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

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros took a frustrated breath in and out through his nose. They were on the move, at least, but the next few days would be less comfortable than he had hoped.

"Well, I can't say that I missed this," Fendros said. "I daresay I got too used to Meesei's methods of transportation."

Sabine looked left and right. Ahnasha usually shared rooms with Fendros and Janius with Kaleeth. That left her amongst the wildcards. "I do not mind who I stay with. I think I will fit easier in a room with three people than anyone else here."

Fendros raised a hand. "That can be worked out later. I think we should start really discussing what to do about the dragon when and if we meet it. What do we actually know about dragons?"

Janius held his head forward. "If the bones back home are any indication, we know how big it might be."

[EliteCommander]

"And how tough they are." Lorag added. "Even just goin' by those bones we've got back home, it's gonna take some big hits to do any real damage to it. Those bones are tougher than Dwemer steel, and there's no telling about the scales. If we actually do end up having to take one down, we're going to either have to hit it really hard, or really precise."

Ahnasha had her back leaned up against the wall in one of the few spots in the hallway not filled with their belongings. "Magic might help get past some of those physical defenses, but like Meesei explained before, dragons are not defenseless to magic. I have to wonder how Cyrus and those bounty hunters intend to try to kill it? Maybe they are just ignorant of how strong a dragon really is, or maybe he thinks that axe is strong enough by itself to hurt the dragon?"

"Either seems likely." Meesei reasoned. "Being a Daedric relic, I cannot discount the possibility that the axe would be useful against the dragon, but regardless, we have access to resources they do not. Many more resources. We have allies with the knowledge to build heavy siege equipment, and some of our agents have their own merchant ships. Unlike bounty hunters, we have the ability to bring a small military force down to bear on this dragon. And we should use every advantage that we have. Knowing that the dragon has been harassing Imperial businesses, I might even be able to convince Marod to speak to his superiors about lending actual Imperial forces to the cause. They could easily justify it as an official Imperial response to deal with a threat to Imperial business interests. Although, I would not want to rely on that; we should plan on having to deal with this with our own resources. Ideally, we can avoid the fight altogether."

[Muttonhawk]

Janius' breathed in as soon as Meesei mentioned siege equipment. He spoke when Meesei finished. "The Silent City militia itself has stationed a few sizable stationary ballistae on the walls. Getting one through a portal might be a challenge, but we could always disassemble one and bring it through in parts. The bolts those things fire could punch through just about anything as far as I know."

"That could be the quickest option, if it comes down to it," Fendros agreed. He rubbed the chin of his short beard in thought. "As long as we have time to organise a force to help us, I think that would be outright necessary. But...if there are any older Skyrim natives who know a thing or two about dragons from back in the days of the Stormcloak rebellion, they would likely be the only ones even partially knowledgeable on how to fight them." He levelled his eyes. "We need all the information we can get."

[EliteCommander]

"I never ended up fighting one myself. I saw a few flying in the distance during my time in Skyrim, but never up close." Lorag remarked to Fendros. "Still, I was around at the time. Honestly, I don't know how many people fought the dragons and lived; or at least lived and learned anything useful. Imperials and Stormcloaks both were completely unprepared for something like that. General Tullius gave us orders for what to do if we were ever attacked by one on a patrol, but I never had to follow them."

Ahnasha tilted her head somewhat towards Lorag. "The Legion actually gave you orders for what to do against a dragon? What were they?"

