EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter shook his head. "Me? No. Well, my mother once tried to convince me to court the daughter of a merchant in Chorrol, but she was about as likable as a case of ataxia. That lasted about two weeks before she decided I wasn't giving her enough attention. In truth, the attention I did give her was too much. As for Tzirret, I can't really say for sure, but my guess is a no. He's young and, well, you know him. He can hardly talk to anyone that he hasn't known for a while. I wish we could help him, honestly. It would be nice if he could be as happy as I am now." He said, giving Sabine another kiss on the cheek.

Kaleeth looked across the room once more with disgust. This was not a place she ever would have wanted to come to on her own, no matter what she was offered. Turning to Janius, she shook her head with an expression that showed some degree of frustration. "What? No, why would I ever want this? This place is awful; why didn't you tell me what this place was like? Come on, let's get out of here and back to the ship. I want to get away from here."

Not even waiting for a response, Kaleeth walked back over to Colors, who was staring down the Argonian over by the counter. "This place is awful, colors, and so is this skooma stuff. You can stay if you want, but we're going to go."

Colors' eyes widened. "What? No, no you can't do that!"

Kaleeth's gaze narrowed. "Yes, we can. I'm not spending any gold in this place."

Colors started to shake his head as he stepped forward and started to speak more quietly. "No, no, you don't understand. You can't just come here, ask for skooma, then leave. That's not something customers do, not normal customers. The people that do that are the ones working for the guard, or other skooma dealers. They'll think that you're just trying to confirm they have the product, and they won't like that. At all."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter started to laugh. "Well, I wouldn't really call it advice, exactly. I think he said you were crazy, or confused or something. I wouldn't put much stock in it though, he was very drunk. Honestly, I wish we both would have been in a better mood solely so we could have been there to take advantage of the opportunity. Next time we get ourselves some alcohol, we definitely need to get him to drink it. A drunk Tzirret is far more entertaining than I could ever have imagined."

Kaleeth was not exactly sure what Janius was intending when he went over and opened the door off to their right. She had smelled something strange coming from that direction when they walked in, but it was only once she looked inside that she realized what it was. On the other side of the door was a large room, about the size of the one they were in, but much more crowded. Along the back wall, there were six or so areas with dividing walls that the customers used to mate with the prostitutes, separated from the rest of the room only by curtains. Although, some did not even bother to close them. In the center of the room, there was no furniture to speak of, only cushions and blankets strewn about across the floor, not that any of the clientele seemed to care. Most were very much high on skooma, some drinking it, others smoking it. Some, other than the euphoria they were feeling, looked otherwise perfectly normal, but many were much farther along in the stages of addiction. Their clothing was ragged and torn, and their bodies looked almost decayed. Some were malnourished, and many just laid back on their cushions, twitching and laughing from their high.

Kaleeth looked to Janius with obvious fear. "I don't understand, Janius. What is this?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter wrapped his arms tightly around Sabine to hold her as closely as possible. Looking down, he gave her another kiss. "Sabine, there is no way in Oblivion I would even consider being anywhere else but right here at the moment. Your embrace just feels far too good to give up."

Colors nodded in agreement. "Yes, though, uh, I may come back to you myself shortly, my lady." He said, looking the Argonian over from head to toe.

"Of course, anything you desire. I will go get your skooma at once. For a single dose, the price is only fifty gold. If you have need of anything else, just come find me." The Argonian said before walking over to the counter. As she left, Kaleeth gave Janius a look of uncertainty. This was not a place she had been expecting to go, and it was making her uncomfortable in more ways than one. It's location in the city made her nervous, not to mention the fact that it was a brothel. As well, fifty gold was quite a lot to spend at once, and a slight bit more than she had on her. Janius would have to pitch in if they wanted to buy it. "Are you...sure about all of this, Janius? That is a lot of gold."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter moved up to join Sabine without hesitation, but throughout her entire recollection of the events three years prior, he was entirely silent. His expression remained somber in sympathy for the horrors she described, and even after she was finished, he had a hard time speaking up. He looked away, debating internally on how to respond before looking back nervously. "I...don't know what to say about all of that. I really don't. I never knew what you all went through. Divines willing, you'll never have to again, but..."

Peiter looked back, trying his best to look encouraging. "We'll be careful. We know the enemy is here now, so we can be on our guard. And if we...do get captured, we can make sure they don't know we're together. So they can't exploit it. I know it's not perfect, but it's a possibility that may never even happen. It's a...hypothetical. But, what isn't hypothetical is what we have right now, with each other. I'm happy being with you, that's something I know."

With no further delay, Colors led the pair into the gates of the city itself. He walked them away from the most crowded streets, towards parts of the city not as popular with visitors. The area he brought them to could be described in no other way than as a slum. The buildings were worn, and often decaying, much like the people themselves. And in that, the skooma den Colors brought them to was no different. Vines were growing up the side of the walls, and much of the paint that had once adorned it had now been chipped away.

