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

[EliteCommander]

Upon being instructed to do so, Julan managed to collect himself enough to get dressed in the rest of his clothes. He was glad that they were not going to just take Aurana back to her home immediately, since it meant that she had a better chance of being able to ask his father whatever questions she wanted. Julan just hoped that he would be willing to answer.

Once everyone was ready, they started to head up the embankment, then towards the castle. Julan needed to answer Janius along the way, though his neutral tone was almost making him more nervous than if he had been just outright angry. Julan was not sure what kind of reaction to expect from his father. "Well...like I said, I told her that you're with the Penitus Oculatus, which is why you had to leave all that time ago. She knows you're her brother, I'm your son, and my mother is Kaleeth. Um...I mentioned that we visit a lot of places, but I've never really been to Black Marsh except when I was real young. I don't think there's anything else important. We haven't really been talking that long."

After a moment, Julan's expression turned somewhat more pleading as he looked up to his father. "She just wants to talk to you and learn more about you and everything. She says her parents won't let her do many things. She can't learn magic, she can't leave the house very much, and she can't be on her own until her parents pick someone for her to marry. I was going to try to teach her to swim, since she doesn't know how., but there wasn't time. Please talk to her, I want to help her do some of the things she wants to do."

[Muttonhawk]

Janius remained neutral up until Julan described the way Aurana was treated by their parents. He lowered his brow and gave Julan a look. Then, his head turned to Aurana. "Is that true?" He said, surprised.

"Yes, that's almost everything he told me," Aurana said, holding the cloak tight around her shoulders. "They don't let me out of the house. Not unless it's to court. It's boring there."

"That's odd." Janius looked at the ground ahead. "They didn't care much for where I went. They didn't really care about me at all." Janius glanced at Aurana again, realising himself and exhaling. His face turned neutral again, keeping to the road ahead.

Aurana tilted her head to one side. "That doesn't make sense. They always look a little sad when you come up in conversations. They hardly tell me anything about you."

"Look, Aurana." Janius raised both his hands and bowed his head. "I did not even know you existed until tonight. I am caught between what to even say and do, and thinking of how I am feeling. I will...I have to think. Let us go back to the keep first. Before anything else."

"Okay," Aurana said softly. She turned her eyes ahead and to the ground.

The group quietly paced on. Fendros reserved his judgement of the boys until the matter could be clarified in Janius' company, while Rhazii was too ashamed to speak himself. He could tell that all that was evidently weighing so heavily on Janius right now was his and Julan's fault.

Fortune panned out that they crossed paths with Jatinha, the young khajiit maid, once again. They noticed her first, and Fendros waved her down.

"Lady Aurana! Thank the moons you are..." Jatinha closed the distance to give Aurana a hug. Her ears immediately flattened. "Oh, you're hair. You are soaked!" She pulled back, holding Aurana by the arms. "What happened? We must get you to a fireplace before you catch a cold."

"Jatinha, wait," Aurana declared. She looked to Janius. "I have to go to the keep tonight."

Jatinha's face contracted into worry again. "Whatever do you mean?" She followed her gaze and suddenly realised the shape of the face looking at him, Julan and Rhazii besides. She was still and speechless.

Aurana looked down and up to the maid. "Look, Jatinha, do mother and father know I'm gone yet?"

"No, not yet."

"Then you can come with us. We will not be gone for more than a few hours, I think. We can be back home before mother and father even realise. Even then, I can say that you were there to make sure I was fine, okay?"

Jatinha finally pulled her eyes away from Janius. "They will not be happy."

"I don't care," Aurana said flatly. "They be as unhappy as they like. I need this."

Jatinha slumped, defeated. She let go of Aurana and turned to Janius and Kaleeth. "I had my suspicions, but I could not know that I would see you again under such circumstances. I do not wish to be a burden, but Aurana's mother and father would see it as a dereliction of my duty if I did not at least chaperone my lady. May I join you tonight?"

Rhazii tugged at Fendros' arm. "She seems okay. She can come, right father? Mother?" He asked, oblivious to the potential danger to their alibi that she might pose.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha took only a few moments to think as she looked Jatinha over. She had no reason to believe that the Khajiit had any other motivations aside from what she had been told. It was not as if they were going to be discussing any dangerous topics, and it did not seem as if Jatinha would argue if Aurana and Janius wanted to speak privately, so Ahnasha did not see any risk in allowing it. "It would be easier for Jatinha to escort Aurana back home quickly if she is already with us, I suppose. I see no harm in it." She answered to Rhazii, before turning to Janius and Kaleeth for confirmation. Kaleeth nodded in agreement, and with no arguments otherwise, the group continued on to the castle.

