EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Though the torches did provide some heat, the path up the mountain was far more frigid than most of the pack was used to, and the veritable blizzard they were walking through was certainly not helping. They wrapped themselves in as many fur coats and blankets as they had, in particular Kaleeth and Ahnasha. Although Ahnasha had an easier time in the cold than the others, she was also carrying Rhazii and wanted to keep him wrapped up as thickly as possible. Normally, he did not like having his vision of the world around him obscured, but it only took him a few attempts of sticking his head out of the furs to discover that it was unpleasant. Fortunately, the lycans escorting them did not seem to be as hostile as their first impressions would suggest. Janius started off the talk, which quickly shifted to Kaleeth. "Oh...that's okay. My name is Kaleeth-Rei. No, I've never been up here before. I'm from Black Marsh; I've always lived there. I hate it up here; it's so, what is the word? Freezing. Why do people live here willingly?" The conversation continued throughout the climb up the mountain path, with each of them eventually giving their introductions. They did not begin talking about more serious matters, as that conversation was best saved for their Alpha, but talking in general did at least help distract them from the cold. Eventually, they moved off of the road and along a moderately steep part of the mountain. Certainly, wherever their destination was, it was not convenient to get to. For it to be worthwhile to make such a climb every time one wanted to return, it must have been an exceptional hideout. Anders led them into a partially obscured cave entrance in the side of the mountain, which immediately started to slope steeply down once they were inside. Because of the smoke from their torches, they had to extinguish them in the confined space, but just as Anders had said, it grew warmer the further down they went. The path would have been pitch black had several of the group not been capable of magelight. They walked for a few minutes through a passage that seemed to be completely abandoned unti they turned a corner and saw a light in a chamber ahead of them. Anders walked into the small chamber first. Though wider than the passages they had been going through it still felt crowded once everyone was inside. They were met by three people, obviously lycans by their scents, gathered at a simple table. There was only one light source in the room, a bright enchanted lantern with a persistent magelight inside. It allowed for light without the worry of smoke choking up the air. By this point, the air only had a slight chill, so most of the pack had shed all but a single coat each. It was obvious that the three lycans were lookouts, as one of them, an Imperial woman, was quick to question Anders about the unfamiliar individuals he had in tow. He was quick to explain who they were, which Meesei confirmed by extending her hand forward to show the ring. "Is that...oh my!" The woman began, looking up from the Ring at Meesei with obvious surprise. "You're...the Champion? I'm sorry, I didn't expect...what brings you here?" "I wish I could say it was a social visit, but our business is important. We need to speak with your Alpha, Jerrick." Meesei answered. The Imperial seemed nervous, but she quickly nodded as she collected herself. "Right, of course. I, uh, I think I know where he is right now. One of the dining rooms, I believe. Uhh, come on, I'll take you to him." She offered after taking a moment to consider it in her mind. She took the lead, guiding both the pack and Anders' group further into the cave, which was now level, instead of sloping down. The air grew gradually warmer, but there were still came across no other lycans in the cave they were in. Meesei wondered how large this cave system would have to be in order to have such a long entrance and multiple dining rooms. That is, until they came to the entrance of the hideout proper. At the end of the cave was a hole in the cave wall, which met immediately with a hole in the unmistakable stone of an Ayleid ruin. Stepping into the first hall, they were met with air that was actually warm, like the southern parts of Cyrodiil, which prompted them to remove their coats entirely. The ancient Ayleid magic which kept the magical torches that lined the walls lit also kept the air at a comfortable temperature, even with the blizzard above. Even though they were still underground, the tall ceilings made it seem as if the world had opened up before them in comparison to the confined cave that served as the entrance, especially once they reached the first chamber. It had an even taller ceiling than the hallway behind them, and looked to be a sort of armory or storage area. Since it was the closest room to the entrance, it was likely where members of the pack prepared themselves to leave their hideout for whatever business they might have outside. The higher parts of the ceiling showed definite wear, but the walls closer to the floor looked like they had been cleaned up in comparison to most Ayleid ruins. In just this room alone, there were about a dozen people before they stepped inside. They were all outfitting themselves with equipment that made them seem like hunters, though a dozen individuals was quite a large hunting party, and they did not seem