Bloodlust and Victories {Plot - Open}

[Treble Tiderunner]

Lorna’s eyes were lit with the mad light of battle, her nostrils flared, drinking in the thick coppery scent of blood. She now found a new victim a better one that fought back. The black squirrel was ridiculously easy to drop, a simple dagger, a few whippings and a kick or two and she was down. No fun at all, not a bit!

The shaft of the javelin slammed into her side, winding her, but she clutched at it with surprising strength for one of her build, keeping it close to her. She let his tugging at his weapon bring her closer, she raised the studded whip, looking for the best place. Not the face, it was so over done now. The whip came down one, two, three times before he pushed her away, striking out at her with a dagger that glanced off her ribs.

Lorna didn’t feel the pain, rather her whole attention was focused over Brush’s shoulder, her face fallen from that of mad fury into total terror. Without a word or sound she turned tail and ran, leaping over the still form of Enon and disappearing among the trees.

The ground shook as a white juggarnaut shot by Brush, barely missed Enon, and crashed through the woods. It was Carwyn, the albino badger roaring out her battlecry.

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEUUUUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuulllllllllllllllAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[Tirael]

Brush gritted his teeth in slight irritation: despite his full-force attack, Lorna had managed to stay upright. To make things worse, she proceeded to whip his shoulder and upper back with that cursed cat-o-nine, and he had no room to maneuver his javelin. Shoving the thing at her again, he hurriedly grabbed at the dagger in his belt and drove it home just below one of her ribs.

Instantly, the battle seemed over, though he soon realized it wasn't by his doing. Lorna was crazy, there was no way one stab wound would stop her, but Brush had no need to question what had. Not when the ground began shaking.

Following some deep instinct, he leaped aside as quickly as he could, narrowly escaping being run down by a rampaging mass of white fur and sinew. He blinked and scratched his head in utter confusion before remembering: Enon! Whirling, he knelt by her side and looked her over. It wasn't Enon at her best; Lorna had had a field day on the black squirrel. "You're gonna be fine, Enon, just hang on..." he murmured as he lifted her by the least-injured portions of her body. Once he had her as comfortably supported as he could make her, he began to gently, but hurriedly, lead her to the main battle, where the healers could help her.

[Elicia]

Ryn didn't notice Aidan behind her until it was almost too late; as it was, she was forced to drive her broadsword down into the dirt to avoid hitting the hare. She couldn't turn her full attention to him without letting her guard down, and there were vermin to be killed! The Badger Lady knocked down a stoat with the butt of her blade, turned her attention to a nearby rat, who she took out with a thrust. Her eyes were red, and she was full into the heat of battle. What stopped her? Nothing, and nothing would ever hinder her.

When she finally turned around, Aidan had come and gone.
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Daily looked rather sad. The hare-had she not been a hare- might actually have been someone he would have wanted to get to know. Too bad he had to kill her.

"What," Eli spluttered indignantly, "Are ye lookin' all apologetic about? Ye just told me that ye were bally well going t'kill me!" Daily shrugged.

"I'm sorry. But you hares, you're all alike." A faint hint of his brother's madness crept into the marten's voice. It was almost not there at all; but it was there all the same. Eli took a step back from the marten. "You murder my family, then you come right to my doorstep! What is with you all?"

"Ye don't understand- 'Murdered yore family'?- what?- wait." Eli held up a paw in objection. "Hares would never do that! We're good beasts, least most of us are, an' Long Patrollers don't kill without reason!"

"Oh really." Daily's voice was dry. "Like I haven't heard that lie ten million times before. Don't look so sad, missy- just tell the nice folks down at Hellgates that Daily M'koro sent you!"

He pounced before she had a chance to get in a reply.
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Raucus looked up from his quarry; his little brother was fighting a hare all alone. Perhaps he would give Daily a bit of help. The hare looked young. That was good. She also didn't think to look behind her, and Raucus crept up from behind slowly. He could hear Daily's voice.

"...that Daily M'koro sent you!"

Raucus watched his brother spring at the hare; watched her dance out of his way; saw how she glared at him with hate and disgust. "Missy, watch yore back!" He cried, and fell upon her as well.
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Elicia watched with horror as the insanity crept into the marten's voice. When he attacked her, she moved to the side, her saber at the ready. But the marten kept springing at her, and she had to keep dodging. Just when she thought she had a clear moment, a second marten leaped on her from behind. His claws found the back of her arm, cutting a shallow red line across her fur.

