No one could deny that it was busy, but possibly the quietest chapter of the pack's lives thus far passed along amongst the clan from the three years following the battle. It was a time of redevelopment and recovery. A time to rejuvenate and prepare for the adversity ahead. Where they had entered the clan on a mission, and with great weights upon their shoulders, they had found themselves a community to love and, for some, a place to leave the past behind them.

Fendros continued to dutifully attend meetings with Ahnasha and Najirra. There were highs and lows during the process. Sometimes Najirra's methods would be so esoteric and counter-intuitive that Fendros would lose his patience. Thankfully, Najirra seemed to know exactly what to say to defuse the situation whenever Fendros raised his voice. Never was there any point where Fendros had to leave early. On the other hand, there were some days where Fendros walked out genuinely feeling like he had made progress. He made sure to encourage Ahnasha to perform their regular calming exercises and keeping track of their anxieties, while at other times leaning on her help similarly. Persistence brought them to a point above and beyond the desperate state they began in. Even running out of dream medicine had an adverse effect for only a few weeks. The nightmares still came, but not every night like they used to.

Sabine's life became more eventful, despite the stable location. A social life had thrown an enjoyable chaos into her life that she never experienced before. A week after her talk with Meesei, she gathered up the courage to confess her feelings towards Caleb. Unfortunately, it was not to be. However much Sabine cried and inflicted criticism towards herself for the next few hours, she soon aligned her opinion with everyone else in that Caleb was still trying to recover from losing his father. The good part of that episode was that it remained as the emotional low point of the entire next three years. Her friendships flourished into many cherished memories. She even tried another relationship when she was sixteen and a half - a Dunmer boy named Inderal. That only lasted five months due to mistakes and insecurities on both their parts, but Sabine was continuing to learn. Never did she make any obvious mistakes while under Meesei's guidance.

The static location of the clan meant that correspondence between Sabine and Ariel continued. Ariel's life went on as normal. Her shop had expanded now. She had garnered quite the reputation amongst the city elite as the one to go-to woman for cosmetics, supplements, or the odd remedy. Sometimes her stock was damaged by floods, but she learned what she needed to do to protect it. Her relationship with Rukeewei was steady, but they were holding off having a child until they saved up enough money to get a better place to live. Handling a debt for both her shop and a new house would not be sustainable.

With their new goal, and Kaleeth's general happiness increased, Janius and Kaleeth's relationship bloomed greatly. Gone were any apprehensions about relationship or parenthood in Janius' mind. He had found a new lease in life and it had changed him. The frequency of Janius' signature half-smiles increased along with his humour. If getting him angry was difficult before, it was almost impossible now. There was another change, of course, with the hatching of his son. He loved his Newt with all his heart, but the stress began to shine through from the third night of crying onwards. When both Ahnasha and Kaleeth were watching the children for the night, Fendros and Janius found a new camaraderie shared over ale. Their situations were different, but their friendship was continued with a new sympathy for one another. Being a pack, they organised the occasional time for one couple to baby sit the other's child at various times.

Eventually, the pack was spared the chain-crying of their two youngest members by the result of expansions and renovations; their own individual rooms. It was a luxury afforded to higher-ranking members of the clan only, but the contribution that Meesei's pack had put in, as well as Meesei's standing as champion, secured them their new, private lodgements.

The years went on, everyone was altered. Most dramatically was the growing of Rhazii. He learned of objects and faces quickly, reaching for them when he wanted them. The series of babbling sounds that came forth with increasing frequency eventually turned into his first intentional word: 'Cub'. Something he said to address Kaleeth and Janius' hatchling. The children often played once Newt was old enough, but it was not without its falls and knocks that caused one or both to cry.

Milestone after milestone in Rhazii's development was crossed until he eventually gathered the strength to begin walking while leaning against a wall, and then on his own. This caused a new world of trouble for Ahnasha and Fendros, who now had a three year old cub who was at least one and a half years larger than his size, quickly finding new directions to run off towards without warrant. The innovation of chairs and stools to reach higher places literally added a new dimension to the mischief. Unfortunately, his bravery during the day was sometimes humbled during the night, when he would wake up with his own nightmares. They were not as bad as Ahnasha or Fendros', but they always involved fire of some sort.

Where before Fendros was doing odd jobs or training with the soldiers, Meesei's commercial vision brought his mercantile skills into demand for the first time in years. His working hours, where not training, were spent pouring over books and reports to make sure that the money was flowing. He was just glad that the Imperial tax men were not looking too closely at the "Jerrick & Co. Farming And Tanning Cooperative"'s astounding efficiency too closely. As he understood, the office front they kept in Bruma was staffed with the most polished silver tongues in the clan. Fendros found a morbid satisfaction in speculating what his parents would think of him now. The only thing that troubled Fendros, truly, was the times where Ahnasha would come to bed late and smelling of cadavers. He knew what that meant, but he didn't want to ask. He knew Ahnasha was doing what she had to in order to extend her life.

First and foremost, Janius was a spellsword. He was quickly relegated into the ranks of the clan's militia and he remained a full time soldier. He trained and he drilled and he guarded, all too used to Lorag's unforgiving exercises. With all the new sparring partners, his combat skills were honed beyond what they had been before. With the expansion in the clan, he and another set of soldiers were part of keeping order. He had become a knuckle on Meesei's iron fist against those who violently resisted the change she brought forth. With Lorag's initial advice still ringing in his mind about Kaleeth and Newt, Janius didn't have the greatest opinion of Kaleeth's own foray into the new military structure. However, he couldn't deny that the discipline did help to control her beast spirit, and her confidence in combat would only help in the future.