"Retreat." Lorag answered abruptly. "Of course, that didn't satisfy Do'rhajul. He came up with his own plan for his men. If we were ever forced to fight a dragon, we'd probably have to scatter out of formation. If we had mages, or something else that could hold up against a dragon's fire, we could stay in formation and attack in volleys of arrows, but otherwise, a formation would be useless. It would just group us all together to be burned at once. Best to keep everyone scattered and hit it from every angle we could. Do'rhajul had us drill how to follow orders out of formation. After that, or orders were to target the wings with everything we had. Going for the head, or something else we think of as vulnerable, would probably just be worthless as long as the thing could still fly. But, if we tore up those wings, we'd force it to ground. Then, he figured, we'd actually get the advantage. If we were desperate, it would let us swarm all over it from all sides, but that would definitely get people killed before someone could land the killing blow. Instead, we'd use the environment as cover and just keep pelting it at a distance from all sides, and duck back into cover whenever it looks at us. Just keep hitting it at range until it bleeds out. Sounded like a plan, but we never tested it. I got forced out of the Legion, of course, and I think the Dragonborn ended up killin' Alduin not all that long after. Dragon attacks fell off after that. Some eventually ended up leaving Skyrim, like the one Cyrus is after."

Kaleeth gave a sigh, frustrated in equal parts at the situation, and the man they were trying to find. It was as if he was trying to make their lives as difficult as possible by placing himself in absurd danger. "If only we could just figure out a way to tell the Dragonborn that there's a dragon and let him kill it. From the stories I heard, he could do it almost easily, using their shouts against them. Isn't he the only one that can use shouts that isn't a dragon?"

Meesei shook her head. "Not quite. The Thu'um is a skill that can be learned and trained, like any other. Regardless, I do not think the Dragonborn travels the world hunting dragons. Not now, at least. He lives the life of a hero in Skyrim, and while I am sure he would be willing to try to save the world again, I doubt he would trust us, given what we are. And it is too risky to bring unnecessary attention to what we are trying to do here. Vile, obviously, cannot be allowed to learn of our ultimate goal. There are no shortage of civil war veterans and other old warriors in our clans that might have more experience with dragons, so I will see if I can have Saras discretely see if he can find anyone to help."

[Muttonhawk]

Janius and Fendros gave Lorag a sobered look as they listened to Do'Rhajul's untested strategy. It made sense at face value, even if they weren't a large military group on their own. Still, it was macabre to use a scattered formation, for it carried the likelihood that no attack would go without casualties. They had employed it before against the occasional Dwemer centurion, but even that merely left burn casualties -- not deaths by dragon's breath.

"If Thu'ums were easy to learn, many more people would employ them," Fendros remarked. "Until we have any other ideas or insights, it looks like we'll be sticking with hiding behind rocks, shooting the wings, not letting it burn us, and trying to get to Cyrus before any of this dragon hunting has to even occur." Fendros took a long blink before asking Meesei again. "If by some chance you find a mage amongst any with first hand experience, it could be useful to make sure whether a ward spell can block dragon fire."

[EliteCommander]

"Indeed." Meesei responded. "I also would prefer not to walk into battle against a dragon with only unproven theories. Legends tell of how powerful the dragons' voices are, but legends are not always completely accurate. We may be able to successfully resist its magic, but I will make sure to look for someone who can confirm that."

With the knowledge they had available to them, there was little more the pack could do to prepare at the moment. They had their plan for the moment, but all of it would have to wait until they reached Daggerfall. Which, fortunately, would not be too long. Daggerfall was just on the other side of the Iliac bay, and if the wind favored them, they would not even have to spend another night on a ship. For at least some of the pack, that would be a welcome development, given their crowded living arrangements.

After it was clear that they had nothing else they could do, Lorag gave a quick nod towards one of the doors. "Guess we should try to get some sleep. Might be hard in this place, but at least we don't have to worry about the General sneakin' up on us in the night. If they are still following us, that'll at least wait until we get to the city."

Meesei nodded. "I suppose you are correct. That is some peace-of-mind, at least. You can join myself and Lorag, Sabine. Although, none of these rooms truly have much space for us. If we did not have much more important matters to concern ourselves with, I would be speaking to the captain. I do not appreciate being deceived."

