[IC] Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

[EliteCommander]

Just as she promised, Meesei took the time to show Marod and Lunise some of the more important part of the city for one's day-to-day life. They had already been shown around what was essentially their governing building, so she focused on places like the kitchens, blacksmiths, and tailors, as well as more arcane specialists like enchanters and alchemists if they needed any magical supplies. Due to the feast, none of them were actually available at the moment, but they all worked in the same places every day. Any member of the clan was given their basic necessities, but their clan was still large enough to have a market and trade much like an "actual" city. It was only trusted, designated traders who were allowed to exchange goods with the outside word, but thanks to their propylon network, they were able to trade freely with most of Tamriel's clans.

Through the entire tour, Meesei ended up transforming back and forth between her Argonian and werewolf forms seemingly on a whim. She did not give a reason for doing so, but she made it clear in practice as well as her words that she was equally comfortable in either form. As time passed, more people began to trickle in from the feast, but the city was still far from crowded. Eventually, they came back around close to the gates, to some additions they had made outside one of the original Dwemer structures. They were clearly stables, and they did indeed have horses as one might expect, but on the other side of a tall, wooden wall separating the horses, Marod and Lunise would be able to hear a distinctive clicking sound.

Meesei, in her Argonian form, glanced back towards the pair as she walked along the fence. "I am not sure if you will have need of mounts, but if you do, our stables are here. You will have to bring in your own horses, I am afraid. All of these here are owned." She explained as they started to move past the dividing wall, which revealed clearly the source of the clicking. There were multiple pens, all containing chaurus of various sizes.

"We also keep our chaurus here, whenever their owners are unable to watch them. The fences do not do much to keep in the chaurus hunters, given their wings, but we have never really had a problem with them flying away. They are well-trained." Meesei commented. After a moment, one of the larger chaurus seemed to notice Meesei and walked up to the fence. It was an adult, though it had not yet gone through its metamorphosis into a chaurus hunter. The only defining feature it had compared to the other chaurus was a light-colored scratch across the right side of its head. The creature clicked its mandibles together and extended its head out through the fence towards Meesei, who chuckled in response. She reached out her hand and scratched at the joint just under its mandibles. "Hello there, Ma'rasi. Good to see you too."

---

Ri'vashi remained just as harsh in her expression, even though her tone still did not reflect it. "We already spoke of this as well. Ri'vashi does not think there is anything more to accomplish talking about any of this."

Letting out a sigh, Ri'vashi, nevertheless, stood up to her feet. "But if it gives you some peace of mind, then we can speak of the same things again. She will go where you wish."

[Muttonhawk]

The revelation of the chaurus caused both Lunise and Marod to each betray some surprise. Lunise slightly turned her head away, looking at the creature's face with confusion. Meanwhile, Marod leant down slightly to get a better look at the chaurus Meesei called by name.

"Fascinating!" he breathed. "Are these native to this cavern? I have never seen a creature such as this before?"

Lunise chimed in before Meesei could answer. "I...was unaware that chaurus were intelligent enough to be trained. How on Nirn did your clan even manage this? How do you deal with their acidic venom they are known to spit?"

Marod tried to be surreptitious in his stepping back from the pen and holding his half-closed hand up to his chest. The only discernible reason for the gesture was to shield his eyes if he needed to.

---

"Thank you." Sabine lowered her head and lead Ri'vashi a short distance away. They walked behind a tree-sized fungus stalk, far enough away to be out of earshot of the feast and obscured enough to allow Ri'vashi to emote freely.

Sabine held her upper arm and avoided Ri'vashi's eyes. "When you first saw Do'rhajul here, you wanted to kill him. Do you really believe the council came to the right decision?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei could not help but to grin. She seemed to have no fear of the acid, given that she leaned over the fence to rub the chaurus' neck, specifically the points where the shell's plates met. "As much as I would like for my clan to be able to take all of the credit, the Falmer did most of the work for us. These chaurus are quite a bit different from those you might find up in Hjaalmarch. The Falmer trained the chaurus, use them for everything. They have been breeding them as their loyal servants for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. For these chaurus, it is already in their nature to serve their masters. We merely needed to take some eggs and raise them as the Falmer do. We were skeptical and cautious at first, but their behavior has proven to be as malleable as any dog, horse, or livestock.

