What the...?

[lorki]

Sleet stared, mouth slightly hung open and ears dropped back in a sort of surprised horror at the small black and white ball of fur that was looking back with an equally stunned expression. The sun dappled the ground through the trees and warmed her fur but she was beyond feeling any sort of pleasure at that point. Just when she had determined that her life could not get any more complicated.

Caion blinked painfully, his vision somewhat obscured by the swelling in one eye. The ferret before him didn't look dangerous but who knew what sort of freaky creatures might inhabit this forest... not him. Finally the silence was broken as she spoke, slowly, as if worried her voice would set off some sort of trap. "Uh..." She looked strangely... nervous. "Shouldn't you be with your parents?"

As she asked it Sleet cast a wary glance around for said parents. She wasn't exactly in pristine condition and by the look of that little badger she could be at the wrong place at the wrong time and take the blame for his injuries. The badger just tilted his head, "Ah dun' have 'em."

A few short minutes of uneasy conversation ensued before Sleet, cursing her affinity for dibbuns, found herself kneeling beside him and ripping apart her only extra shirt into makeshift bandages while he chomped quite happily on her only remaining food.

[Arturo]

Pushing his raft over to the riverbank, Arturo automatically braced himself for the inevitable bump[/i] that meant he had reached land. Pulling the little craft behind some bushes, he covered it carefully, picked up his provisions sack, and struck inward for supplies. He hadn't seen another beast in days, and the only one he had seen before that had been another one of N'tashi's soldiers. For some reason, they all seemed to think he'd want to work for them, and unfortunately for him, they didn't seem to like being contradicted. He'd spent hours mending the gash in the canopy of his lean-to. At least it was his raft, and not his gut.

Stupid vermin.

After a few minutes, he'd found some roots and a couple of pears, but he was far from restocked on anything. He was still searching for more food sources when he looked up and saw the badger. It was young, but definitely a badger; they were the kind of species one couldn't confuse for another. He was a little worried; after all, he and Sleet had the same conclusion about the little one's parents. But he was bleeding, and this might be a chance to make a good impression on a couple of badgers. Maybe he'd even get some work!

Poking his head out into the little clearing, he was surprised to see the badger wasn't alone. And, for some reason, his guardian was a ferret. Looking from ferret, to badger, to ferret, he crossed his arms and asked, "Uhh...am I missing something here?"

[lorki]

Both Sleet's and Caion's heads shot forward as the voice spoke. The ferret bristled, at first in assumption that that could have been the beast that did this, but then after realizing that was clearly not the case simply at being snuck up on like that. She stood up and placed herself purposely in front of the small badger.

The same nervousness that had just began to fade quickly returned as Caion eyed the newest stranger to happen upon him in the clearing. He was surprised and pleased at how little prodding the first ferret had needed to shove food at him... but still either one of them unnerved him as much as the last, he took a smaller bite of the dense hardened roll Sleet had given him, keen on only being an observer.

The ferrets voice was serious now, no longer tinged with worry or anger but instead only meant to intimidate, "who are you?" She asked sharply, unaware that Caion had moved his head around her legs to get a better view at the scene.

[Arturo]

As both Sleet and Caion looked up, Arturo began to wonder if maybe there'd have been a better way to enter...

"Who are you?"

Snapping wasn't something that Arturo appreciated. "Me? I'm someone with a bit of manners. But hey, I guess we weren't all raised that way, were we?" Moving away from her, he knelt in front of the badger and adopted a much friendlier tone. "Hi there. I'm Arturo. Are you okay?" He realized he sounded a little strange, but he wanted to make sure nothing was wrong with the little badger. After all, at that age, he doubted the little one could have done anything to deserve the wound on his head.

[lorki]

This ferret was clearly not a threat... an annoyance, yes, but not a threat. Sleet let out an angry huff of air, "my manners tell me not to barge in on others." She muttered, but the seriousness had left her tone- there was nothing to worry over. Like a bird of prey, she stood over Arturo while he addressed the small badger like a bird of prey, danger or no danger a key part of Sleet had been activated by the injured dibbun and it wasn't turning off any time soon. Surprisingly enough no amount of cruel world realities could beat the maternal instincts out of this female.

Caion withdrew slightly away from Arturo, a few moments passed in silenced while the child chewed purposefully slowly on the bite in his mouth and swallowed before giving a small forced, "yes."

"No you are not." Sleet countered, her voice soft but demanding.

