EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Hmm...well it still sounds crazy." Leeus replied, though she was no longer actually denying the claim.

Julan looked to be in better spirits, but it may have just been because they were no longer directly on the topic of his tattoos. It was hard to tell if Leeus and his mother had changed his mind, or if he was just resigned to put up with something he knew he was going to end up hating. Kaleeth, in truth, was not thinking terribly far ahead on the topic, and just wanted to make sure not to anger the village, or especially her father. "So, um, is that all there was to talk about? I guess the tattoos might end up looking good. Hopefully. I'm glad you think they'll look good, Leeus. We're...probably going to end up leaving not long after I get them, though." He added with a sad look.

Leeus' arm was already around Julan, so she pat his shoulder encouragingly. "It's fine, Julan. We'll just have fun in the meantime. Can we go back to swimming, or...do you need me to go so you can talk to him alone, again?" Leeus asked Janius and Kaleeth.

---

S'nashi waved a hand towards Fendros. "Oh, I don't even think I could pull back the string to begin with. This is probably a contest best left to youth."

Ahnasha stood herself up to her feet and stepped up beside Fendros, wrapping one arm around him. "We have these sorts of contests all the time, and I know how I compare to my husband. For me, personally, I find myself rather curious how Fendros' skills have shaped up compared to his brother. I would love to see you two compete before it is my turn to knock my dear husband right out of the competition."

Gwindir, meanwhile, was more focused on the bow itself. The metal, recurve bow shone like bronze in the sunlight, though it was a far stronger metal. Even though he did not deal in weapons, Gwindir could naturally see the value of it. "My, is that bow actually Dwemer metal? That is quite rare, and not to mention valuable. Far moreso than any hunting bow I have seen."

It would be rather easy to give a reasonable excuse for the value of the bow, though there was another thought that came into Ahnasha's mind. Leaning somewhat closer to Fendros, she whispered to him. "Say...we use a hundred and twenty pound bows. Do you think your brother can actually, you know, draw it to begin with?" She questioned. Their strength gave them the luxury of using powerful bows rather easily, but normally, such a draw weight would be reserved for war bows, and the strong, professional soldiers who wielded them.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Yeah, I...hope so." Julan replied with a distinct lack of confidence. Although, Leeus was either not picking up on Julan's uncertainty towards his marks, or simply did not care, since it was still excitement that dominated her demeanor.

Leeus placed a finger on Julan's chest, then traced it around to his back. "My father's marks show its head here then it wraps around his whole body. Leviathans don't actually do that. Wrap around things that is. They're not like snakes. The marks are just, um...what was the word the Treeminder used? They're, um, made in an old style, back like the ancient Argonians used to do things. I guess that makes sense; the marks come straight from the Hist for their design."

"So...my marks may look something like your father's? I thought he had tattoos of a dragon when I first saw him." Julan remarked.

Leeus tilted her head slightly to the side. "What's a dragon?"

Julan almost appeared equally as confused. "You don't know? I thought everyone did. They're really, really big lizards like a leviathan, but they don't have a spine on their back. Oh, and they have wings and can fly. And breathe fire."

While still confused for a moment, Leeus soon crossed her arms and scoffed. "Really? Come on, Julan, stop making things up. You're not that good at it. That all just sounds ridiculous. Nothing as big as a leviathan could fly."

"No, it's true!" Julan exclaimed. "They're real; I saw one myself. Well, a dead one. Two dead ones, actually, but one was just a skeleton. The other one had meat and scales and everything on it though. We ate it!"

Julan's gaze darted back up to his parents, seemingly ignoring all of the worry that had been dominating his demeanor mere moments prior. "Tell her it's true!"

---

Ahnasha lightly laughed for a moment. "Well, I cannot call my son a liar. I do quite love a good competition."

S'nashi did not quite look upset, but she did have some surprise in her expression looking at her daughter. "I thought you had settled down in the city, dear? I didn't think you would still be going out into the woods, shooting things."

