Gallus left the meeting in the direction of his tent. He gave a short, agreeing hum with Ri'vashi's sentiments regarding the plan, but he did not answer her questions immediately. He gave her a quick glance before looking ahead and answering. "I know I'll be keeping the pack together where they're in the fight, so I'll have Uthri and Peiter alongside me. Irenya approached me with the desire of being a healer on the field, so she'll be nearby as well. As for where we're placed...?" Gallus paused again and shrugged, "I've not had the liberty of choosing before. Wherever we're needed is where we should be, really. I imagine we'll not be joining Meesei's pack, as putting all the werewolves in one place is unlikely to be as useful as distributing us. Especially with the choke points at the keep. So...with you or Ra'jorr, probably."

Gallus gave Ri'vashi a sideways look and a smile. "Where do you think I should be?"

---

It took a moment for Fendros to respond with any words. He just shook his head and opened his palm as if it was easy to see. "I can't speak for her," Fendros said defensively, before extending an upturned hand in Irenya's direction. "What has she got to gain?" Fendros asked Ahnasha, "What is she going to do? Insult us again?"

Fendros felt rude for arguing about Irenya right in front of her as if she was not listening, but Ahnasha seemed to want to talk about it then and there.

Ri'vashi started to chuckle. "Gallus, you do know that about a quarter of this one's own clan are werewolves, right? They are quite common throughout Tamriel, relatively speaking." She explained. "Regardless, this one does have to admit that she would feel safer with you watching her back. You have done much for Ri'vashi since we first met, and she feels she can trust you. Though, the Champion may want you to serve under her command, since you have been working together with her pack for some time. This one would not want to counter the Champion's orders, of course."

---

"Well, she could..." Ahnasha started, but by the expression on her face, she had nowhere to go with her thought. She was filled with frustration, but after a few seconds, a hint of regret appeared. It lasted only briefly, but she turned her gaze to Irenya with some uncertainty in her eyes. It was the first reaction she had given to Irenya which did not consist of anger, skepticism, or outright denial. However, Ahnasha was still far too prideful to simply give up on her convictions, at least openly.

"Look, I don't know if I should trust you, but I don't have to. You know if you're lying or not. You know if you have some other motive. If you aren't lying, and you really have had this change of heart, then you don't have to worry about me. You've said what you needed to say; you've given your apology, and...I'll remember it." Ahnasha finally answered.

Although not the ideal answer, Irenya, quite surprisingly, did not appear disappointed by it. "Very well, I...just hope for us to remain civil, at least."

Gallus peered his eyes up at Ri'vashi's face from under his raised brow, still smiling. "Actually, I didn't know there were that many," he said in a high, defensive voice. "I spotted and smelled a few, but I'm not in command like you few are. I've not got the numbers!" Gallus laughed in good nature. "If there is no shortage, then I suppose my pack can be anywhere. I can't say whether Meesei will be needing us nearby or not." He snorted, "Unless Peiter and Sabine want to fight side-by-side. That might be a reason."

While Gallus looked ahead, he narrowed one eye curiously. "What you say makes me wonder, though -- and don't take this the wrong way." Gallus showed his curious expression to Ri'vashi and spoke under the earshot of the people around them, "You feel you can trust me, does that mean you don't feel the same way about your soldiers?"

---

It was not exactly the most amiable outcome, but Fendros still felt relieved. It was probably the most they could hope for. Fendros would admit that Ahnasha's continued stubbornness might have caused him to get frustrated himself. That would not have helped matters at all.

"I think we can do that," Fendros answered after enough time had passed that Ahnasha did not seem to want to. "Thank you, Irenya."

With that, Fendros was unsure what to do next. He felt as though it would be best if Irenya could leave for a while so they could digest this development, but he did not want to callously ask her to go away. He sat waiting for the two of them to talk further if they wanted to.

With Gallus' question, Ri'vashi appeared immediately surprised. "What? No, of course this one trusts her soldiers. Ri'vashi has been overseeing their training since even before she became clan leader. Even Dro'cahi has commended this one's training, and their effectiveness. No, Ri'vashi just meant that she trusts you...specifically. Well, um, not that she trusts them significantly less than you; Ri'vashi still trusts them with her life. You're just a...kind person, you can fight well, and...you know. Is...Ri'vashi making any sense?" She answered rather incoherently. By this point, she was rubbing her neck and had lost concentration on where she was walking.

