A fight near Ferravale... and more.

FV:Path before the Gates

The path goes east and west here,as east leads back to the dirt road and west leads towards the gates of a village,.A large sign reads "Ferravale" as one looks towards the gates. Along the path are a few thin trees and a bush here and there. The path widens as you get closer to the gate and becomes less wide heading back to the dirt road.

Stormfur grins as he slips out, he speaks and spreads his arms out, "Just walking away, not a hello to ya dear brother?" His voice is a little cold, "Suits ,me fine.."

Cosmo stops in his tracks and turns around, a frown forms now and then his eyes narrow, "Your not be welcome here, kindly leave and I will forget I just saw you."

DoraRose arrives, following Cosmo. She raises an eyebrow at what the stoats' hvae just said. "What's goin' on here, Cosmo?" she asks. Her mottled cloak is closed, so you can't see if she has a weopon or not.

Stormfur smirks, "Aneko said ya worked here, pity." He pulls out his sword, "If I have it my way, not for much longer." He looks at the mousemaid and grins, "Hello lunch, deal with you later."

DoraRose draws a bastard sword, her face hardening. "Excuse me, fat-face, but did you just call me /lunch/?" her face looks like a storm cloud. Rather scary.

Cosmo lays a paw on his own weapon and glaces at Dorarose, "Go on inside miss, not going to be the safest place here soon." He stays calm and looks back at Stormfur, "Leave, not in the mood to fight."

Stormfur grins, "Well see, mice can be food am I right? And so thats why I said it and as for you." He looks at Cosmo, "Sadly I don't care."He is still and then makes a angled move with his sword to slice at Cosmo.

DoraRose charges at Stormfur, slicing at his backside. If she makes contact, he won't be able to sit down for weeks.

Cosmo manages to sidestep but the side of his cloak is cut, he looks at it and glares back at Stormfur, he grips his own blade and looks for a good opening to attck the other stoat but doesn't make the move yet, he blinks as he sees the mousemaid charge for Stormfur.

Stormfur had moved as he was attcking Cosmo, a slice does get him on the side,not dead but still hurts. He growls deep and now goes to make a stab at Dorarose smirking, "Forget what I said, ye die now!"

DoraRose sways gracefully, the swordpoint missing her by a hairs'-breath. She then swings at the stormy stoat, simply saying "We shall see."

Cosmo watches the mousemaid fight and seems impressed with her skills, he moves and swings his sword at Stormfur's leg in a move to make him fall if it connects.

Stormfur is clearly not happy with the fight, he barely gets away from the blade and the one Cosmo has just about trips him as he tries to avoid it, he grins evilly and goes to deliever a swift kick to Cosmo's chest.

Cosmo gasps as the kick finds its mark and falls backwards, the breath is kncoked from him as he coughs and holds his chest now, he is dazed slightly and not totally alert.

DoraRose charges Stormfur, her cloak billowing. She swings just as Cosmo falls, and her angry frown deepens, but she says nothing. Will her sword make contact?

Stormfur has his attention on Cosmo now, "Goodnight..goodnight forever!" He kicks towards his side and then raises his blade to finish Cosmo off, but as the blade starts to come down, Dorarose's Blade cuts deep into his shoulder, blood pours and he cussses loudly and then swings maddy at Dorarose not really aiming for anything for certain, he is just mad now and in pain from his wounded shoulder.

Cosmo starts to get up and oofs as he is kicked in the side, he groans and loses coniousness and lays on the ground, right now unable to defend himself.

DoraRose jumps back as Stormfur swings at her, but gets a slice on her chest anyway. She gasps, but then looks REALLY mad -- her eyes turn a little red as she stabs her sword at the stoats' chest, throwing all her weight into it.

Stormfur quickly blocks the blade with his and breaths in and out as its clear he is in pain from his shoulder, he shoves her back useing his energy to do so, "You..will...die..you and..Cosmo, your both..deadbeasts."

Cosmo is still passed out and has some bruiseing now on his side and probally his chest,he groans weakly.

DoraRose barely has time to block the sword, and is pushed back about 3 steps. She glares into Stormfurs' eyes, her own cloudy and slightly red. "I... will... not... lay... down... and DIE!" she suddenly backs up and swings, aiming to chop off his head.

