Breathlessly [Odie, Open]

[Shor]

As Odysseus spoke, Rullo was glaring at Lachlan. Finally, though, he glanced at the detective and reluctantly complied. The hedgehog's fists were still clenched, but otherwise, he seemed to have lost the steam spouting from his ears. Lachie could see that he was still suspicious of the two otters, but Rullo was, no doubt, innocent -- only an innocent beast would show enough concern for his deceased wife to allow someone to help, someone who believed that his name could be cleared.

"All right, c'mon," grumbled the hedgehog, lumbering into the house.

Lachie looked at Odie, shrugged, and followed. There wasn't much to the house, which is why Lachie was surprised when Rullo turned and disappeared down a hallway. Before either otter could enter the hallway, Rullo had returned with a small painting.

"Wow, that was impossibly fast," commented Lachie.

Lachlan knew from his previous investigation that the Mrs. Rullo-lady was a painter. Granted, she wasn't too terribly impressive an artist, but she was unique. She enjoyed painting detailed pictures of beasts onto very small, inch-or-two-wide cards. For somebeast with near-sightedness, they were amusing, for somebeast with far-sightedness, they were pointless blobs of color. Rullo, Lachie therefore assumed, was far-sighted. The big hedgehog handled the painting in a way that expressed that he failed to understand it even slightly.

Rullo offered the painting to Lachlan without a word, which elicited a small chuckle from the sea otter. Rullo must have figured that Lachie had already rummaged through the house previously. The painting was of Rullo and the hogcouple's close friends, including Dabb.

After a long look, Lachlan passed it to Odie and let out a decisive "Hm." He had no idea what he was looking for, and so glanced inquiringly at the hedgehog.

Rullo sighed. "Y'didn't see anything?"

"No, Ah saw it, but Ah dunno wot Ah'm lookin' for."

Rullo shrugged. "I dunno. 's just a bunch o' colors t'me, but. . ." He hesitated, probably reluctant to reveal his theory. "But I think it has summat t'do with last night. . ." He retrieved the painting from Odie without warning, and continued. "I foun' it o'er there on the table,"-- he pointed with the painting --"just before I left. Seira had not been 'ome furra few days, an' I didn' know what t'do, so I left t'find 'er. But I know this thing was on the table yesterday, an' it wasn't there the day before. . ." He paused for a moment, doing a good job of hiding his grief. His voice cracked when he spoke again. "An' I think it means something, but I can't see it. . ." Rullo stared at the wall and would speak no more. Lachie saw that the hedgehog was fighting back tears. The big sea otter felt bad for him, but nothing on the picture had jumped ou-- Wait.

Lachlan snatched the painting back, and the image began to tear apart in his mind until he was staring at his clue. He pointed to an otter depicted on the painting and almost asked Rullo who it was, but the seer caught himself. Instead, he edged closer to the hedgehog and spoke sotto voce. "This is a paintin' of ye an' yore friends. One is an otter wi' green eyes -- one e'e's bigger'n the other, but Ah'm not shore that isn't a mistake o' the brus-- Anyway!" Lachie shook his head and tried to focus. "Who's the otter?"

Rullo nodded and pointed to the window. "Oh, that's--"

"Sssshhhh!" admonished Lachlan. They could not afford to be heard at this time.

The hedgehog lowered his voice to a whisper, "That's Shide. He's our ol' otter-friend from down south."

"Does 'e hae any fam'ly?"

Rullo nodded. "Two wifes an' a-- er, I mean, two kits an' a wife."

Lachie was already at the window, watching one of the guards intently. It was the same otter from the previous night.

"Oh!" cried an otter from the small crowd. "Yore footprints are deeper, so ye can figur' out which were the husband's footprints 'cos he's 'eavier! An' then ye can know wot 'appened!"

Lachie, brow furrowed, turned his head and pointed at the beast who had spoken up. "Yes! Thank you, random bystander!"

Odd, he hadn't taken the time to notice Shide earlier -- he was such a plain-looking otter. Suddenly, Lachlan's feelings toward Bragg Hurthson weren't so optimistic.

Lachlan turned to Odie and spoke in the lowest tone he could muster. "We need tae get that otter alone withoot anybeast noticin'. Ah think Ah've just 'ad a vision."

