Battle For Freedom Begins

Starts in the cell, yes at Nightfur’s Base!

Zork is pacing back and forth, looking slightly worried and even a hint of anger, he looks at the cell door every so often and then it's back to pacing.

Willowheart watches the badger pace from where she is curled up by the wall.

Zork sighs and finally sits on the floor and glares at the cell doors.

Willowheart frowns some but says nothing as she just stays by the wall.

Zork shakes his head and looks ready to punch the wall as he glares at the cell door.

Derean slowly opens his eyes, frowning at the presence of a new beast in the cell. He simply sighs though, as though this doesn't surprise him.

Willowheart looks at the waking otter and just frowns, she is sort of new..well to this cell anyways she is, she stays by the wall and doesn’t speak to anyone.

Zork glances at Derean, "Derean..did ya happen ta see when those foul beasts took Braxton or were ya awake?"

Derean looks blank at this revelation, but he simply curls up further, making a small whimpering sound.

Willowheart frowns, she doesn't know anything so for now is quiet.

Zork blinks, "Wot?..did ya let them take someone else!"

Derean shakes his head, speaking in a weak voice. "I wasn't awake...I..I couldn't help him...."

Willowheart speaks, "I...I was in another cell" Her voice is weak and sounds sore, and quiet also.

Zork looks at the hare maid and sighs and back to Derean, "Sorry lad..just , just worried bout the boy"

Derean nods slowly, looking ever closer to slipping into insanity. "R-Right..."

Willowheart has tears go down her face as she looks at the floor, "Don't matter...bally well be here forever."

Zork says, "Not ta worry lass, we will get outta ere' soon, we haf weapons and a plan"

Derean chuckles softly. "I don't know if I want t' try Zork...Braxton an'  Starlight are both gone.."

Willowheart frowns, she has no clue who these beasts are, "I..why try, no one cares or I wouldn’t bally well be here, away from my mate and kits...my" Tears stream.." over 3 seasons..wot kind of mom am I!"

Zork glares at them both "Now that just wot de slavers want from us..ta give up, I refuse ta give up and never will"

Derean doesn't move from his spot. "Have fun with that Zork...tell me how it goes."

Zork says, "Ya are goin' too Derean"

Willowheart looks between them and sighs softly

Derean sighs, closing his eyes as he keeps against his corner. "Right...we'll see about that.."

Willowheart frowns "I..I know how you feel sur..I was taken on a walk...from my mate and two kits, just barely 1/2 season old..if that and that was over 3 seasons ago and.." she cries "I feel..they have forgotten me"

Zork frowns.

--Couple Hours Later--

Zork had for a little while let sleep take over and now shakes his head and rubs his eyes.

Willowheart blinks, "Oh..too bad wasn’t his bally head huh"

Derean chuckles, looking back at the clasp. "I was close t' grabbin' his throat, but oh well."

Zork looks over, “something happen ta de fox?"

Derean shakes his head. "I ripped the clasp from his cloak."

Willowheart says, "I wish we could get out of here, hate it here"

Derean grunts, tossing the clasp to the side. "Get used t' this lass. We're stayin' here fer a long time."

Zork shakes his head "Well..I fer one am not, this place is startin' ta get to me"

Willowheart frowns, seems it has already gotten to her.

Derean has been slowly going insane, yes, but he wasn't quite willing to admit it. "I'm used t' this Zork, so say wot you want, but I likely won't be leavin'."

Zork says, "why stay ere' makes no sense"

Willowheart frowns, "I am unsure we can get past the guards and..all the vermin"

Derean shrugs. "I told you Zork, I've got nothin' t' go back to at the Abbey."

Zork says, "Ya got friends"

Willowheart says, "Friends..are important..if have any still around"

Derean shakes his head. "Like who? You? DoraRose? Powell's dead now, so I barely have anythin' left."

Zork says, "I am ya friend, so be Dorarose and how do ya know Powell is dead, maybe he isnt"

Derean looks away, saddened. "Nightfur said he stabbed Powell in the chest."

Zork frowns "Wot?!..Powell is...that’s it de slavers pay fer that!"

