Quinten Log 129 - 14 06 2006
Mossflower - Dirt Road -------------------------
The sun's glow illuminates the road, casting shadows from every
object. Underpaw, the road is rough, with jagged stones emerging from
the shale. Along the roadside, broad-leafed trees rise up, their branches
arching across the road and casting a shadow over all. The sunlight
filters through the trees, dancing on the ground. A light breeze sweeps
through the area, contrasting pleasantly with summer's dull warmth. A few
scattered wildflowers have sprouted along the road's edge, brightening the
undergrowth's dull green with splashes of pink, lavender, and gold.
The sun may be shining down in the harsh afternoon weather, yet Jakk doesn't seem to mind. For the moment, the young recruit actually seems.. happy again. Dust is kicked up as he does a cartwheel down the road, the pack he is wearing airborne for a moment, then thudding against his back as he pops up into a straightened standing position. Both ears perk up, then swivel back as he glances towards where he thinks Quinten will be.
Quinten is indeed where Jakk thinks he will be jogging along at an easy pace he could keep up all day. His own pack bouncing against his back as he leaves a trail of dust behind him. His white clothing mottled with a light dusting of brown to match his fur. After getting permission from the Lt. to go down to the 67th the Recruit seems to be happy himself doing proper patrol exercises again.
Grin grin. "Hey, Quin. You haven' seen how good I've gotten with daggers, have you?" Jakk asks as he watches the other buck jog up towards him, tail bobbing a little, and not moving along any further for now. The recruit stretches upward, back popping somewhat. Seems that he is falling into a more calm acceptance of the fact that his voice is.. more odd than usual, though it's probably actually more normal.
Quinten smiles still getting used to the other bucks deeper voice, "No i haven't care to show me? But then i bet you've not seen how good i've gotten at paw to claw fighting either." He grins and comes to a halt next to Jakk wiping sweat from his brow and flicking his ears upright.
"I saw whatcha did to that broom yesterday, anyhow.." Jakk smirks a little, ears flickering as he looks up at the sky with a slightly annoyed snort, and then back down to Quinten. "But I can now that I have my daggers back.. anyway.." He winks, and goes to pull one of them out of his knife. He tosses it up and down, catching it by its hilt and blade alternatively, grinning. "Pick somethin'."
Quinten smiles and looks about the woodlands and grins pointing towards a tree, "There see if you can hit that young pear on the higher branches." He grins sideways at Jakk, "I'm hopeless with daggers myself."
Jakk peers up along Quinten's pointing arm, ears flicking back. "Uh.. I don' know.. That's a little.. harder." The buck scowls in thought, then finally just nods, stepping back from the other recruit so that he can angle more correctly. "Alright." With both ears going rigid, he stares at the pear with a worried expression, then suddenly catches the dagger by the blade and hurls it. It spins through the air, then cuts a gash across the fruit's side, thudding into the branch beside it. Soft curse. "Almost.."
Quinten leans forwards ears pinning forwards to shade his eyes watching the pear sway on its branch. "Hey not bad you hit it." He grins at Jakk "Go oni bet you can get it this time."
Jakk glances sideways at him. "You /want/ that pear or something." Without warning, he suddenly tosses a dagger up into the air, catches it and throws it more quickly than before. Instead of hitting the fruit, the weapon cuts it off the branch and.. it plummets. Grin!
Quinten laughs and pads forwards to inspect the branch, "Now that is showing the old long patrol initiative" He picks up the branch and retrieves your daggers holding them out to you. "Most beasts would have just kept aiming at the pear."
With a smug expression, Jakk moves up and takes his daggers from Quinten with a quick movement. "I'm better than you think, obviously.." He continues on away from the other, still going down the road. "You're welcome for the pear." Is mumbled without pausing.
Quinten laughs and removes the pear from the branch and trots after you legs causing him to hop slightly as he moves down the bath. "Nah it is not ripe you can have it though? and your right your a lot better then i thougt. Sorry if i've been treating you like a kid Jakk."
Jakk shrugs. "Then toss it into the woods, you're the one that wanted it." He has tucked the two daggers back into his belt, dusting off his paws after this is down and not turning around to Quinten again.
Quinten tucks the pear under his belt and shrugs begin to duck and weave as he moves down the path slowly increasing in speed. "Was just a target Jakk that is what you asked for."