Ahnasha rolled her eyes, though still continued to smile. "Just because I've settled down doesn't mean I can't still do the things I enjoy. It is a hunting shop, after all, and I do still love to hunt. Don't worry, mother, I'm a much more responsible person now than I used to be."

At the very least, Ahnasha's remark was partially true. Hunting was very much a pleasure for her, even outside her lycan form. Although, after she had taken up necromancy, her continued training with a bow did fall by the wayside. She could no longer reasonably boast to be the best shot in the clan, and Fendros' continued improvement over the years meant that she could no longer be honestly confident in her ability to consistently best him in any contest of archery. No matter how much she claimed otherwise.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

What sort of bow does Fendros have? Probably one forged of Dwemer metal?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

This time, Kaleeth's answer was actually more reassuring for Julan. "Of course, no one could make you do it. Even if someone forced you to drink the sap and say the words, the Hist still wouldn't change you if you didn't really want it."

Leeus crossed her arms with an exaggerated look of offense at Julan. "Well, I don't know what you think is so bad about being a girl, but..." She began before, quite suddenly, pulling him in with one arm for another hug. "...at least you're still going to be able to become a hunter before you leave."

"Yeah, I...guess I will." Julan replied flatly. The idea of covering his body with tattoos was still not particularly appealing to him, but with his mother, father, and now Leeus all encouraging him to receive them, he did not feel that he had any way out of it at this point.

---

Ahnasha gave a quick shrug. "I don't think I can argue it. I didn't think the merchant's life suited me. For the most part, just doing the same things day after day, going to the same places and talking to the same people. I'm a person who really likes excitement, and doing new things. I like to improve myself; make myself stronger. I still hunt, and I would wager that I am the best shot here." Ahnasha grinned confidently.

Shevari, meanwhile, had cleaned up enough bowls to start serving the rest of what she had prepared. Small fires had been keeping the various dishes warm, or at least those that required it. The scent of the roasted kagouti had already been quite obvious since everyone had arrived, but all of the other dishes that Shevari was now bringing out also had their scents filling the air. Shevari's special stew was particularly aromatic. True to the theme of Shevari's own restaurant, there were plenty of options, both familiar and new to everyone. Even Ahnasha and Fendros, who had traveled extensively to quite literally every province in Tamriel, could find something new to try.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Well yes, obviously." Kaleeth replied, being the only other person present who did not show any degree of surprise within her expression. She seemed to think it was perfectly normal. "All you have to do is ask the Hist and...wait, I guess Imperials don't have the Hist to ask. I guess you would have to..."

There was a pause as Kaleeth actually looked to be in serious thought, before taking on a genuinely curious expression. "I don't think I know what a Human would have to do. Is there really no way for a Human to change their sex? Or...any other race? Is it really only Argonians? All an Argonian has to do is drink some sap, ask the Hist, and they'll usually just change their bodies into a man or woman, depending on what they want. Then there's usually a celebration afterwards."

Julan had at first assumed that Leeus was playing some kind of joke on him, but after his mother's explanation, he looked almost as frightened as if he were about to be attacked. "I, um, well...I don't want to be a girl either, okay? I'm fine just being lonely." He began, giving just a brief pause as his words went through his own mind. "Or, um, I'm not lonely either! I'm just, uh, happy right as I am, okay?"[/i]

---

While S'nashi and Gwindir were finishing up their talk of business, Vasiq gave a quick glance to his sister nearby, who was naturally interested as well, having heard her name. "You mean whenever she was actually in the house? Ahnasha was always a bit of a...rebel, I guess you could say. She never liked being tied down to one spot. As a cub, she would so often end up slipping away from our parents, and it would take forever to find her, since she never ended up in the same part of the city twice. No punishment could deter her from her exploring. And growing up didn't change things too much. It just meant that she had already had her fill of exploring Leyawiin. Our parents taught her the trade just the same as me, but I don't think she ever really enjoyed it. Mostly because she said, loudly and repeatedly, that she didn't enjoy it." Vasiq chuckled. "She liked hunting, and eventually pestered our parents enough to get them to agree to let her do just that. They were happy to sell the pelts, but they did not like the idea of her going out and doing anything risky. The Blackwood forest isn't really the safest of places, in all honesty."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"So...I have to get the tattoos." Julan replied in a slow and uncertain tone. Though, his worry was drowned out for Leeus by her rather overwhelming excitement.

