"Well, I dare say we have better hope than when we started this meeting," Gallus remarked solemnly, "We can collect some logs, roll them in on carts, drop them off, and hopefully have closer to the amount of coin we need." Gallus rubbed his chin, "It will be more conspicuous, but at this point I would prefer that to letting people die in the desert."

After letting out a hum, Gallus found himself out of further ideas for now. He instead turned to more immediate matters, "What shall we have the rest of the clan do in the meantime? It may be prudent to alert everyone to start packing, whether the destination is disclosed or not."

---

With wavering eyes, a nervous posture, and a low, curling tail, Tzirret took careful steps out towards the river once more. He had just had lunch after spending more time than he intended with La'khay. He had hoped that being with her would give him some more confidence, but that was naive, as he discovered. Along the river shore and in its waters were a few groups of people from the Senchal clan, all strangers. He had promised La'khay that he would go out and make new friends on his own, but his second thoughts were making his footsteps smaller and smaller.

Eventually, his paces were so small that he simply stopped next to a tree and looked on with his mouth agape. His throat was dry, perhaps he should go back and get his waterskin? Perhaps he could just lay in his room and do this tomorrow. This one must keep his promise to La'khay! his mind screamed. It was enough to take only another small step.

He waited another several moments, standing and looking on. The niggling excuse that kept him paralysed was the hope that someone would come up and talk to him. There were errant glances from some people, but no one left their group of friends. He eventually realised that he was habitually falling for what La'khay said was a weakness of his; letting others approach.

Tzirret, this is no minotaur, he tried to assure himself, If you can run up and kill a minotaur with a spear, you can walk up and talk to others. These people do not even have horns! Stop expecting the sky to fall in, idiot!

Tzirret grit his teeth and picked a group to move towards. He had small steps, but he clenched his fists and made longer strides. These strides unfortunately shrank as he continued. He had to relax his fists and swallow before walking normally again. As he closed to within around ten metres, his heart was pounding in his chest and he felt like running and hiding. Five metres made him want to break down crying until his anxiety ebbed. One metre...he thought it best to try saying something.

"Um..." Tzirret addressed the group of four Khajiit youths that looked around his age, give or take two or three years. He raised a hand and spoke Ta'agra, "Hello?"

"Hmm, well it may be best to wait until we decide for certain what we intend to do before alerting the clan as a whole. We have not yet reached an agreement to leave, Gallus." Meesei remarked before turning her attention back to Ri'nakhad. "I should let you begin your cataloging. Hopefully, either we will have enough resources that can be easily sold for the journey, or another solution will present itself."

Ri'nakhad looked to his lieutenants for a few moments, waiting to see if they had any more to say before answering. "Of course, we should have a report ready by tomorrow. This one hopes we will be able to come to an agreement that suits us all."

With the meeting adjourned, Ri'nakhad stayed to speak with his lieutenants about their specific tasks, while the rest of the group began to disperse. Meesei stepped outside just behind Do'ajee, but waited by the railing nearby for Gallus, as she had a few thoughts on her mind that she felt she needed to discuss.

---

The first to notice Tzirret among the group was a light-furred boy a few years older than him, but smaller due to being a Suthay. He had stripes that were quite dark in contrast to the rest of his fur and an average build for a lycan. He turned around and looked up at him strangely. "Um...hello? I don't think I know you." He responded. His accent was distinctly Cyrodilic, though he spoke in Ta'agra confidently. He turned his head towards his friends and gave a questioning gaze to confirm whether or not this new visitor was someone any of them knew.

After a few seconds, another of the group squinted her eyes as she leaned forward and stared at his face. She was a Suthay-raht with light brown fur and light spots, and did not look to be particularly athletic. "This one...thinks she does recognize him, actually. From last night...are you a member of the Champion's pack?"

Though he did not wear a smile, Gallus emerged from the meeting room behind Meesei with a confident demeanour. He closed the door behind himself and took a deep breath through his nose. "Well..." he shot a glance to Meesei and walked up to the railing beside her. He leaned his hands against it and looked across the clan home. "That was productive enough. I have to say that despite my earlier apprehensions, this plan is sounding more possible than before."

