Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sabine pressed her thumb and forefinger just under her cheekbones. "It depends." Her eyes turned up to Darahil. "Is it difficult to activate and deactivate them?"

Darahil spun on his heel and walked to a nearby bench. "Allow me to demonstrate," he said. Leaning on the corner made by the bench and the wall was a decorated rod of orange-yellow Dwemer metal. He snatched it up in one hand and pointed it at the inactive automaton. A trace of invisible magic pulsed through the air and a series of mechanical clicks and ratchets sounded. In a series of noisy jerking movements, the inactive Dwemer sphere split, extended its upper body, extended its weaponised arms, and ejected two short spurts of steam from vents behind its shoulders. A soft rumble hummed from within its body.

"As you can see, the sphere variety takes only a few moments to deploy," Darahil said over the new noise. Another pulse of unseen magic emanated from the rod he held. The Dwemer sphere moved to collapse back into its inactive form. "Provided the automaton is not damaged, the reverse process is much the same." Darahil held the metal rod forward in both hands to show the pack. "This control rod is used to activate, deactivate, and direct the automaton. It is unfortunately otherwise limited to commanding only one at a time. So managing a number at a time with a series of commands, not to mention when moments are of the essence, may prove unwieldy."

"It could be done, though?" Fendros asked.

Darahil nodded. "Of course. I emphasise that the moments of difference between commanding 'activate' and then 'attack them' for each one as opposed to simply 'attack them' may be important to you."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sabine blinked and glanced down. She hesitated and rubbed her shoulder. "Ahnasha is right. The timing is restrictive. Even if we plant the book and begin leaving in time, the enchantment could expire on our way out. But, they will only see automatons if that happens. Not the alternative." She deflated. "Is there a way to manually maintain the enchantment?"

"I had considered it," Darahil answered. "It is possible. However, whoever maintains the enchantment will have to infiltrate as well, with a impractical number of filled soul gems or varla stones and maintain concentration throughout. I had surmised that taking the extra steps would add unnecessary complexity and difficulty to the existing plan."

Casting her eyes down again, Sabine nodded. She opened her mouth to speak and found herself without anything further in mind.

Darahil lifted a hand. "I understand fully that the restrictions of this option may or may not make it suitable for this coming mission. I shall be continuing this research on a more sustainable schedule after you make your decision either way, so I would urge you to select only the most appropriate reinforcement."

Fendros put his hands on his hips and scuffed his feet. "Hmm. Even with some of the unknowns discovered, both choices have their own upsides and downsides. Risks and rewards. I admit, my opinion is still to keep you two as safe as we can." Fendros eyed Ahnasha and Sabine, before looking to Meesei.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

From the time the clan moved into the silent city, the scholar's loft had been called as much more by anachronistic habit than by description. The Bruma clanhome barely had a few spaces in the upper levels, while the city provided an entire compound of conjoined buildings. The increased population of scholars over the years had only spread the use of the compound further.

Sabine was sobered by the plan they were to undertake just as much as Ahnasha. She discussed the details with Fendros and Ahnasha for some time the previous day before she was satisfied to join in. She was not mistrusting of her packmates, rather she was afraid of some unforeseen trap.

Ahnasha and Fendros had thankfully not continued their outing for more than one day. Without the time for recovery, they might have looked worse than Darahil.

The four of them entered Darahil's laboratory to find him not alone. Three other people were tinkering with dwemer machinery and soul gems on various parts of the central table of the room. Two worked on their own, while two others murmured to each other over one piece. Additionally, a robed figure was sitting cross-armed on a chair with his cowl over his head and eye, clearly napping. None of them gave Meesei and her pack any more than a passing glance before absorbing themselves back into their tasks.

From a darker part of the room, Darahil himself appeared out from behind a Dwemer sphere well lit from three orbiting magelights. As usual, he was straight as a board, lightly frowning, and stoic. However, his usually slicked and orderly hair had sprung several frizzy bangs and his sunken, dark-ringed eyes were wide and intense, as if in deep, stimulating focus.

"Champion, thank you for arriving swiftly," Darahil said. He was just as eloquent, but speaking at a faster pace than usual. "Apart from a few possible avenues of testing that would not be appropriate for the scope of time required, I believe I have found a method of muffling the automata."

Fendros raised his brow in surprise.

