EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Goodnight. Things are getting interesting for when you get back.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Yes, I do. For the younger girls, through their first hundred or so years, it is not far from the truth." Irenya answered. "I'm sure you've read the stories on the Queen Mother Barenziah. Whose to say how much of that is truth or fiction? For me, I have more stories than you have years in your life. The things I have done, or seen people do...you could say I've met many 'Galluses" in my life." She chuckled. It seemed like she was thinking about a story to share, but when her gaze moved to Ahnasha and Fendros, she hesitated. An uncertain expression came over her face, followed quickly by what almost looked like annoyance.

"But...I really shouldn't share. It would be evening by the time I got through them all." She said, dismissing the topic.

After the weeks of travel, Ahnasha had picked up on Irenya's seeming distaste for herself and Fendros. This was just another, admittedly small incident, but Ahnasha had grown increasingly tired of it. She of course assumed the issue to be bigotry. Irenya did not seem to act any differently towards Tzirret than the rest of her pack, but that did not stop Ahnasha from making that guess. Ahnasha could have ignored it, and for a while she had, but these incidents were quickly getting on her nerves. This time, Ahnasha's fiery spirit was going to get the best of her.

"Really, why not?" Ahnasha asked, her tone distinctly confrontational.

"Excuse me?" Irenya answered in a shocked voice.

Ahnasha crossed her arms. "Well, I notice you were looking right at me when you suddenly excused yourself from our conversation. Why is that, Irenya?"

Irenya's expression became quickly offended, though also partially nervous. "Why...I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ahnasha shook her head. "No, I don't think that's true. From the moment we've met, you've been keeping your distance from us. Leaving conversations when we show up, hardly talking to us unless you absolutely have to. Me, Fendros, even Meesei. Isn't that right?" She said, her head turning to Fendros beside her.

---

Peiter shook his head, pausing a moment in his response as he observed the fire breather. For as much respect as he had for mages, he had never even attempted to learn it himself. "No, I haven't. I just...I don't know. I don't think I would be able to do it. It just seems so...I don't even know the word for it. Hard isn't really what I'm trying to say, though I have no doubt it isn't easy. I guess...unapproachable is the word. I know we Bretons are supposed to have an affinity for that sort of thing, but I've always just felt more comfortable with a weapon in my hand. It's something I can easily understand and...that makes me sound like a complete barbarian, doesn't it?"

With a slight chuckle, Peiter rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I just wasn't raised around magic. No one in my family used it, but I saw soldiers all the time in Chorrol. I used to enjoy watching them train and spar with each other in the castle courtyard. It was exciting. Of course, now that I've actually went through the training myself, it just seems routine, like work. Is it the same for you with magic? Since you've been learning how to use magic, is it still exciting to you? Does it still have that mystery about it?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei did feel slightly guilty, as she had not been entirely honest. There were a select few stories she might have shared fitting with the current conversation, but she had the sense that Gallus' pack, or rather, Irenya specifically, did not have complete respect for her. As such, she was still being careful about how she presented herself. Those were stories for a later time.

As for Gallus' confession, Meesei felt that his personal life was not her business. Entertaining to laugh at, certainly, but how he dealt with the matter would be his alone. "Well, I hope you learn what you need during this excursion. I cannot tell you what you find important.

"Hmph, even I haven't done that before." Lorag huffed. "'Course, I've never really been the 'relationship' kind of Orc. Don't have a family, don't need one, don't want one. I don't want anyone but all of you. Guess you could say I'm like Janius used to be for that, 'cept I made sure the women knew from the start what I didn't want. There was one Orc girl in Cheydinhall I spent a lot of, uh, quality time with. Her parents were soft. Shopkeepers, didn't want their little girl gettin' into trouble, but she wanted an Orc's life. Her parents said I was a 'bad influence,' or somethin' stupid like that." Lorag paused a moment as he began to laugh. "I remember...I remember her father decided to 'confront' me once. Walked up to me and punched me square in the jaw. I just stood there, didn't move a muscle, and growled at him. I'll say, an Orc should never run away as fast as that one did from me. She ended up joining the Fighter's Guild; got killed by some bandits a year later, though. Pity, nice girl."

Lorag was interrupted when the waitress returned with their orders, though he quickly picked back up once she left. He leaned back in his chair with a grin as he reminisced. "There was another one in the Legion, also an Orc. She was a career soldier like me. There were rules against that sort of thing between soldiers, but we...couldn't've cared less. Heh, we just had to get good at hidin'. Runnin' naked through the streets in the Imperial City is nice and everything, but I want you to try runnin' naked through the woods, in Skyrim, in winter. Just tryin' not to get frostbite where you really don't want it. That, was a challenge. She got killed by that werewolf though. A shame. Let's see, there was also Harriet when I first got to the clan, but she...or, well, I guess she didn't die. Hmph."

