EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ma'tanza could not quite get out from underneath Tzirret in his werewolf form, and no amount of force she could produce would push him off of her. Instead, she reached up and scratched his ears, and kissed him once more on the snout. At the same time, she started rubbing his stomach with her feet, allowing the claws on her toes to scratch him gently.

"You know, Ma'tanza always wanted a dog. You're a bit bigger, but...you're close enough, she thinks." Ma'tanza joked. Lifting up her upper body, she wrapped her arms around Tzirret's neck to give him a hug.

---

The moment she saw the jackal on the floor in front of her, Ri'vashi's beast practically pounced to tear into it. She had refrained from putting too much thought into what she was doing until the beast had already started eating. Fortunately, she was paying enough attention when Gallus spoke up that she understood what he asked, though she did not answer him immediately. She waited until she had finished the entirety of the carcass before looking up from her meal, which only took a minute or so given the size of her lycan form.

Although the meat had been raw, it had been dried enough that her fur was not terribly bloody. It was not ideal for trying to trick her beast spirit, but it was enough for the moment. After her brief meal, Ri'vashi stood up straighter to indicate that she was back in full control of her own mind. As for Gallus' question, she started to laugh. Or at least, she gave a few low huffs that might pass for laughter. "Not quite." She answered. "La'tahne is a...popular and unpopular woman. She's our gardener. Her solution to her beast's restlessness is to use that form to mate with as many people as she pleases. It does nothing to satisfy bloodlust, obviously, but it does serve as a distraction...as Ri'vashi has been told, that is. Personally, this one thinks fighting would be more effective."

As she spoke, Ri'vashi sat herself down near to Gallus and did what she could to focus on calming herself. A single scamp was not exactly challenging prey, so her beast was more than wiling to continue its hunt.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ma’tanza personally did not thing that the path down seemed too difficult, but she did not argue when Tzirret offered to carry her down. Although, she did let out a brief yelp when he quickly scooped her up into his arms. It took only a few minutes to reach the cave, then head inside until they reached the gate. While the stronghold was cooler than the desert in the daytime, its insulation meant it still remained at a comfortable, if slightly cooler temperature at night.

After the pair stopped, Ma’tanza rolled up what little they had carried with them into the bedroll, but at that point, she found herself having to wait for Tzirret to shift back into his normal form. Given that he had not hunted in a while, and he had not sated his beast’s hunger during this transformation, it would take a few moments for him to be able to calm his mind. However, Ma’tanza started to look at Tzirret with a playful expression. Walking up in front of him, she at first simply planted a kiss on the end of his snout, but then, without warning, she took a few steps back, then ran forward and jumped at him. She attempted to use her momentum to tackle him to the ground, though that would be difficult considering his mass.

---

“Just keep the creature standing right there. It will attempt to fight this one once she attacks, but it will be banished long before it can do any harm to her.” Ri’vashi explained. “Once it disappears, Ri’vashi needs you to throw the meat at her feet. The trick to this technique is that you need to stop thinking about what you are doing. Our rational minds know that the meat does not come from the scamp, but if we allow ourselves to act on pure instinct, just for the duration of the kill, then we can trick our beast spirits, in a way. It is not as good as an actual hunt, but it is helpful. Now, give Ri’vashi a moment.”

Ri’vashi closed her eyes briefly, then allowed the transformation to take hold over her body. As she was a Cathay, and a powerful clan leader in addition, her beast form was quite large. In terms of overall mass and strength, she could match a werecrocodile. While impressive, those traits were something Gallus might have expected. What was most interesting about her beast form was that she was neither a werelion, nor a werewolf. The beast which she transformed into was much more bulky and muscular than either of those, as she was a werebear. Her spotted fur was replaced with a thick, solid brown coat, and she let out a brief, distinctive growl. Notably, werebears were a type of lycanthrope that was not commonly found in Elsweyr, or any of the regions around it.

