Muttonhawk

The Depths of Deception

The Depths of Deception

Uncharacteristic of the time the others in her suite knew Shiva, she wasn't quite as talkative for the rest of the night. She spent probably more time than was useful flitting through the intel they had been given. Not necessarily to plan, but more to understand. However withdrawn she seemed, Shiva did respond to people if spoken to, and eavesdropped on any conversation with the same topic as her thoughts. It at least appeared that the others had the same questions as she did. Even though Shiva could have spent the entire night scrounging through the mission data provided to try and wrap her head around why the mining station was targeted, she disciplined herself enough to head to bed at the regular lights-out time.

When Shiva woke up with a clenched and sore jaw the next morning, she realised that all of her overthinking was probably nerves all along and tried to just swim with it. The morning seemed to pass by quickly, even for the little time they had to get prepared. Akilah, The Assembly's quartermaster, or whatever the equivalent title she had was, almost seemed relieved to hear Shiva's request for her equipment. Shiva had only requested her standard issue equipment. This was simply because she didn't have time to get acquainted with anything new and fancy, more specifically things beyond her regular pay grade.

Shiva jogged up to the drop ship and strode up the ramp to see Shuo and Rareth already seated. Shiva gave Rareth a quick smile and claimed the nearest available seat to the door, happening by Shuo. The fact that her head didn't even touch the headrest of the seat made her feel momentarily surprised, but at least the seat wasn't too small.

With the extra time they had, Shiva gave her weapons a quick check. To distract herself from her slightly shivering fingers, she spoke to the others. As it was now established that Shuo didn't have quite a prominent stick up his arse, Shiva's tone was a tad more casual. "You know, I always thought the engines on these Rothian ships always sounded strange. Not broken, just...I don't know, more like a rising whistle, rather than a roar like other ships. It's a little bit comical."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

At first, Lorag's strange reaction earned a curious look from Fendros, but he agreed to accompany him anyway. "Good, good. We were going to leave once Rhazii finished having a meal, but if it's just you and I, we can leave now if you like." Fendros began to turn towards the rooms, "Let's just let the others know." Fendros hadn't let Lorag's behaviour go yet, but he wanted to get underway.

Sabine didn't immediately respond, still feeling unsure. It began to bother her that she didn't have any particular pastimes in mind. It made her feel as if something was wrong with her given how everyone else seemed to find a way to occupy themselves. However, One thing did start to sound more appealing, and it made Sabine lift her head with a little optimism. "Might we meet some people? Learn from them, like you said?" She asked slightly apprehensively, "I liked talking with Tunxeek in the village, maybe there are friendly people here as well."

There were a few seconds where Janius brought his eyes up to look at the ceiling. It was nice just to be up against Kaleeth, so he didn't mind what they did. But, would now really be a good time with what he just brought up? Well, it might turn the mood a bit. He brought his gaze back to Kaleeth's eyes and smiled. "Now that you mention it, we have been doing an awful lot of resting and talking..." Janius was about to contact Kaleeth's lips when an unexpected knock on the door made his attention snap away. He bowed his head and sighed with a high brow at fate, then looked at the door and called out. "Yes?"

Fendros' muffled voice briefed them from the other side, "Janius, Lorag and myself are going out to find books and advice. Just letting you know in case Sabine and Meesei beat us back here."

From Fendros' side, there was a pause, then Janius called back with a slightly out of place tone. "Thank you, Fendros. Good luck."

Fendros nodded as if Janius could see him for some reason, then obliviously proceeded to Ahnasha in their room. She was still nursing Rhazii, so Fendros kept his voice down. "Ahna," Fendros started with a smile after opening the door, "Lorag says he can go out, I'll go and see what we can find. Are you fine here?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Sure." Janius didn't mind waiting for a bit. In fact, he was slightly grateful to have the time to think about what he could show Kaleeth, especially on their shoestring budget. Perhaps just exploring other districts would be the best approach. It wasn't as if he knew the city in the first place.

While they had the time and Kaleeth's mood seemed well, Janius thought that perhaps now might be a good time to probe on an issue that still made him slightly worried for her. He put and arm around her and put on a more serious look. "So, how are you faring with..." He looked down sympathetically "...you know, the homesickness?"

Meesei's question put a look of intense thought on Sabine's face. She had kept herself occupied in one way or another in the pack for so long that thinking about what she enjoyed before being turned took some time. She came across memories of playing children's games, as you would at that age, being taught things, pushing over sentinels. But beyond that, it was only really alchemy. Slowly, she shook her head, feeling a little odd to have such a void in her mind and reflecting the feeling in her face. "I...don't know." They continued to walk for a few seconds, but the way Sabine spoke indicated that she was trying to think of something to follow up. Being in a city, let alone one she had never been in, Sabine's mind drew a blank and she looked at Meesei curiously. "What...what is there to do?"

