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

[EliteCommander]

Colors hummed briefly, then reached over and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about them. If they're afraid of you, then they probably aren't worth your time. Besides, you don't need anyone to tie you down. I'm just saying that someone like you can afford to live your life. With all that work and responsibility being in your pack, you're got to live a little, right? Do the things you enjoy. Maybe you want to do some research, or maybe you want to get together with some friends and drink until one of you is dancing on a table with a cooking pot on their head. You know, with that alchemical skill of yours, I'd be willing to wager you could mix up something that would make someone madder than Sheogorath's beard. That could make for an interesting party." He suggested.

---

Saras, true to form, did not react to the Altmer's outburst. He allowed Maroc to calm his ally before he stepped in to speak up himself. "Hmm, I suppose I have not introduced myself. How rude of me. You may call me Ardan." He answered. There would not be any real risk in using his actual name, but providing an alias would make it easier to know when his new contacts were speaking of him. "And as for my own role, I shall not bore you with the details, but suffice to say that I am one of the few at the right hand of the Champion. My authority, like hers, spans more than just one clan. I will of course need to speak with her, but I know her well enough to know what she will and will not agree to. I have every power to negotiate on behalf of her as you do with your superiors."

Once he was sure that everyone had calmed down entirely, Saras addressed the reason the Justicar had interjected. "Now, I merely wanted to make sure that we are all on the same page. I do not want for anyone to leave here believing we have agreed to something we have not. There are simply a few actions that I want to be sure you know we cannot take. For instance, I cannot reveal to you the locations of our clans, in part because I do not know most of them. We communicate and coordinate with one another, of course, but for our own protection, we communicate indirectly. Each clan governs their own business and carefully controls the secrecy of their home. As I mentioned before, secrecy is our greatest weapon. If one clan falls and its members are interrogated, then they cannot compromise any other clan." He explained. He was, of course, not being truthful, but it was a rational lie. "As for my own request, there is one of considerable importance. I am sure you will both think it obvious, but I want to make sure it is said explicitly. Either before or after Vile's threat is ended, we will not agree to be taken into war between the Empire and Dominion. You may both be sitting here as allies, but regardless of what you personally think of each other or your governments, we all know that your nations will not be permanent allies. You are here negotiating together because you know we represent a mutual concern for you. However, if at any point war breaks out between you, we will not be involved. We will not take sides with either of you."

Saras raised up his hands, lightly touching his fingertips together in front of his face. His expression was mostly stern, but he gave a hint of a knowing grin. "Unless one of your governments breaks our agreements, of course. I am sure that is a deal that all of us here can agree to."

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine appreciated the sentiment, but she carefully brushed off Colours' hand from her shoulder when he spoke of using her alchemy in such a manner. "I do not think that would be appropriate," she said over a laugh. "The only thing for parties I make are hangover cures. I have been making them since I was a child." She turned her head to briefly give Colours a look. "I like challenging things. Like improving the antidote to the soul tearing gas."

---

"Well..." Maroc gave the now partially mollified Lunise a brief look, before returning his eyes to Saras. "Let's go down the list. Secrecy, we can agree to. I do not require that you provide us with the locations of every clan after the war, only that the clans make contact so that they may cooperate with the Empire. Those that do not will be in a tenuous position according to Imperial law. It will be a similar situation for those in the Dominion. As for war..." Maroc paused to roll his lips, taking another slow breath. "I can tell you that the clans will not be required to fight. The legion will protect cooperating clans as if they were citizens of the Empire, as they...in all but a few respects still are. Of course, lycans that wish to join the legion of their own accord is not something facilitated right now, though I am sure the legion would have ears open to anything that could help them. Everything on the other side is Lunise's purview."

Maroc did not need to so much as move to signal Lunise's cue. She spoke directly, but without the venomous inflections of her previous outburst. "Much the same. However, the Dominion military is one built on experience, skill, and magical prowess. I foresee no intrinsic role for lycans in our ranks, except as fodder. Forcing that role is a waste of time."

