Civil War Breaks Out

Characters: Anba_Hor & Company, Apophis, Bree, Hactor, Kevarr, Matteo, Scalen, Sever, Skipper

RW Abbey: Great Hall

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The Great Hall of Redwall Abbey. Countless paw falls have echoed from these stones, and untold numbers of feasts and merry gatherings have been held here.  A table, not nearly so grand or large as its predecessors, but quite functional for mealtimes, rests near the center of the hall. Chairs exist here aplenty, and they are all of a matching set. High above, the stain glass windows give the Great Hall a beautiful appearance.  The glasswork is exceptionally done, crafted by a skilled artist.  The floor is clean and swept. A fire is kept burning in the fireplace at almost all times of the day and night, and there are several more comfortable chairs and cushions set up here, of varying sizes. One looks large enough to easily accommodate a badger.

The Tapestry hangs proud and tall, and while the rest of Redwall may still bear the scars of natural disaster, this most famous of Redwall's relics remains unharmed by beast, time, or the elements. The figure of Martin the Warrior seems to be watching over his own with an unchanging, kindly gaze.

Red, blue, orange, green...vibrant patterns of color are painted on the floorstones of Great Hall by the high afternoon sun that is streaming through the stained glass windows.

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                       Exits/Entrances:

              [K]itchen    [St]airs   [C]avern [H]ole

              [Li]brary    [En]try    [B]reezeway

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The marten known as Captain Grey stalks in through the main double doors of Great Hall. She has her single paw pressed to her forehead, and a few things seem immediately clear from her appearance. She has a headache, she hasn't been sleeping, and from the bits of dirt clinging to her fur, she probably hasn't taken time to clean up today either.

Matteo, not getting any answers from Hactor, turns to see Kevarr enter. He brightens again. Someone new! "Oi there, matey. You don't look like you're having a good day."

Kevarr grunts. "Not particularly, no."

Matteo is a bit too upbeat. "What seems to be the problem, huh? Anything a Gonfelin can do?"

Kevarr blinks. "Anything a...what? What's a Gonfelin?"

Matteo puffs out his chest, perking at the opportunity. "Me! I'm a Gonfelin. Mousethief of Mossflower! Prince of Thieves! Rogue of Rogues!" He grins, "But you can just call me Matteo."

"Gonfelin lmaynmo sayhc lnywo suica," Kevarr mutters. "Um. Good...to meet you." She certainly doesn't sound convinced of that fact, but she does give the mouse a wary nod.

Matteo frowns. He doesn't catch all of her muttering. Crossing, the young mouse boldly puts out a paw for shaking. "Pleasure's mine, matey! What can I call you?"

"Captain Grey," the marten responds, and she does stand a little straighter, but there's nothing to change just how tired she looks today. "That's about as fancy as I get, anyway."

Matteo grins. "Capto Greyo! I think that's pretty fancy, don't you worry. So what's got you down on this best of good days?"

Kevarr scratches the side of her neck and eyes the mouse sidelong, "...Right. Okay. Mnng, I wouldn't say 'down', I just haven't had a proper sleep yet." She eyes her claws. "Or a bath, for that matter."

Hactor at this point has dozed off in his seat.

Matteo's nose crinkles. He nods. "I can tell, yeah. But why, matey? Been up all night doing brave, honest work? Let me guess, you're in Hacto's horde, huh?"

"And you're going to say that the two are mutually exclusive," the marten deadpans. "I don't see any ships around here to be captain of, so aye, I'm in Hactor's horde."

Hactor sits his head slumping forward onto his chest. He begins to snore softly

Matteo is quick to shake his head. "No I'm not! Hording is honest work from one point of view. Besides, thieving isn't much better." He tilts his head. "In all fairness, you could've left your ship behind!"

From inside the library, a lone fox creaks open the door and peers out. From inside, he looks down at his stub, wondering what to do with it... instead of sulking, the fox is thinking - this is an opportunity to make something out of nothing! He decides to think about it later, and focus on the conversation in the hall...

"It's a really long way to the ocean," Kevarr points out. "I should know, I've made that journey enough times. So, what brings you here, mousethief?"

Hactor sits still sleeping. Although he does stir a bit.

Aand, now a vixen reappears at long last, stepping lightly down the stairs. Bree now carries an empty mug, and appears to be quite distracted by thoughts.

Kevarr glances toward the stirring Hactor, and then Bree.

Matteo grins. He doesn't notice the eavesdropper. "I know too, matey! Just made the trip for the first time. Back to check up on my family... but they aren't where I left them."

Kevarr earflicks. "You left them here?"

Hactor still sleeping gets a small grin on his face. Must be a good dream.

Matteo's big ears fold down. "Yes? My father's Chieftain of the Gonfelin. He said I oughta go west, see what there was to see. Only now that I'm back, I can't find them. You seen him? Big stomach, deep voice, goes by Thokko?"

( Bree passes quietly through over toward the kitchen. )

Anba_Hor hears nothing of interest so far, but mentally logs the names. 'Gonfelin', 'Thokko'. The fox eases down against the back of the door, looking at the stub once more... his hear pivots towards the opening in the doorway to continue listening to the conversation...

Kevarr shakes her head. "I've never even bloody heard of a Gonfelin. He's probably still out in Mossflower somewhere. Maybe they moved when the horde passed through."

Matteo frowns. "I thought they'd come here... None of them, then? Tiddo, Rokko, Pollo? Orpheo?"

The marten shakes her head again. "Believe me, I'd remember a band of crazy mice that like the 'o' sound a little too unhealthily much. Haven't seen them."

Matteo doesn't argue with Grey. He just looks momentarily troubled. "Perhaps you're right, Capto. They must've moved to get out of your horde's way."

Hactor's snoring becomes a bit lowder.

Kevarr shrugs. "Probably." She moves past the mouse now, over toward Hactor. That single paw reaches out to lightly touch his shoulder.

Matteo's dampened mood only lasts another heartbeat. When he turns to follow after the marten, his buoyant mood is back. "He zonked right out, he did. Must be tiring work, leading a horde."

Hactor feals the tap and stirs sitting up. He yawnes and looks up to Kevarr saying, "Ah hello captain."

"Afternoon, Chief," the marten responds. "Sorry, but you dozed off. Didn't know if you wanted to do that down here."

Matteo perks up when Hactor awakens. "Capto's got a point. Isn't smart to take a nap in such a busy place. Someone might step on your tail, Hacto!"

Hactor chuckles and replies, "Aye your right. Thank you captain." He poped his back before sitting back in his seat.

Kevarr steps back, clasping her maimed arm behind her in a small facsimile of parade rest.

Matteo looks back and forth between Hactor and Kevarr. "So what's the plan, mateys? We happy with just Redwall? Or are we gonna take Salamandastron next?"

Kevarr squints at Matteo, "Why are you using 'we'?"

Hactor shakes his head and replies, "No. I'm perfectly content with Redwall,"

Matteo grins. "Why not? We shady types have to stick together." He squints at Hactor, puzzled. "Really? I've never heard of a horde being content with anything!"

Kevarr gives a laughing snort. "We shady types. Look, mouse, we've already got a crazy badger. Or had. I don't know, I haven't seen him since the battle."

Matteo isn't deterred. "Oi. I don't wanna sign up! I'm not crazy. The horde life is smelly and low-paying. I'd stick out like a blue ferret."

Apophis groans and moans weakly as he descends the stairs to great hall, "Oh, cripes... somebody's talking about a crazy badger... better not be meaning me..." The old animal walks tenderly to the center of the hall and looks at both the marten and Hactor, "Been a while, though, certainly has. Don't know why I should be feeling this way on your account.."

Kevarr eyes Apophis, and after a moment, she looks vaguely amused by something. "Aye, I was talking about you. What the hell happened?"

Matteo's eyes widen. He stares at the entering badger. "Oi! Now that's just... too uncanny a coincidence."

Apophis looks at the marten, and, looking like he's just had an idea, answers his own question: "Oh! That's right... because you promised me the fox. Or, the fox promised me himself... where is that foul, disgusting trash, anyhow? Surprised he hasn't poisoned me by now."

Hactor grunts a greeting to the large beast. He still doesn't like badgers, but all things concidering he decided to be less hostile.

Kevarr shrugs at Apophis. "Have you checked the infirmary? Saw him last night."

"What happened? Oh... Well, the last thing I remember is following that reptile-worshipping tribe up the stairs of the abbey... everything's going well, we cut off any escape possible for the guards, were slaughtering and having a good time and then suddenly these beasts dropped down on us from the rafters - we all woke up in terrible shape and none of the other Redwallers were to be found." The badger crosses his arms, "Please tell me somebeast's found and killed them?"

Hactor looked up a look of concern in his eye. He asks, "What do you meen Stripedog? What reptile worshiping tribe are you talking about?

Kevarr snorts. "Didn't see anything or anybeast like that, and I wasn't far behind you." To Hactor, "I think he means those crazy foxes of Anba's."

"Ceabol something; yes, those crazies that I had to plug my ears while fighting with... might have heard the movement in the rafters if they hadn't been so loud.... and no, he's not in the infirmary, I've been there for a while now."

Apophis looks around and laughs, "So... I suppose he's missing in action again? I might have guessed."

Kevarr deadpans, "He was here last night, going crazy about losing a paw."

Apophis chuckles, shakes his head, "Are we dissembling him piece by piece now? Be careful, marten... I /need/ him. Alive. Was it you and him fighting?"

Hactor listens stroking his beard the whole time.

