Gallus entered the cell in the same way as he usually did. He opened the door swiftly such that it slammed against the frame that stopped its widest opening arc. His stride was quick enough that before Hiritus normally got to his senses, he would receive a rough kick to the side. Again, today was no exception.

"Wake up, jester," Gallus said firmly, before pacing the rest of the small cell and looking around. The way he paced indicated that he might have just been inspecting to see if Hiritus had changed anything, but the inspection seemed restless. Gallus' stern expression gave off that air as well.

"I bet you'd wish it were someone else that has to deal with you, day in and day out. I certainly do." Gallus said with scorn, "If it were up to me, I would be doing more productive things, but as you know, I'm just a pandering little dog, aren't I?" Gallus stopped and squat down opposite Hiritus, glaring at him closely. "Go on, give me an excuse like you always do. It'll only be worse until you give me good answers, you scum."

---

While he was normally quite, Tzirret had demonstrated comfort and participation in conversations with Ma'tanza's friendship group. However, meeting up as they usually did for breakfast, sitting closely next to Ma'tanza, found him unusually quiet again. It didn't seem to be because of anyone or their words, but he looked at his bread and ham thoughtfully as he slowly chewed.

There was the regular chatter and he responded when directly addressed, but it wasn't until a lengthy pause in the conversation that Tzirret looked up and spoke to everyone. His voice was low, but increased enough to hear as he continued. "Um...this one got his orders from Gallus this morning. He is to head out and fight in the lines with the warband when they leave." Tzirret's eyes looked slightly nervously to everyone's faces, lingering on Ma'tanza's, "Is anyone else also coming?"

Hiritus raised up his head and gave a somewhat unenthused sigh. "Well, I see you're starting off insulting yourself this time around. You aren't trying to take my job from me, are you?" He said with a brief, forced chuckle. There was a few seconds of silence, and a mutual glare between the two before he continued.

"Look, we do this song and dance every day, or every other day, or however frequently this happens. You question me, I give you the answers you deserve, then you slap me around. At this point, I think we both know that you're just doing this for fun. Or maybe it's anger, frustration? By the look on your face, I'd say my words have left more bruises on you than you have on me. Sure, I'm chained up in here, but you're the one I pity." Hiritus observed.

---

Though Tzirret was looking at Ma'tanza, Bheja spoke up first. "I'll be joining in the fight. I'm not one of our proper warriors, so it's not mandatory, but there's no way I'm letting my sweet little kitten head into the fight without me." He answered, leaning his head back to look up at S'nishi towering over him just behind him. Although, her response was to look down and glare at him with obvious frustration.

"Well, she might not agree with the decision, but she did convince me not to volunteer for the front lines." Bheja added.

Qa'habi shook his head. "This one does not feel he is ready to head out into such a fight. He is trained to hunt creatures, not people. He has tried convincing Bheja here to stay, but...you know that is useless."

Ma'tanza nodded in agreement. "Nothing on Nirn or Aetherius can change his mind. At least M'ibasa will be able to stay here with you, Qa'habi. Ma'tanza will be with the healers, so she will be coming along, but she will not be going into the fight itself."

For a while – perhaps almost ten seconds – Gallus stared Hiritus down with the same glare. His hesitation was the only indicator of prolonged thought.

"This isn't for fun, jester. If it were up to me, I would be the one truly deciding your fate." Gallus said with a grave tone, "If I were in charge, things would be different. You're nothing to me but a waste of time, just like the rest of the people in this clan, and that bitch snake breathing down my neck. You got anything else to say?"

Behind the facade, Gallus hoped that Hiritus would take the bait soon. Any more forcing the issue and he couldn't guarantee being able to hide his intentions.

---

Tzirret turned his head to Bheja, Qa'habi, and Ma'tanza when they answered. It was nice to hear that they would be coming along, even in spite of Bheja implying that he wanted to be on the front lines. Still, Tzirret didn't dwell on that right now.

"How are you all feeling about it?" Tzirret asked, "Have you been on marches or in battles before?"