nearly as interested in the strangers to their home as Meesei would have expected. "This place...it is impressive. Do you have to deal with many adventurers looking to plunder it, or scholars trying to study it?" Meesei asked curiously. The Imperial woman shook her head. "Oh, no, we're well hidden up here. The actual entrance to this place was covered up no telling how long ago. Probably in a landslide or something. It's not on any maps I've ever seen; we found it by chance. I wasn't actually with the scouting party that found it, but from what I understand, they were looking around caves in the mountain when they found the cave we were just in. It wouldn't have been that great of a hideout, but one of them just happened to notice a small hole in the cave's wall that revealed a small piece of the ruin's wall. Well, we knocked down that wall, send some people in to scout and disarm all the traps, then we moved the whole pack here. Some of the scholars have been studying the place. They figured out what the Ayleids called it, but I, uh, forgot the name. I just know it's made a great home." As they walked out of the armory and into the next hallway, Meesei's eyes wandered around, admiring the relatively well-preserved stonework. "I can imagine. These ruins were cities for the ancient Ayleids. It should easily be able to serve even a large pack's needs. Speaking of that, how many members does your pack have, anyway? Yours is a pack that handles new bloods, correct? I would guess quite a few." The woman gave a slight huff. "Oh, I can't even begin to guess, not anymore. Used to, our pack could reach up to a little over a hundred werewolves, and the occasional other variants of lycans, but now...well, we've blown that record out of the water. I don't know what's causing it, but we've been getting just so many new bloods for the past...year or two, I think. It started out as a slower growth, but now, we're getting new members faster than we can find territory for them. A lot of our members are trained and ready, but we can't send them out fast enough. A lot of people of all ages here. This ruin is massive, so we have room, but it's starting to feel like a city down here. We've had to branch out from more than just hunting to keep everyone fed. Still, we've tackled all those challenges, and so far, it's been working." Meesei nodded in response to show her interest, but she did not actually voice her thoughts. The news of the pack's expansion was certainly curious. She wondered what could cause such a drastic increase in the number of new lycans. It could be that Hircine was spreading his gift farther in order to prepare for war, but at the moment, Meesei had no evidence for that. Perhaps later, she would be able to find someone in the pack who might have more knowledge on the situation, but for now, she was just concerned with talking to Jerrick.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei too was greatly excited to hear about Ariel's engagement; perhaps not quite to the extent as Sabine, but it was still good to hear how well her life was going. She waited until after Sabine was finished translating the letter to share in her excitement. "Yes, is it not wonderful? Certainly, she deserves that kind of happiness. I do wonder what the wedding is going to be like? They come from different places with different customs, so I wonder if it is going to be an Argonian wedding, something from Morrowind, or perhaps a bit of both? Argonian weddings have sections that must be spoken in Jel, but she can certainly speak the language by now, so that would not be an issue. Ah, I definitely hope we are able to hear back from her again. Perhaps in your next letter, we can all say something to her? Hopefully we will have the coin to send it by the time it is written." Meesei would have continued the conversation, but as they stepped into the inn, she noticed the rest of the pack at a table with an unidentified man. There was only one reason she could think of for that, which meant the others were successful. 'It looks like we found the person we are looking for." She said quietly to Sabine as she closed the door to the outside behind her. As much as she wanted to continue with the conversation about Ariel, it was time to get to business. The pair approached the table, prompting Lorag to gesture to her and give an introduction. "Ah, there she is. This is Meesei, our 'leader'. And this is a 'friend' of Jerrick. We're in his territory." Lorag explained. Nodding respectfully, Meesei took a seat across from the man. "I see, well it is good to meet you. I do not know what my friend Lorag has already told you, but we have come here to help you with a threat you may or may not be aware of." She began. As she spoke, she brought her elbows up onto the table and clasped her hands together, one over another, in a way that called attention to her ring. In addition to its magical properties, the Ring of Hircine was an undeniable symbol which almost any true follower of Hircine would recognize. It signified her position as Champion to their patron, with all of the respect that brought, all of the authority it demanded. "I would like for you to take us to Jerrick as soon as possible."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

