Zared got alittle uncomfortable by that question. Surely wanting to divert it away from himself as he drank a sip of the hot tea. "I come from Elsweyr, plain and simple. I dont agree with how the Mane has gotten my country involved with this stupid war. I come from.." he paused for a moment remembering what he had put down on his enlistment sheet, all lies but lies can be missed or re-fabricated and this wasnt something he wanted to mess up. Less they knew the better. "A line of traders who are fairly rich. So yeah." he sat back alittle. Lieing wasnt his specialty but it got him through most of the time.

While the conversations started, Fara choose not to sit down - after taking off her armor, she picked up her blankets and climbed into her hammock. She was close enoiugh to har or speak, but comfortably warm and laying down, rather than sitting down on the cave's floor. That's better. Nobody sane should stay up past two in the morning without a good reason.

"As far as I heard it reported, the Mane didn't have much say in the matter. It was either stepping down gracefully and keeping his hide or getting kicked down by the Republican faction, and he picked the first option.

We aren't in a war - though I grant you, seen from inside it looks the same. What's going on in the Marsh isn't a war, it's 'supressing a rebellion against the legitimate rulers of the Black Marsh Province'.... at least the Council says so. The republic says it's 'brutally repressing the people's aspirations to enforce the corrupt rule of a small clique of so-called tribal chiefs'. My own version would be 'using the claims from a small bunch of lizards crooked enough to hide behind a spiral stair as an excuse to try kicking down the Repblic's expansion before it lights a fire under the Council's seats'."

As she stretched a bit into her hammock, she noticed the khajit's extensive tattos - which were usually hidden under his armor "One question Zared : you're packing tatoos that must have cost you quite a bundle. Do they mean something special, or is it just the khajit's version of many teens using weird haircuts and makeups to throw consertative types into a fit ?"

Zared blinked alittle and looked at fara twitching his tail tip alittle. "These hold very special meaning to me and my family." he replied to the Bosmer. His paw rubbing his back and sipping the tea more. Finishing the tea up the khajiit stood up "And yeah they cost allot more than what most earn in a year." he wasnt trying to brag, it was honest and down to the point. Putting his hammock up near faras' Zared looked at the others "Captain who will stand watch if anyone?"

Her words about the Mane and what had happened fell onto him, however he had seen what happened. But some things were making alittle sense. He was still going to go through with his plan, he knew he had all the support of the Northern khajiit but he needed more. And More was what he was getting.

Fara sighed as Zared commented about setting a watch. "Well, I'd say th less wounded and freshest of the squad. That means picking amongst you, me, Fanier and Velandris. I'd tend to two watches to the morning, two on each watch. It's harder to silence two mouthes than one."

Velandris fiddled with his pipe and took a few more puffs. "I'll take the first watch, Im hardly sleepy and I'd like to relax with my pipe for a bit longer." He Stood up and beggan glancing at the others. "Anyone else?" He headed to his spot and then picked up his quiver and bow and tightened his bracers a bit more.

(OOC: Well, i got a virus inbetween my lost post and now, but now its gone. The virus wouldn't let me log into anything and such, but now Fubb is back!)

Matthews stared around at the squad, shifting his sour back, and feeling his hurting face. He winced as he touched the wounds, closed and clean, but swollen. His face would be smarting for the next few days. Vision in his left had also returned, sort of. Everything was a dark, pale purple blur. The effects of his night eye were just waring off.

"I will, I wont be able to sleep anyways" Mtthew said as Velandris offered to take the first watch, walking over to him. "Coarse I can't see very well out of my left eye, so..."

Velandris nodded. "Don't worry Anythign you can't see I will beable too. We probably won't find anything but critters and small animals pass by the cave." His fingeres figited on his bow he clutched. "QWell anyways I saw a nice boulder a few feet outside the cave, We can set up there behind it its in sight of the cave aswell as some parts of the trail leading away." He picked up his small tabacco pouch and crushed another leafe puuting the peices in the pipe and re lit it and walked out the cave and stopepd holding the cloth open for Matthew.

"We have volunteeers, that's fine - you'll get relieved in about two hours. Keep a low profile, we don't want to be spotted. That means no smoking - litting it can be seen from quite afar, and tobaccos smell is a very distinctive one. Even if argonians don't have an especially good sense of smell, I'd rather not take the chance."

Fara paused a while, before reluctantly slipping out of her hammock. "I'll need two volunteers with me in the morning for something else - make us some decent latrines. Not exactly the most thrilling and glamorous side of army life, but a damn usefull one. Doing that sort of things inside won't do any good to the place, and nobody will wander in the brushes to run into problems or leave obvious traces."

