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

[Muttonhawk]

Gallus followed Colours, crossed his arms and angled his head to listen. He should have expected that Orub was not simply a cruel soul. It sounded like he was forced into his lifestyle and kept on surviving. Gallus did not know what exactly to say, though. At least not immediately. Colours was not an impressionable youth like Peiter or Tzirret.

"Hmm, I think I can understand," Gallus said, before leaning on the railing with both hands and letting out breath with a pout. "I do not know if anything I can say would make you feel better about betraying a friend, but..." Gallus turned his head to Colours, "What you've done, you did for people you care about. In a way, it may prevent the suffering of many others."

Gallus took in a breath through his nose and turned to lean on his elbow, facing Colours properly. "You know, the men found four extra people in the hold, a handful of slaves, a family at that. I don't know what Orub had in mind for them, but their tale is similar to his in some ways. They were in that position because of debts. Even if Orub and his family could not be saved, I'd say you saved their lives. Maybe you could meet them once they're cleaned up. It might make you feel more justified."

Although his face was out of Ma'tanza's sight, Tzirret winced as she shouted. She had quite a powerful voice. Still, he smiled when he heard that M'ibasa was with S'nishi. "This is good news!" Tzirret said with a bit of strain, "This one thinks M'ibasa will be safe with S'nishi."

Given that Ma'tanza didn't say anything about Peiter and Sabine, Tzirret assumed that she didn't spot them. He decided to slowly lower himself until Ma'tanza could slide off his back. Once he stood up, he turned to grin at Ma'tanza and gave her a quick, celebratory hug. Over Ma'tanza's shoulder, Tzirret caught Bheja's eye. The shorter Suthay would be easier to lift up on his shoulders, and given that Bheja and S'nishi were very close, she was probably wondering where he was.

"Um, Bheja. Tzirret could lift you up if you wanted to say hello to S'nishi," Tzirret suggested.

Sabine returned Peiter's kiss appreciatively. However nice it would have been to find a place to relax now, Sabine pulled back a bit earlier than usual and gave Peiter a smile. "We should help clean up, and then clean ourselves up."

[EliteCommander]

Colors did not budge from his position, nor did he look back at Gallus. He simply started looking down, off the side of the ship. "Look, I understand what you're trying to do, but..." He trailed off, losing himself briefly in thought. After a few more moments, he turned back around with a more neutral expression. "I'll be fine, okay? I've done worse things to better people...or, well, not really worse, just...you know what I mean. If I can get past that, I can get past this. I need to get back to work; I'm sure you have a lot to deal with too."

Colors did not so much as wait for a response before walking away, presumably to continue managing the ship's new crew.

Bheja raised up his hand and shook his head likely. "Thanks, but no need. I assume she's looking this way, right?" He commented before squeezing his way between a few of the people in front of him, over to the railing. He reached up his hand and waved over to S'nishi, now visible thanks to being at the front of the crowd. Since she was now looking, it did not take long for S'nishi to spot him as well. Of course, at this distance, there was very little wither of them could actually do to communicate with any clarity, but by merely being present, they could confirm that they were both unharmed.

[Muttonhawk]

The last thing that Gallus wanted to do was impose. He gave Colours a nod and spoke, "I'll leave you to it."

It was true that there was plenty of work do be done, but Gallus did not know where to start. He ended up spending the rest of the day simply offering help wherever it was needed. He only stopped on occasion, when he reported to Meesei or checked up on the navigator.

"Oh," Tzirret said after seeing Bheja shoulder into the crowd, "That works." He seemed dubious as to the need to lift Ma'tanza in the first place, but he supposed that it got S'nishi's attention.

Now at a bit of a loss, Tzirret turned to Qa'habi and Ma'tanza. Something did come up in his mind after a moment, thankfully. It seemed strange to bring it up all of a sudden, but Tzirret wouldn't forgive himself if he forgot. "Er...this one should say. Back in the hold, Ma'tanza...helped this one when he was panicking," Tzirret curled his lips, looked to one side, and scratched at his cheek nervously, "He does not remember saying thank you, so...thank you, Ma'tanza. Tzirret has faced many fears recently, so he thought he could handle that one, but he couldn't." Tzirret took an exasperated breath, "He feels guilty for making trouble."

