Hunting the Hunter Ch. 08

"Is it bad that she claimed me?" she asked softly, looking between us four.

"Of course not!" Her grandmother insisted, looking horrified. "You seem like a fine young girl. Your mother just makes rash decisions and insists on breaking the rules and tenets of our culture...AND THEN does something as important and sacred as claiming a daughter without even coming to us for our blessing first! Appalling!"

She glared at Inanna and then at Assurban. "It's a lucky thing she has me now, or the two of you would ruin her."

"What did I do?" Assurban asked, slightly taken aback.

"You were always too easy on her, Assurban, you know that."

He rolled his eyes. "You try it. Oh wait...you have. It's not that easy with her, you know that . When has she listened to anyone? The only person who ever got through to her was that damned Khajiit, and only because he put in the long hours necessary to beat it into her."

"Hey!" Inanna exclaimed, "still in the room!"

Modryn chuckled. Mori was beginning to grin a little too. "Well," her grandmother amended, patting the the girl on the head, "we'll talk more later. Hopefully we can keep you from going astray like your mother." Mori smiled and nodded.

"Traitor." Inanna growled.

Her Grandmother looked far too pleased with herself. "Good girl."

"Assurban, Modryn, a pleasure...Inanna." She vanished.

"Well, I think that went well." Assurban looked pleased.

"Indeed." Agreed Modryn.

"Why did it have to be her?" Complained Inanna.

"What's wrong with her?" Mori asked.

"Nothing." Replied Modryn, "your mother is being petulant." Inanna nodded.

"It's true." She gestured to herself. "This is the face of petulance. You got a good one kid. You should be happy. Grandma was a powerful, able, and widely respected wise-woman. She knows everything there is to know about our people and she has a lot to teach you, so take advantage of it. We don't get on, but that doesn't mean you won't....it's no accident that we get who we do as our guardians. There's a reason she was chosen to guard you, remember that and show her the honor and respect she deserves."

Assurban chuckled. "What?" She asked.

" It amuses me that you save this sort of talk for the moments they're not around. I don't know why you goad them so Inanna."

She grinned cheekily, "I see it as my sacred duty to keep them on their toes...keeps them from going senile. Besides every family needs a black-sheep, other wise who do you gossip about during reunions?"

He smiled benignly. "Well, try to keep it to a minimum until they get over these last few infractions."

"It's going to get worse, I promise...but I also promise to make a pilgrimage to the caves when I'm done." She smiled at Mori. "You can come too, and meet the rest of the ancestors. It'll be a good way to get off on a good foot with them for you."

"I heartily approve of that." Assurban agreed. "But, am I needed any longer, or should I depart?"

She waved him off. "You've done your duty. Thank you Uncle." He nodded and vanished.

"So...are you going away again?" Mori asked immediately, taking back to the discussion before they'd had their little familial moment.

She smirked. "Yeah, I am. That's why I wanted you to meet Assurban. Now that you've been blessed by the ancestors, you can summon your guardian when you need her. If it's just to chat you can summon her many times a day, but if it's for protection, then only once. They need time to regain their energy, as it takes a lot to keep them in the material world, and more if they are using great quantities of energy. Unless the place they are in provides that energy...but that's a lesson for another time. My point is, if you are in danger, summon her, and if you need her advice or counsel, summon her...but be respectful and only do it if you have need. They help and protect us out of love and in honor of our bonds, but it's a sober and sacred duty, and needs to be respected."

Mori nodded, her little face stern. "I understand. Like I shouldn't do it just to show the others, or for fun. Only when it's serious."

"Right. But if you're scared or need help, don't hesitate. Especially when I'm not here. And since you are young, they will be much more patient with you. You will learn over time when it is appropriate, and you will get stronger and need them less. Make sense?"

"Yeah. 'Kay."

"You may come to me as well." Modryn explained. "We're family. There are things about being Dunmer, about being an Ashlander, that you will want to know, I can teach you these things."

"But I'm not a Dunmer."

"You are an Ashlander now, and part of that is understanding Dunmer culture. You just don't know what that means yet. Do you even know the name of your tribe?"

"No."

He gave Inanna the eye.

"We haven't gotten that far yet."

