2-20-06

Characters involved: Daclon, Jarril, Mistclowd, Mystery, Akakios, Vorth, Zoe_Lang, Dandelion, Darklett, Marsuvees, & Newel.

Western Shore

The western shores along this stretch of sea are somewhat quiet and barren, which has little to do with the time of season. The fact that a vermin band is camped on the shores has already been spread about, causing the area to be somewhat... empty. Except for the vermin camp, from which come wisps of smoke, blown about playfully by winter winds. The sound of muttered speech, and bitterly cold sand being stepped upon by footpaws can be heard softly, the only signs of life.

Moving up along with the front of the patrol, Jarril looks about as he stops to inspect some part of the sand with a thoughtful look, then nods, running a paw through his long ear to wipe away any bits of sand that has blown into it.

Mistclowd is decidedly secluded (yet still in the vermin camp), having hollowed out a small denlike thing, concealed by his sand colored cloak.

Mystery wakes up from three inches outside the camp, he re-enters and puts down the hood of his cloak and stares around still a little tired yet awake.

Akakios lounges by a fire, stretched out on a ragged blanket which may be a cloak, messily eating a freshly cooked fish, pausing now and then to pick a piece of flesh from between his teeth with one of the larger bones.

Mistclowd pokes his nose out of his little hollow, puts on another sand-colored cloak, and creeps up towards the fire, silently.

Vorth sits in camp not far from the fire, pipe smoking lightly in the side of his mouth as he sharpens the blade of one of his swords mainly for something to do.

It would appear that a good portion of the mountain's fighting hares have come out for this little 'event'. Despite their large numbers, they move in almost complete silence. Colonel Zoe is at the front of the patrol, walking alongside Jarril and the other officers. She's murmuring softly to him, because apparently the officers /are/ allowed to make noise, as she moves along. "We're going t' want t' range around their camp... It's basically a circle. Most of the hares have bow 'n' arrow fer this, 'n' we're gonna waste a lot o' arrows, but I want t' put as many int' that encampment as we can. In front of our archahs, I want our line o' fightahs, ready t' catch the vermin as they come over the crest o' the dunes. Ya got me? Give the ordah fer folks t' start spreadin' out."

Mistclowd, as yet unseen, still creeps towards the fire, directly behind Akakios. His ears swivel at something, most likely vorth sharpening his blades.

Mystery searches for daclon.

Daclon is below one of the dunes surrounding the camp, supervising a small group of vermin who are digging a trench around the outside. In the cold sand, it's hard work, and the vermin are taking frequent breaks, obviously in little hurry to finish the trench, which encircles maybe as much as a fourth of the camp.

Jarril nods silently as he twists his head around and makes the order that he has for so long trained into his hares as in lifting an arm up and then with a limp wrist, makes a small circle with a finger, then pointing towards the sand-dune itself. Seeing most move into the positions that he has made signalled for he turns his head back to Zoe and murmurs back. "Aye, got every single word, ma'am. I'll await ya signal ta start when ya lot are all set up. Good luck." Without saying anything else, he to moves off, unslinging his own bow as he goes into a small silent jog,

Mistclowd is now right behind Akakios, and slowly moves his paw to try and snatch a morsel of fish out of Akakios's paw.

Akakios hisses angrily, swiping a paw at Mistclowd. "Fin' yer own, dang it." The wildcat returns to eating, as quickly as he can. He mutters a few choice words in Mistclowd's direction while he's at it.

Zoe_Lang watches Jarril move off, then turns to signal to her own troops. She nods to one major, then a second, sending each in one direction or the other. Their respective troops follow. The Colonel then turns to a remaining major and the remaining troops, gesturing them forward. Center mass. They begin the slow creep forward, keeping low and behind dunes when they can.

Mistclowd growls, and slinks off over towards the shore to get a fish.

Vorth glances up at the hissing wildcat for a moment, moving his pipe before he looks back down to his sword again to test it's sharpness before he puts it away again, glancing about the camp idly.

Mystery continues his search for daclon.

Daclon growls at the slow progress, then shrugs. "Alright, enough fer one day. Get back over the dune." The little band gathers their equipment, hurrying up over the dune, several of the dashing ahead towards the relative comfort of the fires and tents.

Mistclowd stops, and sniffs something in the air. He scuttles towards his little hollow in the sand, covering himself up with his sand-colored cloak.

Slowing down, Jarril comes to a stop and then falls against the sand dune wall itself as he pulls one of the arrows that he is carrying from behind him. Loosely putting into the bow, he waits.

Akakios stands, wiping greasy paws on his tunic, glaring about. He sniffs, and the big cat smells something different about the shore. Retrieving his long bow, the cat turns, moving calmly towards where Daclon is.

Mistclowd has readied two of his favorite weapons: A stirng with a spiked rock at the end, and a blowpipe. He readies himself for a wait.

Once her lot are in position, Zoe draws her sword - her choice of 'signalling' method. She looks first one way and then the other, her eyes settling on Jarril. She raises her sword, then, and jabs it towards the camp. The signal for the arrows to start.

Jarril see's the sword and is quickly up and around as he nods for his hares to make their way up the dune slightly before he signals a stop near the top of it. Frowning slightly, he begins to raise the tip of his arrow as he speaks. "Now, remember the new training I taught ya, moving targets shouldn't be a problem now." Without another word he nods for his lot as he pops up and picking a unsuspecting target quickly, let's his shaft loose, seeing the form cry out before falling. Other arrows soon come through the air as Jarril reaches back for a second shaft.

Daclon reaches the top of the dune, glancing at Akakios, who is headed towards him. He's about to ask what the matter might be, when a /lot/ of arrows suddenly land in the camp. A-hah. A clue. To his credit, the black ferret responds quickly. Dashing down the hill, he draws his sword. "Weapons! Get ya weapons out, fighters! We're under attack!" Vermin hasten to obey, the arrows causing mass havoc in their ranks.

Mystery puts a shaft to his bow string getting ready to fire picking a target.

