There was a tense look on Gallus' face at Meesei's final words. It was uncomfortable, but there was truth to it. "Yes, those groups include part of the clan, being with the land we've bought and worked for a few years now. Even that amazed me, even if it is with so many secrets under the surface."

Gallus didn't face Meesei directly, but he brought his eyes up to her, raising an eyebrow as he did. "I, for one, am glad that the champion of our patron is you, rather than one of the bloodthirsty types." He looked ahead, "Perhaps there is more to Hircine than just predation and survival after all."

At that point, Gallus' head went back onto Meesei's bed and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Meesei, do you think our deeds will be remembered here?" he asked, his tired eyes opening a sliver, "I don't need fame, it's just...moving an entire clan. That is going to be a feat to remember. However, the history of lycans has never been closely recorded."

---

With La'khay's commendation, Tzirret actually smiled genuinely. It was true, he had progressed a lot, and he was happier because of it. As for her offer, though, he turned away, looking conflicted. "Well, Tzirret is tired and we all have to rise early tomorrow, but..." he looked at La'khay, tempted but apprehensive, "...this may be the last time, unless this one decides otherwise later." He turned to face her properly again and answered more conclusively, "He does not think it will be a bad idea this time."

Deciding that she should at least starting to attempt to get to sleep once more, Meesei laid herself down on her bed again. She was laying on her back, staring up at the ceiling with her arms crossed across her chest. "There is no way to say for certain, of course, but I believe we will be remembered. Our actions may not be written into the history books of the Empire or Dominion, but among our kind, it will be hard to forget. This war has been unprecedented, and when it comes time for our souls to enter the Hunting Grounds, we will see how our actions have been judged by the eternal souls of all of the lycans in his domain."

---

La'khay grinned, wrapping her arms around him to touch him more intimately. "Well then, if this will be the last, then this one will make it memorable." She said before taking a few steps back, then shifting herself into her werelion form.

---

The next morning, the clan, for the first time in months, moved from its outpost to head east towards the city of Senchal. It was a frightening, or at least worrying experience for many in the clan. They had become so accustomed to hiding that any movement outside the territory they had selected for themselves seemed dangerous. But, they moved with as much caution as was possible for a group of their size. They had scouts forming a perimeter around the bulk of the clan to serve as an early warning for any dangers they might encounter.

As expected, the trek to Senchal lasted several weeks by foot, but it was nothing that they could not accomplish with the supplies they had on hand. They had, after all, been building up as much of a surplus as they could since they had settled in the outpost. The real boon of the journey was that they encountered no serious dangers for its duration. There were a few instances of scouts encountering potentially dangerous wild animals, but none ended with injury. There were also no signs of Vile's scouts in along the path they took, so at least so far, it seemed as if they had not been detected.

Eventually, the clan came within range of the city, though they stopped and made camp near the coast at a location that was a few hours walk from Senchal's walls. While it would have been more convenient to leave from Senchal itself, even the corruption in that city was not enough to allow the passage of such a large volume of slaves without being noticed. As soon as they could, the clan began the process of arranging their departure. Meesei and several others joined Colors in the city to arrange a meeting with Colors' contacts, while others began the work of selling most of what the clan had brought for more food and water, and a few supplies As they hoped, they were able to find a ship to which they could sell their lumber for a fair price. Any scrap metal they had on hand was sold to blacksmiths, and since they could not bring it with them, most of their normal clothing, sleeping bags, and tents were broken down for leather and sold as well. Unimportant trinkets with any value or significant weight were also sold wherever a buyer could be found. As for what they purchased other than water, they made sure that all of those playing the part of the slavers had the appropriate attire. Since Colors' contacts were slavers based on coin instead of race, the clan also had a few select Khajiit among the slavers, including the clan's sole Senche-raht, S'nishi. As much as Ahnasha wish to avoid acting as a slave, she reluctantly decided to join the majority of the clan's Khajiit in submitting herself to the temporary bondage so that she could watch after both Rhazii and Newt.

