A Crazy Day

(This takes place before 'Farwell ...')

Characters: Aikuen, Fira, Will, Amethyst

Location: Mossflower Woods, Moledeep

Mossflower Woods

Fira has searched the river for a long way, she's searched the wood as much as she dares with the fox maybe about there. Nothing, she's found nothing. It's infuriating and depressing and the night just makes it worse. She's not entirely sure how far she's gone but she's started off home again, following the river back with just the light of the full moon to keep her from tripping over half the wood in the process.

Rene, leader of small and almost laughable tribe of River-Rats, is currently leading his way along the river, in the same direction as the otter. He rolls his eyes as the two other rats that are with him, argue about some rotted vegetation they found just of where they were, "Dats Mine! I Founds it!" "No you is not! I did... Finders keepers!" "You lie! I is found it, in da river... tis mine!" and the begins to scuffle, for the meager remains of the plant. Rene, who is also twice there size, turns on them, and boxes them about the ears, "Will you ninnys shuts up! Wake the bloomin' dead, wit you squabiling..." He grumbles, as he wonder why he even keeps them around. Oh, there loyal...stupid, but loyal. He grunts and heads off again when he stops again and smiles, "We is nots alone!" He laughs evilly, and follows the single otter tracks. The other two blink at each other, and both drop the plant, both thinking the same thing... Fresh Meat!

Poor, poor Fira and of course she's got no idea the trouble she's in because she can't hear them behind her. She does of course have the sense to do a quick glance round every so often which includes looking behind her but she hasn't looked yet and her mind's on other things. Still, she's hurrying a little, given how much she relies on sight she never did like the dark much.

Rene, can see the form of the otter in the moonlight, and laughs quietly, not knowing that the otter is deaf. He stops, and hides behind a bush, and motions for the other two, to get behind him. Rene says softly, while pointing, "You... Circle on the side of the forest...You, cross the river and stop him from going any more... ill take the middle... Now no blunders... or im gonna eat your ears for dinner, instead of that otter..." He licks his lips as he draws his cutlass, and gives a shove to the other two, who are not inclined to get separated.

Fira stumbles on a tree root and mouths a silent curse, giving the thing a little kick before she goes on at a slower pace, paying more attention to her feet for a few minutes.

The Other rat who was supposed to stop him from going farther, bursts from a bush, dripping wet. He points a rusty cutlass at the otter, and stammers out "S-Surrender now... and it'll be q-quick... Wha?" He takes a quick glance at him, and discovers that it is in fact a her. He lowers his cutlass, and holds his side as he has uncontrollable laughter. The other two rats not getting it, stop and look around to see what's so funny with an otter.

Fira blinks, quickly looking up again as she spots the movement and there's a rather wet rat in front of her...laughing. Less of a worry and the sword's lowered. All the same she holds her spear ready and starts to slowly back up, hoping he'll keep laughing and she can just get away and go round him. She hasn't spotted the other two yet.

Rene holds out his cutlass, point first, in front of him, to block the otter from backing up. He tilts his head head at the dress, and laughs, "Well... Well... What have we got here... A little maid... All by her lonesome!" He tosses back his head and laughs, "What luck! I thought we would have to fight you... This is gonna be easy... Oi! get out here and block her escape!" He yells to the other two. The one in the bushes comes out with a goofy smile, and sword pointing at her, and the one in front also comes closer. Rene smiles evilly and says, "So... are you wondering...What are we gonna do too you yet?..." He grins.

Fira sees the one coming out of the bushes before she sees Rene, finally looking behind herself. Almost surrounded if not for the river and the definitely don't look friendly. She doesn't like the look of that grin, time to go perhaps. She moves rather suddenly, not to fight but to run the few steps to the river and dive into it. Needs to be deeper really as she hits the bottom rather hard making a slight dazed delay before she turns to go with the flow of the water.

Rene growls a bit, as she runs, "After her! Follow her on the banks!" He quickly follows the otter on the right bank. One follows Rene, while the other, the smarter one, crosses the river to follow her on the left. They are running as fast as they can to keep up, and toss rocks at her, to force her come up. Rene growls, as drools all over himself, "Get her now!" Both of the rats dive in, and start cutting up where the last known place of the otter was seen. Rene continues on up ahead to block the way of any escape, if she does...

Fira can go quite fast with the current to help her but the rocks don't help so much, one coming far too close to her head so she swerves away, slowing down to try and dodge the rest and so actually getting hit by a couple, one on the arm that's protecting her head and one on the back. The rats are in the river, she panics and turns again, swimming against the current for a minute before she breaks off into some reeds by the edge of the river, give her a spot to hide while she gets a quick breath of air.

