Lost

[Tirael]

"Hey Tir, could you wrap-"

Tirael looked up in surprise as his adoptive father walked into the room. He wondered why he had cut off, then remembered Danol's rather...abnormal appearance at the moment. Presumably that was it. Or maybe it was the sudden surge of activity in the room. Whatever, it hardly mattered.

"-this up for me, nice and tight?"

Nodding, he took the Skipper's paw and splinted the thumb with a small, short rod, handling it as carefully as he could to avoid causing any unnecessary pain. He was silent at first as he worked, then said without looking up, "Skipp...I might have done something incredibly stupid." Sighing, he stopped for a moment, trying to hold down his embarrassment and shame. He still believed fully that Soko was no vermin, but he realized how careless had been from the moment she said "Tampa". He couldn't bring himself to look at Skipp, so he focused completely on his work, dreading whatever response awaited him. For someone raised by such a warrior, he felt like such an ignorant and helpless little idiot sometimes. He swished his rudder stiffly, a common indicator that he was stressed.

[Brooke]

"No.. that's alright..." Violet shrugged as Soko trotted off towards the exit. Then she remembered how cold it was and that Soko didn't really have any means of warmth.

"Wait, Soko." she yelled after her retreating figure, then ran to catch up to her. "Take this." she handed Soko her scarf.



Brookesong stuck around while Tirael wrapped up his "father"'s paw, then grabbing Danol's arm... "Here, a walk may cheer you up, inside, maybe we could get a drink in the kitchen." She knew that Tir would want to be alone when he talked to his dad about this. It was easy to see he was guilty... She was too, but she didn't really want or have anyone to talk to about it.

[[short]]

[Treble Tiderunner]

"No.. that's alright..."

Skipper didn’t recall seeing Soko before, or even knew her species. He wondered why she was trying to slip out, and forwent chastising Dan for not wearing winter clothing to address himself to the stranger.

“Miss? Where are you going?”

"Skipp...I might have done something incredibly stupid."

Skipp spread his fingers, allowing Tirael to splint his thumb. He raised his heavy brows at this statement. “And what do you think you did wrong, Tirael? Though I personally doubt it…” Skipper swung his head and leveled his gaze at Danol.

“You, however. Going out in the cold in summer clothes? That is stupid. You are just as important in this camp as anyone else, and everyone gets appropriate season clothes.” Skipper sighed, drumming his free hand’s fingers on his thigh. These two, practically sons to him, were both excellent in their chosen fields, yet both had inferiority issues. Tampa told him(laughing), that it was living in his shadow. Maybe it would take his death to let them grow. Like the death of a forest giant, after which all sorts of saplings sprung up, suddenly bold in the new sun.

[Tirael]

“And what do you think you did wrong, Tirael? Though I personally doubt it…”

Skipper's confidence in him broke Tirael's heart. As his caretaker turned to reprimand Danol, he continued to wind the strip of cloth tightly as he thought of how best to word what he had to say. He felt more like he had failed the Skipper with each passing moment, and fought hard to maintain a relatively calm composure, though it was increasingly apparent that he was upset.

Once Skipper had finished scolding Danol, Tirael found his voice, though it wavered slightly as he spoke. "I..." He paused a moment, breathed deeply. Gesturing to Soko, he said, "I was out in Mossflower when I came across her. She-she's a sable, and I don't know why, but I talked to her before making sure it was safe. She just looked so...she seemed so cold, so innocent, I guess I assumed I could trust her. I...I brought her here, and if my judgment was wrong..." He couldn't bring himself to finish, but he didn't have to; the consequences of a wrong judgment were obvious. "But I don't think I was wrong...nothing told me I was until we got back here, and even then, it wasn't from me." Finally, he looked up at Skipper, deflated, with his eyes radiating shame.

[lorki]

What stopped Soko midstride was not Violet chasing after her with a scarf. Nor was it Skipper addressing her. It was Tirael, speaking not to her but to the newest otter to join the growing group.

"Skipp...I might have done something incredibly stupid."

Horrified into stillness she realized how incriminating darting away from them would seem now. As if she was escaping before she could be found out. Either choice seemed a loss. She could stay, possibly face blame or leave, with the same blame. Uneasily her tail flicked back and fourth, this had been a foul choice all along. Vsevolod had probably been right, asking her to leave the forest behind all together- she simply had no place in the mess. She'd done nothing to cause it, nothing to fix it, and still couldn't seem to find more then a handle of friendly faces her entire life.