Vorth gets up seeming to find some sort of inspiration in his homemade training dummy, standing it back up after it fell over at some point in the night, a glance going to those around camp, ears perking as he goes back to shifting about the sand in the dummy, that is until he hears the first of the beasts getting hit by arrows, pulling the bow off his back quickly, using the dummy as somewhat of a shield to stand behind as he fires off an arrow in the direction of the hares.

Mystery lets his poisoned shaft at one of the hares trying to cause it mass pain as the poison takes effect.

Akakios hurries to his tent, retrieving a suit of mail and pulling it on hastily, backwards and uncomfortable. Managing to spin it around, he hurries out of the tent.

Mystery smiles as the hare falls and lets loose another shaft.

Just as the shooting starts, Dandelion comes running up from behind the hares along with another straggler, a young archer. The buck is almost comically overladen with things someone at the mountain saw fit to send with him, and apart from his own short spear he is also carrying some javelins under his arm, and two quivers of arrows over his shoulder. As the archer hurries to join his colleagues, Dandelion stumbles after, not exactly sure of where to go.

Zoe_Lang watches the arrows fly overhead, smirking at the sounds from within the camp. She nods to the major in her group of fighters, who calls for the drawing of weapons. The sound of metal sliding out of scabbards can be heard. They form a line just inside of the archers, waiting. "Wait for 'em t' make a run for it, then take 'em out as they're comin' down the dunes! They'll be unsteady, so we'll have the advantage. Use it!"

There's a certain major that's not even aware that there -is- any sort of confrontation going on. Major Darklett Fletchpaw's ears perk as he hears a sudden bustle of activity just downshore. Looking down at the sword he'd borrowed for safety on his way home to the mountain, the major looks with something akin to dismay at the dust formed by rising sand and several moving bodies, as well as arrows arcing through the air to form some kind of nightmarish end to an already bad dream. Cursing to himself, he picks up the pace to see exactly -what- this is all about, breaking into a light, slightly pained, jog, head keeping low.

Daclon manages to get most of the vermin into a group, with the few younger beasts and wives in the center. Beasts with shields ring the outside, as arrows continue to hit their ranks. "Hurry! Everybeast get together! NOW!" The ferret winces as an arrow hits his bad arm, unable to pull it out without dropping his sword. So it's ignored. Well, as much as an arrow can be, at least.

Jarril gives off another of his signature shootings as a rat falls down with an arrow squarely in the chest. Barking out orders. "Keep strict with the shooting... Pick the target. That's the way." He looks about seeing some dark forms duck behind tents. "Get ready with the fire arrows." Some hares at the bottom of the dune are setting small fires as some hares are waiting to light their fire arrows. Turning his head back. "Aim for their tents and supplies if ya can!" The major not caring for who hears his voice now.

Akakios joins the bang of vermin gathering in the camp, standing still and returning fire as well as he is able, aiming for beasts who look important. Not really anybeast in particular, the wildcat is just hoping to hit an officer or two by chance.

Vorth makes his way to the main group of vermin quickly, carrying his dummy shield with him, it filling with arrows until he can slip into the main group and fire arrows in quick succession back at the hares.

Dandelion can't help but scream of fright as a stray arrow strikes just in front of him. The surprise causes him to break his already stumbling stride, and he falls flat on his face in the sand, dropping the javelins and causing most of the arrows to spill out of the quivers as well.

Mistclowd slinks out of his hollow, aims his blowpipe at Dandelion, and blows.

Darklett grunts to himself at his horrid luck, and breaks out into a run, wielding his sword as he scales over a dune, and starts sliding down, getting a good view as he does so of what's going on... Well, that makes his poor injured body move that much faster, trying to ignore the pain for now as he nears the rear of the Patrol's ranks, sliding down another dune, almost falling in his rush.

Marsuvees stares out over the vermin, sidling up alongside Zoe. His blades are drawn and tightly gripped. The monk doodles in the sand. An odd spiral shape, matching the one in his ear. His earrings jingling, he smiles at the battle. "Hmmmm." He's ready. "On yer word, Colonel."

Daclon grimaces as fire arrows start coming in, and several hit tents and supplies. Right, the camp's about to be trashed. Another ferret beside him stumbles, hit by an arrow, and Daclon groans, sheathing his sword and supporting the wounded beast. "We got to get out..." The ferret looks around once, then gives the order. "Forward! Break through their lines and head upshore!" The vermin begin to move, at a fairly good clip, though they're not running. Far from it, with so many wounded and non-combatants.

Rolling from side to side and struggling to free himself from the now practically empty quivers, Dandelion is blissfully unaware that he is being fired at. In fact, he appears to not even notice the occasional arrows taking ground here and there.

Mistclowd aims in front of dandelion now, and blows, hoping he will roll into it's path just intime to be hit in the neck.

Seeing several of his section of hare fall from arrows coming from the vermin, Jarril frowns as he hits the ferret beside Daclon and reaches back for another shaft. "Bally not on, walking just in front of the..." Flicking his head to the side, he takes out another unfortunate soul who didn't keep his shield up high enough.

Zoe_Lang looks to the left as Marsuvees comes up alongside her. She offers the buck an almost fiendish smirk and shakes her head. "I won't have t' give the word, if things go accordin' t' plan. Things're gonna get a liiiittle hot, in there." She reaches across, patting Marsuvees roughly on the shoulder. She turns her eyes to watch the fire arrows, then yells, "Get ready!" She brings up her own blade, dropping down into fighting stance, her eyes training to the top of the dune. "Pick off those that ya can, archahs! We'll get the rest!"

Akakios has dropped his bow and taken a shield from the carcass of a dead stoat. Drawing his sword, the wildcat and about a half-dozen of the bigger vermin dash ahead of the others, shields up to ward off arrows.

Mistclowd sees the fire arrows, and spreads something on his cloak, in which he is unseen.

...Wait, that's -my- plan... Darklett runs as best he can, and before anybeast may know it, the hare who's been missing for a few days is right on the front line, squeezing in a place between Zoe and another hare. Apparently, he doesn't know who he's just sidled up next to, his eyes trained up on the dune tops as he waits for them to come over.