The two rats that were cutting the water, recede slicing as they realize that they are not hitting anything. They stop completely and looks around, for her, before turning to their leader to guidance. Rene, is fuming, "You Idiots! You let her get away!" He walks toward them splashing in the water, grumbling and mumbling curses. He gets to one and smacks one across the face with the flat of his blade. The rat gets SMAKED! and falls into the river, stumbling to get back up. The other one points and laughs, but soon screams as Rene almost pulls his ears off, and tosses him in the drink, "You dunder heads... Do i have to everything... HUH!..." He goes about walking up river, searching through the muck and stuff, to see if they knocked her out or something, he grumbles and looks back to the others, "Well are yah gonna stand there with a stupid look on your faces... or yah gonna help... Geeze..." The two nod quickly, and begin to poke the mud with their blades.

Fira can't see them too well through the reeds but it's good enough to catch her breath back. She needs to think, needs to get away, needs to stop panicking. She never was a fighting beasts. She moves a little bit, enough to see they're getting close and she quickly hides back in the reeds again. Ok...she can still get out of this. She carefully looks back out of her hiding place again, letting them get closer until finally one gets too close and she aims a heavy jab at the beast's leg with her spear before turning and speeding back out of the reeds, into the water again to continue her attempt back upstream.

The rat, who got hit, yelps as the spear pierces his leg. He drops his sword, as he goes to stop the flow of bleeding with his paws. Rene comes up behind him and asks, "What now!" The other rat points to his leg, and yelps again. Rene grunts and pushes him into the river, "Useless... completely useless... You! not your dern leg...Stay here... Will be back later, after we had our fill of otter..." He smiles evilly again, and looks to the other rat who is speeding up the river. Rene blinks a few times and says, "Oi... Where you off...t-..." He sees the motion of the otter in the river, and speeds up after the other. The rat with the bleeding leg, drags himself from the water breathing heavily, and goes to lean against a tree. He licks his wound, and slowly loses feeling in his body, and drops to the dirt ground. The other two continue on after her, in a mad dash.

Fira isn't nearly as fast when she's fighting the current and she keeps looking back to see how close they've gotten, nearly swimming into a few things in her panicky state. She really wishes the others were there.

Aikuen has been searching the woods, for quite awhile now, looking for Fira. But he will never give up on his search, until he finds her... But maybe she already arrived back at the tunnel... and he is just worrying too much. He nods to himself as he believes that is the case, and begins to head back, when he hears the sound of the river splashing. 'Fish don't normally do that', He hmms as he goes toward the sound. He appears on the side of the bank, and can see the rats running up the river. Still not seeing Fira, he just think that these are idiots taking a swim, "Hello! Nice night to be splashing in the river..." He chuckles to himself, and he notices the swords, and things start to click, "Hope your not hurting anybeast..." He draws his own sword. The other rat, see the otter on the side of the bank, and he thinks that its the one that got away. He charges the otter. Aik tilts his head at the beast, and easily sidesteps the attack, hitting the rat hard, with his hilt, on the back of the head. Rene see wh

Fira carries on swimming and doesn't see him at first but the next time she glances back she can see the rats aren't following and she has to know why incase it's a trip. She quickly pokes her head above the water again...Aikuen? "Aik!" she quickly turns again, charging back towards him and the rats.

Aikuen looks back when his name is called, knowing that voice "Fira? FIRA!... Uff..." He he clogged in the neck by Rene, who used that moment of distraction to get in a good hit to the otter. Aik falls into the river, temporarily dazed by the hit, but he recovers quickly, or just in time, as a laughing rat pounces on him. He grapples with Rene as he tries to reach for the rats neck, to make a nice quick kill, because there is no use for blades in such close quarters. He grunts and strains, and water splashes everywhere, as the realization of what must have taken place, begins to sink in, he growls out, "If you hurt my Fira... I will... RIP OUT YOUR HEART... AND YOU CAN WATCH IS STOP BEATING FOR THE LAST TIME!" He laughs evilly as he gets one of his paws on the rats neck, while using the other to fend off his attacks. The other rat slowly awakens from the first hit, rubbing the back of his neck. Unaware of any others about, still thinks that Aik, is the first otter.

