Sabine may have been Meesei's peer in magical skill, but what she described was hard for Sabine to fully fathom. Teaching something with an apparently animal intelligence something as abstract as magic sounded impossible.

She had to stare with her mouth half-open to even think about what Meesei had in mind. "Um," Sabine breathed an uneasy laugh. "What is it that you want to do?"

---

Fendros locked his eyes sternly at Ri'vashi's face and spoke over her last word. "I know, Ri'vashi. We have been fighting this war, too." It wasn't the first time Fendros had to speak so seriously to someone who loomed over him, though until now it was just transformed lycans. Not a military commander or a peer. "Do'rhajul will answer for his crimes in the end. I am not suggesting that he won't. But you know the stakes, you know what we know about Vile's plans. If it comes down to the choice of winning this war with vital information or killing Do'rhajul in righteous wrath, you know what our dead kin would prefer. It may not come down to that but you have to accept the possibility."

Meesei maintained an encouraging smile towards Sabine. "Well, I am hoping to get a better since of how my beast spirit has changed since I started my experiments. You see, it was a gradual process. I started the process a few years ago actually, and worked on it on and off. It was only more recently that I achieved actual results. However, the change, I feel, was slow enough that it took until now to notice it, so I am not entirely sure what the spirit used to be like, precisely. I want to form a comparison between my beast spirit and another under the influence of the Ring. So to that end..."

Pausing a moment, Meesei looked down, pulled the Ring of Hircine off of her finger, and held it out to Sabine. "You simply need to put on the Ring and transform. I then would like to examine both you and your vestige with the techniques I have been using on myself." She explained.

---

Ri'vashi clutched her right hand into a fist, and started to unintentionally bare her teeth. "Just...he...needs to die. Ri'vashi wants to do what is best for the clans, she knows, but...he has to die. However, whenever it happens, he needs to die. Just promise Ri'vashi. Please promise Ri'vashi that he will meet the only end fitting for a murderer. However you have to do it, promise that he won't get away with his crimes." As much as she tried to hide it, her eyes were watering into tears as her thoughts returned to her former clan.

Ahnasha found herself somewhat surprised by Fendros' stern response. Ri'vashi was a figure of authority in the clans in virtually every way. She commanded respect, and there were few who could hold sway over her, but Fendros was perhaps one of the few. Now that he was officially Meesei's second, his voice carried a weight beyond that of the rest of the pack. All of their pack, the children excepted, had authority, but Fendros also had an additional mark of leadership by his title.

Whatever anxieties about Meesei's experiment were overwhelmed by her gesture. Sabine looked at the ring in astonishment. She glanced up at Meesei, hesitating. It didn't feel right to have the ring if she wasn't champion. "...Okay," she said reluctantly. She reached out and took the little bone ring before holding it close between the fingers of both her hands. She was nervous about even dropping it.

"So I just transform? Like normal?" Sabine said. She gazed into the eyes of the carved wolf head on the band.

Even if Meesei didn't answer, Sabine knew that there was no special technique to it. She stood up, put on the ring, and started to undress. "Do you need me to do anything while transformed?"

---

Fendros clenched his jaw to hold back his own empathy. Even hints of Ri'vashi becoming emotional after almost always seeing her professional and stony was powerful.

For a moment, Fendros looked away at the ground to think. He closed his eyes and sighed through his nose. When he opened them to look at Ri'vashi's face again, he brought his hand to her tensed arm. "Look, if we get through this war, there'll be a day after," he said with more sympathy than before. "When that day comes, short of Meesei pulling rank or the gods striking me down, I promise Do'rhajul will meet his just end if he yet lives. And after all these years, that day may come sooner rather than later."

Fendros craned his head down to make sure of Ri'vashi. "Are you going to be okay?"

Meesei shook her head. "Not at the moment, no. You just need to remain still and allow me to examine you; it should not be difficult. Your transformation will certainly be different from usual, as the Ring will grant you complete, perfect control over your beast spirit. You will not encounter the normal instinctual urges, or resistance to non-instinctual actions. Essentially, you will be able to feel and control your lycan body just as if it was your own, human body."

Standing up, Meesei moved their chairs closer to the corner to ensure they would have enough space. "Whenever you are ready."

---

Ri'vashi closed her eyes and let out a long, slow breath. "Khajiit will be okay when she knows her family's spirits can rest easy. But, she can focus for now. She can keep her mind on her duties."

