way over to their table. It did not seem like she was paying any particular attention to their conversation, but when it came to her job, it appeared that she was quite on point. "Anything else you'd like to get?"

Before Gallus could speak, Ahnasha gave her answer. "Yes I...think so." She paused, deliberating in her mind for a moment before continuing. "You serve food with moon sugar as well, yes?"

"Heh, not a local, are ya? Don't worry, I ain't one either. Yeah, anything you can get without it, you can also get with it. That goes for anywhere in Anequina or Pelletine, 'cept maybe near the border to Valenwood." The waitress explained.

"Of course, right. How about...beef stew then, with moon sugar." Ahnasha answered. The Khajiit nodded, then waited for any more orders.

Peither grabbed the bottle of brandy, slowly swirling it in circles as he looked at the liquid inside. "That game was fun, and I definitely want to do it again, but...we should really avoid getting drunk. Especially now. No telling what we might run into. I think I'll just finish off this bottle; it's not like I got much of it during the game." He chuckled. "I wouldn't mind exploring, honestly."

[Muttonhawk]

Gallus looked up with surprise to the waitress. He squinted his eyes and whispered, astonished more than suspicious, "Had she been listening the entire time?" He shook the expression off before she approached and placed an order after Ahnasha. "I'll have a grilled salmon fillet, or whatever fish you have, no sugar please."

Fendros, Janius, and Uthri each ordered some food as well. Upon request to Ahnasha, Rhazii also asked for something to tide him over.

With the mention of food, Sabine suddenly became slightly torn about going out exploring, but with Peiter's agreement to go out as well as the prospect of getting food elsewhere in the city, that dilemma quickly evaporated. She smiled and looked to Tzirret, "What do you think, Tzirret? Want to come with us?"

"Er, this one might stay," Tzirret looked down and only gave Sabine and Peiter glances, "There could be danger, you heard what was said."

"Tzirret! Come! We need three people to go," Sabine tugged lightly on Tzirret's arm. "Do you need more brandy for courage?" Sabine laughed.

Tzirret only groaned apprehensively.

Sabine looked to Peiter pleadingly. He might have been able to convince Tzirret.

Janius let go of his defensiveness, but mention of his antics from before he turned caused him to laugh nervously. He looked to the table, then to Kaleeth, then to Meesei, and then to everyone else. "Well," he put his hands on the table, "I can't say that it's a habit I have today, but yes, Kaleeth's father was not the first father that I ever angered. Not by a long shot. Let me think..." Janius took a moment to lean back in his chair and put an arm around Kaleeth. After a few moments of staring at the ceiling, he looked forward and remembered one occurrence.

"When I was sixteen, back in Bravil, there was this gorgeous Imperial girl that I made acquaintance with at a ball. It was a vapid event, really, but this girl was the daughter of a higher noble than my house, no one that I was meant to even look at. Still, we danced, we talked, we sneaked out to a balcony and talked further. I even stole a kiss - away from prying eyes - before the ball was over, but she retreated. Later on, I found a note in my pocket detailing where she was situated in the keep." Janius shook his head and smiled, "Those Imperial walls, if you have the right tools, they are easy to climb, so later that night, I went to visit her...without using the gate."

"This is beginning to sound like the plot to a cheap romance book," Uthri said with her head forward and a sly smile.

"I would not be surprised if that were the case," Janius responded to Uthri. He leaned forward again, "Anyway, I reached her chambers and we..." Janius hovered one hand over the other awkwardly, "...began making a night of it, but we were interrupted. She was too loud, and it had attracted the attention of the guards. Luckily, we heard them before they broke the door down, so in a moment of tactical genius..." Janius couldn't quite contain his own chortling at this point, "...I took the nearest article of clothing and wrapped it around my face to obscure my identity. The guards broke in, but not before I was rappelling out of the window with my clothing under my arm and my face wrapped with something. It was probably the closest I came to ever getting arrested by someone with the power to do something bad, but I escaped, somehow."

Fendros chuckled, "Naked and sliding down a rope?"

"Yes! It was freezing cold!" Janius opened his hands as if he was defending his position. "It wasn't until later that I noticed that the reason that the article around my head smelled so sweet was that it was the daughter's lower undergarment." Janius wiped his eye, slightly ashamed, but smiling, "Not only that, but wanted posters were everywhere in town the next morning depicting nothing but a man with lady's underwear obscuring his features. I was never caught and I never saw the girl again, but claiming that I was a wanted criminal did help charm other ladies later on. The noble father of the girl had a priceless look as he rode out of town back to where he came from."