[greek101]

Odysseus slowly removed his paw from Rullo shoulder, as he showed signs of calming down a bit, even though his fists were still clenched.

"All right, c'mon,"

Odie caught Lachlan's glance, and followed him into the house. Once inside, Odysseus's eyes flickered about, analyzing the room. It wasn't much, simple and homey. Rullo disappeared down the hallway and returned quickly with a small painting.

"Wow, that was impossibly fast,"

"Improbable, not impossible." Odie commented as he watched Rullo approach with the painting. He winced a bit, but did not say anything. He hated seeing art being handled like that. His father's respect of culture was impressed on him too deeply. Apparently, Rullo did not share the same respect as Odie.

Rullo handed the painting to Lachlan who intern handed it to Odysseus. Odie took the painting with gentle paws, not wanting to harm it or by chance wipe away any evidence. Odie studied the painting with his bright golden eyes. It was of Rullo and other creatures, it was a quiet, peaceful photo, but Odie felt that there was something...something....

"Y'didn't see anything?"

"No, Ah saw it, but Ah dunno wot Ah'm lookin' for."

"I dunno. 's just a bunch o' colors t'me, but. . . But I think it has summat t'do with last night. . ." He retrieved the painting from Odie without warning, and continued.

Odysseus glared at Rullo. " You could have asked politely." He humphed. Odie wanted to keep looking at that painting! That and the fact he didn't like the way Rullo treated his art.

"I foun' it o'er there on the table,"-- he pointed with the painting --"just before I left. Seira had not been 'ome furra few days, an' I didn' know what t'do, so I left t'find 'er. But I know this thing was on the table yesterday, an' it wasn't there the day before. . ." He paused for a moment, doing a good job of hiding his grief. His voice cracked when he spoke again. "An' I think it means something, but I can't see it. . ."

It hadn't been there the day before... Odysseus thought to himself. So Rullo hadn't put it on the table. That was true, some beast as emotional as Rullo was at this point, there was no way he was lying. So who did put it there? And what message were they trying to portray?..

Odie coughed lightly, trying to change the subject a bit. "Mister Rullo, do you keep your house locked or could some beast have walked in and put the picture on your table?"

Suddenly, Lachlan yanked the painting away from Rullo to another wince by Odie.

"This is a paintin' of ye an' yore friends. One is an otter wi' green eyes -- one e'e's bigger'n the other, but Ah'm not shore that isn't a mistake o' the brus-- Anyway!" Lachie shook his head and tried to focus. "Who's the otter?"

"Oh, that's--"

"Sssshhhh!"

"That's Shide. He's our ol' otter-friend from down south."

"Does 'e hae any fam'ly?"

"Two wifes an' a-- er, I mean, two kits an' a wife."

Lachlan rushed to the window and looked out. Odie watched him curiously. The otter, why him? Now that Odysseus thought about it, he had seen many of the creatures in the painting before. The mouse was the one that Lachlan step on his paw, Dabb, and the otter was..hum...He was the otter from last night, the one that spoke up. What would make Lachlan so concerned about him?

Trying to think like Lachlan did was harder than it seemed.

Lachlan turned to Odie and spoke in the lowest tone he could muster. "We need tae get that otter alone withoot anybeast noticin'. Ah think Ah've just 'ad a vision."

Odysseus raised an eyebrow, but replied in like tone. "Although I have yet ta find the factual use of 'visions' , I think we can manage that. Why may I ask?"

((Sorry this took so long Shor... ))

[Shor]

Lachie smiled. "Ye may ask, an' Ah think Shide kens our murd'rer. . . wot are the chances we're. . ." he voiced his thought aloud. If Odie's suspicions were right, and this Bragg fellow was the killer, then it would be completely safe to simply pull Shide aside. If not, however, it could be anybeast. They could not risk it, assuming Lachie's fears proved true. Perhaps if they brought both guards in?

Lachie's face put on a mischievous smile, and he chuckled. It was too fun. Turning to Rullo, he inquired politely, "Wot say ye start summat in 'ere tae get the guards' 'ttention?"

Rullo seemed to understand right away, for he immediately picked up a chair and smashed it against the floor. The was followed by much yelling as Rullo charged Lachlan. But the hedgehog's acting was a bit too believable, Lachlan thought, as Rullo actually struck the otter; the blows were not full-strength, of course, but they were strong enough to hurt quite a bit. This, Lachie decided, was payback for getting Rullo in this mess in the first place.

