07-31-05

Characters involved: Taye, Jarril, Zeraph, & Keita.

Halyard Village: West Square(#93069RJA)

Is it morning? Taye has no idea. He woke up in a strange bed with strange sounds coming in through the window, and no one else there. It takes a moment for the memory of yesterday to hit him, and when it does he sits back down on the bed with a thump. A few minutes later he appears at the door to the square, looking far more clean and tidy than he did when he went to bed last night.

With a flick of his eye, Jarril continues to lean against a wall, one foot pointing down against the ground as it's crossed over from the over. With arms crossed about his chest, he just watches what is going on at the moment. Been hours since he had sent a runner back to the mountain just before nightfall and was hoping for a response sometime in the day or two. Looking up a bit and seeing sea gulls circling about somewhere away from the village, the major knowing what that meant.

Zeraph has been awake for a while, seated up on top of the roof of one of the house that is still intact. Perhaps the buck was keeping an eye out for vermin, or just thinking back on other things. The fighter emerges now, climbing down and dropping to the ground quietly, moving through the street again, towards the tavern.

Taye looks around the square thoughtfully, noticing first and foremost that all of the bodies - hare and vermin alike - have been removed from the vicinity. The young buck lets out a relieved sigh and looks around until he sees Jarril. Lowering his head with a rub to the back of his neck, he crosses over to the major and stops a few short feet away from him. "Sah," he greets.

Jarril looking elsewhere at the moment within his thoughts the major blinks and smiles at Taye. "Morning, was wondering when ya were going ta get up." Slipping a paw into his pocket and bringing out something. "Here, put that badge on. Sorry we can't get ya a full uniform but at least those who see this will know ya rank now."

Zeraph pauses from his walk as he sees Taye move out of the house and towards the major. The fighter just watches them for a moment, ears turning backward and looking thoughtful, then he decides not to interrupt them for now, though he also decides not to move into the tavern yet. The buck sits down and leans against the wall of the building. He doesn't seem to talk much lately.

Taye takes the badge and turns it this way and that, admiring it. He even manages to look happy about it. The badge is tucked into a breast pocket, to wait for him to sew it on. He looks back up at Jarril, smiling. "Thanks, sah."

Jarril nods. "Don't worry, I am going to make sure ya are in front of everyone when we get back for the ceremony." Snerking. "Ya not getting out of that one."

Zeraph has drifted off into one of his daydreaming state, ears still lowered back and not paying much attention to his surroundings. The buck's eyes half close, then he starts to stand once more.

Taye's smile broadens into a grin, and he dares to roll his eyes. "Well... I s'pose it won't be so bad." He pats the pocket the badge sits inside, as if to make sure it hasn't gotten up and walked away. Then, he looks off in the direction that the vermin presumably are encamped. "So... what's our next move, sah?"

( Zeraph may not have dared enter the tavern yet, but Keita has. In fact, she exits just now and stands in the doorway, leaning against the door frame. She has dirt all over her, and a soiled rag rests over one shoulder. She's no longer dressed in the borrowed long patrol healer's uniform. The buck nearby isn't noticed immediately, but her eyes are drawn to him when he starts to stand. Hm. )

Jarril looks in the general direction. "Well, I've sent back word on our progress ta the mountain. My orders still stand for the time being. Try and get this village back under control from the vermin. I have ta wait if any other orders come back. At the moment, I rather like ta take some rest from the cease fire right now though..."

The doe catches Zeraph's attention as he stands up all the way and notices her exit the tavern. A small smile forms and the buck moves towards her, ears lowering back. "I should have known.." Is all he states, then gives another glance in the major's direction as he hears his last comment.

Taye nods firmly in agreement. "I'm all for takin' rest..." In fact, he yawns just as he says this, and laughs. At least he can still laugh. "Battlin' takes it outta ya a lot fastah than runnin' does, doesn't it, sah?"

Keita grins and looks far more than just content as she regards the buck. "Just doin' a little clean-up. Figured, in the downtime 'n' all." She looks where Zeraph looks, towards Jarril, before returning her attention to him. "How ya feelin'?"

Jarril grins. "Actually commanding during war time takes a lot out of ya." Frowning slightly. "Although I didn't expect that there be a direct attack on the leader." His brow furrows a bit more, then he shrugs. "Usual vermin thing. Clever head, dumb horde underneath. Need to cut it's head off..."

Jarril is still a bit preturbed on that direct attack on himself yesterday with that badger....

Taye frowns thoughtfully. "Mayhaps ya should stay back from the main battle, sah? Just in case they try it again..." Apparently /he's/ a little perturbed at the thought of them trying it again. Heh.

Zeraph returns his attention to the tavern hare, his audits lifting once more. "I'm feeling better, thank you. My wounds were shallow..no problem." The buck looks thoughtful still, then goes to move closer to Keita. "Anything for me to drink in there, perhaps?"

Jarril snorts. "And what? Pretend ta be like their leader, sulking behind scared while low rank scum of his fight for him." The major gives Taye one of those looks. "And here I thought ya thought better of me than put me on the same level as that Daclon thing."

Taye shakes his head, overly emphatically. "No - sah, that's not it. I mean-" he shakes his head again. "I jus'... well. It wouldn't be good - fer the /patrol/ - if we lost ya." For the patrol, yes. He's not concerned at all, of course. Riiiight.

Keita grins, suddenly very pleased with herself. She turns away briefly to hide whatever she's doing, and when she turns back, with a flourish, she holds flask in paw. "Tadaaa!" She grins, extending it out in offer to Zeraph.

