[IC] Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

[Muttonhawk]

"This one thinks...he will stay here for a while," Tzirret responded. "He wants to think."

Even though Tzirret wasn't looking at him directly, Sabine gave Tzirret a node and then a quick, comforting hug. Tzirret didn't seem to react, but he didn't object either.

"Okay. We will leave you alone now." Sabine sat up from the bed and went over to Peiter to put a hand gently under his cheek. "What do you feel like doing?"

Either way, Sabine motioned for Peiter to come with her outside of the room and leaving Tzirret to his own devices. Once they were both outside, Tzirret got up from his bed, retrieved a knife and a chunk of bone, and then sat down to began to carve. The focus normally helped him to think.

---

"Good news and not so good news," Gallus mused as he looked over the sketches. He pursed his lips and took in a deep breath through his nose. "Oh well. It shouldn't be means to call off the attack completely. I'm sure a little negotiation will not make the compromise too costly." Gallus glanced around at the other attendants curiously. "Anyone we should watch out for? This is more people in charge of things than I'm normally comfortable being around at once."

By the way Gallus fidgeted one foot, he was anxious to get under way with the meeting. He wasn't sure how much talking he would have to do, but he was certain that there would be much convincing before the day was out.

"Ah yes, one more thing, Ri'vashi," Gallus turned his head to her, "My packmate, Tzirret, he and I have decided that he is not suited to be as close to the assault forces as a message runner. I am going to talk to his officer and transfer him to another role." Gallus' voice became brighter, "All the same, thank you for pointing me in the right direction when I asked for ways that my pack could help."

[EliteCommander]

Once they were out of the room and had walked a short distance down the hall, Peiter breathed a sigh of relief. "Well...I do not think that went badly. It's not ideal, obviously, but it could have gone much worse. I do wish we could have changed his mind without making Ma'tanza angry, but I think he'll be able to handle it, and she doesn't seem too unreasonable about it. But you..." He began before stopping suddenly, putting his arms around Sabine's waist, and taking a few brief moments to give her a kiss. "You impressed me. With just a few words, I think you turned around all of his worries about Ma'tanza. I don't think I would have been able to do anything like that by myself."

Smiling, Peiter ran one hand through Sabine's hair. "I think you really helped him, and I really want to thank you for it. He is your friend too, I know, but he's still like a brother to me. I'm glad that he's going to be okay."

---

"That is quite alright." Ri'vashi answered. "We have no shortage of people capable to be message runners. You should have no trouble having his orders changed."

Moving to Gallus' other question, however, Ri'vashi became noticeably more uncomfortable. She made a subtle motion towards a group of people talking near the other side of the table, at the center of which was an older Suthay-raht man. "We may have to worry about this one's...usual opposition. Dro'cahi has voiced his displeasure at sending out such a large attack force even before you arrived, when the impostor ordered us to prepare our forces. He was not willing to to disobey what he thought was the Champion, but he certainly argued with her. Of course, the impostor was very quick to silence dissent, but the fact that we were fooled by her seems like it may have emboldened him. He, and some of the others, may push for a more cautious approach." She explained.

[Muttonhawk]

Taken a little by surprise, Sabine raised her hands up as she was drawn to Peiter. She accepted his kiss without hesitation and rested the sides of her hands on his collar.

"Thank you," Sabine said quietly with a smile. "I did not know whether it would work. He is still young. Hopefully he does what he needs to."

Sabine's eyes explored Peiter's face for a few moments before she continued. "You said the right things as well. I know you were nervous but I do not think you treated Tzirret like a child." Sabine's smile tightened momentarily. "I remember having arguments with Meesei about it. Being treated like someone who needed too much protection. Gallus does not seem like a person that coddled you, though."

Sabine traced the back of her fingers up Peiter's neck until she reached his short hair and started stroking her hand through it as well. "This drama has made me tired out. I feel like relaxing. What do you want to do?"

