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

[EliteCommander]

Okun was in a bad situation, and he knew it. His attack had failed, so Sabine had managed to flip him over and throw herself onto his back. She had his arm twisted in a way that was causing him constant pain, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't throw her off of him. He tried to reach back with his free arm to get her off of him, but with how little leverage he had, he could accomplish little more than tugging on loose clothing.

After a few moments of struggling, Okun finally relented. "Ow, ow, stop, stop, stop!" He shouted, which was enough for Thorantilth to call the fight to a close.

"Enough, the fight is over. Victory goes to Sabine. The Trial of body is concluded." Thorantilth said, with the healer approaching immediately to make sure Okun was unharmed.

---

Kaleeth had hoped Janius' answer would provide her a more solid idea of what to do, but she supposed it would make more sense to ask Meesei herself. After all, she knew her own motivations more than anyone. At first thought, it wouldn't make sense for the Hist to put an Argonian on a course that would separate her from them, but that was a mortal thought from a mortal mind. The Hist thought on a much higher level than herself.

"You are right, it would be better to ask her, to ask everyone. I can't decide on my own, so I should get help from everyone. Maybe...maybe I should try to commune with the Hist? Saxhleel always hear the Hist in our minds, but if I drink some of the sap, they might give me visions to help me. The Treeminder always taught me to trust their guidance, so it makes sense to listen to them now. And...you say becoming a werewolf would bind my soul to Hircine? I do not know about him very well. I know he is Daedra. Maybe...what would I have to do to commune with Hircine?" Kaleeth asked.

[Muttonhawk]

As soon as Thorantilth prompted her, Sabine released Okun-Jei's arm and rolled off his body until she was laying face up in the mud. She was caked with the stuff. She felt cold and weak, but relieved. It took a few more moments of catching her breath before she attempted to sit up slowly. When she was sitting upright, her head swam and her vision sparkled, but it soon passed. Even though she was looking at nothing in particular, her open mouth rose into a smile. She had won. There were moments where she thought she wouldn't win, but she had finally won.

Tunxeek walked forward, seemingly oblivious of the rain, and extended a hand to Sabine. "Well done, Sabine."

Sabine swung her hand wildly upwards, still very affected by the poison, but Tunxeek was able to catch her hand and pull her up from the mud. She stumbled a bit once she was on her feet, but Tunxeek helped to steady her. The first thing she did was search for Okun. He was being treated by the healer, but even so neither of them had suffered anything worse than a couple of bruises. She would have offered him her hand to stand up, but she didn't have the balance to. Tunxeek obliged to help him up instead. As soon as he was up, Sabine stepped forward and gave him a tight hug. Whether it was sincere or out of delirium, Sabine was grateful to have a fair fight. When she released Okun, Sabine turned to find Meesei and hug her similarly, inadvertently covering her front in mud. She became so overcome with emotion and dizziness that tears started to make channels through the dirt on her cheeks, mixing with the rain.

---

"Hircine is a very different personality to the Hist. He is not necessarily compassionate, but I do not think he is outwardly malicious, like other Daedra. Overall, he is very single-minded I think. A hunter in every sense is probably the best description. Communing with him is far more difficult than drinking sap." Janius curled his lips up and down uncomfortably for a few moments, as if he had in itch in his gums, "The only ones in our pack to commune with him were Ahnasha and Meesei. Both were after they had hunted a special, challenging prey and offered their kill to Hircine. An audience with Hircine is difficult to obtain." He licked out and swallowed whatever was in his gums and turned to Kaleeth with curious eyes. "I understand that the Hist may guide you. I wonder, though. What would you ask Hircine if you were to talk to him?"

[EliteCommander]

When Meesei wrapped her arms around Sabine, just like after the last fight, she washed over her body with restoration energy to purge the poison from her body. This time, however, there were nowhere near as many injuries to heal, only a few scratches and bruises. Neither of the combatants looked like they had been hurt too badly, at least not with any lasting injuries.

"I told you that you could win." Meesei said with her arms still wrapped around her. Once she was sure all the injuries were taken care of, she cast a longer-lasting, low-power restoration spell onto her that would take care of any residual soreness. When she finally released the hug, she put her hands on Sabine's shoulders and looked at her with a smile. "Your trials are over. Now, all that remains is the ritual itself. I will be there to help guide you when it is time."