By the time the two main guards arrived, Rullo was standing back with the most polite smile he could manage, and Lachlan was rubbing his chin irritably. Shide and Dabb were pulled in, and the door closed behind them.

Lachlan was immediately in Dabb's face. "Y--. . . yore not Shide." He spun around to be in Shide's face. "Yore Shide."

The otter nodded. "I know."

"Me too."

". . . Is that all?"

"Of course not."

Shide glanced around. Lachie was still too close for comfort but remained still, not continuing. It was disconcerting, and Shide really didn't want to ask questions lest the big otter stay longer.

"Where's yore missus?" asked Lachie with a curious sort of tone.

Shide blinked, but some deep emotion registered in his expression. "At-- at 'ome."

"With who?"

"My son an' daughter."

"And?"

". . . I don't know."

Lachlan drew back a bit. "Ah'm a seer, Shide." Shide nodded. Lachlan continued. "Tha' means Ah see thin's other beasts don't." Shide fidgeted nervously. Something was definitely on his mind. "If'n Ah'm right," Lachlan gestured behind himself at Rullo, Dabb, and Odie. "There's somethin' yore 'idin' 'at these beasts need tae see too."

Shide seemed to lighten up a bit, but almost immediately closed back up, unwilling to talk. Lachlan sighed. There was one thing left to try.

The big sea otter's paw shot up suddenly, coming to rest at the side of his head. His eyes seemed to malfunction, blinking, flickering, and finally rolling into the back of his head. Then, he began to speak with a voice not his own. "Shh. Shhhide." Lachlan appeared to be having a seizure confined to his head and paws. "I have-- have yore fammm. . ." The word lowered into a deep growl. "If you want-- want ssssssst'see them again. . ." Lachlan went completely still for what seemed an eternity. "Let them know!" he barked suddenly.

This frightened Shide, who jumped back, clutching his chest. He was already breathing heavily. Lachlan was back to normal, but he looked completely drained and leaned on his cane for support. "Shide," he said simply, looking up meaningfully at the otter with his deep blue eyes.

Shide caved. "I don't know. He blin'folded me afore I could see 'im, an' 'e's got my fam'ly an' 'e says if'n I don' 'elp 'im, 'e'll kill 'em all. I'm sorry, I gotta leave." Shide hurried to the door, but before he left, he turned and said one more thing, as though having recited it a thousand times. "Three suns, two moons after the first. Welcome to the show, Lachie." And with that, Shide was sprinting through the forest to his home.

Lachie glanced at Odie, dumbfounded.

((Well, that's about it. If you want to post Odie's side of this, go ahead, but let's not discuss too much. We'll just pick up our thoughts in the next thread.))

[greek101]

"Ye may ask, an' Ah think Shide kens our murd'rer. . . wot are the chances we're. . ."

"You are sure? We have no evidence of that.." Odie voiced in barely a whisper.

Shide? Why him? Odysseus had to think for a moment to catch up to Lachlan's thinking. Wait... glancing at the painting Rullo had in his paws Odie recalled where he had seen the face... Wasn't he that one creature that blurted out while they were looking at the evidence last night? Now this painting was placed on the table for a reason. Could it be that Shide was connected somehow? He was in the painting and seemed to be the focal point of the eyes. Was this a message? It could be, but there was no evidence. There wasn't even a clue on to who placed it on the table anyways! It could be that some one was framing Shide and Shide was innocent, or someone knew more than he did...

However, Lachlan didn't pay much attention to what Odysseus had said. In fact, Odie was sure he didn't paid any attention at all.

Lachie's face put on a mischievous smile, and he chuckled. It was too fun. Turning to Rullo, he inquired politely, "Wot say ye start summat in 'ere tae get the guards' 'ttention?"

Odysseus was about to interject that one could just talk to the guards, but Rullo had already smashed a chair against the floor. Upon hearing the crash and watching Rullo charge Lachlan, Odysseus instinctively grabbed at his sword, pulling it half way out of it's sheath.

Shaking his head, Odie shoved his sword back. No, it was a show. He knew that. Plus he could see that Rullo was holding back. Playing along, Odysseus rushed forward and shoved Rullo out of the way.