"Shor's bones! I should write the novel myself!" Uthri said through a laugh.

"You are despicable, Janius, truly!" Gallus said, somewhat impressed.

Janius gave Kaleeth a guilty look, "It was a long time ago."

[EliteCommander]

Although she did not know that particular story, Kaleeth knew well how Janius once was. It was not a secret hidden from her, and while she had been uncomfortable with it at first, she accepted the past for what it was. Now, all there was to do was to laugh at his youthful foolishness. "Part of me wishes that my life had been as exciting as yours...but most of me is very glad that it wasn't. I wasn't nearly as much as a troublemaker as you. When I ran naked through the village, it was to rush to our favorite swimming hole, and not from guards. I didn't have any secret lovers to run away with in the night...until you." She smiled. "No, I was mostly alone until you arrived. There were relationships before, but they never went anywhere. Being a...mediocre hunter and the daughter of the master hunter made me hard for boys to approach."

Kaleeth reached over and put her hand on top of Janius'. "Again, I guess that was a good thing. If I wouldn't have been alone before, I might not have taken so much interest in you."

Peiter nodded to Sabine confidently, then reached over and put his hand on Tzirret's shoulder. "Ah, come on. There are thousands of other people in this city, and we're no different from any of them. If anything, we're even more dangerous than any of them. I mean, look around at all these people. Pirates, thugs, criminals, I guarantee you could overpower any of them." Peiter waved his hand across the crowd, though when he reached the large Cathay-raht bouncer, his lips curled. "Uh, well, maybe not him. But all the others wouldn't hold a candle to even your strength. Plus, you'll have us at your side: the valiant and handsome Breton warrior, and the lovely and dangerous Breton mage. It will be like we're your royal guard."

[Muttonhawk]

Some at the table, including Uthri and Gallus, let out an "aww" in unison. Janius smiled, thankful for Kaleeth's continued understanding, and then leaned to kiss her quickly on the side of the head. "I think we balance each other out, then," Janius said quietly.

Far from letting the entire wait be entertained by himself, Janius looked up to the members of Gallus' pack. "What about the rest of you? Any good tales from your past? Any daring trysts?"

Gallus half-coughed to prevent himself from inhaling some of his drink, but he didn't answer immediately. Uthri gave a slightly disdainful sideways look in his direction. Gallus hoped that someone else would have a story before he would have to share his own. Likely because some of his stories were still in progress.

Tzirret was mostly glum through Peiter's encouragement, but his last description caused his ears to go up a little. He failed to stop a smile creeping to his face, which turned into a snort and a small laugh. "The sound you make is one of storied heroes," he said, shaking his head.

Even Sabine gave Peiter a smile and a raised eyebrow. The compliment was not lost on her, but it was a little indulgent.

After a pause, Tzirret's smile faded and he sighed. "Fine, okay. This one will accompany. Just...let us not get lost."

"We will stay together," Sabine said, grinning happily at both Peiter and Tzirret. She shot up from her seat and lifted on her shoulder bag, "Let's go." Tzirret stood up and was ready just as quickly. Before they left, Sabine went to Meesei quickly, "We are going exploring. We will be back before the hour."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei grinned at the question, though said nothing before Ahnasha spoke up. "Honestly, I don't think any of us have stories as bad as Janius', at least nothing like that. Maybe Gallus, but..." She began, looking to Gallus. "You would have a hard time besting Janius in a contest of youthful stupidity. I'd hardly call it boring, but a lot of my stories just come from hunting and exploring beyond the walls of the city. It's nothing special for us with our lifestyle, but for a young city dweller who was destined to be a merchant? I felt like an adventurer of legend."

Ahnasha glanced to Fendros beside her. "Of course, I was young and trying to come to terms with all my new desires. I did have some experiences worthy of a bad romance story. Just nothing as spectacular as Janius. The closest I can think of was this Khajiit 'vagabond,' as my mother described him. He was from a poor family, and may or may not have been a thief. My parents hated him, so of course, being relentlessly rebellious, I just had to have him. Not all that different from Janius' stories, I suppose, except that we weren't stupid enough to have our meetings in our houses. No, we met a fair distance outside the walls. With Khajiit males, it's quite a...painful experience, so we did need the space."