---

There was enough of a silence after Fendros' response to quickly become awkward. Even if Ahnasha was not as hostile as before, she still did not seem to be in a mood to talk. Inenya breathed deeply, then stood up in front of them. "Well. I should not disturb you any further. I really should get some rest; I need to awaken early to make sure the assistants are performing their duties adequately. We are having them work hard now to make sure they are well-practiced for when it truly matters."

After their farewells, Ahnasha waited until Irenya was entirely out of sight to say another word. "So did she do that on her own, or did you convince her to?"

There was a snort from Gallus. "What do you think?" he asked blithely, before chuckling and clapping a hand on Ri'vashi's upper arm. He looked ahead with a grin as he continued, "If you'd like a friend at your side come the assault, you can count on me, clan leader. No need to get flustered."

Inwardly, the awkwardness that Gallus had made for himself was thankfully at an end as he reached his tent. He was able to change the subject as he reached for his armour. "I was going to do some drills. Care to spar?" Gallus asked, "I do enjoy our bouts. I always learn something."

---

Fendros looked to the ground and twisted his mouth with uncertainty. He didn't have a completely straight answer to give. "Back when she spoke to me in the clanhome, I told her that she could always approach you to apologise," Fendros said, looking up to Ahnasha. "I didn't demand it or try to push it on her, and that was a while ago. After that, we didn't really speak up until now." He shook his head lightly, "I don't know." Fendros raised an eyebrow and spoke optimistically, "It's nice that she came forward at all, though."

Fendros sighed through his nose and attempted a small smile. "So, what do you think we should do? Just business as usual? How do you feel?"

Ri'vashi paused for a moment. She had not planned on anything besides rest for the evening, though that also meant there was nothing stopping her from accepting the offer. "Oh, an armored duel. That would be good practice, this one supposes. Hopefully the practice weapons are not buried under too many bags. We should practice somewhat away from camp, perhaps on the other side of the pond. No doubt there are those already trying to get to sleep, and we will need the space. Ri'vashi will meet you there."

Even considering the head start Gallus had in getting prepared, it took Ri'vashi quite a while to finally make her way over to the opposite side of the pond. Not only did she have to locate the practice weapons, but she also dawn her armor, which, considering it was a full steel plate suit, was quite a chore. It had a dark, shining coat of paint, a unique layered design on the arms and shoulders, and an open-face helm. She carried a simple, circular shield, her katana at her side, as well as a bag with the practice weapons. Interestingly, her armor did not seem to be of Khajiit design, or any other culture in the Dominion. She had previously mentioned that she could not wear her father's armor, but what she did have certainly was not conventional.

"Ri'vashi apologizes. She probably should have mentioned that it would take a while." She said as she approached.

---

Ahnasha, while not angry, was not exactly in the best mood. "I feel like...I shouldn't let that woman affect me so much, honest or not. If she has really changed her mind, then that is fine. Good, even. But, I can't let myself get caught up on everyone that insults me. I'm used to it, and have been used to it for a long time. Even in Leyawiin, there were insufferable people like Irenya, and I would have gone insane had I cared about them. I don't understand what was so important to Irenya about apologizing to me, but for what it's worth, I do at least hope she got what she needed."

Following Ahnasha's answer, there was more silence, and more discomfort from Ahnasha. She looked down at the ground, running her claws lightly through the sand. "Do you...think I said the right thing?"

It was no problem for Gallus to wait for Ri'vashi to arrive. He spent his time going through solo drills with his weapons to hone technique. With all his extra recent duties, he had fallen behind on some of the basics, much to his disappointment. He was well warmed up when he began to hear rhythmic metallic rattling behind him.

It was by the third audible footstep that Gallus noticed the dark and jagged shape striding stiffly in his direction. His first reaction was to jolt and drop into a guarded stance. That was quickly a source of mild embarrassment as he recognised the face of the armoured hulk.

Gallus stood up and relaxed. "Oh, you startled me," he said with a nervous laugh. He only then processed her words. "That's fine. I hope it wasn't an inconvenience to do all that on." Gallus leaned to one side to get a better look. "Did you...design this yourself? It's unlike any armour I've ever seen."

Despite his impressed reaction, Gallus felt somewhat underdressed in his simple mail armour and leather. The only things that added to what he had been travelling in were a long coat of plates and a helmet borrowed from the Orcrest armoury.

"Knowing how you fight, how in Oblivion's name am I going to get through that?" Gallus thought out loud while itching the side of his head with the blunt end of his hammer.