"That sort of thing is what I mean. If I get time I'll come down and talk with you more about it. Speaking of which you shouldn't have come up here without permission. Someone could be hiding in the shadows watching for you."

She smirked. "I didn't smell anyone."

"There are spells that cover scent little girl, many good hunters use it. Did you cast life-detection?"

She shook her head and looked abashed. "No...I don't know it."

"Well, that's the first thing you need to learn. It'll certainly help keep you alive. Now get back down there."

She nodded and turned to obey, but paused at the top, looking at them uncertainly. "The coast is clear." Inanna answered to her silent question, and she slipped silently away with a little grin.

"Well...I guess I'm off too. I don't want to wake the others...would you let them know the details?"

"I will. I'll watch them for you."

She smiled, warmly this time. "Thanks Modryn. It means a lot to me."

"I can see they're important to you...by the way, what did she mean when she said their Alpha claimed you?"

She felt her cheeks go slightly warm. "You caught that eh?" He just watched her expectantly. She sighed. "It's...complicated."

"She's what? Nine? Ten? She gets it. It can't be that complicated."

"It really is. But the quick and dirty version is that, during...let's call it a moment of passion, the leader of her little family and I were engaging in activities which in their culture are the equivalent of...I don't know, marriage I guess."

He cocked a brow at her. "Hell of a thing to be unsure about."

"I know. It's awkward. I didn't know at the time, since it was all pretty...informal, and he was apparently...a little too into what he was doing at the time to step back and reassess, and I guess made me his...mate is the term they use."

"Is there a reason your being so circumspect?"

"It's sort of embarrassing."

"When the hell have you been anything but shameless Inanna?"

She grinned, "Only when it counts Modryn."

"Ah, I see. This is serious. Well, good luck with it, I hope it turns out well for you."

She laughed without humor, "yeah, me too. Unfortunately I'm not sure what 'well' entails just yet."

"Don't be too hasty in your decisions. It's the only advice I can give. Instinct is good, but sometimes it's just fear rearing its ugly head and trying to do your thinking for you." She nodded and they sat in silence for a minute. "Now get the hell out of my office. I have work to do."

She chuckled and stood, saluting him, "Aye, aye, boss man. See ya in the verso pages!"

"Idiot." she heard him grumble as she made her way down stairs. Good ol' Modryn. At least something in her life would always make sense.

She was reaching for the door when it slammed open before her. She lept back from it, falling naturally into a crouch, her hand already pulling a blade from her hip. She heard Modryn leap to his feet above her as well, his heavy boots loud in the silence of the empty guild hall.

The huge figure raised up it's arms. "It's me!"

She expelled her breath hard. "Son of a bitch, Gro-ba. What the hell were you thinking!"

"S-sorry," the big Orc stuttered, "but he's dead Ina...they're all dead!"

She felt her heart lurch into her throat, and was suddenly light headed. "Dead?" She whispered.

He nodded vigorously. "The Emperor and all his sons...assassinated. The black horse courier just arrived at the inn."

She expelled another breath and clutched at her chest as her heart started beating again. She could have decked him for scaring her...if she wasn't too busy being relieved...then again...holy shit! The emperor murdered? So much for that fancy ass guard off his. What were they? The Swords? The Blades? Something like that.

"That doesn't bode well at all does it." Growled Modryn.

"So speaketh Captain obvious."

He ignored her. "Do they know who's behind it?"

Gro-ba shook his head. "They didn't say. The details aren't out yet. But people are already talking and all kinds of crap is getting said. Everything from a Dunmer conspiracy to crazy cults."

She shook her head, listening as they conjectured with only half an ear. "And all his sons too? Damn." She whispered. That was...messed up. "Hey...what...what day is it?"

Modryn looked at her like she was addled. "Fredas."

"No...like, the date. It's Frost Fall..already...but what day?"

They both looked at her a moment then both their brows shot up. "Damn." murmured Modryn.

"It's the 29th right? So...tomorrow...or today actually, is Emperor's day. You think they planned that? Creepy."

"I second that damn." Gro-ba agreed. It was even eerier that Both Boethia and Mehrunes Dagon had summoning days approaching. Both were Daedra associated with political overthrow and revolution. One subtly, and one...well, not so much. Take a wild guess which is which. That reminded her, she wasn't going to be able to get to Boethia's shrine in time for the summoning, something she'd taken to doing since moving to Cyradil.