At present, the clan was all gathered together, about to ready themselves to assume the roles of slavers and slaves. The slaver group was properly dressed and armed, while the slaves had naught but their fur. Their food, the weapons and armor that they were not currently using, and other supplies were packed away in crates. All of the shackles and iron collars were laid out on the ground in a clearing, though it would be another hour or two before the clan would need to bind themselves together.

In Senchal itself, Colors, Meesei, Fendros, and Gallus were at the docks, about to head to the meeting to finalize the deal. Colors had already met with representatives of this captain, and both parties were already aware of the terms of the deal, but after this meeting, they would be getting on the ships and heading to pick up the clan. They were to meet in a private room in one of the dock's inns, though they were presently standing just across the road.

"Alright, so...we should probably all make sure we're clear on the story." Colors commented nervously as he stared down the building before him.

"Hmm, I think that's a thought that I can sleep with," Gallus said, his backward-bent head smiling. He took Meesei's cue and laid back down on his own bedroll.

---

Tzirret was understandably overwhelmed by what La'khay suggested with her actions, but his beast spirit had surprisingly few qualms once he followed along.

Needless to say, his concerns about his energy the next day were justified three times over.

---

Shifting from an attitude of hiding to careful travel was a relief in some ways for the clan, but worrying in other ways. Everyone could agree that it made for just as much work as the lead up to it.

Simply walking along with friends meant that conversation flowed freely between the growing group of youths that were now associated with the packs. Unfortunately, after a few days, conversation ran dry and a boredom pervaded.

A little less than a week into the journey, Tzirret spent some time awake during the night, debating if he should find La'khay. Each time it came up, then and in future, he managed to talk himself out of it. As he spent more time with Ma'tanza, he found that this became easier. However, he and Ma'tanza still regarded one another as friends. There were a few opportunities where he could have tested the waters with something further, but he did not have the courage to exploit them. It just seemed like too stressful a time with this plan that the council had made.

Arrival at Senchal made for a brief reprieve for many, though it carried with it the anticipation of a tense future. Now was the time that the clan would dress up as a slave caravan. The forefront of the ruse laid with the group striking the deal with the slavers themselves.

Given the high tensions, Gallus' face reacted to Colours with impatience. "Alright, we'll go over this again..." Gallus beckoned the group to huddle, "We have been hired by Fendros' family - the Drixeran family - to source a large number of slaves for an above-market price. Twelve hundred gold a head, no questions asked. Our ships were confiscated by the Imperial Legion, so we need a small fleet to transport our goods around the continent at Morrowind. We'll offer thirty percent of the profit, but we'll haggle to fifty if needed. I will be Gallus Corvus, the second in command. I'll be the negotiator." Gallus glanced to everyone, "Does everyone else remember our roles?"

Fendros nodded. Thankfully his role mostly involved standing around and looking like a Dunmer.

---

Back at the camp, Tzirret was helping to lay out the shackles with Ma'tanza. They had both packed away all of their possessions, but Tzirret had been given plenty of time get used to Ma'tanza without her wrap.

"Uh, Ma'tanza?" Tzirret said over the clinking of chains, "This one was wondering if you wanted some company when we are chained up." This time, Tzirret had taken the time to think of an excuse beforehand, "You see, there are often spiders on ships. It is going to be cramped and I could maybe help you keep watch?"

Meesei nodded confidently. Unlike the others, her clothes were distinctively mage robes, which she had gone through the effort to make look dirty and worn. "Yes, I am the mage who placed the pacifying enchantments on the Senches' bindings, and..." She began before letting out an annoyed sigh. "...Colors' current mate. Truly that just had to be what you told the last representative we met?" She said, holding back a glare.

Colors clasped his hands together and looked to Meesei apologetically. "I'm...sorry. It was just the first thing that came to my mind."