---

As much as he wished it, Fendros did not know whether Irenya got what she wanted. She had appeared receptive enough to Ahnasha's response, but there was no telling without asking her.

Ahnasha's own worries, on the other hand, were not such a mystery to Fendros. He smiled that she was no longer being so stubborn. He slowly wrapped his arms around her waist from beside her and held her close to reassure her. "You were honest. That's all you needed to be, I think." Fendros laid a kiss on her cheek.

Ri'vashi started to chuckle. "That's the whole purpose of the armor, don't you think?" She said, pausing to give Gallus a pat on the shoulder before setting down the bag of practice weapons. "Anyway, Ri'vashi didn't design it, exactly. This one could not wear her father's armor, but he always wanted to pass on as much of his legacy to her as possible. So, once the clan had the resources, he had armor made for Ri'vashi that was modeled after his own."

Carefully placing her katana aside, Ri'vashi grabbed one of the practice blades, as well as a hammer, though she simply kept it on her belt for the moment. She walked a few paces away and took her position in the flat area next to the pond to wait for Gallus to be ready. On the far side of the pond, she could see that some of those who were swimming had taken enough interest to start watching the duel.

---

"Yeah...honest." Ahnasha muttered as she returned his embrace. Though she did not admit it, she knew in her own mind that she had been too hard on Irenya. She had made an apology, and Fendros made a good point that she would have nothing to gain by lying. But, she could not bring herself to admit her own error directly, especially after defending her opinion so fervently. Even acknowledging this, however, she was not about to run after Irenya to apologize herself. She just had to hope that her response had been good enough for Irenya.

"Well, I feel like getting some rest. It might get cool soon; you feel like laying down as well?" She asked.

"Aah," Gallus sounded, "So, that's what it looks like. Well..." Gallus retrieved a wooden practice hammer and a shield, "...it's kind on the eye. I'll try not to dent it."

Gallus took up his position opposite Ri'vashi, slid on his helmet, and dropped into a guard, properly this time. It had not escaped his attention that she had taken up a hammer as well, though Gallus had not seen her use one before.

Gallus used the opening moments to throw flinches and pace around to gauge how well Ri'vashi moved in her heavy armour. The speed and flexibility of Gallus' own armour was a feature he knew he would have to exploit.

---

"Yeah," Fendros responded quietly. They had just put up their tent, they may as well use it. Fendros slid his arms free of Ahnasha and laid out their bedroll before holding the tent open for Ahnasha and tying it closed behind them.

Ri'vashi smiled. "Trust this one, you won't be able to. Not with that, at least."

Ri'vashi held her sword forward, and her shield at an angle in front of her. As usual, her eyes were firmly on Gallus, watching his every move. While Gallus was trying to gauge her mobility, the fact that she was in armor unfortunately made that more difficult, as there was a fundamental shift in how she responded to attacks. Because of her armor, only heavy blows held enough force to do any real damage to her in an actual fight, so she could almost ignore lighter, quicker attacks. As such, she moved only a minimal amount, which obscured how mobile she actually was. The part of her which moved the most drastically was her shield arm, but the movements were still not significant enough to be telling. Ri'vashi was, of course, not as agile in her armor as she was out of it. She could not move as quickly, her reactions would take slightly longer, and some of her joints did not have as extensive of a range of motion. But, it still provided more advantages than disadvantages.

Seeing as Gallus was testing her defenses, Ri'vashi decided to make a sudden attack, and from her position, the quickest one she could make was a shield charge. She rushed forward in an attempt to hit and throw him off balance, then follow through with a sideways slash to his arm. Mail, while it was not as durable as plate, could still stop a blade easily, so her current goal was simply to reduce his ability to fight back.

Though it was a sudden advance, Gallus had fought Ri'vashi enough times before to know that she would not let him act freely for too long. He tried to twist to one side to reduce the force of Ri'vashi's shield and succeeded in maintaining his balance, but locked as his defence was in deflecting her shield with his, the oncoming sword looked like an easy hit to land. Gallus took a long step back and ducked his head, but the tip of the wooden blade still caught his upper arm before he could get to safety.

The tacit rule at this point would be for Gallus to no longer use his shield arm due to the wound that a real weapon would inflict. However, that was sometimes overlooked for superficial wounds. Gallus didn't know if he would regret inviting greater strikes, but he kept his shield up and ready and he bobbed slightly in place, staying mobile and making his mail ring in dull waves.

