Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Llarasa began pinching at her fingers. "I see. So you want them to know?"

Fendros nodded again. "Yes. At least about my condition, perhaps more." He looked to one side. "I do not know how much I'll tell them today."

One of Llarasa's knuckles made a snap as she began twisting her fingers in her anxiety. There was a long pause where she simply stared at the ground between Ahnasha and Fendros. "You should probably see mother first. She's inside." Llarasa beckoned as she turned to lead them to the front door.

Walking inside the house was louder than outside. The wooden floorboards knocked against their shoes in a manner impossible to hide from any occupant.

A tired voice called out through the short hallway. "Llarasa? Have you brought friends over again? I've told you before, you must brew tea for them before they arrive."

"Mother, I have some people you need to meet." Llarasa lead them slowly. Fendros had slowed down.

Fendros peered up and around. The main furniture in the house was just as he remembered it, perhaps with some items shuffled around. Llarasa reached for his upper arm and urged him on before he could slow to a stop.

"Oh? Is it the healer again? Tell him I have been taking my medicine. I have no need of a check up today."

They turned a corner and stepped through an open doorway. Within was a modest sitting room, furnished with soft, well upholstered couches and chairs. The fireplace crackled softly on the opposite wall, barely more than a small mound of glowing coals. On one of the seats was an aged Dunmer woman wearing a brown gown and white apron. In her hands was a large quilt that she was carefully sewing together. She did not turn her head to look at them, neither did she appear to be looking at the quilt. Her eyes were half-shut as if she was sleep-walking. In spite of the lines on her face, she did not appear to be much older than Llarasa. That was not likely the case by elf standards of aging.

"Mother?" Llarasa clasped her hands together.

Fendros' mother turned her head towards them. Her eyes were milky. She sniffed. "I smell a cat. Llarasa, I told you that you are not to have any pets without your fathers' permission!"

"Mother, please. This is important."

The face of the Dunmer woman softened. Her voice even seemed to level after detecting the weight of Llarasa's words. "Very well." She placed the quilt to one side and stood up. She put her hands together and bowed her head. "My name is Calia, welcome to our home. Might I know your names?"

Fendros had been paralysed since he saw his mothers' eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but it took him a moment to come up with anything. "I'm...it has...it has been a while, mother."

Calia froze up at Fendros' voice. "Excuse me," she said, quavering. "Could you say that again? I think I misheard you."

Fendros took a step forward and extended a hand. "I am so sorry."

In the light coming in from the windows, Calia's lower lip began to quiver. She took a defensive tone. "If it is your intention to play me for a fool, I would ask you to take your cruelty elsewhere!"

"This is not a trick, I assure you mother." Fendros took another step forward. The sound of his footfall caused Calia to take a half-step back. Fendros continued, "It was about four years ago, wasn't it? I can hardly remember. I was going hunting because I had an argument with father. I didn't know what I was doing, I intended to come back a few days later. I was going to bring back rabbits to stew. You always liked them the best. I could never fathom why."

"What?" Calia breathed, "What did you just say?" Fendros did not step forward. Instead, it was Calia that brought her hand up, carefully reaching for Fendros' face. Fendros took her hand and brought it to his cheek. "Fendros?" Calia's face twisted into sadness. "My son?" Her quivering knees shuffled up to him. "My son is returned?" Calia was careful trying to embrace Fendros, as if he would slip away if she wasn't careful. "I'm not dreaming. I'm not dreaming."

Fendros brought his arms around Calia in turn. A tear from each eye ran down his cheeks as he held her tight. "I'm here. It's okay."

Calia broke down into long, shuddering sobs as her tension ran off her like invisible water.

Llarasa watched on, suppressing whatever emotions she might be feeling. She was no doubt internally glad that meeting Fendros' mother first was turning out well.

Fendros and his mother cried in each other's arms for a solid minute, going back and forth with small comments that further confirmed just what Calia had been through. It wasn't until she slowly separated from Fendros that she started asking questions. "Where have you been all this time? What happened to you? What...just...we must tell your father and brother!"

"Mother, wait, please." Fendros held out a hand and stopped her by the shoulder. "We need to sit down. There is a lot to say, and I want you to know first. Well...Llarasa has been told, but do not worry the others yet. Please."

