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

[EliteCommander]

Meesei let out a quick, halfhearted laugh. "Concerned? I expect it. We have been technically 'allies' in this war, insofar as one can call someone they distrust and actively dislike an ally. Our treaty was formed early in the war, and to their credit, I suppose they have not betrayed their word. Still, I would not call us close friends by any means. We occasionally give each other information to help make strikes against Vile's people, but otherwise, we do not work together or coordinate in any close sort of way. I have only met one of their representatives a small handfull of times since we formed the alliance."

Meesei sighed. She closed her eyes and, with her ear pressed up against Lunise's chest, spent a few seconds just listening to her heartbeat. "I do not like Molag Bal, and were it not for the fact that Hircine himself directed me to do it, I would never have approached his servants. He is no Daedra of honor. His existence is dedicated to the domination and corruption of mortals. Although, I suppose that would also explain his willingness to prevent Vile from gaining so much power over him. Or from eliminating his source of mortals to corrupt. We do have a mutual enemy, but we will be asking him to fuse his own power into that axe. That is a kind of direct involvement that he may loathe to give. So far, it has just been his followers doing his bidding. And they are no kind souls either. Their leaders are an Argonian woman and her Dunmer spouse, both ancient vampires. Exactly how ancient I do not know, but from what I remember of speaking to them, I think they are far older than you or me...or your family...or the whole Empire. Not to be underestimated, certainly."

---

A slight smile appeared for at least a moment on Do'rhajul's face. She was making some progress, at least. He did not wish to try and force her to become something she was not, but her devotion to the safety of her people did make it easy for him to determine what she would ultimately choose to do. If putting on an act would help them, he was confident she would do it. Although, he could not say that her concern for him was illegitimate. In fact, he agreed with her assessment pretty much exactly. Regardless, it was not something that actually worried him.

"Well, if that is your fear, then perhaps I can simply remove the source of the problem once it is all over: myself. And before you get that look on your face, no, I am not suggesting anything that would spill my blood. If, by some chance, I do survive the assault on Vile's realm, then I can simply leave. I can remove myself from your clans and go my own way. Perhaps build a cabin by some isolated river in some foreign land and live out my retirement in peace. You would neither have to worry about me, or about losing your place in your clan." He suggested.

[Muttonhawk]

"That would make them especially old. Impossibly old." Lunise's voice gained just enough volume to not be simply breathing out her words anymore. "Even then, you are prudent not to underestimate them." Lunise lolled her head to one side to be at least at a measure further to facing Meesei. "You say you have spoken to them before? What do you make of them?"

---

Sabine turned and looked briefly at Do'rhajul with a sad smile, before quickly blinking her eyes down. "I am glad. Before, you wanted to put lay yourself before those that would execute you." Her smile faded. "But they will hunt you. They will hunt you if they know I will not stand in their way. They will hunt you to the ends of Nirn. Perhaps further. Could you say you would live the rest of your life like that? In truth?"

[EliteCommander]

"I would not say impossible, not after what I saw." Meesei replied. "I do not know a great deal about the Dunmer, but his wife, Hal-Neesa, spoke to me at greater length. And I saw her fight. They...are not normal vampires. Not like most of their cult. From what I learned afterwards, they are vampire lords. They have a more, I suppose 'pure' form of vampirism that allows them to transform into a more powerful vampiric form. Large, winged, and with unique magical abilities straight from Molag Bal himself. And that is not to mention her normal magical talent. I engaged in a brief magical duel with her and...well, she quite literally tossed me around the room. There was nothing I could do to resist her. Of course, it has been many years since then, but I still do not know what kind of power she truly has."

Meesei's face formed a brief, uncomfortable expression as she glanced away from Lunise. "I also do not plan on asking Fendros or Ahnasha to join me. That was the place where Rhazii received his burns. It was during that task that they were captured and tortured. Molag Bal's cult was not responsible for it, but all the same, I do not want to force them to revisit those memories. But, I do plan on bringing the Staff of Magnus with me to at least give a way to guarantee our escape, should something happen. The staff is said to be able to contain the power of a god, so I do not think Hal-Neesa or her husband will be able to overwhelm it. What of you? Or Marod? Do you think the Dominion or Empire would want their representatives to attend this meeting, given that whatever terns we strike may affect your people as well?"