To see Sabine's joy at opening the letter from Ariel gave Meesei a warm grin. This was the first time she had actually been able to receive a letter from Ariel, and Sabine was almost as happy as when she saw her in person back in Thorn. From the way her smile grew as she read through the letter, Meesei could only guess that the news it contained was quite good. Overall, Sabine at least seemed confident in speaking with others. She did not have any visible anxiety when speaking with the clerk, though there were a few instances of her doing something that might be considered awkward, such as standing at the desk to read the letter. Meesei could correct her on on such missteps later; for the moment, Sabine was quite anxious for Meesei to read the letter as well. Meesei took the letter once Sabine offered it, being careful not to rip it any further. She had no problem deciphering Daedric runes, however; Dunmeris itself was not a language she knew. After staring at the page a few moments with a slightly confused expression, she looked back at Sabine and offered the parchment back to her. "I...would like to, but I do not actually know Dunmeris. I can read the runes, but I do not know the words they make. It is only the Daedric language itself that I know. You will have to read it to me. Come on, you can tell me about it on the way back to the inn." She suggested, before taking her hand and leading her out of the couriers' office. Meesei created a ball of fire in her other hand once again and held it close to Sabine to share the warmth, being careful to keep it far enough away from the parchment.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei returned Sabine's smile and shook her head. "No, not by my observation. You will find that pretty much every guard, merchant, and worker you come across will be just an honest man or woman trying to make a living. Most people just want to get along, and even those who are rude to you may just be under stress. I mentioned corruption only because it is not an impossibility. Even if it is rare to find the corrupt and criminal, it is something you need to watch for. If you think someone is acting strangely, you should not trust them." Following the directions the guard had given, Meesei and Sabine made their way to the building he had pointed out. Stepping inside the modestly-sized building, they extinguished the flames in their hands, but fortunately, they were met wih a wave of comparatively warm air. Compared to houses in southern parts of Cyrodiil, it was still chilly, but compared to the outside, it was like stepping out into the sun on a warm summer day, thanks to the fireplace on the wall just to their right. Most of the furniture, such as the chairs and tables near the hearth that served as a sort of fireplace, as well as the desk at which the clerk was sitting, looked more Imperial, while other decorations, like the fur rugs and mounted heads of elk and other game, made the office seem distinctly Nordic. The Nord man behind the desk had notice them enter, but he seemed quite busy with the paperwork he was doing, so he waited for Meesei and Sabine to approeach them. Meesei leaned over and whispered to Sabine. "How about you ask for your letter? They are paid for by the sender, so you just need to give your name, your full name, and ask if there is anything for you." --- "Me? Oh, well, I..." Kaleeth began nervously when the bearded Nordic man mentioned her. Fortunately, Lorag interrupted with a response very quickly. After all, he was in charge whenever Meesei was gone. "It's complicated. Her kind are normally loners, but it wasn't so normal how she became like us. For our business here, it's important, I can say that much. Our, uh, leader's dealin' with somethin' else in town. She'll be here soon to give you all the details. I can say that we're on the tail of some people that might be lookin' to strike at Jarrick's...people. More than that, we probably shouldn't talk about out in the open." Lorag explained.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It was a relief to finally be in the city, though it was just as cold and snowy inside as it was outside. To truly get out of the cold, they would need to get into an inn or another building. Luckily, a quick look around revealed the unmistakable sign of an inn directly next to the front gate. It was quite a convenient location for such a business. Likely, it was the most popular inn in the city, and therefore, more likely to have an agent of the pack they were searching for. Once Meesei thanked the caravan driver and they took their leave of him, the pack gathered closely in front of the inn. Even if the majority of locals were Nords, there were few who willingly stood outside in such a snowstorm for long, so the streets were not terribly crowded. Mostly, it was the unfortunate guards who had a duty to patrol the streets that could be seen outside, all of which had torches in hand for warmth. "I know we have been traveling a while, but we need to keep our business in the city brief." Meesei began, being sure to speak quietly enough that no one around them could hear. "We are out of gold, almost completely. I doubt we could afford a meal for one of us, much less rooms at the inn. I would rather not camp out in the snow, so we need to find an agent of the pack we are searching for. For ones of that size which stay in one location, they usually have someone in the nearest city for various reasons. We just need to catch their scent. I am going to take Sabine to the couriers' office, the rest of you can head into the inn if you wish. If you find an agent, just tell them I will be there shortly." Meesei explained. Turning back to Sabine, she reached down and gently grabbed her her hand, while also conjuring a small flame in her other hand for warmth. "Alright, I'll let you take the lead. Oh, and go ahead and try this as well." She suggested, gesturing the flame toward Sabine.