Gallus' next move was to step up while wheeling his hammer around his head and striking Ri'vashi's weapon to her left in an attempt to step around her. With his shield, he wanted to try and keep her blade contained while he threw the hammer around in the opposite direction, ducked as he followed through past her, and struck at the side of her knee. He intended to have moved completely past her by the time he was done, banking on what he estimated about her mobility, if he was correct at all.

---

With a few good sleeps and time to get used to the work on the road, Tzirret's initial fatigue was short-lived. As he had predicted, some of the menial tasks only needed to be done once and everything fell into a manageable routine. Irenya was still strict as ever but Tzirret was already used to her. The other healers and the assistants around them were friendly enough, at least. An effect of the march that Tzirret didn't predict was that the limited time he had with Ma'tanza seemed to make the moments more special. Tzirret savoured time where they could lay under the stars together and just talk or kiss. As well, laughing together with Bheja, S'nishi, Peiter, and Sabine also felt like it had more value. The routine balanced with the small social periods helped everyone to take their mind off their worries about the looming assault, and in some cases, about connections back in the clanhome.

A consequence of Tzirret's time with Ma'tanza drove him to pull Peiter aside slightly after they had finished swimming in the lake they had camped beside. While everyone else was drying themselves off, Tzirret murmured to Peiter with his eyes dancing between him and the others nervously. "Um, Peiter, do you have a moment to speak with this one?"

While Gallus did have the advantage in terms of mobility, there was a flaw in his attack that Ri'vashi was quick to exploit. Gallus was attempting to occupy her weapon with his own, but the fact that he was striking at her weapon meant that the blow would not threaten her if the weapon were not there. As such, she had the option to simply ignore it. Instead of trying to resist the force of his hammer, she just turned her wrist and allowed the hammer to push past. From there, she simply rotated her wrist as she swung her arm forward, bringing her weapon into a slash far quicker than Gallus had likely expected. The movement of her arms was not as restricted by her armor as her overall movement, so such reactions were still a threat as long as she was fighting mostly stationary.

Fortunately for Gallus, he still had his shield to protect him, but with her strike coming sooner than he likely anticipated, it was not guaranteed that his shield would be in position in time. If it was not, then her weapon was aimed for his neck, though being only slightly lower would mean the blade would slash harmlessly across his mail.

---

Peiter had intended to, as one might expect, rejoin Sabine, but just as he was climbing out of the water, Tzirret pulled him aside. He seemed nervous, which, while not particularly strange for Tzirret, was in stark contrast to how he had been acting while swimming with them. But, Peiter was not one to refuse to help his brother and gladly stepped out of earshot of the others with him.

"Of course, Tzirret. Is something wrong?" Peiter asked.

Gallus' attack had been committed in his body and mind as he darted forward, so there was little he could do to react to Ri'vashi's movements. He anticipated a strike against this upper body, but could not stop effectively to dodge. The best he could do was try to reposition his shield and bring his chin to his chest in an attempt to protect his head.

Ri'vashi's sword was felt against the rim of Gallus' shield, but was not completely stopped. It rebounded and sounded a loud metallic clash against Gallus' helmet. It was a short ring for everyone else, but the force of the blow combined with his momentum going in the opposite direction caused Gallus to feel the vibrations as if he was in the middle of a temple bell tower. He stumbled as he followed through with his strike against Ri'vashi's knee, for all the little damage that it could have done through her armour with the wooden mallet he held. He turned to face her and saw two of her.

"Ugh, felt that one," Gallus groaned, holding his shield up and his other hand to his head to try and steady himself. Everything was ringing beyond concentration. He tried to step and had to stop and regain his balance. "Hold on. I need a moment." He held up one hand to stop.

---

Just to be safe, Tzirret stepped a little further away before he began. Even when they stopped he picked at his claws and took a moment to speak. "Peiter, this is...Tzirret is sorry, but...you and Sabine..." Tzirret began, tripping over himself. He managed glances up to Peiter, "When you...you know, how do you...?" Tzirret sighed with frustration, "Sabine is not pregnant..." Tzirret was about to elaborate, but it caught in his throat. He skipped to the point instead. "How is that done?"

Ri'vashi pushed the end of her sword into the sand, then rubbed the back of her neck. "Oh, sorry. Ri'vashi did not mean to hit you there. One of the disadvantages of helmets, sadly. Better than getting a sword across the skull, but still painful."

