EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Once the warning was given, Meesei's reaction was immediate. She shouted her orders, which they had thankfully prepared for in the past few days. "Everyone! Stop, wait between these two dunes. Ra'jorr, gather a force of the same size, we will wait atop the dune behind us for their approach. All of the other warriors will wait in reserve with the clan. Ri'nakhad, you will need to come with us to meet the Dominion soldiers. Stay close to myself and Gallus. If something goes wrong, we will protect you."

Though they had little time, the clan had been preparing for this eventuality for days. Since the majority of the warriors coming with them on the dune were armored in some way, Meesei quickly grabbed one of the robes they had kept as emergency city clothing, just so she would be dressed for the encounter. She then walked up to the top of the dune with Ri'nakhad following directly behind. With the time it had taken for Ra'jorr to shout at the nearest warriors, including S'nishi and a few other Senche, and for Meesei to quickly dress herself, they could already see the soldiers fast on their approach. Overall, it was much less warning than Meesei had been hoping for, but they had their plan. Now, they just needed to follow it.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ma'tanza hummed lightly. "Well, there are some similarities, yes. It could help for some very basic instruction, at least. It may be a while before we can do anything with a corpse, though. This one thinks all of our meat is already butchered, and there aren't many suitable creatures out here in the desert. Ah, but we'll figure out something, Ma'tanza is sure."

---

Once they had a reasonable course of action, Meesei, Ri'nakhad, and Ra'jorr gave the announcement about the soldiers found tracking them. Understandably, it created some worry among the clan, but the fact that they already had not one, but several plans on how to deal with them did help to give some confidence in the clan. They explained the details of what the bulk of the clan should do, while Ra'jorr selected warriors who would be posing as rescuers. Despite the delay, they set out as soon as they could just as they would have normally, as their first plan was still to avoid confrontation entirely.

The next two days proceeded near identically to the first few, apart from the heightened patrols keeping an eye out for any approaching soldiers. The desert was just as hot, just as dry, and just as uncomfortable. Some of the clan were becoming more well-acclimated to the new climate, but it was still far from being comfortable for most. They prepared a plan for what they would do in case of a sandstorm, but unfortunately, the weather remained almost perfectly calm both days.

It was late afternoon on the second day, and they would be setting up their camp within a few hours. This time, there were no rocky areas anywhere in sight around them, so they settled for one of the small valleys between two of the dunes. It would keep their camp at least somewhat hidden from view, while their own lookouts could use the dunes as vantage points.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Yeah, though I'm just now entering into a game with some friends, so it may be a bit.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Gallus' last point was something that worried Meesei, as it was not something she could think of a solid solution for. She had ideas for some excuses, but nothing definitive. "At this point, we have gone far enough that Orcrest is the closest city to us. I would hope they would not want to force a group of escaped slaves through a longer journey than necessary. But, it is something to be concerned with. We cannot be diverted from our course, even if it means subduing our pursers by force. That is a last resort, however. Let us hope they are not decided that we should join them. Even more than that, let us hope we can avoid them altogether."

Ma'tanza shook her head. "No, it would be in the wrong spot, off on their side. Funnily enough, they do have a little stub of a bone on their pelvis where the tail would be if they were Khajiit, or Argonian. It's under their skin, so you can't see it on the outside, but if you press on the right spot on their behind, you can feel it. It's like they started to grow their tail, but it stopped before it could be seen. Ma'tanza does not understand why; it seems like it would be as useful to them as it is to us. Anyway, once you learn how to observe the energies of the body, you can use restoration to examine the body in greater detail. Though, it would also be helpful to get a cadaver to cut open, so you can actually see the parts with your own eyes. If we would have thought of this back on the ship, we could have used one of the slavers. Until then, you can just examine everything you can see and feel from the surface."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei thought about Gallus' suggestion for a few moments, but she ultimately felt that it might create more issues than she was comfortable with. Taking over the ships out at sea would leave many possible destinations between there and Orcrest. "It may not be necessary to say that we were rescued at sea. There would be fewer complications if we claimed we never made it on board the ships. Or at least, that the ships did not make it far before being boarded. Instead of being put on the ships in the south, we could say that we were loaded onto them in the Larsius River. But, our rescuers set upon and boarded the vessels while they were still constrained by the river. Once we were free, we dumped the bodies, then lives aboard the ship for a few days before deciding to make our way to Orcrest with the slavers' supplies. In that case, the only things we would really be 'stealing' would be the supplies aboard the ships. In the Empire, the property of bandits and other outlaws is not protected in practice. Is it the same in the Dominion?" She asked, to which Ri'nakhad nodded in response.