Marsuvees smirks and traces the same spiral from the sand on his forehead. Then, shoving down his hat over his eyes, he bares his fangs. "Aye, madame." Spreading his arms apart, the blades stand on each side of him in a lax, smooth stance. "Oh, she'll come softly, aye, softly," he hums sing-songingly to himself. He glances at Darklett minutely. Considering he has no idea who's in charge except Zoe, he nudges him slightly. "Ya look a bit befuddled, my son. Worry not, fer the Darkforest will sweep away our enemies."

Dandelion finally gets the quivers over his head and tosses them to the side, sitting up and looking around, confusedly, trying to get his bearings. Spotting Zoe he jumps to his feet, grabbing his spear. "Ma'am!" he calls out.

Daclon is half-helping, half-carrying the ferret beside him. And, the ferret is urging on the main group of vermin with shouts and curses. Few are being hit by arrows now, but they're nearing the edge of the camp, and the first few ranks crest the dune, shields up for cover.

Mistclowd aims his blowpipe once more, and fires at Zoe_Lang.

Akakios leads the small group of vermin straight in Zoe's direction, a good distance in front of the rest of the band. As they draw closer, arrows begin to stick in their shields, one of them falls, and the others shout out war calls as they charge.

As the vermin crest the dune, arrows are aimed, from the hare's vantage point, not at the main body mass, which is blocked by shields, but at unguarded legs. Several vermin fall, tumbling down the dunes and creating only further havoc for the vermin. Zoe, for her part, doesn't even /notice/ Darklett. She's far too absorbed.

Darklett's ears perk, and he looks to the side at Marsuvees. "...Right, sweep away..." Weeeeirdoooo. He looks back up to the dune tops and sees the eartips of the first few vermin, huddling over and wielding his sword. "Here goes..." he murmurs, barely audible over the noise of the moment. Holding his ground, he levels his sword forward, footpaw twitching against the sand as they get closer and closer and closer...

Jarril makes the signal with a blade for the rear archers to make their way down the first dune and up to the next one as the circle of arches make their way into the only last defence the camp has. Skidding down the dune, the hare leaps halfway right over and lands on the other dune before running up the smaller dune as he fires off an arrow into the back of one of the stragglers of the vermin group right centre of the back of the neck of a rat.

Vorth aims what arrows he's got left at the hares in the vermin's path before he switches for lance, hiding behind the shields of others, lance poking out between a gap in between the shields of the two vermin either side of himself.

Daclon glances at the ferret he's helping, who, despite his efforts, has died. Pushing the body away, he draws his sword once more, pushing towards the front. Taking in the damage to the front ranks, he tries quickly to prevent a massacre. "Front ranks, charge! Rear, stay behind to protect the wounded and those who can't fight. Now, charge, ya blasted devils!" The vermin follow the orders almost exactly, except for those who are shot by the hares.

Things seem to be getting a little too much for Dandelion, who's desperately trying to find an officer who's not too busy to notice him. "Ma'am!" he shouts, voice rising half an octave in pitch in the course of one syllable.

Mistclowd, being in not much of a rank at all, simply aims at Jarril with his poison dart-filled blowpipe once he's in view, and fires off at him.

Jarril shifts his position as he re-aims for another target, but holds as he feels something whizz by, barely missing him. Turning his head in the direction, he hears a hare next to him fall before turning his head back and seeing the hare shaking. "Archers.. Lay fire in that direction now!" Several arrows fly in the vinicity that the major guesses the dart came from, letting one go in that direction himself.

As the hares circling the camp realize that the vermin are trying to force their way out through one point in the line of hares, those further around the circle begin running for the main of the battle. Zoe sees this and pumps her blade skyward in premature celebration. Dandelion's yell finally penetrates the haze of battle and she turns, flicking a brief glance at the recruit before looking back toward the oncoming vermin. "Arm yerself or get back with the archahs, lad! Decide! 'Tis goin' t' get bloody!" Her words, though shouted, are barely audible. She steps forward, just as the first vermin come scrambling down the dune. She raises her sword, blade meeting blade in a clash.

Mistclowd fires at Jarril again with his poisoned darts, poisoned by Belladona.

Marsuvees has no such delusions of considering himself patient. As soon as at least some of the vermin have crested the dune, he bounds off in a short burst of speed. Yielding his blades, he engages a weasel. The vermin brandishes a spear at him, but it's chopped in half moments before his own chest is slid into. Casting the weasel off, he turns towards a ferret a moment to late. A broadsword's tip rakes across his back. Snarling, he thrusts through the stoat behind him with one blade and bends haphazardly in an odd arch to stab the ferret through the neck. Flinging them both off, he turns towards another. Oooh, he's having fun.

Akakios finds himself fighting hand-to hand with Zoe, the big cat pushing forward as best he can, his sword trying to pierce her defenses in a fierce, stunning quick attack. Toss in the fact that he's swinging his shield like a club towards anyone who gets near, and he becomes a serious presence.

Dandelion looks back at the archers, but not having a bow, he doesn't really have a place there... And when he sees someone attacking Zoe, the decision is quick and easy to make. He scrambles forward, spear at the ready, teeth gritted.

Darklett lowers his longsword, and swings up powerfully, the ferret sliding awkwardly down the dune who had been wielding the weapon losing hold of it momentarily, long enough for Darklett to run him through, quickly discarding him to the front, to bowl backwards into the next to come, a rat, who trips over the ferret. But a weasel jumps up over the heap, falling down upon the major... He holds up his sword in preparation, and swings horizontally, digging his sword into his side, slaying him... But right after that, he's decked by Akakios's shield, and he stumbles back, falling... But trying to get up as fast as he can to plug up the hole again.

Mistclowd is nearly hit by an arrow, dodging them left and right, and aims his blowpipe at Zoe.

Vorth moves down the dune lance first, his pair of shield holding vermin ending slightly split from him though still close as he heads for Marsuvees, aiming the lance at the hare's midsection soon as the long weapon's in range.

