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

[Muttonhawk]

The first week of the voyage did not have a looming shadow of bandit attack, nor did it bear the need to hunt too desperately. Life went on as simply as it could; Janius, Fendros, Tzirret, Gallus, and others sometimes found time and space to train. Other times were spent watching the children, Leaps, or whatever else looked mildly interesting. Rhazii didn't particularly like the ship, finding the inside stuffy and the outside smelly. Sabine always had something to do, whether it was occupying her time with Peiter and Tzirret, mixing something to help with seasickness when they hit choppy waters, or being coached in magic as normal by Meesei. Uthri always seemed to be able to spot interesting details on the shores in the distance and spent most of her time doing just that.

Before too long, most in both packs were envious of Lorag's deal to work for the crew. At least he had something stimulating to reliably occupy his time. Another change was that Fendros eventually noticed Irenya's behaviour. He assumed that she had been offended by some bad first impression and was planning to confront her about it. For now, though, Leyawiin awaited. Ahnasha had been meaning to meet her family and Fendros wanted to support her.

Before breakfast, Fendros had assumed that Ahnasha was simply enjoying her turn in the double bed and wanted to sleep in, but now it was evident that there was a problem. He brought her some of the salted meats that the Bosmeri crew had been rationing. Their strict diets had made their maritime foods more bearable for the pack. He sat down on the bed next to her and ran a hand over the top of her head. "I brought you some breakfast," Fendros started. He had a sad smile as he breathed in again to speak, "A few years ago, I remember you talking about meeting your family." Fendros faced the wall in the direction that the city was, "We're in Leyawiin. Did you want to try this time?"

[EliteCommander]

"Thanks." Ahnasha said, sitting up in the bed with her back against the wall. She accepted the meat and started on her breakfast, albeit slowly and unenthusiastically. She was, quite understandably, rather distracted by the matter at hand. She sat with her head hung low and, for a while, could not bring herself to answer. Eventually, however, she leaned her head on his shoulder and spoke up.

"I...don't know if it's a good idea anymore. I mean, I faked my death, Fendros. That's not something you just explain away with a few words. They'll ask questions, or get angry...if they even care at all." Ahnasha turned her head away, staring off at nothing in particular. Within her expression, there was a hint of anger. "They did not seem to pay that close of attention to me when I was there; I don't see why it would be any different now. I doubt it took them that long to move on from my 'death.' They were always so focused on grooming me up to be a trader like them, to make sure I could help run that store of theirs: Topal Goods and Trade. They didn't seem to know or care what I wanted, and honestly, I don't even know why they bothered with me. My brother was perfectly enthusiastic to take over that place. I think I should just stay here; it's safer that way. Don't let me keep you here, though. Some of the others are planning on heading out into the city, and I know Rhazii wants to get off this boat. You should show him the city, maybe bring along Newt for him to play with? I know Kaleeth and Janius would probably appreciate the time to themselves."

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros didn't quite laugh, but he still smiled at the reversal of roles. "You're beginning to sound like me," Fendros said, becoming serious again, "I'm not sure that you're being fair on your family. They might be upset, but from what you told me, they loved you." Fendros put a hand on Ahnasha's shoulder, "Look, I don't want you to miss this and regret it. I know what I said about the notion of confronting my own family, but I'm happy that I saw Llarasa and Monderyn again. They were the two that I really cared about in my family. Even just being honest to them - even if Monderyn didn't like it - lifted a burden from my shoulders. You said it yourself, you don't want to live a lie, yes?"

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha let out a sigh, staring down at her meal with an uncertain expression. "Look, I...understand what you're saying. I know you want what is best for me, of course, but you didn't know them. I mean, they weren't bad people or anything, just...it's hard to explain. They cared about me in the wrong way; they wanted so badly for me to be successful that they didn't care if I was happy. I know for certain that they would never accept what I am, and there is no other way I can think of to explain why I would fake my death. I don't know if they would call the guard on me, but they would not make our stay here easy. They would do whatever they could to make sure I followed their wishes."

For a moment, Ahnasha paused, filling the time by taking a few more bites of her breakfast. Eventually, brought herself to make eye contact with Fendros. "Just...I know, why don't you go see for yourself? The store, Topal Goods and Trade, it will be open this time of day. It's across the street from the font entrance of the temple of the divines, at the end of the street closest to the front gate. You can go meet them yourself and see what I mean. You can take Rhazii, and maybe Newt with you. Just...please don't mention my name, okay?"