Ri'vashi found the nearest weapon rack in which to put away her practice sword. She had no doubt that Fendros and Ahnasha would want to get back to their son soon, so she decided to keep her questioning as brief as she could. "Have you decided on a plan for dealing with Do'rhajul? You said you wish to try and dissuade some of his team, but surely not all of them will be open to words? If you have to fight, we can dedicate some resources to helping. Your pack does not have to do it alone."

Sabine only nodded. She kept looking at the ring with a small frown. Once her clothing was neatly folded and placed to one side, she stood in the centre of the room and slid the ring over one finger. She held her breath as if expecting an immediate effect. There was nothing.

"Okay," she breathed out. Once she closed her eyes, her beast spirit leapt into the forefront of her mind as if dragged by ropes. Her transformation felt the same as always at first -- limbs cracking, elongating, and realigning as usual. But as it slowed down, she opened her eyes and blinked twice. She thought it had stopped early. Her mind was not dominated by the usual notions of sniffing around or looking for something to eat.

She looked down at her hands and found not the ring, nor her Breton hands, but her fully formed werewolf claws. She peered up at Meesei with a surprised look that resembled Sabine's manner more closely than any time she had been in such a form. "You are right," Sabine said. She hesitated at how articulate her voice sounded, despite its deeper and rougher tone. "I feel like it is..." Sabine searched her mind. Her beast spirit was still present, just quiet. Docile. "It is just watching patiently."

---

Fendros let Ri'vashi go and straightened. "Right now we are only confident on two of Do'rhajul's team. One is a zealot of Vile and may try to undermine our attempts to convince the others. She will likely have to die before the end. The other is a Nord hermit with...an interesting set of skills. He has displayed disapproval in fighting us, we think when he realised that we had families and children. We have reason to believe that he also saved Kaleeth's life during the fight. The others, we are not so sure on."

After a glance at Rhazii, who was still moping on the nearby stairs, Fendros spoke more quickly. "Currently we are planning to plant evidence of Vile's lies amongst the team. The exact plan will depend on where and when we find them. If you have any ideas or anything else to add, we should probably leave it to a meeting with the rest of our pack." Fendros raised his brow and peered to the ground. "As for extra men or resources, that is definitely possible. However, if our plans require stealth, we could only take on a small number. And even that small number may be viciously outmatched by Do'rhajul and his team. They are incredibly powerful. Such a thing would only help us if we had a full warband at least."

Fendros wanted to provide Ri'vashi with the information he wanted, but his deliberate withholding of details was evident from the public setting. And from brevity. If he didn't ask to talk this through later so they could see to Rhazii soon, Ahnasha would.

As Sabine was transforming, Meesei dashed over to her desk and pulled out a quill and parchment. She sat down and turned her chair to the side so she could see both her paper and Sabine, then waited until Sabine had her bearings again. "Indeed, it is such an interesting feeling, is it not? To have such fine control over something so wild? I just need you to come over here and stand close to me. I shall need to take notes during this."

Once Sabine was close enough, Meesei reached out and placed one glowing hand right over her heart. She was starting out with a basic physical examination using restoration, which Sabine would immediately identify. It did not require too much concentration from Meesei, so she was able to carry on the conversation in between jotting down notes. "It took a short while for me to get used to the Ring when I first obtained it. Transforming almost did not feel...right, considering how long I had lived without it. I spent some time expecting the beast's instincts to just hit me all at once, but it never did. It calms the beast, even outside of lycan form, and it is not as if removing the Ring allows it to suddenly make up for lost time, so to speak. Once I became accustomed to it, I started to quite enjoy taking advantage of my lycan form, or just walking around using it. You feel so much more capable when you have only your own mind to worry about."

---

"Hmm, this one understands." Ri'vashi responded, her expression transitioning from concerned to contemplative. "If the Nord, or any of the others Do'rhajul has found, have been lied to...and they have not committed those kinds of crimes against us yet, then...she supposes they could deserve another chance. If they could be convinced. Still, Ri'vashi is going to prepare for the worst. She will prepare to fight all of them together, if necessary. But you do make a point; more soldiers may not be enough to defeat them. Ri'vashi will think on this and see what she can come up with. Just try to rest and recover as much as you can in the meantime. Ri'vashi heard that not all of you escaped uninjured."

