Finding Family...((cont. "Blood is..."))

[Tirael]

"As am I. I'm so very sorry you can't remember. It's my fault. It's my fault you can't remember. It's all my fault..."

Still staring at Streamlilly in very apparent confusion, Tirael found himself questioning why it was her fault. He knew he'd been hit in the head with a slingstone; he'd been told that much. But she couldn't have caused that. Could she have? he thought, and with a wash of horror at the possibility, he took an involuntary step back.

"Keep the locket, and this story. If you come to remember then you can do what you wish, but if you never do, then it can be just a story and you can forget all about me and what I tell you, but listen, please."

Tirael hesitantly retracted his paw, closing his fingers around the little golden locket. As his sister began to relate her sad tale, the healer found it odd that she was telling it in such a fairy tale manner. It made the story seem even less real, like a fantasy Streamlilly had carried around for years instead of a painful biography. He wasn't sure which parts of it made him the most uncomfortable; neither the happy childhood he'd apparently had, nor the bloody loss of said childhood, brought him much pleasure now.

"And there I will end this story. After that blow, the innocent little otter died, and was replaced by a monster...and so the story ends."

"What?" he asked incredulously as Streamlilly turned to leave. "No, please don't go yet!" he blurted, one paw shooting out to grab her even though she was out of reach. For whatever reason, he needed her to still be here; until he could think this over, until he could come to terms with what she was saying, Streamlilly couldn't go.

[greek101]

"What?" he asked incredulously as Streamlilly turned to leave. "No, please don't go yet!"

Streamlilly stopped walking to the door and slowly turned around. Tirael was standing there, reaching out like he would have tired to stop her if she was with in paw reach.

He wanted her to stay?

Why?

Why would Tirael want her to say? Streamlilly was a wreck. She was crying. Her barriers and walls have broken down. Her paws were shaky with emotion. Her eyes were a bit blurry due to the tears and her nose was starting to run a bit.

This was the worst she had been in years. Even in the training camp, she never broke down this hard, because she had to get to Tirael, but now that she was with him, it was even worse.

But, Tirael, though he looked confused, truly looked like he wanted her to stay, a little.

"Why?" Streamlilly choked through her tears. "Why should I stay if all I wanted to ever do is never going to be reality? You can see the effect I have on creatures! They are afraid of me! And if not they want to kill me!"

"I'm a monster...." Streamlilly whispered as more tears streaked from her eyes and began to catch on her whiskers...

[Tirael]

"Why?" Streamlilly choked through her tears. "Why should I stay if all I wanted to ever do is never going to be reality? You can see the effect I have on creatures! They are afraid of me! And if not they want to kill me!"

It was hard to respond to something like that. The problem was, she wasn't entirely wrong: Tirael hadn't exactly seen those he knew roll out the welcome wagon for Streamlilly, though they weren't nearly as abhorrent of her as they were of Sleet or Redin. And he couldn't help what was going on right now; she wanted a brother who would be waiting to welcome her back with open arms, not one with a messed-up memory who could only gape and stutter. Nonetheless, he searched desperately for something to say as she whispered in misery.

"I'm a monster...."

"Stop saying that," he said firmly. If she kept condemning herself, they were going to get nowhere. "Look. I don't know much about you, and you barely know more about me, but...a monster wouldn't come looking for me." Offering her a faint smile that hinted at gratitude, he added, "Not for the reason you did. Monsters don't love."

Sighing, he turned and walked a few paces away. "And it's not your fault I can't remember, either. One of N'tashi's soldiers got me in the head with a slingstone that day. It's not anybeast's fault but his, and he's probably dead now anyways." Tirael had often thought about who might have delivered that life-changing blow; during his time as a slave, he'd looked at each vermin soldier and wondered if they were the one. But it didn't matter anymore, really.

"I always wanted to know what I'd forgotten. But, I was adopted, and...twelve years is a long time." An apologetic expression formed on his face. "Give me just a little more time. I need to think about this, and I don't want you to leave until I can.