[Muttonhawk]

It took a few moments for Fendros to answer. He looked away in thought, almost just declaring that Ahnasha's family didn't have control over, because she was an adult now, unlike before she left. Fendros thought better of it this time; Ahnasha already had an independent spirit, which meant that perhaps there was something to this family that he couldn't know without meeting them.

"Very well, Ahna," Fendros leaned in and put a hand around her head, pulling her in to kiss on the cheek. He stood up and spoke more clearly, "We're going to be here for a while longer, I think. You can always change your mind until then. I'll see you later." Fendros walked out and almost closed the door behind him. Before doing so, he leaned his head through again. "Love you," he smiled, before walking out.

To say that Fendros convinced Kaleeth and Janius to take care of Newt for a while would imply that there was any persuasion at all. At this point, lending the children between the two couples was becoming routine. Neither Newt nor Rhazii had seen Leyawiin as far as they could remember, and they were keen so see something other than the ship and the water.

Leyawiin was how Fendros remembered it; Imperial and prim, but tropical and with many puddles and mud patches. Fendros' work was cut out preventing Rhazii and Newt from happily splashing in too many of them. If they were tracking too much mud, then no store would allow them inside. All in all, there wasn't an awful lot to see without knowing what to look for. Fendros decided to take the children on a short walk before heading to the temple to find Ahnasha's family. He took the time to try and formulate a contrivance for wandering in. He wasn't clear on what they would actually sell there.

The temple, iconic as their designs always were, was not difficult to find. Just as Ahnasha specified, a store was opposite the temple's doors across the cobblestone street. Like the others around it, it was a two-story building with a sharply angled roof. On the sign above the door was written: Tiger Lily Trader. That was odd...Ahnasha had called it Topal Goods and Trade. Perhaps they moved or had a name change? Fendros decided to walk in anyway. If it wasn't Ahnasha's family, perhaps they would know where they had moved to.

[EliteCommander]

Walking inside the store, there did not seem to be anything too exceptional about it. Newt had to have his hand held when inside, as he would not doubt get himself into trouble otherwise, with the valuables around them. It was of average size for a store in the city, though only the first floor was accessible for customers. Likely, the owners also lived in their shop on the second floor, which was common for any merchant wealthy enough to actually own a building. It was a general store, with a few rows of counters that had a variety of merchandise from books, to clothes and jewelry, and even preserved foods. Most of the goods appeared to be made locally, though some looked to be imported from surrounding regions like Black Marsh and Elsweyr. And of course, being a general store in a port city, there were a few select items from the farther reaches of Tamriel. The most valuable of the merchandise was locked away in display cases, mostly jewelry and weapons.

There were few parts of the store that were not decorated with something. The furniture was reasonably ornate, and the walls were lined with paintings and various trinkets. Only the mantle above the fireplace seemed oddly bare. On it, there was only a single lit candle, with a freshly picked orange flower sitting at its base.

At the counter was a Bosmer. His age was hard to determine exactly, given the lifespan of elves, but he might have been close to middle-aged. There were no wrinkles on his face, and his brown hair did not yet show any grey, but he did not have the look of someone in his youth. He leaned forward onto the counter and greeted his potential customer with a smile. It was an odd sight to see a Dunmer walking around with a Khajiit and Argonian child in tow, but the Bosmer seemed to pay it no mind. "Hello. What can I help you with today?"

[Muttonhawk]

"Good day," Fendros said as he walked in and surveyed the room. Trusting the children to be respectful with the store's wares, he let them go and walked up to the counter. "I was showing the children around town and I was just wondering about this place. I was told of a shop that was here several years ago. Topal Goods and Trade. Do you know it? Have they moved?"

Rhazii was curious about the various wares around the place. In particular, he stood on his toes to look into one of the longer display cabinets. He was just tall enough to look inside at the ornate sword that was laid across a silken sheet. "Newt, look!" Rhazii said, not remembering that Newt would not quite be tall enough to look inside.

[EliteCommander]

The Bosmer furrowed his brow, appearing perplexed by the question. "Um, yes, that is this store. We changed the name almost a decade ago. If I may ask, who told you about us? It seems...strange to me that someone would recommend you to my store with a name we haven't used in nine years. Not that I am ungrateful, of course. I am glad to have customers who remember us, even after so long." Still assuming that Fendros was a customer, the Bosmer was making an effort to be polite, but it did seem like he was thinking quite heavily on who might have given Fendros the store's name.