Jakk sends a look back to Quinten and gives him a curious look over. "What're you doin' then?" The buck watches him moving about like that, ears flicked backward.
Quinten grins and winks, "Duck and weave, zig and zag that is what Jakk, learnt it in Runner class, never to move in a straight line when out travelling, got to keep in practice."
Jakk squints. "You're insane..." A sensory glance is sent about the area he now stands in then he shakes his head. "We're gonna get jumped - or tracked - by vermin.... here?"
Quinten moves sideways towards Jakk, "Me and Brother Keiran got jumped by vermin a short way from here, so yes it is possible these woods are not safe you know."
Somewhere on the muck, Zoe_Lang has disconnected.
"But pretty much.. some vermin is gonna see you bobbin' and weavin' from the woods.. and target /you/." Jakk smirks a little. "Cause you're paranoid." The recruit goes to start off away from Quinten. "I'm not gonna die yet."
Quinten frowns and stops weaving and picks up the pace moving after the other Hare, "They'd have a harder time shooting me then you if your going in a straight line jakk."
It's something about the tone in Quinten's voice that makes the defiant side in Jakk come out all of a sudden. He gives the other recruit a look. "I don' know /why/ you gotta baby me all the time.. or whatever you're doin'. But I don' see a reason for anybeast to be shootin' randomly from the woods." He goes to pull away from Quinten.
Quinten blinks and was not babying him, "Jakk i'm not babying you i'm being serious, ruddy vermin don't need a reason they'll see us and think we are easy targets and just open fire."
Jakk can't seem to escape that 'lecturing' no matter what he does. Finally the buck just clasps his paws over his ears and clenches his eyes shut. "Gah! Shut /up/." Real mature way to handle it, but he's frustrated and desperate.
Quinten shakes his head and drops back a few paces leaving the buck to have his tantrum just concentrating on moving down the road now. Ears at attention and eyes roving the sides of the path watching the foiage for movement.
It stops. The nagging actually stops. Jakk slowly lets his paws drop from his ears, gazing heavenward. "Thank you.." He whispers to.. well.. the sky, and then continues along. "I don' hear you bobbin' and /weavin'/." Almost sing-song mockery.
Shakes his head and is about to say something when his head whips to the left the leaves on a large elm tree and shaking and rustling and not from the breeze either. There is a flash of something and with a Yell Quinten leaps forwards aiming to tackle the other buck and roll him off the path into the brush if he can connect.
Not like Jakk hasn't been paying attention. His ears suddenly twist back curiously as he gets that odd feeling. Right before Quinten collides with his back. Because of this 'tackle' the young buck figures his sense was not because of danger.. but because of big /jerks/ about to attack him. So.. instead of being rolled into the bushes, he goes to ram an elbow backward into Quint with a few choice words that aren't so nice.
Something whips past Quinten's ears and thuds into the ground, thankfully missing both bucks due to Quinten's attempted tackle. With a grunt he releases the younger buck and staggers right wheezing with the wind knocked out of him. "Run...you...idiot..." He gasps trying to get into the undergrowth and out of sight.
"You piece of -" Jakk has been rolling over as he yells this, going to sit up but he is cut off before anything else can exit his muzzle. That is.. the thudding noise. "What was.." And that's when it all dawns on him, when his eyes rest on the javelin shuddering from where it landed tip first in the road. "..crap.." In awe. Only thing is.. he has now lost all motor skills.
The trees rustle and three figures move into sight, two weasels and a very large rat. Filthy ragged vermin each wearing a ripped tunic and a soiled bandana around their heads. The weasels are both carrying a number of Javelins and the rat is holding a metal tipped flail. "Don't move rabbits, come along nicely now and we might let you live." Quinten is gasping for breath from where Jakk elbowed him in the stomach, reaching out a paw to try and tug on Jakk, they have to move and move now or they are sunk, or Jakk does Quinten couldn't outrun them like this.
Blink. "Quin.. those are vermin." Seems that his eyesight hasn't failed him, but Jakk is still shocked and reacting like.. well a young inexperienced buck. However he is grasped by the shoulder of his tunic and he whimpers as he's tugged easily upward - halfway to his footpaws. The fear response takes over this time and he does, indeed, go to flee. But.. Quinten has a hold of him still and his lagomorph instincts is to dodge in the direction of his enemy to confuse them. So not good right now.