---

Tzirret was at first a little discouraged by the first boy's response, but the girl that recognised him at least gave him something to respond to. "Yes, he means...not really, but this one is with the pack that is travelling with the champion's." Tzirret turned his eyes away and bowed his head forward to itch his neck, "Er...this one is called Tzirret," he looked around to each of them with a nervous frown, "Does this group have room for another to sit?"

Meesei gave a slight nod as she looked out over the railing at the camp below. The meeting had gone well-enough, but she still seemed visibly troubled. "Yes, we do have a more solid plan now. Though, there are still many unknowns. Depending on how many resources we have available, and how much food and water we will need, we may have to make some difficult decisions. Selling the wood we have on hand was a good idea, but we may not have time to wait for the finished products to be crafted if we require too much. But, if we just sell the wood itself, we may be forced to sell some of our other supplies, like weapons, clothing, or armor. That, or risk having too little food or water."

Closing her eyes, Meesei let out a long sigh. "There is one option I can think of. It is not one that I like, but it is possible. We could purchase some supplies with the easily tradable resources we have, then have them loaded onto a ship. Perhaps offer a sizable portion of the cargo as payment, in addition to what gold we have left over. We could have a group of our own on board as passengers; they would not even need to be armed. In such tight quarters, it would not be difficult to kill the ship's crew and take what they have. It would be quicker than waiting for the carpenters, and the extra supplies there would be on the ship would be more than enough to supply the clan. It could help prevent casualties among the clan, and ensure we do not risk the mission by delaying." She suggested, her words frighteningly devoid of emotion. To kill innocents in such a manner was a callous suggestion, one that did not fit the Meesei that her pack and their allies knew.

---

"Oh, sure." The Suthay boy said, shrugging his shoulders as he pointed to an empty place between himself and the Suthay-raht girl on the shore.

"My name is Bheja. She is Ma'tanza, the dark-furred one there is Qa'habi, and the light furred one is M'ibasa. He said, gesturing first to the Suthay-raht, girl, then to the two other boys, also Suthay-raht.

Ma'tanza looked to Tzirret with her head cocked slightly to the side, looking to him as if to analyze him. "You're not in the Champion's pack, but you still travel with her, right? What is she like?"

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 would 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 is 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."

---

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. "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." Tzirret looked to the ground, "She is a nice person, though."

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

Despite her formerly unemotional visage, Meesei could help but to give a small laugh as she shook her head slowly. "That...is not exactly what I meant. My meaning was that we could use the extra supplies aboard the ship, which would have been intended to sustain them over a long journey, to help sustain the clan in addition to what we could purchase. If we needed anything more, we could sell what we find aboard the ship. I should probably remind you that Orcrest is entirely landlocked in the middle of the desert. A ship could not get us there...unless..." Meesei's eyes widened as a thought suddenly entered her mind. To confirm her suspicion, she quickly opened up one of her bags and pulled out one of her maps, then held it up against the tree as she unrolled it.

"Yes, yes...you see here, east of Riverhold? There is an inlet into Elsweyr, off of the Niben River. We could follow that as far as the ship, or ships, depending on how many we need, could take us. If we told them we were going to, say, northern Morrowind, then the ship would be overstocked for such a relatively short journey. We would still need to cross a stretch of desert, but it would not be nearly as far as leaving straight from here. It would be easy to supply ourselves for that journey, and we would even get to kill a crew of slavers." Meesei reasoned. In contrast to her usual, stoic attitude, Meesei was clearly happy with Gallus' suggestion, as it solved most of the problems that would threaten the lives of the clan. She was actually even smiling.

"Gallus, you are a genius." Meesei commented, even going as far as giving him a quick hug. "We just need someone among the clan who has knowledge of Senchal's criminal underworld."