Stormfur pants as he is out of breath already, he smirks, "We..shall see..won't we lunch, for now have a good evening", He holds his shoulder and backs out of the way and then taking a deep breath he runs back towards the river.

Cosmo starts to stir some and tries to get up, he holds his side and rubs his chest and coughs a little, he slowly opens his eyes. He has a small amont of blood on his lip from hitting the ground hard.

DoraRose glares after Stormfur. She looks like she is trying to get control of herself. Her eyes are still a little cloudy red. She is bleeding from a cut on her chest and is holding her bastard sword. She looks very angry.

Cosmo manages to get up and holds his side, he moves slowly to Dorarose, "You..need a healer, and he may come back..ouch.", He shakes his head. "Need to get ahold of..Lorimis and tell Chieftain Scioto of this."

DoraRose still looks angry. You can see her jaw muscles working. "If he comes back, he's a deadbeast. I'll be fine. You're the one who needs a healer."

Cosmo stands up better and tenses up some, "Your...bleeding miss, Infirm pass Tavern in the village, we should go there"

DoraRose bends down and wipes her sword clean on the grass. "I think..." she starts, then straightens up, looking into Cosmo's eyes as she sheaths her sword. Her eyes are clearing rapidly, but she doesn't finesh her sentence, just stands there, gazing at Cosmo.

Cosmo watches her, he moves slowly towards her, "Think..what?"

DoraRose shakes her head. She looks confused. "Did... did I just dream all that? I-- I felt like I was moving through a dream, surrounded by a red mist..." she trails off, her face a cobination of many emotions.

Cosmo frowns, "Only wish was..we fought, well me and you fought Stormfur, come on" He goes to led the way, he looks back and forth to keep an eye out for the other stoat as of right now a 2nd attack would not be good.

To the infirmary...

FV:Infirm

This is the infirm. The far walls are lined with simple cots with clean sheets and pillows. The sheets and pillows are mainly white and blue.The room is keep clean and well sweeped. Cabnets are agaist one wall full of healing supplies and herbs,each marked in its own jar. A examineing table is seen and a wash basin.

Exits: [H]ealer [D]orm [H]all, [B]ack

Cosmo glaces around and leads the way to a bed,he himself sits down and frowns. He rubs his side and shakes his head, "Still hurts some." He rubs his jaw some and frowns as he looks at Dorarose, "You alright miss?"

DoraRose sways, then shakes her head. "Yeah, I'll be fine." she heads over to the cabnets and opens a couple before she finds what she's looking for. She lifts a jar with the word "MARSHMALLOW" on the side. Grabbing a motar and pestle, a cup of water and some bandages, she shakes off a healer and asks "Is there anywhere I can get some privacy?"

Cosmo watches the mousemaid, the healer seems unsure , "Ummm a healer can help you miss.."

DoraRose looks at the healer -- a female squirrel -- then relents. "Alright." the healer leads her over to a curtained-off area as another healer aproaches Cosmo.

Cosmo lays down and lets the healer tend to him, he listens, "You have bruising and..don't think any broken bones, you are lucky but I will have to advise a couple days, at least, off guard duty." Cosmo starts to protest but the look the healer gives him makes him think better of it and nods. The healer goes to tend to a weasel with a cold as Cosmo stays layed down for now.

DoraRose and the healer stay behind the curtain for a few minutes, then they emerge, the mouse in a brand-new off-white tunic, her tunic, dress and apron in her arms. As she sits on a bed, the healer hands her a sewing kit, then goes and tends to wildcat cub that has a broken arm. DoraRose threads the needle and begins to mend her apron.

Cosmo looks over at Dorarose, he is not totally sure what happen but has a fair idea what could of happen, "Umm...I am thinking should thank you, I was knocked out and think the only reason I am not visiting those in the dark forest right now is cause you...helped save me, so..thanks for that." He offers a smile now.

DoraRose glances over at Cosmo, smiling a little, too. "Yes, I guess I did, didn't I?" Her paw almost seems to fly through the stitches, and "in no time" she has fineshed mending her apron and moves on to her tunic. She shakes her head. "I'm not sure what happened..."