Meesei gave a nod to Sabine an the other two when they approached her. "Very well, just be cautious. Make sure to keep track of how to get back here; it is easy to get lost in a city like this." She warned.

Heading outside, Peiter stopped at the side of the street to look around at the landmarks, particularly the taller ones. "Okay, so we're currently outside the northeastern wall of the city. Make sure to remember that; I'm pretty sure that once we're back here, I can recognize the landmarks to get back to the tavern."

As they started to walk through the street, Peiter did so with a bit more confidence than before. They were still strangers in a new place, and still did not know the local customs, but his words of inspiration to Tzirret had actually inspired himself. They were all strong, capable lycans with training at least on par with any military. After all, Sabine was the apprentice to one of the strongest mages Peiter had ever met. They were not likely to encounter trouble, and if they did, he was sure they could handle a few thugs. "So, what do we want to see? I'm sure this place has a massive market, but there is sure to be other kinds of entertainment. Though, I'm guessing a lot of it will be the kind of entertainment that appeals to pirates and the like."

[Muttonhawk]

"Huh, I never knew that," Fendros said with some measure of surprise. He purposely didn't specify which parts he didn't know, but judging by his face, he had conjured some astonishing and not quite desirable mental imagery.

Still keen to keep the conversation away from himself, Gallus asked. "What ever happened to this 'vagabond'? Did he simply steal your heart and run?" Gallus took a larger swig of his drink, downing the rest of it. He had a feeling that he would need the moon sugar running through him shortly.

Out on the street, Sabine and Tzirret walked quickly to keep up with the stride Peiter set. Sabine answered Peiter's question with a shrug, "I do not know what is in this city to see. We could just walk in a direction until we find something," Sabine looked up, remembering something, "Acrobats! I remember seeing Khajiit acrobats in other cities. We might find some performing," Sabine's voice lowered again, "but I do not know where to find them..."

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha started to laugh. "Steal my heart? Gallus, you underestimate me. If anything, he was the one who didn't want to see me go. Now, whether he actually cared about me or just saw me as a way out of poverty, I don't really know, but...well let's just say there was a reason my parents didn't like him. He wasn't that bright, and had a personality as interesting as a wooden post. Like I said, I think I just wanted him because my parents didn't. In the end, I had to kick his tail to get him to finally leave me alone. Literally. The healers had a hard time getting it to heal back right. His friends ended up nicknaming him 'crook'."

Looking over to Fendros beside her, Ahnasha nudged his shoulder. "Your face looks like you swallowed a lemon. Something wrong?"

Peiter rubbed his chin, his eyes scanning over the docks. "The Khajiit are rather famous for their acrobats. Never seen one myself, but...I imagine they would perform somewhere that a lot of people would see them. If there isn't a festival or anything going on, and they're not being hired by anyone, then they probably are making their living through donations from their audience. They would go somewhere with a big crowd. Honestly, the market seems like the best place to look. Some cities don't allow performances in the middle of the market, but they might set up just beyond it. I don't know exactly where that would be from here, but I imagine we can just follow the crowds. In any case, it's going to be somewhere inside the walls."

The trio finally moved away from the docks and through the gate into the city proper. What Peiter noticed rather quickly was the sheer vibrance of pretty much everything around them. The architecture was unlike anything he had seen in Cyrodiil. Imperial structures were strong, but simple. They often carried a sort of military uniformity that reflected the structure of the Empire itself, but in this place, the buildings seemed to flow. A lot of their walls, supports, and decorative designs were curved and fluid. And, most of all, everything was so colorful. The buildings, the decorative banners on the streets, and even the people's clothing were all a mix of bright colors that made the entire place feel alive. "Well, the Imperial City almost seems boring by comparison to this, and certainly Bruma. Have you ever been to a place with such vibrance?"

[Muttonhawk]

Gallus sucked in a breath and winced, while Janius let out a laugh and Uthri let out a low chuckle and commented, "Broke a little more than his heart, eh? Not enviable. He must have been annoying."

Ahnasha's question snapped Fendros out of his thoughts and he shook the sour expression from his face. "Oh, nothing," he said to Ahnasha, playing it off with a smile.

"Mama, why was your meeting with the vagabond painful? Did you fight him?" Rhazii, completely oblivious to most of the subtext, decided to keep up his habit of on-point timing.

In response, Janius spoke as if there was nothing to be insecure about. "Makes sense to me. If it's anything like the feral cats in Bravil, you wouldn't be able to tell without looking whether it was fighting or otherwise."

