All The Better To Hear You With
Characters: Aikuen, William, NPC ferret, NPC Snive, Flicktail, Fae, Craven
Location: Moledeep: Kitchen, Tunnel Entrance, Berke's Rose Gardern, RW Abbey: Great Hall, Main Gates
(Sequel to: Thats Captain... Aikuen... )
Moledeep
It is just morning, and the birds our chirping out their song. There was some yelling last night, but it is all quiet now. All seems normal in Moledeep.
William had woke with the sun and seeing the fox dibbun, Racky, was still sleeping the ratling very quietly crawled out of the dibbun hole and made his way to the kitchen to break his fast. He had slept clothed and as usual armed. He wasn't long in the kitchen for it didn't take much time to locate the soup from last night and polish off a few bowls full. After washing the bowl and checking on the mute fox again the rat gathered his things and made his way outside.
Today would have been a beautiful morning except for the fact of what happened last night. In the middle of the clearing is a dead ferret, who was pierced through the chest by a javelin. He had fallen over and is now propped up by the javelin. On top of the ferret is a cut ear, that is not from the same ferret. Blood spatters are everywhere, and a set of drops lead to the north through the woods. Larger spots lead off into the rose garden, where you can hear screaming and laughing
Orph had smelled the blood from the entrance and was quite relived that the dead beast was not an otter. Yes this beast was certainly dead and whoever or whatever was making all that noise, in what had once been a rose garden, had either killed this beast or was being killed by whoever killed this beast. /Hope Pa's alroight ... I'll need his help t move this dead fellow so Racky don't see it when he wakes up .../ the rat hold his drawn his dagger in his right paw and makes a few practice moves with the buckler strapped to his left arm. "Stan on moi tunnel!" he hisses savagely at the sounds. He'd never caught on to the correct use of the term, which was why he rarely used it, but it sure seemed to apply. He moved stealthily
Moledeep: Berke's Rose Garden
In the rose garden, you see that the otter is not working on the garden but on a Rat who is still alive. The rat is strapped to a gardening post, his face is bruised and covered in blood. He is breathing heavily. The otter laughs as he punches the rat in the face, "Come on Snive, give up already eh? Uff" Anther punch into the helpless rats face. The rat groans with pain, but does not say anything. The otter himself, is covered from head to feet with splattered blood. There is a gash on the right side of his face, that has scabbed up. He Punches again yelling into the rats face "Come on now! speak up! uff! Cant hear yah! uff!"
Orph creeps up upon the otter an bound rat keeping out of sight. He is already upset, but now seeing /this/ he is torn as to what to do, after all he is a rat himself. He notes that this other rat is unarmed an unable to do anything anginst the otter as is. /Well, have to play this by ear/. He grimices as he steps just into view. His large ears are layed back showing his displeasure quiet plainly. "Alroight, I only want know two things! You, Snive, or whatever yurr called, I want know what yurr doin' 'ere when /I/ never said ya could be ere at /my/ tunnel! Secondly, an this may sound like an easy one, but just tell me anyhow," he takes a step forward moving his dagger more into view, "Jus' /which/ of ya am I supposed t use /this/ on?!" William is /not/ amused.
Snive looks pleadingly at the little rattling, "Help me! i was... just minding my own business, when dis otter attacked me for some reason. He going to kill me...hurg" He coughs and blood sprays out everywhere, "Help... me"
Aikuen punches the rat in the face, "How dare you speak to my son... you bastard... uff!" He punches him again. He then turns to William. His left eye is twitching, and he glares, "I want you to turn around and go back to Mole hall, and wait for me there, RIGHT NOW!
