Erg the Blog-Slayer, Rnd IX: Darker Things than Toads Lurk…LP 11/30/19

Ol'random · 2019-12-01 11:08:02 PM

Erg (Dom),
Sgt. Felicity,
Sgt. Terrence,
Mjr. Varus,
And Cpl. Zolomon, hares.

In the early hours before dawn after the encounter with Erg...

Terrence was smoldering.

The previous day's events had all but stripped the young sergeant of his patience, and now he sat alone by a fire fixing his spectacles which had been bent by Zolomon's body. The task was probably taking more time than it should have, since sundown to the now pale pre-dawn, but he didn't much care - in fact, the sour mood he had gained after the disaster that was the confrontation with Dommy-boy, he thinks with a slight grin despite his general attitude, caused most hares to leave him be, something he actually quite enjoyed. It marks the first time since he'd been promoted were no beast had tried to speak to him, making this a welcome break. Still, irritation litters his mind and makes itself known with how little care he handles his spectacles, with the names being muttered generally bouncing between Zolomon (or idiot, as he has yet to forgive the breaking of his spectacles - what was the corporal thinking?) and Dom (or Erg, or whatever the mad-hare calls himself - Terrence has been favoring 'Dommy-boy' the most in his head). The direct anger had certainly dulled with time, but lingering on Terrence's face in the gathering light is the tell-tale sign of lingering wrath.

"Y'gonna break 'em worse doin' that, y'know. I didn't go diggin' through the grass while y'were upside down f'r nothin, wot!" Felicity, his fellow sergeant, sits beside him and goes to grab the glasses away from the buck. "Let me try, afore y'damage 'em worse." She looks cozy in her quilted Corporal's jacket hiding the rest of her uniform that has her Sergeant's stripes on the sleeves. She tugs her hat farther down her forehead.

"Wha-Oh." Terrence says, a bit surprised at her sudden appearance. He looks down sheepishly at the sad spectacles as if weighing her words. Then, saying nothing, he hands over them over. The buck's anger from the day before is making itself known in his lack of friendliness in the usually cordial sergeant. "Have a go, if you'd like." He mutters, quietly and quickly.

"I do like, wot!" Felicity pulls off her gloves and sets to work, her fingers exposed to the cold as she tries to fix his glasses. "Mm....need twine and pine sap t'strengthen the nose piece. Do we 'ave any in camp?" She continues to fiddle with them. After a few moments of silence, she adds softly, "Zolomon is a bit impulsive, an' struggles to listen sometimes, but 'e 'as a good 'eart, just like you. I believe that, just like you, 'e was tryin' t'do whot 'e thinks is right. Try not t'take it pehsonally, okay?" She holds up his spectacles and scowls.

Terrence lets out a long sigh, deflating him. "I suppose so." He shifts, looking at the fuzzy form that he assumes is Felicity, "But it should be noted I didn't take it personally - I'm just annoyed that we had a chance to catch Dommy-boy and lost it. I just wasn't expecting the bloody corporal to stand his ground, wot." He tries to give a smile. "He's heavier than he looks, too, and it hurt." He manages a little laugh, then.

Varus appears, suddenly, as if summoned from the black pit of Hell. "Wot are y' doin' 'ere? I 'eard that Zolomon was thrown at Greg..."

Felicity blushes slightly, then jumps as the Major appears. Her paw has already grasped the hilt of her sword before she realizes who just got here. "Oh, f'r th'love, Majah, sah, y'scared th' crap outta me!" Putting a paw to her chest, she asks, "I say, d'we 'ave any pine sap an' twine in th' camp?" She's glad it's darkish, being dawn and all, so nobody saw her blushing. "'M tryin' t'fix Terrence's glasses. Pretty sure 'e's gonna need new ones when we get back 'ome." She's not an expert at eyewear, though, so she could be wrong.

