Fortunately for Narsi, intoxication did not make Meesei more prone to anger. If anything, it simply made her more willing to be more expressive as she laughed in response. All the while, she held up one hand beside her, which started to glow with pure magical energy. "Well, then I was mistaken. You most definitely [i]are[/i] Lorag's daughter." She said, looking at least slightly more serious as her laugh started to subside. "Probably a lot of Harriet in you too. Hmph, hopefully that washes out." 

Meesei was not concentrating as strongly as usual, so it took closer to a minute for her to complete her portal, which led to the front steps of the Silent City. Once it was ready, a flick of Meesei's wrist opened up a brilliantly glowing portal in the center of the room. "Here you are, one doorway to the greatest home a lycan could hope for. Just step through; it is perfectly safe."

[hr]

The expression on Kaleeth's face became almost pleading. While he did not yet appear angry towards her, his open hostility towards Janius was something she had hoped would have changed in all the time that had passed. It was starting to kill the measure of hope she had that this could all end happily. [i]"Father...Janius has been wonderful to me. We have a family now, and we love each other even more than when we first met. He is the kind of mate you always wanted me to have. And even more the kind that mother wanted me to have. She will love to meet him again and get to know him. I am sure of it."[/i]

[i]"Your mother wanted [b]you[/b], Kaleeth."[/i] Zharanthixil snapped back immediately. He seemed even more emotionally charged than they might have expected, and he appeared to have an almost pained look in his eyes. [i]"You never came back. We never knew what became of you, and had no way to find you. In just a few seasons, our children were gone. One returned to the Hist, and the other...lost to the world. You could have been happy, or you could have been dead. Or in pain, or suffering. We had no way to know."[/i] There was a pause, and Zharan took a slow step forward towards her. He leaned heavily on his cane, evidently hesitant to put any weight at all on his right leg. [i]"We missed you."[/i]

Kaleeth could not contain the conflict she felt inside. This was not the joyous reunion that she had ideally hoped to have, but at the same time, her father was far from angry to see her. He was clearly willing to admit that he had missed her. Despite being on the verge of tears, Kaleeth tried to hold herself together to respond. [i]"I know; I can't even describe how much I regret it. I'm so sorry, father, I was horrible to you for leaving. Having Julan now, I...understand that better than I ever could have then. I was horrible to you, but...I'm here now, and I missed you too. I want to try to make it up to you, and mother. Where is she? I have to see her again."[/i]

Zharanthixil's sadness grew all the more evident. He let out another long breath, and could not bring himself to make eye contact with his daughter. [i]"Kaleeth...your mother is not here. She returned to the Hist three seasons ago. Sickness took her."[/i]

Kaleeth had been too caught up in her own emotions to see the signs that Janius had recognized shortly after arriving, so the revelation that Zharanthixil gave her was as shocking as it was horrifying. [i]"She's returned to...she's dead. I...I don't...but she was always so healthy...I don't understand how..."[/i]

Kaleeth broke down into tears, sobbing uncontrollably into her hands. Argonians were naturally highly resistant to disease, but not [i]entirely[/i] immune. Large plagues were non-existent among them, but individuals could occasionally fall to a particularly virulent disease. Such occurrences were usually unpredictable, and quite sudden for family and friends.