The Undecided

[The Skarzs]

  "Might be a broken bone or two," said Darrin, looking down the stairs where the hare had disappeared.

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

  Rallowan held up a paw, stopping his entire group in their tracks. He stood stock still, listening. There it was again, voices.
  The fox motioned for them to separate and hide on either side of the road, and he dove behind a bush with his bow ready.

[Dannflower Reguba]

       Raleigh rolled her eyes knowingly, "You're not going to get rid of me that easily. That hare is a klutz with a hard head, he's done that many a time before with nary a single injury. Not that it makes any sense, but my duties lie here." Twisty knew something, and Darrin was definitely not here for the average friendly visit. The situation was very sticky, but this might just be a chance to learn something about them. She grabbed an inkwell from the desk before taking a seat on a bed nearer to the door. She measured her distance carefully, most beasts wouldn't be able to catch a whispered conversation from here, but her ears were sharp. She started writing with sharp, loud strokes, acting as if oblivious.

[The Skarzs]

  Darrin grimaced at the squirrel's stubborn attitude, and he walked right in the room and grabbed Twisty by the arm. "C'mon, I gotta talk to you, charmer."

[Ashleg]

"Heh, Charmer," Twisty laughed, wincing at his arm.
The rat lowered his voice drastically when he thought that Raleigh couldn't hear. "What d'ye want, Chief? I'm not allowed to go anywhere. She's watching..."

[The Skarzs]

  "You can't even get out of bed?" Darrin groaned. "Alright, listen close." He lowered his voice as much as he could. "We ain't staying here long. Going to try tonight to slip out one of the small gates. Tell me you'll be able to get out, otherwise you'll be left behind."

[Ashleg]

A look of shock, almost of protest, flashed across the rat's gnarled features.
"Leave? Tonight?" he hissed. "But--but Raleigh...she's purtty, Derrin. I can't just leave 'er, never to return!"
The ferret's words echoed in his mind: "otherwise you'll be left behind." He could not--would not--be left behind.
Twisty narrowed his eyes in resolution.
"I'm coming. I'll think o' something. You jus' leggo of my arm now."

[Dannflower Reguba]

OOC: Slow down! I'm trying to post!  BIC:

       Raleigh nearly whirled on Darrin, slightly re-infuriated by his lackadaisical grabbing of the obvious injury, but she caught herself when she faintly heard Twisty's voice, "He's actually capable of being that quiet?!" They exchanged words fast, and she could only key in on a few handfuls. They were better at this than she anticipated, which made sense now that she stopped to think about it. She chided herself, but didn't have time to finish the thought. She had to say something, otherwise she'd look suspicious, "Kindly unhand my patient, he's not going anywhere until I say so... If he behaves, I might be able to have him up and about in the next three days, but he shouldn't spend all day on his feet for at least a couple of weeks." She turned back to her writing, trying to piece together what she had heard. The best she could come up with was that they planned to leave soon, tonight possibly? Maybe that was why Twisty seemed concerned.... No, she heard her name in there somewhere, and the rat had made it perfectly clear how discontent he was with the current scenario... The only guarantee's were that the vermin were already plotting their escape, and that she, Raleigh, had something to do with it... Not really anything she could bring to the Abbot, especially if she wanted the others to stay calm... Her best course of action would appear to be to let the next night play out without pressing the issue, that would bring far more clarity. Raleigh kept a wary eye on Darrin to make sure he didn't touch Twisty's arm again.

[The Skarzs]

  Darrin released the rat, wondering if Raleigh had overheard. "Make sure he's healing well. I don't want any of my group left. . . Helpless." He shot Twisty a meaningful look, then left the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~

