EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ri'vashi's first reaction was to be defensive, but she knew that Gallus' words held some truth. Leaning back, she allowed herself to float on her back as she gave a sigh. "Ri'vashi...isn't a social person. She doesn't really have people to go to for socializing like that. This one does have people she would say are friends, but not those kinds of friends. They are people she respects, and that respect her. Ri'vashi would call most of her council friends, but she never wanted to show any favoritism towards them. And...well, she never really felt like she even wanted to be especially outgoing like that. It hasn't really been about free time. Ri'vashi has always been content with her life."

Despite her words, Ri'vashi gave a quick, nervous glance to Gallus with some doubt in her expression.

---

Peiter nodded. "I suppose you're right. I'm expecting that he'll be pretty upset in the short term, but hopefully he doesn't change too much in the long term. That is, I hope he can stay so outgoing. I'd hate for him to get so depressed that he falls back into his old ways. With the confidence he has now, I think he can find someone new back home."

Seeing as he did not want to give away what he and Tzirret were discussing, Peiter tried not to give much of a reaction when Sabine mentioned the potions. He simply smiled and gave a brief laugh. "I don't know if I would expect that. Tzirret has improved a lot, but he is still a pretty nervous cat. Regardless, I suppose I don't mind sharing. If we do run out, there are always...other things we could do to enjoy ourselves." Peiter said, grinning.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ri'vashi dove in shortly after Gallus. In an absolute sense, the water was warm, but compared to the air, and especially her body, it was refreshingly cool. She remained underneath the water's surface for about ten seconds before surfacing once more. Ri'vashi attempted to use the time to come up with a truthful answer for Gallus that would not be embarrassing, but she had no such luck. She came back up close by to him, but quickly looked away with a hint of shame. "Ri'vashi...does not have many friends. No one that she spends time with like that. As a cub she did, but the more responsibilities she gained, the less time she had for all that. Ri'vashi has never been one to get together and spend time with people like that. She is not sure what makes her do it with you, honestly. Perhaps it is the stress she has been under?"

---

Peiter watched Tzirret as he walked away, but did not attempt to follow. For now, it may have been best that he be allowed to be alone. "We were just talking about a few things. It would probably be best if I not talk about most of them; he would likely want to keep them private. I can say that he is starting to think about our return to Bruma. He's not looking forward to leaving Ma'tanza, and I can certainly understand why. It's a problem I knew would be coming since they first got together. I just hope he doesn't come to regret it; being with her, I mean. It is almost hard to believe how far Tzirret has come since we left Bruma."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Once her armor's plates were removed, Ri'vashi rather enthusiastically started pulling off her gambeson. The thick cloth padding, while it served as an effective defense to help soften blows, also held in far too much heat for her liking. "You would be correct. Leading a clan is demanding work. It seems like every time Ri'vashi thinks she will have a break, something else comes up. Always just one more thing. The clan has very much become her life, not that she regrets it. It is an honor to serve them as their leader. And, this one does suppose she does get at least a small amount of time to herself."

Setting aside her gambeson neatly, Ri'vashi was down to just her fur, which was already slightly moistened with sweat. She stood at the edge of the pond, with the water coming up just above her ankles, looking out to the other side. Across the pond, most of those that had been swimming were starting to climb out to dry off. "She does not get any time with others, though." She muttered.

---

Peiter's only response to Tzirret was simple, and direct. "Right now, I want to be right here with you, brother." He said firmly. He could not help but to think about what he would be going through himself if he knew he would have to separate from Sabine potentially permanently. Regardless of how true his advice to Tzirret was, it would do nothing to reduce the pain in the moment. So, he had no problem being there to support Tzirret for as long as needed.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Ri'vashi doesn't have anyone assigned to her specifically or anything. She usually just pulls in the nearest person who doesn't seem busy. In this case, that would be you." She answered with a grin as she set aside her helmet, then started unfastening a leather strap. "Start with the ones on this one's back. She'll deal with the front."

As the two started removing the pieces of her armor, Ri'vashi continued the conversation. "Are you sure you have everything you'll need for the attack? We brought spare arms and armor, if you need any more equipment. This one tries to carry something for any situation. A spear is the standard weapon of any infantry, with good reason. If you have never fought in a formation before, giving everyone the maximal reach possible is essential. Ri'vashi will have her katana as a sidearm, as well as a small hammer or mace, so she can at least have an option against armored foes. She is not particularly skilled with a bow, at least not enough to justify carrying one, but she does usually carry a scroll or two. Just in case."

Just as she was finishing speaking, Ri'vashi caught herself and sighed as she shook her head. "Oblivion, can Ri'vashi ever stop talking about fighting?"

---

Peiter pulled Tzirret closer, then smiled encouragingly. "It will be the first time of many, Tzirret. And I'm not talking about love. I don't know what will happen with you and Ma'tanza, long term, but all of this has really let you break out of your shell. Maybe something will happen after we return and you'll be able to see her again, maybe not, but no matter who you're with, I have faith that you'll be happy. I don't want to lie to you, Tzirret, there is a chance that you won't be able to see Ma'tanza again after our mission is over. I know it hurts to think about, but I can't deny it. Even if that does happen, though, there are other people in the world that you would be happy with, and now, I know you have the confidence to meet them."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"For fighting, this one prefers it to the heat." Ri'vashi answered. "Her fur is better in the heat, true, but she is, or at least was, very used to the cold. Ri'vashi is from High Rock, remember. It's eastern mountains are no less frigid than the Reach. It has been a long time since she lived there, though. If she went there now, she would probably be shaking like a frightened kitten."