"Indeed, I can think of no better guide." Thorantilth commented as he approached the pair. "The trials have shown that you have the strength of body and will to undergo the ritual, but still, it would be best if you were well rested and in good health. We will perform the ritual tomorrow, around midday."

---

Kaleeth let out a sigh. Of course it was not going to be easy, why would it be? Everything else about the whole situation had been stressful and complicated. Still, she had choices about who to seek out for help. "I...do not think I can really say. I mean, I not really know a lot about Daedra, but I do know the Hist. I assume Hircine is a powerful being too, yes? If he is like the Hist, then his mind is above ours. Mortals can't know the minds of gods, it is...not smart to try to predict them, or anything like that. I would just say what comes to my heart, it's all I could do. I don't think planning like that would really help me talk to a god."

[Muttonhawk]

Tears still flowed from Sabine's eyes, even when Meesei's spell restored her body and her lucidity. She was still nervous about the ritual, but her nervousness was currently overcome by happiness. She nodded to Thorantilth after he spoke, holding her smile. "Thank you."

Slowly, Sabine turned and headed back towards the village. More than anything else right then, she wanted to clean herself up and have nap. She held herself with a straight back and a warm expression. Not even the rain could take the moment from her.

---

Janius angled his head to one side. He wasn't sure whether Hircine displayed qualities that transcended mortal thought as much as Kaleeth thought it did, but he could understand her reasoning. "Very well," Janius conceded, listening to a distant rumble of thunder and leaning his own body against the trunk of the tree. For now he just sighed slowly and watched the storm with Kaleeth. Not much was certain, and not much was under his control in this matter, but he could enjoy the feeling of being close to her for a while longer.

[EliteCommander]

At the very least, Kaleeth now had a plan of what to do. She still had no idea what to decide, but at least she had some hope that someone, or something, could help her. Her mind started to shift away from her internal conflict and to the present moment, which of course meant she started paying more attention to how high up they were. The canopy did look like a sort of floor, but she was still afraid of falling through it. Without anything to distract her, she started to shake a bit more and felt her breathing speed up. She wanted to get down, but still did not want to let Janius know of her fear. As a result, she needed to subtly find a way to move them along.

Kaleeth reached up and gave Janius another kiss on the snout and scratched behind his ears once more. "So, what should we do now, with the time we have?"

[Muttonhawk]

Janius smiled and reacted similarly to the first time that Kaleeth scratched her behind the ears. In the moments that passed, he noticed her becoming uncomfortable in his arms all of a sudden. It was fear, he could tell.

"I don't mind. We could go and find you someone to talk to for advice, we could run some more, we could just go back to the village and relax, see if Sabine has done her trial yet, or we could stay awhile." Janius chuckled, "I can smell your fear though. Don't worry, I won't let you fall. We can climb back down if you are uncomfortable."

[EliteCommander]

"Yes! I mean...okay, we can climb down. Not that I do not like sitting in your lap. Your fur is very soft." Kaleeth exclaimed before quickly trying to curb her enthusiasm. She held on tightly to him in preparation for them to move.

"Maybe you can show me what else you can do as a werewolf? LIke...how strong you really are. It must be a lot to hold back wamasu. Or we can find a nice, wet place and lay down together." She suggested, narrowly avoiding the accidental double entendre this time. "You're so big that I feel like I am being wrapped up in a blanket in your arms." She kept her eyes off of the ground and tried to focus on what she was going to say when she asked about her decision. Just as she told Janius, she really could not prepare to commune with something like the Hist, or Hircine if that was possible, but talking to the others would be easier...except her father. She already knew that he would be angry at her for just having these thoughts, let alone acting on them. He wanted to protect her, so she had no idea what he would do at the prospect of her actually leaving. In truth, she really did not like the idea of leaving either. In a perfect world, they would all be able to stay together, but that was obviously not going to happen.