Ma'tanza nodded, though she had to take a few seconds to think of the actual specifics of what was different. "Yeah, there are all sorts of little differences in how everything is placed between Argonians, Humans, and Khajiit. Argonian jugulars are closer to about right...here, for example. They also have entire body parts that Khajiit do not. Argonians have their gills, which Ma'tanza thinks look and feel rather strange. Though, even stranger is this thing that the Humans have. You can't see it on the outside, but it's a small organ, like tube branching off of their intestines. All of them have it, but no healer can actually figure out what it does. Sometimes it will completely burst, to the point that a healer cannot restore it, but they can remove it and the person will be just fine. It doesn't make much sense to Ma'tanza."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei had a slight grimace on her face at the mention of Senche. "Right, Senche are not common candidates for slaves. We were able to convince the slavers, but the soldiers may still find it suspicious. But...they could be believable rescuers. We could explain that some of those among us are warriors that helped to free us. They could perhaps be warriors of one of another desert tribe who wanted to stop the slavers before they themselves were targeted."

"Ra'jorr could pick a selection of his warriors to fill that role, yes. He will also give the order that we are to kill only as a last resort. As strong of a force as we are, the Aldmeri Dominion can field far, far more soldiers than all of Hircine's followers in Tamriel." Ra'jorr added.

"That is alright, it's why you're learning." Ma'tanza said reassuringly. She pointed to her heart, then traced her claw a few inches above it. "Right about here. It started at the heart, then heads up, branching up into the neck and into the arms. It also curves down along the spine and splitting off into your legs. There are all sorts of branches along the way, but right here above the heart, that's where it is the thickest. If it is punctured there, it needs instant attention. If not, the person can die in seconds. Ma'tanza has never treated anything like that, though. People with those kinds of injuries usually don't make it to a healer, unfortunately. But, there are other important arteries. You probably know about the jugular, and where it is in the throat. But, there are also two arteries going into your arms that can cause you to lose blood almost as quickly if they're cut." She explained, pointing them out on her own body.

Ma'tanza stopped and looked around for a few moments for anything she could use as an example bandage. Unfortunately, their lack of cloth meant that she had little to work with. "This one wishes she could demonstrate technique, but she doesn't have anything to bandage with. Anyway, if you see anyone cut in those places, you'll want to keep pressure on the wounds until they can be magically closed. This one will show you were all of the thickest arteries are, hold still." She instructed. This time, she started tracing her fingers along Tzirret's body to point out his arteries.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Yes, that could be made believable." Ri'nakhad commented. "It could go with the story of us being escapes slaves, just trying to get back home. Orcrest is slightly more distant from our ships than a city like Rimmen, but if we were all captured from near Orcrest, we would naturally want to return home. Although, it would be convenient for us all to have been taken from the same place. Perhaps we could say that some of us were taken from cities and towns near Dune as well. Orcrest is closer, and would be a stop along the way, so our destination would still be sensible."

Meesei nodded. "That is a good point. Hopefully we will not need to confront them at all, but it could be helpful to paint ourselves as victims. If nothing else, it may prevent hostility. The ambush may present an issue, if they still blame us. But, we may be able to explain it with fear. Perhaps the slavers who captured many of us posed as soldiers, or guards? That would naturally make us wary of any soldiers tailing us. It could be a believable excuse, we do need to keep our options open. We cannot turn back, or have them take us anywhere but Orcrest. If they are not sways by our words, we need to decide what to do to keep the clan safe."