"Oh, now I really hit a nerve there, didn't I?" Hiritus commented with a hint of satisfaction. "Though, you do have a certain fire in you, I'll admit. The right kind of ambition. I've heard about your 'Champion', tends to play everything safe and proper. Intelligent in her tactics, but...unmotivated. She's pushed us back before, but she never takes the risk to do what needs to be done to finish the job. It's a shame that you'll be spending the rest of your life under her boot. Certainly, you're never going to best her. If your 'lord' actually valued a competent mind over raw combat talent, you lycans might actually be a threat to our overall designs. If you want my, uh, advice, I'd say you should go ahead and flee Tamriel if you feel like living a bit longer. Things are getting close to their end, and your leaders are blind to what is coming."

---

Almost all around, the group shook their heads. Only S'nishi gave a brief nod. Bheja rubbed the back of his neck with a hint of awkwardness as he tried to think of an excuse to make himself look better. "Well, um, I've only recently gotten enough training to actually go into a fight. I would have helped during the attack before, but I was told to retreat with the others."

Bheja again glanced briefly up to S'nishi. "She, however, helped defend us all during the attack. Not to mention, she had been out on patrols nearly every day. There haven't really been any actual battles since the attack, but S'nishi here has been working to keep us all safe every day since then. With her on the frontlines, this attack will be easy."

S'nishi reached her head down and nuzzled Bheja, but the expression on her face was decidedly less confident than his. There was no mistaking her worry as she thought on the fight ahead of them.

In response to Hiritus' words, Gallus exhaled through his nose for a moment, then looked off to one side, thinking. He knew that his appearance may have suggested a moment of revelation and doubt, but there were other things in his mind.

First of all, he had to play into these ideas that Hiritus had put forward, whether they were true or not. The mental effort required would feed into the next stage; exploiting it. Gallus had made clear by now that he was unsatisfied and that meant Hiritus was groomed to be less suspicious of insurrection. Gallus gathered his words and faced Hiritus again. "I think you may have inspired me, jester," Gallus murmured.

Gallus then stood up and walked to the cell door as if to leave, but instead stopped at the door and leaned out into the hallway. He looked one way and the other as if checking for eavesdroppers, purposely avoiding eye contact with Ri'vashi and Meesei out of sight. Once satisfied, Gallus stepped back over to Hiritus and squat down to look at him again. This time, Gallus was less angry and more serious. He spoke in a low murmur, barely audible from outside the cell. "I know as well as you do that whatever threat is coming up isn't going to be addressed before it's too late. You're right, I could run, I could take a ship and run all over Nirn, but that's no life. But here...we're both in positions where we could help each other, yes?" Gallus gestured a sweeping palm to Hiritus, "I could get you out of here. No pursuers, no fuss. What could you give me in return, knowing now what I want?"

---

Tzirret nodded in understanding. "Right, well...this one has only been in one battle before. He was away from most of the violence, but...he still saw it." Tzirret looked down, "He was just wondering because he knows this battle will be different. We're attacking and it will be a stronghold of some sort."

Tzirret didn't really know where he was going with the topic. His memories of the battle at the Bruma clan home caused him to rub his own arm and shrink slightly with anxiety. He noticed this and tried not to succumb to it. He instead found something to say to Bheja, at least. His head rose up to look at him seriously. "This one agrees that Bheja should not be in the front line. He may be trained, but battles bring things that are not given in training. S'nishi knows what Tzirret speaks of, he thinks." Tzirret then gave S'nishi an anxious look.

In a renewed effort to try and stay engaged, Tzirret gave a sad smile and looked to everyone who was coming along. "Still, Tzirret is glad that he will still have some friends to be with." He put an arm around Ma'tanza's back and pulled her close by the shoulder.

