Just a Lady-like Excursion [open]

[Brooke]

"Of course, I always stock up before going out on a patrol." Violet nodded.

"Do we have any other healers other than Tirael among us?" When a chorus of "No's" reached her, she nodded and took it in stride. She had hoped there would be more, this was most likely to be bloody.

"DAGH!" Violet ran to the very edge of the trees to see two vermin, one was biting the other's paw.

"YAH, LEGGO my paw yew ugly, mangy, tree-dwelling, sorry excuse fer a midget!" yelled the weasel. Violet immediately retreated to tell everyone what she saw.

[Treble Tiderunner]

"DAGH!"

Lorna stopped in mid-step, her leg knee deep in a snow drift. In disgust she drew her leg out and shook the clinging, wet snow off her trouser leg. This was another thing she hated about land. Weather was a monster one could not rid oneself of.

"YAH, LEGGO my paw yew ugly, mangy, tree-dwelling, sorry excuse fer a midget!"

Lorna was in the process of investigating the noise when the (very)unlucky tracker plowed into her from behind, sending the vixen, who was stepping cautiously around a particularly deep bank of snow ears over brush into the clearing.

"A midget, Redin?"

This barely registered as Lorna let out a long list of the foulest swearwords known to the general corsair population, and then an equally long list of those lesser known but equally foul, punctuated with violent promises of what was to happen to the ferret when she reached him. She actually looked quite comical, sitting there in the snow with her lower body splayed and her ears topped with snow. It would have been funnier if not for the just slightly past murderous and mad look on her face, twisting it into a mask horrible in its loveliness.

[lorki]

The smug grin was wiped clear off of Sleets face as the fox tumbled into view. Instantaneously one of her paws disappeared into her cloak to draw out one of her many knives. Although she did not make any attempt to appear threatening, she held the knife lazily at her waist. Her dark eyes looked the fox up and down quickly and then shifted to stare beyond her into the foliage- this beast had an entourage.

Her playful easy going stance became rigid and much more serious. She was no longer only in the company of her friend. She assumed these creatures to be of the N'tashi horde in which case there where was a chance for trouble. However, Sleet reminded herself, at least they were not the 'goodbeasts' from the camp that she'd run into from time to time- they were vicious.

She wondered for a moment if she ought to offer the fox a hand up to begin a hopefully peaceful encounter... but she looked to enraged for Sleet to be compelled to get too close. Rather she straightened herself and allowed her eyes to shift sideways to exchange glances with her friend before turning back to the fox.

"Who are you?" She asked then, her voice was not particularly unfriendly but her tone was a bit sharp, a careful amount of attitude thrown in to tell the fox she was not looking for a fight but wasn't a typical scared little wood lander.

[Maxodis]

Redin jumped back-further out of range of further abuse- the instant Sleet released his paw. Biting on his lip to stem further exclamations, the weasel hopped from one footpaw to the other as he shook his spasming paw. The ferret's mirth did little to improve Redin's mood. He cursed bitterly as he rubbed his bitten paw. His claws twitched spasmodically as his nerves continued to express their irritation to him. What a typically rotten morning this was turning out to be. It didn't help matters that he had lost his train of thought because of the little interruption. There had been a valid and thoughtful query that he had wanted to express to Sleet, one that was significantly important. Those didn't come often, and he was prideful of himself when they did, confound it.

He retrieved his polearm from where he had dropped it, grasping it with a excessively strong grip in his bitten paw. Tensing all the muscles in his paw, moving slowly upward to his shoulder, he felt the spasms slowly subside. Satisfied with the returned functionality of his paw, he made a show of noisily cracking his knuckles as he glared darkly at Sleetfang. She thought it was funny, eh? Oh yes, quite hilarious. It was obviously time for another sparring session.

The sarcastic remark that had formed on his lips never got the opportunity to serve to prove that beneath his dense skull there was some figment of intelligence. A sudden FWUMP behind him halted line of thought. Caught off-guard, it took the burly weasel several seconds to register the sound. Missing the sudden tension emanating from his friend, he turned to see the displaced fox. He correlated with his mind in an attempt to make logic of the situation. They came up with the following.

Derrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-Hey!

Its a vixen!

What should we do with it?

How am I supposed to know that?

What do you mean YOU DON'T KNOW!? You're my mind, you're supposed to know things!

BURMA!

....

...what?

Why'd you say Burma?

I panicked.

Ah.

Oh Hellsteeth. Let's just threaten her.

Good idea.


A maniacal grin slowly spread across the Weasel's face. Dragging the heavy polearm through the ground behind him, he stumbled with suddenly unsteady steps toward the fallen vixen. Giggling slightly, he grasped the scruff of her shirt and lifted her up. Clear off the ground. Leering at her at eye level, he tilted his head to the side slightly, face-chains jingling softly. "a lil' lady like yew shuddn't be usin' language like that now..."

