Provocations, Promotions, and Preparations

Hactor, Stubb

Location: Mossflower Woods outside Sagebrush Inn

Hactor walked outside with Stubb, and was shocked (more or less) at the rable. There were broken bits of glass, and other objects on the ground. Many beasts were brawling or drunk. He looked at Stubb with a raised eybrow and s sayed, "This is what you picked up?"

Stubb rounds the bend, walking a short distance behind Hactor with long, loose-limbed strides and his paws clasped casually behind him. He sneers at the fox lord's rebuke and surveys the destruction caused by the 'troops'. "Now jes' wha' the 'ell was you 'xpectin', ma'e? Oi ain' 'ad much time, 'ave oi?" He lifts an uncouth paw to his nose, sniffling slightly. "Wha's the rush, anyways? We ain' goin' straigh' ta da Abbey, roigh'?" He glares at a passing stoat, then spits derisively. "Sorry lo', this, oi' admi'."

Hactor strokes his chin and sayes, "No. Not straight to tha Abbey." He then took of his cloak and sayed, "Well, moight as well ave some fun with these louts." He then sayed yelled louldy above the chaos, "Attention ya pore excuses for puss!"

Stubb walks to the wall of the inn and leans against it. He takes a strange leaf from his vest pocket and pops it into his mouth, chewing slowly while he watches Hactor go to work and crossing his arms across his narrow chest. He wears a trace of a smirk.

the rabble falls deathly silent. All except a lone ferret who replies, "Ta ell with ya, ya over grown squirrel. We bussy avn a gud tyme!" The ferret was met with murmers of slured agreement, by his comrades. Hactor, who's eyes had glazed over walked casualy torwards the ferret. He asked the drunk, "What be yer name?" The ferret spa phlem on the ground at Hactor's feet and said, "Grent. What's it ta ya?"

Stubb straightens slightly and spits again, then narrows his eyes knowingly at the insolent ferret. He continues to chew wordlessly.

Hactor smiles a snake's smile, and puts his arm around the ferret's shoulder. He sayes, " Now ya know I like yer style ma friend. Please come and we shall talk of yer pramotion in tha ranks." The ferret (too drunk to know better) followed Hactor into the forest. After three minutes a loud screm was heard, and the old fox returned, with a bloody clump of something in his left hand. In his right he dragged the unconsious ferret by the hair. The ferret had blood poring from his mouth. Hactor flung him to the feet of the other vermin, and said raising the bloodey object, "If anyone ellse has a comment, they will be deprived the meens ta make anotha comment!" He began eating the tounge and said, "So... any questions?"

In the deep quiet that ensues, McDuff's voice can be heard calling the common room to attention. Snippets of his monologue filter out through the window: "... bouncer... have a problem... discass it ootside..." Stubb's ear twitches, but his attention is now completely fixed on the warrior fox. A murmur rises through the ranks at the bloody spectacle, but it is quickly quelled by fear. All that can be heard is the crunch of Hactor's paws upon the rocky soil.

Hactor pleased at the silence puts his arms behind his back and sayes, "Ah. I didn't think so." He then walked up to a near by stoat and ordered, "Draw your sword." The stoat replied shakingly, "Why sir?" Hactor back handed him and roared, "That was an order! Now obey!" The stoat stood up and did as he was told. It was a shabey, neglected sword. With grime, and rust about it. Hactor draws his own sword and takes a defencive stans saying, "Now attack me."

The dull-eyed stoat takes several moments to absorb the order into his mind; he signed up for the booze, after all, and didn't expect to stick around long enough for actual combat. Nevertheless, he hefts his sword awkwardly, limbs quaking visibly, and assumes what may or may not be an offensive posture. With a groan, he swings the clumsy instrument over his shoulder and down toward Hactor's waiting sword.

Hactor almost playfully swipes the oncoming sword away quickly. He then punches at the stoats gut and the stoat dubbles over, droping his weapon. Hactor sheathes his own sword and looks at the stoat's. He tosses is away, and pats the stoat on the back saying, "You will learn." He then turned to the rest of the armey and asked, "Anyone here a smithy?"

A comically undersized rat raises a hesitant paw in the air, barely visible among the heads of his much larger peers. He doesn't speak, only emitting a trembling squeak as he vies for attention.