Ri'vashi eventually left, quite obviously having a lot on her mind. Now, Fendros and Ahnasha just had Rhazii to contend with.

Sabine walked carefully over to Meesei on all fours and stood up straight again. While she was being examined, she looked at her upper arm and ran a hand slowly over her dark fur. She had never thought to simply feel its texture before.

"It is so strange to be able to think like this. Observe everything. Feel it all." Sabine opened and closed her hand over and again. "I could mix a potion in this form. I can talk so well. I..." A thought distracted her. She looked aside. "I think I might still fight better without the ring," she said with less excitement.

---

Fendros looked at Ahnasha's bandages, looked back to Ri'vashi, and nodded once. "We shall inform you of our next meeting to make plans. Until then, take care."

With Ri'vashi walking away, Fendros closed his eyes, sucked in a breath through his nose, and held it. Ahnasha could physically see the rapid throbbing of Fendros' heart against the base of his chest. His breath escaped between his lips so slowly his exhale was silent.

When Fendros' lungs were finally emptied, he opened his eyes and caught Ahnasha's stare. "I was afraid that wasn't going to work. I've never spoken like that to a council member."

Fendros stooped to pick up the cracked waster that Rhazii had dashed on the tiles. He looked at it, and then turned his eyes to Rhazii. "If only all reasoning could be so brief," he said, turning to Ahnasha. "What do you think we should do, Ahna?"

Meesei chuckled. "You might think that. The beast spirit is ferocious, for sure. Tailored to combat. However, I find that with the Ring, one can act in ways that enemies do not expect, particularly lycan hunters. They train for very particular ways of hunting us, which fail against a lycan bearing the Ring. Overwhelming and intimidating opponents is something at which lycans excel, but I still believe that a rational approach is more reliable."

Meesei's physical examination did not last too long, as it was not terribly important for what Meesei wanted to accomplish. Soon enough, Sabine would be able to feel the presence of conjuration magic running through her. It was not painful, but it lacked the serene calm of restoration. It was a type of magic which could make one feel uncomfortable without being directly harmed, much like being soul-trapped. However, it was necessary in order for Meesei to be able to look into Sabine's being and examine her very soul, along with the vestige of her beast spirit. "Perhaps you would like to go for a walk through the cavern? I found it satisfying to really explore my werewolf body's capabilities uninhibited. For right now, though, I would like you to attempt to cast a spell. I know it will fail, of course, but I would like to observe the vestige's reaction."

---

Ahnasha took Fendros' hand in hers and responded somewhat softly. "I'll admit it surprised me too, but I didn't doubt you. Ri'vashi is understandably emotionally charged at this, but she's still a practical, rational person at heart. You just had to break through to that. Now we just have to placate the emotions of another Cathay." She said, releasing a soft sigh as her gaze turned to Rhazii.

"I don't think it's going to be easy. I really wish he hadn't saw that earlier. I completely understand why he's upset; why he's...afraid. That is really the heart of it. He's afraid. For us, our family. I think he tries to hide it, but he's terrified of what could happen to us, and he thinks that he should try to protect us. I suppose that's what we get for raising him to be a man of action, and for teaching him to take the initiative, to better himself, and all that. He's really just doing what we taught him to do. Maybe we can...use that to our advantage?" Ahnasha suggested, though she did not yet have a complete plan in mind.

"I can understand," Sabine said. "It is not just the ferocity that helps. It is the confidence. I have never been as confident in a melee as my beast."

She shivered briefly at Meesei's magic. She might have been less comfortable if she didn't know exactly what Meesei was doing. To test a spell, Sabine held her hand up and tried to cast a magelight. It was a simple enough spell that she was visibly off-put when it did not manifest. Magicka did not flow at all through her. She tried again, concentrating this time. All her bodily responses to making magic flow simply did not work.

Sabine looked at her furred hand. "It is like I am trying to lift an arm I have slept on."

---

Fendros ran his thumb over Ahnasha's hand. "I can't disagree with any of that. I can see all this is frustrating him. As for making use of his initiative, well..." Fendros tilted his head. "you saw what happened when you told him to train with Ri'vashi. He gave it his all. Maybe a more realistic goal would be healthy for him."

Taking a step to one side, Fendros changed his tone. "You know, I wonder if we should allow him missions with the militia, or with the rangers. With what Ri'vashi said, and with what we just saw, he's no longer a child playing with wooden swords."