"Why, ye little bastards!" She cried. "Two on one is hardly fair!"

"'ares-""-don't play-""-fair, so, missy, why in th'name o'blazes-""-should we?" They popped up around her, taking turns in speaking. Eli glared at them furiously. The two together were hard enough, must they be more confusing?

She swung twice at the one that looked more dangerous-not the one that had been talking to her earlier. The hare's eyes were flickering all over the place, trying to keep up with their movements. The two- were they brothers?- never stopped moving. The Long Patroller thought she saw Daily wince; thought she saw Raucus limp; thought she saw blood on their paws. After what seemed like ages, the two- by some unspoken command- retreated to just a little ways away, circling her. Eli breathed heavily, but inspected her enemies rather than herself. They seemed happy, almost jubilant in a way. The thought crossed her mind that the pair of them were insane.
((If anyone needs something to do, you are welcome to come over. ^^))

[Grath]

"Why, ye little bastards!" She cried. "Two on one is hardly fair!"

“I agree missy—we should even it up, wot!” Aidan had left his patrol by the badgerlady and bounded over to Elicia’s side. “Tch, bad form lads, ganging up on a lady, ‘tis not nice, wot!” He set his back to Elicia’s, watching as the martens popped up here and there, speaking alternatively.

"'ares-""-don't play-""-fair, so, missy, why in th'name o'blazes-""-should we?"

“Ah, but now the odds are bloody even!” Aidan eyed the marten closest to him, the younger of the two, it seemed. His blade flickered here and there, but it was hard to see if he laid a blow, what with all their hopping and leaping about. Eventually the pair of them retreated a little, though they didn’t leave, instead standing off a little ways and circling the pair of hares.

“I say, they do seem to be a little mad, wot!” Aidan murmured over his shoulder. “Not as glorious as the tales, is it?” He nodded at the battle waning around them.

[Elicia]

Elicia shook her head. "No sah. It's not. But, then again, I jolly well didn't expect it t'be." Turning her attention to the martens, Eli noted that they both had multiple wounds- none, however, that would prove deadly. Daily had a gash running from his shoulder to his collarbone, and blood ran from a cut that ran along his jawline. Raucus fared worse: one of his paws was bloody, and his right leg was covered in three or four slashes. None of them were, however, too deep or dangerous.

"Which one of th'buggers d'ye want, sah?" Eli asked quietly. They looked equally dangerous. Raucus, the one that had jumped her from behind, seemed completely insane. That was dangerous in an enemy. But the other one, Daily. He seemed to have his wits about him as well as the sort of tunnel-vision that his brother had. That made him more dangerous.

Feeling comfortable enough to take her eyes off the brothers, Eli turned her arm around. She couldn't get a clear view of the gash, but it hurt enough that she figured it wasn't a mere scratch. Cursing her luck and the M'koro brothers- she was assuming that they really were brothers- Eli tightened her grip on her saber and turned her attention to the martens again.
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Daily was furious. He had never felt like that before. He was furious that the hare had been joined by another, and furious that Raucus thought he needed help. Raucus always hovered over Daily, always tormented him and bullied him into doing whatever suited his insane purpose. "I don't need you here!" He hissed to Raucus. His brother only grinned and shook his head.

He doesn't trust me. He's never trusted me. Daily traced the scar that ran across his chest and stood staring at Raucus. His eyes were filled with hate and disgust and disappointment and sadness- he had, after all, loved his brother and trusted him. But if that trust was not to be returned...
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Raucus took no notice of his injuries. Instead, he grinned wolfishly and cackled. "Why, me buckoes, it's two on two now! 'Tis time fer ye two t'die!" He ran out towards them again, this time going almost exclusively for the older, male hare.

For a moment, it registered in Raucus' mind that he was actually fighting hares now, no hares-with-no-ears. He wondered what the difference was.
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Daily did not move as his brother charged the older of the two. No longer was he going to be a part of Raucus' mad plans. No longer.

But.

He could still take down one more hare, couldn't he? Daily set his gaze on the female, watched her stiffen and fall into a battle position. He watched her watch him, and, as their eyes met, there was a moment where they seemed to understand what the other was thinking. "I'm sorry." Mouthed Daily.

