EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Very well. I will see if I can visit her later tonight to make sure she will be available tomorrow." Meesei responded before lightly shaking her head. "I have not had a chance to meet with her since Sentinel. I am wondering if she will have any sort of perspective on how to deal with Arinette. It seems that she has been able to learn how to make use of the magicka that the staff absorbs, though based on Do'rhajul's reaction to her usage of the staff, there are some limits on what she can safely do. For the most part, however, I am simply looking forward to spending time with Lunise."

"But, aside from all of that, I am just glad to be able to rest for now." Meesei continued. "I have been working on attuning my beast form more closely to magicka, to improve my capabilities in that form. I do not feel too significantly weakened, but it is still not perfect. It essentially requires that I bridge the gap between my two forms and erase the mental gap between them. The Ring helps immensely, of course; it would likely be impossible without it. But progress has been encouraging. As strange as it sounds, there have actually been times where I have forgotten which form I am in."

---

Ri'vashi had her eyes on Rhazii, even as she stepped closer to Fendros and Ahnasha so that they could speak in relative privacy. "Hmm, Ri'vashi has seen this many a time with young warriors. And her father went through it with Ri'vashi when she was a cub. This one thinks his heart is in the right place, but you are both obviously right about him. Still, if you want to placate him, Ri'vashi can say with confidence that he is ready for low-risk tasks. He has all the right techniques. Just take your time, and Ri'vashi is willing to help if she can."

After a moment, Ri'vashi took in a long breath, and her expression started to betray some discomfort in her thoughts. "But before Ri'vashi goes...there is something else. You faced down Do'rhajul. He is still in High Rock, yes? You...you have to let Ri'vashi help you. Let her come with you. If he is there, then he needs to pay for what he has done. He is the one responsible for taking away everything Ri'vashi held dear, and he deserves to die."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei had a soft smile as she looked into the flames. "I understand how you feel perfectly. There is something about love, or a lover, specifically, that is different. The kind of affection is different. I would not call it 'better' that friends or family by any stretch of the imagination. I love you, and the rest of the pack, more deeply than I could ever care about anyone else. It is just...it is difficult to put into words. It fills a...different part of my life. It is two different kinds of love, neither of which I would want to live without." She explained, albeit with some uncertainty at her wording. Even if she had not been as clear as she would have liked, she had a feeling that Sabine understood her.

"It can be difficult to arrange time with Lunise, but I can see her far more than most would be able to in our situation. I feel fortunate that her duties require her to frequently operate independently, and travel often. If she worked in an embassy somewhere, I might never get to see her." Meesei said.

There was another pause, and Meesei turned her head to look over at a pouch on one of her tables. It was one of her satchels that Lorag had recovered for her after the fight, which contained the ring she used to contact Lunise. "A meal does sound nice. I wonder...perhaps tonight would be a good time? And perhaps I could see if Lunise could join us as well? We could have...I suppose you might call it a couples' dinner?"

---

"It's not exactly what I said." Ahnasha spoke up, arms crossed. "I did say that if you could defeat Ri'vashi in a fair duel, then you could help us with Do'rhajul. And that is true. If you could somehow manage to defeat Ri'vashi, master swordsman and the military commander of all of the combined lycan warriors from every clan in Tamriel, then I would love to have your help with Do'rhajul. But you cannot, and there is no shame that you cannot, son. It was...meant to be a learning experience for you. Ri'vashi is strong and skilled like Do'rhajul, and I hope through this you have seen what kind of odds you would have to face against in order to fight him. Someone who can predict your every move, respond perfectly every time, and outmaneuver you in ways that do not even seem to make sense in the heat of the moment. That is why you could not come with us earlier. I know you want us to be safe, but...you just have to trust that we are doing everything we can to make sure that none of us get hurt."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei simply chuckled. "You are quite punctual, Sabine, do not worry." She responded. After finally releasing her grip on Sabine, she walked over to her fireplace and knelt down next to it to ignite the firewood she had prepared. The air was already comfortably warm within the city, as a result of the Dwemer machinery in the walls, but Meesei still enjoyed some extra warmth from time to time. After the fire was lit, and without as much as needing to look at what she was doing, Meesei telekinetically pulled one of her chairs across the floor so she could take a seat in front of the flames.