Sabine's niche remained in alchemy. Her contribution to the scholar's loft only increased with the resources Darahil granted her and her fellow alchemists. Though Darahil was none-too-happy about the use of ingredients, Sabine liked to make a large cauldron of her famous hangover cure on the nights of festivals and became well known and appreciated in the clan. She was still shy by nature, though, so she was never a good teacher for any prospective alchemists. In the field of magic, Sabine continued to learn from Meesei, lesson by lesson. Following in Meesei's footsteps, she showed promise in Restoration, Alteration, and Destruction magicks. What really piqued her interest, though, was the connection of magical effects between alchemy and the arcane. It made her potently creative, but somewhat inconsistent. Still, she was an established mage under three years of Meesei's continued tutelage.

While Sabine's profession in the clan remained the same, she grew in her own way. Physically, she became almost as tall as Meesei after a few growth spurts. Whenever someone forced her to groom her hair, she always drew the eyes of the clan youth. While she was kind to look upon, her behaviour was still too withdrawn and shy around strangers to have an attractive personality on first impression. Since Inderal, she didn't really feel like getting into a new romantic relationship, at least not yet.

Even Leaps-on-Elves had his own period of growing. Over the three years he got to the size of a dog, to the size of a large dog, to the size of a small lion, with a long tail waving hazardously behind him. Meesei and the other scholars eventually saw the danger in his size and had him neutered, but his lack of juvenile hormones didn't stop him being playful. It was up to Janius to train him, as usual, though some ex-kennel owners who joined the clan provided some much-needed expertise on animal training. Leaps turned from pet to war animal once he was trained to attack with his lightning, but he remained viciously protective of Meesei's pack, especially the children. Janius swore that sometimes the three had some hidden language, as Leaps would take them on rides and help them up onto high places. Even the kennel owners were impressed by Leaps' growing intelligence.

Meesei's relative absence from the pack did not affect Sabine too much, due to Meesei's priorities continuing a sort of motherly duty, but the others found ways to stay together as a pack. They ate meals together as often as they could (especially dinner, which was the most common time for Meesei to join them), they introduced the people they worked alongside as friends, and they still helped each other when needed, like a family. It was strange how much it seemed like an effort to do all those things now. Part of all of them were taken aback by how much living in a big community changed their interactions. Regardless, they all knew that it wouldn't last forever. This was all preparation for their time to strike against Vile. They couldn't ever relax completely.

---

In her half-asleep mind, the shuffling by the door was relegated to Leaps in Sabine's mind. She began to grumble tiredly as she was shaken awake and eventually focussed her eyes to see Meesei standing over her. She breathed in deeply through her nose and scrunched her eyes as she processed the words. "Hmm?" She hummed curiously. That was when the platter came into focus, and into her nostrils.

She rubbed her eyes and opened them wider, propping herself up until she was sitting. When the luxurious meal became fully apparent to her, she let in an excited breath through her mouth. It had crisp lamb shanks, bread cut into discs with chicken liver, fried eggs, mashed potato mixed with leek and mushroom and butter, that black sausage that the Redguard butcher makes from all the discarded offal and the post powerful spices. It was full of acquired tastes to many, but it was a feast befitting royalty to Sabine. "Is this for me?" She said in a gravelly, but still astounded voice. She grinned and threw her arms around Meesei. "Thank you, Meesei! These are my favourites! How did you know these were my favourites?"

---

Morning habit woke Fendros up in the almost-silence of the morning for once. He opened his eyes to see Rhazii and Ahnasha sleeping softly beside him. Rhazii had moved to his own bedroll due to his size, but he sometimes slept with his parents still on nights where he had a bad dream. Fendros smiled, he was proud of how quickly Rhazii was growing. He still had patchy fur and darkened skin where he suffered burns as a baby, but that was being grown over year by year. Fendros always nervously laughed to himself when he envisioned Rhazii surpassing his height at what would probably only be fourteen years old.

Fendros rolled out of bed and lifted himself onto his feet.

"Good morning, dada," a small voice spoke slowly from behind him. The movement must have woken Rhazii up.

Indeed, Fendros turned around to see Rhazii's big red eyes looking up at him. Fendros squat down to the bedroll and ran his hand over Rhazii's head. "'Morning, little one," Fendros whispered, "Not so loud now, mama is still asleep."

"Okay," Rhazii said sleepily, closing his own eyes. It didn't look like he would be getting up right now himself.

Fendros stood up again and began to get dressed. He had business to attend to today, but he had made time this morning to congratulate Sabine on reaching adulthood. He had obtained a formula book in Bruma during a recent rotation that looked interesting. A special present. Of course, he didn't know that Sabine already knew most of the recipes within, but that would not lessen the sentiment.

In the meantime, there was breakfast. That was something he usually shared with Ahnasha and Rhazii. They would likely be awake soon.

---

Janius was awoken less peacefully than Fendros. A sound which might have resembled a chirp, but now sounded like purr, punctuated a tugging at his arm. Janius sucked a tired breath inward and tried to brush the nuisance off. "Alright, Leaps, I'm awake. Lay off, you overgrown skink..."

