Arguing with the Hares

[Chancellor Zeffer Winterfur]

"WE need to push forward!" shouted a white fox, slamming his fist into the table, making the cups shake as vibrations erupted threw the table. He had just arrived after servaying the WARR Movement. They, were massing in the North, planning to sweep south, decimating anything within sight.

"To long have we been sitting here, waiting... while the army of WARR masses to overwelm. WE NEED TO CRUSH THEM NOW." Zeffer's eyes were wide as they stared at the hares he had been arguing with. Most woodlanders though that the could hold off the WARR Empire better if they waited in their inpeneritable walls. Zeffer, however wanted to go out, with all strength and fight the enemy head on. Zeffer had a completely barbaric sound to his voice as he wished to fight the empire, and push forward.

"Zeffer...these Peace-lovers may not understand..." quietly said one of the Merrito foxes next to him.

"I would hope not..." growled Zeffer as he returned his attention back to the hares. "...The best chances of surviving is to attack now! The empire thives on us doing nothing but trying to wait them out...so many nations have fallen for that...I tell you, attack, and ignore the bloodshed that shall come!"

[Ashstripe]

"Y'seem to forget somethin' m'boy.." Sarge was leaning on his chosen seat casually, somewhat oblivious to the tense air that hung thickly within the Mess Hall at the moment. He stopped leaning and nearly fell the wrong way, luckily a quick paw ensured that he fell forward,
"They outnumber us doncha know? Y'saw it! Th' blinkin' size o' that army!?" He snapped back, whipping out of his casual personality and cracking a harsh dose of reality, something he preferred to be quite out of touch with.

He began leaning once more, obviously not learning his lesson from his previous near accident,
"Even if we did smack th' blighters first..How would we do it eh? If we go down th' 'hole blinkin' Mossflower goes down with us wot!" He was oddly pessimistic, but he felt he had a point. Salamandastron could survive almost any siege, though it had often come close to falling many times in the past it hadn't, rarer still were the times that it had actually fallen; as far as anyone could remember or the records that were known, it hadn't.

[Chancellor Zeffer Winterfur]

"AND if we stay here, they will burn your lovely homeland to the ground. Destroy what ever last piece of territory can offer...They will not stop till you have fallen either way!" replied Zeffer his face full of despise toward his former masters. He stood tall, his eyes fixed on the hares. It was obvious he was frusterated. He wanted despertly to push against the empire, at least to make an effort to fight against them.

"You have to attack! You have to push forward...The masters of WARR will not stop...and do not be deceived that they would. They would have gladly burn down every inch of this land. If it were not for the Empire's betrayal, I would have gladly burned down the entire world, if it meant the promise they made. The other beasts apart of WARR will not stop...We have to move in, if not a full army, then at least enough to kill those leading the enemy...The WARR empire's masters are here, gathered here for they see this as the Promised Land of the ancient prophecies...Despite the numbers, we can not survive if we coward here! Is that what you, Woodlanders have been reduce to?! WHERE is the valor I saw when you faught Hector, when you faught Nova?! Have you forgotten yourselves?"

[Ashstripe]

Sarge rose, he was about to reply just in kind to Zeffer. How dare he insult their bravery and their valor! He himself had lost a fair few comrades to this war,
"Chargin' out like a bunch o' crazed beasts isn't gonna do us any good.." He replied sternly but he had a thought, a good thought or perhaps he had just interpreted what Zeffer was trying to say. He adjusted his spectacles as his eyes were widened and creased into a jolly grin,
"The leaders y'say?" He had a sinister glint in his eye, if they could crush the leaders of this horde they could crush the morale and an army without morale is as useful as Breeze in the kitchens.

"All of th' leaders? In one jolly old place?" His voice gaining more and more enthusiasm, there was light at the end of the tunnel after all.

[Chancellor Zeffer Winterfur]

"Yes..." replied Zeffer, his voice slightly calmer, but still deep as he watched the hare before him. For a moment he showed no expression but started to relax.

