Quarry Quarry

Angus, Amos, Dangeon, Stubb, Garth, Quicklash, Kiara, Scaith, Moruwil, Trace, Hactor

Location: Sandstone Quarry

Sometimes Club

As dusk engulfs the quarry, rocky shadows begin to swallow the remaining patches of sunlight, rendering the pit a rather objectionable place. Some soul has deigned it fit for camp, however; a small fire crackles, holding the utter dark at bay. There is a hulking silhouette nearby, and it is clearly too organic to be that of a rock pile. It crouches, more or less still, just beyond the edge of the flames' corona.

Amos shifts his eyes and look upon the standstone quarry, paw on his weapon as he edges along forward. He eyes the fire and approaches cautiously, "Lizard breath?"

"Lizard Breath, y'self!" Retorts Dangeon, unamused as she follows along behind the cat. And isn't so good at stealthy today; her voice isn't that quiet. Then she pauses, seeing what the cat sees ahead. "Oh... Ooh." She falls quiet.

Stubb's bedraggled form, much the worse for a long day's journey, makes its cautious way down the unevenly terraced stone wall into the depths of the old quarry. At his distance, the light from the lizard's campfire do not each him, and he has only the opalescent etchings of moonlight in stone to guide his descent. The long day's journey has clearly exacted its toll; he lags toward the back of the pack. His sotto voce mutterings dance across the chasm like the echoes of a ghost.

Garth looks around the large area,he stays off to the side and snorts,he looks at the dibbun"Behave, I dont travel well at night, too cold, he looks around for the stoat speaking quietly "Find the one mentioned,..take care of him, dont need the...trouble"

Quicklash nods and speaks "Wish is my command" and he slips off.

Kiara frowns,she looks around and stays beside Garth, she whimpers a little, hey she is a dibbun and the dark fightens her.

Scaith has fallen in line behind Stubb, equipped with a flask from which she takes a swig every fifty yards or so. She sways the container back and forth to determine the remaining content; she's well-lubricated at this point, though, so her worries are little. "Stubbies, m'boy," she starts, stumbling toward the weasel. "R'mind me where we's goin' again, and where me dear ol' scaled love is?"

Stubb extends an arm to keep his stumbling companion from knocking him over and dashing him upon the rocks. "We're bloody 'ere a'ready," he mutters irritably, and points to the campfire. "Fink dat's 'im dere. Don' know where tha bloody cat an' 'are get deir energy from." With a few more steps, he attains the solidity of the bottom of the pit.

Angus, abruptly wrenched from his meditation, skips a glance off the approaching party. "S'bout time, pallies," he grunts, and chucks a small stone into the fire. Sparks flutter skyward; they shimmer impishly in the dragon's eyes. "Were's beginnin' t'think ye'd ditched me." He stops, snout split by a grin as the others materialize. "Ye' know ye' got followed, aye? Or some other folk be on the same trail." A bob of his chin indicates the murky distance.

Garth sniffs the air and hisses, others here, he folds his arms over his chest as he isnt moving for anyone right now,he looks at the dibbun "Shut up, your draw attention to us"

"Ain't no wonder with the bloody hare shouting about, " The wildcat eases as Angus comes into view, and he grins at his companion, "We'd never ditch ya, would of been here sooner but we picked up a marten and Stubb slowed up the march."

Dangeon looks back as Angus mentions others. "... 's not foxes 'nd squirrels again is it?" She then scowls at the cat. "I've the voice of a bloomin' librarian, Moggy. Honestly! Callin' m' delicate tones shoutin'..." She shakes her head. "He's right though, Angus, we'd not ditch ya. And, aye, we've been goin' ahead a little. Gift o' youth an' all that, wot."

Garth seems to debate weather to show himself or not, then some attention was drawn already so maybe if woundnt make a difference.

Stubb casts a weary look over his shoulder, but the glance proves unenlightening. The vast obsidian sky wheels above, and no visible sign of their pursuers is evident behind the rising wall of stone behind him. After delivering a sharp gesture of encouragement to Scaith, and to Hactor--yet further back, and impeded by his infirmities--he shuffles up to the campfire and flops unceremoniously onto his rump. "Whoi, 'allo. Fancy foindin' a chap loike yourse'f in a 'ole loike dis," he says with a cheeky grin to Angus.

