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

[Muttonhawk]

For all the patience they had, the warband was grateful to have the fires still going while they waited. It was another half an hour before the sentries spotted someone approaching. As the cloaked figure came into view, hiding most identifying features against the cold, Meesei would eventually recognise her as one of the runners Finley had sent out to notify the lookouts at the gates last night. She jogged up to the camp just as the tip of the sun was coating the land in a bright orange.

"It's Nilly! She's from Finley's pack!" One of the warriors announced, somewhat redundantly.

Nilly strode into the camp with no one stopping her. Some gave a greetings to her, to which she simply nodded back. She was most focussed on looking around for Meesei, and came up to her as soon as she spotted her. "Champion, Galsek has left." She seemed slightly out of breath, blowing streams of fog out of her mouth. She stopped and swallowed before continuing, "But, he was with someone at the gate. He left with an Altmer woman, they walked out side by side but pretended not to know each other. Once they were out of the city, Galsek started moving south-east, the woman moved...north, up into the ranges. Regus was on watch then, he said he wouldn't have thought they were connected until the woman touched his arm and asked something with a sad face. Galsek got angry and swatted her away before moving faster." Nilly looked down to the snow, "It's not much, but we thought we may as well tell you."

[EliteCommander]

The messenger arrived roughly when Meesei would have expected, and fortunately, her report was nothing discouraging. It certainly implied that this Altmer was a friend of Galsek's, and it was possible she was connected with Vile, but nothing about it impacted their current goal. If anything, it gave them a lead on future investigations.

Meesei gave the messenger, Nilly, a pleased nod. "Thank you for the report; we will need to have the Altmer investigated. Once you return to Bruma, tell Finley to keep her watched if she returns, but not to approach. We need to be sure not to tip her off if she is indeed connected to the enemy. We should be able to handle Galsek, so I would not worry about that. Your pack has fulfilled its role in this mission. We will leave a fire burning for you here if you wish to rest for a few minutes before heading back."

Meesei stepped closer to the edge of the camp, then turned to address the rest of the warband. "Put out the fires, apart from one for the messenger. It is time to move; we will need to move quickly to catch up to our quarry." She ordered. Just as before, once they closed most of the gap between them and Galsek, they would follow from a safe distance until he reached his destination.

[Muttonhawk]

"All heard!?" Oswall shouted to the assembled band. All of the warriors of the band pumped an arm or a spear to the sky and sounded a quick shout of "All heard!" in unison. Without any further delay, the warband began to jog through the snow. They left the thankful Nilly behind to warm herself by the last remaining fire.

The warband gave the city an appropriately wide berth as they caught up to Galsek. Though it slowed them down somewhat, it gave time for Meesei to realise when Galsek's presence seemed to circle around to a south-south-east heading, and eventually to a heading straight east, into the rising sun. This didn't immediately seem strange until his heading sharply turned north. By this point, the warband had caught up enough to slow their pace.

"I don't understand. Is he lost?" Janius asked idly, to no certain response from the others.

Harriet gave Janius a brief glance from her spot next to Meesei, but her expression seemed less confused. "I'm more curious about that Elf that he met up with. Where would she be going?"

Oswall sounded a grunt of apparent agreement, "Either Galsek's lost and desperate, or he knows he's being followed and he's leading us astray. I would much like to know why that High Elf saw fit to leave the city at all."

[EliteCommander]

The longer they had been walking, the more Meesei had been thinking about the possibilities of what could have transpired in the city with Galsek and the Altmer. She wanted to avoid making too many assumptions, but some of those possibilities could put them into danger. She stopped, halting the warband entirely as she answered Oswall. "Without knowing what happened inside that general store, it is impossible to say for sure, but I have been thinking on the matter. There is a possibility that this Altmer is indeed connected to Vile, and Galsek informed her of everything that transpired in the clan. It could be she that is heading to their hideout, while Galsek is distracting us. Although, I do not know how he would know he is being followed. We have never been in his sight, and I never came close to that general store. It could be that he is simply paranoid. Regardless, I still believe that Galsek is heading to his allies. Even with the supplies he gathered, he cannot outlast us; he knows we can live off of the land. He may have sent the Altmer ahead to warn them, so he could lead us into a trap. As such, we should be on our guard. Look for any terrain that would be supportive of an ambush. Galsek may believe he has the advantage, but we could turn that ambush into a trap of our own."

