Paradise Attacked (Kidnapped Abbot TP)
http://rwmuck.limitless.org/rwmuck/content/quest
This happens on the tail end of this log: http://rwmuck.limitless.org/rwmuck/content/rascal-vs-thunderwing-heaven-...
Abbey Pond/South wall
It's a damp day at the start of Autumn, on the first day of Autumn in fact and Benar is standing down by the south wall with Lee frowning at the ridges and upset soil along the side of the wall. "Well I don't know what to make of it, this has never happened before... I can see why Elmef is concerned, it looks like something has disrupted the grass."
Lee nods his head in reply. "Aye, I didn't know wot ta make of it, but I knew ye should be told... I could be mistaken... But think the disturbed area 'as grown a bit... Ye reckon it could be a lost mole, Benar?"
Anomen has been at the abbey, what ..a week now and looks around, as he sees Lee he smiles as he has ment to ask him about helping with the guards, he had once been a guard a while back, so ..well its worth asking so he slowly starts to head over that direction.
Chud saunters into the area, a bit of concern on his usually carefree features. He looks around for somebeast to talk to, waiting for an opening.
DoraRose comes marching towards the South wall, dragging a Rascal by his ear. She marches over nearby and calls out to the Abbot, "Benar, I think you need to talk to this fox..." she sees the looks on their faces, then looks where they're looking, still keeping a hold of the fox's ear. "It....so, the moles went a little crazy?" She's not being sarcastic; she's merely asking a question.
Benar says, "Well it'd be strange for a mole to be digging around under there this long... and all the local moles know not to dig around under our walls." he steps over the rope and walks over to look at it, "It does look like something has been digging around underground." he waves a paw toward Dora, "In a moment Dora-Rose, I just need to finish here with the Captain." he walks closer to the edge of the wall and crouches down to push the large stone block directly above the disturbed ground, "all the moles are at the quarry currently"
Rascal exclaims, "Ow, Ow, Ow, Ear! Claw! Claw!" The fox whines loudly as he is dragged behind Dorarose, "Can't we talk about this? Honestly! I'm sure we can all have a nice quiet chat about this and not involve the village leaders and their guards!" The fox tries, rather unsuccessfully to pull his ear free of the mouse, "Don't listen to her! She's a crazy mouse! Don't listen to the squirrel either! I haven't really got a chance to meet him yet but I'm sure he is crazy too!" That's it Rascal, deny deny deny. Works all the time..."
Following a little behind the mouse and fox, John looks up when the fox mentions him. "Excuse me, mate? Ah'm /very/ sure o' me senses, y'know." He looks more irritated than anything else, a part of him wishing he had some sort of weapon in case things go south, while the other half realizes the fox really can't do much harm. "Ah am prone a bit tae out bursts o' anger, thae, so I'd shut yer mouth before it gets ye in trouble - again."
Anomen stays where he is, well for now, and is temparyly distracted by the yelping fox Dorarose has by the ear and looks over in that direction.
Chud laughs quietly at Rascal's predicament despite the dour mood in the air that he perceives. His face returns to grim seriousness and he walks up the Abbot curiously.
Lee looks around as suddenly more beasts show up. "Oy, ev'rybeast, just stay well away from this spot, alright? Wot are ye all doin' 'ere suddenly for, anyway?" He glances back at Benar again, and says, "Do be careful, mate. Wot if it collapses or somethin'?"
DoraRose releases the fox and goes to shove him at John for the squirrel to keep track of. She edges forward, paws held out, to the Abbot. "I don't think you should stand there...it looks dangerous...."
The red fox yelps as he is tossed to the squirrel. "Look! It wasn't my fault! Ok?" The fox turns and looks at the squirrel, stepping away from him slightly, "Some help you are. You didn't come to my aid even once! And I offered to go walking the ramparts with you. Some friend you are indeed!" Rascal crosses his arms in stoic defiance.
Chud waits to be addressed, for now, merely saying to the area in general, "What's all this about moles?"
Ignoring the fox's comments, John grabs his arm, and the squirrel hisses, "Look, ye'd be better off cooperating." and, answering Lee's question in a louder voice, "We're 'ere 'cause this beast," here he indicates the fox, "May-or-may-not-have killed someone." As an after thought, he adds, "An' Ah'm no' really sure he's all there in thae head, ye know?"
