Sometimes Club - 12 19 10 - Back Room

Continued from this log.

Angus scratches beneath an arm, swaggering after the others. This is a long walk for a short hallway.

Stubb looks impatiently back at the lumbering giant. "We go' a special arrangement wif the owner now. Anybeast 'oo come back wifou' moi approval--" He clicks his tongue.

Amos follows along, though somewhat focused on his drink which he drinks from while on the move at a somewhat lagging pace behind the others. Stopping for a moment to finish off his drink before turning to glaze at Stubb & Angus, "Special arrangements eh?"

Angus blazes a toothy smile. "Ah--lovely, mate," he croons, dropping his shoulder against the wall. "And how'd ye' manage that?" A hand falls to the back of his scaly neck, rubbing gingerly. "I won't lie t' ye', though, mate--I've almost had m'fill of this dump. Have a growin' gut feelin' that somethin' real bad's on the horizon fer us .. but maybe I'm just bein' a grump."

Amos pipes in cheerily slightly tipsy, "Ya do sound like a grump in a dump!"

Angus squints at the chiming feline and spits, "And yew sound like ye'd make a rather warm cloak, kitteh."

They go into the private dining room.

Stubb strides to the foggy glass windows and peers out at the courtyard, now wearing a thin mantle of powdery snow that catches hints of the moon. "If Deloilah cou'd see me now," he whispers aloud, turning his prized possession over in his paws.

Out in the hallway, Viddick puts a paw over the mousemaid's mouth, "Shhhh, now, don't yell out. I'm not against y', I'm all for ya. Just let me explain. You're walkin' around this place all 'la dee la dee da' and all the while just one task or another away from your death. They're usin' you, ma'am. I know you know, but shhh... let's find out a bit more about these gents, shall we? After you." He pokes a dagger at her back, winking, "Just so y' don't forget whose on your side."

Angus totters in behind the weasel, examining the premises. "Lovely," he reiterates, all though his tone betrays generous skepticism. The lizard searches out a spot to perch, but, finding nothing particularly suitable, continues to stand. "Mate, listen', y'know I gotcher' back regardless, but I've had just about enough of this goose chasin'. What's yer game?" His eyes partially lid, gaze sheepishly dropping to the side.

Amos looks still somewhat amused over the previous comment from the lizard, "Can't say I know, I just follow the ol' weasel same as ya... the Stubbly has a plan though. Always does, " He shrugs, smirking, "Nice place, " He wanders about, looking about the room.

Stubb turns his back to the window and looks sheepishly at Angus. "Now... Now's no' tha toime. Oi know you only wan'ed to foind your egg, so you could a left any toime. An oi'm fankful you stuck wif me, really oi am. Bu'." He stutters a bit. "Trus' me."

Frigg nods silently, still wide-eyed and approaches the door to the room the others went into just as they started down the hallway, and mutters back, "That's awfully ironic..." She silently creeps towards the doorway, opening it a fraction and looking inside, "They're talking about an egg, that's all... is this really nece-- oof!", she whispers, as she's prodded.

"Quiet, I said... I'll ask the questions..." Viddick leans above her, peering through the doorjam as well.

"That ain't th' issue no more, mate," Angus says sadly. The lizard drops into a crouch, which puts him roughly on par with any creature who would chance to sit at the table. His joints his hands, wriging them. "M'son's long gone by now--s'been too many moons." A flicker of the tongue, and the lizard breaks his floor-bound gaze. It flutters to the exit, curiosity piqued. "But--" he continues, in spite of odd odor wafting from the hall, "So's this Delilah dame. And ye' bring 'er up over and over again--and I don't see how yer lovelorn memory of th' lass is gettin' us anywhere."

Angus distantly adds, "Y'know--I had me a lady, too. But ye' don't see me chasin' her against all climatic odds."

Amos continues to be interested by the room, listening off from the others as he wanders about but eventually moving back towards Stubb and looking between Angus & Stubb, "Can't say I don't disagree with the lizard about that, ain't no sense chasing after no lady, " He grins, "They suppose to chase after ya!"

Stubb is poised to respond to the pair's admonishments when he notices that Amos left the door open. "Oy, you let a breeze in, ca'." He crosses to it. "I fough' that rat'd be roigh' on our tails. He don' seem tha toipe to let us out a soigh'."

Frigg musters all of her restraint to keep from squealing out, and especially when she recoils right into the rat's dagger. But she does so, and she looks frantically back at Viddick for direction. How could that stupid fool follow them right out of the bar?

Angus cracks a wry smile at Amos, chuckling. "Aye--wise words, kitteh." Then his eyes follow the weasel, narrowing. "Either way, mate," he tells Stubb, "I trust yew. Y'know that. But th' others 'r all a bit sketchy, if ye' ask me. A knifey bunch."

