Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Six nights? Mara's mercy, that must have been difficult." Janius was very visibly impressed. He thought it rather cruel at first to hear that they would leave her in the marsh to fend for herself, but she must have been very capable to succeed in it. He glanced at the tattoos again, he wasn't exactly a botanist, so he didn't see the parallels between the vines and Kaleeth's ordeal, but he understood their significance now.

Before he could say anything else, the pack began to rise to carry their belongings into the large hut that the elder had pointed to. Janius got up as well with his baggage and looked to Kaleeth, "Shall we walk and talk?" he asked, offering a hand to help her up. As they walked to the hut, Janius resumed the conversation, "You are very brave and strong to live through such a test. Does every hunter have to do the same?"

Fendros kept holding hands with Ahnasha, helping her up to get to the common quarters. He thought before that perhaps the villagers would be uncomfortable with he and Ahnasha, but he was glad to have that worry alleviated by Julneen and the others. "You know, I don't mind it here. Everyone seems very friendly. Well, most of them." Fendros said, facing Ahnasha directly, "What do you think?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It was clear that Kaleeth was very interested in becoming a hunter. Taking down a wamasu was a particularly dangerous right of passage to earn that status. Janius glanced around to the hunters briefly. To think that all of the hunters guarding them, even with help, each had a hand in killing one, was testament to their skills and strength. "Mmno, I do not have any tattoos. They are not common in Cyrodiil." Janius shook his head, then eyed the swimming vine shapes on Kaleeth-Rei's body. "Your tattoos are very pretty though." He gestured to them with his finger, quickly and roughly tracing their shape through the air in the space between himself and Kaleeth. He wondered if tattoos were as painful to have inscribed into Argonian scales as human skin. "How did you earn them?"

"Farewell. It was good talk." Fendros said as the villagers dispersed. Even though they were still being closely watched, he felt a bit more comfortable now. He was glad to have a chat with Julneen, even if it was only for a short while. "Azura, speaking in Jel is tiring." He said to no one in particular, before looking around to the rest of the pack.

"Ralith-Ei, Caatot, come along, you have chores to do!" An Argonian female voice from one of the huts turned the heads of both the brothers. Ralith-Ei looked to Meesei one more time, "It was nice to meet you, Meesei," he stood up and walked over to Caatot, poking him in the shoulder, "Come on, it is your turn to bone the fish." Caatot clearly wanted to stay, but grumbled and got up to run off anyway. "See you later, hunters!" He shouted over his shoulder while he headed to the hut. Ralith started to leave, but stopped to say one last thing to Meesei, "Thank you for the talk." He didn't seem immediately prepared to admit that Meesei was correct, but the message might have come through. "Ralith!" "Coming, mother!"

Now it just appeared to be the pack, the hunters, the young woman Janius was talking to, and Reanaseer. Most of the pack was at a loss for what to do. Fendros grinned when he saw Janius fulfilling his habit. "I see you've still found a way to talk a female up here, Janius."

Janius' head jerked to Fendros in partial surprise. Then he squinted and pointed to Fendros with a smile, "You shut your mouth, Dunmer." Part of Janius actually wanted to err on the side of caution in regards to interacting with females now that he wasn't even allowed to bed them. That didn't mean he couldn't make a few friends at least. Kaleeth was a nice person.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Well, I could learn some Jel if you are willing to teach. Fendros and Meesei are much better at it than I am. I only know hello, goodbye, thank you, excuse me, yes and no." Janius replied. His pronunciation of the Jel was atrocious, but the few words he knew had served him well enough. "If you will teach me Jel, I will help your Cyrodilic. Does that sound good?"

Janius found Kaleeth's curiosity about his armour interesting. He would have thought they would have seen some kind of metal armour. Well, they didn't exactly mine the stuff in these parts, so perhaps not. "Yes, I traded for this armour in Cyrodiil. I take it off to hunt, but I wear it to fight." Janius held his hand flat and ran the side of it across his cuirass, "It keeps weapons from cutting me. Do the villagers not wear armour to fight?"

