Redwall Abbey

  King Kraoleck stood on a balcony in the side of Sarahadoron, looking out over the village far below at the foot of the mountain. His slitted eyes could make out little movements throughout the whole town, creatures working and staying busy.
  If production kept going according to plan, Sarahadoron would be ready to go further north and inland within a season, around midsummer. It would be the perfect time to expand his control, no cold rain or snow, and no threat of frost.
  The monitor hissed in displeasure; he hated frost, and it had been frosty that morning, while his windows were left open by the servants. He would have to have to talk to his steward, Ordis Fletcher, about who was taking care of his room the night before and have them punished. If he had not awoken when he did, their king may have been frozen.
  Kraoleck turned away, his red tail following smoothly behind him. Passing between his two bodyguards, monitors just like him, as he exited the balcony, the king motioned that they follow him, which they did obediently. His second in command, Seht, was waiting nearby.
  "Ssseht, do you think we have enough ssoldierss in our army?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Faukin looked at the logging village on the edge of the Plantarre forest from a small rise. The town was bustling to and fro, the sounds of axes and hammers always present. Out of the forest came some freshly felled trees, stripped of leaves and limbs, on wheeled trolleys. They gradually made their way to a yard where they were stripped of bark and rough-hewn into workable pieces.
  So this was what they were talking about, the wildcat thought to herself. That rat family wasn't kidding when they said the town was always busy. Breathing in deeply, Fauken readjusted her satchel and made her way into the town, preparing herself to see how "King Kraoleck" really ran his creatures.

OOC: Hey Skarzs I might have did a little PP with the whole lizard appetite thing, and the guards executing staff members for minor stuff. Is that A-ok or should I change it?

Cool I edited it.

IC:

Making one last check of his list Ordis entered the large hall which presided as the dining room for Sarahadoron. He was followed by two nervous looking, young vole maids. The creatures whispered to each other unprofessionally making the mouse's whiskers twitch, however the presence of monitor guards eating at the table stopped him from telling them off. That could be done later in private.

Taking a pure white glove from his waist pouch the Steward slipped it onto his paw and rubbed the glove on the tabletop where Kraoleck would be sitting for his evening meal. That is if he sat with his creatures at the evening meal. Lizards had an unpredictable appetite.

After several seconds of swiping the glove across the table's surface, underneath, and edges Ordis inspected it critically. Holding the now brown tinged glove Ordis shook his head.

"Dust, on the underneath. Redo the entire table, his majesty will not appreciate a dirty place to eat. And neither will his officers. I should not have to send you to do this task twice." The two voles looked crestfallen and slumped off to collect their cleaning equipment. Ordis on the other paw returned the glove to it's proper place and produced a small slip of parchment. Scribbling a quick note the mouse ascended the main stairs frowning at his notes.

The Sarahadoron staff was short again. He hated assigning young creatures to work in the king's living quarters, and  they were opt to make mistakes. Mistakes that could be dangerous to both them and him. However all the older staff had either been killed or left the fortress, youth was Ordis' only option.

He'd have to either request for the king to have his monitors stop whipping servants for minor grievances, or have some new staff recruitment. Knowing the first choice might result in the loss of his life the mouse grudgingly scribbled down a reminder to ask that some new servants be brought in.

OOC: Executions wouldn't be that common; lashings would be more commonplace, though it would certainly still prevent creatures from wanting the jobs.

Rusk Streamdiver took a sip of his beaker of November Ale. He observed the mountain rearing in the distance through the window of the second floor of his business building. The armory he ran was local, but he was a richbeast from the money collected from the various beasts who bought his weapons. Mainly Kraoleck, whom Rusk nursed an intense dislike for. Of course, that was why he was in the resistance.

Finishing off his drink, the otter got up from his chair and went to the stairwell leading down to the first floor of the building. This was where the bulk of his creatures worked, fashioning blades and trimming wood, binding hilts and beating out spearheads. Most of the employees were normal civilians, totally uninvolved with the resistance. Rusk observed them work before tiring of the sight. The restless energy of the wilderness outside was constantly flowing through the otter's veins, and he wasted not a second. He was off to see his resistance contacts at the property of one Lady Silvertail.

OOC: Jukka, I hope that that's okay. :P

OOC:  It's fine.  I'm going to have a random NPC Resistance dude who Rusk can talk to.  Maybe I'll make him an actual character later.
BIC:

Ennalee had slept in, as usual.  Rubbing her eyes, she rolled over and yawned, then slowly got out of bed.  The sunlight streaming in through the window warmed her somewhat as she pulled on a simple tunic and splashed her face with the water in the washbasin to help herself wake up.  The water was frigid; the weather had been chilly so far that spring.

The stoat dried her face, then walked downstairs to see what her elderly housekeeper had cooked for breakfast.
----------------------------
Daniel had been up for over an hour already.  Normally the young hedgehog would have been working the fields, but today he had been assigned the job of fixing a cart axle that had broken.  He had a natural flair for working with those types of things.

Secretly he was happy he'd been given this job, working alone by an old shed on the edge of the farm.  Not only was it a welcome change from the usual tasks, but he was hoping (unlikely though it was) that someone from the Resistance might try and meet with him sometime soon.  Daniel had been unable to meet with them lately due to all the work he'd been assigned and the heightened danger of sneaking away from home after curfew, but he had promised to pinch a few odds and ends from the farm that might help the group, and he wanted to hand them over.  So he kept his eyes and ears open while he worked to remove the warped axle from the cart.

Rusk waved a sinewy paw at two guards on the path, one of Kraloeck's patrols. He was respected well enough among the ranks of the Monitor's forces, he only needed to show them the piece of parchment all citizens carrying around to denote their identity. Ennalee's farm good in the distance. The armorer and the landowner had never really talked. Rusk formed an excuse for his arrival as he strode up the path.

Yawning a small rat flicked swept her way slowly across the kitchen floor. She had never been much of an early riser, but if she wanted a good, warm meal before going out to work she needed to assist the elderly housekeeper with the morning chores.

The broom's rough wood scraped against her paws she brushed the last of the dirt out into the garden. Giving the floor one last check Linty stored the broom and went over to wait beside the oven warming her frigid paws by its door. A clatter of pots and pans made her turn slightly to see Millie approaching.

"Move lass, the bread is done." Linty shuffled aside as the aging weasel opened the oven door. Linty's nose twitched appreciatively as Millie withdrew the steaming loaf.

"Mm, smells good mama." The little rat stuck out a paw which the weasel slapped away.

"This is for the Mistress Silvertail Lin', not for you. Your meal is over there, on the counter." Millie scolded as she bustled away. Not wanting to leave the comfortable warmth of the oven Linty was torn for a moment between food, and warmth. Deciding she could always return she scurried over to the counter where the servants meal had been lined along the counter.

"Oatmeal?"

"And a little flatbread left over from last night. Don't complain and be grateful like I taught you."

"Yes'm." Linty whined taking the largest portion of oatmeal and flatbread. At least it was warm. Quickly she trotted over to a corner of the kitchen and began spooning in the bland meal before it went cold.

Passing by the small but comfortable dining room, Ennalee saw Millie setting out the meal.  Giving a slight appreciative smile, she walked in.  "Morning, Millie."  She pulled out one of the chairs from the table (it sat six, which was ridiculous because they never had anybody over) and sat down.  Everything smelled good, and she was just about to serve herself when her gaze was drawn to the window.  It overlooked the front yard, and she didn't usually look out there, but now in the gap between the old curtains she saw an otter coming up the path.  She stared for a second and then got to her feet.

"There's someone coming," she said, puzzled.  "Have you seen him before?"

OOC:  Tell me if this post doesn't fit what you've planned, Sage.

OOC: No, that's fine.

Aydin awoke to a cold morning in his small cottage on the outskirts of town. Yawning, he threw back the warm blanket that covered him. He sat up and stretched. He cast a glance over to the fireplace and saw that the fire had gone out. That was why he was so cold. Rubbing his paws together for warmth the otter strode over to the pile of wood next to the fireplace and tossed a few logs into the space. He grabbed a couple of pawfuls of twigs and dry grass and placed it on top of the wood. Sparks flew as he struck flint and steel together, and he soon had a nice fire going.

Aydin sat back, holding his paws out to the fire and enjoying its warmth. He mused over what he would do that day, which wasn't much. His stomach grumbled; he would need to fix breakfast soon.

"There could be more, my Lord. The number of our troopsss in fighting condition can defend Sssaharadoron with a few casualties." Seht said "However, we can levy the civiliansss, if need be."

It was now late morning, but Marth had woken up at daybreak to tend to his garden. He tilled the soil, putting his back into it. The tall hare sighed as he leaned on the hoe, admiring his work. He glanced over at his shed. Hm. Needs some fixing, but nothing a stout fellow such as I can't accomplish... He finished the row, wiping his brow. Marth looked down at his tunic, not surprised to find it dirty. He went inside his small house, which was built into the side of a hill, quite a good ways away from the village, but still within walking distance. He dusted himself off before stepping inside. Over the roaring fire, he had a kettle boiling water with herbs from his garden, just in the event that somebeast should visit. Marth stretched out his long legs as he sat on a stool by the flames.

Beside him stood a small shelf full of books. He smiled as he picked up one and began to read.

  "Begin a recruitment, then," Kraoleck said before stepping out of his living chamber. He was on his way to get his breakfast, guards in tow, when he came across Ordis.
  "Ssteward. Find the  sservantz who prepared my bedchamber lasst night and have them punished. There waz frosst." After a moment he suddenly spoke again. "Wait." Motioning at Seht, he continued. "Give them to Sseht; they will be put into the army."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Fauken entered the town and roamed the streets, catching the occasional glimpse from workers and citizens as she passed by. Stood to reason, of course, since wildcats were not very common creatures. She decided it would be best if she passed through as quickly as possible.

Anna Mudscale turned the corner of a street, quickly making her way down to a small bakery on the corner. She went around the back, stopping in front of a small shack leaning against the wall. The moniter's claws tightened around the bag she was holding as she peered into the small room, "This is a mess," she sniffed.

  A figure darted forward from behind the shack, making her jump slightly as it bowed deeply, "And what do you expect me to do about it, my lady?"

  Anna smiled at the young fox, "Clean it up, Reece. I brought you breakfast." She held the bag towards him.

  Reece's blue eyes lit up joyfully, "I can smell it. Did you get it from here?"

  "No, this bakery is worthless. I got it from the one on the other side of town," Anna answered.

  Reece hopped onto the stump of a tree and crouched down, taking a bite from the loaf of bread, "Want some?"

  "I've already eaten," Anna took the helmet off her head and let it drop to the ground, "If you were to join Kraoleck's army you'd be happier."

  Reece wrinkled his nose, "Army isn't for me. I'm happier fishing. Oh... I nearly forgot." He jumped up, going into the shack and walking out with a small necklace dangling from one of his claws, "For you, dearest mother."

