The Great Hall was dimly lit, the only light coming from torches on the walls. Canvas has been stretched across the stained glass windows as protection in case the wind grew so strong that the windows would break. As unlikely as it seemed to most creatures of Redwall, it was one of many precautions against the devastating winds of The Eternal Storm, as it had come to be known.
The Great Hall was occupied by a total of 5 creatures; The elderly Abbot Denemander, the gatekeeper Lythian Flute, and the three denizens of Redwall who had volunteered to attempt to end the storm. Standing in front of Denemander and Lythian, Reinhardt Morrison, Bolston Rudderpaw, and Taymoor Havvar stood attentively as the Abbot wished them luck.
"In the gatehouse Lythian has three satchels, with supplies. Lythian will open the gate, and the three of you will leave." Denemander limped over to Taymoor and handed her a scroll.
"Taymoor, you are the only creature here who truly has experience outside of the Abbey, not being originally from here. I am giving you the letter that details what the artifact looks like, and where it may be. I'm also putting you in charge of protecting Bolston and Reinhardt. I wish you the best of luck on your journey, for both your sake and the Abbey's."
Taymoor nodded, her usual carefree nature replaced by an air of seriousness. She looked over the parchment for the hundredth time that day. She had been mulling over maps and books all morning hoping to find some clarity to the meaning of the scrawlings on the parchment but it was still just as vague as before. However she was able to determine it's general location and that was a start.
"Thank you Father Abbot, I'll do my best to bring them both back safely with the artifact in paw," She said and tucked the parchment into her tunic to keep it safe from the weather.
"'Do my best to bring them both back safely'?" Bolstan Rudderpaw winked at Abbot Denemander. "Ha harr, she's a good joker, Taymoor is. Likes t' think she's going to need t' save us all from some wisp o' wind. Just give ol' Bolstan a bag o' hotroot pepper and he'll carry the other two all the way to the . . ." The otter suddenly realized he had no idea what direction they would be going, and he hopped to Taymoor's side to look over her shoulder.
"Where are we going, by the way, matey? I've know o' why we're going, but I don't know where."
The young otter smiled foolishly on the outside, but on the inside, he was shaking with nervousness and apprehension. He hadn't been out of the abbey for seasons, and never on his own. Not that he would be alone, of course, but he wished his father could have come.
Taymoor chuckled flatly "It's not the wind I'm worried about, Bowls. it's them vermin who've been held up in this storm for the past few seasons, getting hungrier and more violent with every passing day, A desperate creature is a dangerous one. But if we keep our eyes pealed and keep out of their way we should be fine. As for where we are headed. The artifact is said to have been lost by the old quarry," She said and scratched Bowls affectionately behind the ears as she handed him the parchment, "Feel free to try and make some sense out of this if you want,"
OOC: I hope that is ok with you guys, If Han didn't already have something in mind I was thinking that maybe it was in the old tunnels of asmodeus. The other idea I had was Brock hall and giant spiders have taken up their abode inside but that just seemed to weird XD XP. Anyway if you don't like it I can change it I just wanted to put something in there to keep the flow of the post.
"Though, the winds might jus' be able to blow an Otter away." Said Reinhardt seriously, though he laughed a moment later.
"The quarry, eh? Sounds like a plan. Do either of you know the way? I've only left the Abbey a few times." Reinhardt peered over Bolstan's shoulder, studying the letter.
"It is a good trek north of hear across the river... oh fiddle sticks," She said and snapped her fingers, "The rivers probably flooded, that is going to be a problem," Taymoor said and stroked her chin as she contemplated a solution, "Oh well, I suppose we will just have to cross that bridge when we come to it... or lack of bridge anyway,"
Bowls (as Bolstan was commonly called), shoved the map into Reinhardt's paws and turned a cartwheel toward the door.
"Well, no reason fer long goodbyes, mateys! Let's stop runnin' our jaws down t' the bone and get outta here! I might not want to go in the storm, but I want to get out o' here even more, harr!"
He blundered into a mole who was trundling by in his slow, steady pace, and they both fell in a heap. "Oh, er, sorry, mate," Bolstan apologized. "Didn't see you there. Are you hurt?"
The mole rubbed his head and stood up. "Hurr, maister Bolzten, Oi'm bain't hurt none. Tho Oi hope you'm be less clumsy when you'm be oot in 'ee storm, bo hurr!" He walked off waving his heavy digging claws. "'Urry oop and get 'ee thingy; Oi bain't fond of this a-stormen, hurr no!"
"No worries Brother mole, we'll be back in a jiffy," Taymoor said and patted him on the head before she followed after Bowls. "I pray you won't be doing any cartwheels out there," She said.
Making a noise of irritation at Bowl's antics, Reinhardt followed, the letter in paw. Like Taymoor, he apologized to the mole. Arriving at the gate, Reinhardt stopped and waited as Lythian briskly walked to the gatehouse.
Wrapping his cloak about his shoulders as they approached the door, Bowls winked broadly at Taymoor. "No promises, matey. I might find my rudder wantin' t'be my 'ead sometime!"