Daclon has managed to keep his head, choosing a point in the line where there are few captains or good fighters. His sword is weaving a quick and efficient pattern through the hares, his hook swinging out at any his sword misses, heavy enough to knock out teeth or slash a face open. Blood splatters are already beginning to cover him, but he's making it through, along with several vermin. Others are headed that way, seeing the gap that's slowly being created.

Jarril gives the order for several hares to move down into the camp itself, looking for any stragglers now as he moves his bow to the side and draws out his loaded sling. "Alright, I want this place destroyed." He nods for the hares to start to light anything that the fire arrows had missed as he ducks in between two building tents, shielding his only eye as they make their way through and looks about quickly.

Fortunately, given that Zoe is in a mass of beasts, the poisoned dart finds another creature's skin and not her own. In this miss, it could have even hit one of Mist's own, a vermin, instead of a hare. The Colonel breaks first under the wildcat's pushing; he is, after all, larger. Stumbling back a couple of steps, she brings up her sword to block if need be, then lunges forward again, trying to get around his shield.

Marsuvees snarls and....bites into another weasel's neck. Tear out flesh, he smiles wide with blood-stained teeth at the gurgling weasel, before headbutting a ferret and running him through. Barely a second later, he finds himself bending awkwardly away from the lance. "Oy!" He spirals his forehead, then grins at Vorth. "Yer a slick one." With a twist, he moves towards Vorth in a vicious thrust of his own blade, aiming for his face. "Keep at it, an' the Darforest's demons'll nip at yer feet."

Akakios swings his shield at Zoe, followed quickly by his sword as he pushes forward, trying to knock her off balance. Of the vermin that accompanied him, only a few remain, these fighting with the hares around Zoe, warding them off and pressing forward, as all the vermin are.

Darklett scrambles to his knees, having to raise his sword to block off an overhead strike from a rat, which strains the major's weakened strength to the maximum, the dark-furred hare starting to lean backward... But at the last second, his pained grimace turns into a smirk. The rat who'd dealt the strike looks in confusion for a moment, until Darklett swiftly slides to his footpaws, dashing to the side, pinwheeling his blade to chop into his back, felling him instantly, and rushing to Zoe's side again, locking blades with one of the vermin that came down with Akakios.

Mistclowd crawls thorugh the hail of arrows until he blends in with the sand not 3 yards from Zoe. He aims at Darklett, and shoots off.

Vorth ducks down and moves to the side to avoid Marsuvees's blade, lance coming swinging across with him, pole headed for the hare, hoping to knock the wind out of him.

Coming up just as Zoe falls back, Dandelion makes a valiant thrust with hsi spear at the big wildcat, using all the expertise he can muster at the moment, aiming for no particular part of the body at all, just thrusting.

Daclon is the first to break through the hare's lines, sparing a passing, pitying glance at the young buck he killed. Several more follow him, beginning to move upshore. There's not a lot more they can do. More vermin begin to head for the gap in the line, managing to escape the surrounding hares.

Away from the main fighting, Jarril and his hares are checking for things within the camp, as the major lifts something up, sniffs at it and throws it into one of the camp fires in disgust. Looking about at the mass of weapons that had fallen to the ground next to dead bodies. "Alright, let's get this lot burnt, those that we can't. Take what ya can carry." He moves and sniffs something cooking in a pot and pulls his nose to a wrinkle at the smell of seaweed and nettle soup.

Marsuvees let's the pole strike him, and indeed, the wind is thrown from him. But instead of falling, he grips the shaft of the lance and swings the sword marked 'Hope' at Vorth's bowed head to cleave it in two. "Aye. A blasted tricky one, you are, eh?"

Zoe_Lang's eyes widen as the shield comes her way. She turns her shoulder into it, doing her best to absorb the most impact with the least damage. She stumbles back, regardless, losing her footing as most of her weight comes down on her gimp leg. She stumbles down to one knee, her body sideways to the oncoming Akakios. "Damn it!" Her words are, of course, lost in the fighting.

Darklett continues to fight off the vermin as they come, having trouble with a weasel that had come down with Akakios, who seems to be getting lucky by weighting his attacks towards the major's hurt side, making the defense of the major almost ineffective, the buck resorting to quick dodges as he takes two successive saber slices to his face and shoulder... And as he dodges one of these times, the poison dart that somehow got through the mass of vermin to Darklett strikes the weasel he'd been fighting instead of his back. He watches him suddenly fall down, and takes a quick charge forward to intercept another weasel, which had gotten a little too deep into the hare ranks for Darklett's liking. "Eulaliaaa!" he shouts out the Salamandastron war cry, blood seeping through his uniform and dripping down his chest.

Mistclowd seems to snap as he rips out his spiked stone on a rope, and swings it madly in front of him, trying to break out of the camp, and heading in Zoe's direction, too.

Akakios catches Dandelion's spear on his shield, which it sticks in, before snapping off. The wildcat shouts in frustration, pushing forward even harder then before, eyes on the retreating vermin. He swings his sword in a quick stroke towards Zoe's good leg, trying to push past her.

Vorth lets Marsuvees have the lance, letting go of it to move back, two of his swords drawing back with barely an inch to spare from the hare's blade as it passes, he backs to a somewhat safer distance, having to turn once to deal with some blasted longears behind him quickly before he's back to facing Marsuvees again, one sword going forwards at the hare's own blade, the other going for his neck.

Daclon has paused to make sure that those who made it out are escaping. Then he turns again, heading off with those who escaped. The ferret growls, finally able to pull the now-broken arrow from his arm. "Nothing else we can do, mates. Head upshore!"

Dandelion was, explicably, not quite ready for the blow, and falls over. To his credit he manages to roll away from the fighting before he gets trampled, and starts to look around for another weapon.

Slowly but surely the camp is being set on fire as more hares are slowly but surely making their way to the rear of the vermin push. The hares find the occasional one or two that didn't leave a tent and are quickly dealt with as Jarril looks up and listens to the battle ahead of him now. However, the surrounding form of archers stay around the edges and only a few move down once the back line of hares moves through the camp.