Rather then spitefully blame everyone but herself she'd handed it down to luck but this was beginning to grate on her last nerve. Tiraels explanation to the older otter drifted through her ears and she was so appalled by most of it she hardly understood what he was saying. Only a few words stuck out here and there.

When he had finished speaking a silence broke out, giving the small broken defiant pieces of her mentality time to build up a suitable outrage. "You are all wrong!" She snapped loudly, her dark eyes glowered at the small group. "You are wrong to hide out here in your little hole in the ground and drive everyone you don't automatically assume is worth wile just my looking at them away. How do you think this conflict started? When did the rule become set that if I can't be hated because I'm evil I might as well be evil by association? No wonder they all hate you!

"And so while your paranoid little bunch hides from the light of day down here and every beast you don't approve of is told they are evil you somehow expect a victory while you make your own enemies day after day? Hows that worked out for you? Most hordesbeast at that camp have probably killed less than most of your warriors. How do you judge kindness on a level of who's murdered more? But not much else matters besides looks a guess, right? So forget circumstances, forget lessons, forget everyone has their own driving force and believe it or not its not a pure evil black mass inside them. That shouldn't matter to any of you because no matter what you do anyone can look at your face and say 'wow aren't they great.'"

[Treble Tiderunner]

"You are all wrong!" She snapped loudly, her dark eyes glowered at the small group. "You are wrong to hide out here in your little hole in the ground and drive everyone you don't automatically assume is worth while just my looking at them away. How do you think this conflict started? When did the rule become set that if I can't be hated because I'm evil I might as well be evil by association? No wonder they all hate you!

"And so while your paranoid little bunch hides from the light of day down here and every beast you don't approve of is told they are evil you somehow expect a victory while you make your own enemies day after day? Hows that worked out for you? Most hordesbeast at that camp have probably killed less than most of your warriors. How do you judge kindness on a level of who's murdered more? But not much else matters besides looks a guess, right? So forget circumstances, forget lessons, forget everyone has their own driving force and believe it or not its not a pure evil black mass inside them. That shouldn't matter to any of you because no matter what you do anyone can look at your face and say 'wow aren't they great.'"

Skipper pulled his paw from Tirael’s hold, turning to face the newcomer. He let her continue on in her rant, speaking only after she had finished, the hot, incriminating words left hanging in the air. Then he spoke softly, slowly emphasizing his words. “We are wrong, to hide in this hole in the ground?” He said as if not understanding. “We’re wrong to hide and protect our children from N’Tashi and his evil?” He took a step closer. “I don’t know about you, missie, but I was there. My parents died in the last battle protecting our last home. My cousins watched their mothers and fathers die screaming in his torture devices. They starved to death under the horde’s backbreaking drive for labor. They were children.” Skipper’s voice had lost its softness, and he flung an arm out, encompassing the warren of Camp Moss. “Everybeast here has lost someone. Entire families wiped out. Children worked to death.”

Skippper stopped, pausing as he looked into the distance. “I’m not saying we’re perfect. We’re not. But we live here, in the last refuge against N’Tashi, and we won’t let him win. All good hearted beasts are welcome here, as it was in Redwall before us.”

Skipper reached out to place a heavy paw on Soko’s shoulder. “I believe Tir did the right thing. But its up to you. Are you going to stay?”

[Brooke]

"You are all wrong!" She snapped loudly, her dark eyes glowered at the small group. "You are wrong to hide out here in your little hole in the ground and drive everyone you don't automatically assume is worth while just my looking at them away. How do you think this conflict started? When did the rule become set that if I can't be hated because I'm evil I might as well be evil by association? No wonder they all hate you!

"And so while your paranoid little bunch hides from the light of day down here and every beast you don't approve of is told they are evil you somehow expect a victory while you make your own enemies day after day? Hows that worked out for you? Most hordesbeast at that camp have probably killed less than most of your warriors. How do you judge kindness on a level of who's murdered more? But not much else matters besides looks a guess, right? So forget circumstances, forget lessons, forget everyone has their own driving force and believe it or not its not a pure evil black mass inside them. That shouldn't matter to any of you because no matter what you do anyone can look at your face and say 'wow aren't they great.'"