---

"Hmm," Gallus eyed Dro'cahi as if he was facing down a challenging prey. A small, sly smile crept up to his lips as he thought to himself. "So I finally get to hear the words of the man that has been causing you so much grief at this table? This ought to be interesting."

After a pause of consideration, Gallus leaned slightly towards Meesei. His expression became more befittingly serious. "Alright, how do you want to approach this? I know that convincing through debate is the only sure way to have everyone on our side, but do you plan on making an order if that falls through?" Gallus peered around the room, "And who are we waiting for, by the way? I thought I was already late to the start of the meeting."

[EliteCommander]

Peiter grinned, pulling Sabine in closer for a hug. "You know, looking at you know, one would never guess what things used to be like for you. Even since we first met years ago, you've changed quite a lot. It's really impressive what you've managed to do with yourself. You're such an intelligent, capable woman. Who knows? Maybe I'm holding the future Champion of Hircine in my arms?"

"Anyway, as for right now, maybe we should just head back to our room, have some time alone?" Peiter suggested.

---

"It should not be long." Ri'vashi answered. "It can be difficult to get all of the clan's leadership away from their responsibilities at the same time. Some of Ri'vashi's lieutenants have important roles in the stronghold, but again, it should not be long."

Meesei gave a look towards Dro'cahi as well, or at least the man in the group she assumed to be him based on his description. "With the report the scouts gave, and all else we have learned, we cannot afford to let the opportunity we have go to waste. It will be easier if everyone is in agreement, but unless this Dro'cahi makes some very compelling arguments, we will be marching on the enemy stronghold."

It was not long before a few others entered the room, which, by the reaction of Ri'vashi, were the ones they had been waiting for. Dro'cahi noticed as well and motioned for the group with which he was speaking to take their seats. Seeing the movement, everyone else started to take their seats. The meeting would certainly begin shortly.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine breathed a short laugh and struck him playfully on the chest. "You are giving me too much credit, Peiter. I was not alone and I do not want to be champion." She suddenly leaned forward and pecked him on the lips, "But thank you."

At least of third of Sabine's mind predicted that Peiter would suggest some alone-time. She only took a moment to smile and lift her eyes, recalling whether she had a potion left. "Let us go," she decided, taking Peiter's hand again and walking with him, "Let us not take too long. I have to practice my magic later."

---

Gallus bit down on his lower lips with a measure of anticipation. "Very well. We will see."

As everyone began to shuffle to the table, Gallus removed himself from between Meesei and Ri'vashi and took a seat on the other side of Ri'vashi. "And now we begin," Gallus murmured.

Right before the crowd settled down completely, Gallus' eyes widened and he leaned to murmur quickly to Ri'vashi. "La'tahne and La'khay have met, by the way. I anticipate you'll be left unaccosted for...a while."

[EliteCommander]

"They've met? That may be..." Ri'vashi started, but her voice trailed off as she noticed that all of the others had taken their seats. Normally, Ri'vashi was the one to lead the meetings in the stronghold, but this time, of course, it was Meesei that would be directing them. Meesei laid out her papers in front of her and cleared her throat before she started.

"It seems as if everyone is here, so we may begin. As I am sure you know, we are meeting today to discuss our march on Vile's stronghold. We will need to make the final decision on what forces to commit, and what resources we will need. The warriors of the Orcrest clan have been prepared to move for several weeks, from my understanding, so we may begin our march at any time. In front of you all are copies of most of the relevant information we will be discussing. I would like you all to take a moment to read through the information as I start explaining the situation. As you may already know, the enemy stronghold is located to the northeast of Corinthe, in the forests. It is close to a month away by land, so we will need to prepare accordingly. The impostor who arrived before me had intended to lead this clan's warriors into a trap, but in this case, that has worked in our favor. According to our interrogations of the prisoners, and the scouts reports, the stronghold's defenders are not at full strength. Even so, it is still well-defended, and we will need a powerful force to overtake it. The stronghold is the headquarters of our enemy's General: a Cathay-raht named Do'rhajul." Meesei explained.