Since Aurana rarely left her home, it was unlikely that any of the castle guards would recognize her, but they still made an effort not to bring any attention to Aurana or Jatinha. If they were going to attempt to get Aurana back without her parents knowing she was gone, then it would be best if no one remembered seeing her. Although, they still decided not to bring her directly to their room in the barracks, since Lorag, Sabine, or Meesei could be asleep, and even if they were not, they were not likely sleeping in a state that would adhere to Aurana or Jatinha's sense of modesty. Instead, they wandered for a few minutes until they found a dining room that would be suitable for them to use to sit and talk. It was more than late enough at night that no one was using it, and it would not be used until early next morning. There was also a fireplace that they could use to help Aurana warm back up and dry off.

They pulled up a few chairs next to the fireplace while Ahnasha gathered up some firewood, though Julan was not sure if he should be sitting down, or doing anything else. He was not yet sure if he was in trouble, as his father had been mostly silent for most of the walk to the castle. It made him nervous, but at the same time, he really wanted to stay and talk with his aunt, after having been denied the chance to have any kind of long conversation with his grandparents.

Julan clasped one hand nervously over the other and spoke up in a hesitant, somewhat awkward tone. "So, um, you said your parents haven't told you much about father? What did they tell you about him?" Julan asked Aurana.

[Muttonhawk]

The walk to the castle was so tense that Aurana was too scared to even ask Ahnasha and Fendros their names. Rhazii, however seemed a bit more chipper than his imminent unknown punishment would suggest. He tried walking alongside Jatinha and giving her a smile. What followed was a slow conversation where Rhazii tried asking Jatinha more about what she did, only to reveal that most of her jobs were household chores. The same question in response was Rhazii nervously describing that he travelled and hunted with his family, keeping the rest secret. In spite of being virtually from other worlds, they both managed to make their lives sound boring to one another. Still, Rhazii did not part off during the walk, whether the silence made him more nervous or whether he had another reason was not completely clear.

The group soon found themselves back at the keep. Aurana was very grateful to sit in front of the fire and warm her aching fingers. Fendros was content with sitting at a nearby table with Rhazii, making sure he understood the full story before passing judgement on the boys. All the parents would have a say, and Janius' was the least certain at that moment. Jatinha stood near the door with one hand clasped in the other, looking worried. Even with Rhazii beckoning her to sit with them, she raised a hand and shook her head. She was standing as she had been in the Aetius' sitting room, Rhazii noticed. Perhaps it was a habit.

Julan was the first to ask a question. Aurana glanced at Janius, then to the fire. She started quietly and gained confidence. "They said that you did not listen to them. They get sad, but angry when they talk about you. Or, at least father does. Mother just stays in her bubble and pretends nothing is wrong." She wiped her eye. "Father said that he got you into the fighters guild because you were not doing anything else. You got overconfident, or you were always like that, he changes between them, I don't know. And you were on a mission to clear out a bear cave when you didn't come back. They went looking for you after a while. They found the spider cave, but not any recognisable bodies or equipment. They took what they thought was your corpse and buried it. You have a headstone with your name on it in the family grave sight. I saw it myself, when I sneaked out once." She swallowed nervously. "That's just about everything I have been told. There are still pictures of you on the walls. And Harald the butler and Renault, by teacher, they know more about you."

Janius, sitting on a chair near to Aurana and Julan, listened on, leaning his knuckles on his brow. "So those coots are still alive, are they?" His shoulders jumped in a humour-deprived laugh. "What about Wanda?"

Aurana turned her head to Janius. "The old maid? Um..." Her eyes fell. "I do not remember much about her. She retired when I was six years old. She died a few years after that." Aurana held her head up to spot Jatinha at the door. "Jatinha replaced her."

"Oh, I see," Janius said. It was hard to tell if he was crestfallen in his already low state.

"...Are you alright?" Aurana asked.

Janius opened his eyes, looking more serious. He breathed in and straightened his back. "I think we had better work out more recent matters first. Kaj-Julan? You and Rhazii went out to bathe in the canal and happened upon Aurana, correct? Or did she find you? How exactly did you work out that you were aunt and nephew?"

Rhazii and Julan's parents had traced their scent to the Aetius manor. Janius did not want to give that away unless the stories and evidence contradicted, which they likely would.

[EliteCommander]

Julan had precious little time to get his own story completely straight in his mind. He had no choice but to change it at least slightly from what he originally intended. He had heard Aurana tell his father that she had come after them, so saying that they happened upon each other by chance would be an obvious lie. And since Aurana was not allowed to leave the house, there would have had to have been a reason to make her leave it. They would have at least had to have passed near the house for her to have seen them. He just hoped there was not something else he was not thinking about. If so, he would have to think on his feet.