Hactor looks pat the vermin to the rat and points saying, "Anyone with a rusted, or blunt weapon shall see him. You shall also be provided with tha meens ta make new weapons, and armor." He then put his cloak back on and sayed, "Now /this/ is an example of how not ta foight. Yuou must learn ta keep balance, and controle of your weapon. You also must /never/ leave your body open like this stoat has. If I had wanted to I could have run him through." After amoment of silnce only interupted by the soud of birds he continued, "Who amungst ya is considered a good foighter then?"

It seems the question has been asked before, and answered. A few of the vermin part, opening a fissure in the army that leads directly to the figure of a large stoat. Thick cords of muscle cling to his arms, and his tattered garments reveal a likewise well-developed physique. His weapon is already drawn, as if he stands in perpetual anticipation of battle, and a look of hostility dances in his eyes, stoked rather than tempered by the need to subdue to this new 'warlord'. His face, despite its thick, brawler's aspect, is clean of scars, but the same cannot be said of the rest of his body; his skin is almost as much scar tissue as not.

Stubb spits out the remaining fragments of his leaf into the soil, then paws at it with his foot. With his characteristic nonchalance, he shifts a bit to get a better view.

Hactor grins and removes his cloak, but doesn't drop it. He then takes out his sword, and looks the large stoat up and down. He then points his sword to the stoat, and sayes to the rest of the horde, "I and this fine..chap, will show ya how ta foight. Now defend yourself!" Hactor then lunged at the stoat, but instead of swinging stopped suddenly, and threw his cloak as a distraction.

Muscle-bound or not, the stoat is no fool (though the scars suggest that his lessons were learned the hard way). With an easy flick of the tail, he pulls the cloak out of the air. His blade--thick and clumsy iron, but strong--nearly crosses paths with his tail as it flies up to intercept any incoming strokes.

Hactor slashes downward but his blade is met with a loud CLANG, as the two weapons collide. He steps back and laughs, "Good good! Anticipation is key." He took a quick defencive stance as he said this,his blade gaurding his mid section.

The stoat growls, feinting an attack at Hactor's midriff, then wheeling the sword round, to stop within inches of the fox's shoulder. "Yaw cloke bek," he says in the gravelly voice of a beast who seldom speaks. And--there it is. Pinned to the hovering tip of the warrior's sword is the thrown garment.

Hactor looks rather astonished at the cloke, and takes it. He smiles and turns to the army saying, "/That/ is how ya foight! I want evryone ta watch this one closley, because he is yer new cap'n." He then sheethed his sword and sayed, "Yer all dismised...for tha moment." He then walked over to Stubb and leaned against he wall next to him.

Stubb straightens, but only slightly, at Hactor's approach. "Now den, ma'e, wha' was i' you was sayin' 'bou' wha' oi 'picked up'?" He elevates his eyebrows. "No' so bad after all. Go' y'self a smivvy an' a warriah arready." His gaze shifts as he watches the vermin army falling out of formation and back into a crescendo of raucous braggadocio, bickering, and milling about.

Stubb smirks. "Then again. P'raps you' roigh' abou' most of 'em."

Hactor nods, and sayes, "They need wark but there's potential." He noticed the still unconcious ferret and chuckled , "I think I made me point." He atached his cloke and peered into the window to see McDuff, he askes, "Hmmm, ya think he moight be trouble?"

Stubb's lip peels back. "Don' make me laugh. A squi'l, 'gainst the lo' of us? Can' even call tha' a foigh', 'Actor. If 'e does try somefin', jes' se' that stoa' on 'im. Tha' fella'd clear fings roigh' up, oi wager."

Hactor chuckles and crosses his arms. "Ya where di ya pick up that lil gem? Now /thats/ a real foighter."

Stubb picks a thin fiber off his tongue, a remnant of the leaf he was chewing earlier, and flicks it to the ground. "Found 'im 'angin' abou' in the back room. Didn' even know moise'f 'ow big 'e was till 'e lef'." He shakes his head. "So... luck!"

Hactor grins a dark little grin and whispers, "Luck is on are soyd it seems. And what a faithful mistress she is." He barked a laugh and then after calming down said, "Ya know Stubb I've been thinkin. Tha ole squirrel wha owns tha ployce is gonna be gettn suspicious." He cracked his knuckles and still watching the vermin said, "We need ta move an I know jas tha playce. An ol church."