Leeus gave Julan's shoulder a playful punch. [i]"Well, obviously you do. Why wouldn't anyone want them? They're the best looking marks too. A leviathan is just so ferocious-looking, with all those teeth and that spine. I've never seen one in person, but I'd love to try to hunt one. I think someone should get the leviathan marks for killing one too, but the Treeminder says it doesn't 'work that way'. Hmph, he's no fun. Anyways, maybe you won't be so lonely back home once you get those to show off. That would have to impress any girl."

Julan became quite quickly defensive. "Hey, I'm not lonely! And...there aren't any Argonian girls there. I told you, not our age."

"Well...are there any Argonian boys your age?" Leeus asked.

Julan was, overall, confused by Leeus' question, and was slow to reply. "Um, yeah, one or two I think. But I, uh, don't like boys...like that."

Leeus laughed. "No, silly. I mean...why don't you just become a girl!"

To say that Julan was confused was an understatement, and he just stared speechlessly at her as if she had gone completely mad.

---

S'nashi's ever-present grin still dominated her expression as she set aside her now-empty bowl of soup. "Indeed, we probably shouldn't keep boring the children with such discussion. We are staying at the, oh what is the name of that inn...the one nearest the western gate. We will be in the city for some time, so there is no rush. Just whenever you and your husband have the time."

Shevari was in the process of cleaning out soup bowls so she could serve her stew, though she did afford a quick glance towards Llarasa. "Oh, I know my family is quite proud of my financial success with my restaurant. And none of that would have been possible without Gwindir and S'nashi..."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth gave a nod, then sat herself down on the other side of Julan, facing the river. Janius would easily notice her sudden shift in attitude towards Leeus, at least as far as she was expressing outwardly. "Your friend is right, you know? The marks of the Leviathan are a great honor. Usually, anyone who is strong enough to receive them goes on to be a great warrior for the village. Not all Master-Hunters have them; my father didn't. But, anyone who has them is usually a serious candidate for the position. That, specifically, is not going to matter for you, but...I am just saying that you should expect those tattoos to earn you a lot of respect. It is an honor that you are not only going to be receiving from the people of the village, but from the Hist themselves. Before you get them, both you and the person giving you the tattoos will drink Hist sap, and they will decide the design of the tattoos. It will end up being unique, just to you."

Julan was still holding Leeus' hand even after pulling away from her, but the topic of the tattoos was actually enough to distract him from her. He was silent and conflicted, eventually looking straight up at his father. "So you...do think I should get the tattoos?" He asked, his tone anything but confident.

---

Much like Calia, Gwindir did not pay much heed to the concerns of the siblings. He was quite happy to be making definite progress on a potential deal. "Indeed, that is just about what I was going to suggest. I would like to have more than just a few bottles to send out, but I am more than happy to buy them from you, at just the same price as you would give to anyone else. That way, you will not personally be out any coin, should the test not work out as we would hope. I just want to make sure to have enough to be able to send to several ports."

S'nashi had actually been drinking her soup while they had been talking, but she soon set it aside once she had the opportunity to speak. "Normally, we take the role of middlemen in these sorts of deals. We buy the goods directly from the supplier, and resell them using our connections in foreign lands. But...you are family, and I think it would be more beneficial for your vineyard in the long run if we instead help you to make these deals directly with the distributors in the Dominion. We would just have to work it out so you could get access to our preferred rate with the shipping companies we deal with."

