EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

As the Treeminder had expected, it did take several days to make the necessary amount of ink for Julan to start receiving his tattoos, which would take the better part of the week to complete with magical assistance. Julan was no longer giving any protest against receiving them, but he also did not show much in the way of enthusiasm for it.

It was the day that the tattoos were going to start being applied, and Julan was rather silent for most of the morning. Although, Kaleeth seemingly did not notice, or was simply ignoring that fact, as she seemed to almost be excited. All three of them were gathered around one of the communal fires having their breakfast, just the same as many others in the village. With as long as they had been present, the novelty of their visitors had worn off for much of the village, and most of them did not pay much special attention to them anymore. A few had been social enough to strike up conversations with one or more of them over the past few days, but they were being left alone this morning.

Kaleeth was eating trodh, which were not only served uncooked, but still alive, and were meant to be swallowed whole. Even for one who had been raised in a lycan clan as Julan, it was still strange enough to distract him for the moment. After they ate, he would be heading straight for the treeminder.

---

Ahnasha hummed a moment to herself, though did not say anything particularly revealing to her thoughts. "Hmph, is that right? Well, I'll just start out shooting with ten, and see where everything goes from there." She said neutrally.

Stepping up to the same spot they had been shooting from, Ahnasha held her bow forward with an arrow nocked, though not drawn. She gave a nod towards Shevari, waiting for her to be ready to time her shots. Compared to the last time she shot, she definitely looked different, distinctly focused. Monderyn had shown himself capable, so now, Ahnasha was looking to impress. Though not as much of an archer as she was a conjurer now, Ahnasha had not lost any of her skills over the years either. She aimed forward, tilting her bow slightly to the side, and waiting for Shevari to give the signal before drawing her first arrow.

Ahnasha fired quickly, and just as she had recommended to Monderyn, did not bother pulling to full draw before shooting. Though, it was her refined technique in readying another arrow that showed her experience. There were no wasted movements in drawing from her quiver, and with the way her bow was angled, it was easy enough to nock and load it onto the left side of the bow. She did not grip the bow tightly, but instead held it loose with her hand opened to improve her stability. When she went to draw, she did not even bother to turn her hand over to the other side of the string and waste the brief moment it would require to make the motion, instead drawing the string back in a reversed grip.

Altogether, Ahnasha loosed arrow after arrow in rapid succession. Even she could not hit the center ring every time while shooting so quickly, but that was not required for this challenge. Eight shots out of ten found their mark, but what was notably impressive was the fact that she did so with a full five seconds to spare.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth did not answer immediately, instead looking to the sides and making a brief effort to pull her arms out from under Janius' grasp, without success. Though, she still returned her gaze back to Janius' eyes with a grin. "Yes, I do realize that I'm not really normal, but I still do love to be called beautiful. You do look like a monster as a wolf, but...looking at you now, feeling your strength, your weight on me...I do think that there is a such thing as a handsome monster."

---

Ahnasha was eager to take the bow and arrows, and had already nocked one by the time she started thinking about what Monderyn had said. Her first reaction might have been surprise, and to congratulate Rhazii, but it did not take much thought for her to realize that the numbers did not add up. "So...in a round of ten arrows in twenty seconds, you landed nine arrows out of ten, Monderyn. And Rhazii landed eighteen? Out of ten? Is that so?"

The idea of a mage uncovering ancient secrets was an idea that even Ahnasha's parents could appreciate, though it did not take long for Gwindir to start seeing septims in it. "So, if she can move between faraway places in an instant...well, I can't think of any better way to move goods than instant. Cutting out all transportation time and costs would do wonders for any merchant's profits. About how...feasible is it to move goods with that magic?" He asked.

The question was not entirely straightforward to answer. The clans used their propylon chambers to move supplies all the time, but that was not a secret that could be shared. However, Meesei's personal teleportation abilities would be quite ill-suited to move anything too large, or too numerous.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Hmm, maybe." Kaleeth continued to grin. "I can already say it feels quite nice to hold you, to kiss you. Even your wolf form's attempts at affection are...charming, in their own way."

Kaleeth rolled over onto Janius, laughing and sitting up on his chest. She leaned down and kissed him on the tip of his nose, seeming almost playful by this point. "Doesn't it seem just a little tempting? Or are you just saying you're not attracted to me anymore?" She said, crossing her arms and looking away with an exaggerated degree of offense. "Maybe you just think I'm ugly now?"

