Redwall MUCK Forum

Players: Dominik (LP Private), Grace (Dibbun haremaid), Varus (LP), Zolomon (LP)

Summary: Assigned to Dibbun Duty as part of his 'punishment' for being too rash in battle, Dom tells a story, teaches Grace how to quiet a room in the loudest manner possible and eventually decides to take the Dibbuns on an outing to make more paint and for a picnic, after Zolomon makes an appearance and knocks some things about...

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Since his training classes had already concluded earlier, Dom had moved on to the other part of his 'punishment' for being reckless and constantly getting himself injured...having to keep an eye on the Dibbuns in the mountain. It was a task that had certain brought some hesitation on his part, but much to his surprise, it hadn't nearly been as difficult as he had imagined it to be. The large hare is sitting in the corner with a few Dibbuns scattered on the floor around him, and they are watching him with rapt attention as he finishes up what seems to be some type of story. "An' then, they all came home, is safe and sound vith much of the treasures an' all of the prisoners rescued!" His voice booms as he speaks, and it was something he'd been trying to control...though the Dibbuns seemed to get amusement out of it.

There's a chorus of cheers for the happy ending but one paw immediately raises "And then wot happened?" the dibbun Grace immediately questions with a perfectly sweet innocent smile because she knows if she asks that enough it usually throws off most of the other dibbun sitters and it's fun seeing how long they can keep it going.

Dominik beams at the cheers his story had gotten...he'd never really fancied himself a very good storyteller at all, and so it pleases him quite a bit that the random story he'd thrown together seemed to placate the mob of leverets. His ears perk at the lone voice asking the question, his gaze falling upon Grace. He has to think about that one for a moment or two, having not thought that far ahead yet. "Um. Well. They..." he pauses. "They vent into da Mountain, vas dinnertimes, and so they all ate food until they vas ready to burst! Is end!" He finishes, ears waggling as he grins down at the crowd.

Varus is not generally to be found in the Leverets' classroom. He doesn't particularly care to visit, usually considering himself far too busy. But today is a slow day... And, he wants to make sure Private Dominik in not shirking his duty. And so, the legendary Major Swiftbuck steps into the classroom, his gaze sweeping over all the young hares. "Well, glad ta see yer bloody well 'ere, wot..."

Grace's innocent smile slowly turns in to a grin as Dom pauses and makes something up "And then wot happened?" she questions again but Varus appears and her grin quietly disappears, her ears perked as she stares at the officer.

Dominik seems to catch on what Grace is attempting to do, and a grin appears upon his muzzle as well. "Vat happened after...is not somethink I can say in front of yous. Vil just say that sometimes, hares eat bit too much, and not all of food stays vere it is put." He points to his muzzle, then to the floor. "Is feeling bad for recruits vith cleanup duty. They..." At that point, Varus enters the room, and Dom looks up in slight surprise, his story pausing. "Oh! Oh, eh...good afternoon, sir..." He gives the older hare a salute. "Yes, is here. Vas told to be here, so is here." He chuckles. "Vil not disobeys orders, sir."

Varus surveys the array of young hares, and nods his head. "Yes, yes... Yer a good soldiah, Private. An' 'as Dominik 'ere been a good storytellah?"

It takes a moment before one of the dibbuns gets what Dom's saying and goes 'Ewww' before many others follow suit with a chorus of giggling and ewws whether they understand or not. Grace watches Varus closely but relaxes when she decides no one's in trouble. She shrugs at the question, smiling again "He's okay. He has a funny accent" high praise.

Dominik looks to be quite proud, the pride showing on his face as he'd gotten the reaction from the leverets that he'd been looking for. He gives Varus a nod. "Thank you, sir. Is trying to be best at vat I do, even if it has to do vith telling stories to little vuns." The large hare smiles, before laughing at Grace's words. "Accent? Vat accent? Did not know Dom is having accent..." Dom wiggles his ears in amusement. "Okay...is better than bad, yes?" he replies with a chuckle. "And funny...is good?" His gaze returns to Grace, tilting his head a little.

Varus hmms. "Funny accent... Yes. 'E comes from th' fah North, wot, an' all Northahn 'ares 'ave that accent..." He then looks at Grace. "Tell me, Lass... Ya wouldn't 'appen ta be Gregorian's Gran'daughtah, by any chance?"

Grace starts to grin again at Dom's ear wiggling but she pretends to give the question great thought before nodding and confirming "Funny is good" back to Varus and she giggles "He's my da' not my grandda'! I'm goin' tah tell him yah said he was old!" she seems to find this hilarious even if her dad probably is older than any of the other dibbun's parents.

Dominik appears to be quite pleased with Grace's confirmation that funny is indeed good. "Dom...is funny..." he muses. "Is vondering vat friends at home vould think." He'd always been more of the quiet and brooding type, never really known to make jokes or really say much of anything. The large hare smiles, "All the little vuns vere vell behaved, sir. They all sat and listened ven I asked them to, and there va no problems." Dom cannot help but snicker at Varus's miscue and at Grace's reply. "...but, Greg IS old," he responds with a playful grin. "Is not a lie..."

Varus harrumps. "Greg is indeed rather... Eldahly. But we don't 'old that against 'im..."

Grace continues to giggle and points at Dom "I'm goin' tah tell da' yah said that too" she turns her grin on to Varus "He's not a grandpa though...you look like yah could be a grandpa"

Zolomon peeks inside as he was just walking around, not doing much as he got training in and running in.

Dominik grins back at Grace, "Is okay, can tell him. Vould tell him myself, if I see. Dom thinks he vil find it...funny..." the large hare chuckles. "Is joke, not serious. And if takes too serious, can just spar vith Dom to get out frustration..." Dom wiggles his ears again at Varus. At this point, the Dibbuns are starting to get restless since all the attention isn't focused squarely upon them. They begin to chatter and cause a commotion, to which Dom turns his attention to. He clears his through loudly, followed by a booming, "QUIET!" It is not angry, merely stern...but he knows it worked before. He lifts a paw and waves to Zolomon as he peeks in.

Varus harrumps again. "I *am* a grandfathah, as a mattah of fact... Oh... Zolomon. Hello." As the leverets start to get restless, he frowns, but then Dominik gets them under control, and he sighs.

*through=throat

Grace just bursts out laughing at Varus when he says he is a grandfather as if it's the funniest joke in the world but it promptly stops when Dom booms at the room. She's quiet for at least a second but she's having fun and feeling rebellious so she puts a finger to her lips and goes "Shhhh" at the giant hare. This causes many patches of giggles to break out in the dibbun crowd.

Zolomon nods and saultes.."Sur..."He looks at the dibbuns and a small, faint smile forms...dibbuns, he always liked them as he walks in a little further."Hey ya...wot be going on today..stuff?"

Dominik adopts a mock look of anger upon his face at Grace's 'shhh' gesture, before it finally breaks and he is unable to hold up the facade. It is likely not a good thing to show in front of all the leverets, but he honestly couldn't help it. He chuckles. "Hmm. Is good at that. Mebbe come up here, and help Dom keep order, yes?" The large hare reaches down in an attempt to gently pick Grace up off the floor. He deposits her upon his shoulder so that she has a much higher perspective than anyone else in the room, besides him. "There. Now, can help Dom better, keep the others quiet, yes?" he grins. "Maybe one day, get big voice like Dom, too. Vant to try?" Dom wiggles his ears at the Dibbun. "Take deep breath, then say 'QUIET!"

Varus shakes his head, and sighs. "I sweah... Leverets these days... No respect." To Zolomon, he says, "Nothing... Slow day... I *should* doin' papahwork, but I decided ta see 'ow Dominik was dealin' wi' 'is punishment, wot..."

Grace just grins at Dom's angry look but the grin grows even bigger when he chuckles. She eeps as she's picked up but seems perfectly at home up on his shoulder "Yeah!" she replies excitedly, going to grab on to one of his ears to keep herself steady up there as she takes a big exaggerated deep breath and yells "QUIIIIEET!" at the room as loud as she can.

Zolomon smiles "Slow...slow is ok"He grins at the dibbuns and does some cartwheels, hey this is sort of fun...he smiles as he balances on one hand and grins, yeah he can still have fun, he puts his otherhand back down and goes to do a backflip...into...the shelves as he eeps and the shelveing sort of breaks, or least the last two sleeves as a couple tubes of finger paint, red and blue fall onto him, as well as some papers and some ribbon as he blinks a coul times and stands slowly...slips and frowns "Umm...ok..I should get something to clean up...yeah."So the now colorfur hare leaves the room to find something to clean the mess and yeah...may want to fix those last two shelves...he'll be back soon.....maybe...

Dominik doesn't mind at all as the little haremaid grabs onto his ear for balance, and as she takes his advice and yells as loud as she can, he grins widely and applauds. He twitches the ear that is closest to the yelling, wincing just a tad...though he's had worse. "You is natural, Miss Grace..." he replies, with an amused chuckle. "Pretty soon, can be sitting here vere Dom is, telling others vat to do..." At this point, Zolomon decides to cause chaos, just when the large hare had the Dibbuns all calmed down, and he shoots an annoyed glare at the destructive hare as he breaks the shelves and gets paint all over himself. "Vell. There goes painting later..." he mutters, with a shake of his head. "Is thinking leverets are behaving better..." The hare glances to Varus and smirks a little, reaching up a paw to steady Grace on his shoulder.

Varus winces as Grace yells, and he frowns with annoyance. "Yes, well... That's enough o' that, thank you." He shakes his head, then stares as Zolomon takes out the arts and crafts shelf, and runs a paw down his face. "Oh f'r th' love of... Zolomon!"

Grace is used to standing on shoulders, her dad lets her too though she's getting a bit big for him now. She might do some more yelling but Zolomon does a good job of distracting her, first with the acrobats then by getting paint everywhere. She laughs when he runs "Yah in trouble!" she yells after him before looking down at Dom suddenly disappointed "We're not goin' tah paint latah?"

