07-17-05 1

Characters involved: Taeura, Zeraph, Keita, & Lily.

Salamandastron: Level Two

Taeura enters the room, her clothes clean and mended she has a smile on her face although has that look of being lost about her.

Zeraph is sitting, strangely, in the hall, back leaned against the wall and his knees up. The buck looks like he may be dozing, arms resting on his legs and eyes closed. Maybe he's just meditating?

Taeura takes a few more steps into the room and turns looking down each of the hallways. "He..." she cuts herself off seeing that Zeraphs eyes are closed not wanting to disturb him.

"... Ya'd think bein' free 'n' all you'd start takin' advantage o' the beds or somethin', rathah than sleepin' against the wall." This Keita says whilst walking up to the quiet Zeraph, a small grin surfacing.

Zeraph flicks an ear and looks up at Keita, shaking his head. A grin soon forms across his muzzle again. "Just resting, K.." The buck then looks over to Taeura and stands, ears perking up on his head. "Tae, you made it!" He looks happy.

Keita looks around at Zeraph's greeting to Tae, and grins as well. "Tae!"

Taeura smiles wide at the both of them, "I couldn't have done with out the both of you. I have to agree with Keita though, a bed was much more comfortable."

Zeraph smirks and rubs an ear backward with a paw, looking to Keita, then going to hug the vixen. "Well, it's so much better to see you out of chains I must say.."

Keita takes a couple steps after Zeraph as he goes to hug the vixen, smiling. "Quite the little reunion."

Taeura smiles and laughs as she hugs the buck back. "Why yes it is. So how are my hero's today?" she asks winking at Keita.

"Good s'evah," Keita replies and crosses her arms over her chest. "And yerself?"

Zeraph hugs the vixen and then pulls away, looking in between the doe and Taeura. "I'm quite well enough.." The grin remains on the buck's face.

Taeura still smiling, "I'm doing wonderful. You do really have a nice place here." she says looking about the room. "Although a beast could get horribly lost if they're weren't careful." she says.

From the level one hall there is a little pink nose and a good deal of bent and broken whiskers peeking around the sloping wall. Very, very slowly a snout follows, as well as fiery red fur with gold markings. She pauses, dead still, the green eyes swiveling around the new hall.

Keita glances around the area with something less than... admiration. Resignation, perhaps. "Eh... it's not s'bad." She hasn't noticed the fourth creature's rather stealthy entrance.

Zeraph pats Keita on the shoulder lightly and gives that smile again, before he looks up and notes the newcomer looking around the hall. The buck pauses for a moment, looking curious in her direction.

Taeura smiles at Keita, "I know hun it's not your bar and I get the feelin it's not home to ya either. We'll roust those vermin out of there soon enough. Oh, I have this for ya. One of the more freindly beasts in there gave me this and I wanted to hold onto it till we got out. " She hands Keita a pouch full of coin. "It should help ya restock."

Lily tucks her head neatly behind the wall once more as the vixen in spotted. There is a rather loud squeak, and Lily slumps down the wall, trembling all over.

Keita returns Taeura's smile with a rueful one of her own, but at the offered pouch, she looks happily surprised. She takes it, tossing it lightly in the air and catching it again. "... Thanks." Zeraph's distraction isn't noticed right off, but the squeak does register with her. Eep. She turns 'round, squintingly. "... What was that?"

Zeraph's ears flick on the top of his head curiously as he catches the squeak and Lily disappears again. The buck shifts and goes to step in between the two females, heading in the frightened doe's direction, looking around the wall worriedly. He immediately recognizes her and kneels down. "You alright?" He asks softly.

Taeura watches the activity with interest. "Who do we have here?" she asks still smiling.

Lily glances at the sounds of someone heading her way. The doe nearly topples over as Zeraph arrives. "W-what?" She squawks, her ears falling down and her black whiskers almost a solid blur due to the trembling. Of course, thats nothing compared to when she hears the vixen. "Stay 'way! Vermin! In th' mountain!"

... Oh boy. Lily. With a worried flick of her ears, she follows after Zeraph and peaks around the corner. "... Lil'? Hi, it's me." Tentative grin.

Zeraph tries to shush her softly, holding his paw out to her, palm upward. "Nothing..Tae isn't a vermin, dear.." The buck speaks softly to the doe, trying to calm her down and so she will listen to him. Then Keita comes around the corner and he looks up at her.

Taeura's smile fades some as she understands all to well the current situation. She stands silently waiting as she knows anything she says will probably not help the situation for the moment.

Lily turns up an ear. "Kei?" She starts, trying to look past Zeraph. "Where..." The hare reaches to her pocket and pulls out a pawful of broken shells. "I got them." Lily announces, trying to stand up now. "Th' fox... she'll steal 'em!" She holds out the pawful of sea shells out and then tucks them quickly to her chest.