The chaurus, Ma'rasi, put two of its legs up on the fence to allow it to raise itself up over the fence, then lowered its head down closer to Meesei. It clicked a few more times, then rubbed its head up against her, all while Meesei smiled. "This is Ma'rasi. She is Ri'vashi's chaurus. She is one of the older ones that we have. Her trainer was going to gift her to me, but my pack already have our hands full enough with Leaps. Most of the time, chaurus go through a metamorphosis to turn in to a flying form, called a chaurus hunter. There are some, though, that just end up growing much larger: chaurus reapers. We are not completely sure why; perhaps because they are the chaurus that lay the majority of the eggs. Ma'rasi may be one of those, though we really do not know how to say for sure. What I can say, though, is that they are perfectly safe to be around. No trained chaurus has ever hurt one of us. Well...no more than any other domestic creature. They do not use their acid unless they are threatened. Or on our command. Their appearance is unsettling, I admit, but our clan has slowly grown used to them over the years."

---

Ri'vashi crossed her arms, already appearing impatient before they even began. "The council came to a decision that made...plausible strategic sense. They believe that the General can be of sufficient benefit to us alive. That is a position that is defensible, and Ri'vashi cannot prove it wrong. It was not Khajiit's choice, but it is what we are doing. The only thing Ri'vashi wants now is for you to make sure it is worth it."

[Muttonhawk]

Neither Lunise nor Marod seemed any more interested in approaching the chaurus.

"Might I ask, for what purposes do you use these creatures?" Marod said. "Pest control? Guarding?"

"I recognised its meat being used in the feast," Lunise mentioned.

"Oh?" Marod turned his head again. "In what?"

Lunise lifted an eyebrow. "You did not see the shells they were served in? That was chaurus chitin holding chaurus flesh. Steamed, I believe."

Marod's smile took a turn for the noticeably forced. He went white. "...I was under the impression that was crab meat."

---

Sabine shrank somewhat. No amount of good reasons could shake the guilt she felt for Ri'vashi's emotions. Rather than try to coax anything, she shook her head and got straight to the point.

"Ri'vashi, is there a way we can still be friends with this between us?" Sabine asked more forcefully than she planned to. "It is important to me."

[EliteCommander]

"And you enjoyed it as such, yes?" Meesei commented, giving Marod a curious look. If you think about them closely, what difference is there really between a chaurus and a mudcrab? Two hard-shelled creatures with soft meat. A mudcrab is like an insect of the water. The only reason it seems normal to you is because they are more common. Besides, it is not as if it is unheard of to eat chaurus. I believe there is a commonly-circulated book in Skyrim that gives an excellent recipe for chaurus pie."

With how enthused it seemed to be with Meesei, it perhaps should not have been a surprise when the chaurus crawled completely over the fence and began to walk tightly around her. While it was a reasonably tall fence, Ma'rasi was able to bypass it with little effort. It was doubtful that the fences posed any real barrier to the creatures if they had a mind to escape. Again, Meesei laughed. "You know, I do see the irony in the fact that our fierce military commander has among the friendliest of chaurus. We do use them for livestock, particularly with how useful their chitin is. For those who do not wear heavy armor, chaurus chitin is a good alternative to Dwemer metal. But, it is not all we use them for. Their senses rival our own, especially for finding prey in low-light, and they are excellent climbers. Chaurus hunters can even fly. They work well with scouts, and their tough shells and acid make them useful in combat. For a while, the Falmer were quite confused to see them fighting for us, once we started training them."

Meesei took a step back from the chaurus, then started to shift into her werewolf form, to which the chaurus was entirely undeterred. Once in her werewolf form again, Meesei let out a quick grunt. "And once you come to terms with their looks, they are loyal companions." She explained as she reached down underneath the chaurus, grabbing it around the center of its body. While she did show some effort in doing so, she proceeded to hoist up Ma'rasi over her own head, causing her legs to flail out reflexively in search of some ground to latch onto. Ma'rasi while not at the absolute largest stage of her development, was much more massive than any Human or Elf, so the fact that Meesei was able to pick her up and set her back down on the other side of the fence spoke to her strength. "Now, stay Ma'rasi. I have other things to do right now."

---

Ri'vashi closed her eyes, breathing out a long sigh. "Sabine, you cannot just demand friendship. You know that as well as I. You knew what you were doing in accepting Do'rhajul as you have, and you knew what it might mean to others. If that is the path you choose, then you have to be willing to accept any sacrifices that go along with it. That being said...Ri'vashi did not say anything about our friendship. There is a lot of history between us, Sabine, even though you are making her...very angry right now."

