Escape from Arundal

Here we see the daring escape of our twin otterly protagonists from Arundal with their trusty sidekick, Trsk! :D

Despite his size Trsk seems to pull the cart along rather easily. Until they stuff Byron's considerably bulk into the straw. A small bulge appears where the fox is laying hidden. The otters and Trsk go unmolested by guards under the noonday sun simply because the southern wall of Silver Vally has no guards. The walls are run down and covered with rusted scrap metal and the painted words, "Welcome to Silver Valley" on the side. The valley ahead looks to be in the clear, for now.

The twins seem to be enjoying themselves watching Trsk struggle with Byron's weight while they walk along in silence. There is simply nothing for them to talk about, and so they both have a mutual unspoken agreement to be quiet and not force conversation when there is none to be found.

The peace of the trail is soon interupted when they go around the bend. High above them is the ruins of a castle over looking the valley, leaning rather towards the valley, and before them is a waterfall that flows into a small river. Before the wooden bridge spanning over the river are four militia guards. A squirrel with a long bow, a vole armed with cutlass, a female light brown hare with a spear, and a male grey hare also armed with a spear

Rorgan sighs as he sights the guards, and he and his brother quickly move ahead of the cart. "Let us handle this," He hisses back to Trsk before turning to the four guards with a wide smile. "An' g'day t' you gents!" He says in a rather bouncy tone, sounding carefree.

The light brown hare nods her head, "Morning fella's. How yall doing on this fine mild mannor day?" The guards don't seem hostile at first but they do spread out a bit to let the cart go through if needed, "Fancy company you keep there." She says, gesturing to the lizard, "Mind If I ask where you are going?"

Derrin looks back at Trsk, chuckling. "Oh him? He's just our servant." He was careful not to use the word 'slave' as he didn't know whether or not the militia approved of that. "There was a debt he owed our family, so he does menial jobs fer us t' pay it back." Rorgan answers the second question, however. "We're just headin' out of Arundal t' make a quick journey t' Ferravale fer tradin'. There's a merchant there by the name of Fargo that does good business."

The hare nods, "So I see. You will of course understand that in these chaotic times with out a proper guard force in Arundal that the militia has kindly taken to guarding the road ways of these parts," the hare says as if she has said the same line over and over again all week. "We are also looking for a fugitive. He's a sneaky fellow, showing up in the oddest of places." The grey hare replies, "Long story short, we are searching your cart.

This does not throw either otter off in the slightest, seeing as how they had actually been expecting it. "Well that's perfectly alright then!" Derrin exclaims as though he had been waiting for the hare to say this. "Trsk, please step aside," says Rorgan, at which point both otters gesture to the cart. "Be our guest!" says Derrin in an inviting tone.

The lizard drops the cart then moves away. The two hares maneuver closer to the cart they look it over once or twice. The officer in charge climbs up onto the side of the cart and peers closely into the straw. "Poke your spear in there a couple of times." she commands to the other hare before hoping down. "What did you say you were going to trade?" behind her the second hare is climbing up the back of the cart so he can thrust his spear into the straw.

At this, Rorgan gives a slight nod to Derrin, causing the otter to break into a sprint and dive into a tackle towards the hare on the ground. Rorgan, in the meantime, pulls out his dagger with lightning speed, preparing to launch it at the hare standing on the cart.

What ever vulgar insult the officer shouts as she is tackled is drowned out by Trsks high pitched wail as he runs off flailing his arms about at the sight of violence. The beasts at the bridge begin to draw their own weapons. The vole struggling with his sword while the squirrel quickly notches an arrow to his bow, The hare on the cart just gasps in shock as a fox bursts from the straw, grabbing him by his green vestment to pull him close and head but him.

Derrin rears up on the ground, aiming a vicious punch straight at the hare's jaw, aiming to take her down as fast as possible. Rorgan, seeing that he didn't need to take out the hare on the cart, instead turns to see a squirrel nocking an arrow, and so he looses his dagger straight at said squirrel.

The blade flies true, striking the squirrel in the stomach. He drops to one knee in pain, clutching at his side. The air he had been aiming at the back of derrin's head goes flying high above him. The brown furred vole shouts, "FOR THE MILITIA!" As he rushes the knife weilding otter. On the cart Byron makes a satisfied grin as he shoves the hare off then leaps off the cart, pile driving him to the ground and thus making sure the last of the hares is knocked out, as is his commanding officer.

Rorgan isn't too worried about this vole rushing him, and so instead draws his remaining dagger, waiting for the vole to come to him instead of charging and wasting energy in the process. "An' fer the militia, you die," He says, his voice like a knell.

The vole charges forward and then, charges past Rorgan dropping his blade and crying like a dibbun as he runs further into the valley. Apparently he wasn't ready to die for the militia yet. The squirrel just watches him run and facepaws. He tries to stand again but falls back down clutching at his belly. "I surrender! I surrender!" He shouts

Derrin walks slowly forward, clutching his dagger tightly with his right paw. Upon reaching the squirrel, he kneels, observing the squirrel. "An' you truly surrender?" He asks. "My brother served with the militia fer a time. He can tell me whether you types just say you surrender t' make me drop my guard, which never happens t' begin with." He just felt like that last bit was a necessary addon.

