"Well, if the desert is any dryer than the forest, I might be willing to try it," Fendros said.

Janius gave him a smile. He had heard of what deserts were like from more sources than Fendros. He gave a quick warning, "Be careful what you wish for, brother."

The groups started to gravitate together without much consideration once Meesei gave the order. Sabine gave Peiter a smile and a nod and they paired, with room for another. Fendros stuck with Ahnasha, but didn't display any preference beyond that. Janius, on the other hand, didn't feel as adamant in staying with Kaleeth, but not because he was trying to avoid her; he simply wanted to witness how well werelions did their tracking. He could likely find out either way. Uthri gave no preference, but modestly professed her relative experience and offered to join with younger members. Tzirret just wanted to stay around until everyone else had organised before joining anyone, but Gallus gave him a hard pat on the back and asked to join him with a grin. The rest coalesced as appropriate, though no one volunteered to guard the children immediately. Uthri was the only one who respectfully expressed her preference to go tracking, but everyone else didn't seem too bothered. If there was anything left unresolved, it was likely that the alphas could sort it out.

Tzirret didn't really get the opportunity to continue the conversation with La'khay, not that he had much to say in front of everyone. Why she would be nervous was an odd thought in his mind. Anyway, with how Gallus approached Tzirret, it seemed like his alpha was less mystified by the night time crying he had failed to hush. It wasn't the first time he had cried during the night and found Gallus trying to help, but this time it was for reasons neither of them were likely to anticipate.

The only additional instruction that Meesei gave before the groups were formed was that at least one member of the pride join each group, as they were familiar with Pelletine's terrain. S'ajira approached Uthri, Peiter, and Sabine and sat down, apparently indicating that she was going to join them to make for the group of four. Meesei was in a group with Janius and Ra'kalesh, while Ahnasha was with Fendros and Colors. Kaleeth volunteered to stay behind to help watch the camp, along with Irenya and Ciinriel.

As the groups were forming, La'khay walked up behind Gallus and Tzirret and placed a hand on both of their shoulders. "La'khay thinks she will join you two, if that is alright."

With the teams formed, Meesei reviewed the search pattern with them all, then instructed Kaleeth to be sure to build a fire later that evening. In the event that any of the teams became lost, they could attempt to find the smoke and use it as a marker to return.

Gallus didn't seem too shocked to have a hand land on his shoulder. He just twisted on his waist and looked up to La'khay with an agreeable smile. He answered, "That's perfectly alright, my friend."

In contrast, Tzirret froze in place. He didn't so much as face La'khay. By the time Gallus' message was conveyed, he couldn't form the words to protest. Of course, once a minute had passed, he didn't know exactly what reason he would have given to want to avoid La'khay, both to himself and everyone else.

Noticing Tzirret's drooping ears, Gallus tapped him on the bottom of the chin and grinned. "Kip up, Tzirret. What's La'khay going to ever do to you?"

The contact snapped Tzirret back to reality. He stood up and followed along as instructed, but didn't respond.

As for the other groups, there didn't seem to be any outward problem as they all wandered off to their search areas. Fendros and Janius each farewelled the children and bid them to behave. They would be in good hands.

Uthri scratched her head a bit when S'ajira approached, "I guess we'll be taking care of the love birds, then." She grinned, but felt a little awkward without a vocal response from S'ajira, "Uh, one thing, S'ajira. Feel free to get my attention whenever you find a feature that you'd like me to keep an eye out for. I know the wilds of central Cyrodiil and south Skyrim like the back of my hand, but I've not really tracked much here, before." Again, Uthri was a little awkward, but at least yes or no could be conveyed.

Knowing Uthri to be a gregarious type, Sabine found her deflected confidence to be slightly funny to watch. She took Peiter by the hand as they walked side by side. "Has Uthri ever had to converse with someone who couldn't speak before?" Sabine asked Peiter quietly.

Once Gallus, Tzirret, and La'khay were well away from the camp site, Gallus nudged Tzirret on the arm and looked down to him with a warm expression. "So, what's been on your mind, Tzirret?"