"We did go down to the canal to have a bath, yeah. Aurana was the one that came to us, like she said earlier. I didn't ask why; I guess she saw us out the window or something when we were near the house? But it was easy to tell we were related, since her name is Aurana Aetius. That's your family." He explained.

Julan desperately wanted to get them onto a different topic. He was interested in hearing what Aurana had to say about her family, and how they felt about the past. Janius' parents did seem to care quite a bit more about him than he thought they did. Even the opinions of Julan's grandfather were not as nice as he was expecting, he still definitely cared. But, Janius also did not seem to be enthusiastic to talk about the past, and Aurana was probably as just as curious about them. "I know she probably has a lot of questions about you, and all of us. I'm curious about her too. Why is it that your parents won't let you do anything, Aurana?" He asked.

[Muttonhawk]

Aurana had tensed up when Janius got firm with Julan. Her eyes blinked over to him when he tried to change the subject. "I, um...they told me that..." She was having trouble.

"Hold that thought, Aurana," Janius said calmly. "Julan, we will deal with this first, understand? Now, Aurana, I don't want to interrogate you, but what was it about Rhazii and Julan that made you want to follow them?"

"Uh..." Aurana completely froze up. "I..." She glanced at the boys out of the corner of her eye. Her brow raised slightly. "There was someone peeping through my window. Up a tree. I didn't see who it was, they ran off. But I thought at the time that it was Rhazii and Kaj-Julan. I found out it wasn't them, then we started speaking and...we worked out our relation. It was quite the coincidence."

It was a convincing enough lie that Janius did not even hint at disbelief. He nodded respectfully. "Very well, that settles it. Son?" Janius looked again to Julan. He spoke with authority, but not anger. "Leaving the castle without telling us was rash. You and Rhazii need to ask us our permission, else we do not know where to find you if you don't return on your own. We were searching the streets for some time until we found you, and you were told that the city is not safe during the night. After tonight, you and Rhazii are to be confined to the barracks for a day unless otherwise told, understood?"

At the table, Rhazii groaned quietly. It was disappointing, but a light punishment in comparison to going more directly against their parents' word, such as being caught visiting Julan's grandparents. Aurana had vouched for them in that regard.

Fendros gave a small nod to Janius in agreement.

[EliteCommander]

Julan was not about to try to argue with his father over punishment. He knew things could be much worse, an as far as he was concerned, anything that could get them off the topic of their actions that night was a good thing. He simply nodded in agreement and hoped that it would put a rest to the topic.

Kaleeth had no objections to the punishment. For the most part, she was inwardly preoccupied with her own thoughts about Aurana. Being the compassionate soul that she was, Kaleeth was surprised about how Aurana described her own life. It had been mentioned a few times, by both Aurana and Julan, that she was hardly allowed to leave her house. Provided that was true, it seemed that, on the surface, Aurana's parents were fiercely overprotective of her. Kaleeth could hardly imagine what it would be like to be confined in such a manner, and it made her understand why she would risk sneaking out of her house against her parents' wishes. Otherwise, Kaleeth would have felt it responsible to inform her parents that their child had misbehaved.

As sympathetic as Kaleeth was, what concerned her the most were the possible reasons for how restricted Auruana's life was. During her childhood in her village, she had lost friends to the dangers of the marsh, particularly as an initiate hunter. She had even lost her own brother. As the master hunter, her father had resisted the urge to become too protective of her, but she remembered times when grieving parents of other initiates had lost a child, then tried to shelter their surviving children from any danger. She wondered if the same was happening now with Aurana.

[Muttonhawk]

"Alright." Janius looked down and over to the fire. After takinga fresh breath, he spoke with a trace more certainty to Aurana. "You know, if this is at least half as strange for you as it is for me, Aurana, I should at least make the effort." He tightened his lips and turned his eyes to her. "I should introduce everyone. You have met my son, Kaj-Julan..." Janius gestured around the dining room. "This is Kaleeth-Rei, my beloved. Ahnasha, Fendros, Rhazii's parents. Of course, you've met Rhazii as well."

Aurana gave a nervous smile and wave to each. Fendros raised a hand and nodded to greet her back.

"There is also Meesei and Lorag, which you may or may not meet. These all make up my...well, for lack of a better way to describe it, my family. We travel Tamriel. I...cannot say much more about what we do, unfortunately."

"So, you are with the...Penitus Oculatus, like Julan said?"

