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Newt kept his eyes on Vilana for a few moments, then shifted his gaze across the others, who were now acting as if nothing had happened. He was confused, but at least, he did not seem to be afraid any longer. "I think so." He answered softly.

As they were mostly already packed, it did not take long before the group set out to finally join with the clan. With Vilana's pride taking the lead, they headed along the quickest possible path to the outpost. As they were scouts, they were already familiar with the terrain, even more so than Ra'kalesh's pride. It was actually impressive how effortlessly they could move through even the thickest parts of the forest.

Even at their heightened pace, it was several hours of a walk straight to the north before they neared the clan's location. Had they not been discovered, it would have been at least another two days before they would have happened upon it. Perhaps longer, if there were any setbacks. It was already late evening when they left, so the sun had almost completely set by the time they drew close. In the dense forest, scarcely any light made it to the forest floor, and were they not lycans, they likely would not have been able to navigate at all.

The group was not even within sight of the outpost when the patrolling guards spotted them, and much like their first encounter with Vilana's pride, it was not the most peaceful encounter. Several archers, mostly Khajiit, revealed themselves from the bushes and trees around them. A few were even in the branches above. One of them, an Ohmes-raht male, kept firmly at a distance with his bow ready as he spoke. "Vilana! Who are these people? They...smell of lycans, but you know we're under strict orders not to bring anyone directly here. No matter who they are. Ra'jorr will have your head for this."

"Be calm, brother." Vilana said, moving to the side to allow Meesei to step forward. "This is the Champion of Hircine."

The Ohmes-raht's first reaction was, of course, skepticism. However, once he could see her ring clearly, his eyes widened. While he was staring, Meesei took the opportunity to speak up. "That I am. If possible, I would like to speak with your clan's leader right away."

"It is...everyone, weapons down. Now. Of course, Champion. Vilana, take them straight to him." He answered quickly, and somewhat nervously.

"Already on it." Vilana commented as the guards moved aside and allowed the group through towards the camp.

As they started to continue on once more, Peiter could not help but to shake his head and chuckle. "That seems to be a recurring theme today, doesn't it?" He commented, nudging Sabine's elbow.

After crossing over a shallow area of the river nearby, it was only a minute or so longer before the outpost came into view. The outpost proper was sturdy, and built up into the branches of the trees much like the first one they had seen. However, there were also dozens of other structures on the ground beneath it, ranging from tents to wooden shacks. Mostly, the clan had not quite retired for the night, so many were still awake to see them being guided through towards the lifts. From a distance, they could not see the Ring of Hircine on Meesei's finger, but the very fact that they were new arrivals was enough to cause a buzz of hushed conversation around them.
Alright my little minions, I want to know something. Who's all in a collab by chance? Currently I am waiting for Gowi, DBlade and anyone who wants to learn how to get out of these cells! :p


I'm in a collab. I think we need...you, actually.
Colors kept his confident grin, despite Uthri's dismissal of his question. "Ah, come now, I've been through so much trauma and hardship since I was...stolen away from all those I cared so deeply about. Surely you can forgive a...lapse of memory after such a horrible trial of the mind?"

Ahnasha lightly rubbed Rhazii's head. "I think it was about something that happened a long time ago. Don't worry, they're not really going to hurt each other." She explained, at least mostly honestly. She did not want him worrying about any of them getting hurt, so she made sure to downplay the tension as much as she could. Meanwhile, Newt had been somewhat frightened by the sudden violence, but confused when it suddenly stopped with no one else doing anything about it. He walked over and hid behind Janius' leg and looked around nervously.

To Fendros, Ahnasha leaned in and whispered quietly enough that Rhazii could not hear her quickly. "Don't know, honestly, but Colors doesn't seem like the type to give up. I guess we can always stick around him if we want some entertainment."

Meesei watched the exchange more neutrally, and waited until it was over to address Vilana. "Well, if that is over, that is the last group that we were waiting for. Are you ready to escort us to your clan, Vilana?" She asked.

Vilana turned to Meesei with a hint of embarrassment in her expression. "Yes, of course. I'm...sorry, Champion. We can leave whenever you're ready."

Giving a nod, Meesei spoke to the group in general as she walked over to her own belongings. "Very well, let us pack up the camp. With luck, we will arrive at the clan before sundown, if not shortly afterwards."
Meesei nodded. "Yes, Colors is with Ahnasha's group. They should be back shortly, I would imagine. Once everyone has returned, I am guessing you will be taking us to your clan?" She asked, directing her question towards the new pride in general.

Vilana stepped forward. Although, even after her long discussion with Uthri on the subject, she was still somewhat nervous to address the Champion. "Yes...I am Vilana, the leader of this pride. The clan is a few hours from here, straight to the north. I will take you all directly to our leader, Ri'nakhad. I am sure he will be relieved to see you. All of the clan will. Our situation has been desperate ever since the attack."

"It is my aim to eliminate the threat of the enemy in this area entirely. With luck, you will be able to rebuild your clan once again." Meesei responded. Shortly afterwards, Meesei's group started on their dinner, just as all of the other groups had after their return. Their food supplies were running low once more, but since they would finally be meeting up with the clan, they would be able to restock soon.

