Lissie's new job: A Spy in action (A Long Patrol Spy and Halyard log)

From Redwall MUCK Wiki

In which Felicity becomes a spy!! Why?? Read here: New_title:_From_Runner_to_Halyard_Spy_(A_Long_Patrol_log_that_occured_ICly_on_3-23-2016) It includes a link to its prequel log in this mini plot thing at its top. Enjoy!

Halyard Village: Indoor Market
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Halyard Tavern ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Luckily for the residents of this small fishing village, the fish market is
kept separate - over on the docks. The market here is... everything else!
The market is a wide open indoor space, the ceilings peaked, the beams that
support the structure naked. Stalls line three of the walls, with the usage
set at first come first served. To get the really good spaces, one must
 arrive rather early in the morning. The lesser spaces, just small carts and
tables in the center, are left for the later risers. The front of the
building is completely open to the air, providing a wide entrance for folks
to arrive and depart.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
                               Visible Exits:
[O]ut to [S]treet

Hares: Felicity 'Lissie', female.

Lizards (spoofdified): Jim (a skinny green lizard) and Tska (a chubby red lizard), males. Oh, and Rsk, who is also male.

Vixens (also spoofdified): Crossfang, female (SO FLUFFY!!!!).

"This is by far the worst idea we have ever had..." Jim leans forward, resting his head on the market stall and clutching at the stomach ulcer growing in his belly.

"I fail to see the problem," Tska replies between bites of his apple, "The boss needs more muscle, so we hire more muscle."

"Pleasssse don't call him 'the boss'. The boss is DEAD, gutted by that hare in the..." The lizard holds his tongue realizing where they are. The market is in full swing today true, but the number of beasts makes it actually rather easier to do what they need to do, that is hiring replacements for the lizards they lost. They both sit behind a stall with a simple sign, "HaLp Wanted. Ned xpererianced Sssellsssword."

Felicity is obeying her orders as best as she can. She's even changed out of her uniform into her civies. She enters the market, keeping the hood of her cloak up to reduce the beasts that recognize her. She makes her way around slowly, listening to all the conversation going on around her. Glancing at the sign belonging to the lizards, she grimaces at the atrocious lack of spelling. Then. She spots Tska. Whoo, boy, does she recognize him. Passing by their table, she stops at the next stall and begins looking at the wares therein. Listening is her newfound speciality.

And her newfound speciality eavesdrops on the lizards as Jim bemoans his fate, "All morning. We have been here all morning and what do we have to show for it? A couple of half drunken sailors, an beast too old to hold his cane let alone a sword and a hamster looking for the flower merchant."

"Ooo! She was nice. She gave us pastriesss." Tska pats his fleshy stomach.

"Your diet will be the death of you..." Jim hisses, "And this job will be the death of me. Who would be stupid enough to join us?"

"That all depends on the money dearie." Jim looks up into the eyes of a vixen. A marbled fox, both in hide and body the vixen is accompanied by a green scaled lizard. "I heard you were in the market for a Sellsword?"

Felicity continues to (pretend to) admire the jewelry, fingering the bracelets and necklaces like she couldn't possibly decide what to spend her money on and she might as well live at this stall because /they're all just so pretty/!!! When the stall owner asks her a question, she turns her attention away from the lizardish stall, points to her mouth, and shakes her head sadly. No sense in risking people recognizing her voice. She then shrugs, as if to say 'How can I choose?? I need more time!' The stall owner shrugs and moves onto a faster customer, leaving Lissie to return to her spying. And to wondering since when was Sellsword an actual word? She should get out more.

"You...are looking for work?" The lizard glances up and down the new arrivals. They look the part at least of being rough and tumble beasts.

"You betcha. I'm Crossfang, This is Rsk. I'm an experienced archer, he's an experienced skull crusher. Perfected combination, no?"

Jim begins to wag his tail like puppy. His smile fades however when Tska leans over his shoulder, "Not interested. Sorry."

"What?" Both Jim and Crossfang shout.

"Boss only want's lizards. Sorry."

"But...but that's..." The fox begins until her companion speaks up. "Does that mean I can join?"

"Oh yeah sure, no problem. You have to leave the mutt at home." Tska takes another bite of the apple. By now the fox's white fur is turning beat red.

Felicity raises an eyebrow. Only lizards, hmm?? What about hares? Nah, they'd recognize her eventually. She picks up a necklace and turns, as if to let the sunlight play through its crystal thingy, but she's really just getting a good look at the 4 beasts crowded at the lizard's table. She really hates that Tska....she has to stifle a smile at the image of his skin as a raincoat for Julia that popped into her mind. She then turns back and set the necklace back down. Hopefully the lizards aren't getting suspicious yet.....

"Tsssskaaaaa..." Jim complains, "What do we care if they are lizards or not? They can kill beasts just the same right?"

"No can do. We have a 'theme' going on. You see, we are a gang of lizards. You can't have a gang of lizards plus one fox. It ruins the whole theme. It becomes a Fox leading a gang of lizards."

"What?"

"Now if we had 2 foxes for each lizard we are still a gang of lizard BUT we also have a fox army at our beck and call."

"Tska..." Jim rubs his eyes.

"That's maths Jim, you can't argue with maths..." The pot bellied red lizard shields his eyes from the reflective light of the hare's necklace. "Hey! Do you mind! We are trying to have a conversation about maths h-" He pauses. Narrowing his eyes at the hare. "Wait...I know you from somewhere..."

Uh, no he doesn't. Grabbing a bracelet she actually really wants, Lissie pays for it, pretending to not have heard the lizard. But she TOTALLY did, and she has realized that it's time to get outta here!!! After letting her pay for the bracelet, the stall owner asks her if she wants anything else, and she grunts like she can't actually speak and shakes her head. She then turns so she can walk away, tucking the bracelet into her pants pocket. Nothin' to see here...... She is still within hearing.

Tska narrows his eyes, dropping the apple core the lizard leaves the stall, "Tska! Don't just...oh for the love of..." Jim begins to get up until the vixen pushes him back into his seat. "Where do you think you are going scaley butt. We have business to talk about...and wages..."

Tska just ignores them as he moves forward, paw resting on the hilt of his cutlass. Maybe he is just paranoid, maybe it's nothing.

But what if it's not...

"Hey, you!" He calls out, reaching to grab hold of the hares shoulder and spin her around.

Time for her deaf imitation! Lissie picks up her pace, trying to use her long Runner's legs to outdistance the red lizard. She ducks and weaves through the crowd, narrowly missing being grabbed by Tska's grabbing claw-paw (hand?? I mean, what is it called on lizards??). However, her cloak hem is still within his reach as she hurries through the crowd. She literally cannot afford to get caught. Especially since her uncle's life may be the price she has to pay....

"H-hey!" Tska turns to shout back at the group of thieves, "We need to stop her!"

"And we still need to be hired!" Crossfang shouts back. Throwing his claws/paws/hands up in frustration Tska dashes after the hare who already has a head start.

Felicity doesn't dare look behind her as she reaches the door. Other beasts in the market look at them curiously, but so far no one makes a move to help the chubby lizard. Looking both ways, she turns to the right and breaks off into a dead run, as fast as she can...which is /really/, really fast. Soon she is lost in the crowd on the street.

Arriving a moment later Tska glances about the crowd for the hare. Finding no trace of her he snorts then stalks back into the market. "Another time lass. Another time..."

And of course it turns out that Sellsword used to actually be a used phrase meaning a sword for hire. I refuse to admit that it truly is my fault that I didn't know that. Just whatever, man.

Thanks for reading! :D

Continued in this log: Epic_Escape(_An_Lp_Log)

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