Janius shook his head with futility. "I can't stop you from reading it, Meesei, but I am with Lorag on this one. We are dealing with a daedric prince that could turn on you and us at any point." Janius held both his hands forward for emphasis. "He knows what we are doing, he probably knows of your condition, and he knows where our home is. If things go badly for us, he has all he needs to switch sides at the snap of his fingers."

"Janius, Lorag," Gallus tried to intervene. "I understand your worries, but this is a war. It's up to all of us to be vigilant of when and where an action is appropriate. This book, as you say Janius, is a risk [i]if[/i] we are likely to be betrayed." He switched his eyes between Lorag and Janius and brought a flat hand up. "For that reason, it should not be kept for a last resort. We should use it how we can while it is appropriate to do so, and this was as good an opportunity as we will ever have."

Gallus' attention went to Meesei. "That said, Lorag raises a good point. We can't afford to have something insidious happen to you without realising it, champion. If and when you try reading this again, please keep us informed, for your sake and for ours. I know that you know the risks in dealing with daedra."

[hr]
Ahnasha and Fendros' visit to the temple of the reclamations was cautious at first. They approached the head priest with a request to speak with him in private, to which there were suspicious looks at Ahnasha, but no hostility. Once behind closed doors, the head priest proved to be surprisingly open-minded about their situation. According to him, he had never wedded a Dunmer to a Khajiit before, but it was not the first time he had performed the ceremony for other mixed-race couples.

Being aware of Fendros' family, the priest asked that Fendros and Ahnasha answer a number of questions before he agreed to marry them. The questions occasionally broached topics that skirted the borderlines of personal information without crossing them, but mainly stuck with the nature of their relationship. It was a respectful conversation and Fendros had no reason to lie, except to omit the details about lycanthropy. Regardless, he had to cover a few details with the manufactured 'hunting supplies shop' story that they had fed Ahnasha's parents.

It wasn't until after they left that Fendros realised that the priest was merely making sure that he and Ahnasha were not marrying one another on a whim or against their will, while at the same time trying to predict how the marriage would last. The priest was surprisingly good at hiding it.

In the end, the priest appeared satisfied and moved on to what the ceremony would involve. It was an exchange of vows, similar to a marriage under the divines, though with a suitably Dunmer bent towards ancestors, ashes, and other such themes. Before the sun completely set, they left with the priest promising a quiet service at the altars and enough room for their expected guests. Fendros' family included.

The accepting nature of the priest left Fendros in a pleasant mood. In contrast to his approach of the vineyard, he held onto Ahnasha's hand confidently. He stood so devoid of shame for being with her that it could be interpreted as outward pride. He even pushed at her with some playfulness, which turned into a small contest on the way back to camp of who could trip the other up into the grass. Fendros had an advantage over Ahnasha in her dress. Sharing that laugh put a capstone on the day that couldn't be dulled by anything.

Wasn't even dulled by the news of Meesei's sojourn into Apocrypha. However, hearing about Harriet and her daughter -- Lorag's daughter, allegedly -- was quite the surprise. Attempts to get through to Lorag were about as successful as Janius' attempts earlier that day.

[hr]
A curiosity visited Ahnasha's bedroll when she returned to her tent. Two small glass flasks, a circular wooden receptacle, and a tiny glass tube stoppered with a cork laid on the surface. Each was labelled with Sabine's jagged Cyrodilic handwriting; 'Fur I', 'Fur II', 'Hands', 'Nice Smell'. Each one had a scent that vividly brought back memories of Ariel's alchemy shop and its various cosmetics. Fendros had similar substances stored on his side of the bedroll, but with 'Fur' replaced by 'Hair' and with different smells altogether.

Fendros was playing with the children and had not noticed his yet. Sabine ate dinner in silence by the fire, not taking any notice of either of them.