Even with her scars being in much the same state as they had been in the infirmary, Meesei appeared remarkably different now that they were in the comfort of her own quarters. She did not sustain the poise and presence that she had to maintain at most other times. She had not dressed since transforming, so she did not have her usual enchanted adornments, bone necklaces, and the like which gave her the air of an experienced hunter. She did not sit up straight and stiff to show her strong composure, but rather, she was laying back lazily in the chair with her arms behind her head, and her legs stretched out as close to the flames as was safe. Closing her eyes, she smiled and slowly wiggled her toes as she enjoyed the warmth of the fire against her sore feet. After a few seconds, she moved one of her hands down and gently traced a claw across one of the lightning scars that cut diagonally across her stomach. It was a temporary mark, fortunately, but quite prominent, and actually not altogether hideous. It was the kind of scar that she would imagine some warriors would actually like to have, were they not temporary even for non-lycans. She did not have a hint of mystique or prestige about her, but instead just appeared to be a wounded Argonian. She was not a symbol of strength, but a tired woman, showing a few early signs of aging. Her scales did not have quite the vibrant colors they once had, which was more apparent in this lighting.

Meesei slowly turned her head so that she could look at Sabine. "So, how has your relationship with Karl been? I have rarely had the opportunity to meet or speak with him, unfortunately."

---

"No, your father is probably right." Ri'vashi said as she stepped up to the pair, holding her wooden sword down at her side. "Ri'vashi thinks the point has been proven. You have made promising progress this last year or two, young one, but it is still just that: progress. You are still years from reaching your destination. Wanting to train is admirable, but destroying your body in the process is...counterproductive."

Ri'vashi glanced to Fendros. "Rhazii did not tell this one everything, but she gathered that he wanted to help your pack directly, correct?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Saras was not particularly hard for Meesei to find, since word of her pack's quick and stressful return had reached him by that point. He did not wish to disturb the pack during their recovery, so instead he was taking an account of which agents he had available to follow up on the inevitable aftermath of the pack's encounter. Meesei essentially needed only to confirm what he had already been planning to do.

Afterwards, Meesei returned to her chambers and awaited Sabine. She had settled in a room in the upper floors of one of the Silent City's towers. It was one of the original Dwemer structures, rather than one of the additions that the clan had been making over the years. It was a larger space that gave her ample room for her own personal training and research. Since she no longer used Apocrypha as a source of knowledge, she had returned to exploring new abilities, and improving her existing ones, through more traditional practice. She had an enchanting table, complete with array of magical focuses and other baubles. On the opposite side of the room was small table with a collection of carved bone totems; her own shrine to Hircine. An attuned mage might be able to detect some warding magic she had enchanted into some of her belongings to protect against any errant spells that grew larger than she expected. Aside from that, she had a reasonable amount of open floor space.

---

"You over-committed on your last swing. It took too long for you to recover, so you were not able to respond in time to Ri'vashi's attack." Ri'vashi explained as Rhazii struggled to get back to his feet. "Among your peers, you are usually the strongest and can force your way through many situations, but you must not neglect precision and agility. Among skilled opponents, it is often far more impactful. You will particularly need to hone your precise movements when we spar in beast form. You will not be able to overpower a werebear, just as you cannot overpower Ri'vashi now."

With a firm, two handed grip on her sword, Ri'vashi did not wait for Rhazii to strike first. Taking aim at the center of his chest, she thrust her wooden blade straight towards him: a seemingly straightforward attack.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha rubbed her hand over her bandages for a moment. "It's a bit sore, but yeah, I'll live. I can come with you. I wouldn't want Rhazii getting in too much over his head, at least not without us around." She said as she slowly pulled herself up to her feet. As they started out the door, she put her arm around Fendros at his waist and leaned up against him. She was having no trouble standing, but the experience had, of course, put many "what-if" scenarios through her mind, particularly with how badly Kaleeth had been hurt. With that in mind, she certainly was not going to object to spending more time with her family.

