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Ol'random

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From: Somewhere by the Mountains

Registered: 2018-05-25

Posts: 417

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Escape! - Zoltar TP 5/8/21

This was RP'd last Saturday (5/8), taking place IC'ly around that time.

John & Oz, a squirrel & badger-cub

The moonless night had been dark save for the roaring fires the vermin had lit, dancing around them in a victorious revelry at the sacking of the otter holt. So engrossed were they that even the few sentries that had been placed joined in, save one, yet with the noise behind him and the blackness in front he could tell very little and his watch seemed in vain.

He certainly didn't see the cloaked figure creeping forward along the ground, keeping his head low- though the fire glinted off the tip of a loaded crossbow bolt in paw. John had been following after the massive horde for months now, staying more distant now that there was no cover of trees and foliage, hiding in the sand dunes during the day and observe the band at night. He knew the badger dibbun, who he thought was named Oz (though he couldn't quite remember), was somewhere in the camp usually kept by the wild-cat leader himself. The squirrel knew what Zoltar looked like now, and his daily habits, and how he treated the creatures below him; the badger especially.

Yet John had remained as he does now, quietly watching the enemy from the shadows, and waiting, waiting as he had done for more than a season now.

A couple vermin were chatting near by." Boss a bit grumpyy" The other nodded." De cub wandered off on someone  watch." The hmmms." I heard Jaws ate hin or..well he ate someowe that fer sure, hee hee."

Oz meanwhile was not in the camp, unknown to most he was alive and not too far from the camp, luckly no one seemed to look for him or maybe a couple was.

Moving closer, John would turn his good ear forward so as to better hear what they were murmuring to each other.  The squirrel is laying flat on his belly, crawling forward through the sand slowly.

"Ate him?" The lone sentry turns to the two conversing nearby, shocked. "Bu' tha'badger-cub were a right big 'un, 'e was."

One shrugs, " Jaws is a monitor, why de boss let jim join,  no clue"

"Bah," The sentry shudders, "Know tha' scaly thing by sight, I do- ate me mate, Kingsley, 'e did. Or tried to. 'E doesn' 'ave 'is tail no more, that's for sure."

The squirrel, now more alert, was mere yards from the conversing vermin. His crossbow was brought slightly forward, ready to be used if need be. The badger, eaten... John's face is grim. A poor end to this blasted mission, he would wager.

The other shrugged."By de way anyone seen Rockpaw?”

Oz meanwhile has gotten a little further downshore and there  is likely still some paw prints, for now.

"Last I saw 'im 'e were getting drunk wi' the bigwig master," The sentry responds with a shrug. "'E's tyin' to get up in the world, or so 'e said..."

John would slip away from the conversation then, having heard all he wanted - or so he thought. His sense failed him in the moment, beyond maybe his eyesight which had adjusted to the dark; but his smell was over-ridden by the stench of the horde, and his hearing too; any little noise was drowned out by the raging feast of war.

"Bu' the badger-" Halting, John would once more perk up to listen to the nameless sentry. "You absolutely sure 'e got eaten'? The great boss'll be knockin' some 'eads off for sure, later."

The one hmmed." Wells...Shadowlight and..Jaws went ta look fer him....and that monitor ate someone, that was fer sure."
Its very possible Rockpaw might be found....well sort of.

"What if Rockpaw were the 'un to been" the sentry struggles to speak, the thought horrific to him, “E-e-eatin’?”

A grave smile spreads across John's lips now. Perhaps there was hope - he'd have to find this Shadowlight or the monitor and ask them a few questions, maybe. But he stays still for now.

The other horde beast gulps, " Maybe...de boss is..lettin' it...like ones he dont like."

"Bad boss, I'd say," The sentry clucks his tongue, "But ya didn' 'ear that from me, got that? I'll drag ya down with me if ya snitch."

The squirrel pulls back now, moving around by light of the stars. As he circles westwards, towards the sea, he seeks the tell-tale shape of a monitor lizard framed against the firelight, though has little luck so far.

Oz is luckily not been found by the vermin and he is smart enough not to go near the camp as he shivers. Still soaked from when he fell off the log bridge by the river.His ankle hurts but he still walked some before he sat and sneezed a couple times. As for the monitor its hard to say where he is, likely the largest tent giving a report to the wildcat.

The sneeze was loud enough that the squirrel took note of it, coming from the opposite direction from the camp. Hopefully no one else heard it-

"Oi, ya 'ear something?" The sentry stands, looking in the direction of the squirrel and badger. "Coulda sworn I 'eard something out there."