"How hard did you hit this one's leg? Unfortunately, these light hammers make it hard to tell in a fight sometimes." Ri'vashi began as she approached Gallus. She frowned briefly, then reached out and pulled Gallus' helmet off of his head. She was looking at his ears, though it was not as if she would actually be able to discern anything visibly.

"Can you hear Ri'vashi alright? Or does this one need to wait for the ringing to stop?" She asked.

---

As soon as Peiter was able to make out what Tzirret was trying to say, he placed his hands on his shoulders and spoke calmly, and in a firm voice. "Hold up, Tzirret. One thing at a time; I'm assuming you're not asking this for curiosity's sake. Slow down, collect your thoughts, and try to answer clearly. Ma'tanza, have you been doing anything with her? Well...I'll be direct. Have you been mating with her?"

At first, Gallus wasn't responding with anything but a grimace. Even when Ri'vashi removed his helmet he was just holding his fingers to his head and scrunching his eyes shut. He didn't talk for another few seconds while the ringing cleared up.

"Yeah, yeah, I can hear you. Don't worry about it," Gallus said to reassure Ri'vashi. His gruff tone was an attempt to mask the pain. "That would have left a nasty welt without a helmet, no doubt. It's loud, but I prefer it. Say what you like about it being a disadvantage." While he spoke, Gallus picked at his ears with his little finger, checking each one for blockages or blood. He thankfully found neither.

With a defiant smile, Gallus looked up to Ri'vashi. "How hard did I hit? Well I struck the inside of your knee joint as hard as I could." Gallus bent one knee slightly to see the small splinters left on the edges of Ri'vashi's armour. "I can't attest to you or your armour, but I've not faced anyone in battle with a proper hammer without at least giving them a harsh limp and a reason to scream when I hit there. Even those in plates." Gallus gestured to the point of impact with the haft of his mallet and looked up at Ri'vashi again. "Not meaning to brag, of course. I did pay for it there." He rubbed his ear again.

---

Peiter's response stopped and grounded Tzirret. He spoke with a more level voice to reply, as his first answer was one that he wanted to make absolutely clear. "No," he said flatly, shaking his head, "at least, we didn't go so far as to mate, but..."

Tzirret lowered his head and his ears, "...we got...really close last night in her tent. This one was about to ask her if she wanted to...go further, because it seemed like it was going that way." Unfortunately, Tzirret began to get worked up again, angling his head this way and that as he went over his points. "But then this one remembered that he might make her with cub, and then he got worried about it, and then he didn't want to pressure her, and he thought it would be rude to wake people up to solve something like that, and then he was beginning to show his nervousness, and..." Tzirret stopped and his eyes went up to Peiter again, looking humiliated. "He had to just wish her goodnight and get back to his tent, really suddenly. He felt so awkward about it. This one still feels awkward."

Now that everything was clear, Tzirret ran a hand nervously over one ear and waited for Peiter to answer.

Ri'vashi returned Gallus' smile, placing her shield on the ground, then removing her own helmet as well and placing it on top of it. She offered him back his own helmet, then gave him a pat on the back and a light chuckle. "Yes, this one likely still came out on top. If Ri'vashi was holding something with more weight than wood, you might not have remained conscious to follow through. You should be careful about strikes to an opponent's weapon. Controlling an enemy's weapon is, of course, advantageous, but you have to be careful about how you do it. When you attacked, your hammer wouldn't have threatened Ri'vashi regardless of what she did to her blade, so she had the option to ignore it. Just stop resisting the hammer and let it push past. If your weapon is something like an axe or polearm that can catch a weapon, then that is a good option. Otherwise, you want to strike closer to the hand, diagonal, instead of horizontal. Make it so that if your opponent tries to ignore you, you'll hit their hand. Really, disabling the hand is the best option to disable the weapon."

---

"Again, you can be calm. If you didn't say anything to her about it, then she probably doesn't even know you were thinking about it. It does sound a bit awkward to leave suddenly like that, but...well, Tzirret, I'll be honest, it isn't uncommon for you to do awkward things." Peiter responded. Despite his candor, he was trying to sound calming to Tzirret.

Peiter paused a moment to sit down by the edge of the water, then motioned for Tzirret to join him. "Anyway, are you sure you're not going too fast, Tzirret? You're still a bit young. I will say, though, that it is good you're wanting to be careful. Sabine makes these potions to, um, take care of that problem."

