EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan had hoped that his parents' return would give him some closure to the questions that had been racing through the back of his mind for the entire time he had been talking to Aurana. Whether his father decided to speak to her parents, or that they could not help, he thought he would at least have a good answer. Unfortunately, his father's answer to Aurana was much more vague than Julan had hoped. He did at least say that they would try to help her...somehow. It was slightly encouraging, but it left Julan with even more questions and worries than he had started with, and he guessed that Aurana was probably feeling the same way.

Regardless, they did still have some time left that night, and Julan did not want to waste it. "Okay, I...hope we can help you tomorrow, Aurana. And we still have some time to talk now, at least. What was I saying...right, the oasis. Well, we weren't completely in the desert, so I guess it wasn't really an oasis, but it was a big pond. Rhazii bet me that I couldn't trick them into thinking there was a crocodile in the water, which was a completely unfair bet since, apparently, the Redguards didn't even know what a crocodile was. But I didn't know that then. Anyways, I hid under the water..." Julan continued. He had been telling as many stories as he could think of from their travels, edited for Aurana. This particular story did involve him shifting into a werecrocodile, but he would, of course, leave out that detail. Aurana, by contrast, hardly had any stories of interest to share, but Julan hoped that would change eventually.

---

"Thank you, but we need not discuss such details of our mission at the moment. There will be ample time tomorrow, and I find it is usually good not to make such decisions in moments of emotion like this." Meesei said, intentionally avoiding using the word "weakness." Despite what Lunise might have felt about her own actions, Meesei did not want to do anything to discourage them. Lunise's tendency to emotionally isolate herself from those she worked with undoubtedly allowed her to more easily see herself as their better. But, Meesei had a feeling that was changing.

"For now, I find myself somewhat curious about you, Lunise. Almost every interaction we have had through the years we have known one another has been entirely professional. Diplomatic. And I am sure you might find something interesting to learn about me as well. Are you from the Summerset Isles, or is there another place you would call your home? For me, as you likely guessed, I was originally from Black Marsh. I was from an isolated village; nowhere truly noteworthy for any particular reason. I was raised to become my father's successor as Treeminder. It is a position you may think of as a shaman, so magical training started at a young age. Different villages have different traditions, but in mine, a Treeminder was one of the leaders of the village leaders, along with an Elder and the Master-Hunter. I suppose it made for a good foundation for my current position, but I have grown much in so, so many ways since those early days." Meesei explained. The pair were still embracing one another, but Meesei was in no particular rush to bring that to an end. She wanted to give Lunise comfort for as long as she needed it, but Meesei would also be lying to herself if she did not admit that she rather enjoyed holding on to her in such a way.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth stepped up close in front of Janius and took his hands in hers. She smiled warmly at him, then gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Love, you will always have my support, no matter what. Maybe a good night's rest will help you clear your mind? We will have to send Aurana back tonight, I suppose, but it will be easy enough to find her again when we decide what to do. If you decide to meet your parents again, we can just knock on their door. Otherwise, we can just...put a note on her window, or something like that. Anyways, we should probably head back in and rejoin the others."

---

Over the course of only a few minutes, Meesei could practically feel the tension melting away out of Lunise. Meesei could not be sure if Lunise had ever been given a proper chance to release her emotions to someone else. Possibly as a child she may have, but Meesei could not know what kind of parents she had.

"I have to trust you, Lunise. We have to trust each other. In the times we live in, with the enemies we face, trust is one of the few precious things we have. You are not weak for wanting support; it takes strength to admit that. Without the support of my friends and family, I likely would have been dead years ago, or at the very least, touched by Sheogorath. No matter what people may think, no one is stronger alone. We will need each other if we hope to keep this world intact. Elven or Human, Dominion or Imperial, it does not matter your politics. We all have a claim to this world, and we all have a need to protect it. Whatever help and support you need from me, you will have it, because you are a friend. You are my friend." Meesei said, still not releasing Lunise from her embrace. Short of Lunise being the most impressive actress in Tamriel, Meesei felt that she could be experiencing a genuine change. It was a change that would fly in the face of the majority of beliefs she had held as a Thalmor, but that did not mean it was not possible. Elven superiority was one of the primary public doctrines of the Thalmor, which would account for potentially centuries of prejudice that Lunise had been living with. However, in Meesei's experience, prejudice only tended to thrive in isolation. When Lunise lived among Thalmor, and only tended to emaciate with other Elves, it would be easy to reaffirm those beliefs. But, Meesei suspected that even just her capabilities and actions alone were likely challenging those beliefs.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

