I don't wanna hear about the bad blood anymore.

Andendryn was silent as the guards rushed past, finally in peace when it looked like the coast was clear.

Andendryn was silent as the guards rushed past, finally in peace when it looked like the coast was clear.

“I stole something from the Black-Briar’s manor. Surprisingly, they hired more goons to protect the home than I remember.”

He fished around inside the bag and pulled out five septims, and offered it to her.

The glint of shiny septims caught her gaze, and she glanced from them to the thief before taking the coins and placing them into her own small pouch. “I mean, I wasn’t going to say anything anyway,” she assured the other, tilting her head. “What people do in this land of snow isn’t any of my business, you know?”

A quiet moment of consideration, chewing a claw as she ponders. Feeling a bit mischievous, and the spark of excitement rekindling memories of running through the bushes alongside her partner in crime, a small grin creeps onto her face. 

“Is this one t’understand that you’ve seen other ships then? ‘Tis hard t’get from one end of Tamriel t’the other without touching Cyrodiil nor the sea. He confesses that he has not seen much of the eastern seas.” The Nord next to him was scowling at the larger Khajiit’s tail, swishing back and forth near the floor as it was, but Moj didn’t seem to notice. He smiled, gaze flicking down M’nari’s long hair with appreciation when it seemed she was occupied with other matters, his fingers playing a little with the cork next to his own mostly-untouched bottle.

How else would she have gotten to Skyrim from Elsweyr? Stupid, stupid, stupid. He knows for certain I’m lying now. Despite this, M’nari kept a pleasant smile on her face and, with a small twitch of her tail, took another sip of her mead - perking up her ears in response to his worry of seeming underwhelming.

Andendryn was silent as the guards rushed past, finally in peace when it looked like the coast was clear.

“Mm…this one thought he had a beautiful name, but ‘tis like music when you say it. But yes, a smart choice would be t’leave quickly, especially from what Moj’dul has seen of Skyrim.” he purred, popping the cork on his own mead bottle, smelling a strange scent within. He tried a small sip, finding it agreeable, but set the bottle back down on the bar. The cathay-raht hummed a little, claws sliding along the label.

A nervous cough left M’nari’s throat and she placed the drink back on the bar, pulling the stopper out of her teeth while thinking of a response to the captain’s question. Eventually, the smaller Khajiit wiped her lips with her sleeve and swept her tail against the floor before placing the cork beside the bottle it came from, opening her mouth to speak. 

“Two of whatever she likes.” he muttered, looking towards M’nari for her input. While she did that, Moj pulled open his coat to reach the hidden pocket inside for the coins needed.

M’nari quickly glanced back and forth between the two, mouth opening and closing as she thought about what she wanted to drink. She liked wine, and mead, and probably some other drink she couldn’t remember or pronounce - but what would her acquaintance like? A bite of her lip and the kitten eventually convinced herself that mead would be the rather neutral choice; squeaking out her order before tapping her claws together once more at his question.

Dust flew back to M’nari’s side - she’d been getting water once more from the nearby stream, but the panicked cries drew her back immediately. She fell to her knees at her side, cooing softly and trying to urge her to lay down again.

“It’s alright, M’nari, I’m here. It’s alright. Lay down, dear, don’t strain again.” And don’t panic, was her other thought. She did not need to see another transformation today. “I’m getting you some water. Don’t sit up yet, alright? You need to rest a bit longer.” Her small, gloved hand strayed up to the Khajiit’s brow, stroking across it, smoothing back stray locks. 

The hiss of boiling water caught her attention - she moved back and made a large cup of tea with the addition of the herbs they’d used earlier before returning to her side, pressing the mug into her hands. “Alright, let’s get you sitting up, now. Scooch back and rest against the tree there, if you need to. Slowly, though! Slowly.”

Only when she was sitting upright, wrapped in her cloak and holding the mug did Dust cease her mothering, backing off to sit nearby. She folded her hands before her, taking a slow, deep inhale of the crisp air.

M’nari was hushed into a quiet complacence by the time she was up against the trunk of a tree with a mug in her hands and a cloak around her body - but the Khajiit continued to feel her heart beating loudly, and it took a great deal of effort to resist the urge to cover her ears and beg for it to stop. 

Her gaze snapped to Dust, orange eyes wide with fright and hurt at the question. She doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore, does she? The kitten swallowed spit and began to reply in a hoarse, anxious tone; pausing for thought between each sentence.

“Is...that wh-what it’s called?” A moment of silence, and she continued by adjusting the cloak to reveal the gashes along her left side. “I...I got attacked by a big dog - I think - a-after I got to Skyrim. A man took me in. Cleaned up th-the scratches,” 

Slowly, she descended. Her feet hit the ground with a soft whump before she knelt by the quivering form, placing a hand on her back. A spell, let forth - she was sedated from the dart, but otherwise alright.

Now what?

They’d have to wait it out. What would she tell the guard, if she were to bring this poor thing to the gates like this? Worse still, what if she turned again? What if she had no control over it? She was given no warning, after all. 

Still, she couldn’t accept the idea that M’nari might be dangerous to her.

No. Dust gathered her up in her cloak, able to hoist her weight despite her own small size. She’d stay with her, keep her warm in that cloak, and wait until she came to her senses.

As for what came next, well.

Is that the word? M’nari wasn’t sure, but it was a weird sensation nonetheless. She was floating in a void, tired and dreary as sounds echoed around her and touch was numbed, as if her fur was coated in a rubber of sorts. Was she awake, or still stuck in her own body with the wolf in control? 

The question was quickly answered - a twitch of her tail and a flick of her fingers meant she had regained some form of awareness now, and the wolf had been...Oh, no. Please no.