[Muttonhawk]

Marod raised his hands and conceded with an outward breath and a smile. "I admit, I am not enough of a gourmand to know of such...delicacies. I apologise for my reaction. The meal was wonderful."

After a quiet harrumph at Marod's continued ingratiating behaviour, Lunise had to bring up the clearer issue before them before it drove her to any further distraction. "Meesei," she asked. "If these creatures can simply climb over this fence, why was it built to begin with?"

---

The beginning of Ri'vashi's answer grew Sabine's anxiety behind her remaining cringe. The last half, with more hope, made her lift her eyes. Still, she blinked a few times and looked down again. "Ri'vashi...I am..."

She paused. She had the beginnings of a few different answers in her head. All of them either went nowhere or would only antagonise Ri'vashi more. Much like with Ri'kalesh, Sabine could only go off her feelings in the end.

"Ri'vashi, I am sorry," she said. "I wanted to speak to you about this because I feel guilty. I do not know what I wanted the outcome to be when I asked you to talk. I just..." She let out the last of her breath and looked aside. "I need to do this. I do not want to make you angry or...hurt you with this. But I need to do this. "

[EliteCommander]

"Even if it cannot truly keep them, they still respect the boundaries we give them. Based on their training, their servile nature, the fences encourage them not to roam. It also keeps out other animals that might wander by and bother them." Meesei answered. "Now, we have plenty of chaurus, if you would like your own trained insectoid companion. Just make sure you are ready for the responsibility. They will love you to the end of their days." She added, chuckling to herself.

Meesei turned and made a motion towards one of the other buildings. "At any rate, I should show you to your quarters. They will be yours for the duration of your stay here, so you can feel free to do with them as you will. But, I did give them my own personal attention to make them as comfortable as possible for you. They are located as far as I could manage from the noisy boilers and Dwemer piping that runs through the city. You can still hear it faintly, unfortunately, but I also took the liberty of giving the walls enchantments you can activate at any time to block any sound coming in or out of the room. Both to help you get a good night's sleep, and to ensure your privacy, should you need it."

---

Meesei remained in her werewolf form as she took the pair to their quarters. Being that it was the end of their tour, Meesei brought Marod to his room first, then left him to settle in while Meesei showed Lunise to her room. This time, she would actually have her own space, instead of sharing a bed with Meesei. Lunise's quarters were on the same floor as Marod's, though on the far end of the hallway. She followed Lunise inside, and even in her werewolf form, Lunise would be able to notice Meesei visibly relax as soon as she closed the door behind her.

"And here is your lovely abode. I tried to make it as familiar to you as I could with the furniture with what I had on hand. If there is anything specific you would like, just let me know. It is a shame that we will not be able to share a bed every night, but someone would eventually notice that, I am afraid." Meesei remarked.

---

Ri'vashi's arms remained crossed, though she did not remain completely stoic as Sabine seemed to near the edge of a breakdown. There was still some sympathy within her, but her anger did make it more cloudy. "Do what? Speak with Ri'vashi? She is sorry, but just being sad about the fact that you hurt Ri'vashi does not make that pain go away. Khajiit has to live every day knowing that murderer is perhaps just a few rooms, maybe a few buildings away from her at all times. And not only does he live, but Ri'vashi's clan is going to be supporting him, feeding him, clothing him. Ri'vashi has to live with the fact that her efforts are working towards supporting the man who killed everyone she loved. If you would take a few moments to really think about all of that, Sabine, then perhaps you might come to understand why Ri'vashi is so...terribly agitated by all of this. Maybe you will see why Ri'vashi has not been able to sleep but a few hours for the past two days. Or why half of our training dummies were...inexplicably destroyed by a disgruntled clan member yesterday."

By this point, Ri'vashi's hands were clenched together, and her teeth were bared at Sabine. Although, she was intentionally avoiding eye contact.

[Muttonhawk]

Meesei was not the only one that substantially relaxed when the door closed. Lunise unfolded her arms for the first time in what felt like the entire afternoon and bowed her head, running her hands through her long blonde hair. She sighed as her hands ran around her neck and fell slack against her sides. When she turned around to look up at Meesei, her eyelids were drooping and the corners of her mouth turned slightly upwards.

"It is quite fine," she answered calmly. "I am just glad to see you again, Meesei. Even if you insist on testing my limits in front of Marod with your incessant teasing." For once, her words were not laced with venom or derision.