Terrence certainly didn't see it, and doesn't see the major when he comes, though he hears him. "Er, thank you." He quickly mutters to his fellow sergeant, before turning in what he assumes is Varus' direction (impressively, he's only about two degrees off). He isn't smiling now, however. "Sah, good morning. It was poor ol'me that was hit, not Greg, wot."

Varus eyes Terrence. "Are you okay? Any injuries? Wot about Zolomon? Is he dead? Wot 'appened?"

Varus also looks at Felicity. "I don't believe we 'ave any o' that, Sahgeant. Terrence will 'ave t' make do f'r now..."

Felicity nods and hands the straightened glasses back to their owner. "Be careful with 'em. I fear they'll break if y'do anythin' crazy to 'em." She frowns. "I 'eard Zolomon's still alive. I'm surprised nobeast told you, sah." She then quiets down and lets her fellow Sergeant, who was actually THERE, tell the Major what happened.

"Zolomon," Terrence sighs as he accepts them, "Just knocked himself out on me - his foot smacked my face when we went down, wot." The sergeant places the now less crooked spectacles on his snout. He blinks, realizing how close Felicity is to him now that he can see. "They work, wot," He says, a bit distracted, "Thank you, Lissie!" For the first time since Dom had last appeared, he smiles fully.

Varus harrumps. "Yahr lucky t' not be seriously injahed, wot. So... Anythin' else ya c'n say about wot 'appened? Did y' see Dom?"

Felicity blushes again a little bit when her nickname is used. She smiles, then turns a bit more serious and nods at the Major's words. "Aye, whot else 'appened? I mean, what specifically did you or Zolomon say? Whot led up t'Dom chuckin' Zolomon at ya?" She pulls her gloves back on.

This time, Terrence does notice it, though does little else on the matter. At the questions, however, he sombers. "Ah, right. Well, I ordered Dom to come back, and Zolomon tried reasoning with him, then, well," He rubs the back of his neck, sheepish, "Once it was clear he wasn't listening I tried to goad him into coming after me - called him 'Dommy-boy' and 'coward. Would've worked to, I think, but Zolomon was too close. I assume you can guess the rest, wot."

Varus sighs. "Y' tried t' bait 'im... Y' coulda been killed, Sahgeant. Y' know callin' 'im Dommy-Boy is inflammatory, wot..."

Felicity's smile vanishes. "Y'did WHOT?!" She is definitely not pleased. "Why on Eahrth did y'think that was a good idea?? 'E's already, like, crazy! Y'just askin' f'r 'im t'do somethin' t'you! Y're lucky 'e only threw Zolomon an' not, like, a rock or somethin'!" She's too astonished to think of how disrespectful this might be. She just can not for the life of her understand why he thought that was a good idea.

Terrence raises his paws. "I was hoping to get him to follow me - there were otheh hares around me, and I told them to use nets when he came fo'h me." He shifts, looking down at his feet with a sigh. "I know it was dangerous, wot, but I'd thought it'd work better than whateveh the corporal was doing - I don't think our Dommy-boy like him all that much..."

Varus harrumps. "Felicity is right, Terrence. It was foolish, in th' extreme. If y' were in mah patrol I'd put y' on report for reckless endangahment, wot... Considah this a wahrnin'. Felicity, make a note f'r me t' mention this t' Jinora when we get back..."

Perhaps it wasn't the wisest of decisions for Erg to return to the campsite, especially so soon after showing up the previous evening. Still, for one reason or another, the large hare appears on the opposite side of the camp, this time on the other side of where he'd been the previous day. His fur is still covered in whatever dark substance he'd used to camo himself, and it makes him blend in quite well with the shadows of the trees where he is standing. Blue eyes peer out at those gathered, though this time instead of saying anything at all, the large hare simply stands there and stares. If one were to look closer, they'd see he is holding something in a paw, but the shadows seem to cover this up and make it difficult to discern what exactly it is.