[Muttonhawk]

With an amused look, Janius held Kaleeth against himself with one arm and carefully navigated his way down the branches. He still had to jump across to some other trees in order to find solid ground again, but Janius was careful and went slower than before, mindful of Kaleeth's fear.

"If I spot a big rock or something that might make for a good demonstration, I might show you." Janius responded, placing Kaleeth feet first on the ground and observing her shakes with his eyes. "I think laying down for a bit would be nice though. You look like you could use the time to calm."

Finding somewhere wet was certainly not a difficult task, thanks to the rain. After they found a pond with an tree trunk adjacent to the shore to lean up against, they laid themselves down and Janius closed his eyes. Time seemed to speed up as Janius and Kaleeth relaxed in each others arms. Before they knew it, some hours had passed. By that time, Janius' beast spirit receded on its own due to the calm, which came as a surprise to both of them as he transformed back into Imperial form. However, as much as Kaleeth had enjoyed the warmth of Janius' fur, Janius felt he could be more intimate with Kaleeth when he was closer to her size. It was hard to kiss with a wolf snout after all. After a while they decided to head back to the village while there was still daylight so Kaleeth could get the advice she needed.

Sabine's good mood lasted into the day. After washing herself in the river and taking a nap in the dry common hut, she shared a meal with Tunxeek and the pack. She even managed to sound one of her strange pulsating chuckles at Tunxeek's recount of an incident with a stray alit wandering into the village. It was rare to see her in such a state. Into the the late day, as her energy waned, she eventually became quiet again, but not withdrawn and cringing all the time. The anxiety of the ritual itself was building. With Meesei there to comfort her though, she wasn't debilitated by it.

[EliteCommander]

Kaleeth had spent some time talking with Thorantilth, with predictable results. He did not wish for her to leave the village. He did say that all Saxhleel have a path the Hist desires for them, and sometimes that path leads away from home, but in his opinion, she was just young and overcome with emotion. He felt that her desire to leave was not brought on by the Hist's will, but her own desires. She had to admit, he might be right. Maybe she was just being stupid in wanting to abandon her home, but she was still going to talk to others and get as much advice as she could before making a decision.

It was late when Kaleeth returned to the common hut, long after Janius and his friends had gone to sleep. She could have gone to sleep herself, but she could not bring herself to sleep just yet. As quietly as she could, Kaleeth knelt down beside Meesei and gently shook her awake. "Sorry, but can I talk to you Meesei? It is very important." She asked sincerely.

Any irritability Meesei might have had at being awoken was erased when she saw Kaleeth's concerned expression. As soon as she came to her senses, Meesei sat up and nodded as she rubbed her head. "What is it, Kaleeth?"

"It is...important. Can we talk outside?" She asked, rubbing her hands together nervously.

Meesei could guess about which topic she wished to discuss if it meant speaking away from others, so she nodded silently, then followed her outside. The nighttime air was humid and warm, as it always was in the marsh. The moons were not out, so the area was blanketed in thick darkness. Kaleeth walked slowly, though her familiarity with the area let her find a good place to talk.

"Meesei, I...have questions for you, about...me and Janius. I have been dreading the day you are leaving, and I was wondering...if I should leave with you. If I should become a werewolf?" Kaleeth asked nervously.

Meesei responded in a firm tone. "Kaleeth, embracing lycanthropy is no simple action. It requires that you join your spirit to that of a beast, it requires you bind your soul to the Hunting Grounds of Hircine. It requires you embrace a beast that can take control of your mind away from yourself if you cannot control it. Most of all, it requires you abandon everything you know. Your family, friends, the village, all of which you would never see again, in this life or the next. That is the gravity of this choice."

Kaleeth lowered her head. [i]"I know, Janius told me all of that. I know how much of a sacrifice it would be...which is why I am wanting to learn about it. Even knowing all of that, even knowing all I will have to give up, there is still a part of me that believes it is what is best for me. I just want to know everything I can about it, so I can make the best choice. I want to know what the Hist's path for me really is. Do you believe the Hist want this path for you?"

