Unlikely Bedfellows

Amos, Stubb, Rayuwil, Darkmane, Adyna

Location: Near Ruingate

Amos stands among a frozen snowy land, staring upon the frozen broadstream but looking carefully at the snow for tracks. A flask in paw, he takes a swing visibly warmed and given some relief by breakfast. He turns and signals behind him, looking and listening carefully for any sign of movement after scouting forward.

Stubb is mere steps behind the wildcat. His leg injury has darkened overnight, but though it draws his calf in a severe crimson relief against the snowdrifts, it's proving not to be an in impediment to his gait. His fur is disorderly and long, wreathing his kneck in a collar of mottled colors. "Bes' be on da lookou' for dat berd, ma'e," he crunches forward to flank Amos.

Amos gives a concerned glance at the weasel, but turns to examine their surroundings while replying simply, "Aye, " Putting his flask away he grumbles, wondering where the horse went to and moves behind Stubb.

Stubb's question echoes Amos' thoughts. He points to the freshly inscribed hoofprints in the snow, which are haloed with speckles of upturned soil. "Wonder where de 'orse were off to in such a hurry, eh?" He shifts the weight of his bag and continues forward, eyes downcast. "'S loike 'e's crazed wif love or somefin'." The weasel snorts derision, then stops himself, his eyes suddenly deepening with thought.

On a narrower part of the river upstream, Nidlorf and two squirrels start to cross the thin ice. He makes his men walk behind and slightly to the side of him, to distribute their weight across different parts of the groaning sheets. Up ahead, though, there's a narrow channel of moving ice, as tiny ice floes float past. The king looks back at his two companions, Clarino and Mandolino, and motions for them to wait. "This part feels unstable, at the edge... stay back until I've traversed it..." The king hops, quite nimbly for one of his age, and hops again, back onto solid ice. He sighs relief, but soon after, a crack is heard. He looks down.

Kneeling as he looks at the mentioned tracks, he growls as he stands again. His thoughts suddenly errupting with fury, "Isn't like he's the only one who cares about getting her back, bloody idiot, " Pausing in his own thoughts next as Stubb does likewise, he gives chuckle while looking down at the flask after giving it another swig, was Dangeons and he can very well imagine her not being too pleased with him having finished it off. He does so, grinning at the weasel, "Mate, what the bloody hell are we doing. Ya in no condition to go running off a fox, bloody deranged horse is who knows where, and we ain't got a clue as to where anyone is."

Darkmane his head having appeared from the river just in time to hear the last few words snorts as he quickly gets out of the river properly "The bloody deranged horse is right here" his head shaking rapidly to rid his mane of water "I needed to cool off properly and took the time to check downriver"

Clarino and Mandolino look at each other and are about to move, but find their own footpaws starting to soak in a shallow pool, as cracks form around them - they were waiting too long to move. Clarino calls out, "Sire, run! We will catch you up as soon as you're safely to the other side!" Mandolino looks over at his partner in shock, "What's in your head, Clarino; we /all/ need to run!" The impatient young infantrysquirrel leaps onto a floe and slips as it tips over, submerging and covering the flailing paws as it flips over again, as if there was never a third squirrel! Mandolino can still be seen, though, floating underneath the ice sheet, his flailing arms soon becoming still.

Stubb barks back at Amos sharply. "A course oi know we wan' 'er back. It jes' don' make no sense ta go gallopin' off on 'is own is all." He shrugs, capitulating. "Guess tha bloighter can take care a hisse'f, tho. As for moi 'condition', ma'e... Let me decoide, a'roigh'?" He trudges forward a few more steps. "We've go' no trails ta follow, true enough, bu'---ah, 'eres Darky ta give a full repor' on that ma'ter."

Stubb looks at him. "Don' see nuffin' on dis soide, from where oi si'. Wha did you foind?"

Amos looks a bit surprised at the arrival of Darkmane, but only narrows his eyes and glares at the horse, "Yes, what'cha find, " He sneers.

The king looks back at Clarino in panic, "Don't you leave me to these brutes, Clarino! You keep on /your/ feet, and make sure you get across - I'll be damned if a river ends your commitment to me before I do!" Rayuwil slowly steps forward and accelerates his pace until he's running in long strides, the ice cracking prolifically behind his every step. He makes it across and falls to the ground, panting, rolling over and looking back. "Alright then!"

Clarino takes a deep breath... his eyes widening as the king leaves a veritable gauntlet of cracked ice behind him. Easy for /him/ to say... The squirrel makes an odd gesture to himself and begins, taking the opportunity of the moving ice to hop even further upstream, perhaps even into view of those on the other side, to find better ice... he almost loses his balance on one, and at the last second hops off. Ahead, Nidlorf's footprint is quickly spreading to where he is, so the squirrel runs. Behind him ice is breaking up and floating away with the other floes at an alarming rate! Yards from shore, the squirrel falls through!