"I understand," Fendros said to Julneen. It was just as Reanaseer had mentioned. The word said to Janius was probably something hurtful, but the master-hunter was probably brought up with that attitude, or something happened to him or people he knew at the hands of Imperials. Fendros didn't find either possibility difficult to believe. There wasn't really much else Fendros could think to say, so he addressed Julneen once more. "Is there more questions? I do not want to..." He couldn't find the word, "I don't wish to distract you if you are busy."

The older brother looked to Meesei with a disagreeing brow. "Hmph, who ever said I was slacking off? Caatot will never best me! At least not yet." Ralith-Ei exclaimed, before looking away and shrugging in agreement, "I guess your right, though. He'll learn. I don't think I'm a role model though. We get into fights all the time. He's so stupid." He turned his head to look at Meesei again, "Do you have egg-siblings?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

A few pieces of iron armour, yeah.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius smiled and chuckled along with Kaleeth, try not to make it sound nervous given the circumstances. Why do I get the feeling that this is all going to end in tears? He thought to himself. At least she'll have some experience if things get hairy, but Janius wondered whether she was going to prove herself far more capable than him in this environment. "Thank you. You are very kind. You also have good Cyrodilic. There are not many Argonians outside of cities I've heard speaking it. Oh, and, a sharp pole? The word is 'spear'."

With the silence that the question caused, Fendros feared that he had said something wrong. Julneen followed up though. "The Master Hunter. Reanaseer, you said his name was... Zharanthi-...xil?" Fendros spoke cautiously. Perhaps it was a curse word or something?

The older brother nodded in understanding to this, but the younger just got more excited. "Oooh! Scars! Can I see?" He shuffled closer to Lorag to see if he could spot any immediately visible marks.

While the younger brother was distracted, the older one looked at Meesei. "He's always wanted to be a hunter, like many of us. But thinks it's about being flashy and getting glory. I've been training to become a hunter and I know it isn't all that. My brother is an impatient dunghead." He looked forward and hissed in annoyance.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Teach you hunting? Well, I..." Janius raised one eyebrow and looked to the leaves of the tree they sat under. He wasn't sure whether that was a good idea. He had been hunting in the marsh for long enough to be comfortable doing so. However, it wasn't often, and seldom successful, to hunt without someone who really knew their way around the marsh such as Meesei. Wait, why would I have to hunt with this girl on my own? Why can't I ask for help here? Janius sighed at himself, It's because you're a prideful fool, Janius, and you neither want to be seen to lack hunting expertise, or to be used to maybe, just maybe, admitting defeat and not treating this like a courting. You are just flirting for fun! What is the matter with you!? Just proceed as if that's not an objective... because it isn't, you know? By now Janius' smile had lowered, completely lost in his thoughts, but he had to reply before his pause became strange. "Erm, sure, I could do that." Janius' answer hardly had a certain tone. He explained slowly just in case he would end up making a fool of himself, "I have less experience hunting in the marsh though. I am used to Cyrodiil. It's very different. Um, how much do you know about hunting?" It was during the final sentence that Janius' mind realised that he might have to transform if they ran into any danger. It was a realisation that caused him to ring a series of curses in his brain for agreeing to it.

Fendros nodded to Julneen again. They would all see eventually. Having apparently run to the end of the topic, there was a pause before Fendros said anything else. "I am interested. There was word said to Janius before, the master hunter spoke." Fendros tried to recall the hateful sounding word or phrase that Zharanthixil had uttered when he left them, "What is 'Waxhuthil' meaning?"

The young boy was grinning as he listened to Lorag. He had indeed never heard of a minotaur before, but they sounded dangerous. He looked down with disappointment once Lorag finished recounting, but it wasn't because of him. If his Argonian lips would allow it, he would probably be pouting. "I've never seen an ogre before, mother says I'm too young to go out hunting." He said.

"That's because you are. You're only thirteen, flybrain!" The older brother spoke up. Sure, he didn't exactly want his younger brother to be out trying to hunt minotaurs, but it by his tone it seemed like they didn't get along as siblings in the first place.

The younger brother sat up straighter and turned around to retort to his brother. "I'll be old enough soon, so shut up, dunghead!"

"You're the dunghead! You should have been called dunghead on your naming day!"

"I am not!"

"You are so!"

"I am not!"

