EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I would like to be able to respond, but it is too late for anything I write to be particularly good. I'll respond in the morning. Goodnight.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Lorag didn't seemed to be obviously impressed by the demonstration, though it was possible he was just hiding any reaction. When Fendros asked if he had any nicknames, he let out a short, but hardy laugh. "No, no one's been clever enough to come up with something that stuck. Catdog tried, but she never got far. She didn't have as much of a talent for it when she first joined the pack. Still, I like to think I've rubbed off on her." Lorag said, giving Ahnasha a light nudge on the shoulder as she began eating on her undercooked meat. "If she was as clever then as she is now, she probably would have come up with something. A bit too late now, though. As far as the Legion goes, my commander never would have allowed anything like that. He was a strict, serious man, to the annoyance of everyone under his command. Don't get me wrong, though, I respected that man to death. He was a Khajiit, believe it or not. One of those Cath...Cat...Cathe..."

"Cathay-raht." Ahnasha interrupted.

"Yeah, right, that. His name was Do'Rhajul, and he was one fearsome fighter. He could use all sorts of weapons, but mostly stuck with blunt ones. I'm not ashamed to admit he was much stronger than even I am now. I don't even know if I could properly wield the hammer he carried, and when he was at the head of a shield wall, there was nothin' getting past him. He led his men with a strong hand, but he was always fair. I don't really know what happened to him, honestly. He was with our patrol when we were ambushed by the werewolves. We all got separated, so I didn't see what happened. If anyone was going to survive that, though, it would probably be him." Lorag explained, thoroughly enjoying recalling his past in the Legion. He wouldn't want to go back, of course, but he had fond memories of that part of his life.

---

"I suppose that is sensible. Her current traits could not have come from nothing, after all. Still, I believe she can be cured, her mind restored. It shall not be easy, but i will go to any length to ensure the well-being of my pack.It is good that you are so willing to help your sister as well. It will be difficult for you to redeem yourself fully, but you are certainly on the right path. I cannot help but to wonder, though, how will you deal with our eventual departure? We will not be staying in Vos forever, and once we leave, we may not end up returning. It depends on where Hircine sends us. Will you be able to handle being separated from the sister you have only recently reunited with, potentially permanently?" Meesei asked. Her question may not have been easy or pleasant to think about, but it was important to consider nonetheless. Even if Ariel was not of her pack, Meesei did not want to cause her any pain she was not prepared for.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha joined the others by the fire with a cut of meat for herself, though this time she took a bit more time with it. The hunters did not have any moon sugar that she had found, but they did have an assortment of spices. She spread them over her meal, then allowed it to roast over the fire. She of course intended to remove it while it was still mostly raw, but allowing it to roast with spices for just a little while would add to the flavor. Before Ahnasha could even answer Janius' question, Lorag, almost predictably, chimed in.

"Heh, you act like they were actually practicing up there. We all know what you two do in your 'alone time,' no need to hide it." Lorag commented.

Ahnasha crossed her arms. "Our intentions were purely innocent this time, Lorag. I know you're jealous because you don't have anyone to share a bed with, but still. Fendros has been making good progress. He's good enough now that I would consider him a good shot. The next step is helping him keep his aim under pressure, then we move on to making him a great shot.

"Hmph, jealous. Right." Lorag huffed. He turned his head to Fendros and gave a slight nod. "Hey lover-boy, how about you give a demonstration of what Catdog's been teaching you?"

---

Meesei looked over Ariel's expression, examining her features. While more difficult for her to discern than other Argonians, she had grown accustomed enough to humans to differentiate most of their emotions. She seemed to care about the lives of at least some of the coven. Meesei let out a slight sigh. "I cannot guarantee that. I will tell the others to try and strike non-fatal blows, but if they fear for their lives, they will have to go for a fatal strike. I cannot afford to risk the lives of my pack, just as I do not want to risk yours. Killing will not be the first option, though, I can promise that. Speaking of sisters, though, there are some questions I have regarding Sabine. As you have seen, she is a quiet individual. Is is hard for even me to convince her to speak to me. I was wondering what you can tell me about what she was like before she became a lycan, before the torture. At this point, I am not certain she even remembers."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Understood." Meesei said with a no as they exited the cave. "We need not take any unnecessary risks for this scouting run. I would like to gain as much information as possible, but not at the risk of our own lives. I am a capable illusionist and have the enhanced senses of a lycan, so I should have no issue remaining hidden. The poison gas is of course a point of interest we should investigate, but I am also interested in their undead guardians. Magical constructs such as those are useful, but they have their weaknesses. If I can get close to them, I may be able to get a sense of what type of energies are binding them together. Even better, if we manage to capture one, I could examine it, and perhaps create enchantments we could use to disrupt them. That, of course, would only be possible if one happens to be far enough away from the coven to capture without raising the alarm."

