EliteCommander

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

While the moment may not have been quite as extravagant as the one in the clouds, Ssarak embraced Meirin's kiss just as enthusiastically. It was a much different sensation with a Human than with an Esyire. His snout did not even have lips as she did, so it did not feel entirely "natural." He had to take what he could do and use it to make the experience pleasant for the both of them. In many ways, it mirrored their relationship as a whole. He and Meirin were inescapably different. Physically and socially, they were not meant to be together, but they were defying those expectations regardless. They were making their relationship work, no matter what was trying to inhibit it.

Ssarak was reluctant to go anywhere, or do anything else, but he knew well not to attempt to force a tender moment to last beyond its natural end. They had both shown their passion clearly, but they were still technically in a public place, and it was time to move on. Turning his head down towards the courtyard, Ssarak raised his brow. "Right, that is today. Given my role in saving the Naga, I suppose I should be present to see them off. I have no desire to leave your tender embrace, but...I suppose we will have plenty of time later." Ssarak chuckled lightheartedly. He was already holding on tightly to Meirin, so it was simple to scooper her up into his arms, then glide them down to the courtyard below. They landed near to Khan and the Naga, after which Ssarak lowered Meirin slowly onto her feet.

"Greetings Khan, Lyam, Matriarch." Ssarak said, looking at each of them in turn and bowing his head politely. "Is all well for the departure?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Bheja shrugged his shoulders to Gallus. "You don't have to thank us. I mean, it's not like we befriended Tzirret out of charity or anything. He was shy, but interesting. If he was as fearful as you're thinking, then he put a lot of effort into putting himself out there to talk to us."

Ma'tanza nodded in agreement. "Tzirret is very kind, no matter how nervous he is at any point. He's someone who Ma'tanza would never doubt really cares about her. As for the letters...well, we're probably going to be staying with this clan for a while, so you can send them to Orcrest. This one will mention in her letters if we end up moving to a new place."

There was a pause, during which Ma'tanza seemed to appear uncomfortable. She glanced away from Gallus, took in a breath, then looked back to him nervously. "Tzirret is a very caring person. Ma'tanza doesn't think he will be very happy being a warrior. All the fighting and death...this one doesn't think it suits him at all. No one will make him be a warrior, will they? If he doesn't want to?"

Despite the fact that they were giving their goodbyes, La'khay almost seemed to be in a good mood from all of the pleasant memories they had all been discussing. With Tzirret, it was no different. "La'khay thinks you have that backwards. You and your pack did far more for La'khay and her pride than could ever possibly be repaid. Anything La'khay did for you was just to let out the natural beauty contained within you."

La'tahne stepped alongside Tzirret and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, La'khay has told this one much about you, and if any of it is half-true, you deserve the praise. Such a lively and handsome boy you are; this one thinks you will have no problems going forward in your life. At least, none you cannot overcome."

Ra'kalesh smiled as he shook his head lightly. "Well, whatever happens, this one wishes you well. And of course, he pities whatever unfortunate souls end up facing Kaleeth in an arena." He commented, chuckling as he turned his attention to Janius. "Out of curiosity, how many bruises does she give you on a daily basis?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ma'tanza was just as confused as Tzirret, since she could not think of what Gallus might have to say to her. She assumed he would want to give his goodbyes, but that would not require them to speak privately. Regardless, there was no harm in hearing what he had to say, so she nodded in response to Tzirret. "Yes, that's fine. Just don't forget about that kiss, okay?" She said, placing her hand briefly onto Tzirret's chest.

Once Tzirret had stepped away, Ma'tanza looked up at Gallus curiously. Even S'nishi had her head slightly tilted as she listened to what he had to say. "Um, is everything okay?" Ma'tanza asked.

La'khay smiled and returned Sabine's hug just as enthusiastically, and though La'tahne did not know her as closely, she joined in as well. La'khay laughed, then placed her hands on both of Sabine's cheeks once they were done with the hug. "Oh, you're just so cute when you're happy...and just in general. La'khay did help you along, but just remember that everything you needed, you accomplished all yourself. La'khay just...nudged you in the right direction. La'khay might have fixed up your hair and made you clean, but you did everything else from there. La'khay doesn't think it is possible to make someone beautiful. The beauty has to already be there, or La'khay can do nothing. Both you and Peiter are very beautiful people, and there is nothing in this world, or the next, that can ever change that. La'khay hopes you will go on and share that beauty with the world."

