Battle on The Bridge

- - - The day is fading out, the sun setting on the cool day, painting the sky in fiery tones. The snow is crisp, the air brisk. The bridge ahead has a small path trudged through the snow leading over the center, the edges iced. The roads are usually fairly busy here, but tit looks like only a handful of beasts have actually crossed the bridge itself. A small trail of smoke rises from the opposite side.

Monrok blinks at the smoke, but then shrugs it off, he draws his sword for defense and hids off towards the bridge.

- - - The scene is fairly innocuous on the opposite side of the bridge. It is actually fairly inviting; a small fire is planted just at the bottom of the bridge, right in the center of the road, the snow is packed down and there is a small pile of kindling and wood near at hand. There's even the smell of warming nutbread in the air, and dried dandylion tea, too. There is also the biggest hedgehog you've ever seen, seated right at the bottom of the bridge, quills towards you. Some are painted in a bright turquoise blue. The hedgehog shifts a bit, tipping up a clay mug and slurping greedily. One eye turns towards you. "Oh ho, another on moi bridge, eh? Put that butter knife away a'fore ye hurt yerself now."

Monrok glares at the hedgehog. "YOUR bridge, exactly who do you think you are, I am Monrok, Son of Monrok, Grandson of Monrok..and I WILL cross this bridge". He holds his sword in front of him, ready to defend himself if neccesary.

Longspikes's one painted brow raises and a smug grin curls the hedgehog's lip. With an infuriating calmness, the hedgehog just turns back towards his fire and fiddles in the coals with a stuck, rolling something out from amongst the coals. He doesn't seem much worried, and not much wonder - those quills are as good as armour, interlocking and sharp. Trying to get a sword in between them to find skin would take a lot of work. "Har, yer yer own grandfather? Now that is something. I just be Longspikes, son of some hedgepig or other. And Oi says this be moi bridge, a'cause I be bigger'n stronger than any other. Yer can swim, o'course. I don't own no river... but yer'll haveta pay to sit by moi fire afterwards."

At the hedgehog's rude comment, Monrok growls. He can see he is in quite a predicament. He cannot cross the bridge without the hedgehog noticing, but he isn't stupid enough to try to cross the River Moss in the wintertime. "A toll bridge?....What kind of beast to you think you are sir. I am not paying any such toll just the petty insolence of crossing a bridge that some insane hedgehog thinks is his". He begins to walk across the bridge despite the hedgehog's warning. He is not at all amused by the hedgehog's cruel joke. "Hmph, I don't care"

Longspikes grumbles a bit, his big head turning to level an eye on the approaching cat. The smirk is still there, but there's a sharpness to it. Sitting as he is, the hedgehog has a distinctly pear-like shape to him, albeit in the biggest and prickliest pear ever seen. One can squeeze past him on either side, though biggest beasts would need to take care, considering his width. "Insane? I be sane as the next beast, pal." And that last word, 'pal' delivered in the sort of tones one only finds in dark alleys by big, hefty beasts with big clubs and bad imaginations. "Take what yer can and ter the Dark Wood with all else." He stirs, a pair of heavy oak-stunp-sized legs sprouting from underneath the beast and levering upwards. He turns, grinning broadly, holding a nutbread furl in one shovel-like paw and tearing a lump off. "Yer pay, or you stay where you is. Else, I take off yer bloomin' head."

Monrok pulls up his sword to face the hedgehog. "Take off my blooming head huh?..Well". He faces the hedgehog and grins. "Let's see if you can actually do that"

Longspikes chortles, his great belly jiggling mightily as he does. The hedgehog takes a big bite out of the bread and tosses the remaining half to the side, the farl bouncing gently onto a blanket. "Oh ho! The big cat wants ter pay with his teeth! I could use a necklace of'em, sure!" His voice is a cheerful bellow, deep enough to rattle your ribs. The big hedgepig half-turns and scoops up what one might have thought was an ornament attached to the edge of the bridge... it might have been considered a tree before, though trees don't oft spout flanged iron heads the size of a stoat's skull. Bound in iron, beautifully etched, and no doubt heavier than most any beast could lift, much less swing. The Hedgehog thumps the big iron head against the ground, the 'THUMP!' of it felt through your footpaws, through the stone of the bridge. "Come on, then! earn yer crossin'!"

The Cat grins, as he gets ready to swing. The Silver of his ancient blade, a blur as he charges at the hedgehog with incredible speed. He brings his sword down to swing at the hedgehog, the ancient steel blade is just as shiny silver blur soaring through the sky. It seems as if the sword is making an almost singing noise as it flows swiftly through the air. Or is that the air itself crying in pain at being cut. "MONNNNNNNNRRRRRROOOOOCCCCCCKKKKKK!!!".