Whether Meesei answered or not, Lunise all the while took two steps towards her, removing her gloves. She reached out her open palms, not so much affectionately as curiously, to touch Meesei's arm and navel. She ran her fingers over the fur. She looked at Meesei's body with more relaxed trust than anyone outside of her pack.

"I daresay," she spoke quietly. "I never before regarded you as...quite the same person when in this form. But after today, seeing you change forms over and again, I cannot deny it. Not logically."

---

"I have to keep him alive!" Sabine interrupted. She took on a firmer tone, even if her clear anxiety dulled its impact. "You misunderstand. I did not have to talk to you at all."

She stopped to keep herself from tripping over her own words. "Have you thought about what you would do if you had your way? What do you wish he knew? What do you wish he felt? What act upon him would make you feel any better? Do not accuse me of thoughtlessness. I am not a stupid child who does things for no reason. And if you feel too angry to work out my reasons then ask me for them. Ask me now."

[EliteCommander]

"Well, that was the point in doing it." Meesei replied with a deep chuckle. She placed one of her massive hands gently on top of Lunise's hand on her navel, then reached her other hand around to Lunise's back. Meesei started to massage her quite firmly, but still perhaps more gently than Lunise might have thought her capable. Her hand was large enough to be able to reach most of her upper back at once, and she could use her claws to apply just the right amount of pressure to some of the more tense muscles on her back.

"Of course, I did not lie. Living in the clan would require you to get used to these forms whether you wanted to or not, but I do hope that I have been able to help." She continued. "You will never have to fear my beast form. Even if I were caught with you without my Ring, under the full moons, I know you would be safe with me. Even an animal will not attack her mate."

---

Ri'vashi did not reply with as much emotional vigor as Sabine had, but Sabine's more aggressive tone also was not seeming to do much to make her back down. "Has Ri'vashi thought about it? Yes, in fact, she has, with little doubt on what she would decide. Public execution, likely hanging or beheading. Ideally to be held in the Torval clan for the survivors from Orcrest. What, did you think Ri'vashi wanted to do more? Rip out his eyes? Tear off his arms and make him watch us feed them to the chaurus? Ri'vashi is no savage, Sabine, but that does not mean she just forgives a mass murderer. A quick, efficient public execution removes him as a threat, and gives closure to the families of the slaughtered."

Ri'vashi took a step forward, though not quite threateningly. "But Ri'vashi gave up on that. The council made a decision, and it is not one that Ri'vashi can objectively call foolish enough that she cannot accept it. You should not accuse this one of not understanding your reasons. She heard your words, and she understands why you did it. You could call it a professional disagreement, but Khajiit understands fully well that you did not do it out of malice towards Ri'vashi. If anything, your continued insistence to hound Ri'vashi on this issue is doing more to harm our friendship than your decision did."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise closed her eyes. Some more recognition came to her face with the hand over her shoulder, even if it was oversized.

"Really?" Lunise held amused scepticism at Meesei's comment. "Leave those saccharine words for poetry books, my dear. I have heard enough stories of lycans and their incidents with loved ones."

She took a long, leisurely breath through her nose and opened her eyes up to Meesei again. "I have never felt this small since I was a child. Especially up this close."

---

Sabine was all but shaking now. Perhaps under better circumstances, having not been drained by the fear of all the confrontations over the past few hours, she might have held her emotions together. But now she could not even think. Even with Ri'vashi's attempt at sounding reasonable, Sabine was angry and upset.

She caught herself just short of shouting out.

"Then we will stop," Sabine said quickly under her breath. She suddenly took off at a brisk walk towards the feast. "I have to go."

With how stiffly Sabine walked, any attempt she was making to hide her emotions was failing to any who looked at her. She made a focussed course to Do'rhajul and stopped abruptly beside him. "We have to go now," she said as quickly as she could. "Come."

She stormed off towards the city gates by the time Do'rhajul was just halfway out of his seat.

Sabine's behaviour did not escape the members of her pack that remained at the table. Fendros, Rhazii, and Janius were so surprised they were frozen and staring.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei's head tilted back somewhat and her eyes shifted to one side as if she were caught, though she still produced another chuckle. "Okay, so perhaps I...oversimplified that statement somewhat."

