08-13-05 1
Characters involved: Zoe_Lang, Daclon, Seven, & Darklett.
Halyard Village: Main Street
There seems to be quite a lot going over on the hare side of things. Several hares bustle about, two in particular following after Zoe as she walks purposefully towards the barricade. "I want everybeast who's not gatherin' supplies or doin' sentry duty t' be preparin' fer battle at all times. No more o' this sittin' around, lettin' those vermin get comfortable in their little holes..." She stops at the barricade, batting an annoyed paw at a buck who recommends that she stay out of sight. Instead, she grabs his bow and arrow and climbs up the barricade, her upper torso showing over the top. "A'right. Report." The two hares look from one to the other, uncertainly.
Daclon stands behind the vermin barricade, leaning against the rough wood. Listening to the hares move around, mostly. The black ferret, still thinking of his fight with Jarril, scratches his hook against the wood, listening to it scrape as he watches the other barricade for signs of life. Zoe is noted, but the ferret seems little concerned with the hare, at the moment.
"Well... there's nothin' much t' report, marm. They've been keepin' t' their territory, 'n' we've been doin' the same, 'cept fer a few skirmishes..." Explosively, Zoe turns a glare on the speaking hare. "I gave the ordah t' attack /days/ ago!" She growls in frustration, looking back towards the other barricade. The form of a ferret is noted, and she squints. "Good t' know m' ordahs are followed so well when 'm not around..."
Daclon can hear, not extremely well, Zoe yelling at the other hares. The ferret glances along the barricade, noting the vermin who stand guard there. Not many, maybe the same amount as the hares on the other side. Still in plain sight, the ferret leans forward to hear better. Like it'll do any good.
Studying the vermin opposite with narrowed eyes, the Colonel slowly raises bow and arrow, placing the latter to the bow string. The arrow is drawn back, and without another word, the doe lets the arrow fly - it strikes the barricade /just/ in front of where one of the vermin guards stands. She smirks. "... That'll teach 'em t' stay bloody down." The two hares standing with her look from the colonel to the each other and one slowly shakes his head. Not the most subtle approach ever.
Daclon shades his eye with his paw, watching the arc of the arrow. When it hits, several vermin duck, but most remain where they are, fearful that their leader will punish them if they run off or hide. Meanwhile, Daclon looks to Zoe, trying to see if he has seen her before. Unlikely. He mutters something to himself, leaning back so he's behind the barricade again.
Seven perks up from his dozing, ears perking up and turning about in every direction. It's unsure whether the buck actually heard the Colonel, the bow, or if he just randomly got one of those feelings. The runner takes to glancing about now, before standing up with a yawn and heading for the barricade, rubbing his eye. The young hare looks rather well, seeming as he is in a war zone. ;)
"What do you mean, 'there's something over on the east barricade?'" Darklett speaks with the same voice he's been using ever since he'd had some sort of charge in this Halyard situation, rather forceful and commanding. "This better not be the same thing it was yes-... Colonel!" The lieutenant stops in his tracks, and salutes. "Wasn't expecting you here."
Zoe_Lang's brow draws down in a dissatisfied frown as not /all/ of the vermin duck. "See... this is jus' what happens when ya let 'em get comfortable. I've got a mind t-" Ooh, a Darklett. The Colonel flicks an ear in Dark's direction. "Didn't I tell ya t' inform the majah t' attack... some few days ago, now? So why'm I still seein' vermin ovah yondah?" She sets another arrow to bow string and waits for a response.
Daclon busily takes a pipe from his belt, filling it, and lighting it rather professionally. Several puffs, and the tobacco begins to burn, as little clouds of smoke start to become visible around the ferret, who leans against the barricade, pipe in one paw, now and again smoking from it.
Seven pokes around Darklett curiously, seeming as the Lieutenant got to the barricade first, and he's not big enough to be seen behind the other buck anyway. He smiles as he sees Zoe and steps out to the side of Dark, with a salute to the Colonel. The runner glances up at the Lt. then looks in between the other two hares for a moment, with his paw to his forehead, holding that salute.
Darklett stands at attention, his eyes, while still remaining mostly forward, venture back and forth for the best way to state the response. "The... attack hasn't been made yet, Colonel. Major Jarril knew about the order, I'm not sure why it hasn't been carried out. Colonel."