John sucks in a breath, slowly, agonizingly so, retreating, crawling on his elbows and shimmying backwards. He rolls into a ditch, the sand getting everywhere, and he peaks his head out - there. He saw a dark shape cover parts of the stars, and he begins to follow it, carefully.

The two vermin listen and one just snorts.c”Probably someone in camp ya moron, or one of de scouts de boss sent out to look downshore,  see how far Halyard is."

Oz limps along a little more, he still has a lot of growing to do since he is a dibbun. He finally just sits as he is worn out from his mad dash earlier, and not to mention a horrible free swiming lesson.

"They didn' put out any scouts tonight, ninny." The sentry snarls, grabbing his spear. "Come on, it weren' from camp - Might be thicked skulled, bu' me 'earing's sharp." Waving for the others to follow, the sentry advances into the dark.

"Shhh..." John would hiss to the badger babe, "Donnae move."

Oz at first starts to run, but then sort of relaxes a little.

The one vermin shrugs,  and another just rolls his eyes and heads to a tent." Ya two check it out, I am staying ere’.”

John leaps after him, trying to tackle the badger-babe to the ground. They're nearly the same size, even though the squirrel is rather tall for his species.

"There! I swear I saw somethin' -" The sentry points, looking back at the two vermin, "And didn' ya 'ear that?"

”Quiet.” The squirrel mutters through clenched teeth, "D'ye wannae both us tae die?"

Oz frowns but stays quiet now, but he is shivering a little.

One beast scans the area and shrugs. There is a couple seagulls on a nearby rock. "Maybe it was de birds...")

John nods to the badger as the babe remains quiet, whispering, "Oz, aye? Ah'm from th'abbey." The squirrel scoots away now, back towards the camp.

The sentry stood some four yards now form the camp, his paws shaking on his spear. "I didn' know birdies could run!" He shouts over his shoulder, annoyed and scared he'd been abandoned out here.

Carefully replacing the metal-tipped bolt with one of the many makeshift bolts he'd made of wood in the crossbow, John would lay down again facing the sentry and the camp. Shoulder resting against the crossbow stock he takes aim upwards, ever so careful to not miss what he's shooting for, or so he hoped.

"Wha-" The sentry had heard a soft click, and the bolt whistling by him to make a grand arch in the air, while the squirrel held his breath for a few tense seconds. The next thing the sentry heard was a scream from inside the camp as the bolt seemingly came directly out of the sky and into the shoulder of one of the many vermin - after that, well, he didn't have time to hear he small knife driving into back of his neck, let alone see his assailant who covered the vermin's mouth with a gauntleted paw as they both sunk to the ground.

Oz holds back a whimper and stays where he is not daring to more till its ok to, the last thing he wants is back with that horde.

As the horde seems now in a state of chaos, it would be safe to assume no one would come looking for the missing sentry for some time. The beast who was struck was the Kingsley that was mentioned - right in a middle of giving a drunken ramble of a speech. No one could tell where the bolt had come from, and most vermin were too far gone to care.

"Lookie, even th' 'eaven's though 'is speech were bad! An' they shut 'im up!" There's some cruel laughter, now.

John returns to the badger after rolling the body into the ditch. "C'mon-" he whispers, grabbing at the badger's paw to lead him on, "Need tae stick tae th'shoreline w'thae waves, we do, least they'll find our tracks by mornin'."

Oz nods and obeys following him, after they are further away he finally speaks." Where we...going?"

Despite himself, and the freezing water about his feet and legs, John darkly laughs. "Far away from here, southwards, Ah can tell ye, bu' no much beyond tha'."

Oz frowns but he knows the squirrel is helping him so he is mostly relaxed, still jumpy at sounds though.

"By th'by, name's John," the squirrel mutters, trudging through the shore waves. "Some point Ah'll get ye back tae Redwall, Ah will."

Oz nods,  “Okies."

The body of the sentry would never be found by the horde, and few would mark him as missing come morning - and those that did would simply assume he ran off. The two woodlanders would travel by night only, resting and hiding during the day, until they came to the lands guarded by the Long Patrol.

---

I play Atticus, John, Lossow, Terrence, and Spruce
The Long Patrol Landing Page!
Usually on the MUCK Saturdays + Monday & Wednesday evenings if I have the time
Fastest way to reach me is via my Discord: Luke_SkyOtter#1438