"Nothing," Tzirret said with barely a glance to Gallus. He seemed to be in a sad mood.

"Well, that's impressive," Gallus said, looking ahead, "Monks from around Tamriel can spent decades perfecting the art of clearing their minds of all things. Something about a state of pure focus." Gallus faced Tzirret with a half-smile. He was obviously not so easily brushed off. "But you have managed to perfect it overnight. I dare say you're fearless now."

Tzirret gave Gallus a sour look.

"You sure? You sounded pretty distraught last night," Gallus persisted.

"No," Tzirret said, looking ahead and blinking nervously, "This one heard no crying last night. He said so before, so did La'khay."

Gallus raised his brow and looked forward to La'khay. "Hey La'khay, what did you two get up to last night?" Gallus said with good nature in his voice.

"Uh, no! No!" Tzirret suddenly became defensive, raising his hands. "There was no 'getting up to' last night! None at all!"

When he knew he had hit the nail on the head, Gallus began to laugh, but his assumption was not quite correct as he continued. "What? Did you two have drinking game or something? Did he tell some of his secrets?" Gallus looked down at Tzirret again, "What's the worst that could have happened, Tzirret?"

Tzirret looked distraught, but it seemed like it was too late now. He looked pleadingly to La'khay, unsure of what do to, though Gallus was probably the safest to be honest to of anyone in the group, bar one of the other alphas, perhaps.

Spreading out in all directions, the groups began their sweep of the surrounding area. They would all need to keep a good account of how far they had been, and their location relative to the camp in order to accurately cover their assigned areas. At the very least, something that none of them were lacking was wilderness experience. As long as they were attentive to their surroundings, they would each be able to determine where the clan wasn't with each sweep of an area.

S'ajira responded with a nod, then gave a brief grunt as she raised her snout up towards the sky. Stopping for only a brief moment, she raised her paw to point to the canopy above them. She was calling attention to the treetops, as it was a potential location for the clan's current hideout.

Peiter too was amused by the interaction between Uthri and S'ajira. Although, he was also rather curious. He wondered how S'ajira managed to get by without the ability to speak. He expected that she was talented in body language, and Jo'rashaad did say she could write. Even so, it was hard for him to come to terms with the fact that she was still Khajiit; her appearance simply threw him off too much.

"No, I can't say it has come up before." Peiter responded to Sabine, shaking his head. "What about you? I wasn't around her all that much at the time or anything, but I seem to remember that Kaleeth had a hard time speaking in her beast form back when you all first arrived at the clan. I think I remember some children talking about her putting on some demonstrations for them."

For La'khay, there was much that she could say to Gallus. She thought it was a shame that Tzirret was such a timid and seemingly depressed young man. It was not randomly that she had mentioned her gratitude to their rescuing packs the previous night. She was genuinely grateful to be out of Vile's clutches, and she wanted nothing more than to return the favor. Many of the others in her pride could provide their aid in combat, but she lacked that ability. She wanted to help build Tzirret's confidence, and had intended to perk him up in the only way she knew how. For the moment, La'khay intended to tell the truth, just not the whole truth.

"Tzirret here wants to find himself a nice Khajiit lass." La'khay explained. "This one thinks he has been watching the two Breton lovers and wants something like that for himself. La'khay has told him he is too kind and handsome to be nervous, but he is stubborn."

It took a few moments of Uthri looking upwards with her mouth open to determine what S'ajira was pointing out. At first she was looking for a more particular feature than simply the canopy itself, but after a few moments, it hit her. "So, they could be hiding in the branches?" Uthri nodded, "Very well, that makes sense."

Sabine bit her lip and brought her eyes up to recall how it was for Kaleeth in the clan. "When Kaleeth gained more control, she could understand us speaking, but it was difficult hunting because she did not know our body language well. We did not know how to teach a werecrocodile. She learned, though." As for the second part of Peiter's question, Sabine grinned, "I remember Kaleeth biting a shield in half in front of some children to show them her strength. They were asking her how strong she was. There might have been some other times, she might have lifted all the children up at once when they were sitting on a bench or something similar. I cannot remember clearly."

