EliteCommander

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek has barely noticed any change in himself, so he did not quite know what was bothering her. As they were walking along, his posture gradually began to relax. "No, I'm fine. I suppose I might be a little nervous meeting new Elissics, but they seemed professional. Soldiers are like that, the good ones at least. I knew soldiers that hated each other to the very core, but the moment it came to a fight, I had no doubt they would risk their lives for each other. I think there is something quite admirable about that, though I admit, I might be a bit biased." He laughed.

By this point, Tarentek was back to his normal demeanor. "So the lack of people makes you nervous? I take it you like crowds, then? I know I was certainly used to them back in Amman, though being a scout also got me used to being alone. Usually I had my team, but there were times I had to be completely alone for whatever reason."

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

As instructed, Tarentek put one package aside for the leader, then began distributing the rest to the line of scouts. If any of them had any thoughts or opinions on Tarentek, they all kept them to themselves. The scouts all seemed regimented and professional, much like Tarentek's own squad had been...when they were on duty, at least.

Tarentek passed out each of the packages he had to the scouts, then, once all of the others had received theirs, handed over the one he had set aside to the leader, Mox'lin. Being in the presence of soldiers, or the equivalent of soldiers, almost unconsciously caused Tarentek to shift back into the mannerisms his years of training had given him. He stood with completely proper posture, as if at attention, as he waited for Onyx to finish whatever else she might need to do. For anyone looking at Tarentek, it would be hard to miss the evidence of the years of drills and training that had driven themselves into the core of his mind.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

If you would like to skip to the announcement (or whatever the next big event is), you can go ahead and do so. I think I've given all of Meesei's plans and intentions, except for one thing. She intends to have Grolak or the Bosmer search Harriet's room before Harriet will be allowed to return to it. Other than that, she will probably have Sabine stay with Ahnasha, who can do whatever. Though, I think Ahnasha would want to stick with Fendros.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I understand, I trust your judgment on this. I think you would know best on how to find him." Meesei said with a nod. "I do not have any reason to believe there is anything wrong with him, but I felt I should tell you. I would like to keep at least one person with you to help protect you, though. Take Kaleeth; she is stronger than she gives herself credit for." Meesei instructed. While she knew that Kaleeth's skill with weaponry was not exceptional at the moment, it was her lycan form that Meesei felt was capable. For any foe not prepared to face it, a werecrocodile could be devastating.

"I do not believe Harriet will be able to direct anyone to harm you before the trial, as I will be watching her constantly, but it is best to be safe. Even if Harriet cannot order them, there may be the possibility that some of them might do something rash of their own accord. Anyway, I do not believe there is anything more to say now. We should all get to our respective tasks." Meesei said, motioning for Kaleeth to gather her equipment and follow Vera.

After stepping out into the hall, Meesei quickly rejoined the others. As requested, they were all waiting with varying degrees of patience. Inwardly, Meesei felt nervous and uncertain. There was no way to be sure that the choices she was making were the right ones, but they were choices she had to make. She could not be sure if it was a good idea to let Harriet wander the ruin, but she knew it would not be wise to proceed with the trial without allowing Harriet to form a defense. She could not be sure if her plan for avoiding violence would work, but it was the best plan she had. Those, and all of her other decisions, weighed on her mind, but on the surface, she was just as calm as always. "I do not believe there is any more left to do here. Janius, you should stay with Oswall, and Fendros with Darahil. I do not want to risk any more tragedies. Harriet, myself and Lorag are going to stay with you. There are some rules I am going to have to establish, but you will have the ability to form your defense."

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek looked around along with Onyx after they reached the end of the bridges. There only seemed to be one, reasonably large group of people nearby, so he assumed they were the ones they were looking for. Since he was not sure, however, he stayed at Onyx's side to follow her lead. He thought it was an interesting idea for their rituals to involve bonding together two people who could be considered rivals. Thinking about it, he guessed that a custom like that could lead to less in-fighting among the village, though he doubted that was always the case.

"I don't think our celebrations are too much like your rituals. There are very few that involve our gods at all. They are more of...social events, not formal like your rituals. Well, some of them are formal, but not strictly structured, I mean. Often times, these celebrations are private gatherings of friends and family members, but there are some that involve more of the community. For instance, there is a public celebration nearly every year for the students of the University who complete their studies. It is a festival, of sorts, with music, dancing, and if resources permit, a feast. Those who completed their training to be soldiers get special honors at the celebration, and luckily for me, it was a good year when I completed my studies. Plenty of food and drink to go around. My squad had a contest to see who could drink the most wine; I...don't think any of us 'won,' really." He said with a chuckle.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

"Oh, Bri'nx. Bright, Onyx. I understand now." Tarentek commented, chuckling to himself as they walked along. Her explanation of the ritual did not seem too strange compared to any other ritual he had heard of from other places. His own people did not practice what others would generally call rituals, but he had heard explanations of why others did. Of course, those explanations varied significantly from place to place.