Derean looks close to tears yet again, but this time he summons a massive effort to keep them in. "A-Aye...he's dead Zork..and we couldn't do anything about it.."

Zork frowns, he shakes his head "Gots ta make sure no other beasts die, we haf ta"

Derean shakes his head. "By now, Nightfur just kills who he wants. Nothin' I can do t' stop it."

Zork says, "Nightfur is soon gonna be killed"

Derean scoffs. "Right, and I'm a fat toad, eh?"

Marek has been sitting in a corner mumbling to himself for the past few days, some would think he's gone insane, others would know better. "You insignifact, skeptical, useless waste of space!, if you aren't going to help then I will happy to end your life myself!"

Derean shrugs, as though this notion doesn't bother him. "Do it. I don't mind by now.."

Zork glares and then slowly turns when he hears Marek and stares at him before looking back to the otter.

Willowheart frowns and backs away not knowing the stoat and stays by the wall.

Marek brandishes a piece of Oz's broken staff. "The time to act is NOW, we should not wait a moment longer, while we sit and wait, Nightfur captures more slaves, and Nightfur takes more of Mossflower, we CANNOT simply sit here and let that happen"

Zork nods "Marek has a point..even if just a couple of us get out ta get hel'..be worth it, then get de others out after find hel' which hopefully be on de way"

Willowheart says, "Is..is Marek a friend of..of you guys?"

Derean stands unexpectedly, looking around the room. "Well, if I'm goin' t' die, at least I can try t' help get you guys out of here."

Marek sighs, as he is really getting tired of Derean's skepticism, having put up with it for days . "Very well, I will gather our weapons, when we are ready to make the escape, we'll get them out"

The two guards on duty look bored, one yawns and the other just rolls their eyes. Both are rats it looks like.

Bandit wakes to the sound of the guards.

Zork nods "And find our other weapons upon getting out and..I haf ta find Braxton, don't care he gets found before..before something happens ta him"

Derean looks almost uncharacteristically crafty, and he takes a step towards the cell door. "Hey rats! You look like the kind of beasts I fought as a dibbun! I bet you couldn't take me on together could you?!"

Willowheart frowns “Wot if ya..can’t fight sur?"

Marek holds up a paw. "Silence, hare. Let the otter have a death wish if he likes"

One rat sneers at the otter "Shut up river dog." The other still looks tried and yawns and lets his friend deal with the dumb otter slave.

Zork looks around "Where be de weapons we made, and who of us tries ta get outta ere'?"

Derean instead snickers. "Ah, so I'm right! Just try comin' in here and tellin' me t' shuddup. I promise I'll show you wot an otter like me can do when his coward enemies aren't on the other side of a cell!"

Marek points to the corner. "I hid them there, and I think it would be in our best interests, if you and me were the one's that left, Mr. Zork"

Willowheart backs up to the wall, it's clear she is not a fighter hare and most likely won’t be one to try and leave soon.

The main rat looks inside "That right then slave?..I will make ya regret them words!" He goes to unlock the door while his rat buddy stays close by just in case he is needed, but they are just helpless slaves..right?

Derean grins in anticipation, waiting for the rat to open the door so he can give his cellmates a chance to escape. "Oh I bet you can try, but I'll be makin' you wish yer ma never birthed you!"

Zork nods to Marek "Ya be right..Derean ya be careful and get a weapon"..we all need one quick"

Marek grins as well, waiting for the opportunity to kill one of his captors, he has a piece of Oz's staff at the ready. "Let’s do this"

Willowheart stays by the wall still and whimpers a little, she wants to be as far from the guards as she can be.

The first rat enters and his buddy close behind, both have blades as the first speaks, "Ya slaves need ta shut up and obey us and our master"

Zork gets the chain he has and points to some stone if the hare maid wants any and grips the chains in his paws.

Marek laughs. "You amuse me, it’s quite a shame you aren't working for me really"  He brandishes his staff at the first one, making it look as if he was going to strike, forcing the second one to retaliate, and Marek in turn snaps his neck. "Burn in hell's gates, you rotten piece of slaver scum"

Derean seizes the moment to throw a devastating punch to the first rat's jaw before jumping forward into a tackle whether the punch lands or not.

