04-26-06

Characters involved: Darklett & Taye.

Salamandastron: Level Two

Satisfied with how stealthily he'd been able to avoid notice up to this point, Darklett Fletchpaw steps up the stairs, keeping an eye out for anybeast that might intercept his movement. He pauses at the top of the stairs, looking down the Leaders' Corridor, and taking a step towards it.

"... Sah?" comes the questioning greeting, from a voice that ought to be unmistakable. Taye stands in the doorway of the training room, a damp towel draped around his neck. He is leaning with one paw against the doorframe, looking surprised.

Darklett's ears perk, and he turns towards the training room to see Taye. Visibly wincing, he makes no move to avoid the runner. "...Taye. Hey, how have you been?" A paw raises to the side of his head and rubs there, recognizing his rather lame attempt to be casual.

Taye steps forward, letting his paw slide down the doorframe and then off. He shoves his paws into his pockets, looking down. "... Good, sah." He pauses, his ear giving a flick. "How've you been? An' how's Audri?"

Darklett's mouth twists a little to the side. "You know, you don't have to call me that anymore," he almost murmurs, looking off to the side. "I'm doin' okay, and Audri's doin' fine. I was thinkin', though. Being out of the patrol's..." He smirks, shrugging to Taye. "It's not so bad. I could get used to being a civilian."

Taye's sends a short glance up at Darklett, then looks back down with a small shake of his head and a knitting of his brow. "... Doesn't mattah if yer outta the Patrol or not - yer still my Majah." His ears dip back as he considers the buck's further words. "... So. Yer not goin' to come back?"

"...No." Darklett shakes his head, still smirking, though it starts to grow across his face. "No, I don't think I'm going to, even if they let me. I've been able to spend a lot of time with Audri-- We're gonna go fishing real soon!" He's now grinning, though trying to suppress it. "I'm living in Halyard now, and it's really really..." Pause. "...Nice."

Taye stares at the floor for a long moment, kicking the floor gently with the tip of a boot. "... Yeah? Well. Good. Glad yer happy, sah." Pause. Squint. He finally looks up, doing his best to look neutral. "Do me a favah. I'm gonna be stoppin' by the village in the next coupla days. Let Audri know." He half-turns, then stops. "... I ought to be gettin' back to my duties."

"I'll let her know." Darklett's cheery demeanor is slightly dented by Taye's mood. "...You understand, right? Don't think of me as an officer right now, just as another hare. A peer." He shifts his footpaws. "I'm not giving up on you hares at all. You're all fantastic, but... It's taken me some time off to realize that I never really belonged here."

"... Undahstand, sah?" His brow knits and he turns away just a little bit more, considering the stairs. "What I undahstand, Majah, is that I've proudly fought by yer side 'n' I would've proudly laid m'life down fer you. And yer just..." He snorts. "Yer just /indifferent/. All that the Patrol's meant to you, 'n'... now you nevah belonged here? I don't get you, sah." He looks back at the other buck for one long moment and then, with a shake of his head, heads for the stairs and away.

Darklett's ears pin as Taye speaks, his eyes slightly widened. Rendered speechless by just how the runner felt, the dark-furred buck was completely unable to think of what to say until after he'd just watched Taye walk by and down the stairs, out of sight. And even then, he's got nothing, just standing where he is, pensively reviewing what just happened. And just when Taye's steps away lose their sound, more enter, and his mandatory guard shows up, two large hares, uniformed as fighters. The ex-major just waves his paw at them, and heads down the stairs, a heavy sigh escaping his chest.