Lost

[lorki]

As the fight progressed Sleetfang felt herself become increasingly livid. Finally after the otter subdued the ferret her patience snapped. The fox could have easily done what she was about to. Foolish dumb woodlanders. She dropped from the tree, black clad figure landed low and rose up behind the fallen ferret and Tirael. Her first action was to pull the knife roughly away from Tirael and toss it aside. "Who gives a Knife to a d**n head-damaged otter." She growled lowly, "you're dumb enough on your own."

She turned to the rest of the vermin crew, glad to see the attention had been drawn to her. She pulled her cloak sideways and produced one her prized possessions. It was a long decorated dagger, fashioned on the handle was a long black tuft. She addressed their apparent leader. "That otter your after is a healer. Nearly useless in terms of importance. You'll get a pat on the back for bringing home a prisoner like that."

Her paw worked at unattached the severed badger tail from her knife. It had been nearly a year since that ones death... thinking back to it made her swell with both anger and pride. She held it out to the stoat with one paw, tucked her knife away with the other and produced a small vial of milky liquid. "Take this, tell them it was your victory. And trust me it would have been a good one." She tossed the vial up and caught it, "this you could keep, its snake venom from a snake across the sea. More deadly than anything you've ever even looked at. It's worth quite a bit, much more than a stupid otter who can mash up herbs."

She gestured back to the injured ferret. "Don't forget your friend. Oh, and if you don't leave..." She shook the vial a bit. "I'll break this with your own fangs and your blood will harden in your veins within seconds. Trust me, I've used it plenty of times." Her fanged smile solidified her point.

[Tirael]

Cutting through ropes with a knife in your mouth is difficult, especially if you've never had to do it before. Tirael was actually starting to get the hang of it when a ferret yanked the knife out of his m-

Wait...

...not a ferret...

...THAT ferret.

He recognized her, though whether it was her face, her voice, or the phrase "Who gives a Knife to a d**n head-damaged otter", he wasn't sure. But in any case, he knew this was the ferret that he had met at the skirmish weeks ago...the one that had killed a mouse. His friend. Given that, it completely confused him when he realized she was bargaining for his freedom; he couldn't understand what her intentions were. Did she want a prisoner for herself? Was she trying to help him? He had no idea.
______________________________

"Don't forget your friend. Oh, and if you don't leave..." She shook the vial a bit. "I'll break this with your own fangs and your blood will harden in your veins within seconds. Trust me, I've used it plenty of times."

The stoat considered this for a second, then nodded slowly. "Alright, ferret, I'll take yer deal." He then nodded at one of his cronies, who hauled Tirael up roughly. "But ya never said we couldn't have the otter, didyer? No, we get to take 'im too."

[lorki]

Sleet smirked and shook her head. "No no, I get the otter. Trust me I know you'd like to act as if everything you put your grubby little paws on belongs to you, but it doesn't. I'll teach you that lesson myself if you stick around much longer." She threatened.

"I am being more then generous in my offer. I promise you if you don't except and leave very soon I will retract it and instead I'll have to go back over the meticulous task of cleaning my swords off again. No one wants that." She dangled the badger tail in front of her, it pained her to give up one of her trophies. it was a morbid collection to say the least, but it was a constant reminder of her avenged family. Enough to settle the guilt of being alive.

Her grin grew larger as she added, "Or, possibly one of your friends would like to be more reasonable, I could give this to them, let them claim victory rather then you. I'm sure someone would be up for it." She knew the competitive nature of hordsebeast. it was easy to get things done, setting them against one another. She only hoped this would end quickly.

[Maxodis]

"Five. Damned. Weeks."

The Weasel trudged resolutely through the dense woodland, following the faint tracks that others might have missed. There was a time when he had been unable to track the elusive ferret, ex-assassin that she was. He'd known her for too long to be unable to at this point. Years of association would do that to a beast. First on the ground, then up a tree, across several branches. "Like a bloody squirrel. I'll KILL 'er." His own tracks were comparatively easy to follow. Particularly when his rageful footfalls displaced much snow and debris, and when he bled slightly through the ragged bandages that hung loosely from his body.