[EliteCommander]

While not exactly pushy with his ideas, Colors was certainly willing to defend them. "Whose to say what is appropriate or inappropriate? People drink all the time, and no one really has a problem with that. They drink to influence their mind, to loosen themselves up to do things they normally wouldn't, or experience things they normally couldn't. They drink to enjoy themselves with friends. What makes that any different from using something alchemical to do the same thing, as long as you don't sneak it into someone's drink or anything. If everyone involved wants to do it, can you really say there is anything wrong with it?" Colors asked.

Color's overall tone and attitude remained overwhelmingly positive, regardless of any potential disagreement to him. "Not saying you should or shouldn't be doing anything; I'm just saying that you should make sure that you do or don't do something based on what you want, not because of what other people would expect from you."

---

For Saras, pride was not a factor to him. All that mattered was how he could manipulate facts and lies alike to further the interests of his own people. From his observations, the Empire and Dominion potentially viewed lycanthropes very differently. The Empire seemed to regard them as a significant enough force to warrant attention. Whether or not Maroc actually believed that the Empire possessed the ability to track down and eradicate their clans, the fact that they were speaking at all implied that it was not a preferred option. Not to mention, he was not demanding that Saras' reveal the clans' locations, which suggested that his goal was to actually make a deal. Lunise, on the other hand, was a bit more difficult to read. Her dismissive remarks towards lycanthropes could simply be her own outward bravado that did not reflect her actual concerns or opinions. However, if they were genuine, then the Dominion potentially did not recognize the impact that the lycan clans could have. That was something that could potentially work for or against the clans. If they were viewed as too insignificant, then the Dominion may simply not bother to dedicate the resources the deal with them while the Empire was still a concern. However, if the Dominion viewed them as significant, but not significant enough to provide much resistance to their own forces, then they could order an eradication of the lycan clans. It would not be nearly as easy as the Dominion might assume, but it was still something Saras wanted to avoid. He would need to more accurately determine the Dominion's views on them. If those views were not favorable to Saras' goals, he may potentially need to convince them of how much of a threat they could be.

"I find these terms largely agreeable. Fair, and balanced to the needs of both sides. You want to ensure your security, and I understand how an organization like ours, which you do not control, would complicate that. And naturally, you understand the challenges we face to survive. Fortunately for all of us, our goals do not run counter to one another. I would recommend we write down our agreements, so that we are all certain we are on the same page." Saras recommended before turning his attention specifically to Lunise. "We may even be able to decide how to work together, in at least a limited capacity. As I mentioned, Elsweyr is a major center for our enemy's operations. We have a mutual interest to change that. I am in no rush right now. I am sure you all have someone waiting outside our clanhome at a safe distance to be able to report back in the event that something went wrong. Would you like to send a messenger to inform them that you are safe?"

[Muttonhawk]

"No, I do not want to make people stop." Sabine raised a hand as she clarified. "I just do not want to make things like that. It is fun to experiment with alchemy, but I prefer to use it to help people. That is what I want."

Sabine let her words sink in for a second before she gave Colours a fleeting glance and added. "Before you ask me, I do not want to try those substances myself. Thank you."

---

"I can assure you," Maroc swiftly remarked. "That is all accounted for. Do not trouble yourself with a messenger."

At that, Maroc pat at his sides and looked confused for a moment. Suddenly, he perked up and looked across to the silent standing figure of Albus. "You did bring paper, did you not?"

Without a word Albus shouldered off his bag onto the table and produced several scrolls of blank parchment, a small capped ink pot, and a quill, all from rigid cases. Maroc spoke while Albus brought them onto the table. "I regret that I have not brought sealing wax with me. However, my signet will serve as authority to any agreements we sign. With each of us having a copy, this will be a binding agreement with the Empire. I believe Lunise will wish to write up differently worded versions on behalf of the Dominion."

Lunise confirmed with a curt nod.

Maroc continued. "Our agreements shall be relatively simple for now. We can work through the details to execute them afterwards. Your clans will technically be put under the protection of the Empire, which, right now, amounts to the secrets we know. It shall be expanded into further official cooperation after this war is over. I am sure we can reach agreeable terms."

Albus laid out one of the scrolls, revealing it to be adorned with red dye, gold leaf, and the Imperial dragon. This was official stationary for binding agreements.

[EliteCommander]

"Hey, if you made something like that for me, I'd consider it very helpful." Colors laughed. "But yeah, I get it. Like I said, you do what you want to do. Live life as much or little as you want.

