EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"He's in the city, with the rest of the pack. they're getting supplies." Ahnasha answered. She was not whispering exactly, but she definitely had a hushed voice. "We can go get him if...everything else goes well."

At this point, some of Ahnasha's nerves were starting to show, since they were getting closer to the confrontation with Fendros' parents. She had been mentally preparing herself for this for weeks, but she knew it would not be pleasant. "We wanted to find you before we did anything else. Wanted to get your advice on what to do, who to talk to first, when to talk to them. I know this isn't going to be easy. We ended up finding my parents in Leyawiin and...well it just wasn't. I know...how things are probably going to be for me with them, but after a lot of talking, debating, some arguing, I think we agree it's not right to keep everyone in the dark. I don't know how much of everything Fendros wants to tell them, but I wanted to be here for him."

---

Meesei maintained a demeanor that was neutral, both in tone and expression. The rest of her pack was someone behind her, since she had started ahead of them, but they were keeping up. Besides which, she did not want to crowd Harriet too much to start. She was not yet sure what she wanted to do with her, now that she had her close. The answer to that question had changed many times over the last few years, depending on how she was thinking about it in the moment. For now, she could see the advantages in several approaches.

Meesei followed close, even if Harriet had no chance of escape. With the bonded rings still active, she could know exactly how to find her at any time. As Harriet requested, she followed silently all the way to the Orc's home. Meesei stepped inside, albeit cautiously. She had been stabbed in the gut far too many times to let her guard down, especially now. Whatever awaited her within, she would be ready for.

"I am in no mood for games, Harriet. We speak, and we speak now." Meesei said before she had even stepped fully through the door.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Good morning. Seems things are getting interesting.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Ssarak walked into the ballroom alongside Meirin. The first and foremost detail on his mind was the fact that he despised the outfit he was wearing. Not only was its appearance outlandish in his mind, but it was terribly uncomfortable. The pants were far too tight, and the shirt made him feel like a jester. He also had some illusory designs on his wings, which he could change at any time and scarcely required effort to maintain. His belt could hide a dagger, but he had instead elected to hide his weapon in plain sight, as it were. He could shift it into any shape he desired, so he shaped it into a somewhat thick bracelet, which did not stand out any more or less than the rest of his outfit. From everything he had seen and been told, his current outfit was perfectly in line with what was expected among Djarkel nobility, but he would be glad once the gala was over. In the meantime, they had a task to perform.

The ballroom itself was actually rather impressive. It had a tall, glass ceiling through which they could clearly see the nighttime sky above. There was a slight cloud cover, though the moon was bright above them. As for the floor, it was reflective enough to essentially be a mirror. It felt strange at first, like walking on a solid, flat lake. He would have much rather have gone swimming than to this “celebration.” Already, Ssarak’s mind was on alert. Psychomancers were reasonably common among Djarkel courts, and whether or not it was “polite” to intrude into another’s mind, he expected they would be doing just that. With Ssarak’s College training and extensive private lessons, he could more than handle his own, but he was worried for the others with him. He had refrained from speaking of his hidden weapon, or any other sensitive topics, with them just in case. Ssarak supposed it would be appropriate to mingle and learn more about the other guests, but he stuck with Meirin for guidance for the moment.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Goodnight.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It seems I was able to.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha was not nearly as nervous as Fendros, but she was alert. There was no denying that there was some risk in what they were doing, perhaps not to their lives, but in other ways that were important to Fendros. For the most part, she knew what he was going through, but there were potential problems for him that she had not been forced to face in Leyawiin. His parents were much different from her own. The vineyard itself was nice, tranquil. It was close enough to benefit from the safety of the city, but far from the crowds that inhabited it. For one less adventurous than herself, she might see the appeal of living in such a place.

"Okay, so that window?" Ahnasha asked, pointing as they reached the side of the house. Once she had confirmation, she carefully picked up a stone from the ground and grabbed a hold of it telekinetically. She was not nearly as skilled in the practice as someone like Meesei, but she could hold up a simple stone. She floated it over to the window and used it to knock just loudly enough to be heard from within. It perhaps would have been simpler just to throw stones normally, but she wanted to make sure that only Llarasa heard them.

---

It only took an instant for that voice to alert most of the pack. Lorag, Meesei, and even Kaleeth turned their heads towards her. The moment she recognized who it was, Meesei reached into the satchel on her hip. Luckily, she had brought it with her into the city. Ever since Harriet's escape, she had carried her tracking ring with her, the one bonded to the ring she had implanted within Harriet. She did not always carry it on her person, but it was at least with her belongings. This time, it was with her, and when she slipped it onto her finger, she felt that its counterpart was within range.

Meesei looked around quickly, giving a nod to Sabine, Janius, and Lorag. Kaleeth walked over to Janius and touched him lightly on the shoulder, whispering to him that she would take over watching the children. Lorag, without any sudden movements, put away the knives he was sharpening and picked up his bags. Meanwhile, Meesei was already taking the lead after her. Lorag and Harriet had made eye contact briefly, but she had not yet seen Meesei. The fact that she had put up her hood to cover her face made it even easier for Meesei to remain out of her peripheral vision, and the bustle of the crowd nearby hid her footsteps.

Meesei did not have any intentions of threatening Harriet just yet, but she was not going to wait to confront her. No matter what Harriet might believe, Meesei currently had the advantage. As soon as she was close enough behind Harriet, Meesei spoke up clearly, and in a neutral tone. "You know that we could not attack you right now, even if we wanted to. The least you can do is talk."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ah, so it's still there. I have some time, so I might be able to respond before you have to go. Maybe.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

So you know that ring Meesei used to track Harriet, the counterpart of which she implanted in her? Meesei still carries that around. What would happen if she used that for tracking now?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Even if Ahnasha had been blind, she would have been able to pick up on Fendros' anxiety. She was a simple blue and green outfit with a long, ankle length skirt that marginally annoyed her. She knew how to seem perfectly Cyrodilic, not that she particularly cared about blending in with every societal norm. When Fendros loosened his grip on her, the put her arm around his in protest. No matter where they were, she did not want them being dishonest about who they were to each other.

Regardless of Ahnasha's stubbornness, she did not ignore the struggles that Fendros was surely facing. She had been through it before in Leyawiin, so she was not going to push him too hard at once. "I think we should get the hard part out of the way, but...maybe not too much all at once. How about we try just to find your sister? Talk to her, let her know we're here, and them figure out what we should do from there. You know I think you should confront your whole family, but we don't have to start out with them all."

---

Among the group in the city, Lorag was the one essentially guiding them. There had been a lot that had changed since he left, but the basic layout remained the same. He knew where to find the market, the guilds, residential homes, and a few specific stores. As they were divvying up tasks, Lorag took the bag Janius gave him, but he did not move from where he was standing, despite knowing exactly where to find the smithy. "Hey, uh, look. Maybe someone else should deal with the smith, right?"

By this point, Kaleeth had heard a lot of Lorag's stories a few times over, so she knew where he was from, and what he was avoiding. "Do you think they're still here? You know what Fendros' sister said."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But there's more than one family of Orcs here. How about someone else just talk to the smith first, and if I don't recognize 'em, I'll step in." Lorag responded. So preoccupied was his mind that he did not even consider just looking for another blacksmith. There was only one he knew how to find off the top of his head.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Alright, I moved us along. I kept it short and vague, since you'll probably be the one leading this scene.