"Janius, stop." Meesei echoed in a firm voice, moving herself just behind Fendros and into his path. "In Black Marsh, it is commonly accepted that the longest time, in good conditions, that a trail, either of scent or tracks, is a day. In the rain, it is erased almost immediately. It has been four days and has rained twice. The best hunters could not track Kaleeth now. The only way to search for her would be to randomly wander the marsh, and the hunters have already been doing that. They have covered more ground in the past few days on their hunts than you could ever hope to alone, and they have still found nothing. Black Marsh is a dangerous place; I know that better than anyone. I cannot have you going off into the marsh in your current state, not when there is no possible way for you to track her. More than likely, you would end up lost, just as she might be. I know it is frustrating, but all we can do now is wait and hope that the Hist guides her home."
As Meesei was speaking, another individual approached slowly, with a mix of anger, fear, and desperation in his eyes. Zharanthixil stood nearby unarmed, but fully armored in his wamasu-scale light armor. If Janius was disturbed by Kaleeth's absence, then Zharanthixil had been shaken to the very core of his being. If it was not enough that he had lost his son in recent memory, now his daughter was missing and growing more likely to be dead by the hour. His hunters had covered a wide area, but had found nothing. He was well aware that going into the marsh was Kaleeth's own choice, but with all of the stress he had been under, logic was taking a backseat to emotion in his mind. He needed something to blame, and naturally, Janius was at the forefront of his mind. "You. This is your fault." He growled, clenching his hands into a fist as he stared down Janius from a distance.
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Meesei was not surprised when Fendros explained what Janius was doing. He had already wanted to go out and search before, but it would be just as much of a fruitless labor now as it would have been then. Any attempt to search for her after the second day would be nearly impossible, considering how quickly the marsh changed, and the sporadic rainstorms over the past few days would only have made it worse. She could not let him go out and search, as there was no way to track her, and it would only put him in unnecessary danger. He was not thinking clearly, which, to be fair, was perfectly understandable. Meesei could only imagine how much pain he was in.
Letting out a deep sigh, Meesei stood up and faced Fendros. "Let's wait here and talk to him once he steps out of the hut. Perhaps the fresh air will help him think clearly. It is unfortunate, but searching for Kaleeth at this point would be pointless. Any tracks she left behind would have been washed away in the marsh after only a short time. The only hope now is to hold out and see if she returns. I can think of...one possibility where she would still be alive that would explain why she is not yet here. It is not a particularly pleasant possibility, but it is something. Although, I am not certain we can remain much longer. We need to get to Stormhold for Ahnasha." She answered. Taking the few moments she had, Meesei thought about what state Janius' mind must be in, and what she could say to him as she watched the common hut and waited for him to exit.
Letting out a deep sigh, Meesei stood up and faced Fendros. "Let's wait here and talk to him once he steps out of the hut. Perhaps the fresh air will help him think clearly. It is unfortunate, but searching for Kaleeth at this point would be pointless. Any tracks she left behind would have been washed away in the marsh after only a short time. The only hope now is to hold out and see if she returns. I can think of...one possibility where she would still be alive that would explain why she is not yet here. It is not a particularly pleasant possibility, but it is something. Although, I am not certain we can remain much longer. We need to get to Stormhold for Ahnasha." She answered. Taking the few moments she had, Meesei thought about what state Janius' mind must be in, and what she could say to him as she watched the common hut and waited for him to exit.
Ok, I'll do so tomorrow after class.
Hey Free, were you still wanting to collab that thing we talked about? If not, I can just make a post on my own.
"I was going to suggest the same thing, actually." Meesei commented as she was finishing her breakfast. "We have been helping ourselves to their resources, after all. It would only be right that we give something back." When Sabine said she would join, Meesei gave a satisfied grin. Sabine had of course been hunting many times, but it was good to hear her offering voluntarily. Ahnasha had both started and finished her meal before anyone and had laid back down on her bedroll, though she was still awake enough to give her comment.
"I would like to help, but, well, you know. I'll just stay here and keep Janius company. Maybe I can even help with some of those odd jobs, as long as they don't involve running, heavy lifting, walking, standing...or any movement at all, really." Ahnasha added with a chuckle.
Lorag gave a slight grunt. "You say you're lookin' forward to getting that whole pregnancy thing over with, catdog? I don't believe it for a second. I think you've been lovin' all the attention, everyone waiting on you hand and foot. You've become an Imperial noble."
"You can't prove that." Ahnasha retorted dismissively.
