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

[Muttonhawk]

"In that case, I shall take my effort in appearance as a small advantage," Lunise said. Nothing about the situation was a competition, though her arrogance was rarely completely absent.

Lunise kept her hair loose and let its straight length part at her shoulders. After a quick closer look at her make up, she took Meesei's hand and turned to traverse the portal.

It took a moment for Lunise's eyes to adjust to the subterranean light. When she rubbed her eyes with a finger and looked up, she took in a slow gasp. Her lips remained slightly parted. Her head turned and raised to behold the sheer size of the nearest tree-sized glowing fungus. She stopped breathing. The rest of the enchanting view rendered her just as awestruck as anyone Meesei had seen in Blackreach for the first time.

"Never in all my years," Lunise breathed. "This must be some plane of oblivion. Where have you taken me, Meesei?"

---

Fendros bit his upper lip in thought. "If that is the case...Sabine might be able to bring forth a spriggan again? No...If it is only one it will not help. Summoned daedra? Hold on..." Fendros lifted hand up to his mouth and stared at the wood of the table.

He did not answer for long enough that the others grew curious.

Janius leaned forward. "Do you have another idea?"

"I may. It may not be liked. It may not even work."

"Then say it," Janius said, turning his palm up. "We need any options we can get."

"Those wards, if they only detect life, then..." Fendros lifted his eyes. "How many unbutchered corpses do we have stored?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei could not help but to grin as she watched Lunise quickly become awestruck by the sight surrounding them. Sabine and Karl were already present nearby, both with bags containing the food and supplies they would need for their dinner together, but fortunately, Lunise's reaction was not unusual for a newcomer to Blackreach. In fact, it was perfectly normal.

"I can assure you we are in Tamriel. It is just not a place that is known to Tamriel's scholars. The cavern has been our home for the last decade, or more specifically, that city over there in the distance." Meesei said, motioning towards the Silent City, lit by the distinctive glowing orb above it. "We could not ask for a better one."

While Lunise was taking in the sights, Meesei quickly shifted her attention to the others. "Good evening Sabine, Karl. Is the day treating you well?"

---

Pierrette, being one of those in charge of logistics, was the one who could best answer Fendros' question, but she still showed obvious surprise upon hearing it. "Corpses? I...am afraid I do not know the exact number off the top of my head, but at this clan's size, we always have some bodies waiting to be butchered. Mostly Falmer, chaurus, and some animals from above-ground hunts. It is just...are you intending to use necromancy against them?"

Ri'vashi's eyes widened slightly. "That...surely there is a better way? Perhaps...automatons are not alive. They could get close to the camp without triggering the wards."

Lorag shook his head slightly. "I'd rather use those machines too, but those things are louder than the fiery lakes of Oblivion, with all that steam. No way they're sneakin' up on anything, wards or no wards."

Ri'vashi lowered her head, pressing her hand against her forehead. "Okay, so...assuming we have these bodies, what exactly is your plan for them?"

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise's amazement was interrupted when Meesei greeted Sabine and Karl. She quickly cleared her throat and faced them, apparently having not noticed them at first.

Sabine and Karl had themselves been standing close together and quietly talking while their hands loosely held onto the fingers of the other. They stepped to face Meesei and Lunise when they emerged through the portal. Sabine had a wide smile. "Hello again," she said. "Today has been well."

"Quite well." Karl nodded. His voice was almost as hushed as Sabine's was. Behind his own small smile was nervously shallow breathing. He stood only two finger-widths taller than Sabine, thin and dressed in a hide coat, shoes, and breeches. His fair clean-shaved face and grey-blue eyes were slightly worn with the experience expected of a Breton in his early thirties. His short widow's peak brown hair was also unfortunately thinning. Though not an impressive physical specimen, his brow, nose, and cheekbones gave him a handsome look. The easiest signs of his visual impairment Sabine had previously explained was a straight stick in one hand held close to the ground and Sabine guiding him by the crook of his arm. He evidently still had enough sight to make out Meesei and Lunise's outlines as he made eye contact and bowed his head in respect.

When Karl breathed in, Lunise spoke with more initiative by coincidence. "A pleasure to see you again, Sabine. And you must be Karl?"

"Correct," Karl said after a pause. He took another shallow breath and tried not to stammer. "It is an...honour to meet the champion in person. And her partner."

Sabine looked to Karl and pulled at him teasingly and murmured to him. "You do not have to be nervous, Karl."