Fira chokes down a little water when she sees Aikuen get hit because of her, speeding even faster towards him until she sees him get back up again. She slows, she doesn't want to make the same mistake again but then there's the other rat and she doesn't know if Aikuen's seen it yet. She charges again, going to basically jump from the water when she's close enough and dive at the rat, spear out in front of her.

Rene is trying his very hardest, just not to be killed right now. "Stupid otte-..." He managed to squeak out before Aik closes off his wind pipe. He tries to block off the other paw, and attack him back. But the lack of air changes his mode. Rene uses both of his own to try to take the otters paw off his neck. Aik laughs at the struggle and is now free to put the rat in an arm hold. He then places his other paw on top of the rats head to make a clean snap. Rene knows what going to happened, and places his paws on the otters to prevent the breaking of his neck. The other rat, is now watching them brawl. He tilts his head as he hears some splashing of water behind him, and looks to it. He yelps for the last time as the spear completely goes through his chest and out the back. He looks up at Fira, then to Aik... They last connection he will ever make, as he slumps to the ground. Rene is now very scared and begins to whimper, at the lack of air, and the otters will to kill him.

Fira will one day have to justify killing the beast when he wasn't fighting but at the moment she's sure he would have gone for Aikuen and she can't let that happen. She pulls her spear back and looks around, make sure the third one hasn't come back.

Aikuen is trying to break the rats neck, but too no success. Rene is using the last of his strength to not let that happened, and has turned purple from the lack air. He tries up to the point, where he cant anymore, and goes limp in the arm hold. Aik was just about to make this quick since the rat is now out and is easy pickens. But a glance to Fira, twists something his stomach, and he lets go...letting the rat drop into the water. He growls a little bit and drags the rat out so he doesn't drown, "Damn river-rats..." He punches the rat hard in the face, with all his strength, and it smashes the rats face in. Aikuen gets up and looks over to Fira, and the dead rat. He blinks a few times, then rushes over and gives her a hug, "Oh Fira... Your alright... You are are, arent you?" He looks over her body just to make sure. He right paw is extremely bloody, from the punch.

Fira has little blood on her but it's from the rat. Ironic that she's the only one to kill one of the rats today, evil evil irony. She clutches onto him, hugging him one armed since she couldn't let go of her spear even if she wanted to right now, paw's kind of locked in place there "I'm fine, not a scratch" scared out of her mind for a while there but outwardly she's just got a few bruises from the rocks and a small lump on the head from when she hit the bottom of the river.

Aikuen holds her close and kisses her, then coming out he says "Oh thank the world your alright... Come on lets go... Lets get out of here... there may be more..." he takes a quick glance around, and grabs Firas paw with the bloody one. He does notice the few bruises and such, but not much to do about them. Need to get out of here... to a safer place, before we take a look at them.

Fira doesn't let go of him, he brings safety. She kisses him back quickly too and gets moving again, happy to be leaving. Let her get over the shock and calm down and she'll be better about it all.

Aikuen Holds onto her as he walks really quickly through the under grove back to Moledeep. Where it is much safer then here. The pair is soon lost to view into the woods. The rat that was left, slowly limps back to where the fight took place. He goes over to Rene and places a paw on his neck, he shakes his head and goes over to the corpse of the other rat. Both dead... He sits down and rubs his leg saying, "Stupid otter... I is not hungry for otters no more..." he grumpily sits there, not knowing what to do. He eventually gets up and walks back down stream, and is lost in that direction.

Moledeep: The Foremole's Study

Will is laying across a chair in the old study. He's shirtless due to the Summer heat which he isn't acustomed to due to this being his first Summer in Mossflower.

Amethyst is sitting on the floor playing her lute and singing once again. She plucks the the lute strings with a duck quill and sings 'My Rose of Old Redwall'.

Will turns around in his chair to watch her play, fanning himself with a sheet of paper.

Amethyst cocks her head at Will hearing the paper moving back and forth through the air, "What are you doing?"

Will says, "Trying not to melt."

Amethyst grins, "You don't like Summer much do you?"

Will shakes his head, "Nope. Not really."

Amethyst sings, "I planted her gently last summer, all in quiet evening shade, within an orchard bower, her little bed I made. Alone I sat by my window, as Autumn leaves did fall, ..."

Will snorts, "I wish."

Amy continues, ignoring Will's comment, "... they formed a russet cover for My Rose of Old Redwall. Through Winter's dreary days she slept beneath the cold dark ground, when all the earth was silent, ..."

Will smiles, "That would be nice about now ..."