"They are involved, yes." Janius weaved his fingers together. He sighed and shook his head. "Honestly, I did not expect to meet my sister tonight. I never knew I had one. I suppose my first question, off the top of my head, would be the same as Julan's. Why do mother and father keep you confined?"

The more relaxed tone had a noticeable effect on Aurana's previously stilted nerves. "Ah, well, they like to deflect that question, normally." She pushed one side of her hair back, looking at the fire again. "The only time I really got close to a solid answer was when mother was emotional one night. She said something like I shouldn't run off if I'm just going to die like you did."

Janius peered down and gave a few small nods. "Right," he said quietly. "And father?"

Aurana paused and shrugged. "I think he thinks the same. He does not suffer to argue with me about it. He just keeps me locked in. No words."

Apart from a short hum, Janius was silent. He stared into the glowing fire, tapping his thumb rapidly on his other hand, troubled.

[EliteCommander]

Julan started to grow mildly upset as Aurana described the reasoning of her parents for why she was kept so restricted. Or at least, her perception of their reasoning. If there was one trait that he had taken from his mother, it was empathy. He felt his emotions strongly, often feeling for others just as much as himself. And, as a child, he did not tend to keep those emotions contained. "That doesn't sound fair. You didn't do anything do deserve that, right? You should be able to go out and play, and...have friends and everything. Father said he could do those kinds of things when he was young, so I don't see why you can't. I know this city is supposed to be dangerous, but it can't be that bad. If it was, then you could just learn magic or something, but they won't even let you do that."

Julan frowned, or at least gave the equivalent for an Argonian. "Can I help you? Are there any things you want to do?"

While Kaleeth's reaction was more tempered than Julan's, she too felt for the girl. She would certainly have liked to do something to help her, but unfortunately, she did not know if that would be possible. It was sounding more and more that they were being overprotective of her because of what happened to Janius. If that was the case, then the only thing that would even have a chance of changing her parents' attitudes would be talking to Janius himself. She knew well that he would not want that. "I...have seen this kind of thing happen before. It's how some families deal with loss; to protect what they have left, that is. For what it's worth, it does seem that they really do love you to want to protect you like that."

[Muttonhawk]

"There are loads of things I want to do," Aurana said, leaning her chin on her hand in quiet annoyance. "I've always wanted to go out and play and have friends, and all that. They don't let me. Even if I say the stuff that you just said, Julan. The only friend I have is Jatinha and the other servants. I like them, but I don't even get much time with them with all the work they do."

Janius stopped tapping his thumb on his hand. "What Kaleeth says makes sense. They had this idea of what they wanted me to be." He shook his head. "Turned out I wasn't. Or, at the very least, I didn't know what I wanted."

"That doesn't make it fair!" Aurana retorted.

"Yes, I know, I thought the same thing," Janius clarified. "About my situation back then as well as yours right now. You shouldn't be cooped up by them any more than they should try to control where your life is going to go."

Aurana looked away, diverting her own emotions from the others. "Can't you talk to them? I know they want you back. Maybe they won't keep me locked up if you talk to them. They won't listen to me."

Janius hesitated. He stopped to draw a lengthy sigh. "Aurana." He rubbed at one eye, trying to keep his anger at his parents internal. "Look, if I could talk to them at all, I would demand that they give you more freedom, but...well. I would not assume so quickly that they would listen to me." He looked up at the ceiling, breathing in through his mouth. "Father and myself were not on the best of terms by the time I left. I was a constant disappointment to him for years. I was a burden to him and he hated me for it. I can't honestly say I miss the man. Or mother, to be frank. She was always absent." He rolled his head forward again. "There are a number of reasons why I cannot just walk right back in there, but those are the main ones."

[EliteCommander]

Julan was surprised to hear how Janius was speaking about his family. He had, of course, heard his father describe before how his parents were often absent from his life, but his words then had not carried the tone of resentment that he had now. Although, having met his grandparents, and hearing how they treated Aurana, Julan was not terribly upset about that. He had never thought that there would be people like that in his own family, but he supposed he could handle that. What was really starting to upset Julan was the fact that his father was refusing to do anything to help Aurana. He had only known her for a short time, but everything that he had seen of his aunt so far just showed that she was a nice person who was being treated much worse than she deserved to be. The fact that his father did not want to help her frustrated Julan enough that he clenched his fist in anger and started to show something in his expression that was a bit rare for him: defiance.