Zared smirked alittle "Not exactly freshest considering what we go through." he had a bit of an excuse for watches, besides hating them. His body burned energy faster than others. Smirking abit Zared leant back, relaxing "Ill take morning watch." he said and looked at the captain "So tell us about yourself Sir." he looked at fara and shuddered "I think Ill hunt for a source of food instead.."

Velandris looked at his pipe and back at fara. "But... Gah, fine I'll put it out." He took his small water pouch and spilt some water in the pipe and dump the wet tabacco on the ground. The he turned to creep away fro mthe cave muttering curses on his way to the boulder he picked out. He pulled his hood over his head and climbed ontop of the boulder laying his bow and three arrows down beside him.

Prescott had been staring at the ground half asleep before Zared brought him into the conversation , asking him about himself . He looked up with a charmed expression on his face , stroking his moustache with pride that someone would take such interest in his personal life .

"me ? not much to say really" He began...

"Im from a family with strong military heritage so I figured I might as well follow the tradition . Picked a hell of a war to get involved in though . I don't exactly support the council , but my motive for fighting in this cesspit is for the wellbeing of Cyrodiil and the achievement of peace . Call me nihilistic but I would rather have some uptight beurocrat's in fancy burgundy outfit's pulling the new emperor's strings then a full blown out war"

he sighed , tilting his head back and looking up at the roof of the cave .

"When this war end's , Im going to find me a wife and settle down . Nothing fancy , maybe a wee cottage outside of Skingrad . I wouldn't mind a desert hovel out in morrowind or Elsweyr either . I want to see the world , but I still have a while left in my tour . Nine months in this rotting hell ."

As the captain spoke, Fara held her laughter Wellbeing of Cyrodill and peace... stringign up half teh burecrats and nobility would be a better way to do it...

"Nine month left ? That's short. I'm in with the standard Legion 10-years contract, I'd guess I'm stuck for the duration. And from the way things shape up, odds are I'll leave the Legion before the Legion leaves the Marsh. Looks like my resume don't make me a suitable material to look pretty on parade ground back in Cyrodill. Too short, not martial-looking enough, and not conviced enough that the Council should pour tons of gold in the mud through the various Commissions, to enlighten the locals. It eems most of the lighting up is done with the firestrikes though. More money to be made than with missionaries or the like I suppose, you can't shave much on sandals, walking staves and pilgrim robes."

Zared smiled alittle "If you really want to live in Elsweyr try Tenmar Forest or maybe sit north East of Torval. Any further north and you would become a target for outlander hating tribal warriors." he chuckled alittle. "And these fire strikes are useless in Argonia. Its to wet and as we have seen the fires burn out way to fast to do any real damage. I think this war is a waste of time. My stint here lasts.. Hmm" he thought for a moment "Only a few months." he smirked.


Outside, within the dense canopy of the jungle sat three scouts, dressed in black armor whom blended into the surrounding forests almost perfectly. Their chameleon effect making it look as if nothing was there. Watching the cave, its inhabitants namely the under-cover prince that was there. "If he is there, we will convince him to come home, if not..kill him" whispered one voice to another.

Gregg walked back to camp, composed, more or less. He went over to his stuff and pulled out a mat, using his bag as a pillow. He settled down, hands on his chest, looking peacefull. He watched the forest, all the plantlife, and the occasional small animal. He thought he saw a bush move, but then a fox jumped out, scurrying after a rabbit, who also took flight. He began to think about life back home. His dad was probably proud of him, saying whever he went "My son's fighting in the war" to whoever asked. His mom would probably be saying the same things, but with a different connotation of contempt. Gregg sighed and rolled over, facing the opposite side of the forest. He closed his eyes, waiting for sleep.

OOC : Sorry for absence...hospital . Iv'e given Sibera permission to craft up a little sub-lot for flavouring aswell

IC :

"Few months , your lucky Zared" Prescott said with a wry smile . He tried to shuffle into a more comfortable position but ended up just hurting himself more . he let out a painted gasped and sank back down to his previous stance .... lazily sitting with his back to the wall .

He could feel his eyes dropping...he had only been awake for mere hours and now the wound and fatigue was taking its toll . He yawned in exasperation .

"I think...I think Ill just rest my eyes a little . Wake me if you need me" He said , drooping his head down and trying to rest a little .

Zared laid back and slowly began to doze. "Alright, same here, wake me when its my turn to watch.." he yawned and slowly drifted off to sleep.

As things settled down, Fara wriggled a bit to rest more comfortably in her hammoc. Noetheless making sure her bow was within reach as well as her sword. Not that it would do me much good if I'm caught asleep, but at least I'll have them at hand if something turns wrong. At least I'm lucky no to need to much sleep, even if it takes a cabestan to drag me out of bed in the morning, and quite some time to get up if I don't get an adrenaline shot...

ooc: Ill fast forward abit


ic: Several hours later, it was early morning, the sun peeking over the horizon, shining bright light into the cave. Zared was up early, cooking a snake he had caught on the fire as his breakfast. Saving his rations for later. The smell of the cooking meat would be enough to wake most light and some heavy sleepers. The sweet smell of caramelizing sugar and meat wafting slowly through the cave.

