River Runs (Open)

[Django]

Log-alog Nik Lagdo closed his eyes as a swift breeze wafted over his honey-colored fur. It blew the strands of his brightly colored headband back as his lead logboat sped through the water. His deputy, a younger shrew named Ban, stood beside him. Nik could hear Ban let out a long, low breath.

"We gorra go one patrols this often, Nik?" Ban murmured. Nik opened his eyes with a snort.

"Aye, an' ye'll not question me orders, Ban," the older shrew replied dangerously. "I ain't 'eard iffen them vermin 'ave left Red'all yet. If they 'as, well, news don't spread this far that quick, I guess." He turned his eyes back to the winding river before them.

As the Log-a-log before him, Nik's father had taken his Guosim tribe as far away from Redwall as possible when it had fallen to vermin and become Fort N'Tashi. When Nik was unexpectedly handed the leadership of the Guosim, he'd kept the tribe of shrews away from the Fort, keeping to Mossflower woods for protection. Now, rumors had slipped through the thick canopy of trees and foliage that Redwall was Redwall again. Still repairing itself from its ordeal, but now devoid of vermin.

Curious, Nik had gotten a good-sized patrol together and taken them down the winding rivers, headed for the famous Abbey. It had been a trip that had stretched out for almost two weeks. The Guosim had retreated far into Mossflower. Nik didn't exactly know how far, but he was beginning to appreciate the distance now. He didn't know just what to expect when they arrived, so he'd had each of his warriors armed to the teeth, just in case.

"When d'we make camp, Log-a-log?" Ban asked, bringing Nik out of his thoughts. The older shrew thought for a second. He looked up at the sky. It was about midday. His shrews would be getting tired soon. They'd been rowing since breakfast. Bringing his gaze back down, Nik nodded to Ban.

"We'll stop for now," he said. "Give 'em a break for about half an hour. Have somebody make lunch. Then we'll start rowin' again. We may make another stop later in the day for supper, but I want to row as much as we can afore it gets dark. We're close."

Ban nodded and ordered the crews to stop. Setting up a quick camp, a fire was started and the cooks got right to making lunch. Famous for their cooking, the Guosim chefs did not disappoint, and the crew was satisfied.

"Nik, I know we're close," Ban whispered, taking his Log-a-log aside to speak in private. "But can't we just have a day off? The crew's been rowin' for days now. Let's give 'em a rest, eh?" Nik considered this. He knew the Abbey was just a few more miles down the river, but he had to agree with his deputy. His shrews did need a rest from days of hard rowing.

"All right," the shrew cheiftan said finally. "We'll stay here the rest of today. Tomorrow, we're rowin' first thing in the mornin', though, unnerstood?" Ban nodded, a rueful grin on his face.

"Didja 'ear that mates?" the younger shrew called to the tribe. "We get a 'ole day off!" At cheers and laughter from his fellows, Ban struck up a lively tune that soon had everyone dancing. Nik chuckled to himself, refraining from joining the merriment.

One of the Log-a-log's ears flicked back at a noise from the underbrush. He turned, searching for the source of the disturbance. Seeing nothing, he shrugged, turning back to face his crew.

[lorki]

He stood over the waters edge, bloody and ragged. His eyes glossed over in a sort of distant way failed to betray the pain that radiated down from his jaw and across his face. A faint smile was still plastered over his face, dribbled in rusty red dried blood and smudged with dirt. Anyone who saw him there would have thought the ferret crazy, grinning down at his beaten complexion in the still water. Of course, Kutenai was anything but beaten, and he enjoyed the look about him, bloodied, a bit swollen, and he enjoyed the feeling, a dull throb of pain over a swelling of pride. No, the reckless young ferret had not gotten in a battle or attacked an enemy, he had not gotten caught during a theft or anything of that sort. He had merely won a boxing match.

Sighing, the ferret leaned down beside the water and began to halfheartedly clean the grime and blood away from his face and arms. His face was cut along one side, he couldn't quite recall the entire fight but he did know for sure his jaw had at some point dislocated. The inside of his mouth was cut and sore from his own fangs. His paws and knuckles ached and stung, and the joints of his left arms felt a bit off... deciding the blood stained white shirt he wore made him look a bit too gruesome, Kutenai pulled it over his head and examined the swollen bruised spots on his chest. He turned to grab at the glass bottle beside him that contained a conspicuous amber liquid. He tore the cork from the bottle and took a deep swing, grimacing ans coughing as the alcohol stung the ripped flesh in his mouth. He blinked, poured some rum over his paws and dabbed it over the cuts. Once the pain subsided, another grin tugged at the edges of his mouth. He shook his head, sending drips of water flying about the rock and back into the river. Deciding he was clean enough, at least there was no more obvious blotches of blood on his face, the young ferret stood and backed away from the rivers edge. He failed to replace his shirt, and simply stashed the dirty one away in his bag and slung the strap over his shoulder. He bent to pick up his scabbard and sword, tied it loosely around his waist, and trotted back towards the cover of the woods.