"Thank you, Janius," Fendros said sarcastically.

Janius continued, "I remember them yowling like they were going to war either way-"

"Thank you, Janius!" Fendros repeated with more exaggerated emphasis.

"What?" Janius lifted his palms defensively and smiled.

"Let's not start our own war, now," Gallus said with a hand raised to calm the two, laughing lightly through it all. Gallus then turned to Meesei, "I saw you with a smile before, Meesei. Have you any tales worthy of bawdy song?"

---

Tzirret was just as amazed as Peiter was, but he was not so immediately vocal. "It is...very nice to look upon," he said unsurely.

"I can think of one place," Sabine answered, "but that is far away, and it had more flowers. It was a festival, too. This is beautiful for itself, though. I wonder if there is as much colour every day?"

"What was this place?" Tzirret asked Sabine.

Sabine smiled, "Thorn, in Black Marsh."

[EliteCommander]

"You could say that." Ahnasha answered to Rhazii, intent on dismissing the question quickly. Their conversation had been in vague enough terms to avoid saying anything they would not want the children understanding. None of them had drank nearly enough to make them forget about that.

Meesei leaned forward onto the table and grinned at Gallus. "Careful, Gallus. If we are going around the table for stories, then we will land on you soon enough." She commented, having been more than observant enough to notice his unease.

Regardless, Meesei decided to give an answer. "I would say I have lived an exciting life, but if you want me to share some embarrassing romantic blunder, I am sorry to say that I must disappoint you. I've hunted dangerous beasts, taken great risks to save fellow members of my tribe, explored the depths of Ayleid ruins, but for romance? My life has been rather mundane in that regard. I was the future Treeminder of our tribe, so I had few friends. There were a few who I formed relationships with, with varying degrees of success or failure. The first was a hunter, but he was not that caring and I lost interest. Another was a mage like me, and we got along much better. I might have even loved him, but with my magical studies, I could not give him the attention he needed. One was a farmer who cared deeply about me. I certainly liked her and was happy with her, but she wanted to be my wife, and that was...more than I wanted then." Meesei explained casually, though she had certainly never shared that detail about her past.

"I doubt there are any stories among them you would find particularly entertaining. I never fought them, or ran around the village with their loincloths on my head." Meesei continued, chuckling at Janius. "I shall have plenty to say when the topic shifts to killing ancient Ayleid liches, however. Now, I am curious, what stories does Gallus have to share?"

---

"Thorn, I think I remember reading about that place." Peiter commented. "The call it the 'Jewel of the East,' right? Or...was that Tear? I think they're both known for being beautiful. I can only imagine what they look like, if they are better than this."

"Although..." Peiter began as his eyes turned from the buildings around them, to the streets along which they were walking. For as beautiful as the architecture was, and as vibrant the styles of its people, it was all juxtaposed against the decay of its less-than-reputable inhabitants. There were no shortage of shady characters around them, gathered in groups at street corners, or conducting deals in the darkened alleys. There were homeless begging on the streets, and skooma addicts laying unconscious against some of the abandoned buildings. Or at least, he hoped they were merely unconscious. "I can see why this place isn't considered the...most beautiful place in Tamriel."

Reaching the market, the trio found just what Peiter had hoped. Along the outer edges of the large, open outdoor market in the center of the district, there were indeed performers, and not just acrobats. Just from where he was standing, Peiter could see jugglers, mages, musicians, painters, animal tamers, and of course acrobats. "So...where do we start?"

[Muttonhawk]

Surprised looks appeared from both packs in Meesei's direction regarding her last anecdote. Few enough among them even knew of a woman falling in love another woman as a concept, but with it being such a rare occurance, none had expected Meesei to put such little emphasis on it. Regardless, Meesei continued and turned the conversation unerringly towards the beleaguered Gallus.

"Me? Well, I suppose it would be similar to what you said," Gallus tried playing it all off and did not succeed, "I would say it is bland in comparison. Uneventful. You know, not with any drama or..."

"Gallus," Uthri's accented voice was teeming with a distinct lack of amusement. She crossed her arms and gave him a wide eyed stare. "You would run this far from Bruma for the express purpose of getting away from the trouble you put yourself in and you try to lie to our faces? Try again. Tell us about Persephone and Olivia."

