EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"If you were truly intent on believing that, then I doubt anything I could say would change that opinion." Meesei answered as she searched through the clothing. Even being steel, Meesei of course took the dagger, but there was nothing else of interest to her. As such, she put everything else back into a pile between them and allowed the Nord to reclaim the rest. "But no, we have no such plans for you. Lycans do not have a particular need for Human flesh; it is simply that our beast spirits do not like being denied their meal after a kill. Even if you do not believe that, the battle left behind enough corpses to last months. Yours would be entirely unnecessary, if that were the case. Now, I have wounded to tend to. We will speak about the information you have, and negotiate your release, as soon as I have the time." Meesei added before finally leaving the cell and locking the door behind her.

"Stand guard here for now. I will send others to relieve you shortly." Meesei ordered before taking her leave and heading to the infirmary.

---

Kaleeth was silent before Janius left, and remained so after he returned. She accepted the water unenthusiastically, and while she was no longer sobbing audibly, there were still certainly tears in her eyes. Janius had at least managed to convince her that they were not intentionally monsters, but to her, an unintentional monster was still almost as bad. How could she just accept committing these crimes against nature?

For what seemed like hours, Kaleeth was entirely unresponsive until she finally said something in a weak, despondent voice. "There has to be a way to cure this, Janius. I can't live like this anymore."

---

Upon the healer's request, Ahnasha did lower her volume to a more normal speaking level, but the anger was still apparent in her tone. "A lot of things could have happened, like you getting yourself killed in that suicidal charge. Me being in danger doesn't give you an excuse to be stupid. Just...think about it for even a second and you'll see how much of an idiot you were being. Say I was in danger; say I was fighting on the other side of those hunters. Was it you that saved them? Did you get to the other side? No, you got yourself surrounded and nearly killed before Janius and Lorag had to come in and pull you out of the fire. Those two, Meesei, the rest of the warband, they fought smart, and they were the ones who saved the defense. Not you. If you want to help, then you won't forget all of your training as soon as I get into a fight."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"That would be an accurate description, yes. It has all of the same components as a village, and serves the same function." Meesei commented. "As mercenaries, I would not expect they would have told you the entire truth of the matter. If you were an agent of the enemy, a cultist of Vile, then I can say that I would not be so...accommodating in your capture. His cultists are fanatical and willing to die for their master. They have slain countless of my kind in a war of their making. Still, do not mistake my politeness for acceptance. I may bring you through the infirmary to show you the pain and suffering you have wrought among the innocents of this family. I do not know how many you killed personally, if any, but you played a role in their suffering. But, I am no fool. I know the perception that exists among the...civilized of Tamriel about my kind. Indeed, one could likely find werewolves terrorizing the countryside in County Bruma, and across Tamriel. Ferals, or even groups of ferals, that have not learned to separate the beasts from themselves. The only interactions that people from the cities have with lycanthropes are with these ferals, as those that I lead remain separate and hidden from your people. We have no desire to murder the innocent, and even if we did, it would be foolish to attract the ire of the Empire, Dominion, or any other of Tamriel's governments. We take in the ferals and train them in self control to keep them from harming or being harmed by your people. Bandits and other brigands may be prey in our hunts, but in that, we are hardly different from the average band of adventurers. It is because of us that lycanthropes remain little more than myths in the cities; stories to pass around the campfire. Without us, the ferals would become very real, very present threats."

Eventually, they arrived at what had been Galsek's cell. Motioning for the two lycans with them to stand guard outside, Meesei led her into the cell. It was rather bare, apart from the chains that had bound the Argonian traitor, though Meesei gave no indication that she was going to force the Nord to be chained. "This is where you will remain until I have time to negotiate with you for your release. There are several matters we will need to need to address beyond just information, but I give you my word that I will negotiate in good faith as long as you remain cooperative. I cannot forgive your crimes against us, but I can understand them. I cannot cast blame upon you for being deceived. The situation is hectic at the moment, but I will make sure you are fed and have all of your basic needs within the next few hours." Pausing for a moment, Meesei reached out and placed her hand on the Nord's wound, charging a numbing spell of restoration through it which served to accelerate its clotting. "Your wound is not severe. The bleeding will stop soon. I will likely have a healer come by tomorrow to make sure it has healed properly, and determine if you have been infected with lycanthropy. Now, I do not believe you to be foolish enough to attempt to escape, but as a precaution, I am going to search you for anything that could be used to pick a lock. Give me your clothing, but do not worry, I will allow you to keep it once I am finished. I understand your need for modesty."

