Duel: DanielofRedwall vs. BrookSkimmer (locked)

[BrookSkimmer]

OOC: You may not post here unless you are Daniel of Redwall or myself.  If you would like to join please PM me.

BIC:
Cercio made his way through the forest as silently as he could. The red squirrel's tails flicked slightly back and forth as he went. Cercio was a tracker, a hunter of vermin. Long seasons back his family had been slain by a band of ferrets. Ever since that day the squirrel had kept his vow of vengeance towards all vermin, especially ferrets. He hated ferrets. Huge oak trees loomed over him, blocking out most of the sun. The forest was dark and cool. A small stream trickled somewhere nearby.

The squirrel's eyes narrowed as he picked up the scent of quarry not far away. He cursed inwardly as he put a paw to his bow. He had run out of arrows two nights back and had not had time to make more. He kept the bow slung across his back and held is stave tightly in paw. It was a good size for a walking stick and Cercio always kept one end sharpened in case he needed a good weapon.

The squirrel crept forward as silently as he could. His dark eyes glittered as he sighted the vermin. From his distance he could not tell if the vermin could see him as well. He touched the dirk that rested in his belt and moved forward.

He would avenge his family on whatever vermin waited ahead.

[DanielofRedwall]

The ferret warlord Ballista the Fierce was sitting with his horde. The horde was separated in to different groups based on rank and as a result different fires had been spread out across the quarry, each one keeping warm the separate groups. Ballista sat with only the highest rankin officers and officials.

As they dined and whispered to each other the ferret's keen eyes picked up something moving in the surrounding woodlands. He kept this in mind but did not act upon it straight away as there was always a chance he had imagined it. But there it was again! A movement in the bushes! As his eyes had never yet lied to him, his paws crawled slowly towards the shining scimitar lying close beside him. But then he hesitated and decided to go for one of his officers swords who had foolishly left it lying alone a few metres away from him. He would punish him for that later, but not now.

He felt the weight of the blade between his paws. It was perfect for a one-on-one duel. Silently, without any of the horde noticing, he crept away towards the place where he saw the bushes move. As he got closer, he saw a distinct shape. "Squirrel," he muttered to himself.
He just hoped the squirrel hadn't noticed him move.

[BrookSkimmer]

Cercio could not mistake the scent of ferret. Though other vermin were in the area, the smell of ferret was one that brought him distinct displeasure. He hated ferret. Now there was a ferret coming nearer to him. The squirrel watched the ferret slink through the forest, probably attempting to sneak up on him.

Cercio stepped into a small clearing and held his walking stick ready. He called out in a no nonsense tone.

"I know yer there ferret. Come on out and fight!"

The call was loud, but not loud enough to travel back to the horde. He was not able to take on so many at one time. But one ferret...that he could handle.

[DanielofRedwall]

Ballista stepped out confidently from the bushes. Silently, he sized up the squirrel standing in front of him. It seemed like any ordinary squirrel, and he had dealt with many of them in his life. He had no reason to be afraid, and he wasn't.

He drew his sword, looking an impressive figure as the moon shone behind him. He answered the squirrel's challenge with one of his own. "Come at me, squirrel. Take me on. I ain't afraid."

[BrookSkimmer]

Come at me, squirrel. Take me on. I ain't afraid.

Cercio had seen this type of vermin before. He was obviously a leader of some kind. His voice radiated the confidence of one who had fought his way to the top. The red squirrel narrowed his eyes and took a pace forward.

"I wouldn't expect somebeast of your size teh be afeared o' a lil' squirrel chap."

The squirrel began to circle, holding his hardwood walking stick at the ready.

[DanielofRedwall]

The ferret warlord, a bit taken aback by the squirrel's lack of fear, also began circling, snarling and snapping at the squirrel in an intimidating way. The squirrel's lack of fear surprised him, and he knew he couldn't win on just fear alone. He would have to fight him.

He continued circling, but had given up his intimidating tactics. Then, he made his move. Jumping at the squirrel, he got behind the squirrel and made a slash at his back. Then, he jumped back to see if he had done any damage.

