EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I'll include a part for the rest of the pack up top in a post or two. Just need the scene with Sabine and Peiter to move a bit first.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

To say that Peiter was surprised was an understatement. After she tapped his stomach, he rolled over onto his side and looked at her, confused. He was afraid that his nervous stammering had offended her, and he was not quite sure what to do next. "Wait, are you sure? I didn't, I didn't...mean...to..."

Peiter cut himself off when he started to notice something on the wind, something that immediately frightened him. Even more quickly than Sabine, he climbed out of the water, but instead of going for his clothing, he grabbed his halberd. "Shh, get down. Do you smell that? On the wind?" He warned. It was the scent of people, mostly Khajiit, coming from the west, and they were not lycans.

Crouching down, Peiter moved forward towards a small hill which separated the stream from the tree which held the ropes. He laid down, then crawled up the hill just enough so he could peer over. It was difficult to see at first, but to the north and south of the ropes, there were two groups hiding among the bush which would be difficult to see unless one was looking specifically for them. Most were bipedal Khajiit, with a few Bosmer mixed in, and all that he could see were archers. In each group, there were about six of them, so he and Sabine were very outnumbered.

Looking back, he motioned for Sabine to crawl up beside him. "This is...this is not good. They must have tracked us." He whispered. Fortunately, it did not seem like he or Sabine had been noticed yet, as the stream was out of earshot. "There are so many of them, but...we can't just do nothing. Who knows what they have planned?"

Suddenly, several of the mysterious archers shifted in place and nocked their arrows. At first, Peiter thought they had been spotted, but looking closer, he could see that they were not looking east, but up. Peiter looked up as well and focused on some movement he could see past the branches, along one of the walkways. It was too high for Peiter to make out exactly who it was, but he could tell that whoever it might be was holding two children.

Peiter looked back to Sabine, now panicked. "We have to do something, quickly. Maybe...maybe we don't have to kill them all, just keep them from doing whatever they're planning. Distract them. We could circle around to the north, then...attack from behind. I could transform and run in, and you can help with magic. Once they're paying attention to us, we can both turn and run away into the forest. There's no way they could catch us." He suggested. It was a desperate plan, quite reliant on their element of surprise, but there was not exactly a lot of time to think.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Colors' eyes widened. "Oh, no, I'm fine. It's just..." He began, pausing for a moment as his eyes twitched almost frantically. "I never thought I would be able to meet the Champion herself, and her pack. It's a bit overwhelming."

Colors was quick to shift his attention back to Newt, who was playing with Rhazii a short distance away. "Have you...thought about what you're going to name him? I think a good one would be 'It's a trap'."

Immediately, Kaleeth's eyes widened at the Jel "name" Colors had suggested. His Jel was strangely accented, but clear nonetheless. Quickly, she looked around the room. Meesei was nearly on the other side of the tree trunk the structure was built around, talking to Ra'maranja, so she had not heard. However, when she looked into Colors' eyes, the pieces started to fit together in her mind. The way he was acting, his stress, and the look in his eyes suddenly became recognizable: desperation.

Evidently, one of the others in Ra'maranja's group, the Khajiit healer, noticed Kaleeth's reaction, because she looked at them with a suspicious, almost angry gaze. "What did he say?" She asked.

"Oh, nothing." Kaleeth answered quickly. She faked a yawn to give her a moment to think of something more to add. "It's just...I don't think my son would want a name like 'Loves-Many-Women'."

The Khajiit shook her head and gave a brief laugh before turning her head away. However, once Kaleeth was sure that no one else in Ra'maranja's pack was watching, she looked to Janius with a frightened expression. She did not want there to be any doubt that something was wrong.

---

Peiter looked away briefly. "My sister was with me on the way to Bruma, when I was turned. She...didn't make it."

Looking back to Sabine, Peiter made eye contact once more. "But, don't worry. I healed from that long ago." He said reassuringly. He wanted to at least try to ensure she did not feel bad for bringing up the topic.

"As for your parents, I can't say I know what things would have been like with them, but I'm sure if they met you now, they would be proud of their daughter. They would still love you. After all, you're a very lovable person...or, um, I mean you're...easy to love..or like...or..." Peiter stammered out almost incoherently. He had to stop himself and take a deep breath before continuing. "They wouldn't be disappointed in who you've become. I'm sure they would be glad to know you have a family now."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Colors nodded with a grin. "Oh yes, there are many women in the clan who I consider quite dear. The longer you say here, the more I think you will find that there is a lot of...beauty in the Khajiit people. Of many kinds."

Looking away for a brief moment, Colors' expression quickly returned from lighthearted to serious. He frowned, seemingly at nothing, then looked over to Newt. "Ah, but, not like you. You have a cu-, or, um, hatchling. That's the word. What is his name?"

Kaleeth seemed slightly confused. It was a strange question for an Argonian to ask, as most hatchlings of Newt's age would have no name. It seemed like any Argonian would know that a name was not given until the child's naming day. Although, given that he had almost forgotten the word for an Argonian child, it was possible that Colors was raised far from Argonian culture.