Every bit as curious as Rhazii, Newt ran up to the display as soon as Rhazii called his name. However, the Cathay was a fair bit taller than himself, so Newt did not come close to being able to see inside. He reached up and tried to open the case, but the lock kept it secure. Frustrated, he looked around until he spotted something helpful. Newt tapped Rhazii on the shoulder and pointed to a chair in the corner. "Can't see. I need to...move that."

[Muttonhawk]

"Oh, it, uh..." Fendros scratched at the back of his head nervously. The Bosmer must have been Ahnasha's father. Fendros decided that a white lie would be best for this situation. "...my partner told me about it, actually. She grew up in Leyawiin, you see. Said you were lovely people." Fendros was caught looking around for something that he might buy for the excuse of staying around, but was instead saved by the scraping of a something against the floor. He turned around to see Rhazii dragging a chair toward the display case. "Rhazii! Leave that chair alone. It's not yours to move around," Fendros said, being sure not to shout.

Rhazii stopped and let the chair go, looking up at his father. "But Newt can't see the sword, dada," Rhazii protested.

Fendros looked at the display case and realised the issue. He turned his head to the shopkeeper with an apologetic look. "I am sorry," Fendros said. He turned and stooped down to pick up Newt in his arms so he could look into the display case for himself. "At this age they are very curious," Fendros commented to the shopkeeper.

Still excited, Rhazii resumed his position up against the display cabinet. "It's pretty!"

[EliteCommander]

"I see." The Bosmer answered, seeming to be satisfied enough with Fendros' answer. He was about to continue when they were interrupted by Rhazii attempting to rearrange the furniture. They had caused no harm, so the shopkeeper was mostly just amused. He looked down at the Khajiit cub and smiled, silently at first. His thoughts went back to the past, towards his own troublemaking children.

"Don't worry, it's no trouble. I know well the joys of parenthood...along with the moments that make you feel like screaming. I raised two children of my own. The reason we changed the name of the store was in honor of my daughter's memory. I suppose your partner would not have known if they left Leyawiin beforehand." He explained. It was clear in his tone that her loss was an old, well-healed wound by this point, as he was able to speak about it without any outwardly negative emotion.

The Bosmer's eyes seemed to remain on Rhazii. "If you do not mind my asking, are either of those two your own?"

[Muttonhawk]

With what the Bosmer said, and the flower on the mantlepiece, everything fell comfortably into place. Fendros decided to evade confirming when Ahnasha left Leyawiin for now.

"Yes, this little troublesome Cathay is my son, Rhazii," Fendros ruffled Rhazii head fur with a smile. Fendros then nodded his head to Newt in his other arm, "This here is my friend's son. He hasn't had his name day yet, but we call him Newt in the meantime."

"Dada, can I have the sword?" Rhazii asked hopefully.

Even just looking at it, Fendros knew that he couldn't afford it. It was a dwarven blade set with many little jewels. Probably ceremonial. "I'm afraid not, Rhazii. It's a bit dear for us."

Rhazii groaned in disappointment, but he knew by this point that there was no compromise when something was too expensive.

"I'm sorry for your loss. I couldn't imagine losing my child," Fendros said politely. Given the grim subject, however, he shifted tone. "What is it like raising children here?" Fendros asked the Bosmer, "This seems a very peaceful city. As I know it, there is quite the vibrant local Khajiit community." The last sentence was a slip up by Fendros, as he hadn't directly met Ahnasha's mother or brother, but thankfully it could be construed as something other than referring to the Bosmer's family in particular.

[EliteCommander]

"Ah, the Cathay is yours. So your wife is Khajiit, I take it? It is unfortunate that there are many who would not approve of such a thing, but you will certainly find no judgment from me. My own wife is Khajiit as well, a beautiful woman named S'Nashi." The Bosmer explained. "There is indeed a strong Khajiit community within Leyawiin. I'm guessing you want to allow your son to experience it? I think you'll find the friendliest Khajiit in the city a the temple every Sundas, if you can remain in the city that long. And my wife and son, of course. Overall, I would say the city is a good home. It has its share of problems, like any city, but plenty of trade flows through Leyawiin's port. My son is going to be opening his own shop within the next month, and I couldn't be more proud."

The Bosmer turned his eyes to Newt, who was still looking back over Fendros' shoulder at the sword in the display case. "There are quite a few Argonians in the city as well, if you would like the hatchling to be able to see more of his people. I'm not sure exactly at what age Argonians have their naming ceremonies, but I do know where to obtain the Hist sap for those ceremonies. I've done so for several Argonians in the city in the past. If your friend doesn't want to travel all the way to the marsh for the ceremony, my prices are reasonable."