Anba_Hor has taken a much keener interest in the conversation, of course... he doesn't show himself yet - just creaks the door open a bit more to be able to see the whole badger.

Kevarr rolls her eyes. "No. Judging by his ranting though, it was some little squirrel and a mouse. At least, that's who I saw dashing away. And frankly, /badger/, I don't give a tacandnyd's turd what you need. You want him, go find him."

Hactor finally decides to speak up and says, "Stripedog whatever quarrel you have with him, settle it outside the Abbey. I won't have you disrupting order over a grudge."

Apophis shrugs, "As long as I have permission, it's fine by me. If he's not needed, I'll take him. It's that simple. Or is it, I wonder?" He looks at Hactor.

Kevarr also looks toward Hactor. For her part, she merely shrugs.

Anba_Hor also waits to see what Hactor will say. He remembers the bit of information and the task the warlord had him carry out - hopefully, the leader remembers.

Hactor sits looking at the fire with his eye, watching the flames dance. He then looks to Kevarr says, "Now that I think of it captain, /I/ want to see Anba myself. Send for someone to fetch him."

Kevarr nods once, then turns to one of the guards near the door and whistles. "Oi, you. Go find Anba, Hactor wants him."

Apophis clenches his fists - he /knew/ that was what the fox would say. "No doubt the fox has made himself indisposable, eh? I wouldn't fall for his tricks, Hactor. He is /using/ you to dodge me." The badger fumes, but sits down in a chair opposite Hactor. "What do you need from him? Tell me."

"Oui syga ed cu upjeuic," the marten mutters. "You're both using him. Hactor's not that stupid."

Hactor chuckles. He has been asked this on two other occasions. He replied, "Well stripedog. I need him to keep you lott in order. Anba is fear, and fear can be very persuasive."

Matteo doesn't have anything to say throughout all this, but the mouse is sure listening!

As is Anba Hor... frantically trying to keep up this game and see it to fruition without losing another limb. He looks down at it again, frowning.

"I see only the need to keep his own being out of order. You seem to be enough of a leader for your own, from what I saw at the camp. Why not somehow..." He leans in, whispering, "Get all of those foxes together and send them off? On some sort of mission... make Anba make them go, and... shut the gates?"

Apophis leans back in the chair, shrugging, "Just an idea."

Anba_Hor squints. He didn't hear that part...

Kevarr eyes the badger with obvious distrust.

Hactor hmms. He is /really/ concidering this. Yes. yes Yes YES! It's perfect! He'de be killing two birds with one stone. Send Anba and his foxes to Camp Willow. Have them wipe out the rebels. And then hand Anba over to the stripedog. He says, "Go on?"

Apophis grins. He leans in more, and the grin turns stale, "Can the marten be trusted? Can the mouse, here? I've never seen this mouse before... perhaps we should meet another time to discuss anything? In a more private place?"

Kevarr snorts. "If Hactor knows anything, he knows that I don't like Anba Hor, and Anba Hor doesn't like me."

Matteo pipes up too. "I'm as shady as you are, matey! If you can trust yourself, you can trust me."

Hactor strokes his beard. He may hate the badger. He hates all badgers. /But/ he had grown tired of Anba. And knew he was too dangerous to be kept alive. He decides they had better just have it out now and says, "Continue."

Apophis blinks, looking at Matteo, "That doesn't make a shred of sense at all. If you're as shady as you say you are, we /shouldn't/ be trusting you." He turns to Hactor, "Well... tell whomever he's going on this mission against where he'll be and when, and have them all ambushed. Keep the main prize alive, destroy those from Izmir with him. It won't be easy, there are a lot - but many were killed in the first battle, and it'll be in open territory with the element of surprise."

The marten still doesn't look as though she's entirely fond of this idea at all, but she's certainly listening.

Matteo interrupts again. "That's only if you're exceptionally shady! I'm as shady as you. And if you're really shady and you can still trust yourself, then surely you can trust someone else as shady as you. Makes perfect sense."

Kevarr says, "Mouse. Do yourself a favor and shut up."

Hactor nods and puts his fingertips together in a thoughtfull gesture. He considers the idea. Yes it /could/ work. Have a woodlander tip off Camp Willow about the aproaching foxes and VOILA!

Anba_Hor realizes he can't come out of hiding now... they're all in on this, whatever it is... but at least he has the knowledge that /something/ is going on. Hmm... maybe he could get that mouse to tell him something? If it's some other beast asking and not himself...

Matteo salutes smartly. "Aye aye, Capto!" He shuts up.

"What's in your thoughts, fox? I want to know what you're thinking, or else I will just take the fox and leave you with the rest of those trouble-makers - wondering why their leader is taken so easily by a badger..." He folds his paws.

Kevarr narrows her eyes further.

Hactor glares a nasty look at the badger. He replies as if speeking to a dibbun, "All in good time stripe dog. You'll get him, I'll be sure of that."

Apophis nods, "Now where's all the tea? Have somebeast go fetch me some... and you, mouse, heh... you can taste it first."

Kevarr says, clearly annoyed, "Go fetch it yourself, this army doesn't take orders from you."

Matteo squints at Apophis. "Yeah, we don't. And I'm not thirsty either."

Hactor licks his lips and says to a gaurd, "Fetch us some tea would you? There's a good chap."

"And clearly I don't take orders from you... but I've just done you all a favor, so I think a very much smaller favor in turn is in order." The badger looks incredulously at the mouse, asking Kevarr, "Who is this, by the way?"

"You don't?" The marten says. "And yet you're still hanging around making constant demands. And we'll see if you've done anyone a 'favor', tacandnyd."

The main door to the Great Hall opens just the tiniest of cracks. A forked grey tongue appears through it, darting in quickly then vanishing.

Matteo answers for Grey, never one to shy away from an introduction. "I'm Matteo of the Gonfelin Thieves! Mousethief of Mossflower, Prince of Thieves, Rogue of Rogues!"

Kevarr adds, "He's a lnywo suica, you should get along just fine."

Apophis hmms, "So you are... what exactly is it you're best at stealing? Can you find something out that can't be found out?" He gives Kevarr a look of impatience and turns back to Matteo, "For instance, a secret?"

Hactor chuckles and watches as the gaurd returns with a tray of tea. After it's set on the table Hactor takes a cup and begins sipping at it. He thinks out loud, "I wonder where that gaurd is you sent to fetch Anba?" He also noticed the forked tounge and askes Kevarr, "Do we have any lizards in the army?"

Matteo shrugs. "Sure. Not as fun as other kinds of thieving, but yeah. Why?"

The door is opened just a little further. In peeks an olive green lizard head, complete with beady eyes and flicking tongue. Sever's tongue is moving quite quickly in an out, and those pure black eyes shift over the creatures in the room.

"Not that I know of," Kevarr responds, and she turns to eye the lizard. "Oi, you. Stop skulking around over there."

Apophis shrugs. "Just wondering." He looks towards the doorway and quickly loses interest, "Well, perhaps now we have a way to lure the reptile worshippers out." He chuckles and takes some of the tea, sniffing it. He waits for Hactor, then sips.

Matteo also loses interest in Apophis. He too looks towards the newcomer, eyes widening. "Oi! What's that?" The mouse looks back at Hactor. "You said it's a lizard?"

Hactor looks to the lizard and asks, "What is your name reptile?"

Sever's eyes turn to Kevarr and narrow, then to Hactor, but - and with far more interest - those beady little eyes turn to Matteo. There's another tongue flick. Finally, a raspy, whispery voice, "Ssever."

Kevarr's ears twitch once at the voice. She says nothing for now, though she continues eyeing Sever carefully.

Matteo grins back at Sever. "Sevo! Nice to meetcha, matey. You're the first lizardy type I've ever seen." He touches a paw to his chest. "Matteo."

Hactor nods at the lizard, and continues to sip his tea. This isn't the first lizard he's seen.

Sever tongue flicks at Matteo. He stands up tall and steps fully into the room - very tall, for one so young. His eyes fix on Matteo, and lips pull back into something of a smile. Very sharp little teeth can be seen, "Ssev/er/. Matteo."

Matteo isn't spooked, though the young mouse sure should be. He marches right over to the monitor, still grinning amiably. "That's what I said, matey! Sevo. Welcome to Redwall. I only just got here, but I'm already enjoying myself."

Kevarr rubs her forehead.

Hactor sets his tea cup down and leans back into the comfy chair. He has grown quite bored, and he watches the fire.

Slowly, the door of the hall opens, only enough to allow a couple of beasts in, and in peeks the stoat, looking around. Slowly, the tall Scalen enters the hall, easily closing the door behind her, and notices the fox. She coughs lightly, and though she towers over most, she looks.... afraid. She makes her way to the fox. "Ummm," she says, not making eye contact with him, "excuse me, sir?"

Hactor almost doesn't catch the voice he is so drowzy. But he does and he looks up to the tall stoat. His eye up and downs her before he replies, "Yes. How can I help you?"

Apophis looks back at the new arrivals, still sipping his tea. Nothing is said - he sure isn't going to continue the previous discussion with so many new faces around.

Matteo is in the Great Hall too. He's one of many at this point actually. He's fascinated by the new monitor, but not enough to miss Scalen's entrance. He watches her approach Hactor, bright-eyed.

Sever bends down to Matteo's hight, tongue flicking right at him. He makes a large toothy grin, "Ssmellss good."

Kevarr also looks a little bored. While her gaze wanders upward, however, she doesn't look as though she's likely to leave Hactor's side.