Eh, screw it. If anyone had an excuse it was her.

There was a long silent moment. Who knew what they were thinking, but she couldn't help but think of Emily...the Neverar...where ever she was. Before they'd parted, Inanna and Des had agreed that they were simply glad it was all over...but Emily had got this look in her eye. When they'd pressed her, she shook her head and smiled, and said with her usual enigmatic dourness, "Ends are also beginnings...and no one ever said birth was easy." They'd jokingly told her to lighten up and have another drink...the usual response to half the shit that came out of that girl's mouth, but the rest of the evening had taken on a curiously reflective mood. She was right. Order beget order, but in between there was chaos. Inanna couldn't help but wonder if this was part of the birth she'd been speaking of. Gods and Emperors are dying around them, and what will be born to fill the huge space they've left?

She cast a glance at Modryn...he was already looking at her. "Be very careful Inanna, who knows what's going on with this. There might be a panic. People do strange things at times like this. Take as long as you need." He gave her a look which she took to mean he'd take care of things here until she returned.

She nodded and took a deep breath. It looks like she really was cursed to live in interesting times. What crap timing she had. She'd been traveling the Empire and had come back for a 'visit' just in time to get caught in all the shit hitting the proverbial fan...and then came back...just in time for round two apparently.

Faaaantastic.

She'd hope that this was as weird as things were going to get...but she knew in the very depth of her soul that it was just starting. These were just the labor pains.

Yeah, she was going to the witch, and she was going to use blood magic, if that's what it took. She would do what she needed to do. For Feric, for her new daughter...for her family...and she would succeed.

And woe be to any Nchow s'wit Altmer who thought otherwise.

%%%

Warm. It was warm. Almost stifling. And the air was thick with...scents...too many scents...not all of them pleasant.

Feric groaned and tried not to breath in the heavy air too deeply. There was something strange and herbal about it...it made his nose and throat ache. He blinked his eyes open and found his sight bleary...there was dim light, this place was unfamiliar...flowers? He blinked the stars from his eyes. There were flowers, dead flowers...he realized after a minute that they were hanging above him, and that he was on his back. There was an unfamiliar softness beneath him. The last bed he'd slept in was Ina's...Inanna? Where was she? Where was he?

His vision blurred as a wave of pain washed through his head. It throbbed and he groaned, trying to roll over and sit up.

Something on his shoulder gave him pause. A hand. Another scent prickled his nose. He didn't like it. It had that bitter scent of herbs, but under it was something else...something old, something...dead?

He pulled away from the hand and was on his feet, swaying, but steady enough. He spun to face what ever it was, relying on instinct since his vision was still weak, and his head still spun.

"Who are you?" He demanded, his voice a hoarse growl. He narrowed his eyes trying to get a clearer look at the person...they were smaller than him...and female? Yes, female.

She made a shushing sound, her voice dry with age, but soft. "Now, now, it's all right. I don't know who poisoned you, but your safe here young man."

He relaxed slightly at the sound, and as his swimming vision slowly began to reconcile itself to the sound of her voice. She was an slightly older looking woman, in her late fifties or early sixties...probably an Imperial...or Breton, it was hard to tell. She was simply dressed, in plain homespun, and looked completely unassuming. As did the small cottage...there were drying flowers and herbs hanging from the naked rafters, filling the air around them. That explained the smell. His nose twitched at the thought.

Still, there was that other scent. He stepped back, eying her warily. A glance to his left showed him a long work bench and another long table covered in what he guessed were alchemical ingredients and the equipment to use them.

"I've given you something to counteract the poison...it was draining you of your health and endurance...it was strong too. Something you might use on an ogre...you're lucky to be alive."

She smiled mildly and gestured to the bed he'd clearly just leapt from. "Have a seat and I'll take a look at you."

He licked his lips, then decided he really did need to sit down. His head still swam, and the sudden rush of adrenaline which had propelled him to his feet was waning fast. So he sat. However, he held up a warding hand when she stepped toward him.