---

Kaleeth was silent for a while, apart from her sobs. From the outside, it was difficult to tell if Janius' words were having any effect whatsoever, as the only emotion she showed was intense sadness. Janius had been right not to attempt to persuade Kaleeth to give up her perception of cannibalism, but she was not content with just what he had said so far. He had not explicitly said that cannibalism was acceptable among lycans, but from her observations she was actually perceptive enough to figure it out.

"So...you just accept it, then? The fight is...hazy, but I remember it. I remember eating the bodies and...the other lycans doing the same. After it was over, they started eating the bodies like me, but they weren't like me. They weren't out of control like I was. They knew what they were doing; they did it on purpose, and no one did anything about it, not even you. You're...you're the same way aren't you? You don't try to stop it, you just...accept it."

Ahnasha had a hard time retaining her composure as she looked upon Fendros in his wounded state. It reminded her all too strongly of the ordeal they had suffered in Black Marsh, even though it had been her in his position. Mercifully, Rhazii was tired from all of the activity over the past few hours, so he was practically falling asleep in her arms. Even an infant could recognize the signs of pain in a parent, and she did not want him seeing it. Ahnasha reached out and lightly grabbed Fendros' free hand. "I came as soon as I heard. Lorag said you were hurt, but that you will be fine. Don't worry about me; I'm fine. Rhazii was out of danger the whole time, and all I have is sore ankles from all the running around. I know you wanted to make sure we were safe. I love you, Fendros, and you know I would do the same, but...you were an idiot, Fendros. A stupid...idiot!" Ahnasha shouted quite suddenly. "I heard what you did, just running straight into the enemy like that. What were you thinking? Are you crazy? I know we were in danger, but that's no excuse to be suicidal, not when you don't really know how much danger we were actually in. You can't just...lose all ability to think every time I'm in the slightest danger. Eventually, you're not going to be this lucky, you'll get yourself killed, and I just can't handle that, Fendros!" She yelled, her anger mixed with tears. Rhazii had been close to falling asleep before, but now he was beginning to whine from all the noise.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Once the Nord was disarmed and unarmored, Meesei looked to two of the werewolves standing behind her. She did not know them, but they had been part of the warband, so she trusted they would follow her orders. "Come with me, we're taking her to a cell." She ordered, turning back to the Nord. "Walk in front of me and make no sudden movements. I will guide you to the cell. I do of course want something out of you, and that is information. I do not have time to decide the terms of your release right now, and frankly will not have time for a while due to this attack of yours. But, you will be fed and your wounds cared for until that time comes. Unless you give us a very good reason, you will not be harmed. Now, let us move." She said, walking behind the Nord and placing her hand on her back to guide her forward.

While they were walking, Meesei decided to answer the woman's question, if only to improve the chances of getting useful information out of her. "We are lycans. That is, of course, obvious, but there is nothing much more complicated about it. We have a condition, what some would call a disease, imparted by the Daedric Lord Hircine. Some of us took the condition on willingly, but most in this clan were infected by other means. We have banded together in this clan for survival, so as to avoid the fates that often befall feral lycans. This is a home and safe haven for those who can live nowhere else. Farmers, merchants, laborers, children, those were the people you were sent to kill. It is fortunate we returned in time to protect them. I know not of your own personal code of ethics or honor, but I know that your employer has none. Whether you know it or not, you were acting in service of another Daedric Lord: Clavicus Vile. Of course, if you were asking about me specifically, my name is Meesei. I am the Champion of Lord Hircine. I am the alpha of all packs under his name."

---

For the time that Janius carried and cleaned her to the point that the healers came to tend to her wounds, Kaleeth was largely unresponsive to anything that might be said to her. The only sound she made was sobbing, which she would not stop. The healers most likely assumed it was the pain that had sent her to tears, and while it certainly had not helped, her sobbing was originally brought on by something deeper. Her spirit felt even more damaged than her body, which was not in a good state itself. Like many of the wounded, it would take sustained treatment to deal with the silver wounds, so she would be under their care for a while.

Seeing as Janius was not leaving, Kaleeth eventually worked up the will to speak, softly at first. "You should just...let me die. I deserve it. I ate them, Janius. I ate them and...liked it. I'm...sick. I'm a monster! I should be killed like a monster." She said weakly. Although it was not something Janius might think about anymore, Kaleeth, despite the months she had been with them, had not actually been in a position to experience the more cannibalistic tendencies of lycanthropes. Her prey thusfar had been simple creatures.

