A Private Conference

Dangeon, Darkmane, Viddick, Hactor, Frigg, Stubb, Adyna

Location: Ruingate: The Skull and Castle

Dangeon snorts and mumbles. New voices and she's trying to sleep. Ah well. She rolls to peek her head out a little, nose appearing over the covers, to see who it is. Not getting up, even for an ex-warlord. Rolls back over. Her ears are more attentive though now.

Darkmane gives a slight shrug to Hactors question "Things go quite well I think, but then its hard to *not* feel well when staying in a place like this" a soft chuckle escaping his lips "So what brings you here to our room if I may ask?"

Viddick has been keeping an eye on the warlord and creeps upstairs when he's certain the fox is inside the room. He arches around the corner to make sure nobeast is emerging from another room and lowers his hood over his eyes, grabbing a random bottle and appearing to be a bum on the floor. His ears, though, are pressed against the thin walls.

Hactor replies, "Looking for Stubb. But he dosen't seem to be about. So Id'e thought I'de pop in here."

Darkmane aahs and nods his head slightly as he puts the parchment down on the table "Anything important or just to exchange some old stories?" his lips quirking slightly as he looks over at the fox "Things here tho are quite calm as you can see."

Dangeon stretches and decides to sit up a little. "How'd y' know we were here? 'S not like we advertise." The doe pipes up, more bemused than concerned. And then considers Darkmane. Ah. "Actually, no. I think I c'n guess how." She grins "Perfectly calm right now."

Hactor nods and wraps himself in his cloke, against a breeze only in his mind. He replies, "Aye I do have some important things to discuss but-" he trailed off loking at the fire. The flames made his orange orb glent in the dim light of the room.

Viddick hears somebeast walking around the corner and pretends to snore, mumbling to himself and taking a 'swig' of the empty bottle. The weasel looks at him and mutters something, heading downstairs.

Darkmane looks over at Dangeon as she speaks up and grins slightly in return as he lets Hactor think "Did ya sleep well sunshine?"

"Hrm. I think I did." The doe eyes Hactor. "Y' can talk wi' me here. Not like Maney'll keep much from me even if he wanted to." Feels a lot more confident around the fox now that he's apparently no more a warlord.

Hactor snaps at Dangeon, "Aye. But you can bet your arse I don't take treachury kindly!!" He glares at her but calms down and pulls up a stool continuing, "It' not my place to tail. It's Stubb's affair. I will say this though..We need that mouse."

Viddick watches the weasel go and leans up against the wall more obviously... "Needs, eh? Well, that's good, foxy.. that's good..." He dares to peek around the corner of the frame of the door, spying the horse and the fox, but unable to see the doe.

Darkmane raises his brow slightly "Mind if I ask what she has done?" His gaze returning to look at Hactor as he speaks "Treachery is never a good thing" His hands pressing against eachother as he cracks his knuckles while musing.

Hactor folds his ears back at the knuckles bit continues, "We need her to..fit ina hole. You see Stubb needs something from said hole." He then lied, "What I'm not sure, but..We are too big to fit. So the mouse is the perfect candidate eh?"

Dangeon freezes a little at the glare. "Erm. Sure. But... I don't remember ever actually crossin' y' before... I jus' follow the beast who actually pays me." Shrug. She does slink down a little in the covers though. And listens to the plan attentively.

Viddick's interest is piqued by this new competitor... mouse? He can kiss his leverage goodbye, if she'll get for them what he thinks she'll get for them... the rat leans back out of the doorway and pulls his hood down, nodding to another passerby and reaching up at them, spitting out insults. The wildcat kicks the rat's legs and flashes his teeth. The rat waits until he's passed and chuckles to himself.

Frigg emerges from the ruby room and stretches, yawning. She hears something coming from the other room and peeks around the corner. They seem to mostly be in there, and.. she turns up her nose at the rat lying on the floor just outside. "Well, that's not.. awkward." She doesn't think anything of it, though, and takes her place on the opposite side of the door.

Hactor hears the noice outside the door and turns saying none too kindley, "Whos that!?"

Speak of the, er, mouse! It /must/ be her they're speaking of - she was there the other night, and the only mouse he's seen with them since... he could.. take care of her right now, if he was quick and... clean. The rat looks up at Frigg, sneering and whispering, "'ey, pri'y ladey... come and gives me 'ere somut ta drink, 'ey? I's on empty 'ere!" He tips over the empty bottle, but quickly becomes silent when the fox speaks.