Leaning forward, Ri'vashi started to run her armored hand through the water. "Anyway, this pond is certainly looking tempting. Ri'vashi just has to spend the next twenty minutes getting out of this suit. It's joints are not as restrictive as most, but it's also more of a pain to put on and take off."

---

Despite Tzirret's words, Peiter was not blind to his demeanor. He had noticed the sudden shift in his expression, and could guess the reason behind it. "It'll be okay, brother. You knew it wouldn't be easy, but I know you can handle it. Just...try thinking about what you want the end of this to be. You've learned a lot, and you've grown a lot. When it's all over, and when it's time to head back home, what would you have wanted out of the whole experience? It doesn't have to be such a sad day when it happens."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ri'vashi and Gallus' practice proceeded just as usual. They went through a few bouts, ending not long after dark. With the heat, they did not train for as long as usual. It would take some time for the air to cool down, so after the fight was over, Ri'vashi sat down by the pond, panting from the heat. "This is the part Ri'vashi hates about the desert. Plate armor, with a full gambeson underneath, is not too great for letting out heat. From what she has heard, the Tenmar forest is not any better."

---

"Absolutely." Peiter answered confidently. Looking over, he placed his hand on his shoulder. "It's definitely an awkward conversation, but it's one you need to have. If you're still sure you want to do this, that is. It is...nice, but it's not worth causing yourself any pain. We are going to be heading back to Bruma eventually, after all."

Looking away, Peiter let out a sigh. Even he was starting to realize that his protectiveness was a bit too strong. "I'm sorry, it's just that I want to look out for you. You're not a kid; I know that. It's just that you're wanting to step into something you really don't know a lot about. If she does...agree, just make sure to get a potion first. Or have a healer take a look at her afterwards. From my understanding, they can do the same thing the potion does. Just make sure you think it all over first, alright?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Hmm, maybe in practice..." Ri'vashi began, grinning as she started to pat the top of his helmet teasingly. "Just don't start experimenting in a fight."

Ri'vashi grabbed her helmet and shield, then pulled her sword out of the sand. They were standing closer to the water than they had been before, though she elected not to relocate. It did not get too deep too quickly, so it could make for a hazard without actually being dangerous to them in their armor.

Taking up a ready stance, Ri'vashi trained her eyes firmly on Gallus. "Ready...begin!" She said. Contrary to most of their bouts, Ri'vashi decided to be aggressive immediately. Taking a large step forward, she thrust her weapon straight at his stomach. Even if a blade could not break the rings of the mail, the force from a Cathay werebear could still be threatening.

---

Peiter shook his head regretfully. "I don't think there's a way I can answer that. It just...happened. Well, when it did happen, it was easy to tell that we both wanted to. We had talked about it beforehand, though, and decided to wait until a good time. I think you should be careful about this Tzirret. Maybe I'm wrong, but you might still be too young to be considering it. I think you need...experience first. Not physically or anything, but emotionally. Saying it did happen, that would make you pretty close with Ma'tanza. Do you think you're ready to be that close to her, considering how long you've actually known her?" He asked.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ri'vashi returned Gallus' smile, placing her shield on the ground, then removing her own helmet as well and placing it on top of it. She offered him back his own helmet, then gave him a pat on the back and a light chuckle. "Yes, this one likely still came out on top. If Ri'vashi was holding something with more weight than wood, you might not have remained conscious to follow through. You should be careful about strikes to an opponent's weapon. Controlling an enemy's weapon is, of course, advantageous, but you have to be careful about how you do it. When you attacked, your hammer wouldn't have threatened Ri'vashi regardless of what she did to her blade, so she had the option to ignore it. Just stop resisting the hammer and let it push past. If your weapon is something like an axe or polearm that can catch a weapon, then that is a good option. Otherwise, you want to strike closer to the hand, diagonal, instead of horizontal. Make it so that if your opponent tries to ignore you, you'll hit their hand. Really, disabling the hand is the best option to disable the weapon."

---

"Again, you can be calm. If you didn't say anything to her about it, then she probably doesn't even know you were thinking about it. It does sound a bit awkward to leave suddenly like that, but...well, Tzirret, I'll be honest, it isn't uncommon for you to do awkward things." Peiter responded. Despite his candor, he was trying to sound calming to Tzirret.

Peiter paused a moment to sit down by the edge of the water, then motioned for Tzirret to join him. "Anyway, are you sure you're not going too fast, Tzirret? You're still a bit young. I will say, though, that it is good you're wanting to be careful. Sabine makes these potions to, um, take care of that problem."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ri'vashi pushed the end of her sword into the sand, then rubbed the back of her neck. "Oh, sorry. Ri'vashi did not mean to hit you there. One of the disadvantages of helmets, sadly. Better than getting a sword across the skull, but still painful."

"How hard did you hit this one's leg? Unfortunately, these light hammers make it hard to tell in a fight sometimes." Ri'vashi began as she approached Gallus. She frowned briefly, then reached out and pulled Gallus' helmet off of his head. She was looking at his ears, though it was not as if she would actually be able to discern anything visibly.

"Can you hear Ri'vashi alright? Or does this one need to wait for the ringing to stop?" She asked.

---

As soon as Peiter was able to make out what Tzirret was trying to say, he placed his hands on his shoulders and spoke calmly, and in a firm voice. "Hold up, Tzirret. One thing at a time; I'm assuming you're not asking this for curiosity's sake. Slow down, collect your thoughts, and try to answer clearly. Ma'tanza, have you been doing anything with her? Well...I'll be direct. Have you been mating with her?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Alright. I'll attempt to post before going to bed.