They Thought Redwall was Safe! (Is Redwall as Safe as they Say it is? Part 3!)

[Ashleg]

Maxy nodded, watching the two in front of him with half open eyes. "Yes...so if you don't mind, I'm exhausted." Tired as he was, he was ready to jump in and defend Fastooth should Afagon and his friend challenge him again.

[The Skarzs]

  Afagon considered for a moment what Fastooth had said. He lowered his javelin. "Hm. Well. . . we have a fire not far off. You can rest and dry off there."
  "Afagon, are you mad?" asked Oriff, without looking at his friend. "We've got no idea about these two. . ."
  "Come on," said Afagon, turning about.

[LT Sandpaw]

"I don' trust 'em." Fastooth muttered, leaning down to whisper in Maxy's ear. He regarded the otter's turned back in suspicion, his base instincts telling him it would be unwise to share a fire with armed and numerically superior woodlanders.
"Keep yer wits about ye, and yer blade too if'n ye know what I mean."

[Ashleg]

"I will," Maxy hissed back. He hoped dearly that these creatures would prove to be no threat. They were Woodlanders like he, and they were looking for Redwall...but then, what good had Woodlanders and Redwallers been to him today, besides tactlessly telling him his best friend and sister lay dead?
"Fastooth," he whispered, his tufted ears twitching. "If you sense something is up, tell me."

[The Skarzs]

  Oriff caught up to Afagon as he started walking, and took a quick glance behind them. "You're not usually brash, Afagon. What makes you think they're trustworthy? I mean, the squirrel, maybe, but the rat?"
  "We aren't barbarians, Oriff," replied Afagon, still looking ahead. "The least we can do is let them rest. We'll take turns watching. Besides, if they really wanted our supplies, I'd prefer it if we can watch them rather than have them sneak up on us during the night."

[LT Sandpaw]

Treading into the woodlander's camp Fastooth limped past the others, taking a seat by the crackling flames uninvited. Dropping a small pile of leaves he'd collected on their short march over he stretched out his legs, warming all four paws. Steam he ascended from his fur and tunic rising slowly into the night air. Leaning forward the rat massaged his agonized ankles, releasing a low whistle.

"Blast n' hellfires mates, tha' feels right good, m' feelin' better already. Like a ratling jus' grown into his fur." He gave both otter and mouse a meaningful smile that was meant to show his appreciation, but which merely succeeded in looking like an ugly grimace. Gathering up his pile of leaves Fastooth patted the ground next to him, urging Maxy to sit.

"I ain't no healer, but I'm thinkin' we need to patch ourselves up best we c'n afore we get somethin' catching from one o' our scratches. I've seen more'n one o' me mates go down fr'm jus' a little cut on th' arm. Nasty business t'deal wit' I tell ye."

[Ashleg]

"More than one?" echoed Maxy sadly, scooting up beside his friend. He curled his tail over his legs and rested his head on his knees. The fire was warm and inviting against his wet fur, but it did not thaw the growing pain in his heart. "You're right. I'll take whatever's left after you're helped...hoping they have supplies and will lend them to us." Please, Martin, if Fastooth dies too I don't think I'll be able to take it!

The young squirrel glanced over him at Oriff and Afagon and gave voice to Fastooth's statement.
"Do you have...I don't know, bandages we could use or anything?"

[The Skarzs]

  Afagon looked a Maxy a moment before reaching in his pack and taking out some clean bandages. "Oriff, lend them the wine if they need it. It might help the infections if you pour it on your wounds."

[LT Sandpaw]

"Mighty generous o' ye mate, yer one of a kind Afagon." Fastooth commented. Accepting the bandages he set to work chewing up a paste out of the leaves and smearing them over the cut above his eye. In his opinion it was the worst injury he'd received, and it annoyingly kept leaking fluids into his left eye. Making sure the paste was well rubbed in he wrapped the bandage around his ears like a headband, tying a knot to keep it secure.

"Ye'd waste perfectly good wine on wounds?" He asked incredulously once he finished. "It'd do more good bein' drunk than poured all o'er a load o' scratches. Course tha's wha ye'd expect fr'm creatures that spend most of their life underwater, must be instinct to dump th' stuff on yerself haha." He nudged Maxy grinning broadly. "But, but hang on there Oriff matey, I won't refuse a drop to clear me head if yer still offerin'."

[The Skarzs]

  "If you really don't want infection then you'll use the wine," said Afagon without batting an eye.
  Oriff hesitated, then simply set the bottle down on the ground within Fastooth's reach. "There you go."
  The two friends watched the other pair, until Oriff plopped himself down on the ground. "Well, wake me when it's time, Afagon. I'm not staying awake any more."

[LT Sandpaw]

Later that night when the fire began to burn low, Fastooth stoppered the wine bottle, its contents half gone. Not a drop had gone to his wounds, Fastooth knew how much alcohol stung and he had no intention of wasting it on freshening up his injuries. He'd survived countless others without dousing them in wine after all, and he had no intention to begin now. Not that he hadn't taken advantage of the proffered flask.

Maxy's head rested against his shoulder, the young squirrel having dozed off not long after their arrival. Fastooth slumped back, reclining his head on the base of a tree as he watched Afagon stand watch. Although his eyelids felt heavier than lead the rat resisted the urge to fall asleep just yet.

"So, ye never did tell me Afagon matey." He began, voice low so as not to disturb their slumbering companions. "Why're two strappy beasts like ye an he travelin' ter Redwall?"

[The Skarzs]

  Afagon looked back at Fastooth. "Why? Well. . . I suppose for me I want to see what they do." He paused for a moment to consider why he should really tell the rat, but it wasn't like it mattered if he knew. "Their legacy of hospitality and kindness reaches far away. I'm not getting younger, and I have found no one to start a family with. So perhaps I will spend the rest of my life as a brother."
  Afagon went closer and threw another log on the fire. "Oriff was tired of being in the little river town we lived in. So he came with me. Now he keeps telling me there's going to be dozens of pretty mousemaids fighting over him to be his wife."

[Ashleg]

OOC-
Wait up!

[The Skarzs]

OOC: Maxy's asleep!

[Ashleg]

OOC-
Hrrrm.