EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

That's alright. I was spending most of my time on the Hardline Beta anyway.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei was a bit surprised to see that Sabine did not seem to want to leave, but unfortunately, the situation did not give her the luxury of allowing her to stay. As they were walking through the main chamber, Meesei gave her an apologetic look. "I am sorry I had to pull you away from them." She said sincerely, saying no more until they stepped out of the chamber and into a stairwell to a lower floor. Once it seemed they were alone, Meesei used a spell of detect life to make sure no one was in range to hear, then spoke quietly. "We are heading to the clan's alchemist to restock your supplies. I do not have time to explain in full, but I need you to make something to mask a person's scent, at least enough for myself and Ahnasha. It is also important that no one other than our pack knows you are making it, so make sure to get more than just what is required for that one concoction. I promise I will explain it all once we are back in our room. For now, just do your best not to seem suspicious." Lorag did not pay too close of attention to the crowd. As much as he liked impressing others, this was more for him than anyone else. He just trusted that the show was enough to satisfy them. Harriet's next challenge produced a chuckle from him. "Oh, lookin' forward to it. I think I can show you a few more moves." He said. His tone was good-natured, if arrogant. Once Harriet left, he gathered up his own belongings, trying no to stumble. His cuts were starting to close up and he could see a bit clearer than right after the hit, but the fact remained that he could not bounce back from a fight like that as quick as he used to. Still, he had his skill, and he had not yet lost that much strength. For the moment, however, he just started to head back up to the pack's room before anyone could stop and talk to him. "I...don't know what that means." Kaleeth said with a confused expression. She had no idea what it meant to train something for a house. Moving on, she turned Leaps towards herself and smiled as she stared at his black, beady eyes. She held him so that his legs could not actually touch anything but air so he could not easily escape. "We named him Leaps because he kept jumping on Fendros. He is very excitable. I don't think it will be that way forever, though. It will take a long time, but eventually, he will get bigger than...what is an animal you would know? A horse, like the ones that pulled our carriage. He will get even bigger than those, or maybe even bigger than the carriage itself. And they can shoot lightning from their mouths." Ahnasha was a bit surprised that Theresa could not tell that Rhazii was a boy. Although, now that she thought about it, she had found herself wondering the same thing from time to time when she saw a small Human or Argonian child in Leyawiin. Regardless, she had no problem in answering. "His name is Rhazii, and he is...oh, how long has it been even? Let's see, it was a few weeks to get to...then we stayed there for a few days...then a few weeks to Thorn, so over a month there. Another month at sea, then just over a week to get here, so just under three months, I think? It can be hard to keep track of time while traveling, especially in Black Marsh. There is a reason it is called Black Marsh; the swamp is very thick, and it always seems darker, especially in the deep swamps. It's easy to lose your sense of time."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei nodded. "Very well. Just keep in mind that it will take a few minutes for myself and Ahnasha to get to a secure place to apply Sabine's concoction. If all goes well, we can get to work on actually tracking down Vile's servants tomorrow." She said with a smile, and a hint of an optimistic tone. Once out of the larder, Meesei headed straight back to the main chamber. It was less crowded than before, but she had heard Harriet's challenge as they had left the chamber, so she figured that was where the crowd had gone. She spotted Ahnasha and most of the others conversing with another group, while Sabine was still with the group she had joined during Meesei's story. She would need to speak to Ahnasha and the others later, but for the moment, she approached Sabine. "Apologies." Meesei said, looking over the group of young lycans before focusing on Sabine. "I need to talk to you for a moment. Come with me." Lorag gave a slight laugh. "Yeah, I guess." He said before releasing her arms and slowly bringing himself up to his feet. He felt his joints pop as he stood, but even that couldn't bring him down from his current mood. "I still got it." He muttered almost inaudibly under his breath. He started stretching his muscles and doing what he could to show no reaction to the pain pulsing across his body from the numerous cuts he sustained. "You're a lot bigger than I thought you'd be. You the toughest one in this clan? I like the idea of an Orc havin' that title." "We've travelled...to here, from Black Marsh." Kaleeth responded, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly as she tried to find another way to phrase it. "I don't really know how you would even measure a distance that far. We went through Thorn, got on a ship and sailed...west, I think? We went to the Imperial City, the biggest place I've ever seen. Then we came straight up here. It took well over a month, but Meesei says that was fast for that distance. But the wamasu, I can tell you more about those." She said, her tone becoming a bit more confident as she held up Leaps in front of her. "This is a wamasu; a hatchling. We killed the mother and I was going to cook one of her eggs, but it hatched. We named him Leaps-On-Elves."