Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Master Kaj-Julan, I will show you to where the servants usually take their meals," Harald said. "Please come with me." He confirmed looks with the others.

Janius raised a hand. "You can go ahead and find him, son. We'll start finishing up here. Let Rhazii know that we won't be staying too much longer." He turned to Remus and Aeramina. "It has been wonderful to meet you all again, but we will have work to do tonight. We can stay a little longer, but we will not take up space for too long."

"Understood," Remus said. "Take all the time you desire. You may be guests, but you are still family."

"I'll come with you two!" Aurana briskly walked to catch up with Julan and Harald as they left the dining room.

The sudden exit left Remus and Aeramina alone with Janius and Kaleeth. Aeramina, in a display of quick recovery from her previous emotions, immediately went back into light conversation.

"So, Kaleeth-Rei. Tell us, did you see Imperials often in your home tribe?"

---

Meanwhile, Harald's march through the house with Julan and Aurana did not go upstairs, but instead took them behind the doors of the more decorated house. They came upon a large, if low-ceiling room that contained the kitchen and a rough trestle table.

One portly Suthay-Raht Khajiit man in an apron and white clothing was busy scrubbing discarded plates in a trough. "That you, Harald? His portion is at the end of table. Still some warm, but he always spend too much time serving, yes he does!"

"Duty calls as always Carajjo," Harald responded. "Have you seen Jatinha and her charge, Rhazii?"

Carajjo sniffed at the air. "Hmm, skittered off like alley cats. Didn't see where. Quarters maybe." He raised his head and sniffed more. "Carajjo smells stranger..." He turned around. "Ah, milady Aurana. Carajjo sorry, but new friend?"

"This is Kaj-Julan," Aurana said with a smile. "He's my nephew."

"Huh, nephew?" A wide, open-mouthed grin curled up his face. "Right!" He clapped his wet hands. "The boy is back! And he had an Argonian kitten! Daha! Ha!" He held his head back and burst into hysterical laughter. "Greetings Janius son! Kaj-Julan. I wonder if you steal Carajjo's kitchen like your father, eh? Heheh. Anyway, maybe not good to find Jatinha and Rhazii. They gave as many eyes to each other as they are probably giving now in forms of k-"

"Okay! Good! Let's go then!" Aurana cut Carajjo off rather loudly. She was motioning for them to leave, but Harald waited for Julan to start moving.

---

Unlike the last time they embraced, Lunise did not flinch at Meesei's touch. She settled against her, letting her shoulders and lungs relax. Even though there was some wet sand on her back that made their contact abrasive in some places, they were both warm. They could feel each other's heartbeats if they stopped to listen in the unnaturally silent air pocket.

Lunise placed her hand over Meesei's hand on her stomach and stopped its movements. She had her eyes closed. Her breathing through her mouth took on more force. "Meesei..." She murmured. "What could you possibly prove to me about myself that I have not found out in...over two hundred years?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius' eyes lit up. "Divines! Rhazii! I completely forgot." He held a hand to his head. "Goodness, how long as he been upstairs? Uh, Harald?" Janius twisted in his seat. "Did Rhazii get any lunch?"

Harald had somehow remained invisible and serving them throughout all of the eating and drama. He held his gloved hands together and answered with a bow. "Master Rhazii expressed the wish not to disturb you all. He took his meal with the servants."

"Oh, well..." Janius lowered his brow. Rhazii didn't seem too enthusiastic to be leaving them all. "Hmm, at any rate, we ought to find him and let him know it's safe to come out now."

"Maybe give them a few more minutes?" Aurana suddenly said. With attention on her, she licked her lips nervously. "Um...give him a few more minutes, I mean. He might...uh...still be nervous?"

Everyone was confused but Harald, though Harald held an amicable expression at the most trying of times.

---

Remaining faced away from Meesei made Lunise's reaction hard to read. She stewed in silence for enough time to think.

"Prove it." It was toned as a demand. "Show me you're neither afraid nor lying. Hold me." Her voice lowered. "I give you permission."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Happiness was never beyond our-" Remus flinched from Aurana grabbing him by the torso and hugging him. He frowned and nodded, patting Aurana on the arm yet clearly not used to the intimacy from her. "I am pleased to see that you enthusiastic, Aurana. How, um, how about you show your love to mother as well?"

