Finalization (Thorns of Steel TP)

Scioto walks around the ground, looking tried and half annoyed, he scans the area and sighs loudly.

Amarro has been hanging around outside the abbey for the last few days, entering only to sleep and refresh her tea mug.

She's still wearing her rapier, mostly out of anger, and is just waiting for the day that the gates are cleared and she can hightail it back to Southsward. Currently she is leaning lazily against one of the log benches surrounding the fire and barely looks up when the cat chieftain enters the clearing.

Scioto walks over to her, "I have news and I am sure Lorimis will not like it, nor Benar...One Zork and Dorarose are out on the search party, think couple others,I started to head out and Flicktail guess wanted to come then..thats when trouble struck"

Amarro lolls her head over to pay attention for real. "Oh? Flicktail went with the rescue party?" Rolling her eyes, she turns away and stops listening. "Seriously, if I had a scone for every time I thought I knew what was going on but didn't, I'd weigh a thousand pounds."

Scioto sighs, "He started to, he was struck with some sort of dart and is in the infirm right now, he is alive but not sure what all is wrong, didnt ask the healers yet, I am tempted to go on the rescue end but think should stay here and help here, oh and the sword is safe, left it abbots room, if that was ok..guard did lock it up now only one that can go in there is lorimis."

Amarro shrugs. "Alright? Good for him." She nods and takes a swig of her tepid tea and frowns at the flavor.

Scioto raises an eyebrow" How is that good for him?"

Amarro chuckles. "I guess it's not really." She grins and gives up on the tea, choosing instead to dump it off to the side behind the log where it will make some very thirsty grass rather happy. "Why are you telling me all of this anyways?"

Scioto says, "Well felt it was important to know, thats all. Know what is going on and how Flicktail will be temparyly...how say it, out of service.""

"So who is in charge of guarding the abbey then?" Amarro dedicatedly examines the claws on her left paw, carefully smoothing down any rough bits she finds.

Scioto says, "My guess is you"

Amarro goes quiet and drops her paws to her sides, fiddling with a string that is coming out of her tunic. "Oh? Again?" She doesn't look at Scioto, her expression would probably scare him.

Scioto is not too worried about expression, "I have my head guard Raymond here and the archers and guards from Ferravale..your abbey has its guards and achers...."

Amarro sighs, resigning herself to the fact that she's just been handed the job again. "Alright." She doesn't appear to be in too much hurry to do anything and now regrets dumping her tea. Mournfully she stares at the empty mug.

Bjorn has arrived.

Scioto looks at her "You alright Amarro?"

Amarro is noncommittal. "Yeah, absolutely. Ready to defend the abbey against all comers." She halfheartedly punches the air above her head with her right fist. "We'll be fine."

A wildcat emerges from the trees of the orchard, his long, steady gait bringing him to the pair at a rapid pace. He stands a little ways away from them, throwing a quick, relaxed salute with one paw. "Evenin'." he says.

Scioto frowns and nods" So who would hold the sword during battle..you?"

Amarro glances over at the wildcat and then at Scioto. "Hardly." She scoffs. "Flicktail would not stand for that. And I have my own." Her expression softens slightly. "I am sure Martin will help either way, sword or no sword."

Bjorn crosses his arms, shifting his weight from footpaw to footpaw. He remains silent for the time being, content to listen.

Scioto nods "Of course, Martin will help he helped me once when..." He frowns remembering. "Well he helped me"

"You can sit." Amarro says to the wildcat, motioning vaguely with her paw at one of the logs. "We were just discussing the abbey's defenses. What do you think about the current situation?" Amarro appears to relax even further, crossing her ankles and propping her right elbow up on the log that she's leaning against.

Bjorn nods and has a seat, sliding the shield from his back and leaning it against the log next to him. "At tis time, I see no immediate dangers, tow tere is little doubt that eventually tese monitors will attack, I tink tat with the reinforcements from Ferrval, we will at least be able to hold te walls. As for pushing outwards, ant taking te fight to tem..." he shrugs.

Scioto folds his arms over his chest, "Was a couple ravens out, one died and one got away"

"Do we have any idea how large this force is yet?" Amarro frowns. "We can make all the plans in the world but until we have a good idea what we're up against, everything is just speculation."

Scioto says, "all can say is a large amont of crows,ravens and monitors, maybe over 100, probally lot more know alot attacked my village, one thing may help..its cold, the lizards wont like the cold""

Bjorn just nods, this being the first time he's heard for certain the actual strength of the enemy, "An how many troops do we haf at out disposal?" he asks, "Seventy-five? Sixty?" he guesses.

Amarro can actually bring up some good news at this point. "Actually, Ferravale supplied us with about ninety beasts and the abbey has about fifty. So..." she does quick math in her head, eyes narrowed as she thinks, "A-hundred n' forty beasts, give or take, most of which are capable with a sword or bow."

Scioto says, "And a couple healers as well, just in case""

Bjorn growls softly, "Ten what is problem? We outnumber tem by almost half. Even leaving a force here for te defending, we should be able to defeat tem, even in te open battle, ja?" as he speaks hastily and a little annoyedly, his speech becomes a little less careless.