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha shook her head slightly. "I didn't say they would be happy." She commented, her tone solemn and serious. "Don't you see? It's not about making them happy, for my family or yours. I think that my family is going to be furious with me, especially if I put them through as much pain as I fear. As for what I am, they might disown me and think of me as a failure who betrayed their trust for the rest of their lives. I don't expect it will go well, but...I think it's worth it. Like I said, I just don't want to keep up this lie anymore, even if it ends with my family hating me. You remember what your sister said about your Father, how he changed after he thought you died? Your loss hurt him, and from what Llarasa said, he hasn't gotten better. He might be blaming himself for your death and thinking he failed somehow. Don't you think he has a right to know the truth? Like you said, it will probably end with most of your family hating you and disowning you, but...maybe it will let them get their lives back together again? Maybe they will end up pushing all of their hate and sadness off onto you, and not onto each other. Maybe, for both of us, that is a sacrifice we will have to make to put our families right again?" Meesei too heard Ahnasha and Fendros' conversation, or at least enough of it to get a sense of what they were talking about It had serious implications, but she would wait to give her input until after they actually reached a decision. For the moment, she smiled and nodded to Sabine beside her. "We can certainly look and see. How about we head straight to the couriers' office as soon as we reach the city? Also, I think you should be the one to find their office. You will need to ask around to find it."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Even though she had been the one to start the conversation, Ahnasha hesitated a moment in her response. She had something to suggest, but it was not a suggestion she was comfortable making, and she was not even sure if it would be a good idea. Regardless, she took in a deep breath, then continued in the same quiet, worried voice. "Meeting your siblings back in the capital, it...it got me thinking. The meeting with Monderyn was not pleasant, I know, but...your sister was beyond happy to see you, at least after getting over her surprise. I would wager that seeing you again was the best thing to happen to her since you were forced to leave them. It has been longer with my family, but...I just started thinking about what I must have done to them. My parents were rather distant from in the months before I faked my death, and I've always used that as a reason for thinking that they would be able to move past it, but...I think I've just been making excuses. They were distant because they were busy, not because they didn't love me. And my brother might have had different interests, but he always cared enough to talk to me, even about my hunting. I...I think I hurt them; I think I hurt them a lot more than I wanted to. I don't know what they would think about me now, but...I think I made a mistake, not so much in leaving as in lying. Fendros, I...I want to tell them. I want to find them; I want to show them that I'm alive. No matter what happens, whether they accept it all and rejoice, or have me chased out of town, I don't want to live a lie anymore. And I think it would be best to do the same with your family. Someday, we should find them, then deal with the consequences instead of hiding from them like we have. I don't want our lives together to be a lie anymore." Ahnasha explained, her words almost painful for her to say. She felt a great deal of uncertainty towards what she was suggesting, but it was clear she felt strongly about it.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Lorag shrugged his shoulders after Llarasa's story about the pair of Orcs who recently died. It definitely could have been his parents, as they were old and it sounded like what they would do, but it also sounded like what most Orcs would do. There were no shortage of Orcs in Cheydinhal, and no shortage of warriors among Orcs. Contrary to what most people would want, Lorag hoped that they were his parents, as it meant they would have received good deaths. Each of the pack said their goodbyes, and while it was not too directly emotional for most of the pack, Fendros was of course the one most heavily affected. As they waved goodbye and started off across the bridge, Ahnasha took Fendros' hand lightly in hers, not speaking, but giving him her sympathy just the same. As they had already paid, there was no issue in boarding their carriage. It was fairly large and pulled by several horses. The caravan driver was an Imperial man who, by his account, had been carrying people and cargo across Cyrodiil, and occasionally Hammerfell, for fifteen years. Considering the size of the pack, they were actually the only passengers on this trip. There was some other cargo, but there was still