The visitors from the night before, the dark figures had dissapeared.

Velandris watched the marsh, his keen eyes unblinkable. The sun was starting to rise above the swampy horizon. He was knelt down atop the boulder still his bow in his left hand and the two arrows laying by his foot. Soon the smell of roasted meat comign from the cave. His right hand twitched and he turned his attention at the cave entrance. He yawned and then picked up the arrows and placed them in his quiver then hopped off the boulder and stood for a few seconds. He stretched his back to unstiffin his muscles and made it pop. When he felt well enough getting his blood flowing threw him he started walkign back. He lifted the cloth and ducked into the entrance and set his bow on the cloack he placed near the entrance as a sleeping spot. The smell was heavier and it braught him to walk back to the fire and as he approached he saw Zared cooking.

"Your up early." He stated with a small smirk. He lifted his arms and again yawned and then placed them at his sides and walked over to the fire to sit down. "What is it?" He asked pointing at the roasting meal.

As some activity started in the morning Fara slowly emerged from her dreamless sleep - the night march having taken it's toll on her. She wriggled and stretched in her hammock, trying to dispell the cobweb from her brain and to get rid of the lead anchors dragging her eyelids down. And exercise acompanied by low grumblings and groaning.

As she caught a drift of Zared's cooking, things got faster, has her empty stomach rated getting up as an emergency. Truth to be told, I wkae up fast only in an emergency. I can get up fast with an adrenaline kick, otherwise it's a lost cause...

coming down her hammock she moved to the fire, stretching to dispell the soreness following their long walk. "Snake or lizard from the smell of it. Cooked with some sugar to make it tastier - is it normal or moonsugar ? "

Zared looked at the pair a little quizzicly "Its snake sweetened with raw moon sugar. Breakfast for the morning that I caught. Don't think you would like it." he said. Removing the snake from the fire. It was a moderately sized python.

"Don't worry, I won't deprive you of your hard-earned breakfast. I've nothing against snake, but I'm extremely sensitive to moonsugar. It wouldnt do any good to the squad if I ended up unable to do anything but giggling at things I'm the only one to see for the whole day.".

Fara added with an exagerated shudder.

"The last time I've sampled the stuff I ended in the slammer and two ranks shorter. About the only thing I remember was that I wanted to cuddle and play with a cute little furry animal - who in reality it was a commander with full dress uniform and absolutely no sense of humor."

Gregg woke from a fitful sleep to a sweet smell. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked around. At the camp, with his adopted squad. He slowly stood up, and bent backwards to fix his back, sore from sleeping on the ground all night. He saw Zared had caught himself some breakfast, but Gregg didn't want to go out and hunt. He found his bag and reached inside, fishing out his rations. He chewed on the jerky for a while, watching the forest. His headache was gone, and Gregg was feeling good. He finished his jerky, which left him slightly less hungry than when he started eating. Gregg layed back, using his hands as a pillow, watching the forest again. He began to think of the war, but eventually got tired of being alone with his thoughts. He reached into his bag and pulled out the book he brought with him: "The Argonian Account, Bk. 1" Gregg was soon immersed in the book.

Zared placed the sweet smelling roasted snake onto his metal plate. Seeing as noone was going to try it -though there really wasn't enough for two people considering the khajiits large appetite and fast metabolism- and with his small fork and knife cut a chunk off the snake' side and ate it savouring the sweet taste. Looking at the new guy and his book then at everyone else. "those who are awake we need to plan out what we are to do today"

Fara sat somewhat comfortably, using her rolled blankets as a cushion and the cave's wall as the back of a seat. "Our orders were to set a base camp and patrol the area. With the woundeds from tonight's scuffle, we aren't exactly in shape for scouting. That would leave us with setting a camp and resume scouting when the woundeds are able. We're lucky, nobody got crippling injuries, the captain's the worst. And it's msotly the bloss loss and need of rest that puts him out of comission now.

Now if we set a camp, I'd say our first worry would be to make it unseen. We don't have the numbers to fight a serious attack. That means a decent blocking position inside the cavern, and a few observation and fighting posts outside. Nothing fancy, one to cover the path, another atop the hill - large ebough to hold four soldiers. Add cleared lanes to move around without making noise and that should do it.

Beyond that, the usual - latrines, finding some water and routing it to the cave so we won't have to leave - all the shovelwork that makes the Legion so fun a place to be."