  Rallowan watched as a small group of mice walked along the road, accompanied by a cart hauled by a burly otter. They chatted cheerily, unaware of the vermin surrounding them.
  The fox realized they must have had no idea of the horde's existence.
  He whistled sharply and they sprang out into the open, baring their weapons at the group. The females screamed in fright at the jeering faces, but the otter hurriedly picked up his javelin from the cart and held it poised.
  "What d'ye want, you savages? All we have is food, roots and berries."
  "Want?" asked Rallowan, observing the otter. "You. At least, some of you. Alive."
  The otter jabbed his javelin threateningly at him. "Yeah, well you ain't leaving with your life if I have anything to say about it!"
  Rallowan chuckled softly, pulling a dagger out of his belt. "Brave fool. Come."
  After a moment's hesitation, the otter hurled himself at the fox, trying to catch him in the throat. Rallowan dodged, grabbing the shaft of the javelin and pulling hard to bring his opponent near. With a swift strike, he stabbed him in the shoulder, then released him.
  The otter stumbled back, holding a paw to his shoulder as the arm fell useless to his side. He stared at Rallowan with hatred in his eyes, then rushed forward again. Once again, the fox evaded his attacks, and got in two more wounds on the otter.
  He was breathing heavily, as blood poured from his body. He looked at his opponent, fear beginning to show through his bravado. "Coward! You won't fight!"
  "You're not worth a fight," grumbled Rallowan, and he threw the dagger, deftly catching the otter in the eye.
  He crumpled to the ground, motionless.
  The other woodlanders cried at their companion's death, and Rallowan motioned for them to be captured.

[Ashleg]

Twisty let out an audible sigh of relief and tenderly grabbed his arm, rubbing away the remainder of the discomfort from when the ferret had initially seized it. "Ow," he whispered to himself, "What a liddle frogwalloper..."

[Krantor the Brutal]

OOC:
May I?
BIC:
Deep within the forest of Mossflower, a lone traveler was foraging. He had been an outcast, for the most part, his own clan had banished him, to live as an outlaw running from their claws. This nomad was Vorken the fox, the sly and stealthy. He moved hither and thither in search for somewhere to stay, hidden from the rest of the world...and from his former clan. Then he saw them, he spied Hacklaw, his bitter enemy, he hoped he had hidden well, as he shrieked back into the shadows.

[The Skarzs]

OOC: I suppose i'll timeskip now. @Cornflower MM Now we can put the plan into effect!

BIC: Darrin woke. It was dark, and the night was cool. He rose and roused his group as quietly as he could from their slumber as they lay on the lawns. Elijah the abbey warrior wasn't aware of it, but Darrin had found out where he hid their weapons. . . Stuck them in the abbey pond. Despite their rage at the loss of their items, he had managed to keep them calm enough, reassuring them they would get more eventually, and luckily the rat Grimin (useless though he was) was a decent swimmer, and had recovered a precious few of the weapons, including Darrin's own sword.
  Now he ordered them to stay still and silent until he returned, and the ferret ran off to the abbey building.
  He entered the building and padded his way through up to the infirmary. In the darkness he stubbed his toes on the first step and all but shouted, covering his mouth and hopping around on one paw. After the moment of pain passed, he continued on, and reached the infirmary. The door opened with a dry creak, and Darrin tried his best to see in the gloom through the small crack he had opened. There was Twisty in bed. Darrin took out a candied acorn from his pack he had "borrowed" from the kitchens, and threw it at the rat.

[Ashleg]

Ping!
"Owwow!"
Paw slapped on his head, Twisty shot up just in time to see the acorn bump against the wall and drop onto his bed. The rat turned towards the door and Derrin, an unsightly frown on his face.
"Idjit!" he hissed, scrambling free from the sheets. "Annoyin' good-fer-nothin'! What a way to say good morning that was, eh, huh, Derrin?!"
He snatched the candy up in his paw at the last minute and chomped it before slinking up to the ferret.
"'T least y'ad some sense in bringin' me food."

[The Skarzs]

  "Shut up and follow me," hissed Darrin. He grabbed at Twisty to drag him out the door. "Keep your eyes out for anything t' bring along for a weapon. That warrior otter threw ours in the pond."

[Ashleg]

"T'pond?" Twisty echoed, following Darrin but pulling himself out of his boss' grasp.
They walked down the long corridors of bedchambers towards the stairs, ferret in front of rat, until Twistsy prodded his chief in the shoulder.
"I see somethin'...You keep goin'. I'll catch ye outside."

[The Skarzs]

  "Well, hurry up then. Meet us at the gate by the orchard," said Darrin. He crept out the main door and to the rest of his group, and they all moved to the orchard in the cover of fruit trees as they waited for Twisty.