Ahnasha readily returned the kiss, glad to have Fendros to comfort her. She laid by his side, wrapping her arms tightly around him and enjoying his warmth for a while as she slowly drifted to sleep. Meanwhile, Meesei found comfort in a different presence. 

[i]Meesei was in the middle of a swamp, much like the marshes of her own homeland. Her body still appeared as it did before, with the bandages over her abdomen and smaller cuts across her body, but she felt perfectly fine, as if nothing was wrong at all. And, of course, she had the Ring of Hircine on her finger. She was up to her knees in the waters of the swamp as she moved, drawn towards a presence just beyond the brush. She pushed through some vines hanging from a tree into a clearing, which consisted of another pond with a small island in the middle. On the island stood Hircine's glorious form. He appeared as a man nearly twice Meesei's size with a deer skull as his head and a great spear in his hands. Meesei kneeled before him and bowed her head.

"My Lord, I am humbled by your presence. I and my pack slew the blasphemous Orc who allied himself with your enemies, as you commanded." Meesei said.

"Rise, my hunter, for you have performed well. You have killed the one who slew countless of my hounds. You have recovered my Ring and brought glory to the hunt. You have more than earned the chance to become my champion." Hircine said, his powerful voice enrapturing Meesei's mind.

"I would like nothing more than to have such an honor. What must I do, my Lord?" She asked anxiously.

"To claim your rightful place as my Champion, there is only one more thing you must do to prove yourself a true hunter. When you awaken speak to your second and confer to him the title of Alpha, for you will be joining me at my side, in my realm. From there, I will place you wherever I require you to serve my will." Hircine explained.

Meesei's response was not immediate, nor one of excitement, but rather shock. To become the Champion of Hircine had been her dream since she first gained the gift of beast blood, but to abandon her pack...it was unthinkable. She stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity, with conflicting thoughts racing through her mind. Eventually, she collected herself enough to form to form a hesitant response. "My...my Lord. I am beyond honored to be given this opportunity, but my pack...I could not have done this without them. I have hunted with them for years, I have trained them with all of my skills, and learned everything they had to teach me. I have lived with them, and lived for them. I love them with all that I am...and I cannot abandon them. If leaving them is the price to be your Champion, then it is a price I cannot pay. I am sure there is another who can take my place at your side. 

Hircine did not have a face with which to smile or scowl. His only visual reaction to Meesei's answer was to grip his spear in both hands and lightly tap it on the ground. Once he spoke, however, his tone showed he was pleased. "You are a credit to your pack, mortal. A hound always stays with her pack, until the end, if necessary. Your heart beats with fury and dedication worthy of my greatest hunters...my Champion. Your pack is a reflection of your successes. Each will have a role to play through the coming years, a destiny to fulfill. It is your responsibility to see that they succeed. The Orc's death has sent ripples through our enemy's ranks, but now is not the time to exploit them. Go, strengthen your pack with my blessing, my Champion." Hircine ordered. 

Meesei watched as Hircine disappeared, and the world around her unmade itself. For a few moments, she found herself in complete darkness before her eyes finally opened and brought her back into reality.[/i]

Meesei awoke in the cave, then slowly and painfully brought herself to sit up. She still felt like death. Nothing about Hircine's blessing healed any of the intense trauma her body had been through. That would take spells, potions, and time, but Meesei was now confident she would recover. Hircine's words had put her at ease regarding her own survival, as he had not even mentioned the possibility of her dying from her wounds. She had no idea what time of day it was, as there was no sunlight in the cave. Lanterns hanging on the walls still illuminated the caves, though they would need to be sure to refill their oil, as there was almost no chance she would be well enough to move for a while. 

As the others began to stir around her, Meesei could not help but to smile. Although she was the Champion of Hircine, their importance could not be denied. They had their own destinies to fill in the coming war. To Meesei, her role as Champion and as Alpha was not to serve as some hero in the fight against Vile, but to serve her pack in their journey. They were everything to her, and she did not intend to disappoint them.