Now that she had calmed, Kaleeth laid herself back down on her side, but kept one hand on Julan's. He still looked frightened, but the tears were at least gone from his eyes. Kaleeth laid her head back on her pillow and looked up at the ceiling for a few moments before drifting her eyes back over to Janius and Julan. "I think I need to rest for a while; I'm very tired. Are you two going to be okay?"

Meesei raised up a hand and shook her head gently. "Thank you, but I believe I will be okay. I am recovering, I just need some more time. I have dulled my pain for now, and it should subside by the time I go to sleep. Fortunately, no silver touched me today. You can feel free to do as you..." Meesei began, but halted herself as a thought came through her mind. "...actually, after I speak to Saras, would you like to join me? Just talk for a while, spend some time together? It has been a while."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei hummed a moment. "Saras has been conducting an investigation to return any bit of information he can find on these people. It honestly would not surprise me if he has already exhausted the options we have been speculating upon. Although, now that we have solid descriptions of the rest of Do'rhajul's team, it is possible he might be able to uncover more information on those he was previously unable to identify." She reasoned.

"I think we're going to have a week or two to plan and decide, whether we like it or not." Ahnasha commented. "There is no way we are going to be ready sooner than that. Kaleeth needs to recover, and the rest of us are not in the best shape either. Still, I think planting those notes sounds like a good plan. I...can do it." She said, albeit hesitantly. "Maybe we can have some of our agents in the area focus on finding their camp, or wherever they might be hiding? I do not want to be surprised again."

Meesei nodded in agreement. "That makes the most sense for now. I will be sure to speak to him. Just...try to do what you can to recover for now; mentally and physically. Rest, try to comfort our families. Rhazii appeared rather stressed when he left, I believe. It would not do well for all of us to spend the next week fearing for our next encounter with our enemy."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Lorag raised his brow at Janius. "The Throat of the World? What, to talk to the Greybeards or something. I think I remember pilgrims talkin' about going there when I was stationed in the Rift, but I, uh, don't think they take visitors."

"A locked door would not be likely to stop us." Meesei commented. "But, regardless, I would want to be cautious. Pacifists they may be, but I would not wish to be perceived as...threatening such powerful men. They are said to be so strong in the Voice that they could tear a person apart with a single word. I would say that it is likely an exaggeration, but it also likely has some truth at its core. At any rate, they could perhaps give us more insight into Yerig's origins, but I doubt we would gain any insights into his more recent history. All of our information on him suggests that he has lived as a hermit in the Reach for decades. Descriptions of him that Saras has gathered paint him as a kind old man who offers travelers food and shelter, or even protects them from danger at times. He has always been described as being alone in the mountains, so if he did have a family, they have not been with him for decades. He is obviously no mercenary, so I do wonder how he came to join Do'rhajul. I can think of many possibilities, but it is all speculation.

"It does feel like we're doing that a lot. Speculating." Ahnasha said, before giving a brief sigh. "Still, I do think I'd rather try the diplomatic approach. I don't want to have any more close calls like we did today. I just wish we could get something more solid about why he's with them. I mean...what possibility would even makes sense?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"You are stronger than I was when I faced him." Meesei said to Sabine. "I could not get past his defenses, at the time. Perhaps he has slowed down with time, but he is not the invincible foe we once feared. He can be beaten. Of course, we need not defeat him in battle, necessarily, but we do all need to be aware of the risks of any plan we decide upon."

