Lorag stared at Ariel with his head cocked to the side and a confused expression for a few moments before Meesei approached.Taking a glance back in the direction they came, she reasoned that it was no longer necessary to remain in their beast forms. They had only started heading towards the meeting place after breaking the line of sight with the keep, and even if someone tracked them, they had been running significantly faster than any human or elf was capable of. Most likely, they weren't even being tracked. With how much damage they had caused the witches were probably more concerned with dealing with their own wounded and assessing their situation. 

Meesei shifted back into her normal form, and Lorag followed her lead. Ahnasha returned Fendros' embrace, then followed suit as well. When she was back in Khajiit form, she reached up and put her arms around Fendros' neck and kissed his snout before answering his question. "As well as I can be, I suppose. I'm not hurt, and I'm so glad to see that you're alright as well. I swear, if you ever die, I'm going to kill you." She said with a slight laugh before turning her attention to Sabine, who was still in her wolf form. 

Kneeling down beside Sabine, Meesei gently placed a hand on her shoulder and glanced to Ariel. "It wasn't easy for her to return to the place that had been the source of so much of her pain. It did not help that we ran into a group of young children, much like she had been only a few years ago. I think it brought up unpleasant memories. If I could have helped it, I would have allowed her to stay behind, but we needed everyone on this one. This is not a war we chose, it has been thrust upon us by Clavicus Vile. I wish she never had to return to return to that place, but the coven had chosen to make themselves our enemy." 

"I...wouldn't quite say that." Ahnasha interrupted, clasping her hands together in a somewhat nervous manner.

Meesei looked to Ahnasha with a mix of interest and confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well...if what one of the witches said is to be believed, they are only doing this because Vile has the soul of one of their members hostage. They needed to produce the gas to keep her safe." Ahnasha explained. 

Meesei lowered her head and let out a sigh. "This war is a terrible thing. Clavicus Vile creates victims wherever his influence spreads, on both sides of the war, it seems. I know not what his final goals are, but they need to be stopped before he can cause more pain."

Leaning in closer to Sabine, Meesei placed her hand on her chin and gently lifted up her snout so that she could look her in the eye. Meesei's expression was one of sadness, of empathy for Sabine's situation, but it also carried with it certainty. "Sabine, you are safe now. Nothing that ever happened to you in that place will happen to you again, not while I draw breath." Meesei wrapped her arms around Sabine's neck and hugged her, holding her tightly in her embrace with no intention of letting go until Sabine could feel she was safe.