---

Do'rhajul shook his head, not as an answer, but in disagreement. "Your people are certainly skilled hunters, but as long as it is not your spymaster hunting me, I still believe I can disappear. Tamriel is quite a large place, and there are many ways to fade away. I can take a new name, avoid stirring trouble. If you can teleport me to a destination, then they will have no trail to follow. Or, perhaps I could visit a face sculptor to complete my change of identity. I could even, say...join one of your clans. With a new face and a new name, I could hide in the last place they would expect to look."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise's preening of Meesei's feathers stopped. She stared at the ceiling, still and blank for a considering while. Meesei could hear her heart beat slightly faster, as much because she was holding her breath as any anxiety she had building.

Finally, Lunise propped herself up slowly by the elbows and turned her body to look down on Meesei directly. She placed a hand on Meesei's cheek to guarantee her undivided attention. "Meesei," she said quietly, yet firmly. "I'm coming with you. Neither Marod nor the Dominion will know I am coming with you, because we will not tell them. I am coming with you because I want to be there if something goes awry. Are we clear?"

Lunise had a hint of pain in her eyes. The rest of her face was as stern as a sergeant.

---

Sabine could not claim to be discouraged by Do'rhajul's plans, though she still held some concern on her face. "All the clan leaders know your scent. A scent is like a face to us lycans." She managed to smile. "But, you are right. I can take you somewhere to hide. I should have trusted that you would have a strategy. I will do all I can to help you after the war. We...may have to act swiftly after the invasion."

The signs of Sabine's weeping were fading away. She looked to the fire with a pause. Another question came to mind.

"Rhajul," she said cautiously. "I wonder sometimes. It has not been very long since we made peace. Do you still hold any resentment for lycans?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei lifted her head up as well, supporting herself with her hands. "She was silent for a few seconds, and seemed hesitant even when she did speak. "I...well I shall not stop you. And I certainly appreciate your support more than you can know, truly. But...you do not need to protect me, Lunise. If anything, I should be doing everything I can to protect you. Not just because of how much you mean to me, but because of the fact that you are much more important than me. If anything happens, promise me that you will keep yourself safe over anything else, okay?"

---

Do'rhajul was glad to see that Sabine seemed to have relaxed, at least mostly. He was also appreciative for her promise of help, should the future call for it. The invasion of Oblivion would be exceptionally dangerous, but it was not as if he intended to throw his life away without cause. He could survive, and if that happened, he knew it would be best for Sabine if he were to simply disappear. Although, her next question prevented him from relaxing entirely.

"I hold resentment towards those who who have wronged me. If I were to meet the lycans who slaughtered my patrol all those years ago, I would want to see appropriate justice. Not that I would ever have a way of identifying them. But those who have wronged me the most are in the service of Vile. I do not appreciate being tricked, and I especially despise being tricked into harming those who do not deserve it. I know you desire peace, but our enemy is dangerous, deserving of our blades, and devoted to a cause from which they will not relent. They will fight us to the death, and we will need to be ready to give that to them."

[Muttonhawk]

"-Meesei," Lunise interrupted the last word of Meesei's response. "This is not about protecting you. Neither you nor I could individually stand up to a being as powerful as you describe, much less two." Lunise caught herself before she could sound any angrier. Her voice softened. "It could take both our efforts together to escape. If that is what will be required, I would sooner be there to help than anywhere else. I would much sooner promise, with your promise as well, that we will get out together."

---

Sabine put on a stoic face and nodded. She was still somewhat reluctant. All the same, she was satisfied with Do'rhajul's answer.

"I would find those lycans if I could," she said. "The best any can do, I suppose, is to prevent feral lycans from hurting people. And...perhaps there will be a day where there are no cultists of Hircine that prey on people, too. The clan leaders do not like to talk about them but they still exist." Her lips thinned. "But Vile comes first."

More immediate matters brought more immediate priorities. Sabine altered the subject again. "I trust you can help me select the rest of my pack. You know fighters, how to use them. We will have to pick from many. They will be alongside us both as we approach the final battles."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei hummed for a moment in thought. "You can say it is not about protecting me all you like, but I know you would not be doing this for many others. Still, you may be right. With you, me, Sabine, and the Staff of Magnus, even those vampires would not be able to so easily harm us. Ideally, though, this will end peacefully, and with an empowered Axe."

Eventually, Meesei sat up entirely on the edge of the bed and gave a brief sigh. "At any rate, I wish I could just lay back down here with you for the rest of the night, but I believe I should at least be seen returning to my chambers for the night. I doubt anyone will jump to any accurate conclusions, but I would not want anyone suspicious to think that I am scheming with the Dominion all night. Particularly Marod. Still, after an hour or two, I think I would be safe to teleport back here for the night. Perhaps give you a nice, warm, furry blanket to wrap your arms around." Meesei grinned.