"Well, in all fairness, I do not doubt that is a true statement. Now, I suppose we should begin." Meesei continued. She was about to start leading the way out of habit, but stopped short to allow Colors to lead the way.

Inside, a lookout in the main room of the inn spotted Colors as soon as he stepped through the door and quietly ushered him and the rest of the group upstairs, and to the farthest room from anything else at the end of the hall. Stepping into the room, they saw that there were three others besides the lookout escorting them: a Bosmer and a Suthay-raht who both appeared to be guards, and an Orc man whose outfit and demeanor painted him firmly as a sailor. They had moved around the furniture in the room so that there was as much room as possible, with a table in its center. Although, there were only two chairs.

Standing up, the large Orc walked around the table and stood silent for a moment, directly in front of Colors, looking down on the notably shorter Argonian. Given Colors' propensity for upsetting people, Meesei was worried for a moment, until the Orc wrapped his arms around Colors, giving him a quick hug and a hardy laugh. "Ah, Sees-No-Colors. Good to see your scaly hide 'n one piece. Thought you died. My crew even went out 'n got drunk in your honor the night we heard."

Colors gave the Orc a few pats on the shoulder and chuckled. "Orub, your crew got drunk every night."

"Ha! Right you are, right you are. Take a seat. I'd offer one to the others, but there ain't any." Orub said as he returned to his chair and motioned for Colors to sit as well.

"Now, introductions. I'm Orub. Who are all you people?" He asked, simply and directly.

---

Ma'tanza was laying out one of the shackles when Tzirret suddenly mentioned something about spiders on the ship. She looked up at him, eyes wide, and spoke nervously. "S-spiders? That...really doesn't help Ma'tanza's nerves." She commented as she took in a few deep breaths. "But yes, thank you. This one doe snot want to be alone during this. She wants all of her friends to be with her. We can all...shackle ourselves to each other. She wishes her sister could be with us, but she's going to be one of the slavers. And she probably couldn't fit below decks anyway."

After placing down another of the shackles, Ma'tanza stood up straight, closed her eyes, and took in a deep breath. "Ma'tanza does not like any of this. She knows we can break out at any time, but still. But still, being bound up like a slave has been part of some of this one's worst nightmares, other than the bug ones."

Gallus kept a straight face despite a racing heart and addressed the Orc, Orub, with a dignified smile. "Greetings, I am Gallus Corvus, we represent Fendros' family here." Gallus gestured to Fendros, who crossed his arms and was putting on a stereotypical glare. "The customer, if you will," Gallus continued, "My friend here is named Meesei, she is our enchanter. Her...connection with Colours-" Gallus stopped to itch his nose, but was really hiding a wider smile, "-got us in touch with you. Now, we understand you have some ships available to transport some sensitive goods?"

---

"Oh," Tzirret said. He looked a little guilty that he may have made Ma'tanza's existing anxieties worse. As well, his arguably poorly thought out plan of getting close to her alone had been scuppered in seconds. The overall failure of the situation was hinted in his voice as he looked away, "Yeah, this one is sure that we can all be chained near one another."

After laying out another set of fetters, Tzirret looked to Ma'tanza with some worry. He tried to console her to make amends, "Um...at least it won't be for long, right?" He glanced away, not practiced in this sort of talk. "Ma'tanza looks very nervous. Is she going to be okay? What makes her afraid of chains?"

Tzirret felt strange being in this position. He was normally the one who was supposed to be worried. It was true that he was worried, to an extent, but he trusted Gallus and Meesei enough to know they wouldn't be in any danger. Ma'tanza not only lacked that benefit, but the details of this plan sounded like they affected her fears personally.

Orub gave a slight, dismissive wave. "Yeah, yeah, I've got the ships. I hear Colors here managed to get his ships confiscated. He's good at that. Losin' ships. Bit of a patter with him, it is."

While he had been noticeably nervous outside, Colors actually appeared comfortable at the moment. He leaned back in his chair, relaxed, and met Orub's jab at his abilities with a laugh. "Ah, well, it's a particular talent. Really, it takes a talented smuggler to make whole ships disappear."

