Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Yeah," Janius said after a slow breath. Everyone else was in wordless agreement, nodding to various degrees. They made motion to leave the store room.

Sabine left the meeting still looking shaken. However, she was much more certain of things than she had been when Lorag made his announcement. She left quietly behind Janius and Kaleeth.

Fendros slowed to a stop and took Ahnasha by the hand. With no one around in the hallway, he drew her into a tight hug, closing his eyes and leaning the side of his head against hers. He did not say any words for a long while, simply remaining still enough that they could feel one another's hearts beat. They could hear each other breathing. Fendros was tense. His breathing calmed after about a minute.

"Ahna," he finally said. "This will affect both of us -- I should not have just stepped forward. I am sorry." He pulled away to face her, still holding his arms around her. "Tell me honestly, do you approve of all this?"

---

At first, the man was fed up by Julan's excuses. He closed the door halfway. Some of the further words made him stop and listen. The door creaked open again. By the time the old man revealed his face again, his dignified face was showing a chink. Slightly raised eyebrows. He stood staring for a few seconds longer, eyes trading looks between Rhazii and Julan both.

He slowly intoned. "You say you are Janius' son?"

"He's telling the truth, sir," Rhazii said as sincerely as he could. "We just came to visit his grandparents. Nothing suspicious."

"Please, come in. I must consult the heads of the household." The old man stepped a half-turn to allow ingress.

Rhazii stepped in once Julan did. It was awash with the warmth of fires inside the house. It was quiet and peaceful, save for their footsteps and the door shutting behind them.

"What is your name, sir? I'm Rhazii, this is Kaj-Julan." Rhazii put his hand to his chest and pointed the other to Julan.

"You may call me Harald. You may wait here in the sitting room," the old man said, stepping over to a nearby archway and gesturing to a finely upholstered set of furniture in the room beyond. Candles and the fireplace bathed it in an orange glow, revealing a full bookshelf, an expensive looking tea set, and portraits all over the walls.

Harald took up a small bell on a tray and ring it. "Jatinha, we have guests," he projected up the stairs, loud enough to carry through the house while somehow not yelling.

In a central position above the fireplace was a large portrait. Upon it was a well-dressed family, made up of a broadly-built, blond, and middle aged standing Nord man in maroon finery; a seated, pretty blonde Imperial woman in a white dress with her hands folded in her lap; and between them, a blond Imperial boy of around Julan's age with a matching maroon tunic, brown eyes, and a familiar facial shape. The family looked blankly across the room with soft smiles. The boy's mouth was pert at the corner.

Harald waited at the archway, holding up the candle as straight as his back, presumably to wait for a supervisor.

Rhazii took a seat in one of the armchairs. "Woah." His face lit up with surprise at how much the cushions sank under his weight. The large portrait caught his eye shortly after. "Your father looks so young in that picture, look."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Well, he's about thirty-seven years old now. He's still tall, lean, and strong, but he's getting a few grey streaks in his short blond hair. Pretty sure he still wears a thick goatee.

That's as far as I wrote for his initial appearance, but I might as well go into more detail for this occasion.

Let's say he has brown eyes, little toes that curl inward, and ear lobes that are fully attached to the sides of his head. That's probably enough details to prove knowing him personally. Feel free to add other details if it helps, I don't much mind.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I wouldn't be so quick to write off the rest of your life on this." Janius attempted to lend some enthusiasm in his tone. "There will be challengers for as long as you remain. Competent leaders, sometimes. Perhaps, after a century and a half, or whatever suits you, you might stand down. Either purposely yield during a challenge, or relinquish your title." Janius gave an encouraging look. "You can to a lot in just a portion of your life."

Fendros peered up and chewed at the inside of his cheek. "It feels strange to think about it that way. I won't know what the situation would be that far ahead. But..." He shook his head. "That's in the far future. Going out to see more of the world, watching Rhazii grow up, that is what I do not want to miss." Fendros looked at Kaleeth. "For now, you're right. I'll be training with Sabine a lot more. We'll see where the road takes us."

