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

[EliteCommander]

"Oh, only the highest, most faithful in their ranks are informed of Vile's true motives. I would surmise that they are promised power and standing within Vile's realm, once he does whatever he intends with Mundus." Areldril answered, again without hesitation. "And I would not be so quick to dismiss their plan as impossible. Certainly, it is not an easy task to deactivate a Tower, but Towers have been destroyed before, and it is not at all far-fetched."

Kaleeth was looking nervous. She had her sword in hand in case something happened, but her mind was focused on what Areldril was saying. It seemed insane to think that there were, evidently, buildings with the power to hold reality together. She supposed it could make sense with some sort of divine magic from the gods, but it seemed insane that their secret war with another Daedric cult could actually somehow be for the fate of the world, instead of just their own lives. "So these divine towers have been destroyed before? How?" She asked.

Areldril paused a moment, standing up straight with his hands behind his back as he collected his thoughts on the matter. "Each Tower has a stone, metaphorically speaking, which is bound to its Tower. If either the stone or Tower is destroyed, or the connection between them severed, the Tower will deactivate. Orichalc was located on the continent of Yokuda. When Yokuda was destroyed, Orichalc was destroyed with it. Green-Sap consisted of a network of Graht-Oaks in Valenwood. At one time, it was the subject of a plot to turn Green-Sap into another White-Gold, which may or may not have been related to its eventual deactivation. The exact reason for its downfall is a mystery, but though the Graht-Oaks still stand, Green-Sap is no more. Walk-Brass was the Tower forged by the Dwemer, their Brass god: the Anumidium. When Dagoth Ur interrupted the creation of their golem at the Battle of Red Mountain, the Dwemer disappeared, and Walk-Brass, their Tower, was left behind. It's pieces were eventually reformed into the golem you know as the Numidium, with its stone being the Mantella, which Tiber Septim used to conquer Tamriel and form the First Empire. The Numidium was later used in the Miracle of Peace in the Iliac bay, destroying it and bringing an end to Walk-Brass. The Red Tower, Red Mountain in Vvardenfell, was deactivated when its stone, the Heart of Lorkhan, was destroyed by the Nerevarine."

Increasingly, the expressions of several of the pack became more worried as Areldril listed one by one the Towers, which supposedly held together existence itself, that had been destroyed or deactivated. And he was not yet finished. He continued on, his tone neutral, but his expression severe. "Crystal-Like-Law, erected by Elves in the Summerset Isles in emulation of Ada-Mantia, was destroyed by the invading Daedra during the Oblivion Crisis. Also at that time, the stone of the White-Gold Tower, the Chim-el Adabal, the stone at the center of the Amulet of Kings, was shattered by Martin Septim. Snow-Throat is one of the more...uncertain Towers. It is believed to be the mountain known as the Throat of the World, and its stone is known only as the Cave. I call it uncertain because it is unknown if it is still active. As stated in the prophesy of the Dragonborn: When misrule takes its place at the eight corners of the world / When the Brass Tower walks and Time is reshaped / When the thrice-blessed fail and the Red Tower trembles / When the Dragonborn Ruler loses his throne, and the White Tower falls / When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding / The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn. Everyone knows this prophesy has already come to pass, and it does imply that the Snow Tower has fallen, but none can say for certain. Ada-Mantia, of course, still stands. Its stone is both physical and metaphysical, the Zero stone, Convention."

Lorag was managing to keep up with what Areldril was saying, though much of it was references to history or religions that went over his head. Of all the pack, he was the most skeptical. With his arms crossed, he stared down Areldril. "Okay, so assuming you're not lyin' through your teeth about all this, this seems like something you'd just tell your own people. Seems like it'd be important to them. Why not just tell the rest of your Thalmor and have them pass it on to us? Why make yourself a traitor for this?"