---

Peiter had been looking up at the canopy while Sabine was laying down, so he was somewhat surprised to feel her at his side, and that she was resting her head on his shoulder. Regardless, he did not move from his position. When she asked about his parents, he raised his head up slightly to look down at her curiously. The question seemed rather random, so he had to think for a moment to answer.

"My parents? My...father was a guard in Chorrol, and my mother was a farmer. They didn't own any land, though. My mother worked for a local landowner just outside the walls. Or, well, I shouldn't say 'was.' They're not dead or anything, at least not that I know. It's just that, once I turned, all of that started to seem like a whole different life. They're good people; not perfect, but good people. My father makes more gold than my mother, but...isn't that great at saving it. Even so, they probably could save enough to buy some land of their own, but my mother never wanted to take the risk. They cared about me, and all my other siblings, though. The reason they were sending me and my sister to Bruma was because one of my uncles has a farm near there, and they were hoping that, if we helped to work it long enough, we might inherit it one day, since he didn't have any children of his own." Peiter explained, though the entire time, he did not even notice that he had not stopped looking down at her.

"Why do you ask?" He said with genuine curiosity in his tone.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ah, my memory is failing me. I recall that Peiter was turned on the way to Bruma, but I don't recall who was with him. I don't think his parents were there.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Outwardly, Colors nervousness seemed to disappear. He smiled and stopped glancing around nervously, but his scent betrayed the apparently increasing stress he was feeling. His heart was starting to beat rapidly, and his breathing was becoming irregular. "Ah, I thought so. You two have that look about you. I must say, you are quite a lucky man, Janius, to find a woman as beautiful as...Kaleeth, correct? Her tattoos are striking." He commented, thinking back to recall the introductions they had exchanged earlier.

Colors' words and upbeat tone were in opposition to his more subtle body language. "It is refreshing to meet an Imperial who has an interest in my kind. Too many just see us as beasts. So, how did you meet?"

Even Kaleeth could pick up on the strange ways in which Colors was acting, but she had no way of knowing why. "Meesei's pack visited my village in Black Marsh a few years ago. I had never really spoken to an outsider before, so I started talking to him and we...just kept talking. Given how poor my Cyrodilic was...that was definitely saying something."

---

Peiter undressed as well, leaving his clothing just at the edge of the stream in case he did actually decide to wash them. Stepping into the water, he sat down beside Sabine. Even with just his lower body being mostly submerged, he could already feel the relief of the brisk water. He supposed that, in an absolute sense, the water was warm, but in comparison to the hot, humid air, it might as well have been ice. While Sabine decided to use her tunic to drench herself, Peiter decided to go ahead and lay down on his back. As the water was just deep enough that his head would be submerged near completely, he put his hands behind his head to keep it lifted up. The soreness of his muscles seemed to wash away along with the dirt and sweat that had covered him during their trek to this place, and their training once they arrived.

For a few moments, Peiter looked up at Sabine silently and returned her smile. It was to the point that he almost seemed to be staring before he finally spoke up. "This is...I don't think I've ever been so glad to get in the water. It's going to be hard to get me out."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter was perfectly content waiting down on the forest floor, especially since he would not have been able to climb the ropes anyway. Up in the higher platforms, the first person Sabine saw was Sees-No-Colors, who was standing outside the main structure in the center, evidently getting some fresh air. When asked, he readily informed her that there was a stream nearby, just to the east of the ropes. Peiter had indeed been correct that the supply outpost was built near a water source.

Shortly after Sabine left, Colors headed back inside the main structure with the others. It, like all of the other structures, was built encircling the trunk of one of the large trees. It was anchored to it, and other surrounding trees, by wooden beams and thick ropes. Inside, it had all of the amenities that one would expect from a home. There were candles for lighting, proper chairs and furniture, and even a fireplace for cooking. There was more than enough food in the main structure for their dinner and a breakfast in the morning, and there was more food in the storage building nearby. While there were not enough chairs for three entire packs, there were cushions that anyone else could use if they were sitting on the floor.

Once they had become settled in, Meesei's packs had spent some time speaking with Ra'maranja's group. The topics were serious at first, though they quickly became more casual. Ra'maranja asked about the Bruma clan, and Meesei herself, while Colors described the Senchal clan, and particularly its leader. Now, most everyone had settled into groups either eating their dinner, or just conversing among themselves while they waited to become tired enough to actually fall asleep. As Ra'maranja had suspected, it seemed as if they would be waiting until morning before they went to meet with the Senchal clan leader.

After pacing in front of the fire for a few moments, Colors eventually walked over and sat down on a cushion near Janius, Kaleeth, and a few of the others. Most of Ra'maranja's group appeared relaxed, but Colors looked almost to be nervous. He seemed oddly alert, but had said nothing to indicate that anything was out of the ordinary. He looked at Janius and Kaleeth curiously for an almost awkward amount of time as he seemed to be deliberating on something intensely within his mind. "So you two are bonded, yes? Mates?"