Matteo quickly pays attention to Sever again. He brightens. "Why thanks, matey! It's sandalwood. A chunk of soap will last you nearly a season."

Scalen looks about the room at the other creatures, still a bit akwardly. Though she seems like she could take on anybeast here in a fight, she looks terrified. She clears her throat, now noticing Kevarr. "S-Sorry, I've uh... ummm...." she rubs the back of her broad neck with a paw, "I've never been anywhere with so many creatures. I was uh, I was told that this was called Redwall Abbey, but then someone said it uh... it was Hactor's Castle? I'm.... not sure where I'm at, in other words.. Sir."

Hactor grins lightly and replies, "You are at Redwall my dear. We don't call it an Abbey anymore but it certainly isn't 'Hactor's Castle." He chuckled a bit before continuing, "What's your name?"

Sever continues that little tongue flick, moving in closer on Matteo, "I need foodss."

Matteo's big ears fan out. "You're hungry? Alright matey! I'm sure there's something to be rustled up." He looks over at the others. "Oi, Capto! Where's our new lizard friend find something to eat around here?"

Apophis chuckles at Matteo, "Look in a mirror, friend... or at the way the lizard's looking at you... there should be your answer." The badger continues sipping, looking at Scalen, "Hactor's Castle... not a bad name, though. Hah."

Kevarr says, annoyed, "He doesn't get to eat mice here."

Scalen continues to look about nervously, looking back at the fox nervously. "Yeah uh.... this place isn't anything like what I I heard about. Um... no offense, sir," she says, glancing at the badger for a moment before looking back to the fox. "I've never really seen a badger before." Then she quickly looks to Apophis, and though she doesnt look like the type of creature to blush, she does, looking down. No offense, sir, she calls to the badger.

Sever chomps his teeth in the air, which makes a satisfying SNAP. His beady eyes turn over toward Scalen. There's that tongue flick of his again.

Kevarr snaps, "/Lizard/. You try to eat the mouse, or any mice, and I'm going to eat you."

Hactor chuckles and replies, "None taken. I'm sorry to say I've met many stripedogs."

Matteo frowns. He boldly reaches up to touch Sever's shoulder, not minding the monitor's chomping. "Don't be silly! My matey here doesn't eat mice. Do you, Sevo?"

Kevarr says, "I'm not even joking. I will have the sisters fry you up and serve you."

Sever's extremely toothy - sharp, pointy, toothy - grin turns toward Kevarr, "Foodss." Big grin back to Matteo.

Scalen looks at Hactor, and her normal timidly shy face looks confused. "Why?" she asks.

Hactor grins and replies, "I can't say in our present company it would be rude."

Kevarr says, "Yes, fried lizard isn't a bad meal, when you're desperate."

Scalen doesn't seem to understand, but she nods anyway. "Anyway," she says, now looking down at Hactor and away from Apophis, "my name is Scalen. I was um.... I was sent here, I guess. Do you know Hactor?"

Matteo just pats the big monitor's shoulder. "Foods, yeah. Don't you worry, matey. We're gonna get you something nice and non-mousey to eat."

Sever reaches a sharp claw over to poke at Matteo. A big, muscly tail waves behind him, "Foodss. Now." And then that big jaw snap.

Apophis gives Hactor a scowl, "If I never see a fox again it'll be the best time of my life, I swear it." He turns to Scalen, "I've met many who are surprised at my size... and I tell them all, there is always bigger. Have you ever seen a wolf? A walrus? A whale?? Those things are bigger and bigger and much bigger still."

Kevarr says, completely calm, "Permission to eat the lizard, sir?"

Matteo grins up at Sever. "Impatient, huh? Alright, alright. But I'm as new here as you. I don't know where they keep the vittles."

Hactor is rather amused at all of this. Looking to Kevarr he replies, "No but you may kick him." He then replied to the stoat with a chuckle, "That would be your's truley."

Kevarr salutes Hactor, and then strolls over toward Sever.

Scalen now seems caught up in two conversations, her eyes wide and amazed at Apophis. "These things.... are bigger than you, sir?" she asks the badger. "I haven't seen these things before, sir." Then she looks back down at Hactor, smiling slightly again. "So, you're the Abbott, then?"

Sever gives a glare at Kevarr and Hactor...But as Kevarr actually approaches, he suddenly rears up, inflates his chest, and makes a very, very loud hiss.

Matteo looks equally alarmed now that Sever's been upset. He holds up both paws. "Whoa, whoa. Easy, Sevo! She isn't really gonna eat you. Right, Capto?"

Hactor replies, "No not the Abott. One could say I'm the Lord of Redwall and Mossflower, though we do allow these Redwallers to keep there Abott." He then looked over to the lizard and cocked and eybrow at the hiss.

Kevarr doesn't seem in the slightest bit fazed by Sever's actions. "Paying attention now then, scaley? You want to eat what the cooks make, then that's fine. You want to eat the /cooks/, you're in the wrong spot. Got it? No eating mice, squirrels, rats, none of that. Or I will eat you."

Kevarr says to Matteo, "Oh yes I will. I will absolutely eat him if he starts snacking on the residents."

Kevarr says, "I'll stick an apple in his mouth and garnish him with little peppers and lettuce."

The large stoat tilts her head slightly for a moment. "I see," says Scalen towards Hactor. "Are you.... evil? I uh.... I don't think he'd like it if you were."

Sever gives a dark scowl and keeps up the inflated chest. He takes a step back, but growls in that raspy voice, "I ssaid foodss. I didn't ssay cookss."

Matteo scoffs! "You won't get the chance, Capto. Sevo doesn't eat mice. Or squirrels or rats. Do you, matey?" When Sever answers, the mouse takes this as confirmation. "See!"

Kevarr jabs a claw at the inflated chest. "So long as we understand each other. No eating beasts in this Abbey. Or I swear to Aksha, I will first fry up your tail and feed it to you, before I eat the rest of you."

Hactor then turns and gives the stoat the samed cocked eyebrow. He replies, "Well evil is a point of view. Who wouldn't like it?"

Scalen frowns a bit, looking as if she's revealed more information than she should have. She looks bright enough, just incredible soft-spoken despite her size, which usually leads to her saying things she doesn't mean to. "I mean, if you let the Mossflower...ians?.... live freely then you're not evil, right? If you were...." now she points a paw at Kevarr, "he'd be especially mad that she works for you."

Kevarr guffaws. "You hear that, Chief?"

The badger compliments Hactor's answer, "Stoat... we're no more evil than the Redwallers that want to take the abbey /back/ from us. Now, if you mean to ask if we're crazy, insane, bloodthirsty savages that kill and maim any chance we get... there are a few within these walls - I don't want to insult anybeast here, but I think there are a few most of us agree they fit your description."

Sever slinks down over by Matteo, "Can I eatss /her/?"

Hactor looks to Kevarr and then back to the stoat. This was becoming very interesting. He chose his words carefully, "Yes. I do treat them well. Who is he, and where do you come from my dear?"

Kevarr gestures at herself. "Come and try it, lizard."

Sever snaps his jaws at Kevarr, making a much softer little hiss.

Kevarr smiles faintly.

Matteo now frowns at the monitor. "Oi, behave matey. You leave Capto alone." He appears to immediately forgive Sever though, perking. "But what are you hungry for, huh?"

Sever gives Matteo that sharp toothy smile, "Meatss."

Kevarr says, "There's fish. That's all you get."

Scalen looks to the badger, tilting her head again, much like before. "You... work for him too? I thought badgers and foxes don't get along...." Slowly, she looks back to the fox, looking down, silent again for a moment. "I'm not from anywhere, sir," says the large stoat, staring att he ground. "I don't have a home, which is why I was kinda hopeful about this place. I was told I could..... find a home here. A friend too, maybe. And he..... he told me not to tell you who he was."

Matteo puzzles. "Maybe he means nutmeats. Like what's inside chestnuts! That it, Sevo?"

Sever shakes his head with a distasteful curl of the lips, "Meatss."

Kevarr shrugs at Sever. "Too bad. You're in the wrong spot."

Matteo scratches an ear. "So fish then. Fish is on the menu, matey!"

Anba_Hor takes advantage of the various goings on to slip out of the library and along the wall, to make it seem as though he was coming from the stairs. The fox strides up to the group and puts his good paw on his hip, pointing with the stub, "Wellll, well well well... the badger awakes! And the marten is talking with Hactor. Gooood."

"Correction," Kevarr says, a little dryly, "I'm talking to the lizard."

Hactor gets a very thoughtfull look and drums his fingers on the arm of the chair. "Very interesting.", he began but was then cut off by Anba. He rolled his eye and said, "Must you be so damn theatrical. As far as I'm awre you don't have the means." He pointed at Anba's stub.

Sever gives Matteo a suddenly very bright smile, "Fish! Yess. I eatss fish."

Kevarr says, "I already said that."

Kevarr points. "Kitchen is that way."

Anba_Hor ignores the marten for a moment and stares at Hactor, "Sire, you don't look well either. You look sick. But anyhow, I thought I might advise you about the goings on the previous evening. Gray, I trust, hasn't told you?"

Apophis stares at Anba, completely baffled. But then, the marten /had/ sent somebeast to fetch him. And here he is. The badger acts casual.

Kevarr looks exasperated. "I told him you lost a paw, and possibly because of some woodlanders. The crazy theory that you're about to put across is your responsibility."

Matteo grins right back at the big lizard. "Top form! Now, if only we knew where..." He catches Grey's pointing. "Look at that! Helpful as ever, Capto."