He stepped out into the howling wind that affected even the lawns of the abbey, and followed after the ever-serious Reinhardt, berating him for it. "Lighten up, ye grumpy toad! It were just a bit o' acrobatics to start the journey."
"I won't go after ya when ya acrobat yourself right of a cliff." Called Reinhardt after the Otter, though his voice was somewhat lost in the winds. As the gate opened, Reinhardt hustled through, steadying himself against the winds. The winds buffeted his body, nearly ripping the letter from his paws. He stuffed it into his bag, before leaning against the wall as he waited for Bolston and Taymoor.
Bolstan was waving goodbye to some friends who stood at the abbey's open doors, and he was about to follow Reinhardt when an older otter came running up to him, quite out of breath.
"Bolstan! Wait!" After a moment to catch his breath, the otter stood up straight and presented a long wood and metal item to Bowls, who took it with wonder. "This is for you, son," said his father. "I had it made fer you f' your journey. No more use for a completely wooden javelin, matey; this one is special." He smiled through a tear of sadness that fell from his eye. "Make me proud to be a Ruddepaw, son."
Bowls looked at the javelin he held in his paws. It was double tipped, like all otter javelins, but instead of being made of just hardened wood, both tips were made of long iron spikes, connected in between by a stout ash stave. The young otter felt tears leap to his eyes at this parting gift from his father, and he embraced the other with both arms.
"I'll miss ya, ol' waterwalloper," sniffed Bowls. Then he laughed. "But hey, I'd better stop goodbye-in' get a-movin', or it'll start flooding agin and we'll never leave! Come on, Taymoor, matey; adventure awaits!"
Taymore watched this exchange with a sad smile. She knew there was a chance that they wouldn't come back, Though she would do everything in her power to get everyone back alive. She wrapped up tighter and pushed her way outside. The wind buffeted her about and pulled at her tail. She hurried along with her head down until she reached the gate house and hurried inside slamming the door as soon as Bowls and the good sister had come through. there where some satchels on the table table and she took one looking through it to check the supplies. "I'll take that parchment back now," Taymore said to Reinhardt without looking up.
Reinhardt passed the map over Taymoor, and looked stoically into the wind. A moment later he was rubbing his arm against his eyes, trying to get them to stop watering from the dirt that had flown into them.
"I'd hope the quarry is downwind," He said unhappily. "Which way are we headed, Taymoor?"
Stinkeye the stoat was lost. He didn't know how long it had been since he left his horde. The vermin waved his stone axe about, quite annoyed, and kicked at a rock.
"Of course I'm lost. Stupid weather, stupid artifact thing. 'Ow come I 'ad t'go an' find it."
Stinkeye suddenly tripped over a large root, falling out of the woodland. Nearby, there were three woodlanders standing outside a large, wondrous fortress.
"Er, er, nuthin' t'see 'ere, folks. Heh heh."
"East, north east!" Taymoor shouted over the wind and shoved the map into her satchel before it could blow away. She was about to lead them off into the forest when she saw a stoat stumble from the forest. She tensed and put her paw on the head of her ax, but she didn't make a move against the beast and until he proved hostile she had no intention of fighting.
Ralak watched the stoat stumble out of the forest from his perch in a tree, and hissed. He had been following the stoat for days, and he would have butchered him before the sun set, but now that task would be much more difficult. "Oh, how it would be to crack the bones, and eat the marrow!" A voice in his head called out, one of the many that kept the otter company in the lonely nights.
"Soon, darling, soon! He replied, surveying the woodlanders outside the Abbey. Delicious they would be, and the hunt would be worthy as well. He giggled, and waited...
"Top o' the mornin' to ye, matey," said Bowls to the stoat. "Best find some shelter from th' storm before ya start rollin' and don't stop."
Bolstan continued to smile, but he hadn't expected to see a vermin so quickly on their journey. Not that this one seemed very dangerous, of course, but having not been out of the abbey much, the otter wanted to be careful.
"Good luck, my stumblin' stoat! C'mon, Taymoor, Reinhardt; let's go, mates."
Reinhardt took a stop forward, glancing suspiciously at the Stoat. "Aye, we'd best leave this sorry beast and continue... eh... start our trip." Watching the Stoat as he walked, Reinhardt headed towards the forest where Taymoor had indicated.
Stinkeye picked himself up shakily, just grabbing his stone axe as it flew out of his belt. The stoat was quite uneasy, he swore he had heard dark murmuring in the trees.
"Err...'ang on. Where're ya goin'? Can I come wiff ya? I just want ta find da fing wot stops da storms. Mebbe ye can help me, an' I'll help ya. Aye, dat's a gudd idea!"
Taymore stopped in her tracks and turned on the stoat. "Now listen here, I'm doing you a favor by not killing you where you stand. I have enough to worry about without having another mouth to feed. I'm not a charity so find your own way," She said sharply. She didn't think him dangerous. But he did seem rather thick, He would be more trouble than help and he had given Taymore no reason to trust him. She then turned and lead the others into the forests at a quick trot. When they had gotten away from the wall and a bit into the trees the wind died down a bit but it still whipped and yanked at the treetops with an alarming force and they could hear it howling and whistling like something alive.