"Well that would hardly be fair, that's my present, not my past," Gallus attempted to retort. Although, as he looked around to everyone else, he could see that their curiosity would not allow him to run any further. He bowed his head suddenly and spoke with defeat in his voice, "Not fair, Uthri. Very well..." His head looked up to them and he smiled, trying to be good-natured about it. His tone inflected the end of his sentences as if he was asking rhetorical questions. "So, about seven months ago, a lovely Imperial girl named Sephy and myself hit it off with what I thought was a casual interaction. We were both under father's section, we were friends...who sometimes had nights in...it suited me well enough for about three months. Everyone else just thought we were close friends." Gallus curled his lips for a moment, there was little ambiguity on where this was going. "Then, during the festivities of the solstice, I met this beautiful Altmer named Olivia. We got drinking and...sneaked off. There are plenty of spaces to do so, as I'm sure you are aware. It didn't end there, however. I quite liked Olivia and wanted to try something more. We ended up seeing each other for a while. The thing with myself and Sephy went on, but was tapering off, I was planning on stopping it."

At this point, Fendros sighed and rubbed his temple. Gallus was one of those folks. Even Janius didn't play two relationships at the same time - as far as he knew, anyway.

Gallus continued apprehensively, "One day, I approached Sephy to try to break things up, and she...confessed her love for me, rather sincerely. She didn't know about Olivia and vice-versa, but her words were touching. Very touching, very...confusing to me. I didn't go through with the break up. I thought I might...try both for a while. I really am fond of them both." Gallus paused for a moment.

"Are you serious?" Janius said with an incredulous expression, "At what point did you think that would be appropriate?"

"Well, I was going to ask them eventually," Gallus shrugged as if there wasn't a problem.

"And you called me despicable. Let me guess, you're here because they found out?" Janius said almost accusingly, but with a smile at how ridiculous this was.

"No," Gallus' eyes twitched around the table, "I just...need time to think. I thought I might know what to do when I returned."

Uthri squinted her eyes and half smiled with satisfaction at getting Gallus to share his behaviour.

---

"Yes. There is not as much skooma in Thorn," Sabine said bluntly.

When they reached the market, the array of sights and sounds on display was far more than they were expecting. Sabine looked about, amazed. It was as if an entire travelling circus had set up here. Indeed, that may have been the case. She was open-mouthed but silent to Peiter's question.

"Tzirret sees fire breather!" Tzirret was so excited that his already Khajiiti Cyrodilic had regressed a little further. He pointed out one of the mages who was almost exclusively using fire spells to create wondrous flowing shapes in an enchanting performance. As they approached, they found the reason for the mage's namesake; the Ohmes-raht mage was using not only his hands, but also his mouth to project fire to make the shapes. They resembled all sorts of things; dragons, trolls, daedric beasts, even undead creatures.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei did feel slightly guilty, as she had not been entirely honest. There were a select few stories she might have shared fitting with the current conversation, but she had the sense that Gallus' pack, or rather, Irenya specifically, did not have complete respect for her. As such, she was still being careful about how she presented herself. Those were stories for a later time.

As for Gallus' confession, Meesei felt that his personal life was not her business. Entertaining to laugh at, certainly, but how he dealt with the matter would be his alone. "Well, I hope you learn what you need during this excursion. I cannot tell you what you find important.

"Hmph, even I haven't done that before." Lorag huffed. "'Course, I've never really been the 'relationship' kind of Orc. Don't have a family, don't need one, don't want one. I don't want anyone but all of you. Guess you could say I'm like Janius used to be for that, 'cept I made sure the women knew from the start what I didn't want. There was one Orc girl in Cheydinhall I spent a lot of, uh, quality time with. Her parents were soft. Shopkeepers, didn't want their little girl gettin' into trouble, but she wanted an Orc's life. Her parents said I was a 'bad influence,' or somethin' stupid like that." Lorag paused a moment as he began to laugh. "I remember...I remember her father decided to 'confront' me once. Walked up to me and punched me square in the jaw. I just stood there, didn't move a muscle, and growled at him. I'll say, an Orc should never run away as fast as that one did from me. She ended up joining the Fighter's Guild; got killed by some bandits a year later, though. Pity, nice girl."

