Erg the Blog-Slayer, Round VI: Hospitality Scorned - LP 11/23/19

Ol'random · 2019-11-24 05:42:11 PM

OOC: Thanks to everyone who took part!
Pvt. Dominik,
Sgt. Felicity,
Lt. Gregorian,
Pvt. Konner,
Sgt. Terrence,
Mjr. Varus,
and Cpl. Zolomon, all hares.

In the cold, still air a distant cry of a crow rings out, its sharp caw barely muffled by the chilled marshlands, the only sign of life in the burned out swamp beyond a rare bubble rising from the depths. Frost from the morning still remains even as the sun starts to dip behind the distant dunes though the pools of muck and mud have yet to ice over even this late into November. Still, if a hare were to fall into the pits they'd certainly feel like they broke through ice. Despite this uninviting weather and similar landscape hares are marching onwards, having begun their slow trek from the mountain of Salamandastron some time ago.

Weighed down by double the standard equipment they step along in pairs lead by scouts who know the safest route, with standing orders to not deviate from the path lest somebeast sinks into the cool mush surrounding them.

Bringing up the rear Terrence wraps a blanket he's using as a shawl closer about his shoulders. Ears flat against his neck in an effort to conserve heat, the sergeant bites his lip, raising his head to peer forward towards the rock outcrop that is their destination- too distant for his liking, the hares have been moving slower than expected. Cupping both paws around his mouth to project, he barks out, "OI! Quick pace you lot! Gotta at least set up tents 'efore light 'n' warmth are gone!"

Gregorian is cold but as far as he's concerned being uncomfortable with the weather is just part of being on patrol. He braves the weather with mostly just stubbornness. He barks a laugh at Terrence's words. "There was nevah any warmth tah begin with!" he's actually in a better mood since they left the mountain. Partly because it distracts from the awkwardness, partly because he hasn't been on a proper patrol in years. He's keeping up with the group alright though his pegleg is a bit more susceptible to cutting straight through the mud. He's got his cane out of his belt to try and help with that a bit or at least make it easier to poke it around and find the firmer bits to step on.

Zolomon walks along and keeps an eye out for any trouble as they head into the swamplands. He disliked this place before the toads, but least they have a better idea of where things are, or they should anyways.

Felicity is in her new Sergeant uniform, with thermals on under her pants. She is also wearing a hat of the same colour as her uniform, and a quilted uniform jacket, although it still has appliqués of her Corporal rank on it -- she hasn't yet had time to change it to her current rank. Tugging her uniform gloves on a bit more snugly, she readjusts her backpack. "Aye, go fastah, wot! 'Tisn't on m'list o' things I'd like t'do, settin' up tents in th'dahk, wot! Step lively now! But f'r th'love, be careful!" She pulls a Private from their perilous almost step off the path. "Stay on track, lassie," she adds more gently, although it's still obviously an order.

Some distance away from the intrepid group of Patrollers, Dom...or Erg, as he is now known, of course...sits within the small cave he'd found shelter in, a small fire having been set which he'd been able to maintain rather well throughout the time he'd been there. It managed to keep out most of the chill in the air, and that was certainly a good thing since the large hare was still only clad in his torn Patrol uniform. He had definitely begun to undergo another change, however...his normally mahogany fur had begun to take on a very evident tinge of white as his winter coat had begun to come in. It only made the hare look all the more unusual. Poking at the fire with a stick held in his paw, Erg stares down into said fire, occasionally glance up to grin over at the toad-skeleton that sits nearby. Konner has mostly been ignored, for the most part, Erg only tending to him to check his healing wounds and to change the dressings if need be. Otherwise, he mostly remained silent, every now and then simply sitting there and staring at the other hare. "Hrm," he chuckles. "Take look at this, Blorg...." He nods towards the fire, and how it makes a large shadow on the wall of the toad-skeleton. "Is you, but...bigger."

Konner is perfectly happy being ignored, feigning sleep as he is. The private clutches the rock he plans to use for... something... as he keeps his breathing steady and even. While 'Erg' has been relatively helpful, that doesn't stop the hare from being terrifying especially with all the conversations with the literal pile of bones he has. And the shadow puppetry. So Konner waits for his moment to strike and run.

If the chill air is bothering Terrence he doesn't outright say so, instead falling in step next to the lieutenant, "We've been a lot slower than I'd like, wot. Might not reach the rocks before sunset." His breath fogs up his spectacles and he brings a gloved paw up to wipe them off, looking up towards the clear sky. "The temperature's going to drop quite a lot tonight, and I for one don't want to be caught out in the open like this. Even if its bloody cold right now it'll be nothing once we're freezing our ears off in the night, wot."

