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

[EliteCommander]

"Do not be so sure, Sabine." Meesei responded, keeping her voice light and hopeful. "I will grant you that you are unlikely to fall in love while we are traveling, but we are not always going to be away from the clan. And sometimes, we may have other packs from the clan with us when we are away, depending on our mission. Not only that, but we are going to be bringing more lycans into our clanhome as we expand; more people for you to meet. There will be plenty of chances for you to make new friends, and maybe find someone more intimate. I know you, Sabine, and I think you will be able to find a nice, handsome man, or a beautiful woman, to share your life with."

Ahnasha smiled. "Well, I am dedicated, and I have a skilled teacher. I originally pursued the study to learn about the possibility of extending my life. I did not know much of that sort of magic at the time, and unfortunately, I soon found out that all of the 'common' methods of life extension require necromancy. Still, some of what I have learned suggests there may be other ways to attain that goal without falling to that kind of magic. I might not have believed that myself a year or two ago, but with the kinds of strange, esoteric magic I have seen in my travels, I have hope." She explained, only technically not lying, since there was a slim possibility that life extension could be achieved without necromancy. However, she decided not to reveal that she was perfectly willing and able to perform necromancy.

When the conversation shifted to Ahnasha's property, she rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Well...that is a complicated question. I do not own property as much as we own property. As I believe we alluded to before, we all work together to survive against those that might hunt us, and we have quite a few contacts across Tamriel. I would venture to call it a network, really. I...cannot give too many specifics, unfortunately. You must understand that secrecy is what protects us, and while you certainly can be trusted, knowing too much could put you in danger. I would not want to bring harm to you or your family by saying too much. What I can say is that Meesei is someone of importance among our kind, so our pack has importance. She is...well, I am sure you know what it means to be the champion of a Daedra?"

[Muttonhawk]

Meesei's words made Sabine quiet. She was mollified for now, it appeared, though her mood was not going to turn immediately. She sighed and held Meesei for a while longer before stepping back and wiping her eyes. "I am sorry that I cried. I do not want to be a burden on Fendros and Ahnasha's wedding."

A silent frown blanked Calia's face when Ahnasha mentioned necromancy. It did not shift until she was done speaking, where merely two blinks marked the extra information about Meesei.

Calia's lips parted as she took a considered breath. "Ahnasha." All pretence of manners were replaced with a deathly serious monotone. "I can understand your wish to live longer. As one who has lived more Khajiit lifetimes than you, heed my warning that only the most dedicated and expert mages have succeeded at extending their lives without necromancy. If, for whatever reason, you chose necromancy before the end, know that your race shall not spare the shame it will bring to our family as well as yours. There have been Dunmer clans that dabble in such things. We are not one of them."

Calia paused to breath in deeply through her nose, almost as if trying to calm herself down. Her tone continued. "As for Meesei's title, if it is true, that simply compounds a more serious issue that you have revealed to me overall. Proximity to darker or ill-understood magic, association with the mortal agent of bickering deities, secret networks, lycanthropy. Forgive me for being so direct, Ahnasha, but you had best explain to me what measures you are taking to keep your son safe from all of this."

[EliteCommander]

"Your emotions are a burden on no one in the pack; do not try to convince yourself otherwise." Meesei answered quickly, and a bit firmly. "We can head back in with the others in just a moment. Take a chance to collect yourself. Perhaps...just talk. Let us assume that your relationship with Pieter does not continue upon our return; what kind of partner would you think you would want? Someone who shares your interests, like a mage or alchemist, or someone who has a different sort of lifestyle? Do you have a preference of male or female, or of race? Would you want to be with someone who is also Human, or maybe Elven, Khajiit, or Argonian? I will say that you are probably not going to find someone who perfectly fits all of those ideals, but if you already have in mind the kind of person you are looking for, then it might make it easier for you to notice when you meet someone who is at least something like them."

