EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Hmph, well I guess that's the story she told ya. No idea how much is true. Don't really matter, though. It doesn't change much." Lorag replied, finally looking down to make eye contact with Narsi. "She don't know how much she's missed this last decade or so. She couldn't have told you the truth 'bout the clans, 'cause she don't even know the truth. That's why you're gonna see it for yourself. You're gonna be staying a while, but I'll go ahead and tell you that I won't bother tryin' to make you stay there. I sired you, so I'm still responsible for you, kind of. So, I'm goin' to make sure you stay there long enough to see everything on the table for you if you wanna stay. If you see all that, and decide to be stupid enough to give it all up, then that'll be your problem, not mine. I'd have done my job."

The pair were starting to get close to the bottom of the hill, and the Cheydinhal gates, so Lorag quickly changed the subject. "Alright, so we're going to take you into the city, and I'll show you to the Champion. She's my alpha, the alpha of every lycan in Tamriel, and the strongest person you're ever gonna meet in your life, so show some respect. We'll probably get out of the city, then she'll teleport us to our clan. It's far from here, but we'll get there instantly. After that, I'll show ya 'round a bit, then I'll get you to a room where you'll be stayin'. You're going to get some rest after that. You were in your wolf form when I got here, and for what I plan to do to start things out, you're going to need that form again."

---

It was not solely out of anxiety that Kaleeth was not moving farther towards the village, as it was quite a rare event for the village to receive unannounced villagers. Rarer still was when such visits remained amicable. Regardless, staying still and out in the open ensured that the reaction of the village's hunters was not a particularly aggressive one. A group of five emerged from the trees off to the left, all armed with spears or shortbows. The garb of the tribal Argonians was hardly any different from most of the lycan clans, with simple loincloths, hide belts, and worn jewelry made from trophies from their hunts. Although, their own customs also showed through in their appearance in how their jewelry was arranged, and the fact that they were all heavily tattooed, just like Kaleeth. The designs were all different, and reflective of their accomplishments.

The largest, dark-green scaled Argonian man stepped forward with his spear in hand, though not pointing at any of the three of them. "Speak your business here, strangers. If you are lost, we will give you a meal and directions to send you on your way, but otherwise our village is preparing to move. We are not taking on visitors."

The light-scaled man to his right, meanwhile, squinted his eyes and leaned his head slightly forward towards the trio; Kaleeth in particular. Just after his leader finished speaking, he quickly turned his head to him. "Xur, I could be wrong, but isn't that Zharanthixil's girl?"

The leader paused, and stared closely at Kaleeth, examining her face's features. "Kaleeth-Rei...I didn't recognize you. You've grown a lot."

"It's okay, Xurkith. It has been a while." Kaleeth answered, though in truth, she was unsure whether she should be glad that they were starting to be friendly towards them, or upset that she had forgotten. "We're just here because I want to see my parents. Can you take us to them?"

The hunters exchanged a few, uncertain glances, but said nothing to each other before Xurkith gave a single nod. "Very well, I will take you to your father. But, I need to know who the two of you are before I can take anyone into the village." He said, pointing his finger to both Janius and Julan.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I suppose this would be a good chance to switch to Janius and Kaleeth for the moment, if you didn't have anything else for Fendros and Ahnasha. Could go back to them once one of the other scenes conclude.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I know what she told us." Lorag replied. "She thought the clan should be run differently, had all kinds of ideas on how to make us more prepared. But, for reasons she never said, she was apparently too cowardly to challenge Jerrick the right way. Then she bought in to the opportunity that snake of a lizard offered her. Whole reason I ended up siring you was just because she wanted a, what's it called...alibi. She was with me when Jerrick died, but the Champion figured out it was poison, so that meant nothing. She figured Harriet out eventually, and after she was caught, your mother challenged the Champion to a duel. Had that lizard toss her this ring that made her immune to magic, but even with that, the Champion didn't have much trouble with her. We made her help track down the lizard after he ran, but she ended up runnin' too after we had to fight off an attack."

The pair soon made it to the main road, then started off down the mountain towards the city. It was not a long walk at all to reach the walls. "So that's the story we saw. The version she gave you any different?"

