EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha was not entirely sure what to make of Lunise's response. It was the exact kind of response she might have expected from a Justicar, but even so, she did not know how to feel about it. The Dominion certainly did not have a great reputation within the Empire, but their pack had traveled the Dominion extensively over the years without any issue. Or at least, no issues that were unique to the Dominion.

"Hmm, if I'm being honest, I don't really think I know what it means to 'integrate' into the Dominion. Not being rebellious is self-explanatory, but I don't really know what the common...thing is that makes them all 'Dominion' cities." Ahnasha responded, leaning back slightly and supporting herself on her hands. "How do I explain it? We've...traveled to a lot of places. All over Tamriel, to many cities that are all different. Breton cities aren't like Cyrodilic cities, and Cyrodilic cities are absolutely nothing like Valenwood cities. But just being a visitor, I don't really know what, say, Sunhold would have in common with Senchal. They all have their own unique style and culture and everything based on the people that live there. Would it be more obvious if I actually lived in one of them? I've only ever been to Dominion cities a a visitor." Ahnasha asked.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Lunise had described an entire lifetime's worth of work in the span of a few moments, but it was nothing unusual for many of the people Ahnasha knew. Her father, growing up, had centuries of experience to share himself, and the thought of it did make her look forward to one day having the same breadth of experience.

"My mother's family came from Senchal. They were exclusively merchants; it was a family trade. The same was true of my father's family, though he came from Valenwood alone. He is a Bosmer, originally from Silvenar. I never met his side of my family, simply because of the distance. I remember wanting to once when I was young, but having to cross all that land, not to mention the border into the Dominion, was never really something we could do. Honestly, I think it was Valenwood itself that interested me more than my family. I've always loved hunting, and the Bosmer are well-known for their hunters. I guess a strictly carnivorous diet will do that." Ahnasha answered, giving a bit more information than Lunise had asked for, since the topic was something she could talk about.

"So...what is Rimmen like?" Ahnasha asked after a few more moments. "I've probably seen less of Elsweyr than any other place in Tamriel. We go there very rarely since Vile's followers pushed us out. The most I've seen of it was during the mission where we first met you."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei nodded after Lunise's answer. "Indeed. We did first meet Lunise in Anequina, remember." She commented. She did not wish to go into any detail herself, but rather just say enough to provide a talking point."

Ahnasha lightly rubbed her neck. "Rimmen? That's pretty close to the Cyrodiil border, not far from Leyawiin, actually. That's where I was raised. My mother's family wasn't from Rimmen, but I do remember some other Khajiit families in the city being from that area. I think...I might be able to put something together that would be something like what you would expect. I've always preferred Khajiit cooking, naturally, so I remember some recipes."

"I certainly would not mind a dinner like that." Meesei responded. "I can return back home to get anything you need. Just give me a list."

As requested, Ahnasha quickly wrote out a list of what she could think of that she would require in addition to what they already had on hand. Though it did not seem that she was rushing Ahnasha, Meesei certainly did not waste any time in preparing her portal to Blackreach. She did require a magicka potion in order to be able to open the portal so soon. Even she could not open so many portals in rapid succession without assistance.

Meesei's departure did leave a window where Lunise would be alone with the pack. It was tempting just to wait for her to return in silence, but Ahnasha had actually been given enough curiosity at this point to hazard a question as she was preparing a cooking spit over the fire. "So...how long were you in Rimmen? I guess you were assigned there?"

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Ssarak tracked the thief up to the point where he headed into the warehouse, after which he circled around the warehouse quickly to check exactly where the exits to the building were. If they had to head in after him, they would need to cover each entrance to make sure he had no escape. Hopefully, they would get him cornered and force him to surrender. Getting him alive would allow them to interrogate him to find out why and how he had planned this theft. It was most likely not random.