  Anna took it slowly, "I didn't know you had the money for this." Her face darkened when Reece didn't answer, "Reece. You stole it."

  The cheerful fox grinned, "Ah, the old mouse was a mean one. He didn't deserve to make money off of it."

  Anna tossed the necklace back to Reece, "I won't take it. Stop stealing things or you're going to get caught," she said, then picked her helmet up and began to leave, "I need to get going. I hope you liked the breakfast."

  "I never get caught, and I never will," Reece smiled, "Goodbye, dearest mother!" He went back into the shack and gathered his fishing supplies, then set off through the town to get to work.

"Your will ssshall be carried out." Seht looked at Ordis. "Sssend the ssservants to my office, good Ordisss. Do not forget to sssummon all the citizensss to the town sssquare. I will leave now, my dutiesss await." Seht walked off, gesturing to a guard to fetch his palanquin.

~~O~~
Tredian reread the letter. It had to be perfect. If it wasn't, the rebellion could fail, and that would doom Saharadoron and all who lived in it. The letter was to a certain Lady Silvertail, whose father had been involved in the rebellion and died.

Dear Lady Silvertail,

I am from the rebellion. If you are interested in hearing a proposition that would avenge your father and free Saharadoron of its shackles, meet me at The Lizard King's Tail inn at midnight. Come in disguise. An otter kit with brown fur and blue eyes should be delivering this message. If not, kill the messenger.

Signed,

Anon.

He gave it to an otter kit with brown fur and blue eyes, along with a package containing kitchen supplies. "Deliver it to Lady Ennalee Silvertail's farm, kit. The letter is for Lady Silvertail's eyes only, and tell whoever takes the package that." The kit nodded and ran out of the door, just in time as well, for a soldier from the army walked in.

Rusk stopped atop a hill, observing Lady Silvertail's farm. He saw his contact working near the property line, repairing the axle on a cart. That resistance member looked new, but Rusk had a lot of creatures he talked with about the resistance. The otter's keen eyes picked out a pile of parts next to the hedgehog; those must be the materials the resistance had promised. As the second-in-command, it was his honor to store the parts in his armory, an ideal hiding place. He continued walking towards the farm, homing in on the hedgehog and the cart.

OOC: Ignore this post.

"Your majesty," Ordis began quickly, the mouse thought better of rushing into the plea and slowed his tone of voice making his face impassive. Better to look like he had no opinion, and only necessity. "Great king your castle staff serves you to the best of their ability, and when they fail to do so, they shall be punished accordingly. The creatures who failed to close your windows will be sent to join the army as you command..." He stopped licked his lips slowly and continued.

"Great one my staff, who are dedicated only to serve you; has descended in number as well. Soon I fear that we shall be too few to serve your large, and most impressive army. The mouse and shrew who serviced your room are young females. They are weak in mind and body." Ordis took a deep breath, he had tried to make the last part as matter of fact as possible. As if he was only spouting information not making a point, or requesting something. If those two maids had any chance of remaining out of the army it had to be Kraoleck's decision. Not something the Steward suggested.

Bowing low to the two lizards Ordis moved aside so Shet could pass. The mouse shivered wondering if his bold move would end with his removal to the army.

~*~*~*~*~*~

OOC: Hey Jukka you want me to continue playing as Millie the housekeeper? It would appear all my characters are servants in this one, which is fine, I'll keep controlling her. :D

BIC:

"I don't know m'lady." Millie said as she peered shortsightedly out the window. "Oh bless him its that fine young otter that lives in the town. He sells tool or something. What is his name, Rust, Nust. Oh bother it all I can't remember." The weasel looked at Ennalee dusting down her apron as she did.

"Did you summon him here mistress? Should I make up a second place at the table?"

Slipping into the dining room from the kitchen Linty peered out the window, her face cracking into a smile at the sight of the otter. "Its Rusk. I like him, he makes weapons for the soldiers. I asked him to make a dagger for me but he wouldn't." Linty's face fell, "I didn't like him so much then."

"How barbaric, go back into the kitchen Lin. Imagine a young ratling like you carrying around such a dangerous weapon." Mille scolded. Linty scowled and started back towards the kitchen as slow as possible wanting to hear why Rusk was coming to Silvertail's home.

OOC: I'm curious to see Kraoleck's reaction to Ordis. This could go many ways.

Seht turned as he heard Ordis, and raised a proverbial eyebrow. Seht watched the scene with worry, and a little morbid amusement. "Do not make a decision with haste, Kraoleck. This seemingly insignificant situation could make or break our kingdom. He thought, and bowed. "My lord, I sssuggest you ssshow your mercy to the poor ssservants. Regardlesss of your decisssion, I will carry it out."

  Kraoleck stared unblinking at Ordis, who stood quaking visibly, if only slightly, as he waited for the king's response.
  Most creatures did not dare saying anything about his commands. Most creatures knew how temperamental he could be.  However, Ordis was a very loyal creature, and had never shown anything but the highest respect for Kraoleck, and Seht, his second in command, was backing up the steward's suggestion.
  He breathed in a hissing breath before replying. "Fine, ssteward. They shall not go into my army. You can decide what iz done with them, but if it happenz again . . ." -he looked meaningfully at the mouse- "You shall be the punished." The king walked past the steward.
  "You have been unerringly loyal to me, Ordiss Fletcher; it would be a shame if you crosssed me again."

 Swallowing his fear and doing his best to keep his body from trembling Ordis bowed low. "I shall deal with them, and impress upon the servants never to fail you again great one. I have, and always will do my utmost to serve the king of Sarahadoron, failure to do so is punishment to me whether I feel the whip, and remain in the stocks or not. It shall never happen again. Your majesty, please excuses me." Keeping his head bowed Ordis shuffled in the opposite direction Kraoleck was going until he was out of sight and in a servants corridor.

Straightening up the mouse wiped a bead of sweat from his face and shook his ears. He had very well saved two lives today. He should never have assigned the two to do Kraoleck's quarters. He'd have to do it himself from now on. A distasteful task for one of his rank, but necessary.

Flicking out his quill and paper the mouse scribbled down a reminder and looked across the long list, feeling the weight of all the tasks pulling at him. He'd get barely an hour to sped with Maribel and Claudia even if he rushed though some of his tasks. And who knew how long assembling the civilians in the local town for Seht would take. Once again he shook his ears and straightened his back. It was his duty to serve the king, even at the expense of his own family.

If he wanted free time he might as well get started on his work.


OOC: Minor typo easy fix comrade.

OOC: @Sand: It's spelled Seht, not Shet. Just wanted you to know.

@Sand:  Sure, you can keep Millie if you like.  I think she's kinda funny.  "How barbaric!" ;D
BIC:

"No, I didn't invite him," Ennalee said slowly.  "You don't have to set an extra place."  The otter they were looking at disappeared from view.  What was he doing there if he wasn't coming to the door?  Just then a sudden stab of fear hit her.  What if the otter was with the Resistance members that rumor said were on her farm?  Ennalee clasped her paws together tightly, biting her lip.  In that case, it was better not to ask any questions.  Ignorance was bliss.

"It's probably nothing," she added, turning towards the table.  She sat down and served herself, but her paws were trembling and she had a strange, sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.  Better not to know, really, so then she couldn't have the potential to get anyone else in trouble if she was ever questioned about the creatures on her farm.  Of course she would never turn anyone in willingly, but if questioned, she wanted to be ignorant.

Hazel Stonetooth was not in a very good mood as she strode through the sand dunes. An otter, covered in sand and holding a club rose up. "Password?" He inquired. Hazel rolled her eyes. "Keelu, there is no password. Now let me pass you impudent cub!" The otter, Keelu, grinned. "Right marm!"
He stepped aside and Hazel continued her journey, stopping in front of a sand dune that seemed no different than the others - Until she lifted a reed mat covered in sand and walked inside the dune she and her creatures had created. There were many more, of course, scattered around the real dunes, but this was the headquarters.
Hazel'd  just come back from meeting with one of her contacts and wasn't very happy with the news she'd recieved. Collapsing into a chair, she rubbed her temples, thinking for a moment before standing and calling Keelu. When the otter came running, she informed him to get the word spread that there was to be a meeting that night of the Resistance leaders.

Rusk crawled under the fence at the back of the farm. The otter had realized too late that he had approached from the house side, in easy view of the creatures inside. Namely, Lady Silvertail. Berating himself with muttered curses, he approached his hedgehog contact.

     Aaron's ears twitched as he listened to the clash of sounds coming from outside his window: the calm but distant swish of the sea, the clatter of voices, and the constant ringing in the distance of more trees being cut down. He stood up from where he was lounging on a white sofa and walked over to the window. It provided an excellent view of the town and the sea, since his room was three stories up in their manor. Aaron closed his eyes and sighed. Having money meant that one did not have to do anything then did not want to do, but he found it lacking. Although it was a peaceful life, he wished that there was more action besides stuffy parties and obligatory formalities.
     A cool breeze rustled through his fur. He opened his eyes again. His father, Sir Frederick Snowfur, was out today. He was doing his military duties, no doubt, since he took pride in his position and intended to loose it only in promotion. It would have been the perfect time to help the resistance, but Aaron had not heard word of any actions as of late. Perhaps I should reaffirm my loyalty to them.
     He turned to the servant, an older mouse, who was standing by the door. "Is Master Ling in today?" Aaron asked. He hoped that his old sword instructor was up for a spar. It would releive the boredom. "No sir, he went to the market today to get supplies for another sword he is making, sir" answered the servant. Aaron sighed and turned back toward the window. What else was there to do?

Bemused but not questioning Millie receded back into the kitchen, but not before tapping Linty on the shoulder reminding her to head out. Sighing the little rat munched though the last of her flatbread and left her wooden bowl and spoon in the wash drain. Exiting though the back door she went to collect a shovel in the work shed. It was a short walk along the path, but Linty knew a shortcut though the fields, as long as she was willing to get her paws a little wet in a creek she had to jump.

Descending a small rise she splashed though the frigid waters kicking at little fish that shot away into the weeds. They had found small grass snake hidden amongst the reeds once, or so they said. It had nearly bitten off somebeasts paw and one of the tough otters had to be summoned to kill it. Linty searched amongst the reeds as she did every time she passed, looking for a snake, hoping for the excitement of fighting one. A snake were close enough to being lizards, she could pretend to be a resistance member and battle the reptile.

Linty of course didn't know that such a creature would be well bunkered down in its tunnels and not swimming. She searched in vain before remembering to continue on her way to the shed. Sprinting the last section of the field Linty arrived puffing and pushed open the door.

"Mornin' Daniel." She told the hedgehog's back as he worked on a old cart. Skipping over to him she peered over his shoulder. "What'cha doin'?"

As noon approached, Marth got up from his place by the fire and changed into a clean blue tunic. After washing his hands and face in a simple washbasin, he left his humble home, heading for the village. On the way, Marth passed Lady Silvertail's homestead, watching members of her company working in the fields.

