"That sounds like something you should do anyway while we are here," Janius said. "It might not be the same but I think it will help."

The following question caused Janius to crane his head up to survey the village. He avoided the prying eyes of those around him. His face did not show much hope. "'Could' is the wrong word. I know I could be happy here. I would be happy anywhere with you and Julan." His eyes faltered down. "Though, it would be giving up more than I would want to. Not just the clan, not just the pack -- my best friends and things I have built. I would be giving up contact with my birth family as well."

[hr]
Rhazii kept to himself in the main floor of the inn. The other patrons during the working day were mostly other travellers, generally too busy to pay him any heed. The locals were quick with their meals and drinks before returning to their occupations. Only once so far had Rhazii gotten away with one night of socialising over ales with a group of local men who mistook him for someone older, given his relative size, but he was sure not to drink too much. His parents could sniff him out if he was not careful.

This morning was typical. Rhazii traded his attention between some bread, cheese, and fried eggs and a small book he had purchased. Always looking to improve, his current read was a manual on mace techniques.

The sound of new patrons tended only to make him glance up. Sometimes their voices, manners, or appearance would make him look twice. He hardly saw any more than one or two Khajiit, for instance. When two arrived at once, he glanced twice. When his mind processed that an bright-scaled Argonian was with them, he looked again and slowed his chewing. When the shorter figure turned out to be a Bosmer, he swallowed hard.

Without taking his eyes off them, he pat shut his book with one finger, picked it up, slowly stood up -- almost to full height, and tried to walk to the staircase without drawing any further attention. The fact that he was the only Cathay he had seen in the city was not lost on him. The fact only made him walk a little faster.

[hr]
Meanwhile, upstairs, Fendros brought his hands up Ahnasha's sides while they kissed. "Hmm, you will have to decide in what way to show how skilled you are in comparison to him." He said, before kissing her once more. Their hands and lips wandered. Only two fleeting seconds passed after Fendros' worn tunic had fallen to the floor before two firm knocks thumped on the door.

They halted. Fendros held his head back and closed his eyes, thinking it was the innkeeper warning that the breakfast meals would finish soon.

"Mother? Father?" Rhazii's nervous muffled voice came through instead. "Uhm...I saw some new people just arrive through the front door. I think it's mother's family."

Fendros exchanged a surprised look with Ahnasha. "Impeccable," he mumbled.