Amethyst chuckles, "You only want it to be Winter so it won't be Summer. If it were Winter you'd be wishing for it Summer instead."

Will grins, "No I wouldn't. I /like/ the Winter."

Amethyst shakes her head with a smile. "You're crazy," she says starting up the song again, "white snows lay deep around."

Will just smiles and joins in the song, "white snows lay deep around."

Amethyst smiles and sings on, "Bright stars came out above her, as to the moon I'd call, take-"

Will finishes the line for her, "take pity on my dearest one, /My Rose/ of Old Redwall."

Amethyst blushes a little feeling his eye on her and grins starting the next line, "How the grass grew green and misty, soft fell the rain that Spring, her dainty budded head arose, ..."

Will sings, "and made my poor heart sing. Then Summer ..."

Amethyst smirks, "... brought her just one bloom, so white, ..."

Will smirks back at her though he knows she can't see it, "... so sweet and tall, ..."

Amethyst blushes more, "Now you're making fun of me aren't you?" She continues the song, "... with ne'er a thorn to sully her, ..."

Will's smile widens, "Me? Never." He joins to on the last part.

Amethyst just waves her stick at his mock scoldingly as the song ends, "... My rose of Old Redwall." She sets her staff down, "Dare I ask if you have any request?" she asks teasingly.

Will plops down on the floor near her and lays down with his head leaning against her knee, "How about that one about th sky or what that you like? I like it when you sing that one."

Amethyst swats him lightly on the arm before starting to play again,"I sit alone and wish that I, Could be a bird up in the sky, I'd join the breezes that do blow, Whichever way they chanced to go, For over the waves, across the sea, I'd drift along quite happily, Or maybe out on field and fen, I'd circle round some forest glen, I envy bee and butterfly, Maybe the birds could tell me why I wipe a teardrop from my eye, I sit alone, for I can't fly."

Will yawns and lays his head in the maid's lap, "I'm tired."

Amethyst tugs Will's whiskers gently. "Really? I /never/ would have know that if you hadn't told me," she says sarcastically. She smiles running a paw over his face, "You'd better hope Aik doesn't come in here anytime soon. He told us to behave and I'm not so sure you are," she teases not minding in the least that he's using her as a pillow. A little tired herself she lays her lute aside and lays down resting her head on his side, as his moves his head to rest on hers.

Will settles down against her, "He'd either tease us or at worst talk to us an try t shame us into acting however he'd wanted us to. Sides we're not doing anything bad, we're just sleeping. What's wrong with /that/. Everyone sleeps ... Racky sleeps a lot of th time an no beast says much about it. If it's cause you're a girl, why hasn't he said something all th other times we've been sleeping?"

Amethyst pulls on Will's tail, "Don't talk."

Will squeaks, "Hey, wha-" he scowls at her briefly before curling his tail around himself and away from her. Once his tail is safe he snuggles against her and begins to doze peacefully.

Amethyst's ears fold back a little at the squeak and she smiles a bit hearing his breathing slow as he falls asleep. She is soon sleeping as well dreaming about what Spring could bring for them and all the things they may be between now and then. She smiles in her sleep thinking these happy thoughts as Will twitches a bit in his sleep causing her to poke him til he stops.

Aikuen and Fira both walk into Moledeep, after walking quickly through the forest, and it is now light out. A surprise to himself he didn't get lost at all. The both enter the study, trying to look for Will, to tell him what happened to them. When Aik sees them,on the ground, he cant help but chuckle, "Aww... arent they cute!" He gives Fira's paw a squeeze.

Amethyst stirs a little opening her eyes and sitting up. Her ears moving toward the familiar voice as she says sleepily, "Hi, Aik. You made it back, good for you."

Fira has calmed down a great deal and is feeling better again, they're safe and perfectly fine. She follows along side Aikuen and glances past him into the door, smirking faintly at the sight "Something like that."

When Amy sits up Will's head which had been resting against her back hits the floor. "Ow," he rolls over onto his back before looking around. He sees the otters, "... uh ... hi." He figures Aikuen will start on the teasing again now and Fira may have some questions. He sits up rubbing his face, "... they had t come back sometime ..." he murmurers to himself.

Aikuen snorts at Fira, "What, don't like them! They make a nice couple!" He laughs as he leads her to one of the chairs. He sits down and motions for her to sit next to him, on the rest. He places his paws in front of him, and the right one is still quite bloody, "Before i start laughing at you again... Will, dont leave Moledeep to go to the river... Amy, same thing..." He says seriously

Amethyst nods retrieving her lute, "I can do that." She smiles as she tunes the instrument," Hello again Fira. How nice to hear your voice, last I /saw/ you you were sleeping."

