A Feisty, Fancy Find

A Feisty, Fancy Find

Stubb, Angus, Amos, Darkmane, Dangeon, Frigg

Location: Ruingate: The Skull and Candle

A martial air suffuses the flame-lit interior of the Skull and Candle: the horde making its steel grip felt even on this shady establishment. Stubb peers obliquely out from behind the fuzzy fronds of his knitted brow, a tame scowl settled on his lips. He drags a single claw slowly through the timeworn varnish of the tabletop, carving out his unease in hashed lines.

Angus enters the tavern with a flitting tongue, tasting the air for familiar bodies. It does not take him long to pick up on Stubb, and the lizard skulks across the room. He plops down in a seat beside the weasel.

Amos shuffles in behind Stubb, looking over the place and more importantly looking for a particularly hare. He sniffs the air and stands off to the side out of the way so others can enter behind him.

Darkmane has a wry smile on his lips as he steps into the skull and candle and surveys the main room after a rather special hare. Nodding slightly to himself he then heads over toward the bar with sure steps

Dangeon is at the bar, nursing a drink bought with borrowed coin, of course; more habit than need today. Her ears flopped on either side of her head.

Stubb looks up. "Yer all comin' a' me a' once," he says, pulling back his paw and sitting up in his chair. "Din' fink you'd foind me so fast. Guess this ain' tha most discreet spo' in the 'ouse, tho'." He rubs his forearm under his nose and pats the table, indicating for the others to sit.

A brief half-smile infects Angus' features, but it vanishes as he begins to jest, "Yer' too jangly and fuzzy t'lose track of, mate. At least not inna' confines of one town."

Amos is quick to find a seat, after giving a brief glance Dangeon's way. Then turning to face Stubb and relaxing as he sits, "Aye, ain't like ya too hard to keep track of."

Stubb cups his paw around his nearby pint glass and scoops it to his lips. He downs the cloudy remainder with a grimace, followed by a grunt.

Darkmane smirks slightly as he slides into the seat next to Dangeon speaking softly. "So is there anything good on the tap today sunshine?" His head tilting slightly as he looks over at the hare.

"Fair enough. Glad to have tha comp'ny, anyway," Stubb says in his gravelly voice. "Tho' oi ain' so pleased abou' tha sta'e of this place, ma'es."

Angus casts a glance to the bar, chin lifting a notch as he debates whether or not to wait for a server. The lizard shifts in his seat, which groans and squeaks beneath his weight. "Aye t'that--whaddya' get us into, mate?"

Frigg is partially downstairs... the old maid is spying, just around the part of the wall where the stairs continue past, betwixt it and the first of the railing poles. She looks to make sure nobeast is coming from upstairs, and her ears perk up to the conversation going on. Beggar her foot!

Dangeon shakes her head, replying to the horse. "Vermin run town has vermin ales. Though there's whiskey an' the like, bu' not like we 'ad at the camp, even." She grins. "I's still bett'r than some, anyway. Where'd y' keep gettin' to?"

Stubb mutters, "Bad beer an' worse barfloies, oi'm afraid, moi scaly friend." He flicks the emptied glass with a claw and sighs. "Here oi fough' we'd a' least 'ave some refreshment for our troubles."

Amos settles in his seat, half listening to the others, "Least its dry, and likely a warm place to sleep for once."

Angus chuckles. ".. ah well. What kin ye' do?" With that, the brute scoots his chair--enough to kick his short legs to the tabletop, crossed at the ankles. His hands go behind his head, and he leans the seat on two legs, supporting his weight against a beam.

Darkmane dips his head "True enough, I'm sorry for vanishing like I did tho" Dangeon's grin being returned by one of his own "I decided that if I was going to be staying with you and the others it would be wise of me to remove most the lose threads I had so I could focus on the here and now."

Frigg jumps back a bit as there's a thud against the wall she was leaning against, and instinctively looks back up the stairs - nobody. She leans out a bit and sees that it was just the lizard. The mousemaid takes a deep breath, and lays low again.