The pack split off into their own rooms, with Meesei, Lorag, and Sabine taking the one on the left side of the room. They had to file in one-by-one, and still only scarcely had room to stand once they were inside. There was one bed, and it would be small for a single person. "You can take the bed, Alpha." Lorag offered immediately, as one might expect from him, though just as predictably, Meesei turned her attention to Sabine.

"Actually, would you like the bed, Sabine? I can find some space on the floor, I believe." Meesei offered.

Lorag gave a shrug. "Say, can you sleep as a bird too?"

Meanwhile, Ahnasha and Fendros were, of course, sharing their room together. The cramped quarters was not as uncomfortable between them. She was about halfway through getting ready to lie down when she stopped, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring off ahead of herself at nothing in particular with a worried look in her expression.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine breathed in with a half-wince and looked away. She spoke after a short pause. "I could try? Here would be a safe place to try. Just so long as I can perch somewhere where..." She rubbed her upper arm and cleared her throat. "...Um...Somewhere where I am not above you or your clothes."

---

A few moments later, the purple flash under the door told of Sabine's nearby transformation. Fendros didn't notice. He had taken the time to remove his shirt before he noticed Ahnasha freezing. Within a second of looking at her face, he could immediately feel her anxiety. Fendros shifted to close the short distance between them as they sat on the bed and curled his hand around hers.

He angled his head forward and turned his face to look sideways up at Ahnasha's eyes. With a sympathetic look, Fendros asked. "What are you thinking about, Ahna?"

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha had trouble voicing her thoughts immediately. She let out a long, slow breath as she grasped Fendros' hand tightly with one hand, and lethargically finished undressing with the other. "I don't know, I've just been...thinking a lot. I have to say, we're so lucky. So, so lucky. So fortunate with everything we have, and everything we've done. I don't think there's another path my life could have taken that would have made me happier. But, I've just been having these thoughts about...what if our luck starts to run out? Don't get me wrong, we are skilled, powerful. We are the best among our kind and it shows in what we've done. But, we've always made it through. In everything we've done, even if we don't succeed, we've always made it. Alive and...mostly well. But what if we don't? What if our luck runs out and we lose someone? I've spent most of my life with you, and the others. I just can't imagine living without any of them, or you. Or...especially you."

Ahnasha's briefly became choked up, and there was a hint of a shine in her eyes from the candlelight. "By Hircine, I can't even think about living without you. Back when I was younger, I didn't care about the risk, but we have so much to live for now. So much more. I am just hoping with every part of my being that we can just find Cyrus, in Daggerfall, buy the axe, and just teleport back home. No fighting dragons, and no fighting the General. I don't even care how much coin it would cost us." She explained, her words contrasting sharply with her usual nature.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros' expression did not change from concerned sympathy as he listened on. He had to make an effort to keep his composure, for every fear Ahnasha had was one he fully understood. Even if Ahnasha was acting out of character, he knew she had limits. He did not feel shocked. He only felt empathy.

As much to comfort himself as his wife, Fendros lifted his arms and drew Ahnasha into hug, holding her head gently to his shoulder. "If I knew how to make that happen now, I would do so in a heartbeat," Fendros murmured.

He stayed holding Ahnasha for at least another half a minute. It was only after taking some time to calm down that Fendros realised how much the pair of them had grown and changed. It was curious to reflect on who they used to be, but Fendros accepted it. Reflecting on particular episodes of their life gave Fendros an idea for something to say.

"You know...back after the Xanmeer. With the nightmares and Rhazii's fresh burns," he barely voiced. "I had similar thoughts. I thought everything was falling apart. That we wouldn't recover. I kept...ruminating, over and over. Life was getting too hard to bear because I thought there would be something that did suddenly take one of our lives, or Rhazii's." Fendros' face was limp. "But once we reached the Bruma clan and got help, once things started to turn around, I think I must have convinced myself to keep going without realising it. Now I look back and wonder how we got through it at all. But...I would put it down to more than just luck."