It was really a miracle that the Weasel was still standing, considering the heavy injuries and large amount of lost blood incurred in that battle weeks back. The fact that he had lived through that was only shadowed by the fact that he had been trailing after a particular ferret endlessly in the past 5 weeks with little food and little rest. Most of his wounds had closed up and were in various stages of healing. Many weren't. He didn't care. She had run off and forgotten something. "Absent-minded lil'..."

Completely oblivious to all else, he finally spotted her and limped vengefully up to her. For a solid minute he glowered at her, his body shaking in weakness, fatigue, and chill, belying his rage. It was curious how one could spend a long time composing a rant to go on when they came into contact with the person who inspired it, only to find that those words didn't seem like enough when coming face to face with them. Wordlessly, he snatched the satchel from her shoulder. "Didn't leave me any food, didn't leave me any supplies..." He growled to himself as he sifted through the contents of the satchel. "And most importantly, you didn't.." He withdrew a small glinting ring from the bag and waved it defiantly in her face. "Leave me my damned TOE RING."

He threw her satchel back into her arms in disgust as he snarled. "What the 'ELL were you thinking, leaving me to die like that? Injuries that I had? I wouldn't do that to you!" He hesitated and glanced away briefly. "Well maybe I would." His rageful fire ignited once more. "But damnit, I wouldn't take off while I've still got something of yours! What are ya, some sorta bandit? That's MY job!" He hesitated to catch his breath. He realized belatedly he had stumbled into something significant.

"Oh bloody 'ell."

[Tirael]

Tirael shook off the paw that had pulled him up; being bartered for wasn't something he really enjoyed, though more and more he was hoping that the ferret would win.

If the stoat hadn't fully decided to let go of his 'prized' captive, the thought of losing the gift of poison to another hordebeast made up his mind. Grabbing the otter's shoulder, he shoved him toward Sleet. "Fine then, take the stupid otter. Now give me what ya promised, 'fore we kill yew and yer precious riverdog." He held out his paw, but everybeast around the pond turned to look as a very angry weasel grabbed Sleet's pack and rummaged through it, voicing his various complaints to her as he did. Eventually, he apparently found what he wanted, then threw the bag back at her and finally realized what he had walked into.

This mostly didn't interest Tirael, who backed away slightly behind Sleet. He looked at Springheel questioningly, as if to ask if he should trust this ferret with conflicting motives (or at least they conflicted in his own mind). If past events were any indication, he shouldn't...but what use would she have for him? Whatever it was, he guessed that he was better off with her than with N'tashi's soldiers.

[lorki]

Sleets eyes widened at the approach of her friend. It was true that she had been on her own the past weeks... Redin had needed his time to recover and she was far to restless to sit around with him. She only could observe as he raged and tore through her personal items.The bag bounced off her and hit the ground. She waited, still and quiet for Redin to realize the situation he had walked into. Then she turned and handed the offerings to the Stoat with a smile, "Ignore him, please."

She then turned to grab Tiraels arm, mainly to show the rest of the group that their chances of getting him back were slim. She hoped with this association and the deal finalized they would be on their way. She would wait until then to deal with the Otter and that Fox. Keeping one paw on Tirael she bent down to rummage around in her bag. She produced a hardened bit of what must have been a scone at some point and held it out to Redin. "Well I like to think that you don't need to be taken care of like a dibbun. Here, eat something. Poor defenseless bebe."

The vermin group scattered, now that they were nearly matched in numbers and had struck the right deal. Sleet let them go, waited until her sharp ears could no longer hear their clumsy footfalls. She let go of Tiraels arm and produced a knife. "Stupid Otter." She growled, neatly unbinding his paws in a few slices. She raised her eyes to glare halfheartedly at his face. "Do you have a name I can call you by the next time I have to save your sorry pelt?"