---

Kaleeth was quiet, and still visibly anxious. She did not seem as bad off as she had been for most of the week, but she clearly still had a lot on her mind. For one, her village was finally in view. Herself, Janius, and Julan were all standing far from its edge, just close enough that they could make out the forms of compacted mud huts through the trees. Kaleeth had stopped, and did not seem like she was eager to keep leading them forward. "Okay...so we're finally here. My home. My...first home."

Julan looked to be at least partially confused, at least for the fact that they had been stopped for a minute or so no. "Should we, um get closer? Is there someone we're supposed to talk to first?"

"The hunters have already seen us, I'm sure. They'll come out to meet us. I just..." Kaleeth began, looking slightly more anxious and avoiding eye contact with Janius. "It's not too late for us to leave, still."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha smiled, taking up her drink in her hand. "Yeah, that is part of why we came early. I didn't want everything to be rushed and frantic. It would be nice if our visits could be exclusively positive events. And maybe this won't be so bad. It's not like my parents are bad people or anything."

Meesei had been allowing the others to have their conversation, but Fendros' suggestion had her raising up her mug a bit more enthusiastically than Ahnasha. "I am happy with the idea. I certainly would not mind a few more drinks. It has been a long time since I have had this kind of company outside of my pack. Well...a week or two, at least."

Ahnasha laughed briefly before returning her attention to Fendros' siblings. "At any rate, how have you two been faring? Have there been any interesting developments for either of you?"

---

Lorag simply gave a single nod. "Good. Guess that's it then. I'll have her back here at some point. After she's had her fill of the place. Come on, girl, and stay close. I might be gettin' older, but I promise that runnin' off ain't gonna work on me."

Lorag did not give Harriet any more time or attention. It was no question that neither of them wanted to be around each other, so he had no reason to stay around for any longer than his business required. Narsi's feelings on the matter were, at the moment, also irrelevant to him. It would probably take a while for him to even figure out what kind of stories Harriet had been filling her head with, but he felt like starting on that right away. "So, girl, what's Harriet's version of all this that she told you? I've just got to hear that." He asked in a rather demanding tone once they were halfway down the path to the main road.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha shook her head. "They did not get that specific in their letter. My father said that he would be in the city on business, so they intended to stop in for a visit. I suppose it will depend on how long his negotiations take him...and how long they decide to keep their trip going after that. I have no doubt they are mostly just using business to justify a long family trip. It is not often that most people have the luxury of traveling, I suppose. That would be the only reason I could think of that my brother will be coming as well."

---

Lorag had his eyes firmly on Narsi for every step she took out of the cabin. Her tears left little doubt that such a drastic change was unquestionably frightening for her, though Lorag showed not a hint of sympathy on his part. He just watched her, judging everything from her posture to how much muscle she had managed to put on. He narrowed his eyes, then finally returned his gaze to Harriet. "Well, then as much as it sickens me to say it, there's at least one thing in this world that you and me actually agree on."

Taking a few steps closer to Narsi, Lorag stared down on her once more in silence for a few seconds. "In that case, maybe she'll end up stayin' a bit longer, then. We'll walk down to the city, we'll meet with the Champion, and she'll send us back to our clan. Can you control yourself in a city, girl?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha felt somewhat awkward speaking of her family as she was, and she did worry that she might give the wrong impression of them. Although, most of what she was saying were guesses based on what she knew of her family from her childhood. Contact through letters could only tell her so much of how they might have changed across decades. "I don't think it would go well. They're not like you. The Dunmer people have a long history with Daedra, but to my family, they're all just evil beings. They don't see much...nuance to it. And I don't think they'll be able to handle the idea of my soul being bound for somewhere else than theirs. It was very hard for me to go back to them when I did, and I...just want to keep them happy."

---

Lorag narrowed his eyes somewhat. Even if Harriet had been behaving perfectly predictably, he still would have been naturally suspicious of her. Her reaction served only to fuel his skepticism. "Hmph, figured you'd be fighting to get her back as quickly as possible. 'Course, I didn't expect you to agree to any of this to begin with, so I guess you're just one big surprise to me. Thing is, however much I've missed with Narsi, I can guarantee you've missed a whole lot more with the clans. You wouldn't even recognize 'em. While you've been out here gettin' soft in the city, we've managed to put together a force that has almost completely pushed back the enemy that you only managed to accidentally serve. Heh, I mean, you've really got no idea how outmatched you even are anymore. By me, by our soldiers. Unless you've managed to pick up a lot more fighting skills out here by yourself than I'd expect, I'd pick any one of my officers over you in a fight."

