John da squirrel returns to Mossflower... (A Ferravale log)

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FV:Tavern

Outside a sign swings on a rusty creaking frame above the doorway of the tavern depicting a faded painting of what appears to be three rather rich looking skeletons slumped over a table around a black chalice, perhaps such a thing could be taken as a warning but it doesn't appear to work on the locals. The noise within on a normal day is usually heard before the door is even opened and only rises in volume when one actually steps inside.

There are the typical qualities of a tavern within, from the bar to the chairs and booths and the odd drunk who never seems to move it's the little details which encourage a patron to pay his tab if he likes his fingers. One look at some of the staff or customers might give the impression but the room is decorated to the fiercer tastes with bones, mostly skulls cropping up here and there to fill a gap on a shelf or decorating the walls above the doorways, fireplace and bar, a pair of axes joining the one over the fire with some signs that they've been yanked off to join in a fight a couple of times. Some of the comfier chairs are lined with fur and very rarely one might be found with a few pointed bits of bone to decorate the back. Despite the looks there is entertainment and fun to be had, some form of music usually played on a small stage in the corner and at least one bouncer usually tries to keep the peace while beasts gamble, drink and be merry.

A small door behind the bar leads out the back to the kitchen and cellars while one wall has been opened up in a wide arch to increase the space off into the next room where what seems to be a wooden fence with gates on either end has been set up as a fighting pit as further entertainment and something to bet over.

Exits: [UP] Stairs, [K]itchen, [F]ighting [P]it, [Out]

Cats: Jase, male. Blisa, female.

Ferrets: Ferdinand, male.

Foxes: Valerie, female.

Squirrels: John, male.

Ermines: Nightbreath, male.

Jase is having an ale and some fish with potatoes today. He has been busy today after a rather bad fight in the fighting pit where a rat and a weasel started it and a large stoat finished it and he, being the main healer, was to tend to all 3 of them for varies wounds and now he has the rest of the day off.

The door to the outside opens, and Blisa, Ferdinand, and Valerie enter the tavern! When the petite cat spots the Master Healer, she jogs over to him and comes to a stop by his table, her cloak swirling at the sudden stop. "Hi," she breathes as her bodyguards follow her at a much more leisurely pace.

Jase looks up and smiles "Hey...Blisa" His voice is still a little rough, but sounds better than it has. He takes a bite of fish and a sip of ale."Ya ok today?"

Blisa sits on the other side of the table. "I'm having a great day. You?" Ferdinand sits on the other side of the Chieftain-In-Training, and Valerie drags another chair over and sits basically in between the 2 cats.

Jase looks between the group of guards, "You..have a good number of guards everything alright Blisa?" He sounds concerned" And my day has been busy but have the rest of the day off"

Blisa's smile fades slightly. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine, it's just....Zurrgg is back in the area. Ferdinand just thought that I could use a bit extra protection." The ferret nods. "Aye, he hath already tried to kill the Redwall Recorder. We're concerned that he'll try to harm the leaderth of Ferravale and Redwall, too."

Jase nods and a sip of ale and suddenly the ale is going all over his tunic and he is coughing roughly "Z..Z..ZURRGGG!!!...He is...a...around? Where? We need more guard double...triple...more so"

Blisa leans backwards in her seat as ale gets spilled. As Valerie dutifully goes to find a rag, Ferdinand digs out his handkerchief and offers it to the Master Healer. The female cats nods. "Yeah, well, I hardly leave the house, and all my bodyguards live there, plus I have Basil, so I'm usually pretty well defended, actually."

Jase takes the offered rag "He...tried to...kill me the one day and he laughed about it" He wipes off his face and dabs his shirt with a frown.

Valerie comes back and hands him a bigger rag. Blisa frowns, aswell. "I know. I have actually hired a mercenary to hunt him down, and he has a couple of other Warriors after him. I'm sure they'll kill him very soon."

Jase sighs and nods "I...think he...he knows I can ID him and...well I don't know really, maybe he dislikes healers"

Blisa hmms and taps her chin with a finger. "maybe YOU need bodyguards....." "We are too buthy keeping YOU out of trouble, Mith Blitha." Ferdinand smiles, but he's being serious. The young cat scowls. "I know that!"

The door to the tavern opens, quietly, and a cloaked beast slips in. A squirrel, judging by the tail and tuft ears. Well, ear. He makes his way over to sit at the bar, looking around the room. John narrows his eyes at the female cat and her guard, thinking that perhaps he's seen her before, but says nothing. No point taking the risk of talking to anyone for no reason. Especially if they /aren't/ the beasts he thinks they are; that would be even more awkward, after all. Bah. He really needs a drink. The squirrel turns his head this way and that, looking about the bar area, wondering where the barkeeper is.

Jase looks over at the squirrel, not odd to see a woodlander as they do come here sometimes. He clears his throat "Maybe the wildcat won't be back, that be a nice thing"

A voice at the door, barely audible. "Burning twin moons of life and death, mortal fury shall be avenged..." Then silence. After a moment of quiet, Nightbreath slips into the tavern, his hood up. He searches the room for Blisa.

Blisa sees the squirrel, oh yes she does. But she just says to the other cat, "I don't think so. I think he seems too crazy for that." Valerie was getting the Master Healer another drink when she, with her keen foxy hearing, catches what the Seer said. Turning, she rolls her eyes at him and mutters, "You sure you're not crazy?" Just joking, of course.

The squirrel again would turn his head to look around the room as the seer speaks. John sighs, shaking his head. He taps the bar with his right paw rather distractedly, look once more for the barkeep. He turns his body, slightly, to look at the others in the room, contemplating if it's worth starting a conversation about the bartender's whereabouts.