Frigg gives the rat an astounded, indignant look and steps into the doorway, speaking to Hactor, 'Er, um... I just came out of... uh, my room here. Was waiting for a lull in the conversation. I wanted to know why I'm being held here, and what you'll be, um, requiring. Of me." She looks at the others in the room, but only briefly. She gives no indication that there's a rat leaning against the outside wall, though, as yet.

Dangeon perks her ears. "Blimey. We pick th' fanciest room we can an' everyun turns up..." She fishes for her shirt, tugging it on beneath the bedding, before swinging her legs out to finish dressing. Jerkin stays draped over a furnishing for now though. "I'd offer y' all a drink 'r somthin', but we've imbibed the lot..."

Hactor grins a toothy grin as the mouse appears. He looks to Dangeon and sayes, "Watch her a moment. I have to go see to something in another room." He then with a courtley bow (hadn't done that in awhile) left the two. As he exited the room he saw the rat and sneered a bit, but continued his course.

Viddick grunts and coughs, turning over and pretending to fall drunkenly on all fours as he hears somebeast coming out, and is facing away from the fox upon his exit... but the soldier quickly turns over and watches him go. "What in hell's..." He looks back in the room, and back where the fox went. He'd better slip downstairs - and the rat does just that.

"Bu- wot? Watch her? I don work f- Oh, f'get it. Fine." The hare shakes her head. "Oy, oy... Like y' need babysittin', miss. Apparently 'm s'posed t' watch y'..." She addresses Frigg. "Bu' that's up to you. I'd rather... talk 'r something instead, wot?"

Frigg gulps, and spins around to watch the warlord go, and looks at the others. "Well... hello again, you folks. Didn't mean to crash the party, heh.. heheh..."

Frigg nods. "Talk, yes. Do you have anybeast at home - you all seem far from home, I'm just wondering..."

Frigg adds, "Any d-dibbuns? Family? I do.." She's shaking a bit, but she had wanted to slip that right in there... she's looking around the room now...

Dangeon smirks. "An' where would y' believe my home t' be?" The doe points to Darkmane with a grin. "Apart from the cat-boss, Maney here an' the group I guess 's all I got now... Haven't really got a home, per se, anymore..." At the talk of family and dibbuns "Oh? Family's usually a nice topic; wot're they like?"

Frigg scratches her neck a bit, and courtsies, "Sorry ma'am, I didn't mean to insult you... um, my family's a bit broken up, I'll admit. The father is the devil knows where, perhaps even..." She gulps and blinks away the water from her eyes, "...even lost for good. B-but I have a daughter, who is all grown up herself - and she has two brothers, one who had left just a few seasons ago, the other she's never known... and my own brothers, sisters..."

"Hah. Yeh can do little t' insult me, really." The doe smiles "F'give m' bluntness, but I'm not quite versed s' much in compassion as I might be," A pause "But 'ow'd yeh all get so lost away fr'm eachother?"

Hactor sudennly appears again looking very diffarent. He now had his long hair brushed back and neat. and he was wereing a red tunic, and black cloack with boots. He had one of the sleaves pened to his tunic breast. (Luckily he had a friend here who owed him some favors) He came in now looking more or less like his old self.

Frigg looks with pity on the doe, "Ohhh... no, no, and I didn't mean to, sweetheart... oh, it's a terrible thing - we were living in an altogether different place, y'see.. and the father and sons were taken for work, made to think we, my daughter and I, were dead." She starts to tear up, "And the one son, he managed to f..." She stands aside, her eyes wider, making way for the warlord to come back into the room. She falls silent.

"Managed to f-? I'm afraid I don' know tha- Oh 'ell, it's all pomp an' ceremony again..." The hare sighs and eyes the warlord. "This mean y' want people t' start callin' yeh, 'yer majesty' again, wot?"

Darkmane leans back in his chair having listened thoughtfully for a while "My guess is that he managed to flee" the horse then nods slightly to himself "Dangeon is quite correct tho, the closest thing i consider to be family currently would be her"

Hactor roles his eye and replies, "No. I'm just through playing the part of the beggar. Now I play a new part The merchant gentlebeast!" He sat down once again, crossing his legs and and grinning at everyone very 'Well to do like.'

"Y-your m-majesty? What?" She looks at Hactor and gulps, "You're a king?" She dares not look directly at him, she's not nearly of the same class if it's true.

