Vera returned the handshake, raising her eyebrows at Ri'vashi's introduction. Initial questions were quelled by Meesei, though Vera still gave a smile. "It is good to finally put a face to a name after all this time. Welcome, Ri'vashi."

After Pierrette spoke up, curious eyes were drawn to Marcaille. Vera gave Marcaille a smile and a nod, but couldn't quite greet her before Janius added to her modest introduction. "Yes, just an alchemist who saved Meesei's life and might save our people further with her expertise." Janius' sarcasm was delivered through a good natured grin. "No one special at all."

"Well, it is fine to meet you as well, Marcaille," Vera said. With a perked up neck, Vera then glanced at everyone and brought one foot back. "Shall we get you inside, then? You look like you could use a fire before you get crowded around. You remember the last time you and your pack arrived, champion. I took the precaution of letting a small grapevine spread news of your arrival rather than an announcement."

With that, the small crowd proceeded through the main gate. While they walked, Oswall took on a lower tone and put a hand on Gallus' shoulder. "Mind if we speak for a moment, son?" he asked. Oswall's glancing back at the entrance of the cave behind them spoke that he may have made inferences about Irenya's absence as well.

"Oh, of course father," Gallus responded, before he addressed his pack. "You all can go find your friends, do as you please. If we need you for reporting, we'll come find you."

Darahil spoke with a level tone at Oswall. "I hope you'll not be too long with one of the reporters, Oswall."

"No, it will only be a few minutes, I promise," Oswall answered. "I will come to the meeting room with him as soon as I can." He and Gallus then broke off from the main group to find a quiet spot to talk

Sabine still held onto Peiter's hand, unaware that they were not together before they left the clanhome. She asked ahead of her, "Meesei, should we come with you to the meeting?"

As they walked through the main chamber, there were already people frantically pointing at the new arrivals and speaking to one another. Others ran across the chamber and into hallways to tell others. They seemed to be giving just as many looks at Meesei as they did Ri'vashi.

Marcaille gave no particular reaction to Janius' compliment, and instead simply shook Vera's hand, then stepped away from being the center of attention. Pierrette, meanwhile, left to find a few officers to temporarily handle their duties so they could hold a meeting on all that had transpired.

Meesei wanted to take the time to get settled in, but it was also important to give the council all of the news she had as soon as she could. So, she felt it would be best not to get too caught up in relaxing. "Thank you, Vera. Perhaps we can find some rooms in which to offload all of these bags we are carrying?"

"Well, we did keep your rooms for you." Tola responded. "We didn't reassign them or anything. Everything you left in them when you departed should still be there. There was one kid that tried to break into you your room, but we caught him, and handled him appropriately." She explained.

Meesei nodded. "Thank you. You could have used our rooms if you wished, but it is appreciated. I will go there for a few minutes, then head on to the meeting chamber." Once Sabine asked if she should attend the meeting, Meesei nodded to her, then addressed the rest of the group as a whole. "I would encourage everyone to attend the meeting, actually. We will be sharing our report of everything that has happened, so everyone has a place in being there."

Gallus and Oswall were already separated from them by the time Meesei answered, so Uthri was the one who spoke for his pack. "Alright boys, let's drop our bags off and head up to the council room. There will be time for catching up with everyone later."

With that, they went their separate ways for the moment. Sabine gave Peiter an encouraging smile before she let his hand go to drop off her own luggage. Everyone would assemble in the council's regular meeting room in short order.

With only an occasional wrong turn, both packs quickly found their way back to their old rooms. Both Ri'vashi and Marcaille would be receiving permanent rooms soon enough, but Meesei allowed them to store their belongings in her room for the moment. Everyone was pretty much in agreement that they needed to get the meeting out of the way, and there was no one who seemed interested in sitting out. After dropping off their belongings, they decided to allow Rhazii and Newt to stay in Kaleeth and Janius' room with Leaps. They were old enough to take care of themselves, at least for a while.