Zoe_Lang doesn't notice Seven as she continues to look towards the barricade. Sighting along the arrow, she swings the weapon around one way and then the other, picking out her next target. She finds it - a stoat with a pack set on top of the barricade. With a smirk, Zoe lets the arrow fly. It travels across the distance and thunks into the pack, disappearing a few inches into it. "Well, I'll be takin' ovah command from now on. I'll speak t' the Majah."
The vermin remain where they are, ducking down a little, but otherwise they seem content to stay where they are. Daclon continues to smoke, only he and a few others haven't ducked lower.
Seven doesn't seem to mind for now, just gazing at the Colonel as she lets another arrow fly, following its flight path all the way into the pack, with his paw still up to his brow. His ears have tilted back now and he just looks thoughtful. The young hare at least doesn't fidget while he stands there.
Darklett nods sharply. "Yes, Colonel. Anything I can do in the meantime?" The salute is still there from before, even as she turns away to fire another arrow.
The smoke rising from Daclon's pipe brings Zoe's attention around to him. She eyes him thoughtfully for a moment, then sets up another arrow. "Tell the troops that I want them ready t' fight at a moment's notice, 'n' I want archahs out here keepin' these vermin on their toes at all times." She sights along the arrow, aiming at Daclon. However, once the arrow is pulled back, she makes a quick switch and lets the arrow fly at the vermin closest to him.
Daclon moves slightly to the side as the arrow flies close, hitting the nearby guard in the paw. Frowning, he moves to see if the weasel is all right, then sends him back towards the east square. Returning to the barricade, he looks across at Zoe.
"Yes, Colonel." Darklett nods in the same way, and drops his salute, taking a few step backwards before turning around completely to walk back to the Western Square.
Seven glances back and forth for a moment, unsure if he's supposed to be shooting arrows at the vermin now, or something. The runner just remains standing there of course, ears still tilted back and kind of gazing along the vermin barricade, brows furrowed. The young buck decides to just settle for something in between and reaches for the longbow on his back while still having the other paw saluting.
When Daclon returns to the barricade, Zoe smirks across. "Found ya..." With a snort, she waves and murmurs a greeting - one that he obviously can't hear. "Good t' meetcha, scumbag." The Colonel has yet to take notice of Seven.
As he turns around, Darklett spots Seven. "...You an archer?" Seeing the longbow, he doesn't give the runner a second to answer. "You're on the first shift. Your new job, whatever it was before, is to keep the enemy pinned." At that, he points to the barricade, and continues his walk towards the Western Square.
Daclon leans against the barricade once again, noting the hare's bows. Not one for a lot of bow shooting, so he gives a muttered order for the vermin to keep their heads down, and not to return fire. Let them waste arrows if they want.
Seven finally just sighs and lets his salute drop, while pulling an arrow out of the quiver and setting it into the bow he now holds. The runner just keeps it down for the moment, as he listens to Darklett, then finally nods. "Yes, Sir." He's with
Daclon on this one, even if he doesn't know it. He'll have to make new arrows soon. The young buck's whisker twitch as his attention returns to the barricade and he just seeks out a target.
Zoe_Lang's ears flick as Seven's voice registers. She looks around and grins, if a bit fatalistically. "Ahh, Seven... Now, make sure ya don't bothah shootin' unless ya have a good target. I've already wasted two arrows, 'n' while I had a point t' make... let's try not t' waste anymore."
Seven looks up to the Colonel and smiles at her, nodding. "Yes, Ma'am." This is of course stated more fondly then his response to Darklett. The buck looks back across the street, thoughtful. Does that mean he can't shoot that pipe out of Daclon's mouth? Pity.
Zoe_Lang looks around and, when she spots a nearby hare, she crosses and thrusts her bow and arrows into his arms. "Get up there 'n' keep 'n' eye out fer any vermin. Anythin' peeks ovah, shoot it." She then returns over to Seven's side, looking over the edge of the barricade thoughtfully. "So what d'ya think of combat, lad?"
A few new archers come back from the Western Square, each looking not too happy about having been put on duty, then brightening up significantly as they see the Colonel, not wanting to seem lazy.
Seven flushes a little, shrugging. "I don' know. I's kinda confusin'..But then 'gain, you become tot'lly focused on wot yer doin'." He pauses to let an arrow fly at a bold, and stupid, weasel, who pokes his head over the top of the barricade. The vermin gets a new ear piercing. "I got 'ttacked by a wil'cat too." The buck smirks a little at the thought of it.
Zoe_Lang watches the course of the arrow and smirks, pleased as it hits its target. "Good'un, lad." She pats him on the back, and then salutes formally to the arriving archers. "You've got yer ordahs, folks. Take shifts o' four hours, no less'n four archahs on duty at any given time. Spread the word."
