EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The noise from the fight was easy to hear from camp. Meesei, Lorag, Ahnasha, and even the caravan drivers were all running to investigate, but would take a few seconds to arrive. Even in those few seconds, much could happen in a fight.

Leaps' charge ended with him pouncing straight onto the Imperial who had grabbed Sabine. He had tried to find his dagger on the ground as he was recovering from the lightning, but he was nowhere near fast enough to defend against the enraged wamasu. Leaps tore viciously into him with claws and teeth, tearing him apart as he tried in vain to struggle.

Kaleeth was rushing at the crossbowman when she saw that he was struck by an ice spike. It did not hit a vital location, but it pierced through him like an arrow, the shock of which caused him to fire his crossbow harmlessly into the water. It was a weapon that would take a while to reload, and Janius was rushing straight at him, so at the last moment, Kaleeth broke off and ran at the other bowman instead. Her new target had been briefly blinded by Sabine's flames, but after a moment, had found his target. Unfortunately, Kaleeth could not reach him in time to stop him from loosing his arrow, which struck Leaps' side. He was too late to save the bandit Leaps had mauled, but his scales were not yet thick enough to sufficiently resist an arrow, so the pain of being hit caused him to collapse to the ground. Kaleeth was upon the archer only a moment later, tackling him to the ground. He tried to reach for the blade on his hip, but Kaleeth's attack was relentless. She clawed at his neck, then delivered blow after blow to his head. With her strength, each punch was like getting his by a hammer, and she could hear his skull crack under the force.

The Imperial with the shortsword was stopped in his tracks by Sabine's flames, though they had more of a frightening effect than an actual one. He faced some minor burns, but once he realized he had not been melted by the heat, he still intended to finish her. The flames, however, had given Pieter enough time to reach Sabine. He tried to run in and grapple the bandit, but he had regained his bearings enough to defend himself. He swung at Pieter, forcing him to jump back to evade. Even still, the blade seemed to pass only a hair's breath in front of Pieter's neck. It was at that point that the reality set in of how defenseless he was at the moment. Sure, he could outmatch the bandit in a grapple, but that blade could end him in only a single swing. He was not going to abandon Sabine, but he did not know what to do next. Behind them, Irenya had two fireballs charged in her hands and was trying to help, but she had to get to an angle where she would not accidentally hit Pieter or Sabine.

The leader of the bandits was at first rushing forward to meet Janius, but Tzirret's tranformation behind him immediately grabbed all of her attention. In just one, panicked moment, she did not have the thought that all of this group of travelers might be lycans, but even so, just one werewolf was enough to make her instantly re=evaluate this fight. Without hesitation, the Imperial woman turned and began to run away, intent on leaving her allies for dead.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Nice. I still have much work to do with my projects, but I should be finished with them in time.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth, from her position under the water, could see what was happening. She saw that Sabine had been grabbed by one of the bandits, she saw them backing towards the camp, and she saw Leaps crest the hill. There was little question about what was about to happen, and there was no way she would be able to just do nothing. She wondered if she should transform, or if she would even have time. The bandits did not know she was there, so even in this form, she could still do something.

Looking down, Kaleeth rubbed Newt's head once more. "I need you to listen to me, little one. Stay right here under the water, and don't go anywhere, or make any noise. Okay? Don't do anything until mommy comes back to get you."

Obviously, Leaps did not have the capacity to fully understand the situation, so his actions were based on instinct. He saw that Sabine was in danger, so he acted immediately. Lightning pulsed through his body, which he quickly shot out at the bandit holding Sabine. The electricity coursed through his body, and into Sabine as well, to a lesser extent. It was not lethal to either of them, but rather importantly, it did cause the bandit to drop his dagger without cutting her throat. If she was able to overcome the effects of the shock, she could fight back against him. If not, Leaps was presently in the middle of pouncing at her attacker.

As the attack had been sudden, and from an unexpected direction, the Bosmer crossbowman glanced off to his right towards Leaps, which delayed his shot. Immediately as Leaps shocked the bandit, Kaleeth emerged sprinting out of the water, screaming at the top of her lungs to grab the attention of the crossbowman she was charging towards. She just wanted to keep him from shooting any of her family, regardless of the danger to herself. Her hope was that she could reach the Bosmer before he could swing his crossbow around.

