Reinforcements [Open]

[Tirael]

"It's Lieutenant Colonel, if y'please, sah! There's a whole lot of ranks b'tween the two, and I'd thank ye not t'get them mixed up, wot!"

Brush just rolled his eyes. He knew very well that there was a difference, but 'lieutenant colonel' is quite a mouthful, and he didn't have the need or the patience to say the entire thing out right now. "Not important. C'mon."

"I know, I know, I can see it, thank you!"

Nodding slightly at Elicia's glance and whisper, Brush held back a bit and noted a nice little tussock. It could provide him with the upper ground, if necessary, but he continued glancing about in the hopes that there would be something better. Estlin was big; the bigger the advantage he could find, the better.

By luck, he was looking at the hollow tree when the wildcat popped out. Reflexively holding his javelin up, he raised his voice sharply. "There!" Estlin also seemed to thrive on the element of surprise, and depriving him of any advantage would be necessary if they were going to win this. It was also quite useful when Estlin got to throwing spears. Turning as quickly as he could, the squirrel's jaw set as the projectile slit a thin gash on his left arm. It was unfortunate, considering he's left-pawed, but Brush was a firm believer in mind-over-matter, and he put it in the back of his mind. "My turn," he said, flinging his javelin in the direction he knew most creatures would run.

[lorki]

There it was, that crimson red splatter that followed the movement of Estlin's weapon as it slid past Brush. Estlin realized his placement was not ideal, as he was practically stationed on a pedestal waiting to be hit. As the squirrel he'd flung his javelin out whipped out its own weapon Estlin flipped backwards and clawed out of the top of the snag tree and began to rush down the back of it.

The squirrel's javelin struck into the snag, tearing through the tender dead wood and slicing a small chunk from Estlin's ankle just as he drew his footpaws from the inside of the tree. Giving little notice to the scratch Estlin launched himself from his higher placement down to the forest floor. He'd taken care of his goal and even if regularly he'd be interested in killing any beast that so much as touched him he had done his damage. Happy with the the knowledge that each would be left of a found reminder of him and the frustration of being unable to seek their own revenge the wildcat his the ground as a full sprint.

With no desire other than possibly to lead them on a short chase before disappearing, Estlin darted through the thick woods laughing to himself.

[Elicia]

Elicia's saber was in her paw immediately. "Brush, yore OK?" She said, disregarding her own wound. It had almost faded away now-she didn't think about it at all. The officer looked at the cut on Brush's arm and sighed. "This is a bloody goose chase. It's not got a bit of a point in it, eh? I don't know if'n we should keep chasing the bastard. He's caused too much trouble for us already. We can't catch 'em. Too fast. Besides," A drop of red fell from her ear to her shoulder, causing Eli to look at it as if she didn't know about her bleeding ear at all. Slowly, Elicia felt her ear. She laughed sheepishly-very out of her usual drill sergeant manner. "Besides. You 'n' me an' Enon are all pretty bloody for three perilous warriors. I've got a bit of practicin' to do, apparently, wot! But if you want to keep going...." Eli's grip tightened on her saber, and the basket hilt cast a shadow over her paw. "I'm all for avengin' young Eastpaw."

[Tirael]

Brush watched irritably as Estlin disappeared, taking only a slight hit to his ankle. It didn't seem quite fair, especially as the squirrel could feel blood welling up under the paw clamped around his arm.

"Brush, yore OK?"

He just nodded, making himself believe that he was. After a short while, the pain faded, though he still gripped it firmly to staunch the bleeding. He knew that there was a difference between simple mind-over-matter and deluding yourself to the point where you simply bleed to death.

"This is a bloody goose chase. It's not got a bit of a point in it, eh? I don't know if'n we should keep chasing the bastard. He's caused too much trouble for us already. We can't catch 'em. Too fast. Besides, you 'n' me an' Enon are all pretty bloody for three perilous warriors. I've got a bit of practicin' to do, apparently, wot! But if you want to keep going...."

Brush glanced at Enon; she was the one in the Long Patrol, it was her choice. She also knew poor Eastpaw better than he did, and it should be up to her and Eli whether they continued on.

"I'm all for avengin' young Eastpaw."

While he still thought the choice belonged to the two Patrollers, he also knew that he should inject a little reason into the situation. Emotion requires reason to control it, to channel it towards the right purposes, and he knew from experience that losing a friend can very easily lure away any creature's sense of logic. "It's up to you two, but keep in mind what's been going on. He just picks away at us and then vanishes; and I don't think it's we'd be avenging Eastpaw by getting ourselves killed." A little pessimistic, perhaps, but it could hopefully counterbalance the burning desire for revenge.

[Treble Tiderunner]

Enon dropped the few feet down from her perch on the tree trunk, stalking silently behind Brush and Elicia. Brush pointed to a hollow tree, and Enon turned her attention to it. She'd seen it while searching for that cat, but not paid much attention. Now she inspected it with new eyes, the snag was indeed a likely place, and in fact the perfect place for the cat to hide in. She tuned out the quiet hiss of conversation between the hare and the squirrel, straining her senses for any clue as to what the cat was doing, any indication of his location.

Suddenly, it all happened at once. The spear flashed past Enon's startled nose to bury itself in the loam behind her. She whipped her head back towards the tree, taking in several things at once: blood on Brush's arm, the cat standing on a pedestal, and Brush's spear flying. Irritated, on edge, Enon didn't waste time but simply aimed and let fly with her dagger, which, not made for throwing, thudded disappointedly low on the snag. Enon ground her teeth and turned to her companions.

"I'm all for avengin' young Eastpaw."

Enon sighed, rubbing the back of her neck as Eli concluded her small speech, looking up at the trees, and then to where the cat had disappeared. It was rather a goose chase, and about as fruitful as an apple tree in dead winter.

"It's up to you two, but keep in mind what's been going on. He just picks away at us and then vanishes; and I don't think it's we'd be avenging Eastpaw by getting ourselves killed."

She turned her good eye on Brush, still wishing to go after the murderer, the cannibal, but seeing the sense in his words. She sighed again, rubbing her scarred eye as it started to throb. "We 'ave ta get back ta the Patrol, we 'ave other things that need doin' more."

[Elicia]

Elicia nodded sharply, then spun on one foot. "Quick march then, me buckoes! We need t'get back t'Lady Ryn fast! There's not a moment t'lose. She'll want t'know 'bout this, wot!" In truth, Elicia did not want to go back to camp at all. She had been wounded. Slightly, as it was, but still. She was bleeding. And the hare's pride didn't want her Lady to see her injured in any way. It might make Ryn think twice about her decision to promote Elicia at such a young age. However, the officer pushed all these thoughts aside and focused on making her feet keep a steady pace as she raced towards camp.