Dangeon shrugs. "Well. We 'eard he was a King f'r a bit. But, y' know. We've all been royalty at one time or another..." She moves closer to Darkmane. Room's filling up so she'll sit with him, especially after that nice last comment. "Merchant Gentleman. I like it more than y'r bally beggar garb. Less fragrant."

Darkmane smiles wryly as looks over at Dangeon and gives his lap a single pat before looking over at Hactor and Frigg "I think i might have a bigger claim on that title then our esteemed merchant, tho its mostly worthless in my case" a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

Frigg is confused, but she relaxes a bit, not afraid to look at least a bit more square at the fox. She keeps to the edge of the room, out of the perceived 'way'. She spots a chair but remains standing, not certain if she's entitled with all this royalty around...

Hactor sits and chuckles at the somments before saying, "Bah. Royalty is too nice for my tastes. I prefer Warlord. A more suitable and effective title." He quirks an eyebrow at Darkmane's comment but turns to Frigg saying, "Yes um..we have a little job for you. Nothin too drstic. We just need you to get something for us."

Frigg nods. "Is it... a dangerous task, to get this 'something'? Although I suppose I don't have a choice in this matter of retreiving the 'something'." She's feeling very 'expendable' at the moment. Or maybe it's a matter of size? Hopefully.

"Hold out f'r the money! He's a merchant now, he can pay." Dangeon advises the mouse, feeling brave due to the horse's presence mostly as she finds his lap. She tilts her head back to look up at said horse. "Ello."

Darkmane smiles warmly as he leans down to kiss the doe's forehead "And hello to you as well" a slight smirk appearing on his lips "And the reason i said its mostly useless in case anybody wondered is that for me to gain the title my father would need to be dead, as well as 5 other people would need to die without having gotten any male kids" His head dipping once more "Indeed, merchants have money so hold out for proper pay" His voice halfway amused

Frigg looks unsure of whether this is all a joke or if she should indeed research the going rate for the 'getting of somethings'. She keeps quiet.

Hactor frownes at the two and replies, "Hmph! Don't hold your breath just yet. Granted I have some coin now. But barley enough to pay for a meal." He strokes his beard and replies to Frigg after a long moment, "Frankley it's due to your small stature that we need you. You see, it involves a hole..."

Holes. Uh oh. "This doesn't seem like a lady-like task... um... what about that fellow from the other night? I heard there was some kind of deal? You could offer him to get this thing for what he wants, and he seems nice enough." She doesn't explain how she knows of any of this, but she's desperate not to go climbing into any deep, dark holes at her age.

Dangeon leans back. "Maybe y' can just take advantage of the few horses around here and be 'King of the Mossflow'r Horses'... Or.. Whe'ever we are now... I was a Queen y'know, once. Well. Near enough." The hare tells the horse, probably not for the first time, then returns her attention to the fox and the mouse. "Likely is, they trus' y' more than someone who.. from wot you just said... wants what foxy here wants..?" Glancing at Hactor now, to confirm or deny.

Hactor ignores them both and clicks his tounge. He derects his pearcing glance derectly onto Frigg saying, "Well my dear it really doesn't matter what you think. If I want you to jump, you ask how high. If I want you to cook you ask what. And if I want you to climb down holes you simply ask how deep." He then leaned back and raised an eyebrow, waiting for her replie.

Frigg eeps and is silent. Yes sir. "Yes... sir. Be gentle with an old lady, though, please... I am not as flexible as I once was, your... highne, er, lordship."

Darkmane remains silent for now as he holds around Dangeon gently, his brows furrowed into a slight frown.

Dangeon tilts her head. And looks up at Darkmane, confused. "I thought he was a bally merchant now?" She shakes her head, but is loathe to do more than continue leaning on the comfortable horse. "He's neither. 'said 'e was a merchant... Oy. But if y' want t' work f'r 'im, y'best act the part. Unless 'e's a real noble 'e'll be 'Master' t' yeh, miss, not 'Lord' or 'Highness'. Might get us all in trouble round here with those titles..."

Frigg looks over at Dangeon and nods. "Yes, master." Wow, does she feel completely helpless now - even the nice hare is telling her what to do! "Will I know what to look for, or will I be blindfolded and groping in the dark?" She wants to know what the item is, besides a 'something'.