Hactor looking slightly annoyed says to the black fox, "Go on then?"

Sever smiles at Matteo - but without even waiting for the mouse, he starts heading rather quickly toward the kitchen.

Kevarr turns as Sever and Matteo seem to be leaving, strolling back over to Hactor.

Scalen now looks away from Hactor to Kevarr, and walks over to her, not exactly sure what to say or how to say it. She looks down at the marten, clearing her throat. "Um.... Captain Kev....something?"

"Captain Grey," the marten responds. "What?"

"Hah! Crazy theory... well, we'll see." He looks at Hactor, "The mouse and the squirrel who had done this to me were the same as those who fought against us, and one of whom went missing after that night. The other was the squirrelmaid I saw you speaking with in the garden. I was about to apprehend them, to stop them escaping, and she..." He points to the marten, "Went ahead of my men and warned them, letting them flee."

Scalen looks confused at the marten. "Grey?" she asks confused. "That is.... your last name?"

Matteo jumps to! With the monitor stomping off, someone's got to help him. He backpedals, calling back. "Oi! Be rick back. Got to see to my matey Sevo!"

Kevarr laughs. "Oh that's a creative spin on it. You left out the part where I ran ahead to catch them, and you ordered me to stop. You said, and I quote 'I don't need your help, marten, stay clear of this'. So I stopped."

Kevarr says to Scalen, "It's my name."

Apophis looks interested by this new development. "Gray... yes, the only name by which we know the marten. Please, tell us... do you know another?" He looks at Kevarr.

Hactor replied, "Oh really? Because Lady Soulslash told me a diffrent tell." There was amoment of silence punctuated by the crackeling of the fire as he continued, "She informed me that Captain Kevarr was trying to catch the two, and you were hendering her. So which is it hmmm?"

Scalen looks confused still, then stares at the badger, then back to the marten. "Could I.... could I talk to you a moment?" Her eyes glance at Hactor, then back to Kevarr. "Kevarr," she whispers.

Kevarr repeats, sounding annoyed, "It's my /name/." As Scalen continues talking, however, she stares at the stoat. "...What?"

"Isn't it obvious, Hactor? They are conspiring. My men went ahead of me to apprehend the marten and /try/ to catch the others, and informed me that they saw her stop near them for more than a instant, as if speaking to them." The fox looks at the stoat, interested now as well.

"Because you /ordered/ me to stop," the marten says.

Scalen stares back down at the marten, then shakes her head quickly. "No.... I NEED to talk to you ma'am, please forgive me being assertive but.... but there's something you need to know."

Kevarr lifts her paw. "Look, you can talk to me after they've stopped arguing over whether I should be killed for existing again. Promise."

Scalen now looks to Hactor, and shakes her head slowly. "Sir? I'm sorry.... please, don't pass negative judgement on um.... on Captain Gray. If she dies you will too. This... this isn't a threat sir, I'm not against you or anything, it's just something you need to know. This is.... kind've an emergency."

Apophis gives Hactor a wary glance. He gets up and passes behind the fox, whispering, "I wouldn't tend to agree with the fox, except for this one issue."

Hactor strokes his beard listening. A diffrent tell indeed. He replies to Anba, "Well now your story does sound convincing Anba. May I speak with said men of yours?"

Anba_Hor nods, "I will send for them at once." He grins at Kevarr.

"Oui'ja kud du pa gettehk sa," Kevarr groans. "Chief, come on. Did I whisper magical words to them that let them fly over the walls? He's just blaming me for his own stupidity. If he hadn't stopped me, I /would/ have had them." Scalen gets a truly baffled look.

Apophis is tense. Boy, has this situation come to a head... he continues to stand behind Hactor, who for all he knows wants him dead - but who seems to be the only one he can trust around here. Ironic?

Anba_Hor spots a fox passing by and motions to him, "Get me Graddij, and that other one, Tornear. They should be standing guard near the gate. If they're not, I'll deal with that later. Go."

Scalen seems to be a little tense now, more so than she already was, and when she sees the baffled look that Kevarr gives her, the huge stoat now turns, looking like the first time in her life, an angered look towards Abnar. "Hey, cut it out!" she suddenly snaps. "Maybe if YOU worked with Ke..... Gray, you would have did what you were suppose to do. And your men would be loyal to YOU, perhaps even more so than him!" Then she points a paw to Hactor. "To the point where they would lie for you in order to put you in a higher place of leadership, even perhaps to get closer to Hactor. Maybe it's YOU and your guys who are conspiring!" She tries not to snarl now, then looks to Kevarr. "You..... you talk about woodlanders and vermin like they're different." And that, truly, is a surprise, especially coming from a stoat who does not look woodlanderish at all.

"They are different," the marten says, with a note of impatience. "Look, stoat, I have no bloody idea what you're talking about. Have you been sucking ditch water? We burned bodies in there, you know."

And once more down the steps comes Lady Bree, once more with an empty mug. She seems to be very much in a tea mood today. However, her ears flick up, then slick back, at all of the commotion. She stops at the bottom of the steps, shooting a quizzical glance toward Hactor, should he see it.

Hactor suddenly stand and shouts, "Silence!!" His shout echoes through the Great Hall, and he hopes it will shut evryone up and give him a moment to think.

Scalen seems to calm down now, but only slightly as she looks to Kevarr again, looking afraid, perhaps at herself. "You have forgotten the face of your fath....." and it's in the middle of that word that Hactor yells, and she immediately goes quiet, the large stoat closing her eyes tightly, wincing at the yell.

Kevarr falls silent. Hactor is offered that single paw tap salute. Scalen gets a really really baffled look now.

The two vermin guard come in escorted by the fox, Graddij and Tornear. "Infantryman Graddij, sir! At your request." He first looks at Anba Hor, then looks at Hactor, seeing him. "First clansman Tornear, sir, with Zdith Qwol's unit, sir!" He looks directly at the wall, at neither of the higher ranks.

Hactor looks around at the group the way a grandfather might look at a dibbun in trouble. He sees Bree and gives her a slight nod in greeting. He then walks over to the two new foxes and says, "Allright. I'm going to get to the bottom of this. Can you two verifie Anba's story. And Zorr help you if you are lieng."

Scalen glances at Kevarr for a moment, then the guards who just came in. Now she looks to Hactor. "Mr. Hactor, sir, your king....ajsty?.... please hear what I've got to say. Anything you hear in support of him," and she nods towards Anba_Hor, "will be useless. Sir, please, if I may.... you might want to hear what I need to tell you..... tell her," and now she nods to Kevarr."

Kevarr puts a paw to her forehead again.

Hactor snaps at Scalen, "In a moment child! Your turn will come."

Scalen doesn't argue, only nods and keeps her head lowered, silent, following Hactor's order. Being such a huge creature she's.... timid in personality. "I understand sir," she whispers gently, but it's as if she isn't speaking to Hactor.

The two look at each other and gulp, and Graddij nods to Tornear. Tornear speaks, "Sire, er, sir... we both told the commander what we saw... we was goin' through the orchards, the commander leadin' us, and he pulled out oh, about six or seven of us... three of us on the marten, three or four on the two escapin'... can't remember exactly..." He looks at Anba Hor, gulping again, "Um... we was approachin' and saw the marten stop. She looked like she was sayin' somethin'... to the two, as they was escapin'."

Bree slips into silence. There's a small furrowing of the brow, but the vixen simply watches, for the time being.

Graddij pipes up after Tornear finishes, "Yes sir, and the marten, she said after the commander left that we should all get somethin' to eat. We wasn't told to go back to post, necessarily, but she 'ad us all goin' to the kitchens. Not even see what was up with the two escapin'..."

Kevarr shrugs. "I thought he might strip the flesh off you lot if you let me out of your sight. And I was hungry. 'Sides, he ran off cackling."

Bree's brow furrows deeper. Still, silence from the vixen.

Anba_Hor angrily addresses the marten, "I left because I had to tend to this, you nitwit! You of all creatures should know. I wish I had both paws to strangle you with, you traitorous witch!"

Hactor raises a paw for silence and then turns to Scalene. He says gently, "Now my dear what have you to say?"

Kevarr says calmly, "You know what I'm interested in knowing? How'd two woodlanders randomly chop off your paw anyway?"

Bree suddenly speaks in an irritated tone, "Sir Hactor? This may be best if creatures speak to you one at a time, if none of the creatures here are capable at taking turns with their stories."

Kevarr waves her paw. "No, Bree's right. Sorry, Chief, I'll hold my tongue."

Hactor nods and looks back to Scalen.

Scalen looks up now, from Hactor to Abna_Hor, then to Kevarr, and back to Hactor. "Sir," she says slowly, "if I may.... not speaking from the viewpoint of either a vermin, a woodlander, or even one in your army, or... kingship, or whatever Redwall is now sir, it seems to me like Anba_Hor seems like the more desperate one, he's the one with something to hide. And sir, I mean no disrespect to you but.... what I need to tell K.... Gray, you need to hear too."

Anba_Hor hears it again, "Stoat, why do you keep tripping on her name! What were you about to say - stop this charade at once! Tell the leader who you know her as, and that will be all that is needed from you!" He'll bear Hactor's anger after he proves his point...

Kevarr starts to say something, and then looks frustrated when she realizes she just said she wouldn't. She rubs her forehead some more.

Hactor yells at Anba, "I said quite Commander!" He then rubs his temple and says, "Scalen, Captain Grey meet me in the library." He then headed for the library detirmined to get to the bottom of all this.