Areldril turned his head slightly and slowly towards Lunise. It was hard to tell, but there might have been a slight grin on his lips. "Because of the ninth and final Tower: Talos. Well, not a Tower in the literal sense, but the man who ascended to the Divine serves a similar purpose. For he is, or has become, Convention, the very stone of Ada-Mantia. Or at the very least, he strengthens the Wheel of Convention. The details are not entirely known, but what is sure to any true scholar of the Towers is that Talos serves an integral role in the continued existence of Mundus. If Snow-Throat has fallen, then Talos may very well be only thing keeping Mundus stable, aside from Ada-Mantia. Why did I turn traitor to deliver this message? To that I give a question, for our venerable Justicar Lunise. What is the true, final goal of the Thalmor? Why have they devoted themselves to the eradication of the worship of Talos? And I do not mean the notion of heresy that a Human could become a Divine. No, I mean the real, tangible reason for devoting so many of our resources to hunting the believers of Talos. The reason that is shared only among the upper echelon of the Thalmor, such as myself. Have you managed to piece it together yet, Justicar Lunise?"

[Muttonhawk]

Everyone's attention turned gradually to Lunise. She had been quiet when the Towers were mentioned. Her stony glare did not budge.

"I do not believe you," she finally said.

Marod spoke up. "I am no scholar on the specifics, Lunise, but the patterns of behaviour from the Thalmor point to it clearly. Aversion to us other races didn't come out of nowhere. They want to return-"

"That is idealistic trite!" Lunise shouted, casting one hand in front of her. "All of that sanctimonious drivel is a myth! The Thalmor are for an Altmer nation. Not putting it all to and end." She jabbed a finger in Areldril's direction. "How can you come out and claim such a thing if it was you that had to be complicit all this time, hm!? This is a petty political ploy, likely to manipulate the lycan population to your own ends, beyond your station, Areldril!"

"Areldril," Marod picked up, much more calmly. "Perhaps you should inform Meesei. Her people have a stake in this. Though I am sure, as would I, she would find it useful to know your stake in this."

[EliteCommander]

Areldril largely ignored Lunise's outburst. Her anger and denial were probably what he was actually expecting from her. After all, drastically challenging someone's entire view of the world was rarely met with acceptance. For Meesei, she was concerned, to the point that she was almost unable to maintain her stoic visage. Regardless, Lorag's skepticism had rubbed off on her somewhat. "I will concede that your claims thusfar have come without proof, Areldril. Do you have evidence that you are not just twisting theories on these Towers to your own ends? Perhaps to sabotage my alliances?"

"A fair question, and a much fairer tone, I might add." Areldril answered. "I can of course explain everything about the intentions of Vile, and even more about the Thalmor. But I believe it is Justicar Lunise who can confirm it. You see, she holds the documents I claimed from our archives. I procured those specific documents for very specific reasons. Now that I think about it, I am glad you are here, Lunise. You know how to identify all of the small details on those papers. All the little seals and decorations that verify them as being genuine. The magical wards weaved by our lorekeepers to preserve and maintain them. You know how to identify everything about them to confirm, beyond any doubt, that they are the documents you were sent to recover. Indeed, I imagine you have already done so. I also imagine you were sent here with the orders not to read them. They contain information forbidden for someone of your station, but that information confirms everything I have said. If you want the truth about how you, how all of us, were misled, read those documents. I would start with the scroll with the blue seal."

Shifting his attention to the others, Meesei in particular, Areldril continued his explanation regardless of Lunise's response. "The Thalmor, at their core, are built around a certain...religious belief. We Altmer are the closest decedents of the Aldmer, the first and greatest Elven race. The Aldmer were once Et'Ada, gods, themselves. Granted, they were lesser spirits to the Aedra, but still Divine, before they became mortal. We Altmer share their likeness, and it is the source of our superiority. I do not dispute this, but it is what the Thalmor intend to do about this that I find, well, insane. They wish to reclaim divinity, and do not see the Towers as the path to Aetherius that they once were. Rather, they see the Towers as binding the Altmer to mortality in this world. They believe that Mundus was a mistake, that your kind, Marod, mankind, was a mistake. They want to erase the very concept of man from existence, dismantle this world, and return to the divine. I can certainly appreciate their intentions, but through my years of study, I have not seen evidence that destroying the Towers would have the effects they expect it to. If I did, I would support them without question, but it is far more likely that we will merely be erased from existence. They are too blinded by their zeal and idealism to see that. I am not willing to wager the fate of Mundus on the mere chance of becoming divine. The documents I stole detail all I have said, and more."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise's eyes reluctantly went down to the saddlebag in her hand. While Areldril made his explanation to Meesei and the others, she gave him another glance and then carefully pulled out the parchment sheet with the blue seal. She dismissed the ward in her off-hand to open the document and began to read. Her angry face slowly transformed to a blank suppression of whatever emotions the words put her in.