Pieter was afraid, more than he ever thought he had been, so there was not much rational thought going into his reactions. He had a soldier's training and knew he should help, even though he had no exact plan for how to do that. As soon as the bandit was shocked and their enemy distracted, Pieter ran forward to try and help Sabine. His lack of anything to actually fight with was not a detail that registered too strongly in his mind.

While the bandit holding Sabine had been briefly incapacitated, his allies' reactions were varied. The leader, being the most disciplined, brought her weapon to bear against the most present threat. Leaps was charging towards them, and she intended on meeting him with her blade. The crossbowman was trying to level his weapon at Kaleeth, while the other archer had an arrow drawn, but seemed to be caught briefly trying to decide what to shoot. The last bandit, another Imperial with a shortblade and a buckler, looked like he was going to try to cut down Sabine.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The air was entirely silent while two of the bandits scoured through the group’s pile of belongings. Although, there was little that they did not take. Even furs and clothing was valuable. Even so, the looks on the bandits’ faces were distinctly disappointed. They packed away what they wanted into their packs, grabbed the weapons, like Pieter’s halberd, then approached their leader.

“It’s not looking that good, ma’am. There were a few weapons, a few coins, but I reckon most of it is still up in their main camp. A lot more of them up there…” One of the bandits explained quietly.

The leader, whose blade was still held out towards the group, did not take her eyes off of them as she answered. “Thought that might be the case. Well, we planned for this. We’re heading up there, then. Grab one of them for…compliance.” She ordered.

“With pleasure.” The mace-wielding Imperial answered, drawing a dagger from his belt. While the archers kept their weapons at the ready, aimed at the most seemingly defenseless members of the pack, the Imperial took a few steps forward. His eyes gravitated towards Sabine, looking her over from head to toe. It was a gaze that was unsettling in more ways than one.

The man walked up to Sabine and lightly brushed his knife across her cheek. “Well, aren’t you a pretty little thing? You’re going to be coming with us for a while. Now, make any noise and I’ll slit your throat.” He threatened. Grabbing a hold of her, he pulled her to him, facing away, and put his blade to her neck. Slowly, he started to walk backwards towards the rest of the bandits with her.

As the Imperial grabbed their hostage, the leader watched the rest of the pack like a hawk. “Don’t even think about trying anything. Remember, we want your things, not your lives. We’ll even send your girl back to you once we’re…assured of your compliance. Stay here, stay quiet, and don’t even think about following.”

As the bandit was making her threats and the rest of her men were keeping the pack under control, a silhouette appeared on the hill above and behind them. The actions of the bandits, it seemed, had not gone entirely unnoticed. It was uncertain exactly what had alerted him, but looking down on the bandits from above was Leaps, and he was most certainly angry. A simple beast he might have been, but even a beast could recognize when his masters were being threatened.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Irenya raised an eyebrow towards Janius. "Nicknames? Hmm, no, I have no nicknames. I simply refer to people with efficiency. Although, I do suppose there are now more than one Khajiit and Breton among our group. And...Dunmer, as well." She said, shooting a glance in Fendros' direction. Just by looking at her, it was difficult to discern her thoughts just from the gaze. It was hardly a polite stare, but she was not being overtly hostile.

For a moment, Pieter was surprised. He had been expecting a fight, not a race. Nevertheless, it was not as if he could deny the challenge. He had some muscular strength behind him, but both Tzirret and Sabine were fast in their own right. He had long known Tzirret to be fleet footed and agile, and evidently, all of the time spent swimming with Argonians had taught Sabine proper form in the water. Pieter was behind, but only barely. He was actually starting to gain slightly on Sabine, but his transition from the water to the land was sloppy and lost him a few valuable moment. The race overall lasted only a few dozen seconds, but at its end, Pieter was the last to the rock. He stood leaned forward with his hands on his knees, panting for breath.

"That...was hardly fair. You...called it too quick. You had...a...head..." Pieter began, but his voice trailed off when he stood up and his gaze turned just to their right. Just a few feet in front of the trio were five individuals, all armed and armored with various mixes of leather, fur, and chainmail. Their weapons were raised, two of which were ranged: a crossbow and a shortbow. By their appearance, they were bandits or highwaymen. Of that, there was no mistaking them. But, thoughts raced through Pieter's mind on how they could even be there. There was always at least one lookout in camp, though they were out of sight of it. They had not caught their scent, or even just seen them coming. When it came to stealth, at least, these bandits must have been a cut above average.

