EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

As expected, it took the rest of the evening, and the majority of the night, for Meesei and the others to reach the stronghold. Most of the group headed straight for their beds after finding a place for the body, while Meesei and Gallus took only a few moments to take a written record of what they had learned before retiring themselves.

The next day, even Meesei was up later than usual, but it seemed that coincidence was working in their favor, as while they had been away following Hiritus the previous night, the scouts had returned. Fortunately, there had been no casualties, and according to the initial report Meesei had received, the scouting party had gone undetected by Vile's forces. There had evidently been some difficulties, but they planned to give that report in detail during a meeting later that evening. In the meantime, Meesei had granted them the day to rest and recuperate after their journey.

It was not long after the midday meal that Peiter decided to seek out Sabine. He had spent much of the morning training with some of the members of the Orcrest clan, so he had not yet spoken to Sabine that day after they left their room. Since they had first discussed it, he had been thinking on what to do regarding Tzirret. In the brief times they had spoken to him since their argument, he still seemed just as resolute on joining the fighting. For his sake, Peiter believed, they would have to find some way to keep him out of the attack. Luckily, he was able to find her fairly quickly, as she had returned to the room they shared.

Stepping inside, Peiter closed the door carefully behind him and spoke up somewhat quietly. "Ah, good, I was worried it would take a while to find you. I think it's time for us to talk, about Tzirret that is. I think Gallus is free right now...if you still want to try to persuade him."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I imagine they would try to speak to Gallus first, since Peiter knows him better.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha looked ahead, uncertain in her expression and tapping the side of her head. "I...could swear I have. Probably from the same place Meesei did, but it must have been a while. Do'rhajul...a warrior, Cathay-raht...I'm not sure. I'll probably remember it immediately if I just get a reminder. We should speak to the rest of the pack, see if anyone else has heard of him, or if I am just making myself think I've heard the name."

"Agreed." Meesei answered with a nod. "We can gather the pack tomorrow morning; I would wager that it is going to be quite late before we can get back to the stronghold. I do not think I would fault any of you if you end up sleeping late. With luck, the scouts will return from their mission soon, and we can plan our attack."

---

Jo'rashaad chuckled. "Oh yes, this one knows well how much Cathay cubs need to be watched. Even a mild mannered kitten can cause a lot of accidental destruction if he is twice the size of all his friends. Though, Jo'rashaad does not think there is a such thing as a non-destructive cub. There is a reason that our people's god of destruction is named Merrunz. Kitten."

Turning his head briefly to the chamber's exit, Jo'rashaad looked to Fendros apologetically. "This one...should really get to his mate soon. She is expecting him. But, we should certainly get everyone together sometime before the warband leaves for the attack. You, Ahnasha, Newt and his parents, this one's mate and daughter. It would help to ease everyone's mind, Jo'rashaad thinks."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Once the body was wrapped, two of the others carried it as the group started their long walk back to the stronghold. Gallus and Hiritus had been walking for the majority of the day, so they had a fair amount of ground to cover to get back. Granted, Hiritus had slowed down their pace, but it would still be well into the night before they could get back. Meesei was wearing one of the cloaks that the Orcrest clan seemed to favor, which would help as the temperature dropped.

"I am certain there is a way we can learn more, but we need to approach it cautiously. If Hiritus was trusted enough to lead this mission, then he was likely a ranking member of his organization in Orcrest. If he did not know any details about the culling, then it would be a fair assumption to make that specific knowledge of the culling is restricted to the upper levels of Vile's forces. At the very least, we would have to infiltrate their stronghold outside Corinthe. Unfortunately, that may not be possible, as we seem to be in a prime position to launch our attack against them. If the clan was being led to an ambush as we has suspected, then their forces would be split. And, if the location of this stronghold is still a secret to their forces as a whole, then we can mobilize our forces safely. Depending on the scouts' report, we may be in a position to essentially win the war in Elsweyr. Or at the very least, deliver a crushing blow to their forces here. Perhaps, if we are able, we can capture this General, Do'rhajul." Meesei proposed, but as she said the name, she narrowed her eyes slightly and looked straight ahead.