---

Fendros wiped his hand over his cheek. He was just as reluctant as Ri'vashi was. "I would like to hear another plan if we can think of one. I am merely presenting an option." He lifted his voice. There was no point in drawing it out further. "We have means of reanimating corpses through necromancy. If we can raise enough of them, and they prove hidden enough, they may serve as a harassing measure to buy enough time for Ahnasha and Sabine to escape should they be noticed. If undead may get close enough without triggering the wards, it is an immediate form of help that at once is disposable and surprising. And I do not see them presenting a mortal threat to any of Do'rhajul's party."

Janius bared his teeth tensely. "This is not exactly how I expected we would go about this."

"Unless we have enough grease and magic to make some automatons silent, I do not see what else we can dispose here," Fendros said, half-seriously.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei responded just as cordially as Karl, giving a slight nod of her head. "Thank you, and it is great to finally be able to meet my daughter's mate, more than just in passing. She has told me much about you."

Keeping her hand in Lunise's, Meesei walked with her to approach the couple. Meesei did not want to make a point to bring up Karl's eyesight, but she supposed that he would be able to see more clearly if they were all closer together. "I will say, I have been looking forward to this evening all week. I am sure I will have a wonderful time sharing all of Sabine's embarrassing childhood stories." Meesei teased, nudging Sabine slightly.

"At any rate, now that we are all here, shall we start getting the fire going here, or teleport somewhere else for our dinner? Did you speak to Karl about those places we were considering earlier, Sabine?" Meesei asked.

---

Marcaille ran her hand through her hair as she thought. "Making them quiet? Well, muffle enchantments might work, but I have never even attempted to enchant an entire automaton before. I do not know that anyone has. That would likely make for an interesting line of research, but now is not the time for experiments. Even if we could enchant the automatons and get them working silently in the short term, we would not know if anything about the automatons' own inherent enchantments might end up breaking our magic. If that happened in the middle of their infiltration, it could be a disaster."

"Ri'vashi...does not like it." She commented after a long breath.

Saras, after fairly long consideration, finally chimed in. "We need to use the tools available to us; it would be foolish not to. No magic is inherently evil, only its applications. In this case, we would be applying it to a good cause. Our cause. I am sure we can get the corpses together, but getting mages from the clan to help may be difficult. I am sure there are...other necromancers among this clan, but that is not something to which most mages will openly admit."

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine tried to play off Meesei's teasing with her usual flustered laugh. "I did mention it," Sabine answered. She looked to Karl with a grin. "Karl? Where would you like to go?"

Karl looked surprised. "Do I get to choose?"

"...It depends. We are deciding." Sabine peered up at Lunise. "Do you prefer any one of the locations, Lunise?"

Lunise lightly shook her head. "As I have already indicated to Meesei, none of the options are places where I would not enjoy myself."

Sabine reverted to Karl, who was silent and lifting his brow at the pressure. "I have neither been to Thorn nor Eastmarch, I admit. Though I could not rightly decide between them."

At this, Lunise closed her eyes and breathed out through her nose. "Meesei," she said flatly, though with an amused quirk at the corner of her mouth. "If we are to be so terribly inept at making decisions, I fear we may require the assistance of coins to flip."

---

"In that case, the limit is whether we can gather the resources we need in time." Fendros peered around. "Look, I understand all reservations about this. Using undead is an unpleasant precedent for how we fight, devalues life, is against the sensibilities that many of us have grown up with, and is against Hircine's view of hunters and prey in this war. We should not use this as an excuse to introduce undead into everything we do, but instead..." Fendros gestured to Saras. "...to use this as a tool to preserve lives. As long as it is towards that goal, I will see it as an option we may take. Now then." Fendros placed his hands on the table. "I feel as though we need time to ponder on this. We need to have clear heads to plan. And a few minutes might inspire alternatives. Let us take a quick break and continue in a few minutes."

Fendros stood up from his seat. Breaks from long meetings were not unheard of, though the timing was different this time. He seemed in a rush to find the doors and stand outside. Janius watched him leave and stood up to stretch his legs, as did much of the council. He was not the only one still visibly uncomfortable with the current plan. In particular, Oswall stood, walked around to the back of his chair, and clutched it until his fingers turned white. His lips pursed behind his beard. He was fuming.