Dominik gives a heavy sigh, pointing a paw at the mess. "All paint is there. And there..." he points across the room. "And...there..." he nods towards where Zolomon had hurried out of the room. "Is all gone, will likely dry up before we can use." The large hare frowns, knowing how much the Dibbuns were looking forward to painting. He looks to Varus, "Is thinking as punishment, can have him spar with Dom. Make him put in extra training times...." Dom grins deviously. He is then struck with an idea, and his look of annoyance disappears. "But. Dom has idea, yes?" He smiles to Grace, reaching up a large paw to ruffle between her ears. "Where does paints come from? Out there, from shells, other things on beach. Dom vil take you out, can help find things to make new paints vith. Is good idea?" He pauses. "...IF...is okay vith Mr Varus, that is..."

Varus harrumps yet again. "Yes... He will get a propah punishment latah... In th' meantime, I don't see why y' can't take th' lass out to th' beach... But I would suggest y' not stay out too late... Who knows wot Greg might say..."

Grace's ears fold sadly and she's not the only hare to look disappointed at the lack of paint. Very quickly she starts to look annoyed instead and stomps a little footpaw on Dom's shoulder "Yeah! Dom can beat him up for stealin' our paint! We'll go lookin' for paint stuff and we'll make him come and carry everythin'!" she shouts at the other dibbuns as if she's rallying the troops. She points at the door, pulling on Dom's ear as if that'll make him move where she wants "Lets go get him and get our paint!" she does lower her voice to quickly reassure Varus "Da' won't mind" That is a lie, Greg will mind but she sound so sure that it's fine.

Dominik's shoulder is like solid rock, and so as Grace stomps down her footpaw, it doesn't even phase the hare. "Is not beating up, is training. Is difference," he explains to Grace with a light chuckle. "Zol is goof, likely did not mean to do. But vil make apologize, to you, for ruining day." He nods his head in agreement. He tilts his head a little as Grace tugs on his ear, and despite everything the large hare is showing an impressive amount of patience especially being that he hadn't much experience dealing with Dibbuns. "Dom is happy to take young vuns out to get paint things. But..." he replies, in a slightly sterner tone. "Only vil go if promise to stay close to Dom, and not vander away. If does, then can go out vith Dom again in future to play on beach. Agree?" The hare gives the haremaid on his shoulder a look, raising his eyebrows, though he smiles as he begins heading for the door.

Varus hmms. Dominik is better at this than he ever anticipated. At any rate, the Major has paperwork to tend to. "Well... When I find Zolomon, he's gettin' a word from me..."

Grace is happy that her big hare mount is going where he's told and seems content to stay up there as the rest of the dibbun group trail along behind "So long as you hit him...and he's sorry" Grace will just be happy if Zolomon gets punched, she doesn't care how. "Okay" she quickly agrees to the terms of going outside "But we've got tah take a picnic if we're goin' tah the beach. It's the rules"

Dominik lightly slaps his own forehead with a paw. "Yes, is silly me! Forgot ALL about! Ve can definitely take picnic, is good idea, Miss Grace!" he replies with a grin, the idea actually a really good one, as a matter of fact. "Ve go to kitchen first, get things, then go outside, yes?" The hare waits for the other Dibbuns to fall in line behind him, before he heads out the door. Quite an unusual site one might see if coming from the other direction...a giant hare with a haremaid on his shoulder, marching down the hall with a trail of small hares behind them!

Varus hmmphs. A picnic, of course. He shakes his head, exist the classroom, and heads back to his office.

Setting: Halyard Tavern

Characters: Marriana (LP Recruit, female hare), Monty (LP Private, male hare), Tarsa (LP Sargeant, female hare), Patch (male rat), Adrian (LP Corporal, male hare)

Scene: Private Montgomery and Corporal Adrian make one last stop in the Halyard Tavern before they leave in the morning on their recruiting mission. Adrian's intent is for one last drink, but Monty seems to have other reasons. Or -reason-.  *coughNERDcoughcough*
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Marriana whistles a ditty as she drinks and occupies her usual seat at the bar, taking in some more whiskey. Halyard has agreed well with her, it would seem. No vermin have bothered her either on the streets, in the alleyways, or in the tavern. Most give her a wide berth, and that's evident by how there's a few empty tables behind her. In front of her as she drinks, the doe has a book with big pictures in it that she's flipping through, trying to make sense of the story going on between the pictures and softly cursing her inability to read.

It had finally arrived...it was the evening before the day that Private Montgomery and Corporal Adrian were set to head out on their journey to find more recruits to bolster the ranks of the Long Patrol. All the preparations had been finished and all the last minute tasks had been handled adequately, and so Monty suggested one last stop in Halyard before they left in the early morning. The reasoning behind this was not particularly emphasized, though it was more than likely that Adrian knew why. Nevertheless, the door to the tavern opens and Monty peeks his head in, his hopeful gaze sweeping around the tavern, alighting on each particular member present, and drifting away from each one in disappointment as he doesn't spot who he was looking for. Finally, right as he is about to turn and leave, he sees Marriana sitting at the bar. His expression lighting up for a brief moment before quickly shifting back to his stoic one, the young buck steps fully into the tavern, dressed in his new Patrol uniform and looking much more poised, distinguished and Patrollike than the usual disheveled mess he is on most days.

Marriana doesn't notice the incoming buck, her attention still on the book in front of her, her whiskey glass in a fist as she keeps trying to contemplate what the pictures are showing her in terms of the story. She should've known better than to get a big book of mostly words. Frowning sadly, she shuts the book and sighs, taking a big gulp of the strong liquor and then knocks the glass on the bar, signalling the barkeep for a refill. She nods a thank you as she's poured another glass.

Monty hesitates at the door, taking a moment to glance back over his shoulder to peer out at someone briefly. He shrugs at whoever it may be, before giving them what amounts to a dirty look...in the most good humored way possible, of course. Clearing his throat, Monty finally turns and makes his way into the tavern. As he approaches where Marriana is seated, he notes her disappointment and frustration, and upon spotting the book nearby, he can put two and two together and generally figure out the reasoning. The buck stands behind Marri for a brief moment, trying to figure out what might be the best thing to say, and he waffles over it for likely longer than he probably should have. At this point, she can likely sense his presence there or at least hear him shuffling his feet behind her as he fidgets. "Er..."

Tarsa is also around, sort of a forced day off but she did need a day off after all and she is out of uniform as she walks into the tavern.

The seated doe blinks, her ears shooting straight up and she spins her upper body, a balled up fist swinging to backfist whoever snuck up behind her. But she gasps, her fist stopping mere inches away from Monty's poor, possibly unsuspecting face. "Monty!" She sighs and relaxes as she slumps back on her seat. "Corks! Don't do that again, mate!" She laughs, and one may notice her speech is actually slightly slurred. This could be the first time anybeast has actually seen her at least tipsy. She offers a big smile. "Look at you, all tidied up and ready for your big mission. Seriously, I wish I could go with ya, but I've not been drummed-in yet an' given me proper dress an' all."

Monty figured it was likely a bad idea to sneak up on someone, let alone someone whose drinking seemed to enhance her fighting ability, and so this is generally confirmed as Marri suddenly whirls around and swings a fist in the direction of his face. "Yeek!" The hare lets out a squeak as he finds himself staring at a fist hovering about an inch away from his face, his eyes going wide as he is about to throw both his paws up in defense. Luckily, Marri recognizes him and does not follow through with said punch, and as she relaxes, so does Monty. Just a little. Blinking, still stunned, the young buck scratches at an ear. "Er, yeah. Yeah, s'probably not th'best idea...t'sneak up on someone. Specially at th'bar, y'know. Sorry, won't happen again, scout's honor..." He bites his lip for a moment, whiskers twitching. He grins, peering down at himself as she mentions his uniform, and he nods to his friend. "Oh, er, yeah, had t'make m'self look presentable for once in m'life, they said I'm representin' th'Patrol an' can't look like I came outta th'rag-bag, heh." He chuckles. "And we coulda definitely used your skills out there, but you'll have a grand ol'time gettin' t'know everyone in th'mountain instead." Monty turns and gives Tarsa a nod as he notices her there too, though out of uniform.

Tarsa nods a hello and speaks "Hallo Private....I do hope all is well" Simple tone as she is relaxing and even gets an ale and lays out the needed coins when the drink comes. she also knows a hello to the other hare when she sees her.

Marriana nods and says, "Ah, and ya def'nitely don't look like you're all raggidy-taggidy at all!" She stands up and smiles at him, looking Monty up and down before offering a wave hello to Tarsa, "Heya!" She then turns back to the buck and sighs softly, "I did promise I was...gonna look after your garden. I'll do me best."

Monty gives Tarsa a quick salute, before he smiles in her direction. "All is peachy, sah, thank you for askin'. Makin' a few final preparations before Adj...I mean, er...Corporal Adrian..." he catches himself..."and I head out into th'wild unknown in th'mornin'." As Marriana stands and looks him over, he can't help but try to stand just a liiiittle extra taller, his ear perking and nose twitching as he does his best to look presentable. "Sargeant Tarsa, this is Marriana. She is our newest recruit an' will be joinin' ya at th'Mountain in th'next day or so. Marriana, this is Sargeant Tarsa. She's one of our best officers, y'know..." Monty winks to Tarsa, before glancing back at Marriana. "Oh! Oh, er, right, right, I did ask y'that, didn't I?" He smiles sheepishly. "I'm not worried in th'least, I know th'garden will be in th'best possible paws it can be in. Us farmin' hares know our stuff, yeah?"

Tarsa nods again "Hallo...I am sure you will be a welcome member of the long patrol, we are in need of a few good hares"

Marriana offers a salute to Tarsa, even if she is not a fully-fledged Long Patrol hare yet. "Glad to meetcha, marm. And I have heard, though I'm 'fraid so have the vermin 'round town. Just a suggestion, but maybe we shouldn't be spewin' 'bout there bein' lack o' hares in the LP, eh wot?" She then smiles at Monty and says, "Of course we do, mate! We tophole at knowin' how t' get the seeds a-sproutin', wot!" Despite her smile, her eyes sort of betray a sort of sad look in them.