"That is insane," Fendros said. "Marod, you knew this?"

Marod did not return to his levity, but he gave Fendros a look and an answer regardless. "Not about Vile's cult, no. As for the Dominion, enough is obvious now that to say any more would put lives at risk." He turned his eyes to Lunise and Areldril. "No offence intended, of course."

"Alright," Janius spoke up with great concern, looking at anyone who would answer. "So they want to sever stones from towers to destroy reality." He extended a hand upwards. "How do we stop them?"

Lunise was so still that observers had to look closely to know that she was even still breathing. Her eyes were no longer reading the words on the page in front of her. She simply stared blankly at the letter, blinking against the wind every now and then.

[EliteCommander]

"For the Thalmor, they are a threat, but not the most immediate one." Areldril answered. "Indeed, the presence of Vile's cult has delayed them, despite sharing the same goal. You see, the Thalmor does not trust Vile or his followers. Rightfully so, from my research. If my theories are correct and Vile intends to claim Mundus for his own by some means, then allowing him to carry out his plans to destroy the Towers would run counter to the Thalmor's goals. They cannot become Divine if their souls are absorbed by a Daedra, yes? So, they want the Towers to be destroyed, but not on Vile's terms. That is why they are willing to make deals with the Empire and a group of Daedra-worshipping mutts to deal with them. Even once Vile is defeated, the world will not be safe, but that is not your concern, worshipers of Hircine. It will not be your task to defeat the Thalmor, at least not alone. You need to be concerned with defeating your enemy, Clavicus Vile. The reason I have selected now, of all times, to leave the Thalmor is because my...allies needed to make sure that you do not cease your fight against Vile."

Lorag grunted. "Hmph, like he'd give us a choice."

Areldril raised his brow towards Lorag, though did not look as if he was uncertain of anything. More than anything, his expression made him look even more smug. "Oh, you may be surprised. You may not be aware, but Vile does not care about you in the slightest. You were always just a resource to him, a tool. Your souls are powerful, and I believe that Vile intended to harvest them and use their power to carry out a final, definitive strike against the remaining Towers. But, his followers did not prove competent enough to kill you all, so Vile has all but ended his efforts to harvest you. Certainly you have noticed that attacks against you have dwindled? Those who still fight against you have essentially gone rogue. Just as with the Thalmor, only the inner circles of Vile's cult know of his true intentions. The rest have been recruited through promises of wealth, power, or revenge. It was easy for him to recruit lycan hunters, and those with some personal vendetta against lycans. But, now that he is focusing on other means of carrying out his plan, they have grown unruly. Based on his actions, even the General of his forces was operating in ignorance of Vile's true intentions. I would wager that Vile's zealots may even offer you a formal peace, but you cannot accept. Not if you wish to continue having a world to live in. A few years ago, I would have told you the best way to stop Vile would have been to slit your own throats to deny him your souls, but I am afraid that would not be sufficient now. Vile is making other plans that do not require you. No, to stop him now, you simply must kill Clavicus Vile."

Even Meesei gave a somewhat startled reaction to Areldril's bold statement. Certainly, it was a ludicrous suggestion in every sense of the word. Even ignoring the fact that Vile had access to the power of a literal god, Daedra were also physically impossible to kill. A Daedric Prince even moreso. It was highly likely that there was some other meaning that went along with Areldril's words.

[Muttonhawk]

In the quiet that followed, the soft sounds of the river were only joined by Lunise replacing the document she had just read in order to take out another and read it through. She was still completely withdrawn from the conversation around her.

The lengthy, confused silence was broken by Janius. "Are you trying to riddle us? If killing Vile was simple, we would have done it already."

"I will admit, Areldril, your words go beyond me, too," Marod added. He turned his sword and slid it back into the scabbard on his hip. "Even Martin Septim, becoming the vessel of Akatosh himself, did not kill Mehrunes Dagon when he set foot in the Imperial City. What are you getting at?"