Fendros did not take long breathing in the fresher air outside before he sought out Ahnasha. He gently took her hand and mumbled into her ear. "Could I consult you a moment, Ahna?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei chuckled and ran her hand through her feathers. "Personally, I think we are all far too polite for our own good." Finally releasing Lunise's hand, she took a few steps away and stared down at an open space in silent thought for several seconds. "Hmm, I believe I may have an idea quite appropriate for our indecisiveness. We have a good place to start a fire here, so we can cook up our dinner and converse for a while here. Once it is done, I can take us to the place near Thorn and we can eat there, take in the sights. Then, we can relax for the evening in Eastmarch. Is that an agreeable plan?"

---

Ahnasha responded with only a quick, silent nod before following Fendros out of the room, and away from the ears of any of the others. She did not know exactly what he had to say, but she felt that she had a few hints. She had tried to avoid worrying about Do'rhajul for most of the past week, but this meeting was showing that she had been right to worry, particularly since she would be placing herself in the most immediate danger.

"This...will be an ordeal, I can already see it." Ahnasha said, following a sigh. "I can't see this going over well with everyone. Worst part is, if everything goes to plan, the undead wouldn't even be necessary."

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine and Karl exchanged a glance. Sabine nodded.

Lunise was more direct. She put her hands together and spoke. "Perfect. I would hate to leave this place too quickly."

"Seat yourself, Karl, Lunise," Sabine said. "Meesei and I shall set up the fire."

"Do you need any help?" Karl asked.

Sabine shook her head and smiled as she stepped away. "No, thank you."

Not quite ready to sit down yet, Lunise cast her eyes up at the soft blue speckles on the distant ceiling. "So tell me, Meesei. How ever did you find this place? Something so large must be incredibly well hidden if there are no records of it, as you suggested."

---

Any attempt at a strong exterior Fendros was maintaining melted away when he and Ahnasha found themselves alone. He leaned his back against a nearby stone wall and sighed in turn. "At this point, I would do anything to make sure you and Sabine make it out in one piece. But you're right, I have a feeling there will be a few people beyond convincing." Fendros breathed in and raised his fingers. "However, I also want to know if it's even feasible. I didn't want to call upon you in front of everyone in the meeting for the sake of those who don't know about your expertise, so...what is your opinion? Can you take enough thralls to cover an escape? Will they be quiet enough, and undetectable by their spells?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei started to collect some rocks into a circle, while Sabine stacked the firewood. Trees were one resource which were not readily available in Blackreach, but Sabine and Karl had brought enough with them for them to make their fire. Pausing briefly, Meesei took the time to observe the same view Lunise was enjoying. "Indeed, even if one knew of this place's existence, it would take many years to find the entrance, if not being led by a particular Daedra."

The fact that Hermaeus Mora had given the clan knowledge of Blackreach was still not common knowledge among the clan, so Meesei was reluctant to mention it in the presence of Karl. The phrasing of her answer would naturally lead to the assumption that Hircine had guided them to the cavern, which would be a sufficient enough answer for the moment.

"It was not easy establishing a home here. This cavern already had its own denizens who were not quite fond of being displaced. It took a while to get to the point where we could feel safe ranging from our Dwemer city. But, this sanctuary has served us better than we could have hoped. In a decade, we have not found any indication of our enemy coming close to finding us, and they have certainly been trying. The Dwemer city itself has been our citadel within our stronghold, and I would say it has provided a sense of strength and community among us. Not to mention more Dwemer metal than we can use. We still do not have the same kind of economy as a normal city; clan members to not have to buy food and shelter with gold, but it is still different from other clans. We have a marketplace with merchants, crafters, artisans. Homes with solid walls, and thanks to the craftsmanship of the Dwemer, working pipes that carry clean water to fountains throughout the city. There are even places for entertainment, thanks to some performers and other, artistically-minded people among the clan. I still sometimes find myself impressed by the progress we have made here." Meesei explained with a light grin.

---

"Well..." Ahnasha began, glancing around to make sure they were out of earshot of anyone else before responding quietly. "...I think it would. I already have quite a few thralls prepared and ready in my private hideaway. They are undead, so life detection magic would not find them. Do'rhajul's team are lycan hunters, not vampire hunters, so they will certainly be using their soul gems to search for living threats, not dead ones. Undead also do not need to breath, nor do they feel discomfort, so they can remain perfectly and completely still, and I could give them instructions to get close enough to be useful. We will still likely need more thralls than I have to occupy Do'rhajul, but we can make as many thralls as we want as long as we have soul gems. The difficulty comes in controlling them. One necromancer can only issue commands to so many permanent thralls at once. The more there are, the harder it is to command them simultaneously, and the simpler your commands have to be. I think Marcaille might be able to help with that, though."