Down on the forest floor, Peiter had taken the time while Sabine was away to pack up the practice swords and other belongings. He was surprised to see that, even with the amount of time they had trained, his shirt had still hardly dried at all. It made him wonder which he hated more: the heat, or the humidity. Nevertheless, he packed it up carefully, away from anything he wanted to keep dry. Once Sabine returned, it was not a far walk to the east before they could hear the flowing water over the rest of the sounds of the forest. Peiter was glad to have hope of relief from the heat, though a river this body of water certainly wasn't. As they walked up to the water, Peiter could see that, while large for a stream, they certainly would not be able to swim in the traditional sense. It was about as wide as Peiter was tall, and at its deepest, only came up about halfway to Peiter's knee. Still, the water was fairly clear, and when he knelt down and ran his hand through the water, he could feel that it was crisp and cool.

"Well, we're not going to be doing any diving, but at least it will be refreshing. I can at least wash these city clothes." Peiter commented.

---

In her response, Irenya was completely firm, and serious. "Gallus, it is my duty to protect them. Lord Hircine has commanded this task, and has seen fit that we be the ones to accompany the Champion. No matter what I think, you know me well enough to know that I will not fail in my duty, no matter what that might be. If Hircine commanded me to protect Vile himself, I would do it. You will not find me starting arguments or fights, but I cannot control the actions of that prideful cat. If I were you, I would be sure to address her as well."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Alright, I can take them to it in my next one.

Irenya does respect her leadership. As the conversation so far has shown, she is quite devoted to Hircine. The thing that has been hard to show is that she usually isn't like this. Before this point, she had never shown any hostility towards any Khajiit or Argonian. But, she had never had to deal with a couple like Fendros and Ahnasha, and there is one thing about Meesei that sets her apart from other Argonians she has known. I do think we should bring her and Gallus back up to the others soon enough, as there is another conversation of importance to have up there.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter nodded. "Alright. I was mostly just thinking of walking around within sight of the ropes, see if we can hear any running water. Mostly though, I just need a moment to rest. I'd probably end up falling flat on my back if I tried climbing up that tree right now." He chuckled.

When Sabine thanked him Peiter returned a smile. "Anytime. Whenever you feel like it, you can have your turn of giving me a lesson in magic. I guess that would require a lot less space than sparring."

There was a brief pause where it seemed like Peiter was going to say something, but he evidently lost the words. Glancing away for a moment, he looked back and gave another smile. "And thank you, too."

---

At this point, Irenya was not entirely certain what Gallus wanted. She appeared annoyed as she thought. Given what they had been speaking about, her train of thought brought her to her actions, and what she needed to do for this mission. Regardless of what Gallus wanted, the answer she arrived at was one that she believed to be true.

"What you need from me? Obedience." She answered.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter went through the drills, just as he was taught. Or at least, mostly like he was taught. His teachers back in the clan were not nearly as forgiving as himself. This was meant to be a friendly lesson, not anything stressful. Although, failure, no matter the context, had a tendency to be stressful regardless of the intention.

The pair trained for a while, a bit longer than Peiter originally intended. His focus on the task at hand had caused him to lose track of how much time was passing. However, their stamina gave out before the daylight did. It was getting dark, though the sun would be up for a while yet. Peiter dropped his practice blade down next to his bag, then went through it to find his waterskin. Once he pulled it from the bag, he immediately dropped down and sat on the ground beside Sabine. He ran his arm across his face to wipe away the sweat and took a large drink of his water.

"We, uh, might have gone on longer that we should've. I tend to get...focused when training. It's hard to do anything for long in this heat, though." He commented before turning his head and looking at her with a smile. Noticing she was out of water, he reached out and offered his waterskin to her. "But, you did well. I wouldn't worry about not getting that last bit. We're both tired, and besides, you're just starting. The Imperial City wasn't built in a day. It's all about progress." He said encouragingly. Looking up at the ropes leading up to the platform above, he grimaced. He was not looking forward to climbing with his rather sore arms. "Say, do you want to look around and see if there is a water source nearby? Something to cool off with?"

---

Irenya let out a huff. "An adult? Fendros doesn't look like he's even over fifty! You're not a Dunmer, Gallus, you don't understand. He is little more than a boy in our eyes. The child doesn't change that. If anything, it makes it more clear..."

The comment about Irenya's own breaks with her traditions did give her pause, though it was hardly going to cause her to give up her beliefs. "I may not serve the Reclamations, Gallus, but I am still proud to be Dunmer. I am proud of our culture and history. I am proud of our strengths, and acknowledge our flaws. I acknowledge that selecting worthy gods to serve has never been a...strength of our people. Our religion almost seems to change with the seasons. I can serve Hircine and still be a true Dunmer. I will do everything that is necessary to serve Hircine's will on Tamriel. Even if that means playing nice with the one who has forsaken his people, or living in service to the lizard."