Standing up, Meesei stretched out her muscles and glanced towards the door. Having not been dressed to begin with, she did not have anything to gather before leaving. "After this business with the vampires is dealt with, we should most certainly take a nice, long break. In the lower levels of the city, we have these large pools of water that are heated by the Dwemer steam machinery. It is similar to a solution we devised to keep the water warm with magic back in our previous home, except the steam here can heat the water much like a hot spring. It is...supremely relaxing, and it would be a travesty if you did not get to enjoy it while you were here. As long as you can handle being in a public bath, of course." She said with a smile.

---

As the conversation shifted back to their duty, Do'rhajul dropped any hint of discomfort and nodded. "Of course. I would be glad to apply my expertise for you. Aside from my knowledge on Vile's cult, I would say it is the largest reason any of the others would want me alive. Although, I do believe that it would be wise for me to have help. Whoever you might trust for matters of strategy. I am intimately familiar with commanding soldiers, but I have never commanded lycanthropes. There may be details about which I am unfamiliar. Strengths and weaknesses I may not consider. Your General Ri'vashi would be the most qualified, but...it would not be wise to ask her to work so closely with me. Would you say Captain gro-Konesh, or Lorag, rather, has the relevant knowledge?"

[Muttonhawk]

The worry in Lunise's eyes faded when Meesei conceded for her help. She let her slide free of her arms before twisting to stand up herself on the other end of the bed. Mention of Meesei returning transformed swiftly put a smile on Lunise's face that clearly held back her renewed laughter.

While Meesei told of the baths, Lunise strode around the bed and slid her arms loosely around Meesei's sides, looking at her happily. "Handle it? You know how I respond to doubt by now, my love." She pecked Meesei quickly, and again until she lingered and it turned into a long and loving gesture.

Before too long, Lunise pulled her head away and smiled. "Very well. Fur-covered or not, I look forward to your return. I am spoilt here, staying with you." She nodded towards the door without breaking eye contact. "Now go, before I derelict my duties any further."

---

Sabine nodded vigorously. "He would. We should talk to him before we begin looking." Sabine sat up a little straighter. "When we first joined this clan in Bruma, he took to training the militia. He trained all of us in the pack at some point or another. He knows what lycan warriors are capable of."

Glancing away briefly, Sabine stopped to prevent a stammer. "Ri'vashi would know more, I think. About strategy. Um...I do not think she would agree to help." Sabine could not help but bring up their similarities again. "I have these strange thoughts that you and her might be related with how similar you act. It is not probable, though. She is from High Rock and was turned early in her life. Raised by a former member of the Blades. I think that is what she told me."

Sabine feigned a smile. "But before I forget, thank you for your help, Rhajul. I know you took an oath, but you...have been conducting yourself with kindness."

[EliteCommander]

It had been several hours since Meesei left the feast, which was apparent by the number of people who were returning to the city. It was not crowded, since people had been trickling back into the city for hours, but there was more activity than when Meesei had been giving Lunise and Marod the tour. She headed back to her own chambers, though as she walked down the hall, she realized that she was the first of her pack to do so. Her perspective on how much time had passed was perhaps flawed, though she had no doubt that they would be retiring for the night soon as well. As eager as she was to return to Lunise, there was another matter she supposed she could deal with quickly. Meesei did not even open the door to her own room before turning back around and heading to the stairwell leading up to their floor. It was the only way up, so she found a spot by the wall and decided to wait for Rhazii.

A few of Meesei's other packmates passed in the minutes that Meesei was waiting, but their conversations did not amount to more than a few words to wish each other a good night. Finally, she spotted Rhazii's unmistakable, tall figure rising up the stairs and moved herself in front of him to make sure he did not simply walk past. "Rhazii, there you are. We need to speak, privately. I will follow you to your room." She said. Her tone was not outright angry, but her words made it clear that it was not a request. Rhazii, at his age, had been given his own chambers. Communal quarters were more common in other clans for the majority of members, but given the amount of space they were yet to utilize in the Silent City, more of the clan's members could have private chambers.

