[IC] Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

[Muttonhawk]

"Well, actually..." Vera paused to laugh quietly while she tied the last cord on her dress, "...that's something that another member of the clan worked out. Her name is Frangelica, she was a dressmaker before she-" Vera paused as she was interrupted by Ahnasha's approach. Her smile faded as the seriousness of Ahnasha's expression was conveyed. Vera stood up and responded in kind, "Of course. I'll be right up." She turned her head to Kaleeth, "I suppose we'll have to resume our conversation, later."

Out of the corner of Ahnasha's eye, she spotted a few of Harriet's packmates whispering amongst themselves. The atmosphere over where they sat certainly smelled of something amiss.

A few minutes later, Vera turned up at Meesei's chamber again. Seeing as the other lieutenants were in the dining chamber still, they would not be difficult for Ahnasha to send up. Harriet was strangely quiet while confined. She simply stared through the balustrade of the pack's chamber from where she sat by the wall, occasionally flicking her eyes over to where Lorag held her sword.

[EliteCommander]

Given the urgency of the situation, Ahnasha had to ignore the whispering among Harriet's packmates. With all that had been happening, they might start to realize that something unusual was happening, but there was no way they would be able to guess with any certainty what was actually happening, not without someone exposing the truth. For the moment, she went around to find the others she needed to locate, beginning with Oswall, and repeated the same message she gave to Vera. After that, she moved to her next task of finding the other names on the list. She did not know why any of them were important, and indeed, there was only one she actually recognized at all: Grolak. Luckily, he was in the dining chamber just as Ahnasha would expect, so it was not difficult to find him. As Meesei said, he knew of what was happening, so he readily stepped away to speak with her. Together, they were able to find Carana after a bit of asking around, though Caleb proved more difficult to find, so they simply moved on to finding the other names on the list. Even if they proved easier to find than Caleb, however, it would still likely take a few hours to collect them all. Just before she was about to leave the dining chamber, she spotted Darahil and Fendros on the other side of the chamber.

"Vera." Meesei began in a neutral tone as she and Kaleeth entered the room. "I apologize for having to call you back so soon, but a matter has surfaced that I feel deserves immediate attention. I do not wish to stress either you or Harriet more than necessary, so I will be direct. There is a discrepancy between your stories. You claim that you left the meeting room before Harriet, and she claims that she left before you. Since that moment is the most likely time of Jerrick's poisoning...I am sure you can understand what that means. We are waiting both on the other lieutenants, and Ahnasha to finish her task. Once they are here and I have the opportunity to ask a few more questions, I believe I will have enough information to...draw a conclusion." Meesei explained before approaching Vera. Since she was facing away from Harriet, only Vera would be able to see the regret in Meesei's eyes. She did not like having to make any sort of accusation towards Vera, though that did not mean she would have any trouble enacting justice on Vera if she was proven guilty. "For both of your safety, I would prefer that neither you nor Harriet be armed at the moment. I would like for you to give me any weapons you have on you at the moment."

[Muttonhawk]

While Ahnasha went to pick up Darahil, Fendros stopped by her to kiss her on the cheek and kiss Rhazii on the head. He had a look of relief about him. "Ahna, it's good to see you again. How did the journey to the city go? And how goes the investigation? I've been watching over Darahil all day."

Darahil was prickly as ever, but at least he appeared to be willing to wait patiently for a moment. He held his hands clasped behind his back while Fendros and Ahnasha spoke.

Being brought back into the reality of the crime shocked Vera out of all speech. She stood with her mouth slightly open and her brow creased in worry as possibilities became probabilities. Ones that she would rather not have come to pass. It took a few seconds for her to register that Meesei had asked for her weapons, but she removed the dagger she carried without hesitation and handed it over once the message came through. "I-I don't believe it," Vera ran a hand down her face, "How could she? No..."