As it was bound to Gallus’ will, the scamp did not attack as the massive werebear stomped up to it. The creature did not even seem to show any fear, likely because the Daedra was not a creature that could actually experience death. It did nothing until Ri’vashi swiped her massive claws across its back, immediately forcing it to the ground. The scamp was still alive, and tried to stand up to fight back, but Ri’vashi was easily able to get her jaws around its throat to bite down. Her beast felt the satisfying taste of the creature’s blood running into her mouth for a brief moment before the scamp dissipated back into Oblivion. At that point, Ri’vashi’s eyes began darting around the floor in front of her, searching for the corpse of her kill.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

For Ma'tanza, she simply enjoyed the passion between them enough that she did not pay particular attention to how much time was passing. It was not the first time she had shared such an intense kiss with another, though it had not lasted quite as long before. Although, it seemed to be an even more significant experience for Tzirret. She doubted his words were an exaggeration, given the problems he generally had with socializing.

"This one is glad you are happy. Really, she is just glad to be here with you in general. You are a very loving person, Tzirret." Ma'tanza commented. Another gust of wind passed, prompting her to shiver and tighten her grip around him. "We should probably head back at some point...eventually."

---

Ri'vashi hummed and curled her lips slightly. "Oh yes, this one supposes you did transform earlier, didn't you? Well, it is still best you know our solutions. You see that long chest over there in that corner of the room? Could you head over there and grab one of the staves out of it. It does not matter which one, they are all the same. Oh, and there should also be some preserved meat in the cabinet next to it, provided the last ones to use it restocked it." She requested. It was quite strange that a training room, of all places, would have a cabinet full of meat, but it seemed to make sense to Ri'vashi.

Removing her loincloth, she placed it over with the rest of her belongings, then stood in the open space at the center of the room. "Those are summoning staves. Weak ones, but that is all we will need. Using it will conjure a scamp. Ri'vashi will transform and kill the scamp, then she wants you to quickly throw some of the meat to her. It will help to satisfy her beast's need to kill, and to eat. It is not perfect, but it sort of...tricks the beast spirit into being satisfied. Or at least complacent. There are some other techniques we use to keep our beasts calm, like fighting before a kill, but this should be fine for Ri'vashi. Feel free to ask around if you are ever having trouble with your beast; it is something most of the clan is experienced dealing with." She said before giving a light chuckle. "Just don't ask La'tahne what to do about it."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Goodnight.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ma'tanza was not expecting Tzirret's kiss, if for no other reason than it required him to be much more bold than usual. While his eyes closed, her eyes widened. However, she did not protest, and after a few moments, she reciprocated his show of affection. Slowly, she put her arms around him and pulled him close. It would seem natural that they would pull away from one another at some point and say something about what had just happened, but Ma'tanza did not. Instead, she kept her arms around him and continued to kiss him for as long as he would go on. The air was cool, and there was a breeze making it feel even colder, but as long as they were close together, their mutual body heat could keep them somewhat comfortable.

---

Once their current bout ended, Ri'vashi took on a relaxed stance, planting her blade in the sand and leaning onto it. "Ri'vashi will do what is needed of her, as she always does. She has the utmost respect for Dro'cahi, but she will heed your advice. You are a companion to the Champion herself, after all. That you are trusted by the most powerful of our kind speaks very highly of you, Gallus. This one thinks she can learn from you. She would go and speak to Dro'cahi immediately, but she suspects he wants to have his dinner and get some rest at the moment. That seems like a conversation for calmer tempers."

Ri'vashi briefly took in a breath, then walked back over to the weapon racks and put back her practice blade. "With all of this frustration, Ri'vashi needs to sate her beast spirit. When was the last time you were able to hunt? This one suspects you have been unable to in the desert, correct? As you might have guessed, there are nowhere near enough animals in the area around the stronghold to satisfy this many lycans. So, we've had to find other ways to satisfy our beast spirits."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ma'tanza patiently listened to Tzirret with a smile slowly growing on her face. Despite his stammering, she simply listened for as long as it took to convey his meaning. She had heard his compliments before, but she certainly did not mind hearing them again. Being that she was covered in fur, he could not see her blush, except for a slight flush of red on her nose.