Marsuvees turns swiftly to stab at a weasel with both blades as Vorth is busy. Swiftly, he chucks the limp, bleeding vermin at Vorth, meeting with Vorth's blade and intercepting his other. They lock in an odd position. "Don't talk much, do ya?" He shoves against him, employing his strength.

Mistclowd just is rushing madly, regardles sof arrows, swinging his spiked rock on a string wildly in front of him.

Zoe_Lang's head jerks around to the wildcat, knowing that she's at a disadvantage. The disadvantage is only made more obvious as the sword comes at her leg. With a teeth-baring snarl, she thrusts her sword down into the sand by her leg, in her best effort to block the oncoming blade. But at the force behind Akakios' swing, her sword gives, and Akakios' blade slides down the length of hers and slices deeply into her leg. Her snarl this time is pained and she falls away, effectively clearing herself out of his path.

Mistclowd is now running straight at Zoe, swinging his spikeball on a string like a madman.

Vorth's eye narrow's slightly "I find it annoying to talk to the enemy when you're trying to kill them" not lacking in strength himself he equals the shove, keeping the blades locked before he sends a sharp kick out at the hare.

Dandelion rifles through the large and growing selection of weapons on the ground. Finally he finds a sword about his size, and gets up again, only to find there are now two targets. Consequentially he remains in place, gripping the sword with both hands and turning his head this way and that.

Darklett's ears perk at the sound of the Colonel's pain... His eyes widen, and he shoulders his current opponent away fiercely, sending him sprawling, and turns towards Akakios, who he has at his side... Rushing towards the large wildcat, he raises his sword and lowers it rapidly, cleaving through the air, and towards Akakios's swordpaw, operating almost completely on adrenalin right now as he hurries to keep Akakios from furthering attacks on the Colonel.

Akakios stumbles as Zoe manages to block his sword, the big cat dropping his own sword and evading Dark. He falls beside Zoe, grabbing a random hare and killing him, using the body for leverage. Back on his feet, he realizes that he's as good as dead. Hissing, the wildcat throws himself at Dark, armed with fangs and claws.

Jarril fires off a slingshot as his group suddenly come up from behind the vermin rear at the bottom of the dune, hitting a stoat at the back of the leg, the major brings out his blade and as the stoat lands at the bottom, puts the point into the stoats stomach and twists it. He calls out. "Eulaliaaa!" as other fighter hares that used bows are now blade drawn and heading up the dune itself, practically about to seal off any escape route.

Marsuvees doesn't realize the kick is coming, so he's winded quite nicely. Snarling, he bites into his lip with a fang, drawing blood. Swiftly, he sucks into his mouth and leans forward very close to Vorth....and spits the blood at his eyes. Then, without delay, he tries to head-butt Vorth, growling now. "May Death and Destruction reign upon yer head. Aye. Right well too."

Mistclowd is running blindly, (OOC: He is at a point where Zoe, Dark, or Akakios should pose being hit or dodging his spiked rock on a string) swinging his spiked rock on a string still.

Darklett's body is hunched over from the explosive swing that... unfortunately, missed. So, when Akakios leaps towards him, it's his fastest reaction possible to swing backhanded, trying to catch Akakios in the side before he's tackled, but the tackle is one thing he can't avoid, the claws digging into his fur and drawing blood in small spots on his chest.

Daclon pauses again to glance back, amazed at how quickly the battle occurred. Then he and those who escaped start moving upshore, away from the combat, hurrying to get out of bow range. About fifteen fighters and three families have made it out of the hare's lines, with now and then another escaping and rushing to join them.

Akakios howls angrily as Dark's sword bruises the skin beneath his mail, biting at the hare's neck and scratching at his face, unable to do much else.

Zoe_Lang's thigh is bleeding quite steadily, but she manages to make her way back up to her knees. Just in time to see the rat, Mistclowd, swinging his weapon. She raises her sword to block the attack, and the roped weapon wraps around the blade. She gives a mighty tug, trying to yank the weapon's handle from his grip. She grunts with the effort of it.

With the wildcat taken care of - sorta - that leaves the rat for Dandelion. Holding his sword two-handed he takes a broad stance, and swings horizontally, using more force than precision.

Mistclowd growls, gets out one of his glass jars of poison, and throws it at Zoe.

From the wafts of smoke billowing now into the night sky with a dull orange glow of the camp on fire from behind, Jarril and the other hares that aren't around the dunes arrive at the top of the dune itself taking into battle with the rear of the vermin.

Vorth closes his eyes at the blood coming at them, he'd generally use his ears more anyway but in this noise difficult to, one sword blindly swinging in the hare's direction while the other paw wipes the blood from his one seeing eye, so if that headbutt keeps coming hare will meet sword and hey, more he keeps this hare busy the more there are of the vermin getting through to fight the rest.

Pinned beneath the weight of the wildcat, Darklett writhes underneath the larger beast, taking a slash across his face before he drops the sword in the sand, gripping it differently so, with a sharp bend of his elbow, he should hopefully send the swordtip right into the ribs of the vicious feline, the major's face bleeding, and his shoulder as well with punctures from the fangs of Akakios.

Akakios hisses in pain as the sword pierces his body, making a last fierce lunge at Dark's neck, which will either kill him or slash his chest badly, as the wildcat uses both his fangs and claws.

Marsuvees abruptly collides with the blade. He sees stars for just a moment, and drops to the ground. But instead of doing it without reason, he lands on his back and abruptly shoots his large footpaws powerfully at Vorth's stomach. "All right, this be just a waste a time, mate. Too even."

Darklett pushes the sword as far in as he can, trying frantically to get the wildcat off of him, calling out for help from anybeast around. He tosses his neck to the side, but to no avail, the wildcat's claws digging into his body and raking through the padding in his uniform, drawing long streaks of blood as the hare cries out in pain. "D-DIE!" He screams, twisting the handle of the sword.

Several pairs of dark shadows, one a hare, another of a vermin species clash together on top of the dune with blades as Jarril and his lot fight the last remaining vermin as small wisps of fire sparks drift up into the air which is full of the smell of smoke and blood....