Nearby to Meesei, Lorag had been taking a drink from a mug of water, or possibly alcohol, and as soon as she spoke that name, he coughed as if he were choking on it. "Gah, say what?" He exclaimed.

[Muttonhawk]

Gallus was leaned over the papers before him with his fingers propping up the top page. They were taking the approach of sharing bundles of copies as it was likely that whatever scribes Meesei had enlisted did not have enough time to make a set for everyone.

It was expected that the opening information would be lengthy and uninterrupted, so Lorag's coughing came as a surprise. Gallus lifted his eyes to Lorag curiously. "Do you know something about Do'rhajul, Lorag?" Gallus asked to break the awkward silence.

Meesei and Ahnasha must have forgotten the ask the rest of the pack about that name, Gallus thought.

[EliteCommander]

"Know something? I...no that...that can't be right." Lorag began, his tone matching his words to convey the disbelief he was experiencing. "How common of a name is that with you people? The Do'rhajul I know is dead; he was killed when my patrol was ambushed by those werewolves."

Lorag's interruption was all that Meesei needed to be reminded of where she had heard Do'rhajul's name. Lorag had spoke of him before, about how he had been a leader and mentor to him when he had served in the Legion. She could certainly understand Lorag's disbelief, as it was a coincidence that seemed far too unlikely to be reality. Of course, where Daedric lords are concerned, coincidences could be far less random than they seemed to mortals on Nirn.

"Your old commander, I remember now. It is possible that it is not him, but...he does match the description. If it is him, then that would raise many questions, but could also give us an advantage. In any case, we still have an opportunity to attack. I would like to review the information we have on the enemy fortress' defenses. Apart from the...identity of our enemy's General, are there any questions." Meesei asked.

---

It had been some time, though Peiter had hardly been keeping track. He was laying in bed, arms wrapped around Sabine, and was breathing a bit heavily. He kissed her neck, then laid his head so that he could easily whisper in to her ear. "It never gets old. Just make sure you make plenty of those potions for the march to Corinthe. How much of a tragedy would it be if we were to run out?" He commented with a chuckle.

After a brief pause, and a few enthusiastic kisses, Peiter continued. "I know you said you need to practice magic at some point, but...maybe we could stay together for a while longer? Perhaps go for a swim?"

[Muttonhawk]

There was a little incredulity betrayed through Gallus' face. If he remembered correctly, Lorag was from the Imperial Legion. If Do'rhajul was a Legion commander, then his reputation would be more than founded.

As Meesei had asked for questions that didn't pertain to Lorag and Do'rhajul, Gallus continued reading and tried to think of other details he wanted to know.

The first to ask a question was one of the few that had seemed to recover from Lorag's possible familiarity with the enemy commander. It was one of Ri'vashi's lieutenants. "How long is the march to the stronghold expected to take?"

---

"You're so single minded, Peiter," Sabine said between breaths and her own laughter. She wouldn't admit straight away that she had quite enjoyed herself as well.

Once she began catch her breath, Sabine held herself close to Peiter and laid her head against his chest. She took in a deep breath through her nose and took in as much of his scent as she could. "I do not want to go anywhere right now," Sabine mumbled happily, "Here is perfect."

While it felt good to cuddle for a while, the rest of the world came back in slow waves. In particular was the itchy discomfort of sweat from the recent activity. "Mm," Sabine began abruptly, "A bath or a swim would be refreshing, though."

[EliteCommander]

"Between three and four weeks." Meesei answered. "We have already taken stock and determined that we have more than enough food and water to make the journey, following paths between oases. I understand that does mean we will be away from the stronghold for close to two months at minimum, but it will allow us to deliver a crippling blow to Vile's forces in this region."

