EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter felt at least slightly more comfortable with the focus of the conversation off of himself, though that relief quickly became concern when Gallus got to the point of the meeting he had called. Peiter's first thought was that it had something to do with Irenya. Even being in her pack, Peiter did not know a great deal about her past, but he was aware that she had family in Cyrodiil. Not to mention, she had always been a bit more open with Gallus about such matters. Still, there was something about Gallus' plans to leave that made Peiter nervous.

"Where are you going; is it about Irenya's family?" Peiter asked. Even the brief mention of her was enough to inspire a bit of sadness within him at her memory. If there was one thing that he was feeling worse about than his arm, it was the loss of their pack member.

---

"He will find his peace eventually." Meesei answered. She moved herself closer to Sabine and placed a hand on her back. "It might take time, but he will not live like this forever. I know it has been a few weeks since the attack, and that may seem like quite a while, but try to keep in mind how often he is reminded of his injury. It will naturally take longer for him to recover, mentally. Just do not give up hope that he can improve, and that you might be able to help him. You can go try to speak to him now if you wish, or I can give advice on any questions you might have, to the best of my ability."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Alright, that's fine. I made a quick post, but I need to get to bed. Goodnight.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

When asked if there was anything else he wanted to talk about, Peiter quickly shook his head. Even when Gallus mentioned Sabine, Peiter remained dismissive. "No, things are just fine between us." He lied. They had not spent time together in the same way as they had before in the weeks since the attack. There were some occasions where they talked and laughed together, but they were much more rare than usual. His mood swings tended to keep them from enjoying their time together. They had not mated since before the attack, and, quite strangely for him, Peiter had not so much as hinted that he actually wanted to. "If you want to talk with the pack about something, I probably shouldn't hold you up."

---

Sabine's description of Peiter's behavior followed with what Meesei expected from someone in his condition. Or at least, it was one of a few types of reactions she would expect. "It is perfectly understandable that you feel bad seeing Peiter in this position, but be careful not to blame yourself. His mood is not being caused by anything you have done. It is also understandable that he feels this way. You cannot force him to be happy or outgoing, nor should you attempt to, but you still may be able to help him. In fact, you may be one of the most likely people among us to be able to reach him. Try to think back on what used to make him happy before his injury; you might be able to use it to cheer him up once more. Just make sure not to approach it as a simple tool. Spend time with him in a way that would make you both happy, instead of solely making an effort to cheer him up alone."

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

The deal the Naga had received was sensible, in Ssarak's eyes. It could be difficult finding unclaimed areas of land in Tiien, but they were actually somewhat common in the region around the Scorched Lands. "That is a reasonable plan, I imagine. I have always noticed that the other races tended to give our lands a wider berth than was necessary to avoid being poisoned by our homeland's air. Sensible, but if you know of a place that is safe for them, then they may have some protection simply from the reputation of the land itself."

As Khan shifted the conversation towards himself and Meirin, Ssarak picked up on the lightened mood. He gave a short, subtle nod to Khan, and even started to grin. "I personally have been taking the time to relax whenever I can. Though, my studies are rather demanding. Today, we were fortunate enough that both of our schedules permitted us to have some time together. Satori had another obligation which forced her to reschedule our private lessons. It is rare for her not to keep an appointment, at least in my experience, but I suppose she had her reasons. I certainly shall not complain about an...albeit short reprieve. Now, you have inspired some curiosity within me, Khan. When was the last time a certain Headmaster had any significant time to himself." Ssarak asked.

Ssarak was by no means against lighthearted conversation, but he doubted that the Naga would have the desire to join in. He did hope to speak to both Lyam and the Martriarch before they departed.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Again, Peiter was silent for a while after Gallus' question. He had to admit, to himself at least, that he had not been thinking too heavily on the specific tasks he might be able to perform once they returned home. For a short while, he actually thought seriously on the suggestions Gallus was making. The idea of learning to fight again in his current condition was not appealing to him. He already found fighting to be difficult enough when he was in prime condition, so he could only imagine the danger he would be placing himself in if he tried fighting with a disability. Perhaps it would be possible for a particularly talented fighter, but he knew that was not him. He had put some thought before into trades he could pick up, but it was difficult for him to reason out which one would be the easiest for him. For every trade he considered, the first thoughts to come to his mind were the problems he would have to deal with, which did not serve to encourage him. Pursuing magic was the option of which he had the least understanding, though that also meant that he had the least negative thoughts about it. His practice with Sabine thusfar had given him only a cursory understanding of magical concepts, so he did not know enough to think about what problems his disability might cause him.

"I...I don't know, alright? I don't know much about any of this, or what I'm going to have to deal with. It's all anyone ever talks about, you know? Ever since this happened, everyone has something to say about it, and it's usually the same thing. I know what's wrong with me, and I know everyone things there's something I could be doing." He said before lowering his head and letting out a sigh. "But...thank you for at least being specific. I'm guessing I don't have to decide right this second, right?"

---

Meesei nodded in understanding. She too had noticed Peiter's sour mood since the attack, but had rarely been in a position to speak to him about it. Even if she had, she had no doubt that her voice would simply be one among many with advice for his situation. It seemed that, currently, the greatest threat to his health was his own mind, and that was not something she could easily heal. "I see. I am afraid there is no easy solution to his problems. His injury is lifechanging, and at his age, a terrible tragedy for him. But, it may not be wise to speak to him about it too frequently, at least not for quite some time. Undoubtedly, there have been many who have tried to give him advice. To them, they may have only spoken to him about it for a few minutes, once or twice. But for him, there are always people wanting to talk to him about it; to remind him of it. Perhaps the best thing you can do for him in the short term is to give him something else to focus on. In that way, you may be able to help each other."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter let out another, long breath and curled his lips. He seemed to be thinking, rather heavily, on Gallus' question. It was hard to tell at first how he had taken it, but after he clenched his hand into a fist and gritted his teeth, it became clear that he had not taken it well.

