EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ri'vashi shrugged her shoulders. "Well, this one does not see a problem with that. Though, she supposes she does not have many exceptional stories to tell. Nothing that you would not be familiar with. Ri'vashi has been training for combat for most of her life since father found her. He taught her how to use most common, and a few uncommon, weapons, and instructed her in battlefield tactics. This one does not know why he gave her any sort of training relating to the battlefield, since we did not actually have a war to fight back then, but perhaps it was just a way for us to bond? He claimed that Ri'vashi was a natural, but that was probably just his pride in his daughter talking. Some others have suggested that his training was the reason this one was selected as the clan's next leader, which could be true. Hopefully."

"What of you? Was your father's training the reason you were selected to accompany the Champion on her mission?" Ri'vashi asked.

---

Peiter seemed to be genuinely surprised when Tzirret explained that he would be joining the warband as well. Gallus had been training Tzirret to fight, but Peiter did not really think of him as a warrior, or a soldier. The thought of such a major battle was making even Peiter nervous, so he could only imagine what Tzirret was going through.

"Thad depends on where I am in the fight, honestly. If we're all close to the front, you probably don't want to be there. I don't know if we're going to be sticking together by pack, or splitting off into a larger formation. "But, um, I'm surprised you actually want to join in this attack. This attack isn't going to be like anything we've been in before. There was the attack on the clan a few years ago, but we were defending there, and I don't think either of us were really a part of the fighting. Are you sure you want to join the fight?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Okay, I lied.

Now I'm going to bed.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ri'vashi brought her hand up to her chin. "Hmm, this one would disagree. She can think of many situations where daggers would be subprime. Armored opponents come to mind first and foremost. Technically a dagger could find its way into a gap in the armor, but realistically, that is a difficult task. If the opponent is skilled, they can gain a very strong advantage. Though, Ri'vashi does suppose you do have a hammer for that task. Blunt weapons are much more effective against armor. Then, there are ranged opponents. Reach is unmistakably an advantage in combat, either with a bow, or simply a long weapon. Throwing knives can extend one's range, but have problems penetrating even light armor, like leather or thickly layered cloth. Effective for small group skirmishes outside of a military setting, but on the battlefield, armor would be a limitation for them."

Through Ri'vashi's explanation, it was clear that the subject was one she enjoyed discussing, and might continue discussing for some time. "Ah, but as for this one's weapons, she carries a sword for defense, and is well-trained with it, but it would only be her sidearm on a proper battlefield. Spears and other polearms are the dominant weapons in war. There are few weapons that can match their capability and versatility in group formations. On a battlefield, individual skill is eclipsed by unit tactics and cohesion."

---

By this point, Peiter was recognizing the origin of Tzirret's apparent nervousness, and this was one time that he could not blame him in the slightest for being afraid. "Oh, I see. Yes, we will be going. I'm meant to be a part of the attack; it is what I've been trained for, after all. Sabine, as far as I know, will be there as well. Did Gallus say you would be coming too? Are you nervous about it? Trust me, that's nothing to be ashamed of. It's the same for me." He answered reassuringly.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I think I might be too tired to respond right now. I'll do so in the morning, goodnight.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"It's not a dark matter as much as just an embarrassing one, Ri'vashi thinks." She commented. "You do not seem nearly as certain as your words suggest, though this one supposes she cannot tell what you are uncertain about. Regardless, if relationships are such a dark subject for you, what would you consider a light one?"

Ri'vashi leaned back in her seat and looked Gallus over almost quizzically. "Perhaps...swordsmanship? You seemed quite interested in it during our last duel. How is it that you fight normally, anyway. We used blades last time, but is there another weapon you prefer? This one favors the sword, and heavy armor. As you know, she inherited her katana from her father. She inherited his armor too, but unfortunately, it does not exactly fit her."

---

Peiter had not expected to see Tzirret approaching him at dinner. He had been busy with his new friends for weeks by this point, so he had not been around him near as much as usual. Though, now that he was thinking about it, he actually did miss speaking with him. Once Sabine returned, they possibly would be able to just sit down and chat as they had many times on the way from Bruma to Elsweyr.

Tzirret was acting nervous, but for as long as Peiter had known him, that was nothing unusual, so Peiter did not see anything as being out of the ordinary. "I've been fine today. I've mostly been relaxing today, though I did help out in sorting some of the crates and barrels from the hallways into storage. The clan has had to be very...creative in finding storage space for all of the supplies we displaced when we arrived. What about you? I'm surprised to see you here instead of with Ma'tanza. Did you upset her?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sorry for the delay, was doing something for a bit.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

For a moment, Ri'vashi seemed surprised, though that surprise faded as she thought about Gallus' explanation to her before. Instead, she simply closed her eyes and lightly shook her head. "Gallus...this one cannot say she approves, though neither do you, by the sound of it. You betrayed the trust of two women at once...and you think a little thing like a continent will protect you from their wrath." She chuckled.