Orph glares at the pair of them, "That's not the right answer. Why are you here. The truth only, if I find you lied t' me this blade'll be feelin yurr hide an it don't matter if yurr still live when it does!" he pauses, "An' seein that theres a dead ferret by the entrance an this one's currently as dangerous as a babe, I don't see why I should be leaving. Specially seein that yurr," the looks the other rat over again,"uh /methods/ don't seem to be helping. Sides what it t me if ya kill em," he shrugs, "I've seen beasts die fore, seen em get killed fore, ... nearly /been killed/ fore ... what's it t me? I aint scared a otters or th dead," he looks around mock innocently, "I don't see any reason t go back. Racky's still sleepin' an /I/ can't move that dead ferret myself so /no reason/ for /me/ t go back Aikuen."
Aikuen smiles evilly, "Fine you want the truth! Ill give the truth!" He goes over toward the rat and puts an arm around, "This here is me ole messmate Snive!" He rubs his paws on the rats head, "I used to be his commanding officer, before he became traitorous and almost had me killed!" He takes his skinning knife that's nearby, and pokes the rats neck, "Im just returning the favor!" He laughs loudly.
Snive just cringes as the blade is put to his neck. He dares not even too gulp.
Orph is still upset, "So /now/ kill other beasts we don't like is ok? Well, then I guess since this isn't th Abbey it could be. So maybe posinin thet tree-rat wot beat me wasn't so bad after all, huh. But I don't know, l'see I'd suppose thet who ever owen this place or what have you would be th one t make th rules round here correct? An seein as I found this place an was th first t live here in ages I'd be th closest t an owner for it wouldn't I? Course I suppose iffen Aikuen here wants t kill his former messmate somewhere out in th woods no beast could stop em ... but this anint just somewhere in th woods no more ..." he looks hard at the other rat, "Is what the otter says true or not? I want ya til say th truth, understand. Though, I don't know if I could stop him anyhow. Also," he turns to Aikeun, "I wonder why, seein as Zen an me tried kill each other more an once. I wonder why ya ever tried stoppin us ... why not let me kill him or other way round *cough* as if he could *cough* Well? Ya supposed t be teachin me how t act ... I already know how t kill an hurt. I'll ready spent too many seasons learnin that ... kill em if ya think it's right, but don't be too surprised that I keep on copying you. Ya see how it works yet? You don't drink I don't drink. You cuss I cuss. You kill ... " he sighs, "Least yurr not th only one I copy, ya should be grateful for that or jealous, take your pick," the dibbun shrugs again an turns and walks back a ways til he's no longer in sight. He sits just in hearing range, waiting.
Despite the knife held to his throat, Snive nods then goes limp.
Aikuen is filled with mixed emotions, he tries to keep the knife help to his throat, but he can feel its weakening. Finally he sits down in front of the rat, and plunges the knife into the ground, "Dammit..." He wipes the blood of his face, then goes over to the now limp rat. He slaps him a few times just to wake him up, "Snivey, wake up... listen... im not going to kill you... but by all rights i should... After what you put me through i should take out your heart and make you watch it beat for the last time... But I'm not..." he stands up and begins cutting the ties with the knife, "I want you to leave Mossflower country, and if I ever see your carcass anywhere near here... I'm coming for you... that's a promise." He lacerates the last of the strands, "Go tell your other squad members the same... better be out of here before the next full moon. Cause the next time i wont be so nice!" He kicks him hard in the side, before stepping back a pace.
Snive coughs up more blood as the otter kicks him... "T-Thank you... urg..." He gets to his feet and begins to walk away when the otters paw stops him.
Aikuen forces him too turn around, and looks at him, "I just have one question, why did you do it... Why did you turn me in... why..."
Orph sits not very far from the pair still out of sight, he chews his lip thinking things over. He is very close to breaking but he listens on.
The rat just looks awful, he coughs up more blood as he answers, "I never meant you any harm... But i do deserve it... i am responsible ... i thought i was doing what the lord Skig would have wanted me to do... Didn't know you were the leader of the rebellion, i am sorry... but i know that wont make up what i have done to you... didn't know he would put a price on your head... Then they forced me to come here, to force you to come back... to have you killed in front of all Ashurah..." He looks down at this point
Aikuen puts a paw on his shoulder, "Alright matey... you had your reason, but don't think i let you off the hook. What i said before still stands. We don't need the empire coming in and causing havoc to the Denizens of Mossflower. Leave or i will kill all of you... without remorse..."