Suddenly, Marth's keen eyes spotted movement around the back of the farmhouse, an otter, it seemed was slinking about, trying not to be noticed. He hesitated for a moment, wondering what he should do. Could it be a thief...? He thought to himself. He decided to approach the farmhouse, knocking politely on the front door. Whoever was sneaking about, obviously did not want to be noticed. What if it's a resistance member? No, no they wouldn't be here....would they? The hare waited for a response.

After finishing a late breakfast of a fish and an apple, Aydin pulled on his boots and walked outside. The sun was shining; hopefully the weather would get a bit warmer as the day progressed.

He wasn't sure if the Resistance members were going to meet that day, but he decided to go on over to their hideout and see what was happening. He walked back inside for a moment and strapped his twin swords across his back. Throwing his cloak about his shoulders he went outside once more and began the short trek to the Resistance headquarters.

  Faukin could not find any public housing at all, so she resigned herself to simply buying some supplies and moving on.
  Wandering about for a little while in an attempt to find a shop, the wildcat finally came across one that she could use. Going in, she looked about for the items she wanted: some rope, a better flint and steel with tinder, and a ladle that wasn't cracked down the side. Bringing it up to the counter, she set the items down and looked at the owner with her one eye. "How much will it be?"
  The shop owner, a graying hare, looked at the items for a moment before directing his gaze at Faukin. "Not from round here, missy?"
  "Nope. Just passing through."
  The hare rubbed his chin. "Traveller, eh? Well, you might not know, but we've got actual currency here, wot, cips and pells. (Fifty cips makes a pell, dontcha know.) That there'd cost a beast about four pells."
  Faukin's face fell. She had managed to get a few cips, but not as much as that. "Erm, would you be willing to make a trade?"
  The shop keeper rubbed his chin. "Well, it's not something I make a habit of. . . What do you have?"
  "How about this necklace?" She pulled a gold-hued necklace from the pack at her side, a simple single-jeweled pendant with a chain. "It's bronze, but the gem is some pretty purple thing. I'm not really one for something like that, so. . ."
  "Deal." The hare snatched the necklace from Faukin and winked at her. "'S long as you're willing to part with it! The supplies are yours, my fine large feline lady; and here's some change, wot!" He put a square coin and several small round coins onto the counter for Faukin to take.
  She smiled crookedly and secured her items, but before she exited the door, she turned around. "Say . . . can you recommend any place to buy food?"
  "Depends where you're going, miss. If you're alright with traveling, Sarahadoron's prices for food are better, and there's more variety." He put on a serious face and walked around the counter, lowering his voice. "Of course, I'd be careful if I were you. There's talk of rebels against the king who attack travelers on the road. Can't say they're completely true, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep a keen eye out nonetheless, wot! And. . . Sarahadoron's not always the most friendly place either. 'Specially not since Kraoleck, ehh. . ." The hare stopped speaking and stared out the shop window for a second before snapping out of whatever it was that stopped him and smiled weakly at Faukin.
  The wildcat patted the large knife belted to her left waist. "Don't worry; I've been in worse places, and I know how to take care of myself. Thank you, and goodbye!"

Reed dodged to the side quickly to avoid running into Faukin. He smiled at her, "Good day, to you! Sorry about that, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." He tried not to stare at the missing eye as he smiled.

OOC: Are Reed and Anna in the logging town, Eul? That's where Faukin is. :P (And it's several miles from Sarahadoron.)

Suddenly, from the front hall near the dining room, Ennalee heard a knock on the door.  Still on edge from the otter's appearance, she froze momentarily.  Who on earth was it?  Should she answer?  She waited for a moment to see if Millie would get the door, but when nothing happened (Ennalee suspected that Millie might be too deaf to hear from the kitchen), she got to her feet and slowly walked to the front door.  Opening it, she saw a hare she didn't recognize.

"Um, hello."
-----------------------
"Oh, hi there," Daniel said to Linty, inwardly somewhat irked at her sudden appearance.  "I'm fixin' the axle on this ol' cart."  He wiped a spot of grease off his cheek and straightened.  "So, er, what are you doin' here?"

Rusk stifled a scowl. Of course, the transfer had to be interrupted by another beast. He assured himself by remembering that it wasn't a monitor, or one of Kraoleck's beasts. It was best that he wait. Chancing a peek around the corner of the shed he was hiding behind, he immediately recognized the young rat. She had appeared in the town a few times; even visiting his shop once. Rats.

"Uh, oh yeah I'm gettin' some shovels an I'm supposed to sharpen em. The other blokes are diggin' out the old posts in the new field, an' I got to bring them water, and tools n' stuff. I was thinking you'd be working over there too." Trotting over to the rack Linty collected three of the shovels, a pickaxe, and a whetstone. Then staggering under the weight she made for the small work stand dropping the tools down with a clatter. Picking up the first shovel she began scrapping the stone across the blade, her back to the door rambling away to Daniel.

"Guess who we saw walking around? We saw Rusk, you know the big otter who makes weapons for the soldiers. Mistress Silvertail didn' want us to meet 'Im though. She seemed worried, I dunno why. I like, er liked 'Im. Ooh maybe she owes 'Im pells, I know if'n I owed somebeast pells I'd be worried."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Several chores later Ordis found himself flanked by two monitor guards as they marched though the short distance to Sarahadoron's neighboring town. The guards had insisted on accompanying him on this short journey ignoring his arguments that he would be fine. Ordis didn't know which was worse, that the monitors he had been serving without fail didn't trust him to be alone outside the palace, or that he might actually be attacked by rebels simply for working in the mountain fortress.

Leaving the smooth sandy shore they entered the dunes. Both lizards tensed their knuckles tightening on their spears. It was here that Kraoleck's forces were most often attacked. Ordis tensed as well wondering what the possibility of such an event happening wsas, so close to the mountain and in broad daylight.

Clearly it was unlikely as they passed though the dunes without incident entering the town. The mouse let out a held in breath, it had been some time since his last visit into the town, it seemed quieter then last time, more subdued. Shrugging off his concerns he advanced further inside heading towards the towns center.

OOC: errrrrrrrrr.... Reed does live in a town close to Sarahadoron. I'll just say that he lives there.

OOC: @Jukka: I sent your character a letter. Did you get it yet?

   Seht looked over the plans again. These would begin the construction of more watchtowers at the mountain, as well as a fletcher and a smithy dedicated to forging weapons of war. There was also the issue of public order and the rebellion. "Ah, the rebellion! Have the farmers and craftsmen in the town grown so bored that they run around playing with toy swords?" He said "No matter, they'll be too occupied to play their games soon."
                                                                                  Seht rolled up the finished plans and placed them in a safe spot. He then went out and asked a guard to bring his palanquin. As the guard hurried away, he looked at the town from a window. It was peaceful, but something in him said there was a storm brewing in the land, and he would be at the eye of it.

OOC:  Oh, sorry, I forgot about that.  I guess I'll have her receive it after Marth leaves.

  Faukin noticed the fox looking at her patch, and considered letting him see what was underneath. Of course, that may not be the best course of action, so she simply smiled back. "No problem. Just mind where you're going next time."
  She suddenly thought to ask him something. "Ah, before you go running off, can you tell me which road to take to get to, eh, Sarah-whatever it's called?"

Marth twitched his ears respectively when she opened the door. "Good day to you Miss!" He said cheerfully as he looked her over, then glancing behind her into the house. "Sorry to bother you at this hour, know you're busy and whatnot...but, erm..." the stout hare thought for a moment, "there's an otter fellow stalking around on your property, suspicious activity and all that, wot, wot?"

"Oh, really?" Ennalee said somewhat faintly.  Who was this hare?  He could be a spy for Kraoleck.  He could have come to spy her out.  He could be trying to prove she had a connection to the Resistance and then would haul her off for execution!  "I-I didn't know.  Thanks for telling me.  I'll take care of it."  She was sure she was a terrible liar, but what else was she supposed to do?  She put her right paw on the doorframe and tried to look expressionless.
----------------------
"Rusk?" Daniel asked loudly over the screech of the shovel being sharpened, but trying to sound nonchalant.  He'd seen the otter a couple times at Resistance meetings.  Someone was probably trying to meet with him after all.  He took a quick glance around his general area but didn't see anyone.  If the otter was there for the reason he thought he was, he must be hiding.  "Oh, that's funny.  Maybe Lady Silvertail does owe him something."  He bit his lip, looking at the young ratmaid and waiting for her to finish her task.

Reed gave a small nod, "Of course, I'd love to help. So, if you go to your right down that way, then take a left, there will be a bakery on your right. Right next to it is a small road. Normally, people use the road over by the well, but my way is faster. Actually, I was just on my way over that way. To drop off some groceries at my home," at this, he glanced down at the stolen rings in his paws. He had planned on going fishing and still had his gear over his shoulder, but just had to take the rings. He smiled brightly, "Er, I wouldn't mind walking with you. Are you new around here?"

Marth bowed deeply. "It is of no issue, malady." he says, before straightening back up smartly. "Well, sorry to be a bother, the name's Marth by the way." He rocked back and forth on his foot-paws, in high spirits. Marth could tell that she was nervous, so he decided to be on his way soon.

Inspecting the last shovel and giving it a few more swipes with the stone Linty gathered up her tools smiling jovially at Daniel missing his apparent agitation. "An' after that I'm to go into town an' get groceries for mam- uh Millie." Struggling with the many tools she staggered out of the work shed.

"See you Daniel, good luck wit' the cart." She stumbled out, past Rusk's hiding spot unable to see the otter due to the shovel that was covering up her eye.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Would you please remain here and wait for Seht to arrive. I will speak with the local guard to have as many of the civilians gathered so your commander might choose which will serve in the army." Ordis explained to his escorts as they approached the town center. Sarahadoron's town bearing the same name was surprisingly still. There were many creatures moving about preforming their tasks however they did it as quietly as possible.

"No Sssteward, he ssshall ssstay. I'll go with you." One of the lizard escorts hissed dryly, his no nonsense gaze locked on the mouse servant. The second lizard nodded slowly before ambling away to find a sunny spot to wait.

"I see nothing wrong with that." Ordis said not meeting the lizards gaze. "Lets go then."


OOC: Who is in charge of Sarahadoron town?

OOC: *Whistles* Amber? Hello? *Has nothing really to do*

Quote from: LT Sandpaw on March 04, 2016, 06:23:05 PM
OOC: Who is in charge of Sarahadoron town?

OOC: Um, Kraoleck is. There's no mayor or anything.

BIC: Fauken couldn't catch all the directions the energetic fox had given, so she decided it would be just as well if he were to walk with him.
  "Yes, I am new around here. Just passing through. I'll probably be going north after I stop at. . . Sarahadoron, I think it is. Don't like staying in one place for too long." She touched her patch momentarily. "Learned it's better that way."

Ennalee gave a short nod, then abruptly tried to smile and pour sincerity into her words, just in case.  "You weren't a bother, Marth.  Thank you.  I'll see to it right away.  Um, goodbye then."  She shut the door, probably a little too quickly, but she barely cared about being polite.  Locking the door firmly behind her, she let out a shaky sigh and ran her fingers through her headfur.