"Leave." She returned the message.

"I can't." Still completely silent, Daily started to back off. "I can't."

"You can!" The hare took a few steps towards him.

"I can't!" He screamed, torn and furious. Hot tears ran down his cheeks, but they were tears of hate for his brother and for what Raucus had done to his life. "I can't!" With that, he ran at the female hare with teeth bared and claws outstretched. "I can't." He sobbed. "He won't let me."

[Treble Tiderunner]

Elicia shook her head. "No sah. It's not. But, then again, I jolly well didn't expect it t'be."

“Ah, good girl.” Aidan said approvingly, lunging forward to drive Raucus back with a right-to-left downward slash, stepping back just in time to hear the last part of Eli’s comment.

"…. d'ye want, sah?" Eli asked quietly.

Aidan too considered the two martins. Both were equally dangerous, he thought, it was difficult with their leaping about and screeching to determine just which was worse. He shrugged, “Whichever one’s closest, wot!”

"Why, me buckoes, it's two on two now! 'Tis time fer ye two t'die!"

Aidan merely raised an eyebrow. “Really my dear chap, ye need t’get some new material, wot! We’ve ‘eard all that before!” His paw flicked, faster than the eye could follow, and two daggers flew towards Raucus as the old hare simultaneously moved into an attack position. He was bleeding from numerous small wounds, from the battle as a whole and this small one, but nothing life threatening.

[Skipper of Sea Otters]

"GIVE EM HELL, mates!" Skipper shouted, tossing himself into the fray like wind against wood. He twin cutlass's both in a reverse grip to allow a change for skill. If there was one thing the Sea dwellers had an advantage of, it was enhance balance. Being at sea and having to continuously keep your balance, especially when fighting, made one quiet springy and enhance ones agility. This fact was true for all of the Skipper's crew.

Skipper lept in the air, kicking his paws off a rock and bring his cutlass's down in a spinning motion across a ferret's chest and finishing him off with a downwards thrust to the stomach. He jerk his cutlass out, sending a line of blood to his face. He bore his teeth and started at another. A fox. The Fox charged with a Scimitar lifted high, Skipper ducked and slammed his shoulder into the fox's waist causing him to buckle backwards and fall to him back, only to let his comrade come and run him through. "Who's next!?"

[Elicia]

Raucus snarled furiously at Aidan as one of the daggers caught him in the shoulder. He stumbled backwards and it cut into his skin, but it did not lodge into his shoulder. He kicked it aside bitterly, and bared his fangs. His claws clattered against one another in fury: this hare was not scared. This hare did not scream and run at the sight of him. This hare intended to fight.

That hare was going to die.

Raucus M'koro had never encountered a hare that he had let live before. He chuckled dryly to himself, and ran towards Aidan, trying to make a large slash across the hare's chest with his claws.
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Eli's eyes widened in shock as Daily's claws ripped across her cheek. She had hardly been prepared for his charge: for a moment, it had seemed as if the marten was going to back down. Kicking wildly, she sent the marten reeling back holding his head. Eli wiped the blood off of her cheek with the back of her paw and glared at the marten. He was clutching the side of his head- he had been bending down to get at her legs when she kicked him- and seemed to be sobbing hard. Eli almost felt sorry for him.

She spat on the ground, a very unprofessional gesture, but she couldn't have cared less. "Come at me again, ye yellow-bellied, lily-livered, Hell-bound lard barrel!" The hare taunted the marten, whispering insults, tapping her foot on the ground, smiling invitingly. However, as she watched, the marten quieted and began to look serious about fighting again. Elicia quieted immediately, but the marten was already straightening up and glaring at her.

It was not that Eli was scared- she was hardly scared; of course she wasn't scared- but she considered retreating. Deciding that she could not abandon Aidan, Elicia shifted into a battle stance, ready for the marten's attack.
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Eli's kick caught the left side of Daily's head, and he reeled back. His head hurt, he didn't want to fight, he didn't know what to do. He stood, sobbing, both paws pressed to the side of head. His shoulders shook as Eli started insulting him and taunting him. His eyes were wild- what was he to do? He could not decide. His breath came fast.

The more that Elicia taunted him, the quieter his sobs grew, and the fiercer his eyes grew. The hare, seemingly realizing her mistake, went quiet, but the damage had been done. Daily grinned bitterly at her. "That was a mistake, miss."