[Muttonhawk]

"So the basic amenities are provided, with the rest being down to what little coin circulates?" Lunise hummed thoughtfully. "Well, if you have made such a thing work on this scale, those common challenges you all face must be a strong bond after all. And even after all the time spent trying to track you down, I doubt either myself or Marod could have conceived this. We only knew you were operating from the Winterhelm hold." Lunise peered across to try and see the far ends of the cavern. "But with the size of this cavern, I would predict your reach is further than that. How far does this stretch, exactly?"

Meanwhile, Sabine and Karl exchanged hushed words by the fire. Sabine smiled still. A spell from her lit the tinder she had laid. They would have coals for cooking soon enough.

---

Ahnasha's words were encouraging, at least.

"Alright," Fendros said. "I do not foresee them needing more complex orders than to follow, stay still, and stop Do'rhajul's team. But I am not the one to know. Do you think Marcaille could help you control them? Would she need to go with you?"

[EliteCommander]

A sly grin started to creep across Meesei's face. "Well, you thought we were operating near Windhelm, at least. Since we led you there. As I mentioned, secrecy is still a powerful tool for us even if that means keeping the precise location of this place a secret from the other clans. Of course, now that we can teleport to this place without needing to use the physical entrance, it is much safer to bring visitors. Perhaps one day I could show it all to you." She said, though she had little hope of that actually happening anytime soon. Bringing Lunise to the cavern was one thing, but there were enough people in the city itself who might recognize her there would be a real risk to doing so. They would have to be content looking from a distance, for now.

"Myself and my council have agreed to rather strict rules on what we can and cannot tell anyone of this place, but I can say that it is a treasure trove of scholarly knowledge. Being able to safely research the Dwemer, on their own schedules, in complete safety has been wonderful for our scholars' productivity. I only wish we could collaborate more closely with scholars outside the clans. If nothing else, we should record all our findings and, when it is safe to do so, release them to the world. It would be a shame for Tamriel to gain nothing out of it." Meesei commented.

---

"I'm not sure. Maybe she will, but she is an even more experienced necromancer than me. I'm hoping she will be able to help create a focus for me to give my orders more clearly to more thralls. I know such things are possible to make. Who knows, maybe she already has one?" Ahnasha answered hopefully.

Ahnasha released another sigh. "Anyways, you think the council is really going to go for this? A few are fine with it, but this is taboo for most of them. I mean...trying to muffle the automatons could work, but Marcaille was right when she said it could be risky. Even things that should work in theory can have something go wrong, and they haven't tried enchanting an automaton before. Beyond what they get at creation. If something goes wrong at the wrong time, it could give us away, but I'm sure the council would approve of that plan more easily. It would, without a doubt, be risky, but...I just don't know. Do you think the risk would be too much? Which option do you think is better?"

[Muttonhawk]

"That is not something to doubt, Meesei." Lunise turned to meet her eyes. "Marod has made it quite clear with you how he intends to integrate the clans as protected communities. Taxes shall not be the only thing lycans are likely to produce."

Sabine nudged Karl while bringing out the components of their coming meal. "Tell them about your work, Karl," she encouraged.

"Oh, my research? Well...where to start." Karl paused to slowly breathe in and gather his thoughts.

Lunise turned on one foot and regarded Karl with interest.

Karl spoke roughly in Meesei and Lunise's direction. "This place has...more relics and history than most archaeologists uncover about the Dwemer in their entire lives, elves included." Though he was holding on tightly to his cane with both hands, he gained confidence as he continued. "Much of my work has been in understanding the automatons that still guard this place, due to the council's interest in repurposing them. However, the city itself has been a trove of suggestions as to how the Dwemer themselves lived day-to-day. How they interacted. The pipes and pressure systems they set up reduced the need for many of the everyday chores that we do. Simple things like drawing from a well or grinding grain, all done by machines."

---

Fendros looked down and crossed his arms. A moment passed, he itched behind his ear. He turned his eyes up to Ahnasha and spoke frankly. "I honestly think the undead are the best option we have right now. I am not happy that it is our best option, but that doesn't change the facts. I might be able to convince enough of the council, even if they do not like it either. Perhaps by a promise that this would be the only time we use undead and that the thralls are destroyed after the mission, I don't know."