She'd just been saying things, anything, to get the stranger away from her door, but now she wondered if she really should go and see who that otter was and get him off her property.  But then again... if that otter was with the Resistance, she'd rather know nothing at all about it.  On the other paw, he might not be...

She groaned.  This was too confusing.  What should she do?
--------------------------
Finally Linty was gone.  Daniel got to his footpaws and took a casual look around.  Where was the otter?

After walking for about fifteen minutes, Aydin arrived at the familiar-looking sand dune. He looked around. It seemed no one was nearby so he lifted the reed mat that covered the entrance and ducked inside. His eyes adjusting to the dimness of the place, he glanced about and saw that Hazel, the leader, was there. Sand shifted under his feet as he sat down in a chair. "Greetings," he said to the squirrel.

Reed shrugged, "It looks painful... though I don't want to make you uncomfortable and ask how you got it. If you're new to the land, I doubt you've heard of King Kraoleck. He's the ruler around here. My mom - er... friend is in his army. What reason do you have to go there?" He asked, slipping the rings into the bag he was carrying and glancing around, smiling nervously at a passing stranger.

  "Doesn't hurt anymore." Fauken shrugged. "Anyways, I don't care about who's in charge of wherever. I'm not staying for very long, and I'll be through before King Crow-lick catches sight or smell of me. Besides, it's not like I'm a troublemaker."
  They kept walking along, the wildcat following Reed wherever he was leading her. Faukin's last comment actually reminded herself something, and she asked, "So. . . What's with the rebels, or resistance?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~
  King Kraoleck was now done with his meal, and went to his throne room to review the goings-on of his kingdom.
  Production of materials was doing well, as weapons, timber, and food was being made at a good pace. It was calculated that the fields would yield enough wheat and vegetables to last the next year by the time harvest came. Lumber and tree-grown goods continued to be brought in from the logging town of Leafen, promising materials for expansion and building for a solid amount of time. Mines underneath Sarahadoron also continued productively, bringing up iron, coal, and copper to be smelted and used.
  Of course, then there was the reason for this massive output: The threat of hostile invasion. Now, Kraoleck had not been lying that there was indeed a powerful nation to the north, and that their army was formidable. But he was not sure whether they would be attacking him, or the other way around. However, since there was no way to be exactly sure, the monitor much preferred the idea of assaulting them.
  Once it was summer, even the northern areas would not be too cold for monitors like himself, and if all went according to plan, his own forces would be enough to overcome an enemy army. That was, of course, provided that enough creatures were recruited . . . And that meant removing any source of dissonance.
  Up until then, Kraoleck had been content to leave the petty resistance to play its game. They provided a sense of unease and worry that helped creatures produce their own fear that kept them serving him. If one joined the resistance, it was less likely that they would live in that minority. However, many did not like the king, so it was a constant state of being torn in several directions. But now, a lot of young creatures were apparently joining the resistance, adding to its numbers. And that would further decrease successful recruitment if the population saw the resistance doing well.

Seeing that the way was clear, Rusk emerged from his hiding spot, confronting Daniel. "Alright, we have to make this quick. Do you have the materials?"

Hazel had heard someone approaching, and stood, her paw going to her dagger hilt. She relaxed and sat back down when Aydin ducked. "Greetings, Aydin. You got the news so soon?" She commented.

Daniel gave a short nod.  "Hi, Rusk.  Yeah, I got 'em here."  He went and picked up a small bundle wrapped in tattered canvas and tied with a stringy bit of twine.  "Not much, really: a couple broken scythes and an old axe nobody'll miss, but something's better'n nothing, eh?"  He held it out to the otter and took a furtive glance around.

The otter inspected the blades. "Hmm, nothing I can't repair."

Taking the bundle, he quickly dropped a few coins into the hedgehog's hand. "There's your compensation, a few cips and one pell. Make sure you hide the pell, I'm sure that Silvertail isn't dumb enough to know that that much money isn't on your pay. Good luck."

Flashing a smile at Daniel, Rusk slipped away back down the way he came, careful to disguise the bundle against his body.

"What news?" Aydin asked Hazel. "I didn't get any news from anybeast; I wasn't sure if we were going to meet today, but I decided to come here anyway."

Daniel stared down at the coins in his paw, a grin slowly beginning to form on his face.  He hadn't expected any compensation.  Times were tough, so every bit counted.  He pocketed them, and with a lighter heart, returned to his work.  Hopefully he'd be able to meet with the Resistance again sometime soon.
-----------------------
Maybe she should go see what that otter was doing on her property.  Biting her lip and wishing she could just go finish her breakfast without worrying, Ennalee turned to open the door again and was confronted by the sight of a young otter kit on her front doorstep, holding a package with an envelope on top.

"What do you want?" she demanded rather rudely.

"I-I was sent to deliver this, ma'am," the young otter said, holding out the packet and letter.  "The letter is for Lady Silvertail's eyes only."

"I'm her," Ennalee said, worry making her less grammatically correct.  She took both items, which bore no identifying marks.  "Um, thanks."  She shut the door, wondering what on earth was in the package.  Drawing a deep breath, she tore open the letter.

Dear Lady Silvertail,

I am from the rebellion. If you are interested in hearing a proposition that would avenge your father and free Sarahadoron of its shackles, meet me at The Lizard King's Tail inn at midnight. Come in disguise. An otter kit with brown fur and blue eyes should be delivering this message. If not, kill the messenger.

Signed,

Anon.

Her paws began to shake.  She tore open the package that had been delivered, only to find that it contained nothing but miscellaneous kitchen supplies.  Looking at the letter, she twisted it in her fist.  Now what?

Seht took the time to gather his thoughts as the palanquin shook. He watched the civilians look at the palanquin with fear and hatred, and that worried him. If the population's morale was that low, how would they react to the recruitment? He sighed inwardly with relief as he saw the monitor waiting. He alighted from the palanquin, and gestured to the carriers to take it back to the castle.
                "Now, take me to Ordis, soldier. I have no time to lose." He said, and he followed the monitor to Ordis and the town square.

Reed's smile faded and he hesitated, "The resistance? I know about it, everyone does. I'm not part of it," he said quickly. This traveler could be some sort of spy or something. "But some people don't like the king. I'm not saying I don't, but I know about people who feel that way. They're a group fighting against the king. I'm not with them," he glanced nervously at Fauken. "Er, how did you get the scar?" He asked to change the subject.

  But Fauken was stubborn. "Not like they'd be able to do much against a king, though, since it seems they're small. They would have to get the support of most of the population." The wildcat shook her head and sighed. "Sorry, I don't mean to be. . . I dunno. You're just a child."
  Still, she was curious about the resistance, and she felt like every minute she would be spending in Sarahadoron would either make her incline towards on side or the other.

Marth blinked at the closed door. "Hm. Busy I suppose..." He muttered, as he continued on his way to the town. Not much was on his mind today, besides the need to purchase some seeds.

Reed turned round and faced Fauken as he started walking backwards, "A child? I am not a child, I'm just as grown up and capable of anything you are!" He crossed his arms, then turned around again and walked forwards, "But that doesn't matter," he continued, "If you're with the king, you're with the king and knowing about the resistance isn't important. They're not strong enough to be a problem yet."

"Captain you've only had soldiers shouting for a short time. Wouldn't it be wise to continue before barging into homes?" A mouse and weasel surrounded by Sarahadoron town guards waded though the crowd of nervous citizens. The town guard was mostly made up of weasels, rats, and stoats. Lizards tended to see themselves above being under the direct command of a weasel making it hard for Captain Hardstep to control his forces. To compromise he recruited only mammals into his platoon, the town's lizard forces were directed under a more reptilian commander.

"Are ye a military leader steward?" Hardstep grunted pushing a hedgehog out of his way.

"No... But I ha-"

"Then don' question 'ow I get everybeast to the town center. It's either my tail, or their homes an' if they don't want to come out, we'll go in an' drag em out." He stopped waving a paw at a squadron of rats ready to pull every last creature from their houses, stalls, and shops. "Go get em lads." Hardstep shouted, the rats saluted and moved off.

"Commader Seht has arrived sir." A second weasel ran up waving his paws to get Hardstep's attention. "He wishes to see Steward Ordis."

"Alright lead the way, c'mon Steward. I need to speak to Commander Seht anyway. I'll come with." Ordis feeling slightly nervous followed the messenger weasel to where Seht was being led by a monitor soldier. Bowing low the mouse nervously kept his eyes on the ground.

"Sir many of the citizens are outside awaiting you. Captain Hardstep has his creatures gathering up the last few stragglers. What would you have me do now sir?"

I'm not going, Ennalee told herself firmly after her initial agitation had subsided.  I'm never getting involved with that Resistance again.  She balled the letter up as tightly as she could and slipped it into her pocket.  "Now, how about finishing breakfast?" she muttered underneath her breath, leaving the kitchen things on the floor and walking back into the dining room.  She seated herself and picked up her fork.

"If we're given the chance to help other creatures, then we take it."

The memory slammed into her like an actual blow.  That was what her father had said, seasons ago, the one time Ennalee had somewhat nervously questioned her father's illegal activities.  Remembering, she dropped her fork and bowed her head shakily.  But I am, Papa.  I'm helping everyone on my farm by protecting them.  And me.  Isn't that what you'd have wanted?

"Ring the bellsss, Sssteward. Captain Hardssstep, your ssservice to Lord Kraoleck hasss been noted. Pleassse have the sssoldiersss be lesss forceful with the citizens. They are under Lord Kraoleck's protection, after all." As the bells rang, Seht stepped forward, to a plinth overlooking the town square.
                         
                                                                                   "Greetingsss, good citizens. I am Ssseht, humble ssservant of Lord Kraoleck who protectsss you all. The army needsss recruitsss, and all thossse who join will have a sssteady sssupply of food and water, assss well asss glory, honour, and brotherhoods forged in battle. You are to report to Sssaharadoron in three daysss, where you will be given your equipment and your dutiesss. " Seht stepped off the plinth, and walked away with his bodyguard to the palanquin.

OOC: Not "all" citizens, Ash. Kraoleck wants an army, but he doesn't want to cripple his working force either. If all citizens above the age of twelve are recruited, there will be a massive gap in laborers, and suddenly the army won't be able to be kept up.
  I more of wanted Seht to mention that the army is recruiting, and for him to give some incentive to join, like food benefits and whatnot.

BIC: "They don't have to be strong to cause problems," Fauken said wryly. The wildcat was curious now, whether it was her feline nature or just her personality, she wasn't sure of, but now she wanted to know more about what could be going on with the resistance, though she decided she might not get much more out of the young fox, no matter how talkative he may have been.

OOC: Right. Edited.

Reed hesitated, "Are you implying that you want the resistance to be a problem?" He shifted his supplies to the other shoulder. This cat could become a part of the resistance if she wasn't a spy from the king. They needed all the creatures they could get.