Their argument went on like this, attracting the attention of most of the pack, but the villagers seemed to view it as normal. It was probably a common occasion between these two. At least it didn't look like either of them were willing to be physically violent with each other. It wasn't long before one of the older hunters shook his head and broke rank for enough time to walk up to them and flick them both on the back of their heads. "Ralith-Ei, Caatot, play nice around the guests." His voice was deep and held a firm authority.

Both brothers winced at being flicked and rubbed the backs of their heads as they looked up at the hunter. "Yes, father," they said in unison. Satisfied, the hunter moved back to his post, the brothers glared at each other while he had his back turned.

Once the moment had passed, the older brother asked Lorag a question. His demeanour was calmer than his younger sibling, but still held interest. "Do you hunt these beasts on your own, or with your tribe?" He referred to the rest of the pack, but assumed that there was more than just the few gathered here in their group.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Apologies for yet more delay, I was at an appointment where I learned that I'm going to have my wisdom teeth removed some time within the next two years... then I had to do my taxes. xP

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The boy's mouth and eyes were wide at Lorag's explanation once Meesei interpreted. His older brother seemed to have an impressed expression, but was somewhat embarrassed by his sibling's behaviour. "Wow! An army? It must have been huge!" The younger one exclaimed. The older brother commented to the younger, "I doubt it was that big." The younger brother sneered and stuck out his tongue at the older one before seating himself down leaning forward with his cheeks in his hands. He seemed in awe of Lorag already. "What other big stuff have you caught?"

Letting out a quiet laugh, Janius accepted the sentiment of the compliment. "Thank you," he replied, bowing his head again. Janius considered trying to explain his point about the kiss more clearly, but decided to leave it to later. Perhaps he could try and learn the right words in Jel as necessary and they could have a laugh about it later. That is, if he could even pronounce the words properly. "So, Kaleeth-Rei, What is your job in the village?" Janius spoke slower and more clearly this time, realising that he had slipped back into his usual pace earlier.

Fendros smiled and nodded in thanks to Julneen's blessing. It was a nicely worded one. Fendros also listened on with interest to his short explanation of their way of life. It was simple, hard working and mobile. Similar to the pack's own way of life at a glance. So this was Meesei's culture before she started the pack. These people are so friendly. Taking a breath, Fendros paused to gather together more Jel, "May your village stay strong. And thank you for... peace. We travel a long path to here for Sabine." He looked around for Sabine, "Actually," he found her seated with her knees up in front of her, as she often did. It seemed that everyone in the pack was talking with someone in the the village except for her. Fendros doubted that she would be open to conversation, but he asked just in case. "Hey Runt, why don't you come and say hello?"

Sabine was looking at empty space, but glanced up at Fendros when she heard her name. Fendros tried to give her an encouraging smile, but she wrapped her arms around her knees and hid the lower half of her face behind them, going back to staring at nothing and not drawing attention to herself.

Giving up quickly, Fendros looked at Ahnasha, then to Julneen. "She has seen much," Fendros explained slowly, "She is very... little talk. Very much little talk with... new people."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The young man who was asking about Lorag looked from around the ground uneasily. "Um, well..." It seemed as if he was trying to recollect what he was going to ask before, but an even younger Argonian male, one who didn't look older than twelve, but very similar to the young man, came up behind them. He looked like the younger brother of the young man. "You're the biggest hunter and warrior, what's the biggest creature you've hunted?" The boy was certainly excitable. It was clear that he looked up to hunters in his clan. To see foreign and strange hunters must have been particularly exciting.

"Wait-" Janius couldn't speak up in time before Kaleeth-Rei pecked him on the lips out of nowhere. He was slightly embarrassed, but couldn't help but laugh and rub the back of his head. "Um... I think I should explain," Janius started, still emitting the occasional laugh, "In Cyrodiil, a man will kiss the hand of a beautiful woman to greet her. A kiss on the lips usually comes...hmhm... later." He wore a wide and amused grin, she probably didn't know any better in the first place, "Usually a kiss on the lips is during courtship." He laughed again and took a deep breath and exhaled out of pouted lips to try and collect himself and stop laughing. "But now that you ask, yes, I quite like Black Marsh. The weather is horrible, but there are beautiful sights and the people are very friendly when you get to know them."

