EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Hmm, I have been thinking about that a little, actually. I have no family traditions to go by, and if I did, I probably wouldn't follow them. I had one idea: Rhazii. It means "ash." I know Dunmer usually take their relationship with their ashen homeland with pride, and since his father is Dunmer, I thought it might be fitting. What do you think?" Ahnasha asked.

"It's alright, Sabine. You need not explain anymore. I understand. Unless it is your will to confront her, we need not seek her out. I know well the terrors magic can cause in the wrong hands. We will avoid her if at all possible, and if we are forced to purchase something from her store for your potions, you will not have to be present. Just know that if you ever desire to confront her, we will all be at your back. You will not fall into her cage again." Meesei said. Despite the weakness in her body, her voice carried with it force and certainty.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I am trying to find khajiit words that could be used as a name, but unfortunately, most are minor insults. I'll need to make one up.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha allowed Fendros to settle in beside her, then wrapped her tail around his waist as he put his arm around hers. "Nonsense...you aren't a foolish thing." She joked, nudging his elbow. "Still, who could have guessed where it would lead? I can't remember the act itself clearly, but...maybe we could rectify that at some point." She said, giving him a suggestive smirk before continuing. "Something that started out as a drunken mistake has turned into a blessing. I look forward to bringing our child into this world...well, maybe not the birth itself. I hear that's painful, but the idea of it is wonderful to me. Maybe living in our pack won't be the safest existence for it, but I can think of no family more loving than this one. Not to mention how it has brought us together."

"I see." Meesei responded to Sabine. By Janius' description of the apothecary, she had guessed that might be the case, but it was good that Sabine was willingly sharing. "If you are so strongly opposed to any of us seeing her, then I assume you did not have a good relationship. I know it hurts to think about family, but what is dangerous about your sister, other than her capabilities. Is the reason you do not want her to see us because she has a particular issue with lycans, or because you do not want her to find you?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha laughed. "I would say you are right about shaven Khajiit. When I was a child, I remember one of my neighbors, a Khajiit boy, had an infestation of lice in his fur. The only way to be rid of the parasites was for his parents to shave him completely. He never quite lived that one down." She explained, moving over a bit in case he wanted to join her. She then eyed him again with a sly grin. "How much of that night do you remember, anyway? Do you recall any of the more...interesting details? We were both fairly intoxicated; my own memory is rather spotty."

"Thank you." Meesei responded, but she was not finished with her line of questioning. "I have to ask, though, how do you know this? Who is this person to you that you know so much about her? I have never pried into your past before, unless you wanted to speak up, but I believe this is important. We did not find you in Morrowind, so I find it strange you know so much about someone who owns a shop all the way in Vos."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha returned Fendros' chuckle and gave him a grin. "You. And different...parts of you. You know, you're pretty handsome for a Dunmer." She said. Reaching up with her hand, she was just able to touch his chin. "Maybe a bit better with a beard, but still. I see why I went after you in my drunken mind." She said, continuing her stares.

Despite Sabine's discomfort, Meesei continued to look at her with a warm and friendly smile as she approached. "I want to thank you for helping to take care of me. After we encountered that gas and were forced out of our lycan forms, I know there wasn't much you could do. I just don't want you to think you were useless. Your own role is an important one. I don't think I could make it through this without you. We are going to have to stay here for a while, though, longer than we originally planned. Depending on if we find the proper ingredients here for you to use, some of us may also have to return to Vos to purchase them." Meesei reached out an lightly placed a hand on Sabine's shoulder, looking at her with a compassionate expression. "Sabine, I love you like one of my own. You're like the daughter I never had, and I do not want any harm to befall you. We may be forced to come into contact with that apothecary, so if there is anything you can tell me about her, anything at all that will help me understand who she is and what she can do, please tell me. You can trust me."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Very. It's warm, like Red Mountain itself is warming it...which it probably is." Ahnasha answered, turning her head to look at him. She smiled, obviously in a good mood. She let her eyes wander across his body. For any lycan pack, seeing each other in any state of dress or undress was so common that it became normal, but given her feelings for him and the relationship they had formed, she had started to look at him in an entirely different way. His appearance was something she would have to get used to. After all, she was Khajiit, so the features she naturally found attractive he did not possess. He had no fur, no mane, though she had been debating on whether or not to try and convince him to grow a beard. Regardless, he could become terribly and hideously disfigured and she would still remain by his side. She cared for him on a far deeper level than simple appearances. Still, he was close enough to Khajiit that she could appreciate his features. She continued to look him over, making no effort to hide her stares.