---

Colors ended up going around to everyone during their journey, passing the time with whatever conversation he found interesting. Though, they were all rather tired by the time they decided to make camp, so there was so argument from anyone when they decided to retire for the night.

They had covered the majority of the distance on their first day of travel, so the group was nearing the city of Evermore by noon. Colors had explained the places they needed to go and the people they needed to speak to. All of them were shady characters, but some were potentially more dangerous than others. The simplest, and likely first stop for them was to speak to a sort of black market dealer. Most of his trade came from skooma and other smuggled goods, but she would also sell banned items like personal shrines or pendants dedicated to Talos. If she could identify Talos worshippers, she might identify those hunting them. She sold out of the back room of an inn owned by one of her friends, so she was the least likely to cause them trouble.

As the city was just starting to come into sight, Kaleeth decided to speak up on the curious looks she had been giving to Colors for the last few minutes. "So Colors...if you've only been with this clan for the last few weeks, then how is it you already have all these contacts in Evermore?'

Colors looked away as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, they aren't technically my contacts. I mean, I don't actually know them. Personally, that is. I just know...of them, you know? Don't worry though, it'll all be fine. They're all professionals, and they'll treat us like professionals."

---

Saras did not have an issue signing the documents, though he did add one provision to the end of the agreement. All parties involved were to send a representative to give a final signature before a certain date later in the years in order for the agreement to be finalized. The intent was that each party would be able to bring the document to their superiors to ensure that it was acceptable before it was enforceable. Saras, throughout the meeting, had been able to successfully control how much information was revealed to the agents, which was not a great deal. At least, he had not revealed much in the way of truthful or valuable information. The Empire and Dominion both were not aware of the size of their clans or the depth of their organization. The meeting had revealed much more to Saras than it had to them, and the agreement itself was favorable to the clans, in terms of the clan's goals. If the Empire or Dominion were actually willing to cooperate, then they could have an easier time acting against enemy agents.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros tried to hide his disappointment the his confidence in their had been lowered. "Okay...well, as long as they do not sell us our, mislead us..." He shrugged. "...Ambush us, or anything like that, that's fine by me."

Sabine wasn't so convinced. "We can trust them, can we not?" She asked by way of noting what Colours did not explicitly assure.

---

Saras' extra little requests were not unreasonable to Lunise and Maroc. Though the meeting had been tense at first, Maroc maintained his outwardly friendly and accommodating demeanour throughout. The two parties separated after taking their copies of the agreement with them, resolving to meet at the same place at a particular date to finalise the deal. Before then, Maroc and Lunise mentioned that they would leave dead-drops for lycans to pick up at their leisure, containing missives of information on Vile's activities in Skyrim in particular. This much was "good will," according to Maroc.

Maroc's group left under another powerful invisibility spell cast by Lunise. They padded off on a skewed path to a road before they ended the spell and returned to Windhelm.

Though Saras' control of information was adept enough to keep the Blackreach clan well and truly secured, it was not completely clear whether making a deal with the lycans of Tamriel was the sole reason for the united negotiations of both the Dominion and Empire representatives. As much was mentioned by one of Saras' agents present at the meeting. Overall, everyone around Saras was uneasy about the situation. Though the clans at large were not in any more danger than before, they were suspicious of foul play and possibly even Vile's involvement.

[EliteCommander]

Colors hummed noncommittally. "Well...it's really just best not to trust anyone for this sort of thing. Just to be safe. The ones that really do help Talos worshipers will probably be honest, as long as they think we'll help them too. Safest bet would probably be to try to figure out which ones actually worship Talos themselves."

After a moment, Color snapped his fingers as he had a realization. "But you know, maybe we can really use the fact that they aren't trustworthy. At least some of the people on my list are probably liars that sell out the Talos worshipers they're supposed to be helping. So, what we could do is pose as Talos worshipers, have them help us, and see if they sell us out. Then, one of Vile's Talos hunting teams will come right to us. We just, uh, turn their ambush around on them. Hake the hunters into the hunted; they won't be expecting it." He suggested.