The next person to speak up was midway down the table: Dro'cahi. He was an older, brown-furred Khajiit, with an accent unlike that of an Elsweyr native, though he still spoke similarly. "This one knows our warriors are willing to undertake such a journey, of course, and he has the deepest respect for them, but are we sure it is wise to separate this clan from so many of its warriors for so long? This stronghold is defensible, but only if there remain those capable of defending it. The enemy has already sent a group of infiltrators into our ranks, what if they next send an army?"

Meesei had expected such an objection, so she was ready to answer. "We tricked one of the prisoners into divulging information, most of which is contained in your reports. They had not had a chance to send a messenger to report on the clan's location before we arrived. Vile's forces as a whole still do not know of this location."

"They may not know of our exact location in the desert, but it does seem evident that Vile's forces know of this location." Dro'cahi pointed out. "They knew enough to put their infiltrators int he right area, and even if they have to begin their search anew, two months will be a long wait. To say that it is not possible for them to find us in that time seems to be a dangerous assumption." Dro'cahi's objections, as Ri'vashi had predicted, were direct, and spoken with confidence. They were also not unreasonable, so Meesei could not deny them outright.

---

After a few minutes of simply laying together, and a few intimate touches from Peiter, Sabine spoke up again on his suggestion. Once more, he smiled, this time because he had guessed the thought of a bath would sound enticing to her. Peiter's mood was upbeat, and even playful, so slowly and carefully, he crawled over Sabine to stand up by the side of the bed and look down on her.

"Agreed, I think it sounds relaxing. But, if you don't feel like going anywhere yourself..." He began before quite suddenly putting his arms underneath her and lifting her up off the bed. "...perhaps I can just carry you there? I don't mind carrying you around like royalty."

[Muttonhawk]

The discussion had begun in earnest, but Gallus was eager to take on Dro'cahi's points. Looking for a moment at Meesei to make sure he wasn't going to interrupt her, Gallus folded his arms on the table in front of him and began to speak. "I do not think the secrecy of this place is what we should depend upon either, but at the same time, it is not necessarily the only defence this place has."

Gallus raised a hand, "Let us assume the worst case scenario. Say that once the warband marches out, there is no time before the location of the clanhome is discovered."

Gallus then offered two fingers, "That gives the enemy two months to mobilise an army, march to besiege, and overcome the defenses. In two months, there will still be enough food and water to go around. The question is whether the enemy will be able to dig through a caved in entrance, batter down a gate, or otherwise capture this place even with the minimum manpower fighting back." Gallus looked around the table, "Does anyone here doubt the integrity of the defenses in this place? Does anyone not think they could last two months?"

---

Just before Peiter got up, Sabine took the opportunity to clear off the visual evidence of her recent exercise.

Sabine let out a small squeal in surprise as Peiter scooped her up. She laughed and brought her arms up around Peiter's neck for support. "I thought royalty only had people obey when they ordered them!" Sabine complained with a grin. "Okay," she giggled, "I order you to bathe me."

[EliteCommander]

Dro'cahi remained respectful and did not interrupt as Gallus was speaking, but wasted no time in giving his own response. "Dro'cahi is sure you have taken a detailed account of our resources, based on what he has read in this report. However, two months is a long siege to endure, and many of our people here are not equipped, physically or emotionally, for the challenges that would present. This one recognizes that it is very unlikely for an enemy force to arrive immediately after our warriors leave, but a siege is still a possibility. Provided, of course, that the enemy does not find a way to immediately break through into our stronghold."

As the topic was now focused on the stronghold's defenses, Ri'vashi could now speak well-within her element. "Dro'cahi, both Ri'vashi and her father before her saw to this stronghold's defenses. Every single stone lining the walls of our home has been checked for cracks and weaknesses. We know all of the thinnest points in the walls separating us from the outside, which are still more than adequately thick, and have reinforced them regardless. There are three separate points prepared along both the main entrance and escape tunnel that can be safely collapsed in the event of an attack, and with the scaffolding leading up to the top of the main chamber, we can have our warriors guarding from the top of a nearly insurmountable hill. Our stronghold was designed to be defended, and we have only improved it. For our enemy to have some knowledge of how to break through it that even we do not possess would be...unlikely. Ri'vashi would never want to deprive her home of the basic forces it needs to defend itself, but in this place, we do not need the majority of our soldiers to give an effective defense."

