Tzirret paused with a frown, and then brought his other arm up around Ma'tanza. He held both his hands over her far upper arm and stroked gently in sympathy. "Ma'tanza still misses them, doesn't she?" Tzirret asked solemnly, "Her old pride. Tzirret understands."

After another period of time just sitting with Ma'tanza, Tzirret turned his head slightly so he could look at her in his peripheral vision. "You know, when Tzirret lost his family, he was always looked after by Gallus, and eventually Peiter as well. He never had a M'ibasa. He never had to be strong in front of others. Ma'tanza is a very brave person, she puts on a smile because she has to take care of others, but does she ever get the chance just to...miss people?" Tzirret turned to the horizon again, looking at the last sliver of the sun. "Like...well, just remembering them? Without being afraid of others seeing it? This one almost forgot the faces of his mother and father because he was afraid of missing them. Sometimes he still has trouble."

---

As per habit with a simple thrust, Gallus attempted to parry with the sword in his right hand and shot out a counter attack onto Ri'vashi's arm with his hammer. It was the easiest counter-attack he could commit to in this situation without overstepping, but it still held risks, as did any move.

"Judging by how many people believed it, I would say the impostor may have succeeded had either of you been leader," Gallus responded, "Look, it's been two years, and you're doubting yourself so much because of these complaints. There is doubt in my mind as to how well Dro'cahi would do in comparison. Maybe you simply need to keep up a command of respect? People probably still see you as young and naive, at least compared to Dro'cahi. If you make yourself out to be a mature, collected person, engage people directly, it might help. A good first step would be the council room. When you and Dro'cahi butt heads, as it were, do you cause one another to escalate? Is there one of you who loses patience first? Tell me how such an interaction normally plays out."

By this point, the sun had nearly gone down over the horizon. A small upper portion of it was still visible, and while there would still be some light for a short while, darkness would fall over the desert shortly. With the moons and stars above, coupled with their night eye, they would likely have no issue being able to see, but the air did become rather cool at night.

Ma'tanza expression appeared uncertain. "This one...does not really like doing that. Not remembering them, but...dwelling on them. She loved her parents, and her old pride. She always will love them, but thinking back on them is painful, especially if she is alone. Ma'tanza feels better if she has her friends and family with her when she thinks about them. It reminds her that she still has people who care about her. Mostly, though, Ma'tanza likes to focus on the present. Like being here with you. We should find something more cheerful to talk about."

---

Ri'vashi's thrust was met with a parry as she had expected. She had intended to follow through with a different attack, but just as with his feints, her sharp eyes spotted his hammer. With a quick, deft step, she dashed to the side, on the opposite side of Gallus from his hammer. She kept her blade pressed against his to guard, then rushed forward in an attempt to use her weight to throw him off balance.

"It's...not quite like that, not really. The arguments do not get heated in the sense that we start shouting at each other, it's more like...we relentlessly deconstruct each others' points. We argue about every detail, every potential failure in our plans. Ri'vashi cannot refuse to argue, because then she would essentially be acting without her council. Ri'vashi knows that he wants her to step down, and...he probably would be better at managing such a large clan. But Ri'vashi also needs the authority to keep her people safe. She worries about how Dro'cahi could handle the war." She explained.

With Ma'tanza putting her guard up, Tzirret decided to back off from the issue. He didn't want to upset her. "Okay," he said, before promptly realising that he had anything to talk about. He let the orange on the horizon fade into a pink again as the stars started to make their appearance.

After a while, Tzirret gave up on trying to find something to talk about and just let the nice feeling of being close to Ma'tanza wash over him. He dared not let her go, not only because of the feelings, but also because of the dropping temperature. It eventually got cold enough that he knew they would both want to head back into the clanhome soon. With all the desire swirling around his core and making his shoulders feel tense, he felt like he was at the shore of the Larsius river again. He couldn't exactly admit his love and expect a better result here, but he had to do something while he still had time.

"Um..." Even trying to think of how to approach the situation was causing Tzirret's heart to beat faster. He began breathing uneasily and separated himself from Ma'tanza in an effort to hide it, even though she would have noticed by now anyway. "Ma'tanza," Tzirret let his hands slide down to her forearms, "L-look, um...Tzirret knows that he has been awkward and...mm...well, uncomfortable much of the time. But, Ma'tanza has been patient with him." Tzirret slowly breathed in, "She did not brush him away, she comforted his worries, and...he just wants to say that...he really appreciates it. And...yes, you hear everyone call you beautiful all the time, but Tzirret got to see that there are other pieces of beauty in you that others might not see. They make you...he said it before, everything he wishes to be himself. As well, he learned that she understands people. You look past people's first impression, you...you see them for more than they are. Tzirret thinks that is wonderful, and...he gets encouraged by that, like he isn't just a nervous wreck...and...he just really likes you, and..."