Rayuwil cries out and reaches for thin air at the squirrel that was there a moment before! The king's eyes widen - he's alone... the others have gone to track down the fox... he swallows and shivers in the cold, squinting at the cracks in the ice which now reach shore, as the last of the floes are broken up and all seem to leave the king in the direction of the other squirrels.

With a huge rush of water, Clarino bursts out of the river, fur in icicles! The king quickly puts his cloak around him, grinning, "There, see! You're as tough as they come, didn't I say that a season ago? This is why you're with me, good Clarino!"

Darkmane starts drying off his fur since wet fur and this cold "Stop glaring, atleast i'm doing something to try and find her" his head shaking slightly "and all i can tell from having crossed the river and walking downstream is that she is further along then a rough 2 or 3 hour walk"

George has watched the madness unfold as the king's troops attempted to ford the river. It would have been comical if it hadn't claimed a life. The falcon is puffed up against the bite of the winter morning, but the cold cannot dull his predator's senses. His head swivels down the length of the river to where Darkmane has freshly emerged.

Stubb comes to a stop near the towering black horse. "Free hour walk for you ah for us, ma'e? Dunno if you've picked up on dis, bu' we're a fair ways slower dan you."

Rayuwil looks at Clarino, shivering in the cloak, "That falcon - he's watching us. He'll probably report us to Hactor, or whomever is just around the bend, there. Are you dry enough? Shall we to it?" The king and his sole surviving accompanist traverse the hairline beach upstream, occasionally using the rocks for balance. Rayuwil suddenly sees something around a rock up ahead... "Ah, it's the overturned cart. They may be just up ahead, Clarino, let's a bit further and see what we see..." Clarino, behind, just shivers. "Ook-k-k-k-k-kay, s-s-s-s-s-s-sir-rr-r-r-r-re..."

Amos snarls and approaches the horse as well, but says nothing. Only glaring, still as Stubb talks.

Darkmane gives a slight shrug "I can only report what i know which is what i have done." his arms crossing slightly as he looks down at amos "and i said stop glaring, your anger at me is misdirected and does nothing to help us get Dangeon back"

Amos makes a fist, growling, "Taking the time to carve up a dead beast does, and wandering off by your own?" He hisses, "Dangeon matters to me too, and the least you can do is work with us."

George's talons thrust his bulk into the crisp air, and his wings unfold to their fully-fledged length. He cuts a dark silhouette against the crystal sky to which even Stubb's mediocre eyes soon alert him. "Don get yourse'ves in a laver. Looks loike our friend is on da wing again." He points in the direction of the soaring falcon.

Darkmane snorts "which took LESS time then looking for the precious trinklet did which had the two of you occupied at the same time" his head cocking slightly to the side "a mans word is his honor and having made a promise I was duty bound to keep it"

Amos flexes and growls before backing off to look up at the falcon and then turning back to look at the horse, "Ya either with us or not, don't wander off, " He grunts and turns back to follow that path of the hawk overhead.

Rayuwil moves further up the bank and puts out a restraining paw behind him. "Your teeth, man... quiet them!" Clarino opens his mouth, to stop them chattering so loudly! The noble squirrel peeks past a rock, knowing it would be lunacy with that hawk to try and aim for surprise... but wanting to assess some things before showing himself completely. "They're halfway up the hill there, Clarino. Let's give them a moment, it looks like they're fighting, hehe...."

George alights near the weasel, though he scans the area a few times before addressing Stubb. "Hullo, thar. I dun found yar old squarls what Hactorr war lookin far." He smiles. "Ovar that hill. En't far. Busy night, they had. Kep' Jarge busy alla night."

Darkmane takes a deep breath and shakes his head "The rest of you were going to sleep and since i was not tired so i did something useful with my time" His gaze quietly surveying the area "what would you have had me do, just sit down and fume in silence?"

Amos watches George land, and turns back to face Darkmane as he listens to both the horse and falcon as they say they're peace. A look of focus in his eyes, the wildcat has visibly calmed, "Alright, ya could of left us a note or somethin', " He turns, looking at the bird curiously.

Stubb eyes George with mild suspicion. "Very good work, jes' Jarge," he says with a light pat on the rather large bird. "Ma'es, bes' we step out a tha way. Take cover behoin' those rocks. Be'ter we see dem first dan dey see us, is moi finkin'."

George shakes his head. "Too late far that, Stubby! They's arready spotted you lot! Headed this way, they is!" He is almost cheerful in delivering the news.

Stubb eyes the horse. "Dammit. Shoulda told you ta keep your 'ead low. Probably dey spo'ted you cloimbin' outa a tha water." He pulls his drik from his vest. "Well, guess we'll make tha best a dis."