Anna patrolled the streets slowly, listening to Seht speak to the citizens. She watched for anything suspicious, her claws wrapped loosely around her spear. She had no doubt that the resistance was watching and listening to this, and she stayed alert. If Reed would join Kraoleck's army, he would be more protected from the troubles the resistance made.

OOC: Pushing ahead to the next day.



  In the morning of the next spring day, Kraoleck observed with some satisfaction the amount of creatures that had entered into his service. Well over two hundred miscellaneous beasts of many ages now began training. Others trickled in slowly, tempted by the promise of better food and opportunities to provide for themselves and their families. The monitor king knew that all it took was a little incentive and creatures weary of toil would look for an easier option.
  Now that he had soldiers in reserve, the king turned his attention to the petty resistance that had been pecking fruitlessly at him for many seasons. Surely more would be willing to serve him if there were no alternatives, like a faction that opposed him. If he showed he would wipe out every enemy, the weak would support the strong more readily.
  Already his troops were marching on the known resistance area, in the dunes, and he expected them to return with victorious results.

  Hazel the squirrel stood outside the hidden dune, awaiting the arrival of a scout in the evening sun. A different scout had come to her urgently insisting he had seen Kraoleck's army heading towards them, and the resistance leader had immediately alerted her own forces to wait in ambush as she herself waited for the next scout to return and confirm or deny the sighting.
  Very soon the runner came sprinting over the dunes, a fast hare. He ran directly towards Hazel, shouting something. He collapsed gasping for breath in the squirrel's arms.
  Hazel shook him urgently. "What is it? What's going on?"
  "They're coming! Soldiers! They're going to wipe us-" The hare was cut short as an arrow pierced his back, and his body sagged in Hazel's paws as several more flew in.
  Archers from Kraoleck's army appeared over the rise of a dune, releasing their deadly shafts at the resistance creatures who were outside. More continued to appear, and soon hundreds of foot soldiers were also becoming visible.
  Hazel dropped the dead scout and yelled. "Retreat! Retreat! They're here to destroy us! There are too many! Retreat!" She ran into the hidden dune ordering every beast out the rear entrance and to run and regroup. The squirrel went back out the way she had come, finding the dunes mostly empty of her creatures; those who were still there were but lifeless bodies transfixed by arrows.
  Soon Hazel was very narrowly missing being hit by the flying projectiles as the archers turned their attention on the new target. She was about to start running after the rest of her forces when one arrow found its mark in her thigh, and she dropped to one knee with a cry of pain. Another shaft hit her shoulder, and she fell to the ground in agony.
  No more arrows came, but for every moment she waited Hazel almost wished more had. She did not know how long she had waited, bleeding out on the sand, before footsteps came close to her. Opening her eyes to the darkening sky, Hazel looked for the source of the footsteps. The scaled body of a monitor drew over her, and he raised his spear above her heaving chest. . .

OOC: I hope it's okay the Rusk takes command temporarily.

BIC: The last resistance member entered the basement and Rusk slammed the big oak door closed. He had kept the below ground level of his armory as his personal space. One of the members cried it. "What if they search this place? We'd be dead within the hour!"

The otter pushed the thought out of his head. "That's a bridge we'll have to cross when we get there. This is only a temporary hideout, we will find a better place eventually. Has anybody seen any of the other leaders? We know Hazel's dead."

There was a small yell, and the monitor fell on the sand next to Hazel. Reed stood over the dead body, then looked down at Hazel in fear, "Are... are you ok?" The smile on his face was replaced with shock as he looked back at the dead monitor, "I've - I've never.... killed any... I've never killed anyone before," there was a sob in his voice as he knelt down and picked Hazel up, "We have to... we need to get to the others. I don't know how to fix this."

OOC: I hope it's ok that Reed killed the monitor, I can change it if you want.

OOC: If Rusk managed to get the resistance members the many miles to his armory, then quite a bit of time has passed between Hazel's death and their arrival. We need to go with one or the other: Is it at night when the resistance has managed to escape, or are they still just starting to run from Kraoleck's army?

OOC: Well, I didn't have an accurate distance from the original base to the armory (I really know nothing about the map) and what do you mean by the last question?

I suppose that Reed could've found Hazel right after the rest of the resistance left, and that he catches up to them. If you want me to edit the post...

Tredian knew that Kraoleck would act sooner or later, but didn't know that it would be this bad. He had gotten wind of this through a spy in the army, and had arrived at the armoury just as Rusk and the others returned.
`                                                                                                                                           "Greetings. You may not know of me, but I am Tredian D'Otres, one who has been supplying this rebellion. What has happened, and where is Hazel?"

OOC: Should Seht be at the attack?

       "Hazel's dead, I saw her go down myself." Syphyir was leaning against a support beam, cross-armed, and clearly unhappy, "I was just about to go ask her a question when the attack started, they got here quick, and it seems nobeast saw them coming." The grey fox was hard put to keep a tremble out of his voice, a loss of this kind was always difficult to cope with, and the fact that it was Hazel, their leader, only made it worse. He couldn't help but be surprised by the swiftness of the operation, as the whereabouts of the rebel's base hadn't seemed to matter to the King's forces before. As a matter of fact, it was just a week and half ago that the information had been requested of him! Clearly plans had already been laid, even without knowledge of the exact position. This forced him to wonder about future plans, were more preparations already underway? What was the purpose behind such a sudden assault? He shook his head, clearing thought from mind. Now was not the time for contemplation of the big picture, the immediate situation demanded full, undivided attention from the entire resistance. The chatter and speculation seemed quiet enough for the fox to sneak a word in edgewise, an opportunity he promptly took, "I realize that there is grieving to be done, but that'll have to wait. What do we do right now? We're sitting doves here, if they've started actively hunting us, who's to say they won't start checking homes? businesses? storage houses? We're in trouble, and we need to get something done now."

Hazel. Dead. The fact almost made tears come to Aydin's eyes, and he clenched his fists in anger. Hazel, their leader, but most importantly their friend, had been cut down by the cowardly scum Kraoleck called soldiers. And the invasion of their base had forced them to flee to some old basement. What were they to do? If they stayed in the town, they might as well have walked up to Kraoleck and surrendered themselves. The otter sighed in frustration. Then he thought of something.

They could hide out in the forest. It was possible that the woods would be searched, but Kraoleck's soldiers would be occupied with thoroughly searching the towns for the Resistance. The woods offered a temporary hideout.

"What about the woods?" Aydin voiced his thoughts a loud. "The soldiers will be searching the towns and probably won't think of the woods, at least for now."

OOC: That's a good idea, Amber. ;)

BIC: Fauken wandered the streets of the Sarahadoron town in the evening hours, looking for some place she could find to rest. The roads were dark and almost completely uninhabited except for one or two hurrying forms. The wildcat looked around with her one good eye, trying to find lodging of some kind. The town was large, however, much larger than any populated place Fauken had ever been in, and finding an inn would be hard without asking for help.
  She started seeking out a creature to help point her in the right direction, finding a hunched form in an alley. The cat approached furtively, not certain of what manner of beast it was, but not seeing much other choice. "Hey, you, can you tell me where the nearest inn is?" There was no answer from the seemingly asleep creature, so Fauken tried again. "Hello? Can you hear me?"
  Fauken leaped backwards as the other suddenly swung a knife at her, barely missing the flashing blade. "Hey! You-!"
  A torch illuminated the alley, and two other forms materialized from the shadows. One of them, a thin ferret, held the flaming piece of wood, a curved dagger in his other paw. "Well, what do we have here? A wildcat lost in the dark? Tch tch, what a shame."
  Fauken hissed at them, taking a step back, but turned as she heard movement behind her. A sea otter blocked her path back onto the main street; she was surrounded. Her paw went instinctively to her knife.
  "Can't have a lady by herself at night, can we lads?" The ferret smiled wickedly. "Hoi, Unka, you like big ones, don't you?"
  A deranged-looking squirrel called Unka, the one who had first attacked Fauken, licked his lips. "Yeh, I'll take care of her."
  "What about me?" grumbled the voice of the sea otter. "She's too big for you, you little-"
  "Lay off, both of you," sneered the last vagabond, a rat. "We'll decide after we subdue 'er." All four creatures advanced slowly on Fauken, who looked around desperately for an escape. There were too many to fight, even if she was larger than three of them. Her best chance was to try to jump. . .
  She rushed to the side suddenly, leaping at the roof of the nearest building, and managing to just get a hold with one paw. The wildcat frantically tried to clamber up, but was pulled roughly to the ground by her tail. She landed painfully on her back, the wind blown from her lungs. Fauken's arms were pinned down by two pairs of paws, while Unka sat on her stomach with his knife held to her throat.
  "Here, pretty kitty, now you're all mine. . ."
  "Hey!"
  All five creatures turned to the opening of the alley, where three metal-clad creatures stood looking in.
  "Soldiers!" hissed the ferret, and he ran off, his three companions following. Fauken sat up quickly, trying to catch her breath as two of the soldiers ran after the fleeing urchins. The cat stood up shakily, looking at the last soldier.
  "Thanks."
  The armored otter winked at her. "Just doin' my duty, miss. Say, you seem to need some rest; what do you say I bring you somewhere nice, eh? As a return gift for saving your life? I know a place. . ."
  Forget that. Fauken didn't trust this soldier any more than the four freaks she had just dealt with. "Just point me in the direction of the nearest inn."

Reed had left Hazel. With arrows missing him by a hair, and lizards closing in on him, he couldn't carry her any farther. The young fox had set her down on the sand and took off running. Now he sat, leaning against a tree and shivering in the cold, wishing he had more than a pair of ragged shorts to keep him warm, "I'll go back," he muttered, "There were just too many. But I'll go back to save her. And bury the lizard," he sobbed, ashamed of his fear.


  Anna pointed down the alley, "Over that way, cat," she answered, brushing past the otter as she glanced at Fauken, "I'll walk you there. It's not safe out here if you're alone. By the way, I'm Anna. Anna Mudscale. And you are?" She asked. Maybe she would join Kraoleck's army.

OOC: I edited my last post so that Anna wasn't in the army attacking the resistance, I need something for her to do.

  "Fauken," the wildcat replied, eying the monitor warily. From what the fox Reed had told her, it may have been a good idea not taking out her knife; it may have gotten confiscated. "I can take care of myself, thank you."

 "Good idea. We can recruit more beasts in the woods, as well as train them. We have to act quickly, Kraoleck will seek to take advantage of our leader's death" Tredian said, deliberately avoiding saying Hazel's name. He was good friends with the squirrel once, and despite his cold face, was devastated by her death.
                                                                                          Perhaps one day, the Resistance would suffer the same fate...
~~O~~

        Seht watched the fire consume the letter, his face impassive. He should have been at the attack on the resistance, but the letter that now burned in the fireplace in his room had stopped him.
                                                                                                     "She gave me a son... The thought repeated itself "And I gave her betrayal. Why? Kraoleck. My loyalty cost me my life... "
                                                                                                                He rose with a single fluid motion, and walked to the training fields. The seeds of treason could be planted easily...
                                               

Anna didn't leave, "So where are you from? I'm guessing you're passing through, not here to stay, right?" She asked, letting her spear hang loosely from her claws. This cat didn't seem like a threat and could do well as a soldier.