As Tzirret trailed off, he looked quite worried. He found his right hand coming up to hold Ma'tanza under her cheek and started to draw her closer, before stopping. He really wanted to kiss her, more than anything else in Mundus. Unfortunately, in his escalation, he had become so nervous that he didn't know whether he could do it. He started to contemplate just finishing his sentence with something along the lines of 'thank you for coming here with this one.' That was, unless he got one last shot of encouragement.

---

Gallus widened his eyes as Ri'vashi virtually disappeared from out of the way of his counter attack and reappeared in prime position to knock him down. Before Gallus could step to compensate, he stumbled back and fell onto his backside with a surprised frown. Thankfully, the sand padded his fall. That would mean a few less bruises than if he had been sparring on the cold, hard floor of the Bruma clanhome's main chamber.

"Ah, I misinterpreted then," Gallus said as he got up off the ground and dusted himself off. "So, Dro'cahi is not as good of a good military leader. Is that correct?" Gallus let out an exasperated breath and fell into a guard again. He wasn't quite sure how he could win against Ri'vashi, with how skilled a warrior she was. At least not without a dirty trick. Gallus advanced, on the offensive this time, immediately stepping up to knock aside or trap Ri'vashi's sword, take an intentionally wild swing at the front of her head to make her blink, and then duck off to one side to cut her upper legs before she found him again. It was not guaranteed to work, but he wanted to test just how far her perceptions went.

"What do you think Dro'cahi would do if he took the reins of the warriors here in this clan?" Gallus asked.

Ma'tanza patiently listened to Tzirret with a smile slowly growing on her face. Despite his stammering, she simply listened for as long as it took to convey his meaning. She had heard his compliments before, but she certainly did not mind hearing them again. Being that she was covered in fur, he could not see her blush, except for a slight flush of red on her nose.

"You're just too sweet, Tzirret. A bit inarticulate, maybe, but you're so nice to Ma'tanza. And not just nice...a lot of people have been nice. You're...genuine. This one can really believe everything you say about her. She doesn't ever get the feeling that you're just lying to her so you can get what you want from her body. Thank you for that, Tzirret." When Ma'tanza finished speaking, she leaned forward further to give Tzirret a kiss on the cheek. It was not quite the passionate kiss on the lips he might have been wanting, but it was a definite display of affection. Although, in Ma'tanza's expression, there had been a hint of nervousness as she leaned in. It was possible she might have wanted something more as well, but if she did, Tzirret would have to be the one to find out.

---

"Ri'vashi...would not quite say that. Dro'cahi has never really been in a position of military leadership before, true, but she does not have a reason to believe he could not command our soldiers. She is just not sure if he would put as much focus on our warriors as we need right now. We are in a war, and that has to be our priority. Many of the things we have disagreed on have been sacrifices made in the name of the war. Limited conscription for able-bodied men and women, purchasing more metal instead of extra food stores, those sorts of decisions. Honestly, Ri'vashi does not think she is any great military leader, but she is doing what needs to be done for the safety of the clan. That is why she cannot step down." Ri'vashi answered.

Against Gallus' attack, Ri'vashi once again proved her innate skills. Gallus did manage to trap Ri'vashi's sword in his initial strike, but her composure was as touch as steel. As he had struck, she had, almost on reflex, brought up her free hand to put it in a better place to defend herself. As such, when he made a wild swing up towards her head, she did not blink, but instead shot her hand out to grab his wrist while pulling her head back to avoid the swing. She then attempted to twist his arm around behind him and pull him in for a grapple. Ri'vashi did not seem to have too high of an opinion of herself, but her actions were telling the story that her words were not. She had excellent observational skills, and in combat, could plan ahead almost on instinct. Of course, that did not necessarily mean that she could lead troops, but it spoke of her familiarity with combat.

Tzirret's mind burned as Ma'tanza got closer. Hearing his feelings get reciprocated was one thing, but he thought his head might explode when she kissed his cheek.

With him still holding onto her loosely, Tzirret sat agape and focussed his stare into Ma'tanza's eyes. He wasn't there anymore, not in a desert or on rocky crags. There was no moon or stars or anything. The only thing he was experiencing was the feel of her soft fur under his hands, her eyes, and the sensation of closing the gap between them. He moved without any further worries haunting him, bringing his arms around Ma'tanza's body, closing his eyes, and pressing his lips against hers.