[Rocky]

springheel knocked another vermin out cold as they tried to recover and re-new their attack. Then, he spotted Sleet. That ferret that time back. He'd had a few run-ins with her before. They could become friends, Springheel thought, but he doubted she'd wanna be his friend. Maybe he'd bring it up one time. Just for kicks.

He ignroed the other vermin as Sleet came on the field of the skirmish and started talking to them, and producing a bottle.. of poison. He deliberately ignored her to stand next to his friend, Tir, in case anything was to happen to the bound up otter.

Then, the ferret turned bck around, a weasel behind her, and she spoke to Tir.

Do you have a name I can call you by the next time I have to save your sorry pelt?"

"Saving him? At least I helped him out, sorta. I gave him a weapon. I knocked a few unconscious. You gave them a tail and threatened them. I did the dirty work!'' Springheel ranted, kicking snow at Sleet and pointing to himself everytime he said 'I'. ''Now, I really don't think we need you here, because, uh.. When all the others get here, you won't have a big, great, fun, big, welcome party.''

He patted Tir on the back and moved his position so he was between Tirael and Sleet and the two weasels. He hoped it wouldn't come down to a fight, even though he could probably beat Estlin or Sleet in a fight (Thats Springheel's thought. ) with his speed and tricks, but that wouldn't come in handy against two, because they'd team up and stop him from that and overall just wipe him out, leaving Tir alone, until Skip and Arel, and Soko and all the others came.

He genuinely calmed down, but kept his eye on the two in front of him. He never had a particular liking for ferrets, weasels, stoats, and rats. They were always so cunning, and smart. He eventually spoke up again, his voice was straightforward, no funny business tone,

''Leave.''


OOC: My post wont be as long as I'd like ebcause to cover up on everything that happened between my post and veryone else's would basically make it very long. The quality wont be good, either.. So yea.. Sorry.

[Tirael]

Tirael was beyond confused as the vermin that had seemed so intent on capturing him slunk away with their smaller, yet apparently more valuable prize. He stared questioningly at his negotiator as she cut away the ropes that tied his paws together. Once they were free, he rubbed his wrists and watched uncomfortably as Springheel ranted at Sleet. No matter how hard he tried, it seemed all he could do that day was get everybeast mad at each other. When he tried to fix it, things got worse. When he left, things got worse. It was when his friend the fox told Sleet to leave that Tirael decided to step in.

"Spring, I probably don't know as much about this ferret as you do, but I do know she helped save my life." Stepping back, he looked at his rescuers. "So, thank you. Both of you. I...I don't know what would have happened if you two hadn't arrived." Actually, that wasn't entirely true, but he preferred not to think about being dragged off to the Fort, being tortured, mocked, beaten-

Stop. Stop thinking about it, it's not going to happen.

Placing a paw on Spring's shoulder, he smiled gratefully. Then he turned to his other 'guardian'. "Oh, umm...I'm Tirael." He paused until his curiosity overcame him, then continued. "I don't get it...why'd you save me, you don't even like me..." Or were the insults just her way? He couldn't figure anything out, it seemed. Or do anything right.

[lorki]

"Saving him? At least I helped him out, sorta. I gave him a weapon. I knocked a few unconscious. You gave them a tail and threatened them. I did the dirty work!'' Springheel ranted, kicking snow at Sleet and pointing to himself every time he said 'I'. ''Now, I really don't think we need you here, because, uh.. When all the others get here, you won't have a big, great, fun, big, welcome party.''

Instantly shocked by the foxes initial reaction Sleet was very still for a moment. Her expression changed swiftly as the snow was kicked towards her, legs tensed and fur bristled. Her ears tilted back, for a fleeting moment her expression held a hint of emotion other then anger... hurt, confusion, frustration. It was masked by her constant ally, her ever present shield.