There was a hint of frustration in Dro'cahi's expression, but with a glance to Meesei, he maintained his composure. "This one has the utmost confidence in your military ability. Of that, there has never been any doubt, but is it not wise to plan for something to go wrong. Rather than assuming that our defenses will hold, would it not be better for us to leave more than we think we need here in case the unexpected comes to pass?"

Meanwhile, it was uncertain if Lorag was even paying attention to the debate going on around him. He was simply staring into his mug, silently and intensely. Any number of thoughts could have been passing through his mind, but it was almost certain that they all regarded Do'rhajul.

---

"At once." Peiter answered, matching her grin. Although, he delayed carrying her out of the room in order to kiss her a few more times. Eventually, he ceased the more intimate contact with her once he actually carried her out into the hall. There was only one place in the ruin where one could actually swim, at its lower levels near the stronghold's source of water. It was a public place, of course, but was generally only crowded in the morning, or in the evening after most everyone had finished their duties for the day. From where they were, they did not have to cross through the main chamber to reach the water, so they did not have to pass through any large crowds. Even so, it was not a normal sight for one to be carrying someone through the halls, so they did garner a few looks from the people they passed.

While the stronghold has access to more water than most other places in the desert short of Orcrest itself, the chamber they used for bathing and swimming was still not as extensive as other clans. The pools back in Bruma were much deeper and wider, and even the outpost the Senchal clan had been using had access to a larger river. Regardless, it served the same purpose. There were others who were swimming and bathing as well, so Peiter carried Sabine towards the least crowded side of the pool. There were two others that seemed to be relaxing near the edge on that side as well, but as they drew closer, Peiter realized that he recognized one of them.

In the pool, La'khay and La'tahne were sitting side-by-side, much closer than Peiter would have expected. Even more strangely, La'khay had her arm over La'tahne's shoulder, much like he would do with Sabine. Just as Peiter had recognized her, La'khay of course recognized him and Sabine almost immediately. She smiled widely as she motioned towards them. "Aw, just look at that. How romantic you two are. This one insists you join us."

[Muttonhawk]

Gallus was glad to see that Ri'vashi was able to close a trap around Dro'cahi as soon as he questioned the defences. Still, he did prefer to keep a larger guard presence at the clanhome. While Gallus was willing to compromise he wanted to make absolutely sure that everyone understood the importance of having this stronghold taken.

"Be that as it may, the same can be said for the warband." Gallus angled his head forward and lifted his brow. "What this force is walking into is a chance to permanently cripple Clavicus Vile in this region such that no siege army could be staged within the entirety of Anequina. An assault on such a stronghold as this requires nothing to be done by halves." Gallus turned his wrist to offer a hand towards Dro'cahi, "A few groups of men could mean the difference between a swift victory and a bloody stalemate. If we overcommit to our defences, we may not have the army on the walls at the strength it was in the first place, when they return. Then the clanhome will be at more risk than ever."

---

The whole situation was so ridiculous that Sabine couldn't help but continue giggling as she was carried. She never expected anyone to treat her like this.

When the finally reached the bath chamber - grateful they were for it despite its size and depth - Sabine anticipated the cool water against her itching skin. However, when La'khay spoke up, Sabine was in a good enough mood that waved and regarded her with a smile. "Good afternoon, La'khay," she said brightly. She then looked to Peiter, "Shall we say hello...? I mean..." Sabine grinned, "I order you to take me over to La'khay."

Sabine, too, was curious about the Khajiit woman that La'khay was holding so closely. "What is your name?" Sabine asked, "I am Sabine."