Will scowls at Aikuen a little, "Must you? We'll stay away from th river, though might need t dig a pond in th dibbuns' garden if it gets any hotter outside."

Fira can see the blindness, makes things certainly interesting but she's not exactly asking questions as she flops down next to Aik, "It's been one of those sort of weeks. Sorry I haven't met you and been conscious at the same time."

Aikuen sticks his tongue out at Will, to counter to his scowl, "Ill see what i can do... Though that might be interesting... a pond...Hmmm..." He grins, "I have to think of something silly to say to you both, but cant right now... so your safe..." He laughs as he settles back into the chair and into Fira, "The reason why i don't want to both to go... is that Fira was attacked by some river-rats, and i know one of them will be cheesed off, when he wakes." he hmms.

Amethyst says to Fira, "Well now you've met me, though I haven't really met you yet." She tests the strings on her lute turning toward Aikuen's voice, "So many things I could say but I'm not supposed to /bother/ you. Interesting though ... my mother's family are river rats. She'd often talk about her brothers and how dense they all were in her opinion. Yes this news is quite interesting ... no doubt you killed them or most of them since you said one would be waking up or did they just run off except the stupidest one?"

Fira stalls for a moment glancing to Aikuen before she looks back to Amethyst again, "One's definitely dead, one's definitely alive. Didn't really hang around to check on the third one," now of course she's worried they were related to the blind rat.

Aikuen looks to Fira, "There was a third one! Really? Wow!" He chuckles, and then back to Amy, "You don't bother me... just irritate me, you little rat!" He laughs, and sighs, "So your mum was a river-rat... does it bother you... that we killed one, and the other one might not be able to use his face again?" He bluntly, as with he does, when talking to her. He also said 'We' in case of Fira not liking the idea of being a killer.

Amethyst laughs, "I forgot you aren't from around here, Aik. Why would it bother me? A little careless to not kill all of them, but that was your choice and you'll just have to live with it."

Will sighs not liking the way the conversation is going, "New rule. When there's otters around Amy does not talk." He's not serious but she needs to not talk like that around Aikuen or Fira either it seems.

Fira starts to run a paw over her head but flinches slightly when she hits the bump there, starting to feel it out with a paw "Preferred just least as soon as possible...I don't think any of them were in condition to follow anyway...The definitely alive one was stabbed in the leg" she sighs faintly and moves to stand "I'm going to stop by the infirmary and get something for the lump, have a rest" a little glance going to Amethyst "Was nice meeting you" she aims a little kiss at to top of Aik's head after that and a mumbled little "Thanks" before she heads for the door.

Aikuen smiles some To Fira as she leaves, and mumbles also, "No problem..." He reaches out to her, until she is totally gone from the room. He sighs some and settles back in the chair, looking quite regal. He places his arm on the rest, now he places his paw on top of that for support. He looks to Amy then to Will, "Your just a little ball of something aren't yah Amy... I didn't kill them because... Of Fira... she doesn't like that type of thing... and neither do I at the moment." He taps his chin, with a claw.

Amethyst smiles, "The survivor probably won't come after you if he can't walk and you killed both his companions but there's always a chance he might if he was the leader or is just stupid enough to." Since she can't see she misses the kiss Fira gives Aik, "You didn't kill them all because of Fira. This is just a guess but I'd wager you killed them because of Fira."

She plucks at the lute with her quill, "Now you all know The bards and their songs When hours have gone by I'll close my eyes In a world far away We may meet again But now hear my song About the dawn of the night Let's sing the bards' song. Tomorrow will take us away Far from home No one will ever know our names But the bards' songs will remain. Tomorrow will take it away The fear of today It will be gone Due to our magic songs. There's only one song Left in my mind Tales of the brave ones Who lived far from here Now the bard songs are over And it's time to leave No one should ask you for the name Of the one Who tells the story. Tomorrow will take us away Far from home No one will ever know our names But the bards' songs will remain. Tomorrow all will be known And you're not alone So don't be afraid In the dark and cold 'Cause the bards' songs will remain They all will remain. ..."

Aikuen grunts and doesn't say anything, as he listens to her song. He wanted to kill them because of Fira. He wanted too protect her, and to make sure no beast ever hurts her... But on the other paw, he couldn't kill them because of Fira. She doesn't like it, especially when he does it ... He loves her too much. Too kill... or not to kill. He thinks about that as he sits

Will looks from the one to the other, they aren't angry with each other. He relaxes and listens to the song humming along with the tune knowing the peace isn't likely to last.