Darkmane snorts "woulda known where we were anyhow, its not like we are hiding here" his arm giving a swipe of the area "and i will admit that my size makes me somewhat of a here we are sign"

Nidlorf and Clarino indeed do come into the clearing, from around the rocks near the bank. Neither are dressed in any particularly royal attire - the king is in fairly warm robes, though, and Clarino in his heavy cloak. They're rather mysterious, as they seem to know exactly what they would find upon breaching the rocks. "Hello, strangers! We heard you arguing from halfway down the river, ho! And not a quiet river it is... is there anything /we/ may be able to help with?" Clarino just shivers behind.

Amos grunts, "Aye, don't be slowing us up boss and ya try not to wander off from whats ahead, " The wildcat stares outward looking for any signs for the approaching squirrels.

Stubb steps forward. "Je' a lovers' quarrel. Nuffin' that needs solvin' boi a buncha greasy squirrels, oi'm sure."

Darkmane remains silent as he simply watches the squirrels

"Lovers, I see... well, we were just about to go anyway, isn't that right Clarino? To find out if anybody knows that hare we saw being taken?" Clarino nods, and the king whistles, about to continue on up the bank. "Well, good day then, we'll be no further trouble to you folks... good luck with your quarrel!"

Amos raises a brow and looks at Clarino, "Eh, ya know something about Dangeon do you, " He grunts.

Stubb smirks. "Your on da wrong soide a tha river for tha', moi li'tle frends. Your fox crossed over, far as we can tell."

Clarino looks back at Amos and shrugs, the king turning around after, "Dangeon - no, I don't believe so. Unless she's a kidnapped hare?" He looks at Stubb as if he has half a brain, "We're on the wrong side? Well, if you're looking for her, /you're/ on the wrong side, and /we're/ on the right side. Isn't that right?"

Stubb's brain has the excuse of having lost much blood over the course of the last night. He grunts irritably.

Stubb offers no defense, only spitting back at Rayuwil, "Wha' do you know about 'er, then? No need for playin' games when we'll jes' manage wif or wifou' your blessings."

Narrowing his eyes the wildcat glares at Clarino, "Yah, just spit out what'cha know before I get angry chump, Dangeon is the kidnapped hare and what'cha know?"

Nidlorf stops, "Am I to believe you lot were with her? Now that I look at you all again, you do seem a like a very motley bunch. A hare wouldn't be a very conspicuous addition, I suppose. Well, a few of our friends are following them. Them, being the hare and the fox the weasel mentioned. But, if you know they've crossed, I assume you have beasts following them as we speak? We do as well, so I'd very much like to call them off before an unnecessary fight breaks out between our two groups." He looks between Stubb and Amos.

Darkmane shakes his head slightly "No we don't since we arrived here a bit to late, i explored downstream a fair distance but they where out of the range i could wander before having to turn back to our group" a deep breath taken as he watches Nidlorf toughtfully "Any help you could give in regards to us rescuing her tho would be greatly appriciated" a respectfull bow offered as he finishes.

Amos steps forward a bit, sniffing at the squirrels as he looks them over more closely, "Depends, what'cha exactly want with the fox and our friend?"

Rayuwil steps back a pace as the cat comes forward, "Nothing whatsoever. We are creatures of goodwill, who see a suspicious event and feel the need to cross deadly cold waters and risk abuse by strangers to inform doubtless other creatures of goodwill about a friend in danger. That is all."

Stubb nods slowly. "Creatures a goodwill, eh? An wha' would bring creatures a good will to tha brink a Ruingate? A woise lord loike yourself should know that your toipe ain' much tolera'ed in dese parts."

"And yet here lie three dead rats. Which type would you say /are/ tolerated in a land of such violence? We do not wish to linger here, believe me... but even violent beasts deserve some measure of respect." The king looks back at Clarino. "My goodness, one of my own /died/ getting across this river, and this one here barely knows where he is. Kill us, then, if you cannot tolerate us, and you shall be too late for your friend."

Quickly but painfully, a figure makes its way toward the group from the general direction of the city. Mph. It's a familiar jill, gritting her teeth and cursing with every step, with a bloodied rapier clenched in her paw; she doesn't much care what conversation she's interrupting -- she's out of that /blasted/ city once and for all.

Amos shrugs a bit, "If ya so willing to be dead we can accommodate ya, probably good to have a proper breakfast, " The wildcat grins, "Maybe we can work together though, since you lot seem to have some information and skills."

Stubb nods. "Aye. We 'ave no desoire ta have your blood soilin' our paws. Oi suppose you're passin frough den, eh? You didn' answer moi question."

Rayuwil grins. "Right you are, you're not as silly as you look... okay... truth be told, I'm looking for a mouse. One of my dear friends, who left us and went in search of her children. I am dearly worried for her..." He looks back at Clarino and they exchange grins. "She may be here at Ruingate, as I found out from a friend of hers. She is fairly on in years, but is just a mouse... perhaps... yea tall, and may be wearing a red robe."