"Well, y'r forgiven f'r vanishin' anyway. We kind of guessed you 'ad stuff to take care of... An' it's not like y'r not tall enough t' keep an eye on where we've gone... What d' you make o' the place? I think," She looks to the others "Catty Boss might be startin' t' like it, at least."

Stubb sighs and leans back in unconscious mimicry of the monitor. "Do? Oi'd say we should eat, drink, an' be merry, bu' tha drink is swill an' the food don' look too hot eiver, so oi'm of tha same moind as the cat: curl up in a dry spo' an' ge' a bit a rest." He looks quietly in the direction of Darkmane and Dangeon.

Angus scritches at the back of his scaly head. "Aye--agreed, mate." He continues to scrape, loudly, against his leathery skin. A couple of flakes flit to the floor and are absorbed into the sawdust. "I could go fer a bit o' swill, though. Swill kin be swell, iffin' yer parched enough .. and I am."

Amos grins at Stubb, "Horsey feller has a point, is what it is... and we've traveled far enough."

Darkmane quietly surveys the main room once more "I like it well enough, a few changes since the last time i was in here but overall I think its mostly the same" a soft chuckle escaping his lips "And true enough, i did not have to much trouble finding your group which Amos can verify actually" His hand lifting to give Dangeon's head a ruffle "I'm glad to be back with ya tho"

Frigg sits back on the step and out of view completely, putting her chin in her paws. How did she come to this miserable place? On a guess? She sighs and starts becoming lost in thought, until she hears the horse speak. She glances back around the edge of the wall, and peers past a beam that was concealing her view of him. Wow! What a big fellow!

Stubb nestles a paw beneath his chin as he leans against the wall. "Aye, true enough." His stomach grumbles. "An one fing's good abou' bein' here, oi've no'iced..." he adds, ignoring it.

Angus smacks his lips and closes his eyes, practically drooling at the thought of a bubbly brew. His tongue slips out and flickers, out of habit, mostly. "Smells funny ov'r here." A single lid cracks, eyeball rolling to the weasel. "Y'bathe or somethin'?"

Stubb snorts. "Oi baved yest'day. Go' a fair dunkin' in tha river, 'fore we even go' here."

Frigg almost squeaks aloud! She forgot that she's just about the only thing that smells /good/ in this place! She covers her mouth with a paw initially to stop the utterance, but wishes more she had something to mask the various oils and perfumes she's used over the past several days, even though she hadn't that day... she scoots up a stair.

Angus is still tasting the air. ".. nah. Not like river. Like .. erm." The dragon has difficulty placing the alien odors. "Like fancy."

"Glad t' have y' back." The doe smirks, cringing but without displeasure or objection to the ruffling. "Oh, he can? Didn' tell me he'd seen y'... But then I've been in 'ere kind of a lot already; and thanks t' him." Dangeon drains the last of her current drink. "Thanks Ol' Cat!" She calls back to Amos, raising the empty mug to him.

Frigg gulps and scoots up another stair, but still leans over - she'd rather be able to see their movements...

Stubb quirks a brow. "Loike salmons?"

Amos rolls his eyes at Dangeon, but grins as he glances at the Doe and Darkmane. Angus draws his attention though, and he sniffs the air, "Hmm, think I smell it too... ain't ol' weasel or any of you lot.." He eyes Stubb, "Ya just hungry."

Stubb's stomach grumbles again, as if on cue. He joins in sniffing the air, pinkish nose tugging at the densely woven tapestry of scents in the tavern. "Truf, ma'es, oi don' smell nuffin'. Smoke, ale, an' loads a rats. Nuffin' fancy abou' tha'."

Stubb adds, "Maybe you're used ta smellin' foxes? Ain' many a them abou'. 'Ceptin' our li'tle warlord..."

Frigg secretly nods with Stubb, all for his explanation!

Angus, brows furrowed, grunts, "Nah--gotta' pelt but it ain' a rat. S'why it stands out, aye? S'like. I don't know." His frustration manifests as a tight frown. It would be relatively easy to stand and locate the curious odor's source, but that takes all the fun out of it. "Ain' a fox. It's .. ah."