Ra'kalesh nodded to Janius. "This one hopes so as well, but whether we see each other again or not, Ra'kalesh will never forget you. None of us will. Lycans may not have historians of our own, but this one will write down your story himself if he has to. He will make sure your deeds are remembered, if not by everyone, at least by his own family. His pride, his friends, everyone he knows will hear about you and your pack for as long as he has a voice to speak. And as for Ra'kalesh's art, well...he hopes his teachings will be useful for you. Admittedly, this one's decision to train you probably would have disappointed other Whispering Fang monks. Your training is incomplete, you see, and practicing alone tends to reinforce bad habits. Most monks only take apprentices who choose to dedicate the years required to master the art. But...perhaps you can find another teacher to complete your training?"

Kaleeth shrugged her shoulders. "We could try, though I wouldn't really know where to start."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

S'ajira gave a brief grunt and a nod, while Jo'rashaad spoke for them. "And there will always be a place for you here. You just take care of yourselves on your way home. We will be safe here, because you have made it safe for us."

"Yeah." Colors added. "No one really knows how long it will be before we can get a new clanhome of our own down south in the Tenmar, but it's not like the people of this clan are in any rush to throw us out. Maybe one day we'll have our home in the trees; get the outposts occupied again. But, it looks like everyone will be happy here until then. Well, as happy as a Saxhleel can be in a desert."

Ahnasha chuckled. "If this fails, you could always turn back to piracy."

Colors grinned and feigned a defensive posture. "Hey, I was never a pirate, I was a smuggler. There is a distinct and important difference. Still, I can see it now. Pick one of the uninhabited islands out in the southern sea, get ourselves some ships, and become a band of lycan pirates. Honestly, I don't think that's something that's happened before. Too bad those ships we stole are probably long gone by now."

Ri'vashi and Marcaille returned to the group after giving their goodbyes to their respective friends and pride members. Others were still exchanging their final farewells, but it seemed like it would not be to long before they departed for good. The reality of the situation had truly set in for Ma'tanza, but there were at least a few details she could focus on to keep herself from breaking down in tears. Despite the danger they had all been through, Tzirret was safe, unharmed, and she had no reason to believe he would not continue to be safe.

Bheja gave Tzirret a few pats on the back almost hard enough to knock the breath out of him during their hug, while Qa'habi simply gave a standard "goodbye." M'ibasa seemed a bit downtrodden, but was otherwise enthusiastic in his hug. After Tzirret's final words, Ma'tanza took in a deep breath to try and calm herself. "Even though Ma'tanza knew this was coming, it is still hard. She doesn't have words to say how much she will miss you. She doesn't think she has ever met anyone so...genuine. Yes, that's a word. You are a genuine person. She knows you love her because she can trust you. You are an honest person, and Ma'tanza thanks you for everything."

Following Ma'tanza's response, she broke eye contact and began to cry far more than a few sparse tears. As much as she wanted to look on the bright side, she had reached the point where her sadness had overwhelmed her. Most of the others did not know how to respond, but S'nishi decided to take the opportunity to give her own version of a goodbye. She moved her imposing form directly in front of Tzirret, then reached up one of her front paws and placed it on his shoulder, though her paw was large enough that she could only rest two or three toes on it at once. She was also careful not to put too much weight on him to keep from knocking him off of his feet. She gave him an approving nod, then, after a few seconds of staring, suddenly licked across his entire face at once with her massive tongue.

S'nishi gave a deep, bellowing sound which was her closest approximation of a laugh, followed shortly by laughter from all of their friends. Even Ma'tanza was broken from her sobbing by laughter. She wiped away the tears from her eyes, then gave Tzirret another hug. "Ma'tanza loves you, and she will miss you. Just, more than anything, once you get back home, promise Ma'tanza you will be happy."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Jo'rashaad knelt down beside S'ajira, in front of Rhazii, while Newt was quick to run up alongside him as well. Like Rhazii, his mood showed that he did not fully grasp the situation. "Goodbye Jo'rashaad. Goodbye S'ajira. I had fun." He said with a smile, which Jo'rashaad gladly returned.

Giving a brief chuckle, Jo'rashaad briefly rubbed the tops of both of the children's heads. "This one is glad to hear that, and we were glad to have you. Take care of yourselves on your journey, and make sure to keep having fun."

Following Ra'kalesh, each of his pride started to give their individual farewells. Ciinriel approached Sabine and Peiter nervously with her hands clasped together in front of her, swaying back and forth slightly. "I will miss you; it was...nice having you around. I don't have that many friends, and...I hope I'll see you again someday."

Ma'tanza, Bheja, M'ibasa, S'nishi, and Qa'habi were all gathered to say their goodbyes to Tzirret. Ma'tanza held his hands in hers, and at the moment, was having a difficult time speaking. To give herself more time, she leaned in and gave him a kiss, but even after it was over, she could not bring herself to speak.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Yeah, Ri'vashi's pride is still strongly connected to the clan, and Marcaille doesn't have much of a pride left in her "old" age. Well, not so much a pride, since she's not a werelion.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter was having a hard time being as expressive as Gallus, but he managed to nod as Gallus spoke. Inside him, there was still some anger towards his alpha for all he had done after the attack; however, he had been thinking constantly about what Gallus had done during the attack. Sabine had said herself that she did not think she could have lifted the masonry, so as much as he wanted someone or something to blame, Peiter no longer believed it was fair of him to blame Gallus for it. "Yeah...yeah, that sounds fine." He answered.

