EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The rest of Miranor's team was ready in only a few moments. She looked to the side towards them, then exchanged a brief nod. Closing her eyes, she gave something akin to a sigh. "We are ready." She said.

"May Hircine watch over you." Meesei responded briefly, but with an air of confidence about her demeanor. The werevultures positioned themselves in a circle underneath an opening in the canopy above them while the warriors assisting them readied five potions of invisibility. In as close of timing as they could manage, the warriors poured the potions down each of their throats, causing each of the werevultures to disappear before their eyes. Immediately, everyone cleared out from around them to give them the space to take off. With near-perfect invisibility, the only sign of their departure was the wind kicked up by their wings, along with a few disturbances to the leaves above them.

Starting the next part of the plan, Meesei fed a burst of energy into the soul gem on the pedestal in front of her, which would be detectable from each of the soul gems linked to it. It was the signal for the mages to begin the ritual. For the others, they needed only to feed their raw magical energy into their gems; it would be Meesei performing the actual spell. She sat down, cross-legged in front of the pedestal and closed her eyes. She had instructed the others that she was not to be disturbed for the duration of the ritual, as her part in it required significant concentration. Already, she was beginning to glow with a faint white aura.

For Ahnasha and Fendros, they were far enough in front of Meesei and the werevultures that they did not actually have confirmation that they had taken off, but Ahnasha knew the timing was right. She had actually moved up, along with Fendros and a few of the others, beyond the treeline and was laying prone in a field of tall grass. It was well-past sundown, so darkness had already shrouded the area. As lycans, they could see quite well in the dark, which normally gave them an advantage when fighting at night. However, many of their opponents would be Khajiit, so that advantage was somewhat nullified. They would have to assume that the guards would be able to see them easily if they came out of hiding.

Ahnasha's team was meant to engage the enemy on the walls as soon as they saw the gate start to open. She did not see the werevultures fly into the fortress, but when she saw the commotion among some of the archers just above the front gate, she knew they had arrived. If they had been seen, that meant they were right on top of the gatehouse. She expected it to be any second before the gates started to open, but as each of those long seconds passed, she became increasingly worried. If they had made it into the gatehouse then they would be able to open it immediately, but if they had not...

"This is taking too long." Ahnasha whispered to Fendros.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter held a confused expression. "I didn't think it would be that important." He said, holding up his hands almost defensively. "Don't worry, there's no way I'm going to stir up trouble this close to the attack."

---

As planned, the majority of the warband stayed up through most of the night, and apart from a few sentries that slept in shifts, slept through the day. By late afternoon, they had packed up their camp, established a forward position for their healers, and began preparing Meesei's ritual. Every movement the warband took was preceded by a dozen teams of scouts scanning every area through which they moved. They covertly disabled both magical and physical traps, and ensured that no enemy patrol would discover their presence. The soul gems were arrayed in specific positions just beyond the tree line, with all the mages who would be participating hiding among the foliage around them. The soldiers were split into three main attack groups, with the primary force lead by Ri'vashi in the center, and two smaller forces on either side that would assault with ladders when the time came.

With the main force, Ri'vashi was near the fronline, and Gallus' pack was directly behind her. The majority of Ri'vashi's pride were not warriors, so only two were with her now: a Bosmer mage and a Pahmar-raht warrior. They were not officers, so they did not attend meetings as she did, but they showed no lack of confidence, even at the front of their forces. Given that all of their forces were hiding, they were not in a formation at the moment, but they were all ready to form up in an instant. Most of the soldiers around them were just as heavily armed and armored as any professional military. They did not have a uniform, but plate and mail were common among their ranks, and almost everyone with hands was wielding some kind of polearm. Peiter was clutching his halberd tightly to his chest as he stood next to Gallus. While they did not normally wear thick armor, both he and Irenya had taken thick cloth gambesons from the armory. In the heat and humidity, they were excessively uncomfortable, but definitely preferable to being unarmored. Everything around them was quiet, which left Peiter with the time to worry about Sabine.

On the right flank, Meesei's was temporarily split in two. Ahnasha and Fendros were with a forward team consisting mostly of archers and mages. They were in hiding at the very edge of the forest, as close as possible to the clearing. As soon as the gates were open, their role was to rush forward and provide covering fire for the werevultures' escape. It would be dangerous, but they were equipped with an array of scrolls and potions to help them get to safety. Meanwhile, Meesei and the rest of her pack were positioned next to one of the soul gems in preparation for the ritual, which Meesei would be leading. The rest of the soldiers she would be leading were in hiding, similarly to Ri'vashi's group, though it was perhaps not a necessary precaution. Their sentries would warn them of any incoming hostiles.