Meesei paused for a moment. That was a question she had asked herself for years. When she first left her village, it was because she felt she was growing stagnant by merely surviving. Recent events, however, had made her question if there really was a greater purpose to it, if there was something she was doing away from the Hist that she could not do otherwise. She did not know, however, so she could not answer Kaleeth's question with certainty. "I cannot say I know, Kaleeth. The mind of the Hist is more unknowable than anything in the mortal plane. I have meditated on that question many times before, but I can say with certainty that I believe my path is right for me. That does not, however, mean it would be right for you."

Kaleeth seemed a bit disappointed that Meesei did not have a definite answer, but when it came to the HIst, expecting a direct answer was rather unreasonable. Nevertheless, she felt there was more she could learn from Meesei."I...I understand. Do you...think you could tell me more, though? Can you tell me more about werewolves, things that Janius may not have thought about?"

Meesei was silent in thought for a few moments, then nodded. "Very well, if it helps you make an informed decision, then I will tell you what I can."

---

Despite staying up talking to Kaleeth for over an hour the previous night, Meesei brought herself to wake early, this time to help both Sabine and herself. She collected a good sized breakfast for both of them, as they would both need to be in good condition for the ritual. As her guide, Meesei would undergo the ritual as well and help Sabine's soul to understand whatever visions or challenges the Hist decided to give her. The ritual could be used for many purposes, but there was no need to do anything differently to accomplish something different. The Hist would be able to feel Sabine's pain, and if they found her worthy, they would do what they needed to help Sabine repair it.

With a sizable meal between them, Meesei gently shook Sabine awake. "Good morning, Sabine."

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine had heard shuffling of feet as she dozed half asleep through the early hours. She had opened her eyes for a moment and only found the dim blue light of the early morning. She settled and tried to sleep for another hour or two, but she couldn't get into a deep sleep again. When Meesei woke her up, she didn't have any trouble sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She was silent though, only acknowledging Meesei with a glance. Her jaw was sore from clenching her teeth in her sleep from the stress, so she opened and closed her mouth a few times to try and loosen it. Once again, Meesei had brought them breakfast made up of a greater portion of meats than she was used to. She wasn't sure if she could eat that much, but she made a start.

Fendros and Janius woke up with the sunrise habitually. Fendros gave Ahnasha a good morning kiss while she slept and went to retrieve breakfast for them both. Janius, on the other hand seemed a little troubled. He wished Sabine, Meesei and Fendros a good morning, but when facing away from them his smile lowered into a decidedly unsure look. He took the time to get breakfast for himself and also feed Leaps-On-Elves, who even in a couple of days had grown about an inch in length. At least it was warm enough in its bed not to snuggle up to Janius' face this morning.

Kaleeth was still asleep, but Janius could guess why. He hadn't seen her between this morning and when she went to speak to the Treeminder. She may have been up late talking. Hopefully whatever counsel she was given was useful for her. When she wasn't around, the uncertainty had got to Janius as well. Whether she was staying or joining, Janius preferred to know now so that he wouldn't be left without some sort of closure, but he knew it was her decision. His mind was so split in holding out hope for either outcome that it was making his chest hurt.

To distract himself, Janius sat with Sabine and Meesei to feed Leaps. He had congratulated Sabine on her victory yesterday, happy to see her in a good mood. Now the culmination of her efforts would sum to the ritual today. "So how are you feeling about the ritual, Sabine? Excited?"

Sabine didn't look at Janius directly for a moment, but she answered. "I don't know."

Janius leaned over and patted Sabine on the shoulder. "Ah, you'll be fine. I think you'll be feeling much better by the end of the day. I daresay this probably won't be as scary as you think." Janius of course knew very little about the ritual, but he wanted to show support for Sabine. The ritual was the reason they came to this place anyway.

In response, Sabine's mouth twitched uneasily and she resumed her meal.

Two seconds passed and Janius turned to Meesei, "Did Kaleeth get to talk with you last night? I asked her to see you. I've been been concerned with her."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei nodded to Janius. "Yes I did speak with her. She approached me last night with her questions. I answered every one I could, but she did not seem to come to any conclusion with just what I said. Mostly, she asked about the specifics of how we live, and what would happen to her. She was also curious about how the Hist would view it, though to that, I had no answer. I want to know, what have you been saying to her, Janius? I do not necessarily intend to deny her the ability to join us; I did say our pack would grow, but neither would I encourage it. From how conflicted she is I assume you have not been directly encouraging her."

