EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan shook his head slowly. "I don't think so. The apprentices are all pretty busy most of the day. They train for hours, and especially now that they're going to move the village, they're going on hunts almost every day to stock up on meat. I'll probably be done for the day before most of them are. Leeus would only have been able to stay for a few minutes anyway."

The hackwing leg Julan was holding was mostly bare of meat by this point, but he was still picking at the scraps regardless. "I wish there was a potion or something that could just put me to sleep. I'm just wanting to get this over with."

---

Ahnasha's family, of course, did not recognize Rossarm on his approach, but it did not take much thought for them to piece together who he was. Even without being lycans, S'nashi, Vasiq, and Shevari all had strong enough noses to smell the wine, as Rossarm had apparently cared little to hide it. Gwindir's senses were not as precise, but he could still adopt the discomfort of most of those around him.

Ahnasha herself was almost as nervous about her family and what they might do as she was about Rossarm, but at least for the moment, they were keeping silent. They lacked most of the context about Rossarm that everyone else understood; for all they knew, Fendros could have stolen his father's sword when he ran away from home.

It was up to Fendros to respond first, but what he might easily notice was Ahnasha's demeanor beside him. Last time they had spoken to Rossarm, Ahnasha had held herself back, allowing Fendros to take the lead. However, she was now standing side-by-side with him, not budging an inch even as Rossarm approached them. If her words ended up matching her actions, then she was not going to be backing down this time.

Last of the Jedi (EliteCommander and Sep)

As much as he tried, Kresst could not quite maintain the sense of calm he was hoping for, so his meditation had been largely unsuccessful. Though, he expected that they would be dropping out of hyperspace sometime soon regardless in order to check what information they could glean about this supposed end of the war, if his reckoning of time was still correct.

Kresst uncrossed his legs and laid back on his bed that was made far too large for himself. He did not feel as much from the rest of the galaxy, but if there was one thing he was able to sense during his meditation, it was the turmoil within his own ship. There was no living being aboard the ship that was not filled with some degree of worry or fear. He would not have been surprised if even the droid was "worried". He had to admit that the prospect of returning home after this whole affair carried a certain optimistic appeal to it, but Kresst still could not shake his doubts. Why would he have felt such intense darkness and despair come over him if the galaxy had finally came to peace. He supposed that Mevenn's theory that the clones had been somehow manipulated by the Separatists, coupled with the dark side presence on the planet, could have explained it, but Kresst still could not shake a persistent sense of dread. Was the source of it his own mind, or perhaps the minds of the others with which he was sharing the ship, or was he still feeling it from the Force itself?

Regardless of what the truth might be, Kresst realized that he would be finding no answers on his own. Once they dropped out of hyperspace, they would be able to get a better sense of the situation. The only things he could influence right now were on the ship, and there was one person whose turmoil he could feel more clearly than anyone else's.

---

The light sound of small claws tapping against the hard floor could be heard after the door to the room opened once more. Even so, Kresst was not even sure that Mevenn had yet noticed him. He politely stepped to the side to make way for one of the alarmed astromechs rolling around in the room, then stepped up close in front of Mevenn. With the way she was sitting curled up on the floor, he was actually close to head height to her for once.

Kresst started right away, skipping any greetings or questioning of her feelings. She was showing them quite clearly. "I know that you are a soldier, as they were. As a soldier and a Jedi, I know you certainly prepared your mind for the possibility that you might lose some of them. Perhaps you already lost some friends in this war, but this? You could not prepare your mind for this. No one, could prepare their mind for this. Whatever...caused it to happen, it was not because of you. And there was nothing better you could be expected to have done."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan started to look nervous, if not somewhat embarrassed. "Yeah, I know, but..." He began, pausing and picking at the roasted hackwing leg he had been eating. "...well, she's just so boring! At first we asked each other a lot about where we're from, but after that, there's just nothing else. We don't even like hardly any of the same things, but she just keeps wanting to talk to me. I don't even know why."

---

Ahnasha did see that her family was giving the horses a few odd looks due to their behavior. They did not have any particular expertise with horses, but it was easy enough to tell that something was wrong with them. Still, no one was questioning it at least for the moment, since they were able to get moving with only slight delay.

Gwindir smiled back at Fendros, with S'nashi nodding along with him. "Well, I can think of no better way to make friends than over a good meal, with a good view."

Shevari, meanwhile, turned her attention to Rhazii. "You know, Rhazii, I could try sending you back with a few recipes. Though, I suppose I would need to know what kinds of ingredients you usually have available."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan pried his eyes away from the squirming fish long enough to acknowledge his father. "I, um, yeah. I guess." He answered, having been distracted enough to not entirely register Janius' sarcasm. "It will be nice to get it over with, but...it's just going to take so long! He said I'm going to have to be still for hours today, and do it every day for most of the week. It just sounds so dull. Leeus did say she would try to stop by when she's done with training and everything, but..."

Julan looked away, letting out a sigh. "I, um, just told her not to worry about it."

---

S'nashi and Gwindir were not quite sure what to make of Calia's worries, but it certainly did not serve to allay their own natural fears. All of the talk of powerful mages, life extension, and other sorcery about which they were ill-informed was just enough to plant a vague sense of uncertainty in their minds. However, it did not amount to anything for at least the rest of the picnic. If it was not their archery competition distracting them, it was Shevari strongly urging them to enjoy their meals before they got cold that kept their conversations more mundane and lighthearted.

Eventually, everyone had their fill, though Vasiq had to hold his wife back from trying to convince everyone to try more of her desert. She volunteered herself and Vasiq to clean everything up while everyone else headed back, but Gwindir and S'nashi both insisted on helping as well, so most everyone ended up helping, which did not take terribly long with so many hands to assist.

Ahnasha began to walk back down the path with everyone else, holding one hand in Fendros', and the other over her stomach. She felt that she may have fallen victim to some amount of nervous eating, as she realized that she likely had a bit too much of her fill. She was on the edge of being sick, but as long as she could relax and not eat anything else, she supposed she would be fine.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Alright, I'll just put them going on their way back.

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."