Cosmo frowns, "Stormfur attcked us, thats what happen. He left and I am sure he will be back."

Scioto enters the infirm and looks at the two, "Who is Stormfur and where did this happen.?" He hmms, "And I was also told a fox was injured last night where is he and who was he wasn't told a name."

Cosmo turns to the voice and manages to sit up slowly, "Happen just pass the gates to the village,on the path Sir"

DoraRose looks sharply at Scioto, then relaxes. "The fox was Taran. Hey was mugged -- he has a black eye, and the stoat took his belonings." her face darkens. "I belive the same beast who did that just attacked us. I--..." she falters, then seems to become very interested in her sewing.

Scioto raises an eyebrow, he then nods and studies them both, "Alright, where is this stoat now?"

Cosmo says, "Most likely in the woods somewhere, think he was injured also so may not be out and about too soon.."

DoraRose shifts and looks troubled. "I /think/ he went off toward the river. I-- it was like I was in a red mist... I'm not sure of what happened." she scoots more onto the bed, and you can now see the bandage on her chest beneath the tunic she has borrowed.

Scioto is slightly confused, "Red mist?..maybe you seen blood prehaps. Was anyone else hurt or...anything.?"

Cosmo shakes his head "We were the only two there, fighting Stormfur, the stoat, and yeah he may be by the river couldnt gotten too far"

DoraRose is shakeing. "I have seen blood many a time before; this has never happened..." she looks almost scared. Her paws are trembling too much for her to sew.

Scioto walks over to the mousemaid, "When did it happen , if it was not blood then what was it. Red mist? and how bad was this red mist? A light...something else?"

DoraRose is stuttering. "I--I-- don't..." she can't finesh her sentence.

Cosmo frowns as he is not sure what to think, "You should take deep breaths and calm down Miss..all will be alright,you are safe now"

Scioto looks at Dorarose, "When did this happen? During the fight?"

Cosmo lays down, he is tried and soon falls asleep.

DoraRose takes Cosmos' advice, closing her eyes as she does so. She stops shaking and opens her eyes. "Yes... it happened during the fight. Stormfur sliced my chest, then-- my vision turned --red."

Scioto listens and then frowns, "I may know what it is, but...your a mouse not a..", He rubs his forehead and sighs. "Ok first off need to get a message to Abbot Benar and Flicktail at Redwall, this stoat Stormfur could be bad news and could head that way, and the village here needs to keep an open eye out as well, as for your...vision, may be wise to talk to someone else who may be better able to help you"

Nightbreath silently stalks into the infirmary.

DoraRose starts mending her apron again. She looks calmer now. She glances at Nightbreath as he enters.

Nightbreath sits down on a bed nearby and observes.

Scioto nods to Nightbreath and looks to Dorarose, "This is my Seer he will not harm you,..is there anything else I need to know on what happen earlier with the stoat?"

Nightbreath murmurs, "Ah.../that's/ what it was."

DoraRose shifts nervously. Great. Just when she had settled down again. "I -- I don't remember... It's all a red blur..."

Scioto nods slowly, he frowns again in thought. "I need to send a letter to someone else to, ...may be able to help you some as well, maybe your remember later or I can ask Cosmo"

DoraRose still looks nervous. Her paws seem to fly as she puts in stitch after stitch in her apron. "You should ask Cosmo..." she doesn't look like she trusts the Seer.

Nightbreath laughs slightly at this, because he /knows/ how evil he looks.

DoraRose jumps a little as Nightbreath laughs. She fineshes mending her apron, then begins working on her dress. Looking suspiciously at the Seer, she says, "So. You are a Seer."

Nightbreath nods. "Aye...and you are a Warrior..." He gives a slight smile, exposing fangs with strange celtic knot patterns carved on them.

DoraRose snorts. "You only know that 'cause I have my sword on." She keeps her eyes on her stitches, a doubtful look on her face.

Nightbreath shakes his head. "Not all those who carry blades are warriors...not all those who speak the future are Seers..."

Scioto had stepped out and now comes back into the infirm and looks over the infirm, "If the stoat return I want him arrested."