Gregorian gets a little annoyed when his leg sinks in the mud again but he was getting plenty of practice pulling it back out again. "I know Sargent. No need tah worry though. The ground's firmah with the cold and we know more about the paths through this place now than we have done in years thanks tah the trainin'. We all know wot we're doin', I reckon we could get a camp set up in minutes."

Zolomon nods. "So far, so good sur...though quiet is not always good"

Felicity scowls. "I did not wish t'be out 'ere in this freezin' weathah aftah dark....rathah be 'idin' in a tent undah blankets....oooh, an' I'm prob'ly gonna get stuck doing guard duty at some point..." She continues to chunner to herself under her breath, interspersed with advice for the Privates and Corporals with them. A couple of them have never really done much outside of the Mountain, while the Runner Sergeant has done almost everything she's ever done in the Patrol outside the confines of Salamandastron. She's trying to gently share her hard-learned experience with those under her care.

Dominik is perfectly content at the moment watching the projected shadow on the wall of the cave. Reaching out his paw, he makes one of Blorg's arms move up and down, which in turn makes the shadow's arm move as well. The large hare seemingly gets a huge kick out of this, the grin evident upon his muzzle. It also may be the distraction that Konner needs, as Erg isn't fully paying attention to him and has no idea that the other hare is clutching a rock in his paw. I mean, why would he want to leave? They have everything they need right there, after all! "Hah! Blorg is waving..." he chuckles, before poking at the fire again with the stick and stoking the flames. He eventually tosses the stick in as well. "Blorg. If Erg has not said before, vil let you know. Is best friend. Vil not leave Erg's side, even ven get cold. Erg appreciate." The large hare has no idea that, some distance away, the other Patrollers are huddled in the cold in preparation to search for him. What he does know, is all his various traps had been set in the area leading up to his cave, and they are simply waiting to be stumbled into.

Varus's long ears perk and he looks over at Felicity. "Sahgeant... Do I heah complainin' in our midst?" The Major is actually dressed somewhat more warmly than the rest, owing to the cold doing a number on his old joints. "Wot 'ave I always said about complainin'?"

With a cough that might be real, Konner mutters something to himself about Blorg, rock still in paw. He shifts, trying his best to get Dom, or 'Erg' nearby. "Wa-water..." He croaks out, doing what he can to sound absolutely pitiful.

Terrence's gaze falls on Zolomon in front of him when Greg says everyone. "Perhaps I'm worrying too much, wot." Indeed, even now the rocks appear far closer than before. "But knowing our luck..." Raising his voice, he calls out to the corporal, "Quiet's better than croaking, wot! Toads are more than likely sleeping with the cold and all. We won't have to worry much, I suppose!"

"WOT IN TH' BLAZ-" Of course it just so happens that at the moment the words leave the sergeant one of the scouts leading the march is hoisted with a yelp by his ankle and is left dangling upside down in a tree, with his partner calling for a halt and help next to him.

Gregorian does at least have a good coat over his uniform. It's old but warmer than nothing and waterproof. "We've had worse starts tah a patrol." he doesn't elaborate on how because that would be jinxing it but then the shouting happens anyway. He was already alert but now his ears flick in every direction and he draws the blade from inside the cane in his paws as he hurries forwards and then halts the moment they're told to. A deep frown crosses his face as he looks at the upside down hare. "Hell. We're goin' tah need tah watch our steps. The toads weren't settin' traps before but they are now." it never crosses his mind that it could be Dom setting them.

Zolomon lays a paw on his longbow, he did bring it and the saber he has as well, just in case as he looks around carefully. He walks slowly and hmmms. He unknowingly barely avoids a trap himself.

Felicity had been in front, so she's a little surprised the Major even heard her. "Well, Sah..." But the shouting interrupts her, and as she darts forward to help, she falls into a pit trap just as the scout yells at everyone to halt. Shouting and cursing, the haremaid slips to the bottom of the pit and then screams as she comes face to face with the skelaton of a toad....which she immediately beheads before even thinking. After a few breaths, she sheaths her sword and shouts up to her fellow Patrollers, "Oi, could somebeast 'elp me outta Dom's Pit o' Frights?" There's no doubt in her mind as to who and what made these traps now that she's seen one of the surprises in store for those who get caught in them.