"You're just too sweet, Tzirret. A bit inarticulate, maybe, but you're so nice to Ma'tanza. And not just nice...a lot of people have been nice. You're...genuine. This one can really believe everything you say about her. She doesn't ever get the feeling that you're just lying to her so you can get what you want from her body. Thank you for that, Tzirret." When Ma'tanza finished speaking, she leaned forward further to give Tzirret a kiss on the cheek. It was not quite the passionate kiss on the lips he might have been wanting, but it was a definite display of affection. Although, in Ma'tanza's expression, there had been a hint of nervousness as she leaned in. It was possible she might have wanted something more as well, but if she did, Tzirret would have to be the one to find out.

---

"Ri'vashi...would not quite say that. Dro'cahi has never really been in a position of military leadership before, true, but she does not have a reason to believe he could not command our soldiers. She is just not sure if he would put as much focus on our warriors as we need right now. We are in a war, and that has to be our priority. Many of the things we have disagreed on have been sacrifices made in the name of the war. Limited conscription for able-bodied men and women, purchasing more metal instead of extra food stores, those sorts of decisions. Honestly, Ri'vashi does not think she is any great military leader, but she is doing what needs to be done for the safety of the clan. That is why she cannot step down." Ri'vashi answered.

Against Gallus' attack, Ri'vashi once again proved her innate skills. Gallus did manage to trap Ri'vashi's sword in his initial strike, but her composure was as touch as steel. As he had struck, she had, almost on reflex, brought up her free hand to put it in a better place to defend herself. As such, when he made a wild swing up towards her head, she did not blink, but instead shot her hand out to grab his wrist while pulling her head back to avoid the swing. She then attempted to twist his arm around behind him and pull him in for a grapple. Ri'vashi did not seem to have too high of an opinion of herself, but her actions were telling the story that her words were not. She had excellent observational skills, and in combat, could plan ahead almost on instinct. Of course, that did not necessarily mean that she could lead troops, but it spoke of her familiarity with combat.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

By this point, the sun had nearly gone down over the horizon. A small upper portion of it was still visible, and while there would still be some light for a short while, darkness would fall over the desert shortly. With the moons and stars above, coupled with their night eye, they would likely have no issue being able to see, but the air did become rather cool at night.

Ma'tanza expression appeared uncertain. "This one...does not really like doing that. Not remembering them, but...dwelling on them. She loved her parents, and her old pride. She always will love them, but thinking back on them is painful, especially if she is alone. Ma'tanza feels better if she has her friends and family with her when she thinks about them. It reminds her that she still has people who care about her. Mostly, though, Ma'tanza likes to focus on the present. Like being here with you. We should find something more cheerful to talk about."

---

Ri'vashi's thrust was met with a parry as she had expected. She had intended to follow through with a different attack, but just as with his feints, her sharp eyes spotted his hammer. With a quick, deft step, she dashed to the side, on the opposite side of Gallus from his hammer. She kept her blade pressed against his to guard, then rushed forward in an attempt to use her weight to throw him off balance.

"It's...not quite like that, not really. The arguments do not get heated in the sense that we start shouting at each other, it's more like...we relentlessly deconstruct each others' points. We argue about every detail, every potential failure in our plans. Ri'vashi cannot refuse to argue, because then she would essentially be acting without her council. Ri'vashi knows that he wants her to step down, and...he probably would be better at managing such a large clan. But Ri'vashi also needs the authority to keep her people safe. She worries about how Dro'cahi could handle the war." She explained.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Ma'tanza does not spend that much time with them, really. Other than S'nishi and M'ibasa." Ma'tanza answered. "Bheja and Qa'habi aren't actually a part of this one's pride. Her siblings are, but not them. This one's mentor is our pride leader, and there is another Suthay-raht named Hizhar. He's a hunter, but not very, um, kind. Well...he isn't really unkind, he just seems indifferent towards everyone."

Ma'tanza shifted somewhat uncomfortably. "This one used to spend a lot more time with her pride, but that was...before. The attack, that is. Other than S'nishi and M'ibasa, they all died, so we had to be placed in a new pride. It never really felt the same."

---

While she did put her blade in position to guard each time, Ri'vashi did not even bother parrying any of Gallus' feints. Each time, she seemed to recognize that the attack was not genuine, and instead pushed the attack to force him to back off. It was not her speed that defined her as much as it was her predictive capabilities. She was exceptionally observant, as it seemed that he could not do anything without her seeing it coming.