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros made a mental note to bring up Ahnasha's brother again. He wanted to meet him as well.

"I'll be sure to let him know, thank you." Fendros' smile widened and he stepped forward with an outstretched hand, "My name is Fendros, by the way. I didn't catch yours..."

After finishing introductions, Fendros looked to the mantlepiece again. His eyes lingered on the flower. "I don't want to be rude," Fendros started slowly, "I think I may have heard about what happened in your family, your daughter. What exactly transpired, if you don't mind saying? Tell me about her."

Having thoroughly inspected every facet of the sword he could see, Rhazii decided to look around elsewhere in the shop. After seeing some polished metal plates that distorted his reflection, he began to make faces and giggle.

[EliteCommander]

"Oh, my apologies. My name is Gwindir." He answered, shaking Fendros' hand.

The question about Gwindir's daughter prompted him to turn his head towards the fireplace. He was not sure why Fendros would be asking about her, but he supposed it might just be because they were on the topic of their children. It was quite a potentially uncomfortable question to be asking a stranger, but he had long since come to terms with it.

"Her name was Ahnasha. She had quite the fiery spirit, a lot like her mother in her youth. She liked to hunt and explore the swampland around the city. Much more than she liked her studies, I can say. We're not really sure what killed her exactly, but something got to her when she was out in the forest. Obviously, it was devastating to us all, but now, we just like to cherish the memories we have of her. I always keep a candle lit on the mantle in her memory, and my wife always makes sure to keep a fresh tiger lily beneath it. Ahnasha always liked those flowers; they were her favorite color." Gwindir explained, pausing with a chuckle as he observed Rhazii making faces into a plate. "Don't let her story frighten you, though. I guarantee you'll cherish every moment you have with your son, no matter how long that might be. It is a sad fact that, no matter what happened to her, I was going to outlive my daughter by several hundred years. But, it is all just a matter of time before we all meet in Aetherius."

[Muttonhawk]

Rhazii stopped making faces at the plates and looked at Gwindir when he mentioned his mother's name.

"A fiery spirit, yes," Fendros grinned, then glanced to Gwindir and realised his mistake. Fendros cleared his throat and carefully lowered Newt onto the floor to allow him to join in Rhazii's fun. "My wife is similar," Fendros tried to clear up the awkwardness.

The children weren't touching the plates, so Fendros figured it would do no harm. He hadn't noticed Rhazii's recognition. For now, he could continue the conversation, "I think I know what I would purchase. Do you sell bouquets of flowers here? I would have six tiger lilies in a ribbon, if you please."

"Dada," Rhazii waddled up to the counter when there was a pause in the conversation, "why does the shopkeeper have a candle there for mama? She can't see it."

Fendros immediately tensed his posture. Rhazii had caught him completely off-guard. "Er...it's not..." Fendros fumbled for some kind of explanation. He couldn't quite come up with something sufficient in his fluster. "Rhazii, you shouldn't say such things about the dead, it's disrespectful," Fendros said quickly, before turning to Gwindir again, "sorry again, he doesn't understand."

"Mama isn't dead!" Rhazii said, verging on upset that his father would even suggest it.

"I'll talk to him outside," Fendros said with a sigh, reaching for his coin, "I'll have those lilies now."

[EliteCommander]

Gwindir was more confused about the exchange between Fendros and Rhazii than anything. The thought of his daughter still being alive had not even crossed his mind for many years, and the strange comments of a stranger's toddler would not suddenly change that. Perhaps, he reasoned, the name of the cub's mother sounded similar to that of his daughter.

"Yes, they are quite a beautiful flower. I'm sure your wife will love them." Gwindir commented, guessing at the reason for the purchase. He stepped back into a room behind the counter, then returned a minute or so later with the desired number of the flowers. He started to wrap them as neatly as he could with the ribbon, making sure they were all arranged in as aesthetically pleasing of a manner as possible.

"Here you go, that will be eight coins, please." Gwindir requested. It was a bit more expensive than the average bouquet, but tiger lilies could also be used in alchemy, so it did drive their value up somewhat.

[Muttonhawk]

"Right, yes, thank you," Fendros fished out the required septims and placed them on the table. He didn't mind that the price was rather steep, given the situation.

"Dada! The man said Ahnasha! Ahnasha isn't dead! Mama is back on the ship!" Rhazii's eyes were welling up now. He was about as confused as the shopkeeper was.

