EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I'm sure it will look fine, and even if it doesn't, you won't know until you try. Don't worry about it too much though. I wouldn't be mated to a Dunmer if I was only interested in perfectly attractive Khajiit. You have your own charm about you, like the muscles you've been putting on. I think your training has been doing you some good; you definitely have the arms of an archer now." Ahnasha observed. Honestly, she still wasn't quite sure how to compliment the appearance of a Dunmer, but commenting on muscular definition seemed to be a safe bet for males of any race.

Meesei acknowledged Janius as he joined her by the river. She knelt down along the river's edge and placed the waterskin beside her, then lightly swirled her finger around in the water to attract the attention of the fish. A quick detect life spell had already revealed that there were plenty in the area. "I'm afraid you might be disappointed in this particular fishing venture. Trodh are very small fish that swim in large groups, and there is quite an easy way to catch many of them at a time. Also, you won't be needing that fire."

Once she saw that she had attracted the interest of the creatures, she discharged a quick lightning spell into the water, not enough to kill the creatures, but merely stun them. Since young wamasu often preyed on trodh and other fish, they had adapted to be resistant to electricity, so it took quite a bit more lightning than one would expect to achieve the same effect. After stunning them, she grabbed the waterskin and skimmed it across the surface of the water, filling it with the small creatures. They soon began to swim around again in the waterskin, as well as in the river, but she had enough for the moment. Standing up, she motioned over towards the pond. "Come, we can eat them over by the pond."

Meesei led Janius over to the pond with the others. Lorag had rushed in as quickly as he could, though he had to stop himself from actually jumping in, if only to avoid incurring Ahnasha's wrath. He had quickly discovered that her mood could easily shift to both good and bad extremes over small provocations. As much as he liked teasing her, he took no pleasure in making her legitimately angry. Once they were by the pond, Meesei undressed and climbed in as well. She set the trog-filled waterskin on the shore beside her so Janius could access it, then reached in and grabbed one for herself. She held the creature up by the tail, then dropped it in her mouth and swallowed it whole...and alive. Both Lorag and Ahnasha gave her a strange look, to which she simply laughed. "Feel free to help yourself. Just make sure not to kill them before swallowing."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

While Ahnasha and Fendros went over to the water, Meesei went to collect the largest empty waterskin they had from camp. In order to catch the trog, she would need a good, watertight container. It took her a few moments to find one large enough, after which she turned her attention briefly to the others in camp. "I am going to catch some fish for us to eat, then join Ahnasha and Fendros for a swim. Any of you can join, if you wish." She offered before heading down to the edge of the river.

Lorag had already eaten, so he wasn't too interested in the fish, but he immediately perked up at the mention of a swim. "Wait, you mean you found a spot not filled with those swimming sets of teeth? Count me in. This heat is hitting me harder than the Stormcloaks ever did." He exclaimed. He could not get up fast enough if it meant a refreshing dip in the water.

Ahnasha lowered herself in more cautiously than Fendros, but her reaction was essentially the same. Even if the water in Black Marsh was warm compared to most rivers and lakes, it was just as refreshing compared to the heat of the air around them. She almost wished it was safe to swim all the way to Thorn, because she would do so in a heartbeat. Once Fendros surfaced, she moved to a shallow part of the large pond they were in and laid down on her stomach, crossing her arms and resting her head on them. "Most of the soreness is in my lower back, so you should put most of the salve there." She advised. When he asked about her preference for a beard, she smiled and looked back at him. "Well...it's no secret that Khajiit find a nice, strong mane to be attractive. Dunmer might not be able to grow a mane like Khajiit, but a thick, glorious beard...that could be just as good." She said with a grin as she reached back and lightly stroked his chin.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"It could be difficult to find a village, though not because of trust. Flooding can be an issue in the Marsh, so unless they can find a place that is safe year round, many villages are nomadic, moving between Hist trees in different seasons. As for the ritual itself, I do not suspect that we will have any difficulty with the Treeminders allowing us to perform it. Argonians may have a hard time trusting outsiders, but the Hist do not care about the race of those who they choose to commune with. They will impart their knowledge and wisdom onto any who seek it" Meesei explained, though she was not entirely satisfied that she had accurately described her meaning.