Ahnasha still could not help but to try to use her body language when trying to reassure Calia, despite its futility. Regardless, her tone was soft, but confident. "Believe me, I understand your reservations. I have encountered those who have allowed necromancy to overwhelm them, and I know how vile it can make them. But, as you said, I have made quite a lot of progress in the time I have been training. I have skilled teachers, access to resources, and most importantly, time. I do not have to rush to reach my goal. I am not a master yet, but time is the only thing between me, and the kind of magic you are talking about. I promise I will not take the shortcut with necromancy. After all, I have always appreciated a challenge, and becoming a master conjurer will be a worthy one."

"As for Rhazii, and our safety in general, we have already gone through great efforts to ensure it." Ahnasha continued. She looked briefly at Rhazii in Fendros' arms, trying not to think about everything that had threatened him in the past. "The simple answer is: we now have the resources to protect ourselves. There was a time where we were not as safe, but now, we have a home that is as well-hidden as it is easy to defend. We have information, coin, everything we need to make sure that life in Tamriel is as safe for our kind as possible. Our condition is, unfortunately, quite incurable to the best of our knowledge. Rhazii was born with our blood, and there is no way to change that, just as we cannot cure ourselves. So, our only remaining option has been to improve the livelihoods of all organized lycans. We still have enemies, and there are still ferals out there inspiring more to take up arms against us, but we have done a lot to improve our lives. It is why I offered to obtain the ingredients needed for your cure; it really would take little effort to collect them. Most of them we have already. I know Meesei's title does bring us closer to Hircine, but it also makes us better able to protect Rhazii than most lycans would be." She explained.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine hesitated and looked around the floor. She had not thought deeply about what her ideal partner would look like, but it didn't take long for her to warm up to the speculation. She held onto her elbow and began quietly. "It would be nice to do alchemy with someone like that. Someone to help me, and I could help them." The corner of Sabine's mouth twitched. "Hair I can run my fingers through. Soft hair. And gentle, quiet. Someone who holds me and makes me feel warm and happy."

The words above felt nice to describe, but Sabine realised that she was not being especially specific. Sabine squinted her eyes and smiled. She could have some shallow fun if she let herself. "I think humans are attractive, but elves are also nice. They look...foreign. I do not dislike Argonians, but they have strange eyes. And seeing Kaleeth and Janius kiss always looks awkward." Sabine glanced to Meesei with a look asking for forgiveness before she continued. "I have seen many Khajiit and there are many kind and attractive ones. But...their faces are too strange."

Sabine's humility reappeared at that moment as her cheeks went slightly red. "I think I prefer men. I have never felt that way towards a woman before, not like you have said." Sabine looked to Meesei again. "Is that normal?"

Whatever Meesei's answer was, Sabine's next question was in her mind before she finished. "What about you?" Sabine grinned. "What are you looking for?"

Ahnasha's response was logically reassuring, though it appeared that Calia had become so worked up that her shoulders refused to relax themselves.

"I have no doubt that this is already your mindset, Ahnasha," Calia responded. "But I shall remind you all the same. You stand between three great challenges; daedric dealings, mastering conjuration to extend your life, and motherhood. Your appreciation for such challenges is largely irrelevant. There will come a time where one or two of those challenges may have to be compromised for another. I trust that your priority will be to your son."

Calia began blinking rapidly and angled her head so she could brush aside a stray lock of hair on her tightly styled head. She took another quick breath before speaking in her previous courteous tone. "You will have to forgive my shortness, you have indeed shared many confronting details. I can see that you have been accounting for them as necessary, so perhaps we should try to move past such matters for now." Calia angled her chin up and wore a small smile. "Do you have any questions about myself or the rest of us Avaruls?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei confirmed Sabine's question with a nod. "Yes, more normal than my attractions, I would say. Well...more common would be a better way to put it. The kind of person you are looking for sounds like a fine man, and like someone you might find among the clan. You can think about the kind of person you would like to find, but as I said, just be careful not to become too locked into that image, else you overlook a good match."