Monty gives a nod to Tarsa. "Y'should see how this one fights, sah..." He motions with a paw to Marriana. "She took out three bloody vermin all by 'er lonesome, she did! You shoulda seen it!" Monty grins, the buck still obviously impressed from the other night judging by the fawning. "I think her addition's gonna be a valuable one in th'long run. Hey, who knows, she might even move up th'ranks pretty quick, too!" The buck laughs, still not having taken a seat just yet, if he was even planning on doing that at all anyway. It seems his purpose for being here has already been forgotten in the discussion. "It's'th'truth, lass, y'wouldn't want anyone else bein' in charge of alla that! If yer as good at gardenin' as y'are at fightin', I got nothin' t'worry about at all!" He does note the sad look, and he tilts his head. "Er, everythin' okay, Marri?"

Patch walks in...just in time to hear how great a hare is in the room, he rolls his eyes and goes to order a drink "Dark ale and make it snappy not got all day ya know" Yeah..rude as ever is this rat. He does glance at the hares briefly.

Tarsa takes a sip of ale" Never said anything on numbers...the LP always welcomes new recruits."She looks at Patch and takes another sip of her ale "Least some slavers were taken care of recently."

Marriana nods a little to Tarsa. "All right, marm. I've just remember hearin' somebeast talkin', and...well, word gets 'round, wot." As Monty asks her what's going on, her bit of a smile returns and she says, "Wot? No, no, everythin's fine, Monty. Just...everythin's fine."

Monty knows more than anyone else what it's like to have issues that one is not particularly keen to talk about, especially in public, and so as Marriana responds that everything is fine, Monty nods and smiles in return. "Oh, er, alright. Y'jus' looked a little downtrodden, is all. But I'm not gonna pry, t's none o'my business." The buck gives a glance over at Patch as the rat enters the room, watching him for a moment. It is quite obvious Monty is in the Patrol, he is wearing a brand new uniform and is looking particularly sharp this evening. Eyes narrowing, Monty shakes his head before glancing back to Marriana. "So, er, y'know...I wanna apologize about what happened t'other day here. I probably should have been here sooner, an' maybe none o'that woulda happened. It's unacceptable wot those blaggards were sayin' t'you."

Patch snorts "A upset hare maid..that's funny right thar....hee hee..you hares and so called heroes talk a lot don't ya and guess like this here tavern" He drinks half his ale after he gets it and smirks.

Tarsa mutters something about annoying rats and stands "I need to go find someone who is supposed to be here with me...excuse me"

Marriana frowns a little as the rat speaks and then sighs, shaking her head before waving a farewell to Tarsa as she departs. The doe clears her throat and says, "Well...uhm, I do hope you, uh...get back safely, Monty."

Adrian pushes his way into the tavern past a couple of weasels. He's been busy placating his dear ol' ma, and now he just wants one last drink at his favorite watering hole. "Oy, Monty," he says, waving, "An' Miss Marriana!" He smirks, almost teasing the other buck about having a crush, but he thinks better of it. "'Ey, Barkeep, gimme some ale, will ya?"

Monty's gaze returns to Patch at his words and the buck stares at him, eyebrows raising before a smirk comes to his muzzle. "Word must not get aroun' much in your neck o'th' woods, bucko. If y'think we're all talk, why don't y'go ask th'Dark Foxes an' th'Blackrose about how much we talk. Oh wait...y'can't, cuz we wiped em both out." Monty grins, before turning his attention back to Marriana. He finds himself starting to turn red again upon hearing her words, for whatever reason, and he smiles a goofy smile. "Oh. Er. Yeah. Well, erm..." He lifts a paw to scratch at the back of his head..."Thank y'much, lass, I'm hopin' we, er...we do, as well. Hard tellin' what we're gonna end up runnin' into out there, y'know..." At this point, Adrian finally comes into the tavern, and Monty looks in his direction, lifting a paw in a wave. "Ey, Adj. Our last night in th'area, figure we might as well grab a couple o'drinks before we head out, yeah?" Then he simply waits for any and all comments from his best friend. He seems surprised when they don't arrive.

Patch tilts his head "Blackrose?" Seems he knows that name and chuckles "Yeah yeah...ya funny hare...ohhhhh great more bunnys are coming, whatss with all de bunnys is his High might Lord Stripy gonna be here soon too?"

Marriana cocks an eyebrow at the rat, but smiles as she looks to Adrian and Monty. "Yes! Go on and have a drink. Be the last chance ya'll have at a decent swig o' somethin' till ya get back." She wanders back to the bar where she was sitting before standing to speak to Monty and Tarsa. Her whiskey glass is still almost full from her last refill until she throws her head back and swallows it all in a single swallow before tapping the bar for another. "One more, barkeep!" The large book in front of her spot remains shut. She's done with the frustration for one day.

Adrian takes a seat at the same table as Monty. He certainly could tease the Private, and he almost did. "Aye, yer right, Marri... Not many places as good as this..." He lowers his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, and says to Monty, "Don't evah tell anybeast, but this place 'as bettah drinks than wot we got at th' Mountain. It's jus' a shame it's overrun wi' bloody vermin, wot..." 

Monty smirks over at Patch. "I don't think that's somethin' y'wanna see, lad..." he chuckles. Grinning, he nods to Marriana, "Aye, yeah, you're probably right, Marri. We'll probably end up drinkin' nothin' but bloomin' river water th'entire time we're out there." He shrugs, "I mean, not that there's anythin' WRONG with that, cuz we need t'drink water t'stay alive, but...it's not th'same as th'stuff in here, yeah? Hey, could y'imagine if there were like, rivers full of cider n'all that? That'd be bloody wonderful, it would!" Aaaand there goes Monty on a tangent, the buck with a silly grin on his muzzle as he speaks. He looks to Adrian as his friend sits down, and he nods to him. "Oh, no shame in admittin' that, Adj. But t'be honest, it's their job t'make good drinks. In th'Mountain, I think it's kinda secondary..."

Patch just shakes his head and downs some more ale "Badgers don't scare me....bunny" He leaves it at that and just looks towards a couple ferrets fighting over some sort of paper and smirks a little"I like it ere..least till I gets a job but thats gonna be a while"

Marriana giggles as she listens to Monty's tangent. "Aye! Though, I will admit, I'd prob'ly never be able to leave the river's banks." She takes a sip of her fresh cup of whiskey and crosses her long legs. "The mountain should at least be able t' get some decent drinks, I imagine, if tis second'ry." The doe shrugs and raises her glass. "To a safe and profit'ble journey for you two, wot!"

Adrian raises his mug of ale to toast, also. "Aye, let's 'ope so... Dunno where we're gonna start, though... 'm leanin' toward th' South, though. I wanna see Southswahd." He smiles at Marriana. " Ah, but... Did ya finally speak t' Majah Jinora yet?"

Monty eyes Patch, muttering. "I'll give y'bunny in a minute..." He laughs, picturing the chaotic scene of hordes of drunken beasts of all species sprawled out on the riverbanks of a river filled entirely with ale or cider. "I'm thinkin' lotsa families would be wonderin' where all th'grown adults all disappeared to, eh?" Monty waves a paw to the bartender, "Speakin' o'that, could I have a cider please? Thank y'much!" The buck grins and nods to Marri as she raises her glass, finding himself staring just a tad too long at the doe, before he realizes it and quickly shifts his gaze back to Adrian, the crimson creeping up into his cheeks again. Luckily, his drink is brought over at this time, which his attention immediately diverts to. "So, er...thanks, Marri. We're, er...we're hopin' it's safe an' secondary...I mean, er...safitable...profitable...wot?" He blinks, trying to figure out what exactly it was he had just said, the buck looking puzzled at his own words. "Profisafita-....ble."

Marriana looks back at Monty for an unusually long time, too, and as the buck turns back to Adrian and begins to stammer, she smiles softly, a light pink appearing in her cheeks as she chuckles quietly while she brings the glass of whiskey to her lips to hide the chuckle.

Adrian is not at all oblivious to the lovebirds ogling each other, but he says nothing, merely smirking. "So... Marri... You a recruit yet?"

Monty clears his throat, clearly embarrassed as he finds himself acting like a complete dweeb for like, the third time in as many days. "So, um..." He peers down into his mug, watching the liquid swirling around as he does his best to not spill it. "Adrian had th'idea to, er...to stop in here, y'know...t'see..." He coughs. "Well, t'check an' see if there was anyone we might know...here..." He looks up and over at Adrian with a look that seems to plead, 'help me dude!' "I mean, to say goodbye to, before...we leave. So, I, er...thought it was a good idea...t'come here, just t'see. Cuz y'never know...just who might....be here...an' you were here...so...yeah. It worked out...spiffy-like..." He trails off, then seems to be saved by Adrian asking his question. "Yeah..." He practically buries his face in his mug, not really drinking somuch as hiding. 

Marriana eases her glass down as she hears the question presented by Adrian, feeling a break in the rather embarrassing silence she was having on her end. "Oh! Well, I s'pose I am. I mean, Miss Jinora has pretty much guaranteed me a spot as part o' the LP, so..." She shrugs and then smiles at Monty as he hides his face. The doe offers a bit of a smile of understanding.

Adrian smirks at Monty, then turns to Marri, and says, "Aye, t'was mah idea, wot. But, he," the buck jerks a thumb at his friend, "Was right worried ya might not be 'ere, an' 'e really wanted ta say g'bye, y'know?"

Monty's words are muffled by the mug at first as he speaks, eyes shifting back and forth. "Yeah an' if she wasn't, she wouldn't be able t'watch th'garden like we agreed upon th'other day..." He pauses, pulling his muzzle from the mug. "Oh yeah, that's a thing, Adj. I asked her if she could keep an eye on th'garden when we're gone, cuz she grew up on a farm an' knows her way aroun' plants n'such." Monty beams at the excellent idea...before his expression returns to one of mortification as Adrian pretty much spills the beans. SOMEone is gonna be taking first watch on their first day out. "Wot??? I did? I mean...did I? Do I? I...er...maybe. I did. I guess." Monty glances down, at this point completely beet red. He sighs. "Aye, tis true. I did. Thought it'd be nice t'see ya before we left, is all."