Fendros looked to Ahnasha and gave a quick smile. The reaction of the villagers at first made Fendros slightly uncomfortable, but with Reanaseer's translation it at least seemed relatively harmless. The villagers still just remained curious, it seemed. Fendros was surprised to hear about Dunmer slavers running away with Argonian paramours, but he supposed the perceived shame in such an act would not have propagated the story in his direction until now. "That is correct. Ahna and I..." He paused to find the word, but he still didn't have everything in Jel. "We fell in love." He switched to Jel again, "You are also correct as it is very... between Dunmer and other races... it does not happen. Not normally. But I said before, my path is different." Fendros looked down at his hand held by Ahnasha's and rubbed her hand with his thumb, "It is a... large story." Fendros hoped that his choice of words was appropriate. It wasn't as if a 'long' story would make quite as much sense in a language that didn't quantify time. If he were honest, he wasn't sure that he wanted to attempt to recount the events to the village due to the... by chance nature of its beginning. He left it up to Ahnasha if she really wanted to divulge.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It was nice to hear the Argonian express an interest in Dunmer culture with an open mind after the events of last week. Fendros thought for a moment on how to respond, then tried his best in Jel. "I am not from Morrowind. I am from Cyrodiil. My..." he was sure he knew this one, but passed it onto Reanaseer in Cyrodilic, noting how she translated it, "My parents." He switched back to Jel, "They are from Morrowind. Dunmer in Morrowind live in villages that stay. They do not move like Argonian villages. Some villages are big, like Thorn. They... make animals and plants. They... make objects and trade. They trade with..." Fendros didn't know the word in Jel for Septims, so he just pulled one out of his pocket and named it, "Coins." He was talking slowly and it took a lot of energy to think of the right words in Jel, but he was honestly grateful for the opportunity to practice. "Many Dunmer are proud... they don't like others. They would take Argonians, Khajiit and others, and they would work farms. That is not allowed. Not anymore. But not all Dunmer... don't like others. There are many Dunmer."

Thinking on his last question, Fendros wracked his brain further, "I took a different path. I became a friend of Meesei and Ahnasha. I learned about them and... I learned they were like me." Fendros sighed and reached the limit of his Jel again. "I think I have to explain this one in Cyrodilic as well. I used to be disdainful of Argonians and Khajiit, and other races in general for the most part. I hadn't really learned much about them. As I got to know Ahnasha, Meesei, everyone in the p-, in the group, I found that they weren't what I had been lead to believe. There was more to them, and more to other races. I was raised in Cyrodiil and in Imperial culture, but still had some Dunmer ties. That changed when I joined the group. I'm a hunter with them now, and I wouldn't take that back for anything." Fendros tried to follow up with satisfying his own curiosity about Argonian villages. "And you? How is it in an Argonian village? What do you do?"

Most of the people curious with Lorag lit up with some amount of understanding when Meesei responded. Lorag had a very alien appearance in comparison to any humanoid they had ever seen. Even some of them had seen Khajiit such as Ahnasha, but Lorag was very different. The same young man that had asked Meesei about Lorag opened his mouth to speak to Lorag directly, but stopped and looked at Meesei again. "He has such big teeth. Can he talk?" he asked cautiously, still holding an unsure expression.

"Yes, I am an Imperial. I come from a city called Bravil." Janius spoke slowly and clearly to Kaleeth-Rei could understand. It didn't quite help with the Jel she hissed out afterwards. Janius looked blank for a few moments, then chuckled. "I am very sorry, I do not understand."

When there was a pause in Reanaseer's translating, a couple of Argonian women, one young adult and one who looked about middle aged, approached the elder and tapped her on the shoulder. The middle aged woman, a brown and green scaled Argonian with curled horns on either side of her head, began to murmur into Reanaseer's ear with a fearful tone. "That Khajiit woman over there. Are they meant to be bloated like that? At first I thought she was just fat, but the rest of her body is normal. I fear she may be diseased as these foreigners seem to get." The women that approached Reanaseer were looking at Ahnasha with concern, but they didn't want to be disrespectful if it turned out that it was normal for Khajiit to have a bulge like Ahnasha.