"It is hard to say. Maybe the clan would live better with him at the lead. Ri'vashi does not exactly know what she is doing wrong. There have been some more...complaints than there used to be when father lead us. Small things here and there, nothing serious, but things that this one does not know how to solve. No one has made any serious challenges against Ri'vashi yet, even Dro'cahi, but she wonders what will happen if she makes any larger mistakes. Perhaps everyone is simply happy that we are safe? Our defenses have been impregnable the last two years. We have stopped dozens of enemy patrols, mercenaries, and other groups associated with Vile. None have come even remotely close to finding this stronghold...until the impostor arrived, of course." Ri'vashi explained. This time, she started going on the offensive with a simple, direct stab towards his torso. Though, with how she had performed so far, it would be difficult to believe that there was not more to it.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Following Tzirret's lead, Ma'tanza leaned closer to him and allowed her head to rest on his shoulder, though her tone was still simply a friendly one. "S'nishi? Eh, not really. She likes to play jokes every now and then, but not ones like Bheja. She's just...oh what is that word? Stoic. She also isn't easily shamed, it's just that she doesn't go out of her way to embarrass others with it. Honestly though, she was probably laughing on the inside earlier."

Ma'tanza gave a brief chuckle as her grin became more thoughtful. "Bheja can go a bit too far with his jokes sometimes, but he is a very kind person. He loves his friends just like they are family, and he'll do anything for them. M'ibasa's nightmares have started getting worse recently; we think he is about to have his first transformation soon. Not long before you all arrived, M'ibasa was too afraid to get to sleep, so Bheja sat next to his bedroll, told him stories, and even sang him a little song, for a full three hours one night. All without even being asked, and without asking for anything in return."

---

Ri'vashi looked down, lightly rubbing the pommel of her weapon with a single claw, as if to attempt to distract herself from her thoughts. "The problem isn't that Ri'vashi is angry, or offended at Dro'cahi's objections to her authority...it's that she fears he is right."

The Cathay turned away and started walking back towards the weapon racks, but stopped as she passed through one of the sand pits. Looking down at her feet, she ran her toes through the sand as she let out a sigh. "Father must have saw something in Ri'vashi. That is what her friends and confidants told her when she was appointed. He never did anything without reason. This one just needs to find what he saw."

Turning back to Gallus, Ri'vashi planted the tip of her weapon in the sand and gave him a brief nod. "Say, would you like to pick up a practice blade and join this one for a bout?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ma'tanza chuckled as she reached over and put her free hand on Tzirret's shoulder. As she had many times before, she attempted to look encouraging towards him. "Tzirret, you're always thinking that you're embarrassing yourself. Even when you don't admit it, she can see you retreating back onto yourself. Or hear you stammering and having a hard time thinking. Ma'tanza knows when you start getting nervous, but she doesn't care, Tzirret. You don't have to be embarrassed around this one. We're together, aren't we? We can talk to each other openly and honestly, and everything."

Pausing briefly, Ma'tanza looked back out over the sands. The sun was getting rather low in the sky by this point, and it would not be too long before nightfall. "Now Bheja, he's the one that should be embarrassed. Unfortunately, he has no shame. At all. None. You heard the things he said to us; Ma'tanza would just die if someone told other people those kinds of things about her."

Ri'vashi was silent for an almost uncomfortably long amount of time a she stared ahead in thought. The tip of her practice blade was resting on the ground as she leaned lightly onto the weapon. Eventually, she let out a sigh and turned her eyes towards Gallus. "Two years. It has been two years since father died. It wasn't a surprise, or anything. He was an old man in failing health, so Ri'vashi and the clan had time to prepare. It's just...everyone assumed Dro'cahi would be his successor. He was his most trusted adviser, and a good friend. Dro'cahi had been with this one's father almost as long as Ri'vashi has. He was a part of his sleuth up in High Rock, and stuck together with us no matter what. Everyone was expecting him to pass his title onto Dro'cahi; Ri'vashi was expecting it, and would have been happy with it. This one did not ask to be made leader, but...that was his word. It was a surprise to everyone. He had never given Ri'vashi special treatment for anything like that before. This one had been refused leadership of a pride twice until he thought she was ready. Then, on his deathbed...he just gave Ri'vashi everything."