EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter chuckled. "She is certainly working hard on something." He commented as he followed Sabine out the door. He was perhaps more aware of what was potentially happening between the two Khajiit, and honestly, was a bit worried about what they might be walking into. However, this would be their last chance to see the painting before the march, so they could not delay if they wanted to see it. Knowing La'khay, it was very unlikely that she would have any sort of embarrassment if they happened to interrupt an intimate moment. Indeed, Peiter mostly just hoped that she would actually stop before letting them into the room.

La'tahne's room was farther away than La'khay's but Peiter and Sabine had been there once before to model for the painting, so they knew where to find it. The hallways were much more crowded than usual with warriors carrying their equipment, and their family members who were taking whatever time they had together before the march began. For Peiter, all of his pack would at least be joining in the march, though there were some in the clan, like Ciinriel, who he and Sabine would miss while they were away.

As they approached the room, Peiter actually found himself a bit nervous to knock, so he allowed Sabine to lead the way. He could hear some muffled noises from within, but they were not clear enough to place with certainty. The door looked to be slightly ajar, so it was possible there was nothing happening out of the ordinary...unless they simply forgot to close the door completely.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Jo’rashaad shrugged briefly. “Well, none of us are priests by any means, but the power Hircine has over his domain, and over us, is undeniable. Serving a Daedra is nothing like worshipping the Aedra. Apart from major events in history, those beings give very little evidence to their followers that they even exist at all, let alone that they hold any measure of power over the world. With Daedra, however, their power is very tangible to their followers. Even if a worshipper does not experience their presence themselves, they usually witness the influence of the Daedra’s power on their leaders, or others around them. Daedra have artifacts in Tamriel imbued with their power, they commune directly with followers, and sometimes even appear to them. For us, as lycans, with our transformations, Hircine’s power could not be any more obvious. None of us spend our days hunting sacrifices for his glory, but with the power he holds over our souls, it would be foolish not to give him the proper respect.”

Among the rest of the group, only Ciinriel was slowly finishing the last of her breakfast. They could continue their conversation for a while yet, though they would need to finish their preparations for the march soon enough.

---

Peiter noticed as she was doing it that Sabine was putting on his thin linen shirt backwards, but he allowed her to finish before saying anything. He placed his hands on her hips and gave her a kiss before laughing and pointing a finger to his own shirt. “You know, I think you are a lot better at undressing me at night than dressing me again in the morning. I don’t blame you; the former usually comes with something much more exciting.” He grinned. Peiter took a few seconds to turn his shirt around to the proper direction before continuing.

“Anyway, La’khay should still be staying in La’tahne’s room. I don’t think she leaves it very often. Actually, apart from us, I don’t think many of the others have seen her for the last few days.” Peiter commented.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak would save them, but instead, he is trying to bash in the skull of someone he doesn't know, for reasons he assumes are justified.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth started to turn her head to return another kiss to Janius, but all of the movement above him piqued Leaps' curiosity enough that he lifted up his head and licked the end of Kaleeth's snout. "Ah!" She exclaimed quickly, before letting out a sigh and rubbing Leaps' side. "Well...that is true, but it wasn't exactly the same. Hircine didn't lead any of you to my village; you just happened to end up there. It seems more like an...opportunity he took, instead of something that was planned. I honestly don't know how much of an opportunity it was, really. It has taken years of training just for me to become acceptable in a fight."

Most of the group was finishing their breakfast by this point, but Jo'rashaad had stopped as he listened to the story. "What exactly did Hircine do with you when you were turned?" He asked.

"I don't really know, exactly. I have no real memory of being turned. I just remember I was trying to hunt a crocodile in his name to commune with him, I was wounded in the process, then I woke up as a lycan. I do remember a presence that might have been Hircine, but it is all very hazy." Kaleeth explained.

"Hmm, you say all of that as if it is something normal. Your pack seems to have almost frequent contact with Hircine himself. There are worshipers that follow him their entire lives and never hear his voice." Jo'rashaad remarked.

---

Peiter pushed aside the bedding and stretched out his legs as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Well, if you're not hungry yet, we can hold off a bit on breakfast. Maybe go ahead and bring the bags we have packed up to one of the carts, if there is space. And of course, we could try to find La'khay and see our painting one last time before we go." He suggested.

Glancing down to the end of the bed, Peiter spotted Sabine's clothes on the ground at the foot of the bed. Without a word, he walked over and picked them up off the ground, then approached Sabine. Grinning, he took it upon himself to begin to dress her. "I'll leave it up to you to decide; I don't mind regardless."