Meesei was actually a bit surprised when Sabine asked about her own preferences, though that quickly turned to a chuckle. "Honestly, I do not believe I am looking for anyone at the moment. With my responsibilities, I do not believe romance would serve me well right now. I am content as I am now. But, if you are just asking about my preferences in general, I do like someone I can relate to. That does not strictly mean I would be looking for a mage, but it is always nice to have someone with which I can further my research. I would just want someone I could relate to meaningfully. I find both men and women attractive, maybe with a...slight edge to women; again, being someone I can relate to more easily. Probably an Argonian, like myself. I can appreciate the beauty in any race, but I think my own kind appeals to me the most."

Crossing her arms, Meesei put on a bit more of a grin. "And personally, I think it is everyone else that has the strange eyes. It always seems odd to see you blink downwards, instead of upwards."

To Calia's statement regarding Rhazii, Ahnasha could finally speak with complete candor. "Honestly, I do not believe I could put anything before Rhazii even if I tried. As important as everything else seems, I could not bring myself to do anything that would place him at risk."

For the most part, Ahnasha was glad that they were moving on in their topic. She would have liked to leave it with some more conclusiveness, but they had moved passed some of the hardest issues. Ahnasha could have simply lied about them, but, apart from the issue of necromancy, she did not believe that would be a good idea in the long run. Regardless, Ahnasha started to smile. "Well, I think I would like to bother you again about that nettle from High Rock. You have to know that we are going to get those ingredients for you regardless. Since you now know that it would not be any sort of burden for us, perhaps you will find it an appropriate gift?

"Otherwise..." Ahnasha continued. "What would you say interests you, in general? I have always lived somewhat apart from Imperial society, even as a cub, so I am curious of what kind of things you enjoy about living here."

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine giggled, returning Meesei's grin. "It is not just that, it is also the pupils and..." she raised her wrists and spread her arms slightly. She shook her head rather than finish her statement. "Never mind. I still love you, Meesei." Sabine came in for a quick and apologetic hug.

When Sabine pulled away, she tilted her head and regarded Meesei with a smile. Her mood had completely turned for the better, even if she still had a residual trace of sadness around her eyes. "Relate to. Do you mean someone you can understand better? Another champion?"

Calia closed her eyes and spread her smile wider. "I can see that I will not be able to stop you providing the ingredients, even if I tried." Her eyes opened and she looked ahead in thought. "I believe the name was...rat nettle, a plant native to High Rock's northernmost reaches. You are under no obligation to source it, but your kind offer I shall accept."

Ahnasha's question about Calia's home caused her to bow her head slightly, before raising it with less of a smile. "Fendros has likely told you about how we came to be in Cheydinhal. We started in Morrowind, that place was where I grew up. And Rossarm as well. We then moved to Skyrim as our lives were displaced from our home, and then came to Cheydinhal after Nordic superstitions displaced us again. In full honesty, I still miss Morrowind. Cheydinhal, I find to be a sufficient home these days."

Calia rolled her hand upwards on her lap as she spoke. "There are other Dunmer families locally that I mingle with often. It is peaceful here, largely. Vintage was never an interest of mine until Rossarm introduced me to it. Even if some Imperials can be entirely disrespectful, most in this area are rather welcoming and quaint." Calia let out an amused sigh. "I believe I should be more concise. Simplicity, that is what I enjoy, after everything we have been through to get here. The peace and simplicity is what I appreciate the most."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei laughed. "No, I believe that would be a rather difficult partner to find. I just mean someone who is reasonably similar to myself. Of course, as I said, I am not looking for any sort of romance, so all of this talk is purely hypothetical."

Standing alongside Sabine, Meesei placed her hand gently on her shoulder and looked at her encouragingly. "So, do you think your are ready to head back in there with the others? Fendros' family may like to meet us."

Ahnasha gave an understanding nod. "That is sensible. I never would have thought I would have enjoyed settling down, but now that I have a family, my outlook on that has been changing. A few years ago, I would have asked why you do not move back to Morrowind, but the safety, security, and as you said, simplicity here are probably even more appealing. And owning all of that land, it certainly gives you the ability to live as you please. Not to mention that it is a Cyrodilic city with a proper Dunmer Temple."

