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With the decision to stay with the Bruma clan, the pack’s course was set not for months ahead, but years. Over time, the novelty of having the Champion and her pack present wore off, and they slowly became viewed as another part of the clan. They met friends, took on official roles, and generally integrated into the clan as a whole. Although, the clan itself faced many changes over time. Following Meesei’s plan, the clan went through a very gradual form of restructuring, as she knew that its people would likely not tolerate sudden, drastic change. At first, the packs who followed the various lieutenants were simply assigned to work with one another more often, and more closely. Predictably, it created tension, it was not so drastic as to be unbearable. As the months turned to years, the integration became more formal. Lieutenants were allowed, and frequently encouraged, to directly oversee and direct the packs of other lieutenants. As well, packs were no longer required to report to others strictly within the command structure of the lieutenant leading them, and Meesei made sure that it was often more convenient to do so. Again, there was tension, and some fights broke out, but as they had been working more closely together, it was again not unbearable. By the third year, The lieutenants only technically had separate leadership structures. In practice, they and their packs worked together on most tasks. There were some among the clan who still held old prejudices, but many of the newer members had never even seen the clan in its former fractured state.
In addition to restructuring, the clan grew in a multitude of ways. The actual number of members grew far beyond anything they ever could have expected. New lycans were found at a rate far, far beyond where they could even think about finding territory for them. It made the other expansions that Meesei desired to make a necessity, rather than a suggestion. The clan coordinated teams to clear out the lower sections of the ruins for more living space and welkynd stones, but plenty new materials for Darahil’s scholars to study. Beyond the ruin itself, the clan established contact with other large clans of lycanthropes across Tamriel over the better part of a year. They started with Cyrodiil clans, followed shortly by Black Marsh, then spread their envoys across Tamriel. Some clans were difficult to track down, and one, unfortunately, was confirmed to have been destroyed, presumably by Vile. However, the others they contacted in time to help warn them of Vile, if they were unaware, and help prepare their defenses. Strangely, [i]all[/i[ other clans, even beyond Cyrodiil were also experiencing a massive influx of new lycans. For reasons unknown, it seemed as if the overall number of lycanthropes in Tamriel was increasing dramatically.
The clan’s expansion was also economic. True to Meesei’s overall plan, the clan made use of every connection it could. Instead of just warriors and hunters, merchants quickly found themselves raising in rank and importance among the clan. With the significant boost in gold brought on by selling the silver from the mercenaries’ weapons, they were able to purchase cheap tracts of land in the wilderness, far from the city. In turn, they were able to use the skills and connections of the merchants to sell the resources they could claim. In addition, they were able to clear areas of the forest to grow food to help supply the growing clan. This type of expansion did not remain unique to the Bruma clan. Upon the advice of the clan’s merchants, and sometimes with Meesei’s insistence, other clans across Tamriel followed suit. They created small operations at first, but the more gold they were able to earn, the more they could invest. All of which went to the eventual purpose of funding the ever-growing war against Vile. The clans were attacked on all fronts, but as the fighting dragged on, the clans found themselves more well-equipped, with more resources, more numbers, and a stronger network of connections for information. After years of the war, it actually seemed like the clans were going on the offensive. The hunted had become the hunters that their blood called them to be.
For Meesei, all of the changes that the clan underwent required a great deal of work on her part. She was able to find a balance that did not require her to overwork herself day in and day out, but she was undeniably busy. By right as Champion, she was the Alpha to all clan leaders, but it was not a position she carried without resistance. Some clan alphas did not like having a superior to which they had to answer, some coveted her title for themselves, and a few took issue with being forced to report to an Argonian. To all of these, Meesei could settle the issue in the traditional way. All clan alphas were free to travel to Bruma and challenge her in an honor duel for her title. Indeed, several of the alphas made the attempt, but of course, none were able to succeed against her. By right, she commanded them, and none were able to prove her unworthy of that right.
With her new responsibilities came, unfortunately, less time for Meesei to spend with her pack. She would not say they necessarily grew distant, but it was an unavoidable truth that they lived more separately than she would have liked. They all had their own duties and roles within the clan, so their number of friends increased beyond just the few members of their pack. As one might expect, however, the member of the pack that Meesei spent the most time with was Sabine, mostly through their regular training with Sabine’s magic. Although, even beyond that, Meesei made time whenever she could to spend time with Sabine.