Felicity's eyes widen, but she nods. "Um, aye, sah, o' course." She pulls a small notebook and a pencil out of her jacket pocket, flips through pages of sketches and drawings and tiny notes until she finally finds a blank page. Scribbling down the note from her Major, she carefully rips out the page, slips it in the front of the notebook, and slips everything back into her pocket with an apologetic sideways glance at Terrence. "There we go, sah. An' if I need t'make any othah notes for ya, I 'ave a page just f'r them," she informs him as she buttons the pocket closed. Taking a deep breath, she decides to change the subject. "So do we go try t'find 'im again? Set Terrence an' Zolomon out as bait? Offah Dom cookies and tea? I know talkin' t' 'im didn't work last time, but I would like t' try meself, sah. I'll be very careful, but I would still like t'persaonally say somethin' t' 'im, if I can. It may not 'elp, but 'twould be worth it if it works without us 'avin' t'use nets or somethin'." Unaware as of yet that they were being watched, the Runner looks at her Major with an almost pleading look in her blue eyes. She wants to try.

Terrence's face tightens, and he remains seated, glancing over at Felicity as she writes the report up. There's a slight slump to his shoulders, though, and he mutters, "I was planning on telling my majah myself, sah." But he sighs and leans forward, looking into the fire. He doesn't say anything more, as from his view nearly everything he's done while in the swamp has lead to some sort of disaster or another.

Varus is, of course, completely oblivious of Dom being near. He raises a paw to interrupt. "I've got a new plan. With th' 'elp o' the 'ealahs, who're mixin' sleepin' drugs into a sorta powdah, we're gonna set a fire outside Dom's cave, then add the sleepin' potion, and smoke the poor sod right t' sleep, wot. I'm told it's almost guaranteed t' work..."

The large hare is indeed able to hear the discussion currently happening between the Patrol hares. His eyes narrow just slightly, remaining in the place between the two trees as he quietly watches, a soft rumble within his chest. His expression is one someone likely wouldn't want to see anywhere, let alone in the dark, and he takes a quiet step backwards, his mind beginning to formulate some type of plan as to how to possibly avoid what is being discussed. The Patrol hares likely are unaware they are being spied on, at this point, Erg able to be as stealthy as one could possibly be for one of his size.

Felicity's jaw tightens. "Aye, sah. I still would like t'say f'r th'record that I would like t'speak with 'im. I..." she pauses. Should she even tell them her secret plan? "I was gonna remind 'im o' all the fun 'e 'ad with the leverets," she decides to tell them. "May'ap 'e won't want t'come back for th' Mountain, but maybe 'e'll come back if I tell 'im 'ow much th'leverets, an' 'specially m'sistah, miss 'im." Some Privates start yelling from inside their tent, and the Sergeant rolls her eyes. "Oh my word, I broke up their fight yestahday, too. Please, sah, just....I implore y't'think on it. I need t'go break up those idiots again, 'scuse me." The Runner hops up and jogs off to go break up the fight, shouting orders as she gets near and enters the tent.

Now sitting alone, Terrence doesn't immediately turn towards the major, nor does he say anything. He stares into the flames before him, the sour mood from the day before returning. In the east, the sky is certainly brighter, but there's at least an hour before the sun appears.

Varus raises a paw, to tell Felicity that Dom is most likely completely insane or something now, but she's gone before he can speak, so it goes unsaid. "...Well."

Dominik did indeed hear what Felicity had said about the leverets. There is some type of stirring within his eyes, something that hadn't been there before, and a frown creases his muzzle as the large hare debates turning around and heading back into the marshes. Still, the others seem to be planning something, and so the hare remains where he is standing, hoping to get some new information as to their plans. And if he notices he is spotted, then he will turn and flee.

Terrence's mood becomes even fouler than it was before the conversation started, especially now that he's left alone with the major(or so he thinks) and he pokes around the fire with a stick to keep it going. He doesn't respond to the major, nor does he try to further defend his reasoning at the time. Ears back against his neck and eyes turned forward he doesn't offer a seat- this is all a rare thing for the sergeant.