Hactor smirks and steeples his fingers saying "Very good. I think you and I shall get along splendedly." His ear twitches as the doe speaks and he nods in agreement. "Aye," he begins to them all, "Around here the role of Noblebeast doesn't suit any of us. For now I am content with the part of a humble merchent." He then tillts his head agin at Frigg aand sayes, "Not my place to say. We must wate for Stubb my dear." He flashed her what he considered a gude natured grinn. However it looked more malicious than polite.

Darkmane smirks slightly as he looks over at Hactor "Maybe you should look for him and bring him back here then so we can hear all about this stuff, this is likely one of the more secure places to talk"

"Well. Secure but f'r us. An', ah, we kind o' work f'r or wi' Stubb 'r you, so it's sensible we know, wot?" The hare pipes up to give unnecessary support to Darkmane's suggestion. She's happy lazing there.

Truth be told, she'd be far more comfortable with Stubb, for some reason, than with the warlord. There's something deeply unsettling about this one, and she can't pinpoint it. Does she recognize him? It's uncertain... "Yes, I would be grateful for it, please do."

Hactor stands and gives them all a mock bow before snidley saying, "Oh yes I shall fetch the artefull Stubb! And then my mousy lady. We shall find a purpose for you." With a gruff laugh he whent to find the weasel.

Darkmane dips his head slightly as Hactor leaves "and then there where three" Chuckles softly and nuzzles the top of Dangeon's head as he speaks "Just to check sunshine, Our dear warlord is just an employer yes?"

Dangeon twitches her nose. "I'm not even sure 'e's that right now. Y' heard 'im, 'e's barely got the coin. I reckon Stubb's got a use f'r him, even as he is. We jus' don' know what it bally well is..." She shakes her head. "Oy. N'. Catboss 's our boss an' Stubb's his boss. F'r now. Ol' Foxy is... useful somehow..."

Frigg is ultra confused now... "You mean.. you don't consider him to be your leader? Isn't he a warlord? What about the... um, 'army' the rat was talking about the other night? Doesn't he have one?" She shuffles her feet nervously, supposing she's overstepped her boundaries...

Darkmane chuckles softly "I have yet to be accepted into the group in any official manner so the only reason i'm tagging along for now would be whats resting in my lap" The corner of his lips twitching slightly as he nuzzles the said doe contently "so no, i don't consider him my leader"

Hactor opens the door and walks out into the hall.

Dangeon shrugs. "Y'r accepted into the group o' Catboss an' me. 's about as official as we get." She grins at the nuzzle. "An' we follow Stubb f'r the profit an' the fact 'e's not killed us yet. Not an unlikeable sneaky weasel f'r all that, either. If 'e wants to follow Hactor, we'll follow Hactor. But n'. He's not our leader as far as we go. He's our leader's leader's leader. 'S totally diff'rent." Smirk.

Frigg nods. She blurts out, "But, so... where is the army, then?" She turns red, "I'm sorry - I heard a lot of surprising things the other night, and I should probably keep my mouth shut. Um." She fidgets with her paws.

Darkmane gives a slight wave of a hand "Don't worry about it around me atleast, i'm a quite likeable fellow for the most part as long as you don't mess with the things i care about"

Outside...

Hactor walked outside of the tavern, eying the crowds for Stubb. He was given a few glancess by gaurds but nothing a percing glance from his own eye couldn't fix.

The evening light finds Stubb looking frazzled, pacing back and forth in long, slow strides before the tavern. He slows to a stop as the freshly made-over fox emerges from the building. "Oy, ma'e. Where ya been? An where's tha mouse?" His face is a mask of exasperation, but this quickly melts away as he gets a good look at Hactor. "An whoi'd ya ge' all dolled up, /me lord/?" He grins. "Takin' me ta dinner?"

Hactor cackled and replied, "You wish my friend. As for the mouse she awaits your Lardship upstairs." He pointed a gloved hand at one of the windows. "And," he negan with an evil little grin, "She understands ubundantly what we say goes."

Stubb casts a hasty glance skyward and heaves a sigh. "We ain' go' all day. That ra', da one wha' we saw last noigh' at tha Priry... He'll have 'is oiye on tha place. Oi'm sure of i'." He jogs up to the Skull and Candle.

Hactor follows quickly.

In the hallway...

Stubb squints into the darkness, scanning for his target. "Dat room?" He correctly identifies the Jade Guestroom and begins to move in its direction without waiting for a reply.

Back upstairs...