Aurana didn't need to be asked twice. Aeramina was still slightly upset from the decisions made, but she embraced Aurana more readily, wrapping both her arms around her. "My little girl has inherited more than I had expected from her father, I think." She sniffed and knitted her brow. "Perhaps an inevitable change is not worth resisting for me here. Oh dear!" She leaned the side of her head on Aurana's scalp and sobbed.

Janius gave Kaleeth's hand a grateful squeeze. "As long as things shall turn out for the better, I think we can all be happy."

Kaleeth, Janius, and Julan could stay for a while longer. Even though they had spent much time catching up and stretching their cover story to its limits, it could be nice to remain in the family's company now that tensions had been mostly relieved. However, with the focus off the issue of Aurana's future, more present matters sprung to mind. They had seen neither Rhazii nor Jatinha in the hours since they were sent upstairs.

---

Lunise sighed through her nose. She continued to speak up at the roof of their bubble "Well, you have set a precedent with your kindness. It is only fair that I am kind to you on some occasions." Meesei could physically see her heart quickening in the way it thumped at the base of her ribcage.

"And...with this privacy, I could plausibly deny saying some things after today. Such as questioning why you, an Argonian, would find me beautiful at all." She turned to lay on her side, away from Meesei. "Physically, I know I am no princess. And the work I do is not beautiful in the slightest. As for you...Like I said, I could plausibly deny saying some things."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Our daughter-in-law speaks the truth, Aeramina," Remus confirmed. "She is not learning to fight. She is learning in case she has to fight."

Aurana was not responsive. She continued to quietly cry into her hands.

Janius asked softly. "Aurana? Are you going to be alright?"

"I don't know what I want to do, Kaleeth," Aurana's muffled whine sounded through her hands. "I do not know what's out there for sure. But...I'll decide what I want to do."

Remus was apparently unaffected by her tears. "There are many people that you can meet in the Imperial City with occupations befitting this family's standing. I will introduce you to them and you can see what they do. Provided, of course, that you fulfil your part of the bargain."

Aurana's tear-streaked face emerged from behind her fingers. She was smiling. "Thank you, father. Thanks for giving me a chance."

"Thank your brother," Remus said back, still refusing to smile. He gave Janius a sideways look. "And his family, our new family members, Kaleeth-rei and Kaj-Julan."

"If you will still come to court and behave yourself, I will..." Aeramina breathed in and out slowly to try and calm herself in her corset. "...I will accept this new...these new little adventures."

Aurana pushed herself out of her seat and, against all good manners, sprinted around the table, colliding with Julan in a strong hug. "Thanks nephew, thank you, thank you..." She just as quickly let him go and gave Kaleeth the same treatment. "My sister Kaleeth, thank you so much! I love you. I love you all!" Janius did not get away either. "Thanks for coming back, brother. I love you, thank you! Thank you!" Her happiness poured out in a mix of smiles and tears.

---

Lunise did not remain standing for long once Meesei motioned to relax. She sat down with her legs curled to one side and one arm supporting herself at first. Then she looked up at the way the sun danced off the surface of the water a distance above them. Its hypnotic pattern locked her eyes. She laid down flat on her back to watch it, the same neutral and relaxed expression on her face.

"I could never forget yesterday," she said, weaving her hands together on her navel. "Not either could I forget today. You keep giving me kindnesses, even when you have your own problems to deal with. Your own...harrowing matters."

Lunise's head rolled from the light above to see Meesei laying next to her. Her eyes wandered up and down, starting and ending at her orange eyes.

"You do not need that dress," Lunise quickly said without immediate context. Her eyes rolled back to the light above, slightly less relaxed than before.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sure thing. Will Lunise be joining the hunt for the Rueful Axe?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Aurana shook her head. "Oh, it's okay, I'm not interested in fighting, I just..." She pulled a wide grin. "I'll get to see things now! I don't care if I have to learn how to be battlemage, I'll do anything for that!"

"A...battlemage? My little girl?" Aeramina was only partially calmed by Kaleeth. She lifted her nervous fingers up level with her mouth. "Surely you would not do something so dangerous, my daughter!"

