Out in the woods, the dark deep woods... (Thorns of Steel TP)

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A campsite, somewhere in the depths of Mossflower...

Dusk. The skies are a foggy gray and the crickets and peepfrogs are beginning to sing. The campsite is quiet, other than the occasional crackling, snapping sound from the campfire. The distant call of a wipp-or-will, then tranquility returns to the area.

Zork is sitting acting as a guard in case there is trouble that tries to start, staying ever silent as he paces a little.

DoraRose is sitting near the fire, turning something she's cooking on a hot stone for supper. Her eyes are a stony blue, and her lips are set in a hard, straight line as she thinks...

No snap of twigs, no rustle of movement precedes the spontaneous entrance of a certain black-furred fox, dark-cloaked and partially masked, raising a single paw encased in a brown guantlet as he steps into the firelight. "Good, I found you," comes a calculating voice from the fox. "I assume you know who I am?"

Zork starts to draw his blade and then recogizes the voice and lets go of the blade, he stays alert and gives a quick nod, "Hello" He states and looks at Dorarose before looking back to Darkwatcher.

DoraRose glances up at the mercanary, then returns her gaze to the thingies she's cooking. "Stormfeather and Flicktail's brother...hmm...I don't believe I ever caught your name. But no matter. Yes, we have an idea." she sits back, staring into the flames, her face a closed book for once.

"Darkwatcher," says the mercenary. "And I remember you from the last council...In fact, it was you I was searching for."

Zork asks "And why ya searchi' for the lass for?"

DoraRose cocks an eyebrow, but keeps her gaze on the fire and the things she's cooking, which almost look like little cakes. "Oh? You were searching for me? Why?"

Wordlessly, Darkwatcher reaches behind his back, beneath his cloak, and grabs hold of something, sliding it out from behind him before he speaks. "To bring you this." Just what is the something that he's now holding out in the firelight?...A black scabbard with red gemstones set into it, with a large black hilt protruding from it, with a ruby in its pommel glittering in the light.

Zork walks over to get a closer look, curious as to what it is the fox has.

DoraRose stands and aproaches, wondering what the thing is...could it be..."Is that Flicktail's blade?" she whispers, not daring to believ it....but she has held the Sword of Martin before, and she thinks she would recognize it if she saw it.

Zork stays guarding the camp, listening but not intrupting the two.

Darkwatcher nods. "Yes." He holds it out, still sheathed, offering the legendary blade to the mousemaid. "My brother instructed me to bring it to you, and I swore to Benar that I would deliver it safely. And I have."

DoraRose takes the Sword of the Champions of Redwall from the fox, her heart seeming to have forgotten how to beat. The warriormouse gently, almost reverantly, strokes the sheath, then she grabs the hilt, looking ready to draw it.

Darkwatcher holds up his paw again. "Wait. I almost did the same yesterday, but the elder, Benar told me not to, that the blade should only be drawn when it is to be used in battle...Wise, I suppose...It prevents it from being used carelessly."

DoraRose looks disapointed, but decides that she'd better do as Benar said. Sighing, she nods and murmers, "Thank you." then turns and begins to rummage in her haversack for the spare belt she brought.

Darkwatcher pauses and retrieves the matching sword belt from inside his quiver, tossing it to the warriormaid. Giving a two-clawed half-salute, he turns and departs, saying, "You're welcome. Stay alive," before disappearing into the night.

DoraRose catches the belt and watches in almost stunned silence as the mercenary vanishes. Looking down at the legenadry Sword of Martin, she sighs, the buckles it on, so that it lays flat against her back. She hesitates, then decides to keep her bastard sword at her side. No harm in having 2.

The next day...

Mossflower Woods. Evening. The woods are lovely, dark and deep...But I've got promis--COUGH. Sorry, wrong opening. As I was saying, the woods are lovely, dark and deep...But also menacing in a deadly-beauty sort of way, like the Sword of Martin. Strange rustling noises, snapping twigs, and the occasional hoot of an owl or the forlorn, eerie cry of some distant creature fill the night air, but that's to be expected in this wild, uninhabited stretch of the woods.