Her face contorted into a snarl and before Springheel could even finished with his speech she snapped, "I don't do dirty work, trust me, when I do something its clean." The reference was to her profession, her paw dangerously held beside her knives, half her mind screamed to just stab him to get rid of the torment his words caused. "You stupid fox, think you can solve everything with a blow to the head. You lose your brains from so many years of misusing them? Talk down to me like that again and I'll-"

The otter had spoken up, that she hadn't expected, it threw her attention off of her attack. She was ready to round on him, a build of insults burst to the forefront of her mind. She was surprised to find the otter stepping in on her behalf, and although she still fumed and teetered dangerously on the edge of taking action he had successfully halted her escalating anger.

"He doesn't know anything about me." She growled, more to herself than to Tirael.

"Oh, umm...I'm Tirael." He paused until his curiosity overcame him, then continued. "I don't get it...why'd you save me, you don't even like me..."

"Because I don't like to listen to brutish idiots filling up their egos by beating on someone else up." The example she labeled on both the group of Vermin who had attacked Tirael and on Springheel who had attacked them. "I like to bring some d**n smarts into the situation every once in awhile." She glowed at the Fox to cement the point that she was taking another jab at his intelligence.

[Maxodis]

Redin Outmir snatched the scone from Sleet's paw and stuffed it in his mouth, more to make his muttered obscenities harder to hear than to sate his hunger. As he ground on the hard morsel, audibly, he took a moment to take a quick assessment of the situation around him. An exchange, one of Sleet's personal poisons for an otter. Redin had known this particular ferret for many years. Buying others out of bondage was something she was not likely to do. There was probably some significance that he was missing. There was also a fox. A loud fox who made his head hurt. Who appeared to act years younger than his age.

Foxes. Despicable creatures. Always either active and more energetic than spring rabbits on aphrodisiacs. Moving, always moving. Always talking. So loud. The Weasel hadn't met a single one without an inflated ego either. They were all so full of themselves, thought themselves to be so cunning, so witty, so delightfully devious. Arrogant scum. No, Redin Outmir had never been fond of foxes, this one was no exception.

He spat out the remainder of the scone, sneering once more at Sleet. "Not so much as a bloody apology from this one. I swear, I'll kill yew in yer sleep. Yew AND," He gestured to the otter. "...Yer new love interest 'ere." He turned away quickly, knowing the ultimate result that comment would bring. This brought him face to face with the errant fox.

"And YEW."

He jabbed Springheel's chest with a bandaged paw. "No. Jes' no. Don't even try. Don't ask wot either, yew know what I'm talking about. Wot kinda name is 'Spring' fer a fox anyway? Yore parents dislike yew or sumthin'? Where do yew get off, tellin' us honest creatures to leave, eh? Who do you think yew are?"

[Rocky]

"Spring, I probably don't know as much about this ferret as you do, but I do know she helped save my life.

Spring nodded turning his head to look at Tirael, saying, "OK. Let's go home, Tir.'' His mind completely shifted, moving from angry to solemn. His main priority was to get his friend out of danger. One wild shot with a fist, or one wild slash from a blade could bring down Tirael, even if it wasn't deliberate. And truth be told, if something did happen to Tirael, Springheel would be very, very, angry and upset.

He was about to walk away, about to leave Sleet with no other words that would continue his rant, when her arsenal of words came to his ears.

You stupid fox, think you can solve everything with a blow to the head. You lose your brains from so many years of misusing them? Talk down to me like that again and I'll-"

He twisted a full 180 to face her, his face, oddly, carrying a smile. ''I don't think I can solve everything with a blow to the head. I can't make him -- '' He said, jerking a thumb at Tirael, '' -- happier by hitting him over the head. I can't make the world a better place if I knock everyone over the head. Well.. Maybe if I hit the ferrets hard enough, I'll wipe 'em out and then, the world will be a better place. And yes, that means you, too, missie.'' He didn't feel like responding to her other words, so he just added a grin.

''I like to bring some d**n smarts into the situation every once in awhile."

"Some smarts? If you want smarts to be brought into the situation, then why are you here?''