"Personally, I wish it were easier to travel." Ahnasha continued. "I think you would enjoy it if it were not such an ordeal. It is hard to appreciate the splendor that Tamriel has to offer without being able to see it in person. We actually did travel through Morrowind a few years ago, though unfortunately, we did not spend too much time in its 'nicer' parts. We ended up crossing Vvardenfell's ashlands, though we did end up in a place called Vos, in the northeast. It was not as badly affected by ash, so it was actually rather nice. It was the first Dunmer city I had ever really been to, apart from the port we traveled through to get to the island in the first place. That was where Mephala spoke to us." She explained, her voice carrying a surprising calm about being spoken to by one of the Reclamations.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine smiled and nodded twice. "I think so."

The pair emerged from the separate chamber and rejoined with the ongoing conversations. Monderyn and Janius seemed to be finding some common ground enough for Monderyn to open up a little more, though he kept glancing at Newt strangely. Llarasa, meanwhile, was speaking with Kaleeth and Gallus, hearing both of their stories in turn. Llarasa had been revelling in all the time she had to actually get to know her brother's friends compared to the last time. Fendros just had to make sure that Gallus did not try anything untoward.

Calia had to stop and process that last part. It wasn't clear whether she was surprised or confused. Probably both. "You know, translated into Dunmeris, that is a turn of phrase describing interpersonal drama. I have not heard it in a while. Is that what you mean? Did you and Fendros have a disagreement or...?"

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha shook her head. "Oh, no. Fendros had taken me around the city, including to the Temple of the Reclamations. Mostly it was for sightseeing, as that was the first real Morrowind city he had been to as well, though I think he also had more personal reasons for going to the temple. Regardless, we were near Mephala's shrine when a priest approached us, identified us immediately as lycans. Though, it was not a priest speaking to us; Mephala was using him as a sort of vessel through which to speak to us. The voice was...unmistakable. Essentially, she warned against someone in service of our enemy giving me a false offer to extend my life. Which, to my knowledge, has not happened yet. According to Mephala, the same enemy that hunts us had offended her. I was...understandably cautious at the time to trust the word of a being claiming to be a Daedric Pince, but regardless of the source, I do see the wisdom in refusing an offer of a quick and easy shortcut to immortality. Such a thing could be nothing but a trick."

Meesei joined in speaking with Monderyn along with Janius after rejoining the main group, though she particularly felt she should speak to Calia after her conversation with Ahnasha was finished. Fendros would no doubt be deeply affected by the opinions of his parents, so she wanted to make sure they left on as good of terms as possible. Newt, meanwhile was taking a particular interest in Monderyn, for some undetermined reason. Monderyn did not have a physical resemblance to Fendros, since they were not blood relatives, but he had seen him speaking to Fendros before, and he was confused as to why this stranger was considered Rhazii's "uncle." Eventually, he walked straight up to Monderyn, to the point that he was nearly touching his leg, and simply looked up at him in contemplative silence.

[Muttonhawk]

Calia was still as a statue. "Ahnasha, I am unsure what to say," she responded. "You are certain it was Mephala? If it was, I would suggest you tread carefully in different ways than you might think. She may be a patron of our people, but her nature is to sow discord. If not upon you, then someone else. If she has brought her attention to you, you might be the catalyst of much discord indeed."

Monderyn's line of dialogue was not immediately interrupted by Newt. Instead, Newt was given glances at first. Monderyn was apparently hoping that the Argonian child would eventually go away. The time Newt spent standing, coupled with how close he decided to stand, eventually drew Monderyn's full attention.

"What do you want?" Monderyn asked, lacking the usual high voiced endearment that Newt normally received.

Janius put a hand on his hip and smiled curiously at Newt. "What's on your mind, little Newt?"

[EliteCommander]

"I suppose I can offer no guarantees that it was in fact Mephala, but she did speak to us at one of her shrines, while possessing one of her priests." Ahnasha answered. "I do not know of any Daedra who would be powerful enough to project their power on Tamriel at a different Daedra's shrine. In any case, I was certainly aware of her nature, and rightfully skeptical. She told us that it would be a Breton that made the offer, and it was at a time that we encountered a Breton we did not fully trust. But, we were cautious, and everything turned out quite well for us."