"Please."

[greek101]

"Stop saying that,"

The firmness in Tirael's voice, made Streamlilly pause. Looking him in the eye, she let the paw that was wiping her tears, fall to her side.

"Look. I don't know much about you, and you barely know more about me, but...a monster wouldn't come looking for me." Offering her a faint smile that hinted at gratitude, he added,"Not for the reason you did. Monsters don't love."

A small smile could be seen on Streamlilly's face. "Thank you, Tirael..." She said as she blinked away her tears. "I haven't had someone talk like that to me in...well 12 years.."

Sighing, he turned and walked a few paces away. "And it's not your fault I can't remember, either. One of N'tashi's soldiers got me in the head with a slingstone that day. It's not anybeast's fault but his, and he's probably dead now anyways."

Streamlilly balled her fist instinctively, as she thought about the many different ways she was taught to wring a creature's neck. Oh how she would like to have a few choice words with this soldier, but slowly, Streamlilly let her paw drop to her side. No, Tirael said he was probably dead, and even if he was alive, killing him wouldn't bring Tirael's memory back.

"I always wanted to know what I'd forgotten. But, I was adopted, and...twelve years is a long time." An apologetic expression formed on his face. "Give me just a little more time. I need to think about this, and I don't want you to leave until I can.

"Please."

Nodding, Streamlilly took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "If you wish me to stay, then I will." If Tirael wanted her to stay, then she would. Even if she wasn't very well liked. Maybe if there was a way for her to not seem so scary...

"But if I'm going to stay...Uh..Well...This is strange to ask but,...is there a way for me to act or something for me to do that would make the creatures here less..afraid of me?"

[Maxodis]

"The infirmary, Tirael would probably shudder and die if someone made 'im leave that place for more than five damn minutes. What a life."

The weasel chuckled at that, having gleaned the same impression of the healer. Still, both otters being in the infirmary might create a bit of an annoyance. Tirael was of no concern to either of them; the most they expected the otter to do would be to flutter about in agitation well outside their reach. The problem, then, arose from the environment. Creatures tended to act dramatically different when they were in a place they felt comfortable. They were even more unpredictable when that comfortable zone was threatened. That fact atop not knowing if Rajani was truly Tirael's sister, or how either would react if the other was threatened...

Not that Redin believed either otter to be a threat to Sleet or himself, driven to desperate measures or otherwise. It was just that there were too many unknowns in this situation for the weasel to be comfortable. Unfortunately for the supposed siblings, an uncomfortable Redin was a Redin who was quick to spontaneous violence. He glanced briefly at Sleet while these thoughts ran privately through his head and wondered if she was aware of the same things he was.

Redin and Sleet had faced and overcome far greater obstacles than a pair of otters. In the end they would get their way.

"Right... come on, ge' up."

The weasel glanced down at his footpaws to assure himself that he was standing and that they were still doing a proper job of supporting his muscular frame. Sure enough, they were still there, keeping him standing tall. Redin shot an incredulous look at Sleet, gesturing at his legs. "Git up? I've been up! Nice t'know yer payin' good attention t'me. Makes me feel special." But of course, Sleet was not listening to him as she walked out of their room. He shook his head, following behind her.

Towering behind her in the doorway that he made look small, he folded his arms imperiously. His eyes followed the direction of her smirk as she looked down the hall. "Lead th' way, I sure as 'ell doan' remember."

[Tirael]

"If you wish me to stay, then I will."

Tirael smiled, visibly relieved. He still didn't fully buy into Streamlilly's story--it was quite a lot to stomach--but whether or not he would decide that she was telling the truth, it didn't feel right to just let her leave. Not like that; he didn't want to see her go off alone, crying her heart out over something no one else seemed to understand. And despite how crazy and unlikely this felt, he didn't think she was acting.

But then again, he was a rather poor judge of...well, anything social.

"But if I'm going to stay...Uh..Well...This is strange to ask but,...is there a way for me to act or something for me to do that would make the creatures here less..afraid of me?"