Down the hall, Oswall and Janius' footsteps were beginning to sound their approach.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha was quite obviously glad to see Fendros, and the giggles from Rhazii suggested he shared the same sentiment. However, she was still visibly in a rush and regretfully needed to keep the reunion short. "Honestly, the trip was long, cold, boring, and cold. Bruma might be an interesting place to visit normally, but while in a rush and carrying bags of meat and vegetables...I could definitely find better ways to spend a day. I felt like my feet nearly froze off and I was exhausted by the time I got back here. Oh, and did I mention it was cold? Ah, but I guess it makes seeing you all the better." She said with a smile, leaning in and giving him another, brief kiss.

"As for the investigation...well, that's why I'm here. Meesei needs to speak to Darahil urgently. She asked me to collect him and the other lieutenants. Unfortunately, I also have a few other tasks as well, so...I need to get moving. We can talk more later." She explained.

Meesei refrained from acknowledging Vera's brief words, and instead simply took the dagger and placed it in her pouch. She wanted to avoid visibly taking sides at this point, as it was still possible for either her or Harriet to be guilty. Fortunately, the steps approaching from down the hall gave her something else to devote her attention to. "Just...try to make yourself as comfortable as possible while we wait. I will do what I can to resolve this as quickly as possible." She explained, walking over to the door just as Oswall and Janius were entering.

"Greetings, Oswall. I apologize for the short notice, but I am afraid matters are rather urgent. I will speak to you privately in a moment to explain what is going on. First, I need to speak to Janius alone. I will be back momentarily." Meesei explained quickly as she stepped out into the hall, motioning for Janius to follow. Just as with Oswall, she went straight to business quickly.

"I wish I could give a more friendly greeting after not seeing you all day, but as you can likely tell, I think we are getting close. I need to give me your report on the day's events with Oswall, but I also have another question for you. Yesterday while we were eating dinner, did you happen to look up at the mezzanine? I need to know exactly who you saw leaving the meeting room, and when." She asked.

[Muttonhawk]

"I will not keep the champion waiting," Darahil spoke over Ahnasha and Fendros' reunion before turning on his heel and starting towards the exit of the dining chamber.

Fendros looked at Darahil when he spoke, before turning back to Ahnasha and giving her a smile. "I'll leave you to your task. See you later." Fendros let Ahnasha go and jogged to catch up with Darahil's long stride.

Oswall grunted in compliance with Meesei, but didn't seem particularly frustrated by the prospect of waiting. Janius waved to Oswall before he followed Meesei.

"The mezzanine? Um, I wasn't paying particular attention to it. I saw Jerrick and Darahil talking at one point. I think I saw Harriet leaving later on, but it was just Darahil on the mezzanine looking down. Jerrick had moved on." Janius understood the urgency of Meesei's demeanour, but his voice was fairly casual. He even let out a chortle before continuing. "As for today, it has been interesting. There was not much in the way of suspicious activity in the morning. Oswall spent most of his time checking on his packs, making sure everyone had everything they needed. A few of them had a wilderness patrol duty, but the rest were either training with Harriet's packs or working on the crops. Oswall's packs seem to have a certain good humour about them." Janius' smile began to fade, "That proved true during lunch, but that's when Oswall's behaviour seemed to change. There was not anything which seemed enough to warrant leaving him alone and telling you immediately, but he hinted various things while he spoke to people." Janius raised his hand to stop any assumptions, "He didn't speak anything of Jerrick, but he seemed to speak of the other packs as...plotting. He said to his packs that they should be on guard, and stick together in case of trouble. He even mentioned quietly to some of his most trusted to ask around and see if they could find out any betrayals." Janius raised his brow, "I tried to tell him not to get in your way, and that you were the one doing the investigations, but he just waved me off and said 'I am still responsible for my packs.'"

Janius looked down, "I don't know what his motives are exactly, and he didn't incite any violence, but he does not trust you completely. That much is clear." Janius looked up again, "The rest of the day was made up of inspecting the armoury and checking inventory there, and then he spoke with length to this grave sounding Bosmer bowyer woman about specifications for a new bow. Apparently he was dissatisfied with the one he had."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei seemed concerned as she took her notes on Janius' report. She was disappointed and slightly angered with Oswall, as his actions could potentially be damaging to the investigation, or the clan as a whole. "Thank you. Currently, I do not believe Oswall is the traitor. The evidence does not point to him, and in fact, he could be exonerated soon. However, this is still something I will need to remember for the future, as his actions cannot be ignored. At present, Harriet and Vera are our suspects, so once inside, I would like you to keep an eye on them in particular, but first, I need you to come with me and keep watch as I talk with Oswall." Meesei informed Janius before returning to their room.

