EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Jo'rashaad laughed as he glanced down towards the children. "At times, but what child doesn't cause trouble? We were glad to help. You were putting your lives at risk for our benefit, so it was the least we could do. Jo'rashaad just...wishes it would not have been so costly. It looks like so many did not return..."

S'ajira nudged Jo'rashaad's side, then pointed her head to one side briefly. "Yes, of course." He said, nodding in understanding. "We definitely want to catch up, but we would like to speak to our pride leader first. Will you have time later to talk? How long is your pack going to stay with us?"

Ahnasha was scratching the back of Leaps' neck to keep him occupied while they spoke. "A few days, at least." She answered. "I think there is still some business we need to settle while we're here. Plus, it will be nice to have at least a few days rest before getting back into the desert."

"Jo'rashaad understands, definitely. He is not looking forward to the day we have to make that journey again. Hopefully we can all have time to talk soon." He responded.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth was reluctant to let go of Newt, but when he started to wriggle in her arms, she kissed the top of his head and released her grip. Being a particularly ticklish child, Newt's mouth was wide open from his laughter, so it took him a few seconds to actually be able to answer. "I was good, I promise. Rhazii is gonna...lie about it. I only got in trouble once for giving Leaps a piece of sweetcake. But I don't think I should've got in trouble. He didn't even eat it!"

It was not seconds later that Fendros was tackled by Leaps, prompting laughs from Newt, Ahnasha, and kaleeth, and something similar to a chuckle from S'ajira. Ahnasha rubbed the wamasu's back while he was enthusiastically trying to take in every last bit of Fendros' scent. "Hmm, isn't Leaps just such a good boy? I can't wait to hear about all you three have been doing while we were gone."

Kaleeth took the time to stand up next to Janius, then hug both him and Newt once more. "We should probably all find somewhere more quiet, away from the crowd." She suggested, though she did not intend to go anywhere without first speaking to Jo'rashaad and S'ajira. While she would like to catch up with them, she was sure they would be wanting to find and speak with Ra'kalesh.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Everyone in the group weaved through the crowd as quickly as they could, with Kaleeth being perhaps a bit too assertive in how she shoved past a few people. When she had her mind set on a goal, she could be quite a bit more forceful than one might expect. Newt was running alongside Rhazii towards their parents, and S'ajira was moving directly beside them to make sure no one in the crowd failed to notice them and accidentally step on them. Jo'rashaad was walking more calmly behind them, smiling at the excitement radiating from both of the children.

The moment Kaleeth saw Newt, she dropped down to one knee so that she could hug her son, who jumped up into her arms. "Mama!" He shouted gleefully once he was in her embrace, though her torso muffled his voice. Janius would likely be wanting to hold him as well, but Kaleeth was a bit too caught up in the moment to remember that detail. She was hugging him tightly, and was not intent on letting him go.

Ahnasha was right behind Fendros, so Rhazii reached him first. Compared to Kaleeth, she knelt down more calmly and slowly to get down to Rhazii's level. "It's so good to see you again. Have you been having fun here, little one?"

Behind the children, both Jo'rashaad and S'ajira breathed a shared sigh of relief. They had heard the clan leader's announcement on the memorial and the losses they had sustained before seeing any of the Champion's pack. Until this moment, they did not know if all of the children's parents had survived.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ri'vashi shook her head, then turned herself onto her back once more. "No, Ri'vashi thinks she will be fine. We enter the desert tomorrow, so if you could, make sure every spare container you see is filled with water tomorrow. There is a stream just south of camp. You may want to wash up as well; last chance for about a week until we reach the first oasis."

---

The journey through the desert was just as long and dull as it had been every other time they had made it. It was a few weeks for them to reach the Orcrest clan once more, during which time the mood around the warband only marginally. The grieving over the lost eventually subsided, but their worries on the future remained. Alchemists passed their time by reviewing the recovered notes on the enemy's new weapon; however, it was clear that the production of any kind of antidote would take quite some time to come to fruition, if it ever did at all. They had, unfortunately, not recovered a full list of the gas' ingredients, and they had only a precious few samples which they could test. As such, Meesei decided to order that the samples be locked away in secure crates until they could be taken back to the Bruma clan for study. Just as Meesei had alluded to when she spoke to Ri'vashi, she intended to gather the best alchemists they could to examine it.

What was far less ambiguous from the recovered documents was what they had insinuated about Vile's plans in Tamriel. Gallus' and Meesei's packs had touched on the documents containing the relevant information when they first found them, but had not had time to examine them in detail. In the journey through the desert, however, Meesei had plenty of time to study them, and what she discovered was almost beyond troubling. The prisoners that they had found within the fortress were not simply isolated test subjects. They were a part of a far larger operation that the enemy had been conducting for years. They had been taking captives, usually travelers or isolated farmers, turning them into lycans, then releasing them into areas where they knew the lycan clans could find them. The massive expansion of the lycan population over the last few years had been a direct result of the very enemy they had been fighting. Alone, that information would have been far more confusing than helpful, but combined with what they learned about the gas, Meesei was able to make a reasonable guess as to the purpose of such contradictory actions. The new gas was designed to rip away a lycan's soul, then send it directly to Clavicus Vile's realm without the need for any rituals or soul gems. It was something that any conventional magical or alchemical knowledge would say was impossible, but Meesei had seen the results herself. Some of the alchemists theorized that one or more of the ingredients for the gas could come from Vile's realm itself to help establish a link. Vile's followers had been building up their enemy's numbers for years so that they could quickly harvest thousands upon thousands of lycan souls for their master within the span of a few years. Since lycans were difficult to hold captive, especially in high numbers, Meesei reasoned that it was the quickest option Vile had to gain such a large number of lycan souls.