"Yeah." Orub began with an amused grunt, turning to Gallus before he continued. "You know what we used to say about Colors here? He's the absolute best, most skilled Argonian smuggler with full colorblindness in all of Senchal. And that's completely true. Ain't no one whose exactly like him."

After another hardy laugh, Orub leaned back in his chair and shifted quite suddenly to a more serious expression. "Anyway, about these cattle. Now, I hear you've got Senche with them. Just ignoring how mad you have to be to try to keep one of those under control, just transporting those things is gonna be a problem. We have cages we can put on the top decks, but there aren't any chains that we have that can hold them back for long. I don't want any of my crew losin' an arm 'cause they wandered too close to the big cats' cages."

Meesei spoke up clearly and politely. "I have checked, double-checked, and triple-checked all of the enchantments on their collars. It pacifies their mind, and if need be, I can drain their energy as well. So far, there has not been a trace of resistance from our larger stock. Our buyer believes he has a way to keep them under control, but we will be paid regardless of his success or failure."

"Right, well you'd better be confident in that magic stuff. Any one of my crew gets hurt, and I will get my...compensation." Orub warned. "Now, before we talk price, there's a few rules you've got to know. Your people will be guests on my ships; they'll be treated like guests, and will act like guests. All your cargo will be searched, and any weapon's you've got bigger than a dinner knife will be locked up as long as we're at sea. Understood?"

---

Ma'tanza lifted up the shackles in her hands and stared down at them worriedly. "Ma'tanza...knows she shouldn't be afraid. These bindings aren't nearly enough to hold any of us. If something goes wrong, we can get out of them at any point, but..."

Pausing a moment, Ma'tanza looked down nervously towards her feet. "It's just...being bound, chained up as slaves. It's something this one was told about as a cub. Back when the Dunmer used to come to our lands and steal people away from their families, never to be seen again. It's terrifying. We're supposed to be vigilant to never let it happen again. Weren't you told about slavery as a cub?"

"I can assure you, Orub, everything you have mentioned..." Gallus closed his eyes and cut both his hands through the air from his front to his sides, "...you will have nothing to worry about." Gallus then opened his eyes, "If, in the unlikely case that one of your crew is accosted by one of us or our merchandise, we will see to it that they receive recompense."

With Orub's previous cue, Gallus moves straight on to the figures. "Now, we propose that your party gets a percentage cut for your troubles. The flat rate per body we are charging the customer is twelve hundred septims a head, with the senche ones counting for double. With the amount we have ready to leave, that makes..." Gallus lifted his upper lip and looked to Meesei unsurely, "...oh, I can never remember the exact number. How many do we have, Meesei?" Gallus wanted to put some weight into the sheer size of the clan before the sailors' cut was to be haggled.

---

Tzirret frowned sympathetically, but shook his head. "Not really," he replied, "Tzirret was born to a caravan in Cyrodiil. He was told to worry about many things, but slave traffickers were never one of them." Tzirret kept his face wide eyed and blank, trying to be sensitive about the issue. He angled his head to one side and asked Ma'tanza, "This one does not remember asking Ma'tanza about her years as a cub. Where did she grow up? What was it like?"

Meesei gave a nod to Gallus. They had prepared thoroughly for this meeting, so Meesei had indeed performed a count of the clan's members, both in total, and just of those who were posing as slaves. Even having been cut down significantly in number, the Senchal clan was still about the same size the Bruma clan had been three years prior. "By our last count before we left camp, our stock numbers two hundred and fourteen heads, with thirteen of those being Senche." She answered simply and directly.

The Orc leaned back in his chair, raising his eyebrow at the number. There were a few moments where he seemed to be performing the calculations in his head, but the total seemed to impress him. "Well, that's quite a bit of gold we're talkin' about here."