The fear in Tzirret's mind had gone from worry to thrill at this point. Whether or not Ma'tanza felt the same way, he knew that taking this chance would only have been more difficult later on. Just this once, he had to overcome the limits of his temperament on his own. He did, and it was terrifying.

---

"Ah!" Gallus exclaimed as his wrist was caught out of the air. After a short struggle, Gallus' strength was overcome by better leverage and he was left to ponder just how Ri'vashi knew what his movements would be. Either he was so rusty that he was telegraphing too much, or she had some kind of sixth sense.

"Say what you like, Ri'vashi, but let it be known that you have a better combat instinct than any old coot of an advisor." Gallus said painfully. When he tapped for mercy and was let go, he took a moment to rub his strained arm and loosen up again. "I do not know how you could convince Dro'cahi about prioritising the war, I don't know him. But...it sounds like this attack on the stronghold, if it proves possible, could be an opportunity to prove yourself. Use what you are good at; your keen eye, your reflexes, your intuition, and your training. Then you'll at least have a platform of respect to stand up on. How does that sound?"

Ma'tanza was not expecting Tzirret's kiss, if for no other reason than it required him to be much more bold than usual. While his eyes closed, her eyes widened. However, she did not protest, and after a few moments, she reciprocated his show of affection. Slowly, she put her arms around him and pulled him close. It would seem natural that they would pull away from one another at some point and say something about what had just happened, but Ma'tanza did not. Instead, she kept her arms around him and continued to kiss him for as long as he would go on. The air was cool, and there was a breeze making it feel even colder, but as long as they were close together, their mutual body heat could keep them somewhat comfortable.

---

Once their current bout ended, Ri'vashi took on a relaxed stance, planting her blade in the sand and leaning onto it. "Ri'vashi will do what is needed of her, as she always does. She has the utmost respect for Dro'cahi, but she will heed your advice. You are a companion to the Champion herself, after all. That you are trusted by the most powerful of our kind speaks very highly of you, Gallus. This one thinks she can learn from you. She would go and speak to Dro'cahi immediately, but she suspects he wants to have his dinner and get some rest at the moment. That seems like a conversation for calmer tempers."

Ri'vashi briefly took in a breath, then walked back over to the weapon racks and put back her practice blade. "With all of this frustration, Ri'vashi needs to sate her beast spirit. When was the last time you were able to hunt? This one suspects you have been unable to in the desert, correct? As you might have guessed, there are nowhere near enough animals in the area around the stronghold to satisfy this many lycans. So, we've had to find other ways to satisfy our beast spirits."

Being that Tzirret had never passionately kissed someone out of pure affection with the same in return, he wallowed in the moment for as long as he could. Whenever it seemed as if he was slowing down, he would reassure his grip on Ma'tanza and redouble the passion. He didn't much care about the creeping cold at all.

After a while, out of seeking comfort or more closeness, Tzirret and Ma'tanza laid out on the bedroll while they kissed. Tzirret of course felt physical desires, but knew them well enough to recognise them and keep himself restrained.

It must have been at least an hour that passed before there was any other form of communication between the pair. Their lips parted reluctantly, leaving smaller kisses in an effort to keep going. Tzirret finally stopped and held his forehead against Ma'tanza's. With a deep sigh, he breathed, "This one has lived no better night than this."

---

Gallus pulled a humble smile. "You flatter me, clan leader. Best of luck for your future endeavours."

When the subject went to sating beast spirits, Gallus lifted his brow in surprise. "Other ways? Well, now that you mention it, there wasn't really anything to hunt in the desert. You've piqued my curiosity." Gallus strode to the weapon rack and replaced his chosen armaments. "What are these other ways? Fighting? I know I could stand to sate my beast spirit, but it might be a bit difficult after transforming earlier today."

For Ma'tanza, she simply enjoyed the passion between them enough that she did not pay particular attention to how much time was passing. It was not the first time she had shared such an intense kiss with another, though it had not lasted quite as long before. Although, it seemed to be an even more significant experience for Tzirret. She doubted his words were an exaggeration, given the problems he generally had with socializing.

"This one is glad you are happy. Really, she is just glad to be here with you in general. You are a very loving person, Tzirret." Ma'tanza commented. Another gust of wind passed, prompting her to shiver and tighten her grip around him. "We should probably head back at some point...eventually."

---

Ri'vashi hummed and curled her lips slightly. "Oh yes, this one supposes you did transform earlier, didn't you? Well, it is still best you know our solutions. You see that long chest over there in that corner of the room? Could you head over there and grab one of the staves out of it. It does not matter which one, they are all the same. Oh, and there should also be some preserved meat in the cabinet next to it, provided the last ones to use it restocked it." She requested. It was quite strange that a training room, of all places, would have a cabinet full of meat, but it seemed to make sense to Ri'vashi.

Removing her loincloth, she placed it over with the rest of her belongings, then stood in the open space at the center of the room. "Those are summoning staves. Weak ones, but that is all we will need. Using it will conjure a scamp. Ri'vashi will transform and kill the scamp, then she wants you to quickly throw some of the meat to her. It will help to satisfy her beast's need to kill, and to eat. It is not perfect, but it sort of...tricks the beast spirit into being satisfied. Or at least complacent. There are some other techniques we use to keep our beasts calm, like fighting before a kill, but this should be fine for Ri'vashi. Feel free to ask around if you are ever having trouble with your beast; it is something most of the clan is experienced dealing with." She said before giving a light chuckle. "Just don't ask La'tahne what to do about it."

In response to Ma'tanza, Tzirret smiled widely and ran his hands through the fur on the back of Ma'tanza's neck. He took a slow breath in as if to speak, but was interrupted as Ma'tanza held onto him more tightly. In his blissful state, he almost said that he loved her, but her comment about the cold and the extra second to let more rational thoughts in put those words aside.

"Oh, you must be cold. Sorry." Tzirret's smile faded, but he had a soft expression, "Tzirret is used to it, but he forgets that there is little cold where Ma'tanza lives. Here," Tzirret kissed her for another few moments, and then smiled and began to sit up.

Tzirret intended to start heading down the hill with Ma'tanza, but looking down the ridge proved it to look more treacherous in the dark, even with the dim definition allowed by their eyes. Instead, Tzirret looked to Ma'tanza unsurely, but not necessarily in his regular defeatist worrying. There was more contemplation to his expression.

After another few seconds, Tzirret made a decision. He stood up, gently holding a hand against Ma'tanza's shoulder. "Lay back for a moment. This one will give you a lift back." With that, Tzirret squatted and transformed. He had not been able to hunt for a while, but with how bold and elated he felt tonight, he felt as though he had enough control for this simple task. Once the transformation was complete, Tzirret's beast form craned his head down to sniff at the air over Ma'tanza. The next movement was more sudden. With a great sweeping heft, Tzirret dug his clawed hands under the bedroll and picked it up in his arms, Ma'tanza, satchel, and all. With Ma'tanza safely wrapped up in the warm bedroll against the wind, Tzirret made his way down the ridge of the hill with sure feet.

The rest of the short walk was at a gentle pace. Tzirret's beast form seemed surprisingly calm as he carried Ma'tanza, gently holding her like something precious. It was in contrast to the excitable creature that Ma'tanza hunted with before they entered the desert. It wasn't until they reached the gate that Tzirret carefully set Ma'tanza down and seated himself on his haunches to try and transform back. It would take a short while, but he wanted to stay with Ma'tanza for a little longer at least.

---

Gallus' brow was still raised, but he gave a tight, sturgeon frown and a nod. "How clever," he commented as he went to retrieve a staff and a chunk of meat, "I'll have to see it to believe it, but if it works, I'll have to tell everyone at home about this. Fantastic..."

Before another moment passed, Gallus held the thorny staff forward with a half a skinned jackal in his other hand. He pulled an odd face for a moment and shook the staff for a moment. "Hmf, my apologies, it has been some time since I have had to use one of...aha!"

A roiling bulb of purple conjuration magic materialised at the tip of the staff. Immediately following was the sound of a harsh thrum and tear as light dilated around an area on the floor. A large purple ovoid sprung out into reality for but a second, shrinking into nothingness just as quickly. In its place was a short, thin, toothy, and pointy eared creature that looked up at Gallus expectantly. Gallus wrinkled his nose at the smell, but stepped back and allowed Ri'vashi to demonstrate the technique.

Ma’tanza personally did not thing that the path down seemed too difficult, but she did not argue when Tzirret offered to carry her down. Although, she did let out a brief yelp when he quickly scooped her up into his arms. It took only a few minutes to reach the cave, then head inside until they reached the gate. While the stronghold was cooler than the desert in the daytime, its insulation meant it still remained at a comfortable, if slightly cooler temperature at night.

After the pair stopped, Ma’tanza rolled up what little they had carried with them into the bedroll, but at that point, she found herself having to wait for Tzirret to shift back into his normal form. Given that he had not hunted in a while, and he had not sated his beast’s hunger during this transformation, it would take a few moments for him to be able to calm his mind. However, Ma’tanza started to look at Tzirret with a playful expression. Walking up in front of him, she at first simply planted a kiss on the end of his snout, but then, without warning, she took a few steps back, then ran forward and jumped at him. She attempted to use her momentum to tackle him to the ground, though that would be difficult considering his mass.

---

“Just keep the creature standing right there. It will attempt to fight this one once she attacks, but it will be banished long before it can do any harm to her.” Ri’vashi explained. “Once it disappears, Ri’vashi needs you to throw the meat at her feet. The trick to this technique is that you need to stop thinking about what you are doing. Our rational minds know that the meat does not come from the scamp, but if we allow ourselves to act on pure instinct, just for the duration of the kill, then we can trick our beast spirits, in a way. It is not as good as an actual hunt, but it is helpful. Now, give Ri’vashi a moment.”

Ri’vashi closed her eyes briefly, then allowed the transformation to take hold over her body. As she was a Cathay, and a powerful clan leader in addition, her beast form was quite large. In terms of overall mass and strength, she could match a werecrocodile. While impressive, those traits were something Gallus might have expected. What was most interesting about her beast form was that she was neither a werelion, nor a werewolf. The beast which she transformed into was much more bulky and muscular than either of those, as she was a werebear. Her spotted fur was replaced with a thick, solid brown coat, and she let out a brief, distinctive growl. Notably, werebears were a type of lycanthrope that was not commonly found in Elsweyr, or any of the regions around it.

As it was bound to Gallus’ will, the scamp did not attack as the massive werebear stomped up to it. The creature did not even seem to show any fear, likely because the Daedra was not a creature that could actually experience death. It did nothing until Ri’vashi swiped her massive claws across its back, immediately forcing it to the ground. The scamp was still alive, and tried to stand up to fight back, but Ri’vashi was easily able to get her jaws around its throat to bite down. Her beast felt the satisfying taste of the creature’s blood running into her mouth for a brief moment before the scamp dissipated back into Oblivion. At that point, Ri’vashi’s eyes began darting around the floor in front of her, searching for the corpse of her kill.

While Tzirret's eyes were closed, he could smell Ma'tanza in front of himself, so he wasn't upset when she pecked him on the snout. He simply smiled inwardly. What he didn't expect was to be tackled. His eyes shot open and he bent backwards to compensate for Ma'tanza's momentum as she threw her arms around him. Tzirret wasn't quite toppled over, as he was able bring one arm back to support his upper body. Once he had processed what happened, Tzirret sat up again and put his arms around Ma'tanza, nuzzling the side of her head with his snout.

The playfulness not only interrupted Tzirret's attempts at transforming back, but encouraged his beast spirit to play as well. He perked his ears and suddenly rolled off to one side with a higher pitched, friendly growl, taking Ma'tanza with him. Tzirret's rolling stopped as he let Ma'tanza go while he was on top of her, but lifted his body up so he wouldn't crush her. He then licked her face and neck a couple of times, before lifting his head and sounding a tiny, muffled bark, waiting for her to do something else.

---

While Gallus had seen werebears before, he had seldom been so close to one, and never confronted one so large. He flinched as Ri'vashi sprung upon the scamp, but as the confused beast sniffed and searched for its kill, Gallus let out a chuckle. They really did have to submit to their instincts. Rather than risk enraging Ri'vashi, Gallus swiftly tossed the half-carcass out in front of her and stepped back to allow her to feed.

Gallus didn't quite know if Ri'vashi understood what she was saying in her form, but he asked anyway. "You mentioned that some people fight before killing to also satisfy their instincts, but who is this La'tahne you speak of? Does she fight a bit too hard?" Gallus was willing to repeat the question after Ri'vashi was done if it didn't seem like she was listening.

Ma'tanza could not quite get out from underneath Tzirret in his werewolf form, and no amount of force she could produce would push him off of her. Instead, she reached up and scratched his ears, and kissed him once more on the snout. At the same time, she started rubbing his stomach with her feet, allowing the claws on her toes to scratch him gently.

"You know, Ma'tanza always wanted a dog. You're a bit bigger, but...you're close enough, she thinks." Ma'tanza joked. Lifting up her upper body, she wrapped her arms around Tzirret's neck to give him a hug.

---

The moment she saw the jackal on the floor in front of her, Ri'vashi's beast practically pounced to tear into it. She had refrained from putting too much thought into what she was doing until the beast had already started eating. Fortunately, she was paying enough attention when Gallus spoke up that she understood what he asked, though she did not answer him immediately. She waited until she had finished the entirety of the carcass before looking up from her meal, which only took a minute or so given the size of her lycan form.

Although the meat had been raw, it had been dried enough that her fur was not terribly bloody. It was not ideal for trying to trick her beast spirit, but it was enough for the moment. After her brief meal, Ri'vashi stood up straighter to indicate that she was back in full control of her own mind. As for Gallus' question, she started to laugh. Or at least, she gave a few low huffs that might pass for laughter. "Not quite." She answered. "La'tahne is a...popular and unpopular woman. She's our gardener. Her solution to her beast's restlessness is to use that form to mate with as many people as she pleases. It does nothing to satisfy bloodlust, obviously, but it does serve as a distraction...as Ri'vashi has been told, that is. Personally, this one thinks fighting would be more effective."

As she spoke, Ri'vashi sat herself down near to Gallus and did what she could to focus on calming herself. A single scamp was not exactly challenging prey, so her beast was more than wiling to continue its hunt.

As he was scratched behind the ear, Tzirret twisted his head and closed one eye, trying to angle Ma'tanza's hand to a sweet spot. The combination of a hug and a scratch on the belly made Tzirret groan and open his mouth, before rolling lazily onto his back with Ma'tanza on top of him.

It was relaxing to be treated as such, even if Tzirret hadn't hunted in a while. He opened his mouth futher in a wide yawn, showing off all of his teeth. Ma'tanza was lifted up slightly on Tzirret's chest as he inhaled, but lowered just as quickly. He then brought his arms around Ma'tanza again and held her closely for another minute. It was likely nice and warm up against him.

After another minute, Tzirret began to shrink and shift back to Khajiit form with Ma'tanza still on top of him, but he didn't mind. He just grinned, laughing a little bit as if he had been laughing more in his beast form. He looked into Ma'tanza's eyes and murmured through his teeth, "If Tzirret has to be a pet wolf, Ma'tanza has to be a pet lion. Tzirret always wanted a cat." It was barely a few seconds before he held Ma'tanza close again and resumed kissing her.

Whenever they finally pulled away, however long that took in the quiet sandy cavern outside of the gate, Tzirret brought a hand up to run a thumb down Ma'tanza's neck and shoulder and looked at it with less sureness. "Um...so, what should we do now?"

With their bodies pressed against one another, Ma'tanza could easily detect Tzirret's physical desires, but Tzirret did not want to push that option. Not only for Ma'tanza's comfort, but for the fact that he did not think to get those potions that Gallus taught him about. He would be fine whether they would separate there for the night or not. But, if they were to part ways, for whatever reason, Tzirret knew he could only do so reluctantly.

---

"Is that so?" Gallus said through a laugh, "And here I thought that was just a myth. Well, huh, another trick for the books then." His laughter calming, Gallus brought a finger up to scratch his head, "Though, I can't say I would have tried it in that form. It sounds like it would be rather...violent."

Gallus shook his head to purge the thought. It was probably not something he would employ unless he either had to or became too curious. He instead strode over to the meat cabinet and turned to Ri'vashi as she meditated. "Do you need another scamp, or are you satisfied for now?"

Ma'tanza started to laugh. "A cat? Well, this one has a cat and a dog all in one." She responded. For a while, they lay together in one another's embrace, exchanging hugs, kisses, and other shows of affection. As they could not simply lay there in the cave the rest of the night, however, they did need to figure out something to do next.

"Well, we could go find the others if you want. Or maybe just look around the stronghold and learn our way around? We could try to meet new people in the new clan, or just sit down in that beautiful garden. Or go find a good place to take a bath. Ma'tanza knows she needs one." She suggested. As she was throwing out suggestions, however, she seemed to notice something, causing a strange expression to come over her face. She could feel his physical desires, which caused her noticeable embarrassment. She sat up onto her knees and looked him over while rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. "Oh, um...sorry."

---

Ri'vashi simply shook her head as she closed her eyes. It took a few minutes, but she did eventually manage to shift back to her Cathay form. Standing back to her feet, she walked over to Gallus while stretching out her freshly-transformed muscles. "Ri'vashi will likely have another when she can first have a fight. She should be satisfied for now."