Kaleeth crossed her arms. She was currently wearing a dress similar to Sabine's. Her armor was packed away back at their camp, which was being guarded by Nelise and Arthon. In order to be more appropriately armed for the city, she had a shorter sword she had borrowed from the clan's armory tucked away in one of her bags, as well as a dagger in a satchel on her belt. "What if they just end up turning us over to the Justicars instead? We don't want to fight them."

Colors shrugged. "Eh, we could have someone tail them. See who they sell us out to."

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros held his fist to his chin and held his other arm across his chest. He tried to play out Colours' plan in his head. "I can see the hunters going to the black market to try and track down the Talos worshippers. There is a good chance that we'll lead them into a trap. However, Kaleeth is right. The justicars could respond to such a ruse. As well, we cannot monitor everyone that comes into contact with people we talk to so we might find out who they might be informing. We may have to try a different approach."

For a moment, Fendros stared quietly at the ground in front of himself, thinking. Sabine glanced to everyone's faces and cupped her palm in front of her. She said. "If we cannot trust our contacts, if there is no way to deal with justicars, and we do not know where the hunters are, then...who can we trust to start?"

"There is only one party left," Fendros lowered his arms and looked across to the group. "The Talos worshippers themselves."

Sabine looked blankly.

"Think about it," Fendros said. "If we can make contact, they will know which smugglers to trust. They might even know which ones might have sold other worshippers out. From there, we may have an easier time finding a starting point from which our intentions are hidden."

"How do we make contact?" Sabine asked.

Fendros raised his brow. "That, I do not know. Colours? How would we be able to find them without making ourselves look like justicars or bounty hunters ourselves?"

[EliteCommander]

"Uh, well..." Colors began, but he had no immediate answer for Fendros. He concentrated, his teeth clenched together as he rubbed his head, but there were no brilliant answers coming to him. "That's a hard one. I mean, it's not like Justicars and bounty hunters are usually lycans, but we also can't go around telling people that. These people are rightly paranoid, though. They can be killed if the wrong person learns about them. Kind of like lycans, really, and you know how hard we can be to find. And they don't have a unique scent."

"They do have those unique amulets though, right?" Kaleeth interjected. "The first person you told us about, the black market dealer, you said she sells amulets. And those small shrines. If we find someone who has one of those, then that would be a pretty good way to identify them."

Colors shook his head lightly, unconvinced. "Yeah, but they're hardly going to carry them openly. If there was an easy way to track those trinkets, the Thalmor would never have any problem finding them. There's nothing about them that we could just sniff out from a crowd, but..." Suddenly, Colors perked up his head as another idea come to mind. "But we can sniff out other things. Obviously an enchanted amulet doesn't have a particular smell, but that black market dealer I mentioned, she sells mostly moon sugar and skooma. Those have very particular scents, but they're not something a Talos worshiper would likely be interested in. So, if someone goes to her and buys something, but doesn't smell like moon sugar, then they probably bought a trinket from her. We can just rent some rooms at the inn and stay there, maybe have some drinks in the tavern and act like we belong, all the while keeping watch on who visits the dealer. When someone visits and leaves without a smell, we have someone follow them. They'll probably be scared by that, but we can probably find a way to calm them once we can talk to them."

[Muttonhawk]

"That's good thinking," Fendros said. He then looked ahead and shrugged. "It might take a while, and we may have to be...careful with our approach, but short of breaking down doors, I think that is the best shot we have at finding a worshipper. They won't expect to be sniffed out."

Sabine spoke up as well. "As long as we do not accidentally track someone who bought neither skooma nor a Talos symbol."

Fendros smiled and tilted his head in acknowledgement. "We'll have to be careful, like I said." Before confirming things, Fendros turned his eyes over his shoulder to Malithus. "What do you think?"

[EliteCommander]

Malithus was briefly surprised when Fendros directed his attention to him. "Oh, we'll follow your lead, sir. I've no better plan. Sounds like we might need to be careful about whoever we follow, in case they're not who we're looking for. We should probably make sure that whoever seems the least...out of place are the ones that follow them."

Colors shrugged. "I guess it's possible that someone might buy neither. But, probably not that likely. Like I said, most people who go to her are there for the sugar, and the next biggest group is looking for trinkets. On the bright side, no one you follow is going to be the type to report you to the guard."