"Hmm, so this ritual is a social event, but also a very personal one? My people do not really have rituals, so I am pretty unfamiliar with them. The closest thing I would say we have is customary celebrations for important life events. Marriages, hatchings, starting a career, those sorts of things. But, they aren't really the same. This sounds like a large event for the whole tribe, or at least a good portion of it. Though, I am curious about how you determine who is who's rival. Do you know who your rival is?" Tarentek asked. He glanced around at the people around him, not that he actually knew who it was these packages were supposed to be delivered to. For now, he had to rely on Onyx to show him the way. He was just there to carry some of the burden and provide conversation.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I'm not really part of your social structure, so I can call you whatever you want me to. I don't know what the new name means to you, but from a purely phonetic standpoint, I really do like the name 'Onyx.' I believe it sounds nice. Though, if my age is important for making the distinction, I am twenty-three years of age, currently."

Tarentek glanced off in the same direction as Onyx for a moment, then focused his attention back on her. "So, how do you go about coming of age? Does it involve a ritual or something? What would that entail?" He asked.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei nodded in response to Vera, stepping closer to her and speaking more quietly to make sure the others could not hear them from outside, in case they were still close to the door. "Yes, I had Ahnasha looking for him while you all were waiting, but she could not find him. I...admit, I had to deceive you on something before, but now that you are no longer a suspect, I can speak more freely. I was aware of your son when you asked me earlier today, though I did not know where he was, and still do not. I had asked Jerrick to give me the names of those he felt he could trust, and Caleb's name was among them. When I requested his presence, I did not know he was your son, or I likely would have kept him distant from the matter. Still, the only thing I asked of him was to keep an eye out for any information of interest, so I have no way of knowing where he could be."

Meesei still could not reveal everything about her investigation, namely the identities of her other contacts, but as Caleb's mother, Meesei felt Vera should know if something was potentially wrong with her son. After what Vera had been through already, Meesei prayed to Hircine that Caleb was alright, and indeed, it wasn't guaranteed that he had been harmed. "Is disappearing like this something that is normal for him? You know him better than I. With what I have told you, do you think you could guess where he might be? I regret I cannot join you personally in the search just yet, but Ahnasha, Kaleeth, or perhaps both can aid you." She offered.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek held the packages he was given close under his arm. He did not know what they contained, though he doubted they could be too important if Harp'la was willing to entrust them to an outsider, even while in the presence of Onyx. Even so, he would make sure to take care of them just the same. After Onyx started speaking to Harp'la, Tarentek stood by silently while they conversed. After yesterday, he had to remind himself that not all of the Elissics were as friendly as the merchants, or young adults. Most likely, he would be spending a lot of time silently listening as others spoke.

Tarentek mimicked Onyx's farewells as they left, then followed her out the building. Since he hadn't the faintest idea of where to go, he simply made conversation as he followed Onyx. "She seemed...well, she didn't yell at me, so she couldn't have disliked me too much." He said with a laugh. "So, I gather you told her about your experience last night? Will you be getting a new name or something, or will I always be able to call you Onyx?"

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Ssarak, Darius, and Alaira were hiding a fair distance from the camp to stay out of sight, but close enough that they could hear and observe what was happening within. While the others might be able to maneuver closer, Ssarak, in his cumbersome, metal armor, did not want to take the risk. Meirin had elected to remain back with the wagon to protect Lyn and the caravan master. Ssarak was nervous about splitting up, but was eventually convinced that it would be the safest option for everyone. Regardless, he had made sure to leave one of their ethers with Meirin, and had given the other to Darius. For himself, Ssarak reasoned that, since he tended to be conservative with his use of magic, he would have less need of it.

The trio was of course outnumbered, as expected, but that did not mean they could not emerge victorious. They were more well-armed than their opponents, likely better trained, and had the element of surprise. The greatest worry in Ssarak’s mind was that Alaira might refuse to go along with any plan they create and instead charge straight in. Given her history, that was a believable outcome. However, as long as his plan involved her fighting in the open, he reasoned that she may cooperate.

Ssarak whispered to the others in lieu of telepathic communication, due to Alaira’s weakness. ”Now that we have seen the fortifications, we need a plan of attack. We are outnumbered right now, so a direct attack would be unwise, but it may not necessarily be a good idea to wait for most of them to leave either. We will likely need to clear the camp before we can bring the wagon through, and we do not have unlimited time. Currently, most of the camp seems to be intoxicated, which should work in our favor. We could search for a good approach to attack now, or wait and until the group their leader is gathering starts to leave, then attack before they are fully out of range to separate them into groups. Although, we also have to bear in mind the other group we overheard them talking about. I would prefer to clear the camp before they return so we can set up an ambush.”