Seven glances over as the other archers arrive, though his mind is more focused on the Colonel about now. He grins proudly. "Well, if there's anythin' I c'n do right.." He trails off, lowering the bow again. At least Zoe can speak with the others while he's paused.
Zoe_Lang looks around to Seven again once the orders are given. "Ya do a lot o' things right, lad. Keep it up." She smiles at the young buck and then turns to look over the barricade again. At this point, the vermin aren't showing even a hair. Much to Zoe's pleasure.
Seven's grin only gets bigger and he turns to face Zoe more. "'M glad ya 'cided to take charge 'ere, Ma'am." He nods to her, almost a half bow, though he does keep his ear turned in the east square's direction, just to know what is going on still.
Zoe_Lang chuckles at his candidness. "Well... 'm glad someone is, anyway. I c'n think of one beast who's likely not t' be so happy about it..." She's thinking of her cousin and major, Jarril. Heh.
Seven holds in the laugh and nods. He leans against the barricade and peers across. "Well, it'll finish quickah, ya know Ma'am? 'll pers'nally be glad t' get back to Sala."
Zoe_Lang smiles slightly at Seven's vote of confidence. "I'll be glad t' have all of ya back, s'well..." She then quirks a brow, though she looks over the barricade instead of at him. "Got int' a fight with a wildcat, didja?"
Seven glances at Zoe, then nods as he looks back across Main Street. "Aye..One on one, too." He bites his bottom lip. "I..did pretty good..Came outta it with only bruises. Stabbed 'im in the side though."
Zoe_Lang listens thoughtfully until he's finished, and then seems satisfied, because she nods. "Good. Ya want t' try t' aim fer certain key spots fer stabbin', though... the neck, just undah the ribs, 'n' the back. Thigh's a good place, too..." She pulls out her own dagger, and stabs it into a sack that makes up a small portion of the barricade. "Stab," she pauses, then jerks the blade in a counter-clockwise, half-turn. "'n' twist. Keeps the wound from closin' up."
Seven gazes at the Colonel as she demonstrates the correct way to stab someone. He slowly nods, one ear tilting back and seeming to take this in. "'ll remembah that." The buck pulls his one paw away from the bow to scratch his chin. "I think I wiggled it back 'n forth little, tryna stab deepah." The runner sighs. "Don' know how 'ffective it was, though."
Zoe_Lang tugs the knife out and wipes off the sand - which is what the sack was filled with - on her pants before sheathing it back at her waist. "That'd work a'right, too. Ya did good." She looks over the edge of the barricade again, and spots a head peering over the other end. Immediately two bows go up to her right, and the head quickly ducks back down.
Seven's ears perk back up as if wondering if he should have tried to take the shot, though he doesn't dwell on it long. He smiles. "Thank ye." The runner pushes away from the barricade to be more ready if he has to be. "So, how've you been, Ma'am?"
Zoe_Lang turns and takes a seat, her back to the barricade and her head well below the vermin's sight line. "I've been well, lad..." She grins slightly. "I stayed away s'long s'I could, but I s'pose I really just can't stay away from a fight..."
Seven smiles down at her. That's a first... "Well, i's wot ya do. 'Haps you were worried 'bout me?" He winks at the Colonel, maybe just trying to make her laugh at him.
It makes her chuckle, anyway. Seven is given an amused look. "Well, I've got t' keep m'star pupil alive."
Seven nods, and the grin he gives her is somewhat contagious. "Right ya are, Ma'am." The buck twangs his bow string subconsciously.
Zoe_Lang cannot, in fact, manage to resist returning the grin. She looks out over the square, where things are considerably more bustling than when she arrived, seeming pleased.
Seven rubs his eye and yawns again, though he remains standing where he is, still being as vigilant as he can. The runner begins to hum slightly, seeming not to realize that he is, however.
Zoe_Lang's ears perk at the yawning, and then the humming. Slowly her head turns to look at him, and she grins, not saying anything.
Seven is gazing out over the road, ears perked up high and plucking lightly at the bow string, almost as if accompanying his humming with a stringed instrument, though it's not very affective and he probably doesn't realize he's doing /this/ either.
Zoe_Lang chuckles softly and rests back against the barricade, her paws going behind her head to serve as a cushion. Her foot taps the off-beat with his bow-string plucking.
Seven finally realizes what he's doing and pauses for a second, with a blush, before just shaking his head and continuing. It's helping him stay awake. Or something.