While the others spoke, Meesei approached Janius and rested her hand on his shoulder as she looked down on him. "You can stay and wait as long as you need. Whatever she chooses, I will support it, and I believe you when you say that it is the same for you."
Meesei, Sabine, Fendros, and Lorag proceeded on their hunt as planned. They had been in the marsh long enough that most of them were more used to how to track in such a challenging environment, not quite to the extent of Meesei or the village's hunters, but enough that they stood a good chance of finding something. It did take quite a while, but they were able to track down and kill an alit, then drag it back to the village. Most of the kill they gave to the village's hunters, which thankfully did not require speaking to Zharanthixil. They returned later in the afternoon, but to Meesei's surprise, they found that Kaleeth had still not returned. It could be believed that she was not successful in her hunt. After all, even the best hunters could find nothing after even days of work, but what was strange was that she had not given up and returned home. From Meesei's understanding, Kaleeth had not fully expected to be able to commune with Hircine anyway. If she failed in that pursuit, she would just return home having only communed with the Hist. The fact that she was not yet back was troubling. Meesei could think of several possibilities on what was happening, several of which were none too pleasant. As much as they needed to leave for Stormhold, Meesei agreed to stay longer, in the hope that Kaleeth had simply been delayed.
There was some hope that Kaleeth would have returned by morning, but when they awoke and her bedroll was once again empty, and she was nowhere to be seen in the village, everyone grew even more concerned. Meesei spoke with Thorantilth on the matter, did her best to comfort Janius, and made sure to stay as far away from Zharanthixil as possible. For Janius' sake, she decided that the pack would stay a bit longer, but that day quickly turned into another, then yet another after it. Four days after Kaleeth had initially left, she still had not returned. Meesei left the common hut shortly after breakfast to get some fresh air and to think. She stood beneath the Hist tree, looking up at its bulbous trunk and branches. She knew the Hist did not like to interfere in every aspect of life, but for this once, she wished they could just enter her mind and give her the knowledge of Kaleeth's fate. Or, better yet, guide her home. It was getting more and more difficult for her to justify remaining in the village.
"I would like to help, but, well, you know. I'll just stay here and keep Janius company. Maybe I can even help with some of those odd jobs, as long as they don't involve running, heavy lifting, walking, standing...or any movement at all, really." Ahnasha added with a chuckle.
Lorag gave a slight grunt. "You say you're lookin' forward to getting that whole pregnancy thing over with, catdog? I don't believe it for a second. I think you've been lovin' all the attention, everyone waiting on you hand and foot. You've become an Imperial noble."
"You can't prove that." Ahnasha retorted dismissively.
While the others spoke, Meesei approached Janius and rested her hand on his shoulder as she looked down on him. "You can stay and wait as long as you need. Whatever she chooses, I will support it, and I believe you when you say that it is the same for you."
Meesei, Sabine, Fendros, and Lorag proceeded on their hunt as planned. They had been in the marsh long enough that most of them were more used to how to track in such a challenging environment, not quite to the extent of Meesei or the village's hunters, but enough that they stood a good chance of finding something. It did take quite a while, but they were able to track down and kill an alit, then drag it back to the village. Most of the kill they gave to the village's hunters, which thankfully did not require speaking to Zharanthixil. They returned later in the afternoon, but to Meesei's surprise, they found that Kaleeth had still not returned. It could be believed that she was not successful in her hunt. After all, even the best hunters could find nothing after even days of work, but what was strange was that she had not given up and returned home. From Meesei's understanding, Kaleeth had not fully expected to be able to commune with Hircine anyway. If she failed in that pursuit, she would just return home having only communed with the Hist. The fact that she was not yet back was troubling. Meesei could think of several possibilities on what was happening, several of which were none too pleasant. As much as they needed to leave for Stormhold, Meesei agreed to stay longer, in the hope that Kaleeth had simply been delayed.
There was some hope that Kaleeth would have returned by morning, but when they awoke and her bedroll was once again empty, and she was nowhere to be seen in the village, everyone grew even more concerned. Meesei spoke with Thorantilth on the matter, did her best to comfort Janius, and made sure to stay as far away from Zharanthixil as possible. For Janius' sake, she decided that the pack would stay a bit longer, but that day quickly turned into another, then yet another after it. Four days after Kaleeth had initially left, she still had not returned. Meesei left the common hut shortly after breakfast to get some fresh air and to think. She stood beneath the Hist tree, looking up at its bulbous trunk and branches. She knew the Hist did not like to interfere in every aspect of life, but for this once, she wished they could just enter her mind and give her the knowledge of Kaleeth's fate. Or, better yet, guide her home. It was getting more and more difficult for her to justify remaining in the village.