Pausing a moment, Meesei looked to Ahnasha and motioned for her to approach. "But, just in case I am mistaken about Galsek's intentions, we should send someone back to investigate the Altmer. We cannot afford to greatly weaken our fighting force since there is the possibility of an ambush, so Oswall, I would like for you to send your best tracker with Ahnasha. Together, they can head back and see if they can catch the Altmer's trail. If she is capable of covering her trail like Galsek, then it is likely we never would have been able to follow her, but if she cannot, then between her footprints and her scent, you should still be able to track her. I would recommend asking Finley's pack to put you on the right path. If you find something, head back to Bruma and wait with Finley's pack."

[Muttonhawk]

It took a short moment for Oswall to mull over the idea, but he eventually nodded. "As you say. Turala!" Oswall looked over his shoulder while a female Dunmer ran forward.

Turala had a short sword and an axe on her belt and was one of the less-heavily armoured of the band, though she was clearly more warrior than mage. She had her black hair held back in braids and looked to Oswall and Ahnasha with a severe expression. She looked somewhat older than Fendros, partly in visual age, but also in the maturity of her posture. "Alpha?" Turalis spoke in a voice that was not nearly as severe as her face would have implied.

Oswall gestured to the Dunmer, "Ahnasha, this is Turala. She is a seasoned tracker, and she knows the mountain terrain well." Turalis gave a nod as Oswall continued, "Turala, you will accompany Ahnasha to track the Altmer that parted ways with Galsek outside of the city gate. You will follow Ahnasha's lead and offer respect as befits her status amongst the champion's pack. And watch out for anywhere you don't see an escape from. That Altmer woman could be setting a trap just the same as this bastard we're following, is that clear?"

"All heard, alpha," Turala said clearly.

"Good, any further questions are for your new tracking partner. Off with you, now," Oswall waved the back of his hand to casually shoo Turala away.

Fendros stepped up and took Ahnasha's hand before she left. "Good hunting, Ahna." He gave her a smile, though it was more to ward off he apprehension of Ahnasha going off to a potentially dangerous situation without him.

Turala curled her lips and looked to Ahnasha, waiting for her to move. She offered a suggestion in the meantime, "I know a more direct way back to the city, if you don't mind uneven ground." Her words seemed more quite, despite the way she held herself. It was no wonder with the reputation Meesei's pack held, but she may have found it also awkward to speak to Ahnasha while Fendros was saying a farewell.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha smiled at Fendros and gave him a quick hug. "Don't worry about me; I know how to stay hidden. You just keep an eye out for traps and show that snake that he's just not good enough to surprise us." She answered. Her new partner, Turala, seemed ready to go, so she turned to her, nodding in confirmation. "That sounds good; I can keep up. Since you know the area, you can lead the way." Ahnasha answered, motioning for the Dunmer to take the lead.

Meanwhile, Meesei paused to take a look at her supplies, and to think about how they should proceed. Of course, there was no guarantee that Galsek was taking them into a trap, but it was a strong enough possibility that she needed to plan for it. Likely, they would rely on the element of surprise to gain an advantage over them, but if they could give a surprise of their own, then the advantage could quickly turn in their favor. It was already difficult enough to fight a warband of lycans with a solid plan, much less with one that had fallen to shambles.

"I will keep leading and use detect life periodically to make sure we are not walking into a trap. I brought a few magicka potions with me, so I will not exhaust myself before the fight. If we detect a hostile force soon enough, we might be able to form our own ambush. If not, I will at least order our attack in such a way as to eliminate theirs. For now, let us keep pressing on ahead. And keep idle conversation to a minimum; consider us now in enemy territory." Meesei ordered, quickly taking the lead once more.

[Muttonhawk]

Without another word, Turala was off. She set a pace that was much faster than the lumbering, stalking warband, and she didn't lie about the terrain. It was an effort not to slip on the ice and snow that had settled on the inclines they skirted, but the jutting rocks around them served to encourage careful foot placement lest they meet upon their falling heads.