"What does moon sugar actually smell like, again? Or skooma? It's been a long time since I've been in Elsweyr, and I haven't run into it anywhere else really." Kaleeth asked.

Without hesitation, Colors reached back into his pack and, after a few moments, produced a small pastry and offered it to Kaleeth. "Here, this has moon sugar in it. Pass it around to everyone so we know what we're looking for. Skooma smells kind of like that, just a lot harsher."

Kaleeth raised her brow towards Colors. "And you just have this with you?"

"I'm...prepared." Colors remarked.

---

Evermore was not the largest city the pack had been to by far, but it was a respectable city. It was a walled city, with a fairly impressive gatehouse through which they entered into the city proper. It showed its Imperial influence in its architecture, though it was not entirely like a Cyrodilic city. Breton styles were by far the most apparent, compared to those of the Orcs and Redguards that also inhabited the city. The buildings were a mix of stone and wooden structures with tall, sharply angled roofs. It was crowded at the current time of day, but Malithus had been to the city more than enough times to be able to guide them to the inn that Colors described. Naturally, the black market dealer did not establish her business in the most affluent part of town, so they had to make their wait into a lower class area. Again, it was not the worst slum the pack had visited, but there was a certain sense of danger for being foreigners in that district.

Fortunately, the group was not wearing expensive clothing, so they did not seem all that out of place when they made their way into the inn. It was actually a fairly large and old building, perhaps from a time when the district was a bit more prosperous. There were tables both in the main room with the bar, and more upstairs on a balcony area that overlooked half of the main room. The inn's rooms, meanwhile, were in the basement. Colors took care of renting rooms for them, after which they offloaded the majority of their bags into the rooms. There was no guarantee they would even be staying for the night, but even so, they had to rent enough rooms so as not to be suspicious. Three was enough that they could share rooms between seven people and not be too uncomfortable. Heading back upstairs, they left Shurgrag downstairs to guard their belongings from any would-be thieves, just in case.

They had to pull a chair from another table, but they were able to find a table in the main room to accommodate the six of them. Though, they would most likely end up spreading more across the room soon enough. Once they were all seated, Colors gave a subtle motion towards a door just to the right of the bar. "Over there is where I heard she operates from. Anyone going in there is probably buying from here. Keep your nose sharp." He whispered.

[Muttonhawk]

For having such an important task ahead of them, Sabine, Kaleeth, and Fendros likely did not foresee the first steps involving relaxing for a drink for what could be most of the day. Fendros settled into his hard wooden chair, leaning back and nursing a mug of filthy-tasting ale. Sabine started with a cup of water, though with some leaves and magic, she ended up with tea that would likely be tastier than any run-of-the-mill beverage on sale in the premises.

It did not seem like there would be constant business floating in and out from the traders' room, so Fendros struck up some small talk with his team. "So, you two," Fendros said with a wave forward at Malithus and Rolaan. "Did you all grow up local to this city?"

Talking about something would at least help them blend in while they waited.

[EliteCommander]

While the investigation was certainly not starting out as most of the group likely suspected, it was not an entirely unwelcome change of pace. There was considerably less risk in lounging around a tavern having drinks and holding idle conversation than the pack's usual missions. In the hours they spent waiting, Malithus and the members of his pack who were with him shared more about themselves, in appropriately covert terms. They were not the strongest pack in the Evermore clan in terms of fighting ability, but they were among the best suited in the clan for more subtle work. It was the usual case that clan alphas would assign their most talented packs to aid the Champion's pack.

Color's information, fortunately, did not seem to be incorrect. At least, they were able to easily confirm that part of it was correct. Occasionally, someone from the tavern would walk through the door next to the bar, with no reaction from the bartender. Generally between ten and twenty minutes later, they would emerge. Some would stay in the tavern and rejoin their own acquaintances, while others would just leave straight away. But, in every case, they would have the distinct scent of moon sugar or skooma emanating faintly from them. It could be a challenge even for a lycan's sharp senses to discern the smell depending on how well-sealed the substance was, but between the six of them, at least a few of them would always catch the scent.