The squirrel gulps at the sight of the otter before him, leaning slightly back, "We...didn't cover that part in bootcamp." He tries to chuckle nervously then cringes in pain, clutching at his stomach, he drops his bow to the ground. Behind him Byron has recovered the still screaming and flailing lizard. Tossing him into the back of the cart the fox says, "Are you done making friends? Cause I would like to go now!"

Derrin sighs, looking back at the cart. Curse him and his sense of second chances. Looking back at the squirrel, he narrows his eyes. "If you promise not t' pull any tricks on us, we can take you with us an' you can start a new life in Mossflower, but you must pledge never t' join the militia again."

The squirrel blinks once or twice. "R-really? But...but why would you do that for me?" The squirrel realizes then that perhaps it doesn't matter about why. All that matters is he is going to have to explain to Tavis eventually why they let two otters and their quarry get away. Not a conversation he is looking forward to. The squirrel nods his head. "That sounds good to me...so does not bleeding to death." he says with a forced smile.

Rorgan nods in agreement. "Aye, bleedin' t' death would be very helpful, an' I would love t' have my dagger back in case we encounter any other beasts that decide t' search the cart." He sheaths his dagger, reaching forward and picking the squirrel gently off the ground. "We need t' treat that now if we have a chance of keepin' you alive, though." He looks over at Derrin as he walks towards the cart. "Do you know any healin'?" He asks. Derrin shrugs. "I know enough t' get by I s'pose. Just put him on the straw in the cart." With this, Rorgan steps up, putting the squirrel gently in the straw of the cart, after which Derrin jumps up with him. "We need t' remove that dagger.."

The cart pushed by the lizard, fox and who ever wanted to help clatters over the bridge and onward down the valley. Several hours pass as Beggar's pass is left behind. The road begins to become less used and bumpy, much to the squirrels chargin. Using his own tunic the would had been dressed and bandaged, but was still beeding. He still had some energy to his face though, "Have I...mentioned how much I really hate daggers..." the squirrel cringes.

Derrin, who had decided to stay in the cart with the squirrel while Rorgan walked, smiles, patting the squirrel's shoulder. "You'll be alright my friend. You're unlucky that Rorgan's knives are serrated, but you seemed t' handle that rather well."

The young squirrel chuckles, "Now I know how my brother felt. He tooked a blade to the belly once in service to the Militia." In front of them Byron is not looking so well, out of shape that he is. he practically gasps, "So, what's the plan here? The militia will come looking for us eventually, so where are we going to hide out? Ferreval is closest unless this is a good spot to part ways."

Derrin ignores Byron, and continues to sit and talk to the squirrel. "Oh? An' how did that happen? Did he survive?" He asks, sounding genuinely interested. Rorgan replies to the former sheriff with a raised eyebrow. "We're headin' t' Ferravale, but if you feel that its safe fer you t' part from us, be our guest."

the fox laughs then coughs, "Nah, I think I will see you to Ferreval. Then dissapear there. Safty in numbers and all that." The squirrel chuckles, "Call me Diego. My brother Carlos survived, barrely. They gave him a desk job after that. He grew all fat and pudge sitting on his tail while real beasts did all the work." he chuckles then sighs.

Derrin's eyes widen slightly, but he manages to mostly keep his composure. "Did Carlos ever tell you any stories about battles he was in?" He asks. "Things that happened an' all?"

Diego nods his head, "Oh all the time, the few he was in at least. He was my younger brother. I almost strangled him when he joined up with the militia. I joined shortly after to keep him safe. Fat lot that did him in the end." The squirrel peers at the otter, "You're...Derrin, aren't you. I remember him describing you once or twice, the otter warrior who later betrayed the militia, and that beast there must be...Rorgan." He laughs, "Great, not only am I a deserter, I'm a traitor collaberating with two of the most wanted otters in Mossflower."

Derrin smiles, shaking his head. "I did betray the militia, but did he ever tell you why I did it?" He asks, wanting Diego to understand his intentions rather than simply know his actions. "An' aye, that's my brother, Rorgan." Even now, the word seemed foreign to him after this long.

The squirrel shakes his head, "If he did he never got the chance to tell me. After he healed up they put him behind a desk. Like I said he grew fat and lazy, nearly as big as the fox there. But he always wanted to head back into active duty so Tavis finely consented." He makes a humorless laugh, "First assignment he gets killed in battle with some black furred fox bandit named Radion."

Derrin looks down at the floor of the cart. "Oh...an' I never got the chance t' talk t' him after I left either..." He sighs sadly. "I betrayed the milita because Rorgan was escortin' a vermin caravan that was raided by the militia. When I learned of his capture, I had t' help because he was bein' tortured fer associatin' with vermin. So I found him an' the other vermin, who weren't bad vermin I might add, an' I broke them out, though I was captured in the process, an' Rorgan came back fer me some time after that."

The squirrel nods his head, "You know, I think Carlos would have had a good laugh at that story." The rest of the ride is spent in silence as the beasts walk their way to Ferravale...