For a long while, Turala concentrated on the path ahead and didn't speak. However, once they had reached a certain altitude and were moving along the slopes rather than climbing up them, she relaxed enough to glance back and apprehensively ask a question. "You and the Dunmer in your pack, you're...closer than just packmates, aren't you?" Turala's spoke as if it was an unfortunate turn of events.

Back with the warband, the march went on for another hour before anything of note happened. The party came across a small gorge that immediately stank of an ambush to everyone, let alone Oswall. The band began to slow down before either Oswall or Meesei ordered a halt. Thankfully, after searching for signs of life via magic and sending up scouts, the gorge turned out to be a false alarm. The band moved on having lost some ground, but it was better than being attacked.

Past the gorge, the path began to curve uphill, making pursuit more of an effort. Much of the warband had little trouble, as they lived in such environs, but those with legs unaccustomed to the mountains soon felt it.

"There's nothing up there 'cept cliffs and snow," Harriet said, using one of her javelins as a walking stick, "He's gonna change directions soon."

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha was true to her word in that she had no problems keeping pace with Turala, despite the terrain. She was not quite used to moving in such heavy clothing, but her training and natural agility could compensate. With the cold biting against her, she was glad to have the furs, as her own fur was woefully inadequate for dealing with this climate. It was more designed for keeping her cool and protected under a blistering desert sun.

"Yes, Fendros is my mate. We have a son named Rhazii." Ahnasha answered without a hint of hesitation. In their travels, she and Fendros had not yet faced many issues with others regarding their relationship, apart from Fendros' brother. Though, that was mostly because they did not usually associate with others outside the pack for any extended duration. She knew there were those who would take issue with it, and some who might even become confrontational over it, but Ahnasha had decided long ago that she was not going to hide it, nor would she just take any insults lying down. There was something off about the way Turala asked about it, but she did not know quite yet if it was going to become a problem.

Despite the false alarm, Meesei was as alert as ever as they continued on shadowing Galsek. In regular pulses, she scanned the area all around them for signs of life. A few times, she stopped them once she sensed something, only for it to be an animal. Luckily, the fact that they were on a frozen mountain instead of a dense forest meant that such interruptions were sparse. They could keep up with Galsek, even if some of the warband did not have quite the endurance of the rest. Even Meesei was not as adept at handling such extended physical exertions as mountain climbing, but she could use her magic to restore her stamina. Thanks to the potions she was carrying, she was not in danger of running out of magicka any time soon. Lorag, meanwhile, hardly looked as if he had exerted himself at all compared to most of the others. Evidently, his body was not nearly as old as his mind had convinced him that it was.

"He may, or he may not. I would not make to many assumptions of his movements." Meesei commented to Harriet. "Vile's followers may have a cave like ours. They could be anywhere, if it is indeed them that Galsek is leading us to. If he somehow managed to learn we are following, we could be going anywhere. Though, he cannot lead us on forever. Unless he is planning on sacrificing himself just to throw us off of his allies' trail, he will need to find some form of civilization soon enough. Do you think he would be willing to die for them, or am I right in judging him to be a coward?"

[Muttonhawk]

For a few moments, Turala didn't respond. Trying to be tactful while concentrating on the word ahead obviously caused a short delay. "You...you are aware that Dunmer are not a short-lived people, yes?" Unlike the aloof and aghast response that might have been expected from one such as a Dunmer, Turala spoke softly, and as if Ahnasha was an equal. She did not glance back to meet Ahnasha's eyes this time.

After a while, the warband's march continued on more level ground, though they were more spread out as the path narrowed into something not much larger than a goat trail. As per Harriet's predictions, Galsek did turn East again. There didn't appear to be any good spots for an ambush along the road.

As they gained more distance from Bruma, Fendros observed the environs to their right. Due south, there was a expansive, if partially cloud-obscured view of the near terrain. "I think that gorge was the only way up to this path. I haven't spotted a safe way down the mountain since we last changed direction."

