EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"There's nothing we can do about that now, Fendros." Ahnasha answered. "Barring something like an Elder Scroll, we can't do anything about time. We can't change the past. What we can do is change what's going to happen. Let's just take it one step at a time. We can talk to your mother and try to convince her to accept you and me, then maybe see if we can do the same with your brother. We can worry about making up for things later."

Stepping back over to Fendros, Ahnasha took his hands in hers. "Just don't try to trick yourself into thinking you had a choice in what happened. You were attacked, and there was only one real way to protect your family. It wasn't fair, but it was what fate decided for you. That feral destroyed the life you had, but now you can try to make the best of the life it gave you. Come on, let's go see if we can find her."

---

Meesei shook her head. "Oh no, your role in all of this would be minor. What I mean to say is that we, in general, have to succeed against Vile. He and his followers have the intention and means to easily kill any and every one of our kind in Tamriel. They developed a weapon; a gas that, when breathed, rends our souls from our bodies and sends them straight to their lord. There are only few, limited ways to resist that, and we have not found the antidote. They can expose themselves to it with no effects, so they can use it liberally against us. We no longer have the option to fight them conventionally, so we need every advantage we can find. What I would need you to do here, on a basic level, is to help keep an eye on the city. Perhaps serve as a representative for any of us looking to make other connections in the area, perhaps pass on messages or perform other tasks of that nature. Regardless of whether or not whether you want to have any contact with other lycans again, you may want to consider your own family's safety. Hiding may not be sufficient forever when the enemy has a weapon that affects only us."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Absolutely." Ahnasha answered uncompromisingly to Fendros before turning to Llarasa. "In all honesty, I expected something like this. I prepared for it. I am not afraid of anything they might say or do."

Ahnasha remained close to Fendros to keep him comforted, and try to keep him from getting too angry. Although, looking at Llarasa, she could not help but to be frustrated by how her father treated her. Fendros had been right to hold Ahnasha back, because she absolutely would have acted otherwise. "I don't think your mother will take too much convincing. If your father had not arrived, I think she would already be coming around. Just the way she reacted to seeing you...I've felt that way before. Towards Rhazii, back in Black Marsh. I don't think her opinions towards my kind are nearly as strong as her love for you, and if those two are in conflict, I think her mind is going to look for any excuse to keep you in her life. Besides, I think she and I might actually have some common ground. Maybe I can speak to that part of her, and maybe it might surprise her. And after your mother...I think it might actually be a good idea to talk to Monderyn. I wouldn't have thought so before, but the way he was acting was different from what I was expecting. I am not sure where our common ground might be with him, but maybe your mother can help."

Finally standing up, Ahnasha looked over Llarasa for a few moments before giving her a hug. "And...it is good to see you again, Llarasa. I am glad that Fendros has you. I really appreciate your support. No matter what happens here, I would be honored for you to be a part of our wedding."

---

"Look, I...I can't deal with this right now." Lorag responded, practically throwing his hands up in the air. He turned around, and looked like he was about to storm out of the hovel, but he ended up stopping at the door. He knew that he probably should not leave, but he was also having a hard time staying. So, he ended up settling on standing awkwardly by the door. For the others in the pack, they likely had never seen him so distraught before.

As for Meesei, she acknowledged that Lorag was confused, but she needed to deal with Harriet first and foremost. "Exactly, so perhaps you see the dilemma I face? Right now, I am looking at a traitor who murdered an honorable and faithful man. But, who was acting under the deception of our enemy. I am looking at someone who has a daughter that relies on her, but who murdered a boy's father. Regardless of the impression I try to give to others, I am not without compassion, and I cannot punish Narsi for what you did, no matter who her father is. But...perhaps you can continue your redemption to our lord? You are not welcome among our clans, but you are right that we do not have a presence in Cheydinhal. If you agree to report to us, and serve our needs in the city, then perhaps I can justify this. You would do well to consider it, because if we fail, you and your daughter will die along with us and every other lycan in Tamriel."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ah, forgot the second half. I'll edit that on now.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Altogether, Ahnasha was disappointed, but not surprised. She had heard all about Fendros' parents from him, so she had mentally prepared herself for this outcome. Just as she hoped that Fendros had prepared himself as well. She largely ignored Rossarm's words as the conditioned reaction of a stubborn old man. What she paid more attention to was the reactions of his mother, and even his brother. Calia's reaction was not one of rage, like Rossarm's. Being a mother herself, Ahnasha knew well how much of her life was invested in her child. She had an idea of how much of Calia's being must have been devoted to raising Fendros. For the kind of love a mother held for her child, Ahnasha doubted this would be enough to break it. Even Monderyn had not been nearly as outspoken as she had expected. Perhaps it was the fear of speaking up in front of his parents, but Ahnasha wondered if enough time had passed since their meeting in the Imperial City for him to have his own doubts. Ahnasha still guessed that if Rossarm changed his opinion, the others would as well, but perhaps there was another way to go about it.

Ahnasha reached over and grabbed Fendros' hand, holding it tightly. "Let's just...be patient. Bide our time for a bit. We're not going anywhere." Ahnasha said with a certain amount of confidence in her voice. Regardless of how bad everything looked, Ahnasha still had her stubbornness about her. She still wanted to make this work, and had an idea in her mind of how to do it. "Your mother is the person to talk to first. There is no denying that she still cares about you, still loves you. A mother never really abandons her child."

Looking over to Llarasa, Ahnasha's expression was sympathetic, and her voice soft. "When do you think we would be able to talk to your mother alone?"

