Chance encounter in the woods part 1

The search for Nightfur turns into a chance encounter with someone completely different.

Chud runs through the woods about an hour later, and freezes when he sees the dead beasts everywhere. "Wot th' 'ell?" he mutters, scanning for survivors.

There is a very heavy set fox siting on the roots of a very large tree. His rapier is out, blade pointed into the earth, and he taps his foot impatiently. The fox doesn't seem injured save for a few bandages on his chest and side, and doesn't seem to notice the otter yet

Chud approaches cautiously. The young otter draws his dirk and moves swiftly so as to deny the fox the chance to attack. He quickly pins the foxs tail under his footpaw to discourage any sneak attack and growls, "Wot just 'appened here?" Tough talk for a beast of 7 seasons.

Bandit does what comes naturally when one has their tail stepped on. He yelps loudly and tries to get up, only to trip and fall flat on his face. The fox begins to speak in sailer speak, that is, he begins to curse like one.

Chud removes his footpaw with a helpless chuckle. "So wot 'appened?" he demands once he's recovered himself. "Oh, and I shoulda said so before, but put yer blade away."

Bandit grumbles as he picks himself up. The fox lets his rapier go as he rolls onto his rump, clutching at his wounded tail and petting it gently, "Slavers. That's what. All this mess was caused by one very angry badger named Zork..." The fox squints at the otter, "Don't I know you from so where kit?"

"OH." The otter can't help laughing despite the dead beasts everywhere. "OH, it's you, Bandit. Sorry 'bout that. Wasn't sure who you were." He shivers a bit as he casts an eye over the corpses.

Bandit tilts his head to the side, "Chud? Wow, it has been a while. Yeah, I kind of put on some weight since you last saw me...might have also had my fur dyed red, or blue, back then. " Bandit's tone grows more serious, "I'm glad to see you but I'm in a bit of a problem. Zork lost this fight. He has been taken by a fox named Nightfur, I tried to track them down but...I'm not a tracker."

"Well, _I_ am," Chud says with a slow, tentative grin. "Let's go, what are you waiting for?" he demands.

The fox picks himself up, There is hope yet. Bandit replies happily, "You are a tracker? Thank the light. He went off to the north." Bandit picks up his blade to point in the direction of the fleeing beast.

Chud holds his blade in a reverse grip, hunches over, and stalks off through the woods after taking a swig of hotroot from his canteen. "Let's go."

Bandit seaths his rapier. He takes one last look at the bodies of the slavers and shakes his head. Nightfur is going to pay for all the blood he has spilt...Bandit follows the young otter at a distance, after all, chud did just step on his tail, and also he figures teh otter doesn't want him breathing down his back as he tracks nightfur.

Young but hot-blooded, Chud is swift in finding the trail. He groans however as they come into a clearing. "Blast...Too much movement here. Lost the track. Grass is too tall."

Bandit growls angerily at the otter's statement, "What do you mean the grass is too tall? Chop it down!" the fox flails his arms. He pauses however when he ears a rustle in the tall grass of the clearing. The rustling grows in tempo and the sound of blades on grass can be heard. Apparently someone IS chopping down the grass. Lots of someones.

"Oh crap," Chud mutters, whipping his dagger up to a fighting stance, going back to back with Bandit quickly and scanning the area.

The fox readies his blade as well as the fencing dagger at his belt. The fox holds it up to his snout giving the otter the 'be quiet' gesture before crouching down low to the ground. Not too far away voices can be heard, "Blast it...you lost him, Didn you?" Says one voice, sounds like a weasel. "It's not my fault, the fox came through here, but...I lost his trail." something sounding like a harewhimpers, "Then find him you fool! If you let him escape so help me..." The weasel doesn't finish the threat instead he just shouts, "J-just find him!"

Chud crouches too, the grass hiding his slightly skinny frame. His rudder lowers down slowly and he grits his teeth. Just give the word...

