05-24-06

Characters involved: Taye, Flaxpaw, & Darkmane.

Dirt Road

It's been a good day of walking, and Harper has once more been holding himself back, trailing the two more talkative creatures. He doesn't seem out of sorts or in a mood, exactly, just as if he's got a lot on his mind. Finally when they've broken march for a break, Harp comes up to join Flaxpaw with his head lowered, squatting down where the beginnings of a fire have been started.

Flaxpaw smiles at Harp, still seeming a little shy in front of him. "hey...you've been real quiet. anything wrong?"

Harper's ears twitch before he looks up, but when he does his head turns in a little, reassuring shake of his head, and he smiles. Just a little one, mind. "Nothing wrong. Just... been takin' the time to think. Feels good to be away from things fer a few days."

Harper's ears twitch before he looks up, but when he does his head turns in a little, reassuring shake of his head, and he smiles. Just a little one, mind. "Nothing wrong. Just... been takin' the time to think. Feels good to be away from things fer a few days."

Flaxpaw nods and considers him. "wot've you been thinking of? and...yeah, i'm gald mister Darkmane brought us out here. and....I'm glad you came." she blushes slightly and looks agt the fire.

Harper shrugs. "Just... things. I dunno." He ducks his head, the tips of his ears tinging a faint red. "Just things," he repeats. "And I'm glad I came, too." He stirs the fire with a stick.

Flaxpaw watches him out of the corner of her eye. Quiet for a long time, then "I...um... wot d'you think this place we're goin will be like?

Darkmane slowly comes wandering up the road again humming quietly to himself

Harper gives the fire another tentative poke whilst he hunches his shoulders in a shrug. "Dunno. Ask Darkmane. I don't guess I even know where we're going, really, save fer hearing you two talk." He, too, is watching her out of the corner of /his/ eye.

Flaxpaw nods. "well, far as i'm concerned, we're goin away from Redwall an that's what matters. but...think mister Darkmane's takin us somewhere specific." she shrugs. You ever been away from sala or home, Harp? this is my first time...comin to Redwall.

Darkmane makes his way to the fireplace and settles down crosslegged on the opposit side of the fireplace to them tho staying silent

Harper grunts. And shakes his head. "No. This'll be my first time, 'side from Halyard to the mountain 'n' back." He glances across to Darkmane when he arrives, dipping his head in greeting. "Sir."

Flaxpaw looks from Harp to Darkmane briefly, brow creased lightly, then back at the fire. "Find anythin interestin, sah?"

Darkmane shakes his head after nodding a greeting to them both "nothing of intrest to be honest, you'd almost think we were the only ones out wandering currently"

Harper looks up and down the road as Darkmane says this, inclining his head. "... Yeah. Just about." He scruffs the back of his head absently, then pushes off on his thighs, standing. Streeetch.

Flaxpaw looks up at Harp as he stands, then back to Darkmane. "so..um..how long 'til we get there, sah?

Darkmane gives a slight shrug of his shoulders "we should be there a bit later today, will be intresting to see if the camp was finished or if everything is still basicly a halfmade camp as it was when i left on my long journey" brows furrowing "or if anybody is there at all since almost nobody seems to know who the sword dancers are around here"

"The sword dancers? Who're they?" And thereby adding 'around Sala' to those not in the know. Harper's ears twitch thoughtfully.

Flaxpaw keeps quiet to let her mentor explain to Harper.

Darkmane muses slightly "the order of the sword dancers is or was a group that dedicated themself to mastering weapons of all kind, tho most usually specialized in one or two weapons, we did not hold any real alliances that i'm aware off but we were on friendly terms with some groups" brows furrowing slightly "a number of our members tended to be hired out to those wanting our aid for diffrent reasons"

Harper's ears give another twitch. "Oh yeah? Sounds a lot like Sala... What kinda beasts were in it? Horses, I guess."

Darkmane gives a soft chuckle "if only i had been that lucky" shakes his head "i'm one of only two horses i'm aware of wandering these lands" then grins slightly "the order was open to all more or less, but the majority was woodlanders, some vermin and some who don't concider themself any of those two labels like me"

"So what do ya think you are, if not woodlander or vermin?" Looking interested, Harp's head cants to the side.

Darkmane offers a wry smirk "i concider myself to be myself to be honest, never did like being categorized into one of two camps which usually is labeled good and evil, i've met enough beasts from both camps acting the opposit to know its wrong"

Harper considers Darkmane thoughtfully for a moment before looking back down to observe the fire, which he pokes at, stirring the embers. Once a kid, always a kid. "Oh," is all he says.

Darkmane room-pages, "seems they are using an old clip: According to the email, Greenwald "crashed and burned" under the pressure of Colberts hard-hitting questions, like "Who hates America more, you or Michael Moore?" Apparently the people at DeLays legal fund think that Colbert is actually a conservative. Or maybe theyre just that desperate for supporters.".

