EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ciinriel had been laying in her hammock nearby when Sabine called her name. She sat up and looked over to them nervously, for a brief moment. She had been rather distant since they met her, but right now, she had pretty much nothing else to do. Letting out a deep breath, she stood up and walked over to them. She looked at the cards they were holding with some confusion. Although she had played games with cards before, she did not recognize whatever game it was that they were playing.

"I...guess I can, but I don't know this game, I don't think. Do you know any other games? Not that you have to change if you don't want to, I just...don't want to hold you up trying to learn." Ciinriel explained.

Kaleeth smiled, still looking out over the ocean. "That is true. It might be, how would I say it...a business investment for them. Still, fighting like that would make them better whether they want it or not."

Turning herself around, Kaleeth observed the ongoing fight from a distance. They might not be trained soldiers, but the way the two were fighting did not suggest they were inexperienced. They would make for a good challenge if she were to fight them. "Looks like Colors is enjoying it too. I wonder where he got the coin to gamble? I doubt he actually entered a fight himself. Though...I wonder if they'll let anyone join in?" She questioned.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Let's just...try to forget about it." Kaleeth answered as they started walking along once more. It would still be a few hours before they were going to set sail, but in lieu of a training area, she was probably going to end up just laying down to relax and try to be rid of her stress.

Everyone in the group had returned to the ship at least half an hour in advance of their scheduled time of departure. While other captains they had sailed with had made the statement that they would depart without them if they were late, this particular captain was one that might actually follow through with that threat.

Although few among the group were particularly excited to be back aboard a ship, they at least had the comfort of knowing that it would not take all that long for them to reach their destination. They would just be traveling along Elsweyr's southern coast, so it would only be a few days before they were dropped off and on land once more. The supplies they already had would last that long, but with the number of people they had to support, they would need to hunt for food not too long after arrival.

For the first day, many in the packs stayed away from the crew and interacted with them only minimally. They were a much rougher group than any they had sailed with before. They were at least mostly professional when on duty, but certainly not when they had time to themselves. The games they gambled on were sometimes painful, dangerous, or even lewd. They used skooma freely, though they were at least rather protective of it, so Colors could not tempt any members of the pack with a taste. They were largely indifferent towards their passengers, at least on the first day. It remained to be seen if there were going to be any conflicts over the duration of the journey. These people were not a patient group, so a severe enough slight could turn to violence.

By noon on the second day, Kaleeth could no longer stand being contained below deck. She, Janius, and Fendros headed up above deck, while Ahnasha was caring for the children. One thing that had not changed about Kaleeth over the years was her distaste for the dresses she had to wear in the cities. As such, she had stopped wearing them by this point, and instead of cutting holes in Janius' clothes, she decided to borrow some from Colors. He was a bit taller than her, with a larger waistline, but she could fit in them well enough as long as she tightened the belt.

What the three noticed almost immediately was a circle of the sailors gathered near the bow of the ship, with Colors among them. In the middle, two of them seemed to be in a fistfight, but as they watched, it became clear that it wasn't an argument they were fighting over. The sailors, it seemed, were betting on fights. Kaleeth ignored it at first, instead walking over to the railing and looking out over the ocean. However, she could not help but to glance back at him. While she had gotten rid of her own frustration from the argument she and Janius had before they left Senchal, her beast spirit had remained tense. Being confined within the ship the first day had only made matters worse, and she wanted a way to relieve that tension. "That fight is...sort of like training, don't you think?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It's just sitting in general that does it. I really don't like sitting for too long.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I do have one thing in mind, which I have actually been thinking of for a while. I'll just be starting that one scene, though. If you want to have something happen, you can create one as well. I may be directing the overall story at the moment, but I do think it is nice if you can do things too. Plus, I'm having trouble thinking, and my joints keep cracking. That may be unrelated.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I was thinking of doing something with the crew. I'm just having a hard time thinking of ideas at the moment. I took a final today and am feeling rather mentally exhausted. Luckily, the minimum score I need to retain an A in the course is 64%, so I'm not all that worried.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I was thinking of going to the ship mid-journey. It's not a long trip, so they would only be on it for less than a week, probably. You said you're about done, did you have more you wanted to do, or should I take us straight there?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I'm feeling much more tired than usual this evening. Sorry if I'm having trouble coming up with responses.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Then all you had to do was tell me, Janius." Kaleeth responded. She now understood more clearly his reasons for taking her to that place, and for being so defensive about it now. But, that still did not mean she did not feel offended from the lack of trust he had shown her. She just had to try and find a way not to be angry about it. This was obviously an emotional topic for him, and she couldn't just yell at him and expect anything to change.

"I just wanted a chance. I trust your judgment, and you should trust mine. Even if your other friends didn't live up to it. If this moon sugar can really do all of that, then I guess I'll give it to Ahnasha. It never seemed to bother her all the times she used it. I just want to get back to the ship; I feel...stressed, and my beast spirit is feeding on that. I wish we had something like the training room back in Bruma." She said quietly. Even though she now had perfectly adequate control of her beast spirit, werecrocodiles tended to be more restless than werewolves. The lack of social behaviors for crocodiles meant that they were not as good at inhibiting themselves from acting on frustration. She had often used the training room as a place to vent those frustrations over the past few years.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Alright what? You agree with me, or you just don't want to argue about it?" Kaleeth huffed. Opening up the bag, she looked inside and took in its scent. The wine the previous day had been wonderful, thanks to the sugar in it. She did not feel too great for a while after it had worn off, but she felt perfectly normal at the moment. She just wanted to have more of it, but thanks to the situation with the skooma, she was having doubts about all of it.

"I don't know, that depends. What can it do to me? Can you at least tell me that?" Kaleeth asked.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth crossed her arms in her frustration. To her, Janius was being stubborn, and almost condescending. She did not like to fight, but she was a more confident person than she had been in the past. This whole situation made her feel like she wasn't trusted. "Do you really think that I'd trust that scoundrel over you: my mate?"

As Janius had returned her anger with his own, Kaleeth was now fully baring her teeth at him. "I could understand if I had argued with you or something. If I had already agreed to do something like that without knowing what it would do to me, I'd understand...or even expect you to do something like that. I'd be grateful. But you didn't even give me a chance. You didn't even try to explain it; you just assumed that I'd be too stupid to understand and made me come all the way to that wretched place. I need you to actually trust me."