EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter had a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions swirling in his mind as he laid on the shore with Sabine. He doubted everything was perfect, given their inexperience, but he was not disappointed. He smiled and watched Sabine as she stood and walked over to her belongings, his gaze loving, rather than lustful. After only a few moments, though, he stood up as well and walked up behind her. He started rubbing her shoulders gently, careful not to disturb whatever she was doing with her alchemical supplies.

Peiter whispered in a voice that was as gentle as his touch. "So, how do you feel...dear?" He asked, giving a grin at the last word.

---

"Tzirret..." La'khay began, closing her eyes and letting out another sigh. "Maybe it is true that you feel that way. Maybe you just think you do, and don't know any better. But La'khay is not the right woman for you. She isn't a person who forms bonds like that, she can never have cubs, she does not like the same things as you, and she has never been loyal to a single mate. La'khay is happy with who she is, but she is not the one for you. You like La'khay because she was nice to you, but there are many nice Khajiit. Maybe you were unlucky and couldn't find any in Bruma, but La'khay can think of dozens of girls she has met who you would simply love."

Although she had tried to be gentle at first, La'khay's frustration had been building since she had started chasing him, and right now, she was starting to feel like he needed some sense shouted into him. Suddenly, she grabbed his shoulders surprisingly forcefully and stared straight into his eyes. "Tzirret, you need to listen to La'khay. This one is sick and tired of seeing you beat yourself down at every turn. Every time you fail at something, it seems, it's because you make yourself fail. You said you were acting like a coward the past few days? Well, you were. You were afraid to say anything to La'khay, so nothing happened except you worrying yourself. You did nothing, so you gained nothing. But La'khay knows that is not who you really are. La'khay has seen your confidence; she has felt it intimately. La'khay did not give you a second chance because you were afraid, or because she felt bad for you, she gave you that chance because you had the courage to accept, despite your fear. She has not been mating with you out of charity, she has been doing it because you have given her greater pleasure than Colors has for a while. Because you have the courage to try, and the passion to give it your all. You did not kill the minotaur because you were a coward, you did it because you had the courage to thrust that spear into the beast, despite what it could have done to you. Every single time you have broken out of your fear and shown your courage, you have accomplished something. How much have you done over just the past few weeks that you never would have imagined before you came here? All of that has happened because you broke from your fear and did something. That is what La'khay wants you to do. She wants you to stop imprisoning yourself to this fear, take this pendant, and promise her that you're going to find a girl who deserves to wear it."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

You can do a short one if you think you can, but otherwise, goodnight, then.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter followed Sabine into the water without hesitation or question. He would have gone anywhere that she felt like taking him. He made no effort to keep track of time, or much of his surroundings. All of his senses, everything he touched, heard, saw, and even smelled, was dominated by Sabine's embrace. In the passion of the moment, his hands wandered to places he had not been comfortable touching before. Now, just as he had mentioned before, he felt like grabbing her and never letting go.

Several minutes passed, not that Peiter had much of a concept of the time. When they finally pulled away from their kiss for a moment, he stared into her eyes, his mouth slightly agape as he took in heavy breaths. Desire and passion filled his entire expression, but there was also a hint of fear. He knew what he wanted to ask, but he did not know if he should. "Sabine..." He began, his voice trailing off as his eyes told of the desires he held.

La'khay was able to keep up with Tzirret long enough to see him fall, then curl up next to a tree after a short limp. She knelt down in front of him, ignoring his demands that she leave. She was resolute that she was going to fix this problem, and if she was lucky, maybe even help him out more. "Tzirret...you're right about some things, but you're wrong about that. It is...true that La'khay does not feel that way about you. But it is not because of you; she has not loved anyone in that way for years, and never will again. That is just not who she is. La'khay knows very well that it is painful not to have your feelings returned, but this one still cares about you, Tzirret. You are still her friend. And your friend still believes that there is a girl out there who is worthy of this pendant." She said, opening her hand to reveal the small, carved trinket.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Despite the passion between them at the moment, Sabine's question gave Peiter pause. He stared into her eyes and well, and breathed in very deeply as he thought about how he could answer in a way that would be accurate to how he felt. "I've...been thinking about that question. A lot. It's not an easy one to answer, is it? Ever since I first got to know you years ago, it was easy to tell that I liked you as a friend. Just like most of the others in the group. Coming on this mission and spending time together, that fondness has obviously really, really grown. Just before we first got together, I felt a bit curious, and majorly confused. Being around you wasn't the same as...anything really. It felt entirely new. I didn't know what love was, and honestly, I still don't know if I do. I could just be wrong about it all, and everything I'm about to say could be a mistake. But...I know how I feel when I'm around you. It's different from what I feel towards close friends; it's different from the lust I feel towards other attractive women. It's new, it's frightening, and I think it may be love."