---

"Yes, I think I would quite like to meet this Meesei." S'nashi added, nodding towards Ahnasha before turning her attention back towards Calia. "Did I mention what Ahnasha told us before? Apparently, their friend Meesei used some sort of spell to bring them all the way from Skyrim to Cheydinhal in just an instant. It sounds incredible to me; I wasn't sure that I believed it honestly, but I don't think my daughter is a liar. Have you ever heard of such a thing?"

Again, Ahnasha was not sure of what kind of a response to expect from Calia, but Monderyn's challenge easily captured her attention now that she did not feel she had as much to worry about. She was hardly halfway through her stew at this point, but it would not take too long to join in a round of speed shooting. Although, she was slightly surprised that Monderyn was taking the initiative to offer such a challenge. "Hmm...sure. If I win quickly enough, my stew will still be warm." She answered, smiling confidently.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth gave a lighthearted laugh. "Well, our kisses aren't exactly the same as your kisses, but...it's the same idea." She said, though when Janius suggested reverting back to normal, she quickly grabbed one of his arms, and brought her other hand up to the side of his head. "Wait, no. Don't, um, don't turn back just yet. Your form may not be the most romantic, but it is quite...large and powerful. You could actually overpower me now. Usually I'm the one who can just throw anyone else around."

Taking a few steps back from him, the way Kaleeth was looking at Janius had shifted considerably. She was admiring him, her eyes no longer focused on his. She actually looked rather nervous, and even her scent betrayed that fact as well. "I think we should just...lay down by the riverbank together for a while. Let your fur dry off, and everything." She suggested, wading out of the water and laying herself down on the least muddy patch of grass she could find.

---

Again, Ahnasha's family was not nearly as alarmed as they could have been by the simple fact that they did not recognize that Calia's spells were potentially dangerous. Although, any unannounced display of magic would be enough to make her parents nervous to some degree, regardless. For the moment, though, Ahnasha was not exactly sure what would be the best way to react. On the one hand, Fendros really wasn't a mage like Calia might be thinking. It was really only wards that Meesei had taught him, and only in such a way as to take advantage of his birthsign. He still did not have the education nor experience to begin casting other spells, so Ahnasha did not think of him as a "mage". But, Ahnasha had never seen Calia so enthusiastic about anything before, and by Fendros' reaction alone, she took it that it was not a common event. She did not want to say anything that might bring down Calia's mood. Nevertheless, Ahnasha did have something to say to continue on the topic.

"Like I said, Meesei is a good teacher. She was able to teach him how to take advantage of his birthsign for his wards. Atronachs have trouble recovering their magicka naturally, but absorbing it is another matter entirely. And wards can be cast in a way to take advantage of that trait." Ahnasha explained.

S'nashi, though somewhat surprised and out of her element, clasped her hands together with a wide smile. "Well, then, that is wonderful! It seems the both of you found your own ways to grow away from home. It can be somewhat humbling as a parent, but...I suppose we can't teach you everything you need to know in life. Sometimes you just need to go and...experience it yourself."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth started to laugh, not quite sure what Janius was doing, but going along with him all the same. She kept holding onto him tightly, moving on by his lead. "You have. With everything that has been happening...I do really think I should say that I am happy with the life we have. I know what my father wants, and what some of the rest of the village might expect, but no matter what, I'm not going to be agreeing to anything that would take us away from our pack. It took a lot of what were probably mistakes to bring us together, but I don't regret any of them."

Kaleeth was starting to caress Janius' arms and chest, grinning at him whenever they did make eye contact. "I'll admit, when I first saw you in this form, I don't think it crossed my mind that I would one day be kissing you in it."

---

Ahnasha gave herself a few moments to think of how to answer. The truth, of course, was out of the question, but she doubted she would need to be detailed enough for it to matter. Only Calia would really understand a detailed explanation, and if she was insistent on receiving it, there were a few key details that Ahnasha could modify to make the process seem more palatable to her. "Meesei has always helped me with my studies into magic for as long as I have known her, though at this point, I would say I am more of an expert than her on this particular aspect of it. It has taken a lot of practice and research, but I was able to find some literature on the subject to help me along. I had to do a lot of the experimenting on my own. Although...I suppose I could credit Meesei with for that as well, in a way. Meesei is quite good at teaching herself; it's how she had become as powerful as she is. She really has taught me ways of teaching myself. It can be a hard way to learn, but once you get used to it, I would say it is effective."