"That's...that not fair! It's...not right." Julan shouted. He could not bring himself to make eye contact with his father as he spoke, mostly out of fear. "You help people all the time; it's what you do. All the work that aunt Meesei and the rest of you do, it's to help, um, our people. That's what you always say. That you are always trying to make sure we have happy and safe lives." Pausing a moment, Julan tried to think of how to say what was on his mind in vague enough terms so as not to make Aurana suspicious. Although, with how sheltered she was, there was no guarantee that she had even heard of a lycanthrope before. "You've said that we're not, um, treated fairly by most people in the world, so you have to do dangerous things to keep us free and safe. You fight people that want to hurt us, so you can help your family. I know you don't talk about it much, but...I'm not stupid! I know what fighting is and I know what can happen. I know you could leave to fight one day and...never come back."

Julan's gaze was on the floor, but even at that angle, Janius would be able to see tears in his eyes at the mere thought of losing his parents. "You could die doing all the things you do to make our lives better, but...Auarana is your family too! It's not even dangerous to help her. All you have to do to help her is talk to someone you don't like!"

[Muttonhawk]

Janius had his eyes on Julan. He patiently let the boy finish while he kept still in his seat. Janius had plenty of patience for Julan, even under this kind of stress. His response was calm and sympathetic. "I understand what you are saying, son. The matter is not whether I like my father or not -- I would help Aurana either way." He lowered his voice. "You have not met your grandfather Remus. You do not know him like I do. He is a sharp man, but he does not enjoy being proven wrong, least of all by myself. I cannot see our speaking together resulting in anything more than walking away disliking one another more than we did before, with no benefit to Aurana's life."

Meanwhile, Aurana was looking into the fire with a sad frown and redness in her eyes.

Rhazii's eyes were darting between Julan and Janius. He breathed in to retort and quickly backed off. He cleared his throat to play off his drawn attention.

[EliteCommander]

After all the emotion that Julan had poured into his argument, he felt despondent not to get the response he had been hoping for from his father. He looked away from Janius, tears still swelling in his eyes. "So you don't even want to try? You don't really know if he's going to say no. I mean...you said that you were a lot different kind of person way back then than you are now. How do you know your father isn't any different? Why can't he change too? It has to be worth trying, isn't it? You could make Aurana's life so much better, just like you do for all of us."

"Please..." Julan started, finally bringing his gaze back up to his father. "I really want to help Aurana. You always told me to take care of my family and do the right thing for them. Isn't trying to help Aurana the right thing to do, even if it probably won't work?"

[Muttonhawk]

This time, Janius' wall showed some cracks. He began to blink near the end of Julan's response. In a pause, his eyes went to Aurana, who did not return the look. Looking back to Julan, Janius grabbed the sides of his seat and lifted himself to a stand. "Excuse me, son. I have to speak with your mother for a moment."

Janius took steps to the door. He caught Kaleeth's eye as he passed, almost pleading away from Julan's senses. He opened the door and exited the room without looking at anyone else.

Aurana was still looking at the fire. With her head turned away, she mumbled quietly enough that she thought only Julan could hear her. "Even if he says no, I'm really glad I met you all." Her last words choked up. She was desperately keeping herself from sobbing.

[EliteCommander]

"I don't know why he wouldn't want to help his family." Julan responded. "The reason he's always doing dangerous things is because he is trying to make things better for us. I just want things to get better for you too."

Letting out a sigh, Julan knew that whatever decision his parents made was probably out of his hands now. They had left to talk among themselves, and he had never been able to change their minds afterwards once they made a decision together. "If they don't help...what do you think you'll do? How much time do you think you have tonight to talk?"

---

Even before they stepped out of the room, Kaleeth's expression was gloomy at best. She was obviously sympathetic for the girl, but she also had more of an understanding of the realities of the situation. Regardless of her own thoughts on what she would want to do, she also did not want to try to force Janius to do something that he really wanted to avoid.

"I feel sorry for the girl. I remember how my mother felt when my brother died. I think she wanted to do the same kind of thing that your parents seem to be doing with Aurana, but my father eventually talked her out of it." Kaleeth began. Although, she was not entirely sure what kind of a point she wanted to make with her story. "What do you think about all of this? Do you think they're telling the truth about it?"

---

Meesei had not yet gone to sleep. As she so often did, she had been focusing on her responsibilities in lieu of rest. She had decided to go to Areldril for a long conversation about some of the details of the revaluations he had given them. But, even after that conversation, she was not yet finished. There was another conversation that Meesei felt needed to happen, and one she did not want to delay.

If Meesei had to guess, she would say that Lunise was most likely going through something of an existential crisis. What Lunise had read in those stolen documents was potentially world-shattering for someone who had been such a loyal servant of the Thalmor. It shed a whole new light on the narrative she had been given, and in all honesty, Meesei was not certain how it would affect her. Certainly for Meesei, she knew that she would not be able to give any long-term support for the Thalmor if she intended to keep the world intact. For Lunise, Meesei wanted to determine how this news would affect her, and, if possible, help her make that decision. Approaching the door to the room that Lunise had appropriated, Meesei gave a few brief, but loud knocks.