Stinkeye continued to follow the Redwallers, begging and pleading.
"Awww, come on bosses. Give us a paw, an' I'll 'elp ya. Anyfin ya wants, I can 'elp ya wiff it. Jus' 'elp me find da weather changin' fingo, or da vixen'll skin me alive! I'm nice, 'elp me out 'ere!"
Taymore quickly realized that this stoat would be following them weather they wanted him to or not. If he was going to be around she preferred him to be around where she could see him. Despicable creature though he was.
"Alright, you can come with us, but mind you one step out of line and the vixen will be the lest of your worries," She said placing a warning paw on the hilt of martins sword that was sheathed at her side.
OOC: Sorry for not posting. I wasn't sure what to do in the post.
Ralak looked at Taymoor, and growled. That beast looked like she could put up a fair fight, and even though it would be fun to hunt her down slowly, he was hungry. He readied one of his bone javelins, so sharp one could pierce plate armour. He hurled it at Taymoor, and stifled another giggle. The group's reaction would be very amusing.
"Gaah! Look out, frend!"
Stinkeye tackled Taymoor, pushing her out of the way of the bone javelin. The stoat drew his stone axe and began waving it wildly.
"'Ey, 'oo threw dat? Nobeast messes wid me mates!"
OOC: Soz for da PPs, Faiy. :P
The javelin buried itself in the soft ground near Taymore's feet. Her ears pricked back and she grabbed the shaft of Stink eyes axe. "Stop flailing," She ordered. She then looked at the Javelin and followed it's trajectory to it's source. "Take cover, behind the trees," Taymore ordered pointing to the trees in the opposite direction from where the javelin had come from. She then looked the stoat in the eyes "You try and stab any of us in the back and I'll tie you up and leave you for whoever that is, got it," She said before letting go of his axe. She then bounded over to a tree and scrambled up it. The attack had come from the treetops that is where she would find the attacker.
Reinhardt stubbornly stood his ground, holding his dagger defensively. However, when Taymoor ran for the trees, he mistook it for her also hiding, and if Taymoor were hiding, then he certainly should. He quickly ran behind a tree, peering around it trying to see what was happening.
"Curses!" Ralak thought, as he saw the squirrel climb up the tree next to his. He readied his axe, and quickly climbed to the next tree, making sure to reveal his position as he did. The trap had been set.
Taymore thought she saw what looked like an otter shift in the trees but she couldn't tell for sure. However now she had a location on him. She climbed higher so that she was above him and then took a flying leap into the tree he had just been in. From there she tried to get a lock on him again. The tree swayed in the wind and tore at the leaves making it difficult for her to see, but she knew better than to run into something blindly.
Bowls had been left on the windswept forest floor with Stinkeye, looking up through the trees, trying to see where Taymoor had gone. He gripped his javelin tightly. Not ten minutes out of Redwall's gates, and immediately something dangerous was going on? Well, he thought. At least it wasn't boring!
"Waylahoo, Taymoor!" he tried yelling above the gale. "Where are you, matey!" There was no answer from the treetops, so the otter was left to wait nervously. "Harr, the squirrel does know how to make a friend worry for 'er. C'mon, Taymoor, now I am getting bored!"
"Perfect!" One of his inner voices cackled as Ralak readied a javelin and flung it at the squirrel. At that range, missing would be very hard.
Taymoor saw a blur of motion and white. She plastered herself behind the trunk as the javelin ripped past her through the branches. That was to close. But she had seen where the creature was and that was all she needed. She swung out and closed the gap between them with a speed and agility that only a squirrel can manage. She leaped down on top of him her knife in one paw prepared to grapple with the beast, to try and knock him out of the tree. He may have had the advantage at range but there was nowhere Taymoor was more comfortable than in the treetops.
"I will devour you one day!" Ralak hissed, and leapt from the tree into a bush below, which cushioned his fall. Without hesitation, he hurled another javelin at Taymoor and ran into the woods.
"Hey, there she is! Taymoor, matey!"
Bolstan was about to try to climb when he was surprised by an otter that suddenly dropped from the tree, throwing a javelin behind him in Taymoor's direction.
"Hey, you rotting otter, that's my friend!" Bowls yelled, hopping after Ralak. The other otter swiftly made his way out of Bowls' sight, however, and the young otter was left to stop and watch after him. "Hah! Well, guess we showed 'im."
A gust of wind blew the javelin aside and it embedded itself into the tree trunk. Taymoor sheathed her knife and quickly jumped down the tree next to Bowls. She watched as their attacker fled. "Don't celebrate just yet Mate, I have a feeling he's not gone for good," She then turned back in the direction they where headed "Alright we don't have all day, lets put some ground between us and that thing," She said and started off into the forest at a steady pace expecting the others to follow her.
OOC: Could we get this started again? It was pretty fun.
OOC: Mm. Han left, Groddil hadn't posted in a while, but Faiy might still be interested. It's been a while, though.
OOC: It has, and that's a problem. Maybe we could get some new players?
OOC: I could introduce my character.