Before wanting to continue this any further, and not wanting Tir to be witness to all this, he turned and was about to go off, when the weasel spoke up again. He sighed a long sigh, and turned around again to face Redin.

"And YEW."

''Me...''

"No. Jes' no. Don't even try. Don't ask wot either, yew know what I'm talking about."

"What?''

Wot kinda name is 'Spring' fer a fox anyway? Yore parents dislike yew or sumthin'? Where do yew get off, tellin' us honest creatures to leave, eh? Who do you think yew are?"

The fox's gaze went straight, his eyes cold. Anger was flowing through him, feeling like, at any minute, it may explode. Springheel's face twisted into a demonic growl, his eyes narrowing as he stared into the weasel's eyes.

He let loose a growl, knocked the paw off his chest, snarled, then punched out hard for the weasel's head. (Not the face, the head. Side of the head.) ''I think... I think I'm Springheel Jakk!''

[Tirael]

Tirael looked helplessly back and forth as Sleet, Redin, and Springheel fought. Slowly he took on a sense of despair; was he capable of doing anything that didn't end in conflict or disaster?

Eventually when Spring struck out at Redin, Tirael lost it. "Stop it, just stop it, all of you! Why is everyone out to kill each other today!? I can't take it anymore!" He looked at them all with a mixture of pleading and anger on his face. Sighing, he softened a bit. "Please, just...stop." Guilt began to fall on him again; he couldn't believe this much stress was possible. Then he began to feel embarrassed at having blown up at those who had just saved his life two minutes beforehand. He looked at the ground and bit his lip, wishing everything would just go away.

[lorki]

''I don't think I can solve everything with a blow to the head. I can't make him -- '' He said, jerking a thumb at Tirael, '' -- happier by hitting him over the head. I can't make the world a better place if I knock everyone over the head. Well.. Maybe if I hit the ferrets hard enough, I'll wipe 'em out and then, the world will be a better place. And yes, that means you, too, missie.'' He didn't feel like responding to her other words, so he just added a grin.

Despite the fact that most of what the fox had just babbled passed through her mind without making much since she gathered the last bit and her state of stillness Tirael had caused was very quickly broken into anger again. The reason not being a threat to her, or even her species in general. But beasts that spoke this way were dangerous, like that sea otter who had attacked her for no reason. If it hadn't been her, but someone younger, less prepared... The threat, no matter how empty it was she instantly related to her brother.

She was no the verge of reaction, quite unsure what that reaction would be exactly when the fox suddenly turned away from her to face Redin. Sleet tensed for two reasons, firstly because she knew her friend was not well prepared to fight but surely would stubbornly take on the fox if something began... he might have deserved it after that comment he'd made. Secondly, however, was that if Redin was indeed well enough to kill this fox he was also well enough to slaughter the otter in the process and she didn't doubt his disrespect for her recent sacrifice.

All these thoughts occurred as the two of them exchanged angry words back and fourth, all the while Sleet anxiously watched for movement, all but forgetting the otter. She had acted to prevent a bloody messy fight, this arrogant fox had clearly been looking for one.

"Stop it, just stop it, all of you! Why is everyone out to kill each other today!? I can't take it anymore!"

The Otters outburst would serve as a distraction. She roughly shoved the fox sideways both to throw his punch off course and to get between him and Redin. She held a small dagger like weapon in one paw, if this fox swung at her she'd cut his paw off. She pushed herself towards Redin, blocking him from the fox. She was sure that a loud vulgar fit was about to erupt from Redin, but she'd rather he fight the fox with words then decapitate him in front of the clearly over-emotional otter, right above tunnels full of beasts that would gladly see her and the weasel both killed.

"May I point out," She hissed towards Tirael, "You're wonderful 'friend' here is causing all the problems. Think you could maybe help out and... oh I dunno, see I'm trying to get my crazy one," She pushed a paw against Redin, "why don't you cover you're hideously mindless one?"