After another stressed breath, Fendros closed his eyes and turned his head up to lean against the wall. "The automatons should be a fallback if we cannot convince them of the thralls. I could not feel right sending you and Sabine in without a way out. It is not worth the risk. Especially with their capabilities." His eyes peeked open. "The best case scenario is if some divine inspiration strikes one of the council and comes up with a better plan."

Fendros pushed off the wall and brought his hands up to Ahnasha's shoulders. "Are you sure you're alright with infiltrating the camp, either way? I do not doubt you can do it, only that this holds a high risk for something that we have no guarantee of success with."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei spoke with the same kind of interest as Karl. "I can only imagine what life here would have been like during the time of the Dwemer. Back when the city was at its peak, working as its creators intended it. We have restored as much of the machinery as we can, but some of it is simply too damaged, or too complex to repair without a true understanding of how it is meant to operate. From the time I had the pleasure of spending assisting with the research, we found that magic is an integral part of many of the Dwemer's creations, but it is not necessarily the key ingredient, so to speak. Some of their most impressive creations work through mundane, physical interactions of steam, gears, and such. But trying to piece together that knowledge just from the pieces we can find, working or no, is a task that no scholar in Tamriel's history has accomplished. I have no doubt that kind of knowledge could do a great deal of good for the world. Or harm, if the fate of the Dwemer is anything to go by."

With the fire going, Sabine would be able to start on their meal. Meesei could admit that Sabine was a better cook than her. The concepts of cooking were not too far removed from those of alchemy. "We have also learned about the Falmer which live here, though there is less to learn than with the Dwemer. Mostly, it just reinforces the generally accepted theory that the Falmer were taken in by the Dwemer as refugees, then betrayed to become slaves. Most of the culture of the Snow Elves, their former civilization, is lost to time. These Falmer are a shell of the legends of what they once were; it is doubtful they even remember their own history."

---

Ahnasha's hesitation, and the long sigh that followed, revealed some of her fear that came along with this plan. "Well, I can't say I'm excited to do it, but I know I'm the most qualified. Not only can I move quietly, but I will be the one in the best position to know when and if the thralls will be needed. If I go, then I will be in full control of our contingency plan. I know this can go very wrong, but it could go badly no matter who does the infiltrating. And, if all goes well, it will be less risky than trying to attack them. I have to do it. We just need to convince the council. Marcaille and Saras will go along with it easy. Ri'vashi clearly does not like it, but I think it will be easy to appeal to her by convincing her it will keep the infiltrators safe. Oswald will likely be the most difficult, but it is not as if we need a unanimous agreement to reach a decision. Still, I would want to try and convince him, if only to avoid more problems down the road. Darahil...I am not sure. That Mer is hard to read, and he did not give much of a reaction back there."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise's expression went dour. "I can only call it an atrocity. To lose your history, your identity, even your very nature to become scrabbling savages. It is disgusting and pitiful whenever I hear of the Falmer." She clasped her hands behind her back. "Though, if the Snow Elves were too weak and defeated to maintain such things, perhaps it was an inevitable destiny."

Karl let out the rest of his breath rather than speak on.

Coincidental timing had Sabine hand Karl a knife and a small bag of potatoes. "Would you mind peeling these for me?"

"Of course," Karl quietly said. He put his cane aside and took the items. He bent his elbows to watch the first potato closely as he peeled it. He made up for his eyesight with dexterity, at least.

---

Fendros sucked in his lips and looked down. "Alright." He looked to Ahnasha. "We shall feel our way through it. But, as we go through the planning, just speak up if you aren't confident that the arrangements will work. You're one of the two going in. Don't think we have to make this work if it clearly cannot."

Tilting his head and giving a thin smile, Fendros reached down and squeezed Ahnasha's hand encouragingly. "I think it's time we headed in," he said.

[EliteCommander]

"Perhaps, though destiny or no, it is doubtful that the Falmer are redeemable at this point. They are primitive, violent. Almost like goblins. We had some trouble with them for a while after we claimed this place, but they have learned to fear us. While deadly against travelers and adventurers, the Falmer are disorganized, so we have never sustained significant losses from them." Meesei explained.

