Blood in the Sand
Characters:
Samara, a female squirrel
3 Thieves, two male and one female marten, controlled by Kacy
- Southern Wastes -
The moon hangs high in the sky as the squirrels make their way across the desert expanse. They're close - very close - to finally reaching their destination; which makes the fact that there are only two squirrels, two /male/ squirrels, walking, a little strange.. This was all Samara's idea, her journey, but she isn't with the other two; she is a good distance behind. The female, out of sight of the other two, is staring ahead with an almost dead expression; one weighed by angst and anxiety at some unknown future that she is undoubtedly trudging towards.
An unknown future full of desert dwelling preditors, canibal lizards, and pine martens. A trio of them to be exact. Two males, one female. They watch the party move from utop a dune through a small tellescope. Oh the miricals of modern science. Unlike the nomadic tribes of the waste these beasts appear to be more civilized. To a point. Their clothing is worn, soiled, and cropped in a way geared for desert survival.
"So, what's the plan. Let 'em pass or fight?" Asked the marten with the teliscope. The marten wore a pair of baggy sack cloth pants with a rope to hold them up. His chest was bare save for the leather sword harnes strapped to it.
"I say let em pass. They don't look wealthy enough to bother with." A well rounded gut spilled out from under the mouse hide vest of the second marten. He lay on his back, legs crossed with a foot paw kicking in the air as he cut up an apple.
"Fight. If they got nothing of value we can always sell their hides. Now get off your lazy arse's and get to work." replies the third and final marten. She wore a bead vest over her white button up shirt. A patched desert worn cloak rested on her shoulders. At her command the other martens sigh. They pick themselves up, scurrying away from their dune and into position ahead and behind of the lone squirrel...
While the two warriors could take the three villains with nary an issue, Sam would have to be more creative. She's a botanist, not a warrior, and though her fighting style has proved...deadly in the past, it would be difficult against a sneak attack. Especially armed with only a dagger, a slingshot, and a /very/ valuable manuscript... She continues on her dreary way, brow furrowed in anger at some unseen memory or thought. She noticed something in the distance - a small anomaly, and probably nothing to fret over: a small poof of dust, floating over a dune ahead of her. It is enough to put a flicker of doubt in her mind, doubt for their safety, and she lays a paw on her dagger. Nothing more
And then suddenly martens.
Bandits by nature these beasts don't waste time with pretty words, or exchanging witty remarks with their victims. They simply attack. The two male martens appearing over the next dune, one brandishing his sword in the air, the fat brown furred marten hurling a javolin towards the squirrel.
Hearing the soft 'whir' of the javelin coasting her way, the squirrel hits the sand, ripping her dagger free of her belt. "MAG! CAS!" She shouts before dropping her bag and scrambling upright. She stands over her pack, dagger drawn, slowly rotating in a circle. The males must not have heard her, as she is greeted by only silence; a fact which instills a fresh sense of fear in the female. Did they already take out her companions?! Her chest begins to rise and fall in faster succession as her breathing quickens. "MAG!" She screams, still rotating, keeping her eyes on the thieves. "CASTUS!" Of course, she had just pouted her way far back enough for them to be just out of ear-shot, but she doesn't know that.
Wind brushes against the squirrels neck as the shaft from a cross bow sails by her, missing by inches before setting into the sand. "Blast it all!" Tobi the female marten curses from on top of the dune. "Silence her. Now!" The beast sets the cross bow down, trying to bull the string back and reset the bow, readying it for another shot.
The martens need no encouragement. The heavyset marten draws his own dagger as he charges. Being...the heavyset one his skinny and lighter companion reaches the squirrel first, swinging his blade and lashing at the squirrel.
At least close combat is something that Sam has a chance at. She waits, glaring with a snarl at the other female here. However, the marten gives a hint that her companions have simply been overlooked, not murdered and her hope returns - replacing her anguished snarls with something that looks more sinister...is she...smiling? The silver squirrel flings herself at the fast approaching, skinny, marten her dagger slashing as she lands in the sand. She bends quickly, scoops a handful of sand and flings it at the closest vermin. Now that she knows her friends live, her one priority is her manuscript...and that is something that she will defend viciously to her last breath.
Which she may have too! The lead marten lets out a shout as sand is thrown into his eyes. He steps backward, clutching at his face with his free paw as his companion moves in. He let's out a loud hiss as he draws a saber in his free paw, slashing at the squirrel with both blade and dagger as he moves in. Tobi continues to try and reload her cross bow.
Samara rolls to avoid the heavier beast and lunges up and forward, scrambling to the right to avoid the weapons of the smaller, and sneaking in at the blinded beast's side, attempting to shove the dagger into the squishy mass and force its way between his ribs. If all goes according to plan, his ample weight would become the weapon with which she rams the smaller beast as the force of her blow topples him towards his companion. "And don't even /TRY/ me with those arrows you -" *several choice words later* " - if you want to keep your scrawny, useless life." The small squirrel is just a bit of a loose cannon...
The knife does indeed hit the fat marten, but not quite where she was aiming. At the last moment he twists to get away from the blade, but it catches him on the shoulder, cutting along his chest. He screams, dropping his dagger and falls to the side. Tobi growls and leaps out of the way bring up her cross bow as a club she swings the empty weapon with all due force towards the squirrel.