---

Peiter did not think he would find a mage impressive, given that he worked regularly with magic-users, but in this case, he did suppose this fire breather brought something unique to the table. Creating fire was nothing special, but to mold and manipulate it with such artistic precision was nothing short of an amazing sight.

Walking up alongside Sabine, Peiter gave her a pat on the back. "You think you could ever do anything like that? I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous of mages. To just conjure up fire and lightning with only your thoughts...I can hardly even imagine it."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"You could say that." Ahnasha answered to Rhazii, intent on dismissing the question quickly. Their conversation had been in vague enough terms to avoid saying anything they would not want the children understanding. None of them had drank nearly enough to make them forget about that.

Meesei leaned forward onto the table and grinned at Gallus. "Careful, Gallus. If we are going around the table for stories, then we will land on you soon enough." She commented, having been more than observant enough to notice his unease.

Regardless, Meesei decided to give an answer. "I would say I have lived an exciting life, but if you want me to share some embarrassing romantic blunder, I am sorry to say that I must disappoint you. I've hunted dangerous beasts, taken great risks to save fellow members of my tribe, explored the depths of Ayleid ruins, but for romance? My life has been rather mundane in that regard. I was the future Treeminder of our tribe, so I had few friends. There were a few who I formed relationships with, with varying degrees of success or failure. The first was a hunter, but he was not that caring and I lost interest. Another was a mage like me, and we got along much better. I might have even loved him, but with my magical studies, I could not give him the attention he needed. One was a farmer who cared deeply about me. I certainly liked her and was happy with her, but she wanted to be my wife, and that was...more than I wanted then." Meesei explained casually, though she had certainly never shared that detail about her past.

"I doubt there are any stories among them you would find particularly entertaining. I never fought them, or ran around the village with their loincloths on my head." Meesei continued, chuckling at Janius. "I shall have plenty to say when the topic shifts to killing ancient Ayleid liches, however. Now, I am curious, what stories does Gallus have to share?"

---

"Thorn, I think I remember reading about that place." Peiter commented. "The call it the 'Jewel of the East,' right? Or...was that Tear? I think they're both known for being beautiful. I can only imagine what they look like, if they are better than this."

"Although..." Peiter began as his eyes turned from the buildings around them, to the streets along which they were walking. For as beautiful as the architecture was, and as vibrant the styles of its people, it was all juxtaposed against the decay of its less-than-reputable inhabitants. There were no shortage of shady characters around them, gathered in groups at street corners, or conducting deals in the darkened alleys. There were homeless begging on the streets, and skooma addicts laying unconscious against some of the abandoned buildings. Or at least, he hoped they were merely unconscious. "I can see why this place isn't considered the...most beautiful place in Tamriel."

Reaching the market, the trio found just what Peiter had hoped. Along the outer edges of the large, open outdoor market in the center of the district, there were indeed performers, and not just acrobats. Just from where he was standing, Peiter could see jugglers, mages, musicians, painters, animal tamers, and of course acrobats. "So...where do we start?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Good evening.

I'm going to go take a shower real quick, be right back.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha started to laugh. "Steal my heart? Gallus, you underestimate me. If anything, he was the one who didn't want to see me go. Now, whether he actually cared about me or just saw me as a way out of poverty, I don't really know, but...well let's just say there was a reason my parents didn't like him. He wasn't that bright, and had a personality as interesting as a wooden post. Like I said, I think I just wanted him because my parents didn't. In the end, I had to kick his tail to get him to finally leave me alone. Literally. The healers had a hard time getting it to heal back right. His friends ended up nicknaming him 'crook'."

Looking over to Fendros beside her, Ahnasha nudged his shoulder. "Your face looks like you swallowed a lemon. Something wrong?"

Peiter rubbed his chin, his eyes scanning over the docks. "The Khajiit are rather famous for their acrobats. Never seen one myself, but...I imagine they would perform somewhere that a lot of people would see them. If there isn't a festival or anything going on, and they're not being hired by anyone, then they probably are making their living through donations from their audience. They would go somewhere with a big crowd. Honestly, the market seems like the best place to look. Some cities don't allow performances in the middle of the market, but they might set up just beyond it. I don't know exactly where that would be from here, but I imagine we can just follow the crowds. In any case, it's going to be somewhere inside the walls."