With a quick sit upwards and a rub of his eyes, Janius was awake. He was starting to consider putting Leaps outside before he was big enough to rip his arm off by accident when he was hungry in the mornings. For now, he knew it was just playfulness and responded in kind by rubbing Leaps under the chin like he liked it.

Looking beside him, Janius saw his love and his son. Kaleeth was correct, Oswall was correct, all of it was worth it. He leaned down and laid a light kiss on Kaleeth's forehead. "Good morning, my lily," Janius said in Jel, some of the few words he knew and practised enough to say properly. He switched to Cyrodilic, "What do you have scheduled for today?"

Meesei sat down beside Sabine and allowed her to take the platter. She reached an arm around Sabine's shoulder and lightly patted her back, smiling at her evident satisfaction. "I needed only to pay attention. There are certain meals you will take before any other. Now, why you like some of them, I cannot fathom, but that is why it is a meal for you." She chuckled.

While Sabine began her breakfast, Meesei turned away for a moment and reached into the pouch she was wearing on her hip. Since Sabine was focused on her breakfast, Meesei was able to produce an object from the pouch and place it between them before she noticed. "There is also one other thing..." Meesei began as she placed her hand on the object between them. It was an alembic, and was visibly different from the one Sabine currently used. It was actually marginally smaller than average, but the materials from which it was constructed were obviously different. Instead of the clear glass of most alembic's, it was constructed primarily of a green-tinted volcanic glass from Morrowind. The glass was as thin as a sheet of parchment, but far, far stronger and lighter than the average piece of glassware. Despite its name, Morrowind's volcanic glass was closer to a translucent metal than actual glass, so there was virtually no chance of it shattering on accident. Overall, it would not perform its function as an alembic any better or worse than the one Sabine currently used, but she could be assured in the fact that it would not break unless someone actively tried to destroy it. It had been an expensive purchase, but since Meesei rarely bought items for herself, she was able to save for it.

---

Ahnasha did not awaken until Fendros was nearly finished getting himself dressed. For a few moments, she wanted to do nothing but curl up and fall back asleep, but the thought of her duties nagging at her mind forced her to throw off her fur blanket after a minute or so. Slowly, she started to stand up and stretch out her muscles. A few years prior, she would have felt thankful for every uneventful morning, but now they were essentially routine. Being awoken by nightmares, or at least not those caused by lycanthropy, was now a rarity, rather than the rule.

"Good morning." Ahnasha said with a yawn as she looked down to Rhazii, who still seemed to be asleep in his bedroll. Although, he was moving around with the noise she had made, so he might awaken soon. "Busy this morning, I guess? I have archery training myself. Caldris went out with an overnight hunt with some of the recruits, so I have to do the training myself today." She said quietly.

---

Kaleeth's eyes opened slowly, though the voice to which she awakened gave her a smile. She put her arms around him and rubbed her hands across his back. His kiss, she returned more directly and passionately, followed by an intimate gaze into his eyes. "Oh, just...bow training with Ahnasha. I don't have much else to do today, and even that won't start for another few hours..."

Kaleeth began to hug Janius more tightly as she pulled him in for another kiss, but it was at that point that she was promptly brought back into reality by a brief scream, followed by cries from Newt. Lowering her head, she let out a soft sigh and pressed her forehead against Janius'. "I'll take care of him." She said in something of a defeated tone before sitting up and reaching over to Newt. Likely, he had awoken to a nightmare. He did not receive them as frequently or intensely as Rhazii, but they were something that all lycans received from time to time, no matter their past. She picked him up in her arms and held him close.

"Shh, shh, don't worry. It was just a dream, little hatchling. You're safe here with mommy and daddy. Don't worry." She said softly. After a few repetitions of her calming words, he stopped his crying. Although he did not say anything, he clearly did not want to let go of his mother just yet.

With a quick movement, Sabine was already digging into her breakfast. She had a mouth full of potato, leek, and lamb before her attention was brought down to the alembic. Her chewing paused as she carefully picked it up and inspected it in front of her eyes. She started to chew slowly again, if only to swallow and comment. "It is beautiful!" Sabine carefully flicked the glass with a fingernail to hear its unbroken ring, "Where did you find this? I did not know they made glassware from this material."

---

"Good morning," Fendros responded with a smile. He walked up to Ahnasha, put his hands on her arms and gave her a quick kiss, "The books again this morning, yes. I'll start after breakfast and after giving Sabine her gift." Fendros let an amused hum rise up his throat, "You should be in charge of archery training anyway. Caldris is a grump, and you'd beat her in a competition. Eight knows, it's more fun than my duties. I actually look forward to my training times."

"Mama, dada, can I have breakfast in bed?" Rhazii asked, holding the top sheet of his bedroll against his upper chest tightly, "Meesei told me Sabine would today."

---

Though disappointed at the interruption, Janius was used to it at this point. He leaned back onto his elbow, looking over to Newt and Kaleeth. "There there, little Newt," Janius said with a comforting smile, running a thumb over Newt's cheek to pick up a falling tear, "What did you dream? Was it the trolls again?"

“I bought it in Bruma. Or, ordered it.” Meesei answered. “I said I wanted something strong, so the alchemist had it brought by courier from Morrowind. It is more like translucent metal than glass, so it will not break unless you try to break it. I am glad you like it.”

