Emotional defeat in the slave cell...as well as a concussion! Whoopie! :P

Happens immediately after this log: http://rwmuck.limitless.org/rwmuck/content/slaves-attck-andfail

Yes, they're still in Nightfur's lair, still in the slave cell, still basically underground. Yada, yada, yada. :P

Zork the badger. Derean the otter. DoraRose the mouse. Starlight the otter. Nightfur the fox.

The cell looks little different, for one the chain that was on the wall, least one is loose and on the floor, some hay is scattered around and not in some piles, and one otter is missing. Zork sits by the wall trying to fix the bandage on his shoulder and failing badly, looks like the stiches were pulled loose, he has a small package of herbs and bandages he himself grabbed at the abbey in his rush outside, he grumbles and frowns looking down at the cell floor. The otter dibbun is sleeping close to him and Derean, wait...who's missing?

DoraRose somehow slept through the insanity earlier, and only now opens her eyes and looks around. She immediately notes the dissapearance of the otter and sits up like she's been stung. "Where's Powell?" she demands hastily, blue eyes flashing slightly.

Zork looks over at the mousemaid and frowns, "I...don't know lass...he and..."He sighs looking defeated still, he forgets his shoulder and looks to where he hid something in some straw.

DoraRose frowns, then follows the badger's gaze to the straw. Going over to it, she sticks a paw under it, curiosity winning her over. "What happened to your shoulder?"

Derean looks to DoraRose, his eyes very obviously devoid of any emotion or energy he had when the two had first met, though he is indeed holding a sleeping Starlight in his arms from where she had cried herself to sleep earlier. For now, he decides to stay silent.

Zork points to the wall where he managed to rip the chain free, the wall has a crack in it now but no danger of falling in on them thank goodness, he slumps "I am...Nightfur lied, know he did...didn't he?" He frowns as if unsure weather to believe the insane fox or not as he lays down, "He just lost it in de...when he were talkin' to Nightfur...iffa Nightfur did do it...he will die, painfully." He lets sleep overtake him as he is serious tired after what happen, if Dorarose does move what's under there, it's Oz's staff, slightly messed up now thanks to Powell slamming it into a stoat's head.

DoraRose shifts the staff and looks at it, then re-buries it under the straw. "Yes, Zork, I'm sure he lied. He just wants you to stop fighting." She looks at him and notices that he's asleep, and so dusts off her paws, and goes to cover him up better with his cloak. When thta's accomplished, she scoots over to beside Derean. "Why didn't any of you wake me up?" she whispers, slightly indignantly.

Derean shrugs. By this point, the energy usually present in his eyes has disappeared and he looks sullen and devoid of hope.

DoraRose sighs and rubs her forehead, frustrated that she somehow slept through the attaining of a staff and the disappearance of Powell. "Sorry. I guess this cell is getting to me. Can you tell me what happened to Powell?" She is sitting beside Derean, and now turns to look at him, too emotionally tired to smile at the sight of him holding the Dibbun otter.

Derean continues to stare at Dora, seeming to have difficulty with processing what was asked. "P-Powell...he...he ran off...escaped..." He mutters.

Starlight stirs in the otters arms and whimpers.

DoraRose has to bite her lip to keep from yelling with unnatural (for her, anyway) impatience. "How did he escape? Weren't there guards?" She almost unconsciously reaches out to gently stroke the Dibbun's head, her mother instincts taking over.

Derean winces, looking almost startled for a moment, not even noticing Starlight awaken. "N-Nightfur...he opened the door...." He seems stunned and no longer has the willpower to do anything else other than sit there. Evidently being a slave has taken more of a toll on him than anything else, though mostly because it brought back unpleasant memories.

Starlight opens her eyes and whimpers "Bad...foxie grabbed me...bad foxed had chain on neck...fox is bad...scary foxie"

DoraRose smiles softly at the Dibbun and goes to stroke her head some more.. "Shush, it's alright, he's gone now. You're right, he is a bad fox. Hush now." keeping the smile on her face she coaxingly asks, "He had a chain on his neck? That sounds interesting. How'd that happen?"

Derean looks down at Starlight at her voice, and some of the energy returns to his eyes, and he smiles slightly, holding the small otter in a more comfortable position.

