[center][h3]Hit and Tell[/h3] [i]By Mortarion and Greenie[/i] [/center] [hr] [i]Three Crowns Hotel, 2nd Midyear, Morning[/i] The sun had already risen by the time Meg woke up and freshened up for the day. Normally she would have been much more time efficient and woken up before the sun to greet the morning, but with the events of the last day of Second Seed and, she found herself mentally drained, despite her conversations on the first. So much seemed to have happened in so little time, and aside from the addition of first the orsimer and now a redguard to their group, the rest took a whole lot more to digest. Food and drink would have to wait for the time being. With sword at her belt, she was headed first to the training area within the hotel, ready to blow off some pented steam and frustration in a way where she didn’t have to hold herself back. Truth be told, Meg hadn't found herself hungry since her return from their mission at the garrison; her stomach had been in knots since releasing those prisoners for the sake of her group's escape. Who knew why they had been behind bars? Who knew what shady business they would be getting up to now that they were free? While the guilt had lessen after her chat with the khajiit, the lingering feelings remained. What if the events were traced back to her group and they got in trouble for it, or worse? Coupled with the knowledge that her companions were responsible for the torture and death of the dwemer administrator meant to be brought back alive, she found her appetite numbed. At some points she almost felt like she was back at sea, what with the nausea. She didn't think she would find anyone else in the training gym when she entered, and for the first few seconds she hadn't noticed the argonian, but when she did, her mind couldn't help but yell at her. [I]Your friend tortured a person.[/I] Was this yet another proof of her naivety and ignorance on the consequences of war? She hated it, whatever it was. Having dark thoughts about people she liked wasn't a usual thing for the Nord, and she was having a hard time processing these feelings. Forcing said thoughts to the back of her mind, she managed a ghost of a smile. "Mornin', Jaraleet." “Morning Meg.” The Argonian replied. He had picked on the sound of the footsteps of the Nord woman shortly before she had entered the gym. After his little chat with Daro’Vasora, Jaraleet had returned to a semblance of what he had established as his normal behavior before the incident involving Nblec’s capture. However, in spite of the image that the Argonian projected, he was far from being back to normal. Even though his chat with their impromptu leader had managed to allow him to push his concerns regarding Nblec’s death to the back of his mind, a new concern had risen to take its place. It hadn’t taken him too long to notice that the mood in the [i]Three Crowns[/i] had changed in the aftermath of the failed capture mission, a change in mood that had made him become increasingly wary within the building and which, as a result, had left him on a state of alert more often than not. Something which made it easy to notice that Meg’s smile wasn’t all that genuine. He let out a quiet sigh and stopped his exercises in full before turning to look at Meg. “If my presence here makes you uncomfortable, I can leave if you’d prefer.” He said, surprising himself when he noticed a hint of hurt in his voice as he spoke to Meg. "No, I don' want you to leave." Meg was equally surprise with the hint of frustration in her voice, mostly at herself because she couldn't hold up a neutral expression. "Don' be an idiot." Deciding it was better to simply let exactly what she was feeling show, the Nord let out a huff as she considered the argonian, green eyes narrowed. "T'be honest, pro'ly the person I [i]want[/i] to see right now." Jaraleet raised an eyebrow when Meg said that she didn’t want him to leave, equal parts confused, and much to his bewilderment and slight frustration, but pleased that was the case albeit the frustration in her voice didn’t go unnoticed by the Argonian. “Idiot isn’t exactly the word I’d use, if one is causing someone else discomfort it seems only polite to excuse oneself no?” He said, letting out a mirthless chuckle. “Is that so? Excuse me for my incredulity, but I doubt many in the group want to see me right now.” He said, laughing slightly albeit, much like before, there was no mirth in the sound. "Idiot 'cause you think I'd wan' you t'just leave like that." Meg let out another huff, crossing her arms over her chest and giving him a small glare. The fierceness in her eyes only lasted a moment before her expression softened and her arms fell slack to her sides. "We're [i]friends[/i], Jaraleet. If somethin's botherin' me 'bout you, hidin' ain' the answer. Things havta be said, 'else they just fester like old wounds." [i]Or you end up not gettin’ the chance t’say anythin’ at all.