Meesei observed Sabine and Karl as they conversed. Sabine was the one in charge of their dinner, so Meesei did not actually know what they were making. Regardless, the ingredients the clan tended to have on-hand would likely make it something exotic to Lunise. "So Karl, my duties have kept me away from the clan for several months now. Have there been any recent discoveries that might be interesting? I know Darahil was looking more into the history of this place as an Aetherium source."

---

Ahnasha nodded, quietly and somewhat nervously, before walking back inside with Fendros. The importance of this meeting was really starting to set in for her. How they chose to approach this issue would decide their chance of success, and her own chance of even surviving such a risky mission.

It took another few minutes for everyone to settle back around the table. There were perhaps some cooler heads than before among those attending, but there was still some palpable tension in the air. Ri'vashi had moved from being obviously uncomfortable, to having an entirely blank expression. The pack had not been present for Fendros' conversation with Ahnasha, so none of them were sure how to start. In fact, with the silence that followed from everyone after they were all seated, it seemed that Fendros would need to be the one to begin.

[Muttonhawk]

"Ah, yes, the Aetherium," Karl said. He glanced up from his potato peeling every now and then. "As far as we can tell, in spite of the abundance of soul gem geodes and metal veins in this place, the Aetherium was the only thing we could find that the Dwemer were actually digging out. The reason that this cavern appears to have been so expanded is because the Dwemer cities skirting the entrances were working together -- or competing -- to mine and process as much as they could for a time. They were using it to make their more powerful enchantments, we believe, though the exact method remains a mystery. We have also seen signs that there was conflict over the Aetherium eventually...or perhaps over the means of exploiting it. But the conflict stopped rather suddenly. There are many lacunas in the few records we have found." He shrugged. "The only hint we have of how to work it is a specialised forge located somewhere, but it is not in anywhere in the cavern that we can find. In fact, we have seen signs that it may be in a separate Dwemer settlement somewhere to the south-east. Unfortunately, other priorities have precluded searching for it outside Blackreach. That has been the state of things for a few months now."

"It all sounds ominous," Sabine observed between slicing onions. "They mined it, they fought over it, and then they stopped. But we do not know why."

---

Exact expressions were mixed around the table. Oswall was high-chinned and had his arms crossed. Vera was sitting straight but appeared slightly pale. Janius was leaning his lips on his weaved fingers and his elbows on the table. Darahil was the same as always.

Fendros seated himself, placed one hand over the other flat on the table, and resumed slowly. "So, we have had a time to think. Does anyone have any further suggestions?"

Oswall cleared his throat. "My only thought was flying chauruses. But I do not know if they are so carefully trained."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei listened carefully to Karl as he spoke, clearly interested. "So, you have found mention of a forge, then? That is more than we had before, by a large margin. If they went through all the trouble of mining out this massive cavern, and fought wars over claiming its contents, then its power would have to be great indeed. Once...well, once my pack has completed its current mission, I think we will have the resources to investigate the claim. At least in some capacity. Finding that forge could be immensely useful to us. And that is not even to mention the scholarly value."

Meesei gave Lunise a curious look. "Have you ever heard of scholars in the Dominion finding something like Aetherium? Though, since the Dwemer had no presence in southern Tamriel, I imagine there would be less Dwemer scholars in the region."

---

Ri'vashi was the first to respond, after a few moments of consideration. "Chaurus hunters can move quickly, but...we would still need to keep them far enough away to avoid setting off the wards. It is doubtful that it would be expected, at least."

"A Chaurus, even one with wings, cannot cover ground all that much faster than a werewolf in full sprint. That would have the same problem as any other idea with something living; they wouldn't get to us in time to help. Myself, Sabine, Meesei, we are capable, but our opponents outnumber us, and have access to powerful Daedric artifacts. Flying chaurus would be useful, certainly, but they would have to be undead to be close enough to help us." Ahnasha argued.

[Muttonhawk]

"There are Aetherium samples in Alinor's academic collections, to be sure," Lunise answered almost reassuringly. "For the longest time they have been seen more as a curiosity than anything else. Research expeditions are expensive and difficult, especially within the Cyrodilic empire, so most scholars of elven history settle for researching the closer Ayleid ruins. Dwemer have a certain austere charm to them, but their priorities are not as engaging to most in the Isles. With a few exceptions of their devices."

Lunise gave a sideways glance. "A human emperor commanding a Dwemer-built mechanical colossus with a power source charged with what amounts to a shard of an old god tends to turn even the most jaded of eyes."