Colors gave a grin. "We captured close to an entire one of those wandering tribes in the desert, plus some more on the way here. I wouldn't have gone out in that gods forsaken wasteland if it hadn't been worth it."

"Hmph, well you might get a ship back after all." Orub huffed. Leaning forward in his char once more, he clasped his hands together and leaned onto the table. "Alright, let's talk price."

---

Ma'tanza returned to her work setting out the shackles as Tzirret spoke; although, there were not many more left to place before they would be finished. "Oh, Ma'tanza's childhood was nothing special. This one and her family grew up on a moon sugar farm just outside Torval. It was this one's mother, father, and all three of us. Ma'tanza was nine years of age when we were attacked by feral werelions. S'nishi fought them off, but...well the three of us survived. S'nishi took care of us for the next two years until we found the clan. We wouldn't have made it without her."

"Right," Gallus put one hand on his hip and leaned his other hand against the table to mirror Orub, "Our opening offer is for thirty five percent of the price of all stock that survives the voyage, to be paid on arrival in Morrowind. As you would understand, such a large sum of gold is not an amount that we could carry with us for this entire time. How does that sound?"

As planned, Gallus was prepared for counter-offers, all part of the ruse. As long as there was not an unmanageable down payment, all deals could be plausible.

---

Tzirret broke eye contact. "This one is sorry," he said out of politeness. In a neutral tone, suppressing his own memories, he continued, "Ma'tanza was lucky that she had her brother and sister. This one knows that he would have died or become feral if he was not found by Gallus." The lonely cold of those times actually caused Tzirret to still himself and shiver momentarily, despite the heat of the jungle.

Perhaps not being as tactful as he could be, Tzirret remembered something curious and spoke up about it. "Wait, didn't Ma'tanza say that her father was teaching her magic and was killed in the attack? Did you mean when you were turned, or...oh, it might have been a foster father." Tzirret bowed his head, ashamed of himself, "Tzirret apologises, he should not speak of such things."

Orub was silent for a few, tense seconds, apart from the rhythmic tapping of his fingernail against the table. He looked over at a parchment on the table just to his right, then back to Gallus. "That is a lot of coin, yeah, but this is a lot of risk. You're wantin' two of my ships two take you pretty much all the way across Tamriel, and straight past Black Marsh too. Those lizards keep a keen eye out for slavers, especially on the ships goin' north. Of course, I can do it, but I'm either going to need some pay up front, or a bigger cut. Considering that you're not gonna be gettin' a single coin if you can't your stock all the way up to Morrowind...I want half. And if your buyer doesn't pay for whatever reason when we get there, I still get half the stock. And no Senche either, just the marketable ones."

"Ah, come on Orub. It's me we're talking about here. You know Black Marsh never gave me any trouble, and my buyers almost always paid. You can trust me." Colors responded, maintaining a friendly tone. It did not really matter what deal they made, but he knew well that Orub would expect him to try to pay as little as possible.

Orub grunted. "You're a friend, Colors, but you're also a slimy lizard. I've got to make sure I get what I'm due. It's half or nothing."

---

"No, it is alright. A lot of cubs get new parents when they are found by the clan." Ma'tanza explained. Finally, she was able to lay out the last of her shakles, so she walked over to Tzirret to wait for him to finish his.

"Ma'tanza knows that her father was not the one who, um, fathered her, but...she still thinks of him as her 'real' father too. A parent is someone who loves you, and raises you. Someone who makes sure you're as prepared as you can be for being an adult. If you think about it that way...all of the clan's children have real parents." She reasoned as she tried to bring her expression into a smile.

The corner of Gallus' mouth twinged upwards. Orub had gone straight for their agreed maximum percentage. They could have shaken hands there, but Gallus did not want this deal to look too good to be true. If Orub was stubborn and stayed at fifty, then they would settle for that, but they could stand to try haggling down further.

"Are you sure we cannot try...forty-five percent? That's ten percent more than what we put forward, nothing to sniff at," Gallus narrowed one eye inquisitively, "We need these ships, but we're trying to make some gold as well."