Quite fortunately for Lyn, Ssarak had a clear view of the rooftop that she had attempted to jump to. He was upset that she was even attempting such a thing, but helping her took priority over blaming her. Ssarak swooped down towards her, made a half circle back to slow down quickly, then touched down just at the edge of the rooftop, right above her. He reached down to grab her by the wrist, then effortlessly pulled her light body up onto the rooftop with him. “I think you shall need wings if you wish to attempt a jump like that.” He commented. “The thief ran into this warehouse, and…”

Ssarak cut himself off as he concentrated on the minds around him. There were three others moving in, though Ssarak could not see them from where he was. “There may be others.” He warned as he tried to find as many of his friends’ minds as he could in order to send a message. ”The thief has ran into this warehouse; he may not be alone. Myself and Lyn are on the roof. I will see if there is a way to climb in from above; if not, it may be wise to attack from multiple angles.”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Following his father's instructions, Julan went straight to Janius. Kaleeth per her arm around him and patted his back gently in an attempt to calm him before turning her gaze back to Lunise. "Yes, he was practicing holding his breath in the water. It feels...bizarre to an Argonian not to be able to breathe the water. But, a werecrocodile can hold their breath for a very long time."

"So...she's a friend, then?" Julan questioned, looking to the reactions of the pack for his answer. Slowly, he raised up his oversized hand and waved awkwardly at Lunise. "Um, hello, then. Uh, nice to meet you."

Meesei's expression held an amused smile at the exchange, but regardless, felt that she wanted to get to their dinner sooner rather than later. If they were all sharing a meal together, Meesei hoped that it would be a better environment for Lunise to open up to her pack. "We have a good supply of meats, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Foods do not rot as easily in the desert, so not everything we have necessarily has to be dried and preserved. However, I would call this a special occasion, being the first time for you to meet my pack non-professionally. I can return to the clan to retrieve more ingredients, so if you had to choose anything you wanted for dinner right now, what would it be?" Meesei asked Lunise.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei turned her head briefly to Lunise. "Well, I shall not go into too much detail without your approval, but..." She began, turning back to Janius. "In Bravil, after learning the true stakes of our war, we both found we had more in common than we once thought. As you can imagine, it was quite an...emotional time for both of us. All of us, really. In that environment, it became much easier for us to see each other for who we were. Now, by chance, have you all made dinner yet?"

"No, um, I was about to make something." Ahnasha answered. She was still not completely certain about Lunise. Like Kaleeth, she found it hard to simply ignore how Lunise had always acted towards them. However, because Meesei trusted her, she supposed she should give her a chance as well. "Is there anything you would like to have in particular? I guess since you're the guest and everything." Ahnasha asked Lunise. Meesei, inwardly, had some hope of where that question might lead. Through her long career in Elsweyr, Lunise had developed a taste for Khajiit cooking.

Shortly afterwards, Julan emerged from the waters of the oasis. He had remained in the water longer than his mother, so he had not heard any of what was happening above the surface. Also of note was the fact that he had taken his swim in his werecrocodile form to practice holding his breath, since his lycan form did not retain his gills. He was well-fed, so control was not a concern, but he had seen Lunise so infrequently that he did not even recognize her out of her uniform. As he started to step towards the camp, his eyes settled on her. "Oh, someone new...OH!" Julan said, with a sudden realization. He stepped back timidly, terrified to the point that even Lunise would be able to see it in his demeanor. He did not know she was an ally, but her scent gave her away as obviously not being a lycan, and he was in his lycan form. He was frightened mostly by the fact that he may have accidentally given away that they were lycans to a stranger, but there was perhaps something amusing about a werecrocodile being frightened of a normal Altmer woman. He was not an adult, but werecrocodiles were massive enough that he was still about the size of an average werewolf.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei smiled. "Indeed, it is for that fact alone that I alluded to a secret lover at all. I was rather certain that she would be the very last person that any of you would guess, so the secret would be safe until we chose to reveal it. Of course, that is only because you have only met Lunise in her capacity as a Justicar. I have come to know Lunise more personally, without the facade. And yes, it is by my suggestion that we are here. She is quite understandably nervous about letting this secret be known to anyone; it could put her at great risk. Which, of course, is why none of you can make any mention of it, even to close friends."

Lorag, though still chuckling under his breath, quickly nodded in compliance with Meesei's order. "Understood, Alpha. Probably take a lot of convincing to get anyone to believe it, but still, we'll be quiet about it. Oh, and thanks for showin' up like you did, 'cause...basically everyone's face was just priceless. Nothing is ever gonna top that moment."

Kaleeth seemed to be somewhat nervous, holding her hands clasped together just in front of her stomach. In most of their meetings with Marod and Lunise, she had been quietly observing, and rarely had much to contribute. As such, Lunise was likely the least familiar with her out of everyone in the pack, apart from the children. Since she had only seen Lunise as a Justicar, it was hard for Kaleeth to erase that conception of her. She stepped up closer to Lunise, hesitantly making eye contact. Kaleeth had only recently climbed out of the water after a swim with Julan, so she was not dressed at the moment.

"So, um, you were just acting like a Justicar should act, then? It wasn't really you? I know we have to do that sometimes. Um, so...when did this happen? I mean, how long have you been Meesei's mate?" Kaleeth asked.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

For Janius' question, Meesei quickly shook her head. "No, Justicar Lunise, the Thalmor representative, is not someone I could ever see myself being with. I have fallen for Lunise, the passionate, driven Altmer woman with a compassionate heart and a genuine love for her people."

Meesei's pack, more than most, was quite familiar with the concept of a professional persona. It was something that all of them had to adopt from time to time, so most of them would easily understand Meesei's meaning right away. Although, at least at first, Meesei expected that it would only make the situation slightly less unbelievable.

Putting her arms around Lunise beside her, Meesei leaned in close to whisper in her ear. "Do not be afraid to speak. Remember, they are just surprised. I think they should get to know the Lunise I just introduced."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

While their internal thoughts no doubt varied, the entire pack's outward reaction was universally the same. From the pack's perspective, this revelation had come entirely out of nowhere, and to most of them, was unlikely to make any sense. Justicar Lunise was hardly who they would consider to be a good match for Meesei.

The one to eventually break the silence was Lorag, and he did so in the most definitive way possible. After taking in what happened, he quickly erupted in raucous, almost uncontrollable laughter. He had his eyes closed and his hand over his side, and he looked like he might be close to collapsing onto the ground. With how absurd Meesei's choice appeared, uproarious laughter almost seemed like it could be the appropriate response.

Meesei chuckled as well, though much more softly and briefly. "To answer all of your questions, yes." Meesei commented. They did not need to speak for her to know what they were asking in their minds. "And I will assure you, it does make sense. Much more than you are likely thinking at the moment. "But still, feel free to ask the questions I know you have. I am quite aware that this is unexpected."

Ahnasha simply started to smile and shake her head. "Someone should wake me up. I know this has to be a dream."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Once Lunise looked like she was ready, Meesei began the process of creating the portal. In the time they had spent talking, she had been given a chance to rest and recouperate from her initial portal, though it still was somewhat more difficult than the first. Even so, Lunise's nerves made her look like she was under even more strain than Meesei was.

Regardless, Meesei wanted to try and support Lunise however she could. She knew that Lunise had nothing to worry about with her pack, but that would not stop her from potentially stressing herself to the point that she might be hesitant to be herself around them. As Meesei's spell came to its conclusion, she pulled open the portal, then took Lunise's hand gently in hers. "Do not worry, I will be right there with you. And if at any point you wish to leave, I will take you back. I am sure their initial reaction will be one of...surprise. But, they will understand once we explain everything."

With her last reassuring words, Meesei stepped through the portal with Lunise, immediately bringing them to the middle of the pack's camp, then closed behind them. As they were stepping through, Meesei put her arm around Lunise at her waist and made sure to hold her close. She did not want there to be any doubt as to who Lunise was to her.