Amethyst hasn't heard anything from the otter during or after the song. She didn't hear him leave but he might have. She puts a paw out and touches Will's leg, she smiles and feels her way up to his face running her paw over it, she likes to look at him. Pressing her face and against the side of his face she whispers in his ear, "Is Aikuen still in here?" She makes sure to be very quiet incase the otter is still around, too much silence makes her uneasy.

Will runs a paw through Amy's hair undoing her braid as he does so. He whispers back impishly, "Which answer makes you stay here like this?"

Amethyst chuckles before whispering back, "The /right/ one."

Aikuen can hear all of this, once was a tracker you know. But he doesn't say anything but chuckle slightly.

Will sighs before whispering softly to her, "But you won't like that one."

Amethyst smirks a little, "I think I got my answer because he's laughing at you now."

Will says nothing and waits for the otter to speak.

Aikuen looks into Wills eye, smiles and gives a wink, "Are guys are so wovey dovey!... It embarrass even me and Fira... and that's saying something!" He laughs aloud and smacks his knee. He continues to sit there, "Are you two gonna behave if i leave!? Hmmm?!" he chuckles some more.

Amethyst looks smug, "Probably n-umf!"

Will is quick to put a paw over the maid's mouth, "Yes! Uh, yes we will."

Aikuen eyes them both before getting up, heading over to the shelf to pick up one of the small brown books. He sits back down in his chair, and opens it in his chair. He slowly begins to read as he says, "Then you wont mind me sitting here, and letting me catch up on some light reading, huh" He laughs and shakes his head. Not gonna leave that quickly, "Do what you want, I'm not even paying attention..."

His paw still over Amy's mouth and before she can remove it to say anything Will says, "Just thought you would want t check on Fira and maybe Racky since you just got back an all."

Aikuen looks to Will, "Actually... that's not a bad idea...Hmmm" He close the book and stand up, "Alright I'll check up on them... I'll be back in a minute... so no funny business..." He points to them both, before heading back up into Molehall.

Amethyst pushes Will's paw away, "You have a plan? One that's otter free maybe?"

Will smiles, "If we're lucky. I think we'll just take go out /in/ the gardens for a little while."

Amethyst nods pulling Will in closer for a quick kiss before getting her things together, "We'll have to be fast."

Will nods blushing once again. "Uh .... yeah .... we'll do that."

Amethyst sighs, "Once we're out of the tunnel run very fast, think you can do that?"

Will glance upward for help and went none comes he just nods and heads out to the entrance.

Amethyst hears him leave and follows after him as quickly and quietly as she can.

Will looks around and not seeing any beasts he exits the tunnel and makes a bee line for the dibbuns' garden, going around the shed and passed the rose garden where he waits to see if Amy made it out or not.

Amethyst can't move as fast as Will but makes it out without being seen.

Moledeep: Dibbuns' Garden

Outside Amy is even slower than inside and it takes her some time before she makes it to the shed. Once there she walks around it and follows her nose toward the rose garden. She has to wander around a bit before finding the start of the dibbuns' garden which is the only garden that's still mostly overgrown.

Aikuen goes to check on Fira, who is now resting in an Infirmary bed. He waited by her side, holding her paw, until he was sure she would be okay. A kiss on the forehead, and he is off to the dibbuns hole. Since he cant enter it, he listens just outside of it, and can hear Racky's snoring... a good sign... He chuckles some and heads back to the study, and his book. When he enters he discovers that they are both gone. He places his paws on his hips and says, "You know... she is a bad influence on him..." He frowns some as he heads outside. What better place to hide from adults, then in the gardens! He laughs at his logic and heads in that direction. But not to embarrass his son too much, he walks quietly forward.

The rats are quick to slip down into the extra roomy burrow when they hear the otter outside. They can't see him and figure they're well hidden underground in the partly overgrown garden. Amy is in the back of the burrow, it just deep enough that her staff doesn't stick out of the entrance. Will is at the front naturally keeping watch for any beast that may come too close to their hiding spot

Will thinks little of the 'threat' since the otter's never done anything to him to punish him other than lecture him.

Amethyst scoots closer to the entrance near Will, it's a tight fit since like all his burrows the entrance is only wide enough for him to get through fortunately she's skinny.