Scioto says, "We MAY it is uncertain and thier leader is dangerous he weilds a bolas, nurmerous daggers and a sword and guess this use of darts, who knows what else the darts do"

Amarro waves off the concern about the bolas. "If we keep everyone inside and aren't idiotic about how we stand on the wall, we'll be okay against those things. It's the ravens we're going to have to be most concerned about. I was thinking we should keep our archers down in the courtyard which would force the birds to fly in where we can pick them off. If we stand on the wall to shoot they have a lot more room to maneuver and can just knock beasts off the wall. No good, that."

Scioto says, "The monitors may be able to get over the walls, depends on how good the walls are, they got over them in Ferrvale with ropes and some sort of chain, so keep that in mind, and possoible use of fire arrows maybe keep barrels of water ready from pond ahead of time""

Bjorn nods, scratching his chin, "Bolas are not letal, most of te time, and darts can't pierce armor or shields," he taps his own for emphasis. "We shoult be fine against tese ravens if we do as you suggested," he glances Amarro's way. "Te walls will still have to be defended however, we can't leave tem unguarded, so some troops will be at risk from te ravens. shields will also help wit tat." he sighs.

Scioto frowns at the not letal, "Bolas are very...deadly."A single tear goes down his face now.

Amarro is not in the mood for emotions. She picks up and idly inspects her empty mug of tea. "We'll have beasts up on the walls and in the courtyard. We might be spread thin but we'll be defended." She glances at the wildcat. "How many would you say we need on the walls?"

Bjorn takes a few seconds counting in his head, "Not many, maybe five to ten for each wall. Just enough to cut ropes an' push down ladders if needed, ja?"

"So small, fast beasts." Amarro nods. "What about the shrews? They'd do well, yes?" She already likes the idea. "And maybe one or two archers just to make sure."

Scioto nods "I saw some shrews, argueing over who got to do something, but think they are serious when needed and my head guard says a sparrow told others they want to...well peck out evil worm eyes or something, evertything seems worm to sparrow

Bjorn glances once at Scioto before nodding to Amarro, "Ja, tat'd probably work. Do we haf tat many shrews?"

Scioto says, "not sure how many...15 or so, guess that umm log a thing"

"I haven't seen the log-a-log." Amarro pipes up. "But yes, about fifteen or so. If we put four on three walls and three on one with an archer per each and their only task is to ensure that no ladders or such get thrown up there they probably won't suffer /too/ many casualties. The archer will just do his best to ensure that ravens don't get the shrews."

Bjorn nods, "Sounts good to me." he cracks the knuckles in his fingers absently, "What do we know about tis fox? Is he a clever one, or just ruthless?"

Scioto sighs, "Both, Vladmir Stormfeather is...is very evil, though alone without his ravens and crows, his lizards he may fall, but the bolas of...death" He closes his good eye, "Need to be stayed clear of"

Amarro is still unmoved. "All weapons are best avoided if one prefers to live. It is something we take into account and will deal with when the time comes." She nods. "Hopefully we'll be able to catch him alone then."

Scioto says, "yes, there is one raven...a Lenore, may be talked into being on our side...I am uncertain"

Bjorn sits and listens with clasped paws, "I don't tink it wise to be dealing with ravens of uncertain allegiance, ja?"

"Or seers." Amarro mumbles, mostly to herself. "We'll let that one come to us if she's going to come at all. We don't have the time to make an effort in that direction. Or the resources."

Scioto shrugs, "Not dealing with her, just saying...I need to rest, talk later" He walks off silently,maybe hiding a few tears as all this talk of battle brings back memories of when his village was attcked.

Bjorn watches as the cat walks off, arms crossed and expression flat. "I may not haf known what I signed up for wit tis, but we do not seem to be in any trouble we cannot handle."

Amarro nods, her expression a bit more relieved now. "Aye. Until tonight I had no idea what we had been facing. Now that I know the army isn't as huge as they'd been letting on that it was, I feel much more confident in the situation." She pauses. "But that doesn't mean we should be over-confident. They are still a very real threat."

Amarro shrugs. "Do we have any other recourse? The one thing we can absolutely rely on is that they will be here eventually. Why plan around something we aren't sure about? And the beasts we have are not necessarily trained for that sort of combat. Defending a wall is one thing. Going out into the grasslands is completely different."

Bjorn mumbles something to himself, "Agreed. So we'll hold ten. Let the fox come, ja?" he says, rising to his footpaws and slinging his shield across his back.

Amarro nods. "Unless you come up with a better plan, friend. I'm open to suggestions." Following his cue she stands up and collects her empty mug. "We need all the help we can get."

Bjorn nods, running a paw across his brow. "Redwall's never been taken, ja? I doubt tis will be the exception." he says.

"One surely hopes not." Amarro laughs suddenly. "That'd surely be the end of whatever career I might've had as defense coordinator."

Bjorn brings himself to chuckle weakly, "Ant maybe te end of more tan tat, if tis fox is as evil as we've been told." he takes a few steps and speaks again, "Frankly, i'd like to keep my hide in one peice, ja?"

"We'll do our best to keep it that way." Amarro grins. "Thank you for your help. Seriously, if you have any more ideas, please bring them to me. Now I must go refill my tea and get to work. No rest for the wicked, eh?"

Bjorn gives a slight grin, "So tey say. I'll see you arount." he says, waving over his shoulder as he walks back over towards the orchards.