Meesei stopped in the doorway alongside Janius and motioned for Oswall to join them in the hall. Wordlessly, she led them down the hall to the same room she had been using for questioning and instructed Janius to stand guard as they stepped inside. Just as before, she took a seat on a crate and opened her notes, but this time, she decided to start off differently. She wanted cooperation from him, and since suspicion had moved away from Oswall, she felt it would be advantageous to finally reveal some of her conclusions about the investigation so far. "To start, Oswall, I can say that I do not suspect you as the traitor. I have been gathering evidence, and while I cannot reveal at this time what that evidence is, I can say that it does not point to you or Darahil. However, there are still a few more points to clarify, a few more questions to ask. Firstly, do you recall seeing Jerrick drink from his waterskin at the end of the training session you two were giving just before the meeting yesterday? Or, do you know of someone that might have saw him drink?"

[Muttonhawk]

Meesei had Oswall's utmost attention as soon as he was called to the storage chamber for questioning. He took a seat and sat up perfectly straight. At first, he held is arms crossed, but his brow raised slightly and his tightened shoulders relaxed as he was told that he was no longer a suspect. He sighed in relief and inhaled to talk, but waited for Meesei to finish.

"The training session?" Oswall lowered his hands to his sides one at a time and pulled one side of his mouth in thought. "I remember him quaffing from his water skin like a calf on a teat by the end of the session, and then continuing to sip up until the meeting. Despite not hunting or doing a lot of fighting, being in wolf form always leaves one drained."

Oswall looked down and shook his head while sighing through closed lips, "Gods, I was worried about possible framings. Whoever this traitor is has a hand in wanting our clan shattered after all. So, this means it was either Harriet or Vera, hm? I'm not sure which I would be more disappointed in. At least if it were Darahil you could argue that he saw some truth about Jerrick that we would rather not have heard, as he normally does. Harriet or Vera, though...they can be opinionated, but it is unthinkable to think them capable of this."

[EliteCommander]

"An attempted framing is something I have to be careful for, but I believe the traitor may have been under-prepared. Whoever it is, they could not have anticipated that Hircine would warn Jerrick of his fate, and that I would arrive to keep the clan stable. I would like to believe that our traitor is being forced to do this, but no matter the reason, a betrayal of this magnitude is inexcusable. Focusing my attention on Vera and Harriet will make this easier, but first, there are a few more loose ends that need to be tied before I can completely exonerate you and Darahil." Meesei explained, flipping back through her notes to make sure she knew what to ask.

"I have two questions for the moment. The first: can you tell me the names of anyone who might be able to confirm the alibis of you and each of the other lieutenants? The second is one that probably will not make sense or seem at all related to the matter at hand, but I ask that you trust me. When you were helping skin animals in the front chamber after my story in the dining room, what kinds of animals did you, specifically, skin?" She asked.

[Muttonhawk]

Understandably, the second question made Oswall look to Meesei with a furrowed brow of confusion. His eye flicked to a wall momentarily before he answered from the beginning. "Well, for my alibi, I'll tell you that my packs can confirm that I was at breakfast, my students can confirm that I was teaching with Jerrick, the other lieutenants and your pack can vouch for me being at the meeting and the dining hall for lunch, and for the rest of the day..." Oswall took a moment to breathe in, "My pack lead by Loseira can vouch for me assisting their skinning duties. Then it was dinner, and finally I spent some time with the grindstone at the forge to hone my weapon. You can ask Xander about that. The man never leaves the forge for long. It is as if the fires were his child. I can give you specific names and where to find these people if you desire. Everyone else's specific alibis are unknown to me, but I might tell you what I remember of their movements."

