Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Thanks, Meesei," Fendros said. He stepped to turn and follow Malithus. "I'll get it done."

Meesei's attention had put pressure on Fendros since he had started been given new responsibilities. It was unfamiliar to him to be in a position of leadership. Thankfully, Meesei's assessment of his learning abilities proved true in this case. There had been no major mistakes up to this point.

Sabine, on the other hand, did not encounter many clan lycans without getting praise similar to Malithus'. It made her feel accomplished, though she couldn't help but become uncomfortable with having mages virtually starstruck at her presence. This was no different.

"Please, just call me Sabine." She cast a nervous glance up at Malithus. Sabine had grown, but she still wasn't particularly tall. "Thank you. I still have not gotten used to people calling me that."

When Malithus described the one who had come back from the city, Fendros let out a low laugh. "Certainly sounds like someone we know, now that you describe that way."

Sabine couldn't quite contain a smile either.

Sure enough, none other than the exact scoundrel Argonians in their minds was there, reclined on the chair and table before them. Fendros crossed his arms and couldn't help but guffaw at the coincidence. "Now, who on Nirn did you anger to run all the way to the other end of Tamriel, Colours?"

---

Vera turned her head left and right in a pause for the other council members. They did not have anything more to say.

When Vera's eyes reached Saras again, she put one hand on the other on the table. She did not blink. "This is a dangerous situation, Saras. If you can help it, keep them alive. I otherwise trust you to do what you see fit." She glanced to the others. "Are we in agreement with this plan?"

There were murmurs of agreement, joined by a silent nod from Darahil. Evidently, no one liked what was happening. However, there was not much else they could think to do at this stage.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The Evermore clanhome was a pleasant, if humid, location. However, the week they spent working out their next move was not exactly a holiday. They trained and maintained their equipment, received information almost daily from scouts, and tried to assimilate into yet another culture of Tamriel. This time, the clan they had walked into was heavily influenced by Redguard, Breton, and especially Orcish traditions.

Regardless, it was easier than travel. By the time the meeting was called, Fendros was sharp, refreshed, and ready.

Fendros gave a determined nod to Meesei. "Understood. Try to capture and get information." He blinked a glance at Sabine and Kaleeth before bringing his eyes back. "Will there be someone with us suited to interrogation? I am not sure that we have the experience."

Sabine also spoke up. "Will they have gas?"

---

"I just have a few more questions," Vera said. She rubbed the side of her nose tensely. "When and if you capture them, what are you going to ask them? How will we know they are being honest?" She held a hand out to one side. "No clan has interrogated or killed an Oculatus agent before. If they go missing, more will come. If they are released after speaking to them, they will likely redouble their investigation in this region. How is this going to end for them, Saras?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I can see where you're both right," Fendros said, moving onto the next body. "On one hand, I am glad that we're better at this. On the other hand, I just hope that we don't get too used to it."

---

Vera brought her fist to her chin in thought and looked to one side. "I like the plan. It exposes the least amount of risk to the clanhome. I can't help but think, though, that they might predict us doing something like that." Vera lowered her hand to the table and looked up to Saras. "These are the Empire's spies, yes? Their best? I'm not sure that they would willingly follow a rumour into a village where they could be ambushed. Especially if they know how close they are and that they are trying to bait us out."

Oswall waved a hand. "We can play it by ear. They won't be able to bring in any appreciable force without us noticing. If it's too dangerous, we can retreat and try something else, leaving them with what may as well be a red herring to them."

"Very well." Vera nodded. "Saras? You probably know more about the Penitus Oculatus than any of us. What risks are there in this plan of yours, given what they are capable of?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

G'night!

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros jerked his head towards Lorag in agreement. "I don't think we can take credit for the jaws, but for chewing anything in front of you? Lorag's right, we created a monster."

"A lovely and kind monster, thank you very much," Janius called out. He was in probably the best position to say so, not for his relationship, but because he was Kaleeth's primary mentor for the longest time.

Fendros laughed. "She doesn't need you defending her, Janius. We're just messing around." Fendros stood up with a sheathed silver dagger and a coinpurse in one hand. "I take it none of you were hurt on the frontline again? I know the armour is a great help, but it's beginning to seem a bit too easy. I remember when an attack like this would take at least a day of planning and the use of our beast forms."