---

Ma'tanza listened closely, and indeed, all of the others seemed interested in hearing about the Champion as well. Ma'tanza nodded at Tzirret's description. "She sounds...mysterious. This one does not know much about Argonians, she doesn't really know any of them very well. There are a few in the clan, but there are none of them near this one's age...anymore. She tried talking to one once, but her mother pulled her away and said he was a scoundrel, or something."

M'ibasa, who seemed to be the youngest of the group, chimed in after a few moments. "This one heard she is very powerful, but she didn't look that big or strong when M'ibasa saw her go past. Have you ever seen her fight, what can she do?"

At first, it seemed as though robbing and sinking a ship of innocent sailors was going to be inevitable. Thankfully, Meesei's further reasoning made the alternative plan seem viable and Gallus' smile returned. He was actually surprised to get a hug from Meesei, but he reasoned that the relief brought about by not killing in cold blood was enough justification.

Gallus returned the hug with a laugh of his own and put a finger to his head when they separated. "If rumours are true, Meesei, then I think we know just the scoundrel already." He became more serious for a moment, however, "Let's not get too excited yet. We should make sure that the plan is possible first."

Gallus put his hands on his hips and looked around. "Now, where would we find Colours at this time of day?"

---

"She is a mage," Tzirret said plainly, "This one has seen her use some powerful magic. She can do this thing where she..." Tzirret tried explaining with unhelpful gestures, and then found words, "...turns into lightning. Her entire body. It is nothing this one has ever seen before."

This time, Tzirret tried to be a little less passive in the conversation with these new people. The topic gave him some direction, despite his clear tension. "Are there other...rumours about her?"

Meesei nodded in agreement. "Yes, we must not get ahead of ourselves. There are several matters we should probably tend to before meeting with the clan's leadership again. I want to make sure we have a way to ensure our food stays preserved. We can...technically sustain ourselves on spoiled meat, being that disease is not an issue, but that would not be good for morale. I think I will search for a magical, or perhaps alchemical solution. If we are to attempt this plan, it would also be wise to mask our scent. Very few who are not lycans can tell what we are by scent, even among Vile's minions, but I would rather not take any chances. I believe I will contend with those issues, while you seek out Colors. If he knows anyone who may deal in slaves, tell him to join in our meeting tomorrow. I would go search for him down in the camp. Just look for attractive women; he is bound not to be far behind." She suggested with a slight chuckle.

Once the two separated, Meesei went about finding someone who could help with the matter of preserving their food for the journey. Naturally, her thoughts turned to Sabine. She had heard her mention that she was working on a way to keep their bodies cool in the tropical head, so it was possible she already had potions that could do the same for their provisions. Since her and Peiter's room was nearby, she decided to first look for her there. She had to search around to jog her memory on which of the rooms Sabine and Peiter had selected, but eventually made her way to the room and knocked on its door. She thought she heard something strange inside as she approached, but did not think anything of it at the moment.

Just as they had planned, Peiter and Sabine had mated several times over the course of a few hours. Their first encounter in the river had been in the morning, and it was already well into the afternoon. There were a few mistakes on both their parts, but overall, he was thoroughly enjoying himself. The exertion of it all was starting to fatigue him, but each time they took a break to recover and recharge, the allure of the sensations he could expect would draw him back in. He did at least feel like he was improving. They went undisturbed for a while, but it was in the height of one of these encounters that Meesei came knocking at the door.

---

Turn herself into lightning? That cannot be true, surely? Ma'tanza responded in disbelief. "This one has heard rumors about her, yes. Rumors about her being a powerful mage, but that sounds like fantasy. Maybe she could demonstrate her power, if she ever has the time for it?"

Although Tzirret's fear was visible in his body language, none of the others had yet commented on it, perhaps because they were too preoccupied with the conversation. Qa'habi was the next to answer him. "There are lots of other rumors about her too. Some say she had to kill this giant, powerful Orc lycan hunter who was possessed by Clavicus Vile himself, or something like that. Then she received the Ring of Hircine from Hircine himself. Some people don't think she's the real Champion, though. Qa'habi has heard some people say she just found the ring and made up the story. Or that she's an illusionist that's been pretending to be powerful. This one heard these three Altmer say they would each challenge her to a duel if they ever saw her. It's strange they haven't said anything about it yet. Everyone knows she's here."