Gallus acknowledged Ri'vashi's advice with periodic nods but they were more humouring than attentive. "Yes, it was a risk," Gallus conceded in an exaggeratedly droll voice, jokingly smiling as he did. Though he didn't appear to hold it against her to lecture him, he had a little frustration in his movements as he snatched back his helmet. "Look, just because you continue to remain one step ahead of me, doesn't mean I should stop trying new things, no?"

Gallus slid on his helmet and readjusted his grip on the hammer he held. "Another round?"

Nearby, Gallus couldn't hear the whispers of the spectators through his helmet. Although even their discussions of his sanity regarding continuing to spar with the clan leader would not have stopped him.

---

After taking another breath to collect himself, Tzirret took a seat next to Peiter cross-legged and leaning forward. He was looking at the water with tension in his demeanour for the most part. One of his flattened ears twisted upwards reflexively when Peiter mentioned the potions.

Tzirret breathed in to ask about the potions but the previous question caught up with him. He let out some of his breath and addressed that first, turning his head to face Peiter. "This one...doesn't know when the right time is supposed to be," he said in a very unsure voice. "It felt like the right time last night. Is there a particular time? How did Peiter find out?"

"Hmm, maybe in practice..." Ri'vashi began, grinning as she started to pat the top of his helmet teasingly. "Just don't start experimenting in a fight."

Ri'vashi grabbed her helmet and shield, then pulled her sword out of the sand. They were standing closer to the water than they had been before, though she elected not to relocate. It did not get too deep too quickly, so it could make for a hazard without actually being dangerous to them in their armor.

Taking up a ready stance, Ri'vashi trained her eyes firmly on Gallus. "Ready...begin!" She said. Contrary to most of their bouts, Ri'vashi decided to be aggressive immediately. Taking a large step forward, she thrust her weapon straight at his stomach. Even if a blade could not break the rings of the mail, the force from a Cathay werebear could still be threatening.

---

Peiter shook his head regretfully. "I don't think there's a way I can answer that. It just...happened. Well, when it did happen, it was easy to tell that we both wanted to. We had talked about it beforehand, though, and decided to wait until a good time. I think you should be careful about this Tzirret. Maybe I'm wrong, but you might still be too young to be considering it. I think you need...experience first. Not physically or anything, but emotionally. Saying it did happen, that would make you pretty close with Ma'tanza. Do you think you're ready to be that close to her, considering how long you've actually known her?" He asked.

The response was reflexive and immediate. Gallus twisted to parry Ri'vashi's sword with his shield. Ri'vashi's reach was such that Gallus' retaliation was limited to stepping forward and swinging his hammer upwards towards Ri'vashi's forearm. At least he could claim that he was taking her advice. If the blow landed, hopefully Ri'vashi would be left open for a moment to land another strike.

---

Looking away again, Tzirret worried his brow and sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Well...I..." He paused for a moment, but he sounded more confident with his response. "No, this one does think he is close to her. He feels like he can just...be himself with her. It's..." Tzirret hissed quietly as he trailed off. "It feels right. This one does not have all the words to say, but...he feels sure about being close to her. And he feels that Ma'tanza is the same." His face relaxed for a moment. "He loves her, okay?"

Trying to move on from that aspect, Tzirret looked to Peiter again. "Does Peiter think that Tzirret and Ma'tanza should talk about it first?"

Ri'vashi and Gallus' practice proceeded just as usual. They went through a few bouts, ending not long after dark. With the heat, they did not train for as long as usual. It would take some time for the air to cool down, so after the fight was over, Ri'vashi sat down by the pond, panting from the heat. "This is the part Ri'vashi hates about the desert. Plate armor, with a full gambeson underneath, is not too great for letting out heat. From what she has heard, the Tenmar forest is not any better."

---

"Absolutely." Peiter answered confidently. Looking over, he placed his hand on his shoulder. "It's definitely an awkward conversation, but it's one you need to have. If you're still sure you want to do this, that is. It is...nice, but it's not worth causing yourself any pain. We are going to be heading back to Bruma eventually, after all."

Looking away, Peiter let out a sigh. Even he was starting to realize that his protectiveness was a bit too strong. "I'm sorry, it's just that I want to look out for you. You're not a kid; I know that. It's just that you're wanting to step into something you really don't know a lot about. If she does...agree, just make sure to get a potion first. Or have a healer take a look at her afterwards. From my understanding, they can do the same thing the potion does. Just make sure you think it all over first, alright?