Another lengthy breath in gave Oswall a moment longer to recall the skinning. "The animals I skinned with Loseira were a doe, a wild cat, and two rabbits. There were plenty of other rabbits in the catch, as well as a boar and a goat, but I was not required for those." Oswall leaned on one hand and resumed his confused expression, "What on Nirn has that to do with the crime?"

[EliteCommander]

"As I said, I just need you to trust me. It is information that could help exonerate you." Meesei said simply as she wrote down what Oswall said. After a few moments, she put away her journal, then stood to her feet. "That is all of the questions I have for the moment, but there is yet more you can do to help. I feel I may be able to identify the traitor tonight, but I am not likely to have all of the information I need for another few hours. I need you to stay in my pack's room and help keep the peace. I may also have more questions for you later. Just remember, while one of the two may be a traitor, the other is completely innocent, so try not to cause any hostilities."

"Also...I am going to need you to inform your packs that you were mistaken about the 'plotting' that the other packs are supposedly doing when you see them next." Meesei said, her expression becoming notably cross. "Sewing the seeds of division in that manner could have disastrous effects for the clan as a whole, and we need to be united to stand against our enemy. Now come, Darahil should have arrived by now, and I need to question him as well."

[Muttonhawk]

Oswall might have been described as being taken aback my Meesei's shift in tone. It was jarring, but Oswall retained his composure beyond sitting up straighter and raising his chin defensively. "There will be no problem if there is no plotting," Oswall said in a low voice that spoke of restrained anger of his own. He stood up and walked out slowly, salvaging his pride given the circumstances.

True to Meesei's prediction, Darahil and Fendros had turned up shortly before Oswall's questioning had finished. Fendros barely even had time to familiarise himself with the current situation at Meesei's chamber, but he seemed more concerned with speaking with Meesei first. "There's a concerning amount of strange looks and whispers around, Meesei," Fendros said quietly without any ceremony, "I think some information may have come out."

Darahil stepped up and eyed Meesei and Fendros in turn. "Indeed, such behaviour is only characteristic of this clan when it is in fear," Darahil spoke more confident, matter-of-fact tone, as if he knew that no one of consequence was in earshot. "It would be wise to prepare explanations at this point, champion. Let us keep this meeting brief, for your sake as much as the clan's." The Altmer's warning was cold, hard, and short on urgency on his part.

[EliteCommander]

"That is troubling, but we knew we could not keep the secret forever." Meesei responded to Fendros and Darahil. "Even if the clan has not been given any specific information on what happened, they have likely noticed our behavior. I will give an announcement tomorrow morning to give them all the truth of what happened. I had hoped that we would be able to keep the secret longer, but hopefully...well, come with me. I need to speak with you." Meesei instructed as she stepped back out into the hall with Fendros and Darahil. As they were walking towards the room Meesei had been using for interviews, she continued with her thought.

"Hopefully, there will be no need to keep the secret after today. After all of the evidence and statements I have gathered, I have determined that neither you nor Oswall are likely to be the traitor. That, of course, leaves Harriet and Vera. For the moment, though, I am looking to tie up the final loose ends that may exonerate entirely you and Oswall. If you would wait in that room for a moment, I need to have a quick word with Fendros." Meesei explained, gesturing to the room.

Once Meesei and Fendros were alone, she spoke quietly to him to keep them from being overheard. "I have two requests for you for the moment, Fendros. The first, of course, is that you give me your report on what happened today with Darahil. The second is that you give me your best recollection of what happened yesterday during our first meal here with the clan. Specifically, I need to know who, and in what order, you saw leaving the meeting room on the mezzanine."

[Muttonhawk]

Without so much as a nod, Darahil proceeded inside.

