EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Oh...okay." Julan replied nervously. They had reached the cooking fires and could easily smell the scents of both raw and cooking meat in the air, though he did not recognize what was being cooked. His stomach growled, though he was not exactly sure what the etiquette was for grabbing a meal. Was it okay just to take what he wanted, or did he need to ask someone specific? In either case, he just decided to stick close to his father and hoped they would be able to figure it out together.

---

Ahnasha sighed to herself. She had hoped that Rhazii would not have such difficulty moving past his previous concerns, but she supposed she always knew it was a possibility. He had already carried out his first kill, so Ahnasha supposed she just needed to help him get past this one last obstacle before he would be ready to truly be a warrior. She tried to avoid showing any frustration as she started to jog after him. "Rhazii, just slow down a second. I understand you have a lot to think about now, but it's not something you can just run from. We need to talk about this, together."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan did not have a response for Janius in regards to the upcoming fight, though he had given him something to think about. He would be fighting someone who should be better than him, if their training was not too different. Although, he had no guarantees in regards to training. From what he had been told, their clan had given him better training than he usually would have had access to in most other places, but the fact remained that he knew nothing about the village's hunters. He truly had no idea what to be expecting.

The mention of food was enough of a distraction to pull Julan back into reality. "Um, yes, I think I'm hungry. What kinds of things do you think they have?" He asked, though his attention was shifting to the people around them. Naturally, he, and especially Janius, attracted a lot of attention by the mere fact that they were present in the village. But, what Julan seemed to notice more than anything were a group of young Argonians, around his age. Back in the Silent City, there were a wide variety of residents, including Argonians, but Argonian children were still rather rare as permanent residents. In fact, there were only a handful, including Julan. It was a far different experience than being in a place where the only people his age were Argonian.

---

"He was armed, and he tried to kill you. Were the roles reversed, he would have killed you. Without hesitation." Ahnasha remarked without any hesitation. "You are looking at him too much as if he is like yourself. Truth is, these bandits are more like the animals you usually hunt than you think. Really, I would say they are even worse than the Falmer. At least those Elves have a few thousand years of insanity as their excuse for their crimes. Brigands like these are just pathetic all-around."

Ahnasha looked down and gestured towards the body. "Just look a the body, but imagine it as someone else's. One of your aunts or uncles? Mayble Llarasa, or your eccentric, but kind-hearted grandmother? Imagine if one of them were just laying dead on the side of the road because a bandit decided they wanted their coinpurse. That is how much of animals these bandits really are. They chose to live their lives preying on the weak and innocent, and this is the price they deserve to pay. If we pulled a random Legion patrol off the road and showed them these bodies, they would probably commend us on our initiative. So yes, you killed that man, but in your position, he would have bled you out slowly, then laughed about it. Watching you that whole time, I can say that I'm proud of you, Rhazii. Even with all of those worries swimming around in your head, you did what you needed to do. Your training really has set in well."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius' answer did not leave Julan looking much less uncertain. "Um, well, I don't think I've learned that quick. Mother has been teaching me for a while. And Aunt Meesei only ever speaks Jel when it's just us. I think mother asked her to."

Julan stayed close by his father, obviously intending to go wherever he went. He was hungry, but still was not thinking much about food at this point. "Do you think the rite really is a good idea? What if...I mean...I'm very strong, you know?" He asked incoherently. He was much stronger than any normal Argonian his age should be, but was not sure how to phrase it around others, even if most did not speak Cyrodilic.

---

Ahnasha did not budge from where she was, though neither did she show any signs of being upset with Rhazii. "Come on, let's just sit down for a moment. It's a lot to take in. I'll admit, my first kill might have been a bit easier. I was attacked; had to defend myself. I didn't have much time to think about it until later. Hunting someone is a bit harder, but safer, overall. Tell me, what is it about this that you think is troubling you? From your own perspective, what is it that you are having a hard time dealing with? I've killed more people than most warriors will ever even fight, so I guarantee I can offer you some help."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth gave Janius a quick kiss. "Thank you. I shouldn't be too long. Maybe you could...get some dinner? My people might have something you would like." She suggested.

After Kaleeth took her leave, Julan looked quietly up at his father. Most of what had occurred over the last few minutes was both confusing and worrying to him, for a number of reasons. Juran-Selth was not as frightening as he had imagined, but he now had reason to worry about others in the village. "So, do you think we are...safe here?" Julan asked.

