Is Redwall as safe as they say it is? (Role-play thread)

[Ashleg]

OOC-
@Groddil
Good idea.
@Sandpaw
...Hahaha! Wow. Oh man. I didn't even realize it until now. XD
I was thinking of a warrior cat when I wrote that. Geez I'm sorry.
IC-
"Let's wait for Jetfur to finish flogging that squirrel before we go, 'cause he has to join us." Rapshade wheezed, glancing tiredly at Saltooth.
The ferret found his paw subconsciously straying to his sabre's hilt as he turned his back on the rat.
He'd had his defense up ever since the first assassination attempt.

--

Duncan nodded in agreement.
"Skip's right. But what if all that does is make him a bit squeamish, like it did me?" He paused as he listened to One-Ear as the fox continued.
"Seems a bit bloody if you ask me. How about instead of murderin' the whole flippin' crew we just knock them unconcious."

[Groddil]

"Only if we tie them up afterwards." said the fox as he shouldered his crossbow and withdrew a sling from his pack. "Course, if we get surrounded, I don't think we got a choice...Oh no. Duncan, how many warriors do you have at Redwall, not counting the three of us?"

*****

Muddle stirred. The hedgehog found himself restrained, chained to the bed by the paws. He struggled, but could not reach his face or the vixen that sat nearby. She looked at him thrashing about wildly and opened the tranquilizer. She dipped a spoon in then shoved it into Muddle's mouth. She gripped the hedgehog tightly around the throat and forced the tranquilizer into his gut. Satisfied, Mortembell took her seat again as Muddle began slowing down.

[Hickory]

Jetfur snarled at Bracklew. "Shaddup. You shoulda learned a lesson from your dead friend." The rat raised his whip and brought it down mercilessly, once, twice, thrice, four times."

[LT Sandpaw]

"Hoy mates, I just thought up a good wheeze, one that limits th' bloodshed, an' helps free th' slaves, an' involves both of yer pans." Skipper said suddenly, a small light burning in his eyes. "No listen close, I hav' this nifty little tail bracelet that I keeps on meself at all times. Now it could be bent into a right little lock pick. Now I'll swim up to one of yon oar ports an' give it to th' slaves. They c'n let themselves loose. Then when we've given them enough time to get free we attack th' sentries fr'm th' shore yellin' bloody murder an' th' like. Ye followin'?
Skipper glanced at the other two to make sure they were indeed following his plan.

"When they 'ear us th' slaves will rush out fr'm underneath an' overwhelm th' pirates, we'll be there to help O' course. Hopefully th' vermin surrender a'fore too many O' them die. But th' slaves might be beyond controlling, so ye know..." The otter shrugged not truly caring whether the slaves slaughtered the pirates or not. In his eyes it was a just reward for enslaving creatures.

"So wot ye think mates?"

[Ashleg]

"None," Duncan said with a gulp. He glanced at Skipper. "I don't know...Seems risky to me. That could happen, but from what I know about slaves they're weak and probably starved from seasons below that ship. That ferret doesn't seem like he'd be so kind as to keep slaves that were full of strength and energy, and we don't want to release a bunch of creatures that'll rush up and get themselves slaughtered. I'd rather we sneak aboard, find out everybeasts' positions, and then search out reinforcements like the Guosim and the like." He paused.
"Sorry Skip, that just seems too sudden to work."
He wondered how Mixy and Bracklew were faring. Oh how little he did know.

[Groddil]

One-Ear shook his head.
"As good as reinforcements would be, I think Redwall needs them more than us at the moment. I say we wait 'til the pirates leave, Skipper goes an' gives the slaves the lockpick, then we take out the sentries and preoccupy any pirates still aboard while the slaves escape. Once they're in the clear, we slip away and take a circle back to meet up with the slaves and get back to the Abbey. Who's with me?"

[Ashleg]

"I guess, it's just..." Duncan trailed off.
He was scared to think about what he might find aboard the ship--were the runaway Redwallers even alive?
"You think I should hurry back to Redwall before the Pirates get there?"

[Groddil]

One-Ear looked at Duncan with wisdom for one his age.
"It's your daughter and her friend we came looking for, so I guess it's up to you. If you do, it'll be harder to free the slaves. If you don't, Rapshade gets a surprise advantage against Redwall. We seem to be at an impasse."

[Ashleg]

"I...Ugh. I don't know. If I go back, you two and my daughter and Bracklew might get killed. If I don't, I may as well kiss Redwall goodbye..." Duncan gulped.
"I guess I'll stay here."

[LT Sandpaw]

A cry of pain ripped from Bracklew's throat as he jerked helplessly in his bonds. Tears sprang unbidden to his eyes as he fought to escape the merciless pain. As the fourth and final blow fell Bracklew leaned forward, his whole body shaking as he glared up at Jetfur.

"You're a coward, you'll only whip creatures that can't fight back!" He shuddered as blood stained his torn tunic. "And when I'm free you'll find that I can hit back just as hard."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Keeping his eyes fixed on Duncan Skipper reached out a paw and grasped the hare's wrist, giving it an encouraging squeeze. "Don' worry mate, if you're daughter n' her friend are captured we'll get em out safe. H'I promise. We'll have to take th' risk, n' hope Redwall c'n take care O' herself until we get back."

[Hickory]

Jetfur laughed coldly. "If you some'ow 'appen to get free, I'll tell all and any of my friends around me to clear off. Then we'll fight, squirrel. An' you'll end up like yer friend. Dead as a doornail!" With that remark he stomped up to the top deck to let Rapshade know that he was ready to go.

[Ashleg]

"I hope so..." Duncan murmured.
"Let's see. Abbot Grant is responsible but as far as I know can't fight very well, Rayne's a healer, Muddle's absoballyluely insane, an' there's Fergbar, who I've never seen fight, and...um, Mortembell. I'm counting on that vixen to keep them safe, I guess."
He'd seen her ferocity toward Fangfang that day. Hopefully she could do that to pirates who were actually capable of fighting back.

[Groddil]

One-Ear smiled.
"Do not be off-put by my mother being a fox, she is as good as anybeast in the Abbey. I know that she will keep them safe. But what of Ava, the badgermother? Badgers can fight as well, I know from experience." he flicked his ear.

The fox paused as Jetfur came onto the deck.
"That looks like the last of them. Skipper, I think you should go now, just head away form the ship a bit. The more time the slaves have to get free, the less chance we have of the army coming back and attacking us from behind."

One-Ear twirled the sling experimentally. He looked at Redfang's corpse and grinned slightly. He had defeated his enemy, he could defeat these pirates. And Redfang would be the proof.

[Ashleg]

Duncan gasped and slapped a paw to his forehead.
"How could I forget! Of course Ava will keep them safe! I guess I'm a bit out of it because I'm so rattled by this whole thing." The hare smiled selfconsciously and shook his head.
"I guess I'm gettin' old, that must be it. Let's wait until they're at least off the ship t' send Skip. Otherwise he might get noticed, and that's never good."

Rapshade watched as Jetfur appeared on deck and nodded to him, waving him over.
"Join us, will ye? We're just about ready to go."

[Hickory]

The rat had grabbed a dirk from the armory on his way out. He'd personally taken it from a squirrel at an old settlement they had raided on the way to Mossflower - right before Slatooth made his dumb mistake. The slavemaster nodded in confirmation. "Ready, Cap'n. What's our plan of attack?"

OOC: Rapshade says, "I have a plan. Attack."

Also, I suppose I haven't been stressing it as much as I should be, but Ava's a cripple... she has a cane. (I'm just terrible at roleplaying it)

But she should be able to fight. A little.