Peiter held a confused expression. "I didn't think it would be [i]that[/i] important." He said, holding up his hands almost defensively. "Don't worry, there's no way I'm going to stir up trouble this close to the attack."

---

As planned, the majority of the warband stayed up through most of the night, and apart from a few sentries that slept in shifts, slept through the day. By late afternoon, they had packed up their camp, established a forward position for their healers, and began preparing Meesei's ritual. Every movement the warband took was preceded by a dozen teams of scouts scanning every area through which they moved. They covertly disabled both magical and physical traps, and ensured that no enemy patrol would discover their presence. The soul gems were arrayed  in specific positions just beyond the tree line, with all the mages who would be participating hiding among the foliage around them. The soldiers were split into three main attack groups, with the primary force lead by Ri'vashi in the center, and two smaller forces on either side that would assault with ladders when the time came. 

With the main force, Ri'vashi was near the fronline, and Gallus' pack was directly behind her. The majority of Ri'vashi's pride were not warriors, so only two were with her now: a Bosmer mage and a Pahmar-raht warrior. They were not officers, so they did not attend meetings as she did, but they showed no lack of confidence, even at the front of their forces. Given that all of their forces were hiding, they were not in a formation at the moment, but they were all ready to form up in an instant. Most of the soldiers around them were just as heavily armed and armored as any professional military. They did not have a uniform, but plate and mail were common among their ranks, and almost everyone with hands was wielding some kind of polearm. Peiter was clutching his halberd tightly to his chest as he stood next to Gallus. While they did not normally wear thick armor, both he and Irenya had taken thick cloth gambesons from the armory. In the heat and humidity, they were excessively uncomfortable, but definitely preferable to being unarmored. Everything around them was quiet, which left Peiter with the time to worry about Sabine. 

On the right flank, Meesei's was temporarily split in two. Ahnasha and Fendros were with a forward team consisting mostly of archers and mages. They were in hiding at the very edge of the forest, as close as possible to the clearing. As soon as the gates were open, their role was to rush forward and provide covering fire for the werevultures' escape. It would be dangerous, but they were equipped with an array of scrolls and potions to help them get to safety. Meanwhile, Meesei and the rest of her pack were positioned next to one of the soul gems in preparation for the ritual, which Meesei would be leading. The rest of the soldiers she would be leading were in hiding, similarly to Ri'vashi's group, though it was perhaps not a necessary precaution. Their sentries would warn them of any incoming hostiles. 

Miranor and the rest of her werevultures were also with Meesei's group, and they were already preparing to take off. All of them were transformed, and having pouches with their supplies strapped around their necks and torsos. As soon as they took off, Meesei would begin the ritual. All of the mages positioned at each of the soul gems would begin to pour their energy into the gems. Since they were all linked, Meesei would be able to manipulate it all at once. As soon as the gates were open, she would be able to use it to create the mist. 

Miranor was the first to be ready, so she approached Meesei and her pack. Her head had light white feathers fine enough to almost look like fur, while the rest of the feathers on her body were near solid black. Even without the ability to show her emotions facially, there was some nervousness to her movements. "It is almost time. I would ask you to wish us luck, but I'm...hoping we will not need it. May the lord of the hunt guide us all." She said. With their avian features, it was often difficult for werevultures to speak, but Miranor had plenty of experience with her beast form.