"No, nothing I can do is useful anymore. I just want to get back to Bruma and...I don't know, maybe I'll clean the floors for the rest of my life. I can probably still hold a broom." Peiter answered, dejected.

---

To Sabine's worries, Meesei actually gave a brief chuckle, though she retained a serious expression. "Ironically, this ordeal has made me much more confident regarding my health. As you might imagine, I have learned a great deal about the limits of my body, and what happens to it along every step of the way as it nears death. I know what it feels like to come close to death, so that is why I am confident that my treatment is not dangerous to me."

Despite Meesei's explanation, she was still feeling guilty for causing Sabine to worry. She had been hugging her since the moment she approached, so that was evidently not doing much to calm her. "I know there is a lot to be stressed about for the future, but...well, I believe you have given me lectures before about overstressing myself. What do you think you would want to do right now to get your mind off of it all?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter seemed to only grow more uncomfortable through Gallus' apology. He was holding his hand across his stomach with a hunched-over posture. "No, I...understand. I spoke to Sabine earlier; she said that the stone was just too heavy to lift. If a werewolf couldn't even lift it, then what it did to me..." He began, his voice trailing off uncomfortably. "I should have just been faster getting out of the keep. I was too slow. I can't blame anyone but myself."

---

Meesei wrapped her arms tightly around Sabine and pulled her into a hug for at least a minute. The tears in her eyes now came from more than just the pain she had put herself through, but also Sabine. They were coming from a mix of her sadness and regret, which was quickly starting to overwhelm her mind.

"Sabine...I am sorry. I just did not want you to worry about that which you could not change. I am safe now, please understand that. I have your potions to keep me alive, and nothing I am doing to myself will risk my own life. Please do not worry that anything else is the case. I am going to have to go through these treatments if I want to be rid of the silver, and I promise that I will not hide anything about it from you. But, you do not have to watch me do it." Meesei explained.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Gallus did have a solid argument, but Peiter was still reluctant to accept it. "I...just don't think we need to talk about it that much. We all know what happened; we all know what's wrong with me. I'm not feeling anything that you wouldn't expect someone in my...position to feel. There are no surprises locked away in my mind. I'm just...depressed. Frustrated about what I've lost. I mean, it's not like I want to avoid talking about it entirely. If you can think of any real solutions to help me get better, or feel better, I'll be glad to talk about them, but I don't want to just talk about the problems."

Peiter looked away and weakly added another word. "Please..."

---

Meesei slowly raised up her head to look Sabine in the eyes, then gently placed a hand on top of one of Sabine's. "As I said, you need not worry about me. Nothing I was doing is dangerous, just...painful. Some of the silver remaining is buried deep within me, bound to my flesh. And...that is what it takes to remove it. It will be a very...slow process, but it is the only way I will ever be free of the silver entirely. There was nothing you or Marcaille could have done to help, so please do not feel guilty. I was able to move a few particles of the silver into my blood from where they were stuck, so I was successful. As for the pain, it is unavoidable. The procedure puts stress on my heart, and if I numbed it too strongly, it could stop beating altogether. I know it was not pleasant...and I am sorry that I allowed you to see it."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter looked away briefly, doing nothing to hide his uncertainty and discomfort. He rubbed his neck as he managed to make eye contact once more, then let out a sigh. "I...still don't really like...laking about it. It's fine; I'm fine. Don't worry about that, I just don't really want to focus on it, alright?"

Running his hand down his face, Peiter's expression quickly became more apologetic. "I'm sorry. I don't want things to go back to how they have been the last few weeks, really. But, unless there's something that can do some real, tangible good for my...situation, I would like to at least try to move on to worrying about other things."

---

Meesei did not notice Sabine open the tent at first, something she would quickly come to regret. In the center of the tent, Meesei was sitting on her knees, with her hand held over her heart. Her eyes were closed, with a glowing aura of restoration magic around her, though it was her hand in which her magic was concentrated. Her expression became strained shortly before her hand started to glow as brightly as a fireball.

Taking in a deep breath, Meesei started to pull her hand away from her chest, at which point the sight became much more horrible. "Aaahhhggg" She screamed, holding her free hand over her snout to muffle the sound. Tendrils of bright yellow restoration energy flowed from her hands into her chest, and almost seemed to tighten as she pulled her hand farther away. The pain it caused her was nothing short of immense. It was enough to actually cause her to give a quiet, but high-pitched squeal, which immediately turned to tears. Many restoration treatments could cause pain, and some caused enough that they could not be entirely numbed, but the pain this was causing Meesei was like that of someone trying to saw through their own limbs with a dull knife.

Meesei continued to struggle pulling her hand farther from her chest until the tendrils of magic finally disappeared, and she instantly collapsed onto her hands and knees. For a few moments, she simply sobbed, then clutched one hand into a fist and held it up to her heart. It was only after she finally noticed Sabine that she tried to regain some semblance of composure. "Oh, Sabine, no I...you need not worry about me. I am fine, thank you."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

That's fine. Though, I think I should make the mention that they are still in the desert, so Gallus may find it difficult to locate a tree.