EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Huh, uh, no." Lorag responded, caught off guard that someone actually spoke to him. "Just...keeping track of what you're saying. Sounds like it might be important."

Meesei paused to think for a moment, unsure of what to think of Ariel wanting to share the information she had picked up in traveling with them. On the one hand, information was powerful, and anything she wrote would inevitably be found by their enemies. But, on the other, most of lycans' actual weaknesses were already well known, and she could not think of much that Ariel knew about them which could actually be harmful to them, apart from their identities. "I am not sure how I feel about that. There is quite a bit of misinformation out there about us, but that can sometimes play to our advantage. Our enemies do not always know what will work against us. However, many of those rumors paint us in a much more negative light than what is true. The truth of the matter is that we are people. People with a condition that some of us embrace and accept, and that others received unwillingly. I have heard of some lycans that learn to control their beast, then live successfully among non-lycans. In secret, of course. It is true that there are some wild lycans behave as little more than wild beasts, unable to control their instincts, but for those of us who have a pack, we are far more...civilized might be a word for it. I will not pretend that this blessing is without its disadvantages, but it is not something I would willingly give up, even if that was an option."

Meesei glanced over to Ahnasha and Fendros, then back to Ariel. "As for trying to study courtships among lycans, I think you might end up disappointed. There really isn't anything unique about them. The customs vary based on the people involved, for everything, not just courtship. There are some practices that pretty much all lycans adopt out of either necessity, or instinct, but the rest depends on the origins of the people who comprise the pack. Take Ahnasha and Fendros, for example. They both come from cities with Imperial culture. The beginning of their relationship may have been unconventional, but in essence, they found that they cared for one another and formed a relationship between only themselves. If this were a pack formed from members of an Orc stronghold, on the other hand, i would expect the Alpha to be something like a chief, with several wives. In my case, any advances on me from a member of a different pack would be based their own individual motivations. The title I bear carries with it prestige and authority among lycans, and that is something some find desirable. In any case, I do not believe it would be wise for me to embrace such casual encounters. This war between us and Vile is just that: a war. Lycan packs are not organized as some singular society, so I have no actual authority to order around other packs, but the title of Champion is something that any follower of Hircine would respect. I, and the rest of my pack, are symbols to the rest of Hircine's followers. We are meant to represent the best of his hunters. So, when dealing with other packs, I need to appear strong at all times. Even if I am broken and wounded on the inside, I need to appear strong for them. I do not like the idea of making myself appear more important or more powerful than I am, but for the sake of their morale, I need for us to essentially be a legend. If we can be heroes to them, then we might be able to inspire their confidence. I believe accepting such an encounter could serve to diminish that illusion. With my pack, with all of you, I show all that I am, my strengths as well as my flaws. I would have it no other way. But, when it comes time to deal with other lycans, I need to be flawless. We need to be flawless."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei laughed along with the others, quite surprised to see Sabine acting in such a way. She considered it a positive change, but she certainly wasn't about to mention it. She knew Sabine did not like to have attention on her, so calling too much attention to her might dissuade her from opening up in such a way in the future. Lorag ended up laughing harder than she had heard in a long time and ended up giving her an approving nod, likely because Runt pulling a prank was the last thing he expected.

"You're the epitome of desirability Janius, truly." Meesei joked. "I agree, though, that plan sounds much safer. Much simpler just to deal with other lycans. Thinking about it, I may end up getting a lot of propositions if we find other packs, given the title I hold. I'm not quite sure how I will respond to that. Certainly, it is not something I am used to. At any rate, Ariel, there is something you said that I noticed isn't actually accurate. I believe some of the material you researched wasn't completely true. Contracting lycanthropy can be quick, but not always. The majority of infections, especially with wild werewolves, come from contact with infected blood from scratches, or saliva from bites. Those infections can take upwards of three days to set in completely. It can happen more quickly, such as if there is a lot of blood, or if you actually purposefully ingest the blood. In that case, the transformation can happen in within the hour, if not immediately. I know this from experience. I do not think it completely invalidates your source, but there may have been some exaggerations, or false details.

Lorag was being quiet, but it was obvious he was paying close attention to the conversation. There were details of the conversation that may or may not apply to him at some point in the future, though he wasn't considering that the others might notice how intently he was looking at them.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei shrugged. "You know, I can honestly say I do not know. As much as I wish I did, I cannot say that I know every detail about lycanthropy. I have not bedded a non-lycan since becoming a lycan. It would make sense, though, or at least it could make sense. The blessing behaves identically to a disease. Although, like any disease, it does have an incubation period. During this time, it can be cured just as easily as any common disease. It can also be resisted with any kind of resist disease potion or enchantment. If you wanted to seek out those services, Janius, I wouldn't stop you. I understand where you are coming from. You would just need your partner to take all the proper cures. Might be difficult."

Ahnasha felt the sudden pressure on her feet and shifted uncomfortably for a moment before settling back down. She seemed minorly annoyed for a moment, but quickly returned to enjoying the massage. Holding back a grin, she subtly moved her tail behind him, then ever so lightly brushed the fur on its tip against his shoulder, only to move it out of sight if it looked like he was turning around. She was amused, but she suspected he was starting to get used to dealing with such trickery involving her tail.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei shook her head. "I've never actually been in an inn before, not since being in the pack, and not before. I know enough about cities to blend in reasonably well as long as I avoid interacting with too many locals. Beyond that, the culture is highly foreign to me. Much how you did not know a great deal about surviving in the wilds until we taught you." She responded to Fendros. "Ever since Vos, we've had more and more reason to be in cities and towns, and with this war against Vile, I suspect that is not going to change. I suppose it is time for me to learn more about them, more about their culture. It seems it will be you teaching me for a change. I may need to avoid Janius' advice, though." She said, turning her head towards him. "You would probably just end up taking me to brothels."

Ahnasha gave a slight laugh, but not because of Meesei's joke. Even with her feet being as calloused as they were, there were some spots that were still sensitive. She was quite a ticklish individual, something that she was yet to mention to Fendros. It was fortunate that he had done nothing yet to reveal that through his massages. She decided to play it off as a laugh at the joke and continued in the conversation. "Wouldn't surprise me. You really want some 'attention', don't you? Sometimes, I think you're jealous of me and Fendros. We have no need of those kinds of 'services." She said before looking at Fendros with a jokingly angry glare. "Or at least you better not."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sorry for the delay, I was in PvP. I'll post now.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Lorag sighed in resignation. "Well, there's really no way I couldn't try one of those things, is there?" He reached out and accepted one from Meesei when she offered, then wasted no time in swallowing the thing. His eyes widened, giving him the strangest expression any of the others had seen. He settled back into his place in the pond, saying nothing about the trodh and giving no real indication of what he thought of it. He just remained silent and waited for everyone to stop staring at him.

Ahnasha couldn't hold back her laughter at Lorag's reaction, but she eventually turned her attention back to Fendros. As per usual, his massage worked wonders for her aches, especially once the salve made its way into her skin. Eventually, the aches in her back had subsided to the point that she rolled back over to sit up properly and gave Fendros a kiss. "Thank you, you have no idea how much better that feels. I know we're out of the salve, but I don't suppose you could do something for my feet as well? Along with my back, they tend to hurt the worst after a long walk." She asked, not actually waiting for an answer before situating herself to make it easier on him. She laid down on her back with her head resting just out of the water, and her feet resting across Fendros' lap. She let out a deep breath and closed her eyes, still enjoying how much of a relief the water was compared to the heat of the air.

Meesei quickly checked the waterskin to see how many trodh they had left, as well as making sure that none had died, as the dead would need to be removed quickly to avoid contaminating the water. Once she saw that they had enough for the moment, she spoke up on something she had been thinking about. "Based on where we are, I do not think it will take more than a few days to reach Thorn. Once we are there, I think it would be best for Ariel if we all stayed in the city, instead of camping outside. She needs to experience the city if she is going to make a decision on whether or not to live there. It is just...I have never actually been in an inn before. Do any of you know how they work?" Meesei asked genuinely. She had only a slight understanding of the details of city life, so once they reached the city, she would be quite out of her element. The only thing that would allow her to blend in for an extended time would be her knowledge of her people's culture.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei couldn't help but to laugh. "Well, it's certainly not going to succeed. Eating them alive is the only option. Trodh quickly become incredibly poisonous if you kill or cook them before eating them. Swallowing them whole prevents that. Don't worry, they are perfectly safe when eaten properly; I wouldn't let you have them if they were not. I should probably mention again, though, that under no circumstance should you eat anything you find in this place unless I tell you it is safe. There are plenty of things just as poisonous as cooked trodh."

Between the salve and Fendros' massage, Ahnasha was quite relaxed, but couldn't help but to watch Janius eat the creature, then eye the waterskin for a few moments before glancing up to Fendros. "So...is it bad that I kind of actually want to try one of those things?"

Without a word, Meesei took one of the trodh from the waterskin and held the thrashing creature out to offer it to Ahnasha. She stared at it for almost ten seconds before finally reaching out and slowly grabbing it by the tail. Deciding not to hesitate, she quickly dropped it into her mouth and allowed the wriggling creature to slide down her throat. She gave quite the strange expression, one not quite of disgust, but rather confusion. She had certainly not been prepared for how it would feel. "That...was an experience. I almost think I can feel the thing still wriggling in my stomach. As for the taste...well that isn't bad, not bad at all." She commented, but after a few moments, she let out an annoyed sigh. "Great, I'm going to start craving these at some point, I guarantee it."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Goodnight. I'll get a post up before going to sleep.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It is at this point that I realize the name of these fish are not trog, but trodh. Need to make some edits.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Not entirely certain how much longer I'll be able to stay up. I'll try to stay up for one more.