Snive smiles and nods, then begins to walk away toward the north to find his other comrades.
Aikuen cant resist, its been too long, he yells in a fine commanding voice, "ATTENNNNN-HUT!"
Snive immediately stop moving and comes quickly to attention facing the otter. He yells out, "Sergeant at arms, Snive Relien, Reporting for duty!" He gives a smart salute.
Orph has had almost as much of this waiting as he can stand ... woe to any that should cross his path as he's gone 'rouge rat' and is seeing red.
Aikuen smiles and walks toward the rat. Returning the salute, he says in a much quieter voice, "Captain, Aikuen Tazan, Commander of the fourth Militia... You are herby, DISMISSED! Now get out of my sight double time before my sword finds your hide...
Snive knows that he is not kidding, yelling, "sir!" He turns all the way around and marches double time to the north.
William barely hesitates at the smell of another rat, he gives a savages hiss as he strikes with his dagger, but it is clumsy and he drops it. The smaller rat is faster he leaps onto Snive knocking him down as he tries to grab at the abandoned dagger. William claws at his already weakened prey, his fangs find the large rat's throat and he tears at it savagely. Shouts and strangled screams can be heard from the over grown flora. The screams faded to a gurgled cry as Snive's blood waters the roses. The large rat lies very still and 'rouge rat' crouches over the dead should any others be fool enough to draw near.
Aikuen eyes pop open when his son hisses at him, "What is wrong with you! Why did you kill Snive..." He takes a step closer, paws outstretched in front of him, ready to defend himself, from 'William'.
Orph, if you could really call him that still, gives the otter another warning hiss to back off. If this otter does not leave the 'rouge rat' will attack, though this time it will not be a mouse dibbun or a weak unarmed old male of it's own kind that he is attacking. This time it will be an old otter and an armed ex-soldier.
Aikuen continues to walk forward, despite 'Williams' warning hiss, "Come on mate, its me your pa! Aikuen! you remember me right!" He lowers his right hand nearer to where his hilt is... He may have to break his promise to not hurt little ones, but this rat in front of him, is not a little one anymore..
The little rat sizes up the otter. The otter smells of blood and metal. The rat does not like the metal smell. /otter eat rat?/ The large otter that smells of blood and metal comes closer. The rat is still angry, but this beast may eat it ... unsure it switches to fear and runs on all fours away from the foul smelling otter. The 'rouge rat' runs northwest toward Redwall Abbey.
RW Abbey: Great Hall
Orph or at least a rat that looks kind of like him runs, on all fours, though the doors and into Great Hall as though it's tail were on fire. The 'rouge rat' is develished in appearance, but what catches the most attention is the fresh blood smeared all over his muzzle which dripping onto the floor.
Flicktail blink blinks "Um..William? wot ya be doing lad?
Fae looks at the blood and hides her face
Flicktail stands in front of Fae "WILLIAM lad....It Be yer friend Flicky......
Fae fumbles for something tied at her waist realizing it was lying on the table....
The 'feral' dibbun, still angry an somewhat fearful, turns to face whatever beast was making noise ... he smells them before he sees him ... The 'rouge rat' instinctively knows the smell of foxes of ones who eat rats this is not a good place to be. The rat cowers before the white fox terrified, before he just can't handle it anymore and he passes out from fright.
Fae picks herself off of the floor petting her tiny flower saying soothing words to it
Craven has done another long stint off with Long Patrol before being given permission to return back as Liason to Red Wall. How does he always manage this? No fears, it's probably not going AWOL from Long Patrol, one hopes. Some how, he has liberated food on his way, likely some thing he cooked himself, a large hunk of black Slavic style bread smeared in butter and honey, and he's eating it loudly as he enters. "Oi!" He just shouts in a burly manner to get people's attentions. "Whattya say to a hungry Hare who just marched almost a week to get to Red Wall?" His deep Accented voice belts out.