"That name, Do'rhajul. It sounds...familiar almost. I just cannot quite place from where." She commented.

---

Jo'rashaad nodded. "Mostly. It is a defining feature of our cuisine, and what sets it apart from others in Tamriel. We have a lot of ingredients in Elsweyr that can be used for sweetening, and talented chefs can use them in creative ways. There is a definite difference between our meals and our treats, though, so don't expect everything to be like a sweetroll. This one thinks you'll like it, though. Jo'rashaad will see if he can make some of the things his mother made for him when he was young."

"For most of the time since we have all been traveling together, we have been moving from place to place, worrying about our next step. Perhaps, now that Rhazii will be in a single, stable, and safe place for a few weeks, this one could try to teach him more about the Khajiit. If that is alright with you?" Jo'rashaad asked.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei approached Gallus' suggestion with strong skepticism. She did not know what was inspiring him to want to take such a risk, but she felt that he might not realize how much of a risk it would be. Meesei crossed her arms, and gave him a rather serious look. "I do not believe that to be wise, Gallus. Perhaps with Hiritus vouching for you, it might have been possible, but it would have been far too much of a risk to let him live. Bear in mind, it is almost certain that Vile's agents in Orcrest have never actually seen me before. They will not be able to recognize how close that head's features are to mine. All they will see is that it matches my description, but it is not unlikely that they will question whether or not the head is genuine. After all, they were enacting a similar plan against our stronghold. Not to mention, the false Ring of Hircine will not be able to stand up under serious scrutiny. Even though Hiritus did not know its function, that does not mean no others will. Infiltrating the enemy ranks is not something we can simply do on a whim. It may be an option for us to explore, but that would require considerable planning on our part." Meesei warned.

---

"This one will remember that." Jo'rashaad answered with a nod. He had not been told the details of what happened to Rhazii, but the scars visible on his face left little doubt as to their cause. As much as possible, he would keep Rhazii as far as was reasonable from any fires around the stronghold. He guessed that Rhazii could handle seeing a fire, since they were very commonly used around him, but he supposed that the cub would not want to get close.

As for Rhazii's persistent questioning about treats, Jo'rashaad gave the cub another grin. "Jo'rashaad will feed you like any other Khajiit cub, little one. And before you ask, no, we do not eat sweetrolls for our meals. That said, proper Khajiit cuisine is known for its sweetness compared to food from other places. Or at least, that is what this one has been told. Jo'rashaad usually only eats Khajiit food, or meat from his hunts, so he has nothing to compare it to. Have you been able to eat much Khajiit food since you got to Elsweyr, Rhazii, or has it mostly just been meat?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

For Meesei, even if the information was not as extensive as Gallus had hoped, it was still much for her to process. She instructed a few of the others to start wrapping up the body for transport back to the stronghold, then took a moment to think. Much of what Gallus explained supported what Meesei's informants across Tamriel had been suggesting for the past few years, while other details were new, and even confusing.

"There are many alchemists in Tamriel." Meesei commented. "But a shipping clerk? That is a strange combination, I would say. Perhaps he had some other talent of which Hiritus was not aware? Regardless, searching for alchemists does make sense with respect to other developments we have seen. It is possible they required the expertise of these alchemists to help reproduce the suppression gas. Sabine has been regularly exchanging letters with her sister, with no hint of any trouble, but there are certainly other alchemical experts who could create such a mixture, especially if they had samples of the gas, or any base knowledge of its ingredients. It is possible that some of that knowledge survived our attack in Vos, perhaps in the form of whoever supplied the ingredients for the witches? But this 'culling', it is a surprise to me, honestly. It seems so...simple. Vile just wants to kill all lycans and harvest our souls? Clavicus Vile is known to be more subtle and cunning in his dealings; this culling seems almost like something that would be perpetuated by Molag Bal, or Mehrunes Dagon. This war in general has never matched his behavior throughout history. Perhaps I am simply applying scholarly theories where I should not, but it seems like there would have to be something more to his plan. Something even his own followers would not know?"

Meesei breathed a sigh, turning and looking down on the corpse that was halfway to being wrapped in a large cloth. "Well, regardless, whether it is the final goal, or just a step along the way, we know that Vile's followers fully intend to kill us all. This war will be fought for our very existence."