With all the activity in the hut, Kaleeth began to stir, and given that she and Sabine would need to prepare for the ritual soon enough, there would not be too much time for them to speak. The matter with Kaleeth was definitely something she wanted to deal with, but Sabine's ritual took priority right now.

[Muttonhawk]

Janius looked down, he was afraid that Kaleeth would remain inconclusive about it. "I... had made it clear that it would be a big decision. That she would be leaving her previous life behind." Janius said, deliberately avoiding that his behaviour might have counted as encouragement. "I tried to answer her questions as best as I could, but I encouraged her to speak with the Treeminder, yourself, and her mother about this. Not revealing our nature to them, but the desire to come with us." Janius ran a hand down the side of his face, blinking hard for a moment. "I know it's her decision, but I can't help but feel as though this is my fault. I don't want to upset her by leaving her, but at the same time I don't want to see her upset for leaving her village. I care much for her, and I've tried to help her making a decision without pushing it either way in particular, but it hurts that its all I can do." Janius' face went sullen, "This might be the last day I have with her. Not knowing for certain is what hurts the most."

In an effort to comfort Janius that Sabine had not considered before, she brought herself up and silently hugged him. While having her chin over Janius' shoulder, she observed Kaleeth waking up. She opted to remain silent. Janius accepted the hug, taking what comfort he could, though finding it odd coming from Sabine. When they pulled away, Janius nodded in thanks. "I had hoped that talking to you might have helped her, but..." he exhaled, "...I suppose we'll see."

[EliteCommander]

A few hours passed after everyone had woken up and eaten before it was time for Meesei and Sabine to join Thorantilth at the Hist tree. Since this was the entire reason they had come to the village in the first place, everyone else decided to come along as well. Even Kaleeth joined to observe, bringing Leaps with her just to make sure it didn't get into any trouble.

Thorantilth had been working for about an hour to collect and prepare the proper amount and consistency of Hist sap. He was underneath the tree among the pools sap and Argonian eggs. For reasons of safety, only Sabine and Meesei were allowed right next to the tree, to avoid a crowd. He held two small, highly decorated wooden goblets filled with the sap. As they approached, he greeted them.

"Greetings, it is good to see you two are well. Just in case you have not already, I will explain briefly what will happen. I have properly prepared enough sap for both of you. To initiate the ritual, simply drink all of it in your cup. Shortly afterwards, your body will fall unconscious, so you may wish to take a seat beforehand. Your soul, on the other hand, will remain connected to the Hist. With the preparations I have made, you will be shown visions by the Hist that Meesei will see as well. What exactly they show you will be their will. Sometimes, it is merely a passive experience that you observe, while others will require you interact with what they show you. The Hist will be able to reach into your mind and, if they will it, help you to heal your mental scars. You may drink when you are ready." Thorantilth explained, handing both of them their goblets.

[Muttonhawk]

The sap was runnier than Sabine thought it would be. It had a strong smell. As she looked into it, fear shot through her mind. What would happen when she drank the sap down was unknown. She sat herself down to prepare, careful not to spill a single drop. She looked one last time at Thorantilth and the imposing bulbous Hist tree, then to Meesei for reassurance. This was the only way the was going to stop being scared of everything, so it was no use being scared now. She looked into the goblet, then quickly raised it to her lips. It tasted sweet, sickly sweet, but earthy at the same time. In her rush to quaff the sap, drops of it ran down her cheeks, not that she could wipe the spillage off before her eyes rolled back and she fell backwards. It wasn't quite falling asleep, it merely felt as if her consciousness had moved elsewhere from her body.

For what seemed like an eternity, Sabine floated amongst a sea of darkness. There were what sounded like voices that were speaking Jel at first, but even though the words did not make sense, Sabine could understand them. They were flowing through her like thoughts, directly injected into her being. There were questions, scrutiny, curiosity. All manner of thoughts, so varied and diverse that Sabine quickly lost track of them all. One by one, the thoughts started to resonate into one thought, a thought that seemed to materialise into a new world before Sabine's very eyes. Wait, she had eyes again?