Keita shakes her head, resting a paw on the crouching Zeraph's shoulder as she looks beyond him to Lily. "No... Lil'. Raph's right. Taeura's not a vermin - she's our friend. We all escaped the vermin at Halyard t'gethah."

Taeura kneels down on the floor so she doesn't appear quite as menacing still remaining silent for the time.

Zeraph remains knelt for a moment, looking at the doe as she speaks to Keita, then he just sinks backward into a seated position when Lily stands. He looks thoughtful and just stays where he is for the moment, figuring he may not help the situation anyway. He just lets Keita lean on him.

Lily nods slightly. An improvement in the least. She repockets her shells and stands up fully. "I went t' get 'em. Badger tol' me t'come back. Bet he'd kill me if I didn't." She says grimly, peeking around at the fox again. "Not vermin. Looks like it."

"She's not - promise. Tae's our buddy - right 'Raph?" She gives his shoulder a pat and then releases it, so that he can stand if he should so choose. ;p

Zeraph stands up and grins widely at Lily, nodding. "Yep, Tae is a friend." The buck goes to shift to let Keita be in front of him instead of the other way around.

Lily still looks slightly nervous and she re-tucks the shells deeper in her pocket just in case. "Ah woke up. Ah'lone." The doe points out with a frown. "Is it time t'leave yet?" Lily inquires, turning her nervous eyes around the mountain walls.

Taeura smiles and nods, "These good beasts saved me. I am a resident of Halyard from before the vermin. I can go back to the guest area if ya need me too."

As Zeraph steps around her, Keita steps forward, looking especially guilty at the "waking up alone" bit. "... 'M sorry, Lily. Are ya all right? D'ya need anythin'? Food, mayhaps?"

Zeraph glances towards Tae as she talks, but mainly listens to what Keita and Lily are saying, his ears stood straight up. The buck remains quiet again.

Lily thinks for a moment, her eyes ticking over at the fox. "Food. No, not hungry. Found food on th' beach." She says quickly. "I just will go. Go back outside."

Keita holds back a sigh. "... If ya go, 'm goin' with ya. I wish ya'd stay here, though."

Taeura stands back up and watches quietly. She looks to Keita and Zeraph for some silent guidance.

Lily looks over her shoulder. "No. You like th' mountain." She comments. "Can stay here. Lived by myself. For seasons." The doe nods. "Will be fine."

Zeraph looks over to the vixen again and shakes his head a little. He is still unsure of what to think about the young doe. The buck goes to move over to Taeura.

"I'm goin' where you go," Keita repeats, and takes another step towards Lily, and then gestures towards the exit. "Go ahead - but 'm followin'."

Taeura shrugs and smiles at Zeraph quietly.

Lily nods and turns, heading quickly down the hall without a word. The shells clank in her pocket nosily.

Keita finally lets out the sigh, and after Lily she follows - with an apologetic look to Zeraph and Taeura as she goes.

Taeura smiles and mouths a silent, "good luck" to Keita.

Beach Shack: Frontyard

You stand before a rough but homely looking bark hut. It sits just off the beach where the sand stops and the grass begins. The walls are of slabs of bark, and the roof and window shutters are of corrugated iron. Since the windows are unglazed the corrugated iron serves to keep out the weather, and are easily opened and held up on short struts. There is an axe and various other tools leant against the wall under the verandah out of the weather so they don't rust. Stacked against the wall around the side is a lot of firewood, with a sturdy stump near it all for splitting the wood on.

Exits: [A]round the [S]hack, [I]nto the [S]hack, [B]each

Lily has sped up a good deal, more than likely forgetting that someone is on her tail. She hurries up to the bark shack and starts sniffing in suspiciously. "Gulls! Been here!" She exclaims to no one in particular. Lily inches up to the door and cracks it open, peeking in carefully.

Keita is a gasping, stumbling mess by the time Lily reaches the shack, and Keita is still a good fifty feet behind her when she does. Apparently captivity has had more of an impact on her general fitness than she would've thought. A paw is pressed firmly to her ribs, where something seems to stab with every thudding step, and eventually she drops down into a walk-stumble to make the rest of the journey. When she reaches the shack, she falls against the wall with a groan. The wall shakes from the impact. "... Ugh. Nice place ya got here."

Lily jumps at the sudden sight of the other. "Who-" She starts, but after a pause she nods. "Kei. Yes. Shack. It's home. Get to be alone." The hare says almost happily, looking up at the little bark structure. Lily opens the door wide and leans in, making sure nothing was amiss. "Must run faster. Enemies. Slaver's." She warns Keita with a disapproving look.

"Well, I don't know about you... but I can't run any fastah than I am..." She hisses softly as she presses her finger-tips into her ribs, trying to locate the source of the stabbing pain. And yup, that's definitely a broken rib. She thunks her back against the bark wall. "Lil'... 'm sorry, but I could really do with ya bein' sane right now..."