Lorag was interrupted when the waitress returned with their orders, though he quickly picked back up once she left. He leaned back in his chair with a grin as he reminisced. "There was another one in the Legion, also an Orc. She was a career soldier like me. There were rules against that sort of thing between soldiers, but we...couldn't've cared less. Heh, we just had to get good at hidin'. Runnin' naked through the streets in the Imperial City is nice and everything, but I want you to try runnin' naked through the woods, in Skyrim, in winter. Just tryin' not to get frostbite where you really don't want it. That, was a challenge. She got killed by that werewolf though. A shame. Let's see, there was also Harriet when I first got to the clan, but she...or, well, I guess she didn't die. Hmph."

---

Peiter did not think he would find a mage impressive, given that he worked regularly with magic-users, but in this case, he did suppose this fire breather brought something unique to the table. Creating fire was nothing special, but to mold and manipulate it with such artistic precision was nothing short of an amazing sight.

Walking up alongside Sabine, Peiter gave her a pat on the back. "You think you could ever do anything like that? I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous of mages. To just conjure up fire and lightning with only your thoughts...I can hardly even imagine it."

[Muttonhawk]

Lorag's tone in his retelling of his relationship history was blunt and detached as ever, but that didn't stop it sounding rather depressing. All of his relations, whether the commitment he wanted was true or not, ended up dying. All except the last, and that one had a slightly different reaction.

"So the rumours were true!" Gallus lifted his head back and began to laugh heartily, "That dragon soul of an Orc woman and it took beating her at a fight to get into bed with her." Gallus' laughter died down, "A shame, what she ended up doing. I wonder where she is now?"

As everyone tucked into their food, Janius brought the topic around to Uthri. "So, you grew up in Skyrim, right Uthri? What about you?"

Uthri smiled at the pretence of nationality, "Yes, I was raised by the wilds. I was the consort of a bear and beat him to death when he didn't satisfy me. I then took up a marriage proposal from a giant spider and promptly killed and ate him."

Uthri was the only one who didn't immediately appear to pause in her meal.

"Your faces, you should see them," Uthri chuckled, "No, I did not have many interactions with men in the hold wilds. I didn't even have any relationships until I reached Bruma." Uthri but a mouthful of boar meat in her mouth with her fork and pointed the fork in Gallus' direction. She spoke through her mouthful, "In fact, the only one I've been with ish thish hopelesh pig." She swallowed and raised her voice, "A year! And you left me for some Breton waif with smaller breasts than I! And this was before your three-way conundrum that you rightly deserve to be in, by the way!"

At this point Gallus was looking almost afraid.

Uthri laughed again. "Ah, calm down, puppy, that was years ago. I wouldn't be in your pack if I was still angry."

Gallus exhaled and chuckled, "You're a good friend, Uthri."

"And you're a horrible person, the world goes around," Uthri almost lifted another piece of boar to her lips when she stopped and caught Irenya's eye. Grinning, Uthri pointed her fork to Irenya, "Don't think you're getting away either, Irenya. You're probably one of the oldest people here. You must have something to tell. You know what they say about Dunmer women."

---

Sabine looked at Peiter, almost surprised to be touched, but looked forward again after hearing the question. "Hmm, I do not know," Sabine put a hand to her chin and observed the firebreather's magic, "He is using a technique that I have not seen. I think it is possible, though. It would take a long time to practice." Sabine gave Peiter a smile, "It isn't just thoughts, you know. It is...well it is magic, it is many things. Have you tried to learn any magic before?"

Possibly experiencing some kind of nostalgia, Tzirret was a few rows of people ahead of Peiter and Sabine. He was entranced by the performance so far. Soon enough, the firebreather began to change the colours of the flames, producing shapes in bright purple, green, and pink. The colours even went to a deep red and sky blues. It began to become especially fascinating when the colours were used together to create more tangible shapes.

[EliteCommander]

"Yes, I do. For the younger girls, through their first hundred or so years, it is not far from the truth." Irenya answered. "I'm sure you've read the stories on the Queen Mother Barenziah. Whose to say how much of that is truth or fiction? For me, I have more stories than you have years in your life. The things I have done, or seen people do...you could say I've met many 'Galluses" in my life." She chuckled. It seemed like she was thinking about a story to share, but when her gaze moved to Ahnasha and Fendros, she hesitated. An uncertain expression came over her face, followed quickly by what almost looked like annoyance.

"But...I really shouldn't share. It would be evening by the time I got through them all." She said, dismissing the topic.