Meesei was personally glad to be able to get out of the thick furs she was wearing and down to her normal, more comfortable attire. Despite her insistence that they begin the meeting quickly, she was the last to leave her room, after both Ri'vashi and Marcaille, who Lorag guided to the meeting chamber. She did not remain long, but took the few moments she had to drink another of Sabine's potions. She had not been outright hiding her potions from the others, she still had started feeling some degree of shame at the fact that the had to take them. It made her feel weak and frail to know that her life was being sustained only because she essentially took medicine regularly. She was entirely dependent on these potions in order to keep living her life normally, which did not sit well at all in her mind.

Regardless, it was only a short while before Meesei made her way from her room to the meeting chamber, particularly since they were on the same hall. She was one of the last few to arrive, thought they were still waiting on Oswall and Gallus before they could begin. Or at least Oswall, if Gallus decided he did not wish to join.

As soon as she stepped into the room, Meesei reached into her pouch and produced a stack small stack of parchments, mixed in with a few cut out pieces of animal hide that Meesei had started using after she ran out of paper, then placed them down on the table in front of Vera. "I took the time to write up a detailed report of our mission on our way back from Elsweyr. You may wish to have some copies made of it so you can review it later. Though, do not make too many copies. There is some very sensitive information contained on these pages."

The meeting was not held up for long by Oswall and Gallus. They strode in with the same presence that they had greeted one another with. While Gallus was fatigued from the journey, he seemed in a surprisingly positive mood. That said, he wasn't so upbeat as to reduce the seriousness of what they would be sharing.

The father and son both found a seat each. "So, shall we begin?" Gallus asked, before sniffing back on a runny nose.

"You alright, Gallus?" Uthri asked quietly.

Gallus cut the air with his hand dismissively. "I'm fine. Just a bit of moisture from the cold outside."

Darahil had his hands weaved together on the table in front of himself, serious as ever. He nodded to Meesei. "Please," he said. "Continue, champion."

"Of course." Meesei answered, taking her seat at the head of the table. Each of the council's members, Ri'vashi, and some of Meesei's pack, took the remaining seats. They rarely held meetings that contained more than a few non-council members at once, so their table was not actually big enough to accommodate everyone present. But, it would only be a small inconvenience for them to stand.

Meesei took in a quick breath to give herself a moment to think. "Well, how to even begin? I suppose to start, we were correct in our suspicions that the Senchal clan had been attacked. The majority were killed or captured, but just under half escaped. Vile's servants were forcing one of the clan's members to help them trap anyone we sent to investigate, but he was able to help us kill them and free his pride. It is a tactic we should be careful of in the future. Afterwards, we moved west and discovered what remained of the Senchal clan at an old outpost. We convinced them to move north and join with the Orcrest clan, a journey which fortunately incurred no losses. We spent some time recuperating there, but our goal was to end the enemy threat in Elsweyr. Ultimately, we decided to combine the forces of the two clans in an assault on the enemy's primary stronghold in the region, which we had learned the location of previously. It was...not a complete success. The stronghold was destroyed and we did cripple their operations in the area, but we did not destroy them entirely. Their leader, a Cathay-raht veteran of the Imperial army named Do'rhajul, most likely survived. And with him, the formula for a devastating new weapon they have developed. Not only does the enemy have access to a new formula for the suppression gas, but they have created a new kind of...soul-tearing gas. Its function is exactly as it sounds. After just a few breaths of the gas, it can rip a lycan's soul from their body and send it straight to Clavicus Vile's realm. It is both effective and terrifying, and as of right now, we have no real defense against it. My Ring kept a hold of my soul and protected me from it, but this one artifact cannot protect every lycan in Tamriel."

Obviously, Meesei had left out quite a few details, but they were all written in her report. For now, they needed to discuss the most pressing threat to their clan, and indeed, all lycans.

The information that Meesei presented bore so much weight that no one in the council was anything more than frozen and speechless for an awkward while. There were so many questions to ask that merely thinking about one gave rise to another.

