08-08-05 1

Characters involved: Audri & Taye.

Halyard Village: Main Street

A light breeze blows through the village square, bringing the smell of salt air to the quiet city of Halyard. Audri pokes her head from around the corner of a lone building, her left cheek bruised and puffy as she surveys the square quietly. Breathing a sigh, the squirrel limps into plain sight, fingers griped tightly around the dagger at her side.

Perched atop the barricade which presently separates the western square from Main Street, Taye is obviously on sentry duty at the moment. He's looking off into the distance towards the eastern square, however, instead of surveying the whole street, and so he fails to notice Audri.

Audri continues her slow limp into the square, eyes surveying the abandoned street cautiously. Her ears flick forward as the squirrel catches a familiar scent upon the air, tail giving a twitch. "..Taye?"

Blink! At the call of his name, Taye looks down and... sure enough, there's Audri. In Halyard. In unsecured territory. Eep! The buck jumps down from the barricade and lands with a small stumble. Quickly regaining his balance, he crosses to Audri. "Audri! Audri, what're you doin' here!" It's more of a shocked statement than a question.

Audri watches Taye with an amused look as he makes his way over, tail flicking thoughtfully. Heaving a sigh, she leans back against another building, arm wrapping around her middle. "I got bored so I thought I'd come down here. And you shouldn't be raising your voice since their could be vermin about y'know."

At Audri's logical suggestion, Taye immediately ducks down and claps a paw over his mouth. However, he still extends the other free paw to Audri's. "C'mon... let's get back ovah t' safety."

Audri lets out a few soft giggles at Taye's antics, but takes hold of his paw with a nod. "Alright then."

Taye grins slightly at Audri's giggle and over to the barricade he leads her, offering her a foot up with two clasped paws held at knee level, palms up. She may have occasion to notice his nice, shiny new runner badge, though he is still in his old recruits uniform, though it's a bit worse for wear.

Audri limps along behind Taye, her free paw rubbing her puffy cheek as she looks around again. She glances at his clasped paws before carefully placing her injured foot in them, hoisted herself up onto the barricade with a squeak. Audri peers over the other side of the barrier, eyes turning back to Taye when she notices the new shiny badge. "Did ya get promoted?"

Somewhere on the muck, Terrance has disconnected.

Taye follows Audri up the barricade and perches on top. The puffy cheek is noted with a small frown, but her question keeps him from asking about it right away. "Aye, I did... Aftah the first battle." His ears dip at the remembrance of it, but he tries at a small smile. "I'm a runnah, now..." Pause. "What happened t' ya?"

Audri nods, resting her paws in her lap while she stares down at her footpaw, giving it a slight poke. "That's great Taye. Glad te see ya weren't hurt or nothin'." She glances back up, ears pinned back against her braid. "I..went the wrong way 'n ran into an unfriendly chap. But I'm fine so ya don't have te worry."

At this, Taye's ears dip further and he frowns, looking concerned and angry at the same time. "Who? Where? What happened?"

Audri's tail begins to droop, opting to stare at her slowly swelling footpaw instead of Taye. "It was downshore from the mountain aways. Near some sand dunes. See, I was going te come te Halyard only I went in the wrong direction 'n ran into this really smelly rat 'n we fought fore I gots away from him. But I'm really fine 'n everythin'."

Ergh. Taye relents somewhat and sighs... "I'll inform the sentries... have 'em keep an eye out fer the rat." He looks to her swelling footpaw and nods to it, before patting his lap. "Here, lemme see it. I've got a roll o' bandages with me. Should help with the swellin'."

"I wasn't tryin' te cause trouble or nothin'. I was tryin' te be careful." Audri mumbles, tugging on her braid with a sniff. She tilts her head, looking to Taye before flipping around to place her footpaw gingerly on his lap. "I don't think its nothin' serious. Probably just aggravated since I ran here."

Taye shakes his head quickly, at her attempts to explain. "It's not yer fault..." He places one paw on her ankle and the other on her footpaw, and begins examining it. After a moment he pulls out a roll of bandages and he begins wrapping it around her ankle and foot. "It's not serious, yer righ'. Just looks like ya twisted it a little."

Audri squeaks at the examining of her footpaw, clapping a paw over her mouth quickly. She goes off to staring around the town, fingers toying with the dagger at her side. "So, did ya find that doe when ya came?"

At the mention of the doe Taye grins and ducks his head, though he continues wrapping her footpaw. "Well... actually, she 'n' a bunch o' the othahs escaped before we came in, 'n' she escaped with 'em... She's fine. I mean... they hurt 'er. They hurt 'er /bad/..." His ears dip slightly at this, but he quickly shakes his head to clear it. No sense getting stuck thinking about that, again. "... but Miyrr's a'right, now."

Audri nods, going back to twirling her dagger between her fingers. "I'm glad she's okay Taye. I'm sure ya dad will fix her right up. So, when can ya come back to the mountain?"

Taye looks off towards main street, again. "... Whenevah the fightin's ovah, I guess." He looks back to Audri with a weak smile. "I'll escort ya back t' the mountain t'night, though. Don't want ya runnin' int' the rat by yerself again."

Audri's tail lowers, a frown starting to appear on the squirrel's face. "Couldn't I stay around here for a little while. I won't be a bother or nothin'. 'n the mountain is really really borin' since ya left."

Taye frowns thoughtfully and looks down at her ankle. He finishes off the wrapping and sets her footpaw aside. He then turns, hopping down off the western square side of the barricade. "Dunno." Hm. "I'll go ask. Keep yer head down, 'n' get down offa there if'n ya see anythin'. With a quick nod to her, he turns and jogs off to find his superior.

[The RP continues a bit later on...]