Meesei patted her back once more. “I love you Sabine; you have no idea how proud I am of you. I made sure you have no schedules chores today, so you can enjoy some time off. I wish I could have done the same for myself, but…well, my work is never done. Still, I have some time this morning.”

Ahnasha looked to Rhazii. “Well, it is a special day for her, my little cub. You can have one on your special day.”

Ahnasha turned back to Fendros, then glanced over to the door. “Actually, since I’m alone, it will take me twice as long to get everything set up. I…should really probably hurry. Could you get a breakfast for me and take care of Rhazii? I’ll really appreciate it.” She asked, not actually waiting for an answer before heading for the door.

“Wait…” Ahnasha began, immediately stopping herself and turning around. “…I should probably get dressed first.”

Newt sniffed, then looked up to his father nervously. “Wolves.” He answered simply. Kaleeth was not exactly sure where Newt had seen actual wolves before. The clan had caretakers who watched over children while their parents worked, and they might have read him a children’s picture book with wolves. However, she could not help but to wonder if he meant the werewolves that were much more common around him.

“Wolves won’t hurt you. We’ll make sure of that.” Kaleeth commented encouragingly.

Sabine gave Meesei another hug with the alembic still in her hand. "I understand, Meesei. You are the best alpha ever. Thank you again," Sabine said.

When Sabine pulled away, she still had a wide smile on her face. She looked upon her breakfast again and hovered her hand over what she considered eating next. "With all this food, I might not be hungry for lunch," she said with a chuckle. She decided to pick up one of the sausages and bite into it. Sabine seemed to have a near-supernatural resistance to spicy heat in food, meaning that she was one of the few non-Hammerfell natives in the clan that liked these kinds of sausages. Anyone else who had tasted them before would likely have formed tears in their eyes by just watching Sabine eat one. It didn't stop Sabine from sounding her appreciation.

After a swallow, Sabine gestured to the platter. "Do you want any, Meesei? You're probably hungry after making all of this." She tore off a piece of the spicy sausage, "The butcher made a delicious batch this time."

---

Fendros put a hand on his hip as Ahnasha almost walked out in the nude. It continued to make for funny irony in his mind that they put more care into dressing. "I'm sure all the young men you're training wouldn't mind," Fendros joked, "The new ones have to get used to nudity eventually. But speaking of dressing..." Fendros turned his attention to Rhazii, "...Up you get, little one. You can come with me to give Sabine her present." As Rhazii nodded and got up from his bedroll clumsily, Fendros gave Ahnasha a quick kiss on the head while she was leaned over tying her leggings, "I'll bring some breakfast out for you."

The next few minutes consisted of Fendros assisting Rhazii in dressing himself. The toddler was not quite house trained yet, so he still wore an absorbent loincloth, but he was learning to use the latrine more and more. Some other simple hide clothing and foot wraps was enough to dress him such that he stayed warm in the colder corridors of the ruin. Ahnasha had to hurry out, of course, but once they were done, Fendros and Rhazii went hand in hand to Sabine's room with the formula book.

With a knock on the partly open door and a peek inside, Fendros saw Meesei and Sabine on Sabine's bedroll, eating a plentiful breakfast of food that was too much for Fendros' taste buds. There was no doubt that Sabine's favourites were on that platter. Fendros stepped in, leading Rhazii in as well. "Happy birthday, Sabine. Welcome to adulthood," Fendros said with a smile. He looked to Rhazii and gave him a nudge, "Go on, Rhazii. You can give Sabine her present."

Rhazii gave an excited grin and ran forward with the formula book in both hands. He shoved it into Sabine's side accidentally, but Sabine only laughed. "Happy birthday, Sabine!" Rhazii said.

Sabine took the book, "Thank you!" She said with a grin at Rhazii's antics and pulling him into a quick hug with one arm. With her other arm, she inspected the formula book. It was not an advanced one for her, but it would be useful for reference. Still, all these gifts were becoming overwhelming. She was not expecting to be quite so spoilt today.

"Good morning, Meesei," Rhazii said dutifully to Meesei in turn.

"I found that in Bruma the last time I was there and thought you might like it," Fendros said as he stepped up to the bedroll. He took another look at the food, "Did you make all of this, Meesei? You've been busy this morning."

---

"That's right. We're all bigger and stronger than any wolves that come by," Janius ruffled the growing features on Newt's head, "One day, you will be too. There's no need to be afraid here."

Janius didn't place too much thought into where Newt might have learned of wolves before. Perhaps it was too early in the morning, perhaps he just put it down to a fertile young imagination mixed with lycan nightmares.

"Feeling hungry?" Janius asked before lifting himself out from the bedroll and getting dressed, "There might be some chicken left if we're quick to breakfast." Janius gave Newt a smile while he pulled up a pair of cloth trousers, "I know you like chicken."

Ahnasha chuckled. "Hmm, maybe, maybe not. Not everyone is as attracted to fur as you." She responded, returning his kiss. Although, the moment she was dressed, she had to get moving quickly. "You two take care, I should be able to join you for breakfast as long as I'm quick."