The woods at night do not scare DoraRose. She almost seems to revel in the darkness, which helps her walk almost invisibly, so ,added to her silent walk, makes it very hard for other creatures to tell that she is there. She has her mottled cloak on over the Sword of Martin, with the hood over her ears, and her paw is resting on the hilt of her own sword. The warriormaid is looking for tracks.

Suddenly a noise from behind her. A sort of wet rasping noise, like an odd gulping sound. Then silence...A soft snuffling noise from another direction, followed by a soft 'clink'.

DoraRose draws her sword, eyes glancing around, every nerve on edge, every muscle tense, waiting for the attack the maiden is sure will come at any moment. Her ears prick under her hood, and she listens to the nightsounds with all her might.

An inquistive rumbling noise, something that would come from deep in somebeast's throat. "nnnrrr?" Suddenly, a huge shadow falls across where the warriormaid stands.

DoraRose swirls the sword around her paw, moving into an at-ready position. "Show yourself!" she demands, her voice strong and bold, not revealing 1 iota of the slight fear she feels inside. She /hates/ not seeing her enemy, yet knowing that it is near.

Silence, then. "Okiezz." A monitor Dibbun, one who DoraRose will surely recognize, drops down from a branch above her, where the moonlight from behind him was making his shadow stretch across the area. 'Clank.' He lands softly on his footpaws behind the mousemaid. But something's different...He's in his normal outfit, but also is wearing a coil of rope wrapped around his waist and thrown over one shoulder, a short iron sword is across his back, and a copper frying pan is backwards on top of his head, which has something dark wrapped over it...

Oh, yeah. DoraRose recognizes this lizard. And she is now very angry at him. "Zarok! You were told to stay at the Abbey! Why did you follow me?" She sheaths her sword (which is probably a good thing...she looks about ready to tan his tail with it) and folds her paws across her chest. "You could get killed or worse. Why did you disobey me?"

"I...w'z worried!" Zarok blurts out. "An' I wan'ed t' help. I...know thingzzz, I be uzzzeful!" he pleads.

DoraRose is shaking from anger and dissapointment, which are clearly showing on her face. She really wants to beat his butt. "Zarok, how can you be a good warrior or a good Redwaller if you won't do what you're told?"

Saying, "If I do wot you zzzaid, you'dve DIED!" Zarok...roars. Weird. He's tiny compared to the mousemaid, but his vocal chords have developed to the point where he can...roar. It's a deep, hateful, despairing roar, thrown between the trees and magnified.

Before the mousemaid can answer, a golden light, strong, beautiful, noble, and ancient, comes into her mind, blocking out her vision. A shining, armored mouse strides into view, and he points a sword, identical to the one the mousemaid now wields, at her. "/Suffer the knight of the South to walk with thee, Strongheart. The Marked One must walk with thee for all to come into place./" Then he smiles, and a wave of feelings of safety, courage, and boundless energy wash over the mousemaid's mind before the golden warrior fades, and the night returns, with Zarok standing, looking ashamed, before her.

DoraRose blinks at the vision, and a small smile creeps across her face. As the vision fades, she looks to Zarok, and sighs. Yeah, she knows who the mouse warrior was...she'd seen him often enough on the tapestry in Redwall Abbey's Great Hall. She says in a firm voice, "Alright, Zarok, you can come with me. It's too dark for me to take you back to the Abbey, anyway. But," here she holds up a paw. "Do not think that you aren't in trouble."

Zarok grins. "Yezzz!" His tail thumps the ground rapidly; apparently the 'in trouble' part wasn't heard. Selective listening, perhaps? The monitor buzzes a tune to himself and pulls out his short iron blade, gazing at it for a moment.

DoraRose turns back to camp, calling over her shoulder, "Come on Zarok, please. Let's get you some dinner." Then she is gone through the trees. He'll be able to follow her.