[EliteCommander]

With his choice of wording, one could have assumed that Areldril was trying to confuse them, though he quickly clarified. "Yes, of course Vile cannot be killed in any literal sense, short of somehow bringing him to Aetherius first. No, but a Daedric Prince can be...how to put it...displaced. Their physical form can be destroyed. Like any other Daedra, they will regenerate, and quickly. However, the process of destroying a Daedric Prince drastically diminishes their power. It is a rare event, but it has occurred in history. As you mentioned, Dagon was destroyed by Martin Septim. Molag Bal was once destroyed by a mortal, albeit with the aid of the Chim-et Adabal. Even Vile himself had his power diminished a few hundred years ago by that whole affair with the Umbra sword and that floating city. Clavicus Vile had been in a weakened state for the majority of the Fourth Era, but something happened recently to change that. Well, within the past few decades, before the start of your war. Historically, Vile has always been held in check by his counterpart to prevent him from attempting schemes like this. Are you all aware of the lore surrounding Vile?"

Meesei gave a simple, confident nod. "Clavicus Vile is the Daedra we are all the most familiar with, save Hircine himself." She answered. Naturally, they wanted to be as well-informed of their enemy as possible, so most of the pack was educated about him.

"Good, then you know about his counterpart, Barbas. The Daedric hound is subservient to Vile, but he has always had the power and will to keep his master from overextending with these sorts of ambitious plans. Vile's actions have been uncharacteristic of him, compared to his actions throughout the rest of history. I can only conclude that something has happened to Barbas to diminish his influence over his master. I cannot say if this is something we could potentially use to our advantage, but it means that he is able to act unhindered" Areldril explained before pausing, then taking a moment to clear his throat. "Ah, but more to the point. You wish to know how to defeat Vile. He is essentially a god, with powers magnitudes beyond anything your entire kind is capable of, combined. You would need the power of a god to challenge him, but fortunately, you have access to a god willing to fight him, yes? Your master Hircine. Of course, Hircine's power has waned in your war, while Vile's has grown. Your master does not have the power to defeat him, but it is possible for even mere mortals like you to bridge that gap. It will be no small task, but you need to secure the kind of power that can affect Vile in that fight. Fortunately for you, I have already done the research for you. As much as I could, at least. The first step will be for you to obtain the blood of a Daedra to serve as the shell for a weapon against him. Specifically the blood of Vile himself. Blood, in this case, referring to his essence. In Tamriel, the only way to find a Daedra's essence is in the form of their artifacts. All Daedric Princes have at least one, and Vile is no different."

Meesei hummed, thinking back on what she knew of Vile. "The most obvious artifact is the Masque of Clavicus Vile. It has been given as a reward to those who serve Vile several times throughout history. There is also the Bittercup, though I would not even begin to know how to find either of those. Not to mention, neither of them are weapons. One is essentially a helmet, and the other a cup."

"What, you expect us to beat a god to death with a cup or somethin'?" Lorag added.

Areldril actually gave something approaching a chuckle as he responded. "Not quite. You do not necessarily need something sharp and pointy to serve as a weapon against Vile. But, I will agree that something which is already a weapon can be more easily converted to this purpose. Fortunately, those are not his only two relics. There is an axe, named the 'Rueful Axe', which, quite ironically, was given to a man to slay his lycanthrope daughter as a 'cure' for her disease. It is made from Vile's essence, and could be used against him with the right kind of power supporting it."

[Muttonhawk]

"So, we find this horrid axe, convert it into a weapon to make up the power difference between Hircine and Vile, and then use it as a weapon against Vile?" Janius counted off his fingers. "That leaves quite a few gaps. You would either have to explain how we should go about those things or come to guide us."

Fendros spoke up over Janius. "Taking this one thing at a time, Meesei said that Vile's artefacts are no easy items to find. Do you know where this Rueful Axe is?"

"We need to find Barbas, too," Sabine finally commented. "Stopping Vile will not matter if he can grow again to try the same thing."

[EliteCommander]

"Hmm, yes and no. I know for certain where the Axe was, shortly after it was created." Areldril explained. "The man it was given to originally was a Breton in Skyrim, not all that long ago. Relatively speaking. It is no ancient artifact. But, events have moved it outside of Skyrim. Unfortuantely, I cannot pinpoint its current location. Before I left, I had put in requests with the Justicars to try to locate it, claiming it to be important to my research, but they were denied as 'low priority'. The best I can say is that it was sighted in High Rock, and has perhaps moved to Hammerfell. I can give a few leads you can pursue, but it will take some searching on your part. Fortunately, the weapon is rather unique. It appears as a steel battleaxe with two engraved motifs of werewolves, but it is actually made from ebony. It might make it easier to track down."

