Janius smiled. "Love you, Kaleeth," he said quickly. He pushed off the wall and they proceeded back into the dining room.

They saw all four of the youths still gathered around the fire, grinning at some amusing tale that Julan was recounting. Aurana was in the middle of a snorting laugh while Rhazii and Jatinha had their ears pert and their tails swirling. Off to the side, Fendros and Ahnasha sipped at their cups, passing time. Everyone turned their heads and went quiet when Janius and Kaleeth stepped in.

Knowing exactly what to do, Janius strode up to the group and clasped his hands behind his back. His mouth thinned into a neutral line. 

Aurana's grin faded into nervous anticipation, looking up at Janius.

"Aurana, I've tried to think about how I can best help you," Janius said gently. "The truth is that anything I can do has a risk of making things worse. Now, tonight...tonight has come after a long day and I need some more time. We're going to take you home with...Jatinha, was it?"

The Khajiit maid had instantly reverted to her professional smallness. She nodded.

"...right, we're going to take you home and get in touch with you tomorrow morning. We may knock on the door with Kaleeth and Julan, or we may simply leave you a note, but I promise we'll contact you to help you. Is that alright?"

Aurana turned her eyes to one side. She opened her mouth and was lost for words. Her hand crept up her other arm anxiously. "I was hoping you would be able to talk to mother and father tonight."

Janius tsked. "I'm afraid that I don't know what I would tell them just now."

"Oh." Aurana bowed her head. Her chest silently sank. Still, she looked up to Janius again. "Would you speak to them tomorrow?"

"Maybe."

The corner of Aurana's mouth twitched and her eyes went wandering again.

Janius knelt down. "Hey," he breathed. "I'm not going to just up and leave on you. I promise."

Aurana nodded rapidly. Her uncertainty did not abate.

"Now, it's getting late and it looks like Aurana's dried off." Janius looked to the youngsters, Julan in particular. "You can stay up for a little while longer, an hour, perhaps, but then we're to walk the fine ladies back, understood?"

[hr]
Lunise had nothing to say in return. At least not in that exact moment. Her residual sobbing turned into shallow, if slowing breaths through her mouth. She lifted her head from Meesei's shoulder, staring at the wall past her for another minute or so, still holding her.

Eventually, she swallowed and took a much deeper breath. This one was smooth and long, likely how she intended to breath to calm herself before breaking down in her chair earlier.

"Very well." Her regular voice had returned, earnest and awkwardly stilted. It was a change from her usual condescending tone. "We may be friends. Let it not be said that I do not have other friends, Khajiit and Altmer in Anequina and the Summerset Isles among others, nor that I only make friends in moments of weakness like this. It is simply...unprecedented, on this occasion. And, you may be the only friend I have that would not kill or arrest me for knowing what I know." She huffed and continued speaking towards the wall behind Meesei. "Champion, at this stage, I believe the best course of action is to continue my assignment with you and the lycans. I will even have to return the documents to avoid alienating the entire Dominion and putting our treaties with you at risk. I cannot fathom how to remedy the situation with the Thalmor but I am not the only one with attachment to my country and the world. Any moves against them must be at an [i]elven[/i] pace. This matter with Clavicus Vile takes precedence."

Lunise's arms had still not budged.