Miranor and the rest of her werevultures were also with Meesei's group, and they were already preparing to take off. All of them were transformed, and having pouches with their supplies strapped around their necks and torsos. As soon as they took off, Meesei would begin the ritual. All of the mages positioned at each of the soul gems would begin to pour their energy into the gems. Since they were all linked, Meesei would be able to manipulate it all at once. As soon as the gates were open, she would be able to use it to create the mist.

Miranor was the first to be ready, so she approached Meesei and her pack. Her head had light white feathers fine enough to almost look like fur, while the rest of the feathers on her body were near solid black. Even without the ability to show her emotions facially, there was some nervousness to her movements. "It is almost time. I would ask you to wish us luck, but I'm...hoping we will not need it. May the lord of the hunt guide us all." She said. With their avian features, it was often difficult for werevultures to speak, but Miranor had plenty of experience with her beast form.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Not really. She's not that upset, just briefly uncomfortable.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I think it may be time to skip ahead to the attack.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei put her arm around Sabine and continued to smile. "Well, I will admit that I have been...teaching you more quickly, so to speak. Moving between lessons faster, and such. But, it is true; you have been reaching milestones faster than I did. You can make of it what you will, but I believe you have wonderful potential as a mage."

Kaleeth, meanwhile, hugged Janius enthusiastically. "Congratulations. You might have only won by a small amount against someone with only a few years of training, but...that doesn't matter. You'll always be impressive to me." She chuckled. "I just hope your...new interest in magic doesn't mean you won't have enough time to practice with me."

---

Peiter narrowed his eyes, obviously skeptical. "That...doesn't sound true in the slightest. How long have I known you, Gallus? That's not even a good lie for you. You should know I'm familiar with the scent. Besides, why would we need to experiment to make a new scent mask if our alchemists can already do that? Who was it? One of the soldiers, I'm guessing. There aren't that many Humans or Elves here, really, so there couldn't be that many options."

Leaning closer to Gallus, Peiter again started to sniff the air to attempt to figure out the scent.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I was speaking in absolute terms, not relative." Meesei commented. "Sabine began her training three years ago, approximately. I could not be more proud of your progress within that time. Granted your focus has been solely on magic, while Janius mixes his practice with swordsmanship, but that does not diminish your accomplishment. And we only tested your knowledge of the more destructive forms of magic. You also have extensive training in defensive, utility, and healing magic. I look forward to the day when I can work with you as a peer, instead of as an apprentice. I cannot be completely sure, of course, but a few months is my estimate, provided Janius does not significantly change his training habits."

Meesei placed a hand on Sabine's shoulder and smiled encouragingly. "And I believe I should mention, I did not cast a spell like that until my fourth year." She added. Of course, she did not mention that she did not actually attempt it until her fourth year, due to the pacing of her father's training, but it was still a true statement.

---

Despite Gallus' attempt to shift the focus of the conversation, Peiter did not abandon his line of questioning so easily. "I understand what you're saying, I think. There will be a point where we'll have to look at what we want, and see if we really want the same thing, but...if you're still wanting to be with someone back home, then why are you mating with someone here?" He asked, flaring his nostrils once more. "I know Sabine, would definitely not appreciate me doing something like that. Did you think you would like one of the soldiers here better, or something?"

Peiter had not quite yet identified whose scent Gallus was carrying, but he was obviously trying. If given enough time to concentrate, he could quite possibly figure it out.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Against such a weak spell, Meesei would not have even noticed the flames if she were not looking at them, so she had no problem maintaining a ward for the full time. The fire did block much of her vision, so she did not notice who had won until Sabine admitted to her spell failing earlier.

"Well, if that is the case, then it seems Janius may have won overall. Likely, your icy spear wall less magicka efficient than his incineration spell, and drained you more fully. You bested him in accuracy, but the remaining two challenges were in his favor, by a small margin. Though, I would certainly not be discouraged. Janius began his destruction training many years before your own. At the rate you learn, I would not be surprised if you end up besting him in only a few months." Meesei said to Sabine.

---

Peiter was essentially at a loss for how to respond. Shrugging his shoulders, he looked away for a few seconds. "I...don't know. I don't know what I should want out of it. I think it will probably be fine though; we should be able to figure out what we want." He answered, though he was becoming increasingly uncomfortable thinking about the long-term prospects of their relationship. To change the subject, he decided to speak up about the scent he had started to notice.