Sympathy creased Tirael's brow. He'd forgotten how lukewarm her reception had been. She'd barely been treated better than his other 'guests,' though at least she wasn't subject to quite as much caustic gossip; most creatures just commented on how strange she seemed, and for that reason chose to avoid her. Few were actively afraid, or at least, that was how it seemed to the healer. Nonetheless, her image could definitely be improved.

"Umm.." he murmured, trying to think of how Soko had upgraded herself from suspected spy to relatively accepted member of the group. But had she actually done anything? Even being chosen to wield Martin's sword had taken a while to really affect how others saw her. "Honestly, I think time's the only cure. They'll warm up to you eventually, they're just...paranoid. I think it's all the time they've spent at war."

[lorki]

"Lead th' way, I sure as 'ell doan' remember."

"O'course you don't. How d'you even manage t'survive?" Sleet mumbled a few more unsavory things about Redin's sense of direction as she started off down the hallway. It wasn't particularly far from their little room to the infirmary, Sleet assumed there was some sort of strategy around placing them near Tirael, he was one of the very few beasts they communicated with really.

As she rounded the final corner towards the infirmary, Sleet's ears swiveled forward to catch the exchange of words. She'd been correct, the female otter was indeed with Tirael, wallowing in self pity about how the redwallers didn't like her. Perhaps they were related.

"Honestly, I think time's the only cure. They'll warm up to you eventually, they're just...paranoid. I think it's all the time they've spent at war."

"Or all that time hidin' from reality, pretending they live perfect lives underground or behind giant walls. Ignorance has this awful tendency to turn into fear," She leaned against the doorway to the Infirmary, appraising the situation inside with a dull expression. Her eyes shifted to focus on the female otter, "I've gotta talk t'you."

[greek101]

"Umm.."

Streamlilly waited patiently as Tirael thought about her question. Streamlilly was used to being the outcast, she always was during her training, but here at Redwall is was a different type of outcast.

This one hurt.

Streamlilly didn't want to be part of the assassins' group, but she had the hope that the Redwallers would take her in, see who she really was. She wanted to be accepted. But, everyone shied away. Almost nobeast talked to her, many creature done right avoided her, others gave her dirty looks, and still some wouldn't even look her in the eye at all.

The Redwallers were supposed to be beast of peace, creatures that were kind and welcoming. Streamlilly didn't feel that way. She felt alone in a place that one should never be alone.

"Honestly, I think time's the only cure. They'll warm up to you eventually, they're just...paranoid. I think it's all the time they've spent at war."

War, yes Streamlilly had heard bits and peaces about this war. Whispers, stories -both true and not-, and rumors from a multitude of creatures -some at Redwall, some not-. War does change creatures.

But, wasn't there a saying, 'time heals all wounds'? Streamlilly doubted that was true. Time could heal some wounds, but some wounds are forever, they will never change. They will always fester with pain until you give your final breath.

"Or all that time hidin' from reality, pretending they live perfect lives underground or behind giant walls. Ignorance has this awful tendency to turn into fear,"

Upon suddenly hearing a new voice behind her, Streamlilly instinctively spun around quickly, her body tensed and ready to fight, and her paws at her belt to grab her knives...which weren't there.

She didn't have her weapons any more, she gave them up! Because you don't fight in Redwall! Streamlilly berated herself in her mind.

The silver ferret from before stood at the door,unarmed, leaning casually upon it, with a dull expression upon her face. She was the one who had been there when Streamilly had entered Redwall and had given Streamlilly a very odd, dark look. She one of the few, who Streamlilly had actually been trying to avoid.

"I've gotta talk t'you."

Streamlilly sighed, and relaxed her body, dropping her paws to her sides. Stupid new instincts! There was no fighting in Redwall, and if she wanted to become accepted she would have to cool it down. Plus, starting a fight infront of the beast you are trying to convince is your brother, would not be the best idea.

"Well," Streamlilly tried to keep her voice calm and level. "What do you wish to talk about?"