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Hmm, so only one of the entrances would be quick to escape through; good to know." Meesei commented. When Jerrick asked how long her preparations would take, she went over in her mind what she needed to accomplish. First, she needed the required materials, which also meant going and explaining the situation to Sabine. Making the invisibility scroll would not be difficult once she had the soul gem and a scroll, and Sabine would not take too long on a relatively simple alchemical concoction. After that, she would need to explain the plan to the others, then wait for nightfall with Ahnasha. "My preparations should not take too long. I will go find Sabine as soon as we are done here and we will collect the ingredients. I cannot imagine it taking her more than half an hour to finish with the concoction. As for myself, it will take me about the same amount of time to create the scroll, once I have the soul gem. Perhaps you could have someone bring me one? Just say that I requested them for...an enchantment, to help track our enemies. Also have them bring me a ring or amulet as well. I will not need it, but it will help ward off suspicion. Beyond that, you just need to write your letters, and make sure there is a welkynd stone in the meeting room for tonight. I cannot recall if there was already one in there or not. I will just need to know exactly what time you will head to the meeting room. Myself and Ahnasha will sneak in with our scents masked at that time. I do not want there to be any time where you are alone without us." Meesei answered. As soon as Harriet started shifting back to her normal form, Lorag followed suit. He felt invigorated from the fight, as well as a little dizzy from the blow to the head. Both of them were bloody and bruised, but for lycans, it was nothing that wouldn't heal. He still had her pinned once back in his Orc form, so he looked down at her with a satisfied grin. "Ah, that's more like it. Training in my pack never gets this...bloody." He commented, though he was too distracted to notice anything about her expression. Ahnasha paid particularly close attention to how long the Dunmer said Harriet had her position, but from what she remembered, it seemed to match up perfectly. Indeed, everything they were saying about Harriet matched with everything they had seen or observed about her. She could not think of a way to ask any more questions about her that would seem natural before Theresa directed a question at Kaleeth. "Oh, well...it is a long story, really." Kaleeth answered, trying to hold back her nervousness. "We met in Black Marsh, in my village. Meesei and all the others came there to speak with the Hist for Sabine. I had never seen anyone that wasn't an Argonian before, and I started to talk to Janius. He was quite nice to me. He helped me kill a wamasu...then we became mates. Then, I went to see if I could...commune with Hircine to help me decide what to do. Then...I don't know what happened. When I woke up, I was a werecrocodile." She explained, through her abbreviated explanation likely left many more questions than answers.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

From what Meesei could recall, the Meeting room would be an adequate location to stage an ambush. Anywhere they could hide which would not arouse suspicion for Jerrick to spend some time in would work, but as he said, they needed to make sure they remained completely undetected. "I believe I can obtain something for that. There are alchemical solutions to mask a scent, but it could cause suspicion if I were to ask for that directly from your alchemists. However, Sabine is a skilled alchemist, she just needs the ingredients. I can go with her to your alchemists and request to restock her supplies. For the Champion, I am sure they would be willing to part with supplies, but if not, I will say I asked you for the supplies. We have arrived here after a long journey, so that would not be a suspicious request. As for the ambush itself, I believe myself and Ahnasha will hide in the meeting room with you. If there is not sufficient space for two of us to hide normally, one of us can use a welkynd stone to maintain an invisibility spell for an extended duration. How many entrances are there to the meeting room, I cannot quite recall?" The struggle which Lorag and Harriet had locked themselves into was starting to head into his favor. He knocked her straight on her back, but she had one heavy swing ready for him. Lorag saw it coming, and he could have evaded, but that would mean giving up his position. Instead, he angled his head down to keep his eyes out of the way, and took the hit. The claws raked across the top of his head, forming cuts as they went, and the force of the strike nearly knocked him off-balance, but he stayed in control, and more importantly, he was able to get on top of her to pin her. He attempted to put as much weight as he could on her arms, then get his jaws around her throat. If it worked, he could force a submission. "Well...yes and no." Ahnasha responded, trying to think of how best to describe Lorag. "He's prideful, obviously. He hasn't said anything, but I think it really gets to him that Kaleeth here is physically stronger than him, especially since it certainly doesn't look like she should be. If one of us were to beat him in a fight, he probably wouldn't stop training until he beat us twice as badly. But, he's also incredibly loyal to Meesei. He knows she can best him, and he seems to accept it. It probably helps that our pack is much smaller than this clan. Meesei listens to us, but ultimately, she has the final say on all our decisions. She is a wise woman, and we all trust her. We don't really have the...politics of this clan. If Harriet and Oswall get along that poorly...I imagine that might get trying at times. I think I recall Oswall saying he had been in his position for a long time. How long has Harriet been a lieutenant, and how long did it take to get like this?