Ri'vashi's expression became less joking, though not quite serious. She let out a sigh and interrupted herself for a moment to finally start on her meal. "If you want them both, fate might end up declaring that you get neither. If you were willing to move yourself half a continent away from either of them, isolating yourself from speaking to them for months, just to get away, or clear your head, then how sure are you that you really cared about them. It seems to Ri'vashi that if you loved either of them, then you would, well, actually want to be with them? Of course, what does Ri'vashi know about any of this? Perhaps you should not be taking advice from someone who has never been close to being in love."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ri'vashi crossed her arms and gave an exaggerated huff. "Ri'vashi is not being manipulated. That would require someone actually be remotely close to her." She chuckled before taking on a more relaxed expression.Even if he had not been teasing her, she did not see how being alone could be a danger to her. "This one does have friends, of course, but...not in such a casual sense, she supposes. She has never been that kind of social, since there were never really others her age around as a cub. And, being the daughter of the clan leader, Ri'vashi guesses any potential mates later on felt intimidated. Of course, talk of the past like that is just speculation. There is no point dwelling on it. Ri'vashi is the clan leader now, and honestly, is happy with the current state of things. There is no one she longs after, or secretly hopes to swoon. There is just her duty." She explained, though she could not hide the hint of doubt in her tone.

Ri'vashi doubted that Gallus would give up on his line of questioning, considering that she had made the mistake of answering him to begin with. But, she could, perhaps, turn the conversation against him. Leaning forward with her elbows resting on the table, she smirked at him. "Now, Ri'vashi happens to recall you talking about your own history with women. You described yourself as having some...exciting encounters with women. Many of them. Do you seek love, or is your mind more kin to La'tahne?"

---

"Oh..." Newt responded with a depressed tone, lowering his head. "Is going...to be a long time?"

Similarly to Fendros, Kaleeth picked up Newt and held tightly onto him. "It...might be a while, yes. But...your mother knows that her son is a strong, brave little boy. You're a scary little crocodile, and you'll be just fine here. In fact, I think Rhazii is really going to need you to look after him. You think you can do that for me? Look after Rhazii?"

Kaleeth was quite intentionally attempting to "trick" Newt into being more accepting of the situation with her words. Given that Rhazii was both older, and a Cathay, he had always been the bigger and stronger of the two. While that could change once their lycanthropy fully set in, Newt would be the runt of the two for as long as they could be considered children. By suggesting that Newt might actually be able to protect Rhazii, she hoped to inspire some bravery in him. Indeed, he did actually start to smile, even with the tears in his eyes.

Meesei, at this point, was feeling somewhat out of place. Both sets of parents needed to comfort their children, and since they had reached a decision, there was nothing more she could do for them. "I...believe I will go speak to S'ajirra and Jo'rashaad. I will leave you to take some time together."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Speaking about her father, Ri'vashi nodded in agreement. "This one's father was many things; confusing being chief among them. He also had a tendency to be completely right. There were several in our fledgling clan who feared for their lives going into the desert, and understandably so. But then, he brought us straight to this oasis with abundant water for our needs, and plenty of space to grow food. As for our current population, our proximity to the trade routes connecting to Orcrest is what brings us most of our members. It may seem counter-intuitive at first, but the fact that we are in a desert makes it much easier to find new lycans. In other places, a new lycan can flee into the wilderness and reasonably expect to survive, but here, fleeing into the desert would most likely end in death. So, lycans have to stay close to sources of water, which means staying closer to civilization. We simply have our scouts watching those prime locations to find those who have recently turned."

As the conversation shifted to herself, Ri'vashi was less certain, and minorly uncomfortable, with her answers. "Well, Ri'vashi doesn't know what her hair has to do with anything, but...she does not have a great deal of time to herself. She needs to be able to fulfill her responsibilities as any time, so she does not drink often. And, um..." Ri'vashi began, breaking eye contact as a hint of embarrassment came across her face. "...she has never had a lover, no."

---

Ahnasha immediately leaned over and put her arm around Rhazii as soon as he started his cries. In this case, she was not going to blame him for causing such a scene. "We don't want to leave either, son. We want to stay here with you, but we also want you to be safe. We have to go and deal with the bad people so they won't be able to hurt you, okay? You'll be here with people you know, and you'll be able to make new friends."

Meanwhile, Newt had not been paying as close of attention as Rhazii, but once Rhazii had started crying, he knew that something had to be wrong. He looked up to his own parents silently, but with enough confusion in his eyes to easily communicate his own fear. Kaleeth was starting to feel a mix of guilt and dread about having to explain to her son that they were going to be leaving him for such a long time. Turning her head towards Janius, she tightly grabbed his hand with a nervous gaze. For this, she would certainly need his help.

Star Wars: Coruscant Underworld [Always accepting!]

I am certainly interested in staying. I feel we just need something to pull everyone together. If not a single thing, maybe a few. With Tir, I have a hard time justifying her going anywhere without being called for it, since I had previously laid out her plans to stay at home for the evening. Perhaps we could do a sort of global timeskip to the next day to get new events going?