When Ahnasha and Fendros approached asking about where they should swim, she responded with a smile. "Of course." She looked around the area at the water, which, to the untrained eye, all seemed the same. Some of it was flowing and some was standing, but both of those could contain annoying or even dangerous creatures. Despite this, she was almost immediately able to point to a likely location. Her experience in the marsh made picking out such things almost second nature to her. She knew all of the factors to look for: water clarity, the kinds of surrounding foliage, how many insects were present, and a few other details could be used to determine how much was living in any given body of water. "That looks like a good spot. The river surrounding us also looks like a prime location for trodh, which are a rather tasty type of fish. I think I may catch some, then join you for a swim."

"Alright, that sounds good. I could use a meal with my massage." Ahnasha commented. "Speaking of which, I'm down to the last of that salve you gave me, Ariel. I don't suppose it would be too much trouble to make more, would it? Or do you need more ingredients than you have? No need to make it now, of course, just for later."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha looked at the water for a few moments, then nodded and started to remove her jewelry, clothing, and other adornments. The only thing she kept was her necklace. It had not been long after leaving Vvardenfell that she had Meesei apply a stamina fortification enchantment to it, which made her feel generally more lively and energetic. As a result, the only time she did not wear it was when she was taking on her wolf form, or trying to get to sleep. "Argonians do not sweat, actually. They just really like the heat, especially with humidity. They actually prefer being soaked when it's not cold. There are plenty of non-Argonians, even Khajiit, that actually enjoy living here, so maybe it is something you get used to?"

Ahnasha slowly and carefully stood up, more out of caution than an actual inability to stand. Although she had become a bit less mobile over the past few months, she could still get around herself fairly well. That would likely change near the end of the pregnancy, but she was fine for now. Regardless, she avoided anything with a remote possibility of harming her child. Since her lifestyle had become much more sedentary recently, she had, on Lorag's recommendation, modified her usual training regimen to avoid losing too much muscle mass. "Let's see if we can get some of that salve, I could really do with a good massage. We should probably have Meesei pick out the spot for us. I don't want a fish latching onto my tail...again."

"Not at the moment, no. At least...not more than usual." Meesei answered. "The Hist always has a presence in our minds, even if it is weaker away from Black Marsh. To describe them as 'gods' in the same sense as the Daedra is not really accurate, even if they have the same kind of power and influence. Truly, it is hard to explain the nature of the Hist in a way that describes accurately what they are, even to other Argonians. As Treeminder of my clan, I had the greatest understanding of the Hist in my entire village, but even I admit that some of their mysteries elude me. This one is but a sapling, but it is connected by the root to all other Hist. They are just as one entity, so technically, this tree could be used for the ritual. However, that ritual requires Hist sap, and it would be difficult to extract it from this tree. No, it would be much better to find a village willing to let us perform the ritual and use sap from their tree. The Hist trees that Argonian villages are built around give their sap to the clan easily, so no effort is required to extract it."

Elder Scrolls: Terror of the Padomaic

I edited on a part to my last post. I was a bit busy earlier capturing a scroll in the most roundabout way possible in ESO.

Elder Scrolls: Terror of the Padomaic

I'll do it before going to bed, but you can be self indulgent.

Elder Scrolls: Terror of the Padomaic

I can, I suppose, though no one has really responded to anything I have written in a while.

Elder Scrolls: Terror of the Padomaic

Well...you.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Goodnight.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha groaned once more as she ran her hands down her face and looked up at Fendros. At first she was silent, not really displaying what kind of a mood she was in. After a few moments, she brought herself to sit up and lean on a nearby tree before letting out a sigh. "I'm fine, or I will be. Ariel gave me some potions. Just wish they were a bit faster acting."

She looked down at her stomach and gave a somewhat forced grin. "This is not a condition I would have ever thought to find myself in. So many changes. The extra weight in my stomach has been giving me aches in my joints and back. The fact that my breasts have swollen in size also hasn't done my back any favors, though I doubt you mind that one as much." She said, looking at him with a bit of a chuckle. "Nausea is rarer now, but the biggest problem I'm having right now isn't even related to the child. It is...hot, and all my fur is not helping. At all. I wish I could just shave it all off without looking utterly ridiculous. I think I'm going to be spending a lot of time in the water while we're here; just need Meesei to point out which bodies of water are safe to swim in. Or maybe she can just electrocute all of the biting fish to death. We could eat them afterwards, or something. Hircine knows I have the appetite for it."

Meesei continued to look at the tree, but still nodded to Ariel's question. "A sapling, yes. Grown Hist trees are usually about the size of all the others around us, while some can become absolutely massive. This tree's presence shows that, if we're not in Black Marsh, we are very close. It has been quite a while since I have seen the Hist." Meesei looked away from the tree to give Ariel a lighthearted smile. "So, how does it feel to stand before a god?" She asked jokingly.