Starlight seems the only one that can explain this, but it was pretty scary still, she points to the sleeping Zork. "Zork...make bad fox gasp, then bad fox throw staff and he let go...bad foxie chase daddy then"

DoraRose nods encouragingly. "That was very brave of Zork. How did Daddy get past the guards? Were there guards?"

Derean nods slowly. "Guards...they chased him...all of them..."

Starlight makes a motion with her paws, "Bam...bam" Hmms.

DoraRose frowns slightly, but having two Dibbuns of her own who are constantly talking like this, she's pretty good at translating such random noises/words. "Bam, bam...did Daddy hit the guards? What did he hit the guards with?"

Starlight wiggles out of the otters arms and goes to find the staff, she digs it out some and points "Bam"

Derean watches Starlight walk to the staff with a blank expression, looking as though he can't quite proccess anything.

DoraRose smiles as she finally (for the most part) understands what was going on while she was somehow asleep. "Oh, so Daddy hit the guards with the stick. Good for him! You said the bad fox grabbed you; did you hit him?" she sends a concerned glance over to the adult otter, wondering what's wrong. She hopes it's reversible...

Starlight smiles "Me bite bad foxie"

Derean pipes up quietly. "She bit th' fox..." He mutters, not catching the concerned glance, or any other glance for that matter.

DoraRose smiles brightly and reaches out to hug the dibbun. "Good for you! He deserved it!" She looks at the other otter, and is now watching him closely. "Wouldn't you agree, Derean?"

Starlight smiles and sits down on the floor here

Derean looks back at Dora at the mention of his name. "Wot..?" He mumbles.

DoraRose looks steadily at the otter. "Derean, are you feeling alright?"

Derean looks almost confused. "W-...aye..I'm f-fine.." He sounds almost devoid of hope, and the energy has once again disappeared from his eyes.

DoraRose lays a gentle paw on the otter's shoulder. "Are you sure? You don't look like you're feeling very...hopeful that we'll escape. Or anything."

Derean sighs, drawing his knees to his chest. "You know somethin' DoraRose..." He begins, surprising himself by being able to form a coherent sentence. "I told Zork earlier...that I would stay here fer the rest of my life if it meant the rest of you escaped now."

DoraRose looks slightly sick. "I wouldn't let you. I couldn't leave you behind. Not to this fate. If we leave, you come with us!"

Derean shakes his head slowly. "You have families and friends at Redwall that care where you are and whether or not you're alive. I've got nobeast back there fer me, so I might as well die here fer all the rest of the world cares."

DoraRose digs her claws into the otter's shoulder to make sure he is paying attention. "I care! And nothing would let me rest in peace if I just left you here to die! I refuse! When I escape, I /will/ make sure you can, too. You hear me?!"

Derean looks as though he can't even feel Dora's claws, and he simply looks at her with watery eyes. "If it comes down to it, I will gladly sacrifice my life t' save any one of you. I have no use in this world aside from bringing it more death, and everybeast at the abbey will be much better off without me."

DoraRose poufs up slightly. "How can you say that? I for one would be haunted for the rest of my life if you died in here."

Derean shrugs. "You'd be the only one," He says hollowly. "I wonder if Flicktail even knows I'm gone..."

DoraRose looks at the otter very sadly. "I'm sure he does. And if for nothing else, will you please try to escape with us, if only for me? For a friend?"

Derean sighs, looking at the ground again. "I can't promise anything DoraRose..." With that, he seems to close up, cutting off any further conversation.

Sometime later that same day...

Nightfur comes down to the cell and looks inside, a bandage on his neck and an expression of pure anger.

DoraRose is the only one awake at the moment, and having gotten the story of what exactly happened from Starlight earlier, she has a hard time not laughing at the wound on the foxes' neck. Instead she looks up and smiles coldly. "Hello. And how are you? Well, I hope."

Nightfur glares, "You will get that smile off your face soon, be luckly its not you I plan to kill soon"

DoraRose cocks her head to one side with an innocent look on her face. "Oh? Why not? Aren't I infuriating?"

Nightfur narrows his eyes, "I made sure one beast was taken care of, even if they found him doesn't mean he lived, as for others."

DoraRose keeps smiling, but it's mostly just a cover for her slight trepidation. "Oh? You mean Powell? You couldn't've killed him with one of his paws tied behind his back."