Jase jumps at the voice of the seer and then relaxes as it's not who he thinks it is."Anyways...the wilcat is dangerous"

Nightbreath heads over to Valerie. "Only as crazy as is required by my profession," he murmurs solemnly before heading over to Blisa. John looks familiar to him as well but he can't remember if they've met.

Valerie snorts a snigger and follows the ermine back to the table, offering the Master Healer his replacement drink. Ferdinand narrows his eyes at the squirrel and, deciding that his charge is well protected, stands up, ambles up to him, and lifts his chin a little in greeting. "Greethingth. I'm thorry to bother you, but have we met before?" The smell of burned food suddenly fills the air as one of the assistant cooks exits the kitchen, gagging. That's possibly where the on-duty barkeeper is..... Blisa smiles in an almost wicked manner. "Well, if he comes to Ferravale, we can feed him to my snake. I'm /sure/ Basil would /love/ that....."

John stiffens as the ferret strikes up a conversation. He looks at Ferdinand for a moment, starting to say /no, I don't believe so/, however, before he can, he hears the cat. He /very/ much remembers the snake. "Er, I think so - some seasons past, though...." the squirrel says, turning to the ferret, shrugging. "Anyway," he continues, "Do y'know where the bartender is?"

Jase shrugs "I don't know, the one in charge I think went to get supplies maybe. So maybe who ever he left in charge should get fired"

Nightbreath wrinkles his nose at the burnt-food smell. "Who are we feeding to Basil, now?" he asks, unperturbed.

Ferdinand smiles. "The bartender theemth to be trying to fix whatever wath cooking in the kitchen." Blisa peeks up at the ermine's face. "Zurrgg. An evil wildcat. If you spot him, go ahead and kill him, please, okay?" Valerie goes behind the bar and starts digging around. "Valerie, pleathe tell me what you're doing." "I'm playing bartender. What did you want, Mister Squirrel?" The vixen smiles up at him.

"Mead, if this place has any." 'Mr. Squirrel' says to the fox, curtly. He turns back to face the others. "Excuse me, but what's the trouble with this wildcat, now?" John tilts his head, peering at them, curious.

Jase fiddles with his knapsack as he checks on what's inside, his supply of herbs and bandages he keeps a small amount in the pack for use. "He's insane" Is all he says "And he likes fire"

"The former is no fault of his, nor is the latter. However, acting on it condemns him, for he is a threat," Nightbreath says. "I will watch for him."

"He tried to kill the Redwall Recorder. And Jase here. And...I say, have I ever seen you before?" Blisa is now staring at the squirrel, desperately trying to remember where she's seen him before. Valerie begins searching for mead. She has no idea if the tavern has any.

John shrugs, again. "Aye, I believe so...." sighing, he adds, "As for this beast, well... He sounds none too pleasant." Granted, the description of 'Insane' and 'Likes fire' does remind him of an old friend (Of course, she was a she, and not a wildcat). He smiles at the memory, despite himself. "Say, do ye happen to know what he looks like or where he was last spotted? The wildcat?"

OOC: Zurrgg's desc:

He is a tall, fierce looking wildcat. His fur is long and dense and mostly a light greyish in color, becoming richer along the back, and fading onto the legs and arms. A black, narrow l band starts on the shoulders, along the back. Indistinct black smudges are present along striping pattern. Spots of light grey on his neck and forehead. Another such stripe occurs under his yellowish green eyes. His choice of color is red from the vest he wears over a brown tunic and pants. His cape over his shoulders is red, and an old grey sleeveless cloak covers him for cold weather. He keeps tall black boots on, the daggers inside the tops. He also has a crossbow, and a pair of long thin silver daggers.

BIC:

Blisa purses her lips. "Well.....my father has /actually/ seen him; I haven't. But here," she pulls a drawing out of her rat bag and hands it to the squirrel. "I've made up posters of him from beast's descriptions. You can keep that one." Valerie is still searching for the mead. Ferdinand says in a very friendly way, "Are you a Redwall beatht?"

"Seems every season there's a new villain about," Nightbreath sighs, shaking his head. "Will it never end?"

Nodding, John takes long look at the drawing. "Thanks." He looks over at the ferret. "A Redwall beast? Eh, no - myself and the elders there disagree on a few things..." he answers, then, hearing the seer, the squirrel shrugs again. "Well, 'tis the way of the world, isn't it?' He asks, quietly. "Some beast'll always have their ideas and what not... And there'll always be a few ideas that aren't the best."

"My idea is to feed him to my snake!" Blisa goes to randomly hug the ermine. Valerie suddenly appears beside the squirrel with a tankard of mead. "Hey, look! I found some!" Ferdinand peeks at the poster, just to ensure that he remembers what the wildcat looks like; he is, however, being careful to not invade the squirrel's personal space.

Nightbreath returns the hug gently, holding Blisa close to him. "And it is our duty to fight such beasts when they arise. Even unto death."

The squirrel looks at the vixen, nodding in thanks. "Ah, thank ye." He turns back, again. "Aye, I suppose. Though, it would be nice if that snake of yours could have a go at them before the beast starts trouble." He takes a long draft from the tankard, glancing over at Valerie as he sets it down lightly. "Er, how much for the drink, by the way?"

Just at that moment, 2 things happen. The barkeep comes out of the kitchen, his facial fur singed and blacked by soot, just in time to hear the squirrel's question. And Clarissa the rat enters the tavern. "Cap'n Blisa! Basil just ate a cushion!" As the cat and her bodyguards run back tot he Chieftain's house, the barkeep, upon seeing which mead the vixen opened, tugs on his ears in frustration. "That was me best mead! I was savin' it fer tha Chieftain fer when 'e next came in 'ere!!!" The price is apparently very high.

Thanks for reading!

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