"My drawing is, uh, okay? I'm hardly an artist yet, but I don't think it looks bad by any means. It is obvious I put effort into them, but I don't exactly think anyone would want to buy a painting from me at this point. I'll keep working at it as long as I have supplies, though." Ahnasha responded as they found some place to sit down. Drawing had been a great distraction for her in her free time, so she was definitely glad they picked up the supplies. She wasn't sure yet if she would keep with it after her child was born, or if she would even be able if she wanted to, but she did had to admit that she enjoyed it. The others returned shortly, and it was not long after that when Meesei emerged from the building and met back up with the rest of the group. Ahnasha did not even have to ask to tell what kind of news she brought, as the smile on her face and general upbeat attitude gave that away immediately.
"It seems fortune is smiling upon us, the town's elder had actually met with a trader from a village only a few days ago. This village has made their home relatively close to the town for the season, and they have been trading with the village regularly. After I explained our situation and assured him of our intentions, he told me exactly where we might find them. Based on the speed we have been traveling recently, we should be able to reach them within a week. I see that we are now resupplied, so we can leave now, unless there is something else that needs to be done." Meesei explained, excited that Sabine's ritual was drawing closer.
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Ahnasha shrugged. She thought the idea had potential, but there were still problems to solve."I don't know. I think it would be nice if we could find any of those, but I would have no idea where to even begin looking. There really isn't that much more time left. Two months at most, not even considering however much time is required to reach this village for Runt's ritual. I...I know I've been slowing you all down when it comes to traveling. We have to stop constantly for me, or at least a lot more than we used to. It is difficult and slow to travel through Black Marsh even without a handicap; I don't even know if we could get out of Black Marsh before it is time. I would love to find one of those groups you mentioned, but I wouldn't really know where to begin. Maybe...maybe I'm just overthinking this. Maybe I am worrying over what will amount to nothing. I know childbirth isn't easy, but I mean, there are plenty of people who don't have access to healers and alchemists. They can get through it just fine with no permanent issues. It will all probably turn out fine...hopefully. I don't know, I guess when it comes to the safety of our child, it is better for me to worry too much than not enough." She said, trying to rationalize away her fear.
Ahnasha looked around for a moment at the home Meesei had gone into. She was likely already talking to the town's leaders about her questions. Apart from that, and the quick resupply that Lorag was currently in charge of, they had little reason to remain in the town afterwards. Provided Meesei got the answers she was looking for, they would probably leave just as quickly as they arrived...which would mean even more walking for Ahnasha. At the moment, she was grateful for the chance to rest, but she was no doubt going to have to rest plenty of times more before the end of the day. Her diminishing physical capabilities as of late was something that was filling her with a mix of guilt and shame. Not only was she starting to become a burden on the pack, but she was uncomfortable with the feeling of being weak. At the very least, she could still shoot straight, so anything involving archery, she could still do.
Breaking out of her thoughts, Ahnasha leaned forward with a slight grin and gave Fendros a quick kiss. "I definitely appreciate the suggestions, though. You've been a big help to me the past few months."
Ahnasha looked around for a moment at the home Meesei had gone into. She was likely already talking to the town's leaders about her questions. Apart from that, and the quick resupply that Lorag was currently in charge of, they had little reason to remain in the town afterwards. Provided Meesei got the answers she was looking for, they would probably leave just as quickly as they arrived...which would mean even more walking for Ahnasha. At the moment, she was grateful for the chance to rest, but she was no doubt going to have to rest plenty of times more before the end of the day. Her diminishing physical capabilities as of late was something that was filling her with a mix of guilt and shame. Not only was she starting to become a burden on the pack, but she was uncomfortable with the feeling of being weak. At the very least, she could still shoot straight, so anything involving archery, she could still do.
Breaking out of her thoughts, Ahnasha leaned forward with a slight grin and gave Fendros a quick kiss. "I definitely appreciate the suggestions, though. You've been a big help to me the past few months."
"I doubt it. Werewolf hunters come from all over. You will even find some serving Hircine, I hear. Lorag would probably take it as a point of pride that he was an Orc, given his capabilities." Ahnasha responded. Since they were out of the way of most of the townsfolk, and most of them did not speak Cyrodilic, they could speak more freely than they could in Thorn. Even so, she decided to pick her words carefully enough so that what they were would not be obvious.
"Anyway, I'm starting to get a bit more anxious the closer we get to the day our child will be born. Back when this all first started, there was so much I didn't know about anything related to raising a child. I just always figured there would be plenty of time for me to figure it out. Well, now it has been five months and I still know only a little more than when it started. Instinct will only help up to a point. I've sat down and talked with Meesei about it before. She has been a big help, but even she hasn't raised a child in our...situation before. Not to mention the birth itself. Meesei knows about laying eggs, not delivering cubs. From everything I've heard, it is a painful and sometimes dangerous ordeal. The only thing I can think of to do to prepare is to make sure Runt has plenty of ingredients for painkillers in the weeks leading up to it, then just...wait. Unless there is something more you can think of to do?" Ahnasha asked. She knew it was unlikely, but a part of her wished Fendros had some idea or suggestion she had not thought of, as she really did not like stepping into this blind.
"Anyway, I'm starting to get a bit more anxious the closer we get to the day our child will be born. Back when this all first started, there was so much I didn't know about anything related to raising a child. I just always figured there would be plenty of time for me to figure it out. Well, now it has been five months and I still know only a little more than when it started. Instinct will only help up to a point. I've sat down and talked with Meesei about it before. She has been a big help, but even she hasn't raised a child in our...situation before. Not to mention the birth itself. Meesei knows about laying eggs, not delivering cubs. From everything I've heard, it is a painful and sometimes dangerous ordeal. The only thing I can think of to do to prepare is to make sure Runt has plenty of ingredients for painkillers in the weeks leading up to it, then just...wait. Unless there is something more you can think of to do?" Ahnasha asked. She knew it was unlikely, but a part of her wished Fendros had some idea or suggestion she had not thought of, as she really did not like stepping into this blind.
The boy continued to hide behind Ahnasha despite Fendros' words. Even if he wasn't too afraid to speak, he did not have a name to give Fendros, since he was not yet old enough for his naming ceremony. He continued to look at Fendros through frightened eyes until their silent standoff was broken by a voice sounding out from the doorway of a nearby building.
"Come, hatchling." The Argonian woman said, to which the boy immediately darted off crying towards her. She shot Fendros a distrustful glare, then stepped back into the inn and closed the door behind her.
"Well...I guess it is a good thing we won't be staying the night. Somehow, I doubt the boy's mother would give you a good deal on a room." Ahnasha commented. The entire situation was uncomfortable, and she certainly did not envy being Fendros right now. Distrust towards Dunmer was probably higher in Black Marsh than anywhere else in Tamriel. It had not really been bad at all in Thorn, but a town like this did not see visitors nearly as frequently. "I'm guessing the boy just heard stories about the past and thought it was all still true today. Children of that age can latch onto things like that, even if their parents don't mean for them to. I saw how the mother glared at you, but that's probably just because you made her son cry. Not the best first impression, really." She said, wanting to try and reassure Fendros that everyone around them probably didn't despise him. Of course, she didn't know what any of them actually thought, but with how long it had been since the slave trade was active, not all of them would be resentful. Indeed, apart from a few glances, most of the town didn't seem to be paying Fendros or the rest of the group much attention.
"Still, I am a bit curious about how things are going to be once we get to that village. From what Meesei has explained, the nomadic villages are the most traditional of Argonians. I guess it all depends on what kind of traditions they have. I think Meesei said they don't all follow the same customs. Maybe you should try learning more about the Hist to impress them or something? Like Ariel did in Thorn." She suggested.
"Come, hatchling." The Argonian woman said, to which the boy immediately darted off crying towards her. She shot Fendros a distrustful glare, then stepped back into the inn and closed the door behind her.
"Well...I guess it is a good thing we won't be staying the night. Somehow, I doubt the boy's mother would give you a good deal on a room." Ahnasha commented. The entire situation was uncomfortable, and she certainly did not envy being Fendros right now. Distrust towards Dunmer was probably higher in Black Marsh than anywhere else in Tamriel. It had not really been bad at all in Thorn, but a town like this did not see visitors nearly as frequently. "I'm guessing the boy just heard stories about the past and thought it was all still true today. Children of that age can latch onto things like that, even if their parents don't mean for them to. I saw how the mother glared at you, but that's probably just because you made her son cry. Not the best first impression, really." She said, wanting to try and reassure Fendros that everyone around them probably didn't despise him. Of course, she didn't know what any of them actually thought, but with how long it had been since the slave trade was active, not all of them would be resentful. Indeed, apart from a few glances, most of the town didn't seem to be paying Fendros or the rest of the group much attention.
"Still, I am a bit curious about how things are going to be once we get to that village. From what Meesei has explained, the nomadic villages are the most traditional of Argonians. I guess it all depends on what kind of traditions they have. I think Meesei said they don't all follow the same customs. Maybe you should try learning more about the Hist to impress them or something? Like Ariel did in Thorn." She suggested.
Ssarak Dyreackthanose
Ssarak nodded in agreement to Meirin. It would be best for them to be prepared in the event something threatened the college again. His armor was still usable, but it was dented in places and could stand to have some repairs. His axe was fine, if a bit dulled by the fight. Although, he was considering doing something that he had been thinking about for a while. His axe was a perfectly effective weapon, and it had sentimental value to him due to the fact that it was his father's, but when it came to maximizing efficiency, he had an idea for a weapon that would serve him well in a more diverse range of situations. Also, since they were all at least in relatively good health, they would certainly be helpful in the rebuilding efforts.
"Do you know who it was that poisoned Khan?" Ssarak asked. "I suppose it makes sense that Khan would have been harmed if he was under the influence of a toxin, but it is concerning that a foe was able to deliver the poison in the first place. That would mean an agent of our enemy was in the college beforehand, and close enough to the headmaster to poison his drink. We have no reason to believe that they will not attempt a similar tactic again. It could be that Satori and other psychomancers will be able to ferret out infiltrators in the future, but it would be foolish to deny the possibility of it happening again. Whoever the college's foe is, they have demonstrated that they are indeed powerful."
Ssarak nodded in agreement to Meirin. It would be best for them to be prepared in the event something threatened the college again. His armor was still usable, but it was dented in places and could stand to have some repairs. His axe was fine, if a bit dulled by the fight. Although, he was considering doing something that he had been thinking about for a while. His axe was a perfectly effective weapon, and it had sentimental value to him due to the fact that it was his father's, but when it came to maximizing efficiency, he had an idea for a weapon that would serve him well in a more diverse range of situations. Also, since they were all at least in relatively good health, they would certainly be helpful in the rebuilding efforts.
"Do you know who it was that poisoned Khan?" Ssarak asked. "I suppose it makes sense that Khan would have been harmed if he was under the influence of a toxin, but it is concerning that a foe was able to deliver the poison in the first place. That would mean an agent of our enemy was in the college beforehand, and close enough to the headmaster to poison his drink. We have no reason to believe that they will not attempt a similar tactic again. It could be that Satori and other psychomancers will be able to ferret out infiltrators in the future, but it would be foolish to deny the possibility of it happening again. Whoever the college's foe is, they have demonstrated that they are indeed powerful."
While one Argonian child approached Sabine, it seemed that another took interest in Ahnasha. It was a small, light green Argonian boy of about five or six years of age, though Ahnasha had to admit she had a hard time telling the difference in gender of very young Argonians. He looked up at her with a smile and laughter as he said something in Jel that she couldn't understand.
"I'm sorry, I cannot speak Jel." Ahnasha said to the little boy. Surprisingly, the boy seemed to understand, then concentrated heavily on what he was going to say next.
"You talk Cyro-bilic? Mother isss...isss ssleeping-place owner." He said, heavily exaggerating each "s" sound with a hiss. Ahnasha returned a smile and gave a light chuckle. The boy certainly seemed curious and friendly, and if she understood him properly, it seemed like his mother was an innkeeper, which did explain his minor understanding of Cyrodilic. "I a Saxhleel, you a...kitten." He said excitedly before lightly poking her stomach. "Big kitten."
Normally, Ahnasha might be offended, but coming from a small child, especially one with such an amusing speech pattern, she found it rather cute. For Fendros, it would likely be obvious just by looking at her that she was thinking about their own child. It would only be a few years before their child was at the same stage as the Argonian boy, with all the benefits and challenges that came along with it. "Close. I am a Khajiit, though it won't be long before we have a 'kitten'." She said with a grin, rubbing her stomach.
Considering that he came from an egg, the boy probably didn't really understand what Ahnasha meant, but nevertheless, he seemed to accept it. "You are Khaj-it...Kha-jeet." The boy said before turning towards Fendros beside her. "What is he?"
"He is a Dark Elf, a Dunmer." Ahnasha explained. She expected that the boy would be curious, but instead, he gasped and stared at Fendros with his eyes wide and filled with fear. "A Dunmer! No let him take me, no let him take me!" The boy screamed, running around Ahnasha and hiding behind her legs. Tears formed in his eyes and he began to sob as he peered around Ahnasha's legs at Fendros. For Ahnasha, she was at a bit of a loss for what to do and, for the moment, only managed to look at Fendros with a concerned expression and shrug her shoulders awkwardly.
"I'm sorry, I cannot speak Jel." Ahnasha said to the little boy. Surprisingly, the boy seemed to understand, then concentrated heavily on what he was going to say next.
"You talk Cyro-bilic? Mother isss...isss ssleeping-place owner." He said, heavily exaggerating each "s" sound with a hiss. Ahnasha returned a smile and gave a light chuckle. The boy certainly seemed curious and friendly, and if she understood him properly, it seemed like his mother was an innkeeper, which did explain his minor understanding of Cyrodilic. "I a Saxhleel, you a...kitten." He said excitedly before lightly poking her stomach. "Big kitten."
Normally, Ahnasha might be offended, but coming from a small child, especially one with such an amusing speech pattern, she found it rather cute. For Fendros, it would likely be obvious just by looking at her that she was thinking about their own child. It would only be a few years before their child was at the same stage as the Argonian boy, with all the benefits and challenges that came along with it. "Close. I am a Khajiit, though it won't be long before we have a 'kitten'." She said with a grin, rubbing her stomach.
Considering that he came from an egg, the boy probably didn't really understand what Ahnasha meant, but nevertheless, he seemed to accept it. "You are Khaj-it...Kha-jeet." The boy said before turning towards Fendros beside her. "What is he?"
"He is a Dark Elf, a Dunmer." Ahnasha explained. She expected that the boy would be curious, but instead, he gasped and stared at Fendros with his eyes wide and filled with fear. "A Dunmer! No let him take me, no let him take me!" The boy screamed, running around Ahnasha and hiding behind her legs. Tears formed in his eyes and he began to sob as he peered around Ahnasha's legs at Fendros. For Ahnasha, she was at a bit of a loss for what to do and, for the moment, only managed to look at Fendros with a concerned expression and shrug her shoulders awkwardly.
"We will need to hunt tonight to build up our stocks. Actually, now that we are in the marsh, we will need to hunt more frequently since meat rots more quickly. I have an idea of where to go to find a village, but it may require some searching around." Meesei explained as they started to make their way out of the city.
The next few weeks of travel proved more difficult than the pack was used to in Cyrodiil. Even though the marsh was teeming with life, it took some time for the rest of the pack to become acquainted with how to track and kill the marsh's creatures. As they moved away from the coast, the terrain became more difficult to navigate, slowing their pace further, and Meesei could only offer so much advice. Normally, she would have swam along the marsh's plentiful rivers to travel quickly, but that was not feasible for the rest of her pack. She only knew how to speed their pace slightly when it came to land travel. Even so, they were making slow and steady progress. Unfortunately, actually locating a village was proving more difficult than she had hoped. She had a general idea of the region the village would be moving to, but it was a wide area and was subject to change.