Fae drops the flower and looks at craven and tilts her head " wot do you say to a hungry hare?"
Orph is still out cold on the floor, there is drying blood all over his muzzle.
Aikuen bursts through the entry, and past the hare without even so much as a how do ya do! When you first look at him, you notices that from head to foot he is covered in splotches of dried blood. He he's panting heavily, but continues to struggle forward to the form of William. He gets near, he thinks that he is still mad, "Come on Will, Don't make... " He pokes the Rattling with his foot claw, he then realizes that he is limp. He falls to his knees, and sighs with relief, he did not want to hurt him.
Fae huddles into a corner talking to herself followed by the occasional "go away!"
Craven lightly moves forward when Aikuen almost runs him over, slowly producing an Axe if it looks like it's necessary. "I guess I'll need to raid the Cellar later.." He says, grabbing the Rat roughly, with out a care for Aikuen and hauling him up. "Wot the hells is going on?" he demands of Aikuen, standing there, full of annoyance. "I knew it, I should have never left the abbey alone.." he murmurs.
Aikuen gets up from his knees, and looks at the black Hare. Seeing the uniform he immediately comes to attention, giving a salute he yells in a fine manner, "Sir! That is my Son, Sir!"
Craven seems slightly taken back as he moves to deposit the dibbuns on a table, better then the floor, then a long series of what seems to be swearing comes out in an tongue unknown to any in these parts before his gruff voice switches back to woodlander. "You are aware it's a Vermin, and you oughta get your eyes checked?" he says before moving to his pack, a hand removing a leather vessel filled with a sludge, a pungent one, which he gently spreads with his paw on Orph's lips. Wakie Wakie, Mustard Seed and Horseradish.
Aikuen is still standing at attention and answers, "Aye Sir! I do realize that he is a Vermin, But what does that have to do with anything! er... Sir!"
Orph grimaces at the smell and the taste. He shakes his head trying to get away from the smell as he spits the mustard and horseradish concoction out. His eyes blink a few times as Great Hall comes into focus. "Wha ... I missed somethin somewhere ... " He's not sure what happened, but he doesn't remember going back to the Abbey, odd. "Pa?" he looks around for the otter, "Wot happen?"
Aikuen. "We'll need to discuss a few things some time, but for now, you ought to get him some thing to drink. Horseradish and Mustard Seed isn't friendly." He laughs, moving to warm him self by the fire, this Hare is a bit ..off.
Aikuen disregards the hare's advice and goes over to William. Leaning close he asks, "William... Do you know who i am!"
Orph makes a face still tasting the foul stuff, "Sure. Yurr Aikuen, my Pa. Um ... Did I - I loose my temper /bad/ again ... like when I tried t' kill Zen?" the dibbun whispers worriedly.
Aikuen sighs with relief, he plops down to the nearest chair. He smiles sadly, "Aye, you did..."
Orph sighs, "Damn! Last I remember is sitting in the bushes listen t ya talk t thet ... uh ... beast ya didn't like," he thinks it best not to say too much around the Abbeydwellers, "an next I know I'm wakin up here with bad stuff in my mouth!" He looks down at the floor. "Uh did ... did I hurt ya any when I was ... not me?" he asks.
Aikuen wonders if to tell him that he killed a beast by biting there neck off and that his mouth is completely covered in blood. He thinks that honesty is the best method, but how to break it to him... he shakes his head, "No, you almost did... but you didnt..." He thinks about what to say next, "You know, that Rat, i was talking too right..."
Orph says, "Y-yes ... I ..." he glances around before lowering his voice, "... kill him? ... or somethin ... I know I did somethin ... wouldn't be tastin blood on my fangs if I hadn't ..."
