The Legend of the Labyrinth

[Booklover]

The shrew took some of the offered food, as well as some from her own pack, and nibbled it gratefully. All that walking and running from the monster, whatever it was, had made her hungry. The food was nowhere near as good as Redwall Abbey fare, from her experience of the time she'd visited there, or the shrewbread she'd been used to before she left the tribe, but it was far better than some of the food she'd had in her time.

[The Skarzs]

  Algirdas slumped against the wall, breathing heavily. He couldn't think of eating anything; not at this time. He felt sick. "How can you all be so calm?" he snapped at the others. "We barely made it in here with the fur on our hides! That monster is still out there. Big help your map was, Chycer. Did it say anything about that. . . that thing? No, it wouldn't have. You probably got it from that crazy old man. He knew all along, and that anybeast coming down here would die." He pressed his palms into the sockets of his eyes.

OOC: Figured I might develop Algirdas since he's mine now.

[Verdauga]

OOC:Oooh, tensions flaring.

BIC:
Chycer released Dantin and turned to Algirdas. And sighed.
"Aye, that monster is still oot there. And it's mah fault we'er here. If I hadn't taken you all along on this nasty liddle venture, Waiata and Peke would be back at home right naow, Brink and the Wanderer would be free of the labyrinth, and you and Dantin here could have a chance of making it out." he glanced down the passageway, and mentally cursed. He shouldn't have admitted it. Taking blame put him one step closer to losing control of the group. He glared at Torunis and effected his typical, clipped tones.
"I haven't heard you making any suggestions, for what counts. You were quite bally content to let me lead from the front, but now that we're all at equal peril, you start to complain!" He glared down the tunnel, and finished, "If you really want to prove you're as good as I am, figure out a way to the next safe passage. There must be more-- " Ara cut himself off, still pondering their next movements.

[shisteer of nothing much]

Waiata chewed the piece of dried something methodically, observing everybeast to make sure they were all in one piece. They were all quite clearly exhausted and tempers were short. The bat shifted uncomfortably as she watched Algirdas and Chycer argue and, at the same time, noticed Dantin's discomfort. The poor mouse wasn't used to being underground and the frantic run from the monster had obviously brought it out. At the same time, she hated it when beasts argued and she wanted to smooth things out, especially since Chycer was blaming himself for the trouble they were in.
The cheerful beast sighed, nudging her sister and pointing at the young mouse, whispering in her ear.
"Can you go look after Dantin? I think he's scared."

Giving another sigh, Waiata left her perch and flitted closer to the argument, waiting for a break in the conversation before she came in.
"It's not your fault, your fault. We all came of our own free will, free will. Just because you had a better idea of where to go than most of us doesn't mean it's your fault the monster tried to eat us, eat us. Now, stop blaming each other and yourselves and have something to eat. I think we could all do with a bit of sleep too, sleep too."
Waiata shoved the pack back into Chycer's paws, giving him a pleading look. It really wouldn't do to have fights at the moment. Everybeast needed to be united and keep a level head if they were going to get out of this trouble by any route other than Dark Forest.

OOC: I'm not really sure if the bats would know about Dark Forest, having lived in the Labyrinth all their lives, but i don't know what they would call it, or even if they'd believe in any sort of afterlife, so I'll just use the term Dark Forest anyway.

[The Skarzs]

  Algirdas returned Chycer's glare. *Prove it? Maybe that's what I'll do."
  Waiata was insisting that they eat and sleep, and stop arguing. The squirrel knew it was doing no good to argue, but his temper made him not care. He settled back and got as comfortable as he could, sulking as he waited for his heartbeat to slow down. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep, he thought. Eventually, however, weariness took him, and he managed to doze off into a light sleep.

