The private sanctuary, now not so private...

[Prankster101]

Travioso Trueflight stood in the middle of a glade, deep in the heart of Mossflower Wood. The sun shone in streaks as the light filtered through the leafy treetops, casting a soft light green glow on everything the eye could see. The birds sang in the trees, flirting with each other as the new days of spring were now peaking out of Winter's cold grasp. The new morning dew was all but gone as the sun had past it's zenith at high noon and the calm northernly breeze whistled through the grasses and bushes, making it the perfect day, but Travi was not looking at the beauty of the afternoon. His sight was locked on the dashed mark of a knife made in the trunk of an old ash. His muscles were taught as he pulled his bow string to it's maximum. Then, all of a sudden, WAP! The arrow was berried tip-deep in the bark of the tree. Travi relaxed, as he strode over to see the accuracy of his shot, and like normal, it was dead on target.

Travi often came into Mossflower for a place of sanctuary while the brothers and sisters of Redwall Abbey cooled off after his latest joke. He thought it was extremely funny, the way every beast slipped and slided on the mole grease he put in the middle of the Great Hall; every one else.......Not so much..........But, he knew they always would take him back after everyone relaxed and the mess was taken care of. In the mean time, he preoccupied himself with practicing his archery; like he really needed any extra practice.

As he pulled his arrow out of the tree trunk and he felt the fur in the back of his neck prickle like there was some beast watching his every paw movement. He silently put the arrow on his bow, keeping his back to the beast he knew was there. Suddenly he heard a twig snap and he jurked around, his arrow pulled tight on his bow. "Who be ye?" he shouted.

[Rapier]

(I hope you don't mind if I join, just tell me if you do)

Scythe Stormfang's black eyes darted across the green leaves and bushes and nut brown tree trunks of Mossflower Woods. From his position up in a giant ash, the leader of the Elite archers could make out the red sandstone walls of Redwall, and, on the other side of the tree, the unforgiving blue waves of the sea. The powerful wind capped the roaring waves with white foamy tops.

After a few seconds of searching, he relaxed his position and crouched down in a manner that let him see most of the forest where beasts there could pose harm to him. He, after all, had chosen the tree because there was a large rock at the back that would protect that side of him from unwelcome eyes. The v-shaped fork of the tree he was in was absolutely covered with leaves, which helped him protect himself. The reason for this? Scythe wore a camoflaged cloak that, when he was still, seemed to shimmer and melt away in the background. Fully aware of the fact, the wildcat archer knew he would be concealed lest he move. Still, he could have an arrow on his bow and the bow drawn back and fired with uncanny accuracy in about a second.

He wanted to take a nap in the spring sunshine, but knew it was vital that he kept awake. And suddenly, he noticed a movement in the corner of his eye.

Slowly, he turned his head, giving the cloak a few seconds to blend him back into the background before he dared to look at the movement that, he now noticed, was an otter. The beast's attention was fixed not on its surroundings, but on a scar in the ash he was perched in. It silently-but slowly, Scythe thought-grabbed an arrow, put it on the bow, drew, and fired. There was a lack of urgency with the whole thing; no quick shot that you would need in real danger, but a slow movement, even though the mouse was visibly an experienced archer. Maybe, the wildcat thought, it was only trained with accuracy, not speed.

Very clearly, he heard the snap of a twig. The otter turned around and shouted a few words, dashing Scythe's plan of surprising it with an accurately fired arrow. Knowing his cloak would fully conceal him, his muscles, strong as steel cords from years of pulling the string on his longbow, climbing trees, throwing knives, and exercising in general, tensed, waiting for the threat to appear.

(I'm waiting for Rocky's post to have Scythe make himself known)

[Rocky]

''Yea yea! Ill be back!'' Rocky called as he left the gates of Redwall, this time not accompanied by his crew. No, he didn't need his crew tonight, for it was just a stroll out, a walk that re-assured him he wasn't confined to the walls of Redwall Abbey. Sure, the Skipper had freedom to go where he pleased, but lately, him and his crew were spending an unusualy amount of time at the abbey, as if readying themselves to protect it from some foe that was yet to rise and attack. Pre-cautionary plans, many would call it, but the whole truth was, the Skipper felt safer in the Abbey. Not many things scared Rocky, but the sudden rise of in the amount of vermin roaming freely across the country unnerved him. So why, then, would the young Skipper take a walk in the woods alone? He wanted his sense of freedom back, and if he were surrounded by otters, he wouldn't get the same feeling of being free.

Rocky wouldn't go far, so he wouldn't encounter many enemies, at least, he hoped so. The otter simply wanted to feel as if there was no threat, and although there was, he tried not to think about it. Lifting his hand and bringing it to the back of his neck, his fingers slowly curled around the handle of his sword, as if making sure his protection was there. Yes, that was his only protection this day, for the otter simply wore a black V-neck sleeveless shirt with red hemming and black pants and his leather boots. As his hands were brought back to his side, he noticed that he still had his leather bracers on. So... Looks like his sword wasn't the only protection he had, though his bracers only covered half his forearm, so they wouldn't offer much protection, despite the fact that they were thick leather that was hard to get through. Grinning slightly to himself, he walked onto the path, his feet making a slow beating sound with every step he took.