[EliteCommander]

"Yes, I am. I've thought a lot about that, but it hasn't changed anything about my decision." Ahnasha answered. Of course, she did not mention the actions she had taken in response to that issue. She did not exactly want others to know about the tome back with the rest of her belongings that she had been studying, at least not strangers. Necromancy was not a popular practice anywhere in Tamriel, and it was particularly reviled in Dunmer traditions. Given the size of the clan, there were likely mages among them capable of necromancy, but she did not know if any of them practiced it openly. Ahnasha was not content with dying after only a fraction of Fendros' lifespan, but she could act as if she was.

Meesei was increasingly aware of the terrain the group was entering into. She considered the potential tactical implications of the terrain, and though several of them actually worked in their favor, she did have a few worries. The trail was narrow, so they did not have as much room to maneuver as she would have liked, though neither would their enemy. Fendros' observation was likely correct, so she needed to plan to make the most of the situation. "Yes, this trail is something like a pass, without much room to maneuver. Provided it does not open into a wider area, we would be forced to fight the enemy only a few at a time...though that is not a disadvantage for us. We are lycans, after all; in single combat, we are quite capable of overpowering most normal mortals. The most effective strategies for fighting lycans involve surrounding, outnumbering, and outmaneuvering us. Since this pass prevents them from effectively outnumbering us, they may be looking to surround us. If there is an enemy force following us, they would be able to attack us from both sides. Oswall, could you have one or two of your men follow a short distance behind us? Preferably people who can move stealthily and warn us if the enemy is approaching from behind, without being detected themselves. With warning, we could turn such an attack into an ambush of our own. And of course, we will need to keep an eye out for environmental hazards around us as well, such as falling rock traps." She warned before turning her head to Lorag.

"Also, Lorag, I would like you to move to the back of our group and help guard our flank, in the event that we are attacked from behind." Meesei added, to which he quickly agreed.

[Muttonhawk]

Turala continued to lead such that Ahnasha could not see her face, but her voice was solemn. "I want to presume the process of your decision, but, your mate, he is young. The young are naive of death close to themselves. It's...cruel that you would..." Turala seemed to cut herself off. She hesitated and glanced over her shoulder to Ahnasha for a moment. "It's none of my business," she said quickly before Ahnasha could respond, "Never mind."

No more words were spoken by Turala by the time the grey walls of the city came into view. They reached Bruma in much less time than they had spent marching away from it, courtesy of their pace, but also Turala's shortcut. A quick check-in with Finley's pack had them following one of the sentries a short distance from the city to retrace the steps of their Altmer quarry once Turala vouched for Ahnasha. Before long, they were following a different trail. This one was on a wider mountain path, but it was headed uphill, to the north.

Back with the warband, Oswall's nostrils flared out a huff of steam in amusement. "I have kept a rearguard this whole time, but if you believe they should trail further for safety, I see no reason to object. As for stealth, there's hardly anywhere to hide, let alone darkness in which to sneak." Oswall gestured to the snowy slopes around them. Up this high, there was little vegetation or tall rocks to contradict him. Anyone sneaking would have to stalk through taller snowdrifts on all fours. "Lorag," Oswall regarded the Orc with less of a barking tone than with the others in the warband, "Get back to the four bringing up the rear and wait until we're roughly..." He paused to look at the path ahead, "...three hundred paces ahead of you before following. You know the rest."

The warband continued for another half an hour, ever vigilant. An uneasiness was coming over everyone with how quiet and uneventful this day had been given the potential hazards. Eventually, Meesei detected Galsek turning sharply south again. He was now heading downhill again, back to an elevation he could have reached more easily by not taking the path up the gorge.

[EliteCommander]

"You're right, it isn't." Ahnasha mumbled, mostly to herself as they continued on. Once they made it to Bruma, Finley's pack set them on the path following the Altmer. As Meesei had hoped, the Altmer's trail could still be followed. Her footsteps were still visible in the snow, an upon close examination, Ahnasha could identify her scent. As long as that did not change, following the Altmer would be no different from tracking any other prey. With both her and Turala being quality hunters and trackers, it would likely take strong magic to throw them off of the trail. Hopefully, the Altmer would actually lead them somewhere of consequence.