After the brief pause, Meesei resumed rubbing Lunise's back, except this time pulling herself closer. She wrapped her in a hug that ended up essentially enveloping her in fur and muscle. "But that does not mean it was completely false. Lycans do turn on loved ones, but that is because the beast does not see them as family, or as their mate. Those beasts only see the prey."

Meesei leaned her head down her head just above Lunise's and took in a long, deep breath of her scent. "But if the beast has time to know them, to build that familiarity or...love. Well, then things can be different. The reason that the beasts are not hostile to their own pack is not because they are also lycans. No, feral lycans fight each other all the time. It is the bond they take the time to develop that turns them into a family." Finally, Meesei nuzzled her snout against the side of Lunise's head for a few moments, then lightly pressed the tip of her snout to the very end of Lunise's nose. "I think the beast is starting to like you."

---

For as quickly as Sabine left, Ri'vashi did nothing to stop her. It was Do'rhajul that was far more surprised to see Sabine stomping up to her and demanding that he leave with her. He was not exactly being friendly with his present company by any means, but it was not as if he had been given any particular reason to want to leave right away. Regardless, he was not going to argue with an order from her. "Of course, as his master orders." He replied as he stood, keeping in mind his present company.

Do'rhajul waited until they were safely out of earshot until he dared to speak a word. "Is there any danger we should be worried about?"

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise kept her lips sealed while pressed up against Meesei's front. She laughed through her nose, as much bemused as ticklish with a wet nose brushing against her face. Still, she put her arms around Meesei in turn.

She caught Meesei's eyes when she looked down at her and finally spoke. "Well, the beast can like me all she wants. You still owe me a goodnight kiss." She took a small breath. "Not to be rude but I do not desire wolf fur in my mouth and clothes."

---

"No." Sabine shook her head and avoided Do'rhajul's eyes. "Just...I have to go, and I cannot leave you here alone, and..." She tripped over her words just enough for her face to tense up and tears to form. "I have had enough today."

She clenched her teeth and increased her pace. If she focussed on the path ahead, perhaps she would not start crying after the strong face she had to put on to everyone at the feast.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei took a step back and gave a quick look up and down Lunise's body. With a grunt, she brushed some of her fur off of Lunise's shoulder. "That ship may have already sailed, I am afraid."

Lunise might not have been able to recognize Meesei's grin, but she still would have been able to notice the playful, or perhaps mischievous look in her eyes. She hunched over so that her head was closer to being level with Lunise's, then locked eyes with her. Meesei let out a deep, but recognizable chuckle. "Hmm, fair. Werewolves may not be the best for giving kisses. I can oblige you, though I would still argue that a wolf is capable of showing affection by...other means." She commented, sticking out and calling attention to her particularly long tongue.

---

Do'rhajul returned a slow nod. "I understand. I would not wish to take that risk either. It may be a while before we can feel safe allowing me to be unsupervised in the city. You may wish to plan ahead to make sure there is someone you trust who can stay with me when you are unavailable." He recommended.

There was a brief, somewhat awkward silence before Do'rhajul looked over again and spoke up hesitantly. "I can...assume your conversation did not go well?"

[Muttonhawk]

The beginnings of Lunise's curiosity regarding what Meesei might have meant were rapidly turned around. She widened her eyes, put a hand to her mouth, and reflexively stepped back with her other hand half-raised. Meesei knew Lunise's disgust response by rote. This was not it. This was bewilderment.

Just as it might have seemed like too much, Lunise doubled over laughing into her palm. Meesei had never heard her laugh so hard. It was a high and haughty laughter that was not the most pleasant to hear, though it had no lack of sincerity. Perhaps the sound was why she seldom laughed at all.

It was not too long before Lunise recovered and straightened herself up. "...You cannot be serious," she said. "Meesei, do not take my acceptance of you as an Argonian as a lack of boundaries."

---

Sabine stopped and grabbed Do'rhajul's wrist. Or, at least as much as she could wrap her fingers around. With a sudden lift of her staff, she poured magical energy out in front of herself in a rushed manner. By some miracle of skill or focus, it formed into a portal to an empty common room that Sabine's pack usually made use of in the Silent City. Dim magical lights and a smouldering fireplace gave the room enough to see its home made furniture by.

The portal had no apparent purpose, especially with the short distance it spanned. That was, until Sabine pulled Do'rhajul through with her and let it close behind them.

Then she let him go. Her hands gripped her staff tightly at shoulder height. Her forehead rested on her thumbs and she sobbed. She sobbed quietly and with long periods of holding her breath. It was as if she was ashamed rather than overwhelmed, when in truth she felt both.