Hiritus narrowed his eyes as he looked Gallus over from head to toe. His reaction was obviously suspicious, though perhaps not completely dismissive. "And I'm just supposed to trust you? I tell you what I could offer you: power. Or at least the chance at it. I could offer you a place in an army that will rule Tamriel. I can see you're a pragmatist; you know your doom. But, I'm not going to offer anything to some mutt just because he says he's had a change of heart. No, I need something from you first. Proof. My mission here is over; that's not going to work anymore. But, if I leave here empty handed, I'll just be trading one death for another. That lizard whore you serve, I want her head. She trusts you, so if you want a way to save yourself, then I want you to kill her. Slit her throat in her sleep, find a poison that'll work on her, I don't care. Just kill her and bring me proof, then I'll put you into contact with some people who will be very grateful for that service."

---

S'nishi nodded in agreement with Tzirret and nudged Bheja's shoulder with her sizable paw, which was enough to put him slightly off-balance. Bheja rolled his eyes and looked up to her with a sigh. "Yeah, yeah, you've already made your case, love. I'll just be in the back cheering you along."

Ma'tanza already had a look of worry in her eyes from the topic they were discussing, and while she gave a slight chuckle at Bheja, she looked over nervously at Tzirret. She put her arm around him as well, then leaned into him. "Tzirret, you're, um, not going to actually go into the fight, are you?"

After hearing everything that Hiritus had to say, Gallus stood up again and began pacing around the cell and looking at the floor in thought. After another few moments, he pursed his lips, ran a hand through his hair, and closed his eyes. "That would be impossible. That would bring the entire clan down on us."

Gallus' tone implied that his protest was more out of risk than possibility. He hoped that playing hard to get for a moment would solidify Hiritus' trust in him. He just needed his acted personality to be convinced that it was worth it. In Gallus' real mind, he already knew how he would get proof. It would be much easier than immediately apparent.

---

While Tzirret enjoyed Ma'tanza's closeness, his attempt at a reassuring smile was not particularly effective. "This one will not be at the front lines either, but..." Tzirret released the rest of his breath with a bit of stress and looked down at the last of his food, "He was ordered to go with the warband. That means that he will be in the battle."

Tzirret wanted to soothe Ma'tanza's nerves, but he didn't know quite how to do that when he couldn't even soothe his own. "Tzirret will, um..." There were few ways to be honest, "...T-try to stay...out of trouble." He stammered.

Hiritus did not budge in his request, and maintained a stern, serious expression. "I'm sure you can figure it out. You can get close to her, kill her, then get us both out of here before anyone notices. If she trusts you enough to perform these interrogations, then she trusts you enough to get the both of you alone. If you can't do that, then you won't be as useful to my masters as I'm assuming. Bring proof to me that she's dead; real proof, like her head, and I'll bring you to a group that can get you the power and influence you deserve. If you can't or won't do that, then I'm dead anyway, so it doesn't matter to me."

The Imperial attempted to straighten his posture, though that proved to be difficult while hanging from chains. "Go ahead, take as much time as you need. I won't be going anywhere."

===

Ma'tanza looked off to the size with some uncertainty. "This one wishes you could stay out of the fight at all." She commented, though after a few moments, she took in a deep breath and tried to move past it. "Well...there's no point in thinking about it now. Let's just try to relax; we still don't know exactly what is going to happen. They are waiting on some scouts to get back, right Tzirret? Maybe the attack won't even happen?"

By her attitude, it was clear that the thought Ma'tanza had been putting towards the battle to come had made her nervous. Tzirret's previous description of the fighting in Bruma had settled in her mind, and made her frightful for the lives of her friends and family.

Gallus paced for a little while longer, visibly frustrated. When his pacing slowed, he emitted unintelligible mumblings under his breath as he tried to work through the possibilities in his head. It finished with him looking up at the ceiling and letting out an angry growl.

"Alright!" Gallus said loudly, before resuming his low voice, "I will find a way." He thrust a finger towards Hiritus, "Just don't complain if we have to move quickly. Understand?"

---

At this point, Tzirret was distracted enough by Ma'tanza's anxiety to put his own aside and place more effort into trying to comfort her. He put down his food, put his other arm around her, and gave her a tight hug. "Maybe, but Ma'tanza is right, there is no use in worrying. We will all protect each other."