Gwindir nodded. "I agree completely. You would be able to keep the price of the wine lower, and I don't much want to profit off of family like that. Not when it would hold you back from expanding."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Hal-Leeus had an energy and enthusiasm that was difficult to contain, as Julan could not get out a word before she took over the conversation with a loud voice and beaming smile. "Your marks! I almost forgot, I didn't really congratulate you. You actually earned the marks of the Leviathan! I've always dreamed of being able to earn them myself, like my father. You're even stronger than I thought you were. It's really hard to win that kind of a fight, but...my father did it, and you did it. I was just going to do the rite of the predator like everyone else, but now, I think I'm going to try it. I'm going to keep training, and try to earn those marks too." She explained. There were only a few seconds of silence before she interrupted anything Julan might say with a rather tight hug.

Kaleeth had, at first, intended to insist on speaking with Julan in private, but now, she was suddenly seeing some merit in allowing her to stay for their talk. As nervous as Kaleeth was about the two of them spending time together, the fact that Julan's temporary sweetheart simply loved the tattoos he was going to be getting was a fact that Kaleeth found undeniably useful.

---

Right away, S'nashi leaned over to Fendros with a quick pat on the back. "Oh, don't worry. We won't dwell on it long." She said, grinning.

Ahnasha could easily recognize that her parents were already becoming invested in the idea of a business deal with Fendros' family. Her father's enthusiasm was easy enough for her to see. She was worried that it would necessitate her parents meeting Rossarm, but she had no real way to interrupt at this point. Shevari, and some of the others, had finished their soup and appetizers, so she went ahead and started to get ready to serve the next course while they were talking.

"Naturally, I understand. I make decisions with my wife as well. As for the opportunity, I believe there is a particular market that your wine could fit quite nicely in. As I mentioned before, tariffs for imports into the Dominion are quite high right now, so, of course, the volume of trade has hit a lull. Prices on imported goods are high, and not enough people are buying them for many businesses in the Empire to even bother exporting to begin with. If they lower the price to the point that a large enough volume of people buy it, they don't see the profits as being sufficient enough to warrant the effort, at least in comparison to focusing their attention within the Empire, or to independent provinces. It's the same for wine, and most other markets right now. But, that also means there is currently little competition, in regards to imported wine, within the Dominion right now. I could use my preferred rate on shipping to bring down the transportation cost enough to...partially make up for the tariffs, but that's not the main point. Among the wealthy elite in the Dominion and, well, most other places, there is always a demand for imported luxuries. It would not matter if the absolute best wine in all of Tamriel was made right in their hometown, I'm pretty sure they would still import more expensive bottles just to make sure they have something the commoners don't."

Gwindir paused only to chuckle for a few brief moments. "Perhaps there is not always a demand for Imperial goods due to, um, cultural differences, but you would be exporting quality Elven wine, which is helpful. With so few competing imports, they would be certain to try your wine. The profits, even with reduced transport costs, would be modest at best at the current point in time. As I said, most Imperial businesses are not bothering with significant exports right now. They are looking at the next year, or the next few years, and seeing that they could make more septims elsewhere. But, we can operate on longer timescales. These tariffs will eventually go down to some reasonable number. Then, well, their markets will be practically flooded with new imports, wine included. But, you, and your wine, will have already been ready. You will already have your distribution sorted, and already have buyers for your wine. You will already have customers who know that they like your wine. While the other vineyards are competing for attention, you will already have a solid share of the market, prime to expand with. Now, I have no great love for high tariffs, but a silver lining is that they can create the perfect opportunity to to establish that kind of a foothold."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan tensed up when he heard his father's voice, but as he had not been doing anything actually embarrassing this time, it subsided quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine. We were just...talking." He answered briefly.

Kaleeth remained standing just behind Janius, doing her best to hide her suspicion and worry. After what Janius had told her about Julan and Leeus, she was uncomfortable with him spending any time alone with her, even if it was entirely innocent. "We could see that you were talking, son. I'd like to know what you two were talking about."

Before Julan could speak, Leeus answered calmly, and with surprisingly little hesitation. "It's nothing serious or anything. Julan was just talking to me about how he likes me and is lonely back home, but we can't stay together since he's leaving."

