Bonus Round Matthias720(Matthias the Warrior) vs. BrookSkimmer(Srielack)

[BrookSkimmer]

OOC: This round will look a little different. These differences will be explain as the thread plays out. The first difference is that both myself and Matthias720 will make our opening posts before the week count down begins. This gives us each a chance to explain what our characters are up to, and write a bit of back story.

We hope that you enjoy reading this round! At the end of a week, a poll will go up where you can vote on which contestant you would like to have win this round.
________

BIC:

The vole kept his eyes on the blade. He had dunked the knife under the water and watched intently as a thin stream of blood was pulled away by the river's current. Green hues of light shafted through overhanging tree branches causing the blade to sparkle. Srielack sucked in a deep breath and then stood up.

He was on a raft. The kind built by sturdy waterhog paws. He had always wanted a house raft and now he had one. The job had been simple, the plan fail proof. Well, almost fail proof. If that big hedgehog hadn't charged him, he wouldn't have pulled the blade. Srielack looked down at his grey tunic, now flecked with blood. He hadn't wanted to kill anybeast. Too late now.

His new home had a cooking fire smoldering in the kitchens. The vole practiced his ability to walk on the moving raft as he made his way to the small hut at its center. Smoke was curling up from a small chimney in the roof of the hut. The vole didn't need to duck his head as the larger occupants of the raft had. He moved to a table, un-slung his blow dart reed from his back, and sat down. A basket of warm rolls and butter rested within paw reach.

"Not the nicest of day's work..." The vole muttered to himself as he broke open a roll and spread a thin layer of butter over it. "But it's done now and ye have yerself right nice home." He chuckled and polished off the roll in two bites. He stood and brushed off his paws. Taking his blow dart reed the vole made his way through the small kitchen, heading to check the tiller he had lashed on course earlier.

"wa-Aaaa WA-aaAAA!"

Srielack's head snapped around, his small bright eyes seeking the source of the sound. A woven rush basket beside the door. Inside, a tiny new born hedgehog!
______

Arfwel Streampaw and his wife Tooli blundered down the side of the river Moss. The male hog was nearly blinded by his rage.

"To 'ell gates with 'im!" Arfwel shouted to nobeast in particular.

Tooli followed numbly behind her mate, tears coursing through her facefur.

"My son Hengpaw, dead!" The male sobbed. "My son! Our home! My daughter Posypaw, stolen!"

The big hedgehog took a shuddering breath, turned himself and wrapped Tooli in a tight embrace. She sobbed as he tried to comfort her.

"Don't worry my love, the scum of a vole will pay for this!" He gasped and stepped back, favoring his right footpaw heavily. It had been twisted as he ran to try to catch the house raft as Srielack sailed it away. The hedgehog family had been taken by surprise while scouting out mushrooms in a meadow not far from the river. Srielack had stolen up, boarded their raft, killed Hengpaw, and sailed out on the river with Posy still on board.  

"My dear, we need help." Arfwel wondered if anybeast would come to their aid.

[Matthias720]

Inwardly content, Matthias was enjoying a peaceful, sunny stroll in Mossflower Woods. He enjoyed the warmth of the sun as it peaked through the treetops, and a crisp breeze would occasionally ripple in and out of nearby branches, causing the leaves to dance merrily. Then, without warning, his calm was broken by the sound of some distressed creatures. Throwing aside caution, Matthias rushed towards the sound, clenching the hilt of his sword as he ran.

Bursting past the treeline, he found himself next to the bank of the River Moss. On the bank, he saw the source of the disturbance; a pair of hedgehogs, one male and one female, were choked with the emotion that only comes from extreme injustice. Approaching the scene carefully, he inquired as to the cause of their distress. Upon hearing of their plight, Matthias offered to go and retrieve their raft and rescue their daughter from the villain that stole them both.

"I swear that I will find justice for you. Do not worry, as I have yet to be defeated in battle. Now dry your tears; go and rest yourselves by the bank of the river. I will return as soon as I can, with both your daughter and raft with me."

As he spoke, Matthias took his haversack from his back, and he offered it the hedgehogs.

"Take what vittles you need from my pack. I'll travel faster without it anyway."

With a smile and a nod, Matthias swiftly headed down the river, hoping that he would quickly find the fiend that ruined the lives of an innocent family.

[BrookSkimmer]

(OOC: The week of posting begins today!)