Nightfur growls, "Oh..you are a pain it seems..back up like a good slave" He goes to open the door.

Zork opens his eyes at the sound of Nightfur's voice and watches him, still tried from earlier and his shoulder hurts but he is still able to speak.

DoraRose stands up and takes a few steps back, but keeps smiling coldly. "What'cha gonna do? I have the feeling you don't want me dead just yet, fox." And she is taunting him why, now?

Nightfur enters the cells he calls two stoats to guard the doorway and walks over to Zork, his twin blades slowly coming off his back, "Your awake...good, better that way, you lost me 12 men and my right paw beast, you tried to slay me earlier today...your a threat to me stripedog and threats are ended quickly"

DoraRose starts to move closer to the fox, her blues eyes flashing slightly, but she says nothing for the moment.

Zork is more awake now and growls low, he watches Nightfur.."Back off scum" His voice is low right now,"Ya made a mistake..thar is one beast ya don't DARE put in a cell...and that beast be me" He goes to get up and falls down with a groan, he looks at the fox narrowing his eyes as if daring him to come closer.

Nightfur watches and smirks "No need to get up" It a move of lightning speed one blade is at his throat, a 2nd time in two days as he tilts his head and smiles coldly, "Only this time...you die and I shall enjoy watching life fade from your eyes."

DoraRose decides that now is the time, and goes to pounce on the fox's (hopefully) unprotected back. Oh, yeah...never underestimate claws, people. She starts trying to scratch his eyes and bite his ear, and maybe even step on his tail.

Zork looks at the blade at his throat and Nightfur,"Ya will...regret this later, trust me..." He stays still as he speaks.

Nightfur smiles coldly "I regret nothing! Ya die..." He goes to press the sword harder when that annoying mousemaid jumps onto his back, he goes to try and claw at her and shakes her off, the badger forgotten, the sword hilt goes to hit the mousemaid.."Get off me...off!"

DoraRose clings like a limpet and while scratching with one paw, she tries to grab a hold of one of the fox's blades. She doesn't see the sword hilt coming until it's too late. It hits her hard on the temple, and she crumples to the floor with a groan as blood oozes from her wound.

Zork eyes go wide, "Dorarose!" He goes to try and get over to her best he can and check on her, he doesn't pay attention to the fox.

Nightfur snorts, he looks ready to try and slice the badger's head off and then just leaves, one ear cut in half by mouse teeth...MOUSE TEETH!...back has claw marks on it he gets out and slams the door shut and calls out "Ya both will Pay...Healer!"

DoraRose is totally, completely, and utterly unconscious. The wound is rather deep in appearance, but when she wakes up, it'll be more evident just /how/ deep it is. Blood is oozing out of it and making a small puddle on the floor.

Zork still has his herbs and remembers, well they are from the infirm but he has them, he pulls some out and places them on the gash and uses one of the bandages, he basically forces himself to move..."Lass..lass."

DoraRose is still out of it, but the blood is now not flowing so freely, so maybe she'll wake up soon...

Zork is afraid to move her so just stays close, he knows healing and thats good.

DoraRose groans as she slowly comes awake, into a world of intense, vivid pain. Her blue eyes open with painful slowness, and she frowns as she sees the blurry face of the badger. "Who....what....who are ?" she asks uncertainly. The wound on her temple has basically stopped bleeding, for now at least, but it's pretty bad, it seems.

Zork keeps an eye on the wound, "Stay still lass, it will be ok...I hope"

DoraRose blinks, but her vision doesn't clear all that much. "Who...are you...Zarok? No...Zork?" She looks around a little. "Why...what happened?"

Zork smiles and nods "Yes Zork...Nightfur was gonna slit me throat and ya jumped him, he left with a bleeding ear and back."

DoraRose frowns as she tries to think. "He's...a white fox? I remember a white fox...killed my sister....burned my house down..." Uh-oh....not a concussion! Please? Aw, nuts....that's what it's starting to look like...

Zork frowns, "No no...Vladmir were a black fox, de white fox be Flicky...Flicktail and he is good lass" He frowns worried now.

DoraRose frowns. "Leon...is he...who is he?" Uh no.....yeah, it's a concussion, alright. The mouse is confused, and is mixing up memories and dreams! This is very not good! Agh!

Thanks for reading!