---

Do'rhajul's ears perked up as Sabine spoke one particular word. "I am always glad to help, but...a Blade, you said? That would explain much about her. Why she was such a worthy adversary when we were leading on opposing sides. In a traditional Legion family like mine, there was a great deal of respect for the organization of the Blades. Revered dragon hunters, and protectors of the Septim Empire. Their skill was legendary, and their fall tragic. It is such a shame that the average citizen does not even remember them. The Penitus Oculatus have been a worthy replacement, but there is a certain...mythos that surrounds that ancient order. Something that cannot be so easily replaced. Just avoid allowing that Thalmor to learn of it. They have sought to remove any trace of the Blades from Tamriel, and even being associated with one could mark her as a target."

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros and Ahnasha stopped by Meesei briefly on their way to their room, quickly mentioning what they saw of Sabine's exit from the feast, including the portal she opened before they could catch up to her. However, they trusted she would return soon and did not linger long.

A short way behind his parents, Rhazii ascended the stairs with Kaj-Julan trailing behind him. He and Julan were recounting some event Meesei did not recognise, likely from the last few hours as their giggles and snorts were still fresh in their noses. Both Rhazii's smile and ears shrank down when he looked up the stairs to see Meesei. He was immediately quiet.

Fendros and Ahnasha looked back for a moment, but they did not appear perturbed at all. Fendros merely gave a casual "Goodnight, everyone," before stepping away with Ahnasha.

While Rhazii did not look at Julan, who would have picked up on the situation rapidly, there was little doubt that he would slink away as well.

That just left Rhazii and Meesei. Rhazii peered down at the floor and clenched his teeth. Meesei could just about feel how hard his ears pinned back. "Okay," he mumbled as audibly as an adolescent does, and began his sullen march into his room.

He left the door open and turned to sit on the end of his bed, eyes still on the floor.

---

Sabine half-smiled. "I am not sure that-" She closed her mouth and pursed her lips. Rhajul did not know of Lunise and Meesei's relationship. She had to keep that secret.

"...The Thalmor are not complacent," she recovered. "You are correct. Although, her adoptive father died many years ago. There would be no one for the Thalmor to hunt through her."

Sabine lifted her eyes to Do'rhajul, curious. "What was it like for you growing up? If you were in a Legion family, I imagine you were used to having relatives stationed away from home."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei ignored Rhazii's defeated-looking demeanor as she shut the door behind her, or at least she did not acknowledge it. She stood a few paces in front of the bed and crossed her arms. "So you know that I welcome the criticism and advice of my pack, yes? You made it clear that you do. Indeed, I encourage it, and I do not demand that my pack follow my every word without question. But, you also are aware of of the many roles we play in our clans. You certainly should be, unless you ignored every lesson that myself and your parents gave you. You would know that the Champion's pack guides all of the clans as a leader on the battlefield and in peace alike. You would, of course, be perfectly aware that it is my great burden to keep every clan in Tamriel united under one banner against Vile; to keep them fighting as one even through difficult decisions and uncertain times. And being the intelligent boy you are, you would also be completely aware of the fact that having a member of my own pack loudly and...disrespectfully questioning the wisdom of the decisions I support would greatly erode the notion that the Champion and her pack have made their decisions with confidence and resolve. So why is it then, Rhazii, that you would do such things in front of every single one of the most important people that I need to keep happy with my leadership?"

[Muttonhawk]

With his hands hanging limp from his knees and his head down, there was no disputing Rhazii knew the trouble he was in. Still, after a long pause, his answer was predictably nonchalant. He shrugged sharply, his shoulders went limp again. "I don't know," he mumbled.

He breathed in to continue and held. He let half of his breath go and breathed in again. Emotion brewed that he was holding back. "Maybe it's because mother was shot in front of me? Aunt Kaleeth nearly died, too? The rest of you were beaten up?"

Rhazii glowered at the floor.

---

Sabine and Do'rhajul took the following hour or more simply to converse. They realised it was the first time they had done so outside of what felt like a crisis. Do'rhajul was suddenly solidified as a man like any other in Sabine's eyes and, though Sabine herself had an unconventional upbringing, the mystery behind her was pulled aside for the most part.

Sabine wished she had some wine to share over their conversation once the edge from the wine at the feast wore off. Instead, they rapidly found themselves mutually exhausted after such a stressful day and went their separate ways to sleep.

The talk with Ri'vashi still hung over Sabine's head. She was not looking forward to not only Ri'vashi and Ri'kalesh's reactions to her letting Do'rhajul go after the invasion, but many others that would also protest. Thankfully, the talk with Do'rhajul reaffirmed her decision. He was a man that was good enough for a second chance. A very different person than him would not deserve it.