It was a great relief to Ahnasha when the runners informed them of the success in the battle above them. They were able to return from the depths of the ruins before anyone fell prey to any traps. Like Sabine, Ahnasha had to know about the safety of the others, so she rushed up to rejoin the rest of the clan along with her. Once they were back to the chamber they had been hiding in before retreating to the unexplored areas she took back Rhazii from Sabine and thanked her for caring for him.

Lorag was the first of their pack that they were able to find, as he had returned not long before from searching the ruins. He told them that everyone from their pack had survived, but it was from him that Ahnasha learned not only that Fendros was injured, but how he had been injured. Immediately, she made her way to the temporary infirmary in the dining hall, where he had evidently been moved. For Lorag, he decided to search around and see what happened to Harriet. With all that was happening, he felt like knowing if that was a loose end they still needed to deal with.

In the infirmary, Ahnasha searched around for Fendros' sent until she found him. He had already received some treatment, though he would likely be bedridden for a while. The healers did not seem to like the idea of too many people crowding into the infirmary, but they simply did not have time to stop and argue at the moment. As long as she stayed out of the way, she doubted there would be a problem. "You awake, Fendros?" Ahnasha asked.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Goodnight. I'll be going to bed as well after this response.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei did not budge from her position and made no effort to strike down the essentially defenseless Nord. "Even if you were in good health, you could not challenge me, and as I said, I have no interest in an execution. Unless Galsek was lying in his final moments, which is indeed a definite possibility, I know you are a mercenary. Is gold worth your life? Perhaps you think me a mindless beast? A berserker or barbarian? No, I would say I have far more civility than you; I did not go to your home and try to murder your family. Listen for a moment and you would hear that I am letting you live. I will not torture you or commit whatever other atrocities you are imagining. If that was my intention, your cooperation would be irrelevant. I can cast a spell of paralysis; you will be detained no matter what you do. Now, disarm and remove your armor. You will be taken to a cell, and I will have one of the healers tend to your wounds. After we have tended to our own, of course." Meesei ordered in a tone that was best described as neutral. She was not threatening, though not particularly comforting. Her threats were rather matter-of-fact in tone, demonstrating complete and utter confidence in her superiority in combat ability over the Nord.

Being left to herself with her meal, Kaleeth began to calm. Her beast spirit's bloodlust was satisfied, so even though it bore no kinship to the other lycans, it did not feel compelled to make prey of them either. After a few minutes, she curled up a short distance from the bodies and began licking her wounds before slowly making the transition back to her Argonian form. For a few moments, it was uncertain if she was still conscious, but the light sobbing that could be heard emanating from her soon answered that question. From head to toe, she was covered in blood, and while an uncertain proportion of that had belonged to the hunters, the blood that was starting to pool underneath her was unmistakably hers. Given the number of silver wounds she had suffered, she was undoubtedly in considerable pain, but she did not seem intent on moving.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I do recall one thing I was going to do after the skip involving Sabine and Meesei. Her exact age is irrelevant, just that she has had time to develop. I think it will be a scene that will allow you to show how she has changed and developed over those years. I'm curious to see what you will do.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei looked over the Nord woman for a moment, then back to Vera and Oswall. "Harriet may be among the dead. She...did not approach the fight with caution. Her collar would identify her, though do not touch it if you find her. If removed improperly, the collar will activate."

Standing over the Nord just out of reach of any weapon she might have, Meesei looked at her with a severe, though not quite aggressive expression. Meesei had no arms or armor, but her displays of magic had likely been enough to inspire fear, not to mention the fact that the Nord was hopelessly outnumbered.

"Stand up, mercenary. Discard your arms and armor; we both know you have been defeated. I know not what you think of me or my kind, but I have no particular desire to execute you. If I did, your weapons would not stop me. You are a prisoner of this war, whether or not you knew it was actually a war you were fighting. Approach your loss with civility, and I promise to return the gesture. Cooperate, and you will not be mistreated. Now, are you going to comply, or resist?" Meesei questioned authoritatively, though as she finished speaking, Kaleeth let out another roar, and looked as if she might lash out at Janius for a moment before returning to feeding on the corpses. Meesei regarded Kaleeth for a moment, then looked back to the Nord. "Do not approach her."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I have notes on all this saved somewhere on this computer. Just have to dig it up. I remember the major plot points, of course. I just can't recall all the timings for the timeskips.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

No, it's just the only thing that I remember is what age Sabine would be after the skip. I think the reason had something to do with Ahnasha and Kaleeth's development in skills.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ah, then it was three years. I forgot the reason I picked that length of time, but I'm sure I had one.