---

At the time that Tzirret was taken into the Bruma clan, the lack of child initiates found in the wilderness meant that he was just given a mentor. In many ways, Gallus was like a father, but he never really felt like a parent, he was more like an older brother or an uncle. Tzirret was taught many things, but he certainly did not feel ready to be an adult by any stretch of the imagination. To think that Ma'tanza lost two sets of parents in her life was heartbreaking.

In an immediate response to Ma'tanza, Tzirret returned the smile half-heartedly. "That would be very nice to have," he said, somewhat regretfully, "What was it like? That...growing up in the Senchal clan. Tzirret never had new parents."

Orub maintained his firm stare at Gallus, and overall, was unbudging both literally and metaphorically. "No, it ain't nothin' to sniff at, but neither is actually gettin' your product out of Elsweyr. I don't know if you're aware, since Colors put us into contact, but it ain't exactly easy to find ships willing and able to take on a small town's worth of slaves, especially without some up front guarantee. You should feel lucky that I'm settling for just a cut of the profits here. Most won't take a job without some up front payment."

Leaning back in his chair, it was obvious that the Orc had made up his mind. "You know, the longer we sit here arguing 'bout it, the better of an idea that's staring to sound. Maybe we should make this agreement soon, yeah?"

---

Ma'tanza's saddened expression became more sympathetic when Tzirret mentioned his lack of foster parents. Walking up beside him, she put a hand on his back and leaned forward as she looked into his eyes. "No one became your new parents? Ma'tanza...would not have expected that. It just...seems like something that every clan would do. This one has been happy in the clan for as long as she has been here. She has friends and family, and rarely went hungry. Everyone was always so helpful to their clan-mates too. Well, not always, but usually. If Ma'tanza wanted to learn something, she just had to find the right person to ask. Did you...have any kind of friends or family?"

Pausing to pose for thought, Gallus looked at the table and stuck his tongue between his cheek and his upper back teeth. He slowly rotated his head to Colours, then to Meesei, and then to Fendros, not saying a word. Fendros felt it appropriate to give a small nod through his condescending silence.

"Okay," Gallus stood up from the table and looked to Orub, pretending to be disappointed, "Fifty percent it is."

---

With a nod, Tzirret returned Ma'tanza's gaze and spoke, "Tzirret had Gallus teaching him, and he helped, but he was never a father. This one was a part of his pack from when he joined the clan. Peiter has always been a brother as well, but it took a long time for this one to even...stop feeling lonely around them. Tzirret was too scared to make other friends on his own, so they were all he really had until Gallus split from his family's pack to form his own. That was two and a half years ago. And then we started this journey with the champion's pack. They are mostly very nice as well." Tzirret tried not to focus on his own misery and attempted to brighten his voice, "The rest of the Bruma clan is like Ma'tanza's, though. People help each other. It was not as easy to find help before Meesei came along, because of the factions, but for the most part, as long as you did your fair share of work, you never wanted for much. Things were very structured. It kept Tzirret...together. Also, there was Najirra, he helps everyone with wounded minds in the clan. He helped Tzirret to learn how to manage his fear."

In some acceptance of the comfort, Tzirret brought his hand up and placed it on Ma'tanza's upper arm, giving it a small squeeze and letting it go. He grinned for a second at a thought and then closed his mouth. "This one does not think Ma'tanza was as bad as Tzirret at making friends. How long has she known the others?"

After a few seconds, Orub gave a single, simple nod. He stood up to his feet, then put his hands down flat on the table in front of him. "Alright then. We have our agreement; half and half. If your buyer is as well-paying as you say, we'll all make out of this with a few chests of gold to line our pockets. We have our deal, you have your ships, and you have the location of these slaves. There's no sense in waiting around here any longer. Follow me and I'll bring you to my ship. Tell my navigator where to take us, and we'll all be on our way."