[Muttonhawk]

Aurana sniffed her blocked nose, wiped her eyes, and breathed out through her mouth. "I don't know how long I'll have. A few hours? I might be able to stay all night if mother and father have gone to bed, but...I don't know."

"Um..." A reluctant voice chirped up from the door. Jatinha stepped forward. "I can tell you that they have retired for the night, my lady. I think it would be wise to head back after a time rather than sleep here, else they might find your bedroom empty in the morning."

"Okay," Aurana said. After another deep breath, she turned her head to face Julan, trying to smile through a visage clearly on the edge of crying. "I appreciate you trying to help me, Julan. It's rare enough that I get to go out and meet new people, and meeting more of my family is better still. You've been really nice to me. Thanks." She leaned in to give Julan a hug.

"Would you come and live with us if you're allowed to?" Rhazii suggested.

Fendros was quick to interrupt whatever response Aurana might have. "No, Rhazii, you know that's not our decision."

---

Janius ran his hands up his face and over his hair, pushing his hair back. "What a day," he breathed. "What an extraordinary, extraordinary day." All that he was hiding flowed out from his shifted demeanour; frustration, anxiety, and exhaustion.

"What they're doing to her is abhorrent," Janius answered, slumping against a wall. "And it sounds like something they would do, my parents. I have no reason to believe that her or the boys are lying about this." He raised his thumb and forefinger, almost touching at the tips. "Though I suspect that they had slightly closer contact to my parents than they are letting on." He waved the hand and shook his head. "That really doesn't matter at this point. I just..." He ran his hands down his face again. "I just don't know what to do. I have to admit that hearing all this on the same day as being told that we have to save the world by finding an axe and striking down a daedric prince is getting close to beyond reality." He ran to the end of his breath and breathed in deeply to calm down.

After a second, Janius looked at Kaleeth's face and gestured to her. "Say I was to try and convince them. How did your father convince your mother to let you keep training and going out and such?"

---

A considered moment passed before Meesei heard anything from the other side of the door.

"Enter," Lunise's voice was imperious as ever.

Upon opening the door, the first noticeable item was the candle lit on the desk by the wall. It was illuminating the satchel and a rolled scroll obtained earlier that day. The Thalmor documents. Curiously, Lunise was nowhere to be seen.

A cold unease traced across Meesei's throat, and then across her entire body, dispelling magic that was not there. Just as Meesei processed this, a sigh sounded from the air. Two footsteps tapped on the rug before an Altmer in a long night gown winked into vision, seated on the desk chair and leaning her forehead on her hand and her elbow on the desk. Her eyes were scrunched shut and sunken in swollen dark rings. In her other hand, clear to see, was a bound dagger. Her fingers loosened and it evaporated before it could fall onto the floor. Seeing Lunise out of her uniform was jarring and oddly sympathetic.

"Come in, champion," Lunise said. "I beg you do not mistake my rude measures as an insult. I do not imagine I would live for long with this knowledge without taking them."

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha was just as quick to support Fendros. "We may or may not be able to do anything for Aurana, but that would not be a good idea. Just focus on whatever time you have now, okay?"

Julan gave a brief, somewhat sad nod to Fendros and Ahnasha. "Okay." He answered simply after returning Aurana's hug. She seemed to be such a nice person, so he was almost desperately hoping his father decided to try and do something for her. She deserved the help. "I guess...you can enjoy some free time now, at least. Is there anything you have been wanting to do, maybe?"

---

Kaleeth leaned up against both Janius and the wall and lightly took his hand in hers. She was just as sympathetic as he likely expected and, unfortunately, still just as uncertain as she had feared she would be. Nothing about the situation they were in seemed to have an easy answer. "I know, this has all been just so much to deal with. I almost wish that Altmer had picked somewhere else to cross the border, like Leyawiin. Ahnasha's family probably would have invited us all for dinner. It would have been so much easier than all this."

Giving a sigh, Ahnasha tried to think back to her own village. She was somewhat surprised that Janius seemed to be entertaining the idea of confronting his family, but she did not disapprove. She felt for the girl's plight. "I don't know how much help his methods would be, unfortunately. I wasn't around when he convinced my mother. I...went to a friends after the argument started. When I left, they were yelling at each other. When I came back, father was holding her in his arms and they were both in tears. I do know how he persuaded other families, though, when they would go through similar problems. He usually appealed to our traditions, the sense of duty to the village. Argonians return to the Hist on death, usually, so dying to protect the village was very...honorable, I guess. Does the Empire have anything like that? Any kind of culture your father might be going against?"