"That's right...After Rosethorn, revealed himself and told the WARR High Council of Mossflower, the Archmague ordered for your land to be 'cleansed' of all unbelievers and in general, all who live here...This, is the last of the freelands...New Azurria has been at war with the empire for these hundred years...Now, with the idea that when Mossflower falls, Azurria will fall, the Empire has sent all the loyal servents and masters to lead the Final campaign...a campaign to conqer this land and forfill the final prophecy of the 'Dark Child'...Yes, the High Council has come here, to see the end of the war, and the beginning of the new age...What are you thinking?"

[Ashstripe]

Sarge began chuckling quite uncontrollably, the solution to this problem was right there, so brilliant yet so simple; an opportunity that surely no one would reject. After some time passed he subdued his fit of laughter into a barely contained grin,
"Can't y'see m'boy? We can wipe 'em out! Sure we can't take out th' 'hole blinkin' army! But we can take their leaders eh? Wot?" He broke into another fit of laughter, as if he had just become drunk on pride and relief. It looked like he was going to live after all, until the next war at least.

[Chancellor Zeffer Winterfur]

"Kill the leaders?! Are you mad?" asked Zeffer slightly confused. There wasn't a sound of fear in his voice but suprise.

"The masters of WARR will not be easilly reached. They will have Elite Honor Guard...Brainless fools, yes, and would easily be dispatched by the Merrito, you woodlander would have great difficulty to defeat such foes...Not to mention that Rosethorn, himself was trained as a warrior...one of the best. You have never seen what WARR is capible of...Then again... I have seen your will overcome much...Perhaps if we can kill the High Council, the WARR Empire will be leaderless and finally, we can defeat them and free the lands..." Zeffer turned as his Merrito brother whispers into his ear. Zeffer was quiet for a long moment as he listened. With his claw he pushed the similarly armored warrior.

"You are going to despise me for this...If we manage to get threw the defences, past the guards, into the Spire of the Empire, then to the Throne room, and kill the High Council...we still have the issue of the last surviving Sephron...The heir to the empire." growled Zeffer as his guards stood at his side stood still as if statues, their eyes fixed on the woodlanders next movement after Zeffer would complete what they had told him.

"You know who I am speaking of... That is also why the council is here...Darkhawk is the only 'true' Sephron that would be left in this world. But more so...They want him to finish the prophecy made long ago, when my nation were younger...He will fufill his desiny...You, Sarge, have seen prophecies passed for the Badger Lord's ascention to power... When the time comes, he will do the same..." Zeffer paused for a moment noticing some of the other hares looks. Darkhawk had saved Salamanstrom during the war again Hector and even stopped Nova from conquering Redwall, all with the will to die for all the woodlanders, just to protect them. Zeffer couldn't understand the woodlander's wishes to protect single individuals rather then the whole race. His people would gladly see Zeffer or anyone of his nation die if it meant the protection of the nation as a whole. Yet, the woodlanders were willing to just protect one person, willing to sacrifice anything to protect them, completely opposite of what he was taught.

"He knows, I know, the whole of WARR knows his destiny...and because of it, he will have to die. If he doesn't...then this world, and all beasts will die and fall into eternal darkness... We will have to kill the last Sephron when the time comes..."

[Toriphess]

"And why must we kill him 'when the time comes', eh? I see no reason to wait. If we could end this scourge just by cutting out the heads, then I say as soon as possible. I may have no standing in this matter, but I am perfectly willing to sound out my own opinions. Friends of mine will die if we wait to long, so I don't plan on waiting." Alaris was standing, his brown eyes smoldering as he glanced at the smaller, opposite colored fox. His body gave the message of righteous passion, and indeed it was heard in his voice.

Maken, on the other hand was trying to get his taller friend to calm down. "Alaris, don't make a spectacle of yourself. These beasts know exactly what they are doing, don't interfere. Please, I don't want any more trouble than we can manage. I feel as you feel, but now is not the time to burst out in anger, sit, PLEASE."