Quinten tugs on Jakk's tunic and begins to stagger northwards again, "Run Jakk...go north..i'll follow." He looks back at the vermin and grimaces as they are moving slowly but surely towards us fanning out somewhat. "Jakk..run." The buck slowly regaining his breath bu.
Jakk tugs at the grip on his tunic, nodding, then finally getting away to lunge off in the northern direction. Somehow what Quinten has said has gotten through to him at least. The hare runs as fast as he can up the road, ears turned backward.
Quinten turns around to face the vermin, slowly drawing his sabre from under his belt and setting himself in a fighting stance. left footpaw drumming steadily on the ground as he swallows nervously. "I suggest you turn around and leave.." He wheezes out softly standing up straighter inch by inch as he gets his breath back. "The long patrol will not permit you to prey on innocent travellers." Sounding alot more confident then he feels, the vermin just sneer and move closer their weapons at the ready. "Surrender yer stupid rabbit." One of the weasels says with a grin.
Jakk skids to a halt when he realizes something. He can't hear anyone behind him. That would be a good thing normally, but then again Quinten is supposed to be following. The buck chances to pause like this and send a glance back at him. Oh.. crud. Chest heaving with a mixture of fear and heightened breath, he grasps for a dagger at his belt. ".. Quin.. c'mon.. run.." He hisses out, though he is too far to be heard at that low volume.
One of the weasels moves in going to jab at the bucks footpaws with a javelin, the recruits sword whips down clacking into the wooden weapon defending himself. Then with a laugh the other weasel joins in and Quinten is forced back bit by bit franticly trying to fend off at least three javelins wielded by the two weasels. )
SSssss-ThuCK! One threat is nearly pushed back as one of the weasels suddenly gets a dagger in his shoulder. Through his fear is that defiant sense of duty and honor that Jakk somehow contains. He's not going to let Quinten die. Already the hare has forced himself to hurry back towards the group, pulling another dagger out. Oh crap, oh crap, oh.. "Eulalia!!" Mostly for himself rather than.. anything else. Trying to sound bigger than he is too. Whee.
Quinten's ears stand on end as that cry fills his ears and the young buck rallies to it encouraged by that sound opening his muzzle and crying out a Elaliaaaa of his own. The injured weasel staggers back and hefts his Javelin aiming at the younger buck and throwing it towards him. It is at this stage that the rat raises his flail and whips it out, leather fronds tangling Quinten's sabre and paw leaving him defenceless as he tries to wrench free, those metal tips digging into his wrist and arm.
Javelin?! Omg! Pain! Jakk ducks out of the way just in time to not get a weapon stuck through his gut, but it does clip his side, staggering him. The recruit drops onto his knees for a moment, holding the injury and whimpering. There went /his/ battle cry. The pre-teen feels himself going dizzy, eyes glazing over from pain and inexperience in being wounded. However he forces himself up again. "That's.. not so.. fair.." Grumble as he staggers towards the weasel, ears pinned. If anything, his stubbornness is helping.
The weasel fighting Quinten grins as the recruit tries to free himself, the vermins javelin comes whistling aimed at his head. A footpaw comes up and slams into the weasels stomach with all the force he can must, there is a strangled gasps from the weasel and a yell of pain as with a snarl Quinten is dragged forwards into the stinking rats embrace.
Meanwhile the weasel who is concentrating on Jakk pulls a dagger from his belt and with his second javelin in his other paw runs at the pre-teen hare with an evil glint in his eyes. "No one said we ad tae be fair rabbit." He goes to swing the Javeling at your head and neck taking advantag of your stagger to duck in close.
Jakk gets hit in the head. It's as simple as that. Good thing it was by the blunted pole of the javelin anyway, but the buck staggers sideways with a look of '..ooohh.. that hurt..' across his features, before shifting towards the weasel, already feeling himself blacking out. The dagger he is holding is shoved upward at the vermin's chest/rib area, with a growl. Blood is starting to trickle down from the base of his ear and he is having trouble hearing from that side. Not sure if that's just because.. he is losing it.
Jakk's Dagger connects and sinks into the weasel's chest...good shot Jakk. The mustelid twitches and groans blood frothing out of his muzzle as he sinks down using the last of his strength to bull forwards, trying to trap you under his weight.