There was a new scene in front of Sabine that came into focus as reality seemed to reassemble. There was a stone room she was in. It was familiar. Three other figures stood amongst her, a young Ariel, a witch that Sabine recognised from the coven, and Meesei. Meesei seemed much taller than Sabine remembered, until Sabine realised that it was her that had become shorter. She looked down at her hands. She was in a short black robe. She couldn't have been more than ten years old. This was the coven. She was reliving a memory.

"Look up at me, Sabine, this is very important!" The witch shouted. Sabine's head snapped up to meet her gaze with fear. "The void salts are very hard to come by, I need to know why they were spilled all over the laboratory!"

Sabine paused and tried to collect herself. The memories came back to her with the help of the voices, who still hummed and chimed harmoniously. She remembered, she wanted to experiment with the void salts, but had been caught by a sentinel and tried to rid the evidence by casting the salts onto the floor. Ariel had come along to try and take responsibility, trying to protect her younger sister.

This event didn't seem to have much consequence, did it? What was she meant to do? The last time, Ariel had lied and confessed to being clumsy, taking the blame for Sabine. She often did that. In fact, whenever Sabine did something wrong, Ariel seemed to protect her whenever she could get away with it. Sabine couldn't believe that she had forgotten such acts of kindness.

Sabine wanted time to think, and almost in understanding, the voices of the Hist froze the scene. The voices shared the memories surrounding the events with Meesei, whom Sabine glanced to, wondering.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei sat down on solid ground and imbibed her goblet of sap shortly after Sabine, allowing the magic of the Hist to envelop both of them. It was an experience Meesei had been through before, but not for a very long time. Of course, even if she had done the very same thing even the day before, it was not something one could prepare for. She wondered what wisdom the Hist might have for her, a Treeminder who left their service, but such was not the purpose of this ritual. It was for Sabine.

Once the darkness had passed, Meesei found herself in a familiar setting. It was one of the stone rooms from the keep that Sabine's coven made their home. The memories of the scene unfolding before her flooded into Meesei's mind to help give her better perspective on what was happening. Out of the whole room, Meesei was the only thing that seemed out of place, as she appeared ethereal in form, though only Sabine would be able to see her. It was her purpose to provide advice and comfort for Sabine, as some of the memories they were going to relive could potentially be rather emotion-inducing.

"Your sister, Ariel, she really cared for you, didn't she? Even at this point in your life, she was willing to take a punishment for you. What does this scene mean to you, Sabine? Why do you think the Hist are showing it to us? It may seem insignificant, but small events such as these can compound over a lifetime. What happens next?" Meesei asked. She did not need the answers to understand, as the Hist had given her most of the memories she needed to answer her questions. Rather, she asked the questions to help Sabine talk through the situation to see what was really important to her here.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine listened to Meesei's words, glad for something coherent amongst the voices of the Hist, but still deep in thought. She looked over to the stoic and frozen face of Ariel and the Hist quietened save for the odd whisper. Ariel would have been about as old as Sabine was back in reality. Apart from a few different facial inflections, she looked a lot like Sabine at the same age.

What was important here? What was she thinking when she was here as a child?

Ariel was always someone Sabine looked up to in her childhood. At least, before the trauma. She seemed so strong and brave. She could take the older witches' words with just this face. Knowing and courageous. Even if it was not her responsibility, even if she was just protecting Sabine.

Sabine started to blink as she recollected her view of the situation. Her eyes started to burn, but they didn't quite reach the point of shedding tears. "I... wanted to be strong, like Ariel," Sabine whimpered, her voice higher and unbroken in its childish form, "Ariel could be yelled at without crying. She knew I cried when the witches punished me, so she took the punishment."

It was this moment amongst all in Sabine's memory where she had wished she could step up and be as strong as Ariel. Not taking the punishment was something she had regretted whenever she thought about memories like this. Now Sabine was as old as Ariel was in this memory, but was she as strong as she was here? The Hist started to whisper their thoughts and concepts again, conveying a sort of praise, encouragement, and, strangely enough, a feeling of cleverness. It seemed as if they were at least trying to tell her she was on the right track. It was strange enough to have her thoughts laid bare to them, but she still felt as if she needed confirmation.