Calia suddenly became more grounded. "If that is what you wish." She slowly lowered herself back into her chair. "Llarasa, please make us some tea. You, by the door, come, sit. I never heard your name?"

---

Harriet's abode was not spacious. It was drafty and damp, bordering the line between cramped and cosy. There was only one small room with basic furniture and a kitchen corner, while a set of stairs near the door lead up to the next floor.

At the base of the stairs, Harriet turned her head to face Meesei with a low brow and a deep frown. "I insist, miss. I am not playing any games. Please allow me to put my child to bed so we can speak without disturbing her." Now out of the crowd, Harriet's tone was severe and unambiguous.

Without waiting for an answer, she lead Narsi up the creaky stairs. "Take a seat. I won't be long and I won't try anything."

Narsi kept looking back to stare at Meesei with her confusion starting to turn into worry. They turned and strode out of sight at the top of the stairs. A closed door and Harriet's soft and muffled voice sounded out. After some words, her voice began to sound like a calming, melodic hum. She was likely singing Narsi to sleep with a Cyrodilic lullaby.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Yep. Thought I'd get a post in before starting study for the day.

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

Don't feel rushed. Conata doesn't even know she can use might yet.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

A few sharp taps against the glass preceded a few seconds of waiting. Fendros put his fist on his hip as he looked up at the window. It didn't take long for a pair of curious red eyes to float up, framed by the grey oval that was a Dunmer face. The eyes widened when they found Ahnasha and Fendros. There was wooden clunk and creak as the window was opened from the inside, revealing Llarasa with a shocked expression.

"Is it...? How did...?" Llarasa held her hands against the window sill for balance.

"Good morning, Llarasa," Fendros began.

Immediately, Llarasa put a finger to her lips and leaned forward in a fluster. "Hush-shh-sh!" She hissed, before pointing down to the pair of them, "Stay right there. Monderyn and father are out on the fields, they might hear you!"

Fendros breathed in to reply, but Llarasa already disappeared back into the window, closing it as she retreated. A few muffled clomps of shoes on wooden floors could be heard from within the house. Fendros looked to Ahnasha with a high brow. They had written ahead saying that they might visit in the future, but it was surprising to see Llarasa taking secrecy into account, even here.

Of course, there was only so much guile possible when Llarasa came running out from one side of the house in a plain dull blue dress and charged across the gravel into Fendros. Upon impact, Fendros stepped back to rebalance. Llarasa had her arms tightly wrapped around him. It took a moment for him to do the same.

Llarasa's voice whimpered against Fendros' shoulder. "It's so good to see you again, brother." She sniffed. "I'm so glad you decided to come."

For the first time all day, Fendros' shoulders lowered with an outward breath. "It's good to see you too, Llarasa."

The siblings remained in a tight hug for several seconds further until a realisation came over Llarasa. She pulled back and spun to Ahnasha. "You've come too, Ahnasha?" Llarasa let out huff and almost grinned. She stepped forward and gave Ahnasha a quick hug as well. "It's good to see you, too, but..." Llarasa took two paces backwards and alternated her glistening eyes between the two. "We shouldn't remain here if you don't want mother and father seeing. We should go out somewhere!"

"Actually, Llarasa..." Fendros' anxiety returned. He averted his eyes from her. "I've come to see everyone."

Llarasa's smile lowered and she blinked. Her eyes flicked to Ahnasha, then back to Fendros. It was in that silence that they noticed Llarasa's breathing becoming irregular. "Um..." she murmured after a while. "Are you certain? I...I don't they will react."

Fendros nodded. He was determined.

"Where are-" Llarasa's voice cracked and she stopped to swallow. "Where are the rest of you? Where is little Rhazii?"

Fendros looked to Ahnasha. He let her answer. Fendros convinced her that showing their child might be too much at once, leaving him to the pack while they were in Cheydinhal. She might have other things to add as well.

---

Harriet stuck to the most crowded streets for reasons that Meesei had already deduced. She tilted her hooded head when Meesei spoke, but didn't face her. The little Orc girl holding onto her hand, Narsi, had her other hand in her mouth as she looked up with curiosity to Meesei. Her big eyes mostly seemed confused.