He threw herself at the hare, but she met his claws with the blade of her sword, and the sharp edge cut into the pads of his paws. He tried to trip her by knocking them out from under her, but she stepped aside. He tried again, but she dodged once more. "I'll get you one way or another." He growled.

[Grath]

Aidan hissed with pain as the claws raked through his tunic, scoring across his chest. It was a swift, sharp intake of breath designed to keep him focused and aware. He stepped backwards, bringing him closer to Elicia. His saber was getting heavier and he switched paws as the marten’s claws scored again, ripping from shoulder to elbow before Aidan managed to twist away, driving his opponent back with a turn of his blade in his uninjured paw.

“Isn’t lookin’ too jolly good, missy, wot!” Blood dripped from his finger tips, but he daren’t spare the time to stop and bind it, the marten wasn’t lacking in his attacks at all. No, the light of madness lit his eyes, he wouldn’t give up easily at all. Aidan was starting to have serious doubt as to the likelyhood of them escaping this fight alive.

[Elicia]

As Eli fought Daily, she found herself pressed closer and closer to Aidan. The marten's attacks became more desperate and more furious, and Eli breathed heavily, working hard to keep herself alive. Her right paw hurt from the impact of repeated blows, but she did not trust her left enough to switch paws.

Finally, there was a pause in their one-on-one where Eli and Daily found themselves staring at one another, neither one wanting to be the first to charge. Eli's left arm- being the arm that she was not actively using, and therefore the easiest target on her- was scored with multiple scratches, some deep, some light. Daily's paws were bleeding, as was his chest. Eli winced in pain as she looked at her arm, and Daily did the same, letting his bloody paw run over the scar on his chest.

While his attention was off of her, Eli charged. The distance between them was slight, and with her sword outstretched she crossed it easily. Daily now had Eli's saber point at his throat.

"Kill me." Daily growled. "Kill me now. What are you waiting for?"

Eli glared at him. "No."

"I- don't understand." Eli lowered her blade slightly, so that it was not pressing against his neck any more.

"Go. Get out o' here."

"What?" Daily looked terrified. "Why?"

"Because I bloody well said so. Now get out o'my sight afore I really do run ye through." She leaned forward as if to stab him, and the marten turned and ran out of self-preservation. Eli turned to look at Raucus, approaching slowly.
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Raucus was so close-so close to killing the hare! Just a little bit longer, he had to last just a little bit longer, then Daily would have finished the female off and then they could both set upon the older male.

But then Daily ran. The girl had won. Raucus paused and turned to look at his fleeing brother, and this allowed Aidan's saber to catch him across the chest. He shouted in pain, and backed up. "Ye little connivin', thievin' murderer! Ye kill my family, an' now ye will kill me!"

Raucus looked around wildly, backing up fast, moving away from Aidan and Eli. "Well, I won' let ye! I've spent all my life fightin' ye, and now I won't let ye kill me!" He was not stupid: he saw that there was no was that he could win against two hares without help. As he turned and ran, his last thought was that even if he did die of his wounds- he did not think he would, but still- then his last act was at least in defying those murderous hares.

[Treble Tiderunner]

Aidan was pressed hard, his vision was spotty from lack of blood. He should have bound those cuts, they’d be the end of him. As Raucus made one more ferocious charge, Aidan gathered his strength, he’d go out fighting! “Euullllaaaaaaallllliiiiiaaaaaaaa!” The cries were ripped from his throat, over and over as he dug up some hidden reservoir of strength. And though he wavered like a punch-drunk and the spots danced before his eyes, the marten suddenly found himself on the defensive.

Until there wasn’t any opponent there any more.

"Well, I won' let ye! I've spent all my life fightin' ye, and now I won't let ye kill me!"

Suddenly the mad marten was gone, his brother with him. Aidan peered after him, rather bad time for his vision to fade with age, wot! How could he see to fight if everything jumped in and out of focus like that?

“Rather odd th’ng t’say.” He mumbled, turning to Eli, trying to sheath his saber but missing as it thudded into the ground. “Iv gotta bind thissaup…” He tore at the hem of his uniform, but his paws wouldn’t work, only fumbling uselessly at the fabric. “Huh…” he tried again, leaving great streaks of red but not accomplishing a thing. His eyes rolled up, and the Brigadier of the Long Patrol collapsed.