Ahnasha could not help but to give a slight chuckle at herself and the story she had told Calia thusfar. "I know it must sound strange, everything I have told you. How we have traveled the world under the leadership of Hircine's Champion, spoken directly to more than one Daedric Prince, and created, well...almost a society of lycanthropes in just a few short years. Certainly, it was nothing that either myself or Fendros would have expected when we first found him in the wilderness. But, I believe we are doing something important in the world. Lycans, as dangerous as we may be, are also misunderstood, and most of us just want to live in peace. Meesei, myself, Fendros, we have all been helping to shape the world in a way that will make it safer for all of our kind. Honestly, I have not thought about it a great deal until now, but we are helping people who have nowhere else to turn."

It took a few moments for Newt to collect his thoughts enough to give an answer, and even then, it was a rather oddly-worded, out of context question that he asked. "Why are you...also an uncle?" He asked, his wide eyes staring straight up at Monderyn in anticipation.

[Muttonhawk]

Calia kept a small smile, but the way her brow was strained gave the slightest hint that what Ahnasha was saying was too much to believe. "I am glad that you know how strange this is all sounding, Ahnasha. I am trying my best, but everything since yesterday has been stranger than anything I have heard in decades."

The hand that Calia clasped in her lap curled into a fist and she turned her head to look into space. "Perhaps you could elaborate on how you two have...created a society, as you put it. Is it merely this 'pack' you are in or are there a few more lycanthropes that you have helped?"

Monderyn turned his head up to Janius for a moment, taking a moment to try to understand what Newt was exactly asking. His eyes went to Fendros and he opened his mouth to speak. However, Fendros was busy speaking and had his back turned. Monderyn tried his best to provide Newt a straight answer with an unsure look at the child. "I am Fendros' brother. Rhazii is Fendros' son, so he is my nephew and I..." Monderyn swallowed. "...am Rhazii's uncle."

[EliteCommander]

"Again, I...hope you can understand that I cannot give too much information, but yes, that is essentially the case." Ahnasha answered. Instead of individual packs in the wilderness, we have organized into clans. They existed well before any of us were lycans, of course, but we have helped to expand them, and connect them to one another. There are clans in every province and nation in Tamriel. Political boundaries don't mean much to us, since we all have something in common, and we're all working for the same goal. I suppose it is not accurate to say that we 'created' all of it, but we did help to organize what was already there. It's part of the reason we have traveled so much."

Briefly, Ahnasha paused and gave a glance in the direction of Meesei. "I know I have given you a lot of hard to swallow information all at once. I just think you deserve to know everything I can tell you. Is there anything I can do to maybe...reassure you that I am not lying through my teeth?" Ahnasha asked with a chuckle.

Newt actually had an easier time understanding Monderyn's explanation than he might have expected. He did not quite know why he had never seen this new brother before, but Newt did have an understanding of family from the pack. Granted, it was not a "traditional" understanding of family, but at the same time, Monderyn was also not Fendros' brother in the traditional sense. "You're uncle Fendros' brother? Rhazii is my brother, so...you're my uncle too!" Newt said excitedly. Before Monderyn could give a response, Newt had already started to hug his leg.

[Muttonhawk]

Calia did not share Ahnasha's humour. "It would be very difficult, I believe, to prove much of what you are claiming if what you say must be kept secret." Calia spoke with a careful pace. "I would prefer to give certain belief to things I can know. Perhaps, before you all leave, I might see this...other form that you all are afflicted to assume?"

Monderyn lifted his elbows slightly when Newt grabbed his leg. His face twisted in sudden anger. "Get off!" he grunted through his teeth.

Janius' smile disappeared at the small outburst. While Monderyn was not raising his hands to strike, Janius recognised his hostility from the episode in the Imperial City. He squat down and held out his arms to Newt. "Come here, Newt, don't crowd Monderyn so much."

