EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I...I." Ahnasha stuttered, being at a complete loss for words. She grabbed the flowers in her hands, but for a while, just stared at them with her mouth agape. She did not want to believe what Fendros was saying; she wanted to think that her family had gotten past her loss with little issue. After a short period of grief, she expected them to move on and forget about her. She did not expect that her memory would linger with them for so long; she did not expect that they would care.

Ahnasha gripped the flowers tightly and pulled them close to her chest. She hung her head low and closed her eyes. For a while, she gave Fendros nothing but silence, until eventually, her sobs started to become audible. "I don't...that wasn't what was supposed to happen. They didn't care about me. If they did, they would've listened to me. They would've...paid attention to me. Why...why are they doing this? Why are they holding on to me? Why can't they let go? This is..."

Ahnasha's words trailed off as her light sobs turned to full cries. She wished that Fendros was lying, but the tiger lilies she was holding were all the proof she needed of the unfortunate truth. "What have I done?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha had remained in their room for the entire duration of Fendros' absence. Indeed, she had not even left the bed. It was something about the stress of being so close to her family that seemed to sap all of the energy out of her. The same had occurred the last time they passed by Leyawiin. She had thought she would be able to do something differently this time, but it was not looking like that would be so. In her mind, there was just too much that could go wrong by trying.

As Fendros stepped into the room, Ahnasha remained laying on the bed with her eyes closed. They only opened once he started to speak up. Slowly, she started to bring herself into a sitting position. "I see, and did you see what I mean...about..." She began, but she cut herself off once she saw what he was holding. "Are those...tiger lilies?" She asked in disbelief. Her mind raced in confusion, trying to make sense of why he would have a bouquet of that specific flower, of all things. In the surprise of the moment, she could bring herself to say nothing, and instead just waited for him to respond.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sorry for the delay, just saw your post.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Gwindir seemed only marginally surprised by Fendros' answer. It would have been a coincidence, but it wasn't as if Ahnasha was the only Khajiit in Tamriel to have that name. He chuckled and glanced at Rhazii. "Ah, well that would certainly explain it. It's truly a small world, isn't it?" He commented.

Unfortunately, Gwindir's good mood seemed to sour with Fendros' last question. He placed his hands flat on the counter in front of him while his expression gradually became more cross. "I...am not sure what you are trying to say, stranger, but I do not appreciate it. I do not know if the same is true where you are from, but it is not in good taste to say such things about another's dead child, especially a stranger. Regardless of any coincidence with your wife's name, my daughter died nine years ago, and I would appreciate you not making me relive those memories any further."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Gwindir leaned forward on the counter and looked down to Rhazii. Despite Rhazii's earlier outburst, he did not seem suspicious. Evidently, convincing him that his daughter was alive would actually take some intentional persuasion. "It is no trouble, little cub. That is a pain I dealt with long ago."

Looking back up to Fendros, Gwindir took on a more neutral, slightly curious expression. "Say, what is your wife's name?" I'm guessing it is similar to my daughter's."

After the rather serious exchange between Rhazii and Fendros, Newt remained particularly quiet as they returned inside the store. He did not fully understand everything that was happen, and why Fendros was angry at Rhazii for mentioning Ahnasha. What he knew was that he did not want to get himself in trouble, so he stayed close to Fendros' side, holding his hand and saying nothing.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Gwindir was more confused about the exchange between Fendros and Rhazii than anything. The thought of his daughter still being alive had not even crossed his mind for many years, and the strange comments of a stranger's toddler would not suddenly change that. Perhaps, he reasoned, the name of the cub's mother sounded similar to that of his daughter.

"Yes, they are quite a beautiful flower. I'm sure your wife will love them." Gwindir commented, guessing at the reason for the purchase. He stepped back into a room behind the counter, then returned a minute or so later with the desired number of the flowers. He started to wrap them as neatly as he could with the ribbon, making sure they were all arranged in as aesthetically pleasing of a manner as possible.

"Here you go, that will be eight coins, please." Gwindir requested. It was a bit more expensive than the average bouquet, but tiger lilies could also be used in alchemy, so it did drive their value up somewhat.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Oh, my apologies. My name is Gwindir." He answered, shaking Fendros' hand.

The question about Gwindir's daughter prompted him to turn his head towards the fireplace. He was not sure why Fendros would be asking about her, but he supposed it might just be because they were on the topic of their children. It was quite a potentially uncomfortable question to be asking a stranger, but he had long since come to terms with it.

"Her name was Ahnasha. She had quite the fiery spirit, a lot like her mother in her youth. She liked to hunt and explore the swampland around the city. Much more than she liked her studies, I can say. We're not really sure what killed her exactly, but something got to her when she was out in the forest. Obviously, it was devastating to us all, but now, we just like to cherish the memories we have of her. I always keep a candle lit on the mantle in her memory, and my wife always makes sure to keep a fresh tiger lily beneath it. Ahnasha always liked those flowers; they were her favorite color." Gwindir explained, pausing with a chuckle as he observed Rhazii making faces into a plate. "Don't let her story frighten you, though. I guarantee you'll cherish every moment you have with your son, no matter how long that might be. It is a sad fact that, no matter what happened to her, I was going to outlive my daughter by several hundred years. But, it is all just a matter of time before we all meet in Aetherius."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Ah, the Cathay is yours. So your wife is Khajiit, I take it? It is unfortunate that there are many who would not approve of such a thing, but you will certainly find no judgment from me. My own wife is Khajiit as well, a beautiful woman named S'Nashi." The Bosmer explained. "There is indeed a strong Khajiit community within Leyawiin. I'm guessing you want to allow your son to experience it? I think you'll find the friendliest Khajiit in the city a the temple every Sundas, if you can remain in the city that long. And my wife and son, of course. Overall, I would say the city is a good home. It has its share of problems, like any city, but plenty of trade flows through Leyawiin's port. My son is going to be opening his own shop within the next month, and I couldn't be more proud."

The Bosmer turned his eyes to Newt, who was still looking back over Fendros' shoulder at the sword in the display case. "There are quite a few Argonians in the city as well, if you would like the hatchling to be able to see more of his people. I'm not sure exactly at what age Argonians have their naming ceremonies, but I do know where to obtain the Hist sap for those ceremonies. I've done so for several Argonians in the city in the past. If your friend doesn't want to travel all the way to the marsh for the ceremony, my prices are reasonable."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I see." The Bosmer answered, seeming to be satisfied enough with Fendros' answer. He was about to continue when they were interrupted by Rhazii attempting to rearrange the furniture. They had caused no harm, so the shopkeeper was mostly just amused. He looked down at the Khajiit cub and smiled, silently at first. His thoughts went back to the past, towards his own troublemaking children.

"Don't worry, it's no trouble. I know well the joys of parenthood...along with the moments that make you feel like screaming. I raised two children of my own. The reason we changed the name of the store was in honor of my daughter's memory. I suppose your partner would not have known if they left Leyawiin beforehand." He explained. It was clear in his tone that her loss was an old, well-healed wound by this point, as he was able to speak about it without any outwardly negative emotion.

The Bosmer's eyes seemed to remain on Rhazii. "If you do not mind my asking, are either of those two your own?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Do you happen to recall if I ever specified the names of anyone in Ahnasha's family? I don't think I did.