Viddick leans back away from the door and points to the wall against where the door is hinged, which lies in a small vestibule. They both lean up against the wall as close as they can, in case the door should be opened and the hallway checked.

Amos responds to Stubb bluntly, "So close it?" He crosses over to look out the window, "Aye, I'm in agreement with the lizard, ain't understand what them rodents any good for but if ya think they can be some use."

"We kin eat 'em when we're snowbound 'n starvin', I 'spose," the lizard says in a parched grunt.

Stubb shakes his head. "Ain' much poin' in hangin' abou' if tha rat ain' comin'. Oi fough' oi cou'd get a bit more information out a him." He pulls the door open, gives a cursory glance down the hall.

Frigg waits until the weasel has finished checking and whispers almost directly into Viddick's ear, "They're expecting you... shouldn't you be in there?" She doesn't understand this snooping about business at all, but then... well, she was doing it just the other week.

Amos stares out into the frozen world beyond the window, "Mmm, will make a note to have booze if starvin' at least, only right to wash 'em down, " Pulling himself away from the window, "Well, onward then if that rat ain't gonna show."

Angus tilts his head to the side. "Y'know, mate--rats are all chock fulla' sneakery. S'probably tryin' t'get somethin' outta yew as much as y'think yer gettin' somethin' outta' him," he idly rattles.

Viddick makes a quick decision, and points the dagger once more at the mouse, "Stay /here/." He jogs a few times in place and then jogs silently up the hallway and back down, making more noise doing the latter, of course. He gets his heart going a good pace and knocks on the door.

Angus curls his lip, hooks his thumbs beneath his jaw and wriggles extended fingers to evoke a whisker-type image. "Connivin' crumby rodents." As the knock sounds, his hands drop. "S'that him?"

Amos has turned back to looking about the room, acknowlding Angus' point with a audiable hmm and then turning at the knock, "Well then, about time."

Viddick looks quickly over at Frigg, "If they should threaten me, you /run/, understand... out them doors to the outside."

Frigg nods, she thinks? This is all so confusing to her! She will just stand in place, and blink. And breathe. Maybe.

Stubb opens the door and smiles broadly but mirthlessly. "Ay, i's 'im. Abou' time," he says and steps back. "Did you run ta Redwall an back in tha meantoime?"

Viddick is breathing heavily, and makes sure he grabs the edge of the door before Stubb can open it all the way and squish his charge like a bug, and closes it behind him. "No, not to Redwall. I tryin' to get after that mouse you all are so zany for... she got up and just left the place, you know. Figured nobody was around to stop 'er, I guess... the others were drunk as you can get, at the bar, not even payin' attention."

Stubb chuckles carelessly. "Well, fanks for the effort, ma'e." He looks Viddick up and down quickly, his mind lingering on the issue only for a spell. "Join us a' tha table."

Frigg is astounded by the lies! What should she do if they were to simply check behind the door?! She breathes in deeply - as long as she stays put, there's little she is at fault for. Let them kill him; wouldn't be any of her business!

As the rat enters the dining chamber, Angus decides to rise. The lizard ogles the newcomer with a single cocked brow, then flips a look at Stubb. There are plenty of things he would love to say right now, but decides to keep his mouth shut. Shifting on his feet, the reptile puffs, exasperated.

Stubb holds a palm out to Angus in a placatory gesture. He must be going somewhere.

Viddick nods. "Sure thing..." He notices the lizard is uneasy about something, but dismisses it. "What are we here to discuss, chum? What's on your head?" He leans out from the table in the chair, tipping it back some and resting his bare feet up on the table, the gaiters soaked at the bottom with the water that melted from outside.

Amos rubs at his neck, turning to glaze at the rat for a moment as he enters but figuring the conversation having little concern with him he keeps his mouth shut. He does close in on the others though, "Well, we were waiting for ya.. didn't know that mouse was that important to be chasing after her like ya did."

Angus begins to pace, his unrest continuing to compound. "Aye .. discussin' and such," he hisses, all though it is not directed at any particular body.

Stubb slowly circumnavigates the table. "She ain'. No' anymore, tho oi regre' losin' 'er. Ol' gi'l won' last tha noigh' in dis town alone." The weasel's gaze is oddly intense as he sits down across the table from Viddick. "Now then. Word is, tha city's on lockdown. Oi heard it from one a tha merchants tonoigh'. Guards won' le' deir supplies come in, even. What do you know?"

