Any news of Zurrgg yet??? or Snakes are scary!!! (A Ferravale log)
FV:Marketplace
This is probally one of the busy areas of Ferravale during mid-day as a couple shops are here selling there wares and an area set for fruits and veggies to be sold and other goods from carts and stands.Guards wander by many times to help keep the peace and make sure laws are not broken. The area is well kept and keep clean. You can stay a while or head back to the center of town.
Exits: [G]eneral [S]tore, [F]erravale [S]pices, [F]erravale [B]rewery, [S]eamstress [S]hop, [B]lacksmith [S]hop, [C]arpenter's [S]hop, [N]orth
Foxes: Bandit, male.
Rats: Rutsnout, male. Clarissa, female.
Cats: Blisa, female.
Ferrets: Ferdinand, male.
Whiptail snakes: Basilisk 'Basil', male.
Martens: Kolur, male, as well as some 'friends'.
Mice: Rork, male.
The day was decent enough, for May - the air was pleasantly warm, and summer had started in. Enjoying the day is a rat, Rutsnout, leaning against a doorframe; he is taking a noontide break. Taking another bite of the apple he is holding, his eyes wonder over the passing crowd of beasts meandering hither and thither on their daily routines. The rat sighs, finishing the apple and tossing the core into a nearby barrel.
The rat isn't the only beast taking a break. Slipping out the office window is a near impossible for Bandit task these days, especially after his visit to Redwall and its famous food. So instead the obese fox took a 'personal day' to himself, do some shopping, specifically for a new belt that could wrap around his growing waist line. The way his blue tabbard flaps about with out a belt is...embarrassing...to say the least.
Personal day, smershonal day. The fox cannot get away from Blisa the cat! She has decided to take Basilisk the (huge) whiptail snake out for a walk (or slither, as the case may be), and she is riding at the base of his neck. Ferdinand the ferret and Carissa the rat, 2 of her bodyguards, are walking alongside him. Most beasts seem used to the giant reptile's presence, but some newcomers scream in pure, unadulterated FEAR and run away. The petite feline spots the Head Guard and directs the snake over to him. "Do I get to EAT the fat foxsss?" Basil asks hopefully. Blisa scowls at him and instead of answering him, calls out, "Bandit! I wanna talk to you."
Kolur walks along with a couple martens as he chats with them, the marten glances over at the snake and rolls his eyes as he has seen a monitor so what's new."Interesting beast" He mutters to one of the martens beside him as they whisper he shrugs.
After a moment or so, Rutsnout catches sight of the snake. His knees buckle for a moment, and he slides over the door towards the door handle. Hopefully he can get inside before the snake starts eating 'fat foxesss'.
The fox's head swivels towards the cat and he let's out a soft 'eep'. The fox was used to the sight of the snake by now but with Blisa he never did know if she was going to just pester him or if this would be the day she slips off into the deep end and has him fed to her 'pet'.
"Oh! Uh...hello! Good day to you! Sorry but I can't talk right now, I have...uh...uh...business! Yes! Business with this fellow!" He takes a few steps towards Rutsnout to try grabbing him by the arm, "Yes! Important state of the village business! Can't talk right now, got to go, bye!"
Blisa's scowl deepens. "I just wanna talk, stupid." She hops off Basil's back, and he starts whining about how he just wants some fresh meat..... While Clarissa tries to talk some sense into him, Ferdinand and the cat approach the fox and rat dude. The ferret guard has spotted the martens, and he watches them closely as Blisa says, "I've been hearing terrible rumours about demons and monsters taking over Camp Willow, and that the son of the Abbey Recorder and ne of the children of DoraRose have been kidnapped by Zurrgg -- oh, hi Rutsnout! Don't worry about Basilisk; I'll keep him from eating you." Which is more terrifying; the fact that he's a giant snake, or that the cat can control him?
Kolur looks over at Blisa as she mentions Zurrgg and tries to listen in while he kicks a rock across the road. He looks to be a new guard, not the other martens they just sort of stay close to him.
Rutsnout, several shades paler, seems on the verge of fainting in the fox's grasp. His mouth keeps opening and closing as to say something, but not words come - only rather high pitched squeaks. Even with the cat's reassurance, well, actually, it seems that made it worse. He keels over away from the fox, landing heavily into the dirt, convulsing; the squeaks having developed into incoherent babble. It doesn't seem like he'll be useful to anyone for a time being.
"Oh dear." The fox says as he scratches the back of his head, "I dare say you broke the poor lad Blisa." The head guard gestures to the martens not too far away, "You going to stand there and just watch? Get this rat some water! And as for /you/" The fox turns on his heel to Blisa, "Blisa, we really need to have a conversation with your father about riding that.../thing/ into town." He says both because it's relevant and because it gives Bandit a chance to think of a worthy reply to the cat's questions.