Newel is among the cadre of hares that join the fight. He comes running in, shield on his back and short sword sheathed. As he quickly surveys the fray he spots a familiar wildcat and a familiar Major. Bolting in their direction his dagger comes out. "Majahh!" he shouts, running in Darklett's direction, quickly stabbing down with his dagger at Akakios with enough force to pierce through mail. "Gerrof 'im!!" He shouts.

Zoe_Lang's eyebrows go up at the success of her tug, but her attention is quickly drawn back to the attack at hand as the jar comes at her. She has moment enough to mutter something the lines of, "Jars? They're throwin' /jars/, now?" before she ducks and rolls, shouting out as the roll rips the already rent flesh at her thigh. The jar shatters beyond her.

Vorth gets caught in the stomach just as he gets his eyes cleared, stumbling back, a faint growl escapes before he's gone off in amongst the other vermin, he'll go pick off some of the easy little hares about the place.

Mistclowd ducks Dandelion, draws out his blowpipe, and shoots at Dandelion.

Akakios coughs a spray of blood across Dark's face, his claws digging deeper into the hare's body. Then, almost as though obeying the hare, the cat spasms once, coughing blood again, trying to dig his claws in deeper. Then, he's dead, blood practically streaming from his mouth onto Dark's body.

Losing his balance from his wild miss, Dandelion falls over and nearly drops his sword in the process, rolling down the dune a bit before he manages to stop, coughing and spitting sand.

Jarril gets a slight cut on his arm holding the blade which he drops. Reacting instinctively, the hare just gives a punch on the stoats chin squarely and sends him falling back down the dune before blinking. Shrugging somewhat he bends down to get his blade sticking in the sand.

Darklett winces, his struggles getting weak, his already injured form taking a whole slew of new injuries in this battle, the claws digging into his fur sure to pierce something vital had he not had that nice extra padding that comes with the uniform of a major. Hey, there -are- perks, after all. "Rrgh... G... get..." He kicks his legs futilely to try and get the wildcat off, struggles waning off as he simply wears out.

Marsuvees whips some blood from his eyes. It's his blood. Growling, he viciously runs through the back of two vermin, flings them onto a few others. With wild abandon, he cuts through another vermin. Several cuts appear almost by magic on his arms, chest and legs as his movements blur and flicker among quite a few of enraged vermin. He's going all out, yowling in an bizarre language. "Sentious!" He almost stumbles over Ak's body. Glancing down, he notices Dark. "Oy, here. Grab m' paw, my son."

With a snarl, Newel pulls his dagger out of Akakios and kicks the wildcat's body off Darklett. A grim look of shock then crosses his face at the sight of the body as well as Darklett's injuries. He starts breathing a bit rapidly, then managing to say, "..Are y' arright Majah, sah?"

Mistclowd gets his spike on a string free, and runs through the ranks, swinging it, breaking through, and runs wildly, screeching.

Darklett stares blankly at Newel. Is... he alright... Ha. "Nn... No..." He coughs, glad to have the weight off him, but... Well, he's not going anywhere. Of his own accord, anyway. "Nnngh..." He rolls his head to the side, grimacing in pain, teeth clenched tightly together as he tries to weather the pain.

Dandelion gets to his feet, lifting his sword and looking around. Not finding anyone nearby that looks hostile, he plops down to sit on the sand, dropping the sword next to him.

Jarril comes skidding down the dune with one footpaw ahead of the other as he lands in the thick of the last remaining vermin, one the major quickly deals with as he hops onto a dead body before kicking another flatly in the stomach hard. Two other hares next to him, deal with the two vermin but find that there isn't any about now to deal with. Still standing on the dead rat, Jarril looks about.

Newel looks around quickly to make sure nobeast is trying to sneak up on them before stooping to help Marsuvees help the Major up. He cries out in frustration, "F' blood'n'vinegar, where's a 'ealer!?"

Marsuvees glances at Newel, then at Dark, then shrugs. He moves off and cuts through another ferret. His clothes are totally drenched in blood now, and a great deal of it can be accounted to him. Ramming a blade up through the bottom of a weasel's mouth. The blade pokes out almost exactly in the center of the top of his head. He pauses, the vermin skewered. Glancing around, he finds himself bereft of beasts. Struggling, he finds he's unable to easily yank the blade from it's new sheathe. "Ah fer the love a the Meadows." He glances around, dragging the body with him towards Dark and Newel. "Er, need 'elp there, my son?"

Jarril blinks and actually got through a battle without so much as a mark on him. Blinking he looks down to his arm that is bleeding slightly but the cut is very shallow. Grinning the hare wipes his blade on the back of the rat's clothing and then sheaths his blade back into place. Looking about he barks out orders. "Alright, healah's deal with the injured, any that don't require assistance, sort out the defence perimenter. We be heading off as soon as we can!"

The vermin nearest either dispatched or running, Zoe allows herself to fall back... onto a dead rat. With a surprised and disgusted curse, she sits back up and scrambles, pushing herself away with her lame leg, which is actually not the one that's injured. Sigh. Oldness. When she's a comfortable distance away, she presses a paw against the bleeding wound. She rips the already torn cloth of her pant leg, tearing off a wide, long strip. Wrapping it tightly around her leg and tying it off, her ears perk at the call for a healer. She blinks, squints to see clearly, and uses her sword to help herself stand. Her limp is heavy, but she drags herself in their direction. "'Ere!" she replies.

Dandelion is just sitting there for the time being, back against the burning camp and looking out at the sea, surprisingly calm and apparently oblivious of the orders being shouted.

Darklett's left footpaw clenches and unclenches with the pain, the major struggles to sit up, with Newel's help. Bleeding from face, shoulder, neck, and chest, the major doesn't look very willing to get up and start walking. In fact, he starts to lay back down again.