Jarril grins. "Oh come on, there's other majors here and a colonel I think..." The major's voice trailing off, not knowing if they're actually still alive. Changing the subject quickly, he coughs. "So, feeling better t'day?"

Zeraph takes the flask with a laugh and opens it up, sniffing the drink inside to see what it is, then the buck drinks some of it. He smirks at the doe and lowers it from his mouth. "Thanks, K."

Taye nods and looks down at himself for a moment before glancing back up. "Sleep helped, sah."

Jarril replies back at Taye. "Aye. Well I know that ya be able ta do ya duty now and that ya comrades can count on ya being there."

Keita smiles broadly as he drinks, arms crossing over her chest as she watches. She nods her head to the flask, indicating it. "Found a barrel of m'special brew up in m' quartahs, figured I'd put it t'use for the troops this evenin' aftah suppah."

Taye shrugs off the compliment and looks off and away thoughtfully for a moment. When he looks back, he gives Jarril a critical look over, just then. "How are ya feelin', sah?" He can see that the major's injuries have been seen to, but you can't grow up with a healer for a dad without taking some interest, now can you?

Zeraph nods as he drinks more, ears twitching lightly against his head. "Mm..sounds good." He holds the flask up to indicate it. "..it's great." The buck smirks and then caps it off for some more later.

Jarril replies back to Taye. "Living, so I would say that is fine for a war veteran, wot." The major feeling some pride on surviving quite a lot of things in the past and this so far. "They heal up, pain of course but it's all in the line of duty."

Keita merely nods because, of course, she already knows /that/. However, she does stand a bit straighter at the compliment. "Try t' stay at least a little sobah fer the battles, eh?"

Taye nods respectfully at this answer, but his gaze can't help but draw itself to the most obvious of Jarril's war injuries - his eye. He quickly looks away. "Livin's good, sah."

Zeraph nods, the smile remaining now and putting the flask in one of his numerous pockets. "Oh..of course. That's for after the battles, aye?" The buck grins at her, then looks towards Jarril, feeling much better. "Afternoon, sah!" He calls.

Flicking an ear back to Zeraph, the major nods and calls back. "Hello." Moving his gaze back to Taye, he nods. "Aye, that it is. So glad ya trained or are ya regretting it now?"

Keita nods in agreement and also turns to regard Jarril and Taye. "'Ey - ya remembah that young doe goin' on about Taye all the time?" She grins, and indicates Taye with a nod of her head. "Rahier's lad."

Taye's grin should be answer enough. "Very happy, sah. I wouldn't change it fer anythin'."

Zeraph gazes at Taye for a moment, then smirks, nodding. "Ah..Yes, I remember meeting him in the dining hall, with Tae." The buck gives an all-knowing glance to Keita, before looking back. "Didn't know he was Rahier's, though."

Jarril looks at Taye silently for a moment. "Well, do me a favour. Ya be wanted and expected ta do more now on ya promotion but please don't get killed. I never hear the last of it from ya father, considering I have ta keep my eyes and ears on ya all the time." Looking to the side, the major gets up from the wall and smiles. "Going ta see how things are at the fortified front. Probably nothing but no doubt there be some word of what's going on over on the other side of the square. Coming?"

Taye grins at the mention of his father. In answer to the favor, he nods. "Yes, sah. I promise t' not get killed. Trust me, even if I was dead, da'd find a way t' skin me anyway. Not lookin' t' die any time soon." Grin. He then looks thoughtfully to the front, as Jarril mentions it. "Aye, sure."

Keita nods and squints thoughtfully at the two far-off beasts, though she can't hear their conversation. "Aye, 'tis. Not born t' him, though. Rah would've had t' be pretty young t've managed that'un..." She snorts.

Pushing himself from the wall, Jarril slowly makes his way down the street looking this way and that. Giving several hares a nod who have noticed him, seeing some are sitting down on the ground leaning against the walls either recovering from the battle or just sleeping and not wanting to sleep inside. Placing his paws behind his back, always in thought as he makes his way over to the new built up barrier of tables overturned on their side to fences or whatever could be used for a barrier. Coming to a space, the major kneels down and looks over the top. "Hmm, still quiet I take it." Looking about, the major asks if anything had been going on over on the other side in the past few hours.

Zeraph laughs and goes to sit down on the ground again. Nothing else to do at the moment, really. The buck glances in the direction of the eastern square, as if expecting something to happen at that moment, watching the major look over the barrier between the two areas.

Taye looks over the barricade thoughtfully whilst waiting for the response to Jarril's question. He glances from Jarril to the doe on sentry duty curiously.

Keita, too, watches the goings-on over fortification way. Oddly quiet around here after yesterday's happenings. "When do you s'pose things'll pick up again?"

Zeraph suddenly looks rather serious and shakes his head. "I don't know..In a way, I want it all to happen and get it over with, but then again..I don't." The buck leans his chin on his paws, elbows rested upon his legs.

For once, Keita takes the solemnity of Zeraph seriously, and doesn't make any form of a wisecrack. Instead, she glances back over her shoulder towards the tavern. "I'm... goin' t' head back in. Ya wanna come?" She gestures back towards the tavern inquiringly, and then turns to head inside without waiting for a reply.

Jarril noddling his head to the report that nothing has been going on, he sighs. "Ah well, they're up ta something. Anyways, keep the work up." Getting up again, he heads back away from the area and nods to Taye. "Well, I should get back ta what I need ta do. Taye, find a runner and talk more about what duties he or she needs help with. I talk ta ya a bit later." With that, he nods and heads off.