The beginnings of Lunise's curiosity regarding what Meesei might have meant were rapidly turned around. She widened her eyes, put a hand to her mouth, and reflexively stepped back with her other hand half-raised. Meesei knew Lunise's disgust response by rote. This was not it. This was bewilderment.

Just as it might have seemed like too much, Lunise doubled over laughing into her palm. Meesei had never heard her laugh so hard. It was a high and haughty laughter that was not the most pleasant to hear, though it had no lack of sincerity. Perhaps the sound was why she seldom laughed at all.

It was not too long before Lunise recovered and straightened herself up. "...You cannot be serious," she said. "Meesei, do not take my acceptance of you as an Argonian as a lack of boundaries."

[hr]
Sabine stopped and grabbed Do'rhajul's wrist. Or, at least as much as she could wrap her fingers around. With a sudden lift of her staff, she poured magical energy out in front of herself in a rushed manner. By some miracle of skill or focus, it formed into a portal to an empty common room that Sabine's pack usually made use of in the Silent City. Dim magical lights and a smouldering fireplace gave the room enough to see its home made furniture by.

The portal had no apparent purpose, especially with the short distance it spanned. That was, until Sabine pulled Do'rhajul through with her and let it close behind them.

Then she let him go. Her hands gripped her staff tightly at shoulder height. Her forehead rested on her thumbs and she sobbed. She sobbed quietly and with long periods of holding her breath. It was as if she was ashamed rather than overwhelmed, when in truth she felt both.

"I cannot keep this up," she said, straining her voice. "I cannot be a hero or a leader. I am not capable of that. I thought I could help Ri'vashi to forgive." She rubbed the tensed bridge of her nose against her clenched thumb joint. "I was stupid to think that."