Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The overwhelming confusion that Sabine felt melted away into a sympathy for Meesei as she explained. It touched Sabine to know just how deeply she cared. As well, Meesei's moment of emotional vulnerability only served to prove it all. Sabine had a sad smile on her face and she found herself gathering her own tears.

Once Meesei finished and asked Sabine if she had indeed fulfilled her promise to make her better, Sabine kept her hands on Meesei's arms. "Meesei, I would never be here without your help. And I..." Sabine stumbled with her words and sniffed, "I never knew my mother, Meesei, but I..." she paused to sniff again and her voice tightened up and became high pitched with emotion, "...I always wanted a mother like you." It was then Sabine's turn to break down into crying. She brought her forehead onto Meesei's shoulder and sobbed with loving tears. "You did keep that promise. I am sorry if I ever yelled at you, or was difficult, or misbehaved, Meesei," her muffled voice said, "I love you, mother."

For that moment, in spite of Meesei claiming that Sabine had become a grown woman, there was still much of that young girl that Meesei had found in the forest. It was on display, once here as on occasions that were becoming fewer and further between as Sabine aged.

---

While the others were undressing, Tzirret frantically stood up with perked ears and tried to multitask fumbling with the cords on his clothing and speaking. "Hey! Um, would this group mind if Tzirret swam as well? He- argh..." Tzirret paused to undo a tight knot on his jerkin, "He was thinking to come here today to make friends and...well, um..." Tzirret followed them into the water in a fluster, he was overcomplicating things and he knew it. He came up with a question, desperately, "What is it that you all do in the clan?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei's actions did not exactly help Sabine's fear. Meesei never cried. Not since Sabine said goodbye to Ariel, years ago, and even that was not as outward as this. This must have been a far, far worse action than Sabine ever could have realised. She was partially expecting to be kicked out of the pack at this point. Even if it wasn't that, she was panicking.

Sabine was frozen with fear and shock until Meesei began to speak. It was not the chiding she was expecting. It was just an statement of love that Sabine was secure in knowing anyway. Sabine was no longer so panicked, but it was all getting replaced with confusion. Without knowing what else to do, Sabine brought her arms up and returned Meesei's embrace, stroking her back in an attempt to comfort her.

"Meesei, I love you too," Sabine affirmed in a soothing voice, still with hints of gravel from before. She went on with more concern in her voice than anything, "You have always been my mother, but...I did not mean to upset you. I am confused, are you okay? Did something else happen?"

---

Tzirret strained his face into worry, "Erm...this one does not keep up with much news. Sorry." He looked at them hopefully, "He has heard that Orcrest is doing well, but..." Tzirret stopped himself from sharing what Meesei and Gallus had in store for the clan, "...nothing else."

Unfornately, Tzirret felt that the onus of the conversation went onto him again. He desperately searched his head for something to talk about. "Umm...so, the river is nice? Um, it, um, was a relief to wash and swim after searching the Tenmar forest for this place." Tzirret did not really know where he was going with his line of dialogue, but he hoped it would spark some more talk.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei's apparent fear ran off onto Sabine's expression as well. Sabine had not really thought of the impact of this event on Meesei at all, but she was surprised by it, even given the way she would have suspected Meesei reacting.

"Um..." Sabine looked at Peiter, almost pleadingly, but there was nothing he could do, really. She looked to Meesei again and responded with the same tone as before, "Okay."

Together, they walked out of the room, leaving Peiter alone. Once they got to the spot Meesei was specifying, Sabine hazarded an apology, "I am sorry." It was all she could think to say, despite not knowing what was going on in Meesei's mind.

---

Given that some people that Tzirret knew in the militia had actually died in the fight, he found it hurtful that someone would call the event a lie, but the other detail had some more truth to it.

"Oh, it must be Harriet that you are referring to," Tzirret answered, "She, um...she was a lieutenant, but she poisoned the clan leader. Meesei came and found her out and...a lot of things happened, actually. Anyway, there was another that she was collaborating with, and he ran off, so Meesei took a warband and Harriet out with an enchanted collar on her neck so they could follow him back to their base. But, it was a diversion for the enemy to strike. They worked it out and came back in time, surrounding the enemy while they were within the clan home, but in the confusion of the assault, Harriet escaped. No one has heard from her since." Tzirret shook his head, he didn't want to feed the lies about Meesei. "This one believes that there are many more details, though. Meesei would not have let Harriet escape without purpose."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Haha, yeah, that's a bit easier to do.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Heheh, I think it's hilarious as it is healthy for Meesei's personality to be bewildered every now and then.

The Jade Stream

This post was just an effort to move us along, but it was a bit hard coming up with something for Torako to play off. Sorry Vita :P

The Jade Stream

"Nnyeah...I ain't exactly a shadow warrior, but I've had some practice with sneaking," Kyang grinned, "Anyway, I like the idea of Liu and Torako being bait. If Liu looks like a student and Torako like a princess, I'd wager that these bandits will come like moths to a torch."