Fendros breathed in deeply. "If I had lost you, I do not think my being would recover. I would have a void beside me for the rest of my life. But I would have to keep going; I owe it to Rhazii, and I owe it to everyone now that we're apparently saving the world. If it was you that survived..." Fendros lifted his chin and held Ahnasha closer. A smile cracked his blank face, as did his eyes welling. "Well, you have always been more stubborn than me."

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha had her head rested on Fendros' shoulder, with one arm around his back and the other reaching up to gently stroke his beard. She had always appreciated that he had grown it, up on her suggestion. The more she thought about it, the more little details about their lives she realized she appreciated him for. In fact, they were both a part of very nearly every aspect of one another's lives, in some capacity. It was sometimes easy to take for granted how much they had come to rely upon each other.

"Neither of us could give up. Never, not as long as Rhazii has a life to live. Saving the world is great by itself, sure, but I am saving it for him. If you were not to make it, I would be happy to follow you into the Hunting Grounds, but for him...he deserves the best life we can make for him." Ahnasha answered.

Shifting her body to the side, Ahnasha gave him a lengthy kiss. "I am really hoping we can persuade the General to back down. As much as I hate him, for as many innocents as he has killed, I would really rather just avoid fighting him. For our own safety."

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros kept his arms around Ahnasha. Sometimes just having the other to lean on in such times as this was enough, it seemed.

As for the general, Fendros was not immediate with his opinion. He looked ahead and let out a small sigh. "Honestly, I have killed so many that defeating him is sounding more and more hollow. I want to take revenge, I want to make him accountable for everyone he has killed, and I want him to suffer like Meesei did...and like we did when Meesei almost didn't come back from their encounter." He blinked. "But not now. None of us can afford to be that selfish right now."

Fendros ran his fingers back through his hair. "I'm almost afraid of what would happen if, by some miracle, showing him our information would make him turn the other cheek. He's done so much...I would be at a loss for what to do."

[EliteCommander]

"I...think you answered that question already. We do what is best for our family. We let it go, because that's the safest thing we can do. If Do'rhajul decides to stop fighting for Vile, or, divines, if he decides to actually try to resist Vile, then letting him do that would be the safest for all of us. The General is a werewolf, after all. If he deserves to be punished, then Hircine will do so in the next life. We don't have to." Ahnasha said, surprisingly decisively considering her previous doubt. "If we ever do encounter him again, I think giving those notes to the Nord would be the best plan. He seemed to have some doubts. Thank you, I...just needed some reassuring, I think."

There was now a subtle smile on Ahnasha's face as she turned herself completely to face Fendros. It was a smile that gradually turned more mischievous before she put both hands onto his shoulders, then rolled herself onto his lap. The kiss that followed was far more passionate than before. In fact, the thoughts of their mortality was driving her to be much more energetic than usual in showing her affection.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros nodded in agreement to Ahnasha's answer. It was more obvious than he would admit, though that his mind was clouded by anger over Do'rhajul was not a great surprise.

He looked to Ahnasha and caught her eye. He knew that look. Whatever other words he had faded away.

Within a few moments, he was returning her passion in equal measure. He barely dug the space in his mind to pull away from the kiss and whisper in Ahnasha's ear. "Love you, Ahna."

He held her under the legs and lifted her onto the small bed. The cabin was big enough for one activity, at least.

[EliteCommander]

The ship, as planned, did not take but a day to sail across the bay to Daggerfall, at which point they had to begin their search for information anew, this time without one of Saras' agents as a guide. It would have perhaps been worrying in most cases, but fortunately in this situation, Cyrus was not one to keep a low profile. In fact, he and his bounty hunting team had boasted about their plans at the nearest tavern to the docks, as evidenced by the fact that the barman recognized immediately who Meesei was asking about when she questioned him.