BIC:

Srielack paced the raft, thoughts racing through his mind. All he had wanted was a nice dwelling on the river. It was the hedgehog's own fault he was dead. The dagger had been used in self defense after all. If Srielack hadn't killed the hedgehog, the vole would be dead right now. Dead and probably floating down the River Moss, with no friends or relatives to mourn him.

The vole's anger rose as he continued pacing. At least the hedgehogs still had family. Who were they to make him feel so guilty? They could build a new raft together and get on with their lives. Srielack had nobeast to help him build. He was alone. Alone on the river with his thoughts.

"Aaaaaaa...WWwwaaaa!"

Srielack's eyes narrowed. The baby hedgehog was still in the kitchen. If there was one thing he did not want it was somebeast clinging to him for help. The vole went to basket and drew forth the young one. The hedgehog squealed and wiggled in Srielack's grasp. The vole wrinkled his nose in disgust. He could not abide babies. This one would have to go.

The vole carried the hedgehog to the edge of the raft where the current rushed by. He held the young one out over the water and loosened his grip. Then he saw a flash of silver streak by. A huge pike! Srielack could not bring himself to be so heartless. A went back to the basket and placed the hedgehog inside. Going to the tiller he tacked the raft in towards the shore. He would leave the young one there in the basket. Perhaps somebeast would find and raise the infant.

The sun was beginning to set as the raft nosed into the sandy shoreline. Srielack used a small candle to light various lanterns on the raft. After dropping the infant off on the shore, he would continue down the River Moss. The vole gripped the basket and stepped onto the shore. Just as he was placing his burden down, a mouse hove into view...

[Matthias720]

With the sun setting quickly, Matthias hoped that he would not have to go much further. As fate would have it, he didn't have to travel more than a few paces. Rounding a shallow bend in the river, Matthias spotted a raft against the bank, with a short figure ambling around the deck. He watched as the figure picked up a container from inside the raft's cabin, and take it over the raft's railing onto the bank. It was at this time he noticed that the figure was a particularly peevish-looking vole. Knowing that this had to be the villain that stole the raft, he drew his sword and ran towards his newly acquired foe.

[BrookSkimmer]

"Gates!" The vole breathed as he backed up onto the raft. He missed a step and his footpaw plunged down into the mud of the river bank. It stuck for a moment and while fumbling to free it, the vole dropped the basket with the baby hedgehog unceremoniously onto the pebbled shore.

The swordmouse was fast approaching and from the way he brandished his blade the vole knew there would be trouble. Srielack had never been one for fighting. It had been a fluke that he had found the big hedgehog's throat with his knife earlier that day. The image of the big beast's eyes as he toppled over flashed in Srielack's mind.

What had he gotten himself into? He began to wish he had stayed in his little hovel in Mossflower. No! He shouted inwardly. This mouse would not take his dream away. He had worked hard to get this far. He would defend his new home from any who tried to take it. It was his own now, his own little home on the river.

The dying sun's rays played on the blade of the warrior as he closed in. Srielack reached down to a small rectangular pouch attached to his belt. The vole drew out three small darts. One with red flighting, two with white. He quickly placed the red one and a white one on either side of his mouth, nestling them at his gum line with expert ease. He whipped the blow dart reed from his back and slid the third dart inside.

"Try to take my home will you?" He chuckled dryly. "Well, let's see you do that while sleep walking." The white flighted darts were laced with a plant toxin known to make creatures pass out. The toxins were released when a dart struck home.

Srielack raised the reed to his lips and took aim. He puffed out his cheeks, and let fly with the dart. It whistled through the evening, aimed to bury its sharpened point into the warrior's shoulder.

[Matthias720]

There had been many battles Matthias had fought in his life; fighting with a beast who used blow darts hadn't been one of them. Still, he knew exactly what the vole had drawn from his pouch. "They're not inherently deadly," he told himself as he ran, "but rather they need a poison of some sort to be effective." As he got closer to his target, Matthias instinctively knew what he had to do to stay in the fight, even though there wasn't much of one at the moment. As the vole raised the reed pipe to his mouth, Matthias judged the timing of the dart that would be headed his way and quickly turned sideways. "I'll not only make a smaller target to hit," he reasoned, "but I'll be in a good position to run into him with more force." Taking one last precaution, Matthias began to run back and forth in a weaving line. "He'll have an even harder time hitting me now," he thought. With that, he found himself only several dozen paces from the vole. Raising his sword, Matthias prepared to strike down upon his foe's weapon.