Fendros' eyes followed Darahil until he was out of sight, then quickly addressed Meesei. "Right, well, Darahil is certainly very fond of his research apart from some minor enquiries of some of the scholars, he barely talked to anyone. When I asked about his research, he gave brief answers, but I got the feeling that he didn't appreciate the distraction. Still, he held himself as if he was in almost constant contemplation. After lunch, we proceeded up to the meeting room and asked me if I was capable of identifying magic. I told him that I wasn't particularly good at it, but he still directed me to the cabinet with the ledgers and other records. I found a rune that was connected to something else, I couldn't gather what it was for exactly, but Darahil explained that it made something in his office glow and to let you know that it was still there. Darahil went over the accounts as Jerrick did before to check if anything had changed. Only one thing caused him concern; it was this discrepancy that one of Harriet's packs had made. He was rather cross about it and went to confront Harriet immediately. It was a loud clash, but brief. I assume Lorag let you know about it?" Fendros paused and curled his lips as he recalled the awkward situation. He was thankful that it didn't escalate further. "Anyway, we waited for dinner after that."

After his recollection, Fendros sniffed and thought quietly for a few seconds about the mezzanine. "I did see activity up there while you were telling the tale. Just a few things, I didn't think to keep a close eye up there." Fendros brought his fingers to his forehead and shut his eyes to help remember. "The first people I saw were Darahil and Jerrick. They were talking, I couldn't hear. The next I noticed was Vera coming out and taking Jerrick out along the mezzanine, Darahil stayed. I didn't notice Darahil leave. He just disappeared eventually. I think he just walked off without me noticing." Fendros nodded and opened his eyes, "That's all I remember seeing, sorry. Was there anything else you needed?"

[EliteCommander]

"No, thank you. That is very helpful. With what you and the rest of our pack has described, I believe I have a good picture of what happened. Now, I need to question Darahil; I would like you to stay out here and keep watch. Make sure to tell us if anyone gets close enough that they might hear us." Meesei instructed before stepping inside with Darahil.

Meesei located a place to sit across from Darahil then, as usual, took out her journal and flipped to Darahil's page. "I apologize for the delay. Given how time-sensitive this is, I shall start right away. Yesterday, when you were passing through the main chamber on the way to the meeting room, did you happen to see Jerrick drink from his waterskin?" She questioned.

[Muttonhawk]

Darahil sat as if he were a statue with his hands lightly clasped on his lap. He wasted no time in giving Meesei a scowl faced answer. "Yes. He was finishing up his lesson and was drinking while replacing his clothing."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei took note of Darahil's answer in her journal, which was more significant than he might realize. Although it was unlikely, there had been the possibility that Jerrick had not drank from his waterskin between his lessons and the meeting, which would mean there was a possibility of the waterskin being poisoned before the meeting began. However, with both Darahil and Oswall claiming to have seen him drink, she could safely eliminate that possibility.

"Thank you. Now, the meeting itself is the most likely time that Jerrick was poisoned. Or rather, immediately after it ended. Whoever was left alone with Jerrick's waterskin had the prime opportunity to poison him. Everyone agrees that Oswall left first, then you stepped out with Jerrick onto the mezzanine and spoke with him. However, Harriet claims she left the room before Vera, while Vera claims she left before Harriet. Being that you were in their path, do you recall who left first? Also, I need the names of anyone you can think of who can verify the alibis of you and the other lieutenants after the meeting." Meesei asked.

[Muttonhawk]

"I do not recall observing anyone leaving the meeting room after myself and Jerrick except for Vera, who exited shortly after us. I moved on from the mezzanine before seeing Harriet come out." Darahil seemed to have neither a reaction to the information Meesei provided, or interest in confirming that Harriet was the poisoner. To him, the entire exchange was to be finished quickly. "Immediately after the meeting, when I proceeded to the scholar's loft, Marlin and Safina, some packmates of mine, were practising their telekinesis as I walked in. You may confirm with them that I proceeded to my office and did not emerge until dinner. After dinner, I'm afraid that I passed unnoticed to my office and bedchambers, at least, to any whom I could recall the names of all of my packmates were either still eating dinner or were elsewhere with their tasks. None disturbed me during my work except for the rune being triggered. I do not recall any of the lieutenant's alibis except for Harriet and her duel with your packmate."

Outside of the room, Fendros leaned against the wall of the hallway nervously. He wanted to converse with Janius, Sabine, and Lorag, but nothing they could say would go unheard by the lieutenants in their room. It was tense enough to think of smalltalk in any case.