Darahil's nose twitched. "Unfortunately," he continued. "The enchantment not only frays via any violent movement, the working enchantment only lasts exactly two hundred and fifty-seven seconds after activation, thereafter requiring two common souls to recharge. Any longer and the power required would interfere with the enchantments already laid into the apparatus. The Dwemer were unparalleled engineers and enchanters, but that unfortunately means that every enchantment they inlaid has an elemental and intertwined role in the automaton as a whole. Fray one, and you compromise upwards of a quarter of the functionality. They would not fight."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

As the conversation went on, the four soon showed signs of sleepiness. Between the lengthy evening out and the relaxing waters, the pairs grew only closer as they leaned on one another. Sabine in particular looked like she was about to fall asleep any minute. At that point, Karl politely asked Meesei to open a portal back to Blackreach for them. Karl carried Sabine out of the water with her still clinging onto him. After collecting their clothes, the two of them were brought back to the Silent City, where Sabine opened her eyes and smiled at Karl right before the portal closed.

Lunise and Meesei remained in the hot springs for a time. They exchanged only a few words before their previous intimacy reached its logical outcome.

Meesei woke up in Lunise's arms the next morning. Her skin was still smooth and warm from the hot spring. Though groggy, Lunise was blissful in her thanks to Meesei for the particularly nice evening, requested to pass further thanks and greetings to Sabine and Karl, and reminded Meesei that she loved her. They took their time parting ways, even after Lunise had donned her dark dress again. She gave Meesei a warm look and a wave from the other side of the portal to Valenwood.

When the portal closed, Meesei's duties returned. She was not long towards getting breakfast when she was forwarded a message regarding last night's council meeting.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

All good. I'll wrap it up in the next post.

I didn't really have much else to skip to. Did you want to play out Sabine and Meesei getting clued in on the plan? Where should we skip to next?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I am sure that with the rumours already in circulation you could make up just about anything," Lunise remarked. She gave Meesei a look and drew her hand up Meesei's leg. "As many things might be spread about you, I shall prefer to stay with the real you."

Sabine sat up properly again. Most of her hair was wet and clinging to her shoulders now. "Where did you grow up, Lunise?"

Karl opened his mouth, hesitated, and let his breath go. The subject had already moved on.

"In Alinor," Lunise said. She remained perfectly composed despite the game progressing under the surface. "Much of my time was spent either in education or sitting quietly while my parents socialised with family friends. I wish I could say I had embarrassing stories to tell but, with most mistakes being punished with shame, there are few that I can say are just amusing little accidents."

"Oh," Sabine's expression faltered with a hint of guilt.

Lunise tilted her head. "Now, I did not say there were none." She resisted a smile. "I do recall, back in the ancient history that was my childhood, a time when I got the taste for fresh tuna that was prepared raw. I had it with nearly every meal that I was allowed. After about a month of this newfound taste, my best friend at the time wished to try it. I gave her a piece, and we found out by the end of the day that I was sold a catch markedly less fresh than all the others beforehand."

Sabine opened her mouth in realisation. While she smiled, Karl lowered his brow. He was not following along.

Lunise's head lolled to one side. "And we found out in the middle of a hall of our school." Her head lolled to the other side. "...And those with a lesser constitution found the display magnificent enough that they added their own eaten lunches to the mix then and there."

Finally, Sabine laughed. Not in cruelty, but in sympathy. Karl remained oblivious.

Taking a moment, Lunise closed her eyes, raised her brow, straightened, and took a long breath in through her nose. "While our health eventually recovered over a few days, we were forever stained with the story. And the floor was stained such that only a very well paid alchemist could erase our deed from the stonework. Both the puddle and the smell."

"Ah," Karl sounded flatly. "Food poisoning. I see."

"You are lucky you never have it, Karl," Sabine said through another laugh. By the way the pair moved, Sabine had probably prodded Karl in the side. "You were born lycan."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"By the Eight, Sabine, that's adorable," Karl said through a light laugh. "Awkward, I'll admit, but adorable."

Sabine still chuckled along, even if she was embarrassed. "I did not know it was awkward back then!" She proclaimed. "I thought I was wounded. I needed to know."

Meesei's next topic had Sabine throw her head back and go limp with a forced sigh. Her arms and the tips of her toes floated to the surface of the water and her head slid down until only Karl was holding her up. "When will you relent?" She groaned.

Karl lifted an eyebrow. "Grandchildren? What kind of story is this?"

"Meesei told me, Sabine," Lunise added. "Have you spoken to Karl about it yet?"

Sabine shook her head gently.

"About what?" Karl peered down at Sabine.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sabine scrunched her eyes shut and went red in Karl's arms. She even mouthed denial through a pained grin. Her normal complexion returned and her shoulders lowered when Meesei did not follow through. The earlier story that was told, however, did make her hold her head back and laugh.

