Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Gallus smiled to hear a more relatable side of Meesei. Though it was perhaps a stronger thing for her, Gallus felt that he had a similar obligation to Tzirret and Peiter. Tzirret more so, perhaps because he was generally very anxious.

The question that came back at Gallus was one that made him chuckle uncomfortably, but he was in no position to avoid the question. "Meesei, many have said all sorts of things about the mistakes I make with romance. Even my own pack mates will joke of it regularly. My father knows it - divines - the whole Bruma clan knows it by now. However, for all the women I have been involved with, not once did I sacrifice my responsibilities. Not once." Gallus looked ahead and smirked with self reflection, "Perhaps that is my problem with women; I have never had that princely urge to give one everything in life." Gallus became serious again, "My pack is my family, and family has always been the most important thing. As for the rest of the clan, well, they know that they cannot fault me for my competence and duty. It is not as if my relationships have ever compromised that."

Gallus became casual again sitting cross-legged and leaning forward. He looked to Meesei, "So you see, Meesei, as long as you do the important things well, your friends will follow you anywhere." He tapped a finger on the air in front of himself, "Now, that is a loaded statement, but it is the moral of this story. I should think you would have wisdom to understand."

Gallus lowered his hand, but he squinted and smiled, not done, "Have you had a bad experience trying to lead and love, yourself?"

---

While he listened quietly, Tzirret was empathetic to La'khay's tears. She was trying to hide the anguish it caused her, but Tzirret could infer all that he didn't see by what he heard. He was quiet for a few moments after the story, feeling a lump in his throat and the burn of tears forming. He looked at La'khay's neck rather than the tears running down the sides of her head. "That is...beyond cruel," Tzirret said sadly, almost whispering.

Finding that a tear did escape from Tzirret's eye closest to the ground, he brought his arms all the way around La'khay and hugged her especially tightly, pressing his chin onto her shoulder. "La'khay did not deserve such an experience," he whispered to her, "Tzirret wishes he could unmake the past for you. He is sad that La'khay feels she has no love." Though he sounded hopeful and trying to comfort La'khay, his next words were clearly naive, "One day, Tzirret thinks you may find love again. Not for himself, but...somewhere."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Hmph, I'm just finding it a burden to help make these decisions when lives are at stake. No matter how good this plan is, things could go wrong." Gallus shook his head, "I do not want people lost on our whim, but...we have to take these risks, by the looks of it."

Gallus held his head back, looking up and taking another breath. "You know, it might not be best to reflect on possible tragedies right now, come to think of it. Perhaps we might just..." Gallus shrugged, "...talk like passing wanderers or simple friends." Gallus then brought his head up and looked at Meesei, "For all that I have heard about you, I barely know much of what is behind your champion visage." He held up a hand, giving an example, "I know you grew up as some kind of shaman in Black Marsh, groomed for leadership, loyal servant of Hircine. Nothing which really paints your real personality. Even with that, you've done a great job of keeping your guard up."

Bringing his hand to his chin, Gallus thought for a second and continued, "Perhaps, if it is not too personal, you might tell me of your adoption of Sabine. I can tell you care about the girl greatly. What is the story there? I am curious, not just for my sake, but for Peiter's." Gallus quirked a mischievous smile and was quick to sit up and offer his palms, "We can have this to start trading questions, if you like. I'll be an open book."

---

Tzirret smiled back at La'khay, understanding. "This one is glad he was not too much of a nuisance."

After looking to the side for a moment and letting his smile fade, Tzirret asked cautiously, "When was the last time you were in love, La'khay?" While he asked, Tzirret ran his free hand down La'khay's side, both as a nervous reaction to broaching a sensitive topic, and in response to his waving tail being manipulated. "It sounds as if it was very painful, if you have not wanted such a thing for this long."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sabine and Ma'tanza's magic contest turned out a little different to what either expected. Sabine had not studied magic specifically for as long as Ma'tanza had, but learning from Meesei gave her a different approach than expected. Both put on an enjoyable show, but Ma'tanza was the winner. Sabine was not hurt by the friendly competition, she had enjoyed herself. If Ma'tanza had challenged her on her more primary talents, such as alchemy, then the competition would have been much more fierce.

While the magic contest was a small spectacle in and of itself, the board game turned out to be a new and fun experience for those who hadn't played it. It involved a mix of luck and strategy that made for some enjoyable moments, but it was not so involving that they could not chat while they played. Sabine was not shy about asking about Bheja and S'nishi's relationship, but did not delve too far into uncomfortable details out of courtesy. In turn, she answered questions about herself and Peiter, whether Peiter liked it or not, but limiting to the same courtesy. After a short while, the group even invited Ciinriel to join in.