[BrookSkimmer]

Srielack glanced backwards, noting the gap between the edge of the raft and the shore. He did not want to stumble or become caught up in the muddy bank with a sword wielding warrior thundering down upon him. The vole left the basket containing the baby hedgehog on the shore and leaped backwards onto the raft. He had to get some distance between himself and the mouse or there would be no avoiding his deadly blade.

The vole wondered how this warrior had found him so quickly. Where had the mouse come from? He wore a green habit with a white cord. The typical clothing of those at Redwall Abbey. The vole had heard of the place but never visited there. Legends of great warriors from the red stone abbey had echoed through Mossflower wood since the time Srielack was young.  Then he caught sight of the mouse's eyes. The vole scrambled backwards from those eyes. They were hard, determined, and lit with battle fire. Truly this mouse was a Redwall Abbey warrior!

The deck of the raft swayed slightly as the vole floundered towards the kitchen hut. The movement caused the raft to dislodge from the shoreline. The river's current began to tug at the vessel, pulling it away from the bank. He could see the warrior not far off, fire light from the lanterns illuminating his determined features. Srielack hoisted himself to the low roof, moving the red flighted dart from his mouth to the interior of his reed.

"Maybe this will take the fire out of your eyes and move it to your veins mouse." The vole ground out the words before placing the reed to his lips. The red flighted dart contained a toxin that caused the recipient to writhe in pain for a number of hours. The symptoms were debilitating but not life threatening.  

Srielack puffed out his cheeks and sent the dart towards the warrior. He could feel his heart pounding from fear and exertion. All around the combatants the river prepared for night. A marsh bird warbled out an evening song, dragonflies hummed to their resting places on water reeds, and fireflies danced along the shore line. The heady smells of bank mud and pollen wafted through the cooling air. All of this beauty was lost on a warrior with a vendetta and a murderer fighting for his life.

[Matthias720]

With only a score of paces between himself and the vole, Matthias watched in irritation as the vole ran back on to the raft. It was maddening to him that he had to fight such a coward as this! When he was only a paws length from the rail of the raft, Matthias saw his nemesis climb onto the cabin's rooftop, in an effort to stay out of reach. "He won't get away that easily," Matthias said to himself, as he vaulted over the railing.

In that moment, time seemed as though it had slowed to a halt. Matthias saw the vole raise the reed to his lips, drawing in a big breathe as he did so. Ducking his head as low as it would go, Matthias drew himself into a ball, rolling onto the deck. THUNK! The dart hit the rail where he had been only a second before. Fighting the urge to look back at where the dart had impacted, Matthias drove himself forward, exiting his roll into a crouch. Turning to the cabin, he jumped towards the roof, preparing a slash towards the vole's reed pipe.

[BrookSkimmer]

Srielack felt a sigh of despair escape his lips as the dart imbedded itself in the railing of the raft. The warrior was coming towards him, the sword dancing lethal patterns as the mouse ran. The vole felt the blood drain from his face. There was no way he could face this warrior.

You fought for this raft! Don't let this mouse take it from you! Srielack shook his head to clear his mind. It was crazy to think of facing the mouse in battle. He was a hardened fighter by the looks of him. Srielack was nothing more than a wandering vagabond who had killed a beast in cold blood. There had been no skill to the killing, just happenstance. If he hadn't gotten the drop on that big hedgehog the vole would be dead by now. Srielack was not one for a fight, especially not against a sword bearing mouse warrior.

The third dart moved from his mouth to the open end of the reed. The vole puffed out his cheeks as the mouse bounded towards the roof of the raft's center cabin. The sword flashed down, aimed at his blow reed. Srielack puffed up his cheeks and stepped back to get away from the blade. His footpaw encountered the edge of the roof just as he let the third dart fly.

"Aaa!"

The vole yelped as he lost his balance and toppled over the edge of the roof.  The movement caused the reed to point straight up as the dart exited, sending the missile flying into the night sky.

THUD

Srielack's breath left his lungs in a whoosh as his back connected with the deck. Pain coursed through his body as he rolled away from the cabin, towards the edge of the raft. He stood shakily to his footpaws, using the raft's railing to help him up. He was shaking but as he looked up towards the warrior, his body went rigid. The warrior had him in his sights, with eyes hard and determined.

The vole fumbled about, readying his blow reed for another round of darts. It was then that he noticed the crack running along the length of the weapon. It must have broken from the impact of the fall! Srielack desperately cast the reed aside and began to search his belt, seeking his knife. He held the feeble weapon forward, willing himself to hold his ground. He sucked in a deep breath and shouted towards the mouse.