After the weeks of travel, Ahnasha had picked up on Irenya's seeming distaste for herself and Fendros. This was just another, admittedly small incident, but Ahnasha had grown increasingly tired of it. She of course assumed the issue to be bigotry. Irenya did not seem to act any differently towards Tzirret than the rest of her pack, but that did not stop Ahnasha from making that guess. Ahnasha could have ignored it, and for a while she had, but these incidents were quickly getting on her nerves. This time, Ahnasha's fiery spirit was going to get the best of her.

"Really, why not?" Ahnasha asked, her tone distinctly confrontational.

"Excuse me?" Irenya answered in a shocked voice.

Ahnasha crossed her arms. "Well, I notice you were looking right at me when you suddenly excused yourself from our conversation. Why is that, Irenya?"

Irenya's expression became quickly offended, though also partially nervous. "Why...I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ahnasha shook her head. "No, I don't think that's true. From the moment we've met, you've been keeping your distance from us. Leaving conversations when we show up, hardly talking to us unless you absolutely have to. Me, Fendros, even Meesei. Isn't that right?" She said, her head turning to Fendros beside her.

---

Peiter shook his head, pausing a moment in his response as he observed the fire breather. For as much respect as he had for mages, he had never even attempted to learn it himself. "No, I haven't. I just...I don't know. I don't think I would be able to do it. It just seems so...I don't even know the word for it. Hard isn't really what I'm trying to say, though I have no doubt it isn't easy. I guess...unapproachable is the word. I know we Bretons are supposed to have an affinity for that sort of thing, but I've always just felt more comfortable with a weapon in my hand. It's something I can easily understand and...that makes me sound like a complete barbarian, doesn't it?"

With a slight chuckle, Peiter rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I just wasn't raised around magic. No one in my family used it, but I saw soldiers all the time in Chorrol. I used to enjoy watching them train and spar with each other in the castle courtyard. It was exciting. Of course, now that I've actually went through the training myself, it just seems routine, like work. Is it the same for you with magic? Since you've been learning how to use magic, is it still exciting to you? Does it still have that mystery about it?"

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros wasn't nearly as aggressive as Ahnasha at that point, but he responded with a lowered brow, "Yes, I've noticed it too." Fendros leaned forward and put his hands together, "Irenya, did we do something wrong?"

Uthri and Gallus both looked to Irenya expectantly. Gallus in particular crossed his arms and gave her a serious look. "You've had plenty of time, Irenya," he remarked, leaving enough unsaid that she could understand that he had noticed as well.

In contrast, Janius stayed leaning back kept out of the confrontation. He supposed that if the building tension was to come to a head, this was well enough a place as any, though perhaps being on a mission did not make it the best time.

---

Sabine chuckled along with Peiter at his remark. She had seen far more barbaric people than him.

As for his question, Sabine cocked her head to one side and itched her hair briefly. She hadn't really thought about it that way at a conscious level. "Well, Meesei likes it more than I do. It is always interesting, but exciting is...like you said, it is routine. You have to practice. There is always more to learn, though. Meesei is a very good teacher." Sabine glanced to Peiter after a pause, "I like alchemy more. It is similar to magic, but you can feel it easier. It is easier to understand to me. I have always liked alchemy, though."

A flourish from the fire breather brought forth the biggest display yet. Towering several metres into the air was a decorated bird with wings outstretched. Plumage of all colours shone forth from it and heated everyone's faces almost to the point of burning. Just as quickly as it appeared, it evaporated into small wisps of smoke that disappeared into the air. The performance wasn't done yet, but with the crescendo continuing, it looked like it would end soon.

"You know, I could try to teach you something simple. A magic spell." Sabine gave Peiter a look up and down, "It will be easy, I think. If I teach you, you will not have to learn everything at once. You might find it exciting." Sabine gave an encouraging grin.

[EliteCommander]

Irenya seemed surprised to suddenly have this kind of attention on her, especially from her own pack. For a moment, she gave a brief, perhaps unintentionally nervous look to the others before her disposition shifted entirely. She seemed angered, with considerably more resolve than her initial reaction suggested. “I…resent these accusations. I have been nothing but professional.”

Ahnasha was still far from backing down. It was true that Irenya had done nothing overtly hateful, and her actions were not entirely consistent. She seemed to have some problem with Ahnasha and Fendros, but treated Tzirret just the same as the others. She was distant from Meesei, but seemed to have no issue with Kaleeth. Regardless, Ahnasha was convinced that she had some kind of hatred for her. “Yeah, professional. You’ve been avoiding us instead of insulting us, is that it? How much you restrain yourself doesn’t change the fact that you hate us for no good reason. I’m not going to sit here and accept bigotry just because you are able to act civilized.”