As soon as the guards rushed in, Rullo was trying to stand politely as Lachlan rubbed his chin. Odysseus straighten his hat and walked right up to the guards. "Thank you mates for your quick arrival. We have a new idea and require your assistance. If you could find the Shide the otter and who ever he is talking with right now? That would be much appreciated."

The now very confused guards, did what they were asked. Rather quickly Shide the otter and Dabb the mouse were dragged into the house. At Odie's nod the guards left the room and shut the door behind them.

Lachlan was immediately in Dabb's face. "Y--. . . yore not Shide." He spun around to be in Shide's face. "Yore Shide."
"I know."
"Me too."
". . . Is that all?"
"Of course not."

Odie watched Shide as he pulled out his note book and began sketching and recording the interrogation. Shide wasn't keeping direct eye contact much and looked rather nervous, but not in a guilty way. Well, there may have been a little guilt, but most of what Shide was displaying was fear and worry.

"Where's yore missus?" asked Lachie with a curious sort of tone.
Shide blinked, but some deep emotion registered in his expression. "At-- at 'ome."
"With who?"
"My son an' daughter."
"And?"
". . . I don't know."

I don't know. So Shide was worried about his family, and he didn't know if anyone else was at home with them? Well, if he hadn't have been home that would be true, but Shide had paused before he had answered. What caused him to pause, and what did he leave out? Odysseus continued to write as Lachlan continued.

"Ah'm a seer, Shide. [...] Tha' means Ah see thin's other beasts don't." Shide fidgeted nervously. Something was definitely on his mind. "If'n Ah'm right [...] There's somethin' yore 'idin' 'at these beasts need tae see too."

Shide almost looked like he was going to talk, but Odie watched as Shide closed back up. What ever was holding him back was against Shide's better judgment.

Odie also watched Lachlan. Odie wasn't so sure about this whole "seer"-thing. he never really did believe in seers much anyways. Sure they were probably out there, but Odie knew that you convince more creatures when you have solid hard facts in your paws instead of "prophecies" and "visions".

The big sea otter's paw shot up suddenly, coming to rest at the side of his head. His eyes seemed to malfunction, blinking, flickering, and finally rolling into the back of his head. Then, he began to speak with a voice not his own. "Shh. Shhhide."

Odysseus faltered in his note taking, something he never did! What was Lachlan doing!?!?! Was he faking it or was he having a spasm or something?!?!?

Lachlan appeared to be having a seizure confined to his head and paws. "I have-- have yore fammm. . ." The word lowered into a deep growl. "If you want-- want ssssssst'see them again. . ." Lachlan went completely still for what seemed an eternity. "Let them know!" he barked suddenly.

Shide jumped back in fear at Lachlan's harsh outburst. Odysseus almost stepped up to help Lachlan, but it appeared that Lachlan went back to normal, a weaker, but at least sane sense of normal and continued talking to Shide.

"Shide," he said simply, looking up meaningfully at the otter with his deep blue eyes.

Shide caved. "I don't know. He blin'folded me afore I could see 'im, an' 'e's got my fam'ly an' 'e says if'n I don' 'elp 'im, 'e'll kill 'em all. I'm sorry, I gotta leave." Shide hurried to the door...

Odysseus was about to reach out and stop Shide, but instead, Shide turned around and spoke.

... he turned and said one more thing, as though having recited it a thousand times. "Three suns, two moons after the first. Welcome to the show, Lachie." And with that, Shide was sprinting through the forest to his home.

Odysseus stared into the woods where Shide had run off to, memorizing the spot, just in case he need to find the direction again. The guards who were standing outside the door looked in as if to ask if they should follow Shide. Odysseus, brows furrowed in thought, shook his head. Not yet.

Looking back at Lachlan, Odie saw the dumbfounded look on his face. Odie, although sharing the same feeling, looked more contemplative than Lachlan did. Reopening his notebook, Odie printed what Shide had said and underlined the last few words. Three suns, two moons after the first. Welcome to the show, Lachie.

What did this puzzle mean? Who was this creature that was killing other beasts and holding innocents hostage? How did they know Lachlan enough to call him an nickname?

But more importantly than the questions that Odie had, was the one thing he knew right off the bat...

If they had been "welcomed to the show", than there was more to come....

(( Ooc: Alright. Hope this is okay.))