[EliteCommander]

As opposed to the anxiety and nervousness that was no doubt going through Rhazii's mind, Meesei hardly took a second to respond, her tone forceful, but not shouting. "And yet they were not the ones to air grievances in the open. Fendros did not share his resentment for Do'rhajul to the other clan leaders, nor did Janius. Do you think your father loves your mother less than you do? Do you think Janius is indifferent to Kaleeth's suffering? Of course you do not. But they make their voices heard in private, or among the open debate of our council. They do not spread their doubt to other clans."

Meesei took a step towards Rhazii. "But I am under no illusions of why you did it. It is because you are young, impetuous, inexperienced. You have just now reached the age where you have just enough knowledge to think you know what you are doing, but not enough wisdom to realize all the ways you are wrong. You were born to a pack privileged with strength, influence, and respect. To that, I can only apologize. It was unfair to you to be born into a pack with such high expectations placed upon its members. The simple fact is that no one of your age should be expected to deal with what we have to face, without all of the struggles we had to overcome to earn our position. But that is the reality of it. It may not be fair to you, but you are still part of my pack, and you have to act knowing that you represent, in some capacity, my pack. You have to listen to and obey us completely, even when it does not make sense."

[Muttonhawk]

A joint in Rhazii's fingers clicked as he balled a fist tightly enough to crush an apple. A sharp eye could tell that he was breathing very deliberately, another measure to hold himself back. But he could not speak without a small, upset break in his voice.

"When have I ever been good enough for this pack?!" He said. "It all makes sense, that's not the problem. The problem is I made a mess of your feast. I get it. But maybe..." He closed his lips and quickly shook his head. "Maybe I can't earn my place like the rest of you. Maybe I should just leave! I won't ruin anything else that way."

Rhazii blinked rapidly. He was sprung to stand and exit, though he dared not try to get up with Meesei between him and the door.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei hardly budged, though she did let out an amused breath. "That reaction could not be any more typical of one your age, Rhazii. You are about in your sixteenth year, yes? A bit older than Sabine was when she first joined my pack, but much younger than all of the others. Do you truly expect to match the ability of those with decades more experience than you? But yes, the other members of our pack, Julan excepted, have had far more opportunities to grow their skills. Lorag received legion training, fought in a war, then had to survive on his own for nearly a decade before I found him. Janius had years of Fighter's Guild experience; enough to survive a harrowing encounter in a spiders' den. I was raised with the singular purpose of becoming my father's successor as a Treeminder, then forged my own path in service of Hircine with the knowledge I had. In this war, we have all fought battle after battle, survived certain death on multiple occasions, and honed our judgement in situations where to choose wrongly would mean the deaths of ourselves, or those we care about. It was those trials that made us what we are...and you should be glad you do not have to face them."

Taking another step forward, Meesei placed a single finger on Rhazii's head to push it back and force him to make eye contact with her. "Our trials nearly killed us, nearly broke our minds, out bodies, our willpower. Our strength is build on the pain of our scars, and it was an unenviable path to take. You...you are young and inexperienced, but you have one advantage we never had. You have good teachers. We can pass the lessons we learned onto you, without you having to suffer for them. You have always received training from us, of course. I know you have taken well to lessons in magic and steel alike, but your training can extend so much beyond mere fighting. You can learn from us all, but only if you open yourself up to listen. If you go off on that typical adolescent rebellion and start believing that you know more than your mentors, then you will never reach that potential."

[Muttonhawk]

Rhazii bared his teeth. Meesei lifted Rhazii's face up with more resistance than she might have expected. As soon as his wince from the point of Meesei's claw pressing at his head subsided, he showed his red-iris eyes filling with tears that he was having a gradually harder time keeping from falling. The sheer rage building on his face showed no signs of waning.

"And what if it turns out that I'll not reach that potential?" He said without hesitation. "What if I just keep disappointing you?"

[EliteCommander]

Again, Meesei's expression was unmoved, no matter how much anger Rhazii started to show. "It is not a disappointment if you are performing exactly as I expect. Make no mistake, if you continue to behave as you did at the feast in public, then neither Fendros or Ahnasha will be able to protect you from the consequences. I promise. But, you have not disappointed me. I never expected you to know exactly how to handle yourself in what is essentially politics."