While Kaleeth did not immediately have an answer, she did find herself more easily able to reason through some potential solutions to the problem. While it had been quite a while, she did still have some memories of what it was like to be a child. "Let's see...she is still young. In my village, she would have been closer to a young woman than a child, but I don't think Aurana's upbringing would really encourage her to be mature. One of the biggest things I was afraid of as a child was being punished by my parents, so that is probably what is keeping her from saying anything now. If she isn't afraid of being punished, then she might be brave enough to speak out to her parents. But, I don't know if there is a way to keep her from being punished without you showing up to talk to her parents."

---

While most who knew Lunise would be shocked to see her in such a state, Meesei's sympathetic expression did not waver in the slightest. "Do not be ashamed, Lunise. I have been in your shoes before; breaking down from stress, extreme loss, or any other number of reasons. I have found myself in such hopeless despair, but...i still remember vividly the first time I was caught in such a state. I remember my daughter lightly stepping into my chamber, at first shocked and horrified at whatever could bring the Champion to tears. I remember her hugging me as tightly as she could and just...feeling calm. I remember feeling the love and compassion she had for me; it reminded me of what I was fighting for."

Leaving her own memories, Meesei focused more completely on Lunise. "I know your situation is different. You do not have as close of relations to others, but that does not mean you deserve to feel alone. We have known each other for years, but as Elves reckon time, I know we would barely be considered acquaintances. Strangers. But, well, I believe you may find yourself surprised at the capacity some 'strangers' have for compassion. It may be true that your world is going to change irreversibly, that you may be burdened with some of the greatest challenges that any mortal has ever faced. But, I say with no uncertain terms..." Meesei began, finally moving her hand from Lunise's shoulder so she could reach around her body to give her a hug. "...you are not alone." She said with a certain, undeniable confidence.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I wouldn't worry about running into me on the street. The Northwest may as well be a world away from me. Though, we might be able to play something online together without international ping. East to West coast servers aren't as bad. I don't play Smite anymore, but I have been playing a *lot* of Overwatch. Also been getting somewhat into Heroes of the Storm.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sounds like it should pay well. Do you know where you're going to end up moving to?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Nice, what will you be doing in the US? Particularly good that you got the job, since you went through the trouble of flying in for an interview. Though, you have my sympathies in advance for having to deal with the TSA when you come here.

I have a job lined up myself...probably. The professor who set up the job doesn't understand paperwork.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

We probably don't need to continue playing out the conversation with Aurana for now, unless she has any other kinds of things to ask.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan nodded. "Yeah, the Bosmer only ever eat meat. At least the ones in Valenwood. I have seen Bosmer where we're from eat other things, so I guess they don't follow the Pact. Whenever we were there, they didn't actually stop us from eating plants. Since we're not Bosmer, and we aren't part of that Pact, it wasn't against the rules for them to let us eat plants. But I did once, and I got some really mean looks from some of the people there, so I just stuck to meat after that. I like meat better anyways, though, so it wasn't bad at all, really."

Julan could not help but to smile. He had a feeling that he would be giving many similar explanations for the rest of the night.

---

Though she tried to think of a good answer for Janius' question, she quickly ended up looking defeated. "I don't know either. It's been so long since it happened. It seems like it would have been long enough by now for them to get past their grief on their own. I don't know what could make them start feeling any differently at this point. At least nothing that doesn't include learning about you still being alive."

After a moment, there was one idea that came to Kaleeth's mind after the thought back to her own departure from her village. Prior to meeting Janius, she usually listened to her parents without any resistance, but he had helped inspire her to argue against him. "I wonder if Aurana ever really tries to argue with her father? Do you think she ever openly tries to change things? If not, maybe we can find a way to empower her to give her own opinions on it?"

---

"I have felt that pain before." Meesei said, her tone calm, but filled with emotion all the same. "I am supposed to be the shining model of a lycan, of one of Hircine's followers. I am meant to be both a leader, and a symbol for them to rally behind, but there have been times where I have felt powerlessly cursed by failure. A few years ago, I received word that, all at once, several clans all across Tamriel had been wiped out. Simultaneous, coordinated attacks with the soul-tearing gas that destroyed any hope of resistance. And there was nothing I could do. Altogether, thousands of my people were...harvested, because I could not protect them. No matter how powerful I have become, no matter how many battles I win, I worry that nothing I do will ever be good enough."