[EliteCommander]

While her lycan form was not normally something Ahnasha liked to show off in any sort of proximity to a city, she felt she could make an exception in this case. "Yes, that would actually be the easiest thing to prove, provided we do it somewhere that is appropriately private. City guards, as you might imagine, do not take kindly to seeing our lycan forms, and I would not want anyone else to witness you in the presence of a lycan. I am perfectly willing to show you; just be sure we have a safe place. As lycans, we are a fair amount...larger than we are in our normal forms, so we will need an open space if you plan to do it inside. Also, Meesei wears the Ring of Hircine, which marks her as Champion, if you would know how to identify it."

Predictably, Newt started to cry the moment Monderyn raised his voice and did not hesitate to run straight into Janius' arms. The commotion was enough to attract the attention of Kaleeth, who had been speaking to Llarasa only a short distance away. Unaware of what had caused Newt to cry, Kaleeth broke away from her conversation momentarily to walk over to Janius and help to comfort her son. "Aw, what happened little one? Is everything okay?"

Meesei was witness to the entire event, but as she often tended to do in more "diplomatic" situations, her expression was entirely unreadable. There was no anger or malice in her voice, though neither was she exactly friendly. She simply spoke to Monderyn neutrally, as if nothing had just happened. "The little ones have a very expanded sense of family. Among us, it is actually rare to have any blood relatives. Newt and Rhazii are fortunate to have their birth parents, though they still consider themselves family just as much as you do to your siblings and parents. I believe Rhazii would love to get to know you."

[Muttonhawk]

Calia nodded in understanding. "There are plenty of wooded areas nearby that would suit that purpose. As for that...ring of Hircine, I am no expert on such things enough to prove that Meesei is a champion, but inspecting what should be a Daedric artifact is enough for me to believe you." Calia shook her head. "You must reasonably assume that I would be upset if you were lying to me, Ahnasha, but I only wish to confirm what Fendros has been through with his lycanthropy. Any wide sweeping networks or communication with Daedra is concerning, but not anything I could find use in trying to control."

"There there, Newt," Janius cooed with his son in his arms. He picked him up and walked to a nearby pew to calm him down away from Monderyn. "I am sorry that you had a fright. Uncle Monderyn is just a bit grumpy. Perhaps leave him be for a while, okay?"

As Kaleeth approached, Janius spoke to her in a more level tone. "Newt got a bit excited and Monderyn was a bit surprised by his embrace, I think. No harm done."

Monderyn had not followed, instead paying attention to Meesei. "I...see." Monderyn looked down, appearing somewhat guilty. "I am sorry, I doubt Rhazii and myself have much to speak about."

The scene had garnered everyone's attention at this point. Seeing that there was no immediate problem, most returned to their conversations, but Fendros was looking on at Monderyn with a curious expression.

[EliteCommander]

"I will admit, our lifestyle is not ideal, especially for raising a family." Ahnasha conceded. "But, it is a better life than most lycans could have ever hoped for in years past. Fendros has been through difficulties, but he has come out stronger for it. We all have. I know Fendros is young, especially by Dunmer standards, but I think once you have the chance to speak to him in-depth, you'll see that he has matured. He is, well, a valuable part of our pack, and the clan as a whole."

It did not take too long for Newt to calm down, so Kaleeth soon returned to her conversation with Llarasa. His emotions being as fickle as they were, about the only effect on Newt after a minute or two was that he was a bit more hesitant to stare at Monderyn. For the most part, he was just starting to get tired.

Meesei's expression did not change substantially, but her tone took on a bit more emotion, rather than sounding dull. "I think you would be surprised. Rhazii loves to talk, ever since he first learned how. He is a very friendly child and would love to meet more of his family. Especially if you can think of any stories to tell him. And, I am sure he would have a lot to say about your brother, if you were to ask. You could learn what kind of a father your brother has been."

[Muttonhawk]

"Yes, I will have to talk with him further." Calia seemed to relax her shoulders slightly. "Well, Ahnasha, this lycanthropy matter is all very vexing, but...although it has brought you and Fendros into situations that I might disapprove of for raising a family, I count it as fortunate that this early chapter of his life has been far less than disastrous. Though you are Khajiit, you are cleverer and more determined than I had granted you credit for." She shuffled to the edge of her seat in preparation for standing up. "Do you have anything else you wish to ask me? I am in no rush, but I intend to speak with Meesei before we part ways today."