"See? That's nothing to be ashamed of, Tzirret," Gallus put and arm around Tzirret's shoulders and drew him into a supportive squeeze for a moment.

Though he looked rather bewildered now, Tzirret was partially relieved again. La'khay continued to keep the events of later that night secret.

Gallus released Tzirret and continued. "So you're wanting a lady-friend, hm? Well, we're heading to find the remnants of a clan that ought to have plenty of Khajiit girls, even some around your age. There will be plenty of opportunities to make friends, and perhaps more."

"Yes, I know," Tzirret mumbled unenthusiastically.

"And, hey, you have nothing to worry about. You'll be walking in a hero. You helped saved the lives of an entire pride!" Gallus had been set off now. He was not only Tzirret's mentor, but a serial dishonest womaniser as well.

"This one is still not handsome. That is a lie," Tzirret was getting a little frustrated with the fixation on him and it was showing through his voice.

At this point, Gallus lost his grin and crossed his arms. He looked at Tzirret with a raised brow, as if he had just claimed that the sky is green. "Tzirret," Gallus said firmly, "It was La'khay that claimed that, correct? La'khay?" Gallus looked to La'khay, his smile returning, "You would have seen many men in your previous profession. How do you think Tzirret should be rated in comparison? Do go into detail," Gallus said with a wink. He knew enough about prostitutes to be aware that they practiced intimacy with a wide range of bodies. Gallus believed that Tzirret just needed some perspective.

"Well, Kaleeth was the only werecrocodile there until that representative from Black Marsh arrived." Peiter commented. "It doesn't surprise me the children would take interest. Anyway, I'm sure S'ajira is used to finding ways to communicate. Let's just make sure to keep a sharp eye out...or nose, or whatever else we can. We definitely don't want to miss anything important."

As they headed deeper into the forest, the foliage started becoming thick enough that Peiter grabbed his halberd near its head and started using it to cut through the vines and brush ahead of him in some of the thicker spots. There was a veritable cloud of insects buzzing around them, though they at least weren't as bad as the fleshflies of Black Marsh. And of course, the heat was an ever-present annoyance. Only S'ajira seemed to have no trouble maneuvering through the foliage, and her fur protected her from many of the insects.

La'khay grinned widely at both Gallus and Tzirret. "But of course." She said, looking over Tzirret from head to toe. "La'khay will not say you're the most attractive man she's met. You want an honest evaluation, after all. But to say you're not handsome is just you belittling yourself." She said, reaching out her hand and putting it on his cheek. "You have a nice, youthful face. Good structure, especially if you grow out your mane. Your fur is thick and healthy, though one of the big things is the muscles. You're not the strongest lycan, true, but you're still a lycan, and a werewolf at that. Your condition puts a good set of nice, firm muscles on you." She continued. As she spoke, she squeezed his bicep with one hand, while patting his abdomen with the other.

"Werelions don't get as strong of muscles as you werewolves. La'kay thinks your competition in the clan won't be as...strong as you think." She chuckled. "And of course, you have a nice, long, and fluffy tail." Again, she ran her hand gently down her tail with her compliment, followed by a bit more of a mischievous grin. "Give La'khay your loincloth and she'll give you an even more...detailed assessment."

Sabine gave a nod in agreement. She focussed on finding signs of the clan while walking behind Peiter. The halberd looked awkward to use for chopping at foliage, but it was certainly more suitable than Sabine's dagger or spells.

This time, Tzirret knew that La'khay was going to pinch and prod at him, so he wasn't quite as surprised or nervous. Tzirret just tried staying glum, almost in rebellion at this point. His only hint of smiles came from when he was pat on his middle, due to being ticklish.

At La'khay's last request, his demeanour turned to looking between Gallus and La'khay's faces rapidly with flattened ears. He stepped out of reach of La'khay and put up his hands. "No! No..." He calmed and sighed in resignation, "Okay, you have made your point." He brought a hand up to clutch his other upper arm and lowered his voice again, "This one is still not good at talking to girls anyway..."