When the few weeks of traveling drew to a close, and the warband finally returned to the Orcrest clan's stronghold, their reception was a mix of happiness and grief. Given the severe losses they had taken, there were few in the clan who had not lost at least one person close to them. It was a fear that many had held in the clan during their long wait, and one they were devastated to see become reality. Ri'vashi announced that a memorial would be held in three days time, then excused herself to confer privately with Dro'cahi in order to discuss her intended departure from the clan.

The main chamber, and most of the halls and rooms surrounding it, were crowded with people looking for friends and loved ones, and Ahnasha, Fendros, Janius, and Kaleeth were all among them. S'ajira and Jo'rashaad would certainly be among the crowd with their sons; it was just a matter of finding them.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Alright, though we can probably have that conversation in the scene at the clan.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

You think I should do the timeskip to Orcrest now?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Overall, Gallus' answers were not quite what Ri'vashi was expecting. Regardless, she had a good humor about it. When Gallus mentioned her eyes, she intentionally widened them to make them appear even larger than usual. She was not honestly sure why her size was a deterrent for him, but she followed his statements by stretching out her arms and legs so as to appear even taller.

Ri'vashi felt that Gallus' insistence that she smile was strange, but she decided to play along regardless. She repeated his words, though could not stop herself from laughing. "Thank you, Ri'vashi is sure she won't have any problems finding a mate now." She commented, somewhat sarcastically. At the same time, she placed a hand on her hip and rubbed the other across her chest, posing in such a way as to appear obviously seductive. By her laugh, she was obviously teasing Gallus by this point.

Regardless of her outward expressions, Ri'vashi did feel grateful to Gallus for pushing her along to make some more difficult decisions, and not just regarding seeking a mate. The fact that she now had an answer from Gallus, even if it was not the one she had been hoping for, made her more comfortable accepting Meesei's offer. She could return with them to the Bruma clan without much of the uncertainty that had been plaguing her before, at least in regards to personal matters.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Judging by Ri'vashi's expression, Gallus' answer was not the one she wanted, but she did not try to argue over it. She let out a long, deep breath, then gave a single nod. "Okay. Ri'vashi understands. This was a change for Ri'vashi, she knows. She just had time to think over the last week, and that is what she realized that she wanted. She will just have to try not to be so...unbearably serious all the time and meet someone new. When Ri'vashi joins you all in Bruma, maybe you could introduce her to someone interesting?" She answered.

There was another few moments of hesitation from Ri'vashi before she decided on one last, brief show of affection. Suddenly, she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. "Thank you." She said, pulling away just as quickly. Slowly, she laid herself back down on her bedroll and stared up at the roof of the tent with her hands resting behind her head. "Before you go...Ri'vashi just has one question. Something she is just curious about. How attractive is Ri'vashi? And why?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"It's not necessarily causing distress itself, it's just..." Ri'vashi began, but her voice trailed off. She was quite obviously indecisive, and the longer she was silent, the more pressure she felt to give some kind of answer. Eventually, she managed to clear her mind enough that she reasoned that she should just explain her current thoughts. "That night changed Ri'vashi; she cannot deny that. It made her realize some things about herself. Ri'vashi never felt that she needed intimacy like that in her life, and for the most part, that is still true. This one does not think that she needs intimacy. It is something she can live without, and has lived without. Ri'vashi is not some animal with an instinctual need she cannot ignore. But, she does feel that it is something she wants."

Now that she had started speaking, Ri'vashi felt calm enough to actually make eye contact with Gallus. Though, she also moved herself closer to Gallus and placed both her hands on his shoulders. The look in her eyes was intense, and telling of the thoughts within her mind. "Ri'vashi has also come to understand that it is not just physical intimacy she wants, though. She doesn't want to mate, she wants [/i]a[/i] mate." She explained, rubbing her hand down his back. "If that is not something you want, Ri'vashi will have to find someone else."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter actually started to give something of a chuckle. "I really don't think I can feel any worse, honestly." He commented, followed quickly by another sigh. There was another long pause from him, though this time he appeared in deep thought. It was clear that his problems were something that a few words, even from Sabine, was not going to solve. However, his expression did turn at least slightly less downtrodden.

"I know you're right, it's just that none of this is easy for me. I had always considered the possibility of dying in battle, but I really never thought enough on the possibility of being crippled by it. I know I shouldn't be dwelling on this. I feel like I should try to get my mind off of it all. Anything in particular you feel like doing?" Peiter asked.

---

At this point, it was almost impossible for Ri'vashi to maintain eye contact as she spoke. She was rubbing one of her hands over the other nervously, and spoke rather softly. "Well, Ri'vashi is professional. She had responsibilities in the attack, and did not want to fail in her duty. After we started marching again, it...just never seemed like the right time to mention it. You have been stressed, Ri'vashi has been stressed, and..." Her voice trailed off once she realized that she did not know where to go with the thought. It took another few breaths before she was able to continue.

"Ri'vashi had never been in a situation like that. You know she doesn't get close to people very often, and she is always so busy. And, this one has always been afraid that those kinds of feelings could impact her judgment. Cause her to make mistakes in the heat of battle, that sort of thing. That didn't happen during the attack, fortunately. Ri'vashi's training and experience did keep her level-headed. Ri'vashi, well...she liked it. The whole experience. But that makes this one nervous."