The apparent leader, an Imperial woman in chainmail wielding a longsword, spoke up in a firm, but hushed voice. "Nobody make any sudden moves; nobody make a sound, understand? Anyone yells or screams and I'll have my friend here put a bolt straight through you, got it?"

The Imperial looked out into the water and pointed her sword at Janius, Irenya, and Fendros. "All of you in the water, get out and stand with the others. And don't try anything; it will only take a second to kill any of you." She demanded. One of her allies, a young Bosmer, had his crossbow trained squarely on Rhazii, likely for intimidation.

"We've been tracking you for a while, travelers. A lot of supplies in those carriages of yours. How nice of you all to put yourselves in such a...compromising position. Naked, unarmed. Couldn't ask for any more." The leader said, glancing to a mace-wielding Imperial beside her. "Go through their things, see what they brought down with them."

In the water, Kaleeth could both see and hear what was going on above the surface, so she grabbed up Newt in her arms and remained out of sight under the waters. She was at a loss for what to do, but she had to do something. Most of the people she cared about were in danger, and the bandits didn't know she was there. But, she had Newt to be worried about, and the frightened hatchling was holding on tightly to her. Looking down, she ran her hand across his head and spoke softly. Even underwater, Argonian ears could make out a voice clearly. "Be calm, little one. You're safe with me."

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

While Ssarak would have accepted a plant-only diet for the duration of their visit to the monastery, he would have been lying if he had said he was not relieved that he would likely get at least some meat. By Meirin's description, it did seem like they were respectful and accommodating towards the customs of outsiders. Hopefully that assessment was correct, because Meirin's family were the last group of people in all of Tiien that Ssarak would want to upset.

Shortly afterwards, Meirin spotted Lyn among the crowd, evidently enjoying the festivities. She suggested going to talk to her, and naturally, Ssarak agreed to follow. He grabbed his disaster of a pumpkin, then stood up to follow. It did not late long following her to see that Lyn was not with her parents, or Alaira, but instead Professor Tyrael. Ssarak was aware that Tyrael had some sort of friendly relationship with Mar, as he had seen them together before. In fact, one of the first times Ssarak saw Mar, she was returning from a hunt with Tyrael. However, he knew nothing beyond that fact. And, indeed, he knew nothing else about Tyrael that was not common knowledge around the college. Being Fallen, he was essentially a demon himself, and fittingly, the demonmancy professor. If his first demonstration was any indication, he was a violent individual, so it was quite perplexing to see him being so gentle, and seemingly compassionate, with Lyn. Trust was something that Ssarak was not keen to have for a demon, but Mar obviously did. And, if Mar judged Tyrael to be a suitable caretaker for her child, then it was not his place to argue until he had a specific reason to do otherwise.

After Meirin's friendly greeting, Ssarak smiled and gave a slight wave to the little girl. Even not being Esyire, it did not take much effort to see that she was happy just by the look in her eyes. Evidently, Tyrael was doing something correctly. "Greetings Lyn. Professor." He said with a polite nod.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

As Tzirret began to step back, Pieter stared at him, matching Sabine's grin. With every inch the Khajiit moved back, Pieter also moved forward to maintain the distance. The air was silent and almost tense for what seemed like minutes before Pieter proceeded to...do absolutely nothing. After a while of thinking, his mind came up with nothing unique they could do. Glancing to Sabine, he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Okay, I'm going to be entirely honest, I was hoping you would have something. I've...got nothing."

Pieter splashed some water harmlessly in Tzirret's direction, then swam casually over to him. He lightly patted the Khajiit's shoulder and gave a smile. It could be fun to tease him, but he did legitimately have an issue with being too nervous. "Don't worry, Tzirret, it's all in good fun. I promise that I will never actually hurt you on purpose. Trust me." He said, patting his back once more. "The most I would do is challenge you to a quick bout of wrestling, perhaps pull you into the water. Though, we all know that wouldn't be a fair fight. I doubt both of you together could take me." Pieter said, crossing his arms and raising his chin in an exaggerated show of pride. It was intentional, and joking, but he might not have realized how much it sounded like a challenge as opposed to bragging.