"So that was why they called them 'wild women,'" Lunise said with a small smile.

"Meesei was more wild than me at times," Sabine claimed. She righted herself and shot a grin at Meesei. "When we went to Thorn for the first time, we were in a clothing shop. Do you remember? You picked something out and then walked into a changing room with Janius still using it. I was distracted at the time but Ariel told me about it. You made the shopkeeper and Ariel think that you and Janius were mates." Sabine struggled not to laugh, even though she knew less about changing rooms at the time than Meesei did. "You did not know how they worked, did you?"

Lunise, though her smiling lips were pursed shut, allowed a silent laugh through her nose. Meesei was in enough contact with her to notice her navel pulsing in whatever laughter she was hiding.

"I hope you were not thrown out of town for that," Karl said.

Sabine shook her head. "We were not. It was fortunate."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei felt Lunise reciprocating Meesei's hidden approaches, only for her to tense up from the dragon roar. She sighed. "I do not think I could ever get used to those creatures."

"I would love to go travelling," Karl said. He wrapped his arms down around Sabine's middle to pull her to his front at an angle. From here, with Sabine looking up, he could see her face clearly. "My eyes have always made travel difficult. I have only been to a few cities. But with a companion, I could go further." He gave Sabine a smile. "Where would you want to go?"

Sabine grinned brightly. "Vvardenfell, Thorn, the Imperial City, Leyawiin, the Tenmar Forest, the Graht Oaks, the Summerset Isles...then just keep going."

"Keep going? It sounds like we'd never stop."

"We would stop eventually," Sabine said.

Karl smiled and looked to Lunise. "Mention of the Isles reminds me. I was going to ask your background, Lunise. If you don't mind me asking. All of us have shared."

Lunise was relaxed enough that she was leaning her head on Meesei's. She opened her eyes and calmly responded. "Not as interesting, I am afraid. I was..." Meesei's hands crossed a border that elicited a look from Lunise. "Excuse me a moment."

Lunise leaned over and scooped up Meesei's legs and lower back to lift her onto her lap. She was now entrapped in Lunise's arms and suffering retributive ministrations.

Nevertheless, Lunise continued to answer calmly. "There, better. As I was saying, I was infected on a beach by a werewolf during something of a mission for the Dominion. I was part of their judiciary, you see. I was forced to resign and move out into the countryside when I realised that it was not something I could control on my own, and I have since taken my talents to various clans within the Dominion. Meesei and myself met on a similar mission, as it happened. Though it is all rather boring."

Karl nodded. "I shan't be asking for details if you don't want to share them."

"No, it is merely a matter of interest. As well as professional confidentiality." Lunise turned her attention to Meesei with a narrow-eyed smile that could only be described as malignant. "Now, Meesei, I believe you owe us an embarrassing story about your lovely Sabine."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Hm, I remember you mentioning you were adopted into a witches coven," Karl said to Sabine. "But...wild women? I thought you said it was in an old fort?"

Sabine finally released Karl's hand from her teeth, but she remained holding his arm around her. She turned her eyes to him. "It was. Meesei probably means herself and Ahnasha. But the coven I grew up in was still traditional in many ways. You could call them wild women."

"What made you leave?" Karl asked.

Suddenly, Sabine looked into the water. She took a moment, maintaining her smile, to think. She glanced up at Lunise. Lunise was looking curiously back. Sabine's smile faded.

"I was turned by some bad Hircine worshippers when I was very young." Sabine spoke quickly. "My sister Ariel tried to help me. When she realised she was hurting me trying to cure me, she smuggled me out. She let me go into the wild because my beast spirit was not trained. Then I wandered and I found Meesei, Lorag, and Ahnasha."

Sabine took a slow, shivering breath in and out.

Karl had a look of concern. "She tried to cure you?" He looked down and up. "Sabine, your heart is racing. Are you okay?"

She stiffly nodded. "Yes. It took much to be at peace with it. It is still unpleasant to remember but I want to be able to be able to talk about it."

Under the water, Lunise's free hand squeezed Meesei's wrist. "I am sorry that happened to you, Sabine." Lunise was more sincere than anyone present had heard, excepting Meesei. "It must have been awful."

"It was a long time ago," Sabine said. Her brow pinched. "There is much more to the story. It is not a story for a night like tonight. And Meesei helped me to heal in ways only a treeminder could, so it is not such a large problem anymore." Sabine's smile returned as she looked at Meesei.