"You will not take my home from me!" He tried to sound confident, determined, somebeast not to be trifled with. However, the vole's voice barely rose above the thunder of the rapids looming not far ahead...

[Matthias720]

WHUMP! OOF! That's the sound Matthias made as he fell to the raft deck. The raft has pulled away from the bank of the river, and was now floating down stream. This suddenly made moving around more difficult for Matthias. "Then again," he thought, "if it makes things difficult for me, surely the vole will have a hard time as well." Grabbing the rail of the raft, Matthias steadied himself, taking a tentative step forward. It was not as difficult as he had first imagined. The raft had a certain rhythm to it, as it gently shifted back and forth.

It was at this moment that Matthias had his thoughts broken by the vole, who had just thrown aside his reed, withdrawing a small knife from his belt. If the situation wasn't so serious, Matthias would have laughed! Did the vole really think that a blade like that would be any use to him? It looked as though it could barely split a leaf! But the vole was persistent. It shouted at him. What was it? "Something about taking a home," he thought. It was so hard to hear over the sound of the river.

Matthias felt almost sorry for the the wretched creature. The pitiful vole was standing there, barely upright, holding what was little more than a dull kitchen knife, chuntering about home. "The poor beast must be mad," Matthias thought. "Still, he had no right to do what he did to those hedgehogs." Resolve filled him at that moment. He would do what he had to do to bring justice, but he would spare the vole's life if he could. Changing his stance, Matthias held his sword resolutely, but defensively, with the flat of the blade facing outwards. Taking slow, deliberate steps forward, he closed the gap between himself and the vole.

[BrookSkimmer]

The warrior resolutely moved forward, his deliberate steps turning the vole's blood to ice. Srielack struggled to keep from panicking. He had to keep control of himself if he wished to keep his raft. The knife point wavered as he held it forward, his grip tightening on the leather bound handle. This mouse would not take his home away!

"Leave me alone! Leave me alone or I'll kill you!" He glanced at his weapon's blade onto which flecks of hedgehog blood still clung. He had killed once, there was no going back now. He would take this mouse's life the same way he had snuffed out the hedgehog.

The warrior continued to walk forward, his footpaws swaying with the movement of the deck. Srielack shouted, his voice wavering. "Leave me alone or I swear I'll-" His threat was cut off as the raft suddenly heaved forward and then bucked violently. The vessel had hit a section of rapids!

The vole was thrown forwards and then back. A wave of white water swelled over the raft edge, soaking him and robbing him of breath. Srielack willed himself to stand up, still clutching his knife. He shivered violently, water making rivulets through his head fur and streaming down his face. The mouse was still in front of him, the light of battle still played in his eyes. A fire river water could not snuff out.

"AAaaaggg!" The cry ripped from the vole's lungs as he plunged towards the mouse, swinging the knife blade forward and down. Aiming towards the great sword.

Piiinnnnnnng

The metallic sound rang out as the blades connected. Srielack felt shock waves of reverberation travel up his arm. He blanched with fear as he raised a paw and saw what remained of his last weapon. The metal cross pieces and handle. The short blade caught the light of the moon just once as it flipped out of sight and was consumed by the roiling river.

Then the raft hit a turn in the rapids. The whole craft began to swirl around, first slowly and then at gathering speed. Srielack dropped what remained of his weapon and clung to the deck as the whole world spun. He squeaked as the vessel hit a submerged rock, catapulting him towards the deck's edge!

[Matthias720]

There was no doubt in Matthias's mind now; this vole was insane. The way he scuttled around, eyes darting around, as if he was scared of his own shadow. "There's no telling what he might do to himself, or to others," he thought. "This wasn't going to be easy, especially with, him flinging threats of 'Leave me alone or I'll kill you'. If he wanted to be left alone, he shouldn't have murdered an innocent creature and stolen a family's home.

Once again, Matthias was brought back into focus as the vole, who looked like he was about to charge towards him, lost his footing as the raft lurched underneath back and forth by the river rapids. With otter-like agility, Matthias somehow managed to stay upright, holding his ground against the crazed vole, who was slowly getting up again. Half soaked and shivering, the vole cried out as he dashed forwards. Parrying the attack with ease, Matthias was unsurprised and unfazed as the vole's dagger broke against the steel of Martin's sword. The vole, however, was not expecting this, and he stood for a moment staring in shock at the handle left in his paw.