---

Once Sabine had administered her newly ground alchemical salve, she focussed on treating the silver wound. Meesei had put a close to the conversation, prompting Sabine to not continue it. It was a sensitive matter, after all. She spent her time thinking about it while treating.

After a while, Sabine gave the Breton woman a kind smile. "What is your name?" She asked. After answering, Sabine declared. "You will not lose your arm. It will hurt for a few weeks, though."

---

The council was quiet for several seconds. All of them knew about the Penitus Oculatus to some degree, whether it be rumours or real accounts of their actions.

Vera was the first to speak up. "This is concerning either way we put it. We made pains to keep the clans a secret from major governments, not just for the land we hold, but for what they would do if they found out about our nature. It seems they know the latter, at least."

"Sounds like bait to me," Oswall said in his gruff manner. "They want our attention? That means they probably don't know we're here. However, being that this is our headquarters, perhaps that isn't a safe assumption. If I were them, confronted with a threat that I don't know the full spread or strength of, you know how I would handle this from a military viewpoint?"

The council exchanged glances.

"I would enter diplomacy. That's what."

Darahil gave his opinion. "They are not a threat unless they take our information. 'Diplomacy' is one way to try and take that." The High-Elf's eyes wandered to Saras. "Can they reasonably find Blackreach, Saras?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I guess you could do a meeting with the council. He probably wants to act before Meesei and her pack gets back, so you might want to play it out in parallel to Meesei's mission.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Let's just say that the Saras thing has been in the works since Elsweyr, but given that things have been moving around so much since the soul-tearing gas came in, it has been delayed up until now.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth's banter was a relatively new phenomenon. However, it was not the first time that she had called Fendros and Ahnasha out over the prevailing years.

"You know what, Kaleeth?" Fendros said, turning his head to grin at her. "I think I preferred you when you were more modest about your strength." He turned slightly in his squat over the corpse he was searching and held a hand out to one side. "I'm sure you would do fine when those swords and spears are joined with magic and arrows."

Janius called out from a short distance away, still tying up the captives. "Don't get too cocky, dear. They're gaining on us."

---

"That skirmish," Sabine's question cut through both of them. She did not look up while she ground up a mixture to sooth the wounded werebear's pain. "Did the Thalmor survive? It might not be the whole Dominion."

---

Back in Blackreach, missives and updates came in every day through the door. They were all coded, as Saras had specified, though one in the sea of parchment arrived with an attachment. Unscrolling the first letter revealed an older piece sealed with it. The fresher parchment was from a long standing and trusted informant. After decoding, it read:

S
Some disguised figures are looking for wolves in Solitude. Team of three Imperials. Names and appearances aren't familiar with those working for Vile. Could be new ones. They stay in the city, so can't end them just yet. Thing is, they're acting more openly. They aren't trying to make inroads with the Jarl or anything like that. They're just asking around about beast sightings or attacks. Nothing more than investigation. Seems they have authority over the Jarl's men, though. They were let in the castle and got to have some long chats with all the important people. Guard captain, Jarl's family, Thalmor emissary, the lot. No one on Vile's pay has that kind of access. Gets stranger when I filched a letter they tried to send. Find it attached. It's written in code like nothing Vile has either. Nothing I've seen of anyone before. The seal is still clear, though. Does that symbol mean anything to you?
-W
P.S. Just got a report. They're going to be scouring local caves and ruins. They might stop by Raldbthar soon. Let me know if you want them to be attacked by trolls on the way back.

The older parchment attached was indeed written in a gibberish code that was rare to see in Saras' investigations. To decode it would take a while, but there were a few techniques that might be candidates, including one that he did not expect to find at all. His suspicions were confirmed when he held the two halves of the broken wax seal from the old parchment together. It was an eye in a circle, joined to the top edge with three straight lines. The insignia of the Penitus Oculatus; the highest security organisation in Cyrodiil.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Now that I think about it, it might be a case of Vile making a deal with some investigators; info on Talos worshippers in exchange for info on Lycans and/or turning a blind eye to suspicious actions in pursuit of lycans.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

To be honest, going after Talos worshippers has me stumped.

However, if the scale of this new information is what I think it is, it may have an interesting interaction with the thing I was going to dump on Saras. Speaking of which, I should probably do that.

I've been a bit busy today, but I'll try to start a post in a few minutes.