Meesei uncrossed her legs and placed them flat on the ground, hesitating a moment before standing up to her feet. From the outside, she still looked terrible. The scars from the lightning cut across half of her body, and looked almost like a tree imprinted onto her scales. However, she had been focusing on the more important, internal injuries, so she felt much better than before. As usual, she would be able to heal her scars. "We do not need to convince all of them. If we can make just a few of them doubt the righteousness of their cause, then we can break down their strength. Even if they do not directly help us against their former allies, removing even one or two parts of their team could be all we need. Their strategy focused on having an answer to all of our abilities and strengths. If we are allowed to help each other in the battle, then their strategy fails. However, it is important to realize that there is still risk to approaching any of them diplomatically. We have the original copy of the notes we found in Elsweyr, but getting those notes to them will still be risky. I would wager that the Breton, Arinette, will not be dissuaded by anything. She is a zealot, and a loyal follower of Vile. She may be one of the few among them who knows the truth. If we want to get those notes to them, we have to make sure that she does not see them first, or she will simply destroy them. We could try to hide the notes among the belongings of Do'rhajul, or perhaps Yerig, but that will require finding and sneaking into their camp. I do not need to tell you why that would be risky. But, even so, it may be safer than the alternatives."

Julan had accepted his father's hug, but he was still left speechless, partially because he did not want to interrupt the important conversation around him, and partly because he was too shaken by the experience. Kaleeth was still weak, but she was able to move herself enough to get closer to Janius. She put one of her arms around him, then the other around her son. She still had a splitting headache, but Sabine's potion was starting to help, so for the moment, she just tried to focus on comforting her family.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"It feels like a dagger is going through my mind." Kaleeth remarked, becoming increasingly frustrated at the headache. Her pain at the moment, it seemed, was quite literal. Although, the reality of how close she had come to death was likely to trouble her in the coming days as well. "Yes, please. I can hardly think." She answered to Sabine.

Julan hated to see his mother suffering so much, but was at a loss for what to do. He seemed to have just been getting in the way ever since the pack returned, so he was afraid to do anything at the moment. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, near Kaleeth's feet, with his head hung low while trying to hide his tears.

Meesei too kept her eye on Kaleeth, but it seemed that Sabine had taken the initiative in taking care of her needs. In any case, Meesei also needed to concentrate on keeping herself from falling into a similar state. Her burns were exposed to open air, and it was only through her own magic that she was not in agony at the moment. Fortunately, they would heal up sufficiently soon enough that she could avoid any suffering through the night. "That is a possibility. He does likely believe his cause to be just. Knowing his motive could be useful, depending upon the approach we choose. We need to decide if we want to attempt to dissuade Do'rhajul or otherwise break up his team diplomatically, or if we want to try and kill them outright."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"That is interesting." Meesei remarked. "Yerig seems like too experienced of a person to do something like that by mistake."

Lorag huffed. "So what, he saved her, but then kept fightin' Janius? I don't remember seeing him stop. That could get her killed just the same, if the Orcs kept swinging. Seems like he can't decide if he wants to kill us or help us."

"Maybe he can't?" Ahnasha suggested. "We've all read the report on him. He doesn't seem like a fit to Do'rhajul's little group. I honestly have to wonder why he's helping them to begin with. It has to be something they've told him, or maybe he knows one of them? Trusts one of them. Even still, if he thinks we're as bad as his allies are probably telling him, and he is willing to help them, I can't imagine why he wouldn't be willing to kill us."

Meesei let out a long, soft breath. "That is a fair point, and it is difficult to say. Why raise a sword against us if he is, at the same time, not willing to let one of us die? Though, the magic he commands, the Thu'um, may provide a hint. The only group that still practices it in modern times are the Greybeards, but they are reclusive monks that live in seclusion on a mountain here in Skyrim. From what I know of them, they practice nonviolence and isolationism. They do not involve themselves in the world's events whenever possible. However, I cannot imagine that Yerig could have trained anywhere else. He would had to have been taught through the lens of their beliefs."

Ahnasha looked to be skeptical. "Well, he definitely isn't 'nonviolent'. And I'd say he's pretty involved right now. Are you sure he couldn't have learned anywhere else? You could have tried learning the Thu'um in Apocrypha, after all."

"Wouldn't be the first time someone's turned their back on the Greybeards." Lorag interjected. "Whole reason I ended up in Skyrim was because that Jarl Stormcloak left the Greybeards to fight a war. Eventually ended up killing their king and tried to take over himself. Don't see why this Nord couldn't have done the same."

Throughout the conversation, kaleeth did not seem to be getting any more comfortable. She pulled up her knees to her chest and pressed her head into them, with tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes.