"At this stage, Ri'vashi, it would be not out of convenience but out of necessity," Gallus said without any comforting tone in his voice.

Gallus leaned an elbow on the table and turned his body more straight-on to Ri'vashi. She was at the point where she couldn't pretend that doing nothing was a good idea, at least. Gallus tried to think of a way to get his point across without frustrating her further and took on a more casual tone. "This is the part where you strike a balance between clan quality and defence. The point of balance will change depending on the threat that the clan is under but right now it's a little too far to one side. When Corinthe is done it will be even more unbalanced." Gallus nodded to Ri'vashi, "However, the truth is that some of these measures are providing a diminishing benefit altogether. Take the combat training. For a moment, try to imagine that you are not a soldier and you never want to fight. It doesn't matter whether you like the training or not because if you do not want to fight, you are going to run from battle, yes? This stronghold already has strong, capable, and passionate warriors. Training everyone else is a measure for desperation, when there is no one else to defend. As long as enough warriors still stand to fight, there is no benefit to it. Therefore, dropping some measures may sacrifice the current defences less than you might think." Gallus gestured forward again, keeping the onus on Ri'vashi, "Of course, it doesn't have to be that right away. If you see less sacrifice in another measure being changed, you might prefer that. This is still your clan."

---

It was a little daunting to hear La'khay describe those parts of her work practices, but Sabine would admit that she had a point.

"I...do trust you and my friends," Sabine answered slowly with anxious strain around her eyes. "I would still be too nervous, though."

Sabine wasn't sure whether it was because she wanted a reminder that she was still the sane one or if she wanted to escape giving La'khay a good reason for her answer. One or both of those things drove her to turn her head to Peiter. Her styled hair felt unfamiliar against her shoulders. "You would get nervous as well, right Peiter?"

Ri'vashi still showed obvious discomfort at the suggestion of making changes to her defensive strategies, but she was far less willing to get into a heated argument with the Champion and Gallus than she was with Dro'cahi. "Ri'vashi does not...like this. She thinks it is a mistake to weaken our defenses for this. How can she make such a choice? With most of our warriors on a march, this will be the time that the clan most needs its food reserves, and with the number of defenders reduced, the people may need the training. No, it has to be something else. Something else Dro'cahi has been wanting. Let Ri'vashi think..."

Conflicting thoughts raced through Ri'vashi's mind, rapidly weight the pros and cons of giving in to any of the complaints Dro'cahi had been making. She was not confident, but she did at least come up with an answer. "Dro'cahi has been asking this one to let go of more coin to the people. The clan takes a reasonable amount of all gold coming into the clan and devotes it to strengthening the clan as a whole, but Dro'cahi has been trying to say that the percentage is too high. What we don't put towards food, we mostly put towards weapons, armor, and other supplies for the warriors. But, we do have a good store of all of those items now, so changing that would not be too harmful. At least in the short term."

---

"Nervous isn't the word I would use exactly; I think it would be a whole other kind of uncomfortable." Peiter answered. As much as he liked being close to Sabine, and especially as much as he loved mating with her, he had to admit that posing for that kind of a painting would be more unusual than pretty much anything he had done before. La'khay had finished trimming Sabine's armpits, was nearly finished with her groin, and woudl only need to trim her legs before she would be finished. Afterwards, Peiter was not sure if La'khay would want to do the same to him, and was slowly becoming more nervous about that thought.

La'khay still did not seem to be deterred by the answers she was receiving. She was not exactly pushing the issue, but she was still staying on the topic. "Well, you would only need to hold one pose, and La'tahne could step out. You can have any painting you want, of course. This is for you to have something to remember this moment by. Something you can hold onto to remind you of what it was like when your love was first blossoming. La'khay just thought that would be the most romantic painting she could make. But, she would not want to do anything that would make you unhappy with the final product."

A satisfied smile crept onto Gallus' face. "That's our in then," he remarked, "Other things can wait until the warband returns." Gallus sat back into his chair properly again, "And none too soon as well, I think our break is almost up. Did you want to mention this to Dro'cahi in private or announce something in this meeting?"

Only now did Gallus' heart rate begin to settle. The relief dropping from his neck was welcome. If he had tested Ri'vashi's patience too much, he knew that there would have been no chance of getting Dro'cahi's approval without authoritative action from Meesei. To keep the loyalty of those around them, Gallus wanted to avoid that as much as he could.

---

La'khay's further attempts at convincing Sabine did not get rid of her discomfort. The fact remained that there would be a painting of them in a private moment that Sabine wanted kept to themselves. That thought of her likeness being painted gave her enough nerves about having her face on display for all to see no matter how it turned out. It was enough effort to try and reduce that thought to the point where she wasn't going to run off.

"I think we should still only hold each other," Sabine said meekly. Her growing anxieties allowed for no further words for now.

Ri'vashi lowered her head, sighing lightly. We may as well give everyone the announcement." She answered simply. She said no more, instead losing herself in thought for the remainder of the wait until their break was over.

Little else occurred as they waited for everyone to take their seats at the table once more. Meesei attempted to speak to Lorag briefly, but even she could hardly coax any words out of him. Evidently, he was taking the idea that this enemy general could be his same commander from years ago very seriously. It was rare to see Lorag so quiet, but Meesei could do little at the moment to try to calm any worries he might have. Once the fifteen minutes had passed, Meesei gave the word for any not yet sitting to return to their chairs.

"Now that we are all here, this meeting shall reconvene. I trust you were all able to review the documents provided, and get a clearer picture of the situation we are in. Now, it is my understanding that there is a new proposal to be brought forward to the table." Meesei explained. She looked to Ri'vashi expectantly, but unfortunately, it seemed that the Cathay was having trouble actually making the suggestion herself. Ri'vashi appeared as if she were at the edge of speaking, but there was an immense level of doubt in her expression.

---

As La'khay finished up her work on Sabine, she reached up and gave Sabine a pat on the shoulder. "Well, it's hardly like La'khay is going to force you to do it. This is your painting, not hers. She is just glad to have the chance to do this for you. And to have the time to speak with you both, of course. La'khay helped you get the confidence to mate your first time, and she is eager to learn how your relationship is going."

Standing back up, La'khay turned and looked over Peiter. "Now, shall we get this handsome Breton trimmed up as well?"

Immediately, Peiter's eyes widened, and he raised up his hands almost reflexively. "I, uh, I don't...know..." She stammered, turning his gaze to Sabine with a mix of fear and uncertainty. "Do you want me to..."

Gallus took the last few minutes of time they had to observe those around him. Most had read the notes to their satisfaction and were simply discussing amongst themselves, while others were taking more time to read all the detail over again. It was only with a sideways glance that he got a hint of Ri'vashi's discomfort.

The meeting reconvened with the intermittent singing of chair legs against the floor and the diminishing murblings of the attendants. Their eyes all shined forward to Meesei's end of the table to listen to what was coming next. Gallus looked back with no fear in his mind. When Meesei called upon Ri'vashi to speak, Gallus at first brought his eyes to the table in front of him, but the nudging silence drew his attention to Ri'vashi again.

Up until now, Gallus trusted Ri'vashi's confidence in speaking. However, as her hesitation continued, her doubt spread to Gallus as well. After a glance to the now confused eyes of the meeting, Gallus leaned his head over slightly and laid a hand on Ri'vashi's upper arm. "You alright?" he asked quietly.

As important as this proposal was, Ri'vashi needed to be the one to announce it.

---

Involuntarily, Sabine's eyes momentarily widened at La'khay saying as much as she did in front of La'tahne. That was personal information. Sabine's neck felt warm with embarrassment for a moment before she conceded that it was too late to take the words back.

As for Peiter, his fearful reaction was something that made Sabine smile. It was not as if he would be harmed at all. Sabine looked over his body briefly to consider and caught his eyes. "You could try it," Sabine suggested without commitment. She was actually curious to see how he would look after La'khay's treatment but didn't want to force him. Sabine added after a giggle, "It will not be worse than the thorns."

With the metaphorical push from Gallus, Ri'vashi was at least forced to acknowledge that she was the one that was meant to speak. "Yes, just...thinking on how to present this." She muttered. After another deep breath, she looked down the table, specifically towards Dro'cahi. "Gallus and the Champion have recommended to this one a course of action to help alleviate the...stresses this march may place on the clan's morale. As this one's council knows, the clan takes a percentage of all gold coming into the stronghold to buy supplies necessary for the clan's operation. Since our stronghold currently has an...adequate surplus of most of these supplies, this one proposes reducing the percentage taken to allow more gold to be available to the clan's members for private purchases."

The members of the Senchal clan of course had little reaction to Ri'vashi's proposal, but virtually all of Ri'vashi's council, regardless of who they supported, showed a measure of surprise at the sudden proposal. Evidently, such decision were not something that Ri'vashi was known for."

Dro'cahi's demeanor did not betray whatever emotions he might have been feeling, and his response was calm and professional. "Dro'cahi can support this proposition." He said simply.

---

Peiter let out a rather long sigh. "You...are not wrong, but I have a feeling you just want to have something to laugh at. Fine, I'll do it, but just because I want to see you smile." He answered, which produced a smile from La'khay as she motioned for him to take a seat, then started on his hair. His was much shorter than Sabine's...at least on his head, so she did not have as many options. But, she did not seem to approach him with any less confidence.

"So, how has everything been going for you two? Are you happy together? This one knows you are certainly cute together. The perfect Breton couple. What would you say you love the most about him, Sabine?" La'khay asked curiously.

Gallus gave an understanding smile and brought his hand off of Ri'vashi as soon as she responded. The proposition appeared to have more of an immediate impact amongst the council than he had originally predicted. However, given how long Ri'vashi had resisted such things, Gallus could see why it may have seemed sudden to have her being so uncharacteristic.

Nevertheless, Dro'cahi appeared to show his support. Gallus waited until it was certain that there were no other comments before continuing. "It is our hope that this will boost morale while the warband is errant from the clanhome, in spite of there not being as many defenders around." Gallus cleared his throat and glanced to the papers before him. "Anyway, does anyone have points that they would like to discuss about this plan? Dro'cahi, do you still hold reservations?"

---

Peiter's response had Sabine letting out a laugh. "Aw, I will not laugh, Peiter. You will look good!" Sabine tried to give an encouraging look. Despite her smiles, she didn't want Peiter to feel as if he was suffering.

On the other hand, La'khay's questions had Sabine wondering whether she or Peiter should be answering them first. Her last question put that little dilemma to rest in short order but it still put Sabine on the spot. She leaned her side against the back of her seat, tilted her head to one side, and then stared at Peiter for a long and silent while with a small, contemplative smile.

Sabine brought her thoughts back to why she had shown interest in Peiter in the first place. Doing that revealed the quality that Sabine admired the most as if it was no effort at all. Putting it to words took another moment on top of her original pause.

"Accepting," Sabine said finally. She took her time while she explained, "You are not afraid of things...but...not like just getting courage." Sabine's smile had faded but the weight behind her words did not. She spoke carefully and quietly, like she did in the past. "You do not judge too fast."

Dro'cahi gave a simple answer, though not necessarily a straightforward one. "Dro'cahi has nothing more to say." He answered. His tone was unemotional, though one could see in his demeanor that he might have been hiding his true thoughts on the matter. He did not specifically say that he had no more complaints, so it was possible that he was just choosing not to attempt to fight those battles at the moment. Dro'cahi had told Gallus that he had not expected to get any results from his arguments at the meeting, so he may not have wanted to risk losing the gains he had already made.

Those lieutenants who were in support of Dro'cahi followed his lead and gave no objections, though ironically, it was one of Ri'vashi's supporters, an Ohmes-raht woman, that spoke up first. "But...clan leader, you said before that this coin was instrumental to build up an impenetrable defense. What will happen to our current expansion project?"

"Those funds were vital, yes." Ri'vashi answered with no hesitation. "But, we are now very well stocked on those supplies. The clan's defenders will not need new weapons and armor at the same rate as they will need food and water. This sacrifice will have minimal impact on our defense. As for the expansion of our stronghold, Ri'vashi would recommend placing it on hold, even if we did not make this change. With so many of our warriors away, we will not need the extra space, and it would be best to focus on the defense of the stronghold during the march, rather than its expansion."

The woman seemed to accept the explanation, and the others followed with only silence. As such, Meesei decided to speak up and ask for final, clear confirmation of the plan from the council. "As there seem to be no more objections, does everyone agree to the plan laid out in these reports, along with Ri'vashi's proposal. Does everyone agree to the number of warriors we are dedicating to this assault, and the projected length of time for which it will last?"

There was only a brief pause before the ethereal voice of the Pahmar-raht lieutenant, Ra'jorr, answered. "Champion, this one's warriors will follow you to the ends of Nirn and back. He does not even need to give them the order, for between their thirst for revenge against the enemy that killed so many of their brothers and sisters, and their gratitude to you and your companions, they all seek our enemy's destruction with an unquestioning fervor.'

Following Ra'jorr's impassioned answer, Ri'nakhad gave a simple nod in agreement. "You have the full support of the Senchal clan, Champion."

Despite her apprehension about sacrificing her own clan's defense, Ri'vashi answered in agreement as well, followed shortly by Dro'cahi, and each of the other council members afterwards. Some were more enthusiastic than others, but none were showing any outward signs of opposition.

---

"That is so sweet." La'khay responded with a smile. "This one could tell just by watching you two that he was good for you. And you, Peiter? What do you love about your beautiful mate?"

Peiter would have turned to smile at Sabine as well, if it were not necessary for him keep looking straight ahead. Both of them had given each other plenty of compliments before, but to hear her say such things about him to someone else was flattering. He had expected that La'khay would ask him the very same question, so he had given it some thought and was able to answer more quickly. "Well, there are a lot of things I love about Sabine, and it's hard to pick something that I love about her the most, but I'm going to say honesty. People lie to each other, a lot. And not just about big things, but small things as well. People give compliments they don't mean, or change the way they say things just enough to help themselves, but Sabine...I really feel she is honest with me. If she says something nice about me, I know she means it. If something is wrong, I know she'll tell me honestly. I really like that."

As Peiter was giving his answer, La'khay finished her work on his hair. Since it was shorter, it did not take as long for her to trim and style. His hair was now sleek and even, with hardly a single strand of hair out of place. She started moving on to trimming his body hair, starting with his chest. Compared to Sabine, his body hair was obviously much more significant, but since she only needed to trim it down as short as possible, it would not be complicated work.

Though overcoming the biggest obstacle on the council was more awkward in execution than Gallus would have liked, the fact remained that the march was going ahead. With that, all that remained was to hammer out the details of the plan and logistics.

It was a relief to Gallus. However, he couldn't help but feel as though there were some unintended side effects of this compromise. He had wanted to talk with Ri'vashi about trying to build bridges between herself and Dro'cahi but now there were other reasons for talking with her. He resolved to catch up with her straight after the meeting.

---

It was no secret that Peiter left Sabine with no shortage of compliments. As far as Sabine was concerned, most of them were to flatter her appearance or simply embarrass her into reacting. This time it felt more sincere and affecting.

Although, Peiter's words made Sabine realise that there had not yet been a point where she was truly upset or angry with him. She wondered whether they would both keep to their favourite traits when that happened.

Sabine simply stood up, then - trying her best not to get in La'khay's way - walked up to where Peiter sat, carefully ran her hand over his lovely new hair, and then leaned down to lay a quick kiss on his lips. "I like that compliment," she murmured with an honest smile.

"Very well, if we are all in agreement, then I believe there is nothing more for us to do here. I understand you all have your duties, and do not wish to keep you from them any longer than necessary. The march will begin in three days time, on Sundas morning. If any other concerns arise in that time, feel free to speak to myself or Ri'vashi." Meesei stated, effectively ending the meeting. There were still more decisions left to be made regarding the attack itself, but those would be the concern of the war leaders that were taking part in the attack, not the rest of the council. They would all meet at a later time to discuss their strategy for the attack.

With the meeting adjourned, the majority of the council started to get up from their seats and make their way out of the room, while a few lingered only briefly to speak with their peers. Ri'vashi, however, did not stand immediately. Instead, she remained where she was, her eyes focused on the documents in front of her. Though, she did not actually seem to be focusing on them. She was trapped in her thoughts, which at the moment, were only serving to reinforce her doubt at her choices.

---

Peiter returned the kiss as much as he could without moving. Although, at this point, he doubted that it would matter if he moved slightly, since La'khay was doing any precise styling. "And I mean every word of it. Of course, that's true for all of my compliments."

"See La'tahne, these two are just so cute. Young love has to be this one's favorite kind of love." La'khay remarked. She finished up trimming the hair on Peiter's torso in short order, then move on to his groin. That was, of course, the point where he became exceptionally tense. He had been anticipating it, but that still did not stop a cocktail of awkward, embarrassed emotions from flooding into his mind.

"I, uh, oh..." Peiter stammered, looking to Sabine nervously. Aside from embarrassment, he held no shortage of nervousness at the fact that she was using a knife on the hair.

La'khay seemed to ignore Peiter's fear and simply continued with the conversation. "It truly is good to see you two happy together. You both will look quite nice after this. How was that day by the river, anyway? You had such passion for one another; did your first time together live up to your expectations? How long did it last?" La'khay asked, to which Peiter had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. He had started to wonder when La'khay would get back to the embarrassing questions.

Gallus had stood up with everyone else just to stretch his legs in preparation for keeping up with Ri'vashi's long stride if she decided to leave suddenly. As the others left he gave nods, thanks, and farewells as necessary. He was somewhat relieved to find that Ri'vashi had stayed behind by the end. Unfortunately, the uncertainty on her face had not left either.

Not giving regard to anyone remaining in the room, Meesei included, Gallus strode up to the opposite side of the table to Ri'vashi and leaned his hands on the chair in front of him. "That went well, I think. No heads bitten off at all. Literally or figuratively," Gallus commented. He breathed in slowly before addressing Ri'vashi directly. "You seem troubled. What's on your mind?"

---

Peiter's follow-up made Sabine smile, roll her eyes, and let out a breath through her nose in lieu of laughing or sighing. She touched a hand to Peiter's shoulder and stepped away as she did, moving back to her chair. La'khay got back to her questions before Sabine could say anything more.

As expected, La'khay was as single minded as ever. Sabine breathed in to describe scant details in the hope that it would save her curiosity. She stopped as she realised why Peiter was looking at him so nervously. "Um...I think it would be best for Peiter's safety if I do not say," Sabine answered, "With the knife so close it might make telling that...risky?"

Sabine did not doubt La'khay's skills but she knew how embarrassed Peiter got about his body sometimes. She did not want to make the situation worse for him.

Ri'vashi let out a deep breath. "You seem so...certain about this. That this will actually be worth it. Not the attack; that is of course necessary. But this sacrifice we are making for the sake of morale, does the Bruma clan really not focus on its defense? From the stories Ri'vashi heard, your clan was actually attacked. They broke through your front gate and fought you within your stronghold until they were repelled. That means the enemy knows where to find you, but...you still do not take similar precautions as Ri'vashi?"

While Meesei was concerned about Ri'vashi, for multiple reasons, she saw that Gallus was speaking to her already. As such, she decided to put her focus on Lorag. He had been almost entirely unresponsive since learning about Do'rhajul, and she needed to try to coax out his thoughts on the matter. He started to head out of the room fairly quickly, so she followed closely after him. Once a few remaining stragglers left, Ri'vashi and Gallus would be left alone.

---

"Oh, of course, of course. It must have been exciting indeed." La'khay answered, nodding in apparent understanding. For a moment, she stopped her questioning to focus entirely on what she was doing. It was a simple matter to trim his hair down as short as the knife would allow, so she proceeded quickly. She did make an effort to show that she was being cautious, given the area on which she was working, but she still finished in under a minute and started to move on to his legs.

Once she was beyond Peiter's most sensitive areas, La'khay returned to her former, relaxed demeanor. She stayed mostly focused on her work, but quickly glanced over to Sabine expectantly. "Okay, now that's done, so you can tell La'khay all about it. What was it like? Has he gotten any better? Do you want any advice? La'khay has plenty to give."

If nothing else, Peiter could admire La'khay's persistence. He could see what Sabine had been trying to do, but she had only delayed La'khay's questioning for about thirty seconds.

With a glance to Meesei and Lorag, Gallus knew that he and Ri'vashi would have to get in on their conversation soon enough. Gallus wanted to know everything he could about Do'rhajul, even if it could only be a coincidence that Lorag served under his command.

"How can we be certain about anything?" Gallus answered, though mostly that was to buy him time. The answer to her questions were complicated and depended upon details that he was not completely familiar with. Regardless, he tried to speak of what he did know. "Bruma is...we have different circumstances than this place. That's the simple version. The mountainous terrain means we don't have to keep an eye everywhere at once. We have sentries out all the time in the snow. Our food supplies are more robust and can sustain our numbers for longer. Not to mention our garrison is very healthy. As for the assault a few years ago, the fortifications were rebuilt to be stronger and we're unlikely to have the majority of our warband coaxed out to follow a traitor home any time soon."

Gallus furrowed his brow and readjusted himself in his seat. "Anyway, that's sort of beside the point, I think." Gallus itched his head uncomfortably, trying to better articulate himself. "Bruma..." he let out his breath and tried again, "My father, Oswall, answered me when I asked him why the clan was formed if lycans work fine in packs. He told me that people just want a warm home to get back to. A place where they don't have to see their beast spirit as a curse. The leaders and lieutenants of that place have always held that as a principle of highest regard. People can volunteer to defend the clan, sure, and there are responsibilities, but if it does not feel like a home...well...then the clan isn't doing what it is supposed to." Gallus gestured forward with the back of his hand for emphasis, "So, if we started forcing everyone to live their lives in austerity and military discipline when it beyond the reason of the immediate situation, it starts to feel more like..." Gallus pursed his lips and and glanced over Ri'vashi's shoulder as he tried to think of something, "...a labour camp. Somewhere for prisoners." Gallus shook his head lightly, "That's no home."

In this, Gallus wished he could articulate his point better. He put an elbow on the table and turned his palm up. "Do you understand what I mean?"

---

With her eyes scrunched shut and her face in her hand, Sabine began to flush red. La'khay was impossible. With another sharp exhale through her nose, Sabine brought her hand back and turned her head until she was leaning her fingers on her temple. She opened her eyes wide. "Yes! Yes. It was good," Sabine said with a tone that spoke of her impatience with La'khay, despite her prevalent smile. "It was good after a while. It got better when we did it more. And...we did continue...that day..."

Sabine opened her mouth to talk further but did not really have much at the front of her mind that she wanted to mention. Instead, she bowed her head forward and let out her breath in a humiliated chuckle. "I am sorry, La'khay. This is really embarrassing to talk about."

Ri'vashi leaned forward onto the table, lowering her head. She gave a sigh, closing her eyes in silent contemplation. Now, there was more than only doubt in her expression, there was sadness. After a few seconds she clenched her hands into a fist and barred her teeth. "You say that...like it is something obvious. Something Ri'vashi should have seen all along. Certainly, Dro'cahi has been telling her this all along. She always just thought he was being contrary. At first, he might have just been jealous that he was not appointed as leader, and that he just wanted to get into the people's good graces, but..."

Looking up once more, Ri'vashi made eye contact with Gallus, revealing that they were filled with tears. "You have been telling Ri'vashi the same thing as Dro'cahi, the Champion told her the same thing as Dro'cahi. She thought she was protecting the people, but...she must have been blind. Blind to Dro'cahi's motivations, blind to the people's suffering. If Ri'vashi can fail to see something so obvious, then how can she expect herself to do what is best for her clan? What kind of other mistakes is she making? Ri'vashi has been thinking for a while about resigning her position...maybe she should?"

---

La'khay finished trimming the last of the hair on Peiter's leg as Sabine was giving her answer. Sabine was obviously and openly embarrassed, but regardless, La'khay kept her same, friendly smile, then put her arm around Sabine's shoulders after she stood to her feet. "Do not worry, Sabine. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. To have a good first time, and to even continue on after that, on the same day...La'khay would kill to have such passion in a partner. Now, why don't you take a seat in Peiter's lap and find a pose you like."

Letting go of Sabine, La'khay walked over and re-positioned her easel. She took the paintbrush Sabine had been levitating, then looked the pair over as she waited for them to settle on a pose. "Your story sounds much better than what La'khay experienced all those years ago. This one will tell you about her first time mating; now that was embarrassing."

Gallus returned Ri'vashi's look with a sad smile. Seeing her at her wits end like this was not what he expected, so he didn't have immediate advice to give. Somewhat awkwardly, he extended his hand to her upper arm again and gave it a comforting rub. Seeing a big Cathay in tears and an imperial barely half her mass trying to comfort her must have held some measure of ridiculousness to an onlooker.

"Hey. It's...frustrating, I understand," Gallus began, trying to sound consoling. "Look, it might be easy to say it's obvious, but the fact is, you have to practice this, just like anything else." Gallus nodded to Ri'vashi's sword, "You weren't born with the sense of how to use that obviously now, were you?"

Gallus looked away uneasily. It was hard to think of things that would have likely not being suggested by Dro'cahi already. In light of that, Gallus decided to test the path ahead. "Um. Hm. Has Dro'cahi ever offered to help you to learn? The ways of leading people, that is."

This was a long day but Gallus suspected that it would only get longer.

---

Relieved that La'khay's curiosity had been sated for now, Sabine stood up and did as she said. She sat herself down carefully across Peiter's lap and put an arm around him. Inquisitively, she ran a hand over his now groomed chest and leg. She couldn't help but giggle at the novelty.

"See, I told you it would look good," Sabine murmured to him. She hooked one arm slowly around his chin and over his head before laying a kiss on his cheek. "You are royalty now, Peiter."

Sabine then refocussed and tried to get comfortable. She wasn't exactly sure which pose she should pick but she settled for keeping her arms loosely around her neck and leaning the side of her head on his neck just under the side of his jaw. "Are you comfortable?" Sabine asked Peiter before glancing to La'khay, "Is this good?"

Visibly, Ri'vashi's mood did not improve, despite Gallus' attempt at giving reassurances, and nothing in her tone suggested improvement either. "Dro'cahi has offered to take over Ri'vashi's role, not to help her with it. He probably finds it too important to try, and he thinks he would be better at it than her. Now...Ri'vashi thinks he is probably correct. Maybe this one could learn how to lead the clan, but is it really worth that risk? Mistakes from a clan leader can cost people their lives, so if this one tries to take the time to learn instead of resigning to someone more capable, she could end up getting people killed."

Ri'vashi was quickly falling even deeper into despair. Her tears were diminishing somewhat, but her expression was starting to hold more hopelessness. "It may not be wise for Ri'vashi to join in the attack. If her judgment cannot be trusted, then she may be a liability." She said. Now, it appeared as if she was doubting her abilities as a leader in general, instead of just as the leader of a clan.

---

Peiter chuckled. "I'm glad you think so...I am not looking forward to having to explain this to Gallus. I know it's going to be the first thing he mentions."

La'khay stood back from her easel, looking over the pair from head to toe. "You look cute together...but La'khay was thinking of something with more passion. Perhaps you can hold a kiss, or lean in as if you were about to kiss. This one can paint you from the side to get you both. Maybe...ah, try to think about it like this. This one knows you don't want her to paint you mating, and she isn't asking you to, but try to think back to that day by the river. Remember what it was like when you looked him in the eyes, and made the decision that you were going to cement your love physically. Embrace him like you certainly did in that moment. That should give the passion La'khay is looking for." She recommended.

While Gallus had thought of a few other avenues of trying to console Ri'vashi, her latter words caused him to stop and sit up straight. The things she were saying were reminiscent of Tzirret's behaviour when he despaired. Gallus had already dealt with Tzirret enough times before. Not only was he not going to accept that kind of rhetoric from a clan leader, but he knew exactly how to deal with it.

As if out of patience, Gallus stood up suddenly from his chair. The legs scraped most of the way before threatening to tip over. Gallus caught the chair with his hand and walked around it. "Clan leader, stand up," Gallus demanded tersely, as an officer would to a subordinate, "Now."

Gallus needed to get her out of her spiral downwards as soon as possible. If that meant challenging her authority to get her on track, so be it. If he could channel some of her late father, all the better.

---

Sabine grinned to Peiter. She had a feeling that he would be explaining himself to his entire pack, not just Gallus.

As for La'khay, Sabine listened attentively and paused to think for a moment when she finished. Sabine blinked a couple of times and looked into space as she cast her mind back several weeks to the river. She knew she couldn't forget it if she tried. Although, it was difficult to describe it as a discreet decision, it was really more of an escalation to that point.

Regardless, Sabine turned her head to Peiter, her expression blank except for her head being angled slightly forward and her eyes wide as they looked into his. She caught herself breathing shallowly as she tried to bring forth similar feelings. Seemingly without willing it, she tightened her embrace of his neck and moved her head forward to kiss him. The entire room around her seemed insignificant, even the stranger La'tahne watching on. However, she managed to hold just enough awareness in her mind to not move too much so that La'khay could begin. It was a struggle against her instincts to keep it from turning into a proper kiss rather than a static pose of it. Being in Peiter's embrace like this was as intoxicating as her experience with the Hist. Certain words came up in her mind to explain it that she realised had not yet been said. Her heart would have beat faster with that revelation had it not already been beating like the hooves of a sprinting horse. She found herself wondering if her heart always beat this hard and fast in Peiter's arms.

Ri'vashi's reaction to Gallus' sudden, and surprising demand was not what one would call positive. After her initial shock passed, she looked up at him with something of a glare. Most certainly, she did not follow his instructions. Instead, she remained seated, but straightened up her posture.

"Excuse this one? What is it you are trying to do, Gallus? You may be a companion of the Champion...but only the Champion herself can make demands of a clan leader." Ri'vashi responded, taking up an assertive tone.

---

Peiter was not sure exactly what it was, perhaps it was La'khay's description of what they were trying to re-create, or how Sabine's heart start was racing, but he picked up on the intensity of the moment as well. When Sabine tightened her grip and leaned in towards him, he at first returned a genuine, enthusiastic kiss, though he stopped after a few seconds to take on a more static pose. He stared into her eyes, and slid his hands down her back. Without actually realizing it, his hands moved down below her hips, much farther than he normally would have in front of strangers.

La'khay, meanwhile, grinned. "Ah, now that is passion. This one can certainly do something with this." She said, mixing together a few colors of the paint before making her first brushstroke on the canvas.

It was somewhat heartening to see Ri'vashi's assertiveness return as quickly as it did. It was such that Gallus thought perhaps he was little too abrupt. However, he knew he still needed to put Ri'vashi's self-worth back in order.

"This isn't about rank anymore, Ri'vashi. It is about responsibility." Gallus spoke just as tersely as he had been, "I have it on the authority of the entire council that you are the best military leader in this entire clan, perhaps even amongst all the lycans in Elsweyr. By your position as a leader, you need to take into account that wilfully stepping out of this pivotal attack puts the clan in more danger than anything you have done so far today." Gallus lowered his voice but retained forcefulness in his voice, "What I need you to do to retain the respect that your position deserves is two things. You will do everything you can to make sure this attack succeeds and you will demand that Dro'cahi teaches you to better connect with your clan. I cannot be a subordinate to one that will give up something they know they can do on a mere whim. As much as you would like to weep about the contrary, your clan needs you. Is that understood?"

Gallus mentally prepared himself to be struck across the face.

---

For the most part, Sabine didn't mind where Peiter's hands wandered. Her mind was still awash with mutual affection. It was La'khay's words that took her out of the moment slightly. As easily as it dropped away, the latent anxiety of being watched formed again in Sabine's mind. With one hand, she reached to Peiter's wrist and gently directed his hand further up, a physical message to tell him not to get too excited.

Ri'vashi was not quite at the point where she would be willing to outright attack Gallus, but she did stand to her feet, her towering form looking down on Gallus. "This one...finds it hard to believe that the entire council would say such things about her. At the very least, you did not have time to question them all. Still, war is what Ri'vashi has trained for. Ri'vashi may have been too hasty in judging herself so harshly in that regard. Even if she is not qualified to lead this clan, she will at least ply her expertise in this attack. Just...do not treat Ri'vashi like a child, Gallus. You have been a friend to Ri'vashi ever since your arrival, and she can forgive the offense, but this one will not be demeaned."

Closing her eyes once more, Ri'vashi gave a long, frustrated sigh. "Ri'vashi needs to spar. Just...something simple. Do you intend to join her for that?" She asked.