[EliteCommander]

Ma'tanza laughed and placed her hand gently on Tzirret's shoulder. "You're welcome, but you don't need to be so apologetic about everything, Tzirret. It's not like you meant to cause any trouble. You needed help, so Ma'tanza helped you. We're past all of that now, though. We have the ship now, so we can finally relax. How about we go pick up something to eat, then head back down to the hold? Ma'tanza doubts many want to go back down there yet, and she feels like getting away from the crowd."

---

The rest of the day was mostly spent allowing the clan to become acclimated to living on the ship. Most everyone was encouraged to head down below deck after they had a chance to get some fresh air and stretch their legs. For the most part, it left only those who were now serving as the crew on the top deck. Although, if Colors had not given that instruction, the weather would have done that for him soon enough. After an hour or so, the wind started to pick up, followed by rain. By late afternoon, it had turned to a torrential downpour. Waves crashed loudly against against the side of the ship, which rocked the ship heavily from side to side. For Colors' crew, and that of the other ship, it was a trial by fire that he certainly would not have preferred. Fortunately, there were experienced sailors other than Colors on both ships, so he was not alone in directing everyone. The majority of the clan had retreated below deck. Even the Senche were able to squeeze through the trap doors, with the exception of S'nishi. Being a Senche-raht, she was much larger than the ship had ever been designed for. As such, she had no choice but to sit out on the deck in the downpour. Since all of their clothing, leather, and hides were currently being used to make tents, she had nothing to protect her from the rain. Additionally, despite the storm, Janius would not be able to find either Kaleeth or Newt anywhere below deck.

In the captain's cabin, Meesei had called for a meeting between Gallus and Ri'nakhad, whom she had ensured was among those placed on her ship. They were both soaked, seeing as they had to walk across the top deck to reach the cabin, but for Ri'nakhad, at least, it was not worse than spending the previous night in the hold. She had also sent for the family they had discovered among the cargo, though it would likely be a few minutes before they arrived.

"I apologize about making you walk through the rain, but I believe we should discuss the matter of the family we found aboard the ship. Obviously, they cannot join us, so we need to make a decision on how to deal with them." Meesei began.

[Muttonhawk]

Gallus, dripping wet, held onto a support in the cabin. His sea legs were not the most steady as of yet. When he spoke, he had a tremble to his voice due to the cold, but he was confident as always. "I have had a think about it today. No matter where we put them, they are going to be a liability. Joining us to Orcrest will make them an extra set of mouths to feed, not to mention they are not lycans. If we do drop them off at Leyawiin with a few coins, they might give away our movements, but it would be the humane thing to do. One thing is clear; it is distasteful to simply kill them." Less surely, Gallus continued, "Personally, I would like to drop them off in Cyrodiil somewhere. They can make a better life for themselves if they put in the effort, and if all we ask in return is that they never speak of us to anyone, then I could trust them. We saved their lives, they would know that."

When the rain started to get heavy, Janius shortly sought out Kaleeth and Newt. He had left them to help make tents, but he wanted to make sure that they were below decks. It started as an inconsequential worry, but as he traversed the interior of the deck over and over again, he began to worry more. Eventually, after asking around to no avail, he stepped up and out into the slick top deck to brave the weather. He had since dressed himself, but only held a small hide against the wind. "Kaleeth!?" He shouted into the wind, "Newt!?!" No sooner did Janius take two steps that he stumbled up against a mast. The ship was rocking heavily. He took his time searching for them both so he didn't slip over. "Kaleeth!? Where are you!?!"

[EliteCommander]

When she had first acquired the captain's quarters, Meesei had not been sure why there were clamps on the edges of the table, or why the two chairs on either side of it were nailed to the floor, but it certainly made perfect sense now. She and Ri'nakhad, at least, were able to sit down somewhat comfortably, and the map in front of them was kept stable by the clamps.She had no objections to Gallus' suggestion. She had already been thinking along the same lines, so she nodded in agreement. "Leyawiin is the most obvious choice. It is right along our path, so we would only need to make a stop, instead of a detour. We could give them some supplies and explain their situation to the priests in the temple of the Divines in the city. Given that they do not seem to speak Cyrodilic, it would be best to get them back to their home. The temple is meant to be a charitable organization, and may be able to help them. My greatest worry is that we will need to be quick. We can stop in Leyawiin, but we cannot stay long. The last thing we want is to have to deal with the port authorities in any sort of detail. We should be able to dock without too much issue, but not if we linger, or attempt to load or unload cargo. There is much I would like to purchase from the city, but as we have stolen these ships and do not have forgeries of their paperwork, we cannot afford to submit to customs."