"Mother, please stay calm." Janius took his turn to reassure her. "Even if Aurana wanted to become a battlemage, you should not doubt her. She's determined, and as long as you and father are there to support her, she'll be fine."

Aeramina began to stammer. "I-I-I simply do not know what to do! I thought you would grow up to be a beautiful courtable lady, Aurana! A lady does not sling spells and fight!"

"She will learn," Remus intoned. The sternness in his voice silenced everyone. Even Aurana stopped halfway through her breath to shout protests at Aeramina. "She is no mere lady. She is our daughter. This is what is best for her. Learning to defend herself and navigate life will not make her unfit for court."

"Here again with your stupid pride, Remus!" Aeramina said as her face contorted into sadness. "Do not ruin our daughter!"

"We were ruining her before!" Remus growled back.

Aurana slammed her hands on the table. All the remaining cutlery jingled. "SHUT UP!" She screamed.

Everyone stopped.

"Mother, listen to me! Either I get to do this, or I don't go to court at all." She scowled at Aeramina, but her lips were quivering. "You know you can't make me. You know I can just be rude at court and become unmarriageable in one night of throwing drinks in people's faces."

"You do not know what you're doing-" Aeramina was cut off.

"I know what I'm doing because I have a chance now!" Aurana stopped to breathe. Aeramina did not have anything in response. "I have this to lose. "I promise that I'll try to make you happy, but I can't do that if I'm stuck here with cabin fever all my life. I can't live like that." She held her hands to her chest. "I can't breathe. Please, let me have this. Let me have this and I won't complain about going to court again."

Aeramina curled her fingers and pressed them to her mouth.

"She is her own young woman, Aeramina," Remus added. "She will be an adult soon. I believe she is capable. If she says she can get a husband, I believe her. You should, too."

Aeramina's shoulders shrank down. She looked down. "This isn't what I had envisioned."

"No," Remus agreed. "It is what she envisions. That is what matters. Not our vision. Janius proved that tonight with how he has come back to us."

Aurana stared at Remus for a silent moment before her eyes tensed and reddened. She brought both her hands up to cover her lowering face. A strained breath in through her nose confirmed that she was crying and trying to hide it.

---

"Picking a winner is pointless here anyway. Not if we were below our limits."

Lunise took a small step to take in the sight around them as the sand settled. Her face relaxed from its condescending pride to a look of quiet wonder. Her eyes traced a school of tiny black fish that wriggled by, and then to a crab that scampered across the sea floor sideways. There wasn't as much to see as in a reef, though the softly swaying sea grass and occasional sea creatures played off the blue light that bathed the entire expanse around them.

Whether conscious or not, Lunise let her arms fall to her sides. Her voice softened. "So, this is why you went to the trouble of holding air down here." Lunise scanned across the clear waters. There came an uncertain wistfulness to her voice. "You are showing me many special things this day."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I have to head off now. I'll probably be busy again for the next few days, so it'll probably down to a post a day for a bit.

Anyway, G'night!

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius chuckled to himself. Now he remembered why Julan was in such a good mood returning to them that day. "See? You'll be meeting all sorts of people, Aurana."

Aurana had a small smile now. She flashed her teeth with a single, silent laugh. "That sounds like fun, actually. I'd love to make some friends." She closed her lips. "I do not know how much I would have in common with Fighters Guild people, but I'm willing to try."

"Do not forget, Aurana, this goes two ways." Remus lowered his hands. His eyes were narrow and his voice deep. "If you wish to see the Imperial City, let alone the world, you will work hard for it. I will only grant you privileges, such as leaving the house, when I feel you are capable. The difference from before will be that you shall have opportunities to prove yourself. Do you understand?"

Aurana gave a confident nod. "I can do it, I promise."

"Thank you, father, for listening to us," Janius said. "It might be easier for Aurana; she was more ambitious than I ever was at her age. Well, perhaps because she has an ambition to begin with."

Remus only responded to Janius with a glance. His attention remained on Aurana. "The Fighters Guild will not be your only challenge. See to it that you remember this promise you've made to me and your mother."

That moment was the point where Aeramina pursed her lips and blinked rapidly. "Remus, dear...You won't let her get hurt, will you?" When Remus did not respond, Aeramina glanced around to the others. "She will be okay?"