Darkmane dips his head slightly. "I actually watched you pass by on the way to this place when ya arrived, i decided i'd wait and let ya get a mug or five before dropping by myself, i approached Amos and the rest when they came by a short while later" His lips quirking slightly. "Didn't want to get in the way of your drink afterall, its dangerous" his voice teasing.

Angus's frown loosens, revealing his teeth.

Stubb shrugs and leans back again, relaxing. "If you say so, ma'e."

Angus says, "I think s'afraid."

Stubb nods. "A course. Afraid an' fancy?"

Angus rocks forward with a glare. "Wha'--don' believe me, mate? This tongue don' lie." The last bit was said with his tongue lolling out, so that he might point to it. It garbles the words horribly.

Angus says, "Yeth. Afrai' an fanthy."

Frigg gulps again. She tries to scoot up another stair, but her footpaw slips on the edge and she falls back down to the one she was on with a loud *thud!*. She curses herself, and tries to quietly creep back upstairs, not daring to look behind her!

Stubb says, "You an' tha ca' are a fair bi' sharper than me at sniffin' ou'--"

Amos laughs at the conversation between Stubb and Angus, his own interest in the scent having faltered.

Angus slurps his tongue back to its home. A thumb juts over his shoulder, brows raised and upper lip curled in a 'see!' face. Something is definitely over there.

Dangeon has better ears than she does a nose. And better eyes when they aren't focused on horse or drink. She can keep a tab on the conversation, but has no idea what they're smelling. To Darkmane; "'S not /that/ dangerous... But. That was considerate of you." The thud, she hears, but... well it /is/ a vermin bar, she looks back to the others in case she's missing excitement there.

Stubb's reaction to the sound is the obverse of Dangeon's; he looks in the direction of the bar first. Perhaps the horse has fallen, splay-legged, from his stool?

Angus sports a rather toothy grin as he says to the weasel, "Why don ye' go investigate, fearless leader?"

Amos grins, "Let me, I think it came from that'd away, " Point towards the direction of the stairs.

Frigg is almost there, home free! She's about ten stairs from the top... even with the noise in the bar, the stairs are fairly creaky, and one of them would probably notice and find an out-of-place old mousemaid scrambling up the stairs on all fours...

Angus nods vigorously to the cat, still grinning. He leans back against the wall once more and puts his feet up.

Stubb sits forward unenthusiastically and rises unhurriedly to his feet. "Oh? Yes, a course. Oi place all moi trust in your investigational powers," the weasel says with exaggerated deference.

Angus says, "'Ey .. grab me a brew while yer up, aye, mate?"

Angus winks.

Darkmane grins slyly and chuckles "Thats me, mr. Considerate" his gaze turning in the same direction as Dangeon's "wonder if they will find something or not, i'm halfway tempted to say they wont with the time they are taking"

Stubb mutters something. "Get your tail movin', then, Amos. Oi'll deal wif waterin' tha beast." He dashes off to the bar before he can be contradicted. "An' watch moi bag!"

At this point, Frigg is just a few stairs away from the top! If she can get up there, she can just slip around the corner and be unseen! Will the daring old maid make it to safety? Will Amos discover her? Will she fall back down ears over tail and knock him over???

Angus throws a thumbs-up to Stubb, but it's uncertain how well his bag-sentry duties will go. The lizard's eyes are shut again.

Stubb claps a paw on Dangeon's back. "Allo, allo. Dis ol' horse boverin' you?" He smiles good-naturedly at Darkmane, then flashes a paw at the bartender.

Amos laughs at Stubb, grunts at Angus but grinning he's about to add something before he see's Stubb weasel off and he pushes to his footpaws, "Alright alright, get me something ta drink too!" He moves off to investigate, going past Angus to where he heard the noise. Looking at the stairs and then up them, "Huh, its just some ol' mouse... maybe we's gots a spy ol' boss?"