Halyard Village: Main Street

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Halyard Village ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This is the main street of Halyard Village. However, for being the main

street, its not terribly impressive. Like most of the rest of the village,

the homes and buildings that line this street are sound, at best. The purpose

of the architecture is obviously efficiency, not elegance. The buildings are

short and squat, none any higher than two levels, and a good few windows are

covered in a fine grit; a combination of salt, sand, and dirt. The foremost

profession of the village becomes apparent with a simple glance around,

fishing nets and other such paraphernalia littering the area out front of

many of the buildings. So far as the living component of the street, a few

vendors are usually out and about, attempting to sell their products, among

them fish and other such foodstuffs, but without much success. It is, after

all, a small village.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Visible Exits:

[W]est [Sq]uare [C]ommunity [T]ax [O]ffice

[E]ast [S]quare [T]ide [K]nots [S]ewing [S]hop

[K]etay's [H]ome [N]otch's [C]ottage

Contents: Test.

With the night slowly falling, the black squirrel fades into the background, only the slight glint of her dagger giving her position. Audri idly runs her fingers along the dagger at her side, her brushtail flicking thoughtfully while she keeps a steady watch on the street before her.

Well, whichever one of his superiors he found, Taye looks happy. So... guess it went well? Taye approaches the barricade where he assumes Audri to still be, and peers up. The squirrel's outline is just visible. "Audri?"

Audri's ears flick up, her paw tensing around her dagger as she glances down. Making out a hare's outline, she relaxes, peering down towards it. "I'm here Taye. What'd they say?"

Taye begins the climb and soon enough, he's sitting next to Audri, cross-legged and facing the street. He looks out towards it. "They said ya could stay... but only fer a coupla days. I'm t' keep an eye on ya in the meantime."

Audri grins, settling back on the barricade. "That's good then. I promise I won't be a bother." She goes back to staring off at the darkened street, chewing her lip, finally heaving a sigh. "Taye, can I ask you something?"

Taye looks to the side at Audri with a thoughtful frown. "Well, 'course ya c'n ask me somethin', Audri..."

Audri nods, fingers drifting up to tug on her braid thoughtfully. "..How far is it to that Mossflower woodsy place?"

Taye's frown deepens and he turns slightly to face Audri. "... 'Bout a week 'r two's travel." Pause. "Why?"

Audri shrugs, keeping her gaze off on the streets. "Was wonderin. I've..I've been thinking bout going there just te check something."

Taye eyes Audri long and hare. Finally, "... What d'ya want t' check out?"

Audri finally looks up, meeting Taye's gaze. "I know that's where Duncan rescued me from those pirate slaver types. I just want te know if their still around or if someone from the ship's around. I know its crazy since everyone will say I'm to little but I'm curious I guess."

Taye turns aaaall the way to face Audri, resting his paws on his knees. "Audri... but... I mean... ya /are/ too young." This the buck manages to fluster out with a small shake of his head. "Aren't ya... I mean. Aren't ya happy here?"

Audri sighs, tail flopping over her shoulder. "I /am/ happy here. I love the mountain 'n doin' things with ya 'n the others..but I just need te know. I mean what if someone can tell me about my parents or..that brother I think I had. I'd come right back after findin out."

Taye looks down at his lap, where he currently picks at a loose thread on his pants. "Audri... sometimes it's best t' just leave the past... in the past. Y'know," he looks up, "be happy with the here 'n' now. I mean... the chances of anythin' good comin' of such a trip're so... slim."

Audri nods. "I know that Taye, but I wanna do this. Sides, it'd be a great adventure 'n everything. 'n its not like I'm doin' anythin' anyway."

Taye's ears fold back and Audri is stared at, long and hard. In the end, his nose wrinkles. "I wish ya wouldn't go, Audri. I'd worry 'bout ya, 'n'... well. I'd miss ya."

Audri goes back to staring at her lap, ears tinging a faint red. She nods quietly, tail flopping over her shoulder further. "Maybe I won't go, but its always gonna bug me."

Taye pokes a finger lightly at Audri's knee, now not looking at the squirrel opposite him. "Maybe... when yer a little oldah, we'll both go. That be a'right?"

Audri smiles meekly, poking Taye's knee in return. "Yea, that'd be okay. Ya wouldn't mind goin' would ya cause ya don't have te if ya don't want te. I mean I might want te do other things or somethin'."

Taye shakes his head. "I don't mind goin'..." His shoulders jerk up in a shrug. "I like watchin' out for ya, 'n' besides... we have fun adventures, righ'?" He grins, thinking back to the last time they came to Halyard together.

Audri nods, fingers drifting up to rub at her puffy cheek once more. "Yea we do. Ya a really great friend Taye."

Taye's grin spreads into a happy smile and he reaches out, resting a paw on her shoulder and giving her a playful shake. "Yer a great friend too, Audri." The sound of nearby footsteps catch his attention and he sees the approaching replacement sentry. "Well... guess 'm off duty. Ya want t' go 'n' catch some shut eye?"

Audri giggles, squirming away from the shake with a grin. She glances back towards the approaching hare before turning back to Taye. "I wouldn't mind getting some sleep. I'm still a bit tired from all that running I did earlier."

Taye grins at Audri and jumps down from the barricade. He then turns, offering a paw up to her to help her down. "I've been stayin' in that house jus' ovah there. There's a room with a coupla beds in it. We c'n drop there fer the night."

Audri accepts the help, hopping down beside Taye with a slight wince. "Alright. That sounds good te me." She looks over to the house, chewing her lip thoughtfully before she goes to give Taye a quick hug. "Thanks." Drawing back, Audri quietly starts to limp towards the house, tail flicking behind her.

Taye grins at the hug and watches Audri move away. After a few seconds and with a chuckle, he shoves his paws in his pockets and heads after her.