Meesei nodded along with Sabine. "Oh, I know that feeling well. It took many, many tries for me to be able to cast even the simplest of spells. And of course for you, your beast spirit has not been...modified as mine has. At any rate, I have the observations I required." She explained, pausing as she took the time to write down more notes on what she had observed.

Once she was finished, Meesei stood back up, smiling at Sabine. "I believe that is all I need for now, in terms of my experiment. I will likely need to perform more tests on myself for comparison, and perhaps others to build a larger sample, but I do not need to examine you anymore."

Meesei began to walk around, looking over Sabine's werewolf form. "I am curious, when is the last time you took the time to explore your own capabilities in this form? Or have you ever? Did you ever push yourself to see what kind of weight you could lift, or how fast you could run? Perhaps you are not the biggest or strongest lycan in the clan, but I have a hard time imagining why you would not be confident in this form." She commended, placing a hand on one of Sabine's biceps. "I think you could do quite significant damage up close."

---

Ahnasha rubbed her hand across her chin. "Hmm, that is true. Perhaps some low-risk missions would not be so bad. Scouting around Blackreach, or maybe on the surface with other warriors? Perhaps a caravan escort? Anything that lets him get some experience without excessive danger. I would rather he avoid danger altogether, but...it's not like we can keep him locked up in the clan forever. He has to learn somewhere, somehow. It may as well be in the company of friends and allies."

Closing her eyes, Ahnasha gave a quick sigh. "Okay, I think I can agree to that. Should we talk to him, you think?"

"I know what this form can do," Sabine said. "It is not confidence in my limits that I am missing. It is confidence in fighting." She lowered her voice and hunched her shoulders. "Getting hurt by silver still makes me feel tense and sick. More than just the pain it gives all of us."

---

"I think it's about time, yes," Fendros said. "Perhaps you had better start, just in case he's angry with me for shouting at him."

The pair walked to Rhazii, hand in hand.

Rhazii's ears were still flat. There were a few droplets that had fallen from his covered face onto the floor below. His breathing was relatively even in his leant-forward position, so most likely he had been crying quietly and was only just now recovering. He did not react to his parents' approach.

Fendros squeezed Ahnasha's hand and let it go as they slowed to a stop.

"Hmm, I suppose I can understand. It can be difficult to avoid injury in that form, lacking any armor. I can certainly say that magic helps. Wards, shielding spells; they allow for a firm defense against a silver blade. I do so hate that infernal metal. I suppose it is fortunate that it makes for such a poor blade in every other sense, else people aside from lycan and undead-hunters would use them. I wish I could offer more advice, but it is essentially only training and experience that can give one the confidence to fight in that scenario. Although..." Meesei's voice trailed off.

Without explanation, Meesei stepped back a few paces, then went through her own transformation. She transitioned into her own werewolf form, which was a fair amount larger and more imposing than Sabine's. It was a trait she attributed to carrying Hircine's favor, as the Ring itself did not influence it. Meesei gave a short grunt. "It has...been a long time since I took this form without the Ring. The beast feels unusual, but...not what I remember. I do not know how to describe how it is different."

Holding out her hand in front of her, Meesei tried to channel lightning through it in just the same way as she had been doing. However, the result was not nearly as impressive. Her expression became strained, frustrated, but the most she could do was a few visible sparks. But even those sparks were, in a way, encouraging. "I expected that. Without the Ring, it is not the same. But, still, the magic was there. I saw it, felt it. However difficult or improbable, it should be technically possible to use magic without the Ring."

---

Ahnasha agreed to start, but at the same time, she hesitated. Rhazii seemed fragile at the moment, or at least irritable. His fear and frustration could possibly get the better of his rational mind, but Ahnasha still knew she had to try. If they could not resolve this, then Rhazii might end up making some mistakes he would regret.

Ahnasha sat down beside Rhazii, cross-legged, and took in a breath. "Okay, son, we've been talking...obviously. And...well I should probably just get to the point. We know you want to do more than you have been doing, more than training. It is still impossible for you to join us; what we are doing is still too dangerous. But, that does not mean you cannot join anyone. There are plenty of scouts, warriors, mages, and scholars in the clan, and there are plenty of missions you could join. Under supervision, of course."

Sabine had been impressed enough the first time Meesei demonstrated using magic in her beast form. However, the circumstances she put herself under was a new level.