"So have you ever gotten past the point of 'having fun'...say, that scent. Are you still with either of those women back in Bruma?" Peiter asked, crossing his arms.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei chuckled. "Well, I will admit, the terminology is useful for giving an approximation of progress. And 'expert' simply sounds impressive, no? But rest assured, my teaching methods have not changed. Sabine can attest to that. Now, whether you would call that a draw, or if Janius is the victor, there is still the final contest: endurance. You both expended considerable magicka reserves in the last test, so I imagine you are both magically fatigued. Now, it is time to see how long you can go on what you have left. I would like for you both to create a constant stream of your chosen element and maintain it for as long as you can. Well, at least until the other person fails. You can make it as weak as you like, as long as it remains a constant stream of magic. You may both begin at the same time, and Janius, you can cast your spell against my ward again."

---

Peiter was somewhat confused at first as to the point of Gallus' question, but his answer did serve to clarify. Opening his eyes, Peiter looked at Gallus in a still somewhat relaxed state. "I guess...I just need a distraction. I think I just have these worries when my mind is idle. That's why I'm hoping the fight will be enough to keep me from focusing on it. As for our relationship, well, I'm not sure how to describe it really. It has been about the same since we found the Senchal clan. It's going well, certainly. We spend a lot of time together; maybe a bit less now than we did at first, but still. I admit, I'm not sure what to expect from here on out. Have you ever been in a single relationship for this long?" He asked. Noticeably, his nostrils flares as they were continuing on the topic. He had been doing the same periodically for as long as he had been trying to relax his mind, but his focus had kept him distracted. In his close proximity to Gallus, he was starting to notice a scent.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth yelped the moment Janius touched her. She grabbed his wrist reflexively and started to pull it away before she registered what happened. "Ah...you can hold me later, love. Just make sure your hands aren't on fire." She chuckled.

After Sabine's spell, Meesei again could not help but to smile. Regardless of how it compared to Janius' spell, Sabine's attempt had been perhaps the most powerful spell she had cast up to that point. While not the first time she had attempted an ice spear, it was the most successful. The spirit of competition, it seemed, was a decent motivator. Stepping up to Sabine, Meesei gave her a congratulatory pat on the back. "Very well done. Your aim might have been slightly off, but that was not the purpose of this round. You successfully cast an expert-level spell. How do you think her spell compared to yours, Janius?"

---

After the time spent coaxing Peiter into a relaxed state, his thoughts had turned in a different direction than Gallus had expected. Instead of dwelling on his worries for Sabine, Peiter had placed his focus on emptying his mind to relax himself. As a result, Gallus' first question did not quite have the intended effect.

"What I'm thinking about? Um, relaxing? Trying to clear my head; to be at peace. So...I think that is useful, yes." He answered.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

While perhaps not as flashy as a wide-area fireball, any destruction mage would recognize the skill and energy required to create a concentrated incinerate spell. It was an intensely hot and impactful spell, though Meesei's ward rendered it entirely ineffective. She stood stalwart, without so much as flinching. Though, she did have time to prepare herself mentally for the spell to temper any involuntary reactions. With his spell, Janius had set a high bar for Sabine to follow. Meesei was not entirely confident that Sabine could surpass it, but matching it was certainly possible.

Meesei avoided conventional words of encouragement for Sabine. Instead, she wanted to raise her spirits by simply showing confidence in her abilities. "Well done, quite a strong burst of energy. I almost felt it against my ward." Meesei joked, obviously exaggerating. "It will take a strong spell to match it. Sabine, you recall during one of our more recent lessons, you studied an icy spear spell; a stronger, more concentrated version of ice spike. An expert-level spell, it could probably put a hole through one of these trees. Do that." Meesei said with complete and utter confidence. Sabine was not yet an expert, by any means, but Meesei had introduced her to the spell. In general, Meesei had her work on higher-level spells to help push the boundaries of her current skill level, and while it certainly would not be magicka efficient, Meesei hoped Sabine could cast it with some motivation.

---

After another, lengthy delay, Peiter finally made eye contact with Gallus. "Okay...okay, I can try. But, maybe you could help guide me through it?" He asked. With the stories he heard about Najirra, and how notoriously anxious Tzirret had been prior to leaving Bruma, he honestly believed whatever Gallus had in mind might work for him as well.