---

Ma'tanza's sympathy for Tzirret did not diminish with his explanation of his experiences in the Bruma clan. They had not been entirely negative, but the thought that he had been essentially alone for so long did make her feel bad for him. Many lycans had been through pain and trauma, usually involving their turning, but clans were meant to be a source of support, not fear. It sounded like his situation did improve over time, but that did not stop her from giving him a hug to comfort him.

"Aw, that sounds terrible. But...at least you have friends now, though. At least it got better. Ma'tanza met most of her friends pretty quickly after she got here. Bheja, Qa'habi, they were both this one's friends within a year. There are a lot of others she is not sure that you've met yet, but it would take a while to list everyone." She answered.

Gallus tightened his lips and nodded. "Very well," Gallus said, turning around, "Fendros, do you reckon you could head back and tell them to get our stock lined up? We will load up and leave as soon as we can."

Fendros unfolded his arms and nodded, but did not change his visage.

Before motioning to leave, Gallus smiled and extended a hand to Urob. "We can't be skipping traditions, now. Let's shake hands now and part ways rich, hm?"

From what Gallus could tell, these slavers didn't suspect anything yet. As long as these ships were big enough and in good shape, all would be going as planned.

---

Though Tzirret was thankful for Ma'tanza's comfort, he held his breath while he returned her hug. The less comfortable parts of his past felt far behind him, so his emotions were in check. At least, excepting the nice ones elicited from hugging Ma'tanza. He reluctantly let her go as she explained her ease in making friends.

"Well, maybe...Tzirret could meet them as well?" Tzirret thought out loud, "He has had better luck making friends here than at home." He then smiled and laid out the last set of shackles, "And...thank you for being Tzirret's friend, Ma'tanza. You are a very beau-...um...kind person." Tzirret was glad that he was bent down and facing away from Ma'tanza. His neck burned and he stammered, "V-very kind."

"Huh? Yeah, whatever. Let's just get down to my flagship." Orub responded before giving Gallus a rather unenthusiastic handshake. Evidently, he was not a man with much respect for formalities. Apart from Fendros who started making his way back to the clan, Orub, along with his personal guards, led the group out of the inn and to the other side of the docks, where his ships were moored. They were not the largest of vessels, they were fair sized ships of the same class. One was noticeably more decorated with paint and designs, though interestingly, Orub took them aboard the more bland of the two. It would be a while before their supplies were loaded on board, which would give Fendros time to get back to the clan before they departed.

---

"Ma'tanza knows; she is very kind, isn't she? And...beautiful." Ma'tanza said, practically giggling. She had plenty of experience with noticing all of the brief stares, glances, and slip ups that boys tended to give her, and Tzirret was no different. She walked up behind him and leaned her head over his shoulder to look at his face.

"Don't worry about it. Ma'tanza knows you're trying." She said reassuringly.

The ships themselves seemed fine enough at a glance. The fact that one was highly decorated suggested to Gallus that it might have been stolen, but that much as not beyond his expectations. The real concern he had was the size. From what he understood of Colours' descriptions, slaves were normally packed shoulder to shoulder in ships like these. If what they were transporting had truly been slaves, then the clan would fit easily, but even when they were all released, the conditions aboard would not leave much space.

Whatever his concerns internally, Gallus did not voice any of them. He merely held his hands behind his back and looked about curiously as they walked to the navigator. "Orub, how fast are these ships, exactly?

---

Tzirret froze up completely, the shackles still in his hands as Ma'tanza's head remained in contact with his shoulder. He didn't seem to register that Ma'tanza could actually see his face, so his wide eyes and panicked frown remained. "T-trying what?" Tzirret stumbled over his words, "There is-...he is-...Tzirret was not trying anything! What is Ma'tanza speaking of?"

This was a bit sudden in Tzirret's mind, but how it couldn't have been sudden in any amount of time was not defined clearly to him. His denials, however inneffective, came from hope that Ma'tanza was not about to tell him to stop thinking of her with the interest he did.

