EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter had not expected to hit with his first strike, though it was not exactly as if he was trying to make it easy to block. Her retaliatory strike was actually not bad in concept. In swordfighting, the hands were a vulnerable and useful target to attempt to hit. However, he was able to twist his blade to block the strike with the crossguard. That did not necessarily put her in a bad position, but because her footing was unstable at best, he was able to push the blade aside at an angle that would be awkward to resist and recover from, then thrust successfully at her stomach.

Peiter did not take up a combat stance again, and instead rubbed his chin as he looked her over. "I see. It seems you do have the theoretical knowledge, but of course you're not in practice enough to execute it properly. That's no trouble, though. It just means you need practice."

Walking over to stand beside Sabine, Peiter assumed a basic combat stance. "You seem to know where to hold the blade, but your footwork needs work. It is the basis of any fighting style, and while it can be boring to practice, it's probably the most important thing to master. Watch my feet when I swing." He said before demonstrating a heavy forward slash. Just as if he was in a duel, he took a step forward so Sabine could see what he was referring to. "Now, why don't you try. See if you can move like I do."

---

Irenya shook her head. "Oh, don't give me that, Gallus. I know what you're trying to say. I am certainly not intimidated by that particular lizard. But, even if I do not agree with lord Hircine's decisions, I will follow them. By rights, this...Argonian is the alpha of every lycan in Tamriel, and I would be a fool to disobey Hircine without issuing the proper challenges."

Although Irenya's answer hinted at her feelings, she was still not directly stating it. The issues she was having were not as simple as complete bigotry, but neither were they far removed from it.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

That's alright. We may want to start summarizing the swordsmanship training at some point. I do have knowledge of swordfighting techniques...but only very basic knowledge.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

That's quite alright. About how long do you think you have?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter picked up his practice sword as well, though he did not assume a combat stance at first. Instead, he walked around Sabine and observed how she was standing. "Not bad. I'd hold the blade a bit higher, but other than that, it's a proper stance. Especially for a beginner. It's important to note that there is no one 'right' way to fight. No one stance that will be better than all the others. It's just a matter of the situation you're in. How about we start with a quick bout just to see how much you already know."

Taking a few steps away, Peiter stopped, faced Sabine, then assumed his own combat stance. The weapons were practice longswords, so they were meant to be held with two hands. He kept the blade out in front of him in a position that would allow him to respond quickly to attacks at most angles. "Okay...begin."

Staring out, Peiter did not attack immediately. Instead, he stepped forward, but kept far enough away that neither of them could hit the other's body without taking a step forward. He touched the tip of his blade to the end of hers so that he could feel what she was going to do. From there, he gave a simple forward thrust at her torso, just to test her defenses.

---

Irenya was irritated, though whether it was specifically directed at Gallus at the moment was hard to say. She sneered, though was not looking at Gallus. "Yes, I suppose that problem is with Fendros, but I can't say I'm fond of the cat either. Not with her attitude. And she is just as responsible as him for tainting his bloodline. That boy, Fendros, I don't think he even knows what he is doing. He is young, and not from our homeland. He doesn't understand his people, or what he is doing to his traditions."

Upon asking about Meesei, Irenya looked at Gallus with as unemotional of an expression as she could manage. "Meesei is Hircine's Champion, and I am honor-bound to follow her lead for as long as she retains that title." She said with a tone matching her expression. It was an evasive answer which did nothing to actually address the question.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

As they had to take turns, it did take some time for most of everyone to make it up into the trees. Meesei was last, along with Leaps. Fortunately, the lift could support both of them at the same time, so she was able to stay close to the wamasu to ensure that he did not panic on the way up. Leaps certainly became nervous as they began to lift the pair up. He stood quickly and looked down over the edge, so Meesei rubbed the back of his neck gently and repeated the command "stay" until they were high enough that he would not consider jumping. It was unavoidable that Leaps would be stressed by this new experience, but once they were on the platform, he at least had no problem staying away from the edge.

Once most of everyone was up in the trees, Ra'maranja approached the Bosmer in his group. "Continue on to the clan and inform the clan leader of our proposed meeting. We will remain here with the Champion's pack." He ordered, to which the Bosmer quickly agreed. Ra'maranja then moved forward towards one of the ramps leading up to the structures above. "Come, this one will show you to your accommodations. There are four buildings, built entirely around the trunks of the trees. The smaller two mostly just contain beds, while the large one in the middle is basically the living area. The last, medium-sized hut is just for storage, and contains most of the supplies."

Peiter nodded to Sabine as they made their way back to the ropes. "That...makes sense. I can just imagine how good some nice, cold water would feel right about now. We might want to go searching for some after this training; swordfighting can be pretty physically intensive. I imagine they would put a supply outpost somewhere near a source of water." He commented.

The pair climbed back down the ropes, then found an open area that was as far away from Gallus and Irenya as was reasonable without making it look intentional. They certainly did not want to intrude upon the conversation that they could imagine was occurring at the moment. Peiter set his bag down on a fallen log, then pulled out the two wooden practice swords from within and propped them up against it. Letting out a deep breath, he wiped his brow once more. His energy had already been somewhat drained by the journey to the outpost, and the exertion of climbing up and down the tree, but he could still go through with the training, albeit not for as long as usual. Given the heat, he removed his sweat-drenched shirt and held it up in front of himself for a moment before dropping it onto his bag with something of a disgusted grunt. "I feel like I've already been swimming at this point."