[Maxodis]

"Well, what do you wish to talk about?"

"We," Redin interjected, appearing in the doorway from behind Sleetfang "Needta discuss who yew are, where ye came from, who's after yer skin, an' wot that means fer all o' us." He strode slowly into the room as he talked, with no consideration for Sleet's partial obstruction of the doorway that was barely broad enough for his muscled shoulder to begin with. Uncaring that the 'gentle' bump that he'd given Sleet as a result had sent her stumbling, he set his amber eyes on Rajani. Not two steps into the infirmary, they flicked to the healer, as if just discovering his existence. Redin hesitated for a moment before his eyes went once more to the darker of the two otters.

"I ain't sure wot yew two were discussin', but I think I got's an idea. If'n I'm right, then yew might not wanna 'ear this next part, 'ealer. This is yer one chance to clear out, 'cos if yew choose t'stay Sleet o'er there," He gestured the dethroned ferret with a tilt of his head "Is gonna bar th' door 'till we're done."

((Short but they can't all be essays))

[Tirael]

"Or all that time hidin' from reality, pretending they live perfect lives underground or behind giant walls. Ignorance has this awful tendency to turn into fear."

Tirael wearily shifted his gaze to Sleet. Her newfound penchant for cynical speechmaking had well overstayed its welcome, as had the ferret herself; everybeast seemed as tired of her being there as she was, if not more so. And yet, there she still was, sticking around to insult anything that moved, and in his case, no longer in a manner that hinted at any sort of hidden caring. If he hadn't simply gotten irritated by it, he would find it particularly depressing. Despite everything, he'd wanted them to be friends--and still did, though he'd never admit it.

He didn't pay close attention to what else was going on in the conversation, though he got the general gist that they needed to talk to Streamlilly. Probably just satisfying their curiosity; they'd seemed rather suspicious of her when she'd arrived. It was irksome, though, that they'd chosen to interrupt when he'd been making real progress.

"I ain't sure wot yew two were discussin', but I think I got's an idea. If'n I'm right, then yew might not wanna 'ear this next part, 'ealer. This is yer one chance to clear out, 'cos if yew choose t'stay Sleet o'er there," He gestured the dethroned ferret with a tilt of his head "Is gonna bar th' door 'till we're done."

His attention caught by the direct address, Tirael shifted his gaze to Redin. He didn't like feeling like he was being evicted from his own infirmary, but nor was he inclined to hear whatever they were about to discuss. Looking to Streamlilly, he gave her a questioning look. Whatever she preferred, he would do.

[greek101]

"We," Redin interjected, appearing in the doorway from behind Sleetfang "Needta discuss who yew are, where ye came from, who's after yer skin, an' wot that means fer all o' us."

Streamlilly's eyes dilated and her body tensed up as the crimson weasel appeared suddenly behind the silver ferret. Pushing past the ferret, the large bulky weasel continued to stride into the room his amber eyes locked on hers.

Why did he want to know about her? She hadn't done anything to him, not that she could recall anyways. And Streamlilly was sure that she would remember ever coming into contact with him.

Ears twitching slightly, Streamlilly thought quickly about what this rather frighting creature would want with her.

Oh wait...You were an assassin lunkhead! Streamlilly berated herself sarcastically, her body still tense, as he continued to walked closer to her. That's what he wanted. He wanted what Streamlilly wanted to forget.

The large weasel's eyes flashed to Tirael and then back to Streamlilly.

"I ain't sure wot yew two were discussin', but I think I got's an idea. If'n I'm right, then yew might not wanna 'ear this next part, 'ealer. This is yer one chance to clear out, 'cos if yew choose t'stay Sleet o'er there," He gestured the dethroned ferret with a tilt of his head "Is gonna bar th' door 'till we're done."

Bar the door....Streamlilly blinked. Her dark hooded blue eyes still locked on the amber ones of the weasel. He was blocking the exit. What was he going to do? Torture? Streamlilly had already been through that. There wasn't much he could do that she hadn't already experienced.