Glancing to her side, Ahnasha nudged Fendros' elbow. "It's the same way she taught Fendros here to cast nigh impenetrable wards. That, a lot of practice, and a blessing from the stars themselves."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth held her head just above Janius', grinning down at him. "I didn't know my stubbornness was so, um...endowing? Or, no...endearing, that's the right word." She replied, stumbling briefly over her words. Kaleeth had been speaking Cyrodilic almost exclusively since leaving Black Marsh, but since she had learned primarily through conversation, there were still the occasional, rarely-used words that could catch her. Sometimes amusingly.

---

"Yes, and it helps to have friends, especially back when Rhazii was young." Ahnasha added. "Even so, I've had a lot of full days these past few years."

Though S'nashi was outwardly smiling, Ahnasha knew her mother well enough to notice some of her apparent concern, or at least uncertainty. Her next question was just about what Ahnasha was expecting. "I didn't really think you would still be studying magic, of all things. We were just talking about it, and Calia mentioned that you would have to be quite skilled. It's just...well it sounds dangerous, doesn't it? Dealing with your own soul and everything?"

Ahnasha managed to chuckle convincingly. "It's not dangerous, mother. I knew you'd just worry. It's difficult, and can be expensive, but I know what I'm doing. It takes some, uh, strong creature souls. And gems to trap them in, of course. Mammoths are something experienced teams of hunters can take down reliably, and they work. I, well, I'd like to explain it all in detail, but that would probably take a lot of time, a lot of background, maybe a few diagrams."

Vasiq had been mostly quiet so far, but the current topic was evidently enough to rouse his interest. "But you will actually be able to live longer?"

Ahnasha nodded. "Yes, ideally. These things are not always too precise, but I hope to live as long as Fendros."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

With Janius' size compared to Kaleeth, she practically had to crawl up his body after he pulled her down with him to get her head on the same level as his. "Lively? I guess I am. This has all brought back a lot of memories of my last few days in the village before we left, all those years ago. Mostly, they're memories that just have me worried about Julan, and him making some kind of huge mistake with Leeus. Or accidentally offending the whole village. That's nothing you didn't already know."

For a moment, Kaleeth allowed her head to rest on Janius' shoulder as she looked into his eyes. "But there are good memories there too. I don't think I could ever forget how I felt being around you. Even though I had a hard time understanding half of what you were saying most of the time, you still made me feel just...good being around you. You were so much nicer to me than a lot of the hunters, and I was really just happy to be with you. Learning what you were did frighten me, but at the same time...it just didn't matter. I still remember how you willingly helped me on a dangerous hunt, then bravely protected my defenseless hide against a full-grown wamasu. When I looked at you after that, you were like a hero out of one of the Treeminder's stories."

Kaleeth lifted her head up, then interrupted herself by planting another, long kiss straight on his snout, evidently not impeded in the slightest by his werewolf body's size or proportions. If anything, his head was now closer to the shape of an Argonian's. She ran her fingers through the fur on his head, and again started to rub him behind his ears. "I honestly don't know what ever attracted you to me back then. I was so pathetic compared to what I am now." Kaleeth added, though still in a distinctly positive mood.

---

While Shevari was carefully focused on timing Rhazii, Ahnasha was brainstorming internally on how she might insert herself into her parents' conversation without it seeming too convenient, or otherwise drawing attention to the fact that she certainly did not want them discussing the topic. Unfortunately, there were no good ideas that came to her mind, but at the very least, it was also true that Calia's explanation was not outright harmful to Ahnasha either. She was painting her as a skilled mage, not a blasphemous one.

"Well, that is...not something I expected at all." S'nashi replied, her expression showing just the same surprise as her words. It was surprising enough to hear that she had made it here so quickly with the spells of her mage friend, but that my daughter is actually a skilled mage herself...I don't know how she finds the time for so much work with having to run a store at the same time."

Gwindir nodded in agreement with his wife. "I never would have thought that to be something normal people could accomplish."

Ahnasha nudged Fendros slightly, still whispering. "Maybe we should try to slide back into the conversation? Sit down to eat, or something?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth did not so much as flinch with the water being sprayed onto her, and the mud would be dealt with in short order as she waded out into the water with Janius. The water came up only to just above her waist, and even less so for Janius' larger werewolf form. She approached him, running one hand through the still-soaked fur hanging down from his head with a wide grin, then planting a kiss on his snout. "Sorry, but you just look so funny like this. With all that fur drooping down like that, instead of sticking up straight, it almost makes you look small. As small as a big, overgrown wolf can be, I guess. It would be more cute if it weren't for the wet dog smell, but...nothing's perfect."