Blisa goes to poke the Head Guard in his sizeable gut. "I can ride Basil wherever in my father's village that I want! Maybe we should have a talk to Dad about how /chubby/ YOU'RE getting!" Take that! Basilisk is still whining and arguing, so Clarissa can't come help. Ferdinand pulls out a canteen of tea and holds it out to the almost-fainted rat. Because he's helpful. "Now answer my question!" Growls the petite feline, jabbing at the fox again.
Kolur smirks as he whispers to one of the other martens "She is the chieftains daughter..." He gets a nod and the other marten writes down the info and pockets it and walks away, yep not staying. Kolur walks [over and] clears his throat "Yes you should answer her and nice reptile by the way"
The rat is unresponsive to the canteen and tea; instead opting to curl up in a small ball as he's practically bawling. To add insult to injury (well, injury to insult), the door to the shop swings outward hitting Rutsnout's head, as Rork pokes his own head out the door. "'Ey, boss, y'almost do-...." He trails off, seeing the snake. "Well, er, never mind. 'Ave a good day." He says in an oddly high voice, and slams the door shut. Rutsnout groans, rubbing his head.
The fox cringes to the hollow sound of the rats head being caved in by the door. "Ah blazes..." he glares murder and death to the marten and his insolence, "You mind yer own business and help the rat to his feet or do you just not feel like getting paid today?" Guards, give them an inch and they take up arms to sell your hide to a fur trader...
He seems to scowl at the comment of his weight but let's it slide, "Demons and monsters? You mean like how beasts think we harbor a /dragon/ here?" He shrugs, "Camp Willow is a world away from us and can take care of their own problems. As for the abbey, pfft," He shrugs again, "Frankly it's out of my jurisdiction. The best thing we can do for them is find Zurrgg. Find him, find his victims. Problem solved. We have scouts after him but...such things are best talked about away from open markets and prying ears."
Blisa glares at the martens, then turns back to the fox. "You're right; I'm sorry, I've just been having trouble thinking straight since....since...." Since Jase died is what she can't say. Basilisk turns and smiles down at the marten. "You think I am nicesssss? Yesssss, I am handssssome, aren't I?" "Oh, fer tha love...." Clarissa covers her eyes with a paw. Ferdinand kneels down to look Rutsnout in the face, all the while keeping a wary eye on the martens (Clarissa is, too, she just doesn't look like she is). "Rutthnout? Thpeak to me, pleathe."
Kolur rolls his eyes as he looks at the snake "I know a monitor so snakes don't scare me. I am a guard here now so I am loyal to my boss" These words are true as he speaks them, but when he says boss he could mean someone else other than whom they think.
"Snakes..." the rat finally manages, "And monitors..." He takes in a very deep breath, "Are two very," Another deep breath, "/Very/ different things, thank you very much." Rutsnout sits up, avoiding looking at the snake and doing his best to convince himself that it isn't there and isn't making subtle threats about eating everyone and that it CERTAINLY isn't capable of such a deed. He rubs the back of his head, groaning, again. "I'll really have to get that mouse to actually help instead of trying to brain me... Ugh."
The fox only crosses his arms, having no patience for the cat and her feelings. She called him chubby after all. "One day Blisa, you are going to take over this city. Light save us all from your emotional outbursts." A bit harsh especially with the snake nearby but...
Shaking his head the fox turns to walk away, brushing past the marten as he does, "Redwall can take care of itself. They have a fancy new /champion/ to save it. If they need our help they can /ask/ for once." he leaves before he adds anything else that would seal his fate...
Blisa is literally speechless. She glares at the fox's back as he walks away, stuttering in rage. Ferdinand, however, is glad that the fox left; he was not looking forward to trying to talk the cat out of poisoning him. Nodding, he instead says to the rat guy, "They are, indeed. Nobeatht thould ever dare to cofuthe the 2. Here, have thome tea," he offers again. Clarissa stares at the retreating fox in abject horror. Basil goes to curl a couple of coils around the marten. "Yessss, but can a monitor do thissssss?" He goes to give a little squeeze, not even exibiting an eighth of his power and strength. If the marten slipped away, the snake is instead killing an innocent barrel.....
Kolur backs off, well there is one less innocent barrel, what did it ever do to the snake. He nods "Well maybe the chieftain can talk to the head guard...so you're the [Chieftain's] daughter?" He looks at Blisa curiously
Rutsnout almost slips back into hysteria when he glances over at the snake and marten, though he manages to stay his panic by gulping down the tea. Granted, he almost chokes on it... But he glances over at the cat, taking another long swig of the tea. "Eh, so the rumors in the land, " Another gulp of tea, "Are true, well, to an extent, then? With all the mad beasts about and all that?" He really hopes Ferdinand didn't have plans for drinking the tea later.