Time seemed to fly on during Sabine and Peiter's day in. It was as much an experience in learning as it was in pleasure. As they continued, they became more familiar with each other's reactions and built up a repertoire of what they enjoyed. For a while, this made each experience better as they went along. However, now they were both getting tired, ragged, and sore. Peiter was certainly showcasing his endurance, but Sabine was one, maybe two rounds away from stopping for the day. Then again, she thought that on her last two breaks, but then they found another position.

Before the knock on the door, the entire outside world was out of Sabine's mind. The sound made it all rush back at once with such jarring brevity that she almost yelped in shock.

From the other side of the door, the strange sounds abruptly stopped. There were some sharp whispers and murmurs, shuffling of linen, and finally light padding of feet on the squeaky wooden floor.

The door opened a short way to reveal a sight and a smell. The sight was Sabine's exhausted and sweat-drenched little face peering out from behind the door. Her hair had hints of the straight styling that it wore in the morning, but it was so messy, wet, and bedraggled that she looked as if she had been fighting an army. Strands of it clung to her cheeks and her neck as if they were just as fearful as she looked. The smell was unbeknownst to Sabine, as she had been in it all day, but what seeped out and struck Meesei's nostrils like a club was unmistakable. It was definitely not an army.

"Um, do you need something, Meesei?" Sabine croaked nervously. She stood such that the door was obscuring the bed in the dim hope that Meesei wouldn't suspect anything.

---

Tzirret actually smiled a little and his ears perked halfway. It was funny how different that tale was at this end of Tamriel. "Tzirret has heard that story, actually. Though it was a bit different when he heard it." The thought didn't cross Tzirret's mind that clarifying might disenchant the story as they knew it. "He heard it from Gallus, my alpha, who heard it from Meesei herself. I don't remember the Orc being giant, but he did stab Meesei in the gut with a silver spear. She had to get special treatment to stay alive." Tzirret itched behind his ear, making that one stand straighter for a moment as he spoke. "She also just got the ring from the Orc himself if this one remembers rightly. He had taken it when he killed the last champion, or something."

Tzirret refocussed, "But, this one has seen Meesei's magic. It is very real. These Altmer, are they powerful?"

"Ah, good afternoon, Sabine. I was wanting to talk...to you...about..." Meesei started to say, but she trailed off as a certain realization smacked into her like a charging minotaur. She might have been able to explain away the fact that Sabine was drenched in sweat, considering the heat in the air, and she might not have noticed her hair, since it was usually rather disorderly. But, the scent was what made it undeniable. It was that distinctive, pungent scent that she recognize which confirmed what the other evidence hinted at. Her nostrils flared as she took in a few breaths, then her eyes widened as if she had seen some otherworldly specter and her mouth hung slightly open.

"I...you...I had no idea you...are mating?" Meesei said in shock. She had not meant to be so direct in stating it, but rather, it was something she had blurted out through her mind's current discord. To see Meesei in such mental disarray was an exceptionally rare event, even for one as close to her as Sabine. She was not necessarily angry, or even disappointed in Sabine, as it was not as if she had expected her to remain chaste forever. However, despite the fact that she was an adult, Meesei still had the image of Sabine as her young, slightly naive daughter who was not yet fully part of the very dangerous world of the adults around her. But, to know that she was doing something so decidedly mature caused that illusion to shatter before her. "Can I...can I...speak...to you?" She asked nervously.

---

The reactions of the four Khajiit to Tzirret's version of the story ranged between skepticism and fascination. Ma'tanza seemed particularly interested to hear the actual story of the Champion. Her ears were perked up, and her eyes were wide with interest. "Ma'tanza has never heard that part of the story. She has always been told that silver is very dangerous to us; surviving a silver spear sounds difficult. Maybe that's why the Altmer haven't done anything; they're afraid. They are mages; used to be...Thalmor soldiers, this one thinks. They don't get along well with a lot of people here."

