EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Peiter answered, though his tone still seemed depressed, and overall, not entirely convinced. He stopped the conversation for a while by pulling Sabine into a kiss, which he drew out for quite a while. Though, even with the distraction, Peiter still could not escape his own self-doubt. "Of course, I haven't really been that good of a mage so far. I don't think I have the talent for it. Maybe I can learn a few helpful tricks, but I'm not expecting much."

---

Ri'vashi straightened up her posture, answering without hesitation. "From Bruma, Ri'vashi would be able to direct far more soldiers. She would have more resources, more information, more influence. She could send information to other clans more quickly, and in that position, they would be far more likely to follow her instructions. There is no question that Ri'vashi could do more good by accepting the Champion's offer. It is just...she has to leave everything she knows."

After a pause, Ri'vashi shifted uncomfortably, her eyes glancing up and down Gallus' form. "And Ri'vashi does have...other thoughts. She was not expecting we would be...returning to the same clan together."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter let out a sigh. As reluctant as he was to speak about it, Sabine's concerns were certainly not off the mark. To anyone else, he would have avoided the question, but he felt compelled to open up to Sabine. "I just...don't see the point in it anymore. Why do any kind of physical or magical training when it's obvious I'm never going to be fighting again. I'll be lucky to be able to find anything even remotely productive I can do with my life. I mean...do you really know what it's like? Try going through a day without using one of your arms. I never thought about all the ways I took my body for granted. Every day, I learn about something new I can't do anymore."

Though he did not look at Sabine, Peiter did lean himself against her for comfort. "I just have to accept it. I'm never going to be a strong fighter like Gallus, or Lorag, nor am I going to be a powerful mage like you. I doubt I could even sweep the floors of the clanhome. I just...I don't know, maybe there's something I can find to do."

---

Since she was being given the chance to voice the conflicting thoughts that had been plaguing her the past week, Ri'vashi was certainly not going to pass on the opportunity. She leaned forward, with her hands clasped together in her lap. "Oh, where to even begin? Ri'vashi has been thinking about it constantly, and...she just can't help but to worry that she will be abandoning her clan. With this one gone, Dro'cahi will definitely become the clan leader. There is simply no question on that. Ri'vashi knows he is a good leader; she had told you this before. But, what if he shifts the focus too far away from defense? Ri'vashi knows she makes mistakes, but she has kept her clan safe above all else."

Closing her eyes, Ri'vashi reached up and ran her hands down her face. "Then again, what if Ri'vashi is able to do more good for them from Bruma? What if, by leading the campaign against Vile, Ri'vashi can weaken the enemy enough to make Elsweyr safer for her clan, or just make Tamriel safer in general. The Champion judges Ri'vashi's abilities highly, and there have been things she wished she could change before. There were operations Ri'vashi would liked to have pursued, and others she would not have done without orders. She has wanted to make changes to our strategy before, but there was never anything this one could do about it. But, if Ri'vashi accepts, that will not be a problem."

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

@EliteCommander So Elite, what's the truth?

@Fallenreaper

I suppose there has been enough answers.

Ssarak has nearly drowned on two occasions - False - He has nearly drowned, but only once.

Ssarak secretly desires to rule the Esyire people - True - Since learning of his homeland's troubles, he wants to unite them against Kudd.

Ssarak once smashed in the skull of a toddler with his boot - False - The girl was at least ten.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

There's no way to make a guess for Baulder. Rationality need not apply.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter sat down next to the tent and moved himself close to Sabine. His eyes scanned around the area until he was certain that there was no one paying attention to him. Overall, he felt more comfortable when out of sign of anyone else, but at least if there was no one paying attention to him, he would not get the sense that he was being stared at.

"I guess I don't feel any worse than usual. People are always staring at me, or feeling bad for me. I wish I could just go back to the way things were." Peiter answered.

---

Ri'vashi relaxed, then sat herself up on her bedroll. She rubbed her eyes, then stretched out the muscles in her arms. "No, Ri'vashi had just laid down. She has time to talk."

Sitting back with her legs crossed and leaning back on her hands, Ri'vashi motioned to the empty space in front of her. "Go ahead and sit down. Is there anything specific you had in mind to talk about?" She asked.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter's blank expression did manage to brighten slightly when Sabine approached him, though it was not by a great deal. He was once again becoming frustrated at the surprising difficulty that some common tasks now carried for him. Even something as simple as eating could cause him a measure of annoyance.

Regardless of his general depression, Peiter was at least still trying to keep up positive spirits around Sabine. He gave a half-hearted smile in return, stood to his feet, and steadied himself briefly on her shoulder. Even his balance was feeling off. "Yeah, sure. What do you want?"

---

In Ri'vashi's tent, it appeared she was about to retire early for the night. Her tent was fairly bare, since there was no point in unpacking any of the tables she had previously used for planning, but she had organized her belongings fairly neatly on the ground. She had her armor arranged in one corner, and by the hammers nearby, it seemed as if she had been hammering out dents. She had evidently washed her clothing, as it was all hanging from a string tied across the tent to dry. They were at the very edge of the forest, about to head into the desert, so they would not be able to use water liberally after the next day.

Ri'vashi herself was laying on her bedroll, and had to roll over to face Gallus. "Oh, Gallus. Did something happen?" She asked, her hand moving reflexively to the katana beside her bedroll.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I'll attempt to post before going to bed, though it will be a quicker one.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I think after those scenes, we can do a brief one in the Orcrest clan, then move on to the ten-year montage. I do have several scenes in mind for the long timeskip.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sure

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter trusted Sabine enough that he did not argue with or resist Sabine through whatever it was she was doing, despite how much he wanted to. He was still quite self-conscious about his injury, and as such, did not like for any attention to be drawn to it. Despite the fact that her spell caused no pain, he still squirmed under her touch. Even after she finished, and after her expression of love, he still looked almost embarrassed.

Regardless, Peiter wrapped his arm around Sabine for a hug, then laid himself down on his back and pulled her down with him. He still had nothing to say, but it seemed as if he simply wanted to be close to her and rest.

---

Ma'tanza nodded in agreement, then pulled Tzirret in closer to S'nishi and Bheja. "Of course. What do you think you're looking forward to the most once we get back to Orcrest..."

---

"Indeed. It is an offer, and not one you are required to accept by any means, Ri'vashi. But, it will allow you to apply your expertise to more than a single clan. I understand you want to protect your clan, but you may be able to do so more effectively by directing the course of the war as a whole. You should have plenty of time between now, and when we leave for Bruma." Meesei answered.

After her long pause, Ri'vashi finally took in a deep breath and responded. "You...honor Ri'vashi, Champion. She does not think herself to be a genius on military matters, but if you believe this one to be skilled, she does understand the need for such experts in your clan. It...would be quite a drastic change for this one's clan, however, and Ri'vashi does not want to take this choice lightly. Ri'vashi promises she will have an answer by the time we return to Orcrest."

As she was speaking, another thought entered Ri'vashi's mind after she passed a glance to Gallus. She was a professional, and had been performing her duties without distraction since the attack, but what had occurred between herself and Gallus was not gone from her mind. Whenever the thought had crossed her mind, she had always remembered that they would eventually be going their separate ways. Now, she was realizing that she should not have made that assumption so quickly. There was a very real possibility they would be spending the next few years in the same clan. This would be awkward.