Blisa glares at the marten. "Your MOM is the Chieftain's daughter," She growls dangerously in a non-answer. Ferdinand can get more tea. "Mith Blitha, I need you to pleathe calm down," he says quietly. The cat whips around and stares in his direction, her eyes slightly unfocused as she processes this request, and the rat's question. Basil hisses as he shakes off part of his huge tail; how was he supposed to know that the barrel had had cider in it? Clarissa coughs and says to the marten, "Ye ask a lot of questions thar, shipmate."
Kolur listens and manages to barely hide a chuckle, he looks at the rat and shrugs "So, one learns as a...guard that way, right?" The other marten nods "Yeah and the...mmmmph" The other gets a slap on the face and a warning glare, he quickly shuts up.
Shoulders falling when he sees just what barrel the snake destroyed, Rutsnout turns back to the cat and her guards. He takes in a gulp of air before saying, in voice that is still boarding squeaks, "So, er, is there any way... he... can pay..for that?" he asks gesturing to the cider covered snake after a moment.
Blisa's gaze focuses in on the rat's face, and she looks much calmer and quite a bit less unhinged now. Glancing at the snake, she sighs heavily. "Come by my house later and I will pay you the full amount. I'm afraid that I have no money with me right now. Basil, please ask before you start destroying things." "Sssssssssorry, Blisssssssa....." The cat turns back to the rat guy. "I fear that the rumours of a horde in Mossflower are true; from what I hear, the otter holt, Camp Willow, has fallen. However, they do not welcome vermin, so we are concentrating on finding the wildcat Zurrgg; he is our utmost priority." Clarissa glares stubbornly at the marten. "Aye, and 'tis my job to know /why/, exactly, ye want to know all o' that." Eyeing the slapped marten, she adds, "Wha' was 'e about to say that ye didn't like, thar, shipmate? Thar's no need for secrets 'ere in Ferravale."
Kolur smirks "He is rude is all and none should be rude to the chieftain's daughter right?" He listens and nods "Oh yes the poor otters, they are on their own I guess." He says nothing on Zurrgg but keeps it in his mind who is who around here. "And I be sure all villages have secrets, nothing wrong with that lass"
Kolur backs away and grabs the other marten by the ear and drags him off muttering something unheard and the other mutters something back rubbing his head.
Rutsnout nods, once, at Blisa's words on the payment. "Right then." he falls silent for a long while, before venturing to speak again. "I knew a beast who was good at tracking and finding stuff - a woodlander. Don't know if he's still around here, but he could help..." he adds, as an after thought, "I would offer to help myself, but, y'know how it is.." He taps his knee.
Blisa smiles a tiny bit. "Any help would be welcome. Zurrgg has killed many of our residents; I am willing to pay anybeast who brings me back his no-good-dirty-rotten body." She is dead serious as she adds, "I could use a new rug." Ferdinand quickly says, "Do you have any idea where thith tracker might be?" Basil has started to lick the yummy cider off of himself. Clarissa is very suspicious of the martens....
A new... rug? The rat swallows. Great, they /are/ all crazy here. "Eh - well, I actually have no clue. Last I heard he was hangin' 'round the abbey..." He glances rather uncomfortably at the snake. "Say, mate..." Rutsnout asks Ferdinand, after a moment or two of staring at the snake 'cleaning' itself, "How exactly do you feel about being around that..." He motions to the snake again, "Beast? Actually, what I mean is, well, er, how exactly," IN THE BLOODY HELLGATES, he adds in his mind, "Do you manage be so calm around...him?" The last word went up at least an octave.
Blisa nods, then turns and says something to Basilisk, who starts whining in a way that doesn't quite seem possible. As the cat and Clarissa try to deal with that little thing, Ferdinand just shrugs. "Thimple, really. I know that I can kill him if I need to. I'm quite adept with my thabre," he adds, patting the weapon at his side.
"O-oh. Oh." Rutsnout says, "Okay then." He blinks, looking at the saber and then the whining snake. "And if he, eh, eats you beforepaw...?" He asks, swallowing again.
Ferdinand shrugs. "The other bodyguardth and I take turns keeping watch. If Bathil even trieth to do thomething like that, he'll be dead in very little time." Basilisk flops to the ground, the picture of patheticness. Blisa throws her paws into the air in frustration while Clarissa pokes at the still whining snake with a stick.
Rutsnout nods. "Ah, I see...Also, well, thanks for the tea. Say, what type was it?"
Ferdinand smiles. "Jutht mint with thome white willow bark in it, thweetened with honey. Mith Blitha thufferth from headacheth all the time, tho I keep thome thpecial tea around to be on the thafe thide." Basil has stopped whining (finally) and Blisa comes back over. "I hope you've had lots of business," she tells the rat honestly.
Rutsnout nods, again. "Aye, I have actually. And speaking of which, I should probably get back to it. Rork has probably spent the last hour doing who knows what." He turns towards the door, opening it. "By the way," he adds before going in, "Have a nice day, all of you."
After wishing him a good day, too, they leave and go to the pond.
Thanks for reading!
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