Peiter tightened his grip around her. "I do feel that I love you, Sabine." He said, followed by among the most passionate kiss he had given her thusfar.

La'khay was unsure of what to say through Tzirret's entire breakdown into despair. She knew even before he said it how he felt, but Tzirret was also correct in how she felt. She did like him, but only in the sense that he was a friend. She cursed herself about not being more clear with him on how she felt, and not trying to do more to curb what feelings he might develop. She knew she needed to do something to help him, but he started to run before she could speak a word.

As Tzirret was running away, La'khay knelt down and grabbed the pendant he had dropped. She gave a low growl of frustration, both at how he was acting, and the fact that she had not prevented it. However, she was not just going to leave it at this. She had to make him see how wrong he was. Taking the pendant in her hand, she took off in a sprint after him. "Stop, Tzirret! La'khay...needs to speak with you." She shouted ahead.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

A little bit.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter likely should have guessed that La'khay was the one responsible for some of the decisions made on Sabine's appearance. She certainly had a good eye for beauty, but not so much on subtlety. Regardless, he smiled as he looked down upon her. "I see. I think it does; it makes you look...smooth. She seems to have trimmed a lot of the hair on your body. Can I...nevermind." He began before abruptly cutting himself off.

"Um, anyway, you did all of this for me? I don't know what to say; I wish I could do the same thing for you. I'll always find you beautiful; I stand by that statement. But right now...I feel like I just want to hold on to you and never let go." He explained.

La'khay closed her eyes and took in a deep breath once she saw the pendant. It was as she had feared. While she had helped him with his confidence at first, but it seemed that she may have made more of an impression than she wanted on him. She walked up to him slowly, then carefully reached out her hand and lightly placed it on his shoulder. Her expression was sympathetic, more than anything, and her voice was low and soft. "You made it for La'khay? It is a very nice-looking pendant, Tzirret. Very well-made. Why would you say that you made this for this one?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

La'khay was not exactly sure of Tzirret's motivation for leaving, but with him moving away from the group, she saw it as an opportunity. She felt that she needed to talk to him about whatever was bothering him, in case it was actually her fault, and this allowed her to do it inconspicuously. Watching Tzirret leave, she rolled her eyes and let out a clearly audible sigh. "This one will go see what is wrong with cloudy-cat."

Shanja glanced over to Jo'rashaad and gave a low, rumbling laugh, prompting him to grin. Both of them climbed out of the water, evidently with their own thoughts in mind for what the two Bretons might be wanting. Of course, they did not say such openly. "Well, it is about time that this one meet back up with S'ajira. Ciinriel, we should probably go find your mother." Jo'rashaad commented as he started gathering up his belongings.

Peiter noticed that the others were starting to leave, but he was too distracted with Sabine to actually put too much thought into why they might be doing so. He simply returned her passionate kiss while holding his arms around her sides, just above her hips. "You feel as soft as you look. I...well I didn't expect this. You're beautiful, simply and unquestioningly beautiful." He said, feeling as if he could not give her enough praise.

Just after Shanja left, the pair finally pulled away from one another reluctantly. As Peiter's gaze went down below her waist, he started to comment on something he had noticed. "Did you shave your..." He began in a tone that wasn't disapproving, but curious.