Meesei finished up her own breakfast, though she did not have much of an appetite. Her intestines were among the organs damaged, so perhaps eating too much would not be wise anyway. She looked to Janius after giving his recommendation for what to do with the bodies. "I would prefer to take them outside to bury them, personally. Allow their bodies to fertilize the soil of this desolate land. Perhaps we can burn the Dunmer; I know it is within their culture to burn their dead, to 'return them to ash', or something along those lines. These hunters may have been our enemies, but they were still hunters an deserve some respect."

After a few moments, Meesei turned her attention from Janius to Sabine. Now that they had defeated the Orc and his hunters, she found herself wanting to resolve the next order of business. "Sabine, could you come here a moment? I do not have need of anything else, I would just like to speak to you for a moment."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sorry about the delay, I was writing in a collab simultaneously.

I think in my next one, I'll have Meesei pull Sabine aside to speak to her about that apothecary. Should be an interesting conversation.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

As Lorag awoke, he carefully moved himself closer to the fire to have his own breakfast. With a broken shin, he couldn't do much in the way of moving around, which greatly annoyed him. He despised showing any kind of weakness, so he of course tried to play down his injuries. Despite the piercing pain in his leg, he did his best to hide any form of suffering on his part. Meesei knew him too well, however, and saw through his facade. His slight grunts and shaky movements gave away the fact that he was hurting.

Meesei nodded to Sabine in thanks when she gave her the healing, then glanced over to Lorag. "Sabine, could you get a healing potion for Lorag as well? And do not leave him alone until he drinks it. I'll not have his stubborn pride give him a permanent limp." She requested, shooting Lorag a teasing look. "At any rate, Fendros, Hircine did say too much else, only that he will let us know when it is time to act. For now, he simply wants us to keep the pack strong. Your training will continue once we are all well, which, unfortunately, might be a while. There is no way I am going to be able to move out of these caves for a few days, at least."

Once Ahnasha finished her breakfast, she went over to the pile of their belongings and grabbed her clothes and jewelry. Much like her own fur, they were covered in blood. Now that she had eaten, she decided to head over to the pool of water on the other side of the chamber. She set down her belongings beside it, then tested the temperature with her foot. She expected it to be cold, but surprisingly, it was actually warm, perhaps even hot. It seemed almost like a hot spring, except there was a stream feeding into it. Being that they were on a volcanic island, she supposed that stream itself could be heated by some unseen source. Regardless, it was a pleasant surprise. Slowly, she lowered herself into the water, which seemed to melt away all of the tension in her body. She had been scared out of her mind the night before, wondering what would become of her friend, but now, it actually seemed everything would be alright. Sure, Meesei and Lorag were hurt rather badly, but they could be healed. They were going to heal. Now, she was part of a pack that contained the Champion of Hircine herself, an honor she never could have dreamed of years ago when she first began to worship the lord of the hunt. After all the tension and fear from yesterday, everything just seemed...good.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

As Meesei numbed her own pain, she gave the others a smile. "It is indeed an honor, though he seemed pleased with the rest of you as well. Clavicus Vile, the Prince who this Orc served, is a powerful being, and Hircine said you all have a destiny in the coming war against him. That will come later, however. For now, I think it is appropriate to celebrate our victory here, and it is indeed our victory. There is no way I could have accomplished this alone; you all risked everything for this, and you all deserve the praise."

Ahnasha couldn't help but to smile. To be praised by her Alpha always gave her a warm feeling, but this was a bit different. According to Meesei, her lord Hircine himself had given his praise to them. Looking at Meesei, she still held some fear about her condition, but Hircine had erased most of her worries. After hall, why would he give Meesei the title of his Champion if he thought she was going to die from her wounds? Although she was content to remain exactly where she was, her stomach showed that it had other plans when it gave an audible rumble. Reluctantly, she stood up and stretched her muscles, though she did not end up going far from him. Between the hunters' supplies, and the hunters themselves, there was plenty to eat in the chamber they were in. She sat down by the fire, still on the blanket with Fendros, and grabbed some of the meat Janius had cut up the night before. As always, she left it uncooked and went straight to eating, not really even caring about what type of meat it was. Glancing down, she saw that much of the fur on her torso was still caked in dried blood, but luckily, the pool of water on the other side of the room would be helpful in solving that issue.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

My download speed isn't terrible anymore, it's merely bad.