"I cannot keep this up," she said, straining her voice. "I cannot be a hero or a leader. I am not capable of that. I thought I could help Ri'vashi to forgive." She rubbed the tensed bridge of her nose against her clenched thumb joint. "I was stupid to think that."

[EliteCommander]

Given how rare it was to see Lunise laugh so genuinely, Meesei could not stop herself from joining in with her own deep, bellowing laughter. Being a wolf did not change the fact that there were tears in her eyes by the time she stopped herself. "Hmm...you say that now. You might be surprised on how...tempting it can be when you really think about it in detail." She continued to tease. Although, she did not delay much longer in reverting back to her Argonian form. Just as before, she did not so much as lose her footing for a moment.

"Well, regardless, I can say without a doubt that it is such a joy to see you laugh." Meesei said, regardless of how her laugh actually sounded. "With how superb you are at keeping up appearances, it is sometimes easy to forget the person under the facade. I know you are going to have much to do while you are here, but I cannot begin to describe how glad I am that you are going to be with us for so long. It is going to be torturous to have to keep up an act for so much of the time we are together, but even with that, I think we will have plenty more time together. This cavern is exceptionally large, and the fact that I will be able to teleport to and from this room at will without the smallest sound escaping will help, I think. And I can always just take us to some faraway land like we usually do, if all else fails."

---

As usual, Do'rhajul was patient. He watched Sabine in silence through her tears for a minute or so, allowing her ample time to air out her emotions in full. He did not think it best to try and suppress her feelings, though that did not mean he intended to do nothing. The look he gave her, while somewhat hard to read, was calculating.

"You are wrong; categorically so." Do'rhajul stated boldly. "Your failure with Ri'vashi is not enough to make me doubt your leadership. I could have told you that trying to persuade that woman of anything else was a fool's errand. Even without knowing her, I could see it in her eyes when she looked at me. She hates me with every fiber of her being, and has every right to do so. Convincing her to forgive me would be like convincing a Thalmor to worship Talos. The only think you failed was to accomplish an impossible task. The inability to perform miracles does not make you a bad leader."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise sounded a low, agreeing hum as she stepped back up to Meesei. "Given the previous arrangement, I would call this a much better situation." She wrapped her arms around Meesei and pressed her close. "And if you think you will be tortured, perhaps you might put yourself in my shoes." She smiled and rocked Meesei slowly from one foot to the other. "You were not the one lead around by the woman you love for the whole afternoon without being allowed to hold her, much less when that same woman was nude for half the time and being her usual incredible self for more than the other half."

The hypnotic length of Lunise's sentence ended with a look in her eyes. "I do not think we shall be going anywhere else, tonight," she whispered.

---

In the silence before Do'rhajul spoke, Sabine stepped herself over to a bench to sit down and lean her face forward on her palm.

"My mistake was trying," she proclaimed. "I am exhausted. People kept trying to get my attention tonight. With the pressure to...be a hero, I do not know, I was drained. And I still tried." She lifted a hand incredulously. "Meesei speaks to all the clan leaders and does it right. She never gets upset or loses her patience! I cannot do that. I am not good at it."

[EliteCommander]

The closer the pair drew to one another, the more Meesei's smile turn closer to a smirk. "Hmm, now that is where you are wrong."

Meesei did not give Lunise much of a chance to consider her words before she took action. She slung one arm around Lunise's back, and the other behind her legs so that, in one quick motion, she could quite literally sweep Lunise up off her feet into Meesei's arms. The ease with which she scooped up a grown woman and started to walk around towards the bed was just another reminder of her more-than-mortal body. "I certainly plan on taking you...somewhere tonight. Perhaps a few times." She said before quite quickly occupying Lunise's lips with a kiss.

---

It took a moment for Do'rhajul to find a chair that looked as if it could support him, which gave Sabine time to share more of the details of what she was dealing with. Do'rhajul listened, but was unswayed by Sabine's obvious self-doubt. "It sounds like your Champion's duties make her essentially a politician, then. A warrior as well, I suppose, but still someone who is trapped dealing with political maneuvering. That is a kind of leader, yes, but not the only one."