The first to cut through the silence was none other than Darahil. He had not moved an inch from his position, hands weaved on the table and his slightly angled head showing no emotion. "Did you discover anything further about this gas? How long does it take to work and did you manage to salvage a sample?"

All of the council members stopped their lost glancing at each other and refocussed on Meesei again.

<False lost post. Never mind.>

Meesei waited in silence to allow the others to consider the news she brought. The silence hung in the air long enough to give weight to the severity of the situation before Darahil finally spoke up, naturally about the gas itself. "The gas acted fairly immediately. The others with me started to cough and collapse within seconds of breathing it in. It did seem that it would only work if the victim actually breathed in the gas, so I suppose it is likely possible for one to hold their breath if they see the gas beforehand. In our case, though, it caught us by surprise."

Meesei gave a nod to Marcaille, who had been holding on to the samples of the gas, then continued with her explanation. "We did uncover some samples of it; a few flasks. Like the suppression gas, it seems to be stored as a liquid until something disturbs it, like a sudden impact. I would guess that the enemy is able to store it in potion bottles to throw as a weapon in combat, just as they do with the suppression gas. They did not do so during our attack, but from what I observed, it seemed like they had only recently created a formula that worked as intended, so their soldiers were not equipped with it. Regardless, I am sure you can imagine how great of a threat this is, particularly in tight quarters. If we cannot develop an antidote, we are going to have to drastically change how we approach the safety of our clans."

Meanwhile, Marcaille reached into her bag and carefully pulled out a tightly wrapped bundle of furs and cloth, tied together by straps of leather. It took a few moments for her to untie and unravel the thick bundle protecting the flasks within. As one might expect, they had been exceptionally careful when transporting the samples to ensure their glass flasks did not shatter. Not only could they lose their samples, but it could prove to be a danger to anyone around it.

Darahil rotated his head towards the flask that Marcaille produced and unweaved his fingers. "If I may?" he asked Marcaille, reaching with one hand.

While Darahil inspected the flask itself, Oswall began to speak. "This is indeed grave. We have discussed the implications of the suppression gas before, but gas that rips out the soul..." He pressed his lips together, making his moustache bristle as he exhaled through his nose. "If the enemy besieges us, climbs the mountain, and finds the chimneys we use for the forge, the cookfires, and any others, they would be able to fill this place with little time to escape. We would have to evacuate the entire clanhome at the first sign of the enemy."

"Holding one's breath does grant an idea," Darahil butted in flatly, not looking up from the flask he held in his hands.

Oswall's face twisted with indignation. "Of all the times you pick to be sarcastic, I hardly think it appropriate right now Dara-"

"-Calm yourself, Oswall. I was not being sarcastic." Darahil peered at Oswall, and then addressed the others. "A common spell for magical alterers is a spell to breath under water. Adapting it to breath a gas without suffering its effects might be made. I cannot be certain whether it can be replicated in the form of a potion in any useful capacity, but I may be able to at least devise something that could save a few lives. If I have enough time and resources, I might even be able to enchant some items with the effect. How many, I also cannot be certain."

Vera nodded. "See that you do what you can, Darahil. Now, were you saying something, Oswall?"

Oswall readjusted himself in his seat and crossed his arms. After shooting a foul look at Darahil, he breathed in to resume. "The trouble with a weapon such as this is that no standing army can get within throwing distance of a flask such as that one." He nodded his head sideways to Darahil. "This makes a defensive position especially vulnerable, but sallying out guarantees death amongst the effort all the same. Our only safety right now is in the limits of the enemy to make this infernal stuff and their willingness to attack us."

Vera's eyes went down and she blinked in silence for a few moments. "They already know of this place," she murmured. "They know of many places by now." Vera closed her eyes and leaned her forehead on one fist. She took a deep breath and looked up to the others with determination. "We will have to inform the other clans as fast as possible. Darahil, how quickly do you estimate you can find a solution to this?"