The conversation progressed while Sabine prepared dinner. It was not a complicated dish but it was delicious all the same. Steamed vegetables salted and buttered to perfection alongside a white meat with a gamey flavour. Lunise mistakenly took it for some kind of sea creature and was corrected by Sabine. It was chaurus meat.

That moment was the closest any of them had seen Lunise to going sickly pale. However, she composed herself after a break from eating. Sabine's reassurance that anything poisonous or unclean was not in the meat she used was grounds enough for Lunise to eventually finish her meal.

Though Karl was evidently a quiet person, he began to relax his nerves after long enough in Meesei and Lunise's presence. He would sometimes lower his voice when Lunise had her condescending lines, though he was otherwise courteous and good humoured.

As they approached the end of their meal around the fire, Sabine put her bowl on her lap and spoke. "Meesei, what part of Thorn were you intending to visit? I would have told Ariel if we had more time in advance."

Sabine had visited Ariel on only one occasion since she learned how to teleport on her own. Her continued letters revealed that she had three very young children now. To walk in and try to pull her away for a surprise outing would put much pressure on her.

---

Oswall brought up his hands. "I understand. I would hear other ideas."

A gap of silence in the meeting eventually drew Fendros to speak up again.

"As it stands, we are going to put Ahnasha and Sabine under significant risk in this mission," Fendros explained, eyeing everyone. "If our most reliable idea so far is to employ undead, we will have to discuss how we are going to go about it. Now, I know it is against the principles of many in this room, I understand your reservations. But hear me out, for I believe we can undertake this in a more agreeable manner."

Fendros put one finger on the table in front of him. "First, I would only allow the council to consider undead in this; a dire circumstance. Do'rhajul presents a great threat to us and the clans and will stop at nothing unless we turn him or deal with him." A second finger on his hand uncurled. "Second, we will not use undead in any capacity but to slow the enemy down. They cannot replace our warriors and they do not pose a significant threat while our enemy is armed with silver. Third, we will not raise people if we do not have to. If we can make undead chaurus or wild animals, I would rather see them than spit on the graves of those with friends and families. Fourth, we will not use this as a precedent to allow undead to become regular in this war. We have the upper hand, and to use undead widespread would threaten the unity of our clans at this pivotal time."

Fendros put his hands together again. "Now, are there any objections?"

A grumble sounded from Oswall. "Fendros, I have respect for you and your pack, but not even the Empire and the Dominion use undead in warfare. They spread rot and violence and are used irresponsibly at every turn. They are the mark of those with no compunctions, no thoughts for the world of the sanctity of the dead." He lifted his chin. "But I understand that we are at war. All I shall say is that if this goes wrong, if this gets out or is abused..." He pointed to Fendros. "It will be on your head. And I shall be leaving this council until such time as you excuse yourself from our clan."

[EliteCommander]

"Oh, I was not really planning on going into the city itself." Meesei answered. They were essentially done eating, though Meesei still intended to bring some wine with them that they could share later in the evening. She was sure that they would be wanting to stop and relax at some of the other destinations. "We could visit her if you really wanted to, but I would not want to do anything to disturb her. Do you remember that flower grove overlooking the ocean, south of the city? I wanted to spend some time there. In fact, could you help me with the portal?" She requested.

Creating a portal with two people was faster than doing so alone, so once Sabine was ready, it was not long after that they had an open portal linking Blackreach to Thorn. If Sabine remembered the area well enough, she would not be surprised by the sight they stepped into, but that would not make it any less impressive. Like anywhere in the marsh, it was quite hot and humid, but the area around them looked like anything but a swamp. All around them was every color of flower that one could imagine, stretching in both directions along the edge of the sand as far as they could see. The trees were not as thick as they were deeper in the swamps, and on their other side facing the water, the sky was completely open. As such, there was plenty of light from the stars and waxing moons above. The trees too were colorful, between their leaves, budding flowers, and even fruit. Some were not native, and had been planted by locals to enhance the location's beauty, which was something that had certainly been accomplished.