Marriana nods and replies, "Aye, I did. Can't have your garden dwindlin' while you're off doin' your duties, wot." Then as Adrian and Monty speak up about what they were truly doing, the doe finds herself in a bit of a sweet shock, a slow smile coming over her lip as she says, "That's so sweet..." She shifts in her seat oat the bar, her legs still crossed as she turns pink in the cheeks and looks at her amber liquid in her glass.

Adrian grins wickedly at Monty. "See? She thinks it's sweet, wot. Aye, Miss, Mont 'ere think 'ighly of yah... But th'n, so do I, eh? Yah'll be a great Patrollah, wot..." He drinks a long swig of ale after that.

Monty goes to kick Adrian sharply underneath the table, and it takes him a few attempts to get anywhere close. However, the buck smiles. "An' it's appreciated, Marri. There'd be a lot of, er, starvin' hares in th'Mountain...if someone wasn't there to, uh...to watch over...th'garden. Cuz everythin' would die." Thank you, Captain Obvious. Monty gives Adrian that familiar look of death again at his words, before his expression immediately changes as he shifts his gaze towards Marriana. "Well o'course I do, there's nothin' t'not think highly of aboutcha, miss! I mean, Adrian is right y'know. You were born t'be in th'Patrol, wot."

Marriana offers up a smile to the bucks' kind words, smiling to them both. "Seriously, bless ya both. Makin' me all warm an' giddy inside." The doe lets out a sigh, her smile still on her lips. "Dad would've liked it t' be here again. See me becomin' a recruit." The doe then looks to Monty and winks. "Makin' the bucks blush."

Adrian winces, and makes a face, when Monty kicks him hard. "Ow... I mean... 'Ow'd proud yer dad'd be, wot? Right proud, I say, right, Monty? So verrah proud... Th' proudest..." He smiles, awkwardly.

Monty gives a genuine smile, eyes straying towards the doe again and remaining there. "I'm bettin' your daddo couldn't be any prouder of you than 'e is right now, Marri. You're definitely one of a kind, f'sure!" He nods his head in agreement with Adrian's words, "Oh, definitely the proudest!" He grins, at least knowing with satisfaction that he got him with a good kick, if anything else. He does indeed blush at Marri's words, "Doesn't help that I'm a total embarassment t'everyone I've ever bloody known," he chuckles. "Look at me, turnin' about as red as th'beets in th'garden. Pretty soon I'm probably gonna end up turnin' into one afore long. Then where'll I go, eh?"

Marriana chuckles. "In a nice soup, I'd wager." She smirks playfully and sips her whiskey before saying, "And your not an embarrassment. Not at all. At least not t' me."

Adrian nods in agreement, and he looks seriously at his friend. "'Ey, yer not an embarrassment, wot. Yer a hare I'm proud ta call mah friend, alright? 'm not gonna let ya put yahself down, Mont..." 

Monty looks between the two as they both compliment him, and he blinks. He falls silent, briefly, not really sure what exactly to say. Finally, he manages a "...thank y'both, I appreciate y'sayin' that. For awhile there, I wasn't thinkin' I'd ever be a part o'the Patrol ever again after, er...th'incidents..." He glances at Adrian and winces, before continuing. "But here I am, ready t'go out on an important mission with m'best friend, an' meetin' someone like you, Marri..." The buck smiles at her, still quite red, though he doesn't seem to mind. "If I didn't know any better I would think I'd be struck by lightnin' as soon as I set foot out th'door, with my luck...." he laughs, shaking his head. "Then I'd catch on fire or somethin'."

Without saying a word, Marriana shakes her head slowly, reaches over, and proceeds to hug Monty. All while not speaking a word.

Adrian's eyes go wide, but he likewise says nothing. He knows when not to ruin a moment, and right about now his friend does need a hug. He quietly sips his ale and smiles a little.

Monty is certainly taken by surprise as Marriana leans over and hugs him, and it shows upon his face as his eyes go wide as well. "...wot?" His ear perking and nose twitching, the buck isn't -quite- sure of what to do or how to handle the situation exactly. He blinks once or twice, before finally his own paws lift and hesitantly hug Marri in return...weakly, at first, before gradually gaining strength as he realizes it was ok. It was definitely a gesture that he didn't know he'd needed until that very moment, and he leans into the hug, feeling comforted...though also, an odd feeling of not wanting to pull himself away.

Marriana simply smiles as the buck begins to hug her back. She nods a little and pats his back as she does so, finding herself not wanting to let go either. Though, she softly says, "There, there. You're worth a lot, Monty. Don't you bloody forget it either."

Adrian raises his mug. "Aye, don't ya bloody forget it, wot! 'E's only mah best friend in th' whole world, an' 'e doesn't even know it!"

Monty finally, yet hesitantly, pulls himself back from the hug, though the buck finds himself with a huge, goofy grin plastered upon his muzzle as he slips back into his seat. He merely stares off into the distance, chuckling softly, seeming to have drifted off into his own little word. "Hehe..." He seems to snap out of it a little at Adrian's words, and he fixes a curious gaze on his friend as if he hardly even heard him. "Doesn't even know wot?" he blinks, looking from Adrian to Marri, then back again. "Wait, wot were we talkin' about again?" He reaches up a paw to scratch at an ear, innocently.

Marriana chuckles and stands up, draining her whiskey glass in a single gulp and then says, "Simple: how good of a hare you are." She winks and sighs a long, tired sigh. "Forgive me, boys, but I gotta hit th' sack." The doe hugs Monty one more time and says, "Come back soon. An' be safe, yeah?" She then steps over to Adrian and grins as she says, "Take care o' him and make sure he does. Otherwise, I may have t' come out and drag ya boys back." She giggles.

Adrian raises his mug toward Marri. "Aye, I'll do mah best. Dunno wot I'd do if ol' Mont wandahed off an' got 'imself in trouble." He smirks at the other buck. "'E needs all th' 'elp 'e c'n get, wot." He laughs, then adds, "In all seriousness, though... We're Patrol 'ares... We'll come back in one piece..."

As far as Monty is concerned, the second hug is merely a bonus, and it only makes his grin that much wider as he watches Marriana go over to Adrian. "Oh, I'm thinkin' I'll have t'be th'one draggin 'is scut outta t'fire more often than not..." he jokes, apparently quite giddy for some strange reason. "Good luck at th'Mountain, you're gonna do an amazin' job, I c'n promise y'that. An' I want ya t'be th'first one out t'greet us when we return, promise?" Monty grins, before looking over to Adrian with the happiest expression the buck has had in a very long time. "Have a good might, Narri!" He blinks. "Oh. I mean, have a good night, Marri...." One last stumble, of course.

Marriana nods and says, "I'll do me best t' be th' first one out there." She smiles and nods a farewell to the pair of bucks before hiding a giggle with her hand at Monty's little slip. "Goodnight, you two. Do take care!" Then she walks out into the night.

Adrian laughs a bit, and shakes his head. "You *cannot* weasel outta this one, Mont... Yer hooked on 'er..." He's not going to let this die for the whole trip... probably...

Location: The Halyard Marketplace

Characters: Monty (LP Private, male hare), Marriana (potential LP recruit, female hare)

Setting: Having traveled to the Halyard Market to pick up some gardening supplies, Monty runs into new friend Marriana, and proceeds to make a fool of himself as per usual as they discuss the LP and old scars.
---------------------------

With the departure date quickly approaching for Private Montgomery and Corporal Adrian's all-too-important mission, it was up to Monty to make sure that any loose ends involving his work in the garden were tied up and taken care of to the best of his ability. The buck had spent quite a bit of time and effort working in the garden, and it showed, for things seemed to be running quite smoothly there since he started. And so, Monty finds himself in the Halyard Market, slowly strolling down the aisles as he paruses the various goods for sale. His attention is focused particularly on the vendors selling plants and seeds; any new varieties to add to the garden would be a good bonus. He is clad in his casual outfit, the uniform left back at the mountain so as not to draw any extra unwanted attention.

The bell of the doorrings with a light tinkle as the door opens once more, letting another customer inside. Striding into the market is Marriana, one notched ear tilted up as she decides to peruse the wares. Obviously, she can't live on solely whiskey. A doe needs more than just alcohol! She hums lightly as she makes her way down one of the aisles, her mouth twisted in an inquisitive manner as she looks through a selection of sweets that catch her eye.

Monty has stopped, and is having what appears to be a rather serious conversation with one of the vendors. "How c'n ya be tryin' t'hawk this t'innocent customers, sah? Y'do know that, despite th'pretty lookin' flowers, yer pretty much tryin' t'sell what amounts t'basically weeds? Someone plants this in their garden, an' not too long after they're gonna have a lot more work t'do than necessary!" The young hare shakes his head as he holds up an odd looking plant. "Shame, sah, shame! Y'call yerself a botanist! A pox t'you an' yer family!" Setting it back down with a disappointed shake of his head, Monty makes his way further down the aisle. Happening to spot Marriana an aisle over, Monty smiles and lifts a paw in a wave. "Hey there again! Y'do know that that stuff'll rot yer teeth, aye?" he jokes, with a wink.

Marriana blinks as she hears a familiar voice, raised above the soft din of the other market-goers. Raising her head to where she can see above the aisle just a little, she sees Monty pronouncing his disgust with the fact that the shopkeeper is selling weeds. She ducks behind the aisle to hide a giggle before Monty arrives and sees her. Offering a waggle of her fingers in his direction, she retorts by saying, "Oh, but of course, sah! It's either rot me teeth or buy some weeds, wot wot! And I think sweets are far bloomin tastier!"