"Well, you should give it more of a try," Gallus smiled, "Did you learn how to fight without getting any bruises?" There was a pause where Tzirret thought the question was rhetorical. "Well, did you?" Gallus asked.

Tzirret shook his head, "No?"

"Same concept. The more you try, the more you'll learn." Gallus pat Tzirret on the back, "There's nothing to be afraid of."

There was a short, acknowledging hum from Tzirret. Talking to Gallus was helpful for many things, but Tzirret kept glancing to La'khay. With how open she was, and the fact that she was a Khajiit woman, he felt more comfortable talking to her about the problems in the realms of courting and relationships. He wished he could talk to her in private.

There might be a point in which Gallus climbed a tree to get orientated, Tzirret supposed that he could wait until then.

La'khay also pat Tzirret's back along with Gallus. "Yes, the most important part is just talking to them at all. If you like, you can always practice on La'khay. Or, if you really want a challenge, Do'ajee." She chuckled.

Gallus' group too experienced difficulty traversing the thicker parts of the forest they were entering. It slowed their pace, but fortunately, Ra'kalesh had accounted for the difficulties the forest itself would present when he advised Meesei on the search pattern. Again, La'khay, as a member of the pride, did not have near as much difficulty navigating. When the forest grew thicker, she guided them through quicker paths through the foliage. At a glance, she could tell exactly which way to push the vines or other flora to move them aside without even needing to cut through them. Evidently, even La'khay had strong knowledge of these wilds.

Eventually, their group had gone far enough East that they were reaching the edge of the area they were meant to search that day. They would need to change direction soon in order to comb over a different part of their search area. "We are going to need to turn...north soon, correct? La'khay asked as they walked along. Although, the tree cover above them currently did somewhat obscure the position of the sun.

Gallus nodded, "Yes. About now, actually." He slowed to a stop and put his fists on his hips. He searched around for the sun to make sure he had his bearings, but looked a little unsure. "We could just take a right, but we might have wavered with the way we've meandered." He looked around until he found a suitable tree to climb and began doing just that. "I'll see if I can find the sun. I won't be a moment."

It was just the chance that Tzirret had been waiting for. He watched as Gallus climbed so high that he was out of earshot, then looked at La'khay, picking at one of his claws nervously.

"Um, La'khay?" Tzirret looked to one side and one of his ears rose higher than the other, "This one knows that he was very upset last night. He could not...get through the nervousness, and I could not...do...what was planned, but..." Tzirret's ears rose slightly and he managed to look La'khay in the face, "Khajiit never got to thank you. I was vulnerable, but you were very kind...and understanding." Tzirret began to blink rapidly and look down at his hands. "It was Tzirret's first time. He is sorry if La'khay thought he could not do it for any other reason." Tzirret glanced up again and sniffed. He decided to switch to Ta'agra, though somehow he didn't think to earlier. "And thank you for trying to help with Tzirret's confidence. You did not have to do anything. La'khay has not known Tzirret for long."

On the other side of the search area, Fendros and Ahnasha trailed behind Colours, following his lead. They had swords, conjured and mundane, so cutting through the forest was easier for them.

Fendros had been quiet for a while, seemingly considering something, but he spoke up eventually with a slightly guilty voice. "Hey, Ahnasha. I have been thinking." He rubbed the back of his neck, "Ever since you visited your family, I was tossing up the idea of...maybe visiting Cheydinhal some time." He wished he could be casual about it, but such a proposition was loaded with complications. "You see...I have a confession. You remember Llarasa, yes? We had actually been exchanging letters via Bruma for almost two and a half years now."

It was the first time that Fendros had brought it up at all. The original excuses he had for keeping it secret were very weak and almost gone by now. He only hoped that Ahnasha would not be too angry about it.