The old mousemaid turns around and stands up, straightening herself up to give herself a bit of dignity, "Huh!! I am doing no such thing - what would give you the impression that I care one smudge for the dull convers--wooo-ahhh!!!!" The mousemaid teeters on the narrow step, now having only two points of balance that are fairly close together, and goes flying down the stairs straight for the arms of the wildcat!

Angus snaps his claws. "Ack .. almost had it, too." He begrudgingly adjusts, craning to see around the corner--gleaning only partial success. "Are we really worth spyin' on? Jus' some flatulent rakes havin' a pint--" He winces as the creature goes tumbling. "Aren't spies supposed t'be, y'know, sure-footed 'n sneaky?"

Amos isn't quiet prepared for the mound of mouse heading at him, but he holds his ground and moves to grab at her as she comes towards him. White teeth gleaming as he grins wide at the mouse, "Thanks for saving me the trouble missy."

Dangeon grins at Stubb. "Nah, 'm botherin' him. Ya gettin' rounds 'r jus' f'r th' lizard?" And... then there's exitement and movement and tumbling mouse spies. "Well... They got something aft'r all." She comments to Darkmane. "Slow an' steady an' stitches 'r somthin'?"

Darkmane raises his brow slightly as he notes the wildcat catch the mouse then chuckles softly "Have you been holding out on us Amos, seems like you got a girlfriend you haven't told us about considering how yer holding her"

Frigg somehow has time to roll her eyes as she waits to be captured - however, it doesn't happen so perfectly as it would have seemed... the maid is almost horizontal as her rather hard head is aimed right for the wildcat's middle!

Stubb looks at the hare askance, not bothering for the moment with the unfolding spectacle at the stairs. "Eh? You wan' anuvver? Suit yourse'f. Make that free drinks!" he calls out, holding up three fingers to make his intent clear above the commotion.

Fortunate Amos' middle is nice and soft, the ol' mouse doesn't really do any damage to the burly looking wildcat who grabs the mouse and pulls her up by her arms to her feet, "Ain't my girly friend, " He mutters, growling as he glares at the horse, "Boss what'cha want me to with the spy, might we have her for dinner maybe?"

Angus still won't get up to investigate the calamity, but hesitantly scoots his chair a few inches. "Yow, mate," he hollers to Angus; "Y'sure have a way with th'ladies." His eyelids flutter, hands clench beneath his chin. "Offrin' t'buy her dinner 'n everythin'?"

Frigg pushes herself immediately off of the cat and dusts the front of her smock, "Sir! The very notion of it! I bet you lads could all be my dibbuns, if you were mice - I'm about as interested in what you're doing as my own children, playing in a sandbox. I had... I had dropped my glasses on a step and was going down to fetch them!"

Darkmane grins slyly "So in other words you would be quite interested in it, after all most parents tends to keep an very close eye on their dibbuns when they are playing especially at dibbun age"

Stubb takes two drinks from where the bartender deposited them and crabs back to the table, his attention now directed at Amos and Frigg. "Don' do nuffin' wif er, ma'e." He sets the drinks down. "It'd take a week a stewin' jes to break down tha gristle, an we don' 'ave tha' long."

Stubb waves a paw. "Bring 'er here. Oh, an' foind 'er glasses."

"Thanky' Stubboss." Grateful smile as another drink is ordered. She watches him go back to the table and settles her gaze on Amos and Frigg. "We seem t' add beasts t' our party all th' time. Mice are good climbers, right?" Ignoring that she apparently fell down the stairs... The doe shrugs, smiles and returns to the drink and Darkmane. "I'm gonna drink this... an' then 'm gonna sleep on y', if'n y' don' mind?"

Frigg looks unimpressed at the horse. "Well, if you think I should be taking care of you, I might as well scold you all for talking such violence in front of a lady! That poor haremaid wouldn't dream of watching you brutes eat a poor old lady, I know that for sure!" She looks at Stubb, "No need, they're here in my pocket, I was successful in retrieving them and was headed upstairs."

Angus lounges at the table, casually lapping at his pint. He watches the others, but is quieted by his pint; beer is much more entertaining that the mouse by now. The game has ended for him.