Angus flits his tongue, attention glued to a particularly shadowed nook of the quarry. "Fer th' record, it ain't no kin of mine," he notes, voice squeaky with trepidation. A claw ascends to the collar of his tunic, tugging anxiously at it, as if to cure his croak. "Oh, aye. And thank ye' fer reunitin' me with m' dear love, mates." The lizard turns to ogle Scaith. "Care t' share some of that delightful fire, m'dear? Ah'm decidedly parched." He pats the earth beside him, beckoning the marten.

Angus squints at Stubb. ".. well, er. Y'know my kind takes t'holes. I were's raised in a hole, fer Toad's sake, Stubbster. Where else'd ye' think I'd be?"

Stubb mumbles almost inaudibly, "Well, oi ain' ever knowed a dragon afore..."

"I worried I'd never see y'r 'andsome face again, me dear cold-blooded flame," Scaith admits, balance found between staggers; a wide and wily simper spreads across her face, emotions varying between fear (of toppling to her death against the rocks) and pure adoration (for the lizard). "'ave th' rest o' this one, 've got plenty more somewhere." She settles next to Angus, handing over the flask.

Garth steps over to the campfire,he grabs the hare dibbun and walks over, the fire is warmth as it is still just a little cold at night,he stops a few feet away from the group "Good eve" he states.

Angus flops back, bulk weighted against his elbows. "Ah .. beautiful, doll--simply glorious." He plucks the flask, chomps down on the cork and works to one-handedly liberate its contents. When Garth steps forth, the dragon deadpans; his fruitless gnawing halts, his scaly brows lift in surprise. "Wha .. er. Ho .." The words are garbled by the thing in his mouth. "H'lo, cousin." He shoots Stubb with a sharp glance. "See?"

Amos tenses as the arrival of another lizard, "Sure he ain't no kin of yours, hmm and what about her Dang?" He motions to the hare, shrugging, "Hmm."

Stubb nearly jumps to his feet as the monitor materializes behind him, but the weight of his backpack prevents such acrobatics for the moment. "Bloody--!" his head whips round to look up at the hulking creature.

Scaith tosses a belated glance at an unfamiliary voice, immediately disregarding before she notes the face; a double take, and flabbergasted eyes open widely to take in the other lizard. "Ah... wot?" Her gaze then slips to the dibbun, then to Dangeon, then to Angus, and then back to Garth. The marten is absolutely dumbfounded and the swimming confusion is too much. She turns away, reaching into various packs to procure more drink. If there were one thing she'd never travel without.

Dangeon tilts her head. Another big monitor... with a little hare. She turns her head to the cat with a slightly puzzled frown before looking again. "That's a leveret." She states, somewhat plainly. Her expression is rather unreadable for a moment as she looks from new lizard to small hare.

Garth grins, he shows his fangs, the dibbun for the most part stays quiet when she is put down and seems to have been taught to obey fairly well the monitor, he doesnt speak anymore , least for the time being.

... And an idea pops into Scaith's bleary mind. "M'hungry," she states simply, eyes creeping back toward the leveret. "Dinner?"

Angus finally effects a gulp from the flask. It is returned, with a grateful wink, to the rummaging Scaith, and the dragon slings a protective arm around her. "Ye' ain't got no more younguns stashed 'round, do ye', cousin?" he asks Garth. "Seem t'have misplaced one m'self." He studies the leveret for a moment.

Angus pinches Scaith's flank. "Ain't enough meat on that t'feed an infant snake."

Scaith squints at the hare. "... s'pose you're right." She nestles into Angus's side, deciding, "Mebbe when it's older."

Stubb shrugs, "A boi'e's a boite, oi say, an we cou'd do worse dan hare mea' abou' now." Catching the distant trill of a toad, he jerks his thumb. "Cou'd be feastin on frogg, fer one."

Stubb squints at Kiara, then looks at Garth. "She for sale, o ye a few words?"

"Oi! 's not dinner." Dangeon feels obligated to pipe up. "'S a hare not a blinkin' rabbit!... 's not Long Patrol either." Apparently they're the exception.