Darkmane wrinkles his nose slightly "That sounds like Frigg, last i saw her she was being taken away by that fellow over there" A hand gesturing over toward the blood eagle'd rat

"Yes, Frigg! Oh, thank goodness." Rayuwil shoots Clarino an excited glance, while the other squirrel smiles back - he shivers and can't muster the energy to be excited at the moment. "We would be so grateful to meet with her, ah, oh! I am Sorell and this is... Odilo." Clarino looks at the king and swallows. Is it bad luck to pretend to be a deadbeast?

Stubb jabs a thumb back at the rocky pass. "Troi your luck. If she ain' dead a'ready, tha li'tle lady will be soon. All oi know is dat we ain' goin' back in dere." He hikes his pack up. "We've got a fox ta hunt."

Adyna finally limps her way to the group, where she stops for breath and wipes her blade on her trouser leg. Sheaths it once it's cleaned up proper. "Bliddin' righ' yair no' gan' back in there," she says, her voice still hoarse. "'sa bliddin' dethtrap."

The king turns around and looks down at Viddick's mutilated body, gulping. "My... um... well, that is not such good news. Well, but she /is/ in Ruingate, then? She is a strong-willed mouse, and she has made it this far... well, as you do for your friend, I hope for the best." Nidlorf looks at them, "So... now what? My bat will return to me tomorrow night, with news of the location of the fox where he rests. I can meet with you then, and we'll all go looking for this fox? I should think with a horse as huge as he, we will have no problem convincing him of your friend's release."

Darkmane tilts this head slightly watching the king thoughtfully "I assume what you are offering is basically a deal of you helping us rescue dangeon, and then we help you get Frigg?" his gaze then looking over at his friends before back at the king "I can't speak for my friends, but if you help me get Dangeon back I would be honored to help you get Frigg back."

Amos nods, grunts, "Aye, what the horse said."

Stubb sighs heavily. "Don' suppose dere's money to be had in dis?" he says, half-heartedly. "Oi fink oi'll camp in tha tunnel. Keep watch."

Rayuwil nods as well, "Then it is settled. We... shall stay here, then, for the time? I don't think another crossing would be wise, and it would take too long to scout another area as stable as the last..." Clarino looks at the king with amazement, repeating... "S-s-s-s-stab-b-b-ble, s-s-si... S-s-s-o-r-e-lll?"

Darkmane looks back at stubb "If money is needed i'll hire you for Frigg's rescue" a slight snort escaping him before he can stop it "Its good to see you again as well" his gaze having shifted to Adyna as he offers her a smile.

Amos nods and stuff.

Stubb mutters darkly. "Oi'm wif tha stoat. I don' fink you can afford ta bring me back inta that damn city, ma'e." He lowers his voice. "Soides, we don know if dis Sorrel fellow's go' more comin'."

Adyna takes a bit to answer, still a bit shaken up by the sudden turn of events and rather in need of rest and fresh bandages, but she nods appreciatively, repeating him. "Mn. Good t' see yae 'swell." Not much else comes to mind, as she mentally catches up to the conversation.

Darkmane watches after stubb and snorts loudly once he is gone from view "shoulda expected that answer" His head shaking slightly as he settles down and looks over at Adyna "you need any help or something you can handle yourself?"

Adyna winces, glancing down at herself. The jill's taken a nasty hit to the side from some club, but she's bandaged up as tight as she can stand about her midsection. "Aye, Ah'm.. Ah'll make i'," she answers. Offers a weak smile. "Thanky'. An'.. the res' yae?"

Darkmane furrows his brows deeply "We are doing fairly well aside from an overall irritated mood on some of us due to Dangeon's kidnapping"

Adyna shakes her head, growling, at the mention of it. "We'll fine 'er, Dark'. An' we'll resc' 'er, whe'er deid or liven', an' those wha' tek 'er'll pay for 'er wi' in'rest."

Darkmane points over to viddick that he performed the blood eagle on last night "I got the kidnapper, I don't have the fox who now has her tho obviously" a frustrated hiss escaping his lips "I just can't stand having to just wait, but our newest 'friends' seems to have somebody following them and said spy will return tomorrow"

Adyna glances at the rat, and then just as quickly back to Darkmane. "If'n we've t' wai'.. then Ah s'pose we wai'. Thes fox yair speaken' of.. 'ze prob'le t' kip 'er alive 'til we reach 'im?"

Darkmane gives a slight shrug "I just don't know, but i don't see why he'd want her if he's just gonna kill her" his gaze turning to look downstream "atleast he had better keep her alive unless he wants a fate thats a lot worse then viddicks"

"Aye," the jill agrees, thinking. She falls silent, and.. that's that.

Groups:

• House of Nidlorf