Caion looked from her to Arturo, to her once more, and finally back to him, "...No."

"Thats right," she growled, her eyes moving back to Arturo, "and unless you are by magical chance a badger in a ferret costume with a healers education and a booby trapped safehouse theres not much to do for him except to find one of the above."

[Arturo]

"Yes."

"No you are not."

"...No."

Arturo felt bad for the little badger; he seemed so timid, so confused. Secretly, he longed to prove to Caion that he was a friend. It would be nice for someone in the world to actually be happy to see him.

"Thats right, and unless you are by magical chance a badger in a ferret costume with a healers education and a booby trapped safehouse theres not much to do for him except to find one of the above."

Getting up slowly, Arturo turned to Sleet and gave her a patronizing look. "Right. That's all I could do. Because you've done such a bang-up job on everything else." This really wasn't the way to be getting on anybeast's good side, and he knew it, but he was rapidly losing his interest in any sort of cordiality with Sleet. After all, since she seemed so intent on avoiding it, it would be rude to try anything otherwise, right?

Sticking a paw into his bag, he pulled out a tin and sighed. "I may not be a badger, but I do have this. Some squirrel gave it to me, said it was good for cuts." The squirrel had been one of his nicer customers; the few days they had spent on the raft had been relatively enjoyable. Holding it out, he said, "Do y' want it or not? He looks like he could use it."

[lorki]

Sleet gave the tin a suspicious look, "yeah, you're friend the squirrel that may or may not actually want to help you. Doubtful...I mean, that could be anything." Sleet sighed heavily. "but he could use it... if you trust it, go ahead." She stepped aside, no matter how some strange urge tugged at the back of her mind to jump at Caion and whisk him off to...

But it wasn't as if she could keep him, that thought was stupid in so many forms of the word, she shook the idea away and crinkled her nose, thinking hard for some sort of solution.

Caion in the meantime had finished the roll and had raised his brow at the animosity between these two strangers. It was nothing new to him, they simply seemed too alike to feel so disdainful for one another. Odd... he moved one of his paws up to lightly touch the bruises that hid under his dark fun but ran all up and down his arms. He searched his arms for a comfortable spot and finally found it, he crossed his arms and blinked, eyes still fixed on the two- following the conversation with careful consideration. They were both kind... in an odd ruthless sarcastic and desperate sort of way.

[Grath]

Carwyn had been following the riverbank all morning, and not seen a single soul. In fact, she hadn't seen a soul since that pack of rats tried to capture her, and that was nearly a week ago. And so when she nearly stepped on the little raft, she veered farther inland in hopeful search of company. It wasn't far until she found them.

And it wasn't who she'd expected to find.

Two ferrets faced off in a clearing, discussing who knows what, while to the side sat a young badger, watching what was going on. Not one to rush to conclusions, she stood for a few moments and took things in. The badger seemed to have run amok of some creature, but had also found someone to bandage its wounds. Knowing it wasn't long before her discovery, she stepped out of the cover with a word of greeting for the ferrets, but a cautious eye in case one or both took exception to her presence.

[Arturo]

"Yeah, your friend the squirrel that may or may not actually want to help you. Doubtful...I mean, that could be anything. But he could use it... if you trust it, go ahead."

Arturo pulled his paw back and suppressed a groan. Sure, he could bandage a wound, but he was no healer; he'd hoped he wouldn't have to display that. Trying not to hesitate, he knelt in front of Caion once more, cleared his throat and said, "I'm going to clean up your cut now. I'm not going to hurt you," emphasizing the last sentence. As he began to uncap the tin, he heard a new voice behind him.

Glancing back, he saw it was another badger. A female...maybe the mother? Concentrating on what he was doing, he returned the greeting. "Afternoon. Would, uh...is this one yours?"

[lorki]

Sleet's body became rigid as a shape came into view towards the side of her vision. She knew the beast before she even looked, years of hunting them had taught her that- the way they moved, sounded, smelled and walked. A strange expression came over the ferrets face, it was a mix of horror and disgust, tinged with a sick look to her eyes- as if she felt ill. Her stomach sank, rolled and ultimately felt as if it had tied itself into a painful knot in her gut. The stress of her injury, added to the surprise finding of the little dibbun, now topped off by a visit by this hulking disgusting creature... it was almost too much.

She hardly registered the greeting, or the returned one from Arturo. It was difficult for her to think of much else but the small fleeting nightmarish images that flicked their way through her head, her eyes stayed set on Caion- the only thing mildly distracting that she could find.