Darahil was already back to inspecting the liquid. "Unknown. This is something new and we will need to be careful with what little we have of it."

Curling her lips, Vera looked to the others. "Does anyone have any further suggestions? I fear that we may have to begin packing our bags."

Meesei was skeptical that a solution to the gas would come easily, though it would be unwise to rule out any potential solutions without testing them. With how deadly the gas was, it was important that they try everything they could. She leaned forward onto her elbows and clasped her hands together in front of her, contemplating the same subject that had been haunting her mind for weeks. "I am not certain that it will be possible to adapt a water breathing spell for that purpose, though admittedly, such spells are not within my realm of expertise. Regardless, I will help with the research as best as I can. My concern is that, unlike water, this gas is magical in nature. Even more, it is connected directly to Clavicus Vile's realm and may use ingredients from that plane of Oblivion. And, if it is possible to adapt a water breathing spell, we would still have to find a way to deal with residual gas. The person would still have to breathe while under the effects of the spell and would end up taking the gas into their lungs. Once the spell wears off, they could still die regardless. Hopefully, working together, we can find a solution to those problems. But, we cannot rely wholly on any spell we create, as we cannot be sure that we can actually test it. The gas is very deadly, and we do not know how much is a lethal dose, or if there are any long term effects of breathing small amounts. I cannot allow one of our own to sacrifice their soul to Vile to test a resistance spell."

Meesei continued, turning her attention once again to Marcaille. "The reason I have brought Marcaille from Elsweyr is to help work on an alchemical solution to the gas. An antidote. That would hopefully allow us to make all of our people immune to this weapon. I would like to get all of the most skilled alchemists we can find, from all of our clans across Tamriel, to work together on this problem. As I am sure you can all understand, this is now the most important issue we are facing, and solving it is worth dedicating everything we possibly can to it. If we do not find an antidote, or other solution, soon, then we will have to move this clan. Every clan in Tamriel that has been discovered will have to relocate. Secrecy will become our first and only line of defense. I would like for you to get word to every clan whose location is known to the enemy and warn them of this new danger. Now, the best place for a new clanhome is in a remote, open area, not underground. Mages skilled in telekinesis can delay the spread of the gas enough to hopefully buy time for an evacuation, which is something we should begin training soon. The soul-tearing gas behaves similarly to the suppression gas, so we may be able to adapt some tactics to deal with it in combat. In fact, it is likely that the new gas was derived directly from the suppression gas. It may be worthwhile for us to attempt to enlist the aid of the one who originally created the suppression gas." She suggested, glancing briefly towards Sabine.

Vera gave firm nods to each of Meesei's points while Darahil looked up from the flask to give a narrow-eyed inspection of Marcaille from across the table. They both had words on their tongues that were held back by Meesei's final suggestion.

Sabine's eyes began to dart between Meesei and the council when she realised the situation.

"You know of the one who...?" Vera trailed off as her memory returned. "Ah, that's right." Vera, as well as everyone else, joined in Meesei in looking at Sabine.

"Enlist Ariel?" Sabine asked. She fidgeted. "She is a long way away."

"How long would it take for your sister to journey here?" Oswall asked.

Sabine looked ahead and tried to focus. "She is at Thorn in Black Marsh. The letters take about a month to get there. Our ship ride to the Imperial City took much longer." Sabine knotted her brow and leaned towards Meesei, speaking in a lower voice and much more nervous voice. "It would be dangerous to ask her here."

Meesei gave a nod to Sabine. "She is not someone I would want to ask immediately. Assuming she accepted, the time it would take for her to travel here would be too much for us to risk staying in this location. We will have to see if we can create an antidote, or other solution, with the people and resources we have available for now. If not, we can start seeking aid from the far corners of Tamriel after our clan moves. I have no doubt that Ariel would be willing to help us simply to protect her sister, but thanks to the trade connections and other sources of income we have established over the last few years, we are in a position to offer her a sizable reward for her services. If she develops an antidote for this gas, she would be saving all of our lives, so she would certainly deserve anything we can spare. As well, it would help to smooth matters over with her mate."