The rat has Quinten firmly in his embrace squeezing him, his filthy greasey arms making a mess of his fur, with a wild grin he stares into the struggling bucks eyes and then headbutts him hard between the eyes pole-axing Quint out cold.
Trapping Jakk isn't very hard, and is accomplished easily by the.. dying weasel. Mostly because as soon as he is hit by the tipping over vermin, Jakk hits the dirt and curls up in a protective ball. Whumpf! The larger beast's weight collides with the young hare without any 'sympathy' and he stiffens, then goes limp. He was already blacking out anyway.
Quinten sags in the arms of the large rat unconcious as well. The rat and the surviving weasel swiftly move to secure both bucks, tying them securely with rope and removing their weapons and supply packs. The dead weasel is also looted by his companion and then the rat slings Quinten over his shoulder whilst the weasel grabs Jakk and heaves him up as well.
Annoyed by pushy mice in dresses, Kaelin hobbles southward along the dirt road, a crutch under her left arm as she mutters about woods and boys and just life in general. XD Oo. The doe's ears perk up, hearing the sounds of trouble up ahead. "Finally!" Is the first word to leave her mouth, holding her crutch like a staff as she basically strides down towards the vermin, ignoring her throbbing knee. "Now now boys, I don't think that's very nice of you there."
Jakk isn't very big. He was hefted easily into the weasel's arms, still partially curled out of defense for himself. Something makes it obvious that he wouldn't /want/ to be awake right now anyway. The buck's ears are slumped forward, definitely out of it. He doesn't even notice the big doe coming to save them. :D Yay!
The rat turns to look at the doe and growls, he gestures to the weasel to keep going and the mustelid heads off into the trees. With Quinten over one shoulder still the rat raises his arm and uses his flail expertly, aiming it at the does crutch going to wrap it about the wood, the metal tipped fronds deadly and strong.
Being a farm hand and freakishly tall gives Kae an advantage, dropping the crutch as the whip wraps about it, lips cracking into a smirk. "If its a fight you want, then by all means its a fight you'll get." She hisses under her breath, cursing as the weasel gets out of sight. Shaking her head, Kae curls both fingers into fists, before sending a right hook towards the rat's head with a growl.
Jakk is carried off by a weasel. ^^; And.. is soon gone from sight.
The rat growls and doesn't even shift the doe may be big but the rat is thicker set, seeming to ride with the punch.Wwith a shift of his footpaws and a flick of his wrist he untangles the flail and jumps backwards towards the tree bringing his paw up to Quinten. "I suggest you back off doe or i crush this ones skull."
Kaelin growls under her breath, not evening blinking as the rat seems unphased. "Go ahead. Either way /you/ are going to die, and a crush skull can mend." Kae replies, striding towards the rat, flexing her muscles with a smirk. "I'm not your average girl." And she goes to punch him again. XD
The rat laughs and shifts quinten into his arms and smirks, his legs tense and then he leaps back into the brush and undergrowth of the trees, not going to risk tangling with the large doe whilst his paws are full of unconcious Hare. The trees rustle and the bushes shake as he begins to move away rapidly.
"Oh, bloody hell!" Kae yells, shaking her head before going back to retrieve her crutch. Crutch in paw, the doe runs after the rat, grumbling something under her breath.
Bye the time the doe has her crutch and sets off after the rat it is pretty much too late, the trail leads on for a good few huundred yards and then vanishes up a tree... The vermin could have gone in any direction from up there it is going to make tracking them even harder and there is no way of telling how many there are. What was just a simple run down to the 67th has turned into something deadlier for the two bucks.
The trail is not lost to the doe though since she can hear the rustling still in the leaves. Kaelin edges quietly through the woods, senses alert as her eyes watch the canopy, muscles twitching.
You page, "I did the whole jumping back thought it was clear enough" to Kaelin.
Kaelin pages, "You didn't in the second one. Or I missed it. Sorry." to you.
You page, "I guess he does at that, though the whole having permission from a lt. to come was to make sure he could go. But he'll still b ein trouble again." to Jakk.
The rat is moving as silently as he can but that still leaves enough noise for a sensitive set of hare ears to pick up. He has left Quinten doubled over a branch and when he is close enough to the doe he drops aiming to try and kick her in the back from above.