La'khay leaned herself against the tree as Gallus started to climb it. Though, almost as soon as Gallus was out of earshot, Tzirret slowly and nervously started to speak up. She kept a warm and friendly expression the entire time as she was listening, hoping to lessen his obvious fear. Once he had given his thanks, she responded in Ta'agra. "La'khay does not have to, but it is the least she can do. What your packs did for us is...beyond words. Khajiit does not think you really understand what you...saved us from. Nothing La'khay could ever do would match what you did for us, but she can at least do what she can. It's a shame to see you so nervous like this; you are such a kind young man. La'khay hopes you will find a lass who will appreciate it."

With a grin on her face, La'khay reached out and scratched lightly under Tzirret's chin. "And of course, if you still want to go through with it, La'khay is certainly...eager."

At first, Ahnasha actually liked what Fendros was suggesting. As uncomfortable as it was when she spoke to her family, she had felt a great weight lifted off her shoulders after it was over. Even though she had not shared the whole truth, she felt closure to what she had done to them all those years ago. She was enthusiastic about the idea that Fendros could do the same thing, but as soon as Fendros mentioned that he had been exchanging letters with his sister for years, her expression soured.

"You've been...what? Did you say two years? Do I even..." Ahnasha began, letting out a sigh as she ran her hand down her face. "Do I even need to ask what was in those letters? You know how much of a security risk that could be." Ahnasha protested. The safety of the clan was a top concern for her, and though she knew that others in the clan, such as Sabine, had contact with others across Tamriel, they were not doing it secretly. Ariel was known to be trusted, and from what Ahnasha understood, Meesei made sure that Sabine included no information that could endanger either the clan, or Ariel herself. However, Ahnasha had no idea if Fendros was taking those precautions."

"Hey, um, sorry to interrupt, but...we need to turn south soon...I think. If someone wants to help...me..." Colors began as he stopped between the two, exceptionally nervously. "Actually...actually, you know what, don't worry. I think, uh, I think I'll just go over there and, um, climb that tree...over there. Get our...bearings and everything. You just stay here and keep watch, or, um, you know just keep doing what you're doing...I'll just go over there now...yeah."

The way La'khay had been helping Tzirret made a lot more sense with her explanation. It was nice to hear that his errant thoughts about the possibility of being manipulated or La'khay being a strange person for wanting to bed him were not so probable. He even managed a weak smile with her well wishing.

La'khay's turn from matronly to salacious caused Tzirret to lower his smile and widen his eyes in surprise, but not exactly in paralysed shock like normal. "Huh? La'khay is? This one thought he only had one chance..." His disbelief lasted only a moment as he scrunched his face apprehensively, "Is it okay if Tzirret can try...taking his time? Maybe if he does not rush, he will do better?" Tzirret glanced between La'khay's face and his hands, he didn't quite believe that he was even in this situation, "Or...perhaps La'khay could...teach Tzirret some things?"

In his honesty, Fendros was actually surprised that Ahnasha's first protest was with security. Fendros felt as though he was breaching her trust by not telling her until now, but he had been careful about it. Fendros let Colours finish and waved him off, then responded calmly. "I used an alias, I revealed nothing about our location or headings, I revealed nothing sensitive," Fendros lifted a hand to console Ahnasha, "There's nothing to worry about there. I just..." Fendros withdrew his hand and rubbed his wrist, "...I felt as if it would put more pressure to go and show everything to mother and father if I let everyone know about the letters. We've already talked about why I don't want to do that, but...with your family, I saw how much they appreciated seeing you alive, and...it got me thinking about trying something similar." Fendros took a step and faced sideways to Ahnasha, taking a deeper breath, "But, I have no idea how I would approach them. I don't think I could walk in the same way as you did."

La'khay grinned and gave an affirmative nod. "Of course, La'khay can teach you anything you like, especially about mating. It is what she knows best. She can tell or...show you how to be as good as you can be. Anything to make you more confident in yourself. Now, just tell La'khay what you want to know." She answered. The way she spoke about it was exceptionally casual, given the subject. While Tzirret was practically paralyzed in his fear, La'khay acted as if her answer was perfectly normal. Certainly, she did not seem to be bothered in the slightest by any of it.