With the mention of Tzirret witnessing Meesei's magic, Bheja spoke up next. "Well, if you've seen her magic before, does that mean you've fought with her before? What was that like?"

Sabine looked at the floor, avoiding Meesei's eyes, as a flush of red came over her face. Meesei's astonishment was seen by Sabine to be anger directed at her. She was in deep trouble now. There was no point trying to hide anything. Her head turned away from the door and spoke. "Peiter? Meesei is coming in," Sabine stated weakly. She at least allowed Peiter a couple of moments to adjust himself before she would open the door.

Once Peiter was done, Sabine sullenly stepped back and pulled the door open to reveal not only her entire body glowing with sweat, but also her lack of body hair. She had just about forgotten about that as well. As she stepped aside to let Meesei in, still avoiding eye contact, Meesei could see the mess of sheets that was the bed. "I used a potion today," Sabine croaked quietly to Meesei, trying to reassure that she was being somewhat responsible.

---

Tzirret nodded in understanding about the Altmer. If he knew anything about Thalmor, it was that having a member of a beast race have authority over them would require intimidation.

"This one fought only once before with Meesei in the battle." Tzirret's ears went down again with what he remembered, "Tzirret was in the back lines when defending the Bruma clan home against a band of Vile's mercenaries three years ago. Meesei was a distance away, but Tzirret could see her magic. She used lightning, a lot of it. It made bright flashes on the walls and stunned and burned the enemy. She helped save everyone's lives that day."

Tzirret of course omitted his own performance during that battle. Which was to say, poor to non-existent. But, the desperation and blood were marked in his mind with everything else. Back then, at least, he didn't ever actually have to fight face to face with the overwhelming enemy.

"Good, that is...good." Meesei said in response to Sabine mentioning the potion, though she was still overwhelmed by the situation she had walked in on. Peiter was sitting up on the bed with his legs handing off the side, and the sheets pulled over his lap, and seemed to be just as nervous as Sabine. As soon as the door was opened, Meesei could both see and smell the evidence of what had been happening within the room. "You really have been...and did you shave your..." She stammered as she brought her hand up to her head. The shock of it all was actually starting to make her feel lightheaded.

"I...came here to speak to you about some...I should not disturb you, but..." Meesei swallowed nervously before looking straight as Sabine, then reaching out and gently placing her hand on her shoulder. "Could we step out into the hall and speak...privately?" Meesei asked, but her expression was not quite like any Sabine would have seen before, and her hand was very obviously shaking. It was almost like she was afraid, but there seemed to be more to it.

---

By this point, Ma'tanza was leaning forward towards Tzirret cross-legged, with her elbows resting on her knees, and her head resting on her hands, and the others were showing similar states of attention. Evidently, his stories of the Champion had sparked quite a bit of interest in them.

"Ma'tanza heard about that fight. It was apparently the first big battle of the war. They say there were hundreds of lycan hunters that all stormed into your stronghold, and the Champion spearheaded the charge to kill every last one. Funnily enough, the ones who don't like her use that story as evidence of why she is a liar. They say it sounds too heroic, and is a lie. They also mention something about her letting a traitor go after the attack. This one doesn't think it makes any sense." She commented.

Meesei's apparent fear ran off onto Sabine's expression as well. Sabine had not really thought of the impact of this event on Meesei at all, but she was surprised by it, even given the way she would have suspected Meesei reacting.

"Um..." Sabine looked at Peiter, almost pleadingly, but there was nothing he could do, really. She looked to Meesei again and responded with the same tone as before, "Okay."

Together, they walked out of the room, leaving Peiter alone. Once they got to the spot Meesei was specifying, Sabine hazarded an apology, "I am sorry." It was all she could think to say, despite not knowing what was going on in Meesei's mind.

---

Given that some people that Tzirret knew in the militia had actually died in the fight, he found it hurtful that someone would call the event a lie, but the other detail had some more truth to it.