There was a brief silence in the air as Meesei paused to take in a breath. It was slow and shuddering, as Meesei was beginning to tread into rather painful territory for herself. "We are supposed to be strong for our people, you and I. We are supposed to be examples of proud and capable warriors, always uncompromising in the face of adversity. We are not allowed to show weakness because we are supposed to be strong. But it is all just a facade. There have been times where I have gone weeks, or longer, with little sleep and no rest. Times where I spend every waking moment solving problems on the other side of the continent, making decisions that decide the fates of my people's lives, and through it all, having to act completely and wholly confident in it all. Even when I made mistakes that killed the people I was supposed to be leading. I remember, sometimes...finding a secluded chamber to lock myself in and...I honestly do not even know what I intended. Most of the time, I just ended up weeping to myself."

The next step that Meesei took may have been somewhat bold, but the influence of her own emotions was showing strongly in her expression. Stepping up just behind Lunise, she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, even as Meesei's own eyes were reddened from the stories she had recounted. "The point of all of this is...I know I have not experienced what you are going through right now, but I have felt that pain. I have lived that pain. And I know you should not have to face it alone. I do not know where you are falling either, but I want to help you climb back up once you hit the ground. The past, all of the failures going through your mind right now...I know it may be difficult to agree with me, but they do not matter anymore. The past is immutable, unchanging. All that matters now is what we do going forward. The future is something we can still affect."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan was just as welcoming to Jatinha as Aurana was, though the Khajiit remained just as silent when sitting near them as she had been before. Still, she at least felt more like a part of the group. After Jatinha joined them, Aurana was quick to go back to her questions, so Julan tried to answer as best as he could. "The trees the Bosmer have aren't anything like the ones around here. They are giant. If you look up, they feel like they never end. And like my brother said, they can grow them into houses like yours. Well...they don't look like your house, but they can be just as big. I don't remember exactly what they are."

"The Bosmer call them graht-oaks." Ahnasha informed the children. "They are indeed a rather special kind of tree. Some of them are ancient; older than actual written history, some say. It wouldn't be as easy as a fireplace to burn some of them down."

Noticing Fendros, Ahnasha stepped away from the others shortly after giving her explanation. With all that was happening, she certainly would not mind a glass of wine. Once she had her glass, she gave a light sigh. "I'm just really hoping this all ends well. I would say we got lucky when we met up with my family, and yours. I'm worried that kind of luck isn't going to strike a third time." She said quietly.

---

"Are you...sure they would do something like that to her?" Kaleeth asked. Although she understood the kind of pain that Janius' parents might have felt at his loss, the kind of cruelty that he was describing was simply not something she could imagine a parent doing to a child. Especially their own child. She attempted to think of some kind of approach they could take to explaining everything to his parents. "Well...if the children really did encounter them like you think they did, then they probably would have gave them the same story they gave Aurana. You might try turning that story into some kind of explanation for why you ran away. The Penitus Oculatus are respected in the Empire, aren't they?"

With Janius' last question, however, Kaleeth looked more confused than anything. "What do you mean, 'grieve for you'? What kind of idea do you have in mind?"

---

Meesei lowered her head, breathing softly. "You can believe me, I know what it means to be burdened. Apart from Hircine himself, I am the sole and absolute authority over all of Tamriel's lycan clans. Not only that, but I hold authority over all who follow Hircine. And with that comes complete responsibility for them. Their lives have been weighing on my shoulders for over a decade. The lives of every man, woman, and child under my command could be extinguished by a single one of my mistakes. It is true that we face different struggles, but the magnitude of their importance is not entirely dissimilar. I believe I have come to know you in our time working together, Lunise, and I believe that your intentions have been to work for the good of your people. There are some who might join the Dominion or Empire for their own personal benefit, but I do not believe that is you. And that does not have to change, even with this knowledge. We now know that the Thalmor's leadership, in their misguided beliefs, are trying to bring an end to Mundus in the pursuit of their divinity. But, from what Areldril has said, only a small part of the Thalmor know of those plans. It might yet be possible to find a way to find a way to bring an end to the current plans of your leadership, and instead replace them with leaders that will actually work for the benefit of the Dominion's people. To actually serve the goals you have been told you were serving for your career as a Justiciar. And perhaps this time, be able to serve those goals peacefully."