Fendros simply took the flowers in one hand, Rhazii's ear in the other, and turned to the exit. "Newt, come along," Fendros said over Rhazii's cry of pain and surprise. They all walked to the door, Rhazii stumbling to keep up. Fendros didn't so much as look at Gwindir on the way out.

Once the door closed behind them all, Fendros found that a number of heads had turned to look at Rhazii crying. It was no matter. He knelt down and released Rhazii's ear, instead holding him by the upper arms and keeping him in place. Rhazii's tears were flowing now. "Dada, why did you hurt me?" Rhazii asked while rubbing his now sore ear.

Fendros gave a sympathetic look and explained straight to Rhazii. He knew than that he should have done so in the first place. "Rhazii, son, I need you to listen to me. That man in there is mama's father. Mama ran away from her family a long time ago, and mama does not want them to know that she is not dead."

"But, why?" Rhazii asked through a sob, "She isn't dead..."

"Alright," Fendros sighed. "You remember when I told you not to talk about the clan or transforming when we're in cities? You mustn't talk about mama in front of that man, either."

Still pouting, Rhazii put his head down, "Okay."

Fendros managed a smile. "Very good. I am sorry for pulling your ear, little one. You didn't know any better. Now, we're going to go back into that shop. I need you to say sorry to the man - and no more mention of mama, okay?"

Rhazii guiltily nodded and rubbed the tears from his eyes.

"Come along, now," Fendros stood up and took Rhazii's hand. "I haven't forgotten about you, Newt. Stay close now." The three of them entered the store again.

"Gwindir, my son has something to say to you," Fendros said with politeness.

"I'm sorry, mister Gwindir," Rhazii mumbled at the lowest volume he could get away with. He wasn't looking at anyone for the shame he felt.

[EliteCommander]

Gwindir leaned forward on the counter and looked down to Rhazii. Despite Rhazii's earlier outburst, he did not seem suspicious. Evidently, convincing him that his daughter was alive would actually take some intentional persuasion. "It is no trouble, little cub. That is a pain I dealt with long ago."

Looking back up to Fendros, Gwindir took on a more neutral, slightly curious expression. "Say, what is your wife's name?" I'm guessing it is similar to my daughter's."

After the rather serious exchange between Rhazii and Fendros, Newt remained particularly quiet as they returned inside the store. He did not fully understand everything that was happen, and why Fendros was angry at Rhazii for mentioning Ahnasha. What he knew was that he did not want to get himself in trouble, so he stayed close to Fendros' side, holding his hand and saying nothing.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros averted his eyes apprehensively. Before, he was flustered and trying to cover everything up. Right now, though, he was considering whether to continue the lie. If he told the truth, he would not only be setting a double standard for Rhazii right then and there, but he would be breaking a promise to Ahnasha. She didn't want him mentioning her name at all.

"It is..." Fendros hesitated. His eyes caught the tiger lilies under his arm, "...They have the same name. It's Ahnasha. I do not doubt that it is coincidence."

It would have been without good conscience to be completely truthful to Gwindir. Fendros desperately wanted to meet Ahnasha's mother and brother to gauge their attitudes towards her, but he felt that was inappropriate now. Still, he wanted to see if he could get away with one last question.

"Gwindir," Fendros stepped forward and breathed in nervously, "This is going to sound strange, and I only ask that you indulge me for a moment," Fendros punctuated with a diplomatic gesture with one hand. "I can tell that you cherished your daughter, I don't doubt that you wanted the best for your children. However, I'm quite curious. If you were to see your daughter Ahnasha again, find that she was alive, but...also find that she had made a new life for herself, would you respect that life she chose if she wanted to continue it?"

[EliteCommander]

Gwindir seemed only marginally surprised by Fendros' answer. It would have been a coincidence, but it wasn't as if Ahnasha was the only Khajiit in Tamriel to have that name. He chuckled and glanced at Rhazii. "Ah, well that would certainly explain it. It's truly a small world, isn't it?" He commented.

Unfortunately, Gwindir's good mood seemed to sour with Fendros' last question. He placed his hands flat on the counter in front of him while his expression gradually became more cross. "I...am not sure what you are trying to say, stranger, but I do not appreciate it. I do not know if the same is true where you are from, but it is not in good taste to say such things about another's dead child, especially a stranger. Regardless of any coincidence with your wife's name, my daughter died nine years ago, and I would appreciate you not making me relive those memories any further."