Before they stepped inside, Colors spoke up quickly. "Ah, this is it. Right in the basement. Don't let the looks fool you, it's really a wonderful place. They'll take care of any need you have in here. Not that you two need those kinds of services, of course, but you can get a private room, if you want it."

Heading inside, the building looked entirely abandoned until Colors brought them down a set of stairs in the back of the building. He knocked on a door at the bottom, after which someone inside cracked it open for a moment to look out at them, then opened it fully to allow them in. He was a Cathay, armed an armored. He said nothing, but seemed to do his best to look intimidating. Colors, meanwhile, gave him no attention as he led Janius and Kaleeth through another door into the main room. Overall, the room itself seemed rather normal, apart from the door near the back which had been replaced with a very solid iron gate. There was a counter to the left with a Khajiit woman behind it, with a few other tables and chairs scattered across the room. There were several others in the room as well, but none looked to be customers. All of them except for one were women, and all were wearing rather revealing clothing. Off to the right there was another door, and by the smell of skooma emanating from it, it was where the customers went to enjoy their purchases.

Several of the women in the room looked at each over for a moment once the trio entered, then sent the Argonian among them to greet their customers. She had light green scales with matching feathers, and her entire demeanor, from her movements to her tone of voice, seemed to be meant to be seductive. "Well hello there, is there anything I can get for you this evening?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter nodded his head. As much as he was enjoying Sabine's embrace, her behavior was something that had filled him with questions he simply could not get out of his mind, and he certainly appreciated the opportunity for some answers. "Okay. I'll admit, I'm curious about, well, what on Nirn happened yesterday. Between your first reaction and Tzirret, of all people, trying to give me drunken relationship advice, I felt like the world was trying to play some elaborate prank on me."

Slightly reluctantly, Peiter let go of her and walked over to one of the hammocks. He sat down, though he nearly lost his balance as the hammock rocked back and forth until he was able to keep it steady. "I guess I should ask if everything is alright. I mean, I didn't actually offend you or anything, did I?" He asked.

Colors looked at Janius quite strangely, cocking his head to the side slightly as he turned to look at him. "Yeees, that's how one usually goes about getting it. I know a place over...near the residential district. Real quiet, real discrete, not that it's too necessary in Senchal. Any den that pays its bribes will get a pass, along with its customers. I know the owner of the place, you should say she's a...friend of mine. We can get a decent price, though I doubt you would want to buy more than one bottle, else people start wondering where all your gold went."

Kaleeth gave Janius a look with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "Are you sure it's alright for us to get skooma, Janius?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Although Peiter had hoped for something positive to happen, he had not quite expected that reaction. He was surprised at first, and went into the kiss awkwardly, but he too wrapped his arms around her once he had gained his bearings. He could hardy keep track of how long it lasted, but no matter how long it was, it was not long enough. Eventually, he pulled his head back and spoke with considerably less apprehension.

"I think I'm still confused, honestly. But...I don't mind so much. Not now. Just...what do we do now? I guess we're together, now." He said, reaching up and running his hand through her hair as he spoke.

Colors smiled at the pair. "Well then, I know the perfect place. Come on, let's head into the market." He walked between them and put his hands on both of their shoulders as he started to lead them towards the city gates. "How much you spend depends on what you want. Most things with moon sugar are naturally going to be more expensive, but there are still some cheaper options. Cheap wine with the sugar will still give you the euphoria, but if I'm going to get myself a treat, I personally like to go all-out."

Looking around for a moment, Colors pulled them both closer and started to speak more quietly. "Of course, if you're really wanting something good, and are willing to put down the coin, you could always go for a bottle of skooma."

"I've heard of it before, of course, but...what is skooma, really?" Kaleeth asked. During her entire life with her village, she had never so much as heard of the potent drug, and she had not had any real encounters with it over the past three years. As such, she had much less perspective on its effects than most.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter too had a hard time looking directly at Sabine. Even though what she was saying should have been encouraging, it just caused him to be more confused. Her actions the previous day, and how quickly she seemed to shift her entire demeanor, made it hard to guess what she actually felt. "I'm confused too, Sabine. Really, really confused. Everything over the past few days, or weeks, really, all seemed to be suggesting something more. We spent so much time together, and the way we were both acting...even Tzirret saw what was going on with us. Yesterday, you offered me a kiss, and I was so sure of how you must feel. Then...it hurt, Sabine. It really hurt."

Taking in a deep breath, Peiter took a step forward and finally made eye contact. "I want to spend time with you too, Sabine. I want to continue our lessons, and do everything we have been. But, I think there is something more. This is all new to me, so I don't really know, but I want to try. Just be together for a while, and see how much we really do like each other."

Colors stopped and turned back once he heard his name. "Huh? Oh, no, we drank all of that right away, since S'ajira found that other bottle. Honestly, I would've already bought more myself if I had any coin. Say...you weren't thinking of buying any, were you? If you are, I could come with you can help you pick out the best choices. I do know the local brews, after all."