That was when the smell caught him. His nose turned his body in the direction of the smell, food, cooking... He blinked absentmindedly and searched the horizon for a puff of smoke. He caught sight of it down river, no doubt a cooking fire. Curious, hungry and no doubt reckless, Kutenai began walking towards the camp. He made slow progress however, and was sure that by the time he made it the food would no longer be readily available but a ferret can dream. He didn't give up the search and after a while he managed to get into the near vicinity of the group. He slowed his pace and began more quiet and sneaky, it was clear that this was no vermin group and simply jutting into their midst may not be the smartest choice.

[Django]

The rustling sound came again, and Nik turned once more. He was sure nothing was there. It was probably just a bird or something, but he had to make sure. Drawing his short rapier, he edged away from his tribe.

The cheiftan moved slowly and cautiously; he knew he was getting a bit far from the others, but he had to find out what had made that noise, even if it was nothing. He didn't want to startle whoever it was in case the beast was friendly, but he was taking no chances. Finally, he simply re-gripped his rapier and called out, "Who's there? Show yourself." He wasn't immediately going to hurt anyone, unless the need arose.

[lorki]

Kutenai had stopped moving the moment he'd heard the familiar sound of some small beast wandering about the underbrush. He'd quickly swung one arm over a low limb of an evergreen and hoisted himself silently off the ground and into the shadowy cover of the tree. Peering dark eyed through the needles and cones of his shelter, he watched the shrew approach. The young ferret felt no ill will towards most strangers, but he knew those that called themselves good to be anything but. While he may be quick to offer up conversation, his trust for such creatures essentially has dissipated completely in the past years. He made a point not to befriend woodlanders, no beast in his line of work could last long as a companion for one of them. He'd seen others make the mistake too many times.

Still, personal taste in friends aside, Kutenai got along splendidly with the last little groups of shrews he'd encountered... of course he'd never been able to decipher exactly what they were saying to him. It was best for him, he knew, to meet and socialize and leave. Long term friendships were not ideal for wanderers.

The shrew was very close now, paw on the hilt of his weapon. "Who's there? Show yourself."

Kutenai let out a quiet sigh, "y'know, there really is no need fer tha'..." He let his legs slide off the branch and pushed himself out a bit with his arm. He landed facing the shrew, a small grimace passing his face as the bruised muscles in his abdomen kept him in place. he examined the shrew more closely, now that there was no tree bits in the way. There appeared to be nothing too fantastic about the shrew to the ferret. Kutenai crossed his paws over his chest, assuming an indifferent and nonthreatening pose. "Mind me askin' why yer so interested in seein' me? Jus' lookin' fer a pretty face?" He smirked, although pulling his lip back into a half smile made his entire face ache.

[Django]

Nik took an involuntary step back when the ferret landed. Composing himself, he glared up at the intruder. H'ed never really liked ferrets, but he'd learned not to be too prejudice.

"Mind me askin' why yer so interested in seein' me? Jus' lookin' fer a pretty face?"

Nik returned the smirk with one of his own, taking his paw off his rapier hilt. "Nay," the cheiftan replied. "Jus' wonderin' if there were any starvin' beasts out 'ere wantin' a bit o' shrew cookin'." There was no reason to be hostile, especially to a ferret in this state. The creature looked like he'd been given a good beating by somebeast. However, Nik didn't doubt this ferret had given the same treatment (or worse) to whoever had given him those wounds.

"Need some lookin' to?" he asked, eyeing the many bruises and cuts the tall ferret sported. "Or ye gonna leave them wounds unattended?"

[lorki]

Kutenai watched the shifting expression of the shrew. The creature seemed to change from glaring suspicion to a more lighthearted smirk. Kutenai, quite biased himself, knew that many of these woodland critters put an awful lot of effort into appearing hospitable. Of course he took advantage, but never mistook the hospitality for friendliness or an invitation of trust. No... there was a great difference between pleasantries and genuine friendliness. Surely, judging from the first glint of disapproval on the shrews face, this beast didn't think very highly of the ferret.