Willowheart gulps and covers her eyes, she has been here awhile and probably seen the guards or escape tries before

The first guard is distracted just long enough to see his friend die and goes to slice at Marek as the otter punches his chin, he yells for help and the sound of other guards coming fill the air.

Zork gets ready to swing his chain, slowly at first as one rat comes quicker than the other guards , they get a chain in the face and falls backwards as the badger grins, he looks at the open doorway starting to head to it.

Marek frowns as he hears other guards coming. "We have to work fast to escape, Mr. Zork"  He steps out of the cell. "Let’s go"

Derean tackles the guard to the ground, aiming another punch at the rat's jaw as he yells to the others, "Run! Take the chance while you have it!" In an urgent tone.

And the otter gets to give the rat a bloody nose as a stoat, couple more rats, a weasel or two slowly start to come to try and prevent this escape.

Zork nods "Right..oh wonderful more guards!" He swings his chain and a couple guards back off as Zork grins "Ello..."

Derean grips the rat by the neck, smashing his head into the rat's snout hard before he grips the back of the rat's head and his chin and twists, smiling at the satisfying crack as he snaps the rat's neck.

Marek cuts the throat of a stoat. "I shame to kill a fellow stoat, but it is necessary, I am quite sorry"  He proceeds down the hall, every so often looking back for Zork. "Come on, Mr. Zork. We must be getting our weapons"

Zork kills one of the other rats and gets into the hallway and looks around "Haf ta be somewhere..darn it"

The guards, most attack the otter and a couple go after Zork and Marek

The guards are dead and a couple that got past the other two come to relock the cell as they are other smaller hallways they could of ducked into as the guards came to here.

Willowheart opens her eyes and frowns more as the door is relocked and shivers

Derean stands from the body of the dead rat, now smiling with satisfaction. Whether he made it out or not, at least he took some beast with him.

The guard that just came speaks "Ya will pay for that and your friends will be found and killed"

Derean shrugs, looking at the guard with a smile, one that actually has some hope and heart behind it. "Good luck with that vermin. They'll get the others, and soon enough, you'll all be dead along with Nightfur."

Willowheart frowns, "w..wot going to happen now?"

Nightfur comes into sight and growls, he slaps one guard upside the head "Fools!..idoits!"

Derean crosses his arms, not answering Willowheart for the moment. "How does it feel t' know you'll be dead in a day or two Nightfur? It must feel good right?" His tone imitates the one Nightfur had been using to mock him and the other slaves over the weeks.

Willowheart gulps as she sees Nightfur and presses herself into the far wall and shivers some.

Nightfur glares at them "I won’t die...all you will and your friends"

Derean shrugs, looking quite victorious. "Suit yerself fleabag, but when yore on the ground, bleeding out, don't say I didn't tell you so."

Nightfur says, "You are funny, it will be fun to kill you otter"

Willowheart frowns more, tears go down her face

Derean laughs. "Come on in here an' try yer luck, like this'un." He points to the fallen rat, whose head is laying at an unnatural position.

Nightfur glares "I will be back, with news of your dead friends otter, if they are not already dead"

Derean shrugs, walking to the wall and sitting down. "I'll be awaiting word then fox."

Willowheart frowns, she sighs sadly looking more defeated now and starts sobbing.

Nightfur smiles coldly, "Whatever you say" He turns to head out, yes he is not in a happy mood as he yells at a guard then storms off.

hallway

Marek walks down the hall. "The hall seems to be clear, but it will not stay that way for long, Mr. Zork. We have to move"

Zork makes his way down the hall and looks back and forth, he swings his chain at another guard and kills them as one shows up and sees the chest, "That maybe..has de weapons?"

Marek grins. "Clearly, I just have one question.....do you happen to know how to pick a lock?"

Braxton is in a small cage down a smaller hallway, oddly no guard beside him, he frowns at the noises not knowing who it is.

Zork frowns, "Keep hitting it?" He looks around in case more guards come and looks down the hallway, "Maybe I can find de keys.."