DoraRose opens her mouth to say something to the ermine, but speaks instead to Scioto. "How 'bout killed?" a dangerous look is flitting in her eyes.

Nightbreath laughs. "And how would that make you any better than them?"

DoraRose is now glareing at the ermine. "He attacked me, tried to kill me and another beast. It would be a civil service!"

Nightbreath shrugs. "But how would that make you better than him? If the fact that he tried to slay thou makes him deserve death, then you, too, would deserve death if you killed him."

Scioto listens to both of them now, he then speaks, "Do calm yourself Miss. The village will keep an eye out for him."

Nightbreath shakes his head sadly. "Poor mouse...thou don't know what lies ahead"

DoraRose looks angry now. You can see her jaw muscles working. "He mugged my friend..." she says, her voice a harsh hiss.

Nightbreath laughs. "And he could have done much worse...if only you knew what was to come...a simple mugging would seem like nothing, /nothing/ compared to it."

Scioto looks at Nightbreath and back to Dorarose, "I do know of the fox being attcked, did the same beast attck you and Cosmo as well?"

DoraRose drops her sewing, a strange look on her face. "How do you mean?"

Valda wonders into the infirmary. She looks around and sees an ermine, a mouse, and a cat. Walking to the cat she nods, "You are the ruler of this place?"

Scioto is curious of what Nightbreath could mean, then he looks to Valda, "Yes I am the chieftain here, what did you need?"

Nightbreath laughs. "If thou truly don't believe that I am a Seer...Watch and thou will see." It's creepy prophecy time. The ermine retrieves a small brown drawstring pouch hanging on his neck.

Valda says, "I only wish to spend the night here. In return I could help the mouse, I'm a healer you see."

Scioto nods "Awwww a healer, wouldnt mind having more healers around to stay achally"

Roac bobbes from outside, and looks at all the beasts

Nightbreath notices the raven, but does not say anything

DoraRose looks slightly overwhelmed. "I--I don't think I need help."

Roac asks, "who needs help?"

DoraRose looks at the ermine flatly. "I don't believe in predicting the future." A wildcat cub with a broken arm has started moaning. Perhaps he needs a healer.

Nightbreath laughs. "Then thou should watch...Wether you believe it or not, it's there." He retrieves a pair of dice from the pouch. They're carved from.../bone./

DoraRose snorts again (very unladylike) and picks her sewing up again. "Whatever."

Roac asks, "who are you beasts?"

Valda looks thoughtful "Perhaps I shall consider staying longer then." She tells the chieftain. Then she notices the wildcat cub and goes over to him, beginning to pull various herbs out of her pouch.

Nightbreath murmurs, "Ah...two flowers there were...yet the one that remains..." not predicting the future, just muttering to himself.

DoraRose is up and off the bed. Standing before the ermine, she is shaking as she shrieks "WHAT DID YOU SAY??!"

Nightbreath smiles grimly. "I know more than you think...."

DoraRose grabs at Nightbreath. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" Pain and anger are clearly displayed on her face.

Nightbreath calmly says, "I said, I know more than you think."

Scioto looks between the two and sighs, "Ok let us calm ourselfs"

Roac looks at Lorimis "hello who are you?"

Lorimis blinks "My word what are all these beasts doing in my Infirmary he squints looking at Roac especially such a magnificent colorful bird with a large beak and beautiful iridescent feathers"

DoraRose shakes her head -- in fact, all of her is shaking. "No, I mean before that..." she 2 pawfuls of the Seers' *shirt* front.

Scioto walks over and writes a letter and listens still, "I need someone to deliever this to Benar and Flicktail, they need to know of the stoat and oh yes..the fox."He writes down more.

Nightbreath's eyes begin to mist. "I said, two flowers there were...yet one remains."

Roac says, "hm...again I ask; who are you beasts?"

"LILY!" DoraRose lets the erimes' front go as she shrieks and collapses to the floor. "What do you know?! Tell me, please!" she seems almost hysterical.

Scioto looks over curious, "Whom is Lily?"

