Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sabine's initial surprise fell away quickly as she returned Meesei's embrace. "Thank you, Meesei," she said. "Neither of us know much about weddings either. We just know we want one. I want everyone to be there."

"It would be an honour," Janius said.

Fendros, after finally deciding to transform back into a Dinner, added, "I will be there, just as you were at our wedding, Sabine. Congratulations."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius didn't mind Kaleeth's hold around him. She was better at not hurting him than in the past and there was something soothing about the sureness of it. "So what does everyone want to do after the invasion?" Janius asked. "After the wild celebration and fanfare, that is."

A few seconds passed before anyone answered. Surprisingly, Sabine answered first, and with more confidence than usual. "I'm marrying Karl."

Just about everyone voiced approval.

"...and then establishing my pack," she continued.

"I expected as much," Fendros said. "You two have an easy time together, I can see that much." He turned to Janius. "We have children to raise. I may help with the clan for a while, but...Ahna, Rhazii, and I may take some time together somewhere."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Lorag's words were suitably dour, but Sabine eventually smiled. Something told her that Narsi would not be slaying her father in the end.

Sabine stood up and walked up to the edge of the water as well. She took a deep breath from the fresh air of the hunting grounds. This family, even herself, had become so much more than the initial sum of its parts.

"I remember when we swam at virtually every opportunity," Fendros said, walking up beside Sabine and Meesei. He planted his hands on his hips. "I was getting sick of it. Now, it's a precious time." He sighed.

"We are lucky," Sabine added.

Fendros shook his head. "We have our own problems. We've learned enough to overcome most of them. We're getting good at it. Your pack will follow this path as well, Sabine. I'll bet on it." He then dove into the water.

Sabine breathed out a laugh. "I shudder to think where I would be without all of you."

"Trust me, we all dislike how things could have been for ourselves," Fendros retorted.

Janius managed to talk over being lovingly squeezed. "You can talk! I would be dead in some cave!"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros shifted his head across to look deeply into Ahnasha's eyes for a moment long enough for both of them to get lost. Then, abruptly, he licked her straight on the nose to break the tension. "Love you, Ahna," he murmured.

Sabine nodded with a tight smile at Lorag's response. She supposed it was positive given Lorag's attitudes. "I am glad things are working out. I have seen her and the boys getting along. I know you...were surprised to hear about her existing." Sabine was as careful with her words as she could be.

Meesei was not the only one to laugh at Kaleeth and Janius' emergence. Fendros' eyes were drawn to the sudden noise and immediately started to chuckle. Sabine covered her mouth and cringed into a quiet laugh herself.

Janius wore it. "My heroine!" he said with his hand theatrically sweeping up to his forehead like a swooning princess.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros laughed along with Ahnasha. "Are you sure?" he responded more quietly. "Just because we are accidental parents, doesn't mean we couldn't do it again."

Sabine lit up a little at Lorag's suggestion, but she was still unsure. "I know the cure is not easy. That is all I really know about it. Perhaps he might still consider it if I try to convince him." She sighed again. "But I should not distract him so much until after the invasion. Let us talk about something else. Lorag, how is your daughter taking to training with Rhazii and Kaj-Julan?"

Janius was a little surprised by the swiftness at which he was taken underwater, but he knew her for long enough to notice when she was just being affectionate. He tried to struggle out playfully, at least at first.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Flying back home for Christmas and New Years. About an hour and a half away from boarding. The next response will probably not be for a couple of days at least.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Oh! There you are, my lovely crocodile." Janius paddled his way around Kaleeth as she passed, wrapping an arm around her and rubbing her chin with his other hand.

Sabine grinned and grew abashed at the mention of taking an apprentice. "Well, I might..." she said, trailing off.

Lorag's words filled in the gap.

"He has been a surprising help to us all, then," Sabine responded regarding Do'rhajul. "I only wish he saw it that way. He still has a family from before he was turned. Even in my pack, he is too ashamed to be part of any family anymore."

Fendros arched his head back into Ahnasha's hand and let out a low, happy grumble. "You know I can't move when you do that, Ahna." Saying so never stopped her. "If you bring back any more memories I might have to challenge you to a race soon."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sabine paused for a moment before nodding quickly. "I will take your advice, both of you," she said. "Thank you."

Fendros cranes his head up to look at Sabine properly. "Another thing. Don't feel under pressure to make a pack as big as ours or bigger. You've seen packs of four before. Nothing wrong with that, necessarily."

"Mm," Sabine agreed. "I must be honest. With how close I still am to all of you, I fear growing my pack too much may cause me to drift away from you."

Janius was happy to see at least one person coming to the water, even if his face expressed it less in his current form. "Persuaded? Well, I dare not need to overstate how refreshing it is to get all the drying gore off. Indeed, Kaleeth is so enjoying it that she hasn't yet surfaced-"

He caught her wake out of the corner of his eye.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sabine smiled softly. "We have spoken about that at times. I feel guilty about keeping him away from his sounder, but he keeps saying he does not mind."

"Here is what I think," Fendros finally grumbled from his recline, eyes shut and blissful. "You should have Do'rhajul and...your new packmate from Thorn help you select people. They will be family to whomever is lucky enough to join you as well."

Janius had been happily swimming and soaking in the cool waters around him. It was not until he surfaced to catch his breath that he looked around and found Kaleeth nowhere to be seen. Dismissing it for a key moment, he called out to shore. "Is anyone else coming to cool off?!"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It's been a really busy weekend. I'll get in a post today.