Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sabine's eyes lit up as soon as she made out the werelion's face. "Ma'tanza!" She hugged her again, this time with more enthusiasm. "Hello! You surprised me." She pulled away with a laugh and sniffed again. "It is okay. I need to think about other things right now anyway. How are you?"

Realising herself, Sabine stepped aside and gestured with a glance to her sister. "This is my sister Ariel. Ariel, this is Ma'tanza. She is a friend from Pelletine."

Ariel stood up wearing a friendly smile and bowed her head. "Greetings, Ma'tanza. I believe Sabine mentioned you in some letters. It is wonderful to meet you."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The way the werelion spoke brought Sabine's eyes up rather suddenly. She wiped her tears away and sniffed back her running nose to look halfway composed, but as she stood up to receive the werelion, she was still at a loss.

"I..." She received the hug a little awkwardly, trying to at least discern who it was by scent. "I know a few werelions but not all of them I have seen transformed," she said, smiling. "I apologise, it has been a long time. Your name is...Mmm..." She struggled to dredge it up.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sabine nodded, but did not look up. She took a moment to form her words, as though it was a more complicated set of thoughts that had assailed her.

"I remember when you almost died," Sabine said. "After your fight with Rhajul when you were dying in front of me and I put all of my magicka into trying to keep you alive. I knew I did not have enough power. You only survived because of actions afterwards. But it was painful to not know if you were going to be okay. Even for the months after. Now you are stronger than you have ever been but I am feeling the same way again."

She scrunched her eyes shut and cringed her shoulders in. Small tears fell from her bowed head as she leaned into Meesei.

"I know I do not have enough power," she sobbed.

Ariel leaned in at this point, looking sympathetic. "I'll tell you what I think, Sabine," she began. "I am always amazed at the things you tell me. I think with all the trials you have all been through, with all that you have overcome, even when weakened or brought to the brink of hope, you overcame. With how things are now, with all of this around us, you have a better chance than before. It may not be easy, but I believe in all of you."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The way Sabine was sitting gave little indication as to her reaction to Meesei's news. However, her shortness of words and pale shock upon initially hearing it hinted at how it affected her. By this point some colour had at least returned to her face.

She turned her head partway to Meesei and Ariel and forced a smile, before returning her gaze to the fire. "I am not sure how I feel," she slowly answered. "Although I have been learning how to look strong at times like these, I have been worried for so long about this invasion. I have been worried that something would happen to you or someone in mine or your pack. I have been worried that I might not see Karl again. I have been...revisiting other memories. I am finding it difficult to worry about other things." She sighed. "When it is one thing, I worry too much. When it is many things, I...lose focus."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ariel held a polite smile. "Thank you, but all this has put my appetite to one side, I'm afraid."

Sabine stepped up. "I will find you a place to sleep, sister."

Unnoticed by the others, Janius held Kaleeth by the hand by way of some comfort. While Kaleeth was the only one who spoke directly about it, she was not the only one who was worried.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I'll stay for as long as you need me to, Meesei," Ariel said with a reassuring smile. "I daresay it would be a simple matter to visit home once each day or two to make sure everything is going smoothly. I have had some practice multitasking lately, as you might imagine. However..." She tensely showed her teeth. "I may prefer to remain on Mundus whilst resting."

Fendros gave Lorag a glance before responding to Meesei. "Of course we'll help, Meesei, but...I hope it won't cause too much suspicion. Perhaps you could give us a pardoning for you, such as a magical project for the invasion or something of that nature? Something worth keeping a secret which isn't...well, as grave as this."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ariel had her fist pressed to her lips and her eyes down, only half-listening to Ahnasha as she paced very slowly around in her limited tent space. She was in intensely deep thought, the likes of which were familiar to anyone who had seen her trying to formulate her solution to the soul tearing gas, and as such her subsequent silence remained uninterrupted even with Ahnasha's question until she was finally ready to speak.

"I think the first stage must be exploratory," Ariel surmised. "There are so many unknowns. There are...possibilities of exploiting the sort of binding that naturally occurs between soul and lycan daedra in any werewolf. I call it the perennial binding in my book. It's has similarities to the binding between soul and a physical body but..." she gestured with her hands as if moulding a piece of clay. "It does not behave the same way. And I have no idea whether it would be strong enough. And..." She let out the rest of her breath and faced everyone with more determination. "If I have to make an educated guess based on my research, the soul tearing gas, and...my own previous projects with inhaled anti-animants, is you may have to undergo one or more of three things." She cleared her throat and quickly added. "If they are even possible, that is. And notwithstanding any new information." She took a nervous breath. "Anyway, the first is to make your werewolf spirit more powerful. To the point where it might become more of you than you. The second is to find a way to...sort of cut away a portion of your soul so a more stable remainder can pass on intact -- I would rather we not consider that if at all possible for I hope are quite clear reasons. The third is to find a way to stymie the process that causes one's soul to destabilise in the first place much like the inoculation to the soul-tearing effect, but finding a way to do that without any physical anchor, let alone a permanent solution, is hardly worth calling a theory."

Ariel pursed her lips together and swallowed, trying to force a smile to make herself feel less guilty. "Perhaps," she said with some mustered optimism, "your quite experienced friend can open up our options a little."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Been busy moving apartments lately. I'll try to get a post in today or tomorrow.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros nodded. "You can count on it."

"Aye," Janius added. "Though if I didn't know better, I would call you a liar. Very few people alive can claim to have met a Nede before."

"Y-...you said that Argonian woman knew him as well?" Ariel struggled to ask.

"She's a vampire," Fendros answered quickly.

Ariel found a different question answered and then replaced by several more. She sighed lowered her eyes. "I feel as though I am somewhat out of my depth."

Sabine piped up with her hands clasped together. "At least Hal-Neesa will be less easily angered. I notice as much when she is invested in her work."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Neesa's departure was as much a surprise to the others as it was to Meesei. The reaction was not lost on Ariel, though she was beaten to speaking by Janius.

"That was...easy," Janius said, turning back around to Meesei. "What was it about that 'Zyausak' fellow that got her so perturbed?"

Fendros shook his head. "Not to downplay the situation, but perhaps there are several things that could do with elaborating, Meesei."