---

Meesei, for the moment, was wholly focused on Harriet. Any other implications of what she was saying, particularly involving Lorag, she let pass by for now. "What you did after the attack on our stronghold, when you ran, there is no way I can blame you for that. Were I in your position, I would have done the precise same thing. As I said before, it would do no good for me to kill you now, regardless of how easy that would be." She said, holding up her hand bearing the bonded ring. "I may be doing a disservice to Vera and Caleb by making that decision, but it is my decision to make. There is no denying that you were manipulated into murder. But, there is still no forgiving you for what you did to them. Do you honestly believe that I should just ignore you? That I should leave and pretend this did not happen? If not your death, what justice does Jerrick's family deserve."

Meanwhile, Lorag's head was darting around between Meesei, Harriet, and the others. What he found important in Harriet's explanation was, of course, far different from what Meesei found important, and her lack of a reaction made him feel somewhat crazy. He normally was not an exceptionally articulate person, but now he was simply speechless. "Wait...what?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

There we go.

I finished all the things, which is nice. How is everything for you? Busy as usual?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Though it had only been a few minutes so far, Ahnasha was getting a sense of who Fendros' parents were. She had heard Fendros describe them before, but seeing them in person brought their personalities into view. Calia was certainly the more reasonable of the two. Perhaps it was just because she did not appear to be quite as healthy, but she was calmer, and seemingly less stubborn. Rossarm would definitely be the challenge, as he was obviously much more headstrong. He had formed his opinions, and it would be hard to change them. Hopefully, undeniable logic would be enough to sway him. She had, of course, met Monderyn before, but she was not too concerned about him. Even the way he walked seemed to suggest that he lived in his father's shadow. If Fendros could somehow change Rossarm's mind, she had no doubt Monderyn would follow suit.

Ahnasha avoided giving any visible reaction, but she noticed when Fendros described her as a "close friend." She hoped that Fendros would not become too afraid to disclose their relationship, and especially the fact that his parents now had a grandchild. However, she did understand not wanting to overwhelm them with too much shocking information at once. That might cause them, particularly his father, to become too irrational to even have a conversation with. She did not know when would be the best time for Fendros to make that admission, but she could be patient.

At this point, Ahnasha finally felt justified in speaking up. It still somewhat frightened her to do so, but she felt that she had something of value to add to Fendros' explanation. "That is a decision that many of us make regretfully. The beasts within us feed on emotion; on fear, passion, anger. Those are all things that these kinds of reunions can inspire. For a new lycan, becoming overwhelmed by emotion, even for a short time, can cause a transformation. I have heard of lycans going to give their goodbyes to loved ones in person and...not returning."

---

Lorag gave a quick huff. "You want to hide, so you flee to the hometown of two members of the Champion's pack. Brilliant."

Meesei largely ignored Lorag's comment as she continued. "I can recognize that your life has changed. You have a child, you have re-integrated into Cyrodiil's society. But can you really expect me to just give blanket forgiveness for all you did to us? For murdering a clan leader; murdering a father and husband. For nearly tearing us apart in direct service of the enemy? You have a family now, so can you understand the pain you caused? Can you look at Narsi, the daughter you have raised for the past few years, and imagine what would happen to her if she lost her parent? What would you have me do? How would you have me feel about finding you again? Place yourself into my perspective."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

With portals like that, it's kind of iffy on if they are still around. Sure, they aren't around in Skyrim, but Skyrim also isn't the most magically inclined place. They only have one magical college with nowhere to teleport to. It could still be viable, but in this time period, would probably require portal platforms like in Oblivion. I don't know how difficult those are to create.

Also, I just have to finish references and formatting now.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I might be a bit delayed tonight, working on a paper.

Also, having recently played Oblivion, I realize that magical portals are a thing in the universe. The Arcane University had them just to get between floors in their tower, and with the Frostcrag Spire DLC, you had a spire with portals connecting to every city in Cyrodiil.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

To Ahnasha, it seemed that Fendros was braver than herself when it came to admitting his condition. Granted, Ahnasha had gone with a different explanation for her absence. With Fendros, the truth might have been the least painful option to give them. The Daedra were not quite as Taboo among the Dunmer as they were in Cyrodilic culture, so the association with Hircine might not have been quite as bad. Plus, it would affirm to his mother that he did not suddenly leave by his own choice, and did not intend to hurt them. Their situations were different, so it was natural that their approaches would be different. Calia at least did not react badly to the news, though they did not have time to gauge her opinion on the revelation before they heard footsteps coming from the hall. Ahnasha had little doubt of who it was. She had hoped that Fendros would be able to explain everything to his mother before moving on to his father, but she supposed it was too much to expect that everything go to plan.

The atmosphere became much more tense once Fendros' father, Rossarm, entered the room. She did not know a great deal about him, but even if she had, she knew there was nothing she could do to clear the tension. All she could do was stay silent, and hope that Fendros would be able to say what his father needed to hear.

---

When Harriet finally re-emerged, Meesei did not act as if she was angry per ce, but neither was she pleasant. Her gaze was intense as she stood with her arms crossed, staring down Harriet. Even Meesei's own pack likely did not know what was going to happen until she finally spoke up.

"Do not fear, I am not going to kill you. Only a monster would kill the parent of a child like that." Meesei answered harshly. Given the context of Harriet's crimes, the insult was obvious.

"What I want first is information. I want you to tell me everything that has happened since you fled the clan." Meesei demanded.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

And another response has been given. Feels like we're setting a new record. When do you think you'll get a reprieve from your responsibilities. I get the feeling your classes are intense.