Orub guided the remainder of the group onto his ship, then down the stairs below the deck. The crew of the vessel had a mix of races, many of whom were Bosmer or Altmer, but there were certainly Khajiit as well. Evidently, Colors had been right in that it was purely the coin that motivated this group of slavers. Some of them looked at the group with interest, but all of them were sure to stay out of their captain's way.

"They're fast enough to get you to northern Morrowind in somewhere around a month, without any distractions." Orub answered confidently. Coming up to the navigator's quarters, Orub pounded on the door, though he did not actually wait more than a few seconds before barging in. The navigator, an Ohmes-raht man, practically jumped when the door swung open. Regardless, Orub ignored him and simply gestured into the room. "Here's the navigator. Show him where we're goin' and we'll be out of here in a few hours. I'll have someone show you to your quarters eventually. Don't worry Colors, I'll make sure to get you a room with your lady all to yourselves."

---

Despite Tzirret's more-than-nervous response, Ma'tanza simply chuckled. "Trying to be courteous, of course." She clarified as she walked herself in front of him. "This one is always seeing boys staring at her, and some even make comments on her when they think she can't hear. Ma'tanza sees that you're trying to be polite, and she appreciates it."

Ma'tanza clasped her hands together in front of her and smiled. Her tail swayed back and forth rhythmically, indicating that her mood had improved with the brief amusement. "Now, there's no reason to be so nervous. Well, not about Ma'tanza anyway."

Gallus pulled an impressed frown and nodded. If Urob was telling the truth, even if the ship was laden, they could probably get up the Rumare in no time at all compared to travelling overland.

The navigator did not respond when they entered, so Gallus smiled and introduced himself, "Greetings. I am Gallus, what is your name?" Then, he did not give much of an opportunity to respond before getting down to business. He stepped up to the nearest chart of Senchal's peninsula and traced his finger along the southern coast. "Now, Colours and Meesei, you probably had a better point on us, but I believe we were camped about here?" Gallus asked with his finger at a particular point along the coast. "We can load the cargo there."

---

"Oh, right...polite. Yes." Tzirret actually began to calm down and finished laying out the chains he had. When he stood up straight again, he looked at Ma'tanza in front of him for a moment and looked away with a short, relieved chuckle. "Ma'tanza must get such comments a lot," he reasoned, bringing his eyes back to hers.

It dawned on Tzirret that Ma'tanza was probably used to more explicit advances on her. It made Tzirret want to tread more carefully so as not to offend her, but he would not give up completely. "Um..." Tzirret took a breath in and out, "Tzirret is curious. If he may ask...has anyone...won Ma'tanza's heart before?"

"Oh, Ma'tanza gets a lot of those comments, yes. Not so much in the past few months, but when we were getting new members, she got a lot of compliments and jokes. Though, usually the same ones. It is strange how people think that the first joke that pops into their mind is one that Ma'tanza has never heard before." She explained. Since they were finally finished, Ma'tanza walked over and took a seat on the ground at the edge of the clearing.

With Tzirret's next question, Ma'tanza raised her brow curiously. "Won this one's heart? She has had a few accidentally take her wrap, but never her heart." She chuckled. "No, Ma'tanza does get a lot of compliments, but most of them aren't really interested in her. They would probably leave her once they had what they wanted. She admits she did try to be with one of them before, but he wasn't very interested in what Ma'tanza had to say, and just wanted to touch her a lot. The closest anyone has came to 'winning Ma'tanza's heart' was Qa'habi. We were together for a few months last, and Ma'tanza was happy with him, but...he just called it off one day. This one never really understood why; he just kept saying that it wasn't Ma'tanza's fault. It was strange, but we're still friends."

Shortly afterwards, Ma'tanza noticed the commotion that was starting to pick up around them. One by one, the clan's Khajiit were starting to make their way towards the shackles. "Oh, it looks like it's time for us to...shackle ourselves together." She said nervously.