Pausing for a moment, Ri'vashi looked over Gallus quickly, then smiled. "This one would like to thank you, Gallus. She appreciates your advice, and that you took a few minutes to help relieve her of her frustrations. Mostly, though, she finds it helpful to have outside opinions. Fresh perspectives. Seeing as you are new in this clan, is there anything Ri'vashi could do to return the favor?"

Tzirret didn't mind what he did with Ma'tanza, as long as he got to be with her. Taking a bath actually sounded most appealing, as it had been a long time since Tzirret could feel clean and free of incessant itches. He was about to sound his agreement when Ma'tanza became embarrassed by the results of their closeness.

"What?" Tzirret propped himself up and realised what she was looking at. "Oh, er..." Tzirret sat up quickly, wide eyed and flat eared. He had felt so comfortable that he didn't even realise that Ma'tanza would be embarrassed by his bodily reactions. They had been similar up on the hill, although maybe she just didn't notice until now.

Tzirret was mortified. He shuffled in the sand where he was seated and turned to face away from Ma'tanza. Just as he usually did when he felt he had made a mistake, he cringed in embarrassment, but this time he also tried to cover himself with his hands. "It is this one who should be sorry," he said, sounding defeated, "It...should go in a minute. Thi-this one can get a loincloth after that."

---

"Hmm..." Gallus replaced the staff into the box and stood up straight. He held a hand to his mouth in thought. He had already been given a rudimentary tour of the clan home and there wasn't really much that he needed that he couldn't get himself.

After a moment, he looked up at Ri'vashi curiously with an unlikely though. "This may sound strange. I am not sure how much experience you would have, but I have two young men in my pack, fifteen and eighteen years old, that I have looked after since they were children." Gallus looked ahead, "Recently they have both been exploring more mature experiences. One has found a girl in the Senchal clan and the other has found one in the champion's pack, of all things."

Gallus sighed through his nose. Posing the questions in his head was more difficult than he thought. "I normally take a hands-off approach unless they need to be told where the boundaries are, but...they are not clear here, not completely. I do not mind them getting in relationships, but, do you think its healthy for them to be with such people? I can see at least one getting seriously heartbroken in the future, and it won't be any fault of theirs." Gallus leaned against the box full of staves and looked to Ri'vashi, "What do you think?"

"No, it's fine, it's...fine." Ma'tanza stammered out nervously. She tried to appear calm, almost professional in her demeanor. She stood up to her feet and extended a hand towards Tzirret to help him up. Ma'tanza shouldn't embarrass you like that; she was just surprised is all. She knows you feel that way about this one, but, um...well...she just...it's fine. We can head back and find a place to have a nice bath. Does that sound good?" She asked.

---

Ri'vashi raised her brow curiously at Gallus. Of all the things he could have asked of her, this particular question was far from what she expected. "Ri'vashi will not lie, that question is rather strange. But, she supposes she did make the offer. Unfortunately, this one does not know of how much help she can be. Ri'vashi has never had children of her own to raise, and there were never any boys of her age around growing up. Even if there had been, there were not many in High Rock who would have interest in a Cathay."

Rather than continuing to make excuses, Ri'vashi paused a moment to think on what practical advice she could offer. She walked over and sat down on a wooden bench near the chest of staves to rest as they spoke. "Still, Ri'vashi tends to approach such things the same way as you. Hands-off, that is. She believes in allowing her pride to be their own people. But, if they are young, this one supposes you just want to be able to give them advice? This sounds like an experience they could both learn from, you just have to make sure nothing happens that could permanently impact their lives. Or, irreversibly, rather. Perhaps you could look to yourself for advice as well? Did you have similar experiences at their age? What did that do to you?"

It took a couple of moments for Tzirret to glance up at Ma'tanza and finally take her hand. He stood up and stopped being so withdrawn, but hung his head awkwardly. "Yeah, a bath sounds nice," Tzirret admitted.

Tzirret and Ma'tanza walked hand in hand, trying to find the spot where the clan usually bathes, but Tzirret was quiet and distant for a while. Whenever he thought he should say something, his thoughts went back to being embarrassing himself and he closed his mouth. Perhaps fortunately for the sake of breaking the awkward silence, fears that were not likely rational started to peek up into Tzirret's mind. They became prevalent enough that Tzirret asked about them reluctantly.

"Is there...something else wrong?" Tzirret asked quietly. Predominantly, he was fearing that there was something unattractive about himself, but whatever was in Ma'tanza's reaction could have been just as likely to do with just herself.