It was growing rather late in the evening. It was past nightfall, though there were still patrons entering and leaving the tavern in perhaps even greater numbers than before. As had happened several times that day, a Breton man who had been in the room for about half an hour slipped into room they were watching. His clothing made him appear somewhat better-off than the majority of the patrons, but that was not entirely unique in the district. A few of those that had visited the black market dealer looked like they had some coin to spare. However, after this one returned to the main room, everyone at the pack's table looked back and forth at one another, but none of them gave the nod to indicate that they had picked up a scent. This was their first potential success, and it would be up to Fendros to decide how to respond. The Breton left the inn almost immediately, so he would have to decide quickly.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros had the back of his mind pondering on how to handle a quarry throughout the afternoon. By the time the wealthy-looking Breton left with whatever business he had, Fendros curled his finger at the group and leaned in. "He'll be wary. Everyone, come with me. Malithus, Kaleeth, stick with me. The Rolaan, you're with Sabine and Colours, follow from the other side of the street. Follow my lead."

Part of the plan was to simply follow a quarry back to wherever they lived. They did not want to cause an incident with the guards while knowing nothing about their catch.

The group filed out, onto the street and immediately began to shadow the Breton from two different groups so as to avoid spooking him. The groups were organised with at least one person knowledgeable of the city in each of them. They kept their eyes peeled for anyone else that might be following the man, lest Vile's hunters or any Thalmor were on a similar trail to them. Occasionally, Fendros would gesture for the other group to circle around the building blocks to better keep track of the man. If he, for some reason, decided to seclude himself in a place where he could be privately cornered, Fendros kept the option open to surround him.

[EliteCommander]

With as many of them as they had working together to tail the Breton, they were able to follow him in a way that prevented any one person from being in his line of sight too frequently. It required considerable coordination to make sure no one made any missteps, but Fendros seemed to be up to the challenge. While they were following him, they found no signs of anyone else doing the same, so unless there was another group even more adept at staying hidden that them, or they were the only ones to have currently picked up on this lead.

As the Breton's garments suggested, he did not stay in the lower class district for long. Instead, he headed into a market district, and eventually into a tailor's shop that likely doubled as his home. The two teams Fendros had split the group into converged and observed the shop from the outside, carefully. It was past dark and there were not many people on the streets, but if a group of their size was caught taking close interest in a shop after dark, most people would assume the worst.

After a minute or so, the candles they could see glowing through the ground floor windows were extinguished, but not long afterwards, another was lit in a window on the floor above. There was nothing obstructing them from peering through inside, except for the fact that it would be difficult to climb up. Not impossible, by any means, but the horizontal wooden beams on which one could stand protruded from the wall only slightly. The group could help to boost one person up, but they would need to be careful not to lose their balance.

Colors crossed his arms as he looked up at the window from across the street. "I'd like to find a way to look inside, see if this guy is really the one we're looking for. But...we probably also don't want to be seen climbing up some shopkeeper's house. That would look pretty obvious from the outside. Need a way to look in without being noticed."

"I could climb it. Maybe not in this dress, but I remember climbing harder things than that back when I lived in Black Marsh." Kaleeth commented. "But, it would be easy to see me."

Pondering a moment, Kaleeth looked to Sabine curiously. "Sabine, I...don't suppose Marcaille ever taught you to do that thing where she turns herself into a crow? Or some kind of bird?"

Malithus seemed confused. "Into a bird? Like those stories of witches in the wilds that can turn themselves in to ravens? That's not just a myth?"

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine looked down and curled her lips. "It is not easy magic," Sabine said by way of answering both Kaleeth and Malithus. "I could try, but it might not work. I think it would be easier for me to turn invisible and try to climb up."

With a glance to the others, Fendros raised his brow, trying not to look as surprised as Malithus was. "That is as good a plan as any," Fendros responded. He gestured to Kaleeth. "Go up with her and give her a boost after she hides herself. We'll keep watch from back here."

Sabine nodded and gave Kaleeth a look before walking across the street with her.

Fendros crossed his arms. He muttered to himself as he looked on. "And here I thought she just had a pet bird all along."

First of all, Sabine tried her best to tie her skirt up above her knees in order to properly use her feet to climb. It was clumsy to watch, but she was able to tie the front around her waist by folding it up and securing it with her scarf. She then directed Kaleeth where to stand and hold her hands out, before weaving a purple spell in her hands and disappearing in place. Kaleeth felt a weight on her hands as signal to pull the invisible Sabine up to the jutting features of the building and up to the window.

