EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei could not help but to laugh. "I just knew you would have something to say about that. Well, I will be looking forward to it. Hopefully we can find the time sometime soon."

---

Despite completing their most important tasks leading up to the invasion, it still took about a week before anyone in the pack was able to carry out any of the plans they had made. Meesei still had to meet a few more times with the Empire's Legate General, as well as Teroiah, and introduce Ri'vashi to the both of them. Fortunately, once they were acquainted, Meesei merely had the task of teleporting Ri'vashi to the right places so she could handle the more detailed military planning. As for the rest of the pack, they still had their normal responsibilities, from which they would need to prepare to be absent.

As they had planned beforehand, Janius, Kaleeth, and Julan were going to join Sabine in traveling to Thorn, then make their own way to the likely location of Kaleeth's former tribe. She knew roughly where they would be, but expected to be away for at least a few days. Sabine, of course, could return home at will, but would need to check back in Thorn each day to see if they had returned. They were all finally able to coordinate their free time together, so they would be leaving within a few hours.

It was early in the morning, a few hours before the group intended to leave, when Meesei knocked on Sabine's door. She had been able to pull herself away from her responsibilities as well, so she felt it would be a perfect chance to spend some time with her.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Could double up on that. Meesei could go with Sabine to spend time with her before or after meeting with Ariel, while Kaleeth, Janius, and Julan go look for her tribe.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I think we can move on. What scene did you want to go to?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei gave a particularly curious look towards Lunise, thinking silently for a few seconds with a grin on her face. "Hmm, I actually find myself quite curious on what kind of an idea you might come up with. I have never thought about what kind of a gift-giver you might be. My hatching day is next month, after all."

Meesei tightened her hand around Lunise's, then rolled over onto her side, towards her, and rested her other arm on Lunise's hip. "Though, it is not as if I know for sure when my free time will be. My responsibilities always have the chance of demanding my attention. Regardless, I do not think I would mind a surprise from you, if you decided to give one. I can take us anywhere in Tamriel. Or beyond, if I was somehow able to form a connection with the destination."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei started to open her mouth, but there were no words to follow. In Meesei's professional life, she was a leader, one whose ideas and judgement were meant to be every bit as valuable as her magic. So, it was rare for her to look simply and completely lost, as she did now. She thought back on the last few months, on the wants that she knew she must have been having, but her mind came back empty. She could fill tomes with all she wanted for her pack and her friends, but when she needed to think about herself, there was nothing.

"I...do not know. I, well...I know I want to take some time with my pack, of course. It is such a rare opportunity for us to do so now, but I have not thought about doing something just for myself for...I am not sure how long. Nothing like what my pack are doing. Nothing that would take me beyond the clan." She replied.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I would think self-preservation would be as much of a motivator to Teroiah as her reputation. She is going to be in Oblivion with the rest of us, and I doubt she has any intention of dying there. Particularly since Vile could claim her soul if she were to die in his realm. A danger all of us will face, really. If we defeat him as planned, then he will lose his hold over any souls lost during the fighting, but if we fail..." Meesei's voice trailed off. The stakes of the invasion had never been in question, but even so, speaking them aloud never failed to be unsettling. She was quick to move on from the subject.

"I have not seen nor spoken to anyone from my family since my youth. I never had any siblings, and my parents both died before I left. The rest of my family, or indeed, the rest of the village, believes me to have died as well. I was raised to be someone of importance to my people. A Treeminder, a sort of shaman, as you may think of it. I was to be a leader of my village, but I ultimately found my purpose elsewhere. I faked my death, as I believed it would be easier for them in the long-run. It likely was, but naturally, I have not had contact with them since." She explained.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei hummed a moment, lifting up her hand and glancing down at her ring. "Hmm, it is sometimes easy to forget how much my ring does for me. Lycan spirits are restless, and most tend to suffer nightmares from time to time. I cannot remember the last time I slept without it."

Meesei laid back shortly after Lunise and just allowed the silence to fill the air for a while. It was peaceful, especially with the enchantments blocking all sound from passing through the walls. Though, she did eventually continue from the thoughts passing through her mind. "I am dreading the politics I am going to have to deal with for the next few months, but at least Ri'vashi will be handling most of the actual military details of the invasion. And perhaps she will have better luck getting along with Teroiah. She is Khajiit, a race I assume a Thalmor would be accustomed to working with, and she understands Imperials through her upbringing. I at least expect to be somewhat less busy than I have been. Most of my pack intends to visit their families and loved ones with their time...I am not sure what I should do."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Indeed, I have to wonder what she thinks of me. The way I first learned magic was difficult, more...obtuse than what most mages experience, but it ended with me approaching magic in a fundamentally different way to allow for such adaptations. I had to use twice as much magicka to attain the same power as her, but perhaps I can convince her to demonstrate it a few more times so I can pick up the details." Meesei chuckled.

Meesei stepped over and took a seat on the edge of Lunise's bed, letting out a long breath as she was sitting down. She leaned back somewhat, supporting her upper body with her hands and closing her eyes. "For the most part, I am just tired. For that entire duel, all the power we demonstrated, only one of us even received a flesh wound, and a minor one at that. But, it still took all of my focus and ability to face her. I knew I would win as well, but only if I did not make any mistakes. I accomplished what I needed to, though. I made the time to have a talk with the Invigiator, or...whatever it was that she held as a title. I should probably be sure to memorize it before we next meet. Although, I feel that I just wish to do...nothing for the moment. I believe I have earned it."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

None that I can think of.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha gave an encouraging pat on Fendros' shoulder, then gripped it firmly. "Yeah, I think we can save our melancholy for later. For now, we can do our best to try to enjoy a well-deserved break."

---

The pack did eventually leave the meeting chamber, in a variety of different moods. The invasion would be looming over them, but for now, at least, they had time to collect themselves and deal with any unresolved issues. For some, it might have been difficult to go about their normal duties for the day with it on their minds, but for Meesei, at least, she had made up her mind even before the duel that she would not be taking on any more work for the day. She was quite genuinely exhausted from the duel, but she did not head directly to her own room. Rather, it was Lunise's she had went to after enough time had passed.

After Lunise answered the knock at her door, Meesei made sure to wait until the door was closed in its entirety before speaking a word. Although, she was slow to speak regardless. Her fatigue was obvious, as was the stress in her mind. Nevertheless, she managed to give a subtle smile. "So, was the duel...to your liking, as an observer?"