The pair had immediately began towards the coven's lair, but according to Ariel, it was a bit of a walk, so they did have some time to spare. "At any rate, since we have the opportunity now, I had a few questions I wished to ask you. Firstly, this coven, how are you expecting these events to unfold. I know these witches essentially kidnapped you as a child, but it would be foolish of me to think that you do not have personal ties within their group, even if it is only with a select few individuals. I do hope you realize this raid could easily turn to bloodshed."

---

Ahnasha nodded. "I...I do think it would be best if I kept away from the most direct dangers. I don't like it, but I have to think about more than myself. I wouldn't be able to handle it if harm came to our child because of my pride. Don't think I'm just going to be useless, though. I can find ways to help that won't put me in the direct line of fire, and don't think this will get you out of our training. Even when my belly looks like I swallowed a melon whole, I'll still be teaching you how to shoot."

She gave him a genuine smile, then a quick kiss as she stood up. For a moment, she looked out across the sky at the sun that was quickly setting over the horizon. "Maybe we should get back inside. We can get some dinner, rest by the fire, or maybe take another of those very relaxing baths. If that fails, I'm sure we can find some way to mess with Lorag while he can't walk. It would be too easy." She said with a slight chuckle.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"It will just be you and I. It would be best to keep our group size to a minimum to avoid detection." Meesei answered as she began to gather her belongings to prepare. She dressed in her usual clothing, then filled her satchel with a few useful potions, including a magicka potion and one of Ariel's invisibility potions, in the event of an emergency. In addition, she collected one of the enchanted bone necklaces and put it around her neck, then approached Ariel and offered the other to her. "Here, take this. It bears an enchantment which connects it to the one I am wearing. Both of them can be used to find the other, in the event we get separated. If there is nothing else, we should get moving. You should take the lead."

---

Ahnasha had calmed down considerably, but she was still greatly conflicted. She knew what she was proposing was dangerous, but it seemed like the only real option. One thing he said was certainly true, however; Meesei could definitely be of help. "I...I know. You're right, and I'm not going to step into anything blindly. I am afraid, but..." She began her gaze moving from the ground up to his eyes. For a few moments, she looked at him silently before slowly wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a very long, very passionate kiss. She eventually pulled away with tears still in her eyes, but a more content expression on her face. "...but I won't be giving up. It will take time, it will take effort, but we will surely be able to figure out something. I don't know what it will take, but if we set our mind to it, we will do it."

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

We really need to finish our collab soon, Leon. I'll be up for about 2 more hours, probably.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I...don't know if that is true. About the magic, I mean." Ahnasha responded. She pulled back from him just enough so that she could look into his eyes. "I suppose it could go wrong, but...it could go right too. I remember reading about this one Dunmer wizard, Div...Divayth Fyr, I think, who has been alive since the First Era. Copies of his books used to pass through my parents' shop from time to time. He has been alive for thousands of years and is perfectly fine. I doubt I could go that far, but...a few hundred could be possible. I don't know what's involved, and I'm sure I would have to spend a lot of time learning, researching, but maybe it could work?" Ahnasha said, her tone carrying with it a hint of desperation.She wanted to find something, anything that could solve this problem. No matter how unlikely it seemed, she was willing to try anything that could keep her alive for anywhere close to Fendros' life expectancy.

---

While Ariel and Sabine had been preparing the resistance potions, Meesei had been slowly sipping away at the regeneration potion she had been given. She was mostly finished with it by this point, and its effects were quite obvious. "Well, you were not lying about the soreness." She commented as she stood up and began to stretch her muscles. She began to walk around the cave to test and see how it felt to move. Unlike before, her stomach did not pain her when she tried to move. With a short magical examination of herself, she determined the potion was indeed helping. She wasn't completely healed yet, not enough for a fight, but she had mobility now. "I may not feel great, but I believe I am well enough to move, at least for a scouting run. Is this coven close enough to Vos that I will need my full city disguise, or can I use less restrictive clothing?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei and Lorag had been resting while they awaited the return of the others. Meesei had healed herself somewhat while they were away, but Ariel's potions would certainly still be welcome. Meesei thanked Ariel, then gladly took the potion and began to drink it slowly, as she instructed. Lorag was a bit more reluctant in accepting his potion, but Meesei had made it abundantly clear to him that he wasn't to deny her help over his pride. If for no other reason than to follow the instruction of his alpha, he took the bottle and started to apply the liquid to his kneecap. He absolutely despised the smell, but at least that meant there was something he could act like didn't bother him.

