Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

There was no more outward relief Sabine could express after pouring out everything on Meesei's shoulder. All the same, one more worry disappeared with what she said.

"Thank you," Sabine responded with a nod.

Lorag's conclusions were not as encouraging for Sabine as perhaps he was trying to make them out to be. She paid him attention but looked down and away at mention of the word 'hero.'

Sabine sighed and closed her eyes momentarily. She did not want to continue crying. "I do think I want to be a hero. I am not a leader like the rest of you are. But..." She opened her eyes and wiped her cheeks dry. "If I can convince the clans to keep Rhajul and Yerig alive, I will. I will do anything I can. I will stay in a room close to theirs to protect them if I have to. I just do not want any more death."

"It is all achievable, Sabine," Janius said. "I think you are capable. We'll stand by you on this. But that is all in the future." He tilted his head. "Was there anything else that happened when you were captured? There was still quite a time between then and you showing up at the Daggerfall clan."

Sabine opened her mouth and breathed in slowly. Her face went white. After holding her breath with her mouth open for a moment, she shook her head and blinked rapidly. Meesei could feel her tensing up. "I do not..." She stumbled over her words and shivered. "Ri'vashi said I could...wait to tell the council everything. I will wait."

Janius' face was torn in worry. "Th-that's fine, that's fine," Janius assured quickly while raising a placating hand. He looked to the others to let Sabine calm herself without everyone's attention on her. "A council meeting certainly sounds like the next move. I imagine there will be much to talk about. Not to mention, this news will spread around the clan like a fire in a dry barn." He exhaled. "We're just so relieved that you're safe Sabine. And that you've done all this? Lorag's right, it's frankly amazing. I'm glad you are here with us now."

Sabine bowed her head and nodded.

Fendros furtively gave Ahnasha a sad look. He turned to Sabine and spoke in a low voice. "I'm sorry the mission went wrong. I'm sorry. We love you, Sabine."

Sabine leaned into Meesei again and resumed weeping quietly. "Thank you," she managed to say. "I love you, too."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sabine was not sure what to say. Everyone else had been questioning her, and with good reason. Of all the people to give her congratulations first, Lorag was not the one Sabine would have predicted.

For a few moments, she tried to work out if Lorag was being sarcastic. Her face ended up flushing at the possibility that her unwanted predictions on getting credit for these tasks was coming true.

Still lacking any answer to Lorag, Sabine stammered out a response to Meesei. "Arinette was limited with the staff. She did not know magic like we do. The staff is...describing it is not simple. It is like a strong river I can direct with my bare hands. It might run out of magicka like a river runs dry but I do not know when or how."

She sniffed. Her eyelids were drooping. "I am sorry for all the trouble I caused. I can show you what I did. But I will not let Do'rhajul or Yerig go unprotected. I cannot. Ri'vashi wanted to kill him, I could see it in her eyes. She refused to go through me but I cannot tempt her or anyone else they have hurt."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"This is unbelievable," Fendros breathed. He brought a hand to the side of his head and turned in place. "This is far too obvious and absurd and..." He let out the rest of his breath.

After some moments letting Do'rhajul's words sink in, Sabine added. "I would have tried to get the axe on my own either way. I wanted to make up for getting caught. Rhajul and Yerig helped me. I got the axe for all of us. I just do not want them to be executed. I will not let that happen."

Janius squinted his eyes, still confused. "Sabine, how did you three kill a dragon on your own? We were going to bring an entire warband down to that island."

Sabine's eyes did not leave the floor. "Rhajul used his shield, Yerig used his shouts and his knowledge." She eyed her staff. "I used this. It could absorb the dragon's breath. I trapped it in ice. The ice and the body are probably still there."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"He won't be forgiven, Ahnasha," Sabine said somewhat more confidently. "And he won't forgive himself. He is only alive because I told him to be. And he has not broken my trust."

Janius was not so easily convinced. "How do you know he isn't just using some kind of ploy?"

Sabine pulled away from Meesei and stood up. Her voice remained choked by tears. "Because Vile sent him to hunt us so he would be killed! All of them would be killed." She lowered her voice, realising herself but still upset. "He is just a loose end. Vile does not care about the war anymore. He has the souls he needs. He was never going to give Rhajul's life back. That was the entire reason Rhajul did everything; to get his family and his life back. And it was horrible. And he knows what he deserves. But I don't care!"

She looked over at Do'rhajul. "After giving the rest of his team to be imprisoned after they turned on Rhajul and Yerig, we went to the island to collect the Rueful Axe. With their help we killed the dragon. Its name was Faasnuhenvokaal. And we found Cyrus' body in a pile. And the axe. I thought..." She lowered her eyes. "...if we got it, you would believe me about Rhajul and Yerig. I want them to help us so they do not have to die having only done awful things."

