Noone nudged one of Calliope's fists with her noble head, and the girl's nails raked gently between the wolf Vein's eager, upturned ears. The soft fur brushed between the webbing of Calliope's fingers as she wondered how a man like Fell could have been paired with such a creature as Noone. As if in response to Calliope's unspoken thoughts, Fell laughed heartily. The cheerful sound rang in Calliope's ears but was interrupted by a muffled protest from Liara's stomach. She turned her eyes to the young Mercenary and let a laugh escape through her freckled nose. The sky above them was bright and warm, radiating the sun's afternoon light, which cast long shadows from the tall trees surrounding the group. Calliope nodded, mostly to herself, and patted Noone's head once more before securing her grip around the leather straps of her pack. "If we hurry, Cook could be convinced to provide a light snack before supper." She winked at Liara before turning to continue their trek back to base camp.
The three walked mostly in silence among the shelter of the foliage; every now and then interrupted by the playful antics of Noone and Arlan as they foraged for food among the brushes. Calliope couldn't help but closely observe both Mercenaries' Veins as they walked. Her curious mind scribbling notes about each creature in turn, adding to the vast knowledge she already possessed of animals. She also noted the way in which both Liara and Fell carried themselves, true to Mercenary form even in this simple gesture of movement. Calliope's eyes closed momentarily as she breathed in the deep, refreshing perfume of the forest. These were the kinds of moments the Harbinger leader longed to share with her comrades, not the impending doom of the Cimmerian cloud lingering in the distance. The thought blackened her peaceful state, but she shook it away as the three stepped across the threshold of the encampment.
As they passed by Tate and Sam, lying along the treeline, Calliope kept her gait purposeful and whistled greeting in the customary Harbinger way. Sam's gaze remained focused on the earth below, and a small feeling of guilt slithered across Calliope's stomach. She couldn't help but look over her shoulder momentarily as she caught the tail end of Tate's questioning words. Maybe it was wrong of her to alert Sam and Dominique before the Circle meeting, were their thoughts now as hazy and distant as her own? Calliope reprimanded herself. They're strong men, and you're supposed to be their fearless leader. Start acting like it. The fire in Calliope's amber eyes, although dim from lack of sleep, seemed to spark once more. She was just about to offer thanks to Fell and Liara before departing from them when she noticed Erika pacing angrily between the Mercenary tents. The other leader's hands clenched a crumpled piece of paper, which she flung spitefully into a nearby fire pit. Calliope's eye rolled into the back of her head. Erika was an ambitious woman with high expectations, and an even higher temper in times of trouble. Temper was the last thing they needed before tonight's Circle. She wished she could speak to the leader on more solitary terms, but considering Fell and Liara's generosity, Calliope reasoned their maturity was respectable.
"Nice shot, Erika!" She smiled in her direction and stepped forward to interrupt the woman's pacing pattern. Calliope crossed her arms across her chest and crooked her head to the side questioningly, although she had a hunch as to what was upsetting Erika so much. She glanced sideways at Fell and Liara before adding, "Didn't know your leader had such prowess with ranged attacks, did ya? She learned it all from me, don't let her convince you otherwise." Calliope's natural carefree temperament was beginning to surface once more, but she knew it couldn't last for long, so she made her best effort to keep fueling it until the night's Circle called for more seriousness. She held her stare on the Mercenary leader with every comment. "Was that your practice speech for tonight's Circle? Morale for the troops and whatnot, cause if so, you might wanna go retrieve it from that fire. We're gonna need all the help we can get."
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