Dominik's ears perk as he hears the croaking voice immediately nearby, and he stares wide-eyed at Blorg, perhaps thinking that the toad-skeleton had just asked for water. "...Blorg. Just gave vater, does not need more..." he frowns. "I..." His eyes then fall on Konner, and the realization hits him. "Oh. Er. Yes. Vil get...vater." The large hare slowly pushes himself up to his full height, his ears barely brushing the ceiling of the cave as he does so. He makes his way over to the far wall, where he keeps most of his supplies, and he picks up the small flagon containing fresh water he had gathered earlier. He makes his way back over towards Konner, then leans down and holds the flagon out to him...unwittingly giving the other hare a target. "Here..."

Varus raises a paw. "Everybeast, halt! There's pits! Make yahr way carefully forwahd..." In the meantime, he approaches Felicity's pit, and kneels, holding out his paw. "C'mon, out y' go, wot!"

Konner manages a grin as Erg leans over, despite himself, and mutters again, "Wa-tar..." Then, with a quick snap of his wrist, the stone is hurled right at the big hare's nose with the private leaping up right after, throwing himself towards the cave exit. "Thanks f'everythin', wot, bu' I really must be goin'!" He calls over his shoulder.

"Just our bloody luck." The sergeant curses, having certainly jinxed it. "USE SPEARS OR STICKS TO TEST WERE Y'STEP!" Terrence shouts, making his way to the front. It is quite the production to get the scout down from where he hangs without hurting him, as the knot-work is superior even to the standard patrol way - far too good for toads, if anyone bothers to look into it. Taking out a dagger, Terrence finds the counter weight. "Get ready to catch him, or least hold him still so he doesn't fall!" Not taking his own advice, the bespectacled hare steps on leafs right in front of the rock with ropes around it. He doesn't think twice about it- and immediately is lifted into the air to dangle across from the other scout. Another curse escapes Terrence, this time much more vulgar as his spectacles fall off.

Gregorian jumps a little as Felicity disappears down a hole but he huffs a little sigh of relief when she yells. At least it wasn't full of spikes or something "Hell" he mutters as he puts his sword away to use the can for poking around on the ground. He prods around around until he's nearly under the handing hare and then jumps again when Terrence also gets lifted off the ground. After the initial surprise though he folds his arms and and just looks at the Sargent. "Really?!" a sigh and a shake of his head and he slowly heads that way to the counterweight, checking very carefully until he's close enough to cut the first one down with his sword.

Zolomon frowns as he sees Felicity and a couple others find traps. So far he has found none. "I..hope none of these are dangerous." He is being careful and looking for odd leaves or something that looks out of place.

Felicity accepts Varus' help out of the pit. "I beheaded a dead toad, do I get extra rations?" She deadpans, then looks up to see Terrence hanging from his heels in a tree. "Oh, cheese crackahs....I'll find y'glasses....." she cautiously starts poking around in the leaves, searching for the spectacles. When she finds them, she'll put them in her jacket pocket to keep them safe until he's pulled down. "Did y'lot learn nothin' from my escapade?" The Sergeant gripes at the other hares who've fallen into pits. "Use caution t'check th'ground afore y'step on it, an' that's an ordah, wot! Unless o' course y're a highah rankin' officah, then it's a helpful suggestion."

Dominik had thought that he had done the nice and proper thing by saving Konner from his trap, and treating his wounds...even sharing his meager food with the other hare...but, no. Apparently, he was nothing more than merely a giant monster keeping Konner captive. It isn't as if the other hare could have merely gotten up and requested to leave, a request Erg more than likely would have granted, being that he certainly did enjoy his solitude. Konner didn't seem to see things this way, and so the other hare throws the rock at Erg, point blank. Taken by surprise, he yelps in surprise and pain as the rock thwacks the large hare right in the nose, causing him to immediately see stars as it dazes him. It begins to ooze blood a few moments later, a small cut opened up on his muzzle. Erg drops the water, clapping a paw to his muzzle in a reflexive action, eyes squeezing shut which gives Konner ample time to flee out into the cold marshes. It takes a few moments for Erg to realize what had just happened, the fogginess from both the shock and the pain clearing a little, and he lets out a rage-filled roar, a sound which echoes throughout the cavern, and out into the marshes. Of all the things Konner could have done to make things worse, that...was likely at the top of the list.

Varus harrumps at the younger hares falling into traps whilst he has the experience to spot one a mile away. He avoids the pits, and the snares, and that one there that causes a dead toad to pop out of the brush to give elder hares heart attacks. No, he avoids them all, because he's better than that. "Right, y' sorry lot. Watch y' bloomin' steps, an' step around the bloody pits. Now come o..." His speech is cut off by that blood-curdling roar. "Oh damn."