And sensitive ears they are. Kaelin freezes, catching a faint noise of a branch moving, allowing her to dodge just enough to were her shoulder gets the full blown kick. x.- Now, she's pissed. Growling, she swings her crutch towards the rat, aiming to smack his head while she sends a kick below his waist.
The rat manages to duck the crutch barely but the kick gets him in the stomach knocking him over onto his back witha curse and a yell.
Haha! Kae lets a quick smirk appear, not wasting anytime in thrusting the crutch towards his forehead to knock him into lala land as she leaps onto his gut to pin him.
The rat is knocked silly as the crutch hits him in the forehead and he slumps back pinned beneath the rat
Kaelin sighs, giving the rat another slam with her crutch just to make sure. That done, she goes to peer into the branches, trying to catch sight of the hare. "Bloody damn fool. I'm seriously going to knock his block off."
Quinten is draped over the branch of a large sycamore tree still unconcious and unarmed though the bucks weapons are on the rat Kaelin just uncerimouniously knocked out cold.
Kaelin spots Quint with a frown, shaking her head as she hoists herself up, reaching out to grab him. Tugging him free, she throws him over her shoulder, climbing down. "Idiot." Not a happy doe. Glancing at her re-swollen knee, Kae shakes her head, limping back towards the road with the unconscious buck on her shoulder.
Quinten stirs with a groan as we reach the road and his eyes flutter open, "Jakk...run.....leave me....." he muttters and drops off agian.
"Oh, shut up. I'll try to find him once your at the abbey." Kae replies to Quint, giving him a jab to his side. Sigh. Shaking her head, she shifts him slightly, eyes glancing northward.
Quinten shifts and opens his eyes wide, "NO!" He cries as concious ness returns and he growns, "No...take me...to the 67th now...i have to tell the patrol..."
Kaelin blinks, pausing in her tracks to peer at the hare, walking northward again. "I don't bloody know where that is. And your patrol friends are at the abbey. Now sit still, and let me take you back before you get someone else kidnapped."
Quinten struggles and kicks at Kaelin, "No....take me there now...it is closer it is south, i will show you the way"
Never kick the one who carries you, especially when they are ticked off. Kaelin oofs, eyes narrowing with a scowl as she drops the buck on the ground. "Look here, I just saved your bloody life and you go /kicking/ me?!"
Quinten slumps and pants "sorry....its just we are closer...to the 67th....Kaelin isn't it? Oh gods why did Jakk have to get difficult on me...if he'd just listened to me..." he wheezes again and levers himself up to his paws. "Come...it is this way." he starts to totter southwards.
Kaelin throws her paws up, resisting the urge to knock Quint's block off. XD "Fine. Whatever." Sighing, she hops after him, left knee swelled back up to the size of a pineapple. "You shouldn't have bloody left the abbey. Not without an officer. Don't they teach you these things in the patrol?"
Quinten looks at Kaelin "We had permission to go to the 67th from the Lt. or i'd never have left."
Kaelin shakes her head, peering at him. "You shouldn't have gone. The road is filled with bandits. And it seems you two weren't ready enough to fight them either." She grumbles, hopping along. "Why are you going here anyway? You are a novice now right? So that means no leaving the abbey for trips."
Quinten looks at Kaelin and sighs, "I had permission to take Jakk to the 67th ok Kaelin so leave off its bad enough we lost him....i lost him..." He staggers and leans agiant a tree starring away at nothing.
Kaelin shakes her head again, glancing down the road. "Well, just let that sink in." Is her last retort, paws getting shoved in her pockets, glancing over to him. "Need me to carry you?"
Quinten shakes his head and starts south again staggering into a slow jog as the urgency to report sets in, "Just...come on we need to get beasts out looking for that weasel."
Kaelin sighs, glancing back towards the road then to her knee then to the buck. "I could go off, and begin the search. Seems your fit enough to make it on your own, and I know the woods better than you hares do anyway."
Quinten stops and looks back at Kaelin "Well the 67th live here in Mossflower all the time...but ok....go and start the search Kaelin...i'll go get help.." He stops and sighs "Thanks miss"
Kaelin bobs her head, putting her full weight back upon her knee, striding towards the woods. "Your welcome. And next time, take more beasts with you." Kaelin replies, actually attempting to smile at him though she still wishes to smack him. And off she goes.
Quinten sighs and carries on running south to go rouse the 67th and get help.
- End Log