Kevarr salutes Hactor again, and moves that way. She can't help giving Scalen yet another truly baffled glance.

Scalen closes her eyes, her eyes moving back in fourth within her brows, as if retrieving some information, then looks to Hactor, ignoring the other fox. "Why does he keep trying to silence everyone, including yourself sir, if he wasn't scared." But then she nods, following Hactor.

Bree gives a silent scowl in Anba Hor's direction.

Anba_Hor bears his fangs at Bree, "You lot should never have come here... you have something to do with this foul play, I know it! And I'll get to the bottom of this long before Hactor does, I promise you..."

Bree's scowl persists, "You, Sirrah, are quite ridiculous. How did they even get away from you? They were clearly standing right next to you, and /still/ managed to escape you. You're quite silly being upset with the marten for your own, quite evident, incompetence."

Apophis looks down at the fox, "Well, fox. You sure have caused your share of pandemonium... I can't say I disagree about the marten - but your tactics are getting rough around the edges. Hahaha..." He shakes with mirth, looking at Bree, "Don't mind him, he's like this to anybeast that doesn't pay him. Be glad you aren't in his debt, I can say that."

"Those two will regret the day they were even born!! How, vixen?? I was busy shoving my arm into the flames of the fireplace to seal up this wound, that's how!! Should I kill myself running after them, instead?" Anba Hor grates his teeth, looking up at the badger, "Shut up! Shut up! Enough of you - if you just took a bit of initiative, you could capture that stupid king and have the information you need! And I would have the pay I was /supposed/ to receive from him!"

Bree shakes her head at Anba Hor, "You grab one with your other paw, scream bloody murder until one of your guards shows up, /then/ get your tail to a healer. There's plenty here."

"Ah, but you're much more fun to taunt and play with than he is... besides, you were the one supposed to do that... you chose that difficult mouse, instead. By the way, how is he?" The badger stands with his paws folded in front of him, looking off at a random part of the abbey, then at the library.

Anba_Hor ignores the badger and scoffs at Bree, "I'll have you killed... and nobeast would even know who it was. I would have died of bloodloss before I even was able to get to one, vixen. Blood /sprays/ from you when your paw is severed."

Apophis raises a paw, "I can demonstrate on your other, if you'd like to show the lady?" He laughs.

Bree raises a brow at Anba Hor, "You think you're fit to lead, and idly threaten the wife of a creature who has a city more than you've got? For no other reason than minor irritation? Well done, Sir."

Anba_Hor laughs with the badger, mocking him, and then takes out a dagger and shoves it right into the badger's middle. "Don't worry, /I'll/ demonstrate." He takes the dagger and, as the badger is grasping for him, fallen behind the chair Hactor was sitting in, he starts /sawing/ off the beast's paw with it.

Skipper strolls right on through, unaware just how noisy the abbey's been tonight. He casually casts about, identifying who's who and what's what.

Apophis looks down at the dagger for a moment, surprised... confused... and looks up at Bree. He looks at Skipper too, and then falls behind the chair. He starts struggling, but can't even think well enough to react to the fox sawing off his paw, right /there/ in Great Hall...

Bree's jaw simply drops, and a second later, she shouts.

Bree shouts "SIR HACTOR!"

The two guards freeze in fear... they both drop their weapons and start trembling.

Apophis is roaring with pain, which covers some of the sound of Bree's shouts... but there is enough commotion already to easily alert anybeast within range.

Skipper blinks. A one-pawed fox is now trying to make a badger one-pawed, too? He gives a start, but it's not to help either Anba or Apophis. He instinctively bolts to Bree's side, putting a protective paw to her shoulder. "What in the /blazes/ is goin' on here?"

Hactor enters and sees the bloody spectacle. He rushes Anba intending to kick him off of the badger.

Bree is quite wide eyed, and very frozen. She starts as Skip's paw lands on her shoulder, "He-he-he just up and. He. Help him?!"

"Sire... why do you look so surprised. You told me to dispose of the badger, and I did. Wasn't I just carrying out an order, sir? Hactor?" The fox grins at him and throws the dagger into the back of the chair, leaving it to stick there. He backs away from Hactor. "Tell me it is not the truth, and I am your prisoner."

Apophis is still moving, but dying. The badger grabs at his middle, and looks over at the bleeding arm. "Unnnnggghhhhhh...."

Hactor yells, "You fool. You DAMNED fool! I never gave any such order!" He pulled his sword and pointed it at Anba the black steel glenting in the candle light. He says in a voice soft yet full of anger, "Commander you are under arrest. On your knees and paws in the air."

Skipper doesn't know what to do, especially not with Hactor rushing in to interfere. His expression is a troubled, wrinkled mask of worry and uncertainty. ".. I really don't know who to help. Who's the badger?"

"Certainly, sire, if you'll allow me to retrieve my other paw from the cottage across the way... I'll be right back." He backs away even further, drawing another dagger. "And you're the fool, Hactor. Thinking you could conspire against me! Without my knowledge! Hah!!! Meeeen!!!"

Bree puts a paw on her forehead, running the paw through her headfur in a useless gesture of anxiety. Her cup of tea already smashed in the floor when the stabbing happened, though the commotion easily drowned the sound, "...I don't know. He was just /sitting/. He was just...and then that /insane/ creature. He just. Stabbed him. And. His paw..Stars ABOVE..."

Hactor looks at Anbas men as they enter. He then calls for gaurds and at least ten pike weilding gaurds appear.

Hactor glares at Anba and says, "This is your last chance Anba. Stand down!" He now had both paws on his sword hilt.

Skipper's protective measures double. He presses Bree back towards the wall of the Great Hall. "Stay back, Bree. This.. smells like some kind of ugly," Skip advises in a low, gruff whisper. He's brooking no argument from the Lady Regent.

Bree does as instructed by Skipper, pressing her back into the wall. She's looking a twinge on the pale side, and says softly, under her breath, "..Stars above.."

Anba_Hor steps forward with the lieutenants and several of the others, "No, Hactor... I think it is you, and your marten and the rest of yours to stand down. You are no longer in control here. I will not tolerate made-up ghosts and treason here, where you have failed to stop such foley and disrespect! I came to you, fox, and why do you think? So I could be ordered around? So I could lose my paw because of the liberties you allow these woodlanders? No!!" There's a rousing 'aye' from the men behind him.

Speaking of the marten, she steps out of the library. She makes no noise, she says absolutely nothing, but she hurls her knife straight at the chest of the nearest lieutenant with shocking force and accuracy. There's a sword under one arm that is clearly not hers, as her sword is still sheathed.

Hactor roars at the black fox, "It is I who have kept you from loosing more than a paw! You're lunacy is your own demise." He then sees the knife fly and is prepared to order his men to charge.

Scalen runs in to the Hall, following Kevarr, closing the door of the library behind her. The large stoat would normally take advise and head out to a more protected area, but when she's needed, and she knows it, her timid personality leaves. She pulls out the long sword sheathed in her belt, swinging it lightly in the air, the blade swishing through a nearby torch's flame, ready to charge once Hactor gives the command.

Skipper is beginning to curse this whole no weapons thing. He could make a dash for the orchards, but.. The otter failsafes to an old favorite, ducking down to heft a stray stool by the leg. Makes a good improvised shield or club. ".. You see now why we think all vermin are crazy?" Skip murmurs to Bree.

Anba_Hor watches Qwufa Nzx fall to the ground as Kevarr's dagger goes right into him. There's a loud 'crack' and several jingles as the metallic shards in his locks all fall to the ground after him. Anba Hor looks over and yells, "Shields up!" The fox is handed a shield and he puts his up as well. "Fool! You can stop this right now... tell my men all that you and the badger spoke about, and promise us you will not try any stupidity against us... and we will let you live. But /I/ will be leader."

Bree slips down to a crouch, perhaps hoping making herself smaller is her best option at the moment. Her answer to Skipper is soft, and very simple, "...Aye."

Kevarr takes hold of the unfamiliar sword under her arm. Unfamiliar, and yet it feels very comfortable to her grip, the weight perfectly balanced. She lifts it in front of her, and moves toward Hactor. There's a strange look in her eyes. Utter calm, utter acceptance.

Hactor with a look that gave no hint of emotion says, "Gaurds! Spears down!" Each of the five weasels did as ordered. He then yelled to Anba, "This is you /last/ chance. Stand down or die." He was now incredibly calm. Damn Anba and all his insanity. He wouldn't poison the warlord's mind with his treachery any longer!

Skipper clears his throat. "Ya already gave him a last chance. Just kill the lunatic already, Foxbutt."

Kevarr murmurs, loud enough to be heard, "If you lot want to die for a madbeast who lost his paw to a little mouse and squirrel, keep following Anba's orders."

Scalen's eyes narrow a bit, glancing to Hactor, then to Anba_Hor. "In the name of the Abbey of Redwall, and those who came before us, there is an acceptance. That either Hector will lead this Abbey, and unite it once more as it once was, or you and your soldiers will suffer a war aimed clearly at you and you alone, suffer and die from it, a war in which vermin and woodlander unite to throw you down, fox," still staring at Anba_Hor. "In the name of Redwall, to the beasts who lead it now, and to those who lead it before them, to the Tapestry we stand under now, surrender, or pay." And she looks very eerily sure of her unnatural serious words.

"Do you see the insolence, Hactor?! Foxbutt??? What leader in this vast world would allow such a name to be given them, within their own domain?! You want them to respect us? Allow me to show them..." The fox orders, "Weapons at the ready!"

Kevarr laughs. "One who isn't threatened by mere /words/."