It took only a brief effort of asking the regulars of the tavern about their quarry before they were able to gather a picture of what Cyrus had been doing since leaving Sentinel. The bounty hunters had spent most of their time on the docks over a few days, asking anyone and everyone about who would be willing to sail them out to the dragon's island. However, considering how infamous the dragon had grown among anyone who sailed in the region, they had a tougher time than they had expected finding anyone who would be willing accept the job at any price they could afford. One of the ship captains seemed to think that they had eventually settled on making a short trek north to a small, coastal village a day or two away from Daggerfall. It was a known pirate town, but they would have likely been able to find a captain willing to take on the risk in exchange for a cut of the bounty. For the pack, it seemed like another instance of coming so close, just slightly too late. However, Cyrus and his bounty hunters had apparently only left the previous day, so they still had a chance to catch them.

The pack was walking along through the streets of Daggerfall without a particular destination. For the most part, they were simply looking for a place they could speak in relative peace. Like Sentinel, the city around them was bustling with life, though it had an entirely different atmosphere from the Redguard city. Daggerfall was High Rock's largest city, and a center of Breton culture in Tamriel. It had an certain military order to it that was reminiscent of Imperial cities, but the architecture itself was unmistakably Breton.

"I'd hoped we would have been able to find him in the city." Ahnasha commented. "We're relatively safe here, but if we have to leave the city...I hope Do'rhajul was not able to track us."

[Muttonhawk]

As much as Fendros did not want to sound negative, especially after Ahnasha showed her concerns the night before, there was no escaping the truth. "If Do'Rhajul is following us here, there's a chance he could have found out that we're chasing dragon hunters. That would make his goal much easier. The best we can do is stay a step ahead."

"We might get lucky," Sabine said.

"Might," Fendros repeated. "I share your hopes."

Janius was paying more attention to the city than to their worries. He changed the subject after a pause. "The wealth of this place really shows, doesn't it? It's not like Cyrodiil. It's...more complex."

"Not too complex to have inns, I should hope." Fendros eyed the signs of the buildings they passed.

[EliteCommander]

"Indeed, though I am unsure if we should stay here at all." Meesei pointed out. "It is safer in the city, but we now know where Cyrus has gone, and if we are fast enough, we might be able to find him before he departs to hunt the dragon. There are still some hours left in the day, so we could make some ground."

Ahnasha gave a brief nod. "You might be right, and I suppose we would be free to return back to the clan when it is time to rest for the night. It might be best for us to just leave the city now. And perhaps bring Leaps along with us? If we are attacked, he could be helpful."

"Or he could get hurt." Kaleeth said with some concern. "I'd hate for him to get hurt; I wouldn't know what to tell Julan."

"I know it would be awful, but if Leaps being hurt or killed meant that we all ended up being safe, that would still be worth it. We have trained him to be a war mount, and he is part of our family, but...he is still just a wamasu." Ahnasha responded. It was perhaps a callous statement, but it was not illogical.

[Muttonhawk]

While Fendros wished Ahnasha was more sympathetic to Kaleeth's worries, she knew she was correct. The hesitation he had regarding how to answer gave room for Janius to speak up instead.

"Ahnasha's got a point, Kaleeth," Janius said sincerely. "Leaps has saved our lives before. I would feel safer with him around while we're in the wild."

Fendros lowered his shoulders in relief. He breathed in with something else to add. "I think the children are smart enough to know at least partly the risks we're taking. I don't think we want it to come to any of us getting hurt, let alone Leaps. But if Leaps is injured helping us, Rhazii and Julan are mature enough to know why."

[EliteCommander]

"Then I shall collect him once we are out of the city." Meesei remarked. "If we truly are in danger, then we need to give ourselves the best possible chance to overcome that danger. We have enough supplies to travel for the rest of the day at least, so I suppose we should get moving as quickly as we can."