Ahnasha's worries were at least partially satisfied by Fendros' answer, but it was clear that she was still upset. Her first concern had indeed been security, but beyond that, she was still offended by the situation. It made no sense to her why he would want to keep these letters secret from anyone in the pack, let alone his own mate. Even as he started to ask how to go about the meeting, Ahnasha's expression still remained distinctly cross. "Fendros...don't get me wrong, I don't think visiting them is a bad ides, but why in Oblivion didn't you tell me about this? You're exchanging letters with your family for two and a half entire years and you don't think it worthwhile to tell your own mate? Did you not trust me? Did you think that I...actually I can't even really think of an excuse or reason you would want to keep it from me. I don't know if I'm more confused or angry." She responded.

"Er, m-maybe La'khay could speak of that another time," Tzirret stammered. He looked up to try and find Gallus. He could just see him nearing the canopy, he would be several minutes longer. Tzirret looked to La'khay and tried to think of a question that didn't involve the physical aspects. It was difficult given the thoughts whizzing through his mind in that moment. He spoke a little more comfortably now, if only because he felt he could trust La'khay, "If Tzirret comes to La'khay's clan and likes a girl, how would he proceed? He would imagine to tell her, but he is...too scared to."

"Okay, Ahna?" Fendros sighed, his tone rather guilty at this point, "This is going to sound stupid, because it was, okay? I should have let you know right from the beginning, I'm sorry. At the start, it was like I said, I didn't really want to have another discussion about going to see them. Between raising Rhazii and the sessions with Najirra, I wanted to avoid it." Fendros closed his eyes and rubbed a temple, "The thought crossed my mind to tell you a few months in, but I...never got around to it. By the time I knew I should, I knew you would be angry anyway. I realised it would be even less fair to keep the secret after you saw your family, so..." Fendros brought his temple rubbing hand across in a slow cutting motion, "Here we are."

"Sure, La'khay can explain everything when we have time, back at camp." She answered. Though, as to Tzirret's next question, La'khay did not have quite as definitive of answers. She rested her head on her hand and gently stroked her own whiskers as she thought about what to tell him. "Well, that is a harder question. In Senchal, La'khay would mate with anyone who had the coin. What you want is different. If you want advice on those...long-term relationships, there are a few in the Champion's pack who could tell you better than this one. But, as for just getting someone to be interested in you, that is easier. You just need to capture her attention. La'khay recommends finding someone you like. Not just a pretty girl, but someone you get along with. Some people would never say yes to you, just because you're not right for each other. See if you can find someone who likes the things you like. Other than that, La'khay can tell you what she likes. Someone who is humorous and confident, this one finds attractive. She likes someone who can pay attention, and won't forget everything she tells them. This one likes to feel beautiful, but just saying 'you're beautiful' isn't enough. Khajiit had heard that thousands of times. You have to be creative. Why don't you try it? Think of ways to tell this one she is beautiful."

Ahnasha sighed and shook her head. "You're right, it is stupid." It seemed like even he knew that he had no reason to keep the secret other than the fact that he had kept it in the first place. It upset her, but nevertheless, she decided just to focus on the real issue he had been wanting to talk about. "Alright, whatever, about this visit. You want to go to Cheydinhal, to see your parents I'm guessing? What exactly do you want to tell them? Obviously you'll be revealing that you're alive, but there's more you have the option of saying. Would you want to tell them about me, your...wife, as you would probably describe me? Would you want them to know that they have a grandson? And of course, there's your lycanthropy."

While La'khay's advice seemed like common sense to Tzirret's ears, it was helpful. He was still young and inexperienced enough that her words would help to avoid common pitfalls. Tzirret could not help but feel a little crestfallen for not being particularly humorous or confident as La'khay said, but then again, perhaps other girls would be different? He knew he could pay attention and learn, at least.