Fendros and Janius were both stunned to silence.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sabine lifted her tear-strewn face from Meesei's shoulder and nodded slowly. "I..." She lost her breath to a sob and tried again. "It kept me alive..." She broke down again and held the staff closely to her chest.

"Never mind that," Fendros said. He pushed off the wall and walked up to join Meesei and Sabine's hug. "You're safe. That's all that matters. You're back with us."

Janius returned Kaleeth's look. After another silent moment, Fendros relented and Janius took a moment to hug Sabine and Meesei as well. "I think..." he said, gently while pulling away and holding a hand to Sabine's back. "I think we should have a sit down and talk about what happened. Not the mission, specifically, but what came after. What did they do with you, Sabine? And how did..." He peered to Do'rhajul and Yerig. He trailed off without any way to initially describe their situation. "...how did all this happen? Not long ago, these men were trying to kill us."

"I just wanted them to help," Sabine said weakly. "I did not want to bring them here just so they could be killed. It's not fair."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius reached the door midway through Yerig's answer. He was just as confused, though Fendros was lowering his sword.

"You're jesting," Fendros said. His brow turned up with worry. "Divines above. Oh Divines." He fell against the nearest wall back-first and leaned, staring into the space in front of him. He looked to be in shock.

"Sabine..." Janius was similarly shocked, but for a different reason.

At this point, Sabine started talking into Meesei's shoulder. "I am sorry, Meesei," she whined. The muffled speech made through the weeping was hard to understand. "I made a mess of the plan. I did wrong. I am sorry."

Janius pointed a gauntleted finger. "Sabine, is that Arinette's staff?"

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

@Antarctic Termite Ooh! I haven't done an adsense quiz like that since high school!

I got the javelin. I was never very good at throwing javelins but oh well.

And then I scrolled down

Okay, so maybe this isn't quite as...

...aw heck

Well, it can't be that bad-

HECK

You know what? Maybe this place isn't so-

FUCK

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The sprinting footsteps drew Sabine's attention up from her alchemy lab. In her sunken-eyed fatigue, who it could have been was not obvious. The possibility of the sprinter being Meesei made her hold her staff tightly with anxiety.

And then Meesei burst through the door. Sabine breathed quickly and almost looked scared before she was embraced. Then she froze.

Like a collapsing building, Sabine's composure crumbled. She cried into Meesei's shoulder and cried loudly, even muffled as it was. Her arms and staff were trapped against Meesei's front but she managed to pull out one arm to wrap tightly around Meesei in return. Everything she had been holding in poured out. Any attempts to talk were futile for now.

The next to make it to the door was Fendros. He arrived catching his breath and not as single-minded as Meesei. His eyes darted in a flash of anger and confusion at the other two occupants of the room. In a flash, his family sword was out and pointing at them from across the room. "What is the meaning of this!?" He demanded.

Janius was a few moments behind, giving time for a few words. Sabine remained loudly bawling on Meesei's shoulder.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ri'vashi's response was not as much giving up on her pursuit as Sabine would have preferred. However, something told her that Ri'vashi's rage had been tempered to the point of compromise. It was the best they were likely to get until the council assembled.

Sabine half-breathed in, but the words caught in her throat. She nodded her head to opt to explain later before her emotions could get the better of her.

"You had best the axe with you," Sabine added. She extended her arm to pass one half of the axe's haft to Ri'vashi. "I will stay in the city with them."

With Ri'vashi on her way with several weapons under her arm, Sabine deflated and found her way into her own chambers, gesturing for Yerig and Do'rhajul to follow. For a while, she simply sat on the edge of her bed wondering what to do next. When Yerig asked as much after he and Do'rhajul stood around awkwardly for half a minute, Sabine decided to find others to let them know she was safe.

She started by heading to the scholar's loft. A number of mages and alchemists came with concerns and questions, but she spoke to none until she found Karl. They embraced so tightly and for so long that neither could very well breathe for the entire time. They both softly wept. Yet even with all that had happened, Sabine did not speak more than a heavily abstracted version of events, particularly skipping over her torture entirely. She told him she might tell him more once she had spoken to her pack and the council.

Rhazii, Julan, and Leaps were easily found as well, to a similar scene as with Karl. When Sabine asked about the mess in Meesei's room, they did not know much more than the sounds that were made.

Sabine mentioned to no one who the old Nord and Cathay-Raht following her were. She said they were just guests that had helped her.

Afterwards, Sabine asked Rhazii and Julan to pick up some food to take to her room. She took Yerig and Do'rhajul back there to rest, recuperate, and wait. Sabine was terse with the information she gave about the clanhome, more to appease Ri'vashi than out of suspicion. She spent almost her entire time at her personal alchemy lab making things that were not even necessary -- just something to distract her.

Curiously enough, Sabine did not so much as let go of the Staff of Magnus for more than a moment during the entire remainder of the afternoon. And the more potions she made, the more tense she appeared.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Never mind, it was just one of the chores I needed to do. I'll have one more post in before you go to sleep, maybe.