"Hm? Sorry miss, I'm in a hurry." Harriet's voice came out in a surprisingly oblivious tone. "If it's about a pair of shoes you ordered, you can come with me to my house, I just have to put my daughter to bed. It's nap time and she gets cranky if she doesn't have her nap time."

Harriet wasn't stopping. She was approaching what looked to be a small house at the edge of the markets. It had a number of doors, suggesting that it was a shared building. The door she approached did not suggest that she had a lot of living space.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Awesome, g'night!

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Don't get too hung up about it, I'll probably go to sleep soon.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

She'd probably zero in on Harriet if she activated it.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sorry for railroading Lorag a bit, the main thing is there now though.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros looked down the path to the vineyard and sighed. He took a few moments to stare ahead, as if he might come up with an excuse not to go. He conceded with a low voice. "Very well. We might be able to find her."

On they walked. Fendros reluctantly put an arm around Ahnasha's torso as they progressed.

When they reached the gate -- a large wooden arch opening up in between two fences -- Fendros stopped and stood. Ahead of them was a two story Cyrodilic building surrounded by white gravel and grass. It was hardly a mansion, but neither was it a hovel. It looked like it belonged inside the walls of the city. The creeping vines covering one face of it was perhaps the only thing that tied it to the nature surrounding the property. Beyond and to one side were rows of grape vines on long stretches of supporting fence. There was no one in immediate sight and the windows of the house were too dark to look into at this distance.

Fendros lowered his arm from Ahnasha's back and frowned, scanning the surroundings like a startled deer. Ahnasha could tell that his heart was racing and his breathing was shallow, even if he tried to hide any outward signs of fear.

He took one step forward, crunching the gravel with his foot. "Come," he said without looking Ahnasha in the eyes. "Llarasa's room is at the side of the house. Her friends throw stones at her window all the time, we might catch her attention there."

As they walked down the path to the house, trees gave way to more features of the vineyard. Hens wandered the grounds, pecking for food around a nearby coop. A long wooden shed, built sunken partway into the ground, had a set of barrels around it, along with curved trolleys to port them around. Bootprints tracked mud around the place, showing evidence of recent activity. There was the smell of Fendros' family in the air, but they were nowhere to be seen. It was peaceful out here.

---

Janius shrugged. "Sounds fair to me. Let's go."

Cheydinhal was not the largest of Tamriel's cities, but even then they made great time with Lorag navigating. Janius and the rest stepped into the blacksmith to trade. Before a few minutes were up, Janius stepped out with the children and the knives to be sharpened.

He handed the bag to Lorag with a smile. "The smith told me we could use the grindstone as long as an Orc was doing the work." He pat Lorag on the upper arm. "I'll watch the kids out here. The others are still haggling, they'll be out in a bit."

Without much else for it, Janius took Rhazii and Newt over to watch a street performer. A small crowd was forming, but Lorag could still watch from the grindstone. It wouldn't take long to sharpen and hone everything up properly.

After about a minute, Rhazii and Newt were seated on the ground, captivated by the contortion act that the performer was showing off. At that moment, a small Orc girl in a dress came by to sit next to them and begin talking. She looked around Newt's age, perhaps a little older.

It was an innocent enough interaction. The boys loved to socialise in cities after long stretches with only each other to play with. They were about to stand up to run around when a familiar voice rang out from nearby.

"Narsi! Come on, it's time to go home!" The voice was unmistakeable, though her attire was not. In a long dress of blue, white, and leather, with a basket of vegetables in one hand, was none other than Harriet. The previous great warrior and lieutenant of the Bruma clan stood in the middle of the street with a stern look.

The Orc girl spun and ran, half turning to wave at Rhazii and Newt with a parting, toothy grin. She bounced along on her little feet until she reached Harriet, holding her by the hand and following her as they began to walk down the street. Harriet's eye subtly glanced to catch Lorag's. There was a hint of haste in her steps after she recognised him, but all she did in response was pull up her cowl against the light breeze and keep going.

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

If there are that many parties, learn from our mistakes. Pair off your collabs, people. Battle-royales are bad RP juju.