Varus turns his attention to the moody buck. "Are y' alright?" Great. He values Terrence's insight, and now the buck seems to be withdrawing into a shell. Dom is still, unsurprisingly, unnoticed.

Dominik continues to merely stand there in the spot between the two trees, as the large hare stares at his former comrades. Those wheels in his brain are turning, and perhaps there is a little bit of a wistful expression that appears, but if it does it's only there for a very brief moment as that dark, shadowy expression soon returns to his face. Those large paws flex and clench at his sides, back and forth, and he is doing his best to not make his presence known at all.

"Peachy." Terrence says with some effort, looking back at the major finally. In the firelight, if Varus looks closer, once can make out that the bags which had accompanied his eyes since before the start of this trip had grown in size, and there's a distinct droopiness to the sergeant. "I just-" He cuts himself off, taking a breath, "I'm," He begins again, "I'm 'bout ready to shoot both Dom and Zolomon at this point, sah, and be done with it."

Varus frowns. "Dom, I undahstand... But why Zolomon, wot? Y' 'ave pahrmission t' be frank. Wotevah y' say won't leave this spot, eh wot."

Dominik's expression darkens even more as he hears the two discussing the possibility of...shooting...him? He isn't quite sure if it was said in jest, though at this point that's really not something the large hare is able to discern very well. The fact that they are entertaining the idea of simply killing him and being done with it doesn't seem to sit too well with the hare, and he very slowly begins to back off, back into the woods. He leaves behind a growl, and in the spot where he'd previously stood, there is left an entire toad skeleton...it's likely when he'd had in his paw when he arrived.

"Well, sah, first off he disobeyed an order, which lead to all th-" Ears shooting up at the growl, the sergeant leaps to his feet. "You hear that, majah?" Terrence looks out into the swamp, the now faint grey light barely allowing him to see anything. Dom is hidden from sight among all the bushes and plans, however, but the tree he was by is easy enough to see. Picking up a log as a sort of torch, Terrence turns to investigate the noise, but falters, turning to partially face Varus.

Varus' ears perk as well, and he whirls around. "I 'eard it!" he declares, immediately after gesturing over a group of Privates to search the tree line. "'E must be close, lads! Leave no stone unturned! GET TO IT!"

Dominik figures it was likely unwise to growl, yet he was unable to help himself. The thought of his old comrades resorting to...to THAT...to simply eliminate him...it certainly stung. And more than likely didn't help in the convincing to get him to return, or the state of his mind. At this point in time, Erg had the entire area scouted rather well, and he knows the exact path in which to avoid both his traps and also the bogs and sinking mud of the marshes. He travels through the marsh rather easily and quickly, not looking back at any pursuers....he had to make it back to his shelter.

"Oi, belay that!" Terrence shouts when the light of his torch falls on the skeleton, "Somebeast go get trackers before you lot muddy up his marks!" Already the sergeant is having the sinking feeling Dom may have been eavesdropping, even as he kneels down to examine a paw print in the mud. "Once they have the trail, then we can follow them to his cave."

Varus quickly realizes as well that he's got away, adding to his own ire. "Y' heard Terrence. Come back... He's gone. Damnation." Shaking his head, he sighs. "Wot've y' found there? Did 'e leave us anothah... 'Present'?"

"Yes..." Without looking up, Terrence waves in the general direction the skeleton sat, its empty eye-sockets staring directly at Varus. "But he also left these," The sergeant points his makeshift torch forward, were a path of paw prints left in the not quite solid ground lay, leading off into the distance. By now the scouts had arrived, with at least one wiping sleep from their eye.

Varus claps his paws. Finally, a solid lead. "'E got careless, eh wot! Right ho, this'll likely be our last chance, Lads, so let's make it count. 'E musta ovah'eard ev'rythin we said, which puts the kibosh on mah plan t' smoke 'im out aftah we found 'is cave... But tha's no majah issue..."