Aikuen doesn't say anything, but clamps his fangs together, then points to his neck.
Orph nods. It makes sense in a way. "I ... what am I supposed t do now, Pa?" he asks.
Craven is listening quietly, even he can feel bad for a confused Vermin Dibbun. "Simple enough for the two of you. I killed em, he drew a dagger on me, so I cut through his neck..how about you just tell me where the body is.." he says, this comes easily, he kills for a living, he is a Soldier
Aikuen says, "The only advice i can give you... is too continue to live your life... Though i hate to say it... if he stayed in Mossflower, him and his gang, would send back information to the island, then they would send more troops. so in reality you did a good thing..." He takes a deep breath before continuing, and looks at the hare "He needs to learn responsibility for his actions, though i think he wasn't in the right mind, at time of kill." Then back to William, "Well go back later, light a bonfire, and burn there bodies, even though they were the enemies all soldiers deserve a decent send off..."
Orph looks at the hare before turning back to Aikuen, "Who's he ... only hares I met so far I didn't like much and this one does look as nice as those ones."
Craven turns his eyes to bore into Aikuen, apparently annoyed. "Alright, I'll meet with the Elders of the abbey and see what they say. He's a vermin, he's tasted blood. How will that go over?" He snaps, using a modicum of logic on that one. "Your father doesn't need to know me, I'm just with Long Patrol." He hisses out.
Aikuen smiles warmly to craven, "You do that... then tell me how that works out for yah, Telling them that a /Vermin/ tasted blood... what's so different between you and him eh?" He looks back to William, and nods toward the hare, "He is part of the Long Patrol, a group of soldiers who defend the west coast, and /most/ of Mossflower." He then leans closer to William, "Don't pay attention to him much, his uniform is on too tight.
Orph could really care less who he's with, "The Abbot will listen to all sides before he makes a decision an sides the killing didn't happen at the Abbey anyhow it happen at /my/ home which belongs to /me/ and Pa. I don't know why you don't like me, yes I'm a rat, do you want a medal for figuring that out or somethin'? Yeah yeah I'm vermin as if that matters t me. That word don't mean nothin' ...." He slides off the table and takes Aikuens paw as if to leave, "I should ask Miz Cali t send a letter t that mountain an ask er relations t have a word with /some beasts/."
Craven lightly crosses his arms over his chest and looks down at Orpheus and sidelong at Aikuen. "Vermin killed my family, and plagued my land. I came south, to survive, and ran into Long Patrol, big strong hares, who fight. I fight, I fought for Vermin as a play thing. I fight now because it is natural. I do not need medals, they are for toy soldiers." He says.
Aikuen accepts Williams paw, "Come on mate, lets get this blood washed off. Oh but wait..." He looks at Craven, "You know i would have like to talk and share yarns with you... but you bring dishonor to the name Soldier." He spits in the hares direction, "A solder doesn't fight because likes too, he does it because he believes in something... Tchaa, you make me sick. Fighting Vermin just for the fact that they are... my best comrades were vermin as you so put it... I would have died beside them, happily... Come on William lets leave before i get angry again...
Orph nods, "My real father's crew killed him an my real mother before I can remember an I was beaten and went through eight or more families an only three liked me. The first was my real family an they are all dead now the second were killed by and killed what was left of my real father's crew. Aikuen here is my ninth family and the third one that liked me. I been there ... And I'm /not/ dead."
Craven laughs softly at Aikuen and cracks his neck, looking at him. "We're all dead, we just don't know it. When we finally hit the floor, and our blood stops flowing, thats the winter of life, creeping up, and it's a long winter." He says, referencing some of the beliefs from his lands. "Alright Otter, lets step outside and settle this with out winter coming." The Large hare says, grinning faintly, maybe it's apparent why the Other Hares don't like him much, he's mentally unstable and driven by bitter hatred.
Aikuen turns and glares at the hare, "Excuse me, did i just hear... what i though you said... Did you just challenge me..." He clenches both paws, and they crack as the bones pop.