As time went on, the focus of the clan was shifted from a tense waiting game to a complete mobilisation. The daylight hours were filled with physical work that kept everyone busy. Structures were torn down, supplies packed away, rudimentary senche-drawn or hand carts were constructed, and the floor of the forest was beginning to transform into a caravan.

Throughout this time, Tzirret found the hard work helped keep his spirits up and his negative thoughts distracted. When he socialised, he mostly did so with Qa'habi, Bheja, and Ma'tanza, as well as M'ibasa when he tagged along. Whether Peiter's advice did or did not help, Tzirret found himself getting used to the sight of Ma'tanza after a short enough time. As for keeping up appearances, simply not having the impression of an over-anxious coward certainly helped Tzirret's confidence, making him seem braver than usual, but his new friends soon learned that he tended to place more emphasis than required on innocuous things. Still, having more friends that were of his age kept him happier than ever.

Sabine and Peiter's relationship continued to bloom as the days went on. Although various duties kept them apart at times, they were still inseparable where they had the spare time and were less adverse to public displays of affection. Though the nights did not give them as much time, the rooms still gave them privacy to be intimate, but some nights were preceded by other activities. They had another two sword lessons where Sabine was showing some promise, but still not quite the talent. Other nights, they would stay in and Sabine would give magic lessons. It just so happened that the night Peiter had successfully channelled a light spell for the first time was a night where Sabine had found the time to talk to La'khay beforehand. The reward was something more than a kiss. It was such a surprise how well it worked that Sabine had trouble keeping quiet during the act.

The rest of the packs had taken their breaks gratefully, but they were glad to get to work. They had made some friends in the clan as well, but filling in the days was not always easy beforehand, especially with children and a wamasu to take care of.

As for Gallus in particular, he had been intending to check up on Tzirret since he had been looking so depressed in the preceding days, but had been busy with the planning effort. Now that he had some breaks in the evenings, he was surprised to find him in high spirits. He assumed that whatever issues he was having was due to prior loneliness and left him to it, assuring that he was always available to talk...even though he was busy most of the time. Speaking of being busy, the pressure and chaos of this packing effort was taking as much a toll from him as it was from Meesei.

---

While Meesei meditated, Gallus lay back on his bed with his hands behind his head and his legs crossed, staring awake at the low ceiling. There were many complications that could delay them the next day. He wished he was better at turning down such worrying thoughts. They had been in this state of silence for roughly half an hour now. Gallus could see Meesei still sitting up in the moonlight. He decided to speak up.

"Now we both can't sleep," he commented, soundlessly whistling a sigh. "I can only imagine how much Ri'nakhad is nibbling his claws. I guess he must be used to it by now."

Some further seconds passed and Gallus propped himself up on his hands. His neck and chest were tight with the stress and he needed to sit up to take some full breaths. While doing so, Gallus spoke while looking at the wall in front of him, "Do you mind if we chat for a bit? I need to get my mind off things."

---

Ever since the day that La'khay and Tzirret had properly clarified their relationship, Tzirret had only sought her out once more to mate. It was strange to try without the proper attachment, and Tzirret definitely found that he did not find the experience as gratifying, but it was mating all the same. His hormone-addled mind did not seem to require romantic attachment. This experience was clear in its borders, but it reminded Tzirret of another opportunity that he had thought previously given up; personal and private conversations with La'khay. Even if she was not ever going to be his partner, Tzirret still regarded La'khay as a friend and mentor. Her advice meant a lot to him, especially when Gallus did not have as much time.

As it was, one day before the clan would begin moving, Tzirret found La'khay yet again. The difference was, however, that the main motivator for Tzirret was not just his libido this time. He had some matters he wanted to discuss with La'khay.

They laid in a quiet spot in the forest, away from the clan as usual, after having spent an hour or two in each other's arms. Tzirret had his head on La'khay's shoulder and his arms around her body, but he now had a clear enough mind to talk. He spoke in a hushed tone to her, "La'khay, Tzirret has been thinking for a while. You mentioned that there are people who might mate for fun. When this one first met Ma'tanza, he almost tried pursuing that, but...he mentioned it to Peiter and was reminded of something. He...had been thinking that romance came from mating rather than the other way around. And what Tzirret has been looking for all along was not to mate, but a mate. He thinks he made that mistake with La'khay, and he is sorry." Tzirret added on in a stammer, "N-not that I do not enjoy this, but...you know..."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sounds good.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Hmm, well, going through what I had in mind, I had plenty of ideas, but it turns out most can be summarised. I did have a couple of scenes I wanted to play out, though. They can both take place roughly the same time, one night during the relocation or the night before leaving. The first scene is between Gallus and Meesei, just to chat before retiring for the night, the second is between Tzirret and La'khay, laying together a short time after one of their trysts. I'll leave it to you for the exact point in the journey to have those scenes.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

No joke, though I myself have the same initial questions as Tzirret. Still, he's technically a side character, so I can just use my imagination.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Peiter's excuse caused Sabine to smile knowingly and put an arm around him for a small, quick hug with the sides of their bodies pressed together. That only left S'nishi to figure out that Tzirret's sudden departure was not what he said it was, but at this point it was fairly easy to work out.