Janius cradled Newt on the pew for as long as he needed to. Even if Newt ended up falling asleep, Janius was not adverse to carrying him back to camp after things wrapped up in the temple.

With Janius so occupied, Monderyn could not simply strike up conversation with him again to avoid interacting with Rhazii. He stood in place and let out an exasperated breath. He raised one arm to his neck and caught Fendros' eye. This, whether Monderyn liked it or not, prompted Fendros to approach with Rhazii in tow.

Fendros sat down with Rhazii on a closer pew to Monderyn and called out. "Come and sit with us, brother! Why don't you tell Rhazii what it was like between us when we were growing up?"

"I have no choice, don't I?" Monderyn mumbled just loud enough for Meesei to hear. "Okay," he answered. A few paces took him to a seat on the pew. Rhazii sat between Monderyn and Fendros, looking up at Monderyn with his big red eyes. Monderyn tried a smile and began. "Well, you must be, what? Less than four years old, Rhazii? Let's see, it was a long time since Fendros and I were so young." Monderyn stopped to think for a second. "You are bigger than Newt, I can see that. I think Fendros and I were similar. Do you know how many years older than me he is?"

[EliteCommander]

"Thank you. I promise I will keep my family as safe as possible. And we will be sure to send letters when we are able. One advantage of the system of communication we have established is that you should be able to send letters in response as well. Naturally, we will have to be cautious in what we say in the letters, in case someone else reads them, but we will be able to keep you informed. "Ahnasha had to pause and think on any other questions she might have had. "I don't think I have any more to ask; at least not anything important enough to hold you up from speaking with the others. Or...well...I suppose there is one thing. I don't like to even bring it up, but it's something that has been on my mind. Fendros, as you might expect, is very glad we came here. He has been happy to see all of you, to speak to you all and reforge a relationship with you. But, I am worried that his father's opinion might start to weigh on him. What he said to Fendros yesterday...I cannot imagine how I would have felt if my father had done the same. Do you think it is possible that Fendros will ever be able to repair his relationship with him? Do you think he will ever at least be accepting of what happened?"

Meesei too sat down, just on the other side of Monderyn. Being that Monderyn was now speaking with family, Meesei felt that she should step back to be more of an observer in the conversation, but that did not mean she was not interested in it. She had spoken to Fendros about his past before, of course, but they had never delved into any great detail in their conversations. By listening to Monderyn, she could perhaps learn a bit more about Fendros' life from a different perspective than his own.

[Muttonhawk]

Calia sighed and set herself back into her seat. "Time will tell. Rossarm is not one to renege words such as what he said, I am afraid. To him, Fendros is disowned and nothing will change that in any short amount of time." Calia offered at least a little hope in her voice as she continued. "There is a chance that he will forgive Fendros, though it may take as long as a century or more. It is an elven matter that will be solved in elven time."

With a sad smile, Calia offered a hand. "Receiving letters from you and Fendros would be much appreciated, all the same."

Rhazii traded a look with Fendros before looking at Monderyn again and shaking his head.

"Six years," Monderyn said. "He was bigger than me for most of our childhood. He would keep an eye on me, because I was the youngest between Fendros, Llarasa, and me. Even if Llarasa was only older than me by a year." Monderyn's smile became more genuine from his reminiscing. "Though Fendros was always the one who got to pick the fresh pastries first because he could run faster."

"Didn't stop you trying to filch them from me anyway, I remember," Fendros retorted with a similar smile. He peered around to Rhazii. "You and Newt are pretty similar like that sometimes, aren't you little one?"

Rhazii nodded deeply and spoke with his high voice. "Newt tries to take my sweets all the time. Uncle Janius makes us share." Rhazii breathed in and widened his eyes. "I look after Newt as well. He wanders around sometimes and I give him a hug if he falls over."

"That's kind of you," Monderyn gave.