Will stays in front of Amy part to protect her and part because there just isn't enough room for them to be side by side unless they go farther in. He puts a arm around the maid and hugs her tight, "I think we lost him." he whispers to her still scanning the area outside for any sign of the otter.

Aikuen looks to the sound of Wills voice, "Ah-ha!" He exclaims, and begins to walk in that direction. He bursts from a bush and says, to himself and also to them, "First rule of hiding... never say anything!" He chuckles slightly, but then stops, and looks around again. He scratches his head, "They should be right here..." Ah, if only the otter looked down, for he stands over the burrow.

Will freezes and puts a paw around Amy's muzzle just in case.

Amethyst hears the otter and was about to comment when her muzzle is cover once again. Her husband-to-be wants her quiet again. She pulls back a very little to go to the back of the burrow and wait, where it's safer she assumes.

Will moves backward with her not moving his paw from her mouth til she's as far in as she can get. Waiting a few seconds to see if she'll be quiet or not. Then he goes part way back up the short tunnel that forms the entrance, waiting for the otter to do something. He feels they're safe enough since Aikuen can't come in after them.

Aikuen hmms and scratches his head, still not getting it. He finally gives up again, and walks back toward the entrance, see if they are inside, and he just missed it. But something stops him, again, and he looks down. He says, "Tsk, tsk..." as he follows the rat track, back they way he came. He gets to the same spot he was standing at again, and looks down into the burrow, "Hey!" He cant do anything anyway, or can he?

Amethyst is doing a good job of being quiet, playing with the end of Will's tail to keep herself busy. She is unaware the the otter has found them.

Will had watched the otter leave with a smug look ready to curl up with Amy til he noticed the otter coming back again. He assumed he'd pass over them again and before he knows it he's looking up into the otter's face. "Stan' on moi tunnel," he hisses more to himself than the beast he's now staring at. "Amy," he calls to the back of the burrow, "there's an otter at our door."

Amethyst chuckles and calls up to him, "He's /your/ relative, you deal with him."

Aikuen laughs, and wipes a bit of Will's spit off him, "Yes, I am standing on your tunnel!" he kneels down, and places his arms on his knees, "Hello you two, I assume... What are you guys doing in there?" He knows, just want to make sure Will knows.

Amethyst, no longer seeing a reason to stay quiet, calls out to the otter, "What do you think we're doing?!"

Will turns his head sideways to look at the maid, "You shouldn't encourage him. Or the other way around."

Aikuen tilts his head at Amy's remark. But shrugs it off, and reaches into the hole, to haul up Will, "Hello mate!" he says as he drops Will to the ground

Will squeaks as he's grabbed, "Hey!" and louder when he's suddenly the rope in an impromptu game of tug-o-war, "Ow-ow-owch!"

Hearing the loud squeaking Amy lets go of Will's tail and ends up falling onto the floor of the burrow entrance. Push herself up she spits out dirt. "Bad otter, that's mine!" she growls, wishing she could see for the first time in a long time, so she'd have better chance since she wants to attack the otter right now and it shows plainly on her face.

Will checks his tail over and once he's sure it's fine he looks up at the otter angrily, "Hello, Aikuen," his tail begins to quiver but he doesn't attack the otter yet.

Aikuen says, "Hi Will! Remember when I said behave... remember when I said I'll be back... remember when I said I would do this..." He smacks his paw against the other. He looks to Amy and says, "It'll only be a minute... then you can have him back..." He looks back to Will and says, "I remembered the last time you called me by name... What is going on here?"

Will tries hard to keep his temper in check, he considers Fira the Alpha of the family now and doubts she'd like it if he attacked Aikuen otherwise he would have by now. "I'm not doing anything wrong. If we'd stayed inside you would have come back and started teasing us again and you an' Amy would have go each other upset. She's a lot nicer when you aren't around. ... She likes to bother you, which /she shouldn't do/ but she does. You don't have to be out here I'm not gonna do anything bad." he tries hard to keep his voice level and not growl at the otter that would just make things worse.

Amethyst scrapes up some dirt from the burrow and tires to throw it at the otter, it's pathetic but she can't really do much else.

Will nods, "I understand. ... next hole I dig needs to be narrower." He knows he shouldn't have said that but he's upset.

Amethyst blinks, "We're doomed."

Aikuen shoves Will into the hole, cause he heard what they said "Get back in there..." He would tease them, but doesn't. Standing back up he dusts dirt from his knees and says, "You guys are weird..." Not getting it, really.