---

Meesei accepted the slice of the sausage, knowing full well of its potent, spicy nature. Sabine was among a small group of people who could tolerate, and even preferred, foods which were far spicier than those that the average person would even consider eating. Meesei was not sure how she gained such a trait, as their lifestyle did not often give them access to a wide variety of spiced, but Meesei supposed it could simply be a trait she was born with. Meesei, most certainly, was not part of that same group. Her tolerance to incredibly spicy foods was average at best, but unlike most, she had the capability of cheating. With just a small, almost unnoticeable measure of restoration magic charged through her body, she numbed the majority of her mouth before taking a bite. This also meant she could not taste it, but she could at least have some of the sausage without running out of the room in search for water.

Shortly afterwards, Fendros and Rhazii arrived with a present for Sabine. It was Rhazii who presented the book to her in his usual, endearing fashion. With his small size, large, bright eyes, and appropriately childish behavior, he was, in simple terms, adorable. Even the remnants of his burns could not take that away from him.

"Thank you, Rhazii." Meesei answered to the cub, then nodded to Fendros. "Yes, I woke up a few hours ago. Of course, I have been gathering ingredients for a while, so I had most everything ready when I awoke this morning. I hope my cooking is sufficient, since I normally eat my meals in some variation of 'raw.' At any rate, I assume you will be heading to breakfast this morning? I will likely join you, when it is time. I do not wish to take much from Sabine's present."

---

With his parents present to comfort him, along with the naturally short attention span of a young child, Newt was quick to forget about his quickly fading nightmare once faced with the prospect of having one of his favorite meals. In a complete reversal of his mood, he smiled and clasped his hands together with the complete, innocent joy that only a child could have. Kaleeth felt they were lucky that the meals Newt favored were so common; it made him much easier to please.

Kaleeth followed suit in getting herself and Newt ready, then left with Janius to have their breakfast, as it would be a few hours before Kaleeth needed to go anywhere in particular.

"It'sh good," Sabine assured Meesei through a mouthful.

"I'd wager it. It, uh...it looks good," Fendros said dubiously.

Sabine let out a chuckle through her nose before swallowing. "I'll come too, after I have eaten."

"Dada?" Rhazii looked up at Fendros with eyes that Fendros had needed to actively train to say no to, "Can I have some of Sabine's breakfast?"

Fendros glanced at the platter. He inwardly wondered how Rhazii could be a such a fussy eater when something was offered, but want to try something new when it was someone else's. "Well, Sabine's food is quite strong, but if you like, you can ask her." Before Rhazii could finish breathing in, Fendros added, "Say please."

Rhazii turned to Sabine, "Sabine, can I please have some of your breakfast?"

Sabine couldn't help but smile. "Okay, you can have a bit," She said, wondering what to give the cub. She settled for tearing off a small lump of meat from the lamb shank. It was a rich meat, but it wasn't nearly as strong as most of the other things on her platter.

The morsel went straight into Rhazii's mouth as if he had barely handled it. He chewed open-mouthed and seemed to enjoy the taste.

"What do you say to Sabine, Rhazii?" Fendros said.

"Thank you," Rhazii knew his cues.

"Good, now let's go get some breakfast for ourselves." Fendros held out his hand and Rhazii reached to grasp it. "We have to get some food for mama, remember?" Fendros waved as he began to move out, "We'll see you two later."

Fendros and Rhazii left the room amongst questions by Rhazii about the availability of Sabine's lamb shanks at breakfast. It wasn't until they were out of earshot that Sabine looked to Meesei with her head angled forward and a small smile. "I felt a magical charge just before. Did you...?" Sabine trailed off and raised a hand, charging it with a spell to inspect Meesei's magic. She might find out if Meesei would agree to stand still.

---

As Janius, Kaleeth, Newt, and Leaps made their way to the dining chamber, they spotted Fendros and Rhazii exiting Sabine's room. Janius meant to give them a greeting after a few steps, but Leaps suddenly veered through Sabine's doorway, causing Janius to grab at his collar as quickly as he could. Sabine and Meesei were met by Leaps rearing like a horse under resistance from Janius, who was trying desperately to bring him to heel. "Woah! That's enough, Leaps! Down!"

Leaps quickly responded to the commands and laid down, croaking in disappointment.

"'Morning, Meesei. Happy birthday, Sabine!" Janius said with a smile that belied the episode, "Sorry about that, Leaps must have smelled your food there. I'll see you at breakfast later? I need to feed this rude creature."

Sabine was slightly startled at first, but she nodded, eventually beginning to laugh at the ridiculous surprise of it all. "Thank you," She said before Janius and Leaps slipped out again.

Meesei could have guessed that Rhazii would take an interest in Sabine's meal. Many times when children saw something appealing, they would also want something similar for themselves. Once they left, Meesei responded to Sabine's request with a chuckle. "Now, I do not wish to give away all of my secrets." She commented, dispelling the magic on herself. She had already eaten her slice of the sausage, so the feeling in her mouth could be allowed to return. By what Fendros had said, they were heading to breakfast to meet with Ahnasha, and she assumed that Janius, Kaleeth, and Lorag would likely do the same. Meals were one of the few times that the pack was all together at once, so it was the perfect time for Meesei to meet them if she had something to say.

"Say, how about we head to the dining hall and meet with the others? I can help you bring your platter. I am sure the others will want to wish you well today, and may even have more gifts. As well, there is...something I would like to say to the pack as a whole."