Sabine slowly looked up at Meesei's ghostly face and spoke with a slow, curious, yet hopeful tone. "Meesei. Am I strong like Ariel was?"

[EliteCommander]

"You have already proven your strength, Sabine." Meesei answered. "Do you remember the trial of heart, when you encountered a wounded Tunxeek along your path? You were willing to take him all the way back to the village, despite the fact that doing so would cut down your chances of succeeding to nearly nothing. Like your sister, you were willing to sacrifice your own well-being for someone else. Make no mistake, though, this is not about trying to be like Ariel, it is about showing the strength you already hold within yourself." She advised. Meesei was starting to understand what the Hist were doing. In this scene, Sabine had done something she regretted, something that made her focus on a flaw in her own character. If she changed her actions, perhaps she could change how she saw herself.

[Muttonhawk]

Along with Meesei's words, the Hist started to echo Sabine's own conclusions and amplify them. She nodded, tensing her brow and knowing exactly what to do. She looked at the witch that was chiding them again and the scene resumed where it had stopped.

"Pushing over Sentinels is one thing, girls, but wasting rare ingredients is quite another!" The witch said, looking cross with one fist on her hip and her other hand pointing at them.

Ariel tried to intervene, "Sabine did nothing wrong, it was-"

"I did it!" Sabine's shout silenced and astonished both of them. Sabine had her fists clenched so hard by her sides that they became sore. "I spilled the void salts. I'm sorry. I wanted to use them in a potion, but I panicked when a sentinel saw me." Somehow, Sabine managed not to burst into tears when confessing, but her knees were still shaking from fear.

Ariel was open-mouthed and speechless, while the witch stood up straight and crossed her arms with a pout that made her look as if she was hiding a mouth full of needles. The memory sped up and flowed into a condensed series of events that followed through Sabine's mind, outlining the consequences of her decision. Sure, she was beaten across the back with a nettle branch like other children were when they misbehaved, but just the act of owning up rather than being protected gave her more confidence. She was punished, but she was okay afterwards. The knowledge that she would be okay carried her further. The artificial speculation of the Hist faded away in a time too short or long for Sabine to properly discern, but something was left behind in the experience. A new confidence came about that wasn't fading away.

The Hist didn't even give Sabine a chance to come to terms with the change that had occurred before their thoughts began searching again, eventually coalescing into a new memory. This one was one she instantly recognised. Once again she was in the coven, the laboratory this time. She was on her own except for Meesei, but held in her hand a large evaporating flask and was stretching out her other hand to a Daedra heart sitting on a counter. Judging by her height, she was maybe half a year to two years older than the last memory.

She withdrew her hand from the attempt to grab the heart and closed her fingers into a fist, bringing a knuckle to her mouth and biting down, shocked. She shook her head and began to breath faster. Was this really the next thing she would have to decide? But it seemed so much more obvious than the last one.

The heart in front of her was one she had decided to use in a shock shield potion for fun. At the time, she didn't know that it was a vital component in the coven's method of summoning Hircine, and tonight was the night that a certain pack would come to visit demanding an audience with the Lord of the Hunt himself. It had been her fault that the summoning ritual failed as far as she saw, but she told no one. This was one detail of the story that even Ariel didn't know about. Sabine had kept it bottled up, wracking herself with guilt for years about it. No one in the coven knew that she had taken the heart. No one knew that she could have prevented many of their deaths and perhaps even her turning.

"Too easy. This is... too easy." Sabine said, as much to herself as Meesei, "All I have to do is leave the heart, but that... this is a trick." Sabine's breathing quickened further and she looked to Meesei uncomfortably. "What do I do?"

[EliteCommander]

The next choice Sabine faced, from the memories Meesei was seeing, was an important one. It was perhaps one of the most pivotal moments of her life, even if she didn't recognize it at the time. Her choices led to her being turned, which created her life as she knew it now. The choice she should make here, however, was not as clear. Using the heart would change nothing about how events unfolded, while leaving it alone would prevent her from joining the pack. The decision would not be easy, but it was one that Meesei would certainly help talk her through.