Kaleeth looked to Janius questioningly, though she did not actually say a word. She did have some coin that had been allotted to her and could buy it on her own if she wished, but she still wanted to know if Janius was coming along.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter had honestly not expected Sabine to say anything, so he was surprised when he heard her voice behind him. With how she had been acting towards him, he figured that if anything was going to be said, he would have to say it. Regardless, he turned around and looked to her, his expression uncertain. "You do? I mean...I think I do, too. It's just...I'll let you go first."

Kaleeth nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, it was really good, actually. Very good. The sweetness was almost too much for me, but the moon sugar made it just...euphoric. If we don't have any wine, maybe we could go buy some? Or just something with moon sugar, I really don't mind. I think it would be nice to have for later, during the voyage. You remember how dull ships can be, I'm sure, and it doesn't look like we'll be able to have, um, privacy for this one. I guess I wouldn't mind having some right now as well, now that I think about it. Let's go talk to Colors." She suggested, with unusual eagerness.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

While the lower deck did lack privacy, they at least had plenty of space between them all. They were not crowded up with their supplies, and Leaps even had a somewhat reasonable area to wander around. Regardless, most of the group was still intent on taking advantage of their time on land while they could. The crew would likely not appreciate it if they were all to crowd the deck at once, so when out at sea, they would be below deck most of the time.

Peiter had been similarly as silent as Sabine during the entire walk to Senchal, and for similar reasons. He was at a loss for what to do or think, and he had considerable fear of making it worse. Most everyone was heading back up top for their last chance to be on dry land for a few days, so he decided to follow along. He moved slowly and unenthusiastically, so he was the last to start heading towards the stairs. For a moment, he glanced over and ended up locking eyes with Sabine by accident. He froze, with uncertainty hitting his mind. Briefly, it seemed like he might say something, but after a few seconds, he let out a sigh and started to walk towards the stairs.

Above deck, Kaleeth stepped off the boat along with Janius and looked around the dock aimlessly. Newt was insistent that he wanted to play with Rhazii, so he was with Ahnasha and Fendros. She made sure not to look back towards the ship as she spoke. "They almost look like pirates, don't you think? A lot of weapons on that ship. I'm...sure we'll be fine, though. They don't know what we are, or they wouldn't let us on board. Anyway...do you know if we have any of that moon sugar wine left?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"And I love you, Sabine." Meesei responded, returning her hug just as tightly. They each returned to their own tasks after a few minutes, with Meesei returning to the center of camp to aid Irenya in treating the pride, or at least attempt to do so while balancing that task with looking after Newt and Rhazii.

By the late evening, the pride felt up to the task of going on a hunt. Gallus, Ahnasha, and Fendros had returned from the city with news of their travel plans. They had managed to find a captain who was willing to take them straight to their destination, with no questions asked. It would take a considerable amount of their gold for the number of people she was agreeing to transport, but they would at least be safe from being tracked. They would be leaving the next evening, and since they now had definite plans, they had all the more reason to get their hunting out of the way as soon as possible. As planned, they split into groups depending on where they intended to hunt. The pride stuck together for the most part, except for Do'ajee and La'khay, who were sent with each of the two other groups to help guide them in the area. To keep their numbers even, Peiter and Lorag joined the pride in their hunt. Kaleeth was directed to the nearest river for her to hunt alone, as she was best as a solitary hunter. Since Meesei had no need to hunt, she was the one to stay behind to look after the children, along with Leaps.

By midnight, everyone had returned from their hunts, though they were quick to get to sleep. Kaleeth was the last, as she came in early the next morning, dragging the half-eaten carcass of a dreugh behind her. Evidently, she had found several of the creatures and had decided to curl up and have some rest before eating them all. The meat would not last too much longer after having been left in the jungle for so long, so the group split it up for their breakfast.

The group left shortly after breakfast in order to make it to Senchal by the time they were scheduled to leave. The pride was able to move much more quickly than before, and with their knowledge of the area, they were able to navigate back to Senchal with good speed. They were on-guard for any servants of Vile that might be in the city, though it would be difficult for either group to find one another in such a crowded place. Even so, they made their way directly to the docks as soon as they arrived. Ahnasha and Fendros led them through the crowd to the correct ship. It was a older, slightly worn vessel, and was a bit larger than the one they had sailed in on. Notably, both the vessel itself, and every member of the crew they could see, were armed. It had ballistas set up on the deck which were currently unstrung, but had their ammunition close at hand. As they waited nearby the vessel for Ahnasha to find the captain, some of the crew gave the crew suspicious looks, and made sure that the cutlasses on their belts were plainly visible.

After a few minutes, Ahnasha returned with the captain of the ship, who met them by the loading ramp. She was a scruffy-looking Khajiit woman in rough leather clothes, stained and ripped from heavy use. "So, this is ya' group, right? It's the right number, so ya' not tryin' to cheat this one. Good, good. We leave in three hours. The entire bottom deck's yours; don't bother this one's crew, and we won't bother you, got it? You can board as soon as I've got my fee."

Meesei had already counted out the correct amount into a separate bag before they arrived, so she stepped forward and presented it to the captain. She glanced inside briefly, then nodded in response. "Alright, this one's headin' off to her cabin. You have any problems, go bother someone else." She said before stepping back onto the ship.