[EliteCommander]

"Bringing this attack forth at all guarantees we will be losing some of our brothers and sisters." Dro'cahi answered. "If we fight, there will be no avoiding the deaths that will come as a result. This one merely wants to ensure that the innocent of our clan do not suffer directly from it."

At this point, Meesei had heard enough to speak up. She understood Dro'cahi's objections, and why he wanted to approach with such caution, but it was not enough to justify weakening their attack. "I have dedicated everything that I am to halting the suffering of our people, of that I can assure you. One point on which I believe we both agree is the horrible nature of this war. It is destructive, and unnecessary. However, it is not something we can choose. We do not have the option to simply choose not to fight, it is something that has been forced upon us. You might say that we could choose not to attack, but that would only ensure our defeat. If we want the fighting to ever end, we cannot remain purely defensive. In this case, that means we need to dedicate everything we can to an attack. As you said, we must plan for the unexpected. It is entirely possible we could capture their fortress with less warriors, but that would leave little margin for failure. The warriors taking part in this attack will be in far more danger than those remaining behind, and they will need all of the support we can give."

The debate was sparking murmurs among some of the other lieutenants. There were some that had seemed supportive of Dro'cahi, but even some of them showed a measure of doubt once Meesei gave a reminder of who the aggressor was in this war.

---

Peiter chuckled. "Of course, right away." He answered as he waded out into the water. As requested, he carried her over in their direction, then carefully sat himself down nearby to La'khay, with Sabine still in his arms. Sitting down near the edge, the water came just up to his chest. He allowed Sabine to lay across his lap while he helped to support her head and keep it above water

La'khay could not help but to grin for the entire time Peiter was carrying Sabine, and she nudged La'tahne shoulder as soon as he took his seat. "See, what did this one say? Romantic."

La'tahne chuckled. "Indeed. This one's name is La'tahne, good to meet you. From what she has seen, you two are mates, yes?" La'tahne asked.

[Muttonhawk]

Meesei's words were just as astute as they needed to be. It appeared as though there was some more support for the march because of it. However, Gallus felt as though there was more to address. He flattened his hands and laid the sides of them on the table in front of him.

"I feel it needs to be said that concerns over the welfare of the clans while the warriors march are not unreasonable." Gallus addressed everyone, not just Dro'cahi, "It is important that those fears are put to rest, and in that, I believe we can." Gallus leaned back slightly and placed his palms carefully onto the table. He mildly registered his seat creaking slightly. "Right now we have it on good authority that the location of the clanhome is still a secret and that there are no significant enemy forces in the the area around Orcrest. The clanhome's secrecy also includes its current garrison size and defensibility. From what we garnered from our interrogations, the enemy plan was to weaken and ambush our current forces before marching on this place. What that says to me is that they do not have sufficient forces in place to meet the Orcrest clan's numbers in force on the field on equal terms. If they do not have that capability, then I would doubt they would have the manpower to breach the clanhome's defences in less than two months. They may not even be willing to try, given that they do not even know our numbers hidden within the clanhome. Their information is so limited that it is a gamble." Gallus angled his head to one side, "And they will have less than two months, because if we are to play this cautiously, any infiltrators will not simply be able to talk to agents within Orcrest and gain entry to the clanhome. We still have that control."

Gallus weaved his fingers together on the table once more. "Though it is only my opinion, with the information we have, I believe that the risk to the clanhome is minimised no further by keeping extra numbers in the garrison for two months."

---

When Peiter took his seat, Sabine propped herself up such that she was sitting in his lap more comfortably, rather than needing put strain on his arms. She still kept her arms around his neck and held her head against his collar.

With a smile, Sabine nodded to La'tahne. "It is nice to meet you, too," Sabine said. Noting that Peiter had not introduced himself, Sabine lifted her head to see his face. "This is Peiter. He is treating me like royalty for some reason." Sabine giggled, "I wonder when you will get tired of it, Peiter?"