Janius stepped up to Kaleeth and put an arm around her where she sat. "We're both fathers, Fendros. You and me. I do not know what lies ahead, but I think you'll find a way to be there for Rhazii. I don't think anyone here doubts you love your family. I agree with Ahnasha that we all deserve a break from the business this war has brought. Some optimism might make that happen. It has a knack for that."

---

The man regarded Julan, statuesque. The candlestick in his hand began to quiver. His voice lowered to a sudden severity. "Crueller tricks have been played on the master and mistress for a chance to burgle or find a free meal in this household. You will step away from this door or I shall call the guards to have you removed."

Rhazii had been quiet up until this point. Now, with the threat of the authorities, he raised his hands defensively. "We're not here for food or to steal anything, we swear." He turned to hiss at Julan. "Say something that only your father knows, quick!"

The stern gaze of the old man fell upon Rhazii, but he did not appear to have the patience to even ask who he was.

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

I am loving everyone's posts. You are all marvelous writers.

@Malchivo

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros held Ahnasha's hand in return. He otherwise remained still.

Sabine spoke quietly to answer Ahnasha. "Meesei or I could enchant something to wear to make you more resistant, Fendros. Or make your birthsign absorb more magic. But, you will not always have them." Her confidence increased. "I know how to help you practice, though. I know a spell to transfer magicka to another person. I know you said the potions make you feel sick, so I can drink them and give you magicka to practice. We will have to practice every day."

After a blink, Fendros gave a few shallow nods. "Thank you, Sabine." He did not make eye contact.

"It sounds like that's not what's bothering you, Fendros," Janius said, craning his head to one side. "What part is making you think the most?"

Fendros raised his eyes to Janius and sighed. He looked away again, turning his head slightly. "It's just a change. A big change. I want to do what is right for the lycans on Tamriel. It's bigger than any responsibility I thought I would have. And...This will go beyond the war. I wanted to focus on family after the war. This is something I will have to reconcile with those plans." He pulled a brief, nervous smile. "Not to mention, fighting Meesei to prove myself, knowing that she will not hold back, is a terrifying thought. I'm doubting that I'm ready."

---

The wrinkled frown of the man at the door did not so much as twitch. After a thoughtful moment, he tilted his head back, looking down on Julan. His voice was still level and dignified. "This is the Aetius residence, young sir, though I am confused by your claim." His head turned to glance at the stairs behind him and back to Julan. "The only child of the heads of this house is not old enough to have born one of your age. Though more telling is that she is not an Argonian. Are you sure you have the correct household? Where might your parents be?"

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

You know, it would be neat to have pictures of the different kinds of insidie for comparison. I almost forgot that the Voren were a thing.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros kept a stoic look to hide whatever uncertainties he had. He nodded stiffly to Lorag's instructions. The last statement made Fendros look ahead and blink. He was holding his breath.

Lorag had already walked past. Fendros still spoke one word in a low voice. "Understood."

With Lorag leaving, the meeting was all but adjourned. Janius stood up and regarded Fendros with a hand on one hip. "Good luck, Fendros. I won't pretend that it's going to be easy. I think you can do it, though."

Fendros did not respond with more than a glance. He was looking wide-eyed into space, reflecting.

---

Despite his reserved frown, Rhazii stared at the door with his tail gently swaying. They could hear the sound of shoes on floorboards from within. A latch on the door slid, the door clunked, and a ray of yellow light emerged from within. The door opened to reveal a tall, bald aging Imperial man with a lit candle in one hand and the door handle in the other.

Cleanly dressed and dignified, he looked at both Rhazii and Julan with weathered eyes, settling on Rhazii. "Can I help you, young sirs?"

Rhazii looked to Julan.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Lorag's answer was not quite what Sabine was expecting. Her face went from worried to receptive. She would still be fighting Fendros, but not to challenge him. Sabine could stand to train him.

"I have learned some magic," Fendros clarified. "I know magical theory inside and out, I only learned basic spells because of the difficulty practicing."