"Oh, it must be Harriet that you are referring to," Tzirret answered, "She, um...she was a lieutenant, but she poisoned the clan leader. Meesei came and found her out and...a lot of things happened, actually. Anyway, there was another that she was collaborating with, and he ran off, so Meesei took a warband and Harriet out with an enchanted collar on her neck so they could follow him back to their base. But, it was a diversion for the enemy to strike. They worked it out and came back in time, surrounding the enemy while they were within the clan home, but in the confusion of the assault, Harriet escaped. No one has heard from her since." Tzirret shook his head, he didn't want to feed the lies about Meesei. "This one believes that there are many more details, though. Meesei would not have let Harriet escape without purpose."

Meesei was scarcely able to hold herself together as she and Sabine stepped out into the hall. Compared to a normal building on the ground, the hallway was rather compact, and Peiter would still likely be able to hear what they were saying if he made an attempt to listen in. But, at the very least, it did provide her with some illusion of privacy.

Meesei did not say anything in response to Sabine's apology. Instead, she wrapped her arms around her for a tight hug, ignoring the sweat, or anything else, that might have been on her. She hung her head over Sabine's shoulder and cried quite audibly, saying nothing for at least a minute. It was perhaps the more outward display of emotion Meesei had given in years.

"I love you, Sabine. I will always, always love you as my daughter; I want you to know that. No matter what, you will always be my daughter." Meesei finally said between sobs. Her words were charged with emotion and determination, but not a hint of anger.

---

Bheja looked back and forth between his friends. "So there was a traitor? I hope this Harriet never comes here. If she could escape the Champion, she would have to be dangerous."

There were a few nods of agreement from among the group before Qa'habi commented. "Well...the Champion is here now, and if she found out that Harriet traitor, then she wouldn't come anywhere near here. Qa'habi is sure the Champion will be able to help us, and keep us safe."

"We'll all be fine with her here." Ma'tanza agreed. "What about everywhere else? We haven't heard anything from outside the clan for months. Is anything else good happening out there...or bad?"

Meesei's actions did not exactly help Sabine's fear. Meesei never cried. Not since Sabine said goodbye to Ariel, years ago, and even that was not as outward as this. This must have been a far, far worse action than Sabine ever could have realised. She was partially expecting to be kicked out of the pack at this point. Even if it wasn't that, she was panicking.

Sabine was frozen with fear and shock until Meesei began to speak. It was not the chiding she was expecting. It was just an statement of love that Sabine was secure in knowing anyway. Sabine was no longer so panicked, but it was all getting replaced with confusion. Without knowing what else to do, Sabine brought her arms up and returned Meesei's embrace, stroking her back in an attempt to comfort her.

"Meesei, I love you too," Sabine affirmed in a soothing voice, still with hints of gravel from before. She went on with more concern in her voice than anything, "You have always been my mother, but...I did not mean to upset you. I am confused, are you okay? Did something else happen?"

---

Tzirret strained his face into worry, "Erm...this one does not keep up with much news. Sorry." He looked at them hopefully, "He has heard that Orcrest is doing well, but..." Tzirret stopped himself from sharing what Meesei and Gallus had in store for the clan, "...nothing else."

Unfornately, Tzirret felt that the onus of the conversation went onto him again. He desperately searched his head for something to talk about. "Umm...so, the river is nice? Um, it, um, was a relief to wash and swim after searching the Tenmar forest for this place." Tzirret did not really know where he was going with his line of dialogue, but he hoped it would spark some more talk.

When Meesei finally pulled away from Sabine, she had stopped sobbing, but there were still tears swelling in the bottom of her eyes, just above her eyelids. She blinked a few times to clear her vision, then shook her head lightly as she stared into Sabine's own eyes. "No, no, you don't need to apologize, Sabine; you don't need to feel bad. You...you didn't do anything wrong. All of this is not really about you, it is...more about me, I suppose."

