Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Whether or not Meesei's words helped, Lunise stood in quiet thought without shifting from the spot. She weakly returned Meesei's smile at her contact. "Very well," she sighed. "I need a moment to decide, but...I have not spoken to father this way before. I will seek you out when I am ready."

There were few things that caused Lunise to be so tensely ambivalent as Meesei witnessed before she took her leave. Right before she rounded the corner to the staircase at the end of the hall, she could spot Lunise stepping slowly towards the door, before reaching out to take the handle and closing her eyes.

Despite Pircalmo's hidden motives to have solitude, he did not lie about the beauty of the flowers skirting the buildings and in the garden sections. Meesei was treated to a well designed and maintained artwork of shades and hues from all across Alinor and beyond. The students that passed her by, nearly all of them Altmer, as it was the last time, hushed and whispered to one another upon seeing Meesei. However, it was either to the absurdity that someone who did not belong could be in such a place or due to Meesei's confidence that she was unaccosted
throughout her wait.

And she had a distracting amount of time to wait. She was given free reign of the campus for what she could guess to be well above an hour. Before Lunise went out to find her again. Lunise approached with every detail of her just as prim and postured as usual, except for an oddly subtle sadness around her eyes.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Lunise stopped a pace after Meesei. "Father was never very good at opening himself up to such support," she answered. "He was trying to save face in front of you. I am..." She hesitated. "...unsure if I should return right now. But I did notice what you mentioned."

She stood, looking reluctantly back at the door without commitment either way.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Neither do I," Lunise said. "My suspicion is just about everything likely guessable could be in that letter together. The two of them were very close, I remember that without exception."

Lunise walked with her arm up against Meesei's for a moment before drifting away as they reached the end of the hallway. By the look of concern on her face, she needed the small comfort, even in a place where they were not allowed to be close. The sting of it outside Artaeum was already forming.

"It is my hope that father is simply overwhelmed, temporarily," she continued. "I have no reason to believe there would be bad news in the letter."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sorry about the lack of posts. Been busy and exhausted the last couple of days. I'll try to get a post in tomorrow.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Pircalmo became swiftly absorbed into the words. After barely the first few lines, he wordlessly settled back into his seat at his desk, placing his hands on its surface as he read the letter.

Lunise stood patiently. She could only guess as to the contents of the message, though the depth of its effect was apparent just by Pircalmo's demeanour. He gradually hunched his head, bringing two fingers up to support his temple and resting his elbow on the desk.

A few minutes passed. Pircalmo turned the first page. Lunise's fingers were white and red, clasped as tightly together as they were.

A few more minutes, another page. Pircalmo did not show any reaction except the occasional smile or amused breath from his nose. The sad tension in the room kept Lunise and Meesei from feeling entirely comfortable with taking a seat. However, it served to make the time pass quicker.

Eventually, Pircalmo emptied his lungs and turned the last page over, before leisurely standing up from his seat. He turned around with two steps. As he clutched the back of his chair, he revealed a listless look on his face. His stare focussed on Meesei, which caused him to smile politely.

"Thank you for the letter." He had a troubled moment in breathing in. "How about the two of you take a walk around the campus grounds while I finish up my task here?" He passed his smile to Lunise. "The weather is a treat today. I would not wish you to miss the flowers and the trees this season."

Lunise sighed, looked down, and nodded in understanding. "A fine idea. We will return in a few minutes." She did not give Meesei a chance to answer before she moved to place a hand on her upper arm to lead her to the door.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Pircalmo's reaction was hard to place exactly, being between mild concern and quiet curiosity. Lunise's eyes lit up and she picked up right after Meesei's prompt.

"Indeed, a message." She took a breath to gather the right words. She slowly lifted the letter to eye level between her thumb and forefinger. "This is from mother," she said gently, holding the letter forward. "To you."

The wave over Pircalmo's expression told of a great many questions being answered by Lunise's few words. He stared at the paper envelope with overwhelmed fascination. "I beg your pardon?" he whispered.

Lunise took two gliding steps across the study to put the letter within reach, neutral, if determined. Meesei could guess Lunise was having far more success hiding her emotions this time. "From Nytala." Lunise gestured with the letter. "Go on."

Pircalmo took the envelope reverently with two hands. For a long moment, he simply held it in front of himself, looking down and shaking his head. He spoke in breathy disbelief. "How in all of creation did this come into your hands?"

"We met her," Lunise explained quickly. "She put it in my hands herself, though I will admit she wrote it following my encouragement. I think it best that you read it before I say anything else." She stepped back and clasped her hands behind her back, frowning and straight-backed.

Pircalmo did not look up from the paper. With reluctant, anxious movements, he opened the letter and unfolded the paper to see what was written.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Lunise gave Nytala a nod, took a deep breath, and then stepped through right behind Meesei.

She had barely a moment to readjust to the familiar and comparatively dim yellow-walled study before the portal shut and went silent behind them.

In front of them, Pircalmo, the academic Altmer that Lunise and Meesei had not seen since nearer to the beginning of their closeness, stood halfway out of his chair with an open book resting on one palm. He had his brow knitted and mouth open, grasping desperately to say anything.

"Lunise?" He breathed, astonished. "And you! Meesei, the diplomat...w-what-? How did...?"

"I apologise for barging in, father," Lunise said calmly. Only the last red vestiges of her previous tears hinted at her prior emotional state. She clasped her hand, holding the letter in her fingers. "I know this may be confusing. We...The details are hardly the most pressing matter."

Pircalmo stood up and sighed. "No, no, I should apologise. You surprised me, that's all." He leaned to look around Lunise's shoulder. "I have not seen that spell in some time, and it raises a great number of questions, I must say."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Lunise's eyes wandered as if she did not want to feed Meesei false hope, yet did not want to discourage her without knowing. She settled for a neutral observation. "That would be a most fortunate piece of information," she said.

At Nytala's gaze, Lunise was drawn to look at her and felt a quivering somewhere in her body. Her mouth tightened and she looked down. "Indeed, this should be done quickly."

She stepped up and hugged Nytala one last time, and though she held on for longer than she intended, it did not last as long as their previous embrace. They had said what they needed to say. There was nothing left to do. "Goodbye, mother," Lunise said. "Thank you for watching over me. Thank you."

When she finally let go, Lunise stepped away with fresh tears on her cheeks. She sniffed and wiped her face clean, relaxing her expression to rapidly compose herself. Her stern and official visage was put on like a mask. Though she still spared a brief, grateful smile.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Nytala's reluctance was not lost on Lunise, though she felt it just as much as her mother as she answered Meesei.

"I cannot claim to be versed in all of his studies, much less in Argonian physiology," she admitted. "Though, as I understand it, his research into the anatomy of the various peoples of Tamriel is a passion of his. Not to mention, he researches live subjects in the field, not just cadavers or...captives. For the amount of time and effort he has invested, to call his research inaccurate to the point of having no use would be a surprise to say the least." She took in a breath through her nose, eyeing something in the sky. "Whether his studies extended to Argonian souls, however, is a roll of the dice. Research in such areas is predictably difficult, even in Alinor's best institutions. Regardless, we shall inquire with him."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Lunise lifted a hand. "Oh, I had in mind that you might see his reaction as it happens, rather than show us. I admittedly have no knowledge of whether scrying the present is easier. As for your presence, Meesei..." She froze and thought on it further. "...My initial thoughts are to disclose our relationship to him after the invasion is done." She paused to let her reasoning sink in. "Either way, I would not mind your company. If father and I need time alone, I shall let you know."