---

Meesei had originally planned to depart later in the evening after the memorial, but given how long it had lasted, and the emotional state of some of her companions, she decided to delay until the morning. Some would be able to get a better night's rest than others, but the extra time would at least give their emotions time to calm without having to worry about trekking into the desert once more. The packs were gathering in the main chamber, along with the others joining them: Ri'vashi and Marcaille. Dro'cahi had provided to them two carriages and the camels to pull them, which were already prepared outside.

Many had come to see of the Champion, and their former clan-leader. Dro'cahi, Ra'kalesh's pride, Ri'nakhaad, and many more from both clans were present, so the chamber was reasonably crowded. While not the most emotional experience of the past few days, there were many for whom it would be difficult to say goodbye.

Ra'kalesh was the first to speak as he stepped forward in front of his pride. "You have all done...so much for us. It is impossible to thank you. We may have lost one of our own, but this one knows that without you, we all would have been killed, or worse. As bad as things may seem now, no matter how much tragedy has befallen us, Ra'kalesh recognizes that we would all have suffered far more dearly were it not for your actions. You are...heroes. There is no other way to put it."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Think we should skip ahead a bit to their final goodbyes before they leave? I think we've been through everyone for the memorial.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ri'vashi was muck like Lorag in that she did not express openly her words to the dead, but that did not mean her show of grief was not obvious. When it was her turn to approach the shrine, she placed down an ornate carving knife with a handle shaped to depict the Khajiit deity Baan Dar. It had belonged to her fallen pride member, so she had decided to commit it to the memorial. She knelt down on one knee and closed her eyes. She remained silent, but the fur under her eyes quickly began to darken with tears.

Peiter, through all of Gallus' words at the shrine, appeared incredibly conflicted. He did not respond to anyone around him for a while, even Sabine. He just stood, staring at the ground in front of him. It was difficult to tell exactly what was going through his mind, whether it was grief from thinking about Irenya, or something else entirely. Even after Gallus stepped away and it was his turn at the shrine, he was caught up in his thoughts enough that he almost looked like he was not going to approach at all.

After some delicate prodding from one of the crowd behind him, Peiter did eventually step forward to the shrine. "I...wish I had something of yours, Irenya. Something to leave here for you. It shouldn't have been you. You didn't deserve it; you deserved many more...hundreds of years of life. Nothing about this is right, and I..." He began, his gaze moving in the direction of Gallus and Uthri. "...feel like a fool."

Peiter turned away from the shrine, almost abruptly. He said nothing, but moved through the crowd with purpose until he reached Gallus and Uthri. At first, he opened his mouth as if he was going to speak, but again said nothing. The uncertainty had not left his expression, but his intentions became clear once he placed his hand sympathetically on Gallus' shoulder.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

As Fendros was leaving the shrine, Ra'kalesh and his pack were stepping forward. They each had their own way to honor Do'ajee, but Ra'kalesh took the time to stop Fendros with a hand on his shoulder and give him a respectful nod. "Thank you." He said, referring to Fendros' words at the shrine.

Given that most of them did not directly know many who had lost their lives, most of Meesei's pack kept their words brief at the shrine. Meesei had nothing belonging to any of the lost to place at the shrine, but she did have a few words to say, meant for no one but herself. "You went beyond what any of us could have asked. Rest well, and may we hunt together soon."

Lorag's approach to the memorial was one of silent introspection. As one might expect of him, he did not weep, but he was among the first to honor fallen soldiers. He placed at the shrine a steel helmet, taken from the effects of one of the soldiers under his command who had died from her wounds in the camp shortly after the attack. She had no family among the clan, so he was placing it for her.

While Kaleeth was nowhere near as awkward in public as she used to be, some of that social awkwardness had begun to surface during the memorial. Even in her own village, she had never experienced a memorial like this, so she was rather strongly afraid of accidentally doing something that would cause offense. So, she had taken to staying close to Janius and almost refusing to let go of his hand. When they reached the shrine, she simply lowered her head and began to tear up.

Ahnasha, like Meesei, did not have anything appropriate to place at the shrine, but she did have something rather personal to say. "I...wish I would have said more to you before the attack, Irenya. I wish I would have forgiven you, clearly and directly. I know our last conversation was positive, that we were moving in the right direction, but...I wish I would have left it all so much clearer. I do forgive you, and I thank you. For not giving up, no matter how stubborn I was. I'm...sorry."