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

I am not entirely certain of the current situation in the hunt, just that Ssarak and Meirin are going to try to hit that knight like a truck. Is there anyone else fighting in view of that high-speed impact? Also, @Rtron, you're in charge of the knight, correct?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha nodded in agreement with Fendros. "That is true, both of us have been devoted to him for many years. Still, maybe there is something more to it? It's pretty clear this war was brewing long before we started fighting it. It was one of Vile's minions that killed the previous Champion, after all. Hircine might have put our pack together intentionally for that reason. Of course, there were other packs that were competing for the same title. It could have been that he formed a few potential packs for it."

By this point, Kaleeth was mostly finished with her breakfast. Leaps had started wandering around, occasionally eyeing the meals of those sitting around the fire, and had currently settled down with his head resting in Kaleeth's lap. "Of everyone in the pack, I think I'm the only one that Hircine didn't guide them to." Kaleeth added. "Honestly, I don't think I was meant to be a part of it."

---

Peiter's sleep had been much more calm that night than Sabine's, so it was her movement that awoke him. Letting out a yawn, he only just managed to hear her mention the possibility they had slept in. A few of his joints cracked as he sat up, and he was of course groggy overall, but Sabine's words at least gave him a clear train of thought. From behind her, Peiter wrapped his arms around Sabine's chest and leaned forward, resting his head affectionately on her shoulder. "We...might have slept a bit late, but I doubt we slept in all the way to noon. Gallus would already be beating down this door if we had. We don't have too much to get ready anyway, since we packed away most of what we would need yesterday. We just need to get our clothes, weapons, and maybe...go wash these blankets. As a courtesy. Hopefully, we'll have enough time to check on La'khay's painting. She might have those last touch-ups finished."

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Ssarak’s flight to the hunting grounds was not a long one. The hunt had not ranged exceptionally far from the college, and Ssarak did not have to deal with any obstacles along the way. In fact, the wind was even in his favor. Once he reached the right area, he started to fly in a search pattern low over the trees, keeping his sharp eyes and mind attentively searching for any hint of where the others could be, Meirin in particular. Fortunately, it did not take long for him to begin picking up on the thoughts of those below.

Perhaps it was due to luck, or the fact that he was searching specifically for her thoughts, but Ssarak managed to isolate what was unmistakably Meirin’s mind. It gave him an immediate sense of relief to feel her presence, but it was followed quickly by a wave of worry due to the nature of her thoughts. She was unmistakably in a fight.

With a combination of the images Ssarak could glean from Meirin’s mind, the strength of her thoughts as he flew, and simple keen eyesight, Ssarak managed to hone in on her position. The magic she was using was hardly subtle, so he could easily spot it beneath him. Annabeth had described the group as having been attacked by mages and monsters, so Ssarak had not expected to find Meirin fighting a fully armored knight, but it was of no matter. Ssarak knew not why the group had been attacked at all, but he did not care about the identify of this knight, or his motivations. All that mattered to him was that he was in a fight with Meirin, so he was an enemy of Ssarak’s as well.

Ssarak drew his sword, then turned it around to grab it firmly by the blade in both hands. With a simple telepathic command, he dulled the edged and increased the weight of his sword’s hilt to give it the same weight and balance as a mace. Against a heavily armored opponent, it would be far more effective than if used as a sword.

As Ssarak swooped down to begin his attack, he noticed that the knight was moving away from Meirin, as if he were ignoring here. Again, it was no matter; he would give him something to pay attention to. With the boost from his dive, Ssarak matched Meirin’s speed, flying directly above her with his eyes trained on the knight just ahead of them. Ssarak intended to strike him in the back of the head, or if he attempted to dodge, the upper back. With the weight of his weapon, and the momentum of his flight, it would not be a light hit if it connected.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

@Ryonara, just want to check, is Ssarak free to join that fight?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Jo'rashaad reached his arm over S'ajira, smiling as he rubbed the back of her neck. "S'ajira was born a lycan. Not as a member of the Senchal clan, but in a wandering pride in the Tenmar forest. She is, and always has been, a warrior, a hunter. Not long after her pride...disbanded, she was found by the clan."

S'ajira sat up, then nodded in agreement before nestling her head against Jo'rashaad's side. Although, her show of affection only lasted a few moments before she returned to her breakfast, which she was eating her way through rather quickly. One detail about Leaps she had picked up on after the past month of traveling with the wamasu was that he was far more willing to attempt to steal her food than he was from someone bipedal.

"Now, you said that Hircine guided Meesei, yes?" Jo'rashaad continued. "That is interesting, and this was before she became Champion? It is curious that Hircine himself would take an interest in a lone pack that did not even hold rank among his lycans."

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Say @Ryonara, were you wanting to do anything specific in Meirin's current fight, or could Ssarak get involved? Ssarak can get there fairly quickly.