Bandit tilts his head to the side, "I know that voice..." The fox gestures to Chud. "on the count of three, One...two...Thr..." Just then behind them a stoat comes out of the woods. He has a loose fitting blue sleevless jacket adorning his chest, left open to expose the yellow fur of his pot belly. He wears tan breeches held up by a rope. None of this detail is as important as the cross bow the stoat carries. The stoats eyes go wide as he sees the fox and the otter. He takes in a breath to shout for alarm.

Chud springs up and whirls around, tackling the stoat and clamping his rudder over the beast's mouth roughly. He glances to Bandit for instructions on what to do now.

The fox gives him a shrug of his shoulders, he doesn't know what to do either. A very loud shrill voice calls out over the grass, "Hey Jim! Where are ye? Get yer tail over here 'afor I feed it to you!" The stoat struggles against the weight of the otter on top of him. All he has to do is sound one alarm. His paw goes for the crossbow that fell to his side...maybe one alarm...or one pull of the trigger.

Chud stomps hard on the stoat's paw, breathing, "Oh no y' don't, cully. Not this time."

The stoat gasps in pain, making a muffled scream under the otters rudder. He tries to bite him instead. Meanwhile Bandit growls restless as the two voices get nearer. "Jim? So help me I ack!" The weasel takes a step forward out of the grass and trips over the fox, falling flat on his face along with the heavy fox. The brown furred ferret is wearing a yellow trench coat and a shoulder harness for the rapier at his side. The hare who appears behind him is wearing a brown fox fur vest and blue trousers. He is carrying a short sword in paw to hack down the grass, "Wha...?" the hare manages to say.

Chud winces but manages to take the bite, whacking the stoat soundly in the head and withdrawing his dirk, shoving the beast out of the way with a parting kick in the shins.

The stoat goes out cold, at least for the moment. The hare however raises his blade in the air going to rush the otter. He falls forward however clutching at the open wound to his knee after making contact with the fox's rapier. The weasel by now rolls to his feet, his own rapier drawn. "I knew I would find you if I searched long enough Bandit..." The weasel practically hisses. "Bounty hunter scum!" Bandit shouts, back turning his back to the downed hare.

Chud is a bit surprised that he managed to knock out the stoat but he manages to not be intimidated by the hare, who he's slightly taller than. He stares him down and strides forward a few paces, circling the weasel now.

The weasel wearily eyes the fox and the circling otter. "You know Bandit...forget bringing you in alive. There is just enough money on bringing in your hide alone that I can retire on." The weasel strikes at bandit first, as the fox parries the blade with his dagger he changes direction and slashes at the otter.

Chud quickly leans back out of range and leans in for a stab, snarling. "HYAAAAH! All right you mangy cur, let's see what you've got," he growls. He slashes twice in an X shape, testing the waters.

The weasel blocks the first attack, diflection the knife to the side as his blade circles around his head to block bandit's attack from behind before coming down and deflecting the otters knife again. The weasel grins in maniac delight as he tries to split open the otters stomach with a quick flick of his wrist.

Chud sways back again, out of reach of the blade, and kicks at the weasel's ankle savagely, throwing an elbow at the same time.

The weasel yelps as his leg collapses, the elbow causes him to fall to the side...where he quickly recovers and rolls to his feet. Slashing at bandit. The fox parries and then must parry a blow from the hare, who has decided to limp his way into battle with his short sword and wounded leg. The stoat is begining to stir on the ground as well.

Chud quickly dodges back and throws a spinning kick at the stoat with a yell. He uses his powerful rudder to ward off any beast who dares approach him from behind, and focuses on making sure the stoat stays down.

Lee is moving stealthily through the forest, yet again searching for Nightfur's lair. He indulged in thoughts of skewering that fox with his sword...presently, the sounds of a fight caught his attention, so he crept forward.

The headguard sees the stoat once again go flying back into the earth, this time still very conscious, in pain, and angry. He pulls out a small dagger from behind his back after staggering to his feet. Bandit meanwhile is holding off two beasts of his own, a hare and a weasel. The later is proving to be a better sword beast than the fox, Bandit must admit. Where their blows meet they quickly attack again.

and here is where we had to part ways for the day. I will post part two, hopefully soon!