Terrence stands once the trackers have the trail, as the sergeant assumes he'd get in their way. He stands in the pale light by skeleton, looking at were the trackers had already started moving. "Indeed, sah," Terrence says, "But what if he has yet more bloody traps set out for us, with his tracks as bait?" Some of the privates halt in following the scouts at those words, looking back towards the major and sergeant.

Varus rubs his chin, and sighs. "...It's a risk we'll 'ave t' take," he answers, obviously not happy with it. "Th' tracks are almost guaranteed t' lead back t' 'is hideout, so we can't afford not t' follow 'em... We can only be more careful..."

With an eyebrow raised, Terrence merely grunts in response. By now his torch had burned out but the brightness of the coming day was beginning to grow.

The scouts and privates start off again, slowly, and it seems as if most hares are wary of stepping even a little off the path behind the trackers. "Of course, sah," Terrence breaks his silence, "I'd be careful 'bout who goes along with you, as I'm afraid many of our hares aren't quite up to the task, yet. As in being anything even remotely close to cautious, that is." It seems the sergeant has lost some faith in the hares under him, or at least a few of them.

Varus nods wordlessly. "We'll let the scouts go ahead first," he finally says at length, "They've got the trainin' f'r this sorta thing. Every othah beast will wait 'ere till they return, wot..."

Zolomon slowly makes his way out of the tent, he has been in the healers tent a bit as he was still sore, still is but he walks over to the other two hares and stops a fair distance away. "Surs..." A salute is given.

"Corporal." Terrence dips his head, the greeting cordial enough - but in the growing light the major could potentially see the ever so slight twitch to his eye when Zolomon appears. The hares had started their slow trek into the marsh by now, following Dom's trail closely and carefully.

Varus glances at Terrence. He can see the twitch. He needs to take the Sergeant aside later, and potentially order the buck to get rest. "I see y' aren't dead, wot, an' not seriously injahed, eithah..."

The sergeant turns away from the corporal, turning his attention back to the marsh. "Zolomon'll hopefully not get himself killed anytime soon..." Terrence says, quietly.

Varus overhears that, but leaves it unremarked. Instead, he awaits learning what the scouts find. He'll wait all day if he has to.

They will remain waiting for some time, it seems. Terrence shifts his feet, looking back towards the camp. He's not going to break the silence that had fallen.

The sun is inching across the sky. It's nearly noon by now. Still no sign of the scouts. Perhaps they died.

Terrence wavers on his feet, shaking his head to stay awake. "Eh, sah?" He asks.

Varus ehs? "Wot is it, Terrence?" he asks, as one of the scouts discreetly re-enters camp. "SAH."

"At ease," Terrence says with a wave of his paw that passes as a very messy salute in return. "I assume you've got something to report?"

Varus eyes the scout, who replies, "We found a cave, Sah! It lies a little ovah a mile from our current location, wot! Dom didn't bothah t' covah 'is tracks. My estimation is that it's a trap, Sah!"

Terrence looks first to the scout then the major. "Sah, might I be excused from this one?" He asks, flatly. "I don't quite think I have the presence of mind to deal with our Dom, so I'm requesting a moment's rest, sah."

Varus peers at Terrence. "You need it. Go. Get rest afore y' fall ovah, wot! Off you go!" Turning to the scout, he sighs, "Aye, it probably is..."

"Thank you." Terrence nods to the two hares, "Private, Majah, good luck." The sergeant then turns on his heel and does his best to correct the weary sway that had overtaken him, to seek out his bed.

Last edited by Ol'random (2019-12-01 11:08:39 PM)

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#1 2019-12-01 11:08:02 PM

Erg the Blog-Slayer, Rnd IX: Darker Things than Toads Lurk…LP 11/30/19

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