Marek shakes his head, but just as he seems to give up, a guard comes down the hall with a set of keys, and he smiles. "Why hello"  He runs up and stabs the guard in the chest. "And die"  luckily for Marek, the first key he tries opens the chest. "Hello, my pretty" he pulls out his crossbow and swords. "It's good to see you again"  he turns to Zork "Take your sword and let's go"

Braxton looks up as noise is heard.

Zork gets his blade, "I will be right back.." He goes down the small hallway and seeing a weasel by the cage growls deeply and goes to behead the weasel, the weasel has one key, probably to the cage so he tries it as he hears other guards and cusses they will need help to get to the others now.

Braxton is hurt but awake and yes it is the right key as the door opens but he isn’t able to get up on his own.

Zork quickly scoops up Braxton and rushes back to where Marek is, "This is not gonna be easy."

Marek ignores Zork and instead follows close behind, when he sees a dibbun locked up in a cage, he too becomes angry, and fires crossbow bolts at three of four guards who came down the hall while throwing his piece of Oz's staff as a javelin to kill the fourth. "Nightfur should hire faster beasts, not that I am complaining"  He looks at Braxton as they prepare to leave. "Is the child, okay?'

Braxton whimpers and leans into Zork's arms, he should probably see a healer soon.

Zork frowns "We needs ta go Marek" He hears other guards and frowns "Ta get help and get it back here"

Marek nods, as seeing the guards are all dead. "Let’s go then, to Ferravale”

Zork nods "That is..closer"

Ferravale

Gates

Zork and Marek has been walking, fighting and walking some more for a while and are tried and Zork carries a dibbun badger.

Marek stumbles into Ferravale, with Zork holding Braxton trudging along behind.

Scioto is on patrol near the gates when a guard tells him he may want to come to the gates, he raises an eyebrow but walks over and gasps at the sight he sees and clearly in total surprise.

Braxton whimpers, hurt and a little cold he is almost in a faint.

Zork is clearly tried and leans on a tree allowing himself to sit down, still holding Braxton he groans.."Need...help" He frowns they will need more than just a cat and one guard.

Marek waves. "Hello, Scioto"  He sits down on a bench "We went through a lot to escape and get here, of course the snow in our path did not help" He points to Zork. "Mr. Zork fell in the snow more than once "  He pauses. "Oh yes, and we need medical attention of course, I almost forgot about that"

Scioto still looks in shock and clears his throat as he and the guard look them over, "How?...explain. Are others till there? Where is that..that Nightfur?" Yes lots of questions.

Braxton coughs a little and  he is  hurt bad and weak.

Zork gets a few words out, "Just...yes others still there." He holds Braxton close as he sits by the tree, no energy to get up if he even tried..he groans some, hopefully Marek can say more.

Marek shakes his head. "It's a long story, Scioto"  He starts walking towards the infirmary. "I'm just glad we got out of that hellhole"

Scioto frowns, one look at the dibbun he shoos the guard off, “Healer!" He keeps an eye on Marek, "A long story very much interested in and you need to help him or someone does" He points to the injured Zork and his guard looks at the smaller badger Zork has.

Braxton is awake enough to be fearful, he clings onto Zork slightly

Marek ignores Scioto and continues walking anyway. "Ask Zork if you need to know anything, but I have been through a lot in the last few days, and I need some rest"  He turns to Zork. "You look like you could use some rest as well, I shall see you there" He turns to Scioto. "And I don't need directions, I am well aware of where the infirmary is"  He walks off

Scioto glares, he truly hates that stoat, he really does even if he is helping he still dislikes him a lot, he glances at the badger and sighs, he tells the one guard to go inside and get some help and makes sure the other beasts are helped inside.

Infirm

They all go to the infirm

Scioto is not happy as he walks into the infirm, he watches the healers here help Marek, Zork and Braxton as he tries to get the whole story of what happen, so far he knows others didn’t escape, some of the slavers are dead and others live..including Nightfur lives.”

Braxton is taken to a cot so healers can look at him, the dibbun has slipped into a faint so is not in good shape at all.