Longspikes's big round face is a mask of vicious glee as he takes a step forward into the big cat's roaring lunge. His own bellow bounces off the trees, rattling the icicles on the bridge, "HUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" The massive mace is swung up and thrust forward into the swordstroke, the bound iron haft catching the strike halfway, iron and silver screaming as they connect, neither giving way to the other. The Hedgehog steps forward again, huge muscles in his legs knotting, his mighty belly wobbling like three barrel's worth of jelly. The shoves a shoulder into the push, shoving the sword to one side and thrusting out with the massive head of the mace, trying to catch the maddened cat in the face with the flanged iron head.

As the mace-head seems to come out of nowhere, Monrok manages a quick blocking of the iron mace, but just barely. The pure power of both swings would break a normal beasts bones, but neither Longspikes, nor Monrok is a normal beast. Monrok is knocked severly off balance though, and just barely gets up to block the strike before it busts his entire face in.

Longspikes laughs nastily as he draws the big weapon back, hefting the thing in both big paws. "Har, yer haveta do more than that ter get past me, Cat," says the fat hedgehog, letting out a big breath of air, the moisture freezing, turning it into a puff of smoke. "Oi be the Longspikes! Biggest n' Strongest there ever was!" So saying, he takes another step onto the bridge, drawing his arms back and swinging the mace in a broad sweep at waist-height. It must be said that it isn't fast as a sword can be... but there is something decidedly unstoppable about the stroke, the iron head bringing with it the weight to shatter boulders.

Monrok laughs at the hedgehog. "Biggest and strongest there ever was eh, welll....you have a lot to learn then?". He dodges the mace swing, and comes in with his sword, hoping to ground the hedgehog long enough so he can cross the bridge, but tired as he is from the 1st mighty swing of the hedgehog he falls over, only cutting off a spike, instead of what he orginally planned to do.

Longspikes shouts out an aoth as Monrok dodged past, quick as can be. The hedgehog spins a bit as the weight of his swing carries on, his big arms flexing tight as they fight to slow the momentum. The hedgehog stumps back a step, scowling now, looking down at his side, then at the bright turquoise blue spike lying in the snow at Monrok's side, longer than most daggers and thick as a branch. "Quick won't help you, cat, not ifn yer feet be broken!" The mace is brought around in both paws, and raised up like a beast chopping logs... though in this case it would be a beast smashing legs. The iron flanges start to fall with dreadful slowness, bringing with them all the power the hedgehog can muster.

Monrok looks at the spike, and pockets it. He then quickly grabs his sword and gets out of the way of the incoming mace. While the hedgehog is distracted he advances towards the end of the bridge. He almost makes it but slips on a patch of winter ice and slams right into the hedgehog's feet, knocking him off balance by luck.

- - - The huge Rat-Cracker comes down like a meteor right into the spot that Monrok had just vacated. The iron smashed through the packed snow like it was no more than warm butter, then strikes the hard granite of the bridge itself. The sound is incredible, like the entire bridge decided to scream, iron and stone shrieking as they are struck together. Shards and chunks of stone shoot up through the snow from the force of the blow, pattering against the hedgehog's hide, against the sides of the bridge. Offbalance already from the force of the blow, the skidding cat hitting his legs is the last straw. swearing mightily, the hedgepig is bowled over onto the bridge, landing face-first in the snow. He scrabbles for a second, pushing himself up from the cold stuff and sputtering in apoplectic fury, though a hedgehog that fat, even as strong as he is, takes time to get back to his feet.

Monrok rubs his injuried head, "Ow....oh..I see now". He grins, taking advantage of the downed hedgehog, he advances towards the end of the bridge once again.

Longspikes heaves his huge bulk upright, now resembling some kind of huge half-built snow monster, clumps of it clinging to his bellyfur from the chest down. "Yer gonna run?!" he shouts, glaring hard at the cat's back as he goes. he stoops and grabs up the heft of his monstrous mace and starts after Monrok, trying for a jog, though what with his mightily swaying belly and the trecherous ice, it is little more than a lumbering walk, each step felt through the stone. "Yer great coward! Oi'm not done yet! Yer not gonna be crossin' back over mah bridge gain! Stuck in the North, yer!" Longspikes bellows, beside himself with fury.

Monrok accidently slips on the ice once again, this time breaking the patch of ice and sending shards of it everywhere. He misses the hedgehog and is once again knocked off balance, a few shards of ice cut the cat, causing a footpaw to bleed slightly, as he hisses at the pain, he is momentairily distracted and angry at only making it to the center of the bridge. "You want a fight hedgepig....You'll get the fight of your life". He charges at the hedgehog with great speed and proceeds to attack.