Skipper adds, louder this time. "I'd call /you/ much worse than Foxbutt. Yer off yer nut, fox. And yer not fit to rule a puddle."

Anba_Hor stares at Kevarr, "They are the poisoners, Hactor. They want you to surrender your place and make peace. I asked you if you wanted to die a peaceful, old fox. I told you what Zorr wanted of you - and you spit on his name, in favor of some union! They will shove our kind out again, at the first sign of trouble! You know this!"

Hactor has had enough of this he yells, "Pikes advance!" And the soldiers charge forward pikes at the ready.

Kevarr steps up next to Hactor, slightly to the side of him, sword at the ready as the pikebeasts charge by them.

The lieutenants all crouch low, shields ready.... when the pikebeasts charge forward, some of them advance faster than others... those that do aim for the lieutenants and find their pikes glancing off the highly polished shields... some of the beasts go into the air from the sheer inertia, and are met with thrusts through their middle with swords. Others are successful in hitting the lower ranked beasts...

Kevarr mutters, "Aksha's breath, what I wouldn't give for the ability to use a bow."

Skipper doesn't like this, but the otter feels the pressing urge to get involved. His eyes desperately search the Great Hall and -- there! Someone's sword, abandoned on the table. "Stay back," Skip insists to Bree in a hiss, before bolting for the weapon. He keeps the stool, moving just as quickly towards Kevarr and Hactor. But he doesn't look happy to be standing at Hactor's side. ".. Ya better be right about this, marten."

Kevarr gestures with her blade strapped maimed arm. "Would you rather fight for him?"

Kevarr gestures toward Anba, that is.

Hactor watches and expected this. He then chuckled and said, "Hello Skidder. A bit tardu to the part eh?" He then waits for Anba to make the next move.

Bree crouches. No, weapons definitely are NOT this vixens thing. She's far more helpful staying against the wall.

Anba_Hor stands, "It will take more than pikes to finish us, fool! You would use them against highly trained swordsbeasts? You've always relied on me for a good plan." He chuckles, and orders the lieutenants to advance.

Skipper snorts, muttering. "Rather not fight for either, thanks." He glares at Hactor, but there's wry amusement in his answer. "Fashionably so, Foxbutt."

Hactor sighs and says, "Let's get this over with then." He then began to advance...."

Kevarr moves with Hactor, though she gives herself enough space for them both to be able to swing weapons. The marten smiles very slightly.

Scalen snarls, moving forward also. She calls out to the beasts siding with Anba_Hor, "It was our kind who was given the task of protecting this Abbey! Vermin and woodlander united for a better life here! I tell you, do not surrender and it will be YOU who will be swept from this Abbey, not us! Look at this Abbey's history! There are vermin who have lived here for ages, who have fought for this Abbey's protection. This.... this is your last warning, my fellow creatures. Stand down.... or you will die. Join us, or you will fall."

Zdith Qwol meets Hactor in the middle, Anba Tar swooshes his heavy, curved scimitar at Kevarr, and Ceabol Kao takes on Skipper... all advance with shields, crouching... Ceabol waves a huge spear, rotating it and gyrating it around, its entire length lined with sharp bone.

Scalen decides to stop trying to make a difference with anything she has to say. Though timid in personality, she isn't huge for nothing. She charges forward as Zidth Qwol meets Hector, slashing her sword at the beast, hoping that two against one will end this engagement quickly.

Kevarr ducks easily under the scimitar. Her own sword swings back, puncturing a beast almost as an idle gesture, while the blades on her maimed arm follow through with a thrust towards Anba Tar's armpit in the same smooth motion.

Hactor doges around Zdith as he charges in a twirl. As he turns he hopes his blade will be able to slice into the fox. He is /very/ surprised when he sees Scalen aproach. How odd this evening was. At first he was relaxing by the fire and now..fighting traitors.

Skipper gets Ceabol. His whole body comes alive, charged with the wave of adrenaline that accompanies certain battle. "How come ya got the one with the little sword, marten?" Skip calls to Kev, not engaging Ceabol 'till the spearbeast dares make the first move. He just regrips the stool as a shield, whilst loosely holding the confiscated sword in his other paw.

Zdith Qwol would be in trouble; that is until Anba Qwol comes up to his aid and attempts to make contact with the stoats swipe! Anba Tar's shield comes out to block the stab, but it jams back into him square in the chin and he staggers back a bit. The scimitar swooshes again, in the opposite direction - it's a hard blade to get out of the way of! It seems to be weighted at one end... Meanwhile, Zdith swipes at the blade with his shield and slashes downward towards the fox with his sword.

This time, Kevarr brings her own sword to meet the scimitar, though instead of a simple block, she allows her blade to give a little before apply sudden reverse pressure in such a way as to possibly disrupt his grip on the weapon entirely, using the weight of the tip against him. Meanwhile, she delivers a heavy kick toward the fox's middle, hoping to take him by surprise while he's smarting from that shield hit.

Ceabol goes berserk on Skipper! He yells loudly in his native tribal tongue and swipes sideways with the bone spear, an attempt to shatter the stool into a million splinters! The violence of his attack stands out starkly from the well-aimed, well-planned movements of the others, but it is still quite something!

Hactor's blade is blocked yet he keeps an iron grip on it. The swipe does little more than to moove his arm to the side. Zdith's blade however manages to make contact, grazing Hactor's upper leg. It isn't fatal but it's deep enough to cause some major bleeding. Hactor grits his fangs and aims to punch Zdith in the back of the head, and then swing his blade around.

Scalen's slash is block by Anba Qwol, that much is certain, but she doesn't stay blocked for long. The large stoat's huge frame charges forward, her sword simply slashing in graceful yet powerful swings at Anba Qwol, not giving him the chance to rest or even breath.

( Anba Tar staggers backward and falls, both by the kick and the weight from the sword travelling backwards, and pushes up with his shield to block any attempt made by the marten in advance. Meanwhile, Zdith is battling Hactor, and scores. But the punch by Hactor makes contact, and his head is knocked down before the blade makes contact. Retaliating, Zdith ducks and hits out at Hactor's leg with the shield, knocking the sword away with an upward thrust with his own. )

Kevarr takes immediate advantage of this. She stomps down hard on Anba Tar's shield, perfectly willing to use her own weight to smash it into his face again--or break his shield arm. Her sword swipes forward to take down whatever beast was behind him. "Chief, the doorways!"

Skipper grins grimly. Spears are long-range to medium-range weapons. Only a badger swinging such a pole weapon through the air could hope to achieve much in this proximity. He indeed throws the stool into the spear's way. It cracks against the bone-reinforced weapon, but the otter's quick to duck beneath the spear's path through the air. He surges into close quarters, eliminating the spear's effectiveness almost certainly. And he thrusts forward, hoping to bury the sword in the fox's soft stomach.

( Anba Qwol is highly skilled with his saber, and makes sharp, lunging thrusts against the stoat to try and graze the blade, twist it, disarm the stoat in any way possible. He's relentless in this tactic, and completely is on the defensive, but with the goal also of getting that sword out of her paws. )

Hactor feals his blade knocked upward but still keeps that iron grip. However the sheild causes him to fall...

( Anba Tar rolls out of the way, relinquishing his shield but being clipped on his cheek at the same time. He gets up and makes a low swipe with the sword, aimed at the leg of the marten which depended on the balance sought by the fox being underneath. Well, he wasn't... which might surprise the leg in coming down so hard. The fox sacrifices the shield, though. )

Scalen's sword goes with Anba Qwol's saber twisting, but the attempt to relieve her of her weapon seems somewhat futile as her large paw grips on to it with all the strength she has - which, to say, is a lot. For a moment, a brief second, she stops charging so that her blade detaches from the swinging technique, and while

Anba Qwol's defensive movement is in the upswing, she stabs her large sword in for his stomach.

Bree stays against the wall.

Kevarr takes a vicious swipe to the front and side of her leg, in exchange for her next move, which is to stab directly downward toward the inside of Tar's elbow with the sword, and straight at his face--his eyes even--with the blades on her maimed arm.

Ceabol, meanwhile, is faced with the low blow against him as the spear is moving sideways. Somehow, the sword makes contact... but in a place that is heavily armored. Ceabol is wearing some kind of exotic reptilian armor (crocodile? lizard?) and the scales and knobs in it deflect the sword. But the fox staggers backward and makes a last ditch effort with his spear, rotating it around the sword to disarm the otter.

( Anba Qwol is grazed along the side, and he backs away and swipes down and around the blade of the otherbeast, angling the attempt such that the sword would be twisted at an angle that would put tremendous pressure on the stoat's paw. )

Scalen snarls slowly at first as the pressure is placed on her one paw, but very slowly, the sword begins to rise up, and regardless of the pressure, her arm doesn't give way. Then she smirks as she pulls up her second heavily muscled arm and, while Anba Qwol is busy poutting all of his concentration on her sword paw, her free paw jabs up with incredible strength, aimed directly at the creatur's ear, a very vulnerable and painful area.

Skipper wishes the otter had known that. Heh. One would think that'd be obvious at a glance, but well.. He doesn't get disarmed so easily, taking advantage of the fox's backwards staggering. Judging Ceabol to be very off-balance, the burly otter worsens matters for the spear-wielding fox. He lowers and charges the fox, intending to tackle the fox to the ground. He evades the spear's rotation in doing so, tucking his sword in close. If he can knock the fox down, the first thing Skip does is slash at Ceabol's primary paw.