---

As Meesei expected, everyone in the pack congregated in the dining hall. Usually, they all at least attempted to meet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on most days, apart from Meesei herself. She was generally busy in the mornings, and particularly at midday, though she could occasionally meet with them for dinner. Today, however, she had made sure her morning was free, though not for the reason that she wanted to speak to them all now. Most of the pack arrived at different times, with Ahnasha showing up just as a few of them were close to finishing their meals. However, they were finally all together. Even Leaps was present, though he seemed content curled up on the floor beside Kaleeth and Newt. Evidently, he had already eaten.

"Greetings, Ahnasha. I hear you are busy this morning." Meesei commented as Ahnasha took her seat.

Ahnasha, after giving a quick kiss to Fendros to thank him for getting her meal, nodded. "Yeah, I had to set up for archery practice today. Caldris is out hunting with some recruits, so I had twice as much work this morning. It is all ready now, though." She explained, looking for a moment to Kaleeth. "We'll be going into more advanced techniques for form today. You might be able to start using that strength of yours to your advantage soon enough." She added. It was true that Kaleeth had the potential to become a rather good archer. She was capable of holding a bow drawn for longer, and more steadily than most. However, she did not have all of the training nor experience required to be as accurate as she could be. It was a problem that could only be solved through more time and training.

Meesei spoke up again as soon as she had the opportunity to speak. "Well, before anyone gets up, there is something I believe I should say, something I learned only very recently. We are going to be leaving soon."

The gathering for breakfast was convened in a universally good mood. It was not often that everyone could be present at once, especially with Meesei. Janius and Kaleeth didn't have business in Bruma as recently as Meesei and Fendros, so they had hunted for Sabine's gift. To anyone who wasn't an alchemist, a leather sack of fresh frost troll fat would be probably one of the least appealing birthday presents imaginable. But, for Sabine, who lacked the means to get such an ingredient on a regular basis, it was thoughtful and appreciated.

Ahnasha's arrival prompted Meesei's announcement, and immediately the entire pack was silenced. Glances were exchanged from person to person. They all knew this day would come, but each day they had lived with the clan only built up the regret they would have for parting with it.

The exact emotional reaction from everyone was ambiguous for now, except for Sabine. She was looking down and at the floor, probably trying to hold back sadness. The children didn't really know what was going on, of course. Janius was quiet. Fendros decided to break the silence.

"How soon? Where are we going?" Fendros asked seriously.

"I...do not actually know." Meesei answered, pausing a moment to begin her meal. "Lord Hircine spoke to me within my dreams last night, but his commands were not too clear. All I know is that something is happening that requires our attention directly. He said that I will learn soon enough where it is we are needed. I am going to attend another meeting with the clan's leadership this evening, so it may be then that it is brought to my attention."

There was another awkward pause, which honestly was not entirely unexpected. For the past few years, the pack overall had rather liked living among the clan. They had stability, safety, new friends, and their own roles within the community. It was not common for lycans to be able to live within such a society, and most of them had grown accustomed to being settled in one location. "I know this is not precisely pleasant news, but it is worth noting that, just because we are going to be leaving, does not mean we will never be coming back. I had not anticipated this becoming the case, but this ruin has essentially been our home for the past few years. I know you all like living here and, despite the insufferable weather outside, I share that sentiment. Currently, I plan for us to return here after we have dealt with whatever situation we are being called on to handle. It is possible that could change, but...this is a good place to live, and not just for sentimental reasons. It is a tactically valuable position as, geographically, it is the most central clan in Tamriel. It is the best location from which to coordinate the rest of Tamriel's clans."

Though not as emotionally effected as the others, even Lorag seemed at least slightly disappointed by the news. Training the recruits was fulfilling work, and while there were other skilled warriors in the clan that could take over that role, but he couldn't help but to feel upset that he wouldn't be seeing the current group through to the end of it. Of course, there was no way he would let them know of that. There was at least the possibility that they would be coming back, and he could think of a few other silver linings. "Well, if this trouble needs our attention, then it has to involve some of Vile's more important lackeys. At least we'll be able to get some payback for them forcing us to uproot like this."

"That's one way to think of it..." Janius mumbled, not entirely convinced by Lorag's sentiments.

As for everyone else, at least the chance that they would return eventually lifted their spirits somewhat. But, with the comfort came an equal amount of uncertainty.

Fendros ran his fingers through his hair with a bit of stress. "I suppose I had better make preparations today. I know a few people that can pick up my duties."

"Is there anything in particular we should do to prepare, Meesei?" Janius piped up, "Apart from packing up, of course."

"Dada, are we going to visit Bruma?" Rhazii chimed in.

Fendros managed a smile and ruffled the top of Rhazii's head, "We don't know yet, little one. Meesei is going to find out soon. Actually, that is a good point..." Fendros turned to Meesei again, "Will all of us be coming, Meesei?" Fendros was of course referring to the children. Though they weren't as helpless as before, they were still just toddlers.

"That...is a very good question." Meesei answered. Even she was uncertain what to do regarding Rhazii and Newt. Living with the clan, they always had the ability to allow the clan's caretakers to watch over them when they needed to leave the ruin, or were otherwise busy. But this time, Meesei had the feeling that they would be going farther away, and for much longer.

"Without knowing how far away we will be going, or for how long, it is difficult to give a definitive answer. Obviously, if we are heading into danger, that will be no place for toddlers. If they are with us, then we will invariably have to leave one of us with them at all times, which will make our tasks more difficult. "But..." Meesei began, her gaze moving to Fendros and Kaleeth, who were each holding their children. "Would you truly be comfortable leaving them here? There would be no guarantee of how long it will be before you can see them again, and we may have no contact with the clan."