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth lifted Sabine up as steadily as possible, though Sabine would have to rely entirely on her own balance on the way up. Since Kaleeth could not see her, she was not able to re-adjust to make it easier for Sabine to stay upright. Once she was up on the wooden support, she would need to shimmy along the wall carefully until she reached the window. There was little room to place her feet, so there was also very little room for error. A fall would not be terribly dangerous unless she landed at an unlucky angle, but it would be loud.

Peering into the window, Sabine could see a softly lit bedroom. It was as well-furnished as one might expect of a merchant's home, with a large bed, several pieces of sturdy furniture, and even a medium-sized bookshelf. The man had gone right upstairs as soon as he had returned home, and fortunately for Sabine, she had managed to get a look inside in just enough time to see something valuable. He had moved a dresser next to his bed aside to reveal a metal safe built into the wall. It was somewhat difficult to see from Sabine's angle, but she could make out the man storing in the safe a carved stone statuette in the shape of a sword being driven into a platform: a simple shrine to Talos. Afterwards, he sat down on the edge of his bed with the other Breton in the room, a woman who was presumably his wife. The fact that he soon pulled her into a kiss would essentially confirm that suspicion.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine had spent much of her childhood climbing trees and, while climbing on this building was different and difficult, the experience served her well. Kaleeth could barely hear Sabine sliding her way up to the window for support.

When Sabine strained to look into the window without compromising her grip, her keen eyes spotted the shrine just in time. She had been shown what symbols of Talos looked like beforehand. For a few moments, she thought she might risk looking for a longer time to catch them praying. However, things were panning out differently. She had no interest in peeking at any other of the merchant's private affairs.

Looking down, Sabine found herself in a difficult position. She could not reveal break her invisibility, but at the same time, making noise to get Kaleeth's help could attract attention as well. She hadn't caught the hang of levitating like Meesei, either. Her invisible face flushed with embarrassment for not thinking this far ahead.

There was nothing else for it. Sabine angled herself, and leapt off the side of the building, landing as steadily as she could, bending her knees. It still made a sudden thud on the ground, but she had at least considered that. She immediately revealed herself in a wipe of purple magic, before urging Kaleeth up against the wall of the building with her hand. Sabine pressed her back against it as well. She peered up at the shadows cast from the window above in the hope that they would not consider the sound to be anything more than street cats.

Fendros lowered his brow in worry from the distance he watched the scene from.

[EliteCommander]

In the moments following Sabine jumping down to the street, there was some movement from inside the window. Kaleeth followed Sabine's lead to bring herself out of sight. A few shadows danced around the window, but as the rest of the group had already gone through the effort to make themselves inconspicuous, there was nothing for them to see when they peered out onto the street.

Eventually, the shadows moved away from the window, and Kaleeth joined Sabine to regroup with everyone else. Out of caution, they did not simply walk straight across the street to the others, but instead met up a short distance down the street, out of sight of the house. In keeping with his usual energetic nature, Colors was the first to eagerly question Sabine.

"So what did you see? You get a look at what he bought from the dealer?" Colors questioned.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine was still looking a bit guilty. She regained her confidence gradually as she spoke. "Yes, he has a...small Talos symbol." She held her hands up apart a far enough distance to demonstrate the size of the shrine. "It was the sword with the curved shape in the middle, driven into a base. I recognised it. He put it in a locked metal box." She also added, "He also has a mate."

"Good work," Fendros said. "That confirms that we have a contact. Now we can plan around how to approach him."

"We are not going back there, are we?" Sabine asked.

"Not necessarily. Breaking in is just one option. A risky one at that." Fendros ran his fingers down his short beard again. "Although, I am not sure if any approaches are not going to be risky. Confronting them directly in their shop doesn't guarantee that we will be alone; they will not want it out that they have Talos paraphernalia. Really, the hard part is getting them to trust us. They would have no reason to trust us just because we are hunting their hunters, let alone the fact that we are...turned." The code word they had been using for lycans came out in spite of the near-empty streets at this time of night. "Does anyone have any ideas on how to gain their trust? How to approach them?"