EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

As Ma'tanza learned more about what Tzirret had set up, she tried to make a guess at what he was planning. But, she could already think of a few ideas on what Tzirret could be doing with watermelon seeds depending on what liquid was actually in the cups. There were some that could cause them to grow quickly, some that could make them grow in an unusual way, and others that might do something more spectacular. She still could not say what Tzirret was going to attempt.

Once Tzirret started to explain why he was going through with this surprise, Ma'tanza almost started to tear up. The thought that Tzirret would be leaving had certainly occurred to her before, but she had been trying to avoid thinking about it. Whatever Tzirret had planned, she certainly appreciated the sentiment. Shortly after Tzirret dismissed his candlelight spell, Ma'tanza took a moment to lean in and give him a quick kiss. Afterwards, she did as he said and began to toss the seeds into the vessels.

---

As Ahnasha was following Fendros, she spotted the strange-looking targets that Fendros had set up for them. Though, hearing his explanation, their design certainly made sense. In the hills, they could set up the targets at both short and long ranges, and the hills themselves would help them catch the wind. Coupled with the fact that the actual targets they were aiming for were rather small, and she could see how it could be made into a challenge.

Ahnasha held up her finger to test the wind, then, with a flick of her wrist, conjured up a bound bow in her other hand. She nocked an arrow and aimed for a few seconds, but did not fire before lowering her bow once more. "An interesting idea for training, definitely. Though, you know these shots won't be easy, even for me. So, don't be too disappointed if you can't get a hit." She joked. "Why don't you take the first shot?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ma'tanza's first reaction upon seeing the cups and bowls laid out on the floor was that Tzirret had prepared a private dinner for them, but the strangely large number of vessels quickly made that seem unlikely. She closed the door behind her and allowed herself a few moments to adjust to the relative darkness. A closer look suggested that he was attempting something with alchemy, though she had no idea what it might be off the top of her head. She thought she recognized the scents of some of the ingredients present, but she would not be able to know for sure without being able to examine the contents of the cups.

Ma'tanza was not certain if she should sit or stand, but seeing as Tzirret was trying something with alchemy, without much experience, she elected to keep her distance. "This is...well Ma'tanza honestly doesn't know what this is. It isn't dangerous is it?" She asked.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Upon reading the letter, Ma'tanza had quite a few questions in her mind. She had an idea of why Tzirret was doing something special for her, but she hadn't the faintest idea of what that might be. He wanted her to meet him at dinner time, so it was probably something that would take some time for him to set up, but beyond that, she had no guesses. Overall, she was greatly intrigued. She had been in relationships before, but none of her partners had something so elaborate for her. Thinking about it, she could not help but to smile.

---

As Tzirret had requested, Ma'tanza waited until dinner time to start making her way towards the room Tzirret had specified, after having spent the majority of the day looking forward to it. She had not seen Tzirret around the clanhome during the day, though she also had not been looking for him. Whatever he had planned, she knew he wanted it to be a surprise. She was not entirely certain if he wanted her to arrive before or after she had eaten, but her impatience drove her to pick the former.

The storage room Tzirret had selected was not one that was often used, so the hallway outside was not particularly crowded, apart from a few people making their way to the west wing of the clanhome. Taking in a deep breath and putting on a smile, Ma'tanza opened the door and stepped inside.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Since Ma'tanza was not a member of the Orcrest clan, she did not have any official duties among their clan. Before she left in the warband, she had helped the healers and alchemists, but since they had just returned, the warband was being given time to rest. After her breakfast, she decided she would simply return to her room. It was a room she shared with her brother and a few others, though he was away at the moment. In the time they were away on the attack, he had made a few friends within the Orcrest clan. They had spent much of the previous day together, but now that they had caught up, he was returning to the routine he had developed over the past month.

Strangely, Ma'tanza noticed a note posted on her door when she returned. It had either been placed on the door after she left, or she had not noticed it when leaving in the morning. Either way, the fact that it bore her name meant that it was certainly hers. Heading into the room, she sat down on her bedroll and opened the letter curiously.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I'm doing some things at the moment, so I may be delayed.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I am as well. You can bring us to those scenes if you like.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter looked away, giving nothing but a blank expression. He was thinking, intensely, until his face started to show a hint of the pain within him. He closed his eyes and gave a very subtle sigh. "I see, thank you."