Meesei swallowed uncomfortably, trying to find the words for how she felt. "Sabine, I...I still remember back, years ago when you were barely more than a child, back in the forests in Cyrodiil. I could see that you were scarred, you were hurt and afraid. I did not do it openly back then, but...I cried the first night after we found you. I cried harder than I had ever since the day my father died. You were just a little, frightened girl who had obviously been through...gods knew whatever kind of terror. I made a promise to myself that night that I would do whatever I could to make you better. I thought that I would have fulfilled that promise with your ritual in Black Marsh, but...in the weeks after, I realized that it was not that simple. I had helped you with your trauma, sure, but I knew that you had been denied a childhood. You had lived in either torment or fear for so long, that you just could not have the one you deserved. No matter how much I wanted, I could not give that to you. It had been too long, and you were too old to ever be a child again, but..."

Raising up her hand, Meesei placed it gently onto Sabine's cheek and smiled. "I could give you the love and support those witches never did. I could give you...family. I knew it would not be perfect. I knew that most people would never see me, an Argonian, as your mother, but as long as I could give you the help you needed, it did not matter. And now...we are here. I have seen you as that little girl for so long, but...that is not who you are anymore. You got past your fear, you learned what you needed to learn from me. You are an adult now; you are a grown woman just like me. I am sorry for reacting like that, and intruding on a very intimate moment with your mate. I just never expected to be...faced with all of that at once."

Meesei closed her eyes a moment and let out a long, shaky breath. "Just...may I ask you one thing? Do you think I have...fulfilled my promise?"

---

M'ibasa looked over to the river once Tzirret mentioned it. "Yeah, it is. And speaking of the river, are we actually going to start swimming soon. We've been sitting here forever." He complained.

Ma'tanza gave a chuckle. "Alright, little brother. We can go for a swim.

"Hey, I'm not little anymore He retorted.

"Right." She responded. M'ibasa sprung up from where he was sitting, undressed, and quite literally jumped into the water, while most of the others started to stand more slowly. Thusfar, Tzirret's interaction with the group had essentially only been to relay to them stories about the Champion. But, if he wanted to join them and talk to them more normally, and not just as a storyteller, then he would need to take the initiative to ask.

The overwhelming confusion that Sabine felt melted away into a sympathy for Meesei as she explained. It touched Sabine to know just how deeply she cared. As well, Meesei's moment of emotional vulnerability only served to prove it all. Sabine had a sad smile on her face and she found herself gathering her own tears.

Once Meesei finished and asked Sabine if she had indeed fulfilled her promise to make her better, Sabine kept her hands on Meesei's arms. "Meesei, I would never be here without your help. And I..." Sabine stumbled with her words and sniffed, "I never knew my mother, Meesei, but I..." she paused to sniff again and her voice tightened up and became high pitched with emotion, "...I always wanted a mother like you." It was then Sabine's turn to break down into crying. She brought her forehead onto Meesei's shoulder and sobbed with loving tears. "You did keep that promise. I am sorry if I ever yelled at you, or was difficult, or misbehaved, Meesei," her muffled voice said, "I love you, mother."

For that moment, in spite of Meesei claiming that Sabine had become a grown woman, there was still much of that young girl that Meesei had found in the forest. It was on display, once here as on occasions that were becoming fewer and further between as Sabine aged.

---

While the others were undressing, Tzirret frantically stood up with perked ears and tried to multitask fumbling with the cords on his clothing and speaking. "Hey! Um, would this group mind if Tzirret swam as well? He- argh..." Tzirret paused to undo a tight knot on his jerkin, "He was thinking to come here today to make friends and...well, um..." Tzirret followed them into the water in a fluster, he was overcomplicating things and he knew it. He came up with a question, desperately, "What is it that you all do in the clan?"

For a while, both Meesei and Sabine simply hugged one another in silence, apart from their now-loving sobs. It took a while for them to the most intense of their emotions, but Meesei did eventually release her hold over her. She knew that Sabine had not truly gone through any sudden, drastic change. She was the same person today that she was the day before; the only difference now was that she had a mate with whom she was willing to be intimate. No matter how old she grew, she would always be her daughter.