Meesei did not need an answer to know that they would not want to leave their children behind. Overall, it was a difficult situation, but their duty required that they face this problem, as they could not simply ignore a command from Hircine. There were another few moments before someone spoke up once more, this time Kaleeth. "Well...we could bring another pack."

The dilemma of what to do with Rhazii and newt was not an easy one to answer immediately. Fendros and Janius gave ambivalent expressions, but they were unanimously not fond of leaving them behind.

Kaleeth's suggestion made Janius' eyes light up. "That's a good idea. We don't have to travel as a lone pack like we used to."

Fendros had his eyes closed and was rubbing his temple. He didn't seem quite as enthusiastic as Janius. "If we do convince another pack to come with us, they have to be those we know and trust. They have to be able to protect the children."

"Well, of course," Janius offered an upward-facing palm to Fendros briefly, "I mean, it will mean provisioning for more people, but if they pull their weight, I don't see why not-"

"-Perhaps..." Fendros looked up, a little flustered, "...perhaps we shouldn't set anything in stone until we actually hear what we're doing."

Sabine decided to chime in, looking up with a curious frown, "Who would come?"

Lorag shrugged his shoulders. "Doesn't matter to me, as long as they can fight." Granted, many of those he had become better friends with over the years were also high in the ranks of the clan's warriors, so if they picked based on fighting skill, there was a good chance there would be someone he could get along with.

"I agree with that, honestly." Ahnasha commented. "If I'm going to leave Rhazii with anyone, I want to know that they are capable of protecting him. Above all else, that's the most important thing. Of course, I would like to bring a pack of people we know and trust. Really, I don't think we'll have a problem finding people willing to come along. Being selected to join the Champion's pack on a task directly from Hircine himself? Anyone with even a small amount of reverence for Hircine would take that as an honor. I...would suggest Caldris' pack, but I don't know about taking the clan's next best archer."

Meesei gave a nod. "You may be correct. We do have to ensure that we do not select a pack whose members do not perform too vital of roles within the clan, not if they do not have adequate replacements. You all have become closer to more members of the clan than I have had a chance to; are there any you know who you would be comfortable bringing on a potentially long journey?" She asked the rest of the pack.

Janius pinched his lower lip and thought for a moment. "I think I know a possible candidate. Gallus, Oswall's son, he formed his own pack with his closest friends a year ago. It's a diverse pack, and skilled. He's a friend of mine, at least. I know it won't be the very best that the clan has to offer, but with what you say, I don't think the very best could afford to leave."

"Either Gallus or Caldris' pack would be fine for me," Fendros commented, "We've known them both since we first arrived." Fendros looked around until his eyes reached Sabine, "Just to explore options, would any from the scholar's loft be willing to travel with us?"

"Hm..." By the way she was looking into space, Sabine was evidently already thinking about that, "One might. Maybe two. Darahil would have to give them permission."

Rhazii moved his head to look at Ahnasha. "Can Carli come too?" He asked innocently. Carli was a burly middle-aged Breton matron and one of the child minders for the clan. She took care of Rhazii and a few other that were close to his age, including Newt, when their parents had external duties. She was the least likely that any of the pack knew to agree to go adventuring. Fendros responded with a small smile and the cringe of a held-back laugh.

"Hmm, I will keep those options in mind." Meesei commented, her hand rubbing her chin as she thought. "Hopefully, we will be able to find a pack of which all members are willing and able to join us. It would be best to avoid splitting any packs, if that is even practical. It may be our task keeps us within Cyrodiil, or another similarly close location. We could also end up all the way across Tamriel. We should likely avoid settling on any specific option, as the willingness of some of them to join us may depend on our destination."

After a few more moments, Meesei finished the remainder of her breakfast. "For now, I would recommend performing your duties as normal for today. But, as soon as you can, I would begin making whatever arrangements you need for our departure."

"Will do." Lorag said as he stood to his feet. "I've got an idea or two in mind for my replacement. Any of 'em will do just fine in my role; they just won't have my...charm." He added with a chuckle before taking his leave.

As Lorag left, Kaleeth let out a slight sigh. She did not have important responsibilities like most of the others, but there were friends she was not looking forward to leaving. She did at least want to say her goodbyes to othem. "I...guess I will take Newt over to the caretakers. Ahnasha should be finished by then." She said to Janius, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before standing up herself."

It seemed as if most of the pack was heading out on their own business, apart from Ahnasha who was quickly trying to finish up her meal, so Meesei turned to speak to Sabine more specifically. "I am sorry that I had to give this news on your birthday. I could not ignore Hircine's vision. Just...try to enjoy your day as best as you can. You will have as much time as you need today to speak with your friends, if you wish to inform them."

With Ahnasha eating quickly, Fendros decided to answer Rhazii for her. "Carli's place is here, Rhazii. I don't think she'll be coming with us."

Rhazii responded, crestfallen. "Okay."

Fendros and Janius eventually went to their duties as well. Rhazii would join Newt for the morning while Fendros worked.

Sabine hadn't smiled since she had heard the news. "It's not your fault," she mumbled, her head bowed forward, "I just want to come back here. It is home." Sabine didn't know whether she should be more emotional or not. Sabine looked up at Meesei, "We will come back, yes? You said we would."