Knowing that his life probably depends on it, Konner runs like the wind once out of the cave. He winces every time weight is put on his recently healed leg, but he pushes through it. His ears flatten to his neck when the roar rips out across the marsh, doing his best to go faster. Of course, as he does so, he hears the commotion from the patrol. "O'ER 'ERE! PATROL! O'ER 'ERE!" Waving his arms wildly to try to catch their attention, he knows his only hope is meeting up with the other hares before the enraged 'Erg' finds him, after all.

Thankfully, there seems to be less traps around now that so many hares had been caught in them, so there is a bright side to the mild chaos.

As the scout falls safely into the arms his comrades, Terrence gives the lieutenant a deeply annoyed look. "With all due respect, I've already had quite the day today - without you taking that tone, Sah." While fully aware he might have deserved the 'really', Terrence manages to place his paws on his hips, still hanging upside down. "To be fair to me, sah, I wasn't expectin' the bloody toads to have double defenses like this, wot." Looking thoroughly unamused the sergeant is spinning, though he softens slightly when Felicity says she'll look for his spectacles, which luckily hadn't fallen into a nearby mush pit. "Thanks, wot - do you hear something?" He blinks, unseeing.

Zolomon is careful, he barely avoids a rope as it almost gets his leg as he manages to just barely avoid it and yips. He sighs in relief as he walks forwards "Ok every hare just blooming walk careful like and all should be----" He frowns, what was that snap noise, he gasps as he sidesteps a log crashing past and he jumps to avoid it returning as it stops. "Well that was blooming close." He then goes to walk back over and...yep, finds a trap as he gets a gasp out and falls into the pit and knocks himself out!

Gregorian grumbles back at Terrence as he slowly makes his way to the rope holding him up too to cut that as well. "We're all havin' a bad day now!" he successfully avoids getting caught for now and freezes at the roar, his ears perking "Wot the blazes was that?" he mutters. He faintly hears yelling as Konner runs about shouting but then Zolomon unearths another trap by walking in to it and ends up in a pit. "Everyone stop movin' now!" Greg shouts loudly.

"That's 'cause the toads didn't do this, genius." Felicity is inspecting the knots on Terrence's trap. "These 'ave the look of somebeast smartah than a toad could evah 'ope t'be, an' th'only beast out 'ere smart enough to do this is us....an' Dom." As the roar echoes over the swamplands, the Runner Sergeant freezes. "An' that would be Dom 'imself," she whispers. She will remain in the background of whatever conflict arises, protecting those under her command...and observing Dominik, should he show himself. She has a half-formulated plan in mind, and it needs a bit more information before she can put it into action.

Dominik does not, in fact, give chase. It would be a fruitless and meaningless as well as foolish, action...especially being that his vision is just a tad scrambled due to the rock hitting him square in the moosh. Standing at the mouth of his cavern, paw still held tight to his bleeding muzzle, he stares out into the marshes in the direction Konner had fled, his eyes completely welled with tears as is what usually happens when hit in the nose. Pulling his paw away, he peers down at the blood now soaking his fur, a displeased frown crossing his muzzle. His ears perk as he thinks he hears screams and commotion not too far away, though that is more than likely merely Konner fleeing and making an absolutely fool out of himself. All that food, wasted on that ungrateful welp. He had no clue that his various traps had worked so well, and it more than likely would have cheered him up quite a bit upon finding this out. With a growl and a sigh, Erg turns and disappears back into his cave. "...vil not...ever help again," he mutters to Blorg, sullenly. "Am bleeding? Yes. Do not laugh...vil toss out into cold."

Varus spots Konner, and he cups his paws around his mouth, to yell out at the crazed hare. "STOP MOVIN' NOW! THERE ARE TRAPS! WATCH YAHR BLOOMIN' STEP!" Will this work? Who know.

Konner trips in his frantic state and falls flat on his face, landing almost entirely into a mud hole. His nose, however, manages to break itself against a rock within the mud. The irony is lost on the panicked private, who wastes no time in struggling to get up and start his sprint towards the patrollers, a big smile on his face. "MAJAH!" He shouts through his bloody nose, not heeding Varus' words. "Can' express 'ow 'happy I'm t'see-" And immediately he falls into a trip, getting a second knock to the face to boot, out cold.

There's a grunt as Terrence hits the ground hard, and he slowly rises to his feet, dusting himself off. "Well, maybe we can ask whoever's making all that noise?" Mostly blind now, the sergeant points slightly to the left of where the hare disappeared. "And someone make sure Zolomon didn't bloody kill himself. He's not making any noise, which is odd for him."