For a second or two, Julan was wide eyed, stammering as his mind tried in vain to come up with some way to undo what Leeus had said. "Leeus! What are you doing? You weren't supposed to tell anyone that!"

Hal-Leeus, in turn, looked surprised at Julan's reaction, and subsequent embarrassment. "What are you talking about? You didn't say anything about not telling anyone!"

"I thought it was obvious!" Julan practically shouted.

Once again, Leeus calmed her voice and placed her hand gently on his shoulder. "Besides, it's not that big of a deal. Everyone knows you like me. You don't hide it well. And I know you're going back home. You're...just a visitor. I knew that from the start."

---

"There are certainly many words of wisdom in that." Gwindir replied, almost immediately. Pausing to take another, slow sip of wine, which he lingered on for a few seconds. "But, I daresay, I still agree with my wife. You do have a quality product. You mentioned you've been in the wine business for..." He began, glancing over to Fendros to make a quick judgment on his age. "...a few decades, at least. I'm certain you have already encountered many of the trials a small, growing business has to deal with. Distribution, I would say, is the greatest barrier that a growing business can face, if they want to move beyond just serving one single village or city. The ability to get your product, wine in your case, to a tavern, on display, somewhere that a customer can even see it, can be even more challenging than making a quality product to begin with. Transportation can be expensive, dangerous, you can lose entire shipments at once. Trusting the wrong people to move your goods can ruin a business. But again, you strike me as more than experienced enough to know all of that."

Gwindir smiled, leaning forward and holding his hand forward with his elbow resting on his knee. "And that, I would say, is my real strength. I've never been a man with the talent to make some sort of quality product. I've never produced a fine vintage, or cooked food fit for nobility like my wonderful and talented daughter-in-law, but the logistics of operating and growing a diverse business? That, I do know. To borrow your analogy, my web of connections and trade partners has matured quite nicely over the last few hundred years. I have preferred rates with two different shipping companies between the Empire and Dominion, and am on familiar terms with major traders in nearly every port city in southern Tamriel. What's more, I've done this before. Introducing a product to a new region, that is. I know how it might be accomplished with no financial risk to you. I think the tariffs, as they are now, might actually present a long-term opportunity."

Gwindir spoke with an abundance of both friendliness and confidence. Indeed, his business, as he described it, had an impressive of assets and connections that could take ages to build and maintain. Ahnasha was not surprised that business was one of the first topics that her father had latched onto. He had almost as much passion for trade as Shevari did for her cooking, and he was never one to pass on potential opportunities.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaj-Julan might have taken longer to find, were his habits less predictable. He was, of course, with Hal-Leeus, and was, again, by one of the many rivers and streams flowing by the village. He had practically been living in the water since the day after they arrived, though that seemed to be normal for Argonian children. Julan was, again, alone with Leeus, but this time, the scene they came across was odd in a different way. They were both sitting on the riverbank facing one another, either just before entering or shortly after getting out of the water. It could be difficult to tell, considering how quickly Argonians' waterproof scales could dry off. However, Julan looked like he could be close to tears, and Leeus was leaned forward with an empathetic hand on Julan's shoulder, consoling him about something.

---

"I...do believe I have seen the bottles before." Gwindir answered Llarasa. "Alas, I am not a frequent patron of the taverns, so I'm not too familiar with what they stock. And most the wine we drink, we just buy from Vasiq and Shevari. I'll be sure to look for it when we get back home, though."

S'nashi had been sipping on her wine, and quite clearly focusing on it contemplatively. Finally, she broke her silence at the first break in the conversation. "Well, if you believe this wine is a good representation of your other vintages, then I believe it could sell much farther than that. It takes a fine product to be successfully exported out of the Empire, else no one will want to buy it after the markup from tariffs. I think your wine is good enough to succeed as an export. You could find bottles of your wine in cities from Sunhold, all the way to Lilmoth."