Perhaps they weren't the most inspiring words, but Tzirret did his best. He gave Ma'tanza a rare joking smile. "Let Tzirret do the worrying. He is better at it than Ma'tanza is."

In an effort to change the subject, Tzirret looked to everyone else. "What is everyone planning to do today?"

Hiritus shook his head lightly as he started to chuckle. "Boy, there's a lot I could be complaining about right now. Bruises, broken bones, sore wrists, this itch on my nose I can't scratch. Moving quickly is nowhere even close to being in that list. Just do what you have to, and make sure you grab that ring off her corpse. Though, make sure you bring some other good proof as well; I know that ring could be faked."

The Imperial lowered his head similarly to he had been when Gallus entered. He did not seem interested in continuing the conversation, likely to reduce the risk of someone overhearing.

---

Ma'tanza nodded lightly to Tzirret, though the worry in her expression did not ease until she distracted herself by answering Tzirret's question. She started to speak, but hesitated for a moment as she thought. "Well...Ma'tanza doesn't know, really. We could always try to swim, but there might not be room. There are a lot of people in this stronghold, and only one place for everyone to bathe. Well, only one place deeper than your ankles."

"Yeah, but there has to be something more than that, though." Bheja commented. "I mean, we swam all the time back in the forest. There has to be something here we couldn't do back at the outpost. Maybe we can find some of the people that actually live here and figure out what they do to pass the time?" He suggested.

Gallus' fluster was momentarily paused as he lowered his brow and looked at Hiritus with mild confusion. "You have no idea what the ring actually does, don't you?"

Just as quickly, Gallus dropped the demeanour and dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand. "Bah, no matter. I don't think there is anything else to discuss. Be ready, jester."

As usual, Gallus exited the room without saying goodbye and slammed the cell door behind him. Once free of his persona, his posture straightened and he slowly turned his head to Ri'vashi and Meesei. A smile curled up on his face. He nodded towards an empty cell to discuss what had just transpired and make plans.

---

Tzirret lowered one hand to continue eating as the others speculated their activities. It appeared that they had a lot of free time today. It was just as well; free time would be at a premium while marching.

"That could work," Tzirret said, "This one has not spoken much to other people here." He momentarily looked regretful. "This one has to take training with Gallus for the rest of this morning after interrogations finish, but Tzirret could find you afterwards."

The three were silent until they had made their way into the empty cell and slowly closed the door behind them, being sure they had its key first. Regardless, Meesei spoke silently, just to be safe. "So, it seems we need to determine how to kill me. This does complicate matters, but I am sure we will be able to find a solution. We need a way to make sure he is convinced of my 'death.' If it takes any time or effort to persuade him, he may not trust you. As well, we will need to determine a believable way for you to sneak him out of the stronghold. We have to make it look like a challenge. Too easy, and he could start suspecting the truth."

Ri'vashi nodded. "This one can make sure the guards along the way know of the plan. Did you have an idea for how specifically to get him out of the stronghold, Gallus?"

---

Ma'tanza curled her lips and looked up towards the exit of the room. "Yes, this one should probably have a lesson or two with her mentor too. She was too busy to train with Ma'tanza yesterday, so she will probably be wanting to make up for it today."

Bheja stood up and stretched briefly. "Well, I guess we can all meet up later then. We can get together by the tree in the main chamber, then see where we can go from there."

Gallus wore an accomplished smile on his face. Small sounds could be heard by anyone listening carefully that was muted chuckling. He was clearly coming down from well hidden nervousness that had gathered while with Hiritus. He spoke carefully and quietly, completely belying the acting from before.

"Well, Ri'vashi, exactly what route we will take shall require some extra knowledge from you in particular. If there are any escape tunnels, secret exits, waste outlets, or anything similar -- any other exit than the main gate -- I would hear about it." Gallus waved a finger around until it stilled at a point when he spoke, "I could easily lead the prisoner out blindfolded with a cover story to bluff past guards. The guards could be told beforehand, as you say. As well, it's not unbelievable for me to pose as someone with respected authority." He shrugged, "Once we've had a few interactions with the guards to make things realistic, we reach the exit, get him through with a bunch of supplies, and I'll go with him as long as it takes to get useful information." Gallus tilted his head, "That's as far as I could get with a solid plan. I would need a group to follow me as insurance without being noticed."