  "I'm from the east. Just traveling, and gonna go up north after I stock up on food." Fauken was tired and didn't feel like dealing with anybeast right then. And, true to her nature, she felt like she had been there for long enough. "Thanks for your help, but I'm really tired and ought to get going."

Anna stopped following for a second, then started walking again, "Hey, I'm sure that King Kraoleck would love to have a fighter like you in his army. You'd be taken care of, fed and provided with weapons. Just an option for you to consider, uh, Fauken."

All of the day before was spent in a haze of memories she'd rather forget and questions that wouldn't stop tormenting her.  Finally, desperate for some sort of decision to be made, Ennalee told herself that she was definitely not going to the Resistance meeting that night and that was that.  She did manage to get some sleep that night, and the next day found her occupying herself as best as she could with reading a thick history book.

  Ugh, thought Fauken. Become a soldier? "Not interested, thank you. Now good night!"
  The cat had had enough of the ordeal, and walked quickly down the street until she finally came across the inn. She paid for her room, and collapsed in a tired heap on the simple straw-stuffed bed. She was asleep within moments.

OOC Shall I do a time skip to the morning now?

OOC: Sure

IC:

Giving the room one last check Ordis closed the window and fitted heated rocks under the bedspread. His daughter Maribel who he had enlisted to help him held up a broom that was much to big for her, grinning happily at her father.

"All done pa." She squeaked. Ordis scanned the floor nodding in satisfaction.

"Very well done, come now Kraoleck may return at any time. We do not want to be in here when he does." Such work was beneath him as the steward, but if a mouse wants something done right, he had to do it himself. Gathering the broom and rags Ordis led the way to the door his ears twisting around to catch the sound of an approaching creature.

OOC: So let me get this straight: Reed is on his way into town, Dann's character suggested hiding in the woods, and I think there's one more rebellion character who did something?

Just trying to keep track here.

OOC: Aydin (Amber), was the one that suggested hiding in the woods, and Tredian (Ashenwyte) agreed, nothing else has progressed from there at the meeting. Reed is MIA as far as we know. We can time skip if need be, but where to? Also, we'll need some sort of forced conclusion to the meeting, we can't just leave it open-ended like this.

OOC: Well, that's my fault.  :P I'll make something up that finishes the meeting and we can timeskip, unless Skarz wants it otherwise.

OOC: Nope, go ahead.

OOC:
@Sage: Reed is a guy, not a girl :P

Quote from: Eulaliaaa! on April 19, 2016, 10:03:17 PM
OOC:
@Sage: Reed is a guy, not a girl :P

(http://gif.co/vEiM.gif)



BIC: Rusk nodded to Aydin. "Excellent idea, sir (?). If we are going to move to the forest, then every east needs to be armed. I have plenty of blades, so take one if you don't already have a weapon. Please, things like spear and bows, while useful, make us very conspicous and weight the wielder down. Exchange them for dagger or shortswords."

The otter moved the the window, glancing out. No signs of lizards, though it wasn't late enough for any patrols to have left for the mountain. He turned back and selected a dirk for himself. Doing a swift head count, Rusk noticed that they were one short. A fox, right?

Yes, a fox. He remembered now. Reed. He walked to the center of the room. "Has anyone seen Reed? He's a young fox, if you don't know him. Was anybody out with him?"

Fear growled in his gut. A missing member was never good. He could've been captured, killed, a multitude of terrible scenarios came to the otter's mind. Definitely not good.

OOC: (https://media.giphy.com/media/XhQKOvAUJOeoU/giphy.gif)

BIC: Anna let Fauken walk away, slightly disappointed that she had said no so quickly. With a shrug, she walked down to the bakery Reed lived behind. Turning the corner, she saw there was no light coming from the shed. Quietly, she opened the door, hoping to see him asleep. She would tell him about the rebellion creatures that got away and ask him to join Kraoleck's army. But Reed was not there.

  "Reed?" She called softly, turning the corner again and heading inside the bakery. Sometimes, on cold nights, Reed would hang out in the bakery, telling stories and bringing laughter. But the blue-eyed fox was no where to be seen. Worried, Anna started looking through the streets.


  Reed, meanwhile, had fallen asleep against the tree.

"The spears and bows are far too useful to abandon. We could remove the spearheads and make new spears when we reach the forest. I have a cart that we could store our weapons in and take them away, but I'll need somebody with muscle to pull it." Tredian said, looking at everybody inside the room. This was a ragged band, and he knew that these would be hard times.
                                                               

"Still too obvious," said Rusk. "The only way we could do that is cover it up with something. You can go ahead and figure out how to make that work, I suppose. Everyone else, when we leave, make you we split up until we make it out of the town."

OOC: Sage, you made Rusk call Aydin "miss". Aydin's a guy.

"I have quite a few jars of wine in my inn. The cart is covered, and we can hide the weapons in the jars and put some jars filled with wine in the front. The guards know me well, and trust me. I can pull this off without too much difficulty." He said. "We should also leave irregularly in small groups, so that nobeast suspects anything."

~~O~~

Seht looked at the rat before him, frowning inwardly. He had taken great efforts to get this assassin, and the rat didn't look the part of one of the deadliest assassins in Mossflower. But appearances were deceptive, and this rat was a master of a deception. Seht recognised the gleam of a hardened killer in his eyes, and his worries disappeared.
                                                                                                                                "You are to kill the one they call Kraoleck, who is master of this castle. He is heavily guarded, and he is a fearsome foe. Understood?" The assassin nodded and left the room. Seht knew that the assassin would fail, but his blade would weaken Kraoleck and make it easier for him to fall.

The otter nodded. "Good idea. There's a back entrance for the beasts who deliver raw iron, so we can use that one for added secrecy. you can take everyone with heavy weapons and load up the cart, and we can rendezvous at the south part of the woods. OK?"

"It sounds good to me," Aydin declared. "And I can help you pull the cart, Tredian."

OOC: Shall we wrap this up, guys?

OOC: I have nothing to do with my characters...

OOC: Nor mine. Precisely why I want the creatures at the meeting to finish so we can move forward.

OOC: Guuuuuuuuys! Poooooooosssst!!!

OOC: So, we need Ash to post and get th cart. All the other resistance members should technically be leaving now. You want me to PP the NPC's?

OOC: Um, yeah, Ashe's character was supposed to get the cart, and my character was going to help him, so there's not much I can do until Ashe posts, unless I should just go ahead and post and say that we've got the cart and we're pulling it along.

       The meeting seemed to have been closed, so Syphyir made his way out. By most measures, they hadn't gotten off that bad seeing as Hazel was the only fatal casualty.... But the loss still weighed heavy on all members of the resistance. The Grey fox had to force himself to stay calm, despite how he felt, he had a job to do. He was almost in the center of town when he turned into a relatively shady pub. He took a seat at a table away from the bustle, looked like a fight was brewing anyway, so there was no point in getting too close. His wait was not long, "So, how'd your meeting go, eh?" The low, quiet voice belonged to that of a weasel sitting just behind him, his contact, "Pretty short meeting seeing how important it must've been, eh?" Syphyir's replied after a short thought, "Seems they're off to salvage any weapons left from the attack, though I doubt they'll find much. Not much else planned at the moment, best I know..... Tell me, why does the Emperor care about the resistance enough to go chase them down now all of a sudden? Nothing's really changed has it?" He didn't receive much of an answer, though it was quick in coming, "Heh, if I knew the answer to that, I'd be either dead, or too important to be having this conversation right now, don't ya' think?" The fox closed his eyes and gave up on the question for now, his table-talk buddy would already be gone anyway. 

OOC: Is it okay if I skip the loading of the cart and all that jazz?

Tredian was nervous as he pulled the cart to the gate, and glanced at Aydin. He made Aydin wear a hood that covered most of his face, so that the guards wouldn't get suspicious. He stopped at the gate and a guard walked up to him.
                                                                                                                                                       " 'allo, Tredian. State yer business." Tredian recognised the guard as Brindfur, a mouse that frequented his tavern. He was relieved, as Brindfur knew him well and trusted him.
                                 "Well, I got a message from me 'ometown in the mountains. There'll be a festival soon, and they need lotsa wine. I have some jars in the cart, as well as a bottle for you." Brindfur grinned and walked to the back of the cart and inspected it. He strode back to Tredian, holding the bottle.
                                                                                     "Well, you're free to go." He said, and went back to his post. As the gates opened, Tredian sighed inwardly with relief and walked on.
                                       

OOC: Looks like it's morning now.

BIC: Hours before the sun rose, King Kraoleck was laying on his luxurious stuffed bed, covered in many fine blankets and heated by hot rocks wrapped in towels. The mouse Ordis had done well to prepare his room that night; the monitor expected nothing less from his steward. The floors were swept, the blankets were clean, the room was stuffy and warm, and the windows were bolted shut.
  Weren't they?
  Kraoleck's sleep became restless as he felt the cold in his sleep. The night air brushed in through the open window as a creature slipped in, stealthily making his way across the room, cloaked in black and silent as the grave.
  Seht's assassin crept to the side of Kraoleck's bed, silently unsheathing a long knife. He waited patiently so be certain his victim was asleep, the hissing tongue flicking in and out of his mouth as he breathed. Raising his weapon high for a deadly blow, the rat saw where to hit and let his blade fall.
  But just as he began the strike, a scaled arm shot out of the covers and caught the surprised assassin by the paw in a viselike grip. From the craggy face of the monitor gold eyes reflected in the light of a single torch set above the room's door, staring deep into the darkness of the rat's face.
  "Assssassin!" Kraoleck hissed, twisting his opponent's arm and sending him sprawling into Kraoleck's armor stand with a loud clamber of metal. Immediately guards burst into the room and surrounded the assailant, swords ready to kill. Kraoleck made his way in front of the rat, who crouched like a rabid thing on the floor. "I will deal with thiz assassin myssself," he said, waving the guards away. When they stepped back, Kraoleck took off his night shirt and stood bare in front of the other, clawed appendages askew.
  "Come," he said in his dry voice. "Embrasssse your death."


  In the morning, a broken form covered in tattered black cloth swung lazily from a pole out over the side of the mountain. Limbs hung limply and dislocated from the bloodied body, and the head was turned completely around, the vertebrae broken. Kraoleck had finished with the assassin.

Yawning widely the young rat Linty ascended the steps from the servant quarters and pushed her way into the kitchen. Sure enough as per usual Millie was already awake and hard at work, with steaming pots and pans littering the counter space.

"Eat quick, I need you to run to town for me." Millie instructed pointing at a plate of dry bread and porridge. "I am completely out of that herbal tea the mistress is so fond of. There are coins by the door, enough to buy three pounds. Hurry now."