Glancing over at Tirael, Streamlilly saw his questioning look. Did she want him listening to this? She had just told him crucial information, did she want him listening to her other life?

Looking back into the eyes of the weasel, Streamlilly kept her tone calm, even if she was afraid of his anger and strength, having been on the receiving end once before. "I will tell you what you want to know about me and I will not lie to you. I have no reason to frankly. And....Tirael may stay. He may want to know of what you will ask. I personally would never want him to hear any of this, but I know that he must know the truth eventually..."

[Lucasaurusrex]

Leaf Eye knew something was wrong when the two vermin entered. Even though he had seen them in the Abbey before, he would not trust them. Then when one said something about barring a door, he dfinitly knew something was very wrong. Leaf Eye tensed, and slowly moved his hand behind his back, and under his soft cloak to where he had concieled his bow. They had obviously taken his quiver, but his backup bow had been safely hidden inbetween the two cloths sowed together to form his shirt. He had ripped the small hole in them several years ago. He wouldn't have any arrows... But there was a candle, not lit for it was a bright day, but he would have to slide out the wax part which would be hard to do with all the creatures about without one noticing.

Leaf Eye slowly rolled over, so it looked like he was just moving in his sleep. He let out a snore incase anyone was doubting him. He then slowly extended his arms, covered in blankets, till he had grabbed the candle and yanked it under the blanket. He then kept turning the candle's holder, until eventually the waxcame out. He out it back under the blanket part covering the tabletop, and sharpened it on the bed frame, doing it as quietly as possible. An occasional scratching sound could be heard, but could be excused for the bedframe. Leaf Eye was safe as far as he knew right now...

[Maxodis]

Having spent the better part of his life devoted to the pursuit of sowing fear, the signs of the female otter's duress were all too obvious to Redin. Clearly she feared him. Good. She had great cause to. Fear had always proven to be a wonderfully versatile tool. Manipulated right, fear had proven to be a reliable key to unlocking almost any given reaction out of a creature. At the same time, the weasel was well aware that the way fear worked varied dramatically by the individual. There was no solid guarantee that this assassin-otter would be fearful enough to cooperate quietly. It was just as likely that she would bolt, or attempt to fight back. She had all the presence of a strong-willed creature, one who could be entirely unpredictable.

But still, all his speculations were based upon face-value. No sense of getting ahead of himself before she'd even had the chance to speak.

“I will tell you what you want to know about me and I will not lie to you. I have no reason to, frankly. And... Tirael may stay. He may want to know of what you will ask. I personally would never want him to hear any of this, but I know that he must know the truth eventually...”

There it was. He was right in his assumption of her nature. Though fearful, she was no coward either. She clearly understood that compliance was her best option, proof that she was at least capable of thinking logically. From what little he'd gathered, Redin felt assured that she would work with them, though perhaps not for her own safety. He glanced at the healer from the corner of his eye. Perhaps her decision to submit willingly was more in the interest of keeping her supposed brother from harm.

Regardless of why she had said what she had, there was no reason for this to be a calm and civilized exchange. The only remaining obstacle was the matter of keeping Sleet silent. As the thought occurred to him he realized he could almost feel a pair of dagger-points drilling into his back. He turned to her, and sure enough, she was favoring him with one of her special venomous glares. She had already taken the liberty of barring the door, with an old wooden chair wedged up against the door handle at a sharp angle, harshly enough that a fine crack could be seen running down the back of the chair. As he observed her bristling fur with mild amusement, the thought occurred to him that she was upset. Oh well. Maybe it would keep her mouth shut.

He turned back to the pair of otters, folding his muscular arms across his bare chest once more as he towered over them. “I'll be brief,” He growled, his amber eyes locking onto the female. “We know yer an 'ssassin. We know yer name's Rajani Nisha, we knew where y'came from, we know who yer runnin' from, an' 'ow bad they want ye.” His grim countenance split into a sinister grin. “We know all o' this 'cause th' one y'pissed off 'ired us t'kill yew. 'pparently they couldn't git th' job done themselves, somethin' 'bout yew being some sort o' prodigy. They couldn't catch ye, and ye can't be runnin' 'round with tattoos like tha' on yer own. So in wots prob'bly an unprecedented move, yer ex-boss 'ired someone from outside o' yer organization t'finish wot they started.