[Kade Rivok]

Dantin shied away from the pushy hare as soon as he was released, and flinched at the raised voices.  The mouse was trying desperately to remain calm, but the yelling creatures weren't helping.  Backing away from the group, he nearly squeaked in fright as he collided with the wall behind him.  He could feel his limbs shaking, and so he sat down once more, wrapping the cloak he wore about himself.  Suddenly, all his energy seemed to fade away and he felt a cold fatigue settle over him; it felt so long since he'd last slept.  He was grateful when Waiata had calmly intervened between the angry creatures; their raised voices had grated on his weary mind.

[shisteer of nothing much]

Waiata stayed glaring at the argumentative beasts until she was certain they'd taken her advice, then she turned to Dantin, smiling sympathetically at the mouse and touching a wing to his shoulder reassuringly.
"It's alright, Dantin, Dantin. You're safe now, safe now."

[Ebantu the Kararehe]

  Pekepeke shook her head uncertainly. "I think none of us are safe, are safe. Aia, we must find a way back to our home, and bring these beasts with us, with us."

[shisteer of nothing much]

Waiata smiled as her little sister used her nickname, giving her a reassuring hug.
"I know, Peke, Peke. I just don't know if we can get home, get home. When we fell, there didn't seem to be any way back up, back up. I think we may be committed to completing this adventure, whatever completion may involve, involve."

[Verdauga]

OOC: I'm going to powerplay everyone for a bit. Sorry.

Ara nibbled on some died fruits, keeping a lookout while the others ate and fell asleep.

  Waking with a jerk, Chycer surveyed his surroundings, rose to his footpaws, and nudged the others, trying to bring them out of their slumber. "C'mon, come on. We need to keep going. If no one volunteers, I'll look for other rest spots myself, but we'll die down here if we don't move."

[shisteer of nothing much]

Waiata shifted, her eyes staying closed as she placed her paws over her ears to keep Chycer's call to waken away. She muttered something unintelligible and turned to the wall. It didn't help. Reluctantly, the bat let go of the rock she was holding onto and dropped to the ground, spreading her wings at the last minute and coming up again to hover in front of the hare's face, still blinking sleep away.
"What are you talking about, about?"

[Ebantu the Kararehe]

  Pekepeke jumped awake as her sister moved and she swooped down after her, not want to be separated by more than a few paces. Her paw crept into the other bat's and squeezed it nervously.

[shisteer of nothing much]

Waiata squeezed Pekepeke's paw in return, giving her a tired smile before turning her attention back to the group's long-eared leader.
"I don't sense any increased danger, danger. That stone monster is still out there but he can't get in, get in. Still, if it would make you feel better, we can move further down the tunnel, tunnel."
The bat gestured further into the darkness where the tunnel led away. She realised that most of the beasts probably couldn't tell that there was a tunnel. It was very dark, a fact that put her and Pekepeke at ease but most likely contributed to quite a bit of discomfort on the part of the other beasts. They had made it apparent that they weren't accustomed to being underground and didn't particularly enjoy it.
Now that she stopped to consider her surroundings, there was a quiet trickling sound, almost indistinguishable even to her ears. It could well be Waiata's imagination but a small tremor of anticipation ran up her spine. That sound meant flowing water.
"Let's head of, shall we, shall we?"

(OOC: It feels like a while since anything was posted here, so hopefully this might get it moving again. We cannot let this RP die.

[Verdauga]

OOC: I have a feeling Stoneater's going to "intercept" us.

Chycer rested his chin in his paw, glaring down the tunnel. He'd gone a little of the way into the tunnel, but hated to go in complete darkness. He faced toward the entrance and turned back to Waiata. "Back through there's the surest way to meet that monster"
He grabbed an unlit torch from Brink's pack and nodded at the bat. "If you're sure, then we'll follow. Up chaps!"

[shisteer of nothing much]

Waiata sighed as she sensed the torch but shrugged her personal feelings aside. If unnatural light made the other beasts more comfortable, she'd put up with it.
"I'm not really sure about anything right now, but we might as well get moving, moving."
The bat winged her way to the tunnel and paused just inside it, turning back to wait for everbeast else.