"Of course, there is more you will need. Naturally, you are going to have to invade Clavicus Vile's plane of Oblivion." Areldril added in a matter-of-fact tone, as if it were not major news. "You will need sigil stones. Even they cannot bring you there from Tamriel, but I have devised a strategy to circumvent Mundus' protective barriers. I cannot give you all of the answers, but I can detail how to carry out the major tasks. It is far too much to explain here and now, but I can give it to you in writing."

When it came time for Areldril to address Sabine's suggestion, he appeared uncertain, far more so than he had at any point thusfar. "As for Barbas...I am afraid I cannot give any more details than I already have. I would describe Barbas as being a part of Vile; not truly separable from him permanently. Part of Vile's power is contained within Barbas. I can only speculate what happened to him, but for Vile to have the power he does now, he must have been able to take Barbas' share of his power away from him. The only circumstance I can think of where that could happen would be if Barbas were 'killed.' In that case, he would be destroyed and start to regenerate, which would allow Vile to claim his share of their power. Or at least the vast majority of it. I cannot even begin to guess how that could have happened, but if Barbas was destroyed, then he may not be in a position to be found. Perhaps...finding a way to force Barbas' regeneration might be helpful, but I would have to carry out much more research to determine if that is even possible to begin with. And of course, I cannot perform research while under arrest." He said, finally turning his attention squarely back on Lunise.

[Muttonhawk]

With Areldril's answers, the road ahead now appeared much clearer. They had leads, a source of information about the specifics, and a hope that the end could be in sight for the war. The last piece of the puzzle brought attention to Lunise.

She remained standing, silent and stoic with a page in front of her eyes. She did not respond for several seconds. When she finally drew her gaze up to Areldril, it was devoid of all the vitriol she started with. It was empty and pale. Her voice escaped with such weakness that it was as if she forgot to breathe in before answering. "Yes you can, Areldril." Lunise turned her head to Meesei. "The champion of Hircine can supply you with any resources you need. I will deal with you at my discretion, which can wait. You will not find the Summerset Isles welcoming whether it is me that takes you there or another justicar. Just help us end this war."

"Well, that settles that," Marod said. "I was about to suggest, Meesei, that you take Areldril into your political asylum, seeing as we are still in a state where the clans are technically independent in law, but I have a feeling that allowing Lunise to do you this favour is less likely to cause an incident."

"Shut up, Marod," Lunise said joylessly before returning to her parchments.

[EliteCommander]

For the first time, Areldril started to show some emotion, specifically sympathy, towards Lunise. "Believe me, Justicar Lunise, I have been in your shoes before. I was actually beginning to approach the truth on my own when I was elevated to the upper ranks of the Thalmor. They knew I would discover their intentions on my own eventually, but they felt that my education on the matter would lead me to accept their ideology. They were mistaken. I was a loyal follower of the Dominion before I learned all of this. I spent long nights trying to rationalize their intentions, trying to prove to myself that their plan would somehow result in our apotheosis, but I have found no proof to their claims. It has been difficult to openly serve them all these years, but I had to be patient. I had to bide my time until the right moment. I wish I could have stayed longer to gather more information, but my benefactors believed it was important for me to act right away. Their rules prevent them from acting directly to influence events in Tamriel, but they can act through agents like myself. I had to sacrifice much to deliver this message. As you know, I will be hunted to the end of my days, or to the end of the Thalmor's. Whichever may come first. You, of all people, should know that I did not make that sacrifice lightly. I am relying on you to ensure that sacrifice was for something, Lunise. You are currently the only active member of the Thalmor outside of their inner circle who is aware of their plans. For your own safety, make sure they never learn of this. If they do learn of what you now know, then you will disappear. No amount of loyal service will prevent them from killing anyone that could threaten their plans; my betrayal has guaranteed that. I would advise that you inform your superiors that you were unable to capture me. Your mother would be terribly cross with me if you were killed because of this."