---

The Imperial did not take long to die, shortly after which Ahnasha's storm atronach faded back into Oblivion. The ambush had been executed in its entirety in hardly over a minute. The gravity of what Rhazii had just done was not at all reflected in Ahnasha's reaction, as she was practically smiling as she stepped up alongside Rhazii and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Good work. You've helped make Cheydinhal just a bit safer, and overcome one major barrier to being a warrior. And I must say, I am proud of your form as well. Even in a stressful situation, you stuck to your training well. Just don't get too overconfident. These bandits were not that well-trained."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I know, it's just all so confusing." Kaleeth replied, giving a defeated gaze towards the ground. "It was hard to find people who I could feel safe and comfortable with. My father loved me, but he could be...harsh. It was usually my mother who gave me comfort, but now...I think I want to talk to someone. Reanaseer, the Elder. I wasn't around her as much as my mother, but I always liked her. She was old and wise, and could be firm without being frightening. It's just...I think I want to talk to her myself. Just me and her. I have some things I want to talk about that I think we should be alone for. I'm not wanting to hide anything, we can talk about it later, but...do you think you and Julan will be okay in the village with just you two? For a little while?"

---

The Imperial was certainly panicking, and obviously did not have the benefit of extensive training to fall back on when his mind could not form a conscious plan. He had undisciplined footwork, and an instant of indecision in how he tried to react. His attempt to protect himself was present, but clumsy. He ducked his head down and to the side, while trying his best to push Rhazii's blade away in the bind, with hardly any success. Before the Imperial could back off, the tip of Rhazii's blade found its way across the his throat. He immediately clutched his hand tightly over the gash, squeezing as if he were trying to choke himself, but the sheer amount of blood that was pouring down onto the man's shirt told of the damage he had done. Even if it was not instant as Rhazii might have hoped, his death would be upon him shortly.

Perhaps not even realizing the extent of the wound, the Imperial fought his growing lightheadedness to stagger forward and take a swing at Rhazii, though it would likely be his final act.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth practically looked like she was exhausted from all of the conflicting thoughts going through her mind. "He was...mean. Growing up, he was a bully to me, one of the worst. I wasn't as good as most of the other apprentices, and he made sure I knew it. Any way, and any time he could. He was so cruel, and...hurt me in so many ways. And then Deerz...he was my friend. I thought he wanted to be my mate for a while, before he found someone else. None of this makes any sense to me."

---

Even if the Imperial had heard Rhazii, he did not even attempt to reply, and certainly did not listen. Although, the panicking, frightened Imperial also did not simply attack immediately. He was alone, and surrounded by obviously powerful opponents, so he showed himself to be smart enough to want to flee and tried to take off in the opposite direction from Rhazii. Unfortunately for him, Ahnasha had no intention of allowing him to escape. A quick mental order to her thrall, and her storm atronach struck the man with a painful, but non-lethal lightning bolt. He hit the ground face-first, and while he was trying to scramble back to his feet, Ahnasha's atronach moved past him to block his escape. "There will be no fleeing. Sorry, but your crimes have caught up with you." Ahnasha announced. "You can do this, Rhazii. Give this murderer what he deserves."

The Imperial managed to get back to his feet, but was still in a panic looking for a way out and pointing his sword at the whoever was the closest.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan hesitated, but a few moments of thought did not come up with anything more he could say. "Um...no, I don't think so." He answered, though he was sure he would have plenty of questions pop into his head in a matter of minutes.

"Then I will return to my duties." Juran-Selth replied, though before he turned to leave, he focused clearly on Kaleeth. "I am glad that you were able to return, Kaleeth-Rei."

Again, Kaleeth did not reply before Juran left, but also could not hide her dumbstruck expression. She felt like an idiot, having been unable to say anything during the entire conversation. It was only once he was gone that she hung her head low and managed to speak. "This is all just...making so little sense to me."

---

Ahnasha took just a few moments to size up Rhazii's choice of opponent. "Okay, I can make that happen. I wouldn't expect any of them to be much of a challenge, but be careful all the same. Get to the ground and hide behind the tree; I'll open up our ambush. The moment I take my first shot, start running in. I'll be able to support you the whole time."

Ahnasha used the leaves as visual cover to silenly conjure up a bow, then took aim through the gap in the trees. She waited until she was sure that Rhazii was in position before drawing and firing her first arrow. The range she was firing from was not exceptional, and her first target was stationary, which allowed her to make her first shot that much more precise. The Breton woman making arrows a short distance from the fire was suddenly struck by a glowing arrow, straight through the center of her head: an unquestionably immediate death. The Khajiit was looking in her direction when the arrow hit, but it still took her a few seconds to process what was happening through the shock of it. "I...what? A-attack! We're under-".