"Don't think Dangles'll be thrilled by that menu." The shrieking hare solidifies Angus' hunch. "Thought with all yer' dallying, y'all'd have gone fishin' or somethin'." Demoralized by the fact that the troupe will remain indefinitely unfed, the dragon slumps in hungry anguish. "Or berry pickin'."

Stubb turns away from the Kiara, capitulating, then scoffs at Angus', "No' dallyin', ma'e. We 'ad a couple a drop-ins. Took to tha road quick as we cou'd."

Garth folds his arms over his chest "I dont plan on staying long, and no..she isnt for sale..after morning I will be out of ye way..not planing on staying in blooming mossiflower lands long"

Stubb grumbles, "Cou'd use a bit a /somefin/." He kicks Amos and says in a loud whisper, "Got anyfin', ma'e? Even a nip a drink 'd 'elp." To Garth, he just nods rather absently; for once, he's letting the others do the talking.

Angus dips his chin at the weasel, dubious. Then he looks to Garth, or, really, the leveret behind him--vaguely sympathetic. Stroking his beard, the dragon replies, "Right, cousin. Ain't enough elbow room fer th' two of us, if ye' know what I mean. Ye' sure we can't take her off yer hands, though?"

In the shadow of dusk, a figure peeks around a corner of a great hewn edifice of rock, what looks to be unfinished blocks that were never carried out. They're huge, and they dwarf the figure, robed in red. Its tail peeks too, to see what the fuss is about, and he bats it away, "Ge... get back.. you, always doing that, rrrgh..." He narrows his eyes, "We have company, lots more than before."

Dangeon frowns and folds her arms while she watches Garth. The hare nods as Angus talks. "Aye. We'd take her. What's she t' a lizard like y'self if not f'r sale?"

Kiara frowns at the word sale and looks ready to bolt,but stays put as she remembers a warning from earlier.

Amos yowls, grumbles, "Yeah yeah, of course I do, " He eyes the hare, reaching in his sack for a bottle ad passing it off to the weasel.

Garth looks around "A servent can be most helpful with things that neeeds done, the owl gave her ta me, she is mine" he hissses a little.He keeps an eye on Kiara"Remmber we dont run off"

Stubb presses the bottle greedily to his lips. As he throws back his head, his eyes, catching firelight, look intently up at Garth.

Kiara frowns and nods "Yes sir" she says quietly and looks at the stone ground.

Moruwil looks back at his tail for a moment, "The lizards can smell, but..." He sees the breeze passing away from the group past the tail's luxurious tufts, "You got it, they're upwind of us. It's always coming into the quarry from two directions, though, remember all those dust devils? It can definitely change on us..." He thinks a moment...

The situation is tense as it is, but Angus does his best not to make it worse. The scaly brute sits up, still intwined with the marten, and continues to scrutinize the captive child. "Ain't much use if ye' got t' make sure she ain't runnin' off on ye'," he comments. "M'thinkin' she'd make a right proper addition to our motley crew. More so than yer, uh .. lone wolf mystique, at least." His knuckles crack against the dirt.

Angus glances at his cohorts. "We got anything fer trade, mates?"

Garth sits down as he isnt standing to long and listens as the others talk,he watches the dibbun and pays attention to whats around him.

Stubb absentmindedly tosses the bottle back in Amos' direction. The weasel's eyes fall with some glimmer of sympathy on the cowering young hare. He looks at Angus, then again at the young dibbun, and a groping comprehension seems to awaken within him. "Lemme see..." He pulls his pack over his head and rummages within it.

The adult doe looks from one monitor to the other then gives a short nod. She may not have too much on her but she's sure she's still got a coin or two. She's lacking a flask for once though. She doesn't trust her mouth for the moment, perhaps wisely, keeping it shut for a bit.

Angus watches Stubb root in his pack, and bites his lip nervously. "Er .. aye." He pats himself down, searching for treasures in pockets; unfortunately, the lizard has no pockets. "D'make a nice play mate fer my son," the lizard makes small talk while ferreting. "S'why we're down here in th' first place. T'get m'boy back."

Amos quickly removes the bottle from sight, still keeping an eye on the adult hare who hasn't seemed to notice.

