Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius slapped Fendros on the upper arm. "Meesei's right. Relax! At worst we'll fight some otherworldly creatures of Hircine's creation." He laughed as he pulled off his tunic.

Fendros sighed into a smile. As he followed suit with the others transforming, he had the space in his mind to remember the last time they had hunted all together. They had fewer and fewer chances in recent years. A small surviving part of his old life before catching lycanthropy threw his whole situation into a brief moment of wonder. This had been his life for so long. It could all change tomorrow.

That last thought lingered in the others as well. Thankfully, the worries and doubts were readily pushed aside by the excitement of hunting in a paradise for hunters. It would perhaps be an early glimpse into many hunts they would undertake as a pack in the far future, when they had all passed on. Perhaps Meesei would be there. This hunt would be special, just in case she would not make it.

Shortly after transforming, Fendros felt a breath enter his lungs and, driven by a whim, he roared happily at the sky. Janius and Sabine each made their own noise in his wake.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Eh, I think I'm good. We can keep it short and wholesome. I'll write a response now.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Just occurred to me as soon as I sat down to respond. Did you want to write the hunt out or summarise it? I don't know if you had anything special lined up.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

There was nothing but a slow shake of the head from Sabine. "Should we hunt in person or transformed?" she asked. "I would like to spend some time together in a more relaxed way afterwards."

"In addition," Fendros added, "we should keep our noses open in case we stumble into the territory of another set of lycans. That woman who arrived to size up Meesei may still be skulking about for a reason to fight."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Something of a strange feeling came over Fendros, Janius, and in particular Sabine. A kind of half-relief that came with letting go of the current worry, only for background worries to conspicuously remain. There was still an endless amount of preparation to do back at the camp that they might have been doing instead. However, as Meesei's words sunk in, they could at least return her smile.

"It...would be nice to take a short break," Fendros admitted. "What did you have in mind, Meesei?"

"When in the hunting grounds?" Janius suggested to everyone with a half-smirk.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The pack united and ventured to the meeting place as a group. The thorough preparations for the invasion had kept everyone largely optimistic and motivated. However, they were under no illusions that Meesei's problem had not been solved. The mood was therefore sombre and quiet.

Ahnasha and Fendros walked hand in hand. Ahnasha would not admit to any hard feelings upon herself, but Fendros did not want her to go through any fatigue-induced negativity on her own. Indeed, Sabine was only still awake by alchemical means. Even being forced to sleep to prepare for the big day could not be enough to keep her worry from draining her. Janius and Kaleeth similarly walked with hands joined, though Janius resolved to take his optimism with them. Meesei was not doomed until she was dead, as far as he was concerned. What they all did have in common was uncertainty about the exact nature of the meeting.

Fendros was the first to step up and speak when they found her. "Meesei?" he said. "How are you feeling?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Feel free to move us forward to the next scene.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Tzirret followed suit, standing up as well. "This one is very much looking forward to seeing Gallus again. Though the memories may not be as wistful, he has missed being called 'Cloudy Cat,' somehow."

Sabine grinned. "There is no guarantee of that with the kind of person you are now. But let us go find him."

Fortunately for all of them, Sabine's position did provide the convenience of lycan officers being helpful in their search, let alone giving her the time of day. In a short enough period of time, they found both Gallus and Uthri finishing up a conversation with a quartermaster about provisions. They both had excited embraces and congratulations for Tzirret and Ko'tanza in seemingly endless supply. Gallus even betrayed tears at seeing the both of them standing pridefully in the robes of healers with their own child in arms.

Gallus and Uthri both had greyed and matured, not only in looks but in demeanor. While Uthri was always blunt and grounded, and Gallus witty and boastful, the two of them were closer and relatively subdued. They were long term mates, much to Tzirret's surprise considering their past. Whatever transformation they undertook had evidently subdued the lengths of their personas. Probably for the better, they tacitly agreed.

Gallus was a fully fledged officer as his father had wanted. He commanded over a hundred fighters. Uthri was one of them, even if she sometimes commanded him when off the battlefield.

After a while, Pieter was mentioned. He was still in the Silent City – his days of being a warrior were behind him since he lost his arm. Regardless, Sabine made a mental note to seek him out before the invasion began.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I think I'm alright. Gallus would have changed a number of ways in the intervening time, but I'm not sure there would be much to say. I reckon I'll just summarise it in my next post and we can move on.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I know, but..." Sabine held her mouth silently open. She wished she could tell Ko'tanza the truth. However, Ko'tanza did not lie. Sabine took another second or two to let go of her response before drawing Tzirret and Ko'tanza both into a hug. Her eyes were shut against their shoulders. The two of them promised as much as they could be expected to.

"You can count on these ones," Tzirret added. "You can count on Meesei, and you can count on yourself."

"Of course," Sabine said sadly. "I just get nervous. Thank you both."

The three of them pulled away slowly.

Sabine tried to smile a little. "I should perhaps try to help you find Gallus and the others now. Or did you want to settle with the child back in the Silent City?"