Craven lightly nods his head a bit. "I did. I do not think it will take long to break you." He says, in a deep Slavic tone, glowering at the Otter. "I am a soldier, I have always fought to survive, you do not know the country I come from. Do not know our ways." He says, moving towards the door. "We shall spar outside of the Abbey." he comments, moving to leave
Orph watches the hare and looks up at Aikuen, "Think he's askin if ya want t die."
Aikuen knells down, and speaks to William, "Im sorry i have to do this... and i wont die, i fought bigger and uglier things then him" He lets go of Williams paw, and follows the strange hare outside.
Orph sighs, "Jus cause ya done it fore don't mean ya have t noaw! ... Ma told meh thet sometimes /not/ fightin' is more honorable then fightin ... course she also wanted meh t stop fightin at th time ..."
Orph walks into the kitchen and scrubs his face til it's clean the cooks aren't too pleased, but seeing the blood they act concerned thinking it's his. After being instructed to go straight to the infirm he leaves the kitchen to watch the otter and hare fight
RW Abbey: Main Gates
Craven lightly closes his hand to reveal the concealed punch dagger in it, made of hard wood, aimed right at Aikuen's shoulder, to disable his arm, his other paw coming in to hit him in the groin. A laugh is heard, one that is comfortable, no wonder he wears armor all the time, this is how his people brawl!?
Orph, his face cleaned off, walks out the Abbey gates to see what the hare and his Pa are about, knowing full well what he'll likely find, two grown beasts goin at each other like a pair of over sized naughty dibbuns."
Aikuen expected as much form this type of soldier, and jumps back as the hits come at him. He laughs back, "Yawn... got anything else in mind besides hitting me!" He uses his experience has a Scout to dodge to the left, way around the hare, then coming directly at him he aims for an uppercut at his jaw.
Aikuen staggers back as comes in contact with the fist. He then sees the dagger aimed at William, "You... How dare... " He runs up and jumps up into the air. He aims to do anything to stop the dagger from flying, including to hurl himself in front of it.
Craven has indeed aimed the dagger well and hard enough that Aikuen will need to use his body to take the blow, and thats what Craven is waiting for, when it does, and Aikuen hits the ground, Craven is on top of him, moving to stomp a powerful footpaw into his back, to break the dagger off in him. "Feel it, don't you? The grate of some thing hard against the soft. You remember it, don't you?" he says to Aikuen..
The ratling has since dug out a nice William sized hole for himself. Tired he settle down in it.
Aikuen grits with pain as he is stepped on. But he is not down and out, using all the strength he can muster he reaches into his pants and pulls out his skinning knife. He thinks to himself, only one way to be a cheat! Then using the reserve power he plunges it into the hares legs. Since the blade is ultra sharp, and ultra small the otter has no problem of breaking if off inside the hares body. He breaks off into the leg, with a Snap!
Orph turns around within the hole and looks out at the otter and hare. He's not sure what's going on. He waits to see what will happen.
Craven grunts faintly in pain, but gently puts a paw on Aikuen's neck, picking him up and throwing him away and moving forward, forcing his body to work, his good leg snapping out in a kick. Blood trickling slowly down his leg. "Otter, you would be wise to admit defeat.." he says.
Orph watches from the little hole he'd dug. His pa was losing. What would the hare do now? He starts to tunnel farther underground. He was never as good as his mole cousins, but he could dig somewhat. Maybe the hare wouldn't come after him.
Aikuen when he is thrown, this gives him enough time to pull the dagger out, And hide it in his paws. He receives the kick, but he reaches out and stabs the Hare in the other leg. Then using the time, he gets up and runs for William, blood oozing slightly from his chest wound. He picks up the Rattling, who'd scrambled out of his burrow, and makes a southern direction change. He yells to William in his arms, "time that we left matey!" He picks up the pace, which now would look like a blur.
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