[/i] Having said that, she looked away from Jaraleet to where she could see blunt training swords resting in weapon stands. "Hm… how 'bout a spar then?" She wanted to talk to him, yes, but just blurting out what she was thinking was hard. Words whilst exchanging blows sounded much easier… and satisfying. He nodded slightly when Meg proposed the idea of a spar. “Sounds like a good idea to me, though you will have to excuse me if I am a little rusty.” He said as he picked one of the training swords. “I’m not too used to fighting with only a sword, so my skills have probably deteriorated quite a lot.” “Well, not like we're tryin’ t’kill each other,” Meg replied as she walked over to the stand, eyeing the swords until her eyes fell on one that seemed similar in weight and style to the current one at her belt. Once she pulled it out and replaced the empty spot with her own sword, the Nord turned toward Jaraleet, albeit stepping a few steps back to put distance between the two. Raising the training sword, she pointed it at him. “Ready or not, I'm comin’.” Not a second passed that she dashed forward, bringing her sword up in an attack, aiming for the argonian’s right arm. “Heard you an’ Sora talkin’ yesterday.” “Ah.” Was all that Jaraleet said in response to Meg’s admission of having heard the chat that had taken place in the room the day prior. He easily sidestepped the attack against his right arm, the silence stretching by as the assassin both pondered what to say next and where to strike for his first movement. “I suppose that's what you want to talk about, no?” He said finally, letting out a sigh. For some reason the thought about speaking about what he and Sora had discussed with Meg left him with a strange sense of anxiety, something that his body reflected in the slight twitches of his tail that started as soon as the words left his mouth. Fortunately, their sparring bout helped him to keep his feelings in check as he focused on his first move which consisted of a simple feint where he made it look like he was about to do an upward slash with his sword before suddenly changing the motion into that of a stab aimed at Meg’s abdomen. "Dunno if it's a [i]want[/i]," Meg replied, her eyes remaining on the argonian's blade. This wasn't like training with her father where they were both pretty much the same height. Jaraleet was nearly a foot taller than her and naturally heavier than her as well. Rusty or not, if she got hit in full force even by dull blade, it would hurt, and pain wasn't really something she particularly enjoyed. She wasn't surprised when the sword changed its course; instead of choosing the easier route of dodging the blade, she stopped the stab in its track with her sword, pressing up and pushing against the blade. "More like a [i]need[/i]." She raised her eyes to look straight in his amber ones, determined. "What happened there? Did you- did y’really do it then? Torture the dwemer man? Kill him?" The words spilled from her like a broken string of beads. For a moment her blade wavered- she now dodged to the side and away from the Jaraleet’s sword. "Is tha’ normal? For you?" She liked him and thought him a friend and ally, yet she really didn't know much about the argonian, and this realization stung her deeply. “[i]Yes.[/i]” Was the answer that rang in Jaraleet’s mind when Meg asked him if torturing someone was a normal occurrence for him. Luckily he still had enough of a hold over his emotions to not blurt out such a thing about himself….and yet his mind was devoid of any excuses to make. Of any lies to tell. “[i]By Sithis, what is wrong with me.[/i]” The Haj-Eix cursed inwardly, unable to hold Meg’s gaze. He couldn’t explain it...but seeing Meg hurt upset him. “No, it’s not something normal for me.” He finally lied, feeling his mouth dry and his stomach twisting in a knot with guilt at the lie. “But….I’ve done it before, yes, back when I was part of An-Xilee’s armies.” He continued on, evading Meg’s attacks before responding with one of his own. “Back when we were facing raids from the Dunmer we….had to make difficult decisions needed to ensure that we could protect the citizens that depended on us.” He continued on, gulping audibly. “I’m….I’m not a good man, Meg. I’m sorry if what I did hurt you, but you have to understand...the decision to interrogate Nblec was one agreed by everyone present there, well except for Calen that is, and killing him was never something that we considered. I didn’t kill Nblec, but...yes I did interrogate him.” He said, surprised to find an edge of desperation in his voice as he spoke. “[i]Keep a hold of your emotions….remember, she and the others are a means to an end. You are a Haj-Eix, a weapon wielded by the An-Xileel in defence of Argonia, don’t let yourself be weakened by doubt.[/i]” He mentally told himself in an effort to ease his guilt and worries but, for the first time in his life, he found that reminding himself of his purpose, his duty, didn’t ease his mind. It was a very odd feeling for Meg; while she was dismayed and obviously saddened and confused, seeing the way Jaraleet was reacting to her questions had her feeling guilty as well. It was a war thing, it was a soldier thing. It was just like with Nanine on the day of their arrival to Hammerfell. Most of her group were experienced with such things while she was merely out of her depth it seemed. She'd always thought herself savvy of the world, but it seemed child's folly now. Her hand gripped tightly around the training sword, fighting to keep her emotions from showing through her blade rather than her words. Taking a deep breath, she held it in for a few seconds before slowly breathing out. "I don' think you're bad person, Jaraleet... I'm just... dunno..." Frustration showed on her face as she couldn't find the right words to express herself. "It- It jus' pisses me off how little I know 'bout you!... 