The pack had to make their way out of sight of Daggerfall before Meesei opened a portal back to Blackreach to retrieve Leaps, though it took about half an hour longer to get him ready for travel. He had his own custom made, insulated bags and saddle that the pack used to allow him to carry themselves and their supplies. They had to strike a balance between being tough and resistant to lightning, while not hindering him too much in the event of a fight. The pack, for the most part, took turns on his saddle to give their own feet a rest. He was a drastically different sort of mount from a common horse and had his own personality quirks that made him much more difficult to ride, but each member of the pack was experienced enough with him to be able to do so.

The entirety of the path to the village was just along the coast, so the pack would have a view of the ocean on their left for most of the trek. Generally, the coastline was rocky and steep, so the sound of waves crashing up against the rocks was a constant. They were in a temperate forest, and at this time of year, the air was comfortable, particularly with the cool breezes coming off of the ocean to their west. Just about the only detail that could be considered even minorly unpleasant about he area was the fact that the road did require them to deal with some fairly steep hills. It was a drastic improvement from the hot, dry desert, but the pack had to be cautious about becoming complacent in their comfort. Do'rhajul was still potentially a threat, and they were now in a place where they could be attacked. How alert and prepared they remained could be the difference between life and death.

[Muttonhawk]

None in the pack could let their attention slip if they tried. Do'Rhajul was a threat they knew the capabilities of, and one that had been troubling their sleep. Conversation was sparse in spite of the pleasantly cool landscape. At least the sound of the waves was a relatively calming one.

Janius walked alongside Leaps' head while they proceeded. He tried to bring some levity to the situation.

"Hey Leaps, do you know how to speak dragon?" Janius asked. "We could use your charming wiles for this one. See if you can seduce the creature. Show her your strength. Make her fight for us."

Leaps shifted his gaze upon his name being called. Apart from showing some excitement at the attention with a short arc between two spines, he was oblivious.

"How do you know it's a female dragon?" Sabine asked Janius from behind him.

Janius spoke over his shoulder. "How do you know it's not?"

Sabine hummed and pressed a finger to her lips. "I think they are immortal. I do not know if there are males or females."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei gave a confirming nod towards Sabine. "Indeed. If I am not mistaken, there is not such a thing as dragon eggs. The dragons were created at the beginning of time by Akatosh, so all of the dragons created then are all of the dragons that will ever be. From the stories, Alduin used his power to raise some of the dragons from long ago back from the dead. Since Alduin's defeat, some of the dragons resigned themselves to peaceful lives, while some, like this one, are still menaces to the countryside. I suppose that, eventually, all that will remain are the peaceful ones, since the aggressive ones will eventually draw enough hunters to them to kill them."

Lorag chuckled. "Might take a long time. They're probably about the most frightening things to fight in Tamriel. Even after I was turned, I lived in Skyrim a while. You should've heard the stories about the Dragonborn. They said he earned the loyalty of an actual dragon or two when he killed Alduin. He could shout at the sky or something, then a minute or two later, a dragon would show up and help him out. How could you ever lose a fight with somethin' like that at your side? And even more crazy, the fact that the dragon was the one afraid of him in that partnership."

"It is amazing, the power of the Voice." Meesei mused. "The Dragonborn is the most powerful master of the Thu'um alive, even more so than the dragons themselves. He did kill the first born of Akatosh, which was something of a divine being itself. Even lesser practitioners of the Thu'um are something to be feared. I found knowledge of the Thu'um in Apocrypha, when I was searching that realm. It was within my power to study it, and I do somewhat regret not doing so. Compared to other forms of magic, it takes more time and dedication to learn, and at the time I was searching for quicker solutions."

Kaleeth, at the moment, was the one on Leaps' saddle. Given the danger they were potentially in, she, along with the rest of the pack, were fully equipped for combat. She was wearing her Dwemer plate armor, helmet included, so her voice was slightly muffled behind the metal. "I wonder if any of those peaceful dragons would want to keep Tamriel safe? Wouldn't that be great; having dragons to help fight Vile? It's too bad they're so feared and hated by most people. I guess they're kind of like lycans in that way, really. I think if a dragon wanted to live in safety with us back home, I would be fine with it."