Benar waves a paw toward Dora, "I am fine Dora, it's nothing that ahhh..." he yelps as the ground suddenly collapses behind him, the turned earth collapsing down, creating a large hole. A beast rises up out of the whole, long slender body covered in filthy chain mail. The mustelid grins, seizes Benar and yanks him backwards into the whole. Forty yards behind, inside the orchard more holes are opening, the grass crumbling with no hint of mole trails like near the rolls. Two sisters are grabbed, a couple of dibbuns playing and one otter who was strolling up out of the pond. They are all caught by surprise as the ground gives way and the mustelids yank them down into the tunnels.
Anomen frowns at all the arguing that seems to be going on, " So..whats goin' on now...." And that's when he turns at the yelp and gasps, he looks at the fox as if he has something to do with this, hey he doesn't know the fox at all and never meet him and it seems vermin are in the abbey suddenly.
Lee is standing still, watching Benar one moment, then lunging forward the next, as the Abbot suddenly disappears into a gaping hole, dragged down by an unexpected vermin. "By the name o' Martin! STOP!" He grabs whatever item he can quickly reach, which turns out to be a sturdy branch. "RAISE THE ALARM! SOUND THE BELLS, SOMEBEAST, THE ABBOT'S BEEN TAKEN. HURRY!" he yells.
Chud is already moving, sprinting towards the Gatehouse to retrieve his dirk. "Wot the bloody hell?" he yells out as he goes. He's moving as fast as his powerful legs can take him, but still not fast enough, he thinks. Halfway there, he gives up on getting his dirk in time and instead follows Lee's example, seizing a large rock from the ground and hefting it with a growl, scanning for the next hole to appear.
DoraRose turns and darts to the Champion's Cottage. On the way there, she meets her daughter and grabs her. "Lily! Hurry, ring the bells! Sound the alarm! Don't ask questions, just DO IT!" LilyMoore nods and runs as fast as she can. Fear rises in her throat as she sees the mustulids taking innocent creatures. She speeds up, running faster than a normal mouse of her age and reaches the belltower. Reaching up, she goes to pull on the rope of one of the bells; the alarm shall sound. Meanwhile, Dora has gotten her axe and comes dashing out of the cottage. Charging at the nearest enemy, she attacks, aiming to relieve him of his head. Even if she has to follow them underground, she will. NO ONE attacks her home and gets away with it. /No one./
The fox lets out an unearthly shout of alarm, a high pitched scream that echoes across the the inner walls before leaping up and trying to grab ahold of John, as if standing on the squirrel would keep him from being taken by moles, "The shrews! The shrews are coming for my hide!" Why did he blame shrews? No one knows but him...
A young-throated bellow sounds from the entry and a certain monitor lizard sprints out into the pond area, moving to intercept and support DoraRose. Zarok is unarmed except his teeth, claws, and tail, but it'll do, from his perspective. He starts looking around for some good heads to bite.
Anomen has no weapons but he has learned one doesn't always need a blade, or an axe to fight. He lived with the Gawtribe for a while, he knows where to kick and he can make his own sling as he tears off part of his cloak and finds a stone and now he has a homemade sling shot ready to fight, there is an attack so its fine to fight or least in his mind. He stands ready to fight.
John curses. As his paw reaches for the hilt of his swo- he curses, again. Right. Not there. The squirrel pushes the fox away, really irritated now by a lot of things, rushing towards one of the holes. He pause on the edge of it, thinking about the wisdom of jumping into a hole full of armed beasts while unarmed himself. He curses, again. "Lee!" He bellows, turning towards him, "Who's bloody idea was it tae take away our weapons?!"
Chud meanwhile is running from hole to hole, trying to find one that still has mustulids in it. "Come on, come on," he mutters. He spots one and lunges, swinging down his rock.
As Lee and the others leap forward and shouts start to fill the orchard behind as those left behind start to react. The holes however are collapsing, lines of grass and dirt collapsing, dropping down as the tunnels are collapsed and the vermin flee. None of them came above ground for long, just enough to grab a victim, drag them underground and flee, their companions beneath the ground triggering the collapse of the tunnel as they flee. As the tunnel in front of Lee starts to collapse the wall makes a nasty cracking sound, a large split cracking up across three blocks, a gap opening. There is a muffled sound of shouting, voices from inside the crack and then silence. Chud's swung rock hits a load of dirt, the tunnels are collapsing, the creatures are escaping, there is a hole in the abbey wall but it doesn't seem to go through to the other side, there is just a large hole leading down into what looks like a stone corridor down which the voices are fading.