Outside, on the ship's starboard side near the bow, Janius would be able to see both Kaleeth and Newt. She was sitting down on the deck with her legs crossed, holding Newt in her lap. They were a moderate distance from the railing, evidently for safety, but Kaleeth did not appear to be stable enough where she was sitting regardless. Usable clothing was not plentiful among the clan at the moment, so she had gone without. The storm, despite the heavy rain and wind, did not seem to be bothering either of them in the slightest. The wind blasted the heavy raindrops against their scales, but gave them apparently no discomfort. As the ship dipped down to the right, then leveled out in the trough, Newt actually started to giggle. Since the wind was rather loud, Kaleeth did not hear Janius the first time he called out, but did recognize his voice on the second attempt. "Oh, hello there!" She shouted loudly, but surprisingly casually.

[Muttonhawk]

At the mention of customs and docking, Gallus brought the side of his fist up to his mouth. He hadn't even thought about that. "Hmm, so how do these customs people pick ships to check? Will we only be searched if we stay too long? Or is it only if we deal with cargo?" Gallus made a non-committing gesture and a shrug. "If we cannot stop at Leyawiin, we could just anchor further up the Rumare and take them to the shore with a row boat. We could walk them into the city with a small group and not have to deal with the docks at all."

Gallus also gave Ri'nakhad a lingering curious look. He had not expressed an opinion yet.

Janius saw Kaleeth before he heard her. He stood still for a second at the surreal situation. She didn't sound like she was in any danger, but sitting out in the middle of a storm on a rocking ship was hardly the calming experience that she was making it look like. Janius decided to get a rope from the nearest mast to tie it around his waist as he had seen other crew doing, but also uncoiled another rope as he slowly and carefully approached Kaleeth. In this time, he remembered her mentioning enjoying the rain. This was probably the closest thing to a Black Marsh monsoon than anything in Cyrodiil or Elsweyr's dry season.

Once he reached Kaleeth, Janius took a knee beside her. "What are you doing out here!? You need a rope or you'll be swept away by a wave!" Janius shouted, holding out the end of the rope he brought with him. He was barely holding onto his sheet of hide in the wind.

[EliteCommander]

Ri'nakhad looked carefully at the area around Leyawiin on the map in front of him. "This one thinks that is potentially a safer idea than actually docking. The greatest issue will be finding a safe place to lay anchor, which is still out of view of the city. Ri'nakhad doubts that the Legion would appreciate two Dominion vessels, even just trading vessels, suddenly stopping anywhere other than the docks."

Meesei nodded in agreement. "Yes, we will need to be cautious in either case. Avoiding the docks would keep us safely away from the port authorities, but would make us more suspicious if we are spotted. Sees-No-Colors may be able to help in that regard. I'm sure he is no stranger to hiding ships. Once this storm has passed and he isn't needed with the crew, I will ask him for his advice. Beyond that, I called for the family to come up here as soon as possible, so we should be able to speak with them shortly."

Despite Janius' concern, Kaleeth smiled as she looked at him. "Oh, I was just showing Newt the waves. All the rocking scared him below deck, but now that he can see that it's just water, he thinks the rocking is fun. Don't worry, I'm sitting down, and the waves aren't that big." She explained. With the next wave that crested on the ship's starboard side, some water did indeed wash over the deck, at which point Kaleeth calmly reached out beside her and grabbed onto the thick rope supporting the mast. After the wave washed over them, Newt once again started to laugh. "You want to sit with us?" She asked loudly, but again, calmly.

[Muttonhawk]

"Oh, yes, hiding them will be an issue." Gallus became a little more concerned, "I can't say I would know how to hide these big ships on that river, but we will consult Colours."

At the end of Gallus' sentence, the door to the cabin opened and let in the loud sound of the rain and wind for a few seconds. Gallus turned his head to see a number of figures shuffling in as fast as they could. Supported by the shoulders of two clan warriors was the man and the woman of the family they had found. They were now dripping wet as well, but since they were found, they had been bathed and clothed in simple shirts and breeches. The woman was allowed to lean on a support as her legs were still unsteady, but the man lightly shoved himself off the guard so he could stand on his own, albeit weakly.