Amethyst is knocked back as Will is shoved into the burrow on top of her, "Ow. I think the otter's lost his mind."

Will's anger faded as he moves off of the maid, "Are you ok?" he doesn't wait for an answer and quickly looks her over to see if she's bleeding or if anything is majorly wrong with her.

Aikuen scratches his head, didn't mean to hurt them, "You guys alright?" he asks quietly.

Amethyst has the breath knocked out of her and is a little bruised and shaken up a little but otherwise fine. "I'm ... ok. ... I think. ... Y-yeah, I'm good." she takes a few deep breaths and lays down on her back to ease the ache in her now bruised stomach.

Will can tell she's not as 'fine' as she claims to be, this just fuels his anger which had returned once it hit him that Aikuen of all beasts had hurt Amethyst. He removes his belt sword, sling and all and lays it out on the grass outside the burrow before exiting it himself to look up at the otter with his one red eye. He crouches in front of the burrow on all fours teeth bared glaring up at Aikuen, his tail swaying behind him, 'rouge rat' doesn't like beasts that hurt his Amy.

Aikuen holds his paws up in front of him, showing that he means no harm, "Hey, William... I didn't mean it... I was just playing... didn't think anybeast would get hurt..." he, unlike Will, keeps all his weapons on.

Amethyst is feeling a bit better already now that she's resting. She holds her lute in one paw and listens at the sounds from outside confused. "Do I want to know what going on out there?" she calls up from the burrow.

Will hisses at the otter then hears Amy's voice and becomes conflicted. He keeps his eye on the otter but keeps his ears mostly on any sounds coming from the burrow behind him, unsure if he should fight the otter for Amethyst or go back in the burrow to be with her. The only thing he's sure of at the moment is that things were less difficult before he met the rat-maid.

Aikuen lowers his paws and points to the burrow, getting on what to do "Go to her... I'll leave..." He knows how crazy works, being one of them himself. He doesn't move unless Will does.

Amethyst lays in the back of the burrow resting with her eyes closed. She took quite a blow when Will had been shoved into her and she wasn't in the best of shape to start with.

At first the rat is glad the otter is leaving and relaxes, then he remembers that Amethyst is hurt. Will stands not looking angry though for some reason his eye is still red, "She's hurt. It might be nothing but ... wait here. I don't think I could carry her to th infirm myself." He starts to widen the burrow entrance. It takes some time but after a while the hole is large enough for otter to fit in well enough to lift the rat-maid out if he wanted to, though not quiet be enough for him to crawl in to her.

Amethyst opens her eyes to see the otter, no actually she sees grey but a much lighter grey then she'd seen when the roof the of burrow was still intact, also out of the grey somewhere above her she hears the voice known as Aikuen talking to her. "O.K. ... why am I the last to be told this?"

Will's eye has returned to it's normal color now as he watches the otter lift Amy out of th hole that was once his burrow. "... uh .... because?" he asks experimentally in answer to the maid's question.

Amethyst rolls her eyes, "Where is my stick?" she asks, lute still in paw as she's lifted up into the air by some beast who she must assume is Aikuen.

Aikuen picks her up slowly, and holds her with his Right arm, "Just go with it... you'll understand..." He looks back to Will and smiles somewhat, "Please get her staff... And i can carry you both if need be..." He asks still assuming that Will is 'rogue'.

Will looks down into the hole and sees the broken staff, "Pa, think you could make one of th javelins into a walking stick ... this ones ... broken .... a lot." He quickly heads off to the main tunnel to be out of reach of Amy knowing she won't be happy to hear her stick is 'gone'.

Amethyst tries to sit up but it hurt too much and she's being held by an otter. "What?! Who did ..." She hears a best, likely Will running off somewhere, and yells after him, "What did you do to my stick! I liked that stick! Get back here!"

Aikuen looks to Will as he runs, and then says to Amy, placing a paw on her back to keep her from falling off his arm, and hurting herself more "Will... is now gone...hmms...Well... I'll make you a new one soon enough... Come on..." Like she has a choice, "Lets get you patched up, then you can go and beat him up... to a pulp if you want too..." He chuckles as he walks off toward the entrance, then to the Infirmary. When he gets there he places her on a bed, and checks for problems. Feeling broken ribs, he gives her a quick patch. He says, "There... Now don't move... You can beat him up later..." He laughs again as he goes to sit Next to Fira, who still is in there. He takes her paw into his own, and settles into the chair, to get some much needed rest. Today has been crazy... really. But he wouldn't have it any other way...