Sabine's worried about Ariel were understandable. Even if there were not the risk of being targeted by Vile's servants, travel over long distances was inherently dangerous. Meesei had a few ideas for how to mitigate that risk, but it was not an immediate concern. "Until we make the decision to move our clan, however, I still want you to aid with the research on the gas, Sabine. Ariel taught you about the suppression gas, and you have more experience with it than anyone else in this clan. Combined with your natural alchemical talents, you may have a perspective on the problem that others do not."

The matter of the soul tearing gas was the most pressing, but since it seemed that there was little else to discuss on that for the moment, Meesei was ready to explain Ri'vashi's presence, and her plan for creating a skilled council of leaders of different aspects of the struggle against Vile. For the moment, though, she allowed the others time to consider what she had said so far.

Sabine nodded without her confidence appearing restored. She would do all she could.

In lieu of further response, Vera spoke up to move the discussion. "I will leave enlisting Ariel to you, champion." She glanced to the Darahil. "Darahil, I expect you to provide any resources Marcaille may need and to collaborate with her to find something to neutralise this threat. Get everyone on the loft to work on it if you have to. You know what is at stake."

Vera gave looks to Oswall and Pierrette. "You two have the best knowledge of our supplies and this home. I need you to make sure that, by this time next week, we have a means of evacuating the entire clan on short notice. Tola?" Vera was not done yet. It was a wonder when she found the time to breathe. "I need you to work with the rangers to find a place where we might settle if we have to leave."

Vera peered to everyone and took on a lower tone, balling a fist against her forehead from the table. "I do not like the lengths we may have to go to, but this is not something we can ignore."

The council gave some mumbles of solemn agreement and another quiet pervaded.

"What..." Vera looked up at Meesei again. "...part of the report should we discuss next? I hope the worst tidings have already been given."

Meesei gave a nod in response to Vera. “There were no other great tragedies to befall us, no. It is unlikely that the Senchal clan will have the strength to be independent for the foreseeable future, but they will be safe among the Orcrest clan. However, during the attack…well, strictly speaking, it is good news that we learned of this, but it is troubling all the same. We uncovered information that very well may answer the question of why Vile is waging this war to begin with. You know how the number of lycans in Tamriel have been increasing drastically for years, even before the conflict began. I had always thought it might have been the response of feral lycans to new threats, or even the influence of Hircine himself to bolster his forces, but it seems the truth is more sinister. The enemy has been capturing people, turning them to lycans, then releasing them into the wilds where we can find them. Our numbers, the strength of our growing army, has been fed by the very enemy we have been fighting. The documents did not explain their motivations precisely, but everything we have learned seems to point to one answer: our souls. Lycan souls are stronger than those of other mortals, and for a Daedric Prince, souls grant power. To what end, I do not know for sure, but Vile wants our souls to fuel his power. He wants many, many lycan souls, but we are inherently difficult to keep prisoner in large numbers. So, he had his followers start creating more of us, release them, then start this war to gather us all together. We have formed clans larger than have ever existed in known history. All of these lycans concentrated into one place…we are the perfect target for this soul-tearing gas. I believe my pack and I delayed its creation four years ago when we halted their production of the suppression gas. But, now they have finally perfected it. They have built up our numbers like farmers planting a field, and now it is time for them to harvest. They call it the ‘Culling’, according to a prisoner Gallus interrogated. But, I do think there is still some hope. Because of our attack, we learned about their new weapon before we should have. They are not yet ready to mount a coordinated attack on all of our clans at once, so we have given ourselves time to react.”