Gallus was the first to speak, asking the guards that brought them in, "Where are the other two?"

"The girl is sleeping. She has a fever," the guard explained, "The older one wanted to watch over her."

The man glanced to each of the three in the captain's cabin. He had a hint of fear in his face, but he looked like he was just trying not to give people excuses to beat him. Flogging scars still peeked out from the top of his back collar.

Janius paused, really quite amazed. That Newt would find this roiling sea entertaining was something Janius didn't expect. Still, no matter what Kaleeth said, Janius still saw this as incredibly dangerous without a safety precaution. Kaleeth was simply reaching and grabbing a rope every now and then. Not only that, but Janius didn't know how they were not freezing cold in this wind.

Thinking himself partly insane, Janius lowered himself to be seated next to them. If he got too cold, he would go back inside, but really, he was there to make sure Kaleeth and Newt were safe. After that, he supposed he could try to enjoy the show like they were. "Kaleeth, I need you to tie this around your waist, just to be safe," Janius shouted more diplomatically, holding out his extra rope.

[EliteCommander]

"That is fine, thank you. Please, have a seat." Meesei said, standing up from her chair as she waited for her words to be translated. She braced herself against one of the supports in the room, much as Gallus had been doing. Even Ri'nakhad stood up from his chair as, despite his age, the two former slaves were still in worse condition than himself.

Meesei kept a soft, polite tone as she spoke to the pair. "Now that you both have had a chance to eat and clean yourselves, I feel we should speak about what to do from here. Please, tell me your names."

To Kaleeth, Janius' concern was almost amusing. She did not see the danger that seemed apparent to him. With her waterproof scales, the rain was not nearly as cold to her as it was to him. The wind did cause her some annoyance, but it was no worse than any windy day to her. Instead of grabbing the rope, she put one arm around him and leaned her head against his shoulder with a grin. "Janius, you get too worried. It's just some water and some wind. You act like it's dangerous or something. Why are you so afraid of me falling in, anyway? It's not like the ocean is going to reach out and grab me, and even if it did, I'd be fine."

[Muttonhawk]

The guard translated Meesei's words for the couple.

Again, the man and the woman suspected a trick. They looked to one another unsurely, but when the guard offered to help the woman, they eventually made their way to the seats. They did not sit comfortably, cringing from the strangers that surrounded them.

The man spoke in Ta'agra with the same guard interpreting, although Ri'nakhad did not have to listen to the translation. "This one is named Pudaga," the man croaked while gesturing to this chest, "His wife is Ti'drissi, F'sresa is his daughter and Gati is his mother-in-law." Pudaga seemed to gather up enough courage to look at Meesei directly with more questions, "Are you Cyrodilic? Who are you all? And what was that great yellow beast on its hind legs that opened our prison crate?"

Janius closed his eyes and sighed. He was tempted just to let Kaleeth have her way so she wouldn't get annoyed about him being overprotective. He was about to respond when another wave crashed against the side of the ship and sprayed them all with water. Once the water washed away, he answered, "If you fall into the ocean this far out, during a storm, the water will carry you away and you will not reach the ship again. You have already transformed today, you will not be able to shift into a werecrocodile to get back." Janius bowed his head forward and almost gave up, "Just tie the rope, okay? Then I will shut up."

[EliteCommander]

After the Khajiit man's greeting, Meesei responded in turn. "My name is Meesei, and I hail from Black Marsh. As for what we are, that does not matter. All that matters is that we are your rescuers. We posed as slaves and slavers alike, boarded these ships under the guise of being clients, then killed them all once we were out at sea. The ones who held you captive are now dead, and we have no interest in being slavers ourselves. We do have a particular need for these ships, but we are not without mercy towards you and your family. We can bring you to the Cyrodilic city of Leyawiin. Our intent is to explain your situation to the priests of the Eight in the city's temple in the hopes that they can help you back to your home, or wherever else you want to go."

Kaleeth gave an exaggerated huff. "What, you don't think I can swim in a storm? I'm not a Human who instinctively starts flailing around as soon as they hit the water." She joked, laughing to herself. She tightened her arm around him and brought Newt to sit between them, on both of their legs. "If you really want me to hold on, I can just hold on to you."

Closing her eyes, Kaleeth rubbed the side of her head lightly against Janius' cheek. "You know, I like it when you're wet like this. It makes you nice and smooth. I wish you would stand out in the rain with me more often; I don't understand why it's so uncomfortable for you."