“Was s'pposed t'be quick 'n quiet.” He continued, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. “Ain't no-one was s'pposed t'know tha' yer organization needed 'elp killin' one o' their own. We were s'pposed t'find ye, gut ye, an' bring back proof. I voted t'bring 'im yer 'ead, but Sleet wouldn't 'ear o' it. She wanted to settle fer a paw.” He waved off his tangent dismissively. “But regardless, that's 'ow it was s'pposed t'be. We even got paid a hefty chunk in advance to keep quiet 'bout it.

“Didn't turn out tha' way. Turns out yer the fastest damn otter alive.” He snorted harshly, his grin turning rueful. “We c'n run fer at least 3 days 'n nights, the two o' us, and 'ell, y'still managed t'keep just a'ead o' us. 'Course, we kept runnin' into trouble 'long the way, wot with N'Tashi's lot an' the mess tha' went down last year when we were lookin' fer yew. Needless t'say, yew got away.”

He paused to take a deep breath and release it before continuing, his displeased brow growing into a darker scowl. “Wot y'don't know is tha' 'cause yew got away, we're now in trouble too. Turns out, yer ex-boss ain't too patient. He didn't like that yew were still alive and we were still out, potentially speakin' ill 'bout 'is lil' group o' 'ssassins, tarnishin' their reputation or somethin'. So 'e broke our contract... and sent a fair number o' yer former comrades after us.

Normally, that ain't a problem,” he continued with a mild sigh, “Ain't like we ain't never been 'unted before. Bounty 'unters, 'ssassins, yew name it, they've been after us. All of 'em failed. But this lot? All them creatures with all o' this mess on 'em,” He gestured to the distinct tattoos running through Rajani's fur, “They ain't like any o' the rest. Near as I c'n tell, Sleet ran into jes' one. One creature. Took one lil' cut from 'im 'fore she ended 'is life.” He paused, averting his eyes for a second. “An' tha' one creature managed t'poison 'er. Yew couldn't possibly know jes' 'ow impossible tha' is t'believe. I didn't believe it m'self until I saw fer my own eyes. Clearly th' poison didn't kill 'er, but th' fact that it affected 'er at all is disturbin'. Myself?” He couldn't resist chuckling darkly for a moment in rememberance. “They caught me while I was 'ealin' from another battle. Eight o' em. They shouldn't 'ave been able t'find me in th' first place, but find me they did. Not one 'o 'em lived th' encounter.” His prized and sole weapon had not survived that encounter either, after years of reliable slaughter, his polearm had been shattered. What little of it that was left was locked up somewhere within the abbey, but that was another matter altogether.

“My point, lil' otters, is tha' as things stand, none o' us are safe. They've proven tha' they can an' will find us, an' tha' they can and will come very close t'killin' us. Wot we need, is t'know more 'bout wot we're facin'. Forewarned is forearmed. And yew,” he gestured towards Rajani, “are gonna tell-all.”

[greek101]

Streamlilly stood firmly still as the tall weasel stood in front of her. His cold, amber eyes locked on her hooded blue ones. His faded and scarred crimson fur, bulky frame, and intimidating features told Streamlilly that this weasel was a fighter. Not that she didn't already know that after he grabbed her the day she arrived. He was a strong and formidable opponent. The one thing that Streamlilly was not sure about was if he was willing to hurt Tirael to get at her, or if he preferred to hurt her instead.

Streamlilly was not going to let him hurt Tirael. No matter what he did to her. Streamlilly knew that she could handle whatever he dished out, and if she didn't, then she didn't.

Thankfully, however, that didn't seem to be his current plan.

Instead, the weasel turned around and was watching the silver ferret as she barred the door with a wooden chair. By watching her jam the door, one could see she was absolutely furious.

