A Fight Before Breakfast

• • • Along The Western Shore Close to the badger Mountain ****

Zee has been at his campfire overnight, well so much for going back to his room for the night but then again he has slept by a campfire a number of times and so it was fairly easy to fall asleep. He keeps his staff near him and has his cloak on; under his cloak he has his family's blade. The campfire has almost died down.

Another beast is on the shore, a rat that has caused trouble before and has decided to change his mind and not leave the area after all. He has also gotten smart and brought along a couple friends, a couple foxes in fact who have befriended him, or maybe they were always friends. The rat seems in charge, "He is sleeping and he needs to pay for killing TJ." The one fox nods "Well..Yeah suppose but maybe we should forget it find some stupid hare to rob" Yeah like that worked a few days ago.

Zee stirs when he hears voices, he can sometimes sleep through things but he was close to waking anyways. He opens his eyes and blinks sleep from them and focuses on the trio of vermin, "Great...company." He studies the rat "Oh you again, thought ya ran away when ya buddy became a head shorter."

The rat narrows his eyes, "Yah well....I just went to get my friends" The two foxes grin and have cutlasses, " And now it’s pay back time."

Zee studies the vermin again and goes to stand up, "That so? Ya know I really dislike waking to fighting as it’s not a good exercise plan, but wot ever." He draws his large blade and angles it, “If I must"

The rat motions for the two foxes to attack the badger, "Go...come one he's old, don’t stand there get him!" The foxes seem to be deciding if it’s wise and then both go to charge at the badger while the rat watches, yeah he is still a coward it would seem.

Zee raises his blade and blocks one of the foxes and shoves him back towards the sand. The 2nd fox gets a swift kick in the stomach, but not before he gets a lucky slice in on the badger's lower right arm, luckily not a deep cut. He snorts and gets in a fighters stance ever alert for his age.

The fox that's blocked looks surprised and falls backwards onto his behind. The other lifts his blade to make a stab down at the badger while the rat still watches and gets out a throwing dagger.

Zee makes a slice upwards towards the fox's chest while the fox has his cutlass up as he is open for attack now. He knows where the other fox is and for now pays little attention to the rat.

The fox screams as a deep gash forms on his chest and staggers backwards as the wound bleeds badly. The 2nd fox is back up by now and goes to try and avenge his friend. The rat seems to have..wandered off?

Zee pants slightly as he steps sideways and swings The Blade Of The Northwinds Storm at the fox's retreating back as he goes past the badger. It’s WAY too early in the morning to fight.

The other fox goes down and falls face first in the sand. The fox with the chest wound is dead now and the 2nd one is close but also has some fight still in him and waits before getting up and sending a kick at the badger. The rat meanwhile has selected a long dagger and stays close, seeming waiting for the fight to tire the badger out.

Zee was not expecting a kick, but manages to keep his balance and growls a little now, he swings the blade at an angle and aims to slice off the fox's head. If he misses he will slice at him again and he is starting to tire some as he pants a little more.

The fox puts up a good fight, the first swing misses and the 2nd swing gets a shoulder, he slices at the badger and the 3nd swing cuts into the fox's throat, not beheading him but it does kill him. The rat's narrows his eyes and goes to try and sneak up on the badger if he can.

Zee snorts as it takes three swings of the blade to finish off the fox, he pants and looks at his lower arm at the cut there, not deep so he is lucky but he is worn out and going to his knees, temporally letting his blade fall beside him as he pants a bit “Getting....tooo...old...for this crap."

The rat takes this as a perfect chance to try and be a hero to vermin kind, yes kill a badger! He smirks and rushes towards him, long dagger raised and aim to stab him in the middle of the back. But the rat failed to watch for anyone else whom was close and that someone was Flint, and the hare has his longbow already aimed and arrow notched, he releases it as the rat goes to stab the badger. The rat gets within maybe 1/4 a foot of Zee when the rat stops in his tracks and drops his dagger as he makes a gurgled sound. The arrow went through the rats back and into his heart and the rat falls dead face first in the sand...thus failing at his moment of glory, the hare then goes to jog over to Zee.

Zee spins around and looks down at the rat and frowns. He glances up as Flint comes jogging over and takes a couple breath" Well...didn't know de rat was there." Yep that could of ended differently.

Flint gets to Zee's side "I say old chap you ok thar? That rat just about finished you off." He looks at the two foxes and the rat more carefully, “that’s the rat that run off the other day."

Zee nods, "Yes...I am fine." He has caught his breath now and raises an eyebrow at Flint as he remembers last night" Where is Zinnia? Ya best of got her back ...safe lad or l'll make sure ya get a lecture from that Ciocan lad." He takes a look at his arm where it’s bleeding some and grumbles.

Flint answers as he gets a bandage from his first aid kit “Got her back safe last night, not to worry ya self. Me and a couple other hares did in fact..." He is not a healer but he can clean the wound and then bandage it some as all hares do know basic first aid.

Zee nods "Gonna trust you lad." He allows the hare to tend to his wound and then sits down as he gets a rag to clean off his blade."Too old for waking to fights....had though de rat left after the other day."

Flint says, "Suppose so chap, but the problem has been taken care of. You’re a bally good fighter fer your age."

Zee looks at the hare, “Seasons and seasons of fighting, ya get better not worse as you go along. Yes you can get slowed down with age when you’re old, but stay in shape and all, you should do good and compared to me your young."

Flint grins, and chuckles "I guess so chap. Anyways going to stay around the jolly village today?"

Zee nods "Later, stay couple more days then head back to Mossflower and home." He goes to get out some supplies, some from the village and a few rice cakes left from his trip to the mountain, “Breakfast or you have to go report going ons and all?"

Flint smiles "I should go let Lord Ciocan know....well" The rat and foxes are dead, not like dead beasts come back to life and he missed breakfast himself and that’s a matter of life and death to a hare most times, "I can eat breakfast first." He sits down and smiles joining the badger for a quick breakfast, afterwards he will go report to the Badger Lord what happen this morning and then he has a welcome feast to get ready for, ya more food!

Zee chuckles as he has rice cakes, bread, some cheese, some apple cider and even some fish left over from last night..breakfast is the most important meal of the day after all. After the hare leaves he will move down the shore a little ways and maybe get a nap in and hopefully a 2nd one is not rudely interrupted!