Garth nods "Well good luck suppose, I just passing threw and needed place to stop for the night"

"Y'never mentioned a son t'me," Scaith bemoans, eyeing Angus with the accusatory glance of a scorned lover. She continues with her own rifling, finding another half-drunk flask and remnants of foodstuffs. She licks crumbs and dried scales from her finger tips.

Stubb stops going through his pack to look at Garth; his search has turned up nothing, anyway. "Don' be so hasty, lizard. You took in our foire, an you're campin' on our turf. Fink da least we can get out a it is a tale or two." He stomach grumbles. "Or a bit a grub, if you 'ave i'."

Moruwil's eyes go wide! So /there/'s the father! He whispers to the tail, "Did you hear that?? They're here to find Mally! Brilliant, I guess she's out of our fur now..." He still looks uncertain, though, for some reason..

"So where d'ye' hail from, cousin?" Angus switches the subject on Garth, in another vague attempt to diffuse the situation. He winces at Scaith's question, again sucking his lower lip in. "Er .. ye' never asked, love," he coughs, and quickly steals the flask. The lizard pulls a sheepish drink and, wiping his mouth, looks back to the other monitor.

Moruwil adds, chuckling, "She /did/ look a bit boyish. Lizards, weird things huh? Heh..." He turns back to stare at the group, shaking his head, "Weird is talking to one's own anatomy..."

Garth looks at him as he speaks "Southlands, little warmer there..may be heading back that a ways, guess with company..and as for food stuff, all I have is some bread and bit of fish."

Kiara eyes start to droop,she looks around at the gathered cretures and gulps slightly,she lays down and decides to try and sleep, its warm at least and they seem to be leaveing her alone so she allows herself to sleep, she been forced to walk all day and is tried.

Angus is increasingly unnerved by the sight of Garth and juvenile hare; the vision hits a bit too close to home. Without much ado, the lizard unhooks his arm from Scaith and rises. "Ah, ain't never been much souther than th' forest here .. er, the south bits of th' forest." He stretches, spine crackling, and begins to skulk away from the gathering. "Yum fish," he mumbles, all though his back is turned and he has stalked several paces away.

Garth looks at th dibbun and sits aside the fish, he is fine with shareing as he could always get more later, there is a river nearby after all.

Angus is slinking in the general direction of Moruwil.

Angus has left. Continued here.

Dangeon frowns. She half wants to wander off too, but leaving the fire seems a bad idea. She continues to sit and watch Garth with a rather sour look to her features.

Stubb watches, puzzled, as Angus stalks away. Pulling the pack the rest of the way off his back, he rises, wobbling a bit as his sore limbs are once again charged with bearing up his weight. "Oi been aroun' da souf seas a goo' bit in moi day," he says, assuming the reins of the conversation as the lizard departs. "Come, ma'e," he smiles to Garth, "dere's plenny a room boi tha foire. A nip a fish is all we ask, an we won' be any trouble. Come," he repeats, pointing to the ground. "An tha doe's go' sommat to wet your whistle wif."

Stubb winks at Dangeon and rubs his fingers together to make it clear that sharing the booze is worth her while.

Garth is already by the fire, "I dont mind shareing the fish" He keeps an eye on the sleeping hare.

Dangeon raises her eyebrow. She doesn't want to share the drink with this slaver lizard, clearly, but, even when coerced by the gesture she shakes her head, lacking the flask or the bottle. A tilt of her head is sent cat-wards. Apparently she noticed after all.

Stubb looks at Amos.

"Eh, what'cha all looking at me for!" He huffs, "Take it all then!" He reaches into his pack again, pulling it out and tossing it to the hare in disgust.

Stubb mutters and stoops to grab the thrown bottle. "Now den," Stubb stands near Garth and offers him the refreshment. "Can' roigh'ly say what i' is, but it'll warm the insoides, if you take moi meanin'."

Garth nods as he takes the bottle and nods his thanks, "So heading any where certain after tanight?"

Stubb takes a seat. "We take tha days as dey come to us, ma'e. Though," he says thoughtfully, "moise'f, oi got a bit a unfinished business wif a fox. Saw 'im up norf, last, not a week past. Da rest..." he nods to Amos, Dangeon, and Scaith--Hactor seems to have slipped off to rest his weary bones--, "dey tag along for tha drink and tha coin, oi suppose. An dere's safety in number, besoides a course." His gaze drifts vaguely across his slouching companions. "No' usually dis quoie', oi can tell you."