Meesei swallowed, and took in a deep breath as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Well...then. I am glad you have found someone you love, Sabine. You do love Peiter, right? You care for him in that way? And you took a potion for the mating, right?" She asked, though before Sabine could respond, she took another breath and collected herself. "Yes, you did. Of course you did. You told me you did. When did you take it?"

---

"Oh, sure, you can swim with us." Ma'tanza answered. She was the last to climb in the water, as it took her longer than the others to undress, since she wore a length of cloth wound tightly around her chest which needed to be unraveled. It was understandable why, as removing it revealed a very large bust size, more than enough to be impractical for any sort of physical labor. She walked in the river, up to Tzirret and the others, then stopped to allow herself to get used to the water.

"Ma'tanza? She is an apprentice, learning to become a mage and enchanter. This one's father used to teach her, but he...died in the attack. An Altmer named Serelian teaches her now. She is a nice person, though. Not like those Thalmor." She explained.

"M'ibasa doesn't know what he's going to do yet." He chimed in. "He might be an alchemist, or a mage like his sister."

Sabine smiled, on the brink of laughing at Meesei's fussing. "I took it this morning, shortly before noon. I remember how long they last, Meesei. I made them." Sabine said reassuringly, although she unwittingly hinted how long they had been at it that day. "And..." Sabine flicked her eyes down and up, "I love Peiter very much. I...even had the courage to tell him today."

---

While Tzirret internally cursed at his less-than-charismatic line of dialogue, he was glad that they were still accepting as they all entered the water.

As Ma'tanza was the first to answer, Tzirret turned to look at her, though he paid less attention to her words than he should have. His eyes kept flicking down from her face and he had to employ some focussed mental discipline to stop staring, let alone attempt to remain unnoticed in his glances. Ma'tanza's body had the largest...proportional differences that he had ever seen. Tzirret counted himself grateful for taking the time to lay with La'khay earlier. If he hadn't, other parts of his body than his eyes would reveal his errant thoughts.

The point about Ma'tanza's father dying was thankfully a signal for Tzirret to snap out of it and actually listen. He took on a more appropriate sombre tone in his response to her, "This one is sorry to hear of your loss."

Thankfully, M'ibasa plugged the gap in Tzirret's attention when he spoke. "Oh, learning magic? This is a good thing to do. Tzirret has friends that are doing the same, but it looks difficult."

In an attempt not to face Ma'tanza too much, Tzirret turned to Bheja and Qa'habi to hear their answers, "What of you two?"

Meesei smiled at Sabine. "That is good to hear. I still remember back a few years ago when you were looking to me for help on how to even start a relationship. It was a shame that Caleb did not say yes, but he was going through a very tough period at that time. But, you did manage to get past it and keep trying. Indrel may not have worked out, but if he had, you would not be with Peiter now, I suppose. I believe...I am proud of you, for not giving up and finding someone you really care about. And not only that, but you have also approached the issue safely as well. Although..."

Furrowing her brow, Meesei cocked her head to the side and looked at Sabine quizzically. "Why...did you drink that potion before noon? It has been hours since then."

---

Bheja emerged from under the surface of the water just before Tzirret asked him something. He had not been able to hear what the others had been saying from underneath the water, but he assumed they were still talking about their roles in the clan. "Oh, I used to help grow the clan's crops, back at our normal stronghold. Now, though, we don't need as many farmers, since we can't clear the trees around here to make room. I've been training as a warrior for a while now, though. A spearman specifically due to my stature. As Qa'habi is always so eager to point out."

Qa'habi smirked. "Well, this one has to, else you start getting some delusions of grandeur. Anyway, this one has been a hunter for a few years, but he has been training to use a sword too, so he can be an archer with our forces. Since the attack, almost everyone has been required to learn something to defend themselves, and even before that, he was encouraging more and more of us to become warriors."

While the others answered, Ma'tanza had dove under to acclimate herself fully to the water, then leaned back once she emerged so she could float lazily on her back. She guided herself over in front of Tzirret and turned her head to him. "Well, what about you, Tzirret? What do you do?"