This is not going to end well...Streamlilly thought to herself as the crimson weasel turned back to her and crossed his thick arms crossed over his chest.

“I'll be brief,” He growled, his amber eyes locking onto the female. “We know yer an 'ssassin. We know yer name's Rajani Nisha, we knew where y'came from, we know who yer runnin' from, an' 'ow bad they want ye.”

Streamlilly's eyebrows narrowed her eyes still locked on the weasel's, but she kept her mouth shut and let the weasel say his piece. Oh how she wanted to correct him, but she could wait. She could wait.

“We know all o' this 'cause th' one y'pissed off 'ired us t'kill yew. 'pparently they couldn't git th' job done themselves, somethin' 'bout yew being some sort o' prodigy. They couldn't catch ye, and ye can't be runnin' 'round with tattoos like tha' on yer own. So in wots prob'bly an unprecedented move, yer ex-boss 'ired someone from outside o' yer organization t'finish wot they started."

Of course.'He couldn't let her be running around.' Streamlilly knew the real reason why her 'boss' wanted her back. She stained his pride. She made him break a deal. He just wanted her dead because he was a sissy.

“Was s'pposed t'be quick 'n quiet.” He continued, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. “Ain't no-one was s'pposed t'know tha' yer organization needed 'elp killin' one o' their own. We were s'pposed t'find ye, gut ye, an' bring back proof. I voted t'bring 'im yer 'ead, but Sleet wouldn't 'ear o' it. She wanted to settle fer a paw.” He waved off his tangent dismissively. “But regardless, that's 'ow it was s'pposed t'be. We even got paid a hefty chunk in advance to keep quiet 'bout it."

“Didn't turn out tha' way. Turns out yer the fastest damn otter alive.” He snorted harshly, his grin turning rueful. “We c'n run fer at least 3 days 'n nights, the two o' us, and 'ell, y'still managed t'keep just a'ead o' us. 'Course, we kept runnin' into trouble 'long the way, wot with N'Tashi's lot an' the mess tha' went down last year when we were lookin' fer yew. Needless t'say, yew got away.”

Streamlilly smirked a bit. Fast? Yes, she was fast. She had to be. The only way to live, the only way to reach Tirael was to be fast. Practically all of the training she endured as to make her faster. Speed meant life. If she didn't have speed, she had no life.

He paused to take a deep breath and release it before continuing, his displeased brow growing into a darker scowl. “Wot y'don't know is tha' 'cause yew got away, we're now in trouble too. Turns out, yer ex-boss ain't too patient. He didn't like that yew were still alive and we were still out, potentially speakin' ill 'bout 'is lil' group o' 'ssassins, tarnishin' their reputation or somethin'. So 'e broke our contract... and sent a fair number o' yer former comrades after us."

Blinking slowly, Streamlilly kept a calm stare. Her 'boss' was never a patient fox. Did he break the contract because he was afraid of a ruined reputation? Possibly. Or because he was afraid that Streamlilly was preparing to kill him? A very probable solution. Either way, if he he broke the contract and sent assassins after them, then they had a big problem.......

"Normally, that ain't a problem,” he continued with a mild sigh, “Ain't like we ain't never been 'unted before. Bounty 'unters, 'ssassins, yew name it, they've been after us. All of 'em failed. But this lot? All them creatures with all o' this mess on 'em,” He gestured to the distinct tattoos running through Rajani's fur, “They ain't like any o' the rest. Near as I c'n tell, Sleet ran into jes' one. One creature. Took one lil' cut from 'im 'fore she ended 'is life.”

He paused, averting his eyes for a second. “An' tha' one creature managed t'poison 'er. Yew couldn't possibly know jes' 'ow impossible tha' is t'believe. I didn't believe it m'self until I saw fer my own eyes. Clearly th' poison didn't kill 'er, but th' fact that it affected 'er at all is disturbin'. Myself?” He couldn't resist chuckling darkly for a moment in rememberance. “They caught me while I was 'ealin' from another battle. Eight o' em. They shouldn't 'ave been able t'find me in th' first place, but find me they did. Not one 'o 'em lived th' encounter.”