Lily stares at the other for a moment with a blank expression on her face. Without notice she ushers herself into the shack, rummaging around for a basket of dried seaweed. She munches on some and cranes her neck around the door. "Hungry? Good for running. Go faster. Energy." The half nibbled bit of crusty seaweed is held out to Keita. No mention of her sanity is replied.

Keita squeezes her eyes shut. Okay, then, she'll just have to try a more forceful method of bring her back around. "Lil', I'm... 'm sorry I made ya leave. It was... a hard time fer me. With Alex bein' ill, 'n' Rory comin' back like that... I didn't mean fer you t' get hurt. I didn't mean fer this t' happen."

Lily pushes the seaweed closer as Keita speaks. "It helps." She insists, though gives up after a moment and shoves it into her own mouth, chewing on the rubbery stuff. Lily flicks an ear slightly. "Alex?" She asks with a confused look. But there is another name to trigger something. "Rory." Lily repeats in a grim voice, and in a split second she's back in the hut, not speaking.

Keita sighs long and hard, and thunks her head back against the wall once more. She then pushes herself off of said wall and moves over to the door. She peers inside. "Lily..."

Lily winces at the thunk. "Should not be so loud. Will wake th' crabs. They sleep in th' ground." The doe whispers, pointing at the sand with a wide nod. "You stay then?" She asks almost lightly, moving over to the soft moss, more than likely serving as a bed. Lily ruffles around and pulls out a very pretty purple shell. "You should. Lots o' treasure. Like?" The ex-fighter holds up the shell proudly. "Better than mountain."

Keita steps slowly into the shack, but rather than look around she looks long and hard at Lily, almost pleadingly. "Lil'... please. Stop it." She continues forward towards the other doe.

Lily curls the shell up protectively in her paw. Her ears go limp and drag about her shoulders and she looks rather hurt. "Not like. Well. There are other things." She mumbles and glances to the side, picking up an interesting shaped bit of drift wood. "Looks like an otter, yes?" Lily says hopefully, turning it to the side.

Keita continues forward until she's within touching distance, and she extends a paw to Lily's. "Lil'... what d' /I/ look like?"

Lily lets the drift wood paw hang at her side. "You?" She asks carefully, looking confused. "A Keita." She finally says with a curt nod.

Keita catches hold of Lily's paw and gives it a squeeze. "That's right... D'ya remembah the tavern? Before?"

Lily turns her ears back, looking fretfully at Keita for a moment. She seems slightly better, however, as she does not jerk away. "Tavern? Aye..." She mutters, tilting her head. "I have more shells." Lily says suddenly, re-opening the shell holding paw.

Keita's jaw clenches, and impulsively she bursts out with, "I don't bloody care about the damned shells, Lil'! I care about /you/!" She releases Lily's paw, almost flinging it away from herself.

Lily jerks back as the yelling cracks the otherwise quiet shore. Her purple shell flies from her paw and hits the make shift table, shattering into a million pieces. Lily's eyes water up almost immediately and she hunches down, leaning over the floor where the shell broke, looking at all the itte bits. "S'all I had left." She finally says in a small sob. "No one. Ah'lone. My shell..." The tears fall thickly onto the floor.

Still gritting her teeth, Keita nevertheless drops down to her knees beside Lily. She tries to take her by her shoulder, and turn her around. Her words are grimly spoken. "It's just a damned shell. Yer not alone... /I'm/ here."

Lily is turned, though reluctantly. "Was pretty. Not like me." She watches her tipless ear fall over her eye. "You?" Lily shakes visibly. "Y'ave Rory. Not Lily."

Keita takes hold of both of Lily's shoulders, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling of a shell shard grinding into her knee. "D'ya see me with Rory righ' now? No, ya don't. I'm here - with you. That's all that ya need t' worry about."

Lily keeps her eyes strained and down at the floor. The purple bits were catching a bit of light streaming down from a hole in the roof. "Yeh'll go back. Leavin' me." She mumbles back. "Gave up th' pah'trol fer yah." The hare, sounding slightly less insane, glances up. "Gave up e'erythin' in mah life."

Keita shakes her lightly, with a firm shake of her head. "I didn't /mean/ fer any o' this t' happen, Lily! I didn't /mean/ it!"

Lily grabs a larger bit of broken shell and stands. She sighs and glances to the side. "Been ah'lone too long." The doe admits in a rather calm voice.

Keita stands slowly for her kneeling position, brushing irritably at her knee. The shell bits fall away easily enough. "... Yes, ya have."

Lily flinches and looks around the shack. "Well. Le's go home. Well, t'th' temporary home... 'til we can get tha' tavern back o' yers." She says and starts for the door. Lily pauses and tucks a paw into her pocket, pulling out a load of shells and letting them crash to the rough floor. Without another word she exits her little shack.

A flood of relief flows through Keita and she just stands there with eyes closed for a few seconds. Once she's composed herself, she passes through the door after Lily.