"Lorag, there you are." With a nod and a wave, Fendros approached Lorag and didn't waste any time. He could tell that eyes were on him again. "Ahnasha and I desire to use the last of the afternoon to look around the city for any books and advice we can find for raising Rhazii. He's tired from the travelling, though, and one of us needs to stay behind to keep an eye on him. We were wondering if, perhaps, either you accompanied one of us, so we aren't wandering around alone, or-" Fendros put out a hand in a noncommittal gesture, still wondering whether what Ahnasha said about Lorag warming up to Rhazii was true, "-if you like, you could keep an eye on Rhazii for us, while Ahna and myself go out looking together. What do you think?" It was only then that Fendros noticed the conflicted demeanour Lorag displayed, but for now Fendros played it off simply as whether or not to spend his coin on drink. With what he had, he wouldn't be able to get intoxicated enough to neglect Rhazii if he decided to stay behind, so that much was a comfort.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Not really. Not everywhere is like this." Janius answered, before sliding himself onto the bed beside Kaleeth with his back against a wall. He was about to explain that not all cities had poverty like this, but there were very few populated placed that Janius had been to without poorer people, so he had to stop and think about how to answer. "At least...not everyone in the city lives like this. It's complicated." Janius cast his mind back to his first attempt at explaining such things to Kaleeth, perhaps that might be a good starting point. "You remember when I explained how most people trade for gold, labour, and goods? Well, it turns out that such a system doesn't always make things fair. You have upper-classes, that are educated and skilled, or tax people who use the land they claim, or inherit wealth from their relatives when they pass away. These people tend to have more wealth. Oftentimes, it's more wealth than they need. They live comfortably and most of the time quite happily, but then there are others. There are lower-classes, that either don't have the luck or opportunities of the upper-classes. They have to work hard because most of what they are capable of in their position is simple labour. Unfortunately, they do not get as much wealth, so they can't afford a nice house, or good food and drink. Some can't even afford a house at all." Janius felt a bit grave describing it, but his tone turned a little more hopeful to describe the other parts. "There are those in the middle. Craftsmen, merchants and the like. Those that work their fair share, and don't live beyond their means. There are even occasionally upper-class people that understand the plight of the lower-class and provide work for a reasonable wage for them. It seems that this city has many who are suffering, however. It is unfortunate, but better than all those people out there subject to slavery." Janius smiled at Kaleeth to try and turn the atmosphere around a bit, "There are still good hearts in these kinds of places, don't you worry. Those people have likely just made a bad impression."

After getting over the feeling of being slightly foolish in her assumption, Sabine stopped to think for a moment. She wasn't sure how much the Ayleid history interested her, but the buildings were still impressive. It wasn't like there was anything else to do. "Okay," she replied through a nod, not revealing any particular inclination one way or the other, "When will we leave?"

"Now that's something I know him to be quite capable of," Fendros laughed. After a breath, he stood up. "I guess if it's one or the other, I may as well ask him now," Fendros said, "He's probably in one of the other rooms." With that, Fendros left the room, trying to minimise the noise. He walked up to the nearest other room and rapped on the door. Sabine was closest, so she answered Fendros by opening the door and giving him a quizzical look. "Is Lorag in there?" Fendros asked, craning his neck to see only Meesei in the room as well. Sabine shook her head in plainly. Fendros took a breath of the tavern air, either Lorag was with Kaleeth and Janius', or he was at the bar. Knowing Lorag, Fendros cast his eyes to the bar first.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth's volley of questions caused Janius to pull a half-smile despite situation just a few moments ago. He placed his own belongings in one corner of the little room. He responded while rummaging through one bag for something. "Well, there's quite a bit to it, probably. I'm not certain about the buildings, but it's probably just buildings made by cheap craftsmen who are used to building for dryer climates. Also," He turned his head to look at her, "the wood doesn't wash away in floods quite as easily, I'd say." He pulled out a purse of coins from the bag and began securing it to his belt. "As for the clothes-" Janius let out a small laugh, "-you can blame Imperial culture for that. Everyone is embarrassed to be seen naked in Cyrodiil. You'd have to grow up with it to understand. It took me a while to get used to it, but once you're in the pack for long enough, being clothed all the time is difficult. Soon enough, being embarrassed by it just seemed silly."

Sabine surveyed the room momentarily. Normally she was struck by the dry and the comfort of inn rooms when she walked into them, but apart from shelter from the rain and being away from the mud, there weren't many merits for this room over the swamp. She could smell the damp, but at least it wasn't overpoweringly moldy. There wasn't much room for alchemy, though. Sabine decided while they had the moment to share another question that had been dancing through her mind. She still spoke slowly and quietly, "The Ayleid buildings, wouldn't it be dangerous to live in them? They would have traps."