"That is amazing." Sabine could not describe it any other way. "I could not begin to fathom doing that without the control of the ring." She turned one ear. "Although, you will at least have the ring normally. So using magic in lycan form will remain practical for you, right? You will not have to do it the difficult way like you just did."

---

Fendros sat down on the other side of Rhazii and craned his head forward to try and see his face, covered with his hands as it was. As Rhazii did not respond to Ahnasha, Fendros decided to weigh in. "Yes, mother and I thought it would be a good idea for you to get some practical experience if you wanted to work your way up to working with us. We know you can handle yourself in the wild and in Blackreach, and Ri'vashi has told us that your fighting skills are at a ready level for such tasks."

Rhazii curled his hands into fists in front of his eyes but did not turn to either of his parents. He let out a shaky breath. "How long would it take for me to get enough experience to help the pack?" He said quietly. If all the other signs that he had been crying were not enough, his voice was a tired grumble as well.

Meesei nodded. “Indeed. The Ring seems to make it magnitudes easier, and I have no reason to go without it. My efforts now are more motivated by…academic curiosity. Using even a minute amount of magic without the Ring is still far more than nothing. I believe it supports the idea that my beast spirit has been fundamentally changed. If I could somehow learn to channel a useful amount of magic without the Ring, then what if I could do the same for others? What if I could change another’s beast spirit just like mine? The possibilities are exciting. But, such studies could take years, if it is possible at all.”

Meesei gave a brief grunt, then took a few steps across the open flood. She extended and contracted her fingers, and rotated her shoulders to pop the joints. She was still feeling strange without the Ring, but at the very least, was not feeling violent. She just imagined that it would take some time to become accustomed to the feeling of her beast spirit again. “At any rate, since I have finished my experiment, what would you like to do now?”

---

“To help us against Do’rhajul, you would need to be experienced as us.” Ahnasha answered, directly and honestly. “But there are other things we do that you could join us with. Perhaps after this matter with Do’rhajul is dealt with. And after this whole war is over, I think you could join us almost all the time. But until then, the best way you can help us is to hone your skills, and to help the clan while you are at it. What kind of…I suppose you would say apprenticeship, do you think you would want to pursue? What kind of skills do you want to grow? The clan has plenty of people to learn from. There are warriors like Ri’vashi, or scouts and rangers like your father. Though, I would also count him as a skilled fighter in any regard.” She said with a quick smile towards Fendros.

“I have also seen you and Julan dabbling in magic before. Mages like aunt Meesei or aunt Sabine can be very powerful. I myself am a, um, conjurer, as well as an archer. It is not the most usual combination of skills, but I have found it effective. There are also more traditional spellswords, battlemages who work on a combination of destruction and straightforward fighting. Like uncle Janius. Or, if you wanted to avoid fighting altogether, you could be something like healer or alchemist. You can choose to work on any skills you like.” Ahnasha explained encouragingly.

Sabine found herself at a short loss. She was happy to sit down and continue talking as they were. At the same time, she liked the control she had with the Ring on. She wanted to stand a little taller for a while.

"This may sound strange," Sabine began slowly. "But...I feel like doing something in this form. Something I could not do before. Like...cooking a meal for us." She raised a hand. "Um, but only if that is okay with you! I can give the ring back now if you like. It may not be appropriate."

---

Again, Rhazii took a while to answer. His calmer mind evidently had to give the options some thought. After a couple of sighs and nearly a minute of patient waiting, he lifted one fist from his eye to his forehead. Ahnasha could just see that he was keeping his eyes shut. An answer quietly came from him.

"I can fight with a sword. I could do that." He paused. His nose was blocked. "And I enjoy learning magic. I want to keep doing that. But, I do not know if I want to focus on magic to fight with, like uncle Janius."

Fendros grabbed his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "It's still a useful set of skills to focus on. I'm sure there are plenty of places in the militia for someone who can do those."

"Mm," Rhazii hummed, unconvinced. Fendros suspected that he was still unhappy about being left behind. Not that it could be helped. However, Rhazii's next question was not something Fendros predicted. "What about Julan? If I go out on missions, he'll be home alone."

Meesei tilted her head to the side curiously. "Cook a meal as a werewolf? That is an...amusing thought. Though, I suppose it is no more strange than a werewolf casting a spell. But you are welcome to try. I will say that doing some things are still not exactly as easy as in your Human from, even with the ring. These...giant paws are not completely dexterous. The Ring lets you move them more, say, deliberately, but it still takes a conscious effort. The nose might help you get the portions more perfect, though."