Monty's cheeks and eartip flushes red, as he gives the doe a sheepish grin as he fidgets. "So, heh, y'heard that eh? C'n y'believe th'nerve of some o'these vendors! Tryin' t'sell honest hardworkin' folks th'same stuff they're usually tryin' t'get OUT of their gardens..." he gives a glare back at the plant vendor, who had disappeared at this point. "Yeah, y'better hide, pallo." With a shrug, he turns back to face Marriana, giving a chuckle at her comment. "Well then, y'never tried a properly brewed dandelion cordial, have ya? That's some good stuff right there, an' it won't make ya pass out after havin' a few mugs of it!" He waggles an ear, whiskers twitching as he grins.

Marriana nods a little before she says, "I know whatcha mean, Monty. They'll do anything t' swindle ya out of a coin or two." She shrugs, however. "Ah, well. Eventually, they'll get their commupance." At the mention of this new beverage, however, she perks her ears up. Being very fond of what her mother always referred to as simply "the drink", any sort of alcohol that she hasn't tried, she wants to give it a try. "Ooooh! Hmm...wonder if they sell that here..."

Monty gives a roll of his eyes as he gestures with a paw. "Hmmph. Especially aroun' here. Good ol' Halyard, if yer not gettin' illegally mugged by someone yer gettin' legally robbed by another. Like this, see?" He holds up a relatively pretty looking flower. "This is WAY too much fer this plant. We got tons of em growin' in th'mountain garden, an' they're easy t'grow. Huh. M'thinkin' of jus' gettin' a booth here someday an' drivin' all these thieves an' gluttons outta business." The buck shakes his head, before realizing how silly he likely sounds. He pokes at the ground with a foot, before smiling again. "Oh, er, scuse me, miss, I kinda tend t'get carried away sometimes when it comes t'this. I work in th'garden in Sala, an' I also grew up on a farm, so...it's kinda ingrained a little..." he smiles, with a shrug. "And hmm, I dunno if they sell any here, but I know we've got some at the Mountain! Top hole stuff, y'know."

Marriana looks at the rather lovely-looking flower with a grin, then listens politely to the buck going on about how he's tired of the crooked prices and things. As he apologizes, she shakes her head and nods with a smile. "Not t' worry, laddy-buck. I understand. Y' see, I grew up on a farm, too, and I know all 'bout the whole swindlin' goin' on. It is quite troublesome, but eh, wot can ya do, eh wot?" Her scratches one ear and says, "Funny you should say somethin' 'bout gettin' mugged, though. Had one happen just 'bout an hour ago. Amateurs at best, wot."

Monty gives a heavy, dramatic sigh. "Yeah, wot can y'do? I jus' kinda feel bad fer all th'hardworkin' goodbeasts gettin' their hard-earned money basically stolen from em." He visibly brightens up as Marriana mentions working on a farm, the topic definitely catching his interest as he slowly continues down the aisle, still casually browing yet most of his attention focused on the conversation. "So, a fellow farmhare, eh? Wherebouts, if y'don't mind me pryin?" He frowns a little though at the mention of a mugging, concern showing upon his features. "Oh? Are y'alright, then? I mean, yer obviously HERE, so, I'm guessin' so, but...still...t's never a fun experience. I got mugged on m'first patrol in Halyard. Tried t'take m'uniform fer wotever reason. Beat th'hell out of em, but got a pretty nasty slice t'the chest, I did. My first Patrol injury..." he grins, obviously proud of this.

Marriana laughs aloud. "Never a fun experience? Ha! That was th' best bunch o' jolly-good fun I've had since I left home!" She guffaws and slaps her knee as she says, "You should've seen they're bloomin' faces!" Taking a sigh to recover from her laughter, she straightens herself up to relax herself from the good session. "Oh, my mother and father worked on their farm near River Moss. Just a quick little trot and we were on the river, wot." The doe does raise an eyebrow in interest, though, at the mention of the injury and grins, presenting her arms and legs, which are covered in small scars. "Like these? Heheh. Of course, most o' these were from sparrin' with me dad."

Monty grins at Marriana's reaction to the attempted mugging, the buck raising his eyebrows, obviously impressed. "Yeah? Well, from th'sounds of it, lass, yer gonna make a bloomin' EXCELLENT Patrol recruit. That's th'kinda attitude we're needin' pretty badly right now, so it'll be a refreshin' change o'pace t'have ya about. I'll talk t'the Major as soon as I can t'see about gettin' ya over there, we DEFINITELY could use ya right now!" The buck gives a nod as the location of her farm is mentioned. "Ah, gotcha. Yeah, I was a little further away from th'river, but not too far...it's a useful thing t'keep th'crops watered an' such." The grin returns as scars are revealed, and he takes a moment to tug down his shirt collar, where a very obvious pink scar cuts a diagonal line down from his shoulder to the other side of his chest. "Yep, was a good one. Then I got these," he lowers his head to show the lines criss-crossing in between his earbases..."And then the obvious one," he wiggles his half-ear with a grin. "Got these from fightin' with toads. Always a good time," he winks.

Marriana chuckles softly as she observes the scars and nods. "Right good battle-scars you have there, wot! Heheh. Can't wait until I get t' join in with the others in some jolly fights." She sighs, though, her smile still on her lips, though, as she says, "Just with me ole dad were here t' see it. Ah, well. Maybe Mum will be allowed t' come and see me some time."

Monty smiles and nods, "Oh, absolutely! We are certainly allowed t'have visitors, th'higher-ups jus' have t'be notified ahead o'time an' such. But yer mum will be more n'welcome t'come see ya an' tell ya how proud she is of ya, haha." The buck pauses in front of another booth, looking something over intently. "Hmm. Could definitely use some o'this..." he fishes out some coins from his satchel, handing them to the vendor before placing the packet of seeds in the satchel. "I'm sure yer dad is proud of ya fer even entertainin' th'thought of joinin' up with us. It takes a brave soul t'come all th'way here jus' fer th'slight chance that y'might make it inta th'Patrol." He pauses, catching himself. "Well, I mean, not YOU, o'course, like I said, yer basically already in aside from some formalities an'such." He chuckles, with a shrug. "It's just, some have come all th'way out here, took a dangerous journey, an', well, jus' couldn't cut th'mustard, as they say..."

Marriana nods and says, "I do remember havin' a short talk with Miss Jinora. I am glad that I'm basic'ly goin' t' be put right in. Still, me dad would've loved t' have seen it." Glancing through some of the seeds, she simply hums softly. Since she has no garden to care for, she doesn't really need any. Though, she does like to browse for the sake of browsing. Never know when she might have a garden of her own. "So, how's your, uh...sketchin' goin'?"

Monty seems to be reminded of something as Marriana mentions his sketching, his ear perking as his eyes widen for a brief moment. "Oh! Oh, yeah, speakin' o' that!" He reaches down to rummage around in his satchel, his expression one of concentration as he fishes for something. "Hmmm, hmm, wheeeere'd it goooo, where'd it goooo...aha! Here we go!" He withdraws a rolled up piece of parchment, peering down at it and squinting to make sure it is indeed what he'd been searching for, before nodding and holding it out to the doe. "Here, see for y'self, miss!" Upon unrolling the scroll, Marriana can see that it is a reasonable facsimile of the doe, herself. Monty apparently enjoyed doing portraits more than anything else, as Major Jinora can attest to. "Finished it after I got back t'the Mountain th'other day! Memory is still pretty sharp, hmm? But that's yours. Not too many c'n appreciate art, yknow..." he winks.

Marriana ooooooohs and takes the offered piece of parchment with her likeness, tilting her head and a bright smile comes across her face as she looks over it. "My goodness! This is very, very nicely done, wot!" She scratches her head a little, though and twists her mouth in that inquisitive manner. "However, I do wonder if ya made me too pretty in this." She winks, obviously teasing a little.

Monty smiles brightly, obviously very pleased with the fact that the doe seemed to like the drawing. He'd always been much too critical of himself when it came to that aspect of things, and was never sure if anything he ever did was really any good. "Y'really think so?" The buck's face turns a light shade of red, the blush creeping up to his eartip. "Thanks! I...usually like t'draw actual living, breathing things rather than objects n'such. More of a challenge, an' y'always have th'task o'tryin' t'impress whoever it is yer drawin'! If y'draw a table or a candle, y'can't get any good criticism from em, y'know?" He laughs, giving a shake of his head at the tease. "Oh, nonsense, miss, I actually don't think it's pretty enough!" he teases back, with a chuckle. Welp, back to looking at some more seeds and plants before his foot goes further into his muzzle! Dum de dum de dum!

Marriana takes her turn to blush this time before Monty goes back to look at the seeds and plants once more. Carefully, she rolls up the parchment, wishing she perhaps had a map case or something like it to put it away safely. As such, she tucks it under her arm and offers a grin to the buck. "And here I thought I was th' one bein' all cheeky. But you really should do more of these. They look quite nice, and you have a good eye for detail, wot!" 

Monty had lowered his head as he peers sheepishly at the various seeds, his face still a little red. "Hmm? Oh! Oh, er, thanks...thank you, miss! I...try to draw when I'm feelin' a bit low, it....it kinda helps me t'cheer up, y'see." He smiles. "I appreciate th'compliment though, t's nice of ya t'say." He shuffles a bit further down the aisle, picking up another package of seeds, which he proceeds to again pay for. Slipping them into his satchel, he glances up again. "Well, er...I...gotta head back to th'mountain, y'see, I got wot I came here t'get...an' th', er, th'dirt is waitin'...t'be shoveled, an' th'weeds gotta be pulled outta th'ground an'such! Y'know, all th'fun duties...in th'garden. Of things...t'do...yeah...." There's that awkward side to the buck that pops up now and then. He smiles to Marriana, before he begins to inch his way towards the exit. "Lovely runnin' inta ya again, miss. Hope t'see ya at Sala soon..."  What a -nerd-.

Marriana suppresses her giggles as the buck proceeds with his awkward rambling. The doe often wonders why some bucks get that way around does, but at least Monty seems nice enough to chat with. Offering a nod of her head, she smiles and then raises a paw in farewell. "Hope t' see you there, too, Monty! Do keep th' dirt nice n' tended!" She lets out a small chuckle this time, unable to hold it back.