Marsuvees finally wrenches the corpse off his blade, then glances at Dark. Arching an eyebrow, he waggles a paw as he wipes a blade clean. "Oy, don't let him lay down. Keep 'im up. All the blood'll be pumped out through any wounds above 'is heart." He flicks a blade into it's sheathe, the grabs the discarded corpse. Flinging the weasel's body over his shoulders, he hms and heads towards Zoe. "Colonel. Success, I s'pose." He nods at her leg. "Need a shoulder?"

Newel quickly looks in the colonel's direction, giving her a hasty salute. "Ovah 'ere, Colonel!" he exclaims as he helps Darklett sit up. He looks frantic as the major starts laying down and does what Marsuvees says in keeping him up. The near-panic he's experiencing overrides any thought for the colonel's injuries as he blurts out, "'Urry!"

Jarril continues to move hares in the right direction as several small fires are made for help with any drastic measures of burning any wounds closed or to heat up any potions as several hares make defence around the area. Pulling a few hares he points back to where some of the hares have stockpiled a bit of the stuff from the camp. "There should be some stuff there that could be used for stretches if we make them." Seeing them nod, the major carries on walking around the bodies lying on the ground carefully.

Zoe_Lang eyes Mars as he nears, nodding without a word to the offer. She gets an arm around the buck and limps at a quick pace toward the injured major. She sees Dande staring off, and barks out, "Recruit! Get me a healah's bag, on the double!"

Despite Newel's efforts, the major seems to just want to lay down... But, Dark gives up his resistance, and stays upright, though his eyes look down between his footpaws at the sand, entire body seemingly clenched as he fights off the pain. "...ngh..." His head rapidly shakes as if he's trying to clear his head, and for the most part, he fails to acknowledge anybeast around him.

Dandelion turns around, surprised. "Huh?" he says, a little sluggishly, as if he's just woken up, but then he starts to quickly pat his pockets down as if expecting to find the requested item there. Producing the first item that fits the description - his own first-aid gear - he scrambles over to Zoe and presents it to her.

Marsuvees struggles under the combined weight of vermin and Zoe, so he drops the body and moves with her. "Bah, I'll be back fer that later." He hisses slightly as Zoe's arm bumps the jagged scratch on his back, but clears his throat. "Ach," is his only complaint so far.

Newel had almost forgot how he carries a few things for basic healing with him too. He quickly digs in his person and pulls out a gauze and presses it firmly on whatever of Darklett's wounds he judges to be bleeding the most. "Stay wi' us, sah. Don 'go," he says to the major, trying to talk to him. The recruit himself is trembling some.

Somewhere in the camp, a few small explosions happens after what may have been a small bottle of wine caught fire or other spirits about the place.

"Sorry," is all she says at Mars' hiss. When they're close enough, she lets him go. After all, she'll need both paws for this. "Get 'im down on 'is knees, on 'is knees!" She grabs the pack Dandelion offers her, dropping onto one knee, herself. Grimacing, she digs in the pack, pulling out thick rolls of bandage and a bottle of clear liquid.

Newel flinches at the distant sounds, and then quickly does Zoe bids. "Yes, c'nel," stutters the recruit, moving to help the major into the position the colonel desired.

Marsuvees glances at Dark, then grins blood-stained teeth at him. "Ye'll be fine. Ach. Nice fightin', marm," he hums, tipping his hat at Zoe. Turning towards the dropped corpse, he yanks it a bit, then leans down close to the snout. No breathing. Humming lightly, he takes out a small dagger and begins slitting the beast open at the leg. Working swiftly, he detaches muscle from bone, skin from muscle, and fur from skin. Then, grabbing the femur, he rubs it in sand, cleaning it. Glancing at the other hares, he turns a bit away. This isn't exactly orthodox, but it's his way.

Dandelion just stands around, staring down with wide eyes at the wounded major with wide eyes. Of course he's seen wounded before, in the infirmary, but this is different...

Jarril carries on doing what he can while the others are tending to the other hares, arranging the patrol hares that can still do something in actually doing things that will make things easier and quicker to get back to the mountain. Already several hares are already making several stretches from the long poles of weapons and a few torn strips of tent material.

Darklett doesn't resist, but he doesn't help out, either... Eventually, he is on his knees, falling down to sit on his ankles, slumping forward. He looks up in a brief fit of presence of mind, and sees Newel, the Colonel, and Dandelion a bit farther away... Before his head dips down again, deep breaths pumping through his lungs as the pain starts to become unbearable.

Marsuvees carefully takes some of the muscle and stows it in a small pouch that had been discarded by a vermin. Still grasping the femur, he strides up to the others. Glancing at Jarril, he frowns slightly. "Oy, everyone's all fallin' over the place. Need a paw there?" He shifts the bag as a little more blood drips on his outfit. "The healer's a bi' busy."

Newel continues to try to talk to the major. "Y'gonna be arright sah, jus' 'ang in there. Jus' 'old on."

Without wasting any time for his wounds, the Colonel lifts Darklett's head by the chin and sets the opened bottled to his lips. She tips it, draining a healthy amount of the liquid down his throat. It's then that she sees Marsuvees at his work over Darklett's shoulder. Rather than looking horrified, she looks... what's the word? Oh, right. Familiar. She touches a paw self-consciously to her forearm before Darklett is remembered. Oh! She blinks, going quickly to work. For the most part it seems to be a pattern of soak the wound with the liquid, wrap the wound up, and move on.

Jarril blinks and turns his head towards Marsuvee's as he looks at the hare for a moment with his only eye. "Well, we're making stretches and some are making sure that no other vermin come back." The major isn't that good at healing so is leaving that to the healers. "We can't do anything until word comes that we can move out, so preparing for that at the moment. I was about to do another round again...." He stops and looks about. "And do a head count."

Darklett tilts his head back, letting the liquid drain down his throat, swallowing it at least, showing consciousness. He's obviously fighting a hard battle with consciousness, his eyes drifting open briefly to glance at the Colonel again as she treats him, his eyes slowly scanning to the side and staring off, before slumping again, his legs tensed up tight as he clenches every unhurt part of his body to try and lessen the pain of the injuries as they're cleaned and treated... And then, he stops, the major going more limp than before.