The Khajiit's alarmed warning was punctuated by a shrill scream after an arrow pierced through her stomach. The remaining three, at this point, were just starting to scramble to their feet and trying to figure out what was going on around them. Just a few seconds later, the sound of a portal from Oblivion demanded their attention, along with the storm atronach that Ahnasha had summoned forth in front of them. One of the Imperials jumped in front of the other with a ward raised, but the swirling storm of rock and magicka unleashed its thunderbolt onto the Nord instead. He collapsed to the ground in an instant, unable to breath or move voluntarily. The bandit mage struck the atronach with an exploding fireball, but the fractured rock was not enough of an injury to prevent the atronach from discharging another bolt of lightning into the downed Nord.

It was not terribly likely that the bandit's ward could stand up to the Daedra's lightning, but it would not be tested before another arrow flew past Rhazii, who was just now making it to the camp, and pierced through the Imperial's chest. The ward provided some measure of physical resistance, but not close to enough to stop a direct hit from a bound Daedric bow. He had only a second or so to pull at the arrow in a panic before he, like the Nord, was finished by the Daedra's lightning bolt.

The deadly efficiency of Ahnasha's ambush could not be understated. She scouted and planned it quickly, and executed it flawlessly. Her attacks flowed one after another to avoid giving her opponents any time or opportunity to react. It was as if such ambushes were simply routine for her. When it was all over, Rhazii's chosen target had managed to run to one of the shacks to grab a sword, but with all of his allies dead or incapacitated around him.

"Now that all of the distractions are gone, you can make your kill, son." Ahnasha's voice sounded out from behind Rhazii. She had jumped down from her perch in the tree and was now walking in no particular hurry towards them. The storm atronach was closer and bristling with lightning, but on Ahnasha's command, was not attacking.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Be prepared to defend yourself, but do not allow them to entice you to violence with just words." Juran answered. "I will protect my own, but I will not support them if they attack you. I will tell my hunters that you are to be recognized as our guest, and that your wife, and now your son, is still one of our own. Those that disobey will know they do not have my support. Just be sure that you prove worthy of the trust I am placing in you. I am the one who is charged with protecting my village, and I take that role every bit as seriously as my predecessor. I will also speak to my hunters about the rite and see who is willing to fight. By tradition, you will have a choice of who you fight from those who volunteer, young one."

Kaleeth was as surprised as she was confused. Janius had likely gathered that she did not expect such an open welcome from Juran, specifically, and she was not sure how to respond to him. Julan, while he did adopt some of his mother's anxiety, had enough questions about the upcoming fight to overcome it. "I understand, but...how will the rite work? I mean, what are the rules? Do I need to fight with certain weapons, or without magic?"

"There are no such rules. Only that you must not take any killing blow against your opponent. Accidents have happened, but the fight will be watched closely. You may use any weapons or armor you have, and though this is not a magical challenge, any magical ability is still permitted. Our hunters are expected to be able to deal with any threat to our village, including magic, so do not expect to surprise your opponent with it. You may also use alchemical concoctions, but only if you make them by yourself, under observation from the Treeminder." Juran answered.

---

Ahnasha remained alert, particularly once Rhazii conjured his blade. Unlike her, his casting was not silent, but that was why she had made sure to stop short for him to conjure it. "I think that will be find. Though, do remind me to give you some more lessons later. I think it's my fault for not being available enough for you. I am sure your teachers have been perfectly skilled mages, but...you're not going to find a conjurer anywhere in the clans better than your mother." Ahnasha smiled. "Anyways, what about other spells? Something like stoneflesh for protection? I wouldn't really call myself much of an alterationist, honestly, but I can do the basic spells. They are generally useful to have when you can't always rely on your equipment. If nothing else, I can cast it on you before we start. Now, we should get moving. The trail is still fresh, and I would like to catch them off-guard."

From that point on, Ahnasha took the lead, instructing Rhazii to follow her path precisely. She knew how to avoid making any unnecessary noise almost on instinct, and as they drew closer, positioned herself to be able to approach unseen. The glow of Rhazii's sword had the potential to give them away, so she showed it how to carry it to keep it out of sight of the direction he was facing, and how to move with awareness to what angles it could be seen from. Ahnasha was starting to understand why these bandits had not yet been caught, despite having been rumored to be operating in the area for over a month. They had traveled quite far from the road, and there were no landmarks of note that might draw anyone to the area. The bandits were relying upon remaining hidden for their safety, but unfortunately for them, that meant they were not adequately prepared to actually be found.