---

"Oh, no-no-no, not myself," Gallus said, shaking his head and looking to the floor, "No, me? I just...well, it took my a long time to realise it, but at their age, I was the one hurting people. I went through many girls, and as I became an adult, I went through many women. Still do, despite slowing down. In fact, slowing down just seems to hurt people more. They get more attached, you see."

Gallus narrowed his eyes and put his hand forward. "But, here's my concern; I don't feel like it would be a good thing for the boys to go through the same experience of being torn away like my past partners. I don't necessarily know that it will be because their partners...are unloyal. In fact, I doubt it, but...well, the one in the Senchal clan is going to separate by necessity. Unless she makes the rash decision to move to Bruma with us. I certainly wouldn't allow one of my boys to separate from their pack on the whim of a young romance, much less condone something similar on the other side." Gallus brought his hand up to his temple and sighed, "They're going to get hurt, I know it. I just need to judge whether it would be something permanent, like you say."

Whether Gallus realised it or not, the paradox of having so many relationship experiences come and go while not knowing how easy heartbreak is to get over was somewhat telling of the fears he was projecting on Peiter and Tzirret.

Neither Ma'tanza nor Tzirret knew exactly where to go find what they were looking for. She guessed that the largest pool of water would probably be lower in the ruins, where she guessed the source would be, but their search was really little more than random. Still, they were learning their way around the stronghold, so it was not wasted time. She was focusing enough on searching that she did not notice how Tzirret was behaving until he spoke up once more.

Ma'tanza looked to Tzirret with obvious confusion. "What do you mean? There isn't anything wrong anymore, why do you ask? Did Ma'tanza make you think something was wrong?"

---

Ri'vashi leaned forward towards Gallus. She allowed her elbows to rest on her knees, then clasped her hands together in front of her. She stared him down, as if she were giving him an examination with her eyes. In particular, she focused on his face and the changes in his expression. It seemed like minutes of silence before she spoke, though it was only seconds.

"Hmm...this is not about them, is it? You haven't really experienced the pain of loss as you fear he will, have you? Ri'vashi can say that it is a growing experience, no matter the age at which it occurs. It is not a pleasant experience, by any means, but letting go is an important lesson to learn. Ri'vashi sees that you want the best for them, which is far more mature than you describe yourself. Try to look at yourself honestly. Do you think your own experiences color how you see theirs?" Ri'vashi asked.

Tzirret turned his head slightly and looked to the ground. He spoke quietly, but it was quiet enough to hear him on this level of the ruins. "Well, it's just...back there at the gate, you just seemed...you said you were just surprised, but it sounded like you were trying to say something more." Tzirret gave Ma'tanza a quick glance, "If there is something wrong with Tzirret, Ma'tanza can say so."

---

When Gallus noticed Ri'vashi staring, almost judgingly, he returned the look with a raised eyebrow. The comments that followed caused Gallus to look ahead again and reflect. He very slowly bit on the inside of his cheek and drew his jaw across from one side to another.

"Well, you aren't wrong," Gallus responded in a deep mumble, "You say it's not going to be a permanent harm to them? That's a relief. Perhaps I...have been projecting a little." Gallus' admission came with a guilty pursing of his lips. "Well, in that case, I suppose all I should do is be there for support when it finally does happen."

After another moment, Gallus turned his head to Ri'vashi with a grave expression. "You've given me something to think about," he said tightly, "I think that makes us even for now." He slowly brought his hand up and roughly clapped Ri'vashi on the shoulder before letting his arm drop to his side. His expression remained somewhat grave, as if he was reflecting on more than just his charges now. "Thanks."

Ma'tanza shook her head, still appearing confused. "Ma'tanza wasn't trying to say anything. She was just surprised. This one is not used to...those kinds of thoughts. Well, she is, kinda, but not from people she cares about. She isn't used to those kind of thoughts being normal. Ma'tanza will be fine, though. She knows you don't actually want to do that right now." She answered with a reassuring voice, even going as far as giving Tzirret a smile.

---

Ri'vashi gave a brief chuckle. "Well, perhaps we should wait on giving our thanks; we could both be horribly wrong about everything we've said." She joked as she stood up to her feet, stretching out her muscles once more. "But, having a plan is better than not. This one thinks she will have a quick wash, then get some rest. Ri'vashi suspects she is going to be quite busy over the next few weeks. Though, perhaps not as busy as she could be. At least one silver lining to the traitor's presence here was that she was having us ready our soldiers for a long journey, so we are already mostly ready in that regard. If you need any assistance, or think of any suggestions for Ri'vashi, feel free to find her. She does appreciate any assistance she can get."