---

Although she had already known what the conversation would be about before it started, Irenya could not help but to be annoyed and frustrated by it. She stood leaned up against a tree with her arms crossed. "And you are talking to me about this? It was the cat that started that fight, not me. If anything, she should be the one you're berating. She shouts at me, calls me a bigot. You know how I treat our little Tzirret, you know that can't be true. It's just...you're not a Dunmer. You wouldn't understand the problem. We hold great reverence for family and ancestors in Morrowind. It is an integral part of the shared culture of all Dunmer. To corrupt that linage with the blood of a cat...it is just wrong. What future is there for Fendros when he has no heir to pass down the traditions of his family? It is a disservice to our people." Irenya reluctantly explained. Of course, even ignoring the matter of whether or not her protests were acceptable, they would do nothing to explain her treatment of Meesei.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

There we go, goodnight.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It took a while for Peiter to calm down enough to actually will himself to stand up, and he was still nervous even once he did. At the very least, the platforms and walkways did have ropes strung along the sides to serve as guard railings. For Peiter, it was a small comfort, but it was at least enough to make him willing to move. He made his way over to Sabine, who had already figured out the platform and was getting ready to bring up the first passenger.

"After all that effort...we're definitely doing swords first. Let's just, uh, make sure to hold the session down there. Not up here. You know, it's safer that way." Peiter answered. He was still breathing heavily from the exertion of climbing, and wiped some sweat from his brow. "I had hoped it would be cooler up here. I...have no idea why I thought that. I can't imagine a place other than Oblivion itself being hotter than this."

Kaleeth was quick to start the climb up the ropes, while Ahnasha stayed down with Rhazii to make sure he didn't get any ideas about trying to follow. Lorag, while he would have preferred to climb, knew that it would be best not to try it in the steel armor he was wearing, so he could wait on the lift. Meesei also decided to wait in order to stay with Leaps and make sure he stayed secure on the lift once it was his turn.

Irenya let out a sigh when Gallus stopped her. She knew well what this was about. "Is this really necessary...alpha?" She whispered.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Going to need to make my next post a quick one. I'll be going to bed afterwards.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter was quick to run to the rope once Sabine issued the challenge. He did not like heights, but one thing he hated more was to lose a challenge. And, as long as he refrained from looking down, he could probably forget about how high he was climbing. Sabine did have an advantage from starting first, but he was not far behind her. Tree climbing was not necessarily one of his hobbies, but rope climbing something he had done before in training, albeit reluctantly. Through his combat training, one thing Peiter did have was upper body strength, which was quite important in this sort of climbing. His pace was surprisingly rapid, causing him to quickly gain on her. After his loss in their last foot race, he had the resolve make sure he was the victor here.

With every ounce of effort he could put forth, Peiter forced himself to climb as fast as his arms could carry him until he finally reached the top, and he was fairly certain that he had been the victor. As he pulled himself up onto the platform, however, he ended up taking a glance down at the forest floor below. Immediately, he dropped down onto his back on the platform, looking up to the sky. He breathed heavily, nearly panicking from the height they were at. "I...regret everything. Just...way too high. Why are you calm? How can you be calm up here?"

Meesei smiled as she stood just behind Tzirret, watching the race from below. "She is dedicated, they both are. When they see a goal, or a challenge, they do everything they can to achieve it." She said before shrugging her shoulders. "Or perhaps it was simply a stamina restoration spell."

Kaleeth, who had been carrying Newt, handed over the hatchling to Janius. "I think you should take Newt up on the lift." She suggested before quickly walking up to the base of the rope. "It has been years since I've climbed a tree anywhere close to this. Not since I lived in Black Marsh."

"The ropes can hold multiple people." Ra'maranja began. "But you still might want to go one at a time, to be safe. It's what we usually do."

Ahnasha couldn't help but to smile at Rhazii's excitement, though there was of course no way she could allow him to climb the rope, especially alone. "Don't worry, little cub. We will all be in the trees soon enough; we are just going to take the lift."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Colors scratched his head. "I...can't say, really. It has certainly grown in the past few years. It really felt like a town, or even a city. Hundreds, at least." He answered. He had entirely ignored Janius' comment about teasing Sabine, though with this Argonian, it was difficult to tell if he was teasing, or was actually serious.

---

The walk took a few hours, and by the attitudes of some of Ra'maranja's group, that was longer than usual. The jungle was new terrain for most of them, and even their experience in Black Marsh did not translate over entirely to this new location. Nevertheless, they did finally reach their destination with several hours of daylight remaining; although, even once they had stopped, Meesei's packs were still not certain they had arrived at all. Ra'maranja had halted in a section of the jungle that looked no different from any other. There did not seem to be any buildings or structures, no caves or anything else that might be considered shelter.

"We have arrived. Ra'maranja will send one of his own to speak with the clan leader. It is further on into the Tenmar forest. Considering how long it took us to get here, you may need to stay here for the night." Ra'maranja explained.

Ahnasha looked around, confused. "That's fine and everything, but...where's the supply outpost?"

Ra'maranja grinned, then lifted his hand to point straight up. The leaves of the trees mostly obscured it, but if they looked closely, they could see what were essentially houses built around the trees above them. The structures were close to the top of the tall trees, but there were ramps and bridges, both to connect the trees, and to lead down closer to the ground. Ra'maranja walked over to one of the trees and grabbed a vine-like rope leading up to one of the lower walkways. "Khajiit hopes you can climb."

Ahnasha furrowed her brow. "We can, but what about Leaps?" She asked, motioning to the wamasu.

Ra'maranja chuckled. "Not to worry. There is a platform up in the walkways attached to pulleys. A lift. We use it to hoist the supplies up to the houses; it should hold the creature's weight. It can hold people too, if you don't want to climb with your children."

Peiter craned his neck back to look up at the houses high above them before nudging Sabine beside. "Those are, um, high, aren't they? At least...no one will be able to surprise us...I guess. Well, since we're going to be here for a while, maybe we could go ahead and do that training?" He suggested.