[Muttonhawk]

Pudaga seemed unsure about it all, but when Meesei mentioned home, he put up his hands. "Ah, we cannot go back home to Senchal, not now." He looked at the table and put his hand around to hold his other arm, "People who we owe money are there. They know our names and our faces. It is why we were put in the crate in the first place." Pudaga made a sideways glance to Meesei, "But, if you would show us mercy, if you would let us go...we have nothing to give but our gratitude."

"Dear," Ti'drissi spoke up for the first time, "Ask them about F'sresa. She is sick, she needs medicine." She stopped abruptly when the guard began interpreting her words as well.

Gallus spoke to the guards again, "Have healers been tending to the girl?"

"Yes, but...making medicine is not a commonly used skill amongst the healers, and there was none we could find on the ship so far," the guard responded.

With that, Gallus turned to Meesei and Ri'nakhad, "Surely we have someone that can make medicine for a fever? Who are our best alchemists on board?"

Although Janius was still not entirely convinced that Kaleeth was properly respecting the power of the seas in a storm, he decided to let the matter go. "Fine, we'll just hold onto each other, then." He brought his arm around her back and held onto her side, leaning his head on hers. Her body was surprisingly warm here. Janius still gripped his hide sheet in one hand, but with how it flapped in the wind, it wasn't offering much protection from the rain.

After taking a moment to try and just enjoy Kaleeth and Newt's presence, Janius half-smiled and shot some words back, "It is probably similar to why you are so uncomfortable standing out in the snow. Aren't you cold out here?"

[EliteCommander]

It took Ri'nakhad a few moments to think on if his clan could be of any help. To create the medicine would take more than just having an alchemist or two on hand. "The clan does have alchemists, yes, but this one is not sure if they have the ability to create the medicine she needs. Disease is not an issue among us, so it has never been something Ri'nakhad has asked of them. We have had cause to produce mixtures that can cure...our condition before it fully sets in, but those potions may not work for this disease. Still, some of them may know what to do, but they may not have the proper ingredients on board."

"Hmm, your alchemists may not have the ingredients, but Sabine might." Meesei commented. "She had been collecting and experimenting with any and all new ingredients she could find in Elsweyr, and her stock is still with us. I do not know if she had the knowledge to create cures, as it is not something we have needed either, but she may have the ingredients for one. I believe she is on the other ship, but it would not be difficult to bring her over here. Although, magic may still be an option. I am not practiced with curing diseases, but it is well-within the capability of Restoration. Gallus, do you know if Irenya knows how to cure diseases?"

Kaleeth was content to sit and watch the waves, and to listen to Newt's laughter whenever the ship dipped to one side quickly enough. However, with Janius' question, she pulled her head away slightly to give him a look of genuine confusion. "Cold? The air seems perfectly warm to me. Well, I guess the wind has a bit of a chill to it, but still. Are you cold? If so, that really surprises me. Aren't I usually the one that feels leagues colder than everyone around me?"

[Muttonhawk]

"I know that she can treat the early onset of our condition, but as for diseases in general?" Gallus took on a thoughtful look and peered up at the rafters, "I should think so. Her training as a healer began before she was turned. Although, I think it best that you try after this meeting anyway. Getting either Sabine or Irenya over here will be difficult to impossible in this weather."

The guard did not know how much to interpret of the discussion, so he kept silent. Pudaga and Ti'drissi also sat quietly, but were growing increasingly anxious. "Can you help her?" Pudaga asked.

Gallus nodded after hearing the translation, "We will do our best."

The couple seemed to relax a bit.

"I believe, if all else is in order, that we should confirm secrecy," Gallus said to Meesei carefully. The tone seemed to make the couple tighten up again, but the guard did not translate unless prompted to.

Janius nodded, "I was wondering that myself. The rain and the wind are a combination that makes anyone I know cold." Although Janius' jaw began to shiver, he didn't motion to get up yet, "I'll be fine."