Lee had just managed to bludgeon an unfortunate novice, as the creatures vanish, the ground seeming to cave in all around. "Wot in' 'ellgates?" He is momentarily struck dumb, but the blubbering fox rouses him from the momentary daze. "Oh, for the love o' sanity, somebeast please shut that fox up, NOW! I don't care 'ow ye do it!" He will get his sword, now. He'll need it.
Anomen almost falls into one of the tunnels in fact and barely keeps his balance, his ears flatten as he looks around at the now buntched up dirt piles, well least the caving in filled the holes back up it seems but they will most likely have to fill them up with more dirt as he carefully steps backwards. He looks at Lee "Ya need help going after those vermin scum Lee!"
The alarm bell rings as Lily does what she sees as her duty. Muscles rippling, she continues to ring the bell. Meanwhile, Dora is ANGRY. And when she is angry, she does stupid things, such as what she's doing now, which is jumping into the hole so she can follow the weasleish varmints who just broke in like a bunch of thieves. Her eyes growing red from the first stages of the Bloodwrath, she will take quite a bit of convincing to stay and formulate an actual plan.
Chud growls, heading off to retrieve his dirk now that the apparent immediate threat is dealt with. Zarok meanwhile growls in frustration as he didn't get to bite anybeast. He sees the look in DoraRose's eye and the young monitor quickly goes to block her path.
As for the fox having him get shut up proves to be quite easy. Perhaps in hind site the squirrel pushing him away was not the best idea for Rascal loses his balance and stumbles towards the hole. He screams once before toppling into it head over heals. "WHYYYYYyyyYYyYYyY-" SPLAT!
The fox is only vaguely aware of beasts around him, his eyes un-adjusted to the low light...or the pile of dirt he landed in. Then come the paws that grab him by the arms and legs and begin to drag him away into the earth. "W-what? no! Not me! NOT ME! Help! HEEEEELP!" WACK! And out the fox goes, never knowing who hit him, or with what. Only the darkness of unconciousness.
Rayen frowns as she hears the alarm bells and walks over and gasps "W...what's going on?!"
With the shouts and bells and curious and upset Abbey beasts converging and Zarok struggling to keep Dora from charging off into the exposed ruins on her own it's all a bit noisy. But the Abbot is gone and at least 8 other Redwallers who happened to be in the orchard. The way into the ancient ruins is open and the attackers have fled.
John looks around, cursing as the ground starts to fall apart under him. He leaps back. Seeing the fox disappear into the tunnel, he shouts, "Ye knae, I doubt that's what ye had in mind, Lee!" He grabs a wooden stick nearby, rushing to guard the entrance to the tunnel. He's still not willing to go in it without his sword.
Anomen looks over at Rayen, "It may be wise to stay back Miss Rayen, this is no place for a beast thats with dibbun, could be unsafe"
DoraRose goes to shove the lizard out of her way. "Move Zarok, get out of my way, they need to be stopped, they have the Abbot!!" She struggles to get past him. The monitor lizard might need some help. Lily continues to ring the bell, not sure if the time has come for her to stop or not. Angela comes hobbling out of the main Abbey building, more than ready to whack the ever-living snot out of any foebeasts with her staff. She glares around, looking for any injured people.
Lee nods vaguely to John. "Ye wait 'ere, I need me weapons." And with that, the otter is off, only returning again once he has his trusty sword and daggers. "Alright, I suppose I'm ready... It'd be nice if the vermin would send us an engraved invitation next time..."
There's nothing in Zarok's face but a sorrow that makes him seem far older than he actually is. "You go now, you die," he hisses. "Too many of 'em. I fight in tunnels in south, I know how this worksssss. I don't wantcha t'die, auntie." He looks up pleadingly into her face, his scaly, muscular arms struggling to contain the mouse warrior.
John shrugs. "Eh, who ever counted on vermin for manners?" He starts to head to were his sword is, before stopping and turning to Lee. "Ah assume I can get me sword nae? Oh, an' I'd make sure the mouse doesn' dae somethin' stupid if Ah were ye, mate."
Anomen steps forwards , he looks at Dorarose and then Lee and back to Dorarose as he decides what to do, stay or go help in the tunnels.
Chud meanwhile saunters over to Lee. "Room for one more?" he asks casually, giving his dirk a quick twirl.
Rayen frowns and stays a little ways back, she is not going to risk getting hurt when her dibbun is due to come soon now. But she does look very worried.