( Anba Tar is slashed in the face successfully, and he drops the sword. It goes out of control, almost like a boomerang, the weight on the end providing it enough rotating momentum to stay aloft, while the curvedness of the blade provides lift! It goes in Hactor's direction! )

Hactor is still on the ground but he manges to stand up again quickly...only to duck back down. He looked and saw the 'boomerang' blade projecting from the wall. Now that was...fascinating? He then looked at Zdith.

Kevarr seizes the opportunity. She comes down on the fox with both sword and arm blades, intent on finishing him.

( Anba Qwol is boxed in the ear and makes a full-blown attempt and a surprising change in tactic by rushing her and rendering the sword almost useless at the close range. He yells, almost as loud as the reptile-worshipping Ceabol! )

Ceabol is thrown over the back of Skipper, and flies to the ground behind him, shattering one end of the bone on the spear... leaving the fox with a ridiculously-sized arrowhead, impossible to spin or weild in any way other than he would a sword. The fox scowls at Skipper and gets up, now on the other side of the fight! He makes a move for Kevarr's back, just as she's about to finish Anba Tar, stabbing at her back!

Scalen this time the stoat's sword at first swings up, still successful in the defense from the attack, but though the blade doesn't budge, there isn't anything she can do with it, so she only smiles, amazingly calm in this battle. She drops the blade down, pivetts to the side and allows Anba Qwol to fall forward as he suddenly and without warning has nothing he is charging against. As this happens, she makes an attempt to grab his headfur with her huge paw and slam his face in a nearby flaming torch.

( Anba Tar rolls out of the way, but not in time for the blades on her maimed arm! His jaw cracks under the downward blow and the sideways momentum he's applied himself... he's temporarily stunned.. )

Skipper is fast. Faster in water, but fast enough on his paws too. He tumbles, the edge of his own sword biting just above his hip. He had hoped to pin Ceabol /down/ to the ground, but gravity works in mysterious way. He rounds, using his thick rudder as leverage to spring after the fox. With Ceabol's attention on Kevarr now, the otter ruthlessly and without hesitation swipes his sword in a horizontal slash across the back of Ceabol's neck.

Kevarr drops at the sound of paws behind her, twisting as she does so. She attempts to land right on the stunned fox, but that's less important than her main focus--which is to deliver a savage, two-footed kick at Ceabol as he bears down on her.

Zdith Qwol's younger brother finds his headfur pulled, but spins around and slashes horizontally with his sword, right for the neck of the stoat. He's too late to stop his head going into the sconce, though he only hits the iron guard surrounding the flames. Embers fly into his fur, singing it and causing him to yell out painfully...

Ceabol Kao is beheaded in ruthless fashion. He's kicked backwards with such force that Skipper's blade is sent right into his neck at twice the speed it would have. It seems to be happening in slow motion for Anba Qwol and Anba Tar, who both look over from their stunned perspectives to see their comrade's head go flying.

Scalen snarls lightly in pain as her throat is slashed, but apparently not deep enough to do much damage as she tilts her body back just as he's slashing her. Then, as he's stunned by the flames, she leaps forward, her huge frame coming down on him, her sword aimed at him, going in for the finish.

Anba_Hor meanwhile doesn't even flinch.

Kevarr doesn't even stop to see the body fall. She twists around again, again stabbing with her arm blades at Anba Tar, as she's in too close to use her sword very well. The look on her face is still utterly calm, as if she were doing practice exercises, not fighting for her life and attempting to kill another beast.

Zdith is afraid for his life amidst all this mess... so he backs away from what was the path of the spinning blade of death and accompanies Anba Hor at his side. He looks in horror as Ceabol is beheaded.

Bree's mouth is a little agape at flying heads, boomerang swords, and so on...This really isn't her thing.

( Anba Qwol stabs inward towards Scalen as he takes the blow straight down on his head. He seems to not even care, it's all happening in slow motion - if he can get one more stab in, it seems to him his whole life would be worth it. He's really not in the mood... he slinks down, letting go of his sword one way or another - in the stoat or not. )

Hactor stands gengerly cluching his leg. He grins at Skipper then turns to Anba_Hor raising his blade. He has a look in his face that says come and get it.

( Anba Tar? He's just as stunned to see his life flash before his eyes... but at the last moment, he looks over to see his friend being sliced in two and rolls out of the way, kicking out. He hears his name called and retreats with Anba Hor and Zdith Qwol. )

Skipper surely foresaw that, but the decapitation is nonetheless jarring. Warm blood sprays, causing the enraged otter to squeeze his eyes shut instinctively. Heh. But his jaw just sets, muscles clenching there. Battle's not pretty, no. As Ceabol crumples, the otter refocuses and approaches Kevarr and the fox beneath her. Anba Tar may escape Kev, but the otter is there with sword in paw. He makes to obstruct the fleeing fox, striking with a sweep of his sword.

Kevarr moves her lips. It might be a snarl, but she doesn't actually make any noise. She shoves off of the ground and tears after Anba Tar, sword and blades at the ready.

Scalen falls successfully but then notices the blade. She hits her footpaw against the floor but the blade still slices in to her. She snarls as she suddenly pulls up, but falls next to Anba_Qwol, holding her bleeding side.

( Anba Tar rolls at Skipper, tucking himself in and rolling like a perfect ball to trip the otter! He's not about engaging right now, not without weapon and shield... it's pure escape tactics! Must get to Anba Hor!!! )

Kevarr slashes and stabs furiously at Tar's rolling form, not terribly caring where she hits so long as she does so.

Hactor charges at Anba_Hor ready to slice him in two. He of course can't go that fast with his leg wound but the old fox is determined to settle a score.

Anba_Hor, meanwhile, and Zdith are preparing the retreat with some of the others in tow... leading the way and making it safe for the officers. Anba Hor orders some of the lower ranks to charge forward and distract the leader and any attempts to get to them, while they make their escape.

Skipper is certainly tripped up. He stumbles past the rolling Anba, just about colliding with a nearby table before catching himself. The otter then turns on the desperate Anba Tar. If he wanted mercy, he wasn't going to find it from Kevarr -- or Skipper. He joins in, coldly adding his sword to Anba Tar's misfortune.

Hactor yells at the black fox, "Face me! Face me you one armed pupiles coward!" He was seathign with rage. He wanted Anba dead. And he wasn't going to let an executioner or other beast have the pleasure of spilling that monster's black blood.

( Anba Tar is mercilessly slashed across the back and lies on the ground, with his paws behind his head, pretending to surrender. But he's a madbeast... he flips around and makes an attempt at Kevarr with both paws, reaching for her neck! )

Scalen, slowly, grips on to a nearby wall, watching as the creatures retreat. "Hactor," she whispers, then limps forward, but that turns in to a run as she continues to hold her side, snarling as she darts towards Hactor, looking as if about to attack him, but instead.... SCHLINNNNNNNNG.... a sword about to stab the fox is knocked the ground, and the creature doing the stabbing dead. "Hactor, sir," she says, breathing slowly, "he's telling me to stop the attack, let them go, you can't die."

The marten doesn't even hesitate, even with the faux attempt at surrender. The look in her eyes is unreadable. She stabs at him, and as he reaches for her neck, she responds like a wild beast. She /snaps/ with sharp teeth at /his/ neck.

Hactor sighs deeply gritting his fangs. If he was surprised at the near death expeariance he didn't show it. He spits on the ground in Anba's derection and walks to Bree to be sure she's allright.

Anba_Hor yells back to Hactor, "Come out here and get us!! You'll find many more of us waiting...! You're through, Hactor! This is only the beginning!!! Aaaahahahahaha!!" The fox swooshes around his cloak and exits the building, Zdith Qwol in step behind him.

Skipper is about to worsen Anba Tar's problems, before the fox turns to strangle the marten. He hesitates, momentarily frozen by the frenzied struggle. Deferring and allowing Kevarr to see this one through is one option. But with Anba Tar's back turned to him, Skipper seeks to end this horror. He plays his part in stealing Kev of her kill, driving his sword again into Anba Tar's back.

Scalen watches Hactor leave, then slowly slumps to her knees, now holding her bloodied side. "This is what you sent me for?" she whispers, not exactly asking anyone in particular. Simply, she rips some of the clothing off of a nearby beast who has been slained and begins to patch up her wound.

The lower ranking beasts are simply hewn down, mowed like blades of grass with scythes... they are simply a roadblock, not a challenge. Anba Tar meets them in the afterlife in similar fashion, as he's stabbed straight through... he looks down in horror as a sword grows out of him, and slides off the end of it in falling to the ground.

The instant Anba Tar falls away, Kevarr springs over him, running low. Any beast still in her way is either dodged around, or more often, sliced apart, but she doesn't even seem to notice them. She plunges for the door at top speed.

The doors start to close behind Zdith Qwol and about a dozen beasts are holding it shut from the other side.

Skipper calmly abandons the sword in Anba Tar's middle, wanting nothing more to do with the borrowed blade. He's about to offer Kev a paw up, before she takes off. He whirls in place, staring agape after the marten. "What do ya think yer doin'! Get back.." He grunts, his bellowing dying in his throat. Crazy marten.

Hactor sees Kevarr running for the door and runs to try and hold her back. He yells, "Stop! Calm down it's over right now."

The sword goes between her teeth. She doesn't slow down as she reaches the closing door--she goes straight /up/ it, like some sort of oversized, furred insect, climbing claws digging into wood, and then, with long familiarity, into the grooves of stone as she just keeps going. Possibly her aim is that broken stained glass window, quite considerably far above...but she doesn't get that far. Hactor succeeds in grabbing her tail, and her ascent is halted.