Kyang felt as though matters were resolved, so with no further food, she finished her tea with a gulp and stood up from the table. Her fingers still leaned on the wood as she looked to Liu, "You've got the bill, right Liu? Let's get hunting!" Kyang took a step and snatched up her glaive. "Thank you for the food and tea, sir!" Kyang said to the door that the proprietor had disappeared behind.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sabine looked at the floor, avoiding Meesei's eyes, as a flush of red came over her face. Meesei's astonishment was seen by Sabine to be anger directed at her. She was in deep trouble now. There was no point trying to hide anything. Her head turned away from the door and spoke. "Peiter? Meesei is coming in," Sabine stated weakly. She at least allowed Peiter a couple of moments to adjust himself before she would open the door.

Once Peiter was done, Sabine sullenly stepped back and pulled the door open to reveal not only her entire body glowing with sweat, but also her lack of body hair. She had just about forgotten about that as well. As she stepped aside to let Meesei in, still avoiding eye contact, Meesei could see the mess of sheets that was the bed. "I used a potion today," Sabine croaked quietly to Meesei, trying to reassure that she was being somewhat responsible.

---

Tzirret nodded in understanding about the Altmer. If he knew anything about Thalmor, it was that having a member of a beast race have authority over them would require intimidation.

"This one fought only once before with Meesei in the battle." Tzirret's ears went down again with what he remembered, "Tzirret was in the back lines when defending the Bruma clan home against a band of Vile's mercenaries three years ago. Meesei was a distance away, but Tzirret could see her magic. She used lightning, a lot of it. It made bright flashes on the walls and stunned and burned the enemy. She helped save everyone's lives that day."

Tzirret of course omitted his own performance during that battle. Which was to say, poor to non-existent. But, the desperation and blood were marked in his mind with everything else. Back then, at least, he didn't ever actually have to fight face to face with the overwhelming enemy.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Time seemed to fly on during Sabine and Peiter's day in. It was as much an experience in learning as it was in pleasure. As they continued, they became more familiar with each other's reactions and built up a repertoire of what they enjoyed. For a while, this made each experience better as they went along. However, now they were both getting tired, ragged, and sore. Peiter was certainly showcasing his endurance, but Sabine was one, maybe two rounds away from stopping for the day. Then again, she thought that on her last two breaks, but then they found another position.

Before the knock on the door, the entire outside world was out of Sabine's mind. The sound made it all rush back at once with such jarring brevity that she almost yelped in shock.

From the other side of the door, the strange sounds abruptly stopped. There were some sharp whispers and murmurs, shuffling of linen, and finally light padding of feet on the squeaky wooden floor.

The door opened a short way to reveal a sight and a smell. The sight was Sabine's exhausted and sweat-drenched little face peering out from behind the door. Her hair had hints of the straight styling that it wore in the morning, but it was so messy, wet, and bedraggled that she looked as if she had been fighting an army. Strands of it clung to her cheeks and her neck as if they were just as fearful as she looked. The smell was unbeknownst to Sabine, as she had been in it all day, but what seeped out and struck Meesei's nostrils like a club was unmistakable. It was definitely not an army.

"Um, do you need something, Meesei?" Sabine croaked nervously. She stood such that the door was obscuring the bed in the dim hope that Meesei wouldn't suspect anything.

---

Tzirret actually smiled a little and his ears perked halfway. It was funny how different that tale was at this end of Tamriel. "Tzirret has heard that story, actually. Though it was a bit different when he heard it." The thought didn't cross Tzirret's mind that clarifying might disenchant the story as they knew it. "He heard it from Gallus, my alpha, who heard it from Meesei herself. I don't remember the Orc being giant, but he did stab Meesei in the gut with a silver spear. She had to get special treatment to stay alive." Tzirret itched behind his ear, making that one stand straighter for a moment as he spoke. "She also just got the ring from the Orc himself if this one remembers rightly. He had taken it when he killed the last champion, or something."

Tzirret refocussed, "But, this one has seen Meesei's magic. It is very real. These Altmer, are they powerful?"

The Jade Stream

Kyang leaned her chin onto her hand and gazed at the wall. "Hmm...hand to hand? I could maybe defeat one, depending on their skills. Anything more and I would be on the defensive. With this, though," Kyang smiled and tapped the flat of her glaive blade with her fingernail, "I could keep about three in check. The longer they fight me without help, the more blood they'll lose. Needless to say, if I get the jump on one, he's out of the fight."

Kyang then diverted her eyes to Torako. She was curious to see if Torako was going to keep her act up now that the subject went to querying her skills, if it even was an act.