The trio finally moved away from the docks and through the gate into the city proper. What Peiter noticed rather quickly was the sheer vibrance of pretty much everything around them. The architecture was unlike anything he had seen in Cyrodiil. Imperial structures were strong, but simple. They often carried a sort of military uniformity that reflected the structure of the Empire itself, but in this place, the buildings seemed to flow. A lot of their walls, supports, and decorative designs were curved and fluid. And, most of all, everything was so colorful. The buildings, the decorative banners on the streets, and even the people's clothing were all a mix of bright colors that made the entire place feel alive. "Well, the Imperial City almost seems boring by comparison to this, and certainly Bruma. Have you ever been to a place with such vibrance?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei grinned at the question, though said nothing before Ahnasha spoke up. "Honestly, I don't think any of us have stories as bad as Janius', at least nothing like that. Maybe Gallus, but..." She began, looking to Gallus. "You would have a hard time besting Janius in a contest of youthful stupidity. I'd hardly call it boring, but a lot of my stories just come from hunting and exploring beyond the walls of the city. It's nothing special for us with our lifestyle, but for a young city dweller who was destined to be a merchant? I felt like an adventurer of legend."

Ahnasha glanced to Fendros beside her. "Of course, I was young and trying to come to terms with all my new desires. I did have some experiences worthy of a bad romance story. Just nothing as spectacular as Janius. The closest I can think of was this Khajiit 'vagabond,' as my mother described him. He was from a poor family, and may or may not have been a thief. My parents hated him, so of course, being relentlessly rebellious, I just had to have him. Not all that different from Janius' stories, I suppose, except that we weren't stupid enough to have our meetings in our houses. No, we met a fair distance outside the walls. With Khajiit males, it's quite a...painful experience, so we did need the space."

Meesei gave a nod to Sabine an the other two when they approached her. "Very well, just be cautious. Make sure to keep track of how to get back here; it is easy to get lost in a city like this." She warned.

Heading outside, Peiter stopped at the side of the street to look around at the landmarks, particularly the taller ones. "Okay, so we're currently outside the northeastern wall of the city. Make sure to remember that; I'm pretty sure that once we're back here, I can recognize the landmarks to get back to the tavern."

As they started to walk through the street, Peiter did so with a bit more confidence than before. They were still strangers in a new place, and still did not know the local customs, but his words of inspiration to Tzirret had actually inspired himself. They were all strong, capable lycans with training at least on par with any military. After all, Sabine was the apprentice to one of the strongest mages Peiter had ever met. They were not likely to encounter trouble, and if they did, he was sure they could handle a few thugs. "So, what do we want to see? I'm sure this place has a massive market, but there is sure to be other kinds of entertainment. Though, I'm guessing a lot of it will be the kind of entertainment that appeals to pirates and the like."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Although she did not know that particular story, Kaleeth knew well how Janius once was. It was not a secret hidden from her, and while she had been uncomfortable with it at first, she accepted the past for what it was. Now, all there was to do was to laugh at his youthful foolishness. "Part of me wishes that my life had been as exciting as yours...but most of me is very glad that it wasn't. I wasn't nearly as much as a troublemaker as you. When I ran naked through the village, it was to rush to our favorite swimming hole, and not from guards. I didn't have any secret lovers to run away with in the night...until you." She smiled. "No, I was mostly alone until you arrived. There were relationships before, but they never went anywhere. Being a...mediocre hunter and the daughter of the master hunter made me hard for boys to approach."

Kaleeth reached over and put her hand on top of Janius'. "Again, I guess that was a good thing. If I wouldn't have been alone before, I might not have taken so much interest in you."

Peiter nodded to Sabine confidently, then reached over and put his hand on Tzirret's shoulder. "Ah, come on. There are thousands of other people in this city, and we're no different from any of them. If anything, we're even more dangerous than any of them. I mean, look around at all these people. Pirates, thugs, criminals, I guarantee you could overpower any of them." Peiter waved his hand across the crowd, though when he reached the large Cathay-raht bouncer, his lips curled. "Uh, well, maybe not him. But all the others wouldn't hold a candle to even your strength. Plus, you'll have us at your side: the valiant and handsome Breton warrior, and the lovely and dangerous Breton mage. It will be like we're your royal guard."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I need to go to bed soon, but hopefully I can write a quick one.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Indeed, but in that case, no one is wrong.

Of course, both spellings of Peiter are legitimate as well. I could have swore it was Pieter you used first. I'm not dyslexic, but I suppose bad vision is enough to explain it.