The warband continued along the path, now with Lorag assisting the rear guard. Meesei could watch for signs of life ahead, and mostly everyone was watching out for traps. Since they were now in danger of being attacked, idle conversation had all but disappeared, and everyone was at the ready, just waiting for the ambush they were expecting. Though, it did not seem like that ambush would happen on the trail, as Galsek had moved south into a more open area. If they ran into an enemy force, they would have the high ground, but that did not mean an ambush could not be effective.

Meesei reached into one of her pouches and produced a magicka potion, which she drank quickly. With some of her energy restored, she lead the way down the path to the south, pulsing her detect life spell. The transition from a narrow path to an open area could provide an opportunity for an effective ambush, so Meesei did not intend to be caught off-guard.

[Muttonhawk]

Unlike Galsek, the Altmer woman did not cover her tracks in any way. Turala and Ahnasha did not need to put forth much effort to following her. With the silence between them and the pace they kept, it seemed like barely half an hour before they caught up with something that gave them pause.

It was a different scent in the air to the Altmer that made Turala stop and stand to discern it. It was stronger, made by many people. "Do you smell that? There might be a settlement nearby." Turala spoke for the first time since Bruma. She began moving forward again, far more focussed on the road ahead. "The only thing I know of around here is a hunting lodge, but it has never housed so many as I can smell. At least, as long as I've come across it. The last time was a couple of months ago."

As the pair got closer, Turala veered off the Altmer's trail. She sneaked through a copse of trees off the road and wheeled around a small snow covered bluff before squatting low and shuffling up the bluff until she was peeking over the top of it. "You should see this," Turala said while gesturing Ahnasha to look over the bluff as well.

Over the bluff, a distance away, was a luxurious looking, two-story wooden hunting lodge. Judging by the broken windows, it wasn't maintained too closely. The general mess around the building spoke of squatters. What caused Turala to show worry were the characters gathered out the front of the lodge. Roughly sixty armoured mercenaries were lined up in rank and file. Each either had magicka potions on their belts, spears and shields in their hands, or some other manner of weaponry. All bare metal on weapons reflected off the sun with a lustre indicative of silver and several of the mercenaries, more notably the leader, wore trophies of fangs or dark fur. They were accompanied by a regal looking figure who appeared to just be watching the show, and next to him was an Altmer in a plain dress and apron who looked as if she hadn't slept in weeks, their quarry. "That is a large group of lycan hunters." Turala ducked her head down until it was behind the bluff and looked to Ahnasha, "What should we do?"

Just then a shout was heard and the hunters began to march over to the road and begin travelling. There were no other packs living in the clan's territory that weren't already in the clan.

Continuing the trend, Meesei found no signs of humanoid life in the area, both throughout the high ground and down the gorge after Galsek. Once they were through the gorge, they found more open terrain again and found that Galsek was now heading west, back in the direction of the first gorge. The revelation brought a snarl from Oswall, "He is leading us on a goose-chase! He doesn't mean to ambush us at all, he must be drawing us out for his own amusement!" A realisation caused Oswall to look thoughtful, "Unless his plan is to tire us, I suspect the snake wants a force from our clan here for some reason. I do not like this."

[EliteCommander]

The scents that Ahnasha could pick up on the wind told her of the trouble ahead just before she peeked over the bluff. Sure enough, what they saw surprised even Ahnasha. It was a sizable force of what appeared to be lycan hunters, based on the weapons they were wielding. For as long as she had been a lycan, she could recognize the familiar and insidious glint of silver at almost any range. It was plainly obvious that, somehow, Galsek had learned of their plan. This meant that their plan was going to be a failure, but more worryingly, the clan itself could be in danger as well. The lycan hunters had started out along the road, but that did not tell them which direction they would be heading.

"I'm not sure. They...actually, yes, I know what we need to do." Ahnasha responded in a whisper. The hunters could either be heading to ambush the warband, or to attack the clan while they were away. She had to get back to the clan to warn them, and more importantly, to make sure Rhazii was protected. "The way I see it, these hunters are going to one of two places. They could be going to intercept our warband, or they could be heading straight for the clan itself, and we don't have the time to watch them and find out. I'll head back to the clan and help prepare the defense. Even with the warband away, there still should be plenty of warriors and mages left. You...you are a skilled tracker, right? You should try to catch back up to the warband and warn them about this. Tell them to get back to the clan. With the size of the group, their tracks should be easy enough to follow. I would say to use your lycan form to get to them as quickly as possible; I know I will be. Come on, let's hurry!" Ahnasha suggested, though she did not look like she was keen on waiting around, as she was already getting up and starting to backtrack.