There was a brief pause as Lorag glanced quickly over to the cabin. "Point is, there's a lot there to impress the girl, if that's your aim. If you've got somethin' specific you want to accomplish with this, then go ahead and spill it. Don't turn this into a guessin' game."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha hesitated, picking through her words carefully in her mind. "Um, well, they don't know too much about you, really. I've avoided telling them too much about our real personal lives. They think we once owned a hunting shop up in Bruma, and have since moved to Skyrim. I didn't want to give them too much to be curious about. I did try to convey that your father might not be someone they would...get along with. But, it's hard to say what they'll do. They're optimists; at least my parents are. They think they can win people over, and they have in the past, but not always. I do think I can convince them not to try to convert you worshiping the divines on their first visit, at least." She said with a chuckle. "But, I know they'll want to be social."

---

"You couldn't change it." Lorag said back to Harriet. "But there was always another choice. You definitely were quick to act. Quick to run. Quick to hide. But, when you ran, you denied justice to the people that deserved it. Did you ever call Vera a friend? I didn't know you back then. Still, you ran from your judgment. 'Course, the choice to come back never actually went away for you. You could go back to the clan...it just means facing that judgment. The Champion let you live, but if you came back, I know very well what she'd do. She'd make Vera your judge. Let her choose her justice for you. Maybe she'd execute you on the spot, or maybe you could manage to argue for her to let you fight Vile one last time for some attempt at whatever meager redemption Hircine decides to give you. You'd be surprised how well that seems to work nowadays..." He said, grunting lightly to himself and crossing his arms.

"Anyways, I'll have the girl back tonight. Maybe tomorrow, depending. Meesei can teleport." He explained, his words as flat as they were brief.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha appeared slightly embarrassed, awkwardly running a claw through some of the fur on her arm. "Yeah, I might not have been so worried about it if they knew, but...I could imagine some scenario where my parents might frustrate someone, probably your father, enough for him to tell them in anger. If my parents are still anything like they were when I was a cub, I know they can be frustrating. And stubborn. I don't mean to speak too badly about them, of course, they are well-intentioned. Just...frustrating."

Ahnasha let out a short sigh. "They mentioned the day they were leaving in their letter. Based on how far it is from Leyawiin, I would imagine they will be here in just around a week. Give or take a day or two. We do not need to be in too much of a rush to prepare, but I wanted to give enough warning."

---

For a while, Lorag just glared back at Harriet, but his own thoughts about Narsi distracted him from whatever anger he felt, at least somewhat. He uncrossed his arms and dropped them to his side, though his expression remained focused. "Maybe there was some time where I could've been a father. Some...other reality where I would've been here. I never wanted it. Still don't. I would've complained, denied it for a while, but if she's my blood, then she's my responsibility. Even a younger me couldn't deny that." He said, though his soft tone soon gave way to a much more stern expression.

"But you can't even pretend like you can put this on me. You can't even pretend that you would've just let me take the girl ten years ago, when we found you here. You can't say that you would've let me take her, and if I'd have tried to make you, you would've fought me to the death to keep her. No, the only reason she hasn't had a father in the last fourteen years is 'cause you couldn't stay in the clan too. Because you murdered Jerrick. Yeah, the girl deserved to have had a father all this time, but don't try to pretend it was because of anyone but you." He said, stepping ever closer to her as he spoke and pressing a finger into her collarbone.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei waved a hand at Rhazii. "Oh, do not worry about me. I have come to find that there is nothing wrong with relaxing from time to time. You just need to keep...appropriate caution in mind. In fact, I can give you some advice, Rhazii. Do not chase the kind of responsibility that I have, at least not yet. Let yourself be young and free. Live, make mistakes, and do not rush to jail yourself with duty. Responsibility is something you...grow into." Meesei said, even if her final point did not follow completely from Rhazii's statement.