Areldril did not allow any time to dwell on what he had just said before fixating his attention back on Meesei. "Although, Justicar Lunise is not the only one who should be cautious. Not because of the Thalmor, but because of the lycan hunters that still demand your blood. From the reports I have been able to piece together, the Champion's pack is infamous among Vile's followers. You are a frightening rumor that their leaders have attempted to silence, but that does not mean they intended to ignore you. Their General determined that average soldiers or poison gas would not be sufficient against you, and I believe he has been working to form a team specifically to kill you. He did so secretly, hiding quite effectively from the eyes of your clans. But, I noticed some patterns in their communications that suggest he may be gathering individuals specifically to deal with you. I will admit, I cannot prove it with any degree of certainty. If I could, Lunise likely would have been instructed to inform you, but you may call it a...hunch."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise's grip on the saddlebag tightened and her shoulders rose in a slow, tense breath. She spoke surprisingly gently, holding back. "I have worked too hard ensuring the stability of the continent, working in the interests of my nation, to let it all be cast aside in the space of moments. Areldril, you are not absolved until I have made up my mind." She straightened. "For now, Meesei, Areldril, I will not interrupt your conversation."

Meanwhile, the pack felt various shivers as some recalled the memory of their last encounter with Vile's apparent general. Sabine in particular swallowed hard when the image of Meesei's broken body came into her mind. As well as Peiter's arm getting caught under masonry.

"We have encountered him before," Janius mentioned with a foreboding tone. "Or, rather, Meesei has. We won't underestimate him."

Fendros cleared his throat. "You have heard their communications. Does that mean you know where to find the general?"

[EliteCommander]

Areldril remained firm through Lunise's uncertainty. "And you can continue doing those things. Right now, the best interest of our nation is to replace its leaders. Regardless of what you have been told, I am still a staunch supporter of the Dominion. I want to bring Elven rule to Tamriel. You know the truth now, Lunise. You have read the documents. The only way to continue your life's work is to help give the Thalmor the leadership it deserves, rather than one that will bring everything to ruins. But yes, take your time to think. The Eight know it took me longer to come to terms with everything." Areldril said before giving a brief sigh. "Took me even longer to...reluctantly acknowledge the Ninth. But like it or not, Talos is too important to disappear."

For Fendros' question, Areldril was less certain. "No, I do not." He answered, shaking his head. "Though you may not need to find him. I believe he may be trying to find you, along with his team of specialist hunters. I would wager he knows your capabilities quite well by this point, so I would expect him to have an answer for every one of your strengths. And ways of capitalizing on your weaknesses. He may be more dangerous than the last time you met him."

"I am also more dangerous than the last time we met." Meesei said firmly, her arms crossed over her chest. It was difficult for her to forget everything that had transpired all those years ago. The physical wounds stuck with her for years; she had only recently confirmed that all traces of silver shards had been cleansed from her body. Mentally, such a crushing defeat had left even greater mental scars, as much as she tried to hide that fact from anyone else. The battle still replayed in her nightmares from time to time. "At any rate, I will need to get in writing the details of your proposed plans, Areldril. We should also take the time to sit down and determine exactly what you will do for us, and what we will need to do to help."

Meesei turned her attention to Lunise. "Perhaps we should make our way to Bravil? It would be more difficult for him to escape a city filled with Imperial authorities, if that is still a worry for you."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise's response was suddenly closer to her usual cynical tone. "On the contrary, champion, the only risk that would change in Bravil is Marod being able to vouch his political asylum and betray our agreements. Far be it from me to encourage Areldril here's ego, he escaped from more heavily guarded Dominion cities."

"I have no reason to turn my back on the Dominion just yet, Lunise, don't you worry," Marod assured.

Lunise rolled her eyes. "My point is, Meesei, that his escape will be my concern and not yours. Leave it in my hands until I request otherwise, if you would. We shall proceed to Bravil, or anywhere else close by. It is of no appreciable consequence to me yet."

"It looked like the guards were heading towards Bravil," Fendros said. "It will be easier to rendezvous with Ahnasha and the other trackers if we go that way anyway."

[EliteCommander]

Since it would require some time for Areldril to write out all of the information Meesei would need, and by his requrest, a 'proper table, the group elected to move to Bravil for at least the rest of the day. It was not particularly far, so they did not have to rush to reach the city before nightfall. They first stopped by their camp to get the children, Leaps, and the rest of their belongings, then moved on to the city itself. As usual, Leaps did present some issue. He was now far too large and frightening to be allowed into any major city, but fortunately, Marod was able to "convince" the stable master for the local guard contingent to house the wamasu, at least for the night. Leaps was well-fed, and well-trained, so Meesei did not expect any trouble from him, and he only ended up frightening a single stable hand into fleeing for a while.

In addition to helping to accommodate Leaps, Marod also ensured that they did not strictly need to rent any rooms in an inn if they did not want to. With his Imperial authority, he was able to procure space for them in the castle guard barracks, with few questions asked from the Count. Lunise was also given the option to have a handful of city guards to help watch over Areldril, though it was up to her if she would actually accept that offer. Shortly after arriving, they were able to meet back with Ahnasha as well. Some of Marod's men could keep tracking them for a time, though Lunise would eventually have to decide if it would be better to let them go. They could not keep following them forever.

Although they had been given space in the castle, Kaleeth did not particularly want to spend the rest of the day in the barracks, so she decided to head out into the castle courtyard, insisting on Janius to join her. There was a garden, as well as several statues in the courtyard, which Kaleeth took some time to admire. In the wilds, it was rare to see such a variety of colorful flowers in the same place, especially in Skyrim, so it was something even she could enjoy. However, she did eventually decide to speak up to Janius about a thought that had crossed her mind. "You and your family were from this city, right? It's been a long time; I imagine everything is a lot different than you remember. Say...how old were your parents when you left? Do you think they're still..." She began, her voice trailing off.

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise was listless by the time they reached Bravil. She dismissively allowed Areldril to be watched over by Imperial guards before retreating to a private room to read the rest of the documents she was given. When asked about pursuing Areldril's men, Lunise requested that they be hounded for one more week unless she said otherwise. Even if it seemed arbitrary, it made sense from Marod's perspective. She did not want to be accused of negligence when and if she rejoined the Dominion.

From when they neared the Bravil gates to the time they were in the garden, Janius continued to glance over his shoulder and scanned the faces of the people they passed. He was understandably on-edge, even if he had previously assured Kaleeth that he was unrecognisable, if not forgotten, due to his age now. He turned his head to Kaleeth only after a couple of seconds. He was still distracted, even in the courtyard.

"Oh? Well...probably," Janius answered. "They were not especially old when I was born. They would certainly be elderly by now." He rolled his shoulders tensely and looked down at the flowers. "May have even tried having another child after I disappeared. Without making the same mistakes. They would want an heir, after all."

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth smiled at Janius. "Really? You think you might have a brother or sister you've never met? For that matter, I wonder if I have any living brothers or sisters now? My parents were starting to get older when I left, but mother could have had an egg for some years after I left. It's...strange to think that we could have family we don't even know about."

There were no chairs or benches in the immediate area, but there was a short stone wall surrounding one of the gardens that Kaleeth could use to take a seat. "You know, Julan knows this was your home too. He was talking to me before about wanting to meet his 'other grandparents'. Honestly, I don't know who he sees as his first grandparents. He's never met any of his real grandparents, so he probably just picked someone."

Meanwhile, Ahnasha was just about to get caught up on everything that had transpired in her absence. She already knew that they had captured Areldril, but that he was writing out documents for them instead of being placed in a cell for the night. So, she naturally assumed that something unexpected had taken place. However, when she and Fendros walked into the room the pack had been given in the barracks, they caught was looked like the tail end of a conversation between Meesei and Lorag. They were both sitting on the edge of beds a few feet apart, facing one another. Lorag looked to be serious, even sullen, while Meesei reached out a hand to his shoulder as if to comfort him. Although, it was not but a few seconds later that Lorag let out a sigh, then stood up to walk away.

When Lorag started to pass by the pair, he stopped and gave Fendros a look with a meaning that was hard to pin down. "Say...I don't feel like just sittin' around. Feel like findin' the training room and sparring a while? Maybe show these soft town guards how it's done?"