A short distance away, just out of sight from where the others had been swimming, La'khay walked along the shore towards Tzirret. "La'khay thinks we should talk about some things, Tzirret. You have been acting strangely recently; do you wish to tell this one why?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Abandoning the prior conversation almost immediately, Peiter climbed out of the water, his eyes still looking up and down her body as he approached her. Reaching out, he put a hand on her shoulder and started lightly sliding it down her side. He would have hugged her, but he almost looked like he was too afraid of disturbing her appearance to touch her. "Your skin looks and feel so...smooth. The shine from the water, and..." He began, pausing to take in her scent. "You smell divine. And your hair..."

With his free hand, Peiter carefully grabbed a few strands of the hair on her head and ran it through his fingers. "It's actually...glowing, I think. How on Nirn did you manage that? It makes you look so vibrant and alive. I remember going walking through cities like Chorrol and Bruma, and seeing the noble women who would sink chests of gold into their appearance. You remind me of that, except...better." He complimented. Just looking at her, his breathing started to quicken slightly, and his heart was pounding. Were he not still soaked in the cool river water, he would likely be sweating. He looked at her with desire, his mouth slightly agape as he tried to think of what to say.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

La'khay laughed as she hugged Sabine, and looked at her with pride once they pulled away. Her expression towards Sabine was like an artist looking upon a finished creation. Although, when it came to beauty, La'khay was always wanting more. "La'khay could do more, if she had all the right makeup, and maybe some jewelry...ah, but this will do just fine. You look great, Sabine. We might need to give you two some time alone after this." She chuckled. "Well, let's all get back, then. Walk along the shore; your feet might get a bit muddy, but there's no avoiding that, unfortunately."

Jo'rashaad looked up at the canopy above them. "This one's homeland is impressive, but these trees do not come close to the scale of Valenwood's great oaks. Or, graht-oaks, rather. Always mix that one up. They are large enough that the Bosmer actually build entire cities inside them. And Jo'rashaad does not mean they carve out the trees, they just grow such that the trees have chambers within them. Jo'rashaad wonders what kind of magic they have to manipulate them in such a way."

La'khay, Ciinriel, and Sabine had only been just out of sight, so it took only a minute for them to return. Tzirret and Shanja were able to see them approach, but Peiter was facing away as they were walking up. With a grin, La'khay decided to get his attention. "We're back."

When Peiter turned around, he expected to see something different about Sabine, but did not anticipate exactly what he saw. Before getting in the river, all of them had been rather filthy. They had been drudging through the humid, muddy, and thick forest for a week or two with hardly a chance to bathe themselves. They had dirt caked on to their skin, and a smell that would have been unbearable had they not been able to get used to it slowly. Since jumping into the river, most of them had been able to clean themselves well-enough, but Sabine looked immaculate, as if she had never seen dirt in her life. It was in great contrast to the way she looked when she left. Her hair was professionally styled, like some of the nobles he had passed in the street back in Chorrol, and unless his eyes were deceiving him, it actually had a low glow to it which served to, quite literally, brighten her face.

"I...wow." Peiter said once he had a chance to take in the changes. As his gaze darted across her form, it was obvious that he was admiring her.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter was not certain why Tzirret seemed to have trouble answering, but he was far less hesitant in his response. "I think I've never seen a forest quite like this before. I grew up in Chorrol, which is also in a forest, but it's not as thick or as hot as this. The trees aren't as big, and it is a lot cooler. And there were more open areas. And compared to Bruma, it is like an entire different world. That is a place of snow and mountains, and in the places that do have trees, they are always much smaller pines. Everything since I arrived has been new."

"Hmm, you think these trees are large?" Jo'rashaad commented. "Have either of you ever seen the trees of Valenwood?"

La'khay was nearly finished scrubbing Sabine's back, and did not pause as she answered. "There just seems to be a lot of passion between you. You are always holding each other, kissing each other, and you've hardly spent a moment apart since you have been together. It's the beauty of young love; La'khay is almost jealous of you. She can only imagine the passion in your mating; you simply must describe it."

Shortly afterwards, La'khay finally finished scrubbing the places Sabine could not reach. She stood up and took a few steps back away from Sabine to get a good look at her as a whole. She looked her up and down carefully before pulling her expression into a grin. "There we go. Your hair is perfect, and your body smooth and glistening. You will be irresistible."