[Treble Tiderunner]

Lorna was rising gracefully to her feet when a rough paw yanked the front of her shirt, claws scraping the thick leather she wore underneath through the material. The vixen was lifted clear off the ground by the weasel, who was giggling inanely.

"a lil' lady like yew shuddn't be usin' language like that now..."

Lorna narrowed her eyes even further, darting her paw down to draw her Cat-o-Nine and bring it scoring down across Redin’s exposed chest and then up in a loop to land across the shoulder of the arm not holding her, the long lashes curling around to his back twice. The sharp, heavy blows shredded parts of his vest.

“Too bad I’m neither a lady nor little.” Lorna snarled, curling her tail in around her waist as she swung her bottom half backwards, then forwards in a kick at Redin’s midsection. Never underestimate your opponent. Oh, Lorna had no intention of that.

“Now put me down!” She raised the whip again, this time in an aim for his face.

[Maxodis]

Redin received the pain unflinchingly. His grip on her shirt never faltered as the sharp barbed studs of the strange whip tore jagged splits in his skin. He bled freely, still staring into the vixen's eyes with the strange smile plastered on his face. The kick aimed at his abdomen was easily anticipated and just as easily blocked. Letting the polearm fall to the ground, Redin caught the vixen's footpaw with an almost casual ease. Grasping a firm hold of her ankle, he slowly looked down at himself. Multiple shallow gashes riddled his chest, and his vest hung in tatters. Distant pains from his back told him that the situation was similar in that area.

He closed his eyes as he shuddered in delight. The feeling of his lifeblood as it seeped from him never ceased to bring a certain thrill. The pain was almost exquisite, enough to allow him to bleed well but not enough to put him in any immediate danger. He took a rattling breath as his eyes flickered open, unfocused. It had been a long time since the weasel had experienced such rapture. His eyes shifted to the bloodied cat-o'-nine. A harsh cackle escaped his throat. The action caused his neck-chain to rasp, the sound not much different from his own laughter. Perhaps the day would turn out half-decent after all.

Two things happened simultaneously. Redin let go of the vixen's shirt, while raising the paw that still had a firm hold on her ankle. The resulting action completely flipped the vixen, jolting her sharply before she came to a steady halt in movement, albeit hanging upside-down. At the same time, he took hold of the studded cat-o'-nine. Her sudden shift in position assisted him as he jerked it sharply towards him in an attempt to wrench it from her grasp.

[Brooke]

Violet made to go out to see what was happening. Just as she was leaving the fringe, she saw Lorna get picked up by a weasel. She drew her sword. With her sword in ready position, she softly coughed to hide her laughter at the comical sight.


“Too bad I’m neither a lady nor little.” Lorna snarled. She whacked the weasel.

"Now, put me down!" she raised her cat o' nine.

Violet watched bemused as the weasel proceeded to dump Lorna upside down.

"Oi, weasel, she's a tough one that 'un. Although even upside down she could beat the fuzz outta your head." Violet raised her sword prepared if the weasel were to turn on her.

[Rocky]

"And I could beat the fuzz outta yours." Jakk whispered in Violet's ear. The fox had followed Lorna to see if she needed help, for he believed she probably would need help, but then again, Jakk thinks everyone needs help when fighting. He stayed in hiding when Lorna got into the encounter with Redin, an he thought it was pretty funny, but when Violet appeared, he thought he should step in.

Within seconds, Jakk had his two blads out, and he held one at Violet's back, and the other at her throat, laughing inwardly, "Now now... Whats a mousey like you doin' out here in the cold?" He whispered mockingly. He looked over Violet's shoulder and gave a comical look at Lorna, stifling laughter. "Having trouble?"

[lorki]

Sleet blinked, that had all happened far to quickly. She backed up a few steps as Redin moved towards the fox. She knew her friend too well to get in the middle of that. He was clearly in a foul mood and wanted in on a tussle. It appeared he would get a good one with that fox. She tossed her twin blades up and balanced each carefully in her paws as she glanced about the clearing- there would be more surely and they would probably draw more attention were Redin to continue his mocking of that poor fox.

The dove colored ferret stiffened suddenly, her nose twitched and she was suddenly over come with a quite powerful and... well squeaky sneeze. That was a bad sign. She buried her face against her arm and stumbled over to her pack. Another sneeze escaped her as she bound a black cloth over her mouth and nose. "Mouse." She growled, loud enough for Redin to hear.