"Need some lookin' to?" he asked, eyeing the many bruises and cuts the tall ferret sported. "Or ye gonna leave them wounds unattended?"

"Oy... dis?" Kutenai patted the side of his face roughly, his eyes squinted a bit in pain, "Naw, jus' some friendly boxin' scars." He paused, momentarily distracted by wondering whether or not shrews boxed... he shook the thought out of his mind, "any'ow, no wound so bad it can't 'eal up on its own, y'know mate? Can't say I'd turn down a meal though... not a hole lot in the way o' food around in the fall season fer us wanderers. Bu yew... yew got a group wit yew, eh? What'er yew little fellows doin' out 'ere?" Kutenai didn't mean to sound condescending, it was more or less a manner of speech that came naturally to him. He was awfully good at being charming... but he simply didn't put in the effort for a bunch of shrews.

[Django]

"Oy... dis?" Kutenai patted the side of his face roughly, his eyes squinted a bit in pain, "Naw, jus' some friendly boxin' scars." He paused, momentarily distracted by wondering whether or not shrews boxed... he shook the thought out of his mind, "any'ow, no wound so bad it can't 'eal up on its own, y'know mate? Can't say I'd turn down a meal though... not a hole lot in the way o' food around in the fall season fer us wanderers. Bu yew... yew got a group wit yew, eh? What'er yew little fellows doin' out 'ere?"

Nik shrugged. "Patrol, mainly," he replied. He had no reason to tell this ferret why he and his crew were really out here. "Foller me, mate. If ye ain't ne'er 'ad shrew cookin', yew ain't ne'er had no good cookin'." He laughed at his own joke as he led the ferret back to the camp. Some of the Guosim immediately drew their weapons upon seeing Nik's companion, but the cheiftan held up his paws.

"None o' that, now," he bellowed. "We ain't so 'arsh as ta refuse a hot meal to a perishin' beast, are we?" The shrews eyed the ferret with unconcealed suspicion, but they put their blades and slings away. The cooks nervously brought the ferret as much food as they could muster from the leftovers. They didn't want to use any more of their limited supplies to make more. Nik raised an eyebrow at the behavior of his crew. Ferrets weren't all that bad, were they? At the sudden silence that befell the camp, Ban caught a nod from Nik and shouted, "Wot are yew lily-livers scared of? We was just gettin' a good jig goin'!" Their spirits restored, the Guosim resumed their dancing and singing, some still stealing glances at their visitor.

Nik settled himself next to Kutenai, rolling his eyes. "Don't mind them," he muttured. "Most of 'em don't care for anybeast who ain't a shrew."

[lorki]

"Patrol, mainly,"

"Heh," Kutenai had never understood why woodlanders felt the need to patrol the way they did. He was well enough aware of the purpose of the patrol, after all he had run with quiet a few vermin bands in the past. He wondered if they really thought being ambushed and broken up really made the vermin that much less likely to attack. On the contrary, Kutenai felt his fur bristle at the very mention of a patrol. As if they owned the forest, Damn lot were full of themselves, he thought bitterly.

But, keeping the thought of food in mind, the ferret kept his mouth shut and followed after the Shrew. The hostile reaction he received as he walked into the shrews camp was to be expected, still his paw hovered over the hilt of his long sword for a moment while Nic told off his crew. "Thanks, mate," he muttered to the shrew that handed him the plate of food... goodness they all looked the same, he could hardly tell one from the next.

He stepped away from the crowd a bit and sat himself on an old fallen log that had begun sprouting little plants off itself. He glanced over as Nic settled beside him, "Don't mind them," he muttured. "Most of 'em don't care for anybeast who ain't a shrew."

"Fair 'nuff," Kutenai shrugged, "my apologies fer not introducin' meself earlier." He stuck out one paw towards the Shrew, "Kutenai. Kute if ye like. Mind me askin' yew what yer lots out 'ere patrolin' fer? Can't say there has been a 'ole lot o' excitement 'round 'ere lately." It was true, there hadn't been much activity in the woods since the battle over the fort. However, his reason for asking more closely related to the fact that he had a few friends of the bandit sort camping perhaps a mile or so up the river.

[Django]

"Fair 'nuff," Kutenai shrugged, "my apologies fer not introducin' meself earlier." He stuck out one paw towards the Shrew, "Kutenai. Kute if ye like. Mind me askin' yew what yer lots out 'ere patrolin' fer? Can't say there has been a 'ole lot o' excitement 'round 'ere lately."