The wildcat hasn't seemed to mind the mouse maid, simply grinning at her as he crosses his arms and stands across from her. He rolls his eyes at Angus, Stubb too, "Fine fine... she got's her glasses, ya welcome to join us I guess, " He shrugs and turns back towards to join the others back at the table.

Angus shows Frigg his most winning smile.

It's no blue-ribbon.

Frigg looks horrified by the lizard's attempt.

Darkmane chuckles softly as he leans over to give Dangeon's neck a nuzzle. "Now why would I ever mind something like that, I am as always at your service." His gaze then turning slightly toward the mouse. "Hey now, I never said anything about eatin ya, I just pointed out that most parents tends to keep an close eye on their dibbuns so it likely wasn't your wisest choice of words."

"They wouldn't eat y'. 'T'd take effort. An' we're resting." Dangeon calls back, ears twitching to the mousemaid. She stretches her neck happily for the nuzzle and then, pulling her drink closer as she goes, leans against the horse while he talks, content to be silent now, until she drifts off.

Angus shrugs, clearly not offended. Her loss, he concludes; who wouldn't want to join a such stalwart dinosaur and friends for drinks? The lizard finally remembers to thank Stubb for the pint, and he follows up by lifting his glass to cheers the weasel.

Stubb elects to rest his legs again, resuming his old regal pose behind the table. "Ay, bring 'er here. Oi mus' say, moi dear, oi'm rava impressed that you've managed to survoive tha noigh'. This ain' tha sort a place for woodsfolk, let alone one so... advanced. An fancy, ta boot!" He draws a quick sniff and chuckles darkly. "Ay, you was roigh', Angus. 's perfumey."

Angus is still holding his mug in the air, waiting for Stubb to respond to his cheery gesture. He lowers it awkwardly, aheming. "'Cept now it's feisty 'n fancy."

"Don't get wise with me about my words, horse! I didn't say you /were/ my children, I was merely likening the level of interest I'd have in your ventures and conversations to that of dibbuns." She hrrmphs and looks at Dangeon, "Well, if you say so..." Her gaze shifts to Stubb, "Surprised, are you? Well, I've come a long way already, to be eaten or mugged."

Darkmane chuckles softly and lifts Dangeon up onto his lap as she starts to drift off since its both safer and more stable for her "Which is exactly what I said m'lady, you said you were about as interested in what we were doing as your own children playing in a sandbox" his head tilting slightly to the side "Are you seriously telling me you wouldn't be keeping an eye on your own children if they were playing in the sandbox?" his voice actually sounding respectfull and just a bit curious.

Stubb gives his dining companion a dilute smile in substitution for the lizard's more festive cheers. "Maybe she's a bad muvver, Dark. Jes' a small mouse, bu' even oi'm a bi' afeared of 'er!"

Frigg grins, "Well, no I wouldn't - because my children got into much more trouble than what could ever be found inside a sandbox. In fact, I believe they've gotten themselves into more trouble than any of you have ever seen. Ruingate just seemed like the first place to look." She glares at Stubb.

Stubb shows Frigg his most winning smile.

Angus mirrors his weasel chum's half-hearted smile. "I could go fer a sandbox," he mentions after a gulp from his mug. The scaly mountain shudders, adjusting his various layered garments. "T'hell wi' the box, even--just a beach'd be nice."

Angus belches loudly.

Amos burps even louder.

Angus slits his eyes. A contest, is it? He grabs his beer dutifully and downs it.

"Ain' so far from tha sea here, ma'e." Stubb says rather dreamily. "Oi'd bet tha beach is a bi' rocky, bu' oi'd sure loike ta see wa'er, stretchin' to the 'orizon. Makes moi stomach turn... inna good way, if ya know wha' oi mean."

Angus belches long and loud, incorporating a key change.

Darkmane rubs his forehead gently "one has to accept a certain amount of suffering I guess to stay around those one likes "

Angus snorts a bit, and bobs his chin to Stubb. "Say th'word, mate, and I'll hit the beaches with ye'." His eyes are sill narrow, fixed on the wildcat.