Before either of them could question Gallus about a particularly large unfilled aspect of the plan, Gallus took a breath and continued. "As for killing you, Meesei, that will be much easier than you might think," Gallus waggled a finger in the direction of the side cell wall. "Not only do we control where the ring goes-" Gallus placed a hand on his chest, "-with a werewolf to prove that it works, but we also have an Argonian with similar features to Meesei right in our pocket." Gallus gave a conceding gesture, "Granted, using the head will not work, but I doubt that Hiritus has taken a close look at your hand, or your tail, or your scalp of feathers, or something similar. Dar-tzesa may be useful for substitutes, despite the grisly nature of it." Gallus paused to nod in Meesei's direction, "I suppose the main question for you might be whether you are willing to part with your ring for a while."

---

Half of Tzirret's mind had suspected that there were other commitments that they had after all. It was not a big surprise.

Tzirret stood up with Ma'tanza and lightly took her by the shoulders as everyone began dispersing. "Tzirret will...see you later then," he said to her nervously, but with a smile. The nervousness stemmed from the others looking as he planted a quick kiss on Ma'tanza's lips and gave her a parting hug. Even after several days, he was nervous with displaying affection in front of others. It did not seem like it would go away, but at least it wasn't too much of a problem.

Tzirret waved goodbye to the others as he left for his training.

Ri'vashi nodded to Gallus. "Well, there are three ways to exit the stronghold. The first would, obviously, be the main entrance. Second is the hole leading to the outside at the top of the main chamber. The scaffolding along the walls leads all the way up to it, and it can be used as an exit, but in this case, it would be hard to justify why you are bringing a prisoner all the way up there. The last is an emergency exit that was built into the stronghold before we arrived. It is a tunnel leading about midway up to one of the other hills. There is a rock doorway that blends into the hill, with a mechanism built into the hillside to lower it from the inside. You will need to be careful sliding down the hillside, but it seems like your best option."

Meesei continued on the topic of how to fool the Imperial into believing her death. "I could part with the ring, yes. If necessary. We do still have the forgery that Dar-tzesa was wearing, if there is another way to convince him. However, I do wonder if any of those body parts would be enough to convince him? He does not seem to completely trust you, and he is well-aware that we have access to an impostor of myself. Do you think he may consider that kind of deception? Perhaps there is a way we could make something about Dar-tzesa look more like myself?"

"That'll do," Gallus said to Ri'vashi with a quick nod, "We'll take the tunnel and work out the details with the guards later."

With that matter more or less sorted, Gallus turned his attention to the fake death, once again. The question that Meesei posed was a riddle to Gallus. He held his elbow and brought his other hand up to his chin to think on it, tapping on his cheek with one finger. "If there was...some magic that could reshape a skull or make Hiritus think it's you, then...hmm..." Another thought crossed Gallus' mind that made him grimace, "We could possibly reason that there was a struggle in trying to kill you and deform the face beyond subtle recognition. Claw marks, bloodied features, and all. It isn't a solid option, though..."

Gallus pondered for a while longer, looking to the ground. For a sudden moment, he seemed to have an idea. He pointed to the ceiling, "Wait...no..." he brought his hand to his chin again and continued as he was. "Some kind of illusion to have me kill you in front of him isn't going to work when we try to get evidence. Hmph, this is harder than I thought."

As Gallus was speaking, Ri'vashi was obviously in thought. She had her ears lowered, and her arms crossed over her chest with her chin resting on her hand. She had a thought in her mind on a potential option they could take, though was not absolutely certain that it would work. "Do you believe a face sculptor may be of use?" She asked.

Unfamiliar with the concept, Meesei looked to Ri'vashi questioningly. "I am afraid I do not know what a face sculptor is. Would they be able to alter Dar-tzesa's appearance?"