Do'rhajul pointed a finger to his own chest. "Do I look like a politician? I can tell you I am not. I do not care for worrying about appearances, lying through my smiles, and all of that nonsense. I would sooner cut out my own tongue than to have to learn to coat it in silver. If I were to have to attempt to hold your Champion's role, then I would fail. But now I ask, am I not still a leader? I do not need to come up with flowery words to stand as an example to my soldiers. What other leaders think of me does not matter when I can serve my men, and have them serve me with the respect I earned from them. I lead by example, and through my deeds as their general. Not with clever words. You already showed them your bravery, so you do not need to spend your time talking with politicians to be a hero. You just need to be ready, when the time comes, to stand at their lead in the face of Vile with that very same bravery."

[Muttonhawk]

The peak of Sabine's emotional outburst had passed by now. She still had her head in her hand, but exposed one half of her face. She breathed in through her mouth in lieu of her blocked nose. "You sound much like Ri'vashi," Sabine commented. "Not...in any anger, no. You are both warriors and leaders. I am an alchemist and a mage. I perform best in a laboratory, not on a battlefield or in a council room."

Sabine opened one eye to look over at Do'rhajul. "Rhajul, your advice is appreciated. But I think you need to explain why you think I deserve respect. There are others better than me at what you mention. I feel...out of my depth."

[EliteCommander]

It had not been terribly close to nightfall when Meesei and Lunise had stepped into her room together, though it was getting close by this point. There may have been no sun in Blackreach, but they still followed its schedule as closely as they could. Meesei was in the bed beside Lunise, the blankets thrown haphazardly onto the floor alongside Lunise's clothing. The bed was stone, but padded with enough straw and cloth that it was quite comfortable, even moreso with Meesei holding Lunise so tightly. Meesei was laying on her side, her head resting on Lunise's chest, and her legs wrapped around her. She had one hand resting on Lunise's stomach, with one finger absentmindedly rubbing her navel.

"Hmm...softskins are so...wonderfully warm. I wish I could just come back here tomorrow and stay in your arms. I have to go to the Imperial City tomorrow, then after that, I will have to take the axe and head to Black Marsh. I am not at all looking forward to dealing with Molag Bal."

---

"Well, you remember the plan you and your Champion made during that meeting, yes?" Do'rhajul asked. "She wishes to paint you as a hero for the sake of your people's morale. Not to mention to make them more likely to accept your decision to keep me alive. You may not believe you are a hero, and indeed, you may not be. At least not by your own definition. The word 'hero' means something different to nearly everyone, after all. But, with your accomplishments preceding you, it would be quite trivial to act like a hero. You already accomplished your feats of skill and daring, in their eyes. At this point, you would only need to memorize an inspiring speech before battle, and act confident in deliver it. Perhaps demonstrate some powerful magic in a sparring match from time to time. I cannot say if such deception is morally right or wrong, but I will admit that high morale can win wars. It would be helpful for your people to be happy going in to this invasion of Oblivion. I just give you a question that you need to ask yourself: is it worthwhile to you to put on such an act to keep your clan happy?"

[Muttonhawk]

The gentle, lazy demeanour Lunise permeated through her every muscle and breath suggested a similar unwillingness to be anywhere else in the world. Her hair was in a tangle about her head and around her collarbone and she held an arm around Meesei's shoulder, supporting her resting head. Lunise's idle hand preened at individual red feathers on Meesei's head.

"I could not fathom you looking forward to it," Lunise answered breathily. A frown deepened on her face. "I would not, either. Are you not concerned that the servants of that Daedra will...try to take something from you? Or do something to you?" Lunise's eyes peered down at the top of Meesei's head.

---

Sabine took a moment to sniff and wipe her eyes dry with the heel of her hand before answering. It seemed a strange question at first. Her pause in answering was more in searching for any tricks than any other uncertainty.

"I would think it is," Sabine said. "If I am even capable of putting on this act for long enough. Almost anything that increases our chances of winning would be worth it. Vile takes Mundus if we do not win." She took a long breath through her mouth again. "Perhaps you are right. I should not try to do everything when I know I cannot."

She swallowed and turned her head towards the fire. "I still want to try and put an end to the extended hate and suffering. I hated this war since it started. It has destroyed so many people. As it progressed, I destroyed some people as well." Her brow knitted again but she did not weep. "I want to stop that. I fear what I might lose if I cannot destroy anyone else. I fear what I will have to choose. I already know I will have to choose between being principled in keeping you alive and being welcome amongst a great many friends of mine. At least after the war, when your utility is spent in their eyes."