Although he had been skeptical about settling down with the clan at first, Lorag soon found himself right at home among them. He had stepped in, initially temporarily, to fill the role that Harriet had left behind in terms of training their new warriors. However, his experience and military approach to training, while harsh, was undeniably effective. As such, it became a more permanent position for him in the clan. They no longer just needed hunters, or even warriors, but soldiers. Lycan hunters generally operated through professional, specialized training to overcome their brutal and powerful prey, but by giving his recruits the same kind of structured organization, he aimed to nullify the traditional tactics of their opposition. He was not as quick as some of the others to make friends, but among the warriors of the clan, he could certainly find people with which he enjoyed to share a drink.
Compared to Lorag, Ahnasha’s experiences with the clan were considerably more chaotic. Like most of the others, she found a role in which she fit quite well. As she was a naturally talented archer, she often worked training recruits in the use of a bow. She was not precisely in charge in the same way as Lorag, but she was a valued instructor nonetheless. As for her own skills, her magical training proceeded as well as she could have hoped. Openly, she practiced summoning techniques to further her skill in conjuration. Over three years, she became an adept conjurer capable of summoning reasonably strong Daedra, such as a frost atronach or clannfear. However, it was in private that she studied the majority of her necromancy. Fendros of course knew that she had to study the topic, but she did not let on to the extent of her experiments. Even after the clan expanded into the formerly unexplored areas of the ruin, she had managed to keep the secret passage she had found hidden. Over time, she had gathered tools, books and tomes, and had even stolen away some furniture to make her hidden chamber more useful. She gathered bodies, whether they be man, mer, or animal, whenever, and from wherever she could for her experiments. She learned not only the reanimation spells which Fendros knew about, but necromantic rituals that allowed her bind more permanent thralls, among other things. She hated the fact that she had to keep her actions a secret, but she could not stand the thought of Fendros witnessing what she was having to do just to give them more time on Nirn together.
For the state of Ahnasha’s mind, she actually experienced considerable improvement. It took considerable time, effort, and mental anguish, but the regular sessions with Najirra thankfully proved effective. It went better than she had expected, though perhaps not as well as she had hoped. The scars were still there, deep in her mind, and occasionally, they did surface. There were nights were she awoke in terror from a sudden nightmare, or events that triggered a sudden, intense memory. However, such events were few and far between, and for the most part, she could sleep as well as any other lycan. Being rid of the pain entirely was a dream that she had essentially abandoned, but in her current state, she could cope. Besides that, she and Fendros certainly had a lot more to handle with Rhazii, as he could now talk, walk around, and generally cause more trouble.
Just as they had intended, a short few weeks after Kaleeth and Janius decided to have a child, Meesei determined that Kaleeth had an egg within her. It was lain after a few months, then taken care of for a few more months afterwards until it finally hatched. He was a male Argonian hatchling. By Argonian traditions, he would not have a name until his naming day, though Janius took to calling him Newt. For Kaleeth, taking care of a child was both everything she had hoped and feared. Her attachment and love for him was beyond anything she could have imagined, but he was a source of frequent stress, especially once he learned to walk. At the very least, between the two of them, they could divide the responsibilities to a manageable level. As for Kaleeth herself, she was finally able to overcome her beast spirit to a reasonable degree. It did take longer than with a werewolf, but after three years of practice, she was in firm control of her beast spirit as long as she remained reasonably well-fed. In addition, she was trained in combat by Lorag alongside the other “recruits,” as he called them. With three years of training, she was no longer so unconfident in combat. Indeed, her physical strength made her a formidable opponent. She still did not consider herself as skilled as the rest of the pack, but there was no mistaking the fact that she was now unquestionably a warrior.
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Meesei crept through the hall quietly, making sure her steps were light. It was morning, not so early that she was the only one awake, but early enough that she knew Sabine would be asleep. Meesei had been awake for a few hours preparing what she was carrying in her arms. It was a rather large platter filled with various types of meats and vegetables, all of which she knew Sabine favored. Each part of the meal was cooked, or uncooked, as closely to Sabine’s preferences as Meesei could recall. Now, she just had to hope she was hungry.
As she walked up to the door to Sabine’s room, she reached out and ever so carefully nudged the door open. Thankfully, it did not speak on its hinges while she opened it wide enough to fit through. Slowly and deliberately, Meesei walked over, reached down, and nudged Sabine’s shoulder to awaken her. “Sabine, it is time to wake up. You are officially eighteen years of age, and I told you I would not allow you to get by today without some form of celebration.” She said with a smile.
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