Marsuvees frowns again, then shrugs. "I meant if ya yerself needed help. Ya look like yer in pain." Rubbing the now drier bone, he pushes it into the satchel. "But if'n ya want other help, I suppose...." He blinks at him. "Er, wot's yer rank anyway?" Definitely a new recruit.

Jarril blinks and looks at his arm before shaking his head. "It's nothing that can't wait." He looks at Marsuvees before replying. "Major Jarril Black Fleetpaw, runnah."

Marsuvees bows slightly instead of saluting. "Ah, Major. Well, if ya think you can manage yer pain, then that's right strong of ya." He glances at the others and licks a fang of blood. "Hm, if yer sure, I'll help wi' the stretchers then. I ain't no good at healin'."

Jarril looks about the place and nods. "Okay, follow me." The hare motions as he steps over a dead body heading to where a small group of runner hares are busy making makeshift stretchers before heading off in the direction to any healer that is calling for one.

With a muttered curse, Zoe goes the route of unorthodox. She sets down her healing supplies, lifts his head once more by the chin, and slaps him twice on the cheek. Hard, but not head-rockingly so. "C'mon, Darklett... wake up," she mutters through gritted teeth.

Marsuvees glances after the Major, wipes his lip, then turns towards the other hares. Then, he is engulfed in work.

Darklett's just moves slightly to the side as he's slapped, but the major doesn't really respond, just staying slumped in Newel's grasp, ears folding down towards the ground, dangling... No obvious signs of movement, even in the abdomen and chest areas, come from the major.

"Darklett!" She pats his cheek a couple of more times, but when he doesn't respond she directs Newel to lay him down, which he does. She then crawls around to his head, bending an ear to his chest, resting it against. Does she hear anything? His shoulder is given a strong shake.

As she lowers her ear to his chest... Well, she may -not- hear anything. Especially with the sound of the fire on the other side of the dunes, other beasts speaking around her, the clamber of stretchers being assembled, and all the background noise around... Well, it might -really- be difficult to hear the faint heartbeat and breaths of the major. They're there, but... there's a chance she'd miss them.

Sitting up from listening at Darklett's chest, Zoe looks... stunned. Hit-in-the-stomach, air-knocked-out-of-you... stunned. Her eyes widen slowly - anyone looking at her closely enough would see her pupils dilating. One ear twitches, sharply. "He's... dead."

Newel mouth drops open in shock at the colonel's words. "Majah...Majah??" says Newel, desperately shaking Darklett as if trying to wake him up.

Jarril has no clue what is going on in that part of the camp as he's got the first lot of wounded ready to escort back to the mountain, leaving other alive majors to sort out their own party. Making sure that the wounded are okay within the stretchers as well as those that can walk with help, he begins to set off.

Darklett is still unresponsive. That's all that can be said about the major, as his limp form lies on the sand.

With what can only be described as a surprised grunt, the Colonel's head lowers and she presses index finger and thumb against closed eyelids, rubbing as her brow knits impossibly tight. With a short sucking in of breath, she turns her head to the side. "... Damn ya, lad. /Damn/ ya..."

Newel continues shaking Darklett's still form, hot tears welling quickly. "C'mon sah, don' do this," he pleads, voice choking.

Major Darklett Fletchpaw's slain form lie on the sand, surrounded by those of the other dead and injured... The dark-furred buck lay in his final rest on the battlefield-- the way he had always dreamed of dying. In the glory of battle. He had finally been slain, but it was a sacrifice that he would say was worth it... His actions very well may have saved Colonel Zoe's life, and ended one of a vermin who may have gone on to kill countless more innocent beasts... Yes, this is the way he wanted to go, and as the red blood slowly spread across his bandages, the major almost looked pea- oh wait a second here. Red blood spreading across his bandages? Well hold up. If that's happening, that means there's some sort of pressure pushing the blood out, and that means there's a heart beating somewhere in there. And dead hares don't have beating hearts. A paw flicks a single finger, and an ear twitches.

Newel gives a soft gasp as he spies how the major still bleeds. Trying to regain composure as quick as he can, he wipes the tears out of his eyes, and pipes up. "C'nel! C'nel, look!!" he about shouts, pointing with renewed hope at the bandages where the bleeding can be seen.

Zoe_Lang doesn't notice the twitching ear herself. She's too busy trying /not/ to break down in front of the other hares. Just before Newel's shout, she's shaking her head. "Don't, lad... leave 'im b-" ... Uwah? She blinks, looking back around. It is then that she notices the thing that she should have noticed before - the blood. She blinks, hard. How did she miss that? "How the /hell/ did I..." She trails off, shaking her head. She looks up and around. "Stretchah! On the double!"

Newel wastes no time, and takes off to help bring said stretcher to the scene.

Newel returns quickly with a couple of other hares bearing a makeshift stretcher. Without waiting for the order, he helps in the process of moving the major with care onto the stretcher. "Jus' 'ang in there, sah." He repeats it emphatically. "Jus' /'ang in there./"

First watching Newel as he goes off to help, Zoe then glances down at her leg. She grunts at the amount of blood and the lack of nice white bandaging, pressing a paw delicately to her forehead. Mm, lightheaded. With a small shake of her head, she lowers her head to Darklett's ear, whilst patting him on the shoulder, or wherever he's least hurt. "... Yer gonna be a'right, lad. Yer gonna be a'right..." It's just then that the stretcher and Newel return. She sits back and stands unsteadily, getting out of their way.

As the other pair of hares have Darklett pretty much taken care of for now, it's not until this moment that Newel finally asks the colonel, upon seeing her own wound(s), "Are y' gonna be arright, c'nel?"

A recruit comes by just then, with an armful of gathered pole weapons. The Colonel grabs them by the shoulder, snagging a spear before leaving them head on. She turns it blunt end to the ground, leaning on it heavily. She gives Newel a weary nod. "Aye. I'll be fine." She's starting to not /look/ it, but she starts limping after Darklett's stretcher all the same.

Newel just nods in reply, passing several glances at the major on the stretcher as he starts his way back with the colonel and the others.