Alright, need to do something real quick, then I'll post.
Do you want to actually go through the hunt, or skip to the next point of interest?
"Thank you." Kaleeth said as she reluctantly released her grip on Janius' hands. Her entire future rested on the outcome of this hunt. Firstly, she would meditate among the Hist and find a tree from which she could consume the sap, but afterwards, she would have to not only find prey, but prey that was worthy of a strong hunter. It would be dangerous, but she had been in dangerous situations before. She could handle it.
"I will be back soon, I promise." She said, turning herself around to face away from the village. She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh, then walked out into the marsh.
The remainder of the day was uneventful, at least for the pack. Zharanthixil did have a few agitated words with Thorantilth, but he was not in a position to do much about his concerns, and he did not bother the pack. Meesei agreed to remain until Kaleeth returned, or until the village's hospitality wore thin. If she was going to be returning the next day, however, she doubted it would be an issue.
The next morning, the pack awoke in the common hut as per usual. The villagers awoke early amd prepared their breakfast in the center of the village. Everything was the same as it had been since they arrived, except that Kaleeth was still absent from the common hut. Unless she had returned and decided to relay her decision to her father first, it seemed she had not yet returned from her hunt. As the pack stirred in their bedrolls, Meesei observed the empty bedroll next to Janius with a bit of concern. From what she knew, Kaleeth did say she might arrive later in the day, but Meesei was almost positive that it would cause Janius no end of distress. She just hoped events would not proceed in such a way that she would end up needing to comfort Janius over the next few weeks.
"I will be back soon, I promise." She said, turning herself around to face away from the village. She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh, then walked out into the marsh.
The remainder of the day was uneventful, at least for the pack. Zharanthixil did have a few agitated words with Thorantilth, but he was not in a position to do much about his concerns, and he did not bother the pack. Meesei agreed to remain until Kaleeth returned, or until the village's hospitality wore thin. If she was going to be returning the next day, however, she doubted it would be an issue.
The next morning, the pack awoke in the common hut as per usual. The villagers awoke early amd prepared their breakfast in the center of the village. Everything was the same as it had been since they arrived, except that Kaleeth was still absent from the common hut. Unless she had returned and decided to relay her decision to her father first, it seemed she had not yet returned from her hunt. As the pack stirred in their bedrolls, Meesei observed the empty bedroll next to Janius with a bit of concern. From what she knew, Kaleeth did say she might arrive later in the day, but Meesei was almost positive that it would cause Janius no end of distress. She just hoped events would not proceed in such a way that she would end up needing to comfort Janius over the next few weeks.
As more and more people arrived in the lobby, some of them started to exchange some basic introductions and small talk, but overall, they were mostly not very talkative. A few minutes passed before something else finally happened. A male tempu in formal, civilian clothing entered the room and started looking over each member of the group, comparing each of them to their profiles on his personal computer. After a few moments, he put his device away, then stepped into the middle of the room to get everyone's attention.
"Well, this makes it easy. Welcome, everyone. From what I see in this file, it appears you are all here for the same purpose, so if you could follow me, I can take you to where you need to go. It appears not everyone has arrived yet, but we can get you all started nonetheless." The Tempu explained. He waited for everyone to get up and gather whatever belongings they had, then trotted off with the others in tow. Once they were away from the more public areas of the building, he spoke up once more. "As I am sure you all know, your meeting with the Assembly will take place in two days. If you choose to accept it, we have arranged for complimentary lodging near the top floors of this building, in the executive suites. For your group, we have three rooms. I am afraid we could not spare one for each of you, but all suites and there should be enough bedrooms for each of you to have your own. The representatives in charge of your group have told me to encourage you to get to know one another, and inform you that you are likely to work together for the foreseeable future."
The Tempu led the group into the elevators and up near to the top floor of the building. They exited into a sort of common area for the suites, which had an abundance of furniture of all sizes, several large, currently unused holographic screens, and a few hovering mechanical servants of Rothian design. Unlike the lobby below, there were a few strangers in the common area, though from their business attire and the fact that they focused on their own personal devices, Rareth guessed they were diplomats who would be none too interested in a conversation.
"Here we are. Your rooms are the last three down that corridor." The Tempu said, pointing down one of the halls on the right. "They are all identical, so there is no need to worry that. If you have no other questions, I will leave you all alone. We will make sure to send your other teammates up here as well as soon as they arrive."
