EliteCommander

Shadows in the Moonlight

Sorry I haven't responded yet. I have a project I am working on.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha shook her head. She still felt that the way she went about leaving her home was the best overall, but it was still somewhat uncomfortable to explain to others. "No, my parents do not know that I became a lycan. Actually, they do not know I am still alive. Knowing how my parents are, I do not believe they would accept what I have become, so I found that it would likely be less painful for them if I faked my death upon leaving. At least then they would have some closure on me. For that reason, I cannot return to Leyawiin. I know any ship we take is inevitably going to have to sail by the city, but as long as I do not have to go inside the walls, I will be fine."

As she moved on to her next answer, Ahnasha tried to make her tone seem a bit more upbeat. "If they did know I was alive, though, I believe they would be excited to hear about their grandson. Although, my brother may already have a child by this point. He did not yet have a mate, but he had feelings for at least one woman in the city, and I know there were a few interested in him. Obviously, neither of them would have a problem with my mate being a Dunmer, but I think they might take some objection to the fact that we have not had any official wedding ceremony. Both of them are devout followers of the Eight, and they follow Imperial cultural norms fairly closely. I know many in the pack find such ceremonies unnecessary, though I do not have a problem with them, really. I think they can be a...romantic endeavor, but mandatory as my parents would say.. What about you? I know you said you did not know your parents, but would the ones who raised you have an issue with your Argonian mate?"

"I...am not sure." Kaleeth answered, running her fingers across the surface of the shell. "The clams we found sometimes had this smooth, shiny stone in the middle. Is that a pearl? I don't know the Cyrodilic word for that stone."

After examining it for a few more moments, Kaleeth handed back the shell and looked out over the expanse of the ocean, wondering if it held anything even more spectacular. With how unknowably massive it was, that had to be the case. "I wish you could breathe water like me. I would love to search around for more interesting things under the surface with you, but you can only stay under for such a short time. Is there any kind of magic that can help you stay underwater for longer?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha looked back to the shore at Fendros and Rhazii. Their cub was blissfully exploring every aspect of this new situation, and of course fighting his father to attempt to stick every shell or rock he could find in his mouth. They were learning to care for him as they went along, and it was hard to imagine how things would change as he grew older. Given their inexperience, it was hard to think more than a few days in advanced, yet alone years. Still, Fendros had mentioned the very same possibility weeks ago, so it was a thought that crossed her mind.

"I think that makes both of us." Ahnasha commented with a chuckle. "It hasn't even been that long, and I can already say raising a child is very difficult. It is amazing any of us survived our childhood. I honestly cannot say I know what we are going to do, but...I don't think I am the type to settle down. Rhazii might be a cub now, but he is still a werewolf. The life we have now in the pack is one that comes naturally to us, and I don't think I can ever bring myself to leave it. I suppose our lifestyle is the one we will teach him. It will be years before he can take on his lycan form, but he will probably already have control of his beast spirit by then with all of the time and instruction he will have to master it. At least in that respect, he has an advantage over many other lycans."

Ahnasha leaned to float out on her back, letting out a relaxed sigh as she started to look at the stars which were slowly becoming visible. "As for travel, that is something I can say I rather like. I haven't been to either of those places, but I do remember my father describing Valenwood. Although, I wouldn't say even he was an expert on his home province. He wasn't a...traditional Bosmer. He would eat a cabbage just as quickly as he would a chicken. Still, the place as he described it sounded amazing. It has thick forests with some of the most visually impressive trees you will ever see. It is like Black Marsh, but with taller trees and and much less water."

Kaleeth surfaced next to Janius, coughing with a disgusted expression. "Ah, I am not used to having to keep my mouth closed in the water. It tastes terrible." She commented, though her attention quickly shifted to the shell Janius was carrying. There were clams and other similar creatures in the swamps, so she had seen their shells before, but this one did look different, and was particularly colorful. She swam closely next to him and put her arm around his waist to pull them together as she examined it. "I have seen shells before, but not one shaped like this.It doesn't look like a clam. Ariel said the names of plenty of creatures I don't recognize, like...sharks and...another fish I don't remember. Is this one of those?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"A Khajiit's fur helps to keep us cool just the same as it helps with warmth, but still, you are right. I don't think Khajiit were ever meant for this place. Just make sure he doesn't eat the sand; I know he keeps trying." Ahnasha responded to Fendros before giving him a kiss on the cheek, then wading out into the water with the others. It was quite refreshing to dive under and allow the water to wash over her head. The pack could be much more relaxed now that they were in a comparatively safe area. They no longer had to be completely alert for danger at all times, which was quite helpful to reduce her overall stress. In the time since her ordeal, she had to admit that there was at least some improvement in her condition. As long as she was awake, she did not seem to flash back to her torture as she did for the first week or so after the event, at least not under normal circumstances. She did not know what would happen if she witnessed something particularly traumatic, but at least she could function without mental anguish. The night terrors were still an issue, but she felt that she could engage with others, and even feel genuinely happy at times. After all, her torture had been cut short by Fendros' cooperation. The noble had done vile things to her, but it could have been even worse by a large margin. Had he started ripping out organs or shattering bones like he did in her dreams, she could not imagine what her mind would be like now.