Turning her attention back to La'tahne and La'khay, Sabine lifted her brow. "La'khay? Is La'tahne and old friend of yours?" Sabine made a guess based on their position. She was of course aware of the possibility that they could be mated as well but, as she understood it, Meesei's alignment in that matter was unusual to most people. Sabine did not want to make any embarrassing presumptions.

[EliteCommander]

Gallus' short speech caused yet more discussion among the lieutenants, this time a bit louder than before. The leadership of the Senchal clan had, of course, been in agreement over the attack for quite a while now, and the lieutenants closest to Dro'cahi were at least seriously discussing the matter. One detail Meesei noticed was that they were becoming more absorbed into the documents on the table before them. Likely the discussion so far had created enough doubt that they wanted to review the reports themselves to see exactly what the warriors would be facing.

"Perhaps it would do well for us to take a break and allow everyone to review the reports in greater detail." Meesei suggested in a loud, clear voice. Grabbing up some of the papers in front of her, she handed them to Ri'vashi and instructed her to pass them down the table. "I would recommend looking over the maps and other illustrations to get a clearer picture of the enemy force. We will reconvene in fifteen minutes."

With general agreement from the group, many in the meeting stood up to speak with their peers, or simply stretch their legs. Ri'vashi remained seated and let out a sigh as she ran her hand down her face. "Well...it is more civil than usual, at least."

---

La'tahne's smile widened even further. "Only if you consider a few hours to be old. This one just met La'khay admiring her garden. This one finds she has a very agreeable sense of beauty. Among other things."

Peiter, meanwhile, responded at first with a kiss to Sabine's cheek before giving his answer. "I'll stop treating you like royalty when you stop looking like it." He answered, deciding to commit fully to giving her excessive compliments.

La'khay's expression almost seemed prideful as she observed the exchange. "You may be a couple even cuter than Tzirret and Ma'tanza. There is just so much passion in your love; like a work of art. La'khay is thinking about making a painting of you two. It would surely come out to be just as beautiful as the two of you are together."

[Muttonhawk]

Gallus bit on his lower lip as Meesei called for a short break to read the reports. Given the cacophany that could have resulted from letting unrestrained discussion roar forth, it was a good move.

As for Ri'vashi's comments, Gallus turned his head and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Are we to expect some impassioned words in the next round?" he asked. Glancing to Meesei, he continued, "How do you two think things are going? I think it's boding well."

Just so he wasn't left out, Gallus picked up another one of the notes and began skimming through it while the champion and the clan leader spoke.

---

As an immediate response to Peiter's compliment, Sabine took in a small gasp and splashed his face with water. "Do not say that!" she demanded, laughing uneasily under her words, "It is embarrassing!"

The mortifying self-consciousness on Sabine's face was at first not helped by La'khay's comment. Although, her mention of making a painting of Peiter and her made Sabine crane her head out curiously. She showed her teeth as leftover from her previous grin, but otherwise her face looked thoughtful. She gave the same look to Peiter to see what his reaction was. "I have never been in a painting before," Sabine commented.

Sabine's question only hinted at her further ignorance into how paintings are made, particularly the time spent staying still that would bring another delay to her magic practice.

[EliteCommander]

Ri'vashi glanced briefly towards Dro'cahi with some uncertainty. "Ri'vashi thinks he may be restraining himself for appearances in front of the Champion. He likely does not want to come off as being too...aggressive against her ideas. He can be a very impassioned person, with strong convictions on his ideals. If he is convinced, or at least can accept the plan, this one would not expect the others to give any issues."

Ri'vashi noticed that Dro'cahi too gave a few glances in their direction, though he mostly seemed to be focusing on Meesei and Gallus. "It could perhaps be a benefit for you to speak to him." Ri'vashi suggested. "He does not yet know you, so he does not have any strong predisposition towards you. At the very least, you could get more of a sense of who he is."