[Muttonhawk]

Janius took a seat next to Kaleeth while he faced her and listened. He feigned a smile that faded soon enough. There were few times where Janius' parents were brought up that put him in a pleasant mood. "Well, he does look more like you, to be fair," Janius said as a concealed way to change the subject. "He probably imagined your parents before mine. Have you spoken to him much about your mother and father?"

Upon seeing Lorag's state, Fendros had a few ideas on what might have been affecting him. He gave Ahnasha and Meesei a quick look before facing Lorag. "Of course. There was less fighting than I had expected today." Fendros then addressed Ahnasha. "Did you want to come along, Ahna, or did you want to have Meesei fill you in on what happened after you left?"

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth nodded. "I've told him about them, yes. I've told him a few stories from back then. You might be right, but I also wouldn't be surprised if there's someone in the clan that doesn't know they're a 'grandparent.' That would be an interesting meeting, though, between Julan and your parents. I don't care how stubborn or grumpy someone is, how could anyone look into Julan's big eyes on his cute, smiling face and not start smiling too? He just makes everything around him so...positive."

Reaching over to Janius, Kaleeth grabbed his hand and squeezed it lightly. "You know, I think I would enjoy it if you showed me around your hometown. I know you said Bravil isn't the greatest of places, but surely there are some things worth seeing or doing around here? We could go get Julan and have a day in the city as a family." She suggested. Despite Janius' general discomfort, there was one aspect of Kaleeth that had not changed over the years. Even with all of the pain and hardship they had been through in the war, when they were not in danger, she could still practically radiate positivity. There was still the hint of the cheerful young woman that Janius had first met.

Ahnasha shrugged. "It seems like everything is under control, so I doubt there's a rush. I can come watch the fight. Maybe participate."

"Great." Lorag said, though his tone made it seem like he was only half paying attention. There was certainly something else on his mind. Regardless, he was quick to lead the way to the castle's training room, as it was the place right after the kitchen that he had made sure to find shortly after they arrived.

Technically, a place like the training room was only meant to be used by the castle guards, but by this point, word had spread enough through the castle about their new guests that there was no one around who would try to stop them, regardless of what they thought about it. The guards, of course, had no idea who or what the pack actually were, but the fact that they came in with Marod meant that many of them assumed they were Penitus Oculatus or otherwise associated with them. The guards tended to approach them like they would approach a superior officer, which for Ahnasha, did feel a bit strange. She was used to being in a position of authority, but receiving that treatment from Imperial soldiers was odd.

The training room was not empty when they arrived, but Lorag payed little mind to the guards sparring or training with dummies as he grabbed a wooden shield and practice sword from the racks. The weapon was iron, but blunted and lighter than a regular sword. The shield was not particularly high quality and would not be suitable for a real fight, but it was otherwise a normal round shield. Lorag and Fendros had not sparred recently, though they both still trained together regularly. Lorag trained with most members of the pack, and had recently been starting to help train the children in the basics of armed combat. Fendros would know without a doubt that Lorag was still a very experienced and capable warrior, but he also might have noticed that Lorag had been gradually slowing down over the years. Not quite as strong, not quite as quick on his reactions. Lorag had experience, but he had also taught Fendros everything he knew.

[Muttonhawk]

Janius knew that it was not particularly wise to go wandering Bravil. Still, he couldn't help but smile at Kaleeth's enthusiasm. He looked away in and hummed in thought. "The city has changed since I was last here." He brushed a hand over his face. "So have I, honestly. I'm probably hard to recognise after all this time." He looked at Kaleeth. "It might be worth risking it, just to see some old haunts and sights. I'm not sure if there is an entire day to it, but we could go out. I could show you both where I grew up."

Fendros took up a sword and shield as well. Both he and Lorag were still in their armour when they arrived, which no doubt instilled more reasons to avoid them from the guards, but also meant that the sparring would likely be with contact. In spite of Lorag's diminishing physical peak, Fendros had never gone easy on him for the sake of pride. He knew that would be an insult to Lorag, more than anything else.

Initially, Fendros tried to distract from whatever was worrying Lorag. He tapped the flat of his practice sword against the edge of his shield and dropped into a guard. "Alright, let's make the day count!" Fendros said. They began to take steps to keep each other on-edge. Fendros was the first to commit to a strike at Lorag's shoulder and leg in succession.