Once Ahnasha's ears started to pick up the sounds of talking and a crackling fire ahead, she scaled one of the nearby trees to get a better view. It took some time repositioning for her to find a line of sight through the leaves, but she eventually spotted the camp ahead, and motioned for Rhazii to join her. She remained as silent as she could, but at their current distance, they could whisper safely. "Seems we're in luck. It looks like you will get to have your first kill today. I count five. No one on lookout, so I don't think they expected to be found. They've got a few makeshift...I guess you could call those shacks, but there's a whole lot of nothing this far out from the road. The Legion would never find them, barring blind luck. But, we're going to put a stop to them. I see...two Imperial men, average looking builds. One is still wearing some basic leather armor. There's a big Nord man and Khajiit woman skinning that deer. They don't look armed, except for their knives. The last one is that Breton woman, but...she has her bow on her. I'll need to take care of her. I would rather just leave one opponent for you, so which would you prefer to kill? I can kill the rest."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Juran took a moment evidently to size Julan up. "A bold choice. Most apprentices choose the rite of the predator. It is usually easier. Not many can overcome a warrior beyond their years at his age. For the young, the difference between just a few years can be like the difference between a hackwing and a leviathan. He is not one of my hunters; he has not trained with them, killed with them, or bled with them. It is my right to refuse him, but...I respect your desire to submit to your people's traditions when it is not required of you, Julan. And I believe that the son of one of our own should have the chance to prove his worth. It is a decision that will anger some, I do not doubt."

---

Once they found a place to stop, Ahnasha stashed away her dress and most everything else she had with her, apart from her leather satchel, which mostly held her potions from Sabine. Most of them were simply for healing or magicka, though she did have one rather enervating poison.

The two of them were silent once they started tracking their prey, mostly out of necessity. Given the sort of prey they were hunting, remaining silent was even more important than usual. Ahnasha stayed behind Rhazii to observe his tracking ability and decision-making. Although, he could be forgiven for thinking he had left her behind at points with how quietly she was able to move. It was rare that Rhazii would be able to hear anything but his own footsteps, and Ahnasha never made any noise louder than a few rustling leaves.

Tracking down a specific group of bandits was by no means easy, especially since they did not want to be found. Rhazii did not have as much experience tracking as Ahnasha, but she did not notice any glaring flaws watching him, or at least nothing that would warrant stopping to correct him. They spent several hours scouring the forest to the north of the road, and Ahnasha was sure to pay attention to any alternative prey, should their hunt have failed. They still needed to allow their beasts to feast, whether on animal or man. However, all they needed was to find one scent to put them on the trail: one that was far enough from the road to rule out travelers as being the source. It took about two hours, but Rhazii was eventually able to find that scent, which led even deeper into the forest.

Their path through the forest only grew more certain as the scents they were following grew stronger, and more fresh. Eventually, Ahnasha felt that they were getting close enough that she finally stopped Rhazii with a simple tap on the shoulder. She scanned the area carefully for several seconds, then sat down on the ground among the bushes and other foliage to limit her visibility to any potential onlooker. She motioned for Rhazii to follow suit, and spoke at a whisper that was quiet even to Rhazii's ears. "It is likely that we are getting close. I haven't sensed too many unique scents, which is a good sign. We need to scout them carefully before surprising them. If there are more of them than I am expecting, then we will need to back off carefully. We are not going to take the fight if I am not completely confident we can win it. I have been impressed with your tracking so far, but I should probably take the lead from here. I believe that it is important we keep the element of surprise. Do you want to work on conjuring your sword while I can help?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Yes, it is good that you are unharmed, but to be clear, they did not do anything to harm you, correct? That influences how I must deal with them." Juran clarified.

"They...didn't hurt anyone. Not really. Deerz pushed me a bit, but nothing else." Kaleeth answered, still somewhat frightened, and quite confused.

Juran hummed a moment, then nodded. "Thank you. I will order them to no cause you problems no longer, but do not let down your guard while you are here. Now, why is it that you were searching for me?"

---

"Sure, if you're still in the mood for it when we're done." Ahnasha answered. "Your beast should be reasonably satisfied either way, as long as you give it a chance to feast. I might be able to help you with the bow, depending on how much of a drop we can get on them. There is no guarantee we will be able to find them, I should say, but I think we have a pretty good chance at it. They would be making camp at some distance from the road, and I doubt there would be any scents other than them in the area, aside from wild animals. If we do catch their scent, then it shouldn't be hard to follow them. I'll let you take the lead on this hunt, so you can practice your tracking skills. I haven't seen you hunt in a while, so I do look forward to seeing how you've improved."

Ahnasha stopped in place and took a hold of Rhazii's hand. She was smiling warmly, then after a moment, pulled Rhazii into a hug. "Look, I know this isn't easy. The first kill is never easy, but you are brave for being willing to try, and strong enough to push through your fears. I am proud of you, Rhazii. I'm proud of how far you've come, and I know you'll make for a powerful warrior. Now, why don't you find us a spot to offload whatever we don't need. I will not be hunting in a stupid dress." She laughed.