Hactor pulls her by the tail and grabs her in a bear hug trying to keep her from killing herself. He says softly yet with a bit of force, "Now now. Listen to me. You let the gaurds outside handle them. We've got archers posted at the wall ok. Don't go and kill yourself."

Kevarr is pulled down, and surprising or not, she doesn't actually struggle once she's down. She holds very still apart from a single eartwitch as Hactor speaks. And then she breathes, and her muscles seem to relax.

Skipper quietly shakes his head. He returns to Bree, following up Hactor's gesture to see if she's okay. There's a small hitch in his step now, not quite a limp -- but the shallow wound at his hip doesn't stop him. "Bree. I think you'n yer hubby came at a bad time."

Scalen notices Kevarr going for the door, then she stands, running for the door also. Just as she's about to struggle to open it, the huge weasel grabs hold of one of her arms, looking down at her. Though her grip is strong her eyes are gentle, and she says, "Stop, he's telling you to stop. Let them go, and when they come back, if everything goes according to plan, they will face a united Redwall."

Hactor feeling the marten relax realeases her. He then looks around at the mess and shakes his head. He limps over to Bree saying, "Are you allright m'lady?"

Kevarr says, still looking straight forward at the closed door, rather than at the fox or the stoat, "Lots of other ways out." Her voice is ridiculously calm. "Can't block them all."

Kevarr turns her head sharply toward the kitchen.

Scalen looks from Kevarr to Hactor, then back to Kevarr. "Wait," she says gently. "I.... he's telling you to wait." Then she turns to Hactor. "You and me.... need to talk."

Bree slowly rises to her footpaws. She's quite beyond pale as she looks toward Skipper, "....Ah...It seems so..."

Scalen continues to look over everything and her eyes now fill with tears, shaking her head. "Stop it," she says, mostly to herself, then she looks at Kevarr and Hactor. "L-Like I said, we need to talk," she says, visably shaken. "Now."

Hactor limps over to Scalen and surveys the mess as he limps.

Kevarr doesn't say anything. She continues looking toward the kitchen for a few more moments, and then, with precise movements, she takes the sheathed sword off of her belt and tosses it carelessly to one side, replacing it with the sword Scalen gave her. She still looks rather strange. Very calm. Flat eyes.

Scalen looks to Kevarr, to Hactor, and nods to them both. "I need to sit down for this," she says gently, and finds a chair near the both of them, no longer caring who hears what she has to say. "Hactor, sir," she says gently, "Please sit down." Then she looks to Kevarr and smiles weakly, "You too ma'am, if you don't mind."

Hactor drags a chair over and sits, listening closley. Now to assume where they left off before his 'trusted' commander went AWOL.

Skipper claps a paw on Bree's shoulder since she's standing, heedless of whether or not his paw is bloody from the battle. He squints over at the stoat, not recognizing her. "Ya really want to talk business so soon? Think everyone might be a bit winded from the.. fightin' and battlin', marm."

Kevarr sits right at the base of the closed door. Her eyes go back to the kitchen, and once to the broken window high up above.

Bree seems, actually, rather comforted by the paw on her shoulder. A shaking paw runs through headfur, "..I can fetch Ruingate's men. Clear up the dead, at least..Any wounded...aren't there healers here?"

Scalen looks to Hactor, leaning forward, wincing lightly in pain, her timid and shy appearance all but fleeing from her. "Now, he is telling me you can't leave. You've been chosen, you...." then she looks to Kevarr, "and you. You he has chosen to be the Guardian of Redwall Abbey." Then she looks to Hactor. "You are to lead it. Sir, forgive me, I mean no disrespect, I'm only telling you what he's telling me, but he's telling me the Redwallers, the Woodlanders must be brought back here, to live united with the vermin, as it once was, as it should be. And he's telling me that, unless you do this.... unless you stop being a king and instead become and abbot.... then everything you've done here will be for nothing."

Kevarr finally speaks, though she doesn't look at them, and her tone seems bizarrely warning, "There is an Abbot."

Hactor listens rather stunned and his jaw opens slightly. He replies, "Do I look like Abott material. I'm a warlord. Not really the kindley type."

Scalen looks surprised, and her head turns to Kevarr. "Wh.... who?" she asks, hardly above a whisper. "Now he's telling me.... he's telling me if there's an Abbot, then they must be the Abbot of Redwall." Now she looks to the fox, and smiles weakly. "You might not see the potential within you.... but he does. And they, the vermin, will listen to you. You must let this happen, sir.... you must allow the Abbot to be the Abbot of Redwall."

"An Abbot and a Champion," Kevarr replies. She looks directly at Scalen, then twitches and looks away, back to the broken window.

Bree speaks louder now, toward Scalen, "Lady Stoat...As important as you believe your message to be, there's a time and a place, and I'm afraid this isn't it."

Skipper's ears flicker. He hears Bree, but only distantly. He's staring at Scanlen with open skepticism. "Sounds to me like 'He' doesn't know what he's talkin' about," Skip adds dryly.

Hactor rolls his eyes. He was to old and tired to be afraid of spirits from the great beyond. However he did heed the stoat's words and thought about this for a moment. He lookes to Skipper and says, "Well looks like we're on the same side now Skidder. Any chance you could get word to your pals in Camp Willow?

Kevarr blinks, utterly startled. "...Chief?"

Scalen looks to Bree and shakes her head quickly. "There isn't time," she says then looks to Skipper, and she chuckles. "Well, um, sir, forgive me for laughing, but he's laughing at you. Yes, he's telling me he knows you, and um, he finds your comment funny. Some of the emotions he feels, I feel them too." Then she looks to Kevarr. "Ma'am, please.... who? I don't understand."

Skipper levels on Hactor. "No, we ain't. I ain't on yer side. I'd happily run a sword through ya too, but I'd rather be sure the crazy fox is dead first." He punctuates with a snort, before adding. "And I don't have a blinkin' clue what Camp Willow is." He may be lying, may not.

Skipper throws Scalen an equally flat look. "Pardon me sayin' so, marm, but yer blinkin' nuts. I don't know who ya think is talkin' to ya, but they don't know me and I don't know them."

Bree /scowls/, "Lady Stoat! You are sitting in a room full of blood, surrounded by dead creatures! If you're not going to be able to recall this important message, Stars Above, /write it down/. For now, there's bigger things to worry over than whatever voice in your head is proclaiming who should be in charge of this place. There's wounds, blood, and dead to tend to, not to mention figuring out how to protect the creatures here from that lunatic, as well as figuring out where in the world he went."

Hactor nods in agreement with Bree, "She's right we'll sort out who leads what at another time. In the meen time I think we should start cleering the dead, and get word to the gaurds about Anba's treachery."

Kevarr nods and stands up. But she can't seem to resist asking, "Why'd you want to contact Camp Willow, sir?"

Scalen looks back to Skipper. "Yes, you do. Madam fox, please forgive me..... it's not exactly what I wanted to do, but he, the old weasel, sent me here for this very reason. If we don't act now, if we do not make the Abbot the Abbot and the Champion the Champion, we will fall. The old weasel, it's him giving all this stuff to me, to tell everyone here. The old weasel, he was once the Champion." Then she looks to the otter. "Um, sir, call me crazed, I do not care.... but his name was Compest."

Skipper frowns at Scalen, unimpressed. "Look, yer nuts. There is an Abbot. There is a Champion. We don't need some blinkin' weasel reassignin' everyone. So kindly tell yer weasel friend to butt out. We got enough ghosts in this abbey."

Skipper points a paw at the blank wall where the tapestry used to hang. "And his name was Martin! What's yer point? One ghost's enough, thanks." He abruptly turns to address Bree. "I'll see to the bodies. We can drag them through the breezeway for now."

Hactor looks to Kevarr and says, "Wll apparently we all need to become allies if we are to do whatever that gohst says. Perhaps we can treet with the rebels and make a compromise of sorts."

Bree is bristling now, apparently the high strung emotions from the battle choosing to now slip to anger, "...Ignore her. Perhaps the fight touched her mind. We should attend to the important things." She nods to Hactor, "Like alerting the guard."

Kevarr lifts her paw. "I'll alert the guard." She starts for the kitchen, with the air of someone who can't really wait to get out of the room. On the threshold however, she stops, and asks, "What sort of compromise?"

Hactor shrugs and says, I honestly don't quite know captain. We'll figure something out." He then limpes over to Bree and says, "M'lady perhaps you should get some rest? We can handle this mess."

The marten hesitates, then she straightens, lifts her chin, and salutes the old fox. "Yes sir." She steps out.

Bree's hackles start to lower now that creatures, at long last, seem to be focusing on the needs of the moment. She nods to Hactor and Skipper, "...Thank you, both. I can fetch some of Ruingate's men to aid you."

Scalen winces lightly at Skipper, frowning but silent, her large frame still and her head hung low. Slowly, she looks to Kevarr. "Wait, ma'am, before you go...." she rushes over to Kevarr, following her towards where the guardsw would be posted. "Can I come with you?"

Skipper grunts once, before wordlessly setting to the task of clean-up. He's done it before, just a few weeks ago. He busies himself with dragging the fallen foxes out, grimly tackling the headless corpse first. Heh.

Kevarr gestures over her shoulder, not slowing. She seems alright with it.

Hactor nods and begins to help moving corpses. How had it come to this? The old fox knew. It was a mistake for him to put his faith in a beast he didn't fully understand. It wouldn't happen again.