Ahnasha's condition was further complicating matters, as much as she hated it. She couldn't hunt effectively like she used to and only did so when her beast spirit demanded it. She couldn't keep up the same pace as the others, so inevitably, they started to cover less and less ground in a day, which caused her no small amount of guilt. Ahnasha at least tried to take care of the camp in whatever way she could so she could at least feel like she was contributing. Otherwise, she began to make use of the painting supplies they picked up in Thorn so she could practice in her now-abundant free time. As she predicted, her first creations were nothing spectacular, but she was at least trying to improve. Through it all, she never stopped giving Fendros his archery lessons, as that was something she could do no matter what her stage of pregnancy. As usual, his skills were steadily improving; Ahnasha found it surprisingly easy to teach him. He still wasn't as accurate as her, but she could honestly say that he was now a formidable opponent at range.
Overall, it was about one and a half months before the pack made it to an Argonian town. It wasn't a village like they were looking for and did not have a central tree they could use, but Meesei had reason to believe that the town's leadership would know the current location of a village. They would only be stopping in for a short time for a limited resupply and to ask about the village. The town itself was nothing like the grand and beautiful Thorn. Rather, it was a small, tight-knit community. It still held some of the Imperial influences found in the city, but it was much more in-touch with traditional Argonian culture. The buildings on the main road through town were certainly interesting to look at for Meesei. They were made of wood like Imperial buildings, but were decorated with distinctly Argonian designs. Additionally, they were reinforced rather heavily against flooding, but even so, at least some water damage was apparent along the base of some of them. Outside the main road, most of the homes were made from packed mud and clay, which was far easier to rebuild than a wooden building. If a flood did happen to wash away some of the buildings, it was not a difficult task to rebuild, all things considered. As for the people, they also were somewhere between Imperial-influenced and traditional Argonian. Since the village was a stop on the road for travelers, the clothing styles were somewhat similar to what they saw in Thorn, but much less extravagant in design. Instead, they dressed simply and practically for what they needed in their day-to-day lives. The shopkeepers and other people who expected to see travelers would be able to speak Cyrodilic well enough, but most others would likely only know Jel. As expected, most of the population was Argonian, but Meesei would not be surprised to see a Human or Elf that decided to make the place their home.
"Alright, just be kind and considerate and you will likely not run the risk of offending anyone. Try to remember all the important things I've told you about Argonian culture. Trust is something that is earned among Argonians, so keep that in mind if you interact with anyone.This town is a stop on the road, so it is used to travelers, but still, be cautious. I think it would be best if I spoke to the town's leadership alone, just to avoid complicating things.
The next few weeks of travel proved more difficult than the pack was used to in Cyrodiil. Even though the marsh was teeming with life, it took some time for the rest of the pack to become acquainted with how to track and kill the marsh's creatures. As they moved away from the coast, the terrain became more difficult to navigate, slowing their pace further, and Meesei could only offer so much advice. Normally, she would have swam along the marsh's plentiful rivers to travel quickly, but that was not feasible for the rest of her pack. She only knew how to speed their pace slightly when it came to land travel. Even so, they were making slow and steady progress. Unfortunately, actually locating a village was proving more difficult than she had hoped. She had a general idea of the region the village would be moving to, but it was a wide area and was subject to change.
Ahnasha's condition was further complicating matters, as much as she hated it. She couldn't hunt effectively like she used to and only did so when her beast spirit demanded it. She couldn't keep up the same pace as the others, so inevitably, they started to cover less and less ground in a day, which caused her no small amount of guilt. Ahnasha at least tried to take care of the camp in whatever way she could so she could at least feel like she was contributing. Otherwise, she began to make use of the painting supplies they picked up in Thorn so she could practice in her now-abundant free time. As she predicted, her first creations were nothing spectacular, but she was at least trying to improve. Through it all, she never stopped giving Fendros his archery lessons, as that was something she could do no matter what her stage of pregnancy. As usual, his skills were steadily improving; Ahnasha found it surprisingly easy to teach him. He still wasn't as accurate as her, but she could honestly say that he was now a formidable opponent at range.