It was about half an hour before Ahnasha's group made it back to the camp. Like most of the others, her initial reaction was one of relief. "Oh, thank Hircine. We found them, didn't we?"

Colors too replaced his fatigued expression with a smile upon seeing Vilana's pride. However, the moment Vilana saw Colors' face, she stomped over to him with a scowl on her own.

"You!" Vilana shouted angrily. Then, just as she promised, she slapped her hand across his snout hard enough to be heard clearly through the entire camp.

Infuriatingly for Vilana, Colors' reaction ended up being an even wider grin. "Ah, well, I probably deserved that. But you...it's been so long since I've seen you, and I don't know how you've managed it, but you're even more beautiful than I remember. I was so worried you didn't make it. I still find myself thinking about you from time to time, about that wonderful night..."

"Gah, shut it you slimy lizard!" Vilana yelled.

Despite Vilana's anger, Colors still maintained a smile. "I can stop speaking, but I have to say, now that I've seen you again, I don't think I will be able to stop thinking about your stunning and powerful form. It was hard enough to get you out of my thoughts before."

Vilana growled and stormed off, while Colors walked away in a somehow even more upbeat mood than before. When he neared Uthri, he leaned in close to her and started to whisper. "What's her name, if I might ask?" He asked, pointing subtly to Vilana.
Hold on, made a mistake. Just realized it was supposed to be Ahnasha's group that was yet to arrive.

EDIT: There we go.
Alright. I'll do so in the morning.
Peiter had ample time to calm down before Sabine returned, at which point he stood up and gladly took the clothes she had brought. He dressed himself, then stood up and started moving around. Fortunately, all of the pain had passed, so he could continue the jog without issue, and, despite what happened, he still desired to do so. "I suppose I do. Though, I still think you'll be tired long before me." He grinned before starting his jog once again at a brisk pace.

---

Just as with every other day of the search, the groups started returning in the evening, within a few hours of sundown. However, this time they were greeted by far better news than any other day since the search began. Each time a group returned, they received an abbreviated account of what happened, and for the most part, they were just relieved that the search was over.

Meesei, Janius, and Ra'kalesh were one of the final groups to return. Ahnasha's group was still away, but it would likely not be long until they returned as well. The heads of each of Vilana's pack turned to the Champion as she stepped into the camp. A few stared at her as if they had been approached by royalty, while others turned and whispered to one another. Meesei did not give much of an outward reaction at seeing the new pride, except for a slight smile. "May I assume that our new guests are representative of some good news in our search?" Meesei asked.

Lorag was the first to respond with a short grunt. "Yeah, weeks of searchin' through this gods forsaken forest, and the only ones of us who ended up findin' anything were the ones stayin' back at camp. Just wonderful."
I think I'll do a quick skip to the point where everyone is returning. I'll be going to bed afterwards, though.
"Alright, thank you." Peiter commented as Sabine stepped away. Deciding it best not to continue the line of conversation, he sat himself down against a tree and leaned his head back against it. He let out a long, deep sigh and closed his eyes. Given all that had transpired, he was glad that Sabine was as calm and understanding as she was about such matters. He reasoned that it came with being a healer, since she had to be intimately familiar with even the most unpleasant aspects of the body in order to be effective. He was also particularly glad that she was indeed a healer, since those thorns had been very, very painful.

Vilana thought back briefly, though it was not long before she gave up on counting. "Decades, definitely. I don't know exactly how long, but it has probably been most of his adult life by this point. He is seventy or eighty years of age by now. I know many leaders would have stepped down by this point, but his mind has held strong. Technically, anyone of sufficient rank could challenge him for his position. Any of them would easily win, but I don't know of any that would be willing to do that. It would almost be unthinkable. Honestly, he's probably one of the only ones that places any blame on him for the attack. He did nothing wrong, and I don't think anyone else would have done any better."
Closing his eyes, Peiter sighed as he turned around. He hung his head in shame, though not precisely for the obvious reasons. He put his hands on her shoulders as well, then finally made eye contact. "I know, it's just...I'm sorry. I try to hide it but...I know the things you want to do, and the things you don't want to do. You have to believe me when I say that I don't want to push you any farther than you would want to go on your own. I try to push away those thoughts, but...you're just so beautiful, and kind, and caring. I can't help but to want to get close to you, and when we get close...my body just wants to go farther than I know you do. I just don't want you to think that I'm upset, or trying to rush you. I...admit that I've wanted it, but I care more about what you want." He explained.

Uthri's description of each of Meesei's pack was a bit fast for her to fully take in everything, but she was able to get an overview. However, the mention of Ra'kalesh did spark a memory within her mind. "Ra'kalesh...now that's a name I recognize. I know he was a high-ranking member of the clan, but I didn't know who was in his pride. I especially didn't know that slimy Argonian was in it. Regardless, I remember him being fairly well respected. A...monk, if I'm remembering correctly. Ri'nakhad will be glad to have him back, I imagine. Really, he would be glad to have anyone back. The attack...it really hit him hard. The clan has been his life; he feels responsible for his people. I think he might blame himself for losing so many."
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