"Well, maybe she is... and maybe she is to you, and you are to me, and so maybe by rule she is to me?" Viddick leaves him to ponder that and looks at Stubb, "Is that bloke going to be a problem? He seems like he needs to get somewhere outside to do his duty, if ya know what I mean." The rat chuckles, and listens. "What do I know, eh? Well, I know that somebody knows that somebody is in Ruingate that shouldn't be. And maybe I know this because somebody told me, and maybe I know this because I told somebody to tell somebody else about this somebody."

All of this is not helping Frigg's confusion one bit. o.o

"Bloody rat is speaking in riddles, " Amos mutters as he stands away from the table, deciding to move towards the door and pressing his back against the wall to the left of it. Curiously watching the pacing lizard.

Angus halts in his tracks, reeling on a heel to face Viddick. A finger juts at the rat, and his jaw opens, as if to erupt in innumerable profanities. He manages to control himself, however, and instead simply slams his a flattened hand palm-down on the table. The wooden thing trembles beneath the blow. Angus simply snorts, dark eyes locked on Viddick.

Stubb's cool slips, and he hammers a paw on the table, though it looks like a rather weak effort next to Angus' thunderous slam. Rising and baring his teeth, the weasel spits, "Speak clear, /ma'e/, or oi'll 'ave you never speak again." A knife seems to materialize in his palm.

Viddick's legs are jarred by the impact on the table, and the rat indignantly retracts them, leaning forward in the chair. As a result, he's more inclined to be direct, "You sneaky chums have smuggled Hactor in here, you know I know - and you go and fetch this item I told you /I/ would do my very level, honest best to get? I don't think so." The rat sneers, "You all are caught like a rat, looking at a rat as your only hope. You had better come up with what /I/ want, and then /perhaps/..." He trails off, folding his paws into his chest.

Angus offers the rat an affirmative nod in regard to his potential fate, and places his other hand, also palm-down, on the table. This edition is considerably gentler than the first, but the lizard also leans forward to drive in his point. "Yew get nothin'," the reptile scathes, "Except maybe yer' life if yew're lucky. Tell th' weasel what he wants. Now." His breath is hot and foul, blasted perilously at the rat.

Stubb wrestles control of his breathing and returns the knife to an inside pocket of his vest. He smiles eerily across the table.

Amos watches from where he's at against the wall, interested but staying at his post as he watches with a grin.

"Kitteh--get by th' door," Angus barks, gesturing with his head, but not breaking his visual lock on the rat. "He ain' leavin' 'til he gives Stubbsy what he came fer."

"...Perhaps I'll take the guard shift right by the wall that there happens to be an underground escape route in the vicinity of... that's my deal. Unless you're looking for something else, in which case I wouldn't know anything about anything." The rat looks across, back at Stubb. "Why /did/ you bring him here, anyway?"

Already close by, the wildcat moves to block off the door easily and quickly, "Done, no rats getting out of here unless ya'll want him to."

Frigg wonders if now's that time the rat was talking about... she backs away from the door, about to make a run for it - the rat was right, if she's not needed, she's as good as dead. She starts to back down the hallway, afraid to turn her back on that door, though...

Stubb pauses, squinting at the rat. His eyes sweep the room. "Oi... Oi didn' bring 'im here. No' of moi own choice. I fought oi'd lef' 'im behoind at the abbey, truf be told. Whoi he came, oi can' say. Some feud or anuvver. Oi'd a left 'im for dead boi tha gates if oi'd a knew tha trouble 'e'd bring. Oi s'pose oi..." He claps his mouth suddenly shut. "Abou' this escape route."

"You can threaten to lock me down in a locked-down city, but that just seems ridiculous to me." Viddick gets up and goes to the window, folding his paws in his arms, and looks back at Stubb, "The tunnel was left over from the foundation digging... it's being guarded heavily as we speak, of course. But it's certainly in the rotation of a few trusted guards, that happen to include myself. I believe in two days I'll be due to report there."

Angus breaks his connection with the table, perplexed by the exchange. It is hard to tell whether the tension has risen or diffused, but the lizard is anxious and pacing again. When he rat moves for the window, the lizard tightens, chin lifted and nostrils flared. A quick look is paid to Stubb. "If it's escape ye' want, mate, I say we just wait and find the sorriest, sloshiest lot of soldiers t'barrel our way through. Secret tunnels?" There is a break for a scoff, before the dragon continues, "We evaded one horde t'date--I don't doubt we kin outmaneuver another. No sense in wastin' our time wi' a lousy rat drone."

Viddick laughs, "Ah... but /am/ I just another of these lot? You'll figure it out, soon enough... what I want from you would make an unlikely request from a rat planning to stay here, that's for sure." The rat turns back towards the trio, "Allow me several days to get word to my contact outside of this place... and allow one of your own to escape last, with me behind them, and be taken never again to be seen... that's all I request in return for your /only/ escape route." He looks at the lizard, "Or would you like to be pelted by at least two dozen arrows before you're able to get outside of archer range? This /is/ Ruingate, friend."