Stubb looks like he's about to pass out from the noxious fumes. "Can' you keep tha' insoide you? Hell's bleedin' bells!"

The mousemaid starts to turn green in witnessing the abundant grotesquery of the two deliciously-named scoundrels!

"That'd make a catchy tune," Angus notes at Stubb, showing his teeth.

Darkmane turns his gaze back to the mousemaid "Feel free to join me over here, should be a tab safer in most ways methinks"

Amos grabs his own drink, downing the rest of it. A pitiful belch follows and the wildcat grins but shrugs at Angus. Noticing Stubb and Figg the wildcat has no mercy, laughing his head off, "What'cha ya two didn't like that? Ain't quiet got the belching powers as the lizard here but I ain't too bad eh? Darky?" Looking to the horse for support.

Angus says, "Cat-cat, they're just in luck we ain' had our dinners yet, lest we be heralding them with the sweet sounds of the under-trumpet."

Angus wiggles in his chair a bit, snickering.

Frigg looks to anything for support - she's about to lose her stomach! The mousemaid sits at an empty table, and orders a glass of water from the nice barmaid that comes to serve her. It seems as if most of the bar knows she's nobody of consequence, as things fly and arguments occur around her.

Darkmane shrugs slightly as Frigg seems to ignore him and takes the risk of picking up what remains of Dangeon's mug and sips of her drink since he can just buy her a new one if she awakens "oh well, least some sanity is returning if only the size of a nut"

Amos is still snickering and laughing.

Stubb stands again. "Fink oi'll go an' foind where 'Actor's go' to. Oi know tha Horde ain' to keen on 'is bein' in town at all, and, well. Now that 'e's 'armless, oi'm star'ing to take a loikin' to the ol' warlord."

Frigg's brow furrows... she doesn't say anything, but what Stubb has just said definitely seems to invoke a change in her expression. These aren't normal folk at all. Her breathing is quicker now, and she looks around her shoulder at the others.

Amos has settled down, relaxing and waves off Stubb, "Okay ol' Stubby, sure ya ain't want us to come with?"

Darkmane seems to be relaxing with his back against the bar counter and a hare sleeping on his lap, a hand lifting the mug in greeting to Frigg as she looks in his direction

Stubb can't be swayed from his mission; in fact, he seems quite distracted by it now. "No, no. Enjoy your drink, ma'e. Oi'll be back soon." He starts to leave, but wheels suddenly. "Oh! Moi bag!"

Stubb stoops under the table to retrieve it, then begins to hasten for the exit.

Frigg looks even more uncomfortable with the horse than she had... just what do they want with a warlord? She's startled by Stubb's sudden movement, much more than she should be under normal circumstances.

Amos waves off Stubb, sipping at his newly arrived drink.

Angus jerks out of some distant reverie. ".. whoa, mate." The table is jerked a bit as Stubb grabs for the bag. "Want me t'come? Finished my pint. Been wantin' t'see ole' Hactor again. Heard he was missin' a few bits now." The lizard is snort-snickering as he rises, wiping at his mouth with the back of a hand.

Frigg tries to stay casual, and clears her throat, looking over at Darkmane, "So, who's this Hactor fellow I'm hearing all about? Sounds like an important fellow..."

Stubb says, "Sure. Come along, dragon. Good to 'ave somebeast ta watch your back in these par's. An', you heard roigh'. Some woodfolk sloiced 'is arm off, clean as you loike."

Darkmane says, "I would actually be the last person of those of us here to properly answer that question." A wry chuckle escaping his lips "I actually joined the group more or less to be close to the hare here." his head lowering slightly to nuzzle the sleeping Dangeon's head "The rest of the group is just an added bonus or pain all depending on viewpoint." His voice slightly amused as he speaks. "Mostly a bonus tho.""

Angus gathers himself properly, fixing his garb for the chilly outdoors. He slinks over to Stubb, and gestures for the weasel to lead the way. "At least they were clean 'bout it--none o' that raggedy jagged crud. So garish."