Darkmane watches Flax for a few momoents then looks over at Harper "whats on your mind?"

Harper shrugs slightly and ducks his head. "Oh... I dunno. Just... a lot of things, I guess. At Sala, you have a way of just... going along and going along, without really having a chance to think. I guess I've got a chance to think, now." He glances up with an uncertain and self-conscious grin, and shrugs again. "I dunno."

Flaxpaw looks up at Harp, trying to see his eyes. "Too much thinkin c'n be a bad thing, Harp. least it is for me. wot's there to think about? nothin but stuff t' make ya all sad, is there?

Flaxpaw looks up at Harp, trying to see his eyes. "Too much thinkin c'n be a bad thing, Harp. least it is for me. wot's there to think about? nothin but stuff t' make ya all sad, is there?

Darkmane muses toughtfully before snickering at Flax's comment "thinking can also be a good thing, aslong as one don't try to overanalyze everything"

Harper's gaze has dropped before Flax can catch his eyes, and so he's silent for a moment while he gives a few, particularly adamant pokes at the fire. "Well, just..." He lets his breath out in a great big sigh, his eyes flickering up until they settle on Flaxpaw, then flitting away. "You looked right pretty the other day, Flax. I guess I was thinking about /that/. That I wanted to tell you that." He falls silent for a few seconds, and: "Also that I'm sorry. For being such an arse." He glances to Darkmane, looking wary. "Does that... go away? Being an arse all the time? Or is that just me?"

Flaxpaw looks up at Harp surprised, then slowly turns bright red, looking back to the fire, eyes flickering to Darkmane. "you-you're not, Harp. um...th-anks....I..." She grins widely, blinking a little, then stands, then sits again. "you....really think so?"

Darkmane just grins wryly both at Harpers question and Flaxpaws reaction "well that depends really" scratches his cheek toughtfully "its something you grow out of, but many ladies i've met tend to be of the view that all men are like that, its a inborn trait that we just get good at hiding as we grow older"

Darkmane gives a slight shrug "i wouldn't worry about it any tho"

Harper's lips part to answer Flaxpaw, but at Darkmane's reply, his lips twitch in a faint grin. He ducks his head, trying to hide it as he scratches gently at the back of an ear. "Well... I'm gonna need to get a damned sight better at hiding it, then." He looks back to Flaxpaw, then, and dips his head in an honest nod. "Yeah. I really do, Flax." He smiles. And as always, the rare smile from him has a way of lighting up his entire face. "Always thought that. Just didn't know how to say it."

Flaxpaw grins happily, and really does stand this time, making a move to hug Harp, then obviously thinking better of it, and extending a paw instead, bright red. I....Harp? really?" she ducks her head, then looks at Darkmane out of the corner of her eye before returning her attention to Harp.

Darkmane just smiles warmly as he watches the two of you, seeming halfway humored while staying silent

A short laugh is surprised out of him as Flax first goes to hug him and then extends her paw, instead. He looks uncertain what to do with it, but in the end extends his own paw and... shakes it, slowly, up and down, with an 'I feel foolish', wry little grin planted on his features. "Ain't gonna make me say it again, are ya?"

Flaxpaw shakes her head, smiling at Harp. "no. won't ask you to... you, um, that /was/ for you, Harp." she ends quickly, almost glowing with her blush, and turning to stride in the opposite direction, like she's got something to do out here in the middle of nowhere with no beast except the three of us around. ;)

Darkmane merely retains his silence, seemingly having taken over the poke the fire with a stick rutine to seem disintrested

Harper watches Flaxpaw 'stride off' with mingled amusement and perplexity. He turns a glance on Darkmane, his ears twitching backward then forward. "Ain't even going anywhere, is she?" He grins, looking momentarily on the verge of laughter.

Nooo, 'cause where would she go? She stops a bit off from the other two, and tries real hard to make it look like she was coming over for a good reason, ears at least still pretty bright as she kneels and starts looking around at plants on the ground.

Darkmane just gives the slightest shake of his head to Harpers question, his lips quirking a bit

Harper grins at Darkmane's response, or lack thereof, seemingly satisfied all the same as he flops back down indian-style, seating himself before the fire. Digging in his pack, he pulls out his bedroll and sets it up. And with a glance to the kneeling Flax, he digs hers out as well and sets it up, too. Because he's... all kinds of helpful. He knee-crawls onto his own and flops over onto his back, tucking his paws beneath his head in order to stare up at the stars. "... Night, sir." Pause, quieter. "Night, Flax." His eyes close.

Flaxpaw turns at the sound of harp a small smile on her lips, just barely hearing him, and replies, just as quietly, "night, Harp." then she looks over at Darkmane, a little confused look, and stands, walking a little further away, so any conversation will not wake the buck.

Darkmane says, "rest well Harper ::then slowly stands up and heads after flax::"