She stood up and sure enough a small female mouse had appeared, she addressed Redin and then raised her weapon. Sleet was between her and the weasel in an instant- looking quite dangerous and cross with half her face concealed in the bandanna. She opened her mouth to speak but before any words came out another fox appeared and poised himself to kill the mouse- good then they could toss the body and Sleet's eyes would stop watering. She continued to glare and menace towards the male fox and the mouse, Redin would take care of himself but she didn't want the odds to tip against him.

[Brooke]

Violet gasped as she felt the cool metal blades press. She tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword.

"And I could beat the fuzz outta yours." Jakk whispered. Violet shivered, but continued to slightly tighten her grip on the hilt.

She relaxed his grip as though she was giving in to him, but suddenly slammed back with her pommel stone into his gut.

"Woodlanders, NOW!" she yelled.

[Tirael]

"Woodlanders, NOW!"

They needed no second bidding. The patrol sprung into action, with everybeast either firing ranged weapons or rushing in to bring swords and spears into play. They had the benefit of surprise; a few vermin fell before they managed to retaliate. Seeing a mouse fall to a slingstone, Tirael ducked nearby and pulled him behind cover. His work was cut out for him, and for the rest of the patrol. The fight had begun in earnest.

[lorki]

"Woodlanders, NOW!"

She should have know. Sleet backed quickly away from the mouse, avoiding a stone that had flown dangerously close to her head. She backed out of the clearing- unsure who she ought to go after, Redin was clearly fighting with the patrol of vermin but Sleet knew it would be the woodlanders to come after him as well as her... that stupid weasel.

Sleets ears twitched and she rounded quickly, her defending short sword quickly placed at chest level and her attacking blade poised towards the near by noise. However by turning she stepped practically onto Tirael. Leaping backwards she pointed the curved blade towards him and scowled down at him. A healer? Redin was having an epic fight with some Fox captain, a battle was going on right beside her and she had managed to find herself a healer, wonderful.

"You dumb streamdog!" She snarled behind the back cloth, "are you trying to help your own or trying to get them trodden down?" She wouldn't attack such a beast- after all Sleet not only had no place in this battle but she also had some sense of honor and there was nothing the least bit noble about bringing down a currently unarmed otter who was (no matter how idiotically) tending the wounded.

[Rocky]

OOC: Just to let you know, Brooke, that was a god mode. the "slamming it into his gut". Ill accept it, but next time, please refrain from it.

Jakk breathed sharply as the the hilt slammed into his gut. "Ah, a tough one." He said mockingly. "I'll dance on your corpse when Im done killing off your woodlanders." Jakk said again, then turned towards the woodlanders.

He held his two blades upwards, then ran towards the motley group, knocked a spear aside and stabbed the wielder. He withdrew the blade then slashed sideways, grinning as the squirrel's head fell to the ground. Jakk parried another thrust and slashed in an arc at a mouse, and then he cursed loudly as a spear head left a neat drawn line on his calf. He turned around and ran that spear wielder through, then turned back to his next victim, which happened to be another mouse.

He smiled coldly then charged at the mouse, hacking towards it and disarming it. He laughed as it ran away from him, and one throwing knife killed it. Then, he turned around, amidst the confusion, and cursed again as a slingstone nailed him in the shoulder. He then spooted the one, obviously the leader whom he threatened before, then charged at Violet, both blades seeking her blood.

[Brooke]

Violet almost smiled as the hilt slammed into Jakk. Yeah right she thought.

Violet locked swords with a weasel from the patrol, never taking her eyes off Jakk. She let her eyes stray for a moment and she caught sight of Tir, going straight towards a weasel. She quickly thrust her sword through the ferret and ran to try to intercept the weasel.

She made it seconds too late and thought for a second that Tirael was going to get killed. She let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding when the ferret backed away. She ran up to Tirael.

"Are you alright? I thought she was going to kill you!"

[Tirael]

Tirael gave a small yelp of surprise as Sleet ran into him.

"You dumb streamdog! Are you trying to help your own or trying to get them trodden down?"

Though he did pretty well hiding his fear, the otter could not help betraying it slightly; the ears laid back, the slight backward move, the tenseness. His face, however, gave little hint of it; if one didn't notice the other signs, he would have hardly looked worried at all. He was, though, not only for himself but for the patient he was treating. As the ferret pointed a sword at him and berated him, he began to wonder how he would escape the situation with both his own and the mouse's life.

As he made a mental note to next time go even further from the main battle scene, Violet ran up, stopping not quite between him and Sleet. Tirael relaxed slightly, knowing that help had arrived.

"Are you alright? I thought she was going to kill you!"

"I'm fine..." Tirael said uncertainly. Though Sleet hadn't done anything yet, the word yet still hung on to the end of the sentence. The sword was still uncomfortably close to him.