---

Lunise fell into the bubble from Meesei's tug, bending her knees to land as she fell into the more buoyant air. Her hair was now flat and soaked, though both of them were dripping from their swim. Once she stood up straight, Lunise found just enough room to look down on Meesei with her arms still crossed.

The way sound sank in the pocket of air was strange. Lunise found herself looking at the surface of the bubble with curiosity. Or perhaps it was merely to avoid eye contact.

"You are a gifted mage for an Argonian, Meesei, but do not speak to me as if I am your talented neophyte." She held her chin forward and looked into Meesei's eyes. "I held back. I could best you another time." She sniffed and looked away. "Still. You put up a more interesting bout than most of my peers. They are more fixated on raw power no matter where they use magic."

Lunise took a tiny step back in the soft sand.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius twisted in his seat and extended a hand. "That's what she taught you, yes, but it was also the first time you had to go up to other kids, meet new friends, without having Rhazii or either of us with you. You remember? I remember you being rather reluctant about it." Janius tilted his head. "Apart from what Vera taught, though, how did you manage? Aurana might have a similar experience."

In spite of Julan's worries about his first day of schooling, Janius did recall the outcome being positive that day.

---

While the initial clash was repelled to a stop by Meesei, Lunise did not remain simply pushing. At no point did she try to push harder to oppose Meesei's telekinesis. She instead tried different angles. First, she broadened her push against the water to try and push around Meesei's barrier. When that didn't work, she tried to taper her push into a point to deflect much of Meesei's force. Each shape was easily countered by mirroring it. Meesei was simply too powerful and too skilled.

Still, Lunise was keeping up the struggle for a respectable amount of time. There was no telling where the limits of her reserves were. Sand whipped up from the sea bed in a cloud that obscured sight of either of them.

Just as it seemed that Lunise would continue her clash, the pressure against Meesei's currents faded to nothing. The sand cloud pushed out to sea away from Meesei, clearing the water to reveal Lunise suspended upright in the water. She had her arms crossed and her head tilted forward, glowering at Meesei. Her bare legs were together, not moving despite her position above the sea floor. Some strands of her hair had come loose, looking like strands of yellow sea grass attached to her head.

She couldn't speak underwater. She merely waited and stared with a look of annoyance.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius was visibly ambivalent about Remus' decisions. He ran a hand down his other shoulder. "Well, if it's about self defence..."

"Janius, must I explain everything to you, even now?" Remus interrupted. "The Fighters Guild provides more than simply training and employment, remember?"

"What are...oh, I see," Janius realised, raising his brow. "In that case, it would depend on how you feel about it, Aurana."

Aurana struggled to emerge from her shock. "Uh...I would do anything to see the Imperial City! But..." Her voice lowered. "What do you mean by more than training and employment? I haven't even had employment before."

Janius smiled knowingly. "You'll meet some new people, that's all." He looked across past Kaleeth to his son. "Julan, you were much younger, but you remember the first day you went to Missus Vera's classroom?"

The leader of the Blackreach clan still found time to educate children back in Skyrim. Janius was glad to have her teach Julan, though Julan's impression of that first day was far less confident from what Janius remembered. In Aurana's case, she was effectively going to be entering a schooling environment in the Fighters Guild, even if the conditions were somewhat removed from a general education for children in a lycan clan.

---

At first, Lunise tried to swim with the current Meesei had created. This worked against her as soon as the turbulent shocks up and down threw her near to the surface or the sand. One attempt to stop herself from running into the sea floor with her hand sent her legs flying up over her and sent her tumbling without hope of getting stable again. For a while, Meesei had complete control of her as she spun around her.

In her underwater tumbling, Lunise grit her teeth and charged a bright blue spell in either hand. Its effects were not immediately obvious until Meesei felt a sudden chill in the water from above. The stark temperature difference caused her whirlpool to converge and suck her up to the surface of the water.

Lunise took the opportunity of the distraction to recover and kick her legs off, charging right for Meesei. She pushed a direct surge of current telekinetically in front of her to try and push Meesei towards the shore. Past the pulsing orange light in her extended hands, Lunise looked just as determined as when she started.