Meesei hummed as a thought passed through her mind. "Hmm, you do remind me of someone, you know? Your Aunt Kaleeth, I know you are familiar with her past. She was raised to be a hunter for an Argonian village before we came across her. But did you know she was also the first and only member of our pack who was not a lycan before we found her? And neither did any of us infect her. She and Janius became infatuated with one another shortly after meeting, but it was the decision of Hircine himself to infect her. She does not have much memory of the event itself, but I believe that, after she sought out Hircine through a hunt in the wilds, he chose to grant her lycanthropy because of the potential she held. The same kind of potential I see in you."

Despite Rhazii's anger, Meesei actually gave a quick laugh. "And I can promise you, it was...equally unrealized at the time. Perhaps moreso. For all of your life, you have known your Aunt Kaleeth as a skilled warrior of immense strength. She is determined, fearless, and can meet any threat head-on. She is an Argonian knight, if there were such a thing in Black Marsh. But what you were too young to remember was that when she first joined our pack...being a werecrocodile did grant her immense strength, but that was about the only advantage she had. Kaleeth was only about nineteen years of age at the time, and in combat, she was only passable with a spear at best. She was...not terribly good at much of anything. Non-Argonian culture was completely foreign to her, and she could hardly even speak Cyrodilic. She was the very definition of a fish out of water. She could only rely on the brute strength of her beast spirit to keep herself alive in a fight, and failed many times when it was not enough. Kaleeth's beautiful body would be marred by scars today if her lycan blood had been unable to heal them. And yet, I can see the surprise in your eyes at my words. The person I have described is nothing like the woman you know. When she was in crisis about the new life she had chosen, and considered abandoning us, she chose to persevere. And now you see the results. She may have much to teach you, now that I am thinking about it."

[Muttonhawk]

Meesei gave Rhazii plenty to think about. His anger was occupied enough that his mouth shrank into a frown and he looked away with a softening brow. By the end of it, he had no idea what to say. He sat silently. Without anything on the topic, Rhazii broke his silence on another note. It was something he only just then knew how to put into words.

"I'm not rebelling, you know?" He mumbled. "I just want to feel like part of the pack. Sometimes it...feels like I can't. I don't know when I'll feel like I can be part of the pack." He looked down to hide his eyes welling up again, though his voice remained level. "Sorry I shouted."

[EliteCommander]

"Ideally, after we make it safe enough for you to join in the majority of our tasks. We should only need to kill one god before that is the case." Meesei joked, though with a seemingly serious tone. "But yes, the hard truth is that most of the tasks we undertake require only the most skilled and experienced among us. You began your training in earnest only relatively recently. But I suppose you will want something more concrete than that for an answer, and I suppose it would be just as easy to give you one. The day that you can defeat, or at least match, any other member of our pack, Julan excepted, in a duel will be the day that you can join in some of our more dangerous missions. And of course, you will need to defeat one of us in good condition. If Lorag breaks a bone one day and you manage to defeat him, then no, that will not count. I only specify because I honestly believe that Lorag would still take that duel, just to prove a point.

Meesei knelt down to be at eye level with Rhazii, though with his height, she only needed to kneel slightly, even with him sitting. She still made no comment on his tears, and instead pulled him into a hug. "Rhazii, my nephew, you know that I love you. You are my family, and always will be. No matter what events come to pass, and no matter where you end up in life, we will still be family beyond death itself. I have always been fond of how you look up to me as someone other than 'The Champion.'" She said, though after a moment, he would feel the grip of her hands tighten around his shoulders. "But with that said, I am still The Champion of Hircine. I do value the criticisms of my pack, but I also have a certain...reputation to uphold. My role is to maintain morale as much as it is to be a leader. And you might see how it would be difficult for me to command the respect of the clans if they do not think I can even command the respect of my own pack. So, as much as I love you, my nephew, if you disrespect me in public again, you will have given me no choice but to demonstrate some of the Champion's wrath. Publicly. You understand, yes?"

[Muttonhawk]

Rhazii returned the hug gratefully at first. Even with his occasional mood swings, he was still the affectionate child Ahnasha and Fendros raised. However, beyond Meesei's vision, the latter part of her response made Rhazii widen his eyes and hold his breath. He was not sure whether to take it as an aggressive threat or as a concerned caution.

"...Yeah, completely," he rapidly said before he could find out. "Y-you don't have to say it like that. It's not as if I don't know what you can do, alright? Hircine's hounds, Aunt Meesei..." He huffed. "Can I go to bed now?"