Meesei stood silent for a few moments in contemplation. Whether or not Oswall was correct entirely, it was becoming more and more clear that Galsek at the very least knew that he was being followed. Regardless of Gaslek's plans, he was not likely to guide them to the enemy, so to continue to follow him seemed pointless. She halted the warband to wait for their rearguard to catch back up. "An ambush is still a possibility, but I do fear you are correct. If nothing else, he is aware we are following, so our plan is not likely to succeed. Whatever Galsek's intentions, we should not entertain them any further." Meesei answered, taking a few steps in the direction of Galsek and staring out over the snowy expanse. After a few moments, she turned her head back and looked to Oswall.

"Once the rearguard catches up, start heading back towards the ruin." Meesei ordered before suddenly conjuring a bound sword in her hand. "I will rejoin you shortly." She added as she started to walk away, towards Galsek. He was a loose end that she did not intend to let free. She would approach with caution, but she did not intend to hide. For this, there would be a confrontation.

[Muttonhawk]

Turala slid down the bluff and gave one last quite point to Ahnasha, "Just be careful. There are Imperial patrols that sometimes come up this way. Stay a distance from the roads as much as you can." Turala turned to head back south, "I'll find the warband, no trouble." Turala didn't so much as say farewell before she sprinted off downhill. The snow that padded her footsteps soon became more audible as her body morphed slowly during her run into the shape of a lycan. Strangely enough, much of her equipment was secured with straps that seemed to snap into longer lengths and stayed attached to her body. She must have trained her beast spirit to tolerate such trappings for the sake of long ventures.

Over the bluff, the mercenaries had all but marched off down the road, leaving just the Altmer woman, who listlessly walked into the lodge and shut the door behind her.

"Blasted snake," Oswall muttered as he raised a fist to halt the warband.

Even though Oswall might have seemed disappointed, Harriet's reaction was utterly fuming. She had been relatively quiet up until this point, but now she leaned slightly forward, opened her mouth to show her tusks, and let out a blood-curdling shout of anger in Galsek's direction. Even after she spent her lungs, the shout echoed against the mountains for a short moment before the entire area fell silent. All of a sudden, she broke into a full sprint towards Galsek, causing a breeze to hit Meesei's side as she overtook her. Whether she was going to tear Galsek apart or simply talk to him, it was unclear, but she was clearly furious, and she was making no attempt to stop for Meesei's power over her life.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha moved quickly and quietly away from both the road and the lodge a short distance before she began to take on her werewolf form. She did not have her equipment tied in the same way as Turala, but she had not taken anything of particular importance with her, so she could afford to lose it. As long as she remained in her werewolf form, her fur could handle the cold.

As soon as she knew she was far enough away not to be heard, Ahnasha started off at the highest pace she could maintain for the distance she needed to travel, being sure to stay a far enough distance from the roads. Luckily, she had paid enough attention on the walk away from the ruin before that she did not have too much issue finding her way back. It took time, but in her beast form, not nearly as long as the trip to Bruma.

Once she noticed the landmarks indicating that she was close, Ahnasha sprinted towards the entrance of their cave as fast as she could, despite the distance she had already ran. If those hunters were coming to the clan, then she had to get to Rhazii and make sure he was as far from the entrance as possible. She ran into the cave, slowing herself only because she had to allow her eyes to adjust to the change in light. First, she was going to find and warn someone on watch so they could mobilize the defense, but then she was heading straight to their room where Sabine and Kaleeth would hopefully be with Rhazii. For now, she decided to remain in her lycan form for as long as she could, as she would not be able to transform again anytime soon if she shifted back.

Meesei could not say she was surprised that Harriet went into such a rage, though honestly, she was almost glad that she had. Meesei felt much safer having Harriet in sight, rather than her being with the warband without her being present. No matter how skilled of a fighter Harriet was, Meesei could currently end her life by speaking but a single word, so she could be of no threat to any of their allies as long as Meesei was present.