It wasn't long before the soaking wet from the waves and the rain became so unpleasant to Janius that watching the ship rock didn't seem very worth it, but at least Kaleeth was warm. He wanted to stay until she either tied a rope around herself or decided to go back under the decks.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei gave Gallus a subtle nod, then focused back on Pudaga and Ti'drissi. "Yes, we will all we can for her. We may have some people among us who can help. We need only wait until after the storm passes to bring them over from the other ship. Beyond that, we will bring you all to Leyawiin and explain your situation to the city's priests. They may provide you with some help, and could perhaps get you to some other city in Elsweyr, if you do not want to return to Senchal. There is just one further matter we need to discuss. We do not wish for anyone to know about us, or these ships. In return for bringing you to safety, we ask that you not make any mention of us to anyone. Can you do that for us?"

"Hmm, no one I knew back in Black Marsh ever had the water make them cold. It must be a Human thing, or something." Kaleeth said with a shrug. She again returned to relaxing in the rain. She closed her eyes and leaned herself closely against Janius, enjoying both the water, and his warmth. However, given how close they were together, it did not take long for her to notice his shivering. Despite his assurance to the contrary, she felt that he was not actually dealing too well with the apparent cold.

"Are you sure you're alright, love? You don't have to stay out here with us; I don't want you to have to suffer through the cold just to sit with me. Do you want to go inside?" Kaleeth questioned.

[Muttonhawk]

Ti'drissi and Pudaga sat in confused silence for a while. They gave Meesei and each other questioning looks.

Pudaga began to answer, "This one doesn't know why we-"

"We will not say a word." Ti'drissi's interruption was firm and clear.

There was no protest from Pudaga, but he was still uncertain. "What should we say if someone asks?"

With a small smile, Gallus gave some help. "Well, you'll have to work out the specific details on your own, but it could be that you simply migrated to try and get work. That is, if you wanted to stay in Cyrodiil." Gallus offered a hand, "If you would prefer Elsweyr, you could claim that you were trying to trade with the empire and your ship ran aground. You just have to get creative."

Pudaga looked ahead, overwhelmed. "This one is just a potter, he does not know about ships and trading," he said in a defeated tone.

Ti'drissi looked to Gallus and added, "We will come up with something. You are already being more generous than we could ever wish for. If all that you ask is that we remain silent, no one will know about you from us."

Janius' initial thoughts had been stoic, but as time went on, that began to fade. Kaleeth's question prompted him to give up. "Alright, yes, it is rather cold." Janius lifted Newt back onto Kaleeth's lap, and then took Kaleeth's hand and closed her fingers around the rope he still held. He grinned at Kaleeth, showing just how much his jaw was quivering, and spoke, "I'll see you inside for dinner?" He gave her a kiss, "Be careful. I love you." Janius didn't forget Newt as he ran a hand over his head, "Have fun, son."

With that, Janius made his way back to the hatch that lead below decks just as carefully as before. This time, he was a little stiff from the cold. He would get out of these clothes as soon as he could and try to warm up once under shelter. While he was facing away from Kaleeth, Janius actually looked a little regretful that he couldn't enjoy something with her due to his elemental limits, but at least Newt and Kaleeth could value moments like that together. The back of his mind still had the pang of worry that a large wave would sweep them away, but even he convinced himself that such an event was unlikely eventually.

[EliteCommander]

It was not long after the end of the meeting that everyone began settling into their bunks for the night. Meesei took the captain's cabin as her own, though she also told both her pack and any of Gallus' who chose to that they could use it as well. Given the number of people that the ship now had to accommodate, they could not afford to waste any of the space available to them.

The journey across the Topal sea was not a terribly long one. After only a few days, they were drawing near to Leyawiin. Meesei had spoken with Colors about how best to approach the city, and decided that it would be wise to avoid actually docking. Incidentally, Colors actually knew of a very specific spot that a ship could be hidden near Leyawiin. He did not mention it exactly, but Meesei had a feeling that he had used it before. Nevertheless, they did make sure they were prepared to pass by the city. They kept enough full sets of clothing for the moment to outfit the crews above deck for both ships, while most of the rest was turned to tents and bedrolls. Using a werevulture for transport, Meesei had Irenya and Sabine brought aboard her ship, along with Peiter, upon his insistence. After explaining who the Khajiit family was and why the daughter was in danger, they began work on helping her.

The ships were roughly a day away from Leyawiin, so Meesei decided to head down to the room they had given to the Khajiit family in order to check on the condition of their daughter. She hoped that her sickness had subsided; otherwise, they would have to find some other way to help her.