As he generally made his way down the path, he became aware of a prescence near him. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but he guessed it wasn't an enemy. Then, his eyes slowly made out a figure in front of him, a short creature by the looks of it, probably a mouse or a small rat. Then again, if it was a rat, it probably was an enemy of his. As his feet slowly carried him towards the creature, he noticed it had a bow, was shorter then a rat and built differently. Deciding it was a mouse, he walked forward, his foot snapping a twig in two with a loud crack. The mouse turned sharply on him, an arrow notched on the bow and ready to take a life. Rocky kept a cool demeanour and said in a calm, steady voice, ''I'm not gonna hurt you. Don't worry.'' His voice sounded distant to him, as if his mind was somewhere else. And yes, his mind was. He sensed another prescence, this time closer to him, and he didn't like it. It wasn't the mouse, obviously, but something else, watching them, as if waiting. Not moving his gaze from the mouse with a bow, he kept his weight balanced on the insides of his feet, ready to break in any direction if the mouse wanted to shoot him.

[Rapier]

(Rocky, Travi is an otter}

Scythe fought an irresistable urge to yawn, knowing it could possibly give him away to the beast that had cracked the twig. He blinked as he saw a large, brawny otter appear from the green foliage of Mossflower Woods. By the scent of food, the wildcat could tell they were both from Redwall Abbey. He wondered what was up with the abbot or abbess there. He'd been to Redwall before, of course, and he'd learned the smell of beasts that had spent a long time there. His nose was trained to scent it.

'I'm not gonna hurt you. Don't worry.

This was the new otter speaking, Scythe thought. Having two identical otters in the same place was a little confusing. He glanced down to where the archer otter had an arrow pointing at the new otter's chest. He allowed himself a little smile. This would be fun.

He took several deep breaths, and then, in one second, had an arrow passing right between the otters' noses. Hopefully, they would be confused long enough for his cloak to conceal him as he slipped expertly to a lower branch.

(short post >.<)

[Prankster101]

(nah, I don't mind. I needed some company anyway. Plus, yes Travi is a sea otter.)

'I'm not gonna hurt you. Don't worry.

Travi loosened the tenseness in his muscles as he saw the well built otter walk calmly into the glade, but he kept his arrow knocked on this bow. He knew this otter was friendly, not by the words he said (any beast could say that), but because he had seen him at the Abbey. "Good Afternoon ta ye Skipper." He said in a calm tone nodding to the newcomer. "I'm sarry if I may have a startled ye, but as ye can see.." As Travi spoke an arrow whipped between the two of them, and he jerked around, his arrow whizzing through the air, catching the wildcat's cloak in the bark of the tree."...We ain't a bein' alone in these 'ere woods." He instantly had another arrow knocked in this bow ready to fire at the newly discovered intruder.

[Rapier]

The arrow Scythe had fired was, as usual, right on target. It avoided the otters as it slammed in the trunk of a small tree, buried up to the beginning of the shaft. The golden feathers were limp as they hung from the end of the arrow. Instantly, the wildcat's senses were on guard as the archer otter spun around, neatly shooting an arrow through the edge of Scythe's cloak. The otters' eyes fixed on him.

He frowned, fangs bared. Rapier? He thought as a small flash of black behind the tree he had shot became known to his eyes. And then he saw the shape of a head come up, and the bright yellow eyes of Rapier Nightheart stared directly at him with a swift wink. He grinned, and signaled with his paw.

Both wildcats leapt out from their varying hiding places, standing right nest to each other. Scythe's claws were ready to take the throwing knife out of his belt as he nodded to the two Redwall otters. If they didn't know him, he might have to protect himself. He nodded as Rapier did the same thing.

[Prankster101]

Travi watched as the wildcat jumped from the tree and was joined by a fellow wildcat that sprang up from behind another tree off to his right. He was surprised by the second cat's appearance, but did not show it. His arrow was still taught on his string, pointed at the first cat's face when they both nodded at Skipper and himself. Travi had seen their faces before, when and where he could not recall, so his first instinct with those whom he called vermin, was show no mercy, give no quarter.

Acting very rashly he took action into his own paws with out Skipper Rocky's interjection. "One move scum, and ye'll 'ave un arrer through ye face. Who da ye be and what ye be a doin' here? Ye better be a answerin' quick like naw, I be a 'avin' very low patince wit' varmints like ye." He kept a straight face as he spoke, not displaying any emotion or weakness; his bowstring rubbing deep into his well-worn paws.

[Rapier]

One move scum, and ye'll 'ave un arrer through ye face.

Scythe's capable paws moved slowly from his belt, and Rapier noted this movement with his keen eyes. Giving a laugh that contained much confidence, the black wildcat stared the otter with the bow in the eye.

"Put the bow down, otter." Rapier growled warningly. "If you make one false move-for example, letting go of that arrow-we'll teach you how accurately we can shoot." Rapier didn't want to hurt either of the Redwall creatures, but it was a very real threat, and he hoped they would see that.

"Well," Scythe began, "I can tell, by the look on your face, otter," he said, addressing the otter with the bow, "that you recognize us from somewhere. First, let me say it would not be wise to let go of that arrow. Second, we're from the Elite archers on our usual patrols of Mossflower. I'm Scythe Stormfang and that's Rapier Nightheart."

[Rocky]

OOC: Please, no more posts till i post here tomorrow. Dont wanna get left out