'Bout any of you really. Maybe if I'd known sommat I wouldn' be so shocked, or... or... I dunno!" She looked up with a glare; catching a glimpse of his expression took some of the fierceness away from her own as she let out a soft sigh. "I'm not like y'all I guess," she finally muttered. "Just a stupid lass with nothin' t'know 'bout the world." “You are not stupid Meg.” Jaraleet replied softly, shaking his head slightly. “These things….these situations aren’t something that get any easier to deal with more worldly knowledge. It’s just...something that you get used to with time.” He said, smiling sadly at Meg. Another sigh, this one rather loud, escaped Meg's lips. "See- that, what you're doin’-" She pointed at him with the sword. "You're bein' nice... that's the you I know... I'm just havin' a hard time wrappin' it 'round m'head that you... well y'know already what I mean." She chewed on the inside of her lip for a second, calming herself down before continuing. "But... it ain' like you [i]like[/i] it... right? Y'just did it because it was necessary...?" It was a question, but it almost sounded like she was trying to convince herself. Jaraleet approached Meg slowly and placed one hand on her shoulder. “No, I don’t. It’s something I only do as a necessity, not because I enjoy it.” He said quietly, his voice solemn. “What do you say if we take a small break from our little sparring session. I don’t think either of us is in any mood, or in the right mindset, to continue it.” That was a small relief at least. Maybe she was a fool in believing him, but she did nonetheless. Whether she was as stupid as she thought of herself or not, there were experiences she hadn't gone through; she had been shaped one way and it made sense others having been shaped in their own ways. She was no soldier, she had never had to deal with what he had... maybe it had been wrong for her to be so confrontational. She didn't say anything, but her hand moved, and her sword was now pressing against Jaraleet's chest. "Looks like I won anyway," she replied, a glint of cheer back in her eyes. She took a step back and nodded in agreement. "Aye, you're right." Her hand slackened and the sword was no longer touching him. "I... I'm sorry. I know I prob made y'feel uncomfortable. Wasn’ really fair for you." Jaraleet blinked when he felt Meg’s sword pressing again his chest, laughing when she said that it looked like she had won anyway. “That you did, shows me what i get for lowering my guard huh?” He joked, chuckling slightly, before smiling when he noticed that some of her usual cheer had returned to Meg’s eyes. “It’s ok Meg, you were upset and confused. It’s only natural for you to want answers, and I was the one who had the answers you wanted.” He replied, smiling reassuringly at the Nord woman. "Well... felt stupid tryin' t'get them from anyone else." Meg returned the smile. "I should've asked yesterday but... well maybe t'was best I didn'." Her talk with Daro'Vasora had been a necessity, helping clear her mind about what she had to do. Going straight for the source had been the best course of action, and though she still felt very uneasy about this man doing the things he did, she could understand [i]why[/i]. Or begin to anyway. "You said y'didn' kill Nblec." She spoke up as the thought tickled her mind, a slight frown on her face. "I believe you... the whole mission was bringin' him back. How'd he die then though? D'you have any idea?" He blinked in surprise when Meg said that she believed he hadn’t murdered Nblec before smiling as the thought settled in. “Thank you Meg, it means a lot that you believe in what I’ve said.” He said, frowning slightly when she had asked him how he had died. “I don’t, but I know for sure that the interrogation techniques I used weren’t the cause.” He said softly, shaking his head. “But I will find out the answer to that mystery sooner or latter.” "Hmm." His reply confirmed her belief, especially seeing he seemed to have genuinely given quite a bit of thought to the situation. And why wouldn't he? Killing was something everyone did, but it was different being thought the murderer of someone whose life you hadn't ended. "Not gonna lie... that's kinda concernin'." She knew they were all in potential danger, but such an accusation made the argonian a prime target. "Hey. You better keep safe, a'ight?" “I will, don’t worry Meg.” The Argonian replied with a smile. “But thank you for your concern. You too be careful, alright? I suspect that Nblec’s death might have far reaching consequences for our group and that we all might be in danger.” He said, frowning slightly. [i]Can' ask me not t'worry.[/i] But that was merely a thought she kept in her mind. "Aye, 'course I will... looks like Gilane's got a lot t'offer an' not all is the nice kinda offerin'." Before she could add anything else though, her stomach let out a loud and slightly embarrassing growl. It seemed now that she was a little consoled, her appetite was returning with a vengeance. "Haha..." The sheepish laughed was followed by Meg heading to the weapons stand and removing her sword from it, replacing the empty spot once again with the training sword. Once that was done, she walked back to Jaraleet even as she returned her sword to its scabbard. "I'mma go an' get somethin' to eat," she told him. After a slight pause, Meg stood on her tiptoes and managed to place a kiss on the argonian's cheek. "See ya later, ‘less you wanna join too?" She’d certainly not mind the company, though she’d understand if he’d rather remain away from accusing eyes. Jaraleet chuckled softly at Meg’s slightly embarrassed expression. He smiled slightly when she told him that she was going to get something to eat and was about to bid her farewell when, to his surprise, she stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek. The Argonian blinked in surprise, having not expected that to happen, and so didn't process Meg’s final words until after a few seconds. “Actually, I'd love to join you. I haven't eaten either.” He finally said after a brief second of contemplation, smiling towards the Nord woman. Meg let the way out of the training gym. Things weren't all hunky dory, but at least there was some clarification; her heart felt lighter for it.