[Muttonhawk]

The contrast of space and freedom that everyone had on the ships at present compared to the first night aboard meant that few complained. It was a good thing, too, because there was plenty to complain about. Everything was rationed and preserved, making every meal either briny, salty, stale, or a mix of all three. Not to mention, meals were relatively small. Living space was at a premium as well; below decks was always crowded, with nary a space for one to be alone with one's thoughts. The clan was used to communal living, but at least individuals could find privacy in the wilds. There was no such luxury here.

The rescued slave family were kept under constant watch, with a strict quarantine of information upon them. As a result, the only people they could converse with in the clan were guards and a nurse. There was very little to talk about.

Sabine got to work with the sick girl after the most exhilarating few seconds of her life. Transferring ships meant flying for the first time and she was still giggling with the thrill of it as she introduced herself to the family.

After examining F'sresa in turn, Meesei, Irenya, and Sabine were able to put their heads together to properly help her. Some restoration magic would keep her strong, but she was dehydrated, starved, and infected in the stomach. After some initial magic treatment, Sabine was able to provide a medicine to purify her stomach. However, it was Irenya's experience in diseases and more mundane treatment that filled the required gaps in their capabilities.

Now, three days had passed. What Meesei beheld when she entered the tiny cabin that was the family's temporary home held some more hope than before, but not an ideal situation. Ti'drissi and Gati were sitting on one of the two bunks in the room, knitting a tent. Giving them something to do had kept them calm. Pudaga sat on the other bunk, next to where F'sresa lay sleeping, holding her hand as she softly breathed through her mouth. All of the family had gained weight to the point where they were looking healthy again, though F'sresa still seemed weak.

Sabine was replacing a moist cloth on F'sresa head when she turned to face Meesei entering. "Hello," Sabine said with a small smile, before returning to her task, "She has improved, but she will not be completely healthy for another day or two."

When Sabine spoke, F'sresa opened her eyes slightly and mumbled something in Ta'agra. Pudaga responded with soft reassurance, but she seemed interested enough in Meesei to stay awake.

"She is coherent again, as well, if you wanted to speak with her," Sabine added. F'sresa had been delirious up until today due to her fever.

The days of the voyage were somewhat nicer for Tzirret with Peiter and Sabine on board a day early. It meant that they got to swap stories with one another about the experience of capturing the ships. In fact, with the focus that Sabine had to put into treating the sick Khajiit girl, Peiter could actually occupy his time chatting with Tzirret one on one again. It was only then that he might have realised just how much more open Tzirret had become in conversation. Sure, he still worried about innocuous or unlikely events, but it no longer dominated him.

Still, most of Tzirret's spare time was spent with Qa'habi, Bheja, and especially Ma'tanza. Ever since the night in the hold where Ma'tanza calmed Tzirret's panic, he seemed to stammer less and appeared more relaxed in general around her.

After collecting some food for lunch, Tzirret sought out Ma'tanza to eat with. He approached with something on his mind. "Hello, Ma'tanza," he said casually. He took a seat and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Um...Tzirret was wondering something. Others have been talking about switching ships when we reach Cyrodiil." Tzirret curled his lips and held his ears half-perked, "Matanza probably wants to be with S'nishi and M'ibasa, doesn't she..."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei nodded in understanding, then stepped out briefly to pull in one of the guards from outside in order to translate. Overall, it was encouraging to see the family now, compared to when they had first found them. They were now well-fed and, apart from the girl, seemingly healthy. As for the girl, her disease did not seem to be as severe as Meesei had first feared. Though she was still weak, she was improving, and that improvement strongly suggested that she would be able to recover.

"Hello, F'sresa. It is good to see that you are recovering. You will be able to get off of this ship soon, and hopefully, out of that bed. Is there anything else you need to be comfortable?" Meesei asked, her tone soft and kind. Her translator did not necessarily carry the same emotion in his words, but the girl would at least be able to hear her tone.

As usual, Ma'tanza was with Bheja and Qa'habi when Tzirret approached. She and Bheja were near to finishing their meals, though it appeared as if Qa'habi had just started his. "Actually, yes. Ma'tanza is sure that M'ibasa must be wanting to see us, and Bheja also wants to see S'nishi again. Unfortunately, S'nishi can't change ships as easily as we can unless we're at a dock, but this one has heard people saying that we are not stopping in the actual city. We were all thinking about heading over to the other ship when we can get a chance. What were you thinking about doing? Did you want to stay here with your friends?" She asked.