Violet bit back on her tongue to hold in the comments that wanted to come spilling out.

“We are wrong, to hide in this hole in the ground?” He said as if not understanding. “We’re wrong to hide and protect our children from N’Tashi and his evil?” He took a step closer. “I don’t know about you, missie, but I was there. My parents died in the last battle protecting our last home. My cousins watched their mothers and fathers die screaming in his torture devices. They starved to death under the horde’s backbreaking drive for labor. They were children.” Skipper’s voice had lost its softness, and he flung an arm out, encompassing the warren of Camp Moss. “Everybeast here has lost someone. Entire families wiped out. Children worked to death.”
Skippper stopped, pausing as he looked into the distance. “I’m not saying we’re perfect. We’re not. But we live here, in the last refuge against N’Tashi, and we won’t let him win. All good hearted beasts are welcome here, as it was in Redwall before us.”


Violet just glared. "Don't judge us. I did that from the first second I saw you. You didn't like when I did that to you, now you turned right around and did the exact same thing. You are judging us because we realize that we need to stay here and help those that are unable to protect themselves. Most of us don't have the freedom to make a choice without it changing some other beasts life drastically. If you think that we are wrong to do that, then leave." She said, her voice level. Her face was an expressionless mask.

[Rocky]

Why had Arel ever come to Mossflower? Why did he ever stay here? He fulfilled what he wanted to do, avenging his father and the village, so why didn't he go back?

No matter what the reason was, Arel couldn't quite place his finger on it. The sea otter missed to warm temperatures, the smell of the sea in the morning, and above all, he missed the waves crashing slowly against rock, and breaking on the sand. He could always just leave and go back, but no. Something kept him in Mossflower. Maybe it was because Fort N'Tashi was still here and it had to go. Maybe it was because of his friends here, new and old. Who knows?

Arel was walking slowly in no direction at all. But little did he know, he was heading straight for Camp Moss. A breeze blew, making his beard and his fur bristle like grass. The beads on his beard clacked together and he found himself tugging his cloak around himself. He wasn't used to this climate. That was one thing he had to add on to the ever growing list of things to do.

He looked up from the ground, his eyes squinting. He tilted his head as he found himself staring at a familiar area.

Of course! This was the place where Camp Moss was!

He looked left and right and jogged to the disuised entrance, not bothering to cover his tracks, feeling the snowfall would cover them.

As he walked into the entrance, he heard voices.

"Don't judge us. I did that from the first second I saw you. You didn't like when I did that to you, now you turned right around and did the exact same thing. You are judging us because we realize that we need to stay here and help those that are unable to protect themselves. Most of us don't have the freedom to make a choice without it changing some other beasts life drastically. If you think that we are wrong to do that, then leave."

"That doesn't sound quite good.'' He found himself saying as he intruded in on a conversation. It had been a while since he'd been here but he recognized some faces. There was the Skipper, Tirael, Violet, and... a sable? He'd never seen her before. Perhaps she was a slave? He figured that and decided not to say anything about, unless asked to, which he felt wouldn't happen.

He nodded at Skipper, then Tirael, then Violet, then winked at Skip. Hopefully, they'd remembered who he was. He walked closer to the Skipper, and patted him on the back. ''Not sure if ye remember me, but... I'm Arel. Rocky and me are close, and he introduced me to you and this area a month or so back."

[Tirael]

Tirael lost a good deal of his sympathy for Soko as she yelled at them all. They did what they had to, and he knew that it wasn't how many you had killed, it was why. He watched silently as the argument drifted back and forth, and as a sea otter made an entrance right in the middle of the fray. This had all started because of him; as it all began to weigh down on him, he decided he couldn't stay in the infirmary anymore. Getting up, he walked hurriedly to the door, which was partially blocked by Soko.

Looking at her for a moment, he said quietly, "I don't know what impression you got of me, but I never stopped trusting you. I'm truly sorry if I hurt you." Sighing, he moved around her and walked out, not really knowing in which direction he should go. Just that he needed to get away from all the conflict he had created with the most benign of all things, a simple 'hello'.