The news Meesei was explaining was certainly grim, but she still had her plan. They had been playing into the hands of their enemy for years, but she aimed to turn that to her advantage. “To that end, I am going to be making some rather drastic changes to our leadership, and I am not referring to this clan in particular. If we are to fight against Vile, all of the clans will need to be able to coordinate, so I want to create a new council to coordinate them. This council will not be a part of any particular clan, but will be leading our overall strategy. This is why I have brought Ri’vashi. You may know her reputation as a warrior, and I can assure you it is well earned. She is a brilliant military leader, and as of right now, will be taking over the role I have been serving in planning our military strategy. I will need more, though. More leaders; people who can organize every aspect of our operations with the greatest efficiency. I want the most talented people we can find. Secrecy is going to be our greatest tool moving forward, so we are going to need a…spymaster. One who can make sure we remain undetected. We will also need a criminal, and I am not referring to a simple thief. We will need an experienced crime boss to make sure the income we receive cannot be traced to us. For any role we need filled, we need to find an expert.”

Thankfully, Meesei's words were not quite as heady this time. It was a sobering thought that the clans that had been forming were all for a great harvesting of souls, but the way Meesei put it gave them hope to counteract it. As for the experts to find, there were no immediate responses. Oswall raised an eyebrow at the mention of no further great tragedies, despite Irenya's conspicuous absence. Vera had the side of her fists over her mouth in thought. Darahil put aside the flask he held and straightened his back to be the first to speak.

"I may have been away from the academic community for decades now, but there are a number of skilled mages amongst the clans of whom I have occasionally corresponded with." Darahil folded his hands together. "I lose myself no pride by admitting that there is one that I know with more knowledge in some areas than myself. I am a working mage and an Ayleid archaeologist, but a battlemage like no other currently resides in a wereboar clan near Anvil. Her techniques are traditional, but I would wager that she would even give you a challenge in a duel, champion." Darahil leaned his head back slightly and the corner of his mouth twitched. "She is an Altmer named Resara." Though it was subtle, Darahil seemed more facially emotive in his description than he had been for the entire day.

Following odd looks in Darahil's direction, Vera raised her head to give a slow response. "Jerrick used to work with a few smugglers in the early days of the clan. I believe they still operate in the area between Cyrodiil and Skyrim." She gave a tired breath and looked down. "They might have some contacts to find us some organised criminals. Perhaps lycan ones, if we're lucky."

Oswall crossed his arms. "That still leaves a spymaster."

"We may have to ask the other clans for one such as that," Vera said. "It would make sense for such people to not have a reputation."

Meesei was pleased that the others already had options in mind, but she was careful not to lock herself into their suggestions. "Those are all certainly leads to follow, and options to consider, but I am not looking for the best experts among the people you know. What I want is the absolute best lycans, or those who sympathize with lycans, in Tamriel. That means we will need to coordinate with other clan leaders to determine who is truly the most skilled for each role. As Champion, I will be on this council in a sense, but not in a specified role. It is possible that I could be qualified to be the battlemage among them, but I believe that my duties as Champion are best fulfilled leading from the front, as it were. Myself and my pack will be taking on many more missions against Vile than we have been. I will take part in council decisions when I am able, but these should be people I can trust to lead without me."

Now that Meesei had explained her plans for the future, there was much work for them to accomplish, and she did not expect that it would be finished anytime soon. First and foremost, they needed to find a new home for their clan, and warn every other compromised clan to do the same. That would delay them in finding members for this new council, but with at least Ri'vashi present, they could handle their short-term defense against the inevitable enemy offensive. "Now, I do not believe there are any other pressing matters regarding the whole clan. I would encourage you all to read my report in detail, particularly regarding the enemy general Do'rhajul. There will be much work for us to do. Do you have any further questions for us, or does anyone have anything they would like to report specifically which I have left out?" Meesei asked.

"I would sooner read the report myself before trying to ask any more questions," Oswall said. "I have too many as it is."

A few eyes went to Gallus, who was standing up with his arms crossed and his head forward. He didn't seem to notice the looks. Likely on purpose.