"That would explain why the traps aren't tryin' tah kill us." Greg mutters after Felicity's information on the traps likely being from Dom. He carefully and slowly makes his way to help get Zolomon out of the pit so they can carry him to camp. "Looks like he's out cold." Greg reports once he can see in to the pit. He realizes soon after someone's coming and he quints for a minute before looking surprised to see it's Konner. He quickly grimaces as the hare trips at the last minute and is out too. He sighs faintly. "Maybe we should just make camp here where we've already run in tah everythin' and recovah ourselves."

Varus frowns, and sighs. Seriously. He makes his way carefully toward Konner's pit. "Doesn't anybeast lissen t' mah bloomin' ordahs anymore?"

By now the sun has set, leaving the marshlands in twilight. The golden light is more than enough to see until fires are ready.

At the bottom of the pit, Konner merely groans, still unconscious though obviously alive - even with the amount of blood on his face and body from tumbling down.

Pausing to look down at Zolomon as he's pulled out, the sergeant nods, recovering his spectacles with a muttered thanks. "I second that, sah." He says once he can see fully. There's a nearby grove of trees, and Terrence calls out, "Alright then, we'll make camp here! Standard grid ordah and all that! Some of you with spears take axes to get some wood for fires, and heed all the officah's ordahs - be careful were you step!"

Gregorian helps with checking the area for any more traps and collecting firewood in the process. He purposely setting a few off to disarm them. He also accidentally sets off one which springs a toad skeleton out at them but as his reaction is to punch which sends the head flying off of it he pretends he meant to do that. He grumbles as he works, "Dom much have been doin' nothin' but digging pit traps for days. I doubt there's a toad for miles with all this tah catch them."

Varus harrumps. "Right, Greg. Too many t' bloody well count, I wagah." Despite his age, he helps set his own tent up, feeling that it inspires loyalty in his subordinates if he works alongside them.

Terrence has been overseeing the set up of the central tents, the infirmary being first. A large fire is being started in the center as more hares start putting up the barrack tents. A deep cold has been settling in, and the sergeant shivers. "Sooner the kitchen's up sooner we can eat, wot." The light has faded to a dark purple now.

"Good sign that he survived alright aftah the battle," Greg talks as he brings back some firewood, "Must have been in the area a while too...why he hasn't come home is my question. We found Konnah at least...or he found us" he starts with assembling his own tend too "Food, a rest and perhaps once the surprise has worn off we can deal with furthah traps in an organised manah." he mutters as he carries on, setting up the tent and helping with whatever needs doing.

Varus has a fairly large tent, as befits his rank and his role as leader of this expedition. Now that it's set up, he supervises the rest of the camp, and orders the mess rations to be broken out. "Right lads, tonight we eat 'n' rest. Tomorrah, we find Dominik. Get to it, wot!"

"Yes sah!" The hares answer in a chorus. Terrence shares a tent with several others, nearby where the second division's tents are. As the sergeant wraps the blanket tighter around him, the sergeant wanders over to the major once the main work's done. "Well, do you think Dom'll be any more willin' to listen compared to last time, sah?"

Varus harrumps, and replies bluntly, "I doubt it. One c'n 'ope, but I doubt it. We're gonna stay out 'ere as long as it takes... Even if that means a month, Sahgeant. An' nobeast'll complain durin' tha' month, eithah..."

"Well, that Konner can tell us something I bet." Terrence mutters, sitting down against the tree. "I'm rather glad he's alive, wot. Didn't expect that."

Varus shrugs. "Eh, time will tell... 'E took a nasty bump t' th' 'ead there... Probably 'as a bloomin' concussion now. We'll see..."

"Probably." Terrence echos, resting his head back against the tree. "What I want to know is why all the bloody traps? They seem to be everywhere, wot."

Varus rubs his chin, as if thinking. "Keep th' toads out, I s'pose... That, or Dom really 'as gone completely bloody, bloomin' bonkahs, wot."

Terrence nods, pushing himself up. "Right. I wouldn't put it past him, wot." The sergeant rolls his shoulders, heading towards were his division is gathered. "Need to go check to make sure everything's in place by now. Good night sah."

Varus nods. "Good night, Sahgeant," he replies, before entering his own tent to turn in for the night.

Last edited by Ol'random (2019-11-24 05:42:49 PM)

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#1 2019-11-24 05:42:11 PM

Erg the Blog-Slayer, Round VI: Hospitality Scorned - LP 11/23/19

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