Without elaborating any further on his thoughts, Peiter tugged on Sabine's hand and looked down the hallway. "We should just get back to our room. Maybe find something to pack the painting in? Really, I just think I need some rest."

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Ssarak felt both a great weight lift off of his shoulders, and a feeling of intense passion come over him, when Meirin returned his kiss just as enthusiastically as he had given it. He had not known exactly when this moment would come, when the opportunity would afford itself, but he had put considerable thought into it for at least a few weeks. The fear he had felt when he knew Meirin could be in danger during Lyn's hunt had revealed to him the extent to which he cared for her. He had known that he wanted to express that to her, but he had wanted to make sure that he did so properly, even going as far as taking the time to learn how Humans actually kissed, and what it meant for them. Now, after all of his worrying, he knew she felt the same way.

Even being as close as she was to him, Meirin's whisper was difficult to hear over the roar of the wind, but the context was enough to inform him of her words. Though, he did not have time to respond before it was time for him to once again take control of their descent. As the College was growing closer beneath them, Ssarak extended out his wings to catch the air, then pulled up and to the right sharply. They flew at impressive speeds around the College's tallest tower, far enough for Ssarak to remain safe, but close enough to make the speed of his sharp turn seem all the more thrilling. He made a tight circle around the tower, then turned to fly in another circle above the College's courtyard just to slow them down to a reasonable enough speed to land. Finally, he flew them over to the roof of one of the buildings overlooking the courtyard and pulled up at the last moment to allow himself to land on his feet.

Ssarak slowly lowered Meirin onto her own feet, but kept his arms around her, partially to keep her steady in case his acrobatics had disoriented her, and and partially because he wanted to continue holding her in his embrace. "And I love you, Meirin. More than I could have imagined." He said, reaching up one of his hands and running it through her hair.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha was not sure she had heard the last of Fendros' objections, but she had no desire to continue that discussion at the moment. His next question caused her to raise her brow curiously. They had trained in quite a few ways over the years, and she could not think off the top of her head what the hills would help them accomplish in training. Regardless, as long as he was in a good mood, she was more than willing to agree.

"Sure, I wouldn't mind some practice, or beating you in a competition, if that's what you have in mind. As long as we have time, of course. I don't know if we're going to have anything to do over the next few days, or if Meesei will be handling everything. Anyway, you think we should head back to our room now?" Ahnasha asked.

---

"It's alright." Peiter responded, somewhat weakly. Even now, he would not believe that Sabine would actually want to send him into an even deeper depression. He returned her hug, though there was not a great deal of passion in it. Instead, he was silent, and looking ahead in deep thought.

Eventually, Peiter suddenly decided to speak up on a seemingly random tangent. "Do you think you could have lifted it off of me?' He asked. "Back at the fortress, could you have lifted the masonry?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha looked at Fendros quizzically, with her head tilted slightly to the side. "I can say I have no honest idea what in Oblivion you are talking about. Marcaille is an alchemist, and obviously a skilled necromancer. I don't see that there's anything wrong with her; she can help me. High Rock witches are known to have access to strange and unique kinds of magic, so I'm sure there is a lot I could learn. Remember, she helped to save Meesei's life; she and Sabine stayed up all night with her. Plus, Meesei obviously trusts her if she was willing to offer her the opportunity to come to Bruma with us. Do you have anything...specific you've noticed about her that you don't like?" She asked.

---

Peiter was distracted in his thoughts and did not notice Sabine stopping out in the hall at first. When he felt her tug at his hand, he looked back at her with a blank expression. He seemed like he was disconnected from the present, as he was only really engaging with anyone around him when spoken to directly. "No, I'm just...thinking about Irenya. I keep going back to it; thinking about how I'm not going to be able to see her again. She wasn't a perfect person, not outgoing, or even friendly, but...she was still part of my pack. She was wise, and really went out of her way to help us when we needed it. She was like...a strict grandmother. Not always pleasant, but she would do anything to look out for her family. I just know she would have stopped Gallus and got me out of there in one piece."