Stubb squirks an eyebrow. "Oh? Oi'm lis'nen'. Nearboi, is i'?"

Hactor nods and continues, "Is called St.Ninians. Been abandoned fur years. No on ill come poken about. And if they do.." Hactor then made a sliceing motion across his throat. He then stood in silence. After a few long minutes though. his eyes whent wide and he slowly resumed his snakelike smile. An idea was forming. He asked the weasel, "Stubb ow well are ya aquanted with tha Abbey?"

Stubb blinks. "Only boi name. Oi ain' even passed i'. Never been norf of... Well, never been norf of 'ere, come to fink on i'." He pauses to look at Hactor. "Tho', oi've 'eard i's... less dan a day's march from 'ere. Er... Whoi do y' ask, ma'e?"

Hactor now looked derectley at Stubb and said,"Cause yur gonna get aquanted with it. I want ya ta go in an get me any usefule information." He scratched his chin in thought and continued, "Pratend ta be a beggar at tha door."

Stubb scoffs, "An' you fink dey'll take me in? Ain' i' all woodlanders wha' live dere? Dunno if you no'iced, ma'e, but oi'm a weasel."

Hactor laughed at this, and replied still laughing, "Ya don get out mach do ya? Them Redwaller's are famed fur taken anybeast in." His laughter whent icy as he said, "It'll be there downfall. Jas don't well..be yerself. Be a poor lil' beggar."

Stubb's eyes widen. "Y'r sure bou' this? Oi mean, y'r sure oi can jes'... walk roigh' in?" His ignorance almost looks like innocence.

Hactor humphs and sayes, "More than sure. I /know/ ya can." He dosn't quite like the ignorance of the weasel and asks sarcastically, "Ya aint goin soft on me are ya?"

Stubb's laughter erupts like a bark, and it's quick and sharp, antagonized by the very suggestion of 'going soft'. "Oh, it ain' nuffin' loike tha'," he says, sharp teeth catching the light of the afternoon sun. "Oi was jes' 'opin' to... exercoise some of moi uvver skills. Though' oi moigh' 'ave t'... scale a wall or two, ya know." He scratches his neck. "Bu'... actin'? Oi suppose oi can if oi must."

Stubb continues, "An' wha' exactly am oi... foindin' ou'?"

Hactor Nods reasured. He swats at a mosquito on his arm, and replies staring at it, "Whaevermoight seem usefull. Who the Abbot is, who they follow, tha works." He wipes th bug on his tunic and continues, "An if ya want ta have a lil fun, go ahead ba /don't / get caught."

Stubb nods mutely. "Er," he says after a moment of mulling. "An' when did you plan to ge' dese scum to se' up a proper camp at the church? 'Ow far is i'? An hour's march?" he muses idly.

Hactor thinks for a moment, then nods saying, "A hour, maybe two." H then crosses his arms and continues, "I havn seen a hair, nor whisker of tha tatooed one. It moykes me nervous."

"You know oi don' trust 'im. Less dan this lo', even," Stubb says, with a broad, contemptuous gesture at the bickering army, whose activity is checked only by the continued presence their warlord, and perhaps by the newly appointed, and ever taciturn, captain, who surveys his charges with universal and unconcealed dislike. "Bu'..." the weasel continues, wearily acknowledging the practicalities of warfare, "oi'm sure 'e'll turn up. No' sure what 'is game'd be if 'e's jes' pullin' yer leg." He thinks. "Tho', always good to 'ave a backup stra'egy."

Hactor nods and glances at the army. He picks his teeth and replies, "Aye. He even said ta me face it was inevitable fur us ta cross swords eventualy." He chuckled and said quitley, "Be a shame fur him ta have an accadent afta tha Abbey is taken."

Stubb nods absentmindedly. "Oi'd watch your back. And your food. Oi did a bi' of research abou' tha' fellow. Asked around, you know... Bes' be careful. As for me, oi'm staying well clear of 'im, if oi can manige." He stands up straight, pushing off the wall with a slight shrug of the shoulders. "Well, oi've go' some packin' to do. Maybe a few fings to snatch from da kitchen." He considers. "Cook'd make a good captive..."

Hactor nods saying in good humor, "By all meens. I wouldn't trust this lott ta burn toast." He then said farewell to his minion and walked back to his army. The few still fighting quickly whent quiet. Ah this was going to be fun.