Once she surfaced, Ahnasha took in a deep breath of the salty ocean air. Even if she wasn't in perfect condition, she could maintain a sense of normality with her actions, and to Ahnasha, appearing strong was almost as important as actually being strong. She noticed that Sabine and Ariel were somewhat away from the other, so she swam over to them. She at least appeared happy, though at this point, even Ahnasha was not sure if she was acting. "You know, there are a few things about Black Marsh I will miss, and quite a lot that I won't, the heat among them. Hopefully, you can adapt more readily than I can." She commented to Ariel. "You have a home now, a business, friends, people you care about. I know my parents would probably say you have hit success, even if it isn't perfect. Do you have any other future plans for your shop, or your life here in general?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ah, didn't notice your post earlier. I'll respond now.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The group walked the short distance from the camp to the beach, climbing down the small outcropping of rocks onto the sand. The beach itself was rockier than many, but there was enough sandy areas that they could use it like any other beach. As well, the larger, smoother rocks allowed them places to leave their belongings where they would not be covered with sand when they went to retrieve them.

As Kaleeth removed her armor, it revealed the full and impressive extent of her tattoos, which Ariel had not yet seen, but for Ahnasha, doing the same revealed that prominent scar down the center of her body. In a passing glance, the scar looked like it might have been made by a deep and serious cut from a blade or other weapon, but upon closer inspection, one could make out the much more faded remnants of the two additional, horizontal cuts below her collarbone and above her waist. The positioning of each of the injuries was too precise for it to be believable that they occurred in combat; instead, they hinted at a much more deliberate placement of the blade.

While most of the others waded out into the deeper sections of the water, Ahnasha sat down in the shallow area by the beach and carefully set down Rhazii next to her. She picked a spot where the water came up to just above his hips when sitting, and made sure to keep her hand on him to keep him from falling over. He had been in water before, but only when they needed to carry him across one of the many rivers the pack had to cross on the way to Thorn. This was the first time Rhazii had a chance to actually play in the water, but of course, the first thing Ahnasha had to do was to keep him from eating a handful of sand once she placed him down.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei shook her head in response to Janius' question. "No, nothing harmful or permanent, anyway. We can breathe salt water, though it does feel...strange. I do not think I could explain the sensation adequately, especially considering that you cannot actually breath water in the first place. Still, I have swam in the ocean before, so I can confirm that it is safe." Meesei explained. Honestly, she found it curious that Argonians could survive in both salt and fresh water, as that was not the case for most aquatic creatures. A gift of the Hist, she supposed, considering that they were the ones who made them with the features and abilities they had.

"Well, if it is safe, then does anyone want to swim with me? The only reason we have swam in the last few weeks was to cross rivers and such; we haven't really been able to relax." Kaleeth suggested

Ahnasha shrugged her shoulders. "Why not?" She responded, glancing over to Fendros. "Rhazii might like to sit in the water in the shallows, as long as one of us is there with him."

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Hey Lucius, we should probably get to doing a collab soon for the caravan master bit. If you are doing other things first, don't worry about rushing though. I had to get up at 4 in the morning today to go to the hospital (not for me, I'm invincible, obviously), so I'm pretty tired at the moment.

Also, I approve of the dragons.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ariel's explanation of her finances reminded her of her parents' own financial woes early in her life. They had purchased their shop in a similar manner, though that was years before she was born. By the time she was old enough to retain memories, they were nearing the end of their payments, but she still remembered how stressful it could be for them. Slow months in their business could easily cause arguments between them and general high tensions in the home, though there were also cycles of increased business that made up for those months. Still, Ariel's plan of diversifying her products seemed to be a good one. With how much time she had left on her loan, anything to bring in new customers would be a step in the right direction. "Perhaps the next annual festival will improve your profits, especially if you can win any competitions with your potions." Ahnasha recommended.

"And if it is any consolidation, Black Marsh cities tend to be built where they are to avoid flooding. That isn't to say it cannot happen, but I do not believe it will be as severe as you fear." Meesei added before Ariel noticed Kaleeth.

She was distracted by the waves at first, but when Kaleeth heard her name, she quickly turned her head to Ariel. "Oh, no, I haven't. The Treeminder described it to me when I was a hatchling though. He said it was like an endless lake, and I agree. I also agree that it is very salty; I tried to taste it just to see before you got here. It was...awful. I think it is still wonderful, though. I know there is a lot of water in Black Marsh, but here...there is just so much more. I would bet that all the water in all the lakes and rivers in Tamriel would not be more than this ocean. I wonder, is it safe to swim in it?" She asked.

The Depths of Deception

Rareth tossed her own fusion grenade along with the grenades from the others. With each one, she used her telekinetic abilities to divert them precisely in the direction of their enemies, being careful to keep them away from Shuo, who was closest to the enemy. Since they had suddenly changed course in flight, most of the rebels could not react quickly enough to avoid the blasts, namely the group of six which were largely eviscerated by Shiva's grenade.

Although there were yet more rebels left on the opposite half of the passageway, their path to their destination was clear. All they needed to do was to make a run for the door. Rareth rushed forward quickly, taking up a cover position near one of the containers ahead of them which would protect her from the remaining hostiles, who were now in a position to flank.from behind them. "Run for it, get tot he door! Shuo, help me cover." She shouted. If Shuo could keep any pursuing hostiles suppressed on the left side of the passageway, then Rareth could hold them on the right, since they would need to close in on her in order to get an angle on her allies.