Fendros looked down at Rhazii with a smile and sat down beside Ahnasha while she fed the cub. He looked forward to bonding with their son more in the future, but young as Rhazii was, Ahnasha had a lot more to do than Fendros did. Once he had processed enough of Ahnasha's words properly, Fendros spoke at a lower volume now that Rhazii was occupied. "Lorag? Really? Hm, I would have thought he would be too annoyed by the crying." He shrugged, "Well, if he's willing to help, we may as well take the opportunity." Fendros looked up at Ahnasha, "We'll see how Rhazii is after a suckle before we ask Lorag."

The Depths of Deception

Worth a try.

Leon5431, Leon5431...*rumbles of thunder and crockery breaking*...Leon....543...1?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius felt his shoulders relax as he exhaled from his nose in relief. That certainly could have gone worse, especially if Janius had fallen into the same insular pride trap that got him angry with Zharanthixil. He turned from the table and to the pack again hoping that something like that wouldn't happen again. He would have to watch his words. Ahnasha gave a comment that Janius couldn't quite discern as being a sarcastic chide or a commendation. Janius just took it as a compliment for now. He was about to explain that he had experience with some dives like this in Cyrodiil before Rhazii joined in the conversation. Janius let the parents deal with that. "Come, Kaleeth. Let's find a room," Janius said, opting to reduce the risk of any more hot air.

When Meesei approached Sabine, she had just been listening on and staring idly at the patterns in the wood grain of the bar. She looked up at Meesei, smiled and nodded. She had been looking forward to sending her letter since she wrote it. Though, thinking ahead, she glanced to one side and swallowed, "Where is a courier?"

"Of course," Fendros agreed. Given how willing these patrons were to turn their mood, it would probably be best that they got their son behind closed doors. He followed Ahnahsa into the room she pointed out and closed the door softly behind them, turning the loud talk of the tavern into a muffled murmur. The room itself wasn't much, but they got what they paid for. Fendros put down his luggage and paced over to Ahnasha and Rhazii. He put one arm around Ahnasha and his other hand on Rhazii's back, then kissed Ahnasha on the side of her head. "You've been carrying Rhazii all day. If you like, once we've caught our breath and gotten him settled, I can take care of him for a while. The bookstores ought to still be open for a few hours, and you might get some advice from local healers."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius' first reaction was to tense up a bit. What were the chances that all of these men spoke Cyrodilic? Oh, but he was stupid. With a city this close to the borders of the empire, of course plenty of people would know Cyrodilic! How could they not!? It would be the trade language. Janius felt like hitting himself. Still, it was clear that they were cross. Their words towards Kaleeth were threateningly sleazy, even. But it would do no good to give them more reasons to be angry. If there was going to be a scene, they would have caused it without provocation anyway.

Fendros turned his head and looked back at the men cautiously. Even though Janius already had his attention to the table, he gave the back of his head a look that threatened unkind words if he didn't clear this up.

There was a pause before Janius pushed any anger he had to the back of his mind for the sake of everyone else. Honesty was probably his best bet here, followed by an attempt to change the subject. With a slow breath in, Janius raised his brow and faced the men with a slightly amused smile. "Sorry, gentlemen. I thought everyone here spoke Jel. Serves me right for letting my mouth run." He brought one hand to the back of his neck, both because he was nervous and to be somewhat non-threatening. "I didn't mean anything by it. We're all just tired from the road. What do you folk do around here?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The smell of stale drink intermingled with various smokes and a general lack of fresh air hit the pack like a gale when they walked in. Even Sabine, who was normally used to alchemical fumes, had to squint her eyes and scrunch her nose to adjust. Some men around her gave her looks, but her small profile and the wide, slightly threatening look in her eyes kept her unnoticed as far as she could perceive in the smoke and loud chatter. As long as she kept close to the pack, she felt safe enough. Fendros kept his head level, but stayed cautious. Being another city so close to Morrowind, scars of slavery probably still permeated in some minds. As a Dunmer he felt particularly unwelcome. That he hadn't seen a Dark Elf since they entered the city only worsened the matter. He had seen the odd Khajiit, though, so at least Ahnasha was less likely to be a victim of prejudice. It would really depend on what kind of people these customers were.

In case Kaleeth didn't find out for herself, Janius kept the answer to her question for later. At the counter of the inn, he only spared glances to the others in the room and otherwise took his own advice of not acknowledging them. Kaleeth, however, was still standing out. Assuming the patrons didn't speak Cyrodilic, Janius spoke to Kaleeth in a serious manner while looking away, "Stand up straight, look confident, don't look at them. These people are mostly labourers by the looks, so most are probably okay, but some might be unsavory. If they think you're afraid of them, the more drunken ones might try something unwelcome."

Back in Bravil, Janius had sometimes visited places like this for a change of pace. This made him somewhat street-smart in comparison to Fendros or Sabine. It turned out that many who spent their time in taverns like this were amiable folk. However, there was always at least one who was angry at life, or didn't have a father around to teach them manners, or something else that caused them to become barbaric when inebriated. Even though the pack could easily handle such people, Janius found that avoiding them was the best form of prevention.