Zoe_Lang begins tapping out a jaunty beat, looking to Seven grinningly to see if he'll pick it up as well.
Seven flicks his ear towards the beat, whiskers twitching in concentration. It takes him a moment to fire out something, before he begins to mess with the bow string again, but more to her rhythm now. Boredom on the front lines.
Boredom which is punctuated by one of the vermin peeking his head up over the edge of their barricade. Zoe doesn't notice it because she's not looking towards main street at the moment. Rather, she just continues the beat, throwing in some extra little beats here and there.
Seven bops his head to the beat, seeming to get into it, eyes half closed. The other archers seem to be distracted by the tune as well. The 'bow' in it abruptly stops though as the runner realizes and shoots an arrow in the vermin's direction. Duty before music.
The intended target sees the arrow coming and ducks. However, a few seconds later there is a resultant scream. Apparently, it found /a/ mark, if not /the/ mark. Zoe briefly stops tapping out the beat, but once the scream has died down, she starts up again.
Seven just halts, to stare off at the scream, before shaking his head and going back to the plucking of the bow string, off beat for a moment, before he gets back into it.
A couple of the archer's nearby become bold enough to send a couple of unpleasant looks their way. Catching this, Zoe's tapping becomes considerably quieter and she gives Seven a nudge, as well. Heh.
Seven glances sideways at the other archers and considers sticking his tongue out at them, before deciding against it and just stopping his beat all together.
Well then. Zoe too stops her tapping and sits up, turning her head so that she can see over the barricade. "Seems like ya scared 'em good."
Seven nods slowly and goes to sit down now beside the Colonel, holding his bow in between his legs and smiling a little, yawning again.
Zoe_Lang also lowers herself back down, content to leave the sniping to the other archers, who seem to have it under control. She drapes one arm over her eyes and closes them, perhaps to take a nap or perhaps just to rest. Either way, she stays quiet.
[Later on in the evening...]
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.
Zoe_Lang is still standing at the barricade along with the other archers, but not surprisingly, not a single vermin has shown himself for at least a couple of hours. The mood is a silent one, and everyone looks not at each other but down towards main street.
"Colonel!" The address comes from Darklett, who is walking to the barricade. "All the troops are informed that the attack could happen at any moment. Hopefully, they didn't drop their weapons as soon as I turned my back... I see the archers I sent are here." He stops walking, and salutes.
As Darklett's greeting breaks the silence, Zoe pats the nearest archer on the arm and then turns, moving a few steps away from the barricade to meet Darklett halfway. She returns the salute and grins, almost cheerfully. "Good work, Darklett. There've been two casualties... on the vermin side. I think the archahs are startin' t' get the point." Pause, more grinning. "I think the /vermin/ are startin' t' get the point."
Darklett smirks. "That's some good news," he drops the salute, eyeing the barricade. "I've still been sending scout parties, but there's never been anything to report. To check, I went myself, and... Well, it seems that the vermin are really without a move to be made."
Zoe_Lang nods. "They're boxed in... you lot've done well in insurin' that, I give ya that much. Now... it's time t' finish the job." She flicks an ear and looks back towards the barricade. "I want more reinforcements from the mountain. Send fer 'em t'morrah. Then, the next day, we'll strike."
Darklett doesn't know whether to be proud of the fact that they did box them in or injured at the way the Colonel put it... Either way, he nods and makes a mental note to get a runner to request reinforcements.
"Yes, Colonel. I'm sure with reinforcements the rest of Halyard shouldn't be a problem. All I have to do is get rid of a badger who's been annoying us, and the rest will fall easy."
Zoe_Lang does tend to be a bit... know-it-all, when it comes to battle. She's seen it all too often. Also, there's the fact that this is the first battle that she /tried/ to keep from joining. Obviously, she wasn't successful in that. At mention of the badger, she sends Darklett a glance. "A badgah?"
Darklett nods to the Colonel, wondering if he should have even brought this up. "A badger. Vansinnig Mordare is his name. He'd be dead right now if it weren't that moron badger Ralai saving his life. If you'll excuse the speech, Colonel."
Zoe_Lang waves his last words away, not needing him to excuse himself. She did ask, after all. "I see... Well, a badgah c'n be a complicatin' factah, especially when they're not on yer side."
"I don't know, Colonel. To tell you the truth, I was pretty disappointed by the big ugly thing." Darklett twists his mouth to the side, rocking on his footpaws. "I kept him under control once, I can do it again if I need to. These things fly like wonders, by the way..." He pats his belt, giving the Colonel a quick nod of affirmation on his approval.