Standing by the door and looking somewhat intimidating with arms crossed the wildcat hisses at the rat as he moves toward the window, glaring at him, "Aye, Angus be making some sense. Ain't need no damn bloody riddle talking rat, is likely to be just trouble."

Angus rolls his dark eyes at the rat's threat, obviously unconcerned. "Schmarrows," he simply clips, kicking heavily at the floor. "I'm about t'just go dig a hole in a cellar n'sleep there 'til Spring." A scaly hand rubs at the bridge of his nose, and the lizard swings his head to Stubb, asking, "So--is this it, mate? Are we any closer t'the prize? Yer firefly ship 'n her lost Delilah 'n all that?" He is agitated and lashing out, frustrated by every aspect of this encounter.

"Only escape rou'e, eh. A entoire city, an one way ou'." Stubb leans back. "An' a guarded tunnel a' tha'." He shakes his head and gestures to Angus. "Oi fink we're done wif 'im. Oi'll foind a black goods dealer. If anybeast knows tha ways in an out a dis city..."

Frigg changes her mind and decides to stay - she has renewed interest in this planned escape. She puts her eye up to the keyhole, but it's difficult to see past Amos' frame, standing square in the way. She could put her ear up to the door, but what if they came to open it? She opts for the limited view.

..and is rewarded when Amos moves out of the way. XP

"Well, /one/ way out that you lot have /any/ chance of getting to. Unless you were planning on infiltrating the keep? But if you're done with me, you had better let me go... I don't think you'll last long with a guard found dead right below where you sleep." The rat picks his teeth again, flicking the piece of lunch windoward, where it sticks to a pane.

The tubby wildcat watches the encounter looking somewhat symapthic for Angus but holding his tongue as he stands to block off the doorway duitfully. Only leaning once away to let light into the keyhole, but Frigg still wouldn't see much as the wildcat still stands in front of the door quiet firmly. If looking to Stubb and Angus for whether he should step aside.

Angus has his back turned to the others now, kneading his knitted brow again. The lizard is done with this fiasco; cold, riled up and fast losing faith in the little troupe. "Shoulda' never came up here wi' these fools," he murmurs to himself, cursing several miserable months and the weather and the fate of his family.

Stubb asks, "How can oi be sure a your cooperation, ra'? No, oi don' loike i'."

Amos mews, "Can't say I trust him either, and Angus ya pull yourself together mate."

Viddick replies, "I didn't ask you to like it, weasel. This whole thing is one unlikable situation, I agree. It's not preferable for any party. We're both just pawns, though, and pawns don't have to like each other... but they do what they do to get by in life. Who are you a pawn to, hmm? My ball and chain is thousands of miles away... yours seems to be right here with you. I could... remedy that, you know..."

Stubb kneads his claws, considering. "Give up 'Actor, you mean. What use is 'e to you?"

"No use. I'm just trying to do what I can to get what I /do/ want. But I need a promise, and it will require a certain amount of trust on your part... I'm not about to tell you exactly who I'm asking for and then just take it on good faith that that somebeast will not find out. There may even be one in this very room I'm asking for, or who is connected to this somebeast vitally." Viddick sighs, "It's not an easy bargain, I realize, and so I'm throwing out possibilities for you."

Stubb glances out the window, where the snow has slowed. "Oi'm no' convinced. No' ye'. Take me boi tha tunnel first, den oi'll consider i'. Jes' so oi know da fing exists."

Viddick nods. "Done. Although, I can only take you so far before we would be noticed. And I've already sacrificed much in sitting with you out in the tavern in my guard dress. I didn't figure I'd be here much longer, though. At any rate, when would you like the tour?" He sits on the sill, one leg propped up, the other dangling back and forth. He should have a lute, and then this could be a serenade!

Frigg walks back out to the rear hall

Frigg leaves Viddick's group and wanders off on her own.

Stubb nods. "Lead on. Amos... keep an eye on 'im. Angus, ma'e. Best if you stay here, oi fink."

Amos steps out of the way, opening the door and eyeing the rat, "Aye, I'll keep an eye on him, " He grins at the rat.

Viddick hopes to whatever deity is listening to him that that mouse isn't still out there... he has a feeling she isn't, though, and gets up to walk out the door, "Brains before braun, then, is it? Why thanks!" He struts out into the hall, secretly relieved upon seeing the mouse has departed.

Angus is quiet, brooding. He does not answer the others, for better or for worse.