Linty nodded and ate, slowly allowing herself to wake up. By the time she had finished, and collected a small pouch of coins from to purchase the tea leaves, dawn light was beginning to peep over the horizon sending swaths of brilliant gold across the farm.

She started out taking one of her short cuts through the forests, not really in the greatest of hurries. Her paws sank into the falling leaves crunching them underpaw. After a short half-hour walk she heard a snuffling to her left. An unknown animal? A bandit maybe!

Giving a small squeak of fright she pressed herself against the closest tree, scanning for the source of the sound. Slowly her heart rate settled as Linty realized that the noises she was hearing, were those of a beast snoring. Creeping forward the young rat cautiously poked her head around a tree to see a young fox, sleeping alone at its base. Unsure what to think of the resting vulpine she picked up a twig, flicking it lightly at the tod ducking back around, leaving just a ear and eye out to see how he reacted.

OOC:

Linty hath found Reed, and also Skarzs what is the currency system again?

OOC: Ok, I'm gonna toss all of the Resistance members in the forest.

BIC:

The morning sunlight filtered down through the leaves into the spread out resistance camp. Rusk sat by a small fire, now only embers, adding a tip to his dirk. Next to him was his rudder cover, a small pouch of his money, and a map of the area. He was thinking up a plan to get himself back into the town unnoticed.

Glancing around at the trees, he sheathed the dirk and stood up. It was fine hardwood, best for making spear shafts and pike handles. Rusk could pretend that he had been out looking for new wood. He always needed that. He would place one of the other members in charge, reach out to contacts, initiate a search for Reed...

He shut that idea down immediately. It couldn't be a full on search, maybe a second priority at most. Because if there was one way to call attention to a beast, it was large search parties. The otter continued to think of a way out.

Reed's eyes shot open, and he stumbled to his feet, pulling the twig out of his ear. He looked around wildly, pressing his back against the tree, "Hello?" He asked quietly, nervously reaching for the small dagger in his belt.

Peering out from around the tree Linty hesitatingly replied. "Um, hello?" Then unable to help herself the young rat stepped from around the tree so that Reed could see her. "Who are you? And why were you sleeping there?" She asked staring Reed down, her curiosity getting the better of her manners.

Reed nearly jumped out of his skin, then put on a fake smile, "Ah... er, hello!" He chuckled, hoping his blue eyes would have their usual cheery effect. Spreading his paws out, he smiled broadly, "Isn't this a fine day, eh? Just thought I'd catch a quick nap out here, you know, in this lovely weather. Though, might I add, it is not as lovely as you, young maid! And what brings you out here in the forest?" He bowed, outwardly confident and bubbly, but inwardly scared to death. Where were the others? Had Kraoleck's soldiers gotten close enough to see his face? Would they be waiting at his home? What would Anna do? Keeping up his normal act, he hoped he could get information or help from the rat.

Taken off guard by the fox's not so subtle attempt at flattery, Linty inspected her claws shyly, not sure how to respond. She eventually managed to find her voice, though it was much less snippety then before.
"I, erm, I am going to Sarahadoron, for, erm tea." Realizing just how lame that sounded she changed the subject quickly. "I don't think you should be here, this is woodland belonging to Master Grongilf the weasel farmer, he doesn't like strangers. He might take his crossbow to you if he saw you sleeping here. What's your name anyway?"

  "Er... Grongilf?" He asked, unfamiliar with the name, "Oh yes, Grongilf! Boy... him and I go way back. He won't mind, we're buddies. I go by the name of Reed, and what is the name of the pretty young rat I have the pleasure of meeting?" He glanced around as if expecting to see Kraoleck's soldiers running towards him at any time. If he could get into town, no doubt there would be talk of what happened. He could figure out where his friends were and if they were alive. Though he'd rather not take the risk of being recognized by a soldier of Kraoleck.

"Oh," Linty mumbled in confusion, she knew Grongilf fairly well having run errands for Silvertail involving him. She had the impression that the weasel was extremely antisocial, at least to her and everybeast she had ever seen interacting with him.

Staring at Reed suspiciously the little rat shuffled on her footpaws wishing she had simply moved on instead of talking with the vulpine. Linty, unlike Reed had never been good at hiding what she was feeling, and she was obviously concerned. Her left paw slipped into her pocket clutching defensively at the money pouch hidden there. She should never have told him what she was doing, what if he was a thief, or a vagabond, barbarian rebel Millie kept telling her about.

"I'm, uh Linty. Jus' Linty." She muttered nervously. "Nice ter meet you Reed. I gotta get ter Sarahadoron Town."

"Sarahadoron Town?" Reed hesitated, "Er... why I was just on my way there!" He smiled innocently, hoping the rat would let him walk with her because he was hopelessly lost. "Let's walk there together, it's not safe for a pretty little thing like you to be walking out here alone." He chuckled, then started walking in the wrong direction.

Quote from: LT Sandpaw on May 10, 2016, 08:43:53 PM
OOC:

Linty hath found Reed, and also Skarzs what is the currency system again?

Fifty cips makes a pell.

Also, sorry about forgetting about this, everyone.


BIC: Fauken woke to the morning feeling sore but rested, and paid the inn clerk for her stay before leaving the building for good. The bed she had been supplied was little more than a cloth stuffed with hay on a board, but at least she had blankets a roof above her head. Of course, the food she could get there was hardly the best. Suffice to say, she wasn't going to miss the place.
  The wildcat wandered around the streets in search of some seller of food, particularly fruit. (It had been a while since she had eaten some decent green-like foods, and she felt the urge to it strongly.) The streets were quite the contrast in the day to the night, as now it was busy and loud, with creatures bustling about everywhere, and soldiers at every turn and step.
  One soldier was calling out from a stool, saying something about the direction to the recruitment area. Odd, thought Fauken as she passed by. One would think they had enough soldiers. First that monitor lady, then that otter crying out, bold as a blue acorn!
  Of course, she was far from interested in the whole ordeal, so she continued her search for some food stands. After asking about and being pointed in the general direction, Fauken found her way to a square that was filled with rows of carts of goods. Once she paid for the items she needed (and eating a crisp apple from the late harvest right then and there), the wildcat decided to pick her way out of the city. It felt odd enough having to pay for food; the amount of creatures was doing her no good either. To the north! she thought happily. And good riddance to Kraoleck's town.

OOC: Coolio,

IC:

"Uh, thanks I guess," Linty answered still at a loss with the mysterious Reed, though as his antics continued her initial suspicion and fear began to wear off. Watching him curiously as Reed walked away Linty pointed over her shoulder trying hard not to laugh. The young rat was becoming more amused and flattered by the second.

"Sarahadoron town is that'er way, c'mon I know 'ow to get there." She led the way picking the easiest rout through the trees, enjoying the morning sunshine which warmed them through the crisp weather. All the time staring at Reed, a thousand questions bubbling ready to spill forth. At last, unable to keep her inquiries to herself she spoke up.
"Erm Mister Reed, wot'cha do fer a livin? I work fer Mistress Silvertail, and Millie says I do that work fer a livin' but I ain't sure wot that means. I think she means that I get vittles an' a place to sleep, cause I don' get paid. But some o' th' older animals get paid... Say are you a show clown? You're funny like em, I met one las' season. 'E was a fox like you. Can you do flips? 'E could do flips n' stuffs, like magic." Linty began babbling as she was prone to do should somebeast listen. The young rat had very few captive audiences to talk too, which meant she always had something to say. And lots to say about that something.

Reed swiftly turned around and walked alongside Linty, muttering something about testing her sense of direction. He blinked in surprise as Linty started chattering away, and when she finished he hesitated. "Oh... er, I... fish for a living, only enough to keep myself alive though. Actually, Mum helps me out with the food and feeds me sometimes." He tilted his head away to hide a frown. Anna would be worried sick.

"And... I can do tricks." He jumped up, doing a flip and landing flat on his back. Gasping for breath, he lifted a paw, "That one's called the backflip. Some think it's a backwards flip, but really it's landing on your back. Takes lots of practice to learn."


Meanwhile, Anna - or Mum, as Reed had called her - was rushing through town. She was supposed to be guarding the gate with another soldier of Kraoleck, but she had abandoned her place to look for Reed.

As she hurried through the crowded streets, she shouted out for help. "Please, has anyone seen Reed? Anyone at all? Please, tell me someone has seen him!" Every time she asked, her questions where always met with uncaring shrugs, apologies, or shaking heads. Every worst scenario possible flew through her racing mind, and the icy claws of fear gripped her heart. Was he dead? Had he been taken prisoner by the rebellion? With a sob, she turned around to go back to the gate. Maybe he was outside the city. Maybe he was just lost. He had never disappeared for more than a day, and if he was gone for a day he always made sure to let her know he was alright.

Laughing loudly Linty forgot about being nervous, clapping her paws at the impromptu performance. "It looks kinda painful," She commented as she helped Reed get back onto his footpaws.
Still giggling Linty led the way out of the trees and onto a grassy slope which was dotted with sand and withered looking trees. Once out of the forest they could see the large mountain, Sarahadoron looming in the distance. Small wisps of smoke could be seen close to its base, however the houses and shops themselves were hidden from view by a large hill.

Grinning Linty pointed out the mountain and chimney smoke with a slightly dirty claw. "There it is, c'mon I'll race ya there." She shouted breaking into a run, darting ahead of Reed.

Still out of breath, Reed sped after Linty, his eyes darting around, searching for any of Kraoleck's soldiers.


Anna walked slowly out of the gate, her eyes scanning the land desperately. If Reed had gotten hurt, she would never forgive herself.

OOC: sorry for the short post, not much else I can do.

OOC: Tis fine, lets have them show up at the town, and start causing trouble. ;) Then hopefully someone else will post. Maybe they could run into Fauken.

BIC:

They crested the rise in record time and sped down into the town's outer limits where several beasts were starting their day. Linty put on a fresh burst of speed and crossed between two buildings half a pawstep ahead of Reed.

Breathing heavily the young rat held up her paw, slowing to a halt bending slightly to suck in oxygen. "Your fast Reed," She complimented once she had her breath back, "No beast could ever keep up wit' me in a sprint." She paused to watch a small contingent of soldiers pass, proudly bearing the mark of Kraoleck. She wished one of them would draw their sword and show it off, but their blades remained sheathed, and the passed without even glancing towards the two.

"So, um, thanks fer walkin' wit' me Mister Reed. Twas nice meetin' you." Linty said at last looking back at Reed. "Where ya going to go now?"

OOC: In regards to meeting Fauken... Skarz was talking about having her meet the resistance for a little bit, so I could have Rusk send out beasts to find Reed, who then brings all three to the resistance "HQ" in the woods. That would fulfill bringing Reed back, do what Skarz wanted, and give some more action to Linty. (or possibly bring about the end of the resistance)

  Reed smiled. "Ah, home would be nice." He let out a sigh of relief as the soldiers left. Now that he knew where he was, he could go find the resistance's old camp. Maybe there were survivors who could tell him where the others went.