Zoe_Lang's eyes flicker down to his belt, where the knives are sheathed. She smiles just enough so that he knows she understands. "Well... don't let 'im surprise ya the second time around. If ya need help with 'im, don't hesitate t' yell. I've seen a Badgah charge through a horde o' vermin like it was nothin'. Mind... he didn't come out unscatched, but I've nevah seen anythin' like it before."
Darklett nods understandingly at the Colonel, his lips folding inward as he takes the advice in. "I'll be careful with him. I'm saving all my knives for him, using my rapier until I can get to him... My hopes are getting enough stuck in him before he can get in range with that big blade on a chain of his."
Zoe_Lang raises a brow at the unorthodox weapon, but she simply nods. "That... 'd be best, aye." Eh heh. Zoe unsheaths one of her daggers and begins fiddling with it, almost absently. "So... this leadah o' theirs. He wouldn't happen t' be a black ferret, would 'e?"
Darklett thinks for a few seconds, then bows his head, maybe in embarrassment. "Huh... To tell you the truth, I really don't know. Never showed his face to anybeast during the battle, I thought he might have died quickly, and they were just covering up for him... That would explain the lack of movement from them, wouldn't it?" He shrugs, looking back up. "What gave you the idea it was a black ferret, if you don't mind me asking?"
Zoe_Lang looks towards the barrier again, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "A leadah acts a certain way, as do a leadah's troops... When I was testin' them earliah, all of the vermin save fer one... ya could tell, they were just followin' ordahs. The black ferret... you could tell 'e was the one settin' 'em." She shrugs vaguely and then offers Darklett a smile. "Nothin' more than a feelin', I s'pose..."
Darklett looks towards the barrier as well when the Colonel does, listening to her and smirking at the observation. "...Huh. I guess I'd go with that feeling, then. I mean, if there were anybeast I'd trust to know what he or she was talking about in this sort of situation, it'd be you. Black ferret..." He keeps a mental note of this, nodding very slowly. "I'll keep an eye out for him, too, then."
Zoe_Lang's lips twitch upwards in a smirk at the vote of confidence. First Seven, now Darklett... She can't help but become a little irreverent when it comes to things like that. "Ya do that... In the meantime, I'll ask Jarril if he knows anythin' more about their leadah. He's always had a... certain interest in the leadahs." In that he likes to run up to them and get his eye stabbed out, but she needn't say that.
Darklett kinda gets what Zoe's saying with the 'interest in the leadahs' deal. But, rather than risk insubordination and the like, he keeps a straight face, and simply gives a nod in return. "We're not going to let them last another day after the attack, are we?"
Zoe_Lang runs a finger-tip along the edge of her knife blade, checking its sharpness. A superficial cut appears in the top layer of skin. "No, lad, we're not."
Darklett takes a deep breath, and sighs out a smile. "Good. I've been wanting this to be over with," The Lieutenant asserts, staring off over the barricade again. "Should have been done already, in my opinion. While we had the upper paw, and before they got the chance to really regroup."
Zoe_Lang sighs softly and sheaths her knife, satisfied that it doesn't need a sharpening. "There's nothin' t' be done about that... but the fact that they haven't pressed their advantage 'n' attacked us... suggests that they haven't got much o' an advantage t' press. That's a good thing."
Darklett nods in deep agreement. "A very good thing. I gathered that from scout missions, too... The rest of our job here should be easy. Well, easier than the first half, at least..." Darklett pauses, which means he's having a gather-bravery moment. "I don't mean to be out of my place, Colonel, but I really didn't feel too confident with Major Jarril's tactics during the storm."
Zoe_Lang grunts softly and turns, walking a few steps away while she thinks of how to phrase her reply. "Jarril's... not a fightah, lieutenant. He oughtn't t've been put in charge o' this mission. It was meant t' be Oxeye's but..." She makes a small clicking sound with her tongue, as if to suggest those things that cannot be helped. "I should've taken things ovah soonah." Pause. "I'll want a full report on Jarril's actions up 'til this point. Don't let anyone know yer doin' it, includin' the Majah. Report only t' me."
For a few seconds, Darklett looks like he just might feel bad about this. Only for a few seconds, though. "Understood. Yes, Colonel." He looks like he's about to start something else, but a scout group comes back, and calls his attention. "I better take care of this." The Lieutenant throws a quick salute, then heads off to the group to see what they have to report.
