The Undecided

[Ashleg]

"Whahuh?"
One of Twisty's gray eyes cracked open and squinted up at Darrin before snapping shut again.
"'T'ain't right, wakin' a creature up like this...come back fer me in a few minutes."

[The Skarzs]

  Darrin kicked Twisty harder. "Geddup! We want to get further from the abbey before we can relax. So get movin'!"
  The rest of the group woke up and busied themselves at the thought of what was behind them.

OOC: @LT Sandpaw I will interact with Hacklaw in a sec.

[Ashleg]

"Fine!" Twisty snapped, snatching his sword from the tree. He prodded Raleigh with it, looming over her.

"'Tis morning, me purtty."

[Dannflower Reguba]

       Raleigh's breath was raspy and shallow. By the time the group had come to a stop the night before, she was so tired that escape was out of the question, eventually passing out from a complete lack of energy. The short nap wasn't nearly enough, and she strained to open her eyes, feeling the presence of the rat before seeing him. She managed to push her torso up, but couldn't bare to look at Twisty, Darrin, or any of the other vermin for that matter. Instead, she allowed her head to loll to the side, inspecting the forest floor, searching for anything to slow down the process through a blurry haze of consciousness... "Do they know yet?..... Can anyone even afford to come after me?" Raleigh silently reprimanded herself, she couldn't risk emotions at the moment, hard as it was to avoid them.

[Ashleg]

"Still givin' me th' silent treatment, eh?" Twisty growled, tipping her chin towards him with the point of the sword. He frowned and clicked his teeth at her. "That's not right, really, 't'ain't. Hoy, Darrin, what'chu make of this? Why's me purtty flower bein' so quiet?"

[The Skarzs]

  "Maybe if you'd stop and think you'd figure that out yourself!" said Darrin, jabbing the side of his head with a claw. "You think that maybe you just kidnapped her? She's angry!
  "Just get her up."

[Dannflower Reguba]

       Raleigh crammed her eyes shut when she felt the blade tip, she dared not even breathe. When Darrin spoke, she reached up with her right paw to grab hold of the tree she had curled up next to the night before and clawed her way to a standing position, quivering from the wear and tear of the past few days. She thought about Darrin's remarks, was she angry? Scared and sad maybe, but anger was a strange concept to her, and she couldn't really decide if she was or not...

[Ashleg]

Twisty cringed, lowering the sword. He turned away from Darrin and scowled.
Is he right? The rat eyed Raleigh. She's angry?

"Come on then," he muttered. "No use hangin' around 'ere like a bunch a' dodderin' old frogs."

[Dannflower Reguba]

       When the blade fell, Raleigh exhaled the pent up breath raggedly. Twisty appeared to undergo a sudden mood change, after which the squirrel pulled her eyes open. Everything was just as it had been left, and the light of the morning had yet to show itself. She looked down at the rest of herself, only to find a bedraggled tunic and scuffed up squirrel fur. She sobbed quietly once, but refused to lose control. Yearning for the trees, she shuffled reluctantly towards the rest of the vermin, wishing that she could just get some rest so that escape would be possible. She could feel the slithering eyes crawling up and down her body, shivering at the thought of who all of those eyes belonged to... If she were to run, would Twisty be the only one that came to drag her back? She shuddered again.

[The Skarzs]

  Elijah walked quickly at the head of his search party, followed by Rowan and the rest. The otter kept his eyes locked on the signs of Darrin passing through the forest, paw prints, broken twigs, and disturbed earth. They seemed to be heading directly east.
  He finally turned to Rowan. "So. . . Why'd you come with us? I guess I rushed into this, and didn't even think whether you'd want to come or not."

[Cornflower MM]

Rowan had kept her gaze cast down as they'd walked, her gut churning as she saw all the disturbances left by Darrin and his gang. It looked like they'd been going fast, and concerned thoughts flitted through Rowan's head. She didn't want her quarrel with Raleigh to be their last interaction, the other squirrel really wasn't so bad. Well, most of the time. She can be so bossy!

Rowan jumped when Elijah started speaking to her, breaking her out of her thoughts. And a good thing too. The squirrel smiled wryly to herself. "Um, I don't really know. I want to make sure Raleigh is alright, and you might need a healer."

[Ashleg]

Twisty walked for a while, then dropped back and snaked his way back over to Raleigh, his magnificent new sword hanging loosely in his good paw.
Before speaking, he glanced about like there were ghosts in the air. It would be a crying shame for Darrin to see him talking to the squirrel and decide to come over.
"Why th' silent treatment?" he whispered sullenly to the prisoner. The sound of twigs cracking could be heard under his paws. "Yer me purtty. Ain't nobeast here gonna 'urt you..."

[The Skarzs]

  "I hope we don't," said Elijah, grimacing. "But we might. Rowan, I don't want you involved in any fighting."

~~~~~~~~~

  Abbot Gerard was awakened by urgent knocks on his door, and he knew almost instinctively what it was about. He got up and dressed silently and quickly, and open the door to walk past the small crowd.
  "It's the vermin, isn't it?" he asked.
  "Yes Father Abbot."
  "Well, let's not keep them waiting."

[LT Sandpaw]

   A cheery grin grew across Hacklaw's muzzle as the sentries sprinted off to presumably warn of his arrival. Moments later the great bells rang and a small force of bleary eyed defenders assembled on the walls wielding an array of makeshift weaponry. The big stoat ignored these rabble however, waiting patiently for either the warrior otter, or abbot mouse to arrive. No other creature would have the authority to trade Darrin for the woodlander captives, and Hacklaw didn't come to bandy terms with a few inconsequential abbey bumpkins.

   At last the Abbot himself arrived and Hacklaw stepped forward so that he stood alone on the path before Redwall's great gates. Raising a claw he hailed Abbot Gerard in a booming voice. "Hello up there. There is no need to brandish weapons and fear, I have not come to trade arrows and spears but words and prisoners." Here Hacklaw indicated the line of captive woodlanders, some of whom were very young. Returning to his lines Hacklaw took a toddler otter from his tearful mother's paws returning to his spot on the path. Hacklaw stroked the little otter's whiskers gently, knowing the Redwallers would not attempt to cast a stone or throw a javelin for fear of hitting his hostage. At least that was his hope, one could never really tell with woodlanders. "Now that you have had a night to sleep on the thoughts of bloodshed and war perhaps you've dwelt on how inconsequential Darrin is, and how petty it would be to fight a battle just to protect his masked, thieving face! I can see doubt in the eyes of your compatriots father, so please reconsider your stance. Consider this poor mother, she has already lost her husband, would you be so cruel as to see her loose her child as well? I swear on my honor as a warlord I shall return the way I came, and forget this abbey and these creatures ever existed. I prefer the southeastern lands anyway. Just turn over the thief and his followers, and nobeast shall be hurt."

[The Skarzs]

  Gerard's claws dug into the sandstone walls as he gripped into them, his heart beating faster at the gravity of the situation. His throat felt so tight he could hardly respond to the stoat.
  "Darrin isn't here. Please, don't harm them!"