Fendros laughed at Colours' surprise and drew him into a firm hug. "It's good to see you again, after all this time." Sabine gave Colours a hug, too, grinning. Even with Colours' reputation, they had been through much with him and his pack.

"I suppose we are the special help. We're here to catch Talos hunters," Fendros said after the initial greetings were done. He placed a fist on his hip and looked to Malithus. "This man-" Fendros gestured to Sees-No-Colours with his other hand. "Though his reputation is deserved as a scoundrel -- was instrumental in smuggling the entire Senchal clan survivors -- now the Torval clan -- around the waters to the other end of Elsweyr, to bring them safely to the Orcrest clan. This was well before the Orcrest clan was attacked, of course, but we were there." Fendros looked at Colours and lowered his gesture. "He can have that achievement, but you've probably learnt to not believe half the things coming out of his mouth. Keep being sceptical. He's still a scoundrel, aren't you Colours?"

"We did not know you were here," Sabine said, still smiling. "What orders brought you?"

[hr]
It took roughly a week and a half for Saras' rumours to bring results. It was not the easiest situation to gauge, but scouts began to report occasional sightings of hunting parties. These were not bandits, Imperial foresters, or even silver-wielding monster trackers, but merely small groups of local Nords hunting deer and the like. This would have been innocuous had they been more common in the area around the cave. Additionally, one report came in of them drinking vials of potions and scanning blankly into the trees. Regular hunters were not wealthy enough for potions. A few hunting parties drew especially close to the decoy cave entrance. Although, none of them took any interest in entering it.

When the hunting parties were trailed, they did not seem affiliated with the Penitus Oculatus agents at all.

The point at which Saras was called was not with a sighting of any agents or hunters, but by a scent warning. There was an unfamiliar lycan smell on the wind, accompanied by the smell of humans and elves of some kinds. The trail was located and found to be already extremely close to the cave entrance. They would not have much time before they arrived. The strange part was that none of the scouts could spot the approaching group. Only one of the scouts could locate them exactly as she had learned how to detect life through magic; they were invisible. She stalked them while other scouts went to report back.