Meesei nodded, placing a hand on Sabine's shoulder. "If at all possible, yes. There are many reasons for us to be here, practical and otherwise. I can think of no better place in Tamriel to make our home. I do have some duties to attend to, unfortunately, but as I said, you should enjoy the rest of the day as best as you can. You can give your farewells to your friends if you like, but if I can help it, they will not be permanent."

It was not long before Meesei was forced to take her leave and begin work on her duties for the day, which, as usual, meant developing and refining plans for many aspects of the overall war effort against Vile for all of Hircine's followers across Tamriel. The clan now played host to representatives from every clan in Tamriel, from High Rock to Black Marsh. She often spent much of her time planning and negotiating with them on most aspects of the war. There were even representatives from groups of Hircine's followers who were not themselves lycanthropes, something that did cause some tension among the clan, as in normal times, those very same groups often hunted lycans themselves for the challenge it provided. It was hunters like them who made lycans into both predator and prey. Regardless, the day was no less busy than any other, so she had plenty to do before the evening's meeting.

---

One by one, each of the clan's leaders arrived in the meeting room. Meesei had been the third, just after Vera, and with Oswall being the last. As usual, they locked the door behind them as several of the lieutenants laid out on the table whatever documents applied to the topics they needed to discuss. While they did not hold these meetings every single day, they were quite routine. Normally, they started out by bringing to the attention of the council any events or developments that would be of importance to the clan, but this time, Pierrette led off with a question that was surely on several of their minds.

"So Meesei, there has been a rumor spread around today that you and your pack are going to be leaving us. Is that actually true?" She asked.

Meesei nodded. "Yes, in this case, the rumor is true. I received a vision from Hircine just last night that my pack will be needed elsewhere. He did not, however, specify where. He said only that I would learn soon where we are most needed. Have there been any major occurrences that any of you intended to bring to the council's attention?"

"Um, yes, there is actually." Tola said, briefly looking to one of the documents in front of her. "It's the Senchal clan. We haven't heard from them in far too long. If they are following the standard schedule, then they would have sent two messengers by now. The Orcrest clan intends to send scouts, but I was going to suggest sending a pack of our own to investigate, just in case."

Meesei clasped her hands together, staring ahead as she thought of the implications of the news. "Then it seems that pack will be mine."

Sabine spend another hour at least in a sad mood. She knew the day should be special, what with her reaching this milestone, but she couldn't shake it on her own. She deposited her present from Kaleeth and Janius back in her room and found herself at a loss. She wasn't tired enough to nap, she didn't have any work to do, making anything out of the troll fat would take more than a day unless she did something simple. In an effort to do at least something, she began to gather up things to take with her on the impending journey. This didn't take her long, but by the end of it, she felt that her mood had improved enough to face her friends.

Everyone sounded some mixed measure of excitement and regret amongst Sabine's friends. They were of course regretful to say farewell, but they were excited as they had not travelled nearly as much as Sabine. Perhaps it would be somewhere exciting, a source for new stories. Sabine didn't quite get as excited as them, but the sentiment turned her mood for the better. Her birthday turned out to be an enjoyable one, if marred by the morning.

---

"Are you sure, Meesei?" Vera asked at the meeting. Their time working alongside one another had worn away the formality of calling her 'champion' all the time. "What makes you certain that Hircine's vision was to send you that far south? You and your pack have been a great boon to us here."

"The option is open to have a lower profile pack do the investigating," Darahil added, though not with the level of protest that Vera expressed.

Meesei understood, and had expected, the protests from some of the others. She looked around across the table at the others as she asked her next question. “Are there any other matters of similar importance that anyone intended to bring to the council’s attention today?” She asked. There was a pause as a few of the lieutenants shuffled through the papers in front of them. However, after a few moments, it became clear that none of the others could find an issue of similar potential importance, particularly issues about which they knew so little about.

“Lord Hircine gave me this vision only this morning, and seemed to indicate that I would learn my destination very quickly. Yes, the option does exist to send a lower profile pack, but I am sure you all know of the potential implications of this lack of communications. Losing the Senchal clan would be a tragedy in multiple ways. If Hircine wants my pack to personally deal with this issue, then the situation could be dire, and I cannot ignore that command. I can say that it is my intention to return here once we deal with whatever situation has developed there. This location is ideal for carrying out my normal duties in this war, and of course, it is a pleasure to work with you all. I cannot absolutely guarantee that I will be able to return, but it is my intention. Besides which, I do trust this council to be able to be able to carry out my duties while I am away; you are all quite capable in your respective specializations.” Meesei explained with a good measure of confidence in her voice.

“In addition, “ Meesei continued, “I would like to request the aid of another pack on our mission. This task could be a dangerous one, so the additional support could be quite useful. Although, I will not lie, many of their responsibilities may not involve directly aiding us in combat. Certainly, they do need to be capable in combat, and some of us will very likely end up fighting together if Vile is indeed involved in this situation. However, we mostly have need of a pack who is comfortable in a supporting role. All of my pack may be needed directly on the mission, and it is dangerous for one to leave their camp, and therefore supplies, unattended in the wilds. Not to mention, members of my pack have children of their own. In the past, we have been forced to leave one of our own behind with the camp, or take the risk in leaving it unguarded, but that is a risk I would like to eliminate since I have the opportunity.”