Ri'vashi nodded. "Yes, she would. This one does not believe they exist in the Empire, or at least aren't as common, but they are popular among the elite of the Dominion. Particularly in Alinor, but there are practitioners of the art across the Dominion who serve those who can pay. Ri'vashi does not know exactly how it works, but they can change one's facial appearance to be anything within reason. Our gardener, La'tahne, was an apprentice to a face sculptor in Torval. I know she did not complete her apprenticeship before she was turned, and she does not have quite the range of abilities as a proper face sculptor, but since Dar'tzesa looks so much like you already..."

With a raised eyebrow and a silent, still, discerning look at Ri'vashi, it was clear that Gallus did not know whether to be elated or disturbed by what he was hearing. "There is an art to...sculpting faces, you say?" he asked, hardly believing it. Regardless, it was a better option than any they had come up with so far. Gallus straightened and lowered his hand from his chin, "I think we should talk to this La'tahne character immediately. If this is possible, it would be more convincing than any other proof short of killing Meesei outright."

Gallus gestured to the door of the cell, "Unless there are any other points to bring up, lead the way."

The three left the prisons, though Ri'vashi offered to find La'tahne herself to allow Meesei and Gallus to go ahead and make their way to the meeting chamber. It took about fifteen minutes for Ri'vashi to return to the meeting chamber with news that La'tahne was on her way, but it took about half an hour more for her to actually arrive.

As La'tahne stepped into the chamber, the cause of the delay was rather clear. Unlike most everyone else in either clan, she wore a dress that looked like it belonged in a city. It had bright, warm colors like orange and yellow, and was rather form-fitting and provocative like the garb of a dancer. She wore ribbons of cloth draped around her shoulders and tied around her tail, along with various kinds of homemade jewelry, and even a gold and ruby necklace. All of her visible fur was finely groomed, and near perfectly cleaned. Upon the sight of her, Ri'vashi let out a sigh and ran her hand down the side of her face.

"La'tahne...this is not a formal meeting. You did not have to prepare your appearance as if you were going to a noble's court." Ri'vashi said with some degree of frustration.

"Why clan leader, you could not truly expect this one to go to a meeting with the Champion herself without looking her absolute best. You did not say you needed her in a hurry." La'tahne responded defensively.

Ri'vashi gave another sigh. "It was...implied."

Gallus had his forearms on the meeting table when La'tahne walked in. He raised his brow in surprise when he saw her. Ri'vashi was right; she looked as if she was going to entertain some rich city patron. It was only then that Gallus realised the last time he had heard of La'tahne. She was the promiscuous gardener who did not need to fight or hunt to sate her beast spirit.

The interaction between Ri'vashi and La'tahne caused Gallus to stifle a laugh. Obviously La'tahne's appearance was habitual. "Alright, it is good to meet you anyway, La'tahne," Gallus said to the finely dressed woman, "Take a seat, if you would. I assume you know our names already?"

Once La'tahne was seated, Gallus got straight down to business. "Now, we hear that you have a talent for face sculpting? Is this so? Tell us more about it, if you would."

La'tahne took her seat at the table, next to Ri'vashi and across from Gallus. She had a slight hint of nervousness in her body language, but was doing what she could to hide it. Regardless of the supposed casual nature of the meeting, she sat with the proper posture and mannerisms of upper Aldmeri society.

"This one knows the names of the Champion, Meesei, and of course her clan leader, but she does not know the name of the handsome Imperial before her." La'tahne answered.

Given that they had already been delayed, Meesei did not waste time getting to business. "His name is Gallus, an alpha from Bruma accompanying my pack. We may need your skills in face sculpting in order to deceive one of the prisoners."

La'tahne gave a quick nod. "Ah, yes, of course. Face sculpting. Well, it was to be La'tahne's profession before she was turned. She was an apprentice to the sculptor for the Thalmor advisers to the Mane himself in Torval. Unfortunately, there is not much of a need for those services in the clan, so La'tanhe has taken on her other hobbies as a way of helping the clan. This one's skills are...not like those of her former master, she is afraid. But...what is it that you need her to do?"