Lorimis blink blinks and moves toward the Raven "I am called Lorimis, I am an Abbot and I help run this Infirmary...and For the life of me I have no idea what these beasts are talking about"

Nightbreath sits down near the fallen mouse. "And I thought you didn't believe in the future...very well. I shall speak." His eyes are completely misted now. He begins chanting to work himself into a trance. "Fear...fire...fate...blood...blades...battle...shadows...secrets...spirits...death...darkness...destiny...Light and dark, life and death, come...speak to me...slip through what was, pass what is...Tell what is to be..." A fire blazes beyond his eyes.

Scioto looks at Lorimis. "Not sure on them but another matter...errr..maybe outside"

Scioto has left.

Roac says, "hm...I am Roac"

Lorimis says, "hello Roac..That was the Chieftain, I think he wishes to discuss outside...Are you uninjured Roac? would you liek to go outside and maybe we can both have our questions answered?"

DoraRose is shakeing, staring at Nightbreath. "Lily..." just a murmer, like a river on a summer day, is all she says.

Roac says, "I am not injured Lorimis abbot, so yes."

Lorimis has left.

"Death came once before on raven's wing...now...now the feather of the storm comes...the storm always remembers...now it comes...and like the lightning of the storm..." He raises his paws, and dramatically, loudly intones, "/IT SHALT CLASH!/" (Nightbreath)

Roac looks at the beast who sed that "hm..."

DoraRose stops shaking, and her face clouds. She looks slightly confused. "What?"

Roac has left.

Nightbreath murmurs. "Think! Remember the one with feather of storm."

DoraRose sudenly shoots up, screeching "STORMFEATHER!" she grabs at the erimine again and goes to shove him onto the wall. "You lie! You're working for him! He told you about my sister!"

Nightbreath snarls, and reaches for his blade rope, but thinks better of it, simply sidestepping the angry mouse. "I /don't know him!/ And if he's as evil as you say, I wouldn't work for him..."

DoraRose turns to face the ermine. "PROVE IT!"

Nightbreath looks her in the eyes, fixing her with a piercing, wrathful gaze...that is peaceful at the same time. "Threats and hatred...will get thou nowhere. I'll prove it, if only to save thou from destroying thyself. This.../stormfeather.../ I know not. What his name is, what he looks like, where he's from...I know not. I know /you/ though...O Mouse of Roma."

DoraRose stumbles back and sits down on the edge of a bed. "How do you know about Roma?"

Nightbreath smiles darkly. "I have never been there...Never been further east than Redwall...But the fates, the fates...they whisper, and speak to me.../That/ is how I know of...Stormfeather, and of where thou hail from.:"

DoraRose looks shocked. "I only visited Roma with my father..."

Cosmo has left.

Nightbreath sighs. "Thou believes that all thou knew was left in tatters on the farm...But one thing remains...The feather. The flower is wilted...but the pruner of the vine still walks free...Now, rose speaks to rose, and thorns of steel arise..."

DoraRose looks confused again. "Rose speaks to rose? Thorns of steel... What?" she looks like she believes that the ermine is a Seer, now.

Nightbreath murmurs, "You may find the answers in the past of the crimson walls..." The fire behind the ermine's eyes begins to fade, and the mist begins to roll away.

DoraRose stands and aproaches Nightbreath. "What do you mean? Please, tell me. I--I believe now..."

Nightbreath sighs. "What it means...I know not..." He smiles sadly. "But the advice...Follow it...The feather will come soon...Thou must be ready." The last of the mysterious echoes fade, and he returns to his normal self slowly.

DoraRose suddenly seems exsausted and begins to sway. She collapses.

Nightbreath swiftly kneels beside her. "Art thou alright?"

DoraRose is in Nightbreaths' arms. She is rapidly losing concisnous. "Never--nevermore..." she whispers, yet she is not dieing. Hmmm...

Nightbreath's eyes flash, worried...but the mouse's words seem to call up some memory from deep within the ermine's strange mind. "Of course" he whispers....

DoraRose somehow gets back to the bed. She has allot to think about. If you want to know what the 'Nevermore' refrence is to then please read The Dream':an adaption af 'The Raven' by Edgar Allen Poe'. The 'Stormfeather' thing is to the 'A n00b with an PTP idea' page. Thank you for reading, and join us if you wish!