"A pivotal moment in your life, the choice you made here set you on a path that led to your turning. What would you say the effects of your choices here would be? What happens if you leave the heart where it is? Another question you may wish to ask yourself is what were you thinking about at the time? What did you know, or not know, that led to your choice, and what were you intending by using the heart?" Meesei asked.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine felt lost. There was nothing in this decision. It was genuinely inconsequential at the time. She had not planned on the hostile pack demanding an audience with Hircine. She didn't even know that it was the last daedra heart they had at the time. Still, by simply leaving the heart there, she could save the lives of her sisters at the coven. She wouldn't have to feel guilty for their lives, she wouldn't have to suffer in a cage, she wouldn't have to have Ariel banished in sneaking her off of Vvardenfell. At the same time, she would never meet the pack. She would never find Meesei, someone closer to a mother than she had ever had. It was not simple at all. She took several moments to weigh up her decision.

For all the arguments, what seemed to be dominating Sabine's thoughts was the guilt for the witches' lives. She couldn't bear to see them torn apart in front of her eyes. It was so overwhelming that she looked up at Meesei and her face contorted into sadness. "I have to leave the heart."

The Hist didn't seem to give her any time to reconsider. As if it was a trap, they swirled the scene back into the void from whence it came and flashes of the following events transpired. Sabine tried to scream to make it unreal, to take back her choice, but she had no lungs or mouth. The Hist didn't heed her at all. Instead, they simply showed Sabine and Meesei the consequences.

They went to the point where the hostile pack arrived and purchased an audience with the Daedra they desired to speak with. Sabine could see a figure of herself watching on, but she wasn't inhabiting her body. She was being shown the event by the Hist, not experiencing it. The scenario flashed to the point of the ritual itself, and the witch in charge held the Daedra heart in her hand. According to every ingredient, Hircine would be summoned, but as soon as the chanting subsided and the lead witch stabbed her knife into the heart, offering it... there was nothing. After all that, Hircine had seen fit to not give the pack an audience. Sabine wanted to scream again as the pack transformed and ravaged the coven. Thankfully, the Hist didn't make her relive the entire event, but their message was stark. Sabine's choice had meant nothing.

This time the Hist's movements and hymns transformed Sabine in another way. They had tricked her, but they had done so for a reason. Their new message was of forgiveness. They even emulated the voices of the witches that had died, reassuring Sabine that it wasn't her fault. She hadn't taken the heart after all, why should it have been her fault? Sabine couldn't help but feel comforted once she had recovered from the shock and trauma of this trial. Her turning, the slaughter of her coven sisters, Ariel's banishment. That was all beyond her control. She could accept that and carry on with without the burden of guilt and still live with the pack. No longer would she have to blame herself.

With the memory of the attack still fresh in her mind, Sabine's next choice came to her in a much greener setting. Cyrodiil. The great forest. She was in her cloak this time, and nearest to her real size and age. She was seated and cringing underneath her furs, and peeked out to see Meesei squatting down opposite her with a concerned look. This wasn't her ethereal guide, however. She was part of the scene. Sabine looked to one side and saw Meesei's ghostly aspect next to them both as well. There were two Meeseis.

"What is your name, young girl?" Past Meesei spoke with a curious tone. "I know in the day since we found you, the others have been calling you Runt, but I haven't heard you speak a word. What happened to make you so quiet? You can tell me, I'm the alpha of this pack. It is my responsibility to look out for you."

This was a memory that Sabine didn't think would be part of her experience with the Hist. This was the very first time that she had been asked about herself by Meesei. She was a very different person back then, she noticed. Her mind was still shattered from the torture her sister had put her through, and the scars were so deep that it was painful to talk at all. She didn't know that staying silent had perpetuated the pain for so long until she had confided in Meesei outside of Vos many moons later. However, with the last scene flooding her traumatic memories back to the forefront of her mind, Sabine was still upset and hid herself under her cloak, just as she had done back when the memory was forged. The Hist froze the scene just then. It gave a chance for present Meesei to give her input and hopefully clear Sabine's mind of the raw emotion flowing through it.