[lorki]

Soko bristled at Skipper and Violets reactions. Partly because they had seemed to absorb, or at least only focus, on a fraction of what she had said. Partly also because Skipper had brought into the conversation the suffering of the slaves, which she could not argue and knew all too well. But the way she saw it, the actions of a few being used to explain the dislike held towards many only backed up her point.

But Soko knew battles she couldn't win and this was one of those. Even as they retorted another creature approached, surely he would love to join in as well. It would be worthless to shout any more at them, this conversation was not one that should take place like this. Her understanding could not possibly be shared by them... and it was obvious why.

"I don't know what impression you got of me, but I never stopped trusting you. I'm truly sorry if I hurt you." Sighing, he moved around her and walked out

She gave a small shake of her head, her defiant look faded to a distant gloomy one. Tiraels words brought her out of her thoughts and back to reality. Skippers comment resonated in her head as she noticed his heavy paw weighed her down just as much as her own musing were. "No..." She murmured, possibly more to herself then to any of them that remained, her eyes watched her own memory rather than any of the beasts before her. "A good heart can't save everyone."

What she really meant by this statement was quite possibly lost to the others. But, in the end they probably wouldn't have understood, let alone agreed, either way. No longer feeling as if she should be facing any of them she turned and trailed after Tirael, for lack of anywhere else to go and a sickening feeling that left her fearing loneliness.

[Brooke]

Brooke knew that what Soko needed was a soft approach, so she left the infirmary and hurried after the sable. "Look, I know that you might be... frustrated with Vi and Skipp, but the truth is, they both are warriors, but they feel that they need to protect those here, like me or Tirael. And also, believe me you are my friend and I don't like it when friends fight. Let's give everyone time to settle down, then we'll re-approach them." she said calmly. She had no idea what could make the situation worse, so she decided to just speak what was on her mind. Brooke looked at Soko hoping that she would listen to what she was saying.

[Tirael]

The sounds coming from within the infirmary faded as Tirael walked toward a small, secret exit nearer than the main one through the three willows. Climbing up a ladder, he pushed open the trapdoor and pulled himself up. Brushing snow off his fur, he made sure the opening was concealed behind a shrub, as usual. He then walked to the nearby pond, which was frozen over. Standing by it, he stared at the layer of ice and proceeded to th-

Stars exploded in the healer's eyes as something hit him in the back of the head. He fell onto the thick ice at the edge of the pond, letting out a loud yelp of surprise and pain as he did. He had come down hard, and it took a few seconds for him to realize what had happened. Instinctively touching the back of his head, he gasped as a sharp pain shot through the surrounding area. He looked up slowly, finding a very nasty-looking stoat smirking at him. "'Hoho, looks like we catchered us a riverdog!" We? Oh no... Tirael looked about and tried to contain his alarm as another four vermin came out from the foliage, menacing him with various sharp implements. Glancing at the hidden entrance, which was only a short distance away, he hoped that some sort of sound had carried into the Camp.

[[There, a new situation. Go. ]]

[Rocky]

OOC: Que the Boxer Rocky them song! Dun dun DUUUUN! Dun DUN Duuuun! XD

BIC:

Springheel Jakk was just having good old fun, swinging from tree to tree and making snow angels. Yes, Springheel does that. He makes several figures in the snow, all the time laughing and grinning like a little baby who just got candy. As he was jumping from tree to tree, he heard a yelp in the direction to his left, and, in mid-air, he turned to look at the direction of the sound. He felt the familiar feeling of his feet hitting the ground as, instead of continuing his hopping, he landing on the snow covered ground softly.

The fox turned his body so it was in the direction fot he sound and started sprinting quickly, hoping he'd arrive in time.

He touched his belt side to make sure he had his knife. ''Good'' He muttered to himself, then picked up his head and continued running.

Trees lay ahead of him and as he ran through them, he was greeted by the sight of a pond frozen over, and four stoats and an otter. Another otter in trouble, Springheel thought... Until he looked closer. Wait... That was a normal otter. That was Tirael. His friend.

Spring let his eyes go wide for just a second as he ran straight for one of the stoats. Of course, they'd see him first, but... He was running and they were standing still. Unless someone pulled out a sword and Spring was stupid enough to run into it, he wouldn't get hurt... much.