"Hoy!" A familiar voice sounded from down the corridor. Fendros and Janius turned towards it to see the son of Oswall, Gallus, along with his charge, Tzirret, and a couple of unknown people, likely his packmates.

Fendros immediately pushed off the wall and raised his hands to stop them. "Ah, apologies Gallus, Meesei and the lieutenants are busy right now."

"No, no, that's fine," Gallus smiled and raised a hand reassuringly, halting his advance a short distance from Fendros. "Look, everyone is talking, whispering about something going wrong. The lieutenants have been acting strangely, my father especially, and all these private meetings are strange." Gallus angled his head and took on a more serious tone, he at least didn't seem threatening right now. "Look, we don't like secrets here. What's this all about? Is Jerrick really away visiting some village?"

[EliteCommander]

Darahil's answer was direct and descriptive, so Meesei had no need to ask for clarification. She just had one final question for him when she heard a voice approaching outside. It was familiar, though distant enough that she could not quite place it by ear. She heard Fendros address the newcomer, though if Meesei's fears were correct, she felt it would be best for her to address the matter herself.

Meesei leaned in closer to Darahil so they could speak more quietly and took on a more hurried demeanor. She was almost done with this interview and wanted to deal with whoever was outside as quickly as possible. "I just have one final question. It may not make sense or seem relevant to the situation; I just ask that you trust me. When you went to the scholar's loft for your research, what specifically were you researching? And who in the loft would know what research you were performing?"

[Muttonhawk]

"Uh...well..." Fendros became somewhat flustered. He had hoped that the secret would hold out for at least a few more days, especially since it sounded like Meesei was so close.

"...We are still investigating a possible spy or spies in the clan." Janius stepped up and saved Fendros from his stumbling with some quick thinking. "We have to keep things secret in our meetings, I'm sure you understand." Janius gave a diplomatic smile to Gallus and his companions.

Gallus exhaled through his nose and eventually nodded in acknowledgement, but he wasn't done yet. "Alright, well that makes sense, but what of Jerrick? Some people are saying that he was killed or removed from power. Can you tell us what has become of him?"

Back in the storage room, Darahil glanced to the door, then leaned in to speak to Meesei quietly in turn. "My latest expedition was to a low and cramped living quarters. From first inspection it appeared to be a slave's quarters, perhaps previously inhabited by ancient Cyrodilic humans. There were carvings there wrought by human hands, not magic, which may be of historical significance depending on what they translate to. I understand you are learned, so you may confirm the research yourself by looking over the materials so long as you do not upturn my office into disarray. If you want testimonies,aAll my alphas know of this topic; the alchemist, Carana; the healer, Wendryn; and an arcane scholar, Rozar. Rozar's pack accompanied me in my expedition, so they might confirm this as well." Darahil's eyes flicked to the voices outside, "Now, I believe you have visitors to deal with."

[EliteCommander]

"Perhaps after this is over, I may even be able to help with your research, but I will not need to see it for the moment. Regardless, I thank you for your assistance. Now..." Meesei began, glancing to the door. "I have one more task to perform before I can make my accusation. I would appreciate it if you could stay in my pack's room to help keep watch over Harriet and Vera, and to be a witness to the events that unfold once I return. As lieutenants, you should all be present for the accusation. Not to mention, keeping the traitor outnumbered will help to prevent violence. I should not be more than a few hours."

With the last interview complete, Meesei packed away her journal and stepped outside to confront the newcomer. Once in the hall, she saw that it was Gallus, and who she assumed to be a few of his packmates, who were questioning Fendros and Janius, who had evidently stepped out into the hall as well. She had caught the end of his questions, so she had a general idea of what he was asking about. "I understand your frustrations in being kept out of the loop. I assure you, that is nothing that any of us want. As is fairly obvious, there is something that concerns the clan as a whole, you are correct. For that reason, there will be an announcement tomorrow morning in the dining hall at breakfast which will explain everything. I would explain now, but as you can see, we are dealing with this issue as we speak. Please, feel free to spread the word of the announcement. You would be doing me a favor."