Zork frowns, but allows the healer to take Braxton to a cot as he leans against a wall, he was helped into the village and into here by a couple guards and looks ready to pass out himself as he sits on a cot.

Scioto sighs, "I need to know things...then again need to find beasts from the abbey, and here too, you clearly can’t go back, least by yourself, you wouldn’t get very far"

Zork nods as he lays down.."Lee.." He does get that name out, he is going to need rest before he says more.

Lee comes in and looks around. "Hello? Scioto?"

Scioto looks up as he hears Lee and walks to the door "Lee..greetings it is good to see you, seems some issues with Nightfur have happen"

Lee asks, "Wot? Wot issues?"

Zork is resting in a cot, not where he wanted to as he wanted to be closer to a dibbun that’s also in here on a cot in another part of the room, Marek is most likely still in here, somewhere not that Zork cares really.

Scioto answers, "There was an escape attempt, seems some got lose and others didn’t and there were injuries, they made it here earlier, thing is now is the time to act to finish Nightfur off, while is a bit weaker.

Lee nods. "Who got away? How are they?"

Zork groans at a voice, he glances at the door but is still in a lot of pain to say anything or move much, too much moving earlier and he had to force himself to do so.

Scioto ears perk, "3 got away, maybe you can speak to one of them, I know some are still there"

Lee nods gravely. "Did DoraRose escape?"

Scioto frowns, "Sadly no...she did not"

Zork groans again, he looks over to where he can see Braxton and sighs.

Lee frowns. "Zork? Derean?" He walks in further and looks around.

Scioto nods "The badger is one of them and.." He shakes his head, "The stoat and a dibbun never seen before"

Zork manages to speak when Lee gets closer, "Lee..." He rubs his forehead as he has a headache and a bandage there and couple other places.

Lee rushes over to the badger. "Zork! Are ye alright?"

Scioto allows the two to talk, he needs to talk to the guards and Nightbreath

Zork manages a weak grin as Lee comes over, "Pain..other than that I be alive." He frowns "Nightfur..still be alive too"

Lee nods. "I thought as much."

Zork frowns, "Too many vermin, but need ta go back..Dorarose and Bandit and others still there, and this haremaid...so familiar so reason"

Lee says, "Zork, ye aren't goin' back. I'll be goin'."

Zork glances at Lee, "Ya be..needin me help Lee" He tries to sit up and falls back onto the cot with a groan.

Lee says, "Zork, yer in no shape ta be goin' back there."

Zork frowns, "But..Dorarose...de others, that..haremaid" Ok why so familiar. "They need..help, freed"

Oakenpaw comes in, the hare in a very surly and sour mood, grumbling

Zork sighs, pain and soreness and worry for others, he wants to go back also but sadly knows he probably end up dead if he did.."Got to..help.." He is still thinking, he knows the one beast but how..where.

Lee says, "Zork, don't ye make me have ye locked up."

Oakenpaw grabs some bowls and the shelves rattle as he mixes a poultice grumbling "Pesky slaver...messing up me BADGERS...think Oi got nuttin better ta do then patch up beasts" he's muttering under his breath but says cheerily over his shoulder "Oh Hi Zork Wot?

Zork frowns "Fine..just don’t die Lee.." He looks up at Oakenpaw.."Oakenpaw..."He stops and seems to have something dawn on him "Oh..my..seasons"

Oakenpaw walks over grinding what is ever in his Portar and pestle, adding some vie smelling liquid sap to the mixture he looks like he is out to SLAUGHTER the mortar "Yes Lad?' he says smiling as his paws furiously beat up the ingredients...your apparently looking at one MIFFED hare

Lee says, "I'm not gonna die."

Zork looks at Lee first, "He has a lot of guards, some less now, and archers that luckily didn’t see us.." He looks at Oakenpaw.."I think..I think he has some beast you know"

Oakenpaw looks Zork over trying to determine where he is "sore" where's it hurt lad, I know lots of beasts”

Zork is tried, sore, some bandages on from the healers as he speaks, "The..haremaid thar..somethin' bout thar over...almost 4 seasons or something..." And he passes out.