---

"Thank you." Meesei said as she stepped inside the room, gently closing the door behind her. "Do not worry, it would take much more to offend me. I...well, I suppose it would be pointless to attempt to convince you of any other pretense for my presence here. You know why I am visiting. And I know that I do not need to ask if you are alright. I know you are not; I would not be. All that has happened, everything Areldril said, everything you read in those documents, you do not deserve this. Even though I have never been a part of the Dominion, I know what it is to be loyal to your people. To have your very being, your identity, tied to them. I cannot imagine being lied to in that way. I know this may sound like an obvious question, but...how are you feeling about all of this?'

[Muttonhawk]

Aurana had to stop and think about her answer. She looked up at the ceiling for a while, still breathing through her mouth. "Well, I've only been able to sneak out into the city. I've never been out of Bravil. I've only read about it." She tried a smile for Julan. "You said you travel around, right? Maybe you could tell me about some places you've been?"

---

In spite of the stress he was under, Janius did let out a laugh at the comment on Leyawiin. If only it had been that simple.

"There's nothing like a hard tradition like that," Janius responded. His head rolled from side to side against the wall. "Although, father always held a high esteem for the family's legion roots. Warriorhood and all that, but...no, Aurana shouldn't just be forced into the fighter's guild like I was. They want an heir. They..." Janius stopped and lowered his chin.

"You know, I just realised something," Janius mumbled. "I don't ever remember seeing my parents cry. Angry, yes. Never crying. I only knew one grandparent, and even when she died, my parents didn't cry. I cried and was punished for it."

---

One of Lunise's eyes opened to peer at Meesei. She was beyond the pretence of hiding her troubles, though she remained looking annoyed. "Betrayed, champion. I feel betrayed. Because that is exactly what has happened."

Lunise looked down again. She then scrunched up her face and sat up to look at Meesei. "Why do you care, anyway? What business do you have in how I feel about all this?"

[EliteCommander]

Julan rubbed his chin as he thought. He knew he would have to edit his descriptions of the places they had visited to avoid implying anything about their clans. "Hmm, I've been to a lot of places. We have gone to Skyrim a lot. It has really, really tall mountains. Much bigger than any of the hills, buildings, and everything else around here. And it's cold too; there's snow everywhere. Well, not everywhere. There are plenty of places between the mountains with all kinds of grass and trees. Sometimes, there are fields with so much tundra cotton that it can look like it's covered in snow. There is even a marsh in one part of Skyrim, but...it's kind of frozen. I didn't like it much there. Valenwood was a lot different. There are so many trees that are so big that you can't even see the sky most of the time. I was even afraid to try to climb them, but there are some Bosmer there that make their homes way up in the trees, so I kind of had to. They had ladders and walkways and everything, though, so it wasn't that bad. It just kind of made me feel sick to my stomach to be so high up."

---

"That...sounds awful." Kaleeth said, perhaps focusing more on Janius' history than how it could help Aurana. For a moment, she leaned in and gave him a hug. "Maybe knowing that you are alive and safe could help convince them that they do not need to be so overprotective with her? If they really are sad about losing you, then maybe on some level, it would be a relief for them to know you survived? It might help convince them that there isn't a need to restrict Aurana so much, since she wouldn't be in as much danger as they thought. If that doesn't work, then maybe...try to convince them that Aurana can't learn what she needs to learn like this? Since she never is allowed to leave the house, I don't see how she could be ready to live on her own."

---

Meesei did not adopt the strict, professional posture that she usually held with Marod and Lunise. She was distinctly more casual and did not place as tight of restrictions on showing her own emotions. "We have known each other for a fair amount of time. For a few years now, we have been working together, and I have no doubt you were searching for, studying myself and my people for many years before that, since our first meeting in Elsweyr. That was, what? Over a decade ago? When we parted in Elsweyr, it was nonviolent, but...tense. And yet, you still came to us offering peace. In the years since you found us, you have been our contact to the Thalmor, and as far as I can tell, have acted in good faith in that role for both parties. With Marod, I cannot be truly certain of the Empire's intentions with us. They have acted far more like friends and allies than you have and have made more talk of long-term integration of clans in the Empire, and such plans. You, however, have always made it quite clear that our deal with the Dominion is one of mutual advantage, and one that can and will change if we do anything that removes the Dominion's gains. I respect that candor. More than that, I respect your willingness to act as a diplomat to a people that are seen as monsters to the majority of Tamriel. As much as you might have tried to avoid it, you made yourself into a friend of my people. And if there is one thing you have no doubt learned about me, it is that I support my friends."