"Crap." Sam is struck, hard, with the empty cross bow and staggers backwards, swinging her dagger blindly as she tries to regain her footing while her head swims. She at least has the sense to keep moving, and retreats several feet. Her tunnel vision fades as she continues swinging and stabbing at the air with her dagger and as she once more finds herself, the squirrel throws herself at the three with renewed fury. She roars as she leaps at the female, but she is faking her attack, and swings left and right at the other two before dealing her a blow. "Leave -" she growls, jabbing at the skinner male " - me -" She slashes at the female, ducking low. " - ALONE!" She spins to her right and leaps, dagger clutched in both paws, at the fat one - aiming to plunge the steel into his chest; through his paw if she has to.
The skinny marten regains his vision in time to see the blade piercinghis stomach. The blade creates a gash across his belly, and he collapses forward trying clutching at his gut in a vain attempt to keep it from spilling out. Tobi yelps as a few whisker are slash off of her muzzle as she leans back to escape the dagger. This...this was not going according to plan.
The remaining pine marten is just beginning to stand up again when the dagger pierces his chest, right below the rib cage. It slices deep through his fleshy hide like a hot knife to butter. His eyes go wide with shock, fear, and pain as he attempts to grasp the squirrel in his final, frantic moments.
Samara rips free of his desperate, dying clutches and spits a bloody gob on the ground, glaring murderously at the remaining female. For a cranky, bookish, scientist she can certainly be...homicidal. "Now." The silver squirrel growls, advancing a step towards the marten. She raises the dagger to point at her, her fists bloody from their contact with the bandit's oozing life-forces. "I could let you run free with a dire warning, but I feel like you'll just come back while we're sleeping, won't you?" A single drop of crimson falls from her dagger to paint the sand.
The marten casts her gaze towards her fellow bandits. The skinny marten lays face first in the sand, already passed into the dark forest, her fatter companion is clutching desperately to his chest. It won't be long for him. She turns to the gory squirrel and twitches an eye. "What ARE you?" The beast takes a step back holding her cross bow like a club, ready to wack the squirrel again with it. "B-back! Get back! I...I...(gulp)"
"Drop everything you have in the sand." Sam demands in a low growl. "Every weapon, every coin." She lowers the dagger and bends to wipe it on the pants of the dead marten. "And walk away with your life." She sheaths her, more or less, clean weapon back into her belt. "But if I /ever/ see your disgusting mug again, I will make sure that your demise is much slower than the one these two enjoyed." She continues stepping forward, her tail flicking behind her. "Do I make myself clear, thief?" You don't mess with a botanist's plants...or attempt to, at least.
The marten can't believe her ears? She was getting mugged? HER? THE THIEF? The marten complies only out of fear. She had no wish to mess with crazy woodlander ax murders. Her bow and coin purse make a THUD in the sand before she turns and bolts for the hills!
"T-tobi!" The fat marten calls out. He leans forward, only to fall backward in pain. "Ah...bleeding heck..." He doesn't seem to be quite dead yet...
Samara takes the time to scoop the thief's belongings from the sand and brush them off before pocketing them and turning back to the marten. "I'm sorry that I had to take such drastic measures...You understand why I did, though, do you not? You would have killed me and left my body all mangled in the sand." She sighs. "You're going to die...there isn't anything that I can do about that...no healer could save you at this point." Her voice is remorseful as she kicks his weapons away from him before settling into a cross legged seat at his side. "My name is Samara, what is yours?" She is digging in her pouch for a moment before procuring a glass vial. She pops the lid. "This will help your pain. May I?" She holds it to his lips, but does not pour without his permission.
The marten's heart beats faster at the mention that he has met his end. He gulps, "That...that is going to kill me. Isn't it?" He leans his head back on the sand and laughs. He leans forward again, "You know...I always knew this life would kill me. It's...its part of the deal of being a bandit. You either strike it r-rich or you..." He can't bring himself to finish his own sentence. He gulps again, "L-leroy. Leroy Perkins. Just...just don't let the @#$! lizards eat me." He stares at the vile, eye twitching, "What...what will that do to me?"
"It won't kill you, it will dull your senses and make you feel euphoric." Sam replies gently. "It's nice to meet you, Leroy Perkins. Is there anyone that you would like me to get in contact with or anything you want passed on?" The softness in her voice is a surprising tone for one who so recently was snarling and covered in blood, but the remorse from a kill doesn't take long to swoop in and replace the adrenaline and satisfaction. "Anything you want said or known?"
The marten coughs, splattering red across his vest. He stares at the vile for a moment longer, then snatches it from the beasts paws. He downs it one gulp, wiping his muzzle with his paw. "I have no family." His eyes widen, a regretful look crosses his face, "Me and my brother with the last of my kin." He seems to relax. "J-just do me a favor...make it quick...if you...if you can't then just...leave. I won't last much longer anyway." He flashes a smile, "You got me good Samara, real good. I was going to make a hat out of you too." He coughs again. This time the marten stretches himself out, exposing his belly, chest and neck. "Good bye little...little woodlander.
"I would have made a wonderful hat." Sam assures him with a laugh, and pats him lightly on the shoulder. "I'll see you in the next life, Leroy." Without further hesitation, she slides her dagger free and slips it quickly and forcefully into his heart from the side. She sits a moment with him, her work complete, before she closes his eyes, empties his pockets, gathers her things, and disappears into the desert once more.