Despite concluding to only regard Ma'tanza as a friend just a moment before, Tzirret's chest tightened up a little at Bheja's words. What happened next left him stunned, but for an entirely different reason. Tzirret stood still, looking at Bheja's back, trying to piece together how a relationship between a Suthay and a Senche-raht had even started, let alone how it otherwise worked.

Sabine was surprised as well, but she could see the intimacy between them seemed genuine. She came to her senses much sooner and called out with a wave, "It was nice to meet you, Bheja!"

"S-see you later!" Tzirret managed on cue, his eyes wide as he turned to S'nishi's face, then to Ma'tanza's, then to S'nishi's again. "Right! Um..." Tzirret cleared his throat, deciding to leave the whirling questions he had for later. He faced Ma'tanza to answer, surprisingly not having as much trouble with looking at her in the eyes, at least this time. "Tzirret is unfamiliar with a 'bored' game, as you say. If it is named because it is meant to be boring, he...guessed he would not mind watching magic."

"You are mistaken, Tzirret," Sabine said with a laugh, "From what Ma'tanza described, it is not a boring game, it is a game that is played with a wooden board."

"Oh," Tzirret said with his ears decreasing slightly in embarrassment. The only board games he knew where to do with sledding in the mountain snow back home. "Well, this one still does not know what it is. Tzirret does not mind, either way."

"I would be interested in a magic contest. But, what do you want to do, Peiter?" Sabine asked. Making sure not to leave her out, Sabine looked to S'nishi as well. Hopefully the pieces would be big enough for her to join in if they played a board game. "And you, S'nishi?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Elite, I have to commend you on on a fantastic bait-and-switch there. I had a good laugh.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sabine was curious about something from a point in the latter half of Ma'tanza's response, but what really quirked her eyebrow was the last point. "I am wondering what a magic contest would be like. I would take up that offer but we should probably do something that involves everyone." Sabine angled her head to one side, "Does a...board game require magic? We do not have them in Bruma, I do not know what they are." Sabine giggled through her nose, "Perhaps we should have a magic contest anyway and have the other watch. They are always sparring anyway. Can you cast magic, S'nishi? Bheja?"

When Peiter mentioned that it would be rude to bring up his gripes, Tzirret nodded and gave small hums in knowing agreement. He was certainly not going to outright shout at Ma'tanza for it, even if he had the courage to. The solution Peiter proposed, however, made Tzirret bow his head forward slightly enough to still look at him, somewhat unconvinced. Still, Tzirret bit his lower lip and looked forward, thinking about it. "Okay," Tzirret conceded, still not confident about it, "This one will try to do as you say."

With that, Tzirret turned around, took a deep breath, and began walking back towards, Ma'tanza, Sabine, Bheja, and the hulking form of S'nishi. As he approached, he was so focussed on trying to think of Ma'tanza as just a friend that he didn't think of an excuse why he and Peiter didn't actually go sparring.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

After chuckling along with Ma'tanza, Sabine's face lit up at the prospect of having some fun with these new people. "That would be great! Although," Sabine's face lowered and she looked around, "I have not really had the chance to explore. What do you normally do to pass time?"

Peiter's words actually hit Tzirret so hard that he bowed his head and his ears went right back. Peiter had a better point than he could have known. It wasn't that Tzirret knew that he might hurt himself; he had already hurt himself. He had not taken the time to really think about the mistakes he made with La'khay, but one of them was definitely looking for something he could not have with her. Right now, Tzirret had his priorities backwards and he did not realise until now. Sullenly, Tzirret responded, "Yeah...you are right, brother." He waved a hand down dismissively, "Tzirret should not assume so much. He is an idiot for not thinking about it."

Tzirret took a breath in and out, and then straightened to look at Peiter. "This one will just focus on making friends for now," Tzirret tried to smile, "All the rest is too complicated."

After taking a silent moment to readjust himself, Tzirret gave another glance to the group they just left. He spoke slowly to Peiter, "I...would go back to them, but I wish Ma'tanza would wear her wrap. It is so distracting and I do not want to be rude."