When Monderyn and Llarasa finally arrived, Meesei, for the most part, simply smiled at the exchange between the siblings. She was not as completely attentive as usual, but she did at least not appear to be overtly drunk. She was relaxed, lighter in both her mood and movements. It took her a second to notice and react to Monderyn, but she nevertheless shook his hand cheerfully. "Thank you, it is good to be here. And it is always...wonderful to see a family reunited."

Ahnasha, meanwhile, could not remain as tense as she had been in the face of Llarasa's friendly greeting. Although, it did remind her of yet another potential point of contention in regards to her own youth. Regardless, she had no intention of harming the current mood. "Yes, well, I can certainly say I have put a lot of effort into it. It is good to see you again, Llarasa. I am sure we all have a lot of catching up to do. I can't wait to hear about what you have been doing."

---

For the first time since he arrived, Harriet managed to throw Lorag at least slightly off of his guard, as he looked to be almost as surprised as Narsi. A part of him wondered if it should give him cause to be suspicious of her. "I'm...not gonna lie, I didn't expect you to agree that quickly." He commented; however, he regained his composure just as quickly as she had shaken it.

Lorag cleared his throat. "Hmph, well, maybe you just got smarter in all this time." He continued before focusing his attention squarely onto Narsi. "Point is, girl, you ain't seen what it is you're saying 'no' to. Your mother lived in a clan once, she believed in it. Believed in it enough to kill for it. Only problem is that she decided to kill like a cowardly Elf, instead of like a true Orc. If she'd challenged Jerrick to his face, you'd be the daughter of a clan leader instead of an exile. But you ain't her, and you didn't inherit her crimes. You've still got that choice, so it's only right that you see the choice with your own eyes."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Although Meesei was sure that Ahnasha and Fendros both were still nervous, likely Ahnasha more than Fendros, she was simply glad to have more time away from her responsibilities. She had not been able to escape them entirely back in their clan, but just like her day with Sabine and Ariel the previous week, she was free to simply enjoy her present company. They did have some time to wait, so in the hour after they met up in the inn, the group found a table and had a light lunch. Ahnasha, of course, was focused on planning for the week ahead for a time, but even she ran out of things to say after about half an hour. Meesei decided to fill the time with less serious discussion in an effort to at least attempt to calm Ahnasha's nerves.

It had been over an hour, so they were expecting Fendros' family to arrive at any minute. It was only Meesei that was not giving glances to the door every minute or so. "Hmm, I know that my main purpose in being here is as a means of transportation for you all, but nevertheless, I am glad to be able to take some time with you. And I am glad that I allow myself the ability to relax." She said, holding up her half-empty mug of ale. "For so long, I have been so...restrictive with myself. I never allow myself to loosen my guard too much, or drink too much, especially. Given what happened the last time I became truly intoxicated, it could be argued there is a good reason for it, but I no longer feel the need to be so strict." Meesei explained. Her voice was soft and unusually relaxed, though that was perhaps influenced by the fact that she had allowed herself to order more drinks than usual, and certainly several more than anyone else.

---

Lorag's eyes narrowed sharply upon Harriet. "A 'mistake'. That what you call it when you murder your alpha in cold blood with a damned poison like some scheming Elf? Like to see you say that to Vera's face. I don't think you'd have the courage to face her again, though it'd probably serve you well to grovel at her feet begging for forgiveness. Or at least be entertaining."

Lorag grunted, as if to interrupt himself. "But this ain't about you, or your crimes. No, the whole point of this is that she's not you. She didn't commit any crimes, and she didn't betray anyone. She doesn't have to run like you did. Sure, I'll believe you told her about us. She probably knows she has a choice to come to the clans, but she doesn't really understand that choice. Hmph, you don't even really understand that choice. It's not like you know what the clans are really like now. I might not be much of a parent, but in my pack, I'm surrounded by 'em. I've seen how they raise their kids, and they may not do it like proper Orcs, but...even I can see that it's not the right way to do it if you're just takin' the kid out into the woods with just you. She's got no one her age to challenge her. Just you, and you'll always have to hold yourself back. She's got no one to compete with, no one that can make her push herself to get better. Can't grow strong like that, not as strong as a girl with my blood should be. She needs better training than you can give, and to be able to hone herself on opponents who can really go all-out. She needs to see the choice she really has with her own eyes."