Nik took the proffered paw and shook heartily. "Nik Lagdo, Log-a-log," he replied. "An', yeh, there ain't been much 'appenin', but better safe than sorry. 'Sides, some o' me crew was gittin' cabin fever back at our main camp." He took a swig from a flask at his side, wiping his snout after the drink. "It's more a liddle trip than a patrol, I guess." He stared off into the fire, wondering what this ferret knew about Redwall. According to rumor, it had already been almost two or three full seasons since the Abbey was liberated. News apparently didn't spread as quickly.

"So, mate," the shrew began, fiddling with his sling. "Yew ever 'eard o' Redwall?" It was wise to glean as much information as possible. After all, if the rumors were false, the cheiftan could save his shrews the trouble of getting into affairs that were none of their business.

[lorki]

"Yew ever 'eard o' Redwall?"

Oh. So it was that sort of trip. Kutenai took a bite of the food, cast his eye's over the oddly jubilant shrews, and finally looked back to Nik, "Aye, the fort." He was aware it had been renamed, but for all his life he'd known it only as a vermin fort... and Redwall.... well that was just plain unoriginal. "All full up o' woodlanders now," Kutenai couldn't help but let a sliver of his contempt shine through in his voice, he didn't dislike the woodlanders themselves an awful lot... but her certainly disliked his sister clinging on to them, only to be let down. They weren't particularly cruel nor dangerous, but they were anything but reliable to an assassin ferret.

"Your groups 'eaded that way then, eh? Hah!" Kutenai let a wider grin fall over his face, "ey, if yew happen upon a little otter healer fellow, Tirral or somthin' close t'that, you tell him 'ello fer me, would yew?"

[Django]

"All full up o' woodlanders now,"

Inwardly, Nik rejoiced. A ferret with that much contempt in his voice when mentioning woodlanders couldn't be lying, right? Of course, the cheiftan and his crew would still have to be cautious.

"ey, if yew happen upon a little otter healer fellow, Tirral or somthin' close t'that, you tell him 'ello fer me, would yew?"

"Er, ah, Tirral?" Nik clarified. "Ol' friend o' yorn?" This ferret didn't seem the type to socialize with those at Redwall. Then again, from the ferret's tone of voice, Nik guessed that the last time Kutenai and "Tirral" had had a less-than-friendly meeting. "I'll see wot I can do."

[nue]

The taste of blood upon the air reached him long before the sounds of talking. Sammael followed the taste, moving stealthily through the woods of Mossflower, keeping hidden and remaining unobtrusive despite his size. He arrived at the source of the taste just in time to see a ferret drop down from a tree in front of a shrew. That explained the source of the blood, though the beast didn't look to be in poor enough condition to be an easy meal, and the presence of the shrew made that even more unlikely. Maybe they'd fight and one of them would be injured badly enough that they couldn't escape him.

But no, the talked. A friendly conversation it seemed. Peculiar, a vermin and a shrew being amicable? Most peculiar indeed.

Following at a safe distance and remaining silent as ever he followed until he caught sight of the camp. A crew of shrews. The way the one with the ferret spoke he would be their Log-a-log. Between the noise of the camp and the distance he kept between himself and the shrews, it was nigh impossible to make out what they were saying, though the occasional word did reach him. Such as Redwall.

Interesting. He curled up in his hiding place. Perhaps he'd hear more. If the place was truly vermin free as rumor suggested then perhaps there might be something to gain by learning more of it from the mouths of beasts rather than tomes and scrolls.

[Django]

Nik let out a sigh through his nostrils and stood, stretching his legs and arms with a muffled groan. He noted the growing darkness around them.

"Well, mister Kutenai," he said. "'Twas a pleasure meetin' ya." He made a show of bowing cordially, grinning ruefully. "I 'ope ye don't take offense, but 'tis gettin' along in th' day, an' me crew wouldn't much care fer a ferret in camp all night. I sure ain't waitin' fer ye t' slay me, but me crew'd 'ave me hide iff'n I were ta let yew stay." He seemed to have a thought. "But I saw a nice grove back along the river aways iff'n yer lookin' fer a nice place t' stay." He picked up a canteen from a pile of supplies and handed it to the ferret.

"'Ere," he smiled. "Shrewbeer oughtta keep ye goin'." This exchange was awkward, to say the least, but he was doing his best. He was out-voted, without even having to take a vote, on whether Kutenai could stay in camp for the night. Nik just hoped the ferret would understand. If not, the vermin was outnumbered, anyway.