Meesei had to sprint to catch up to the enraged Harriet. "You may kill Galsek if you like...but I can say now, Harriet...I will not go back on my word. You will have your fight...whether now or later. There will always be...more of Vile's minions to kill." She said between breaths as they ran.

[Muttonhawk]

There were no obstacles of note that stood in Ahnasha's way on the trip back up to the clan home. Turala's warning about Imperial patrols was thankfully not fulfilled, so her journey was as direct as her navigation. Unfortunately, the sentries at the gate had not witnessed her appearance in her beast form and had the front gate shut.

"Hold on! Who goes there? Your smell isn't familiar, sister," A male voice came from the darkness in the arrow holes above the gate, where the silhouette of crossbows and longbows could be seen trained at Ahnasha.

Harriet's sprint did not slow at all. Her single-minded pursuit of Galsek meant that she didn't appear to be listening to Meesei. Even if she wasn't transforming yet - a testament to her control of her beast spirit despite her rage - Meesei had trouble keeping up with her.

Soon enough, a fur-cloaked figure with an Argonian tail was spotted trudging through the snow ahead of them. He turned his head to peek over his shoulder once he heard Harriet's approach, and a flash of fear was all he could express before he attempted to start running away. Before Galsek could gather any good speed, Harriet held one of her javelins back and hurled it with inhuman power. The javelin was deadly accurate as it impaled the back of Galsek's knee, causing him to scream in shock and pain and crumple to his other knee. Harriet caught up to him before he could fall completely to the ground and swept up his neck in her hand. Like a stuffed doll, he was lifted up and pinned to a tree trunk by the neck by the enraged Orc. Galsek's attempts to scream were stifled and choked as he desperately tried to pull Harriet's arm off him.

"You set me up from the start Galsek, but it ends here!" Harriet shouted into Galsek's face. "Where are your friends!? You're gonna tell me what you had planned, NOW!"

Between the shock induced from his still impaled leg and the sudden fear of death right in front of him, Galsek did not have the mental capacity to play with his interrogator. "It's...you are too late!" Galsek desperately sputtered, "Your clan will be massacred..." he took a small, whistling breath in, "...and your souls taken!"

"Don't-" Harriet pulled Galsek back by the neck and slammed the back of his head against the tree trunk again, "-give me that crap, Galsek! Who's doing the killing!? Where are they!?!"

Galsek's eyes began to glaze over. Meesei had an opportunity to intervene.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha was in a hurry, and entirely not in the mood for delays. Her beast spirit served only to amplify such emotions, however; these sentries were as good of people as any to warn about the incoming hunters, so she was able to maintain enough patience to not attempt to barge through the gate.

"I'm Ahnasha, of the Champion's pack. I have a...warning. We tracked an agent of the enemy, and found a group of lycan hunters at least sixty strong. They may be coming here right now. We need to ready the defense!" She shouted, her words mixed with periodic growls. The fact that Rhazii could be in danger had her emotions running high, so her beast spirit had a tighter grip over her than usual. Fortunately, she was still coherent enough to be in control of her actions.

This time, Meesei had no particular desire to preserve Galsek's life. Whether it was her or Harriet that carried it out, Galsek would die. However, they could at least squeeze whatever bit of information they could out of him before ending him. Luckily, despite her rage, Harriet seemed to have the same idea, though her technique was far too...forceful. Too much more and she would kill him outright.

Meesei placed her hand quite firmly onto Harriet's shoulder to grab her attention as she spoke up loudly, and authoritatively. If she continued to beat him, Meesei would be ready to act. "Harriet, hold. He cannot talk if he is dead." She began, turning her head to the snake. "Or rather, when."

Quickly, Meesei cast a shield spell over both herself and Harriet as a precaution. If she had to guess, Galsek likely had a blade hidden on him somewhere, though whether he was dexterous enough to pull it quickly was another matter. With both of them protected, Meesei cast another spell, this time at Galsek. He started to glow with a dark violet energy, indicative of the school of Conjuration.