Meesei's tone and general demeanor was outright sympathetic by this point, and she could not say it was not genuine. Lunise had not historically been their kindest or most approachable of allies. She was arrogant, and thought herself as better than those she worked with. But, Meesei also knew her as someone who had dedicated herself to working for the benefit of her people, and that was something she could respect. With the rather alarming information they had learned from Areldril, Meesei saw the potential for change in Lunise. By any definition, this was a traumatic event for the Justiciar, and Meesei wanted to be there to help her make sense of it all. "I am by no means going to claim that it will be an easy task. It will be a challenge like none other you have undertaken, but do not underestimate the impact one person can have, even on such large issues. I think you are capable of it. I think you can be a part of a solution that will end up helping your people. But you should not try to handle it alone. Every mortal has their limits, and the kind of work we do...it weighs on you. It demands every last drop of dedication and effort you can give it, and it can destroy the sanity of a mind that is not prepared for it. I could not have come this far without the support of my friends and family. They have...elevated me higher than I could have reached on my own. I know you have resisted closer relationships in your past, but it may be time to allow some friends into your life. If you really do want to change the course of your nation, and indeed, to make sure your nation continues to have a course at all, then I want to support you."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan rubbed his chin as he thought. He knew he would have to edit his descriptions of the places they had visited to avoid implying anything about their clans. "Hmm, I've been to a lot of places. We have gone to Skyrim a lot. It has really, really tall mountains. Much bigger than any of the hills, buildings, and everything else around here. And it's cold too; there's snow everywhere. Well, not everywhere. There are plenty of places between the mountains with all kinds of grass and trees. Sometimes, there are fields with so much tundra cotton that it can look like it's covered in snow. There is even a marsh in one part of Skyrim, but...it's kind of frozen. I didn't like it much there. Valenwood was a lot different. There are so many trees that are so big that you can't even see the sky most of the time. I was even afraid to try to climb them, but there are some Bosmer there that make their homes way up in the trees, so I kind of had to. They had ladders and walkways and everything, though, so it wasn't that bad. It just kind of made me feel sick to my stomach to be so high up."

---

"That...sounds awful." Kaleeth said, perhaps focusing more on Janius' history than how it could help Aurana. For a moment, she leaned in and gave him a hug. "Maybe knowing that you are alive and safe could help convince them that they do not need to be so overprotective with her? If they really are sad about losing you, then maybe on some level, it would be a relief for them to know you survived? It might help convince them that there isn't a need to restrict Aurana so much, since she wouldn't be in as much danger as they thought. If that doesn't work, then maybe...try to convince them that Aurana can't learn what she needs to learn like this? Since she never is allowed to leave the house, I don't see how she could be ready to live on her own."

---

Meesei did not adopt the strict, professional posture that she usually held with Marod and Lunise. She was distinctly more casual and did not place as tight of restrictions on showing her own emotions. "We have known each other for a fair amount of time. For a few years now, we have been working together, and I have no doubt you were searching for, studying myself and my people for many years before that, since our first meeting in Elsweyr. That was, what? Over a decade ago? When we parted in Elsweyr, it was nonviolent, but...tense. And yet, you still came to us offering peace. In the years since you found us, you have been our contact to the Thalmor, and as far as I can tell, have acted in good faith in that role for both parties. With Marod, I cannot be truly certain of the Empire's intentions with us. They have acted far more like friends and allies than you have and have made more talk of long-term integration of clans in the Empire, and such plans. You, however, have always made it quite clear that our deal with the Dominion is one of mutual advantage, and one that can and will change if we do anything that removes the Dominion's gains. I respect that candor. More than that, I respect your willingness to act as a diplomat to a people that are seen as monsters to the majority of Tamriel. As much as you might have tried to avoid it, you made yourself into a friend of my people. And if there is one thing you have no doubt learned about me, it is that I support my friends."

Meesei took a few steps closer to Lunise, her expression no longer as cold and calculating as Lunise had grown accustomed to. "Hircine's Champion does not care about how Justicar Lunise feels, but I am not talking to you as Hircine's Champion. Speaking as 'Meesei to Lunise', I know that your whole world has been shattered today, and as a friend of my people, I want to help and support you however I can. You deserve better than the betrayal you have been given."