When Ariel asked about Ahnasha and Fendros, Lorag was the first to answer. "Catdog and lover boy went up to the surface for some 'shooting practice.' Personally, I think they just wanted to get away for some alone time, but who knows? You can go up to check on them if you really need to."

---

While it was comforting for her to know how much Fendros cared for her, his solution hardly seemed like a solution at all to her. The thought of what he was implying caused even more tears to form in her eyes until she suddenly hugged him around the neck and began sobbing on his shoulder. "No...there's no way I could ask that. That's...that's no solution. I mean...there has to be a better way. There is some magic, some necromancy that can do it, but..." She said, her words trailing off at the end. She gripped him even tighter, as if by holding him close, their souls would somehow never have to separate. "Why couldn't I have just been an elf? Everything would be so much easier. We could live our lives together, we wouldn't have to hide it...I would look beautiful to you. Right now, I'm nothing but trouble for you." Ahnasha commented, her despair turning inwards toward herself.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha sighed. "You know me too well. I won't try to hide it. I'm afraid about, well, a lot of things. Everything that seems to pop into my mind recently has me nervous for one reason or another." She said, letting out a sigh of resignation. She dispelled her bound bow and leaned herself against a nearby mushroom tree. Running her hands over her face, she let out a deep breath. "I haven't been able to see danger the same recently. I've never been afraid like this before. Death has always been something I've tried to avoid, but I wouldn't say I was afraid of it. After all, an eternity in Hircine's hunting grounds sounds like a paradise. Now, though...now I have a lot more to worry about. I'm a lycan, I can handle injury. I've been stabbed in the stomach before, but if that happened now, then I don't think our child would make it. Maybe...maybe I should start avoiding danger sooner than I planned? Maybe that would be for the best."

Sitting herself down next to the tree, Ahnasha looked up at Fendros as another of her worries popped into her mind. "And...there is another thing, one not so easily solved. It relates to you, or, well, and me too I suppose. It's just that...you're an Elf, and I'm not. You could reasonably expect to his a thousand years of age, while I would be incredibly lucky if I hit a hundred years. You're going to outlive me. You'll outlive me, our child, our child's children. I won't be a part of your life for hundreds of years. I...I can't even imagine that length of time. I knew about this before, but now that we're together, I've started to think about it more and more. I love you Fendros, and I don't want to lose you. I want our spirits to roam the Hunting Grounds side by side, but how could I even begin to ask that you be alone for so long?" With the emotion in her voice, it was easy to tell that this was something she had been thinking about deeply. As much as she wanted to maintain her composure, tears began to form in her eyes.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha grinned as Fendros put his arms around her. She rested her head lightly on his when he placed his head on her shoulder. "Even if she is, I'm sure Janius and Sabine will be enough to keep her honest during this little venture. And yes, I think I could stand to teach you a thing or two. Come on, let's get up to the surface and get some fresh air."

The pair walked hand-in-hand through the cave up to the surface, only separating to crawl through the collapsed wall of rocks. Ahnasha could see why the hunters chose the cave to be their base of operations. Aside from the obvious discomforts of being a cave, it was the perfect base. It had plenty of space, a natural source of water flowing through it, and its entrance was obscured in the mountainside by foliage. Once outside, Ahnasha led them a short distance away from the cave entrance, stopping underneath a mushroom tree next to a small clearing. Overall, it was a rather nice day outside. Ashstorms could pop up at any moment in Vvardenfell, but for the moment, the sky was perfectly clear. The sounds of birds and other creatures filled the air, making the area seem vibrant and alive, though the temperature was a bit hot.

"Alright, let's find a target for you to practice on. Soon enough, I'm not going to be fit enough for any sort of hunting or fighting, so you'll be the only archer available. I aim to get you ready for that responsibility." Ahnasha commented. Her tone did not betray it, but her words actually came with a good deal of fear. It wasn't that she did not believe Fendros could learn in time, it was that danger had been weighing much differently on her mind recently, among other issues she could not help but to worry about.