Location: The Training Room, then the Rec Room

Characters: Monty, hare (LP Private), Jinora, hare (LP Major)

A conversation between friends/Patrolmates Monty and Jinora, before Monty heads off on his mission in a few days.

Log:

The Training Room is active: a group of recruits are pushed through another set of grueling exercises in one corner, a training dummy is mercilessly battered in another, and Jinora, in her exercise casuals, is drenched with sweat and shaking at a pull-up bar, dragging her chin to touch the metal over and over and over and over... Have you ever done a pull-up? A single pull-up? It's hard - she's over here killin' it.

After having taken a short break to grab something to eat and rest up a bit, Monty re-enters the training room and heads over towards the push-up area. The young hare had been in the room for a good portion of the morning and afternoon, much like he'd done pretty much every day since finding out about being sent out on the recruiting mission. Hardly taking a day off from training, Monty wanted to make absolutely sure that he is ready for the trip. Dropping down onto all fours, he begins to do a set of twenty push-ups, counting to himself under his breath as he does so.

Finally, /finally/, Jinora releases her grip and drops to her feet with a groan, rolling her shoulders. Everything hurts - why does /everything/ hurt? She hasn't trained this hard since she was a recruit... But she can't be expected to enforce the increased training, the more rigorous routines, if she isn't following it herself. She rests a moment, folding her weight forward onto her knees as she pants, ears pinned back against her head, and it's from this position that she catches sight of Monty. "P-Private Fleetpaw." She greets, politely waiting for him to finish his set before saying it.

Monty hadn't really been paying much attention to who was in the room when he entered...he generally liked to keep to himself while in the midst of training, so as not to distract himself from the business at hand. Upon finishing his set of push-ups, he hears his name, and his ears perk as he hops back up to his footpaws and notes who it is. Quickly standing at attention and giving a quick salute, Monty barks, "Major Jinora, SAH. Just getting in a bit o'th' good ol' trainin', y'see! Got an important mission, an' I don't want to muck it up, SAH!" He stares straight ahead as he speaks.

"At ease." The Major sighs, still rubbing at her shoulders. "Tha's, uh... Commendable, Private." Jinora allows, the ghost of a smirk slipping onto her muzzle as she moves towards the wall, grabbing a slip of fabric she brought in and scrubbing it roughly over her face. It comes away pretty damp - gross. "Seems t'be tha' ye an'Corporal Swiftbuck will be leavin' shortly aftah th'feast." That smirk widens as she throws the fabric over her shoulder. "Fatten y'up before we send ye into th'wilds."

Monty drops the salute and relaxes again, smiling at the praise received. "Aw, s'not anything anyone else wouldn't do when they're about t'look danger an' th'unknown right square in th'face, sah. But I think I'm ready to kick it square in th'sniffer if th'situation calls for it, y'see." The buck grins, before nodding his head. "Oh yeah, I heard about th'feast! Quite a conundrum it is, tryin' t'figure out if I should stuff m'face, or go a little easier than normal so I'm not weighed down when out there with Adrian. I can't always save 'is skin every single time, yeah?" he jokes, before dropping back down to do a smaller set of ten pushups.

"M'sure it won't stand a chance." Jinora teases, her nose wrinkling. "I'd suggest eatin' everythin' ye can - dunno when yer next good meal may-" She pauses as he drops to another set, waiting for him to finish before: "-be." Another smirk and her attention is caught by a pair of privates in the wrestling corner. She steps away from Monty to interrupt them, and waves her paws, demonstrating something. She taps one of them in the lower back and hunches, obviously reminding him to lower his center of gravity. She steps back, and the next time the two collide, it's a more efficient battle. She returns to Monty. "So. Nervous?"

Monty pops back up again after finishing his second set. His ear wiggles as he contemplates the suggestion, paw rubbing his chin in thought and his nose wrinkling as he thinks it over. "Hmm. Y'know, y'may be abso-bally-lutely on t'somethin' there, sah. It'd definitely be something t'take into consideration!" His attention strays over towards the two wrestling, watching for a moment as Jinora gives them a bit of instruction. He grabs a towel and towels off his forehead, and she returns shortly after. "They been at it for awhile, seemed t'be gettin' frustrated..." he muses, before he gives a nonchalant shrug to the simple question. "Want me t'tell ya what y'want to hear, or want me t'be honest?" he chuckles, before he sighs a little. "Y'know, the closer it gets, th'more th'butterflies start flutterin'...it'll really be th'first time I'll ever be out on m'own aside from when I left home t'travel here. I mean, Adrian'll be with me, but still...."

"Th'honest answer, a'course." Jinora replies, rolling here eyes and crossing her arms. "Only thing I evah /want/ t'hear is tha' pretty barmaid tellin' me my drinks'r on th'house an'that th'Patrol is grantin' me a vacation." There's a snort, but she falls quiet for his answer, nodding along politely. "Well, yeah, s'bloody dangerous. Ye'd be a fool not t'be worried - ye very well may die, ye very well may stumble 'pon horrors ye can nevah unsee, be maimed, lost, eaten..." Is she helping? She totally feels like she's helping. "Bu' most importantly, ye'll come back more an' bettah than ye are now. At least, tha's th'goal. Well... Really, th'goal ain't abou' /you/ at all. Patrol needs 'ares - I jus' happen t'think ye need this, too." The Major holds up her paws. "Alls t'be done is doin' it, I s'pose. Still trainin', or are ye joinin' me fer drinks in th'rec?"

Monty cannot help but laugh at Jinora's reply, the buck nodding his head in agreement. "Believe me, sah, all those things've been runnin' through my brain from th'moment I wake up til th'moment I hit th'hay. May not seem like it sometimes, but I'm takin' this mission as serious as anythin' I've ever done in m'life. I'm fully aware of how important it is, and I appreciate y'trustin' me with such a crucial mission. An' I also appreciate y'givin' me another chance instead of bootin' me out on m'scut." The buck grins a little, a paw rubbing at the base of his ear. "I think it'll do me a world o'good and get things straightened out up here." He pats his temple with a paw. At Jinora's suggestion, he smiles. "T'be honest, I been in here all day an' I'm kinda gettin' tired of seein' all these same bloody faces in here. Lead th'way, Major!"

They both head to the Rec Room, still chatting on the way...

"Bes' thing fer fixin' yer 'ead is gettin' out of it. Can't be wrapped up in yerself out there. An'... At th'same time, ye cin be more wrapped up in yerself than ye've evah been." The Major shrugs, the conversation continuing as the pair make their way to the Rec Room. She had stopped, on the way, to kip into her quarters and change - her clothes were drenched to a darker color and clinging to her in a damp, sticky way. It was gross - she isn't pausing for a bath, so she's still gross, just... Less gross. "Bu' I dinnae think I'm th'best fer advice on these mattahs. Only real travellin' I did was young with me mum an' later, on me own, from Southsward t'Salamandastron. Been 'ere evah since. All my growth 'appened /'ere/, not out there - bu' everybeast is different." She looks at the buck thoughtfully. "I think ye'll find yer growth out there, Private. I 'ope so, at least." There's a sigh as she drops heavily into a seat at the counter, tapping a claw against the bartop to gain the 'tender's attention.

Monty had already taken the opportunity to change before he had returned to the training room, and so his own clothing hadn't gotten a chance to get nearly as gross as his first set had been. In any case, it's not as if it was a fashion show or anything. "Y'know, for me, I think I did a lot o'growin' up ever since I arrived here an' went on m'first mission. Been through more than I ever would've if I'd never left th'farm. Probably would have never lost half m'ear and got bonked on the bonce about fifty times, but hey..." he grins, with a nonchalant shrug. "Y'never get anythin' accomplished by stayin' home an' not takin' any chances, yeah? S'not somethin' I'm ashamed of in th'least, an' I'd like t'think m'daddo's proud o'me." He seats himself at the counter, peering down at it contemplatively for a few moments. "And yeah, I'm thinkin' I'll do me more good than harm."

It absolutely /is/ a fashion show, Montgomery, get it together. "Well, tha's th'idea." Jinora shrugs with a lazy smile. "Bu' s'pose anybeast joinin' th'Patrol is a 'ere 'cause they believe in a greatah good, an'... Maybe they're jus' a wee crazy. We're all a wee touched, in th'end. 'Ot toddy, if ye will, lad. Thanks." The latter is directed at the bartender on duty. "An' if ye don' lose yer wits a bit, yer at least losin' othah bits." She taps the scar on her cheek and points a claw at his ear. "But yer still 'ere. Says enough abou' yer character."

"Cider, if y'will please, thanks..." Monty smiles to the bartender, before he turns his attention back to Jinora. "Oh, yeah, f'sure. M'dad filled my head with all sortsa stories ever since I was a leveret, an' I couldn't wait til I was old enough t'be able t'leave t'come here. I know farmin' helps others, cause of th' whole 'providin' everyone with food' n things, but, I dunno...it's just different helpin' others in the Patrol." He shrugs. "S'more meaningful, I guess." The buck smiles at the compliment, "Hey, you've been through Hellsgates n'back yerself, sah, an' yer still here. It says a ton about YOUR character, especially since y'didn't run off screamin' th'moment they made ya a Major." He winks. "Heh, look at th'both of us, bein' all serious an' such. I remember when I first met ya, an' ya almost murdered me with a ball o'yarn..." he laughs.

"Think everybeast 'ere 'ad their 'eads stuffed with stories." She waves a paw. "'Specially th'ones that grew up 'ere." Which, statistically, would be most of them, really. She snorts, shaking her head and watching as her hot toddy is brought to her, steaming and wonderful. It's always better when she doesn't have to make them herself. "I don' remembah tha'. Bu'... Y'know. Everythin' I am, is th'Patrol. S'my life, s'all I want t'do, s'all I evah will be - y'know, tha's th'life I chose. S'no runnin' from somethin' with nothin' bettah t'run to." She pauses, the seriousness returning. "If ye do find somethin' bettah t'run to out there, ain't a beast what'll 'old it against ye. Do yer duty t'the Patrol, but... Yerself, too. Aye?"