Meesei took a few steps closer to Lunise, her expression no longer as cold and calculating as Lunise had grown accustomed to. "Hircine's Champion does not care about how Justicar Lunise feels, but I am not talking to you as Hircine's Champion. Speaking as 'Meesei to Lunise', I know that your whole world has been shattered today, and as a friend of my people, I want to help and support you however I can. You deserve better than the betrayal you have been given."

[Muttonhawk]

"I can't even imagine trees that high." Aurana was leaning forward. Julan quickly had her rapt despite of her previous sadness. "Jatinha's told me about the jungles in Elsweyr before, but even they didn't block all of the sky out, did they Jatinha?" Aurana held her head up to speak across the room.

Jatinha's eyes lit up in surprise. "Uhm, you could sometimes see the sky between the leaves. I do not remember seeing any with walkways and houses, though."

"They have them there as well," Rhazii added. "We've been there. There are smaller Khajiit that live in the forests. But they didn't have cities in the trees like the Bosmer. It's like The Bosmer controlled how the trees grew or something."

"Jatinha, Rhazii, come sit with us. It's awkward to call out to you from here." Aurana beckoned the young maid.

Jatinha raised both her hands and anxiously smiled. "I assure you, it is no trouble."

"Please? You look cold," Aurana insisted. "I don't want you to suffer. We're not at home, okay?"

Rhazii stood up from his chair. He stood a head taller than her, but he tried to be less imposing by staying in place and grinning. "We don't have maids, we have friends. Come sit by the fire. It's cosier."

Jatinha wasn't showing herself to be intimidated by Rhazii, but she looked back at him with ears back, peered to Aurana who was still encouraging her, and then closed her eyes. "If you all insist."

A few steps later and they were all gathered close to the fireplace. Rhazii put in a fresh log, releasing waving sparks, and sat down between Jatinha and the wall.

"So they made homes out of the trees and everything?" Aurana resumed their previous topic. "If they're so tall, how don't they fall over? do the Bosmer grow them into tall towers like on this castle? But wood? Do they have fireplaces?"

Meanwhile, Fendros stepped over to a wine cask and filled himself a cup to sip at. He turned to look at Ahnasha with another empty cup in his other hand, offering. On that side of the room, they could keep their eyes on the youths without being intrusive. The wine had been a long time coming.

---

Janius returned the hug, but kept his face in thought. "That's just it. They're probably keeping her to marry her off so she's never independent. I don't know if learning has anything to do with it. As for showing them I'm alive..." He sighed and pulled back against the wall again. "...I ran away. They would still hold that to heart, because I'm certainly not going to be staying home if I return to reveal myself." He tilted his head. "That's another fear I have about going back, really. They would probably see me running away as just another disappointment. Another betrayal. I don't want them using that as an excuse to control Aurana further." He glanced at the door to the dining room they came from. "She's already sneaking away on her own. Just like I did. She can't have gone without being caught sometimes. Perhaps they would just...bar her windows and door. Serve her slices of ham through a little hinged flap, I can't know what they'll do."

After a moment, Janius stared at the wall ahead and lowered his voice. "I appreciate your sympathy dear, I do, but...What your parents did, it's got me thinking." Janius looked at Kaleeth. "Your parents. They grieved for your brother -- They grieved for you, I still remember the day we left your home tribe." He looked down and curled his lips in. "Do you think, maybe, my parents would be less controlling if they grieved for me?"

---

About halfway through Meesei's answer, Lunise returned her face to lean on her palm, closing her eyes. She peeked one eye open when Meesei came closer and rolled the partly opened scroll shut on the desk. At the mention of worlds shattering, however, Lunise wrinkled her brow and scrunched her eyes shut until they were red.

She waited until Meesei was done. A deep breath went in through her nose and was slowly released from her pouted lips. The red shade faded from her eyes, for the most part.

"Champion. Meesei." Lunise spoke in a low monotone. "I have much experience in my role. I have lived for over twice your lifetime, building the Dominion. There have been moments like this where I have been treated as a friend and I always keep an arm's length from them. It is a means to prevent exploitation and abuse of such relationships." She lifted her head and opened her eyes, looking at the desk. Her voice quivered. "But I have never been in the situation where my own superiors have abused..."

Lunise sucked in another deep breath through her nose, catching herself. "It stands..." she said, pausing to keep her voice level and eloquent. "...That you cannot truly understand my situation. I do not want to try burdening your mind with it."

At her side, where the bound dagger used to be, Lunise's freely hanging hand was shivering.