She paused, and he ignored her curious expression. His endurance was still sapped, but he felt the magica flowing beneath his skin unimpeded. He used it, spreading it through him, healing the many minor wounds still marking his body. After a minute he realized that another had already healed the worst of them. He glanced up at her.

"You're a healer?" What healer smelled like that? Still, she didn't look like any necromancer he'd ever seen.

She smiled. "Among other things." I wonder what those things are, he mused.

He looked around. "Where are we?"

"My home. I live here alone, along the river...we're not far from where you collapsed...do you remember what happened to you?"

He sighed deeply and nodded.

She chuckled. "Well that's a relief. I was worried you might be one of those amnesiac cases. Imagine my surprise when I found you just laying there in the middle of the woods. And not a stitch of clothing on you. It's not everyday you bump into naked Nord men wandering around the wilderness."

He blinked, then reached for the blanket on the bed covering his lap. In his distraction he'd forgotten he was still naked. She only chuckled, seemingly unfazed by it. "Oh!" She pulled something from her skirt and held it out to him. It was a ring. He took it hesitantly. "That's the one you were wearing. It was drained, so I charged it for you."

He blinked. "Thank you." He looked at her thoughtfully and she seemed content to let him appraise her. Slowly his tired mind began to put things together. "Are...are you a waste witch?" He remembered Inanna's cousin he met in Cheydinhal talking a little bit about his woman who was a waste witch...it would explain the strange, dark scent he kept catching. They practiced blood magic...which Ina had said was somehow related to kinds of necromancy.

Her eyebrows raised a little. "Well we're a little far from Morrowind for waste-witches...but I understand your meaning. I suppose you could say I'm a witch of sorts...but just a simple hedge witch, nothing so dramatic as all that." She seemed at ease with her omission, so he was as well. He would keep an eye on her, but for now, she'd done nothing but help him.

"Thank you for your help. How...how did you get me here if you live alone?"

She smirked. "You'd be surprised what you can accomplish with a well placed spell or two. Now, I told you what I am...what are you?"

He forced his face to remain cool. "What do you mean?"

Her kindly expression took a much shrewder turn. "When you healed yourself, I got a sense of something rather odd, something I've never encountered before...I noticed it when I was healing you but couldn't be sure. You don't feel like a Nord, even though you look like one. You don't feel like a mage...but there is something powerful in you."

He shrugged, clearing his throat. "I'm a follower of Kyn...maybe that's what you're picking up on."

Her shrewd look didn't dissipate, but she nodded. "As you say then. Is it anything I need to worry about? Or should I say, the one who you seem to have escaped...should I be concerned about them?"

He frowned. "I certainly hope not. Though I will go now. I don't want to put you in danger. They may come looking for me...though I doubt they could find me." He sighed deeply. He wondered what had happened with his people. Had they gotten away cleanly? Had they come back to look for him? Would they find his scent if they did? "How long have I been here?"

"Almost two days."

He gaped at her. She chuckled again. "I wasn't joking when I said you were lucky to be alive. That poison should be able to kill a normal man. You are obviously exceptionally strong to have endured it as long as you did. Two days out isn't all that bad...all things considered. I've looked after worse cases."

Two days...damn. That meant they hadn't come back for him right away. He hoped it was because they'd been smart and gone back for the others. He had faith in Mirisa. Even if he hadn't given them an order, she'd do the right thing. He could look after himself. The cubs needed them more than he did, and she knew they were the priority. Besides, he knew his brother-in-law would be anxious to get to his mate and babies.

He could only hoped they all made it to them safely and quickly.

"Speaking of which," she continued pulling him out of his anxious thoughts, "you probably shouldn't be going anywhere. I won't stop you if you insist on going, but you'll be weak for a couple of days at least. And even then I doubt you'd be at full strength. If whoever you faced is indeed looking for you, then you'll be a pretty target wandering around at half strength." She nodded for emphasis. "And if that poison was meant for you and not just accidental luck, then I'd wager they know the measure of you. I can tell you right now I know how these things are made, and a poison of that concentration is difficult to make and expensive to buy."

He nodded his understanding. They'd be ready for him, so he couldn't rely on them underestimating his abilities. He'd need to be fully prepared to face them, especially alone. It rankled him to admit it, but it would be foolish to leave. He told her as much.