Sabine spoke up. "I can help with that. I will teach you. Meesei might help too." Her eyes glanced at Lorag. "I will teach you until you know you can best me, Fendros. Until I know you can best me."

There was clear relief in her voice from knowing that she did not have to fight him to a dangerous end for Lorag's position.

---

Rhazii's ear tweaked. "Huh?" He looked down to Julan. "Yeah, wait a moment," he whispered. Hand by hand, he climbed back down to ground level. He hung from his arms as far as he could for the final drop and bent his knees deeply. Even then, there was a crunch of grass that made them both cringe.

"I saw an old couple, let's go to knock." Rhazii hastily lead the sneak back to the street so they could approach normally.

As they approached the front door, Rhazii spoke from the corner of his mouth. "There was also an Imperial girl. A Khajiit maid, too. Probably a different one to your father's. She's​ too young. Fur's too bright. Like...almost orange. Dusty or something."

There were two lit windows on the way up the tree.

"Little black streaks down her face. Around her eyes and ears..."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros understood what Lorag was trying to say. It did not make his last question any less jarring. He looked at Sabine, she looked back. They knew each other's capabilities -- they had fought side by side for over a decade. Still, Fendros was uncertain.

After a moment, Fendros looked to Lorag again. "I don't know."

Sabine had her suspicions of where this was heading. She looked at the ground with worry.

---

"Don't worry about it." Rhazii shrugged and walked forward. "They're old, right? If I see some old Imperials, our chances are good." He put a hand on the low, decorative stone wall and vaulted over. "I'll just be a minute."

Rhazii quietly padded along the grass to the base of the tree he pointed out and jumped up to the lowest branch, pulling himself up effortlessly. A few branches later and he was standing with his face lit up yellow from the window across, looking in. He craned his head curiously, raising an eyebrow. Then his face turned neutral.

He was still watching for about half a minute before it became clear that he wasn't looking at an old Imperial couple.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Both Fendros and Sabine were silent for a while after Lorag's outburst. His tone was treating the prospect of Meesei's death surprisingly lightly, as if it was just a selfish opportunity for the both of them, though the real meaning was all too apparent. The meeting was not about out selecting the perfect candidate to replace her. It was about duty to what Meesei and the clans had built over the last generation. One of them had to volunteer, whether they were prepared or not.

"I'll do it."

Fendros regarded Lorag with a determined look. "I won't pretend I'll be everything Meesei is, or that I can do this alone, but I'll do it." His eyes turned to Sabine.

Sabine had her attention on Fendros, but seeing everyone else's turn to her made her bring her hand to her upper arm. "I am no leader," Sabine murmured. "You are still a packmate, Fendros. I will help however I can. I do not want to be in charge, though. I will not challenge."

"Look, Sabine," Fendros unfolded his arms. He brushed his fingers over one eye. "If you're going to back down because I've volunteered, can you promise me something?"

Sabine looked Fendros down and up to avoid his direct eye contact, but she was listening.

"We're still in a war. You will have to be next in line if I die, understand?"

Looking blankly at the floor, Sabine went back to squeezing her hand. She looked like she was holding herself back. She mouthed a silent "Okay."

---

"Oculatus, bone head," Rhazii clarified. "Penitus Oculatus. You remember the first part because it makes you laugh by the way it sounds." He looked ahead. "It makes sense, though. If uncle Janius was recruited by Marod or something, then he could act in secret and everything, because his real name would, you know, belong to a dead person." He gestured. "He meets your mother in Black Marsh when they are both doing a mission together, it all works out!" Rhazii grinned at Julan and ruffled the top of his head. "Good thinking, brother."

As they approached the house, there were a few yellow lights flickering from the windows, but it was impossible to tell who was inside from the street. Rhazii put a hand on his hip and looked up to one of the windows on the second floor. "I think we should check to see if they still live there first. They might have moved to another house." He pointed to a sturdy tree growing at the side of the house. "Look over there, I could climb up and see who is in the window."

The tree's lower branches had been trimmed. It looked too sparse for Kaj-Julan to climb without help, but Rhazii could probably climb it quickly and easily.