Suddenly, a huge swell of water rushed over the edge of the raft. It knocked Matthias off balance, sending him on to his bottom. The vole was not as lucky. Matthias watched in horror as the vole was flung towards the river by the cascade of water. Reaching out a paw, he tried to reach out to the wretched creature. No beast deserved to die like that.

[BrookSkimmer]

A partially submerged tree trunk caught the raft as it swirled causing the vessel to run straight on course. The shudder of impact ran through the timbers, making Srielack shriek out.

"EEEeeeek!"

The vole scrabbled desperately as another torrent of water cascaded over the deck. His fingers came in contact with the raft's edge and he gripped on tightly. The board to which he clung had struck a rock on the way down the river, breaking splinters into the wood. Srielack gritted his teeth against the pain of the sharp fragments as they dug into his flesh and drew blood. Water tinged with blood began to swirl away from the vole as he sucked in a breath and then whimpered.

"Why couldn't you just leave me alone mouse? Why?"

Then he saw the warrior's paw extend towards him. The vole's first instinct was to reach out and accept the deliverance from his current state of suffering. But then his eyes hardened. This mouse was going to take everything away from him. He was going to take it all away, unless Srielack fought back!

The vole held firmly to the splintering board with one paw, the other went under the water seeking the small rectangular pouch attached to his belt. His paws were numb from cold and exertion. It took all his concentration to open the pouch and draw forth a dart. A black flighted dart.

Srielack had only made one black flighted dart, never intending to use it. The toxins in the projectile were lethal. A mixture of nightshade, tannic acid from acorns, and adder venom he had purchased from a wandering fox. The death would be a tormented nightmare for anybeast who received the dart.   

"NOOooo!"

The disparate cry rang out over the din of the crashing river Moss. The vole swung his paw out of the water, the dart poised to take Matthias in the middle of his outstretched paw.

Then Srielack felt an impact to his footpaws and legs as he kicked through the water. It was sudden and jarring, like being hit by lightening. Consuming pain registered through every facet of his tormented body as he was wrenched from the side of the raft, dart still in paw. He hung above the surface of the river momentarily, his face a twisted mask of shock and horror. Then he was gone.

The silvery pike carved its way through the river, not bothered by the current. Lucky it had smelled the vole's blood in the water. It struck out powerfully with its huge paddle-like tail. The menacing dorsal fin cut through the surface before it dove down, carrying the vole into the icy depths.  True, this was no baby hedgehog, this was bigger and better prey.

As if on cue the rapids died down, letting the raft glide out onto a large water meadow. The water now appeared as green and blue glass, covered with lily pads and reeds. A blackbird called out from stand of cattails near the bank, multi-hued insects buzzed about just over the surface of the calm and beautiful waters. All the chaos had been left behind, and the vole was gone.

[Matthias720]

The horror of what had just taken place, chilled Matthias to the bone. In the space of a few moments the vole had gone from being washed overboard, to barely holding in to debris, to having been taken by a pike. It was a gruesome end for anybeast.

Matthias was not one to mourn for long however. Gazing at his new surroundings, he found himself in a peaceful water meadow. "Of course," he reasoned, "anything is more peaceful than what I just experienced." Stopping for a moment to enjoy the stillness, he reflected on the events of the evening. While tragedy is nothing to be glad about, he was relieved that he had made it through the ordeal. "Now to reunite the hedgehogs with their raft."

Matthias guided the raft smoothly to shore. He tied it to a nearby beech tree, and he set out back up the river. Coming to the spot where he had first found the raft, Matthias saw the basket that the vole had moved to the shore. Hearing sounds from within, he looked inside and found the hedgehog babe, snoring gently and sleeping peacefully. Gently picking up the basket, he carried it back up the shore to where the babe's parents waited. Matthias passed the basket over to a distraught, yet relieved mother, who spent the next several minutes crying tears of joy.

After telling his story to the pair, Matthias picked up his sword and haversack, bid the family good night, and went on his way through the forest. But before he left, he did extend an invitation to them. "Mossflower Woods can be a dangerous place to raise a family; doubly so on the river. If you should desire a more peaceful life, I invite you to come live at Redwall Abbey. There you would never be in want of food, friends, or good cheer. I hope one day to see you there."

OOC: I have had a great time with this whole tournament. Thank you to everyone who participated for making this a memorable time. I hope you all enjoyed this Bonus Round, and that the next Tournament will be just as enjoyable.