---

La'khay shook her head at Sabine. "Now, now Sabine, don't refuse a compliment from your mate. Or anyone, for that matter. If you are getting a compliment, then you almost certainly deserve it. You are indeed quite a beautiful woman by Human standards. Maybe you need a bit more jewelry to pass for royalty, but you have an...enticing form."

La'tahne nodded in agreement. "Indeed, this one does not think La'khay is wrong. She does not know you as well as La'khay, but just by looks, you are a wonderful couple."

"That is why this one would like to paint them." La'khay added. "This one could immortalize you on a canvas, to you a lasting image of the love you share, at this point in time. To the best of her ability, of course. She doubts you would want to be a model for as long as it would take to make a painting that would look entirely real."

[Muttonhawk]

Gallus looked to the table, tensed his cheek, and nodded in agreement to Ri'vashi. "That sounds like a good idea. If we can work things out without sounding adversarial or making anyone angry, that would best."

With a singing wooden scrape against the floor, Gallus pushed out his chair and stood up. "Wish me luck."

As Gallus walked around the table and towards Dro'cahi's circle of discussion, he tried to catch Dro'cahi's eye. As soon as he did, he offered a friendly smile. "Hello there. Dro'cahi, right? My name's Gallus," he said when he reached him. He extended a hand, "I understand that you're an experienced member of the council here. Now, all this..." Gallus scrunched his nose and waved the back of his hand at the council table, "It's all highly strung and political. Makes everyone tense." Gallus raised an eyebrow, "Now, I think what we have in common is wanting what's best for everyone in this hill. With the opportunity to clear the air a bit, what are your feelings about this march?"

---

La'khay's insistence didn't change Sabine's views on compliments directed to herself that much. She had never enjoyed drawing too much attention to herself. Of course, she was sure that Peiter did it at least partly to tease her. She didn't mind too much in that.

As for this painting, Sabine's attention to the proposal was mostly driven by both humouring La'khay and pure curiosity. At least the last time she trusted La'khay with some form of artwork it ended up with her being groomed a beauty beyond what she had set out to try in the first place. This time might have a similarly pleasant outcome.

This time, however, Peiter would be directly involved. Sabine turned her head to face Peiter and listed her head to one side, relaxed. "Peiter? What do you think?"

[EliteCommander]

Based on his expression, Dro'cahi's immediate reaction to Gallus' introduction was one of skepticism. He had seen Gallus and Ri'vashi speaking before, so he naturally related that to the fact that Gallus was suddenly approaching. "Did our clan leader send you to speak to Dro'cahi? Even were you not a companion of the Champion, this one would be glad to speak to you. But, if we are to speak honestly, this one must ask if Ri'vashi has sent you to speak to this one under any kind of pretense."

Seeing as Dro'cahi was speaking with one of the Champion's companions, most of the others he had been speaking to slowly dispersed to review the reports, and to allow them the chance to have something of a private conversation.

---

Peiter knew that having one's self painted was time-consuming, but like Sabine, he had never been the subject of a painting before and felt it would be a novel experience. "Hmm, it could be interesting. I've never been a model for a pointing before; I say...we should do it."

With Peiter's confirmation, La'khay clasped her hands together excitedly. "Wonderful!" She said as she stood up to her feet. "This one thinks you will be satisfied with the outcome. We should go somewhere quiet where we won't be bothered. Perhaps just come with this one to her room? Or, your room would be better, actually. One of the members of this clan volunteered their room to you when we arrived, correct? La'khay just needs to...oh, wait, she does not have her painting supplies from back home. This one nearly forgot about that."

Just as La'khay was about to become disappointed, La'tahne spoke up reassuringly. "Don't worry, La'tahne can get you everything you need. Just give her a few minutes to collect everything, and she will bring it to you."

La'khay smiled. "You continue to impress this one, La'tahne. Thank you. Now, why don't you take us to your room?" La'khay asked Sabine as she extended her hand towards her to help her out of the water.