When Meesei finally pulled away from Sabine, she had stopped sobbing, but there were still tears swelling in the bottom of her eyes, just above her eyelids. She blinked a few times to clear her vision, then shook her head lightly as she stared into Sabine's own eyes. "No, no, you don't need to apologize, Sabine; you don't need to feel bad. You...you didn't do anything wrong. All of this is not really about you, it is...more about me, I suppose."

Meesei swallowed uncomfortably, trying to find the words for how she felt. "Sabine, I...I still remember back, years ago when you were barely more than a child, back in the forests in Cyrodiil. I could see that you were scarred, you were hurt and afraid. I did not do it openly back then, but...I cried the first night after we found you. I cried harder than I had ever since the day my father died. You were just a little, frightened girl who had obviously been through...gods knew whatever kind of terror. I made a promise to myself that night that I would do whatever I could to make you better. I thought that I would have fulfilled that promise with your ritual in Black Marsh, but...in the weeks after, I realized that it was not that simple. I had helped you with your trauma, sure, but I knew that you had been denied a childhood. You had lived in either torment or fear for so long, that you just could not have the one you deserved. No matter how much I wanted, I could not give that to you. It had been too long, and you were too old to ever be a child again, but..."

Raising up her hand, Meesei placed it gently onto Sabine's cheek and smiled. "I could give you the love and support those witches never did. I could give you...family. I knew it would not be perfect. I knew that most people would never see me, an Argonian, as your mother, but as long as I could give you the help you needed, it did not matter. And now...we are here. I have seen you as that little girl for so long, but...that is not who you are anymore. You got past your fear, you learned what you needed to learn from me. You are an adult now; you are a grown woman just like me. I am sorry for reacting like that, and intruding on a very intimate moment with your mate. I just never expected to be...faced with all of that at once."

Meesei closed her eyes a moment and let out a long, shaky breath. "Just...may I ask you one thing? Do you think I have...fulfilled my promise?"

---

M'ibasa looked over to the river once Tzirret mentioned it. [i]"Yeah, it is. And speaking of the river, are we actually going to start swimming soon. We've been sitting here forever."[/i] He complained.

Ma'tanza gave a chuckle. [i]"Alright, little brother. We can go for a swim.[/i]

[i]"Hey, I'm not little anymore[/i] He retorted.

[i]"Right."[/i] She responded. M'ibasa sprung up from where he was sitting, undressed, and quite literally jumped into the water, while most of the others started to stand more slowly. Thusfar, Tzirret's interaction with the group had essentially only been to relay to them stories about the Champion. But, if he wanted to join them and talk to them more normally, and not just as a storyteller, then he would need to take the initiative to ask.