"Ma'tanza...doesn't think so, unfortunately." She answered regretfully. "There are really simple things like learning how to properly bandage wounds, but those also don't take all that much practice. And, even then, you do need to know which wounds to prioritize. If someone is badly hurt, you have to be able to treat them in such a way that you keep them alive and stable for as long as possible, so you want to treat the wounds that are going to bleed the most. But, starting out, it isn't really all that complicated. Like, picking which wounds to get to first. You can easily point to Ma'tanza's head, or probably her heart and lungs, but can you, say, point out the largest artery in this one's body?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ra'jorr hummed in thought. "The soldiers will check up on anything out of the ordinary. We, unfortunately, are not normal. The desert tribes can wander undisturbed, but if they have been following us, then they will know that we are not one of them." He explained.

"I doubt they will give up. Or at least, I would not count on them losing interest." Meesei commented. "Still, we do have some options. As I mentioned before, it is still possible we could get away from them. We will not be able to outrun them, but we may be able to outlast them. If they are not supplied for a trek across the desert, then they will not be able to follow us for too long. We could slip far enough away that the sands will cover our tracks before they can get themselves properly supplied. If that does not work, we may be forced to confront them, hopefully without violence. We could once again play the role of escapes slaves. If they found our ship, we could explain our presence by saying that we managed to overpower our captors, then sail here. We could simply say that we are trying to get to safety in Orcrest." She suggested.

Ma'tanza looked to the side briefly, rubbing her chin. "Uh, hmm...Ma'tanza cannot remember too well. It has been a very long time. She was studying magic even before she was turned. It took a while of practice to learn the basics. It is not an easy discipline, as this one said. Healing was the first kind of magic that she started to learn. It's one of the most useful for the average person; mending wounds, resisting disease, giving yourself energy. All of that is useful for someone who has to work, or a cub who wanted to be able to play for longer, in Ma'tanza's case. Anyway, we're probably going to be moving soon, but what do you want to try to learn first? You'll need to learn all about the body and how to care for it, and for more than just Khajiit, probably. Humans and Elves are pretty similar, though Argonians are pretty different."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei's expression became just as severe as Gallus'. They had already packed up their belongings, but Meesei set down her bags upon hearing about this event. Ri'nakhad was equally troubled as his eyes went out over the horizon. "We could have this discussion confidentially for now." He recommended.

None of the clan's tents were large enough to accommodate a meeting, and even if they were, most of them had been packed away by this point. As such, they found a rocky area near the edge of camp that they could speak in relative privacy. Ri'nakhad made a point of finding Ra'jorr to bring him into the discussion as well. Being that he was both a native of the desert, and the commander of the clan's warriors, his input would be valuable.

Meesei was the one to begin the discussion. "I feel that we require as much information as possible before we can make a decision. Ideally, we want to avoid resorting to violence to solve this. Even if we can defeat them, it would bring the wrong kind of attention to us. Avoiding them entirely would be the best option. Is there a way we could force them to lose our tracks, or perhaps simply outlast them? Would these outriders have the supplies to follow us across the desert all the way to Orcrest."

Ra'jorr's body language was neither completely confident nor hopeless in Meesei's suggestions. "It is possible, but not guaranteed. These riders and the force they are scouting for likely would not normally have the supplies to pursue so far from their posting. However, that could change depending upon how close they are to their nearest supply outpost. As for losing our trail, it is also possible, but for a group of this size, the only way we could guarantee that would be to take advantage of a sandstorm. Since we cannot control the weather, that option is dependent upon chance."

Meesei nodded in understanding. "I see. then we need to learn more about them." She commented, turning her attention to one of the scouts. "How certain are you that they were soldiers of Anequina's military?"

At first, Ma'tanza's reaction was wordless. She leaned in and gave him a longer hug before eventually speaking up. "Tzirret, you're expecting too much from too little. You haven't had enough practice to start casting spells yet. You have learned how to manipulate magicka, that Ma'tanza can feel. So, that is certainly something. Just keep putting in the time for practice and you'll be fine. Maybe in the meantime, you can learn something else to help? There is more ways to help the injured than just magic. You can learn how to properly bandage people, how to set broken bones, staunch bleeding, and generally care for someone who is hurt. You could even learn how to mix a basic healing potion, and how to know how much of a potion to give." She suggested.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I need to get to bed now, but I'll respond in the morning.