---

Jo'rashaad was quite obviously uncomfortable. He did not seem overtly angry that the conversation had shifted to such a topic, but he did not actually respond directly at first. He continued to avoid eye contact for a few seconds before taking in a nervous breath. "Yes, um...thank you. This one thinks we will be alright; our bodies were not harmed permanently. We are still a family, and we are all still together. It will just take time."

While he was making an effort not to seem ungrateful for the advice, Jo'rashaad certainly wanted to shift the conversation in any other direction. Taking a few brief glances around the room, his gaze finally settled on Rhazii. "So...is there anything this one should know about little Rhazii? Anything special, or different we should do?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

There was no time for Hiritus to give any sort of reaction. His eyes shot open, but if he was actually conscious at all, it was only for a few seconds.

Meanwhile, the killing had not gone unobserved. As Gallus' nose might have detected earlier, he was indeed being followed. With the sun setting over the horizon, a familiar silhouette rose up on one of the dunes, followed by five more shortly afterwards. At the distance they were following, it took a few minuted for them to make the walk over to Gallus. Meesei was of course at the head of the group, with Ahnasha and a few of the others from the clan walking behind her.

As she approached, Meesei did not exactly appear to be "pleased," as the execution was a rather distasteful affair, but she was certainly not disappointed. If Gallus was making the kill, then she assumed that their plan had worked. "Well...if nothing else, this is at least over. It is unlikely his body will be found out here, but we should bring it back with us regardless, for safety. Now...I suppose we should speak about what you learned right away, while it is fresh on your mind." She commented.

---

Jo'rashaad gave a nod to Fendros' thoughts on the ceremony. "If that is what you feel you want, then this one thinks it may be a good idea. Remember a ceremony like that exists for yourself, and your mate. Do not be concerned with anything that any other might want, unless it does not detract from your experience. Now, this one does not presume it will be easy to find something that both you and Ahnasha would want, but hers is the only other opinion that should matter to you."

At first, Jo'rashaad thought their conversation seemed to be over, but after a brief paused, Fendros moved on to another, slightly less comfortable subject. He shifted in his seat, and glanced down to the table. "That is...terrible. No person should experience anything like that. But if that's the case...this one does not want to make you relive any of that in your mind."

Fallout: The Outer Banks (Always Open)

Well, I had something specific in mind. I am someone who rather likes machines, and I like what they've done with them in Fallout 4. The AI of some machines, even those that aren't synths, can be exceptionally advanced, pretty much like a person. I would like to be a robot of some type, I'm not too particular on which. I would pick a robot roughly as strong as the other characters in the RP.

Fallout: The Outer Banks (Always Open)

If you do think it will be active again, I can make a character.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Hiritus shook his head dismissively. "Like I said, you'll see what I mean. In time. You just have to spend more time away from those lycan hideaways, and in proper cities. You'll see for yourself how much of your view of the world has been warped." He explained confidently.

Once he was finally finished eating, Hiritus crawled his way over to the rocks Gallus had been preparing and laid himself down entirely. They did not have anything in the way of blakets to keep them warm as the air cooled, but they were at least out of the majority of the wind by being between the dunes. "Yeah, you can take first watch...and maybe second. Hey, take every watch if you want. I won't complain." He joked, closing his eyes. By the way he had been acting, it would not be long before he was fast asleep.

---

"We never really cared about the ceremony." Jo'rashaad answered. "We don't follow the Pelletine customs anyway, so we didn't see the need. It's not a massive and expensive event like in Alinor, or Cyrodiil. Just some friends, family, and a moonlit ceremony with some moon sugar, but it still wasn't anything we found necessary. The fact that you approached Jo'rashaad about this tells him that you at least want to go through with one, so it could not hurt for you to ask her. Perhaps do not expect any kind of...dramatic reaction, but she probably would not be upset by it."

Jo'rashaad rested his cheek on his hand as he took a moment to think. "Perhaps...try to think if there is anything she would enjoy about a ceremony, or if there is anything she would want to do? If there is anything of that nature, then she may be glad you asked?"