Meesei turned her body towards the door. "I can get us some ingredients from the kitchens. Some meat and anything else you want. I think...I will try keeping this form. I am curious to see what I can still do. I feel like I have more control than I should; I am upset with myself for not testing this sooner. It just did not occur to me."

Grabbing a large, empty cloth sack, Meesei listened to Sabine's requests for ingredients, then left to get what she required. For the entire time she was walking down to the kitchen, she was trying to cast different forms of magic, all this similarly little success. Regardless, Meesei felt that, with enough effort and repetition, she might be able to identify exactly what was going wrong to weaken the magic. Of course, her ability to magically observe the inner workings of her body and soul were equally as diminished, so it would not be easy.

Meesei was a distinctive individual, even in werewolf form, so there was no resistance to her collecting what she wanted. Or more accurately, having someone else put what she wanted into the bag, since she would certainly end up crushing some of the ingredients in her hands if she tried it herself. After returning back to her room, she placed down the bag in front of Sabine, then laid herself down in front of the fire to watch.

---

"It is hard to say that anyone could be considered alone in a place like this." Ahnasha responded. "I know you two spend a lot of your time together, but there is a whole city here, and I know you two have more friends. He can spend time with his friends, or even practice some skills of his own from one of the other members of the clan. He will be fine; if you do end up going out on missions, then you will need to focus on taking care of yourself, alright? The last thing you need to do when there is danger around is to distract yourself."

Ahnasha tried to keep a more encouraging, uplifting expression, since they seemed to be making some progress. "And of course, both of us will always be willing to help you learn when we can, just like we have been. You are an incredible student, son, and such a fast learner. Just like your father. We are going to be here for a week or two, at least, so if you want to do some practice with me, I would be glad to help. Archery, illusion, necromancy, anything you like."

"I'll come with you," Sabine said. She padded on all fours to catch up before striding on her hind legs behind Meesei's imposing form. She wanted to know how it felt to simply stroll around in this controlled form.

Transformed lycans were nothing uncommon in the Silent City. What drew eyes to the pair was Meesei herself. Still, Sabine couldn't help but feel that it was foreign to walk around in this form without the normal purposes; either hunting, training, or just heading out of the city complex. Her self-consciousness was at least somewhat offset by the freedom her mind had to sense through her werewolf eyes, ears, and nose. She was no longer constantly distracted or limited in cognition. Everything smelled and sounded nicer.

The stroll ended back in Meesei's chambers. Sabine had not requested anything particularly complex to cook. Merely a flat cut of goat meat rubbed with a mix of spices and seasoning.

Sabine ground the spices with a mortar and pestle, but not without some difficulty. Meesei was right that her hands did not move with quite the precision of human hands. Conversely, she was also correct about how precisely Sabine could smell the mix. Sabine was able to balance the spice mix down to the last peppercorn before lathering it on the uncooked goat meat. She then roasted the meat over the flames. It would not take nearly as long as normal, as they could consume it undercooked. Indeed, they both preferred it.

Wiping her beastly hands on a rag, Sabine sat down next to Meesei and watched the flames lick at their meal. She licked her nose and up her jaw in anticipation.

"It could be nice to be transformed for a longer time than usual," Sabine thought out loud. "If it were not for the magic and the coordination." She turned her face to Meesei. "Has any champion ever stayed transformed without turning back?"

---

Even if Rhazii couldn't see it, Fendros nodded along with Ahnasha's offers.

Rhazii's voice levelled. "Thanks mother," he said, still with a blocked nose. The encouragement gave him some more confidence in his voice, at least. "It's just...hard, okay? It's hard not to think about all of you fighting Do'rhajul." He tried sniffing and only partially succeeded.

"We know," Fendros responded. "And that's okay. It just means you care about your family, and we are proud to have brought up a boy who is so caring." He tilted his head. "If it helps, remember that have been doing this for a long time. Longer than you have been alive. We've gotten good at taking care of each other, your mother and I, and the rest of the pack. While we had a close call today, we still all made it out alive because of all the things we've learned over the years. And that ambush was most likely the worst they could have thrown at us. You can rest assured, Rhazii, we'll be okay."