Monty also receives his cider after Jinora gets her drink. He swirls it around slowly as he stares down into it, before taking a sip. "Yep. It was up in the crater, I think you were makin' one of your hats at the time." He chuckles. "Of which I never got one, even after I asked..." he grins, before returning to a more serious tone as well. "I totally understand that, sah. In all honesty, I think if y'don't have that way o'thinkin' then y'shouldn't even be here. If you're not one hundred percent committed to the Patrol, there are a lot of other places you c'n go, y'know?" The young hare gives a light shrug, then quickly shakes his head at even the remote possibility of Jinora's suggestion. "Nothin' better out there than where I am now, sah, y'can count on it. As much as y'wanna get rid o'me, I'm not goin' nowhere. Well, I mean, I AM, but...I'll be comin' back, is what I'm tryin' t'say. Yeah."

"Ah, right... Heh, haven't made one in..." The doe frowns. "Well, ovah a season, now." She shrugs, and then laughs, obviously pleased with his response. "Then th'Mountain will be 'appy t'have ye back, when ye an'Swiftbuck return." Major Tottheim sips at her toddy, relaxing into her seat. She looks so tired these days, like she's always waiting for bad news.

Monty takes another sip from his cider. "Well, I still liked them anyhow." A thought enters his head, and he looks a little concerned for a moment. "In all honesty, I do feel kinda bad for Adrian. I mean, he just got back from Redwall, an' now he's bein' sent out again to who knows where. Seems like his dad is a little hard on th'poor buck. Talked with both of em, an' I'm thinkin' there's just a little bit of a misunderstandin' between em." Monty smiles again at Jinora's words, and a bit of the old awkwardness begins to show as his cheeks turn a little red. "An' I'll be more n' happy t'be back, y'know! Er, o'course. No place like th'Fire Moutain, aye?"

Zolomon steps into the room slowly and glaces over at the two here, and oh well a couple others maube asleep in a corner, he waves "Hey there"

"Aye, s'home." She smiles before the expression disappears in a chuff. Abandoning her toddy to hold up her paws, Jinora snorts. "There's no way I'll touch any family mattahs wi' a ten foot pike... Bu' as far as Adrian goes, 'e signed onto th'Patrol. He dedicated 'is life to it, same as all'a us - he goes t'where 'es needed, an' there's little t'be done fer it." She's very neutral and even on the whole subject, her views tend to run as simple as they can be: Patrol first, personal needs later. She catches Zolomon from the corner of her eye and dips her head in greeting.

Monty gives a slow nod, "Yeah, fair enough. He honestly didn't seem too disappointed in goin'. We're pretty good pals, an' I don't think there's anyone I'd rather go with than good ol'Adj." Monty smiles, before glancing over towards the door as Zolomon steps in. He gives him a pleasant nod. "Hey there," he greets the other buck, before his attention returns to Jinora. "Oh, an' while I have th'chance before I go, I jus' wanted t'apologize t'you just in general, for...I dunno..." Monty glances down at the bartop..."For jus' bein' a general pain in th'scut, not followin' instructions, an' just generally makin' y'feel awkward by anythin' I've ever said or done. Nothin' was ever intented t'make y'feel uncomfortable, it's just how I am, I suppose." He shrugs. "Mebbe it's somethin' that'll change when I'm out there, too. Which would be for th'better..."

The apology itself, it would appear, makes Jinora uncomfortable enough. The Major takes a long draw from her drink - and then grimaces, because it's hot. "Righ'." She finally erms, setting the mug down. "I'm... An... Uncomfortable beast at th'best of times, anyways." She decides, smirking. "S'why I moved up. S'why this life works fer me - anythin' outside of it is, ah." She scratches the back of her neck. "Secondary. Tertiary, even." She raises her toddy to her muzzle again and blows on it. "Ye've done okay, Montgomery. An' ye'll only ge' bettah, jus' hold onto tha'." She takes a sip.

Monty chuckles a little, "See, there I go, doin' it again. M'a total n'right mess, I am. I jus' wanted t' letcha know, just in case I, er...don't...come back. Somethin' happens, y'know how it goes...sometimes...." He rubs at his ear with a paw, his gaze averted. "Y'know. Jus' wanted t'clear th'air n such." He smiles a little nervously. "I understand though, sah. An' I'll do m'best t'avoid it in th'future an' just focus on th'Patrol. But thank you for your words, I appreciate em a lot." He finishes off his cider, but doesn't ask for another...he remains holding onto his empty mug as he fidgets with it.

Jinora shakes her head with a snort. "Yer fine, Private." She waves it off, figuratively and literally, batting a paw at the air in a dismissive gesture. She brings her mug to her muzzle a final time, draining the last of her toddy before that paw rises again to wave off the 'tender. "I got it, Gayle, dinnae sweat on it." The Major stands, slipping behind the counter with her toddy and moving to the wash basin. She rolls her sleeves up and holds a paw out for Monty's tankard. "Almost miss dish duty, I do." Is she serious?

Monty blinks, certainly a little surprised as Jinora so nonchalantly heads behind the counter and reaches out for his tankard. He hesitates for a moment, before finally pushing it over to her. The buck seems to understand, however, and he doesn't really question it, save for a simple, "Yeah?" and a smile. "I don't think I was ever put on dish duty more'n a couple o'times. I always had t'sweep out th'infirmary, when I wasn't workin' in th'garden that is." That makes him think of something, and he grins. "Oh, I was going to ask, as well...do you know who will be tending the garden when I'm gone? I've kinda got things in a certain way at th'moment, an' I don't want em t'be confused or anything." The buck smiles. "I like it up there, it's nice n'peaceful. Really helps when I'm havin' an episode n'such."

The doe's expression softens, elbow deep in the soapy wash basin. She does her own mug, takes Monty's from the counter, and then continues to do those dishes already there. Poor Gayle, wringing his paws, looks confused as well - but eventually shrugs it off, moving to take another order from a pair of lovey-dovey Privates as they take two adjacent seats at the bar. "S'pose th'Privates an'recruits'll be circulated out on it. Should still be in ordah when ye return." She pauses and looks up. "Ye know, when ye ge' back, th'kitchens an'gardens'll be in neeed of more solid... Employ. Ye can always test yer paw at runnin' 'em." She shrugs again, nonchalant. "Ye know th'gardens better'n anybeast, aftah all." One of her sleeves loosens and slips towards the water, she pauses and uses her other, damp, paw to roll it back up.

Monty appears to be satisfied with Jinora's response, and he nods his head in agreement. "Aye, sounds good t'me, s'long as they c'n take care of it an' don't use it as their own personal snack shop," he jokes. "Some of th'new Privates, I dunno..." As the two other Privates seat themselves nearby, Monty eyes them for a moment or two, rolling his eyes good-naturedly, before Jinora's words cause him to pause. "...really? Y'think I'd be good at actually RUNNIN' the place? I mean...usually, I just kinda tend to th'plants an' th'veggies n'such...wouldn't wanna take th'spot of anyone already doin' it. But, I mean, if there's an openin'...or somethin'...maybe...." The buck really seems to like the idea however, judging by his pleased expression and the grin on his muzzle. "Maybe. Er, I mean, yeah, o'course, that'd be fantastic! Good, I mean. Really good."

"Well, we'll see if tis still there when y'get ba'." Jinora shrugs. "'Course s'not my call, bu'... Somethin' t'keep in mind. Patrol is... Well, has a place for most anybeast, so long as their 'eart is in it." She shrugs, stacking another cup onto the drying rack. "Seems t'me tha' yer 'eart 'as always been innit. We'll see where yer at, where th'kitchen an' gardens at, when yer back." Finishing up the dishes in the sink, the Major stretches and lets her sleeves fall back to her wrists. "S'pose I should ge' t'papahwork." She muses, disappointed at the thought. How much of it can she lop off onto the Corporals, again?

Monty nods his head eagerly, "Right, right, indeed. I'll, er...I'll definitely look into it when I get back. WHEN I get back, not if." He chuckles nervously, his ear flat against the back of his head, before he shakes off any thoughts of THAT potential outcome. "But yeah, I'd like t'think that it is, an' always has been. I guess it's a bit of m'old home farm life creepin' inta the Patrol life, yeah? Best o'both worlds." The buck slides off his seat, "Oh, er, right, right, yeah. An' I...prolly should get in a bit more trainin' before I hit th'hay. Helps me sleep if I'm totally wiped out n'such." He smiles. "If I could help ya with paperwork, I would, but I'd have no bloody clue what I was doin'." He gives a light shrug. "It's the thought that counts though, yeah?"

"Aye, Private Montgomery." Jinora laughs, heading towards the door. "Tis th'thought tha' counts. Goodnight."

This is a bit of background information on Andrew and how he escaped from being enslaved by pirate rats, and ended up in the situation he is currently in.

Location: Your typical pirate dockside town

Characters: Andrew, young slave mouse... Guttersnout, Patches, pirate rats

(During a stop in a pirate dockside town, the pirates had been talked into bringing Andrew, one of their slaves, with them on an excursion into the town. During this, Andrew had constructed a plan that involved a potential mutiny onboard the ship...it also involved a note from the Captain, but being that the other pirates couldn't read, Andrew used this to his advantage. The following shenanigans ensued.)

Andrew figured that Guttersnout's eventual conclusion would lead to the suggestion he had made, and so the mouse thinks quickly. "Honestly, sir, why would I say anything to anyone? I'm merely a slave, I do as I am told and nothing else. Think of it this way..." He turns his gaze down to the paper he had tossed down. "If I hadn't been able to read the letter there, none of you would have found out what was going on, and something bad would've happened when you went back to the ship, right? So actually..." the mouse shrugs..."In a way, you sorta OWE me. Just saying." Sparklesparkle.