[Rocky]

"Stop it, just stop it, all of you! Why is everyone out to kill each other today!? I can't take it anymore!"

Tirael's sudden outburst of anger made Spring stop his punch before it struck the ferret. ''I'm so--'' He couldn't finish, as that annoying ferret slammed into him. He was close to just knocking her clean out right then, possibly killing her and spitting on her corpse if he felt like it. However, the slam spun him around and knocked him down, but before he landed flat, his hand touched the ground and he pushed himself back up. The slam... had an unusual effect on him.

He spun around again, a grin on his face. "That was a good hit." Spring said, nodding his head in approval. ''Very nice.''

He spat on the ground, a bit of blood coming out from where Sleet's shoulder hit his face. He brushed his thumb against his bottom lip and winced very shortly before looking up again at Sleet and Redin. He had no compassion for the ferret, and if Sleet or Tirael wasn't there, the ferret wouldn't be standing.

Then he stared at Sleet's knife, and laughed, ''Im not afraid o' that, by the way.'' He shook his head, and continued, ''Not even a little.''

He walked over to Sleet, merely nodded, didn't even look at the weasel, and walked to Tirael.

''Alright.. Im done, buddy. Let's go back to our friends.''

He brushed Sleet's words off as if brushing dist from clothing. They merely had no effect on them. Not even a tad bit. He's been called worse before. He patted Tir on the back and gave him a little nudge, hoping he'd turn in the other direction and walk back home.

It wasn't long before Springheel apologized to his friend, ''I'm sorry, Tir. I.. I kinda lost control with the ferret and the weasel. I hope you'll forgive me.''

He spun around so he was walking backwards and was facing Tirael, and gave a large grin, ''Cheer up, mate. It's not your fault any of that happened. It was my fault. I lost my anger and now you're upset. Please don't be upset, Tir.''

He wanted to make Tirael laugh, and wanted him to get out of his current state of mind, so, he purposely slipped on ice and fell back. He made it look like an accident, though, so it would hopefully cheer the otter up.

[Maxodis]

Never did Redin wish he hadn't left his polearm back at the quiet abode he casually called his 'home' than now. Due to his injuries, the Weasel hadn't attacked anything in a while. It could go unsaid that he wasn't in the best of moods either. Given more favorable conditions, the offensive fox before him would be bleeding, preferably dismembered, by now. However, it seemed that the fox's bloody death was not meant to occur that day. Armed with only mean language, Redin assaulted the object of his antagonism with everything in his arsenal. He railed at the angered fox from behind Sleet, snarling vehemently as he did so. He briefly thought to shove Sleet aside and tear into Jakk, but he had seen the dagger in her paw. She had stabbed him more than once before 'for his own good', he wasn't keen on getting stabbed when he was still injured.

He was temporarily caught off-guard as he saw Jakk falter, ultimately ending in him being struck by Sleet. Enraged as he was, the Weasel had completely forgotten the existence of Tirael. Such an insignificant creature simply wasn't important, unless he was stupid enough to get in the way of the brutal mauling that was about to take place. Or would, if that damned knife would get out of the way.

His moment of confusion ended as he saw the fox walking away. Immediately he brushed past Sleet roughly, seizing the paw that held the dagger briefly so that it would not be sheathed in his blood. With his free paw he began to unwind the only weapon he was armed with at the time: the heavy length of chain wrapped around his neck. "Oi! Where do you think yer- OI! I'm talkin' to yew, ya putrid scum! Ya sorry excuse fer a- Wot the 'ell do you think yew are anyway? Prancin' about like yer a goodbeast! May'aps yew 'adn't 'eard mate, but yer a fox! Yer every bit the vermin that you proclaim us to be! Every. Bloody. Bit!"

He staggered forward, several more of his wounds had opened from his violent activity and from the pounding of his blood. He was only mildly surprised that his arm shook and was swathed in his blood as he snapped the chain to his side like a whip. This would have to end quick, or he wouldn't last...