Garth nods "Well the only one with me be the dibbun, There was another but he left to...take care of something so I dont have troubles later"

Stubb pulls his pack across the ground and nestles it at his side. "Ay?" he says, slumping comfortably. "An wha's your business in dese par's? Wha good is a 'are dibbun to a lizard, in a quarry or anyplace besoides?"

Dangeon snorts a little at Stubb's description of the group. She mutters and mumbles something but it's too quiet to be heard. Suddenly, the surrounding cave rock is very interesting to gaze at. She's clearly not happy about the slave situation.

Garth folds his arms "Teach her to do chores, she seems ta mind good,then told her I kill her if she tries to flee, so..shge stays put"

"Ain't drink or coin the way you lot be liberating it from me, " He eyes the hare, "Nay, I follow because we're comrards by now and might as well enjoy sweet misery together, " He grins.

Stubb chuckles, his idle paw teasing at the flap of his vest. "Aye. True enough, Amos," the weasel says with a nod, for once using the wildcat's name. "Comrades, is da truf of i'. Though, oi wou'dn' a knowed dat hares was capable a chores. Don' fink ours 'as lifted a paw ta break camp. Good foighta, though."

Dangeon nods. Comrades. She'll agree with that. She smirks though as Stubb compliments and disses her in the same breath. "... jus' no' look'n' when I do stuff'... betta b'lieve 'm a good fight'r..." Still mostly muttered.

Garth shrugs "I will do something with her, but like said we be leaveing first light, someone may be looking for the dibbun"

"Ay. Come from de abbey boi tha look a her. One a tha comrades 'ad some trouble dere a whoile back." Stubb snorts. "Dem woodlanders be tougher dan dey seem, ma'e. Bes' no' ta bovver wif dem, oi say." His eyes shift with consternation in the direction that Angus went. "Wonder where 'e cou'd a gotten off to..."

"Why don't'cha go see after him then, I'll stay here with the hare, " Amos eyes Dangeon, "Gotta make sure she don't get in no more trouble."

Garth grins "I am not to worried, payed an assassin some coins to...take take of one beast, dead beasts dont follow well do they?"

Stubb's nod to the lizard is purely gestural; his attention is now firmly set on the dark void into which Angus vanished. "Don' fancy tha lizard pokin' about in tha dark. Oi 'ear tell snakes 'ang about in dese places, an worse." He stands again. "Ca'... fix up tha fish, if ya wou'd. Oi'll be back."

Garth looks the direction he looks and nods "And not so warm away from the fire...yes?"

Stubb is already moving in the direction indicated. "Ay," he replies to Garth. "Didn' fink a dat." These are his last audible words as he plunges after Angus.

Stubb has left. Continued here.

Dangeon twitches an ear. She looks to the littler haremaid and shakes her head. Small one has the right idea. Apparently lazy and tired in the warmth, the doe lays on her side, putting her back to the flames as she decides to nap.

Scaith passes out drunk.

Garth looks around as beasts either leave or go to sleep, he drinks his ale that was handed to him ealier.

Amos tends to the fish and starts turning them over so they can cook throughly, Amos eyes the lizard even as his comrads start to doze off, "Good stuff eh?"

Garth nods "The ale is good, I may have to find a good place to get some on my travels south, though may have ta think on traveling at night some more, would get further lot faster"

Amos grins, "Just how far south did you plan on going, own partially a tavern with my brother down past Winter Haven and the Luck Clover Tavern, " He chuckles, "Probably a bit too far for your tastes, why night? Have trouble traveling at day?"

Garth shrugs "More beasts look for ye at day light, but then cover the tracks, zig-zag, not a problem"

"Ah, right. Then travel at night then, " He shrugs, again attending to the fish. Removing one that is fully cooked and on a stick before handing it off to the monitor.

Garth takes the fish and nods his thanks as he goes to eat some of it, "Quiet night, that can be good or bad depending on how look at it"

"'Gus! Amos!" Stubb's voice cuts through the darkness, sharpened by fear that is almost palpable.

Amos rises up from where he's crouching next to the fire, grabbing his weapon and going in the direction the weasel left.

They chase off after the noise. Continued here.