Gutter seems to think on this, "Yer right...you do as yer told." so much for gratitude. The pirate slaps the mouse on the shoulder, waving a finger at his nose he says, "Yer gonna do exactly what I tells ya, and maybe, just maybe we will take ye wid us when we flee this place." the rat smiles. "Yer gonna kill ol' Patches fer us."

Andrew has a moment where he isn't quite sure that he had taken the correct route with this; perhaps he should have just kept his mouth shut and simply did as he was told. Then, that moment passes, and the mouse gives a nonchalant shrug. "Okay. Just tell me what to do." Though inwardly, his mind is quickly attempting to come up with how he is going to attempt to get out of this one. "Once I kill him, then what?"

Gutter gives the mouse an odd look as if considering Andrew's well being for the first time. He opens his mouth to say, 'we don't eat your tail' but closes it, deciding to try more carrot than stick with this situation. "You get to come wid us, of course!" The other rat nods his head vigorously, "Yep, ye'll get to become an honorary rat."
Gutter draws a dirk from his belt, giving it to Andrew. "It's simple. You walk right up the traitor and jam this into his side. Even a mouse can't mess this up." Guttersnout looks rather pleased with his ingenious plan. "We will be right outside the door to help you in case anything goes wrong. But I doubt that will happen. No one would ever expect to be stabbed in the back by a slave!" There are...so many things wrong with that logic that it doesn't bare mentioning. "Oh, and if you don't, I'll cut out yer liver and feed it to you. M'kay? ok. Now git goin." The rat tries to shoo the mouse in the direction of the proper tavern.

Riiiight. Let's give a slave who has been treated like garbage the entire time he's been on the ship a weapon and trust that he actually does what he is instructed with it. The rats are lucky that Andrew is small and relatively inexperienced with weapons....that is likely what is saving their lives right now. The mouse reaches out to take the dirk, and he stares down at it in his paws...it's really the first time he'd ever held a weapon, so it's a bit awkward. "Um. Okay. So...how do I...?" He glances up at Gutter curiously. "You -may- just have to show me how. How abouuuut...that guy?" He motions to a scruffy looking weasel who happened to be strolling by at that moment.

The pirate looks between the mouse and the weasel, "You want me to randomly murder some beast off the street? I'm a pirate, not a monster." The rat tries to spin the mouse around and shove him towards the tavern doors, "Now get in there and gut our ex comrad. Don't worry, it will come naturally. Think of it like...cutting through a steak or..."
"Imagine he's someone you really really hate. Like a tax collector. Someone you really really just want to stab. In the face." The other rat offers his sage advice.

Andrew smirks, and mutters, "What's the difference...?" before he is shoved towards the tavern. Grasping the dirk in his paws (which is entirely too large for his size), the mouse makes his way towards the tavern. Any chance of turning and running for it is impeded by the fact that he is still shackled at the ankles and the wrists. He pauses, and turns towards the other two. "Um. I...don't think I can do much if I can't move my arms..." He motions with his head towards his shackles. "I -promise- I'll put them back on when I'm done." To the advice given, he grins inwardly, thinking to himself...'trust me, if it was you, it'd be so easy'....

"The mouse does make a point." Wally offers. Rolling his eyes Gutter pulls out the key, "What you do afterwards is hardly my concern. Just so long as you get it done." The mouse is soon unshackled foot and paw. "Remember. We are right here in case anything goes wrong...or if you try to run." The rat then goes to shove Andrew through the door.
Many stories start in taverns. Be they sea shanties or adventurer tales. In truth taverns are generally romanticized from the narrow, cramped room filled with sweaty smelling vermin passed out in their own grog. This tavern is no different. Each table is filled with beasts either laughing as they merrily guzzle down ale to rot their livers or stare off into their drinks, their eyes filled with regret.
Patches the rat sits at the bar next to a burly fox and a sand lizard. The fox leans against the bar and shares a hearty laugh at some joke the rat said. The lizard...lays sprawled out across the bar, a knife dug deep into his guts. And no one seems to notice.
"Har har Patches me ol chum! A good one! 'e never saw the punch line coming!" The beer bellied swift fox laughs.
"He certainly got the 'point' though." And the two laugh.
"AH! HA HAAHAHAHAHHAH. The point lad, the point." The fox laughs. Then pauses. "I dun get it."
"Drink more grog until you do..."

Andrew is pushed through the tavern door, and he immediately stops and stands there, staring at all the denizens of the tavern. Taking a deep breath (which he immediately regrets), the mouse's eyes scan the room in search of his supposed 'target'. Spotting him sitting at the bar, Andrew weaves his way through the room, wary of all the eyes that stare at him as he goes through...it's probably not too often that an unaccompanied mouse shows up here. Keeping his eyes forward, the mouse finally makes his way to where Patches is sitting. "Um, excuse me, sir?" he attempts to speak above the din, reaching up a paw and tugging at the rat's clothing. He hides the dirk behind his back.

The laughter stops short. Patches glances over his shoulder looking for the beast who DARES touch his shabby tunic. Then his eyes small downward. "What in the blazes are they doing letting mice in here."

"Maybe it came to nibble the bread in the pantry." The fox jokes.

"Wait...oh! You're that slave...that I just sent with Patches and Wally." The rat says in reconition. He takes a swig of grog before continuing, "That I just sent out on assignment." He sighs, "Not even ten minutes ashore and I need to pull thar tails out of some sort of self inflicted trouble. Well, go on. What's the matter? Have they gotten themselves killed, captured, or are they just hopelessly lost in the city?"

Andrew's brain had been turning the entire time as he had made his way to the tavern. He gives a glare at the fox briefly at his comment, before he turns his eyes back to Patches and clears his throat. "Ahem. Well, sir, I'm not sure if I was supposed to tell you this or not, but..." He pulls the dirk out from behind his back, and holds it out to Patches. "They gave me this, and told me to come in here and kill you. I honestly have no idea why, sir. But as you know, I am a slave, and I am supposed to do what I am told." He shrugs. "I'm not sure what you may have done to warrant this, but...I couldn't in good conscience come in here and kill a beast who's done nothing wrong!" He puts on his best innocent expression, as he waits to see the results of his words.

The rat blinks at Andrew. He begins to laugh, "What? Ho that's rich. Looky here we got ourselves a comedian slave! Hahahahahah...ahahah...ha..." the laughter trails off. "Wait, seriously. They wanted /you/ to kill /me/." The look of shock on Patches face is slowly turning into anger. "They want to kill /me/?" He sits up from the bar, reaching out to snatch the dirk away from the mouse. "Where are they. ANSWER ME!"

Andrew continues to peer up at Patches as the rat absorbs the information he had given up. "No, sir, I'm not joking, why else do you think they gave me this? Who would give a slave a weapon, and then unshackle them? It seems pretty...stupid...to me." He nods his head to the rat as he seems to begin believing the information given, and he squeaks in surprise as the weapon is snatched from his paws. He breathes a sigh of relief, as that thing was getting heavy! He nods his head. "Yes, sir. They said something about you turning your back on them and stealing all the money for yourself or something, I didn't get all the details, exactly. But, they are right outside that door..." he motions towards the door. A thought enters his brain, and he grins deviously. "I have an idea, sir. To throw them off guard. When you go out there, act like I stabbed you. Be all dramatic. Then, when they approach you to see if you're dead, you can take them by surprise!" Hmmm. This mouse has been thinking this one over!

"That's strategy, that is." The fat bellied fox spins in his chair until he is facing the door.
"What? No, that's stupid! I'm just going out there to kill them! I don't need to be fancy about it."
"Oh come on, what's the harm in trying it out? Two against one ain't good odds."
"Two against one? What, you arn't going to help?"
"And miss the show? This is your fight, not mine." The fox sprawls out with his arms against the bar. He begins making bets with the beasts next to him. Rolling his eye Patches groans, "Ffffine. Argh, I've been stabbed in me vitals. Oh woe is me, I am dying."
"Oh come on. With passion." The fox urges.
Rolling his eye again Patches slaps his paw to his chest, "BLaaaaaargh! Why! You filthy rotten slave! Traitor, guh! My spleen, my favorite spleen!" The rat goes stumbling out of the tavern, collapsing onto the boardwalk just outside the door where both pirate rats lay waiting to jump him and kill him.
"Blimy...he actually did it. He actually stabbed him!" Gutter gasps.

Andrew does his best to hold in his laughter at the rat's performance. Eh, he was a pirate, not an actor, but he gives him credit for trying at least. Andrew soon follows after Patches out the door, the mouse putting on his best nervous and terrified expression. He trembles, as he stares down at his paws. "...what...what have I DONE?" he squeaks. "I've...I've never killed anyone before!" He walks dazedly from the tavern door, a short distance away from where the scene would likely turn quite violent in a matter of moments. He flumps down on his bottom, and merely watches the goings-on, though inside his brain he anxiously awaits to see what will happen. Either way, he is unshackled, and in a much better position than he had been upon arriving at the port.

The rat's look astonished. "The mouse did it. He actually killed Patches." Wally says with excitement, he turns to Guttersnout, "Do you know what this means? We are free beasts! We are in the-"
( And that is when Patches leaps to his feet and guts Wally with his sword. The rat makes a pained gasp as a wound appears from one side the belly to the other. He collapses onto his rump, leaning against the wall as Patches goes after Guttersnout, who screams like a dibbun as they cross blades. "You traitrous cur! Think you could kill me!"  )
The two of them exchange blows, parrying, thrusting, slashing. In truth the sword fight looks much more frantic than the stories make them sound. There is no coriographed foot work, no dramatic dodging of blades or passing of wit. Just clashes of blades. Patches thrusts and Guttersnout evades, kicking the pirate in the gut on his way past and stabbing him in the back with a dagger.

Patches screams once and then falls face first onto the muddy street...where Guttersnout proceeds to stab him again. He breaths deeply before looking up and spying the mouse on the side lines. "Y-you...." he trembles with anger and begins walking towards Andrew.

Andrew quickly turns and darts away into the crowd, though there is a grin upon his face..and he is soon lost among the throngs of pirates and other no-goodniks, future uncertain but a lot brighter than it previously had been...