Irenya, who was content relaxing in the water while observing the others, glanced to Janius as he approached. Her expression seemed to be more neutral than relaxed, although; to be fair, that was the norm for her even when she seemed to be enjoying herself. In most cases, she seemed to have an air of maturity about her, even to the point of seeming forced at times. "Indeed. I would not say he is abused, but the cat does make himself into a target. When I first met him, I thought he was simply overwhelmed by the shock of turning and being forced into a new life. Such is common among us, I am sure you know. But it has been years; I believe he is simply a nervous soul. I think some of the others want to...toughen him up, so to speak. He is often the target of their pranks." Irenya commented, though she gave a slight, almost unnoticeable grin upon hearing Pieter's last, brash statement. "Perhaps, with motivation, he will fight back."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Pieter could not stop himself from bursting out laughing, but luckily, most of the laughter came while Tzirret was distracted flying through the air or underwater. By the time he surfaced, it had dissipated to a low chuckle. After taking a moment to dive in and acclimate himself to the water, he swam up to join Sabine and Tzirret. The Khajiit had actually improved over the years when it came to general socialization, but of course, he was still all-around nervous. It was tempting to use it as an excuse to call him a "scardy cat," but Pieter never actually teased him in that way, mostly because it would be terribly unoriginal.

"Yes, and now that we have you in the water, we can...carry out our nefarious plans. Right Sabine?" Pieter teased.

Irenya entered the water with far less fanfare than most of the others, as she simply walked in as a leisurely pace until she was submerged. Interestingly, she chose to swim in a spot that made her the farthest person from Fendros and Rhazii, though whether or not that was coincidence was hard to say. She watched Kaleeth and Newt with some curiosity. Newt's ability to swim, despite his young age, was an obvious surprise to her. She considered briefly asking about it, but even now, she was still more comfortable approaching those in her own pack. Glancing between Pieter and Sabine, she shook her head lightly. "One day, you are going to scare that poor cat to death."

Kaleeth, meanwhile, was keeping a close eye on Newt. At his age, he did indeed have a hard time keeping himself above water, but for him, it did not matter. Now that he had acclimated to the water, he was perfectly content floating under the surface, or even crawling along at the bottom of the lake. So, to keep watch over him, Kaleeth mostly had to stay under the surface as well. As such, Janius could mostly only join them for a few seconds at a time.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth reached up and placed her hand on Janius'. "Don't worry, love. In Black Marsh, I helped watch over hatchlings swimming in rivers with crocodiles and voriplasms. Those slaughterfish are like...minnows. But, I'll make sure he stays safe."

"Indeed." Irenya added, turning her gaze to Tzirret. "They will not get close to us. If they do, it takes but a small amount of lightning to ward them away."

It did not take long to reach the edge of the water at a spot that was sandy enough to be considered a beach. Although, the rocks nearby made an excellent spot for placing down their belongings, in order to avoid covering them in sand. Kaleeth undressed herself and Newt, then headed to the water. She held his hand up to the point where the water was washing over his ankles.

"Now, be careful Newt. The water here is cooler than back at home. Get in slowly; let yourself get used to it." Kaleeth warned.

Newt, at first, seemed to take her advice. He took one step, then another. At this spot on the lake, the water grew slowly in depth, so the water was only halfway to his knees before he decided it was taking too long. Newt ran and jumped forward, submerging himself completely all at once. He of course let out a brief scream at the sudden rush of cool water, but the discomfort would last only a moment, and Kaleeth could not help but to laugh.

Pieter undressed and placed his halberd carefully next to a rock. He carried it everywhere he could out of habit, though given the size of the weapon, there were of course places it could not go, and obviously, he was not going to carry it around in the water. Tzirret, as expected, was reluctant to get into the water, so he walked up along his right side and placed a hand on the Khajiit's back. "Come on, Tzirret, let's jump in. It'll be fun. Don't worry, me and Sabine will protect you from the big fishes." He said, motioning to Sabine to give him some help in case Tzirret gave him any trouble.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Okay, done. For real this time.