  "Reed. Reed!"

  Something wrapped its arms around him from behind, and he glanced back at Anna, who was hugging him like she would never let him out of her sight again. "Mum!"

  Anna let him turn to face her before hugging him again. "Where were you? I was so worried, I thought you were hurt." She grabbed his shoulders, looking for any injuries.

  He chuckled, giving a small shrug. "Ahhh, y'know. This rat, Linty, found me in the forest. I was over by... er, Grongilf's place. Y'know, the grumpy old guy. I wandered off and fell asleep under a tree."

  Anna hugged him once more, relief flooding into her heart. "Thank goodness you're safe. Don't you ever get lost again, you hear me? I thought the resistance members found you and killed you or something."

  Reed's smiled faltered for a second. "... No, of course not. You think they'd stand a chance against me? Though I'm sure you took care of them in the attack... right? None of them left? That would be bad."

  Anna shook her head. "Unfortunately, many got away. We couldn't get them all. I wish you'd join Kraoleck's army, you'd be so helpful."

  Reed shrugged. "Fighting's not my thing. I should... probably get home."

  Anna gave a quick nod. "Of course. I was just on my way to Salahadoron. I'll see you later, ok?"

  Reed smiled and nodded, glancing over at Linty. He would have to get rid of her and run over to the old camp, he couldn't tell if she was with them or not.

Watching the whole exchange with a bewildered expression Linty scratched her ear. Either the fox was crazy, or the lizard, and she wasn't so sure that one of Kraoleck's soldiers were allowed to be insane. Linty tilted her head trying to make sense of what she had just seen.
"Uh, that's yer mum?" She asked looking at Reed.

  Reed smiled. "Oh, not really. When I was a baby, my parents both died. Anna found me and raised me, doing what she could for me while still remaining loyal to Kraoleck. I just call her mum. Er... you should get going home now. I've got stuff to do."

  Fauken had a run in with yet another soldier, a small, thin rat. This one happened to discover the big knife the wildcat had on her, and attempted to put her under arrest for carrying an illegal item. Having had quite enough of the silly guards, Fauken tried to be as gentle as possible, but there was no way of knowing how much of a headache he would have until he woke up, and she didn't feel like waiting around that long.
  Once she was finally away from the town's outskirts, Fauken started humming happily, looking about at the land that awaited her with her one eye, and she travelled north, unknowingly in the direction of the once-resistance outpost.

Ennalee still hadn't made up her mind about the Resistance.  The time appointed in the letter had already come and gone, and she tried to tell herself that she had lost whatever chance she'd had, but in spite of herself, she couldn't push the Resistance out of her mind.

That was it.  She couldn't hang around the house for days, worrying herself to death.  She was going into town for a change of scenery and some fresh air.

With that, Ennalee put on her bonnet and walked downstairs.  Telling Millie she was going out, she left the house and headed in the direction of the town.

OOC: *Sigh* ........

OOC: So, I don't want the RP to die, but I'm not really sure what my character can do right now. :-\

OOC: I'm not entirely sure either. Do I make a resistance character and see what I can do to help them? Or do I just let them play out by themselves without my help and I'll continue with my own characters?

OOC: Well, I had some really cool stuff planned for my characters  :-\

Hmm, maybe if @LT Sandpaw  were to reply with his character, we could get to the old resistance camp, meet up with Fauken, find the resistance, and get this RP going again ;D

OOC: Sowwy :-[

IC:

"Oh, that's nice o' her," Linty said awkwardly. "I guess tha's kinda what Millie an' Mistress Silvertail did for me." She shuffled her footpaws, backing away from Reed. She'd started to grow fond of him, and she had never had many friends.
"Maybe I'll see ye around?" She hinted, looking hopeful.

OOC: *Gasp* He posted. He actually posted! @Skarzs, he posted! He posted! ;D

I'm gonna go have lunch, then I'll post with Reed.

I can no longer be blamed for how dead this RP is. ;)

OOC: Humbug.

Eul. Please.

OOC: ..... uh....... whoops?

BIC: "What kind creatures," Reed said, giving a smile. He liked Linty, and he made a mental note to talk to her again at some point. But now, he needed to focus on the resistance. How many had been killed or wounded in the attack, and what their plan was now. "I hope to meet you again, Linty. Er... I gotta go." He smiled again, bowing deeply before he turned to leave. He needed to find the camp.

OOC: I'm gonna time-skip so that Fauken and Reed can meet up. I don't know if dragging this RP on my back will get it going again, but I'm gonna try.

BIC: Fauken walked over the dunes with easy strides, enjoying the open land and leaving the mountain and its town behind her. She had been traveling for quite a while, and Sarahadoron was now far away. The wildcat breathed in the fresh air deeply. . .
  "Ew!" she said, holding a paw to her nose. What was that smell? It was like some horrible combination of decaying plants, rotted wood, and a conglomeration of other putrid smells. Despite the smell being so abhorrent, Fauken couldn't help but be curious about what on earth it could be. Following her same path, the female cat scrambled up a dune, and found the source of the smell.
  Bodies, dozens of them, were littered about the dunes, some half-covered in sand, others half-covered in flies, and all of them were dead. Some had arrows sticking from them, others were battered and cut horribly. Fauken felt sick.

  Reed made his way carefully through the dunes, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds in fear that he would see a soldier of Kraoleck charging towards him. He crouched low as he went, a nervous smile twitching across his face. Would anybody be there? He made it to the top of a dune, the smell hitting him like a wave of death and disappointment. Panic began to fill the young fox. They couldn't all be dead - there'd be talk around the town. He'd have heard, right? He looked to his left, spotting a wildcat standing on top of another dune. Quickly, he ducked back down, peeking up to see if he had been noticed. Was the wildcaf with Kraoleck?

OOC:  It's the same day as the last time I posted, right?  To be honest, I'm having trouble keeping everyone else's agendas straight. :P
BIC:

Ennalee walked briskly into town.  It had been a while since she'd last been there, and it felt good to get a change of scenery, no matter what it was.  She walked past a few stalls selling food and paused at one to buy an apple.  Munching on it, she continued slowly past some run-down houses, enjoying the slight breeze on her face and trying to forget about making any decisions for the moment.

OOC: These are all separate guests.

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OOC: @Sagetip: Aren't you the Resistance leader now? Maybe you could think of something to do, 'cause I have no idea what to do with my character and the Resistance group is sitting in the forest doing nothing. :P

OOC: I thought we were just waiting until Reed returned or something...

OOC: Someone from the resistance can travel inland to try to find help perhaps? I have something in mind, but I can't post right now.

Seht was out on the battlements taking his morning walk, his bodyguard Silvermore behind him, when he noticed the corpse hanging from the mountain. He did a nightmarish imitation of a grin, and continued on his walk, a spring in his step. This would make Kraoleck paranoid, and the fact that only two rebellion members had died in the attack would inflame his paranoia. From then, it was a simple matter of a few words and all would be avenged...


 

OOC: @Eulaliaaa!  @Skarzs @Jukka the Sling @Sagetip @Lady Amber @LT Sandpaw Please post!

  Kraoleck didn't like the fact that somebeast had made a suicide attempt, even if the rat had been doing it just for himself. Ideas spread, and that meant others would have similar ideas. He had ordered guards patrol the base of the mountain at all times, taking no chances for another miscreant making his way up the slopes to try for his life again. Now he roamed through the mountain chambers, brooding and thinking.
  The recruitment had slowed to a snail's crawl, despite the threats, promises, and appraisal of loyalty the king had doled out. The army was large, but would it be enough for the war? It would have to be. Besides, the little creatures would be expendable, though now he might have to make them more useful.
  He sent a servant to collect Seht and the other officers; he needed to talk to them about preparations.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Fauken caught a glimpse of something move, and she immediately spun towards the direction she thought she saw it. What kind of creature would want to be out in this carnage? Then, the wildcat thought it might be a survivor.
  "Hello?" she cried out. "What happened here?"

OOC: Murder.

Seht followed the servant with some apprehension. Kraoleck surely wouldn't have found out about the assassination attempt, but he could inconvenience him at this critical moment, which would not turn out well. He glanced at some of the officers who followed him, and smiled. His faction grew stronger everyday, while Kraoleck's supporters dwindled. At this rate, he could take power in a few weeks, but he wanted to make it swift. The threat of invasion always hung at the back of his mind, and the sooner he would get this over with, the better.
                                                                                                                                                                  He arrived at the meeting place, and bowed to Kraoleck. "Greetingssss, my Lord."
                   
                         

Reed heard the wildcat's voice and saw he had been noticed. Without hesitation, he turned and ran in the opposite direction. He grabbed the hilt of the rusted, small dagger he had taken with him. Where to go. Town wouldn't be the safest place, he wasn't sure if a soldier had seen him or would recognize him. Maybe the forest. He tripped over his own paws, nearly landing on the blade of the dagger, then scrambled to his feet and turned around, dagger in paw, to see if the wildcat had followed him or not.

OOC: well, I can't be blamed for this thread's inactivity. :P

OOC: My bad. I've been busy.

BIC: As soon as she saw movement, Fauken started running after it. It was a relatively small creature, on the dune across from her, running away. "Hey!" she yelled. "Stop!"
  Being larger than the other, the wildcat was able to cover more ground, and when he tripped, she was able to notice what kind of creature it was: a fox. He turned around with a knife in his paw, and she stopped short, sand piling up over her paws as she dug them into the dune. "I don't want to fight," she said loud enough for him to hear. "Just put the knife down, I want to talk to you!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OOC: @Lord Ashenwyte, if you want, feel free to PP this whole part the way you want it to go.

BIC: "Ssseht. I want the army ready ssoon. I want it to begin az ssoon az posssible; there wass an attempt azzasssinate me." Kraoleck narrowed his eyes at his officer. "Do you know anything about it?"

"My ssspies have reported that the mercenary Ivar the Immortal hasss been raiding our assetsss near Plantarre. They say that he and hisss s band are living like kingsss while our sssubjects sssuffer. He might have sssent the asssasssinsss to kill you without a sssstruggle." Seht said.
"We ssshould crush him quickly to tessst our recruitssss."
OOC: Is it okay if what Seht  says is true?

OOC: . . . I guess, but who is Ivar the Immortal? :P

OOC: A mercenary guy with a band of beasts about 75 in number. They're trained, and Ivar has been grievously wounded many times before but has come back, and proclaims himself as an emissary of a higher entity. As a result he has some religious fanatics following his camp.

  "I know thiss creature. He iz an ally of the rebelss. Have him brought here for exsssecution."

OOC: Shortest post in the world, but it's better than nothing. @Lord Ashenwyte, after you post in reply, I'll time skip and make the setting.

"Yessss, your Grace, it will be done without failure." Seht said, and smiled inwardly. This was working far better than expected...

OOC: @Skarzs