Streamlilly let her eyes break their lock from the weasel's for just a moment, to look at the silver ferret 'Sleet', but she quickly brought them back. Poison? From this bunch? Sleet could be in more trouble then she knew. If Sleet remembered who the assassin was, Streamlilly maybe able to help, but there was a higher probability that she couldn't.

“My point, lil' otters, is tha' as things stand, none o' us are safe. They've proven tha' they can an' will find us, an' tha' they can and will come very close t'killin' us. Wot we need, is t'know more 'bout wot we're facin'. Forewarned is forearmed. And yew,” he gestured towards Rajani, “are gonna tell-all.”

Streamlilly closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

This was going to get rough.

"First of all," Streamlilly replied as she opened her eyes. "My name is not Rajani Nisha. It is Streamlilly. That is the name I will respond to, for that is the one I was given.

"Now, as you probably know, having fought them, this particular group of assassins depends on Speed and Quick Expectant Thought. When these two things are mastered, then everything else becomes instinct to them.

"Speed is self explanatory. If they are quick, then they are quick to adapt to any situation. That is what they are taught. Speed is ingrained into their brains. Strength is not necessary if they have Speed. For then they can use their opponent's strength to their advantage. Also if they are quick, they will be silent. They train hard to be accurate and precise because that will increase thier speed." Streamlilly remained solemn as she talked, forcing herself through. She had wanted to never talk about these things again, but if Tirael may be in trouble, she would do what is necessary.

"Quick Expectant Thought is not as complicated as one might think. They simply learn to think one step ahead. If they always think one step ahead, then they will be prepared for any situation." Streamlilly gestured to Sleet. "The assassin who attacked you was using this method. He was most likely told that you were a high profile target and came prepared with his weapon poisoned with his own poison. Each assassin has their own individual concoction of poison and only they know how to make the antidote. I do know some of their antidotes, if you gave me a description of your attacker I may be able to help you, if you wish.

"This method is also the reason why eight assassins were sent to fight you, sir." Streamlilly returned her attention to the crimson weasel. "Although I am surprised at only eight. Normally if groups are forced to work together on a mission, then they travel in threes. So at least one may come back. I would have expected nine."

"These assassins not only use expectant though on long term, but in quick bouts as well. Say if you were to fight me bare pawed," Streamlilly gestured to the weasel's broad shoulders. "I would watch your shoulders and your footpaws. Depending on the muscle twitching I notice, depends on which direction I would anticipate your blow coming from and would be prepared to dodge and retaliate. They use the same method of thinking."

Streamlilly sighed. "Now, if you did kill only eight assassins then I would say there was one that did not fight you, but watch to see the result. And if that assassin is still alive then by now the rest have been warned an they will eventually come with a second team. However, this team will be different. They will use what they learned did not work and will try a different method.They learned that you are a formidable opponent paw-to-paw, they won't dare try it again. My guess, they will use more poison, faster assassins, and more long distance targeting."

"Anything else?" Streamlilly questioned, her blue eyes once again locked with the crimson weasel's amber ones. Inwardly, she hoped it was enough. She didn't want to tell much more of her training then she had to. Not only was it hard memories that she tried to block, but she didn't want Trael to know any more than he wanted to, or what she thought he needed to know.

[Lucasaurusrex]

When Leaf Eye realised that the vermin wasn't here to kill her, but to ask her their enemies plans, he breathed a sigh of relief. He sat up throwing off the blanket, and stated, "I'll 'elp ye. I'm good with a bow an' arrows. If you tell me where they are, I'll shoot 'em for ye. As a favor for rescuin' me. Though on'y if healer says I'm ready, though I'd prefer to just leave now." He pulled out his bow with the sharpened wax, and sat it on his lap, listening intently for their response. He kept it pointed at the vermin nonchalantly on his lap, in case anything started.