---

Regardless of how Fendros took Oswall's outburst, Ahnasha did not have as much patience or self-control as he did. She was not as practiced at being politically-minded as he was, so she was more prone to giving into her anger. And anger she had. "I don't care how it goes, I don't need your threats and ultimatums, Oswall. I just volunteered to walk right into the den of the enemy, in what is likely going to be the single riskiest mission of this war. I did that without hesitation, for the benefit of you, your family, and this entire clan. But if you had your choice, you would have me go in without any sort of effective reinforcements, just because it makes you uncomfortable to reanimate some dead animals. If I did that, if I went in there without reinforcements and died because of it, would you be the one to walk up to my son and tell him his mother was dead? Unless you have an actual alternative that keeps me from taking suicidal risks, then you have no right to criticize anyone."

"Oh, and just to let you know, the Empire does make use of necromancy. The College of Whispers studies necromancy officially and legally. And I'm certain the Thalmor have something to do the same. You know they won't let go of magic like that." Ahnasha added.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine nodded enthusiastically and stood up, putting her bowl aside. "I think I will visit Ariel another time. She is very busy," she said. After dusting off herself, she stood near Meesei and lent her energy to the spell.

Karl exchanged a glance with Lunise. He had not seen the portals opening up close before.

Before long, they stepped through into a blast of tropical heat. Their eyes adjusted to behold the beautiful scene before them under the bright moons.

Whatever odd feelings Karl may have experienced from using a portal for the first time, they were promptly erased. Sabine took Karl's hand as he experienced similar amazement to Lunise upon seeing Blackreach. He couldn't help but let out a laugh.

In contrast, Lunise clasped one hand in another in front of herself and raised a soft smile. She breathed in slowly to take in the scent. She spoke so softly as to almost be inaudible. "Father described a scene like this. He went to Thorn on his first journey to Black Marsh. He told me, there are places in nature that humble us Altmer. For not all the best things come from magic. I have seen two such places in one night now. I think I finally understand what he meant when he told me."

---

"Neither armies put walking corpses on the battlefield! I can tell you from mine own experiences!" Oswall retorted. "The very idea that I would place my trust in Fendros to give us this plan is as far as I can go."

"Oswall-" Darahil made a half-hearted attempt to interrupt.

Oswall threw an arm forward. "I would not spit on my ancestor's grave by being responsible for-"

"Oswall! Oswall. Stop." Fendros lifted a hand. He turned to Ahna. "Calm yourself, Ahna. Both of you. This is not a place for spitting...Oswall," Fendros stared down Oswall's red face. "You can be guaranteed that I will take full responsibility if the use of undead takes a poor turn."

"Fendros, if I may?" Darahil tried again. He was unaffected by the shouting.

Fendros nodded to Darahil.

Darahil glanced to Oswall from the corner of his eye. "Before we are tangled in the morals of this plan, I must ask of a matter disconnected to our proclivities." Oswall lowered his head and looked under his brow at Fendros. "Have you considered that perhaps those in Do'rhajul's band could find the use of undead offensive as well? If reanimated thralls are used as reinforcements, then the entire strategy to subvert their beliefs about us and Vile shall be utterly undermined. And no amount of shouting shall change their minds."

[EliteCommander]

Once the portal closed behind them, Meesei stepped up alongside Lunise and put her arm gently around her waist. Silently, she leaned her head against her shoulder and simply observed the sight along with her. Even after Lunise commented, it took a while for Meesei to respond. "This place has an immaculate sort of natural beauty, which the locals have cultivated to the best of their ability. Even in the middle of the harshest of places, there are jewels like this."

When she finally released her grip on Lunise, Meesei took a few steps forward and carefully sat herself down among a bed of flowers, close to the edge of the beach. For a lycan, and particularly an Argonian, the number of scents was almost overwhelming, even if they were pleasant. It was likely a case where Lunise was actually having a somewhat better experience by the virtue of being less sensitive. "There are so many places in the world like this. Perhaps not as beautiful, I would admit, but still just as deserving to be seen."

---

Unlike Oswall, Darahil had a reasonable argument against the use of undead that Ahnasha simply could not ignore. She may have felt that the taboo surrounding undead was unfounded, but that would not matter to the enemy they were trying to convince. This, unfortunately, just made the situation all the more complicated.

"That is...you may not be wrong." Ahnasha conceded. "Strictly speaking, the purpose of the undead only comes into play if we are discovered, but even if we are successful, we might still be detected when moving the corpses away. But...how do we keep safe, then? What can we possibly do to give myself and Sabine some kind of chance if we are discovered? I do not intend to die for this, or worse. There are the automatons, perhaps, but...can we do it, Darahil? Can we make them silent enough to move them in close enough to be useful? Can we do it reliably? or is there any other option at all?"