Gallus was not exactly shocked to hear what Meesei was suggesting, but he regarded her thoughtfully, weighing up the moral cost in his mind. He slowly turned his head to look at the forest floor and twisted his mouth uneasily. It evidently left a bad taste in his mouth. "You suggest that we commandeer a large cargo vessel by killing the crew?" Gallus asked rhetorically, a drop of venom in his words, "Then load up an entire clan onto it, cramped conditions, crowded holds, and hope we don't befall a misfortune that sinks us?"

He closed his eyes and sighed through his nose, trying to sound more sympathetic, "Meesei, I understand that these are desperate times. We would prefer not to waste any lives at all, we both know that. I...do not like the plan either, however...it [i]would[/i] put less risk on the lives of the clan." Gallus looked at Meesei again with his brow furrowed. By his tone, he was trying to look for hope rather than a sure solution, "Are you sure there is no way to do so without killing the crew? Would it be possible to coerce them instead? We may need their expertise if we run into a storm, or a sea creature, or...or pirates, even."

Before Meesei could respond, however, Gallus stood up straight and widened his eyes, "Or..." he said quietly. He closed his mouth into a smile and snapped his fingers, "What if the clan [i]is[/i] the intended cargo?" He suggested quickly, "Slaves are contraband, but that simply makes them more valuable on the black market for those willing to transport them. With the number of Khajiit, it is plausible to have them pose as such, and all the while we do not have to double-cross any crew we hire until well into the voyage."

[hr]
Tzirret gave a weak smile to everyone in the group as he sat down on the shore with them. He sat cross-legged, but brought his knees up a bit, held by his elbows and clasped together hands. It reflected his own tension.

Thankfully, the girl, Ma'tanza, was curious enough that Tzirret did not have to lead the initial conversation. [i]"The champion? Well...she is strong and wise? Very serious most of the time, but...it is hard to tell sometimes. Even for an Argonian, she hides her feelings from everyone."[/i] Tzirret looked to the ground, [i]"She is a nice person, though."[/i]

Tzirret did not exactly know what to say next. Through his inner anxiety, he couldn't think of anything to ask immediately.