Longspikes's thick legs stomp against the bridge as he lumbers forward, face locked in a mask of rage. he meets the furious Monrok head-on without any trace of fear in him. Mace and sword swing, hacking, turning, twisting, connecting then breaking away. For all his bulk, the hedgehog is light on his feet when need be, turning and moving as he bellows, swinging the mace in great arcs as he tries to smash the cat into jelly. Cuts show on his fur where that sharp and quick sword has met him though, a gash showing across his belly already turning red, adding to the network of scars he already has there. The thunderous bellows and hissing nsarl echo through the woods and off the rivr as the two clash in vicious combat, neither giving an inch... but it's the ice that gives the advantage, just for a second - Monrok's footpaw slips, just there, as that mace is coming around. It catches the cat's sword just there, the big flange hooking the crossguard... and sending the silvery blade twirling away off the bridge... into the river.

Monrok gasps as his sword is hurling into the River Moss, going swiftly down the current, he glares at the hedgehog. "HOW DARE YOU?!!!!!....THAT SWORD IS AN IMPORTANT RELIC!!!!!!". He sits up to the glare at the hedgehog, then notices his surroundings, he quickly skids around the ice, hurling shards of ice at the hedgehog like daggers, hoping to injure the hedgehog greatly. He ultimately slips, and falls right underneath the hedgehog's feet, with a small thump. It looks as if his efforts to win without a sword have failed miserably.

Longspikes grunts as the ice starts coming, the big hedgepig holding up one meaty arm to hide his face while taking wild, blind swings with his mace as the furious cat circles him, flinging sharp ice shards and spitting. Longspikes is grunting now with the effort, the arcs of that heavy iron mace growing slower and shorter. "*Huff* T'woulda been mine, *Hurf* yer blasted cat, *huff*" The ice isn't much good against thick fur and those hard spikes, but the dusting of crystals over the hedgehog's frame gives him a gilded look, as if dusted with silver. That big mace whirls again, those thick legs stomping as he tries to find the target... which is now quite underneath his reach, between those great clawed feet. "But I'll take that pendant yer got instead, cat! Yer hear me! I'll take it after I smash yer bones!" The mace's head crashes into the side of the bridge, shattering stones and sending shards spinning off into the river.

As he quickly dodges the mace, Monrok attempts to make a run for it towards the Redwall side of the bridge. He realizes that all is lost, his efforts are doomed, he has no sword anymore and without it, the large mace would simply crush his skull in. He quickly begins to run off, all hope is lost, he is done for, he is good as dead if he stays there. Then he remembers the spike...YES, The SPIKE!!!. He turns back towards the bridge and bows before the hedgehog. "Oh, of course...I surrender oh great Longspikes...just please don't kill me".

Longspikes's breaths are great gouts of furious fog, his broad chest puffing in and out, his great belly wobbling mightily as he tries to catch his breath again. The hedgehog stomps towards the edge of the bridge, Mace held in both big paws, though now looking mighty pleased with himself. Those great stumps of legs thunder to a halt a couple steps away, a tothy grin mounting on Longspike's round face. "Hurrr, *huff*, clever beast... I *hurf* told yer, no beast crosses moi bridge... *huff* without payin'." The hedgehog legs the mace's head drop, thumping against the stone. He leans against it now, not looking at all bothered by the dozen nicks and cuts Monrok scored in the furious fight, blood seeping from a fair number of them, though none look bad enough to bother that mighty frame. "I'll not kill yer... but ifn yer wanna cross, you pay, Yer understand?!"

Monrok grins, he was only pretending to surrender to the hedgehog. "Sure....will this work?". He skids against the ice and stabs the spike into the hedgehog's side, slicing down with the unaturally long spike before dropping it to the ground, he flicks the spike to the ground, turns and goes across, leaving the hedgehog bleeding from the cut, that although not deep, would distract him for quite some time. "Good day Sir". He walks off, with a smirk on his face.

Longspikes roars in pain as his own spikes is jammed into his side, the fur and fat good armour against dangerous wounds, but the pain isn;t dulled by it. The hedgehog stumbles to one side and surprise, his mace thumping into the snow, one arm draping over the side of the bridge, the other shovel-like paw pressing against the wound, blood seeping from his fingers, staining his fur. "AAARGH!! YER COWARD! YER SNEAKTHIEF!" he roars, his voice bouncing off trees and echoing through the woods and up the river, "Never trust a cat! Arrgh!" He doesn't try to stop Monrok's passage, letting him go by, but one can feel the heat of that glare burrowing into the back of Monrok's head, of pure, seething hate almost solid. "Yer not paying ter cross, cat! I'll grind yer bones for my bread when next yer try ter cross..." He pushes himself up to his footpaws slowly, grunting with the effort, then drags his mace back to his fire, to clean his wound...