The small badger was peering back at her with a concerned expression, he had taken a moment to examen the large badger joining the group but didn't seem to be moved by the entrance. Truth be told he felt more at home in a sense with the ferrets. They resembled the corsairs he was so use to living with but with a much kinder attitude. Arturo's question snapped his attention, he nodded, only half understanding the request considering his mind had been wandering and he'd been curiously thinking about what could possibly be making Sleet look so sickly and enraged all of a sudden.

[Grath]

"Afternoon. Would, uh...is this one yours?"

The male ferret had been kneeling to speak to the babe when she entered, and his question caught the albino badger by surprise. Hers? Did that mean they did not know where the babe’s parents were?

“Nay, I have never had children.” She turned to the female, did not seem to be happy to see her. In fact, the female looked rather sick and disgusted. Narrowing her eyes, she turned back to the male. “Carwyn the Pike. And what be your name, ferret?” She waited for a response, then knelt and spoke to the young badger, having laid her long pike aside. “And what is your name, young one?” She asked, producing a candied chestnut from her pouch.

[Arturo]

“Nay, I have never had children.”

"...Oh." Arturo deflated slightly, resisting the urge to ask 'are you sure?' He didn't want this to be complicated, but he wasn't quite comfortable leaving the little badger with Sleet. Of course, he couldn't imagine taking a child around with him, but what was there to do? All he'd wanted was some food. Dang it.

“Carwyn the Pike. And what be your name, ferret?”

Tying a strip of shirt around his 'patient's' wound, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Arturo Archer." Offering Caion a smile, he said, "There, all better. Just be careful from now on." Getting up, he allowed Carwyn some privacy with the younger badger and walked over to Sleet. Crossing his arms, he spoke quietly. "So what are you planning with him? This clearing doesn't seem like much of a home for a child."

[lorki]

Sleet was glad to not be addressed by the badger, it would probably be better if the two of them didn't speak... at the very least for Sleets sake. He expression stuck even as Arturo approached her.

"So what are you planning with him? This clearing doesn't seem like much of a home for a child."

"Really?" She hissed, crossing her arms over her chest, "Well darn because I was really planning on opening up a daycare here." Still, no amount of sarcasm could make his point any less urgent. She was not bringing him to Salamandastron; hell, the whole rest of the world could explode in flames and she wouldn't go near that place. If only some beast would pop up with a solution...

"I know someone!" She blurted out, a bit too loudly. Who better to drop a baby on then the beast who owed their life to you, not to mention lived in a secure enough location. Still, even though she knew the camps location, Sleet was not keen on dropping in on a bunch of well armed warriors unexpectedly... her eyes shifted over to the large white badger, a possible chance into the camp was a good enough reason to let go of some of the urge to kill that thing.

Without any encouragement Caion automatically reached out for the treat, he had not seen one ever before, nor had he ever been given any real treat at all but some sort of innate dibbun sense seemed to tell him to go after it. "Caion," he answered the question shortly, paws outstretched for the chestnut.

[Grath]

"Caion? That is a nice name." She smiled and allowed the babe to take the chestnut. "You'll like that."

"Arturo Archer."

"Nice to meet you, Arturo Archer." the badger wasn't just making conversation, despite the strange circumstances she was genuinely glad to meet the ferret.

"So what are you planning with him? This clearing doesn't seem like much of a home for a child."

The albino badger sat back on her heels, turning her attention to the female, whose name she had yet to know.

"Really?" She hissed, crossing her arms over her chest, "Well darn because I was really planning on opening up a daycare here."

"I know someone!"

"Really, who?" Carwyn inquired.

[Arturo]

"Nice to meet you, Arturo Archer."

Arturo brightened up a bit at that, his disappointment at Carwyn's not being the mother being temporarily offset by her not showing any desire to throw stones or anything sharp at him. It was unusual of a badger to show that kind of tolerance, or at least he thought so. He'd never met a badger before today.

"Really? Well darn because I was really planning on opening up a daycare here."

Rolling his eyes in irritation, Arturo said angrily, "Look, you don't like me. I get it, alright? But this isn't about us, it's about hi-"

"I know someone!"

"Really, who?"

Well, this should be interesting, thought Arturo. Who could she know that would be fine with taking a child? Surely nobeast would just accept something like that without a second thought. And how far were they, anyways? He doubted she'd know anybeast from Camp Moss, at least not on good terms.