A moment passed. Rhazii lowered one hand, rubbed his fingers across his forehead with the other, and opened his teary, red-iris eyes. "Alright," he reluctantly accepted with a frown on his face. "So you'll make sure you and the others won't get killed? You won't take big risks if you don't have to?"

Meesei licked her lips as she stared into the fire. The scent of food cooking in the air was a bit more tantalizing than usual for her. However, she could be patient. She laid her head down on its side and gave a motion somewhat similar to a shrug towards Sabine. "I cannot know, unfortunately. There are no histories or records to work with. A small handful of Hircine's Champions may be mentioned in history, but most go unrecorded, regardless of their strength. It is not unreasonable to think that some of the Champions may have preferred their beast form most of the time, but it is just speculation."

Sitting herself back up, Meesei took a few more sniffs of their cooking meal. It would be ready enough for them to eat soon enough. "I can say that I now have little reason not to fight in this form. Unless there is someone around who does not need to know what I am. It does certainly make me feel strong, capable. I suppose that does come with the knowledge that you can tear down a small tree with your bare hands, or scale a building in seconds. Hircine does certainly know how to make an effective predator. I think Lunise is becoming at least somewhat more accustomed to lycans, or at least my lycan form. It does speak to how intimidating we are that even one such as her could be made uncomfortable by even a friendly lycan."

Meesei's gaze slowly drifted onto Sabine. "I do not believe I ever asked, what type of lycan is Karl? Is he a werewolf, or something else?"

---

"We already have a better plan for dealing with him. Do'rhajul did not succeed in this attack, and that was a mistake for him. He will not get another chance like that." Ahnasha responded reassuringly.

Ahnasha paused to stand herself back up to her feet, then she extended a hand down to Rhazii to help him up. "Come on, let's not just sit around here worrying. How about we all three go do something together? We could go shoot targets, try to summon something, or perhaps just go for a swim or have dinner? I can't do anything too physically demanding right now, but that's not going to stop me from spending time with you."

"A wereboar," Sabine answered. "I never knew much about wereboars before. Not before I got to know him. He was born of two lycans and moved to Skyrim." She looked at the spit as melting fat dripped from it. "His beast spirit is different as it does not need to eat meat to be satisfied. But he can run very fast."

Poking her nose forward, Sabine sniffed at the meat on the spit. She knelt up and took their meal off from over the fire to slice it in half with a knife. Sabine had to be careful now that her hands were too large for the knife handle. "He says that instead of packs there are sounders. Wereboar males in particular do not mind being alone and not part of a sounder. But Karl says it makes them act strangely, like angry hermits. He prefers living with others."

---

Fendros smiled and stood up in turn. Rhazii took another moment to wipe his eyes and peered up at his parents with a pinched brow. Without a word, he exhaled and took Ahnasha's hand to get up.

"Mother?" Rhazii said. With her attention, Rhazii stepped up and wrapped his arms around Ahnasha tightly. It only took Ahnasha's predictable reaction to loosen his hug for the sake of her wounds. He closed his eyes and held her for a long while. "I love you, mother," he said just over the volume of a whimper.

Meesei was less "civilized" about her meal than Sabine was attempting to be. With less fine control, it was far easier for her to grab her portion roughly in her hand and tear into it with her teeth. She had to admit that there was a bit more satisfaction than usual in having a meal without the Ring. Losing the pull of her beast spirit's instincts also meant losing the satisfaction of fulfilling them.

"In all honesty, some of Hircine's choices for lycans have seemed odd to me. I would have supposed he would have chosen all predator animals. Regardless, I am sure he had his reasons. Different types of lycans can make it difficult to form a clan with all of them as members, but wereboars rarely give trouble. Werecrocodiles are often the most difficult." Meesei said before tearing into her part of the meal.

"Hmm, seems your nose did help with the seasonings, I would say. Just do not get too used to it; I will be needing that Ring back." Meesei joked. After finishing off part of the meat, Meesei laid down on her back, relaxed, and started to lick the meat's juices off of her claws. "Is a wereboar as...soft and loving as a werewolf can be?" She asked with something approaching a chuckle.

---

"I love you too, son." Ahnasha responded, her tone soft and genuine. She held onto him for a while, ignoring any soreness which it gave her. When they finally pulled back from one another, Ahnasha beckoned for Fendros to join them as they started to walk away. She was not entirely sure where they were going, but decided to simply allow Rhazii to lead the way. At the moment, she just wanted to spend time together as a family.