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei nodded. Given that Jerrick was expecting for this attack to happen sometime that night, they needed to work quickly to prepare. Before doing anything, however, they had to lay out the details of their plan. "I understand. I can make a scroll with the soul gem, and a welkynd stone could be useful for the illusion. Unfortunately, my entire pack cannot be lying in wait, as I doubt we would be able to hide them all. I do have one member who is skilled in stealth, however. We just need to choose where to do this. We need somewhere that would not be strange for you to go, preferably somewhere that no one, even your wife, would normally be expected to bother you. Perhaps some late night logistical work, or something of that nature. Is there anything like that which you do at least occasionally. Also, you may wish to avoid eating for the rest of the day, at least nothing from your own stocks. My pack still has a small amount of food with our belongings that you can have. It should be safe." As Harriet's claws and teeth cut into Lorag's body, he retaliated with the same kind of slashes and bites. Both were becoming fairly cut up, and while Lorag had a slight advantage, they both seemed fairly well-matched. Harriet did manage to shove Lorag off of her for a moment, but the way he landed, he was able to keep his feet on the ground and pounce back immediately. Harriet had not completely made it to her feet, though she was in a better position than lying on the ground. He grasped both of her shoulders and tried to force her down once more, all while snapping at her with his teeth. "I am Kaleeth-Rei." Kaleeth said after the other introductions, though she shied away from contributing any more to the conversation. Instead, she simply took her seat and tried to keep Leaps from escaping her arms. According to Ahnasha, they needed to be subtle about gathering information, and she was too afraid that she would miss something about Imperial culture that would make her seem suspicious. Ahnasha was more open, smiling as she gave her name. "I am Ahnasha. I think Meesei went to talk with your Alpha. Likely about tracking Vile's servants. Sabine I think has found a few friends," She commented, glancing over to the group Sabine had found to check on her, "and Lorag, well, you probably saw where he went. He is not the kind to refuse a challenge. You will probably never meet a more...Orcish Orc, and he prides himself on it. Although, Harriet seemed very eager to deliver the challenge. Is that normal for her?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei nodded in understanding. "Najirra, he is the Khajiit who is skilled at dealing with mental trauma, yes? If you can write a letter that he will know is from you, then that will be helpful. You might also consider writing to a few others you trust, that do not have that level of influence. As long as Najirra is among them, then their testimony will only strengthen his word. Just be sure you can trust who you write to. Ideally, though, we will be saving your life, not avenging it. I agree that you will likely need to be present, but that does not mean we need to put you in unnecessary danger. As long as you are present, I might be able to project an illusion of you. I would need a source of power to sustain the spell; a filled soul gem or welkynd stone would be sufficient. You might also carry a scroll of invisibility. If you do not have one, I can make one. I can offer no guarantees of safety, but at least we can try to push the odds in our favor. But...well this is your life we are putting on the line. Intimidating the traitor could save you for now, but it might be more dangerous in the future. I may be Champion, but it is only right that I respect your input in the matter." Lorag's feint was at least marginally successful, though it was not likely to be the move that won him the duel. He was in a better position than her, but she reacted quickly to minimize her disadvantage. Even if it wasn't a strong advantage, it was an advantage nonetheless, and Lorag decided to capitalize on it. He pounced at her as well, from a bit better of a position, with a bit more force. His intent was to grapple her and use the leverage he had to force her to the ground. It would still be a fight from there, but he had a few more tricks he might use. Ahnasha was cautious with Fendros' suggestion, mostly because she did not want to do anything to sabotage their investigation. Obviously, they had to talk to people in order to do any investigating, they just needed to make sure their approach was intelligent. "Yes, just...let's be cautious. The conversation needs to be natural. Let's start with Harriet, since she's...topical." Ahnasha whispered silently enough that it could barely be heard even by their own campfire.