[BrookSkimmer]

Nobeast could get behind Cercio unless the squirrel wanted them there. He turned with the ferret, watching him every step of the way. As the sword slash came in Cercio took a step back and watched the blade slice through thin air.

He had fought creatures like this before. Intimidation would work on some creatures but not on a squirrel vermin hunter. Cercio took a step forward, holding his staff out in front of him, the pointed end forward.

The squirrel dodged to one side and thrust the staff towards the ferret at chest height.

[DanielofRedwall]

The ferret managed to just jump back away from the staff in time. It was inches away from him chest. He was slightly thrown off balance, but he steadied himself quickly. He would need to be quicker than that. If he wasn't, his fate would be obvious. It seemed to him he had underestimated the power of the squirrel. But that did not bother him. He had battled with many tough opponents in his life and came out with barely a scratch.

He raised the sword above his head, the moonlight glinting off the silver blade. Once he was finished with the squirrel he would take it off the horde member who owned it. He could have the scimitar, or even no weapon at all. He swung the deadly sharp blade at the squirrel, aiming for the neck.

[BrookSkimmer]

The squirrel's eyes followed the blade as it was raised high in the moonlight. The glint of the moon almost dazzled Cercio but he stayed himself, keeping light on his footpaws. As the blade came down in the slicing motion, the red squirrel stepped to the side. He heard the blade whistle by, mere inches from his body.

As the warlord finished his attack, Cercio stepped forwards. He jabbed the sharpened end of his staff in an upwards motion, aimed at shoulder height. After this he pulled the weapon back towards himself for a defensive maneuver if needed.

Cercio had fought vermin before, but this ferret had a ferocity he had not encountered. The warlord fought with the strength on more than one beast and showed no signed of backing down. The squirrel prepared himself for a fight to the death.

[DanielofRedwall]

The ferret made to aside the staff with his sword well before it hit his shoulder. However, he mistimed his defensive move and instead the staff hit his paw holding his weapon. This resulted in a numbing pain to shoot through his paw as the staff was jabbed at quite a force. There was also a bit of blood. This didn't effect the warlord too much as he was just as skilled with the sword when using his other paw. So, switching paws, he got ready to strike.

He made a sweeping motion with the blade, aiming at the squirrel's knees. Even if it didn't make contact, he figured it might still put the squirrel a little off balance, and when this happened he would pounce.

[BrookSkimmer]

OOC: Will respond here soon!

[BrookSkimmer]

Cercio winced as his staff made contact with the ferret's paw. He was not sure if the blow would land to metal or flesh. He released a breath as no reverberations came. He had hit flesh.

The squirrel dodged back as the blow came in, aimed at his knees. He tried to step back again but found footing difficult. His tail swirled wildly as he tried to regain balance. He struck down at the ground with the staff, trying to regain balance.

Cercio tried to move quickly. A moment of weakness like this could cost him his life if he did not regain balance.

[DanielofRedwall]

"I've got you now!" yelled the ferret, as he watched te squirrel lose his balance, just as he planned. He walked forward so he was standing over the squirrel and swung his sword at his exposed back.

[BrookSkimmer]

The squirrel craned his head around and barely saw the glint of steel as it came towards his back. Cercio rolled to the side and felt the blade cut through his tunic and into his flesh. He winced and continued the roll. He forced himself to remain in control and stood quickly. He sized up the ferret and clamped a paw to his side.

He could fell warm blood flowing from the wound. He would have to act fast, or die.

The squirrel lunged forward and swept the staff across at the level of the ferret's mod section.

[DanielofRedwall]

The ferret smiled a wicked grin of satisfaction after seeing the effect his attack had on the squirrel. As a result he was caught off guard as to how fast the wounded squirrel could still move and didn't get out of the way of Cercio's attack until it was almost too late. He just got out of the way of the way of the staff in time to not die, but he did not avoid it entirely.

The staff made a deep slash in his stomach and blood oozed out from it. He felt the breath escape him and he felt himself going weak. But he would survive. For now, at least.

He made a sweeping stroke downwards from the squirrel's right shoulder down to his left foot.