He quickly stopped and skidded on ice, slipping and falling back. The gang of vermin laughed and Spring rubbed his head. ''Oooh.. Ow.'' He groaned as he sat back up.

The fox slwoly made it to his feet and he ran over to Tirael, making sure to knock into the stoat with the branch. ''sorry, mate. Didn't see ya.'' He said as the stoat fell. He got squatted and pulled Tirael up, and gave him his knife, ''Just in case.'' He said.

Now was Springheel's time for fun.

He rubbed his hands together, spat on the ground then walked over to the stoat rising up on the ground. ''Now.. Why do you attack an innocent beastie, huh?'' He asked pushing the stoat back down and sticking his foot on the vermins chest so he wouldn't get up, yet.

However, a ferret sprung forward and punched out at Springheel. Springheel ducked and punched back. The ferret dodged sharply, and now kicked the fox. Springheel cursed as the foot connected with his shin, and as he winced, his foot came off the stoat's chest. By Now the stoat stood up and was getting ready to fight. "So.. Now you wanna fight another innocent beastie? I see how this'll go down.'' He said, winking at the ferret.

The verming gang now fully faced Springheel Jakk, and he cracked his knuckles and laughed, ''This all?'' He asked, digging a furrow in the snow with his foot.

Overcome with anger, the stoat kicked out at Springheel, and the fox grabbed his foot, then put his own leg behind the stoat's other one on the ground, then pushed hard and the stoat fell again, hitting his head har on the ground.

Spring spat on him, turned and, with a serious face, asked, ''Who's next?''

[lorki]

Soko stopped abruptly and sharply turned, ready when she heard Brookes voice to face another argument. She was relieved as Brooksong spoke, and she was quite possibly correct in her analysis. "I know... I do think you're right. I'm sorry if I upset you." Polite... not she wouldn't be apologizing for anything she'd said.

Tirael had disappeared down a different path, he was gone and she awkwardly shifted sideways.

_______

Sleet had never seen the ground in this particular location pop up to produce a young otter. She had regularly been bothered during midday by rambunctious bunches, generally just passing though. Scouts from the Fort passed this way regularly, usually they just irresponsibly joked and feigned fighting.

This particular group was very.. loud. She had been hidden away int he branches of the evergreen, polishing, sharpening and caring for her weapons when they had first appeared just minutes before. Currently she was not in the mood to make friends so she stayed out of sight, eavesdropping lazily.

Her eyes only turned to watch when a 'river dog' was mentioned. She had only seconds to recognize the otter from an earlier tussle. A healer... she hadn't been exactly kind to him. Only moments after she assessed the situation a fox appeared, at first she figured him to be joining in on the attack but then she recognized his face as well.

Annoyance bristled her fur as the fox faced off against the group. She slid down to the next branch, the knife she'd been busy with was held carefully between her claws, ready to become airborne. Her other paw helped to shift her weight down so she could see the confrontation better. She wasn't planning on acting, having owed none of the creatures anything and still holding a disdain for the obnoxious fox. But it rubbed her the wrong was to see such a useless fight turn serious.

[Tirael]

"Ain't yew the lucky one, riverdog, you get's to come wid us!" Tirael spat in the stoat's face, earning another good clout on the head, this time from a rat's spear butt. While he struggled to regain his senses, somebeast looped a cord about his paws, binding them tightly in front of him. The stoat then grabbed his tunic, starting to say "Yer gonna get it fer that, yew little-" then cut off as a rather apologetic blur made its way across the ice. As it slowed down and helped the otter up, he realized who it was.

He kept himself from blurting out Springheel's name, figuring that whatever the fox had planned could be ruined if it was known that they knew each other. However, the blade pressed into his paws seemed to be an indication that it didn't matter.

''Just in case.''

Tirael hoped it wouldn't be the case, but as the fox turned his attention to other matters, one of the vermin apparently decided to bring the prisoner in alone. The otter stumbled a bit as he was pulled back, but managed to turn and bring the handle of the knife slamming into his captor's gut. As the ferret doubled over, Tirael hit him hard on the head to knock him out. The ferret grabbed him for support, pulling him down into the snow, forcing Tirael to wriggle free. Having done that, he bit onto the handle of the knife and began sawing through the rope around his paws.