As for making La'khay feel beautiful, Tzirret turned and thought to himself for a moment. He looked down and ran his fingers over his forearms, a bit nervous again. "La'khay is..." Tzirret's eyes were brought to the striped pattern of La'khay's fur and he began to draw some parallels. He was so embarrassed that he could not keep eye contact anyway. "To hold La'khay is to hold onto a warm sunset through a field of peaceful wheat. Her body and spirit is...a treasure that swells the heart." It didn't cross his mind to be a little more subdued, until he finished. He gave La'khay a few fleeting glances as if he was about to get beaten for misbehaving. "T-this one is sorry. The words were trying too hard, weren't they?"

Fendros was glad that there didn't appear to be too much more drama in not telling her about the letters until now, but he wished he had further answers to her. He tightened his lips and shook his head, sucking in a breath through his teeth, "That's just the thing, I don't know how much I could tell them." Fendros faced Ahnasha properly again and put a hand on his hip, "Your family was fine with me and Rhazii, but it isn't the same here. I'll admit, I haven't put all that much thought into the details, but as far as I can see, I could try one of two things; I would either tell them everything, have them try to force me to stay, and in the process have father risk attempting to kill you and Rhazii-" Fendros stopped and gave Ahnasha a serious look, "-I am not joking about that, by the way. That, or turn up on my own and tell them only about my lycanthropy." Fendros brought a hand up and looked to one side, "Even then, they would probably try to force me to stay and try to find a cure." Fendros bit his lips for a moment, "It's not simple. There has to be some other way to do it."

La'khay held up her hand and pinched two of her fingers together. "Um, a little, yes. Something like that would be sweet to say to someone you've been with for a while. Try complimenting her eyes, or the vibrance of her fur. And be sure to be specific about it. Tailor your compliments to the person you're trying to impress. And don't just say it randomly either; make sure it fits in the conversation."

Above them, La'khay heard some rustling in the leaves. She briefly glanced up and saw that Gallus was probably making his way down as they spoke. [i]"Looks like we are running low on time. Any last questions? We can pick up later tonight. You can ask La'khay anything you like, practice your compliments, mate with her, whatever you desire. La'khay would talk to you while we walk, but we really should focus on searching then."

A few months before, Ahnasha really would not have known where to begin, but between talking with her family and dealing with Irenya, she was staring to become more comfortable with the idea of what was likely to be a very difficult conversation. "Hmm...well all of that is assuming that you have this conversation on their terms, in their home. Or even in Cheydinhal at all. If you can make this conversation happen somewhere else, away from the city, then you, or we, depending, will not be in as much danger. We could simply run away if things went wrong, without raising the suspicion of the local guard. My family was accepting of you, but from what you're describing, it seems like no matter what you tell them, your family isn't going to like it. I...know I may not have much room to talk, since I didn't tell my family everything, but there was still a chance for us to have good relations. With your parents, it might be best to get it all out in the open to start. If you somehow did manage to get them to accept part of the truth, but found out you lied again, I don't see that relationship recovering. If your father wants to try to kill me, well, let him try. He won't get anywhere."

Tzirret lowered his head in shame at his efforts. Once again, he counted it a blessing that La'khay could keep secrets. For the last question, one thing floated to the front of Tzirret's mind that he had been wondering about for a short while. It wasn't specifically to do with the topic they had been on.

"Tzirret has been curious about one thing," Tzirret was trying to sound careful, "Is it really okay for us to...you know, mate? Uh-he means...Tzirret still desires to, but...not that La'khay is old, but...La'khay has seen a some more moons than Tzirret. This is not what this one thought was the normal way to do it."

"I know," Fendros shook his head calmly, "I don't see him being able to kill you at all." Fendros closed his eyes for a moment and refocussed, "But, anyway, perhaps you're right. If I just lay everything bare and make it clear that they can't make me stay...it will be ugly, I know it, but whether they accept it or not, they'll know. No more lies." Fendros looked at a tree, sadly, "Beyond that, I suppose I'll still have Llarasa either way."