"Well, this makes it easy. Welcome, everyone. From what I see in this file, it appears you are all here for the same purpose, so if you could follow me, I can take you to where you need to go. It appears not everyone has arrived yet, but we can get you all started nonetheless." The Tempu explained. He waited for everyone to get up and gather whatever belongings they had, then trotted off with the others in tow. Once they were away from the more public areas of the building, he spoke up once more. "As I am sure you all know, your meeting with the Assembly will take place in two days. If you choose to accept it, we have arranged for complimentary lodging near the top floors of this building, in the executive suites. For your group, we have three rooms. I am afraid we could not spare one for each of you, but all suites and there should be enough bedrooms for each of you to have your own. The representatives in charge of your group have told me to encourage you to get to know one another, and inform you that you are likely to work together for the foreseeable future."
The Tempu led the group into the elevators and up near to the top floor of the building. They exited into a sort of common area for the suites, which had an abundance of furniture of all sizes, several large, currently unused holographic screens, and a few hovering mechanical servants of Rothian design. Unlike the lobby below, there were a few strangers in the common area, though from their business attire and the fact that they focused on their own personal devices, Rareth guessed they were diplomats who would be none too interested in a conversation.
"Here we are. Your rooms are the last three down that corridor." The Tempu said, pointing down one of the halls on the right. "They are all identical, so there is no need to worry that. If you have no other questions, I will leave you all alone. We will make sure to send your other teammates up here as well as soon as they arrive."
"I...don't think there is anything I have not already talked about. There is just a lot to think about. A lot of good and bad in every choice. I want to be with you, but I want to stay at home, and I know I can't have both. It is a hard choice. After I go into the marsh though, commune with the Hist, and maybe Hircine, I will know. I am certain. I don't want to worry now though. In the time we have..." Kaleeth began. She held one hand in his and placed the other on his shoulder, just as he showed him, then pressed herself against him and gave him a light kiss and a smile. "...let's dance."
After a few hours together, it started to grow late, and Kaleeth knew she had to get started. She was reluctant to leave Janius, but nevertheless, she gathered her weapons and took the long-dreaded step of informing her parents of her intentions. No matter how much she had tried, there was no real way to prepare for this conversation. With Janius waiting outside, she stepped into her parents' hut, and there she stayed for the better part of an hour. At first, the muffled conversation inside was quiet, and relatively calm, but in an instant, the tones shifted entirely. At first, they started speaking more quickly, then there was shouting and sobbing. Most of the yelling was unmistakably from Zharanthixil, but there were a few, brief times where Kaleeth summoned up enough courage to raise her voice as well. Kaleeth finally left the hut after a particularly loud burst of shouting from her father. For a few moments after storming out of the hut, her expression was angered, but almost instantly, it turned to depression. Burying her face in her hands, she started to sob. The pain of upsetting her father, and even her mother as she had was almost too much to bear, but nevertheless, she stopped herself and approached Janius outside, with tears still in her eyes.
"I...am ready to go now." Kaleeth said with a sniff. "I should be back in the morning. Maybe later in the day if it takes me a while to find prey. I...love you, Janius, and I hope I will have an answer for you when I get back."
After a few hours together, it started to grow late, and Kaleeth knew she had to get started. She was reluctant to leave Janius, but nevertheless, she gathered her weapons and took the long-dreaded step of informing her parents of her intentions. No matter how much she had tried, there was no real way to prepare for this conversation. With Janius waiting outside, she stepped into her parents' hut, and there she stayed for the better part of an hour. At first, the muffled conversation inside was quiet, and relatively calm, but in an instant, the tones shifted entirely. At first, they started speaking more quickly, then there was shouting and sobbing. Most of the yelling was unmistakably from Zharanthixil, but there were a few, brief times where Kaleeth summoned up enough courage to raise her voice as well. Kaleeth finally left the hut after a particularly loud burst of shouting from her father. For a few moments after storming out of the hut, her expression was angered, but almost instantly, it turned to depression. Burying her face in her hands, she started to sob. The pain of upsetting her father, and even her mother as she had was almost too much to bear, but nevertheless, she stopped herself and approached Janius outside, with tears still in her eyes.
"I...am ready to go now." Kaleeth said with a sniff. "I should be back in the morning. Maybe later in the day if it takes me a while to find prey. I...love you, Janius, and I hope I will have an answer for you when I get back."
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