"You have my deepest sympathies for Irenya," Darahil said, not looking up from the page of the report he was reading.

At that, the silence became a solemn one. There was little that anyone knew to say to support Gallus without drawing attention to him.

Gallus himself had not reacted to the words for a while. But he eventually mumbled out a "Thank you."

Oswall tried to save his son from the attention by clearing his throat. "Perhaps we might give our guests a tour while we go over this report and reconvene later to iron out the details?" Oswall smiled widely, spreading his white whiskers upwards.

With the major issues addressed, the meeting eventually came to a close. Meesei did not wish to reopen wounds that had only recently closed, so she did not say anything to dwell on Irenya. As the others were reading her report, she took only a moment to pull Darahil aside and request that he keep Sabine supplied with the ingredients she would need to make her potions. Meesei had included in her report that she had been gravely injured in the fighting, but did not go into detail on the fact that she required continued treatment. She did not want word of her physical condition to spread around the clan, so she asked that Darahil remain discreet.

---

The clan had not changed a great deal since they had left on their mission, so Meesei and Gallus’ packs settled in once again fairly quickly. By the day after their arrival, Ri’vashi and Marcaille were given their own rooms. Marcaille was introduced to the rest of the scholars, and started their work on the soul-tearing gas with Sabine and the other alchemists. The gravity of their work meant that there was little opportunity for Marcaille to actually get to know the scholars in any casual sense, but she was sociable enough with her peers. For the moment, there was no talk between Marcaille and Ahnasha about their necromancy lessons, but given the importance of finding an antidote for the gas, Ahnasha certainly was not going to complain. Meanwhile, the clan’s officers, particularly those among their warriors, were informed of Ri’vashi’s role among them, and she took the time to meet each of them. It would obviously take time for them to adjust to the modification to their leadership structure, but they had been through such changes before.

It was three days after the group’s return to the clan, and Meesei’s pack had returned to their custom of eating their breakfasts together in the dining chamber, though now with one or two new guests. Peiter decided to spend his time with Sabine that morning, so he was with them as well. Their circle of friends had been quite stirred up by their return. They had been excited to see them, of course, but Peiter also should have expected that they would focus on his arm. Luckily, the fact that he and Sabine were now mated gave them something else to focus on after a while.

Meesei had been acting noticeably strange since the moment they sat down to eat. She was not quite nervous exactly, but was definitely holding some anxiety. However, once she was sure that everyone was present, she explained herself fairly quickly. “Last night, Hircine communicated to me in my dreams. We are to receive visitors this morning. I do not know who they will be, but I believe they will be of help to us. I have already sent word to Vera to prepare for another meeting.”

Darahil reacted to Meesei's injury in the same way that he reacted to most things; with stoic silence. He was understanding and discreet, but this time there were extended pauses where tacit feelings were conveyed. They could have been anything from concern, to mere contemplation. However, the ingredients were given freely as Sabine needed.

By the time they reunited with their friends, Sabine had forgotten that she wasn't in a relationship with Peiter before they left. Sabine was worried when they all turned their heads in astonished silence. She thought they were staring at Peiter's missing arm. They were actually staring at them holding hands. It wasn't until Sabine's Nord friend, Frieda, shrieked in excitement and hugged them both that relief began to set in. She wished she had more time to catch up with them all.

---

The morning of the pack's third day back was the closest that felt to normality yet. Despite the reorganisation and the new leaders, they were back into a routine in a warm home with their friends. That feeling was somewhat shaken by Meesei's announcement.

The pack reacted with curiosity at Meesei's words. Normally, such things were presented with more gravity and sureness. Meesei would ask them all to pay attention rather than immediately interrupting them. Regardless, this was still significant news.

"...Visitors?" Janius said. He tilted his head and furrowed his brow in uncertainty. "Well that's...good news? Was that all? What did you see, exactly?"

Fendros spoke as well. "Indeed. It's been so soon since we arrived. This is sudden."