Dangeon shakes her head. "Seasons knows where 'is army got to. Pro'lly left it where'r 'e left 'is arm... 'E might have the influence t' gather a few more to 'im though, so guess it makes some sense t' stay on his best side, wot? Don' y' worry about what y' heard or didn't hear. Y'r alive now and chances are we're goin' t' keep y' that way." She looks up at the horse sweetly. "Given I was so rudely awakened by the foxy, would y' mind terribly bein' a bed again Maney?"

Stubb's head slips in from the corridor, and a devious smile blossoms on his face. "Whoi weren' oi invi'ed, ma'es?" He pushes the door open and steps into the dim room.

Frigg looks over at Stubb, nodding. She fidgets some more with the edge of her frock, but otherwise just lets things happen around her. She takes Dangeon's words to heart, but doesn't answer.

Darkmane nuzzles Dangeon once last time and nods his head to her silently as he holds her close to let her sleep on his lap "Indeed ya were, atleast for now" his lips quirking into a wry smile "We heard ya had stuff to tell us"

Hactor enters behind the weasel, his arm behind his back. He opted to stand now instead of sitting,

Viddick was casually mingling downstairs with 'fellow' cohorts, that was - until he spotted Stubb and the fox going upstairs. The rat is again in the hallway, figuring there is something else juicy to divulge...

A familiar stoat [Adyna] mounts the stairs with paws clasped behind her, looking much dirtier and more disheveled than last time -- seems like Stubb and company are attracting quite the following. The jill steps around Viddick, ignoring him completely, casting her eyes about for the weasel.. and spots him, leaning casually in the doorway until she catches his attention.

Viddick doesn't have time to put on his 'bum' charade, before the stoat spots him and is walking past - well, that's awfully lucky. Maybe he'll just casually - no... he still has his wits about, and bends down low to the doorframe. The rat wants whatever they want, now.

Stubb starts as Adyna's paws creak on the floorboards behind him; his ear twitches, and he spins to get a look at her in her bedraggled state. Though he nods acknowledgment, he offers no further words of greeting. "Dis is tha place Hactor fough' we should mee'? Don' seem so proiva' ta me. Too many ears abou'. Bums in tha hawway, everybeast pokin' his nose in." He traces an idle claw through the thick tufts of fur on his neck. "No, oi fink we'd best to save tha chatta till we're back at tha Priry."

The rat curses, almost aloud, but refrains. For now, Viddick doesn't want to act as if he is disturbed at all by the news, and remains where he is... another stoat passes by and the rat mumbles and spits on the floor at him.

"Fair rude, tha'," Adyna says, with a bit of a grin. "Gain' an' actin' 'zif Ah'm no' a trustwairthy bist, hm?" She glances around the room, seeing a mixture of faces new and old, and shoves her paws in her pockets. "Ah'm shure yair newest scheme'll be'n safekeepin'."

Raising his paws in mock defense, the hob chuckles. "No insult mean' boi i'. I' jes' ain' woise ta trust anyone we don' need ta be trustin'." Stubb crosses his arms. "Besoides, moi dear, you snuck off on us. Tha don' stroike ol' Stubby as trustworvy behavior."

Darkmane grins slightly as he cocks his head to the left "Does that mean i'm not trustworthy as well" his voice curious as he watches the weasel.

Viddick is almost falling asleep! This is not what he wanted to be eavesdropping on! The rat looks at his empty bottle and wishes he'd asked the barkeep to fill it with something strong to make this conversation sound interesting!

Adyna glances at Darkmane just enough to give him a nod of acknowledgement, and turns back to Stubb. "An' when, noo, 'ave Ah e'er /'haved/ trussin'-wairthy 'afore?" she replies insolently. "Ah c'n kip i' t' m'self, if'n Ah en't bin a' th'drink."

"..which is fair offen..." the jill reflects.

"Tha doe trusts you, horse. An your too big for i' ta make much difference if oi do or don'." Stubb waves a paw as if to bat away the issue. "Long as we all ge' a sloice a tha loot, we don' need trus'. Oi'm jes' no' int'rested in 'avin' every passin' beast know our business. An' so," he says, smoothly turning his body, "oi propose we take dis mee'in' elsewhere."

Adyna shrugs. She /was/ curious. "If'n ye'll stay silen', Ah'll no' push i'," she says, pauses a moment. "Ah'm sad t'say Ah'm wilcome a' th' Black Gull nae long'r, 'til Ah've paid f'r th' drink 'n th' damages," she adds, to explain her abrupt presence. "Geld shair does 'ave a way o' tairnin' int' alky."