Irenya leaned forward onto the table, glaring at both Ahnasha and Fendros with a furrowed brow. “Now listen here, cat, you know nothing about me! I am not going to sit here and have my integrity questioned by you…of all people.” She retorted in anger. The tension in the argument had certainly escalated, though admittedly, it was Ahnasha doing most of the escalating.

---

Peiter seemed uncertain as he answered, with his gaze shifting briefly to the fire breather while he thought. “I’m still not sure I would be any good at it. I’ve never even attempted it before, but…I can try. You do have a really great teacher, so I’m sure you know what you’re doing. It would be…amazing to be able to use that kind of power. Yes, as long as I don’t accidentally burn down a forest or something, I think it sounds fun.”

There were a few seconds that passed while another thought came to Peiter’s mind. “Say, have you ever been interested in learning a bit of swordsmanship?”

[Muttonhawk]

Up until now, Fendros had hoped that Irenya would confess the problem openly so they could work it out. That was evidently too much to hope for. He tried putting a hand to Ahnasha's arm and calm her, "Ahna, wait, we don't know if it's like that. Please."

With the sudden animosity, Rhazii was becoming uncomfortable. In an effort to get out of trouble, he slid to his feet and held on to Fendros, his ears flat as he watched the argument play out.

Instead of trying to interfere any further, Gallus quietly put down his cutlery, got up slowly from his seat, and silently paced around the table until he was in a spot between and to the side of both Ahnasha and Irenya. Even if Irenya was going to make a scene, even if she purported wisdom with her age, Gallus was still the alpha of the pack and he would stop anything from coming to blows. No matter how it turned out, he would be having a talk with Irenya about this. There was a niggling feeling in his mind that this was about more than simple bigotry.

---

Sabine was glad to hear Peiter accepting her offer. She shook her head and nearly laughed at the suggestion that he would burn anything down, let alone a forest.

As for his own offer, Sabine's expression faded into thoughtfulness. "Only once," Sabine spoke as she looked at the performance, "I had Lorag teach me some fighting for a day for..." Sabine gave a fleeting look, "...a thing, a few years ago. I was never any good." Her expression turned again to what it was, looking at him properly, "But, I could try again. Just for fun."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei too was silent. She remained seated, but carefully observed each member of this argument. It was never ideal to have any sort of fighting between members of the pack, but she knew it would be even more unhealthy to prevent them from addressing this matter entirely. Meesei could not allow herself to become involved on either side, not yet, but like Gallus, she was ready to prevent any physical fighting. Although, while Gallus seemed to have his eyes on Irenya, Meesei was more concerned with Ahnasha. She was a proud individual, and Meesei knew she was not above starting an actual fight over this.

Ahnasha glared briefly at Fendros, her annoyance now extending to him at least partially. "Really, we don't? We don't know what could possibly be the problem with a Dunmer who hates a Khajiit. We just have no idea what could cause a Dunmer to refuse to give an Argonian the time of day. We are just clueless on what your problem could possibly be, Irenya." The sarcasm was practically dripping off of her words as she clenched her hands into fists. "So what is it, Irenya? Is it because I'm Khajiit? Is it because I'm not a child you can order around? Is it because of my mate?"

Irenya was seething through Ahnasha's response until she finally hit the breaking point. "Insolent cat! I don't care about you, or your tainted bloodline!" She shouted in anger, though her widening eyes showed that she immediately regretted the words. Breathing heavily, she looked nervously around at the others, then sat back in her chair. "I'm done talking about this."

---

"Oh, it certainly is." Peiter said with an almost excited smile. "Some people take it up as a hobby, never intending to actually fight anyone. There is just something, I don't know, satisfying about it. If you look at bouts between experts, it's like art turned to movement. There is so much strategy and finesse that they can perform with hardly a thought. Even if you don't want to fight with a sword, I think it can be fun to learn. I mean, just look at me. I love swordfighting, but when it comes to an actual fight, with actual risk, I'd much rather keep as far as possible from the sharp bits of my opponent's weapon. Hence my polearm. My blade is a backup weapon only."

Peiter looked again at the firebreather, who appeared to be near the end of his act. Honestly, he had been too focused on their conversation to actually pay attention to the performance. "So, I guess we can take some time to teach each other something."