As Lee and the warriors start getting ready and Zarok continues to struggle with Dora a voice cuts through the noise, "Enough... everyone be quiet," it's the loud, stern voice of Elder Marintha, the elderly grey mouse is striding over the lawns with Elder Elmef, Elder Rachel and the looming shape of Papa Oz behind them just following. "Now then anyone who doesn't need to be here, go inside," she glares, "And that includes everyone who isn't part of Lee's guard duty." She points her walking stick at Angela, "Please have Miss Rayen sit in the shade on a bench. She shouldn't be up and about and Brother Tomas go tell Lilymoore to stop ringing the bells before she breaks the Matthias." the Elder glares and most of the abbey beasts start to head inside not willing to face her wrath. She nods in satisfaction and snaps, "Lady DoraRose, step back, shut up and go get your weapons and armour, if you keep trying to go down there without orders I shall [have] Zarok tie you up and leave you in the guard house." she glances at Lee then, "Over to you Captain, Flicktail has been sent for but you are here, you are in charge."
Rayen frowns, she will be ok with being lead to some shade, she sighs and goes head and starts to head towards the shade in fact.
Lee nods at Chud. "Of course ye can join, mate. We otters gotta stick together." He looks down into the hole, then back over at the gathering of Elders. "I'll do me best, I only 'ope we ain't too late already...Chud, John, we'll await DoraRose. When she is prepared..."
Anomen looks at Elmef and other elders "I...use to be a guard here and would like to be one again, may I please help Lee?"
John, who had just come sprinting back, nods to Lee. "Right, then." His paw, now covered in a gauntlet, is on his sword hilt. He looks at the tunnel, shifting his weight from one foot-paw to the next.
Chud grins cheekily to Lee despite the situation. "Got that right, mate. An' if they're anywhere in Mossflower....we'll find 'em. Set my warrant on it." He forgoes any kind of armor to retain his mobility.
DoraRose glares at the other mouse, but telling her to shut up was enough to calm her down. She gently gets herself away from the lizard, then sweeps off to the gatehouse. After a few minutes, she exits it, dressed in her black tunic, leggings, and boots, and heads to the Training Yard, still lugging Nightsong. After a few minutes there, she comes back to the scene of the crime, wearing her light armour with her bastard sword strapped at her side. Carrying her axe in the crook of her elbow, she wraps her sling around her waist, then stands before the Elders, eyes blazing. "If I don't come back.....tell my children, and my husband, that I love them very much." She then walks over to the Head Guard and stands silently by him. Angela hobbles over to the fox and goes to do as she was requested. Lily has stopped the bell's ringing, and now goes to tug on Brother Tomas' sleeve. "What happened? Please tell me. What happened?"
Zarok runs over to DoraRose. "I go with you," he says firmly, fierce determination in his eyes. "I fought underground in the wastelands. I could help."
Elder Marinthia looks at Anomen, "If Lee will take you back by his side you are welcome to go." she nods to the Captain, "Good luck, to all of you, may Martin guide you all and bring about the safe return of our beasts." In the bell tower Brother Tomas shrugs, "I do not know, just something happened in the orchard."
Rayen stays seated in the shade, she wasn't warm or anything but it most likely was a good idea to go over to the shade, she sighs as she tries her best to relax, she will need to relax.
Anomen looks to Lee for a response.
DoraRose shakes her head. "No, Zarok, please stay here and take care of LilyMoore. I need you to do that for me." She then nods to the elders, ready to go. She turns, and follows Lee wherever he goes, whether it's underground or to a Council of War. Angela leads Rayen inside. Lily looks to the ground sadly, then runs across the grounds to the main Abbey building to help with whatever she needs to help with.
With a final resolute nod, Lee leads the way into the dark hole. "Let's try ta stick together an' not get lost, eh?" And then he marches into the darkness.
Elder Marintha considers everything then speaks up, "Take Zarok, Lee, he should be allowed to go rescue his father and he does have experience with the underground." She shakes her head, "Please bring him back Lee and... good luck to you all, Martin guide you." she turns to go inside, talking quietly to the other Elders, one paw on Oz's arm as she guides him toward the building.
Nodding, John says. "Aye, mate." He enters the tunnel after the otter, grabbing a torch and lighting in it before he does. He draws his sword with his free paw, ready for anything. He can be hard muttering darkly about how Martin must be having one heck of a day before he, too, is swallowed up by the darkness.
So, Zarok gets to tag along and help find Benar. Where could he be? Who are these strange kidnappers? Why did they kidnap people, for what dastardly purpose? Stay tuned! ;) And thanks for reading! :D
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