"Do you know what I just did to you, worm? I told you I would kill you if you returned to your former master, and as you should well know, I always keep my word. You are going to die, here and now Galsek. Perhaps you believe that Clavicus Vile can take your soul regardless of your beast spirit, but I think you will find that irrelevant right now. Answer Harriet's questions, and I will wait until the spell wears off to end your life." Meesei demanded. She expected that the threat would grab his attention, as the spell she had cast upon him was one of soul trap.

[Muttonhawk]

There was a moment of tense silence. Ahnasha could barely see the silhouette of one of the sentries lean to one side and say something to another. Another few seconds passed before the same male voice was heard. "Open the gate!" Some scraping of wood on metal preceded the main doors to the clan home creaking open.

An Imperial with a lowered crossbow stood at the gate to greet Ahnasha with a worried expression. He had the same voice as the one that addressed Ahnasha before, "Our apologies, we didn't recognise you. You'll want to find Vera and Darahil. We've sent runners ahead, but you'll find them in the scholar's loft and the school room. You know which is where, I presume."

As if reminded of the closeness Galsek was to death, Harriet loosened her grip on Galsek enough for him to take a rough breath in, though Harriet wasn't letting go of him. His eyes were too wide to look any more fearful at Meesei's spell, but he seemed to react readily enough other wise. "Wait, no, NO!" Harriet squeezed hard enough on Galsek's neck for him to put up a hand, scrunch his eyes shut, and break. "There's a lodge! A hunting lodge! North of Bruma!" Harriet loosened her grip enough for Galsek to calm slightly and spit the rest of his story out, "We found hunters! Soldiers with silver weapons. They are to rally at a hunting lodge today and strike at the pit you call a home. They were meant to take the place after the clan squabbled over a new leader and scattered during the full moon, then roam and kill you off, but the plan had to change. I lead you out here, and you brought more of your military might than I could have hoped, so I had to take the opportunity. You might track the hunters from the lodge, depending on how fast that lackwit High Elf travelled, but I am willing to bet that you are too late. Even if you all shifted, you would have no hope of getting back before the attack is started. That was my purpose, I have fulfilled it. You have failed, champio-"

Harriet pulled Galsek from the tree and threw him to the ground. She had heard enough. With a javelin in either hand, she pinned Galsek's chest to the ground with one boot and put a javelin through each of Galsek's upper arms. Galsek screamed in pain again, but the last sound he made was one last "NO! PLEASE! YOU SAID-" before Harriet's boot impacted his head with a final crunch. Harriet twisted her foot for good measure, eliciting more crackling, before pulling her javelins free and stepping off of Galsek's ruined face. The spatters of red made the snow around him give off steam.

"She promised to wait, I didn't," Harriet said to Galsek's body. She yanked the third Javelin from Galsek's leg and regarded Meesei, "We've gotta get back to the warband."

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha gave little more than a huff and a nod before running in deeper into the ruin. She desperately wanted to get to Rhazii, so she had to force herself to actually run to find either Darahil or Vera. Even if the sentries had sent runners, she had to be sure that the lietenants received the message. That bit of rationality was the only thing preventing her form heading straight to her son. Since the scholar's loft was closer to their room, she sprinted for the loft, yielding for no one in the hallways. As she was still in her beast form, most were very quick to get out of her way, apart from one Bosmer she nearly knocked to the floor.

Ahnasha barged into the scholar's loft, unconcerned with whatever she might be interrupting. She did not even bother to check if the runner had already arrived before she began shouting. "Darahil! We found a group of lycan hunters, at least sixty strong. They may be heading this way."

Meesei looked down to Galsek's broken body. It was fortunate for him that she had been bluffing. She had indeed soul trapped him, but without a black soul gem nearby to absorb it, his soul simply went to its intended destination, wherever that might be. Disregarding his corpse, Meesei nodded to Harriet, then headed off in a sprint back in the direction of the warband.

Since the warband had not been moving at a particularly rushed pace, it did not take too long for them to catch back up, at which point Meesei immediately shouted for Oswall's attention. "Find a place to hide whatever equipment we cannot carry, hurry! We need to transform, and get back to the clan as quickly as possible. There are lycan hunters heading for the clan, and we need to reinforce them."