Overall, it was about one and a half months before the pack made it to an Argonian town. It wasn't a village like they were looking for and did not have a central tree they could use, but Meesei had reason to believe that the town's leadership would know the current location of a village. They would only be stopping in for a short time for a limited resupply and to ask about the village. The town itself was nothing like the grand and beautiful Thorn. Rather, it was a small, tight-knit community. It still held some of the Imperial influences found in the city, but it was much more in-touch with traditional Argonian culture. The buildings on the main road through town were certainly interesting to look at for Meesei. They were made of wood like Imperial buildings, but were decorated with distinctly Argonian designs. Additionally, they were reinforced rather heavily against flooding, but even so, at least some water damage was apparent along the base of some of them. Outside the main road, most of the homes were made from packed mud and clay, which was far easier to rebuild than a wooden building. If a flood did happen to wash away some of the buildings, it was not a difficult task to rebuild, all things considered. As for the people, they also were somewhere between Imperial-influenced and traditional Argonian. Since the village was a stop on the road for travelers, the clothing styles were somewhat similar to what they saw in Thorn, but much less extravagant in design. Instead, they dressed simply and practically for what they needed in their day-to-day lives. The shopkeepers and other people who expected to see travelers would be able to speak Cyrodilic well enough, but most others would likely only know Jel. As expected, most of the population was Argonian, but Meesei would not be surprised to see a Human or Elf that decided to make the place their home.
"Alright, just be kind and considerate and you will likely not run the risk of offending anyone. Try to remember all the important things I've told you about Argonian culture. Trust is something that is earned among Argonians, so keep that in mind if you interact with anyone.This town is a stop on the road, so it is used to travelers, but still, be cautious. I think it would be best if I spoke to the town's leadership alone, just to avoid complicating things.
I actually think I'll be able to post.
I think I'll do a bit of a timeskip in my next one. It is late though, so it might be tomorrow when I post it.
Ahnasha gave a smile, though it was obvious it also came with a fair amount of sadness. "Goodbye, Ariel. I think we're all going to miss you. I'm glad Janius wandered into the right store back in Vos. I'm also glad Sabine will be able to carry on your habit of making anti-inflammatory salves for me. My joints and muscles also thank you for that." She said, trying to speak with a bit more of an upbeat tone. "Maybe we'll be able to come back and see you again."
"Yeah, that'd be good, I think." Lorag added. He wasn't much for extended goodbyes or emotional speeches, but he had to say something. He had gotten used to having Ariel around, to the point that he didn't feel like yelling at anyone when she hugged him. A part of him even wanted to bring her along and induct her into the pack, but he knew they were going into danger, and quite a lot of it. For how helpful she was on the road, that really wasn't something she was cut out for.
Meesei stood beside Sabine and placed a hand on her shoulder, looking at her sympathetically before turning to Ariel. "I cannot promise it, but if we have the opportunity to return here, we will. At the very least, we will inform you of the results of the ritual. We'll do our best to write reasonably often. It has been a pleasure, Ariel." She said before turning back to the others. "I suppose it is time for us to depart."
"Yeah, that'd be good, I think." Lorag added. He wasn't much for extended goodbyes or emotional speeches, but he had to say something. He had gotten used to having Ariel around, to the point that he didn't feel like yelling at anyone when she hugged him. A part of him even wanted to bring her along and induct her into the pack, but he knew they were going into danger, and quite a lot of it. For how helpful she was on the road, that really wasn't something she was cut out for.
Meesei stood beside Sabine and placed a hand on her shoulder, looking at her sympathetically before turning to Ariel. "I cannot promise it, but if we have the opportunity to return here, we will. At the very least, we will inform you of the results of the ritual. We'll do our best to write reasonably often. It has been a pleasure, Ariel." She said before turning back to the others. "I suppose it is time for us to depart."
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