Nevertheless, Kaleeth soon wrapped one arm around Janius' back, while using the other to rub his belly. Based on her smile, her mood had at least improved substantially.

---

"Yes...maybe." Ahnasha quickly answered to Rhazii, though quickly turned back to whisper to Fendros and Monderyn. "I know that part is good, but...my parents didn't really know about the, um, extent of my magical ability. They're pretty ignorant of magic in general, but I don't know if that will be good or bad for me."

It was difficult to tell how exactly Gwindir felt about the explanation, other than some obvious confusion in his expression. "Living longer? You mean like an elf? I, well...I always thought that was something necromancers made dark deals to accomplish, isn't it? I am not educated in magic, as I said."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Hmm, you sure? Usually when I let my beast out of its cage, it has all sorts of thoughts it likes to push into my mind." Kaleeth commented as she stepped up just beside Janius. Though, she did not allow him a response before she reached up and started to scratch behind his ears. His natural reaction would be to tilt his ears towards her, and perhaps close his eyes, so he may not have noticed when she slipped out of the clothes she was wearing as well. "Of course, the parts about the swamps that might annoy your beast spirit aren't what you would get just glancing around for a few seconds. Just one I can think of: you probably need to figure out how your beast feels about being wet all the time..."

Kaleeth had stopped scratching behind Janius' ear for just a second in order to pull back far enough to give herself a running start. Suddenly, she threw all of her strength and weight into shoving Janius towards the river, focusing her efforts onto his upper body. Between her strength and his uncertain footing in the mud, she could muster just enough force to send even a werewolf tripping into the water. When Janius could finally get his head back above water, he would be able to see her leaned forward on the shore, laughing almost uncontrollably.

---

Ahnasha was, perhaps, fortunate that neither of her parents were particularly well-versed in matters of magic. Their knowledge of the magical arts extended only to the general perception of mages and "common knowledge" about magic, which may or may not have been accurate. Nevertheless, they could recognize that what Calia described sounded difficult, particularly with the complements she was giving to Ahnasha because of it. S'nashi was unable to hide her confusion, but was not ashamed to admit that she was out of her element. "I...cannot pretend to know much at all about magic either. I have never had a need for such things, and it is not traditional for us. Though, I didn't know that Ahnasha could still do magic either; she didn't mention it. I do remember that she was always interested in those magic tomes that we sometimes bought and sold in our shop. I think she just wanted to read them because her father told her not to. I suppose she still must read those tomes if she did what it was you said. Strengthening...her soul? I'm, well, not sure I entirely understand what that means."

Gwindir nodded in agreement. "Yes, what exactly would that mean for her?"

Ahnasha was just as quick to lose her attention towards the competition as she had been to be distracted by it. She tried not to show too much concern, but she did lean in somewhat close to Monderyn. "What...do you think your mother is going to say, exactly?" She whispered.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I know, I wouldn't want to try to make everyone live here. I think I would like to go to a lot of different places, once this war is over. I mean, I know we've always traveled a lot with our duties, but I would like to go back to those places on our own time." Kaleeth commented.

As they had been walking without too much purpose for a while by this point, Kaleeth finally stopped and sat herself down by the edge of the water, taking a few moments to give a keen look over the surface for any hint of a crocodile, or other predator. The sun had set by this point, and with the thick canopy of trees, it was dark enough that even their lycan eyes had slight trouble seeing. Nevertheless, Kaleeth still looked perfectly comfortable.

"Anyways...we're plenty far enough from the village by this point. Why don't you transform for a moment? Let your beast spirit out of its cage, and see how it really feels about its environment?" Kaleeth suggested.

---

By this point, everyone who was not competing had been served, and Shevari was starting on her roasted kagouti while she waited for the four of them to ask her to time them. S'nashi appreciated Calia's complement, though she could not admit that she entirely understood her meaning. "Oh, thank you. I, well, I cannot say that I know too much about your son's talents, unfortunately, but if they are as good of a match for each other as I think, then he must be just as remarkable."

Gwindir, at the same time, was giving Calia quite a curious look. "I have always known our daughter to be a bright one, though I am curious what talents you are referring to?"

The competition commanded more than enough of Ahnasha's attention for her to notice her parents' conversation, so she gave a nod towards Monderyn while she watched Rhazii. "If I were to give some advice, I would say just not to try to pull it to full draw. It's not needed at this range, and it's not as if you need to pierce anything strong. A partial draw should just make it the same as any other bow for you. Take a few practice shots, if you like. I want it to be a fair competition. Otherwise...perhaps Fendros should set the bar this time?"