With the size of the warband, it did not take long to clear the citadel; not that there was actually anything to clear. Even after a thorough search, no hint of danger was found within, just long-dead skeletons. Meesei and Ri’vashi both agreed to focus their remaining efforts on their expedition to securing the path from the citadel to Raldbthar, then returning to the surface. 

In the two months that followed, what was formerly the Bruma clan was quite busy relocating themselves. Before the non-combatants could be settled in, they had to ensure that their new home would be completely safe for day-to-day life. The Bruma, Riften, and even Solitude clans lent warriors to the cause. Raldbthar was easy enough to clear of any remaining trace of Falmer or Chaurus, though the occasional Dwemer spider or sphere would still appear from time-to-time from the walls. The cavern below was more difficult, as there was quite a distance between the Raldbthar entrance and the citadel they had discovered. Ri’vashi eventually settled on a large-scale hunt of the area surrounding the pathway, followed by regular patrols across all sections of the path. It required a constant, dedicated effort on the part of their warriors, but Falmer attacks became small scale and infrequent.  Meesei had most of the skeletons removed, apart from that of the dragon. She was not interested in claiming a trophy from a creature she had not killed, so she had its bones, and some scales they found partially covered in dirt beneath it, taken to a storage room in the citadel that she deemed sufficiently secure. Dragon bones were rare and valuable, so she was sure they would find a use for them eventually. 

At the same time as they were clearing the cavern, Meesei sent word to clans across Tamriel, in somewhat covert terms, to send their Dwemer and Falmer scholars to them. It was not a mandatory order, but the nature of their discovery meant that there were many who were more than willing to undertake the journey to Skyrim. And, of course, there were scholars nearby, among the Riften and Solitude clans, who were eager to explore the ruins. There were even trusted, non-lycan scholars that were allowed to live among them. Some discoveries were made fairly quickly, once the scholars had the chance to translate some of the Dwemer inscriptions and written materials they had found. The cavern itself, Fal Zhardum Din, was often simply called Blackreach by the Dwemer, and the citadel they had discovered was known as the Silent City. Alchemists and enchanters also performed tests on some of the unique resources in Blackreach. Despite hopes to the contrary, the glowing mushrooms that filled the cavern were found to be inedible. In fact, they were a largely poisonous fungus that could cause blindness if ingested over time. However, they still had some useful alchemical properties, and were certainly abundant. There was also a curious, crimson red variation of nirnroot growing throughout Blackreach. While nirnroot was somewhat rare in Tamriel, this crimson nirnroot was actually fairly common throughout the cavern, and it was exceptionally useful for creating particular potions and poisons. As such, a group of alchemists set out to see if they could find a way to cultivate the root reliably. Since it grew naturally in Blackreach, it would be somewhat easier than trying to grow nirnroot on the surface. 

Eventually, the clan was once again able to settle down into a routine, and with more members than before. There was some disagreement on whether they should refer to themselves as the “Blackreach clan” or the “Silent City clan,” but the fears of relocating had largely worn off. Saras in particular seemed to like the idea of expanding their reach in the new location. The scholars had determined that there were many entrances and exits to Blackreach across a large section of Skyrim, so if they could secure them, he reasoned that it would make it easier for them to maneuver in the province. Any sort of expansion would take a dedicated effort, but from what Meesei had been told, several of their other problems now had potential solutions. 

It was early in the morning, or at least, Meesei assumed it to be. Her duties had kept her underground for the better part of a month, so she simply had to assume that her sleep cycle at least somewhat lined up with the day and night cycle on the surface. There were, of course, members of the clan who left the cavern regularly, particularly those who dealt with their supply runs. Although, Meesei had recently been informed that week that the light from the Silent City’s “sun” could actually sustain plant growth. They had already planned to receive a shipment of seed from the Riften clan to begin their own, underground farms. Saras was currently in the city, though he was currently dealing with an issue regarding his supply shipments, so he would not be able to attend the meeting that Meesei had planned. Evidently, the efforts of several scholars, alchemists, and other members of the clan, had finally bore fruit, so she and Ri’vashi would be meeting with the scholars, and the clan’s leadership, to decide how their findings would impact their future plans. Meesei had told her pack that they could attend if they wished, though they did not necessarily need to. 

The clan had dedicated a room inside the Silent City’s debate hall to be their new meeting room. It had a large enough rectangular stone table to accommodate quite a few people, and they had provided wool and fur cushions to deal with the uncomfortable stone chairs. Meesei was among the first to arrive, so she had time to collect her thoughts.