Fendros reached an arm around and drew his family sword slowly. He held it in two hands and faced the point down, bringing his eyes to the ornate guard with the Avarul crest. He couldn't believe that he had carried it all this way. "Do you think I should give this back to them?" he asked.

La'khay started to chuckle and shook her head lightly. "Normal? No, it isn't normal. But, La'khay isn't normal either, and she doesn't really care what is. This one would suggest that you not expect any other girl to want the same things as La'khay. But, this one does not think there is anything wrong with who she is. You are of age, and if you want to do it, then you do it. Others like Do'ajee would disagree, but La'khay doesn't care. That one never has any fun; just enjoy yourself."

"Hmm, it's not like we're lacking for swords, but you might want to think about the...symbolism of that gesture." Ahnasha answered. She looked down at the sword and ran her hand across its pommel. It was a finely made weapon, certainly, but the quality of the craftsmanship did not really matter for this particular question. "Maybe it's just me, but I would see that as saying that you are leaving behind your family. You know, since you're giving back something that represents them. It could mean that you're...letting go of that part of your life or something. Maybe that's what you want to do. If so, then I would say give it up. If you still want to try to keep a connection with them, I'd say to keep it. I mean, I could be wrong on all accounts, but that's just what I would see in it."

Another thought came to Ahnasha's mind as she thought about Fendros' family. Specifically, their encounter with his siblings in the Imperial City. "Oh, and some more advice. I would try not to reveal the fact that you met up with your siblings before, and especially that you've been writing to your sister. You wouldn't want to bring any of your parents' wrath down on them."

The answer made sense to Tzirret. He gave a small smile as he caught La'khay's eye. "Okay then."

"What's all this Ta'agra? Been gossiping, have we?" Gallus landed with a soft thud back onto the leaf-covered ground and looked to both La'khay and Tzirret with a grin. He ruffled the fur on the top of Tzirret's head with a laugh, "Been sharing all of my secrets now?" Tzirret was about to deny it, but Gallus didn't give him time to respond. "We have a heading now. Let's keep going."

It was all in good nature, so Tzirret just took the opportunity to grin at the humour and follow along. His mood had evidently turned for the better.

"Oh, no, of course not," Fendros mentioned, "I can't speak for Monderyn, but I wouldn't do that to them. At least Monderyn wouldn't know about the letters, I should think."

The sword was not a simple decision either. Ahnasha had virtually read his subconscious mind in the way she saw it. He just didn't look at the entire gesture. Fendros sighed through his nose and slid the blade back into its scabbard, "I think I'll decide on the sword closer to the point where I confront them. Perhaps I'll even wait to see how they react to me being alive. I...don't think I could sever my ties with them completely, at least not on a whim."

Fendros looked up at Ahnasha with an idea. He still sounded solemn, but also more certain. "Actually, I might ask what Llarasa thinks first. It has been a few years, they might have changed somewhat."

Since Gallus had returned, La'khay simply grinned with Gallus' jest and continued on the heading he cave. She had no issue returning to the task at hand with no signs that anything in particular was on her mind. She took the lead to guide them more quickly through the foliage, and kept a sharp eye and keen nose out for anything out of place. She would be glad if they found their clan so soon, though she doubted they would be so lucky.

After another hour of searching, the trio finally came to something that was different from the endless sea of trees that they were wading through. It was near the base of a fallen tree next to a river, and almost looked like a sinkhole. Although, the incline on one side was shallow enough that one could step down into it. Looking down inside, it appeared to lead into a cave. "Hmm...La'khay can not smell the scent of lycans near the entrance, but...do you think we should investigate? We don't know what precautions they are taking."

Ahnasha nodded in understanding. "I'll have to let you make that choice. It's not really my place to say if you should or shouldn't cut all ties with your family. This will all probably be a long ways off anyway, of we get the chance for it, but we should starting thinking about how you're actually going to go about doing this. As I said, it probably isn't best to meet them in the city. There's just too many ways that can go wrong. Is there any time that you can think of where we could meet them outside the city? Maybe sometime that you know for sure they would be traveling?"