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Hmm...I do not know if intimidating the traitor would be best." Meesei said, pausing a moment to think. This was an all-around difficult situation. It was true that they might be able to delay the traitors plans, but she was unsure if the extra time would pay off in the end, as the traitor would get just as much time to plan. "Right now, we have the advantage that the traitor does not know that we suspect them. If we intimidate them, then they will be able to plan for us. There is no telling how long this traitor is willing to wait. If it is Darahil, for instance, he might plan for years. I think it might be best to confront them tonight. We can find a place for you to stay, then set an ambush. It is risky, I admit, but we might just be able to save you. But...just in case, I also think it would be best to have a backup plan. Something to...make my task easier, in the event you do not make it. I assume you have told no one but me about this, but you know the traitor is a part of your inner circle, yes? Is there anyone outside the circle that you are close with, or that you otherwise trust? Preferably, someone that holds respect among your clan. Someone that does not have a motive to betray you. If so, you could write a letter, something to deliver to him or her that explains everything you have told me. Something that explains what we tried to do tonight. You could include something that only the two of you would know, to prove that it is from you." Because Lorag had been prepared, he was quick to respond. Using his free hand, he shoved Harriet back while also dashing backwards himself to avoid her counterattack. Between the two, he ended up putting a fair amount of distance between them. From the outside, it seemed that neither of them had gotten anywhere, but Lorag was getting some sense of what she was like in a fight. After only a brief pause in the fight, he was once again the one to charge, but this time, it was going to be a feint. Just when it seemed like he was going to pounce, he would leap just to the left or right and see if he could attack from the side or back.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei stood silent for quite a while, mulling over this revelation. Jerrick seemed certain of his death, though Meesei was not so dismissive of his survival. No prophesy, no matter the source, was absolute. Still, what he said was greatly troubling. Such a large clan needed strong leadership, and just as Jerrick was suggesting, if he were to die, it would leave a power vacuum that could tear the clan apart. Under normal circumstances, it might be easy for the Champion of Hircine to draw together the disparate groups, but if his death was at the hands of a traitor, that would make things more difficult. "If what you say is true...there is certainly some kind of preparation we can make. You know it is going to happen tonight, correct? Could we not have someone watch you and at least attempt to stop it? Even if they do not succeed, we would at least be able to identify the traitor. A prophesy is not absolute, and you might yet live, but regardless, we do not have to go into this unprepared. In the event of your death, we might be able to do something now to make rooting out the traitor easier." Meesei suggested. Lorag transformed at the same time as Harriet, and if he could smile in this form, he would have been. "Good, I was hopin' for a challenge." He commented in his wolf form's deep, gruff voice before making his charge. Despite Lorag's tendency towards being direct and brutal, he was not without strategy. After all, he had been military trained in the Legion. For an opponent close to his level, he needed to test her defenses. He made a heavy slash towards her torso, but did not actually care if he hit her. Rather, he was ready to evade a counterattack at a moment's notice. He just wanted to see what kind of response she gave.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei was going to say more about the story and her reason for telling it, but it seemed that Jerrick had something to speak to her about. It seemed like it might be important, and she was finished with her meal, so she could talk with him. Although, before standing up, she glanced over to Sabine with a bit of concern. She could not imagine that Sabine was comfortable with the sudden attention. At the moment, she seemed to be with a group of people close to her age, but she was not certain if she was truly there willingly. As she was standing up, she leaned over to Janius beside her. "Janius, could you please keep an eye on Sabine?" She requested. Turning back to Jerrick, the two started to walk away from the main crowd. "I suppose now is a good time to move on to more serious matters. I have thoughts on how to track our enemy, but first, what is it you wish to say?" Lorag said nothing through Meesei's recollection of their slaying of the Orc, though he did think she was downplaying some parts. He was most of the way through a cut of steak when he heard his name shouted. The Orc in Jerrick's circle had issued him a challenge, and in a reaction that surprised no one, Lorag started to grin. "You want a challenge?" He said as he stood to his feet. He kept his grin as he started to pop his knuckles and chuckle slightly. "Oh, it's been too long. Come on, let's do this. Which way's that big room again?"