enough room for all of the pack to fit in the back at the same time. According to the caravan driver, the journey would take roughly a week, which was considerably faster than they could cover the same distance on foot. --- The journey proceeded pretty much exactly as expected. They north, then east along the Ring Road until they reached the Silver Road to Bruma. The pack was watchful for danger, but the only people they met on the roads were fellow travelers and Legion patrols. Bandits were a possible threat, but the Legion seemed to at least be doing a decent job of keeping the roads secure. Otherwise, the only deviation from the pack's normal traveling routine was that they were not free to hunt as openly as usual. However, with how long it had been since any of them had turned, all but Meesei's beast spirit had started to grow restless. Fortunately, it was an issue they were able to solve. Instead of hunting all at once, they waited until they made camp, then had one or two people go out at a time to satisfy their need to hunt, each on separate nights. Meesei explained it by saying that they were avid hunters, which was at least a partial truth. On each hunt, Meesei instructed the others to bring back some meat if they were successful, as well as whatever part of the hide did not show damage from claws or teeth. It took several nights, but eventually, all of the pack were able to satisfy their beast spirits. Roughly the first two thirds of the journey was through fairly pleasant, temperate forests of Cyrodiil that most of the pack was accustomed to. However, as they started heading up into higher elevations, the temperature started to drop until they were close enough to the Jeralls that snow coated the land around them. It was worse for some than others. Meesei was not happy with the cold, but as she had experienced it before, she at least knew what to expect. Lorag was moderately uncomfortable, but as he had been to Skyrim before, he had experienced far worse, which he was not hesitant to boast about. Ahnasha, with her fur, was perhaps the most comfortable. It took longer for her to require the same furs that the others were wearing. As could be expected, Kaleeth was almost miserable. She was in awe of the beauty of the snow-covered land, but she absolutely hated the way the cold bit into her scales. While she normally disliked wearing excessive clothing, she was more than happy to pile on layers of fur now. Often, she would wear one of the fur cloaks that Meesei had made sure to buy while holding tightly onto Janius, as she learned quickly about the advantages of sharing body heat. Of course, if Janius was not with her at the moment, she had no qualms about latching onto someone else. Just as scheduled, the carriage was nearing Bruma about a week after they departed. It was snowing, adding more to the thick white blanket around them. According to the the carriage driver, they were less than half an hour from the city, which brought with it hope for some relief from the cold. Like Kaleeth, Ahnasha was leaned up against Fendros with Rhazii wrapped in a blanket between them. It was difficult to tell behind her fur hood, but her face showed that there was something upsetting her. The encounter with Fendros' family had planted thoughts in her mind which had now sprouted into a mixture of doubt and regret. "Fendros." She said in a near-whisper in his ear to get his attention. "There's something I've been thinking on, about your family...and mine."

The Depths of Deception

There are limited forms of that, though nothing over too wide an area, as it takes a lot of energy. It could be applied to parts of a large ship, but not the entire thing.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It was a pleasant surprise that Llarasa decided to buy the pack freshly baked bread, especially considering how light of a breakfast their coin had bought them. Even Lorag, who usually ate foods other than meat only begrudgingly, seemed glad to have it. It was regretful that they did not have the hours required for Fendros to truly catch up with his sister, but they could at least take advantage of the time they had. Given that Ahnasha and Llarasa had already been introduced, Meesei was the first to answer. "My name is Meesei; I am the alpha of this pack." She explained briefly. "I wish we had more time. Even if Monderyn does not want to have anything to do with your brother, it is good that you do. I...would suggest that Fendros might be able to send you letters, but there is the matter of allowing you to receive the letters without your parents knowing. I do not imagine that they would be happy if they learned that you knew he was alive, but did not tell them. Still, it might be possible for you to arrange some form of communication. But, introductions first." Moving on, Kaleeth gave her introduction, her speech still much more heavily-accented than Meesei's. "My name is Kaleeth-Rei. It's a pleasure to meet you...and thank you for the bread." She said, not really knowing what else to say beyond it. Lorag gave a nod as he started, with his overall body language being much more casual than the others. "Name's Lorag. Lorag gro-Konesh. Say, while we're talkin', you're here from Cheydinhal, right? You know Gharzal gra-Yurnol, old head of the fighter's guild chapter there? Her and her husband Konesh, they dead yet?" He asked, his tone surprisingly casual.