Knocking on the Gate ;)

[Prankster101]

Renaud Wildroar strode boldly across the warm sand, his cloak flapping gently in the new morning breeze. He held his paw up to shade his eyes from the sun to survey the view.

It was a clear morning on the Western coast, with barley a cloud in sight. The sun was just rising in the East, so the pale sand was not quite hot. The waves crashed upon the shore with a roar and gave of a morning mist that kept the air cool as the Sea Gulls and other birds awoke and were off to find their morning meal.

These things were peaceful, yes, but Renny wasn't traveling to find those things. He was traveling towards the mighty mountain of Salamandistron. Renny had traveled many a mile over the years, but never had he been inside the bold fire-mountain, the home of the perilous Long Patrol, and the home of the awesome Badger Lord. Renny took a deep breath and continued to stride towards the giant doors in front of the mountain. Last he knew, Lord Ashstripe still reigned, and from what he herd from the beasts who had been there, Ashstripe lived up to his title.

Not wanting to be rude, Renny thought he would just knock on the door. Knocking at this hour could be a bad thing however. The night patrols would just be coming back to the mountain and now would be about the time the guard was changed so knocking on the front door of Salamandastron could be deadly, but if he just sat here and waited, the incoming gallopers might confuse him for vermin and that wouldn't work out well either.

Renny paused in front of the giant doors. These 'ere doors make a beast be a fealin' REALLY small..... he thought. But 'one da less, It be naw o' never.... Without further adieu Renny knocked soundly on the gargantuan doors and took a step back, waiting for who ever may answer........

[Elicia]

((I'd post with Eli, if it doesn't interrupt anything! ;D Will it?))

[Prankster101]

(Go a head and post, but post quickly....Renny won't wait at the gate for long..... )

[Ashstripe]

"Raise th' alarm! Code red! Fire the main catapult! DO SOMETHING!" A voice cried out, slowly growing in intensity as if he had just been woken up. A few moments later a javelin erupted over the edge of the battlements and thudded near the gate, not quite hitting the intended target but close enough to give a message.

A pair of sand-coloured ears emerged over the top of the sandstone, almost looking as if it were a part of the rock, then another pair joined it, they were a much darker brown, almost like dirt and seemed a lot more scruffy.

"Breezers! Y'got t' stop throwin' th' blinkin' javelins at whoever knocks!" An old dry voice chided, "Y'gonna kill somebeast someday wot!"

"Well! You'll thank me when that somebeast 'appens to be th' flamin' Vermin leader makin' 'is demands!" A young voice snapped with equal zeal, the owner of which soon made himself apparent as his face appeared over the top with a wry smile. He had sand-coloured fur all over his features and bright brown eyes that held a zest for life and treated oxygen like a dream.

"And who might be botherin' th' Mountain at this hour?" Breeze inquired with a yawn, apparently having been none-too-pleased with having his unofficial break used for sleep, disrupted.

A shorter, more older hare hobbled beside him, the brown ears eventually being connected to an old face with a handle-bar moustache. He adjusted his spectacles as his small eyes squinted to get a closer look at their new comer, "Well I be! 'Tis that Renoud chap!"

[Elicia]

Elicia had been standing on guard when Breeze had shouted out and alarm. She had seen the figure approaching the gates, but had shrugged it off as some wandering beast who would pass them by. Her ears tipped the sandstone edge along with the others, although hers were a little over to the left where she had been standing.

"And who might be botherin' th' Mountain at this hour?"

Eli sighed at Breeze's voice and headed out towards an area where she could see the newcomer a bit better. She looked him over-he wasn't too old, nor young as she was. "An h'otter, sah!" The private called over to her Captain. "A blikin' otter it the middle of the bloody night!" Elicia had been awake-she wouldn't dare to fall asleep- but she was enjoying the nighttime air and was annoyed at being interrupted.

"Well I be! 'Tis that Renoud chap!"

Eli's ears flicked in recognition. I've heard of the blighter.. She thought. In the mess hall, wasn't it? Oh well, doesn't matter now, eh? She hurried to stand beside her captain and the older hare. "Sahs! Who is it?" In truth, the young hare maid was happy that there was a newcomer at the mountain, despite her paw clenched on her saber.

[Prankster101]

"Raise th' alarm! Code red! Fire the main catapult! DO SOMETHING!"

"AH!!!" Renny exclaimed as a javelin nearly nicked his rudder. He took a few steps back as he heard more voices issuing from the battlements.

"Breezers! Y'got t' stop throwin' th' blinkin' javelins at whoever knocks!"

Renny looked up at the pairs of ears as they berated each other on the battlements. One voice was new to him, the one referred to as "Breezers", probably a nick-name of sorts, but the older one sounded familiar, but with all the beasts he had seen and heard, he couldn't pick out a face. Then the arguing stopped and the hares began to talk to him...

"Well I be! 'Tis that Renoud chap!"

"Tis be Renaud mate, but pretty close. Ah like ta be a 'alled Renny if ye dan't mind." He said with a respectful sweep of his cape and a deep bow.

" Tis be a Gad Mornin' ta ye mates. Tank be ta da sea dat yer aim be a lil' off for yer dosein' mate, o' ah wouldn't be a talkin' ta ye." Renny said with a grin looking at the younger of the two.

Then he turned towards the other and said, "Ah'm glad ta peices dat ye rekognize mae mate, but I can't be a sayin' da same fur ye."

[Ashstripe]

"I..Erm..Yes, Renny, wot? O' course." Sarge adjusted his spectacles in an attempt to retain his dignity after being corrected over such a trivial matter.

He slowly turned his head to bring Elicia into his limited and blurred peripheral vision, "Y'weren't too young to remember, were you?" The old hare narrowed his eyes and scrutinised what he could make out of Elicia's features, a young hare-maid was the best he could describe her through his failing eyes.

"A blinkin' Otter? Well I never!" Breeze remarked in almost genuine surprise - it was hard to tell with the jovial Captain - his ears twitched happily at the prospect of another visitor to the Mountain, "'Aven't seen a blinkin' river-walloper fer'...A few seasons! Wot wot!"

Breeze corrected his glance to view his intended target, the javelin had been a blind throw, but still close to what he had wanted - he saw it was a win-win situation; if it was a vermin emissary of sorts, he would bring their message across loud and clear, if it was an innocent, they might walk away with a stabbed foot-paw.

"That'll blinkin' teach 'im t'interrupt Breeze's nap-time." He muttered, just loud enough for his two comrades to hear his words clearly enough, "I'm sorry 'bout that ol' boy! Can't trust anyone in this bally area! Wot!" He cried out over the battlements.

If Sarge had been hurt or even offended by Renaud's lack of memory, he didn't clearly show it. Though the way he stiffened slightly hinted at his disposition, "'Tis quite alright chap, 'tis was a fair while back, why, I think young Breezers was just getting his promotion to Sergeant back then!" The old hare began to ramble on this tangent, filling in the details that he deemed absolutely necessary, including the weather at the time, what he had been doing the previous morning and what had happened afterwards.

[Elicia]

Elicia blinked. "Was I too young, sah? I'm h'afraid I don't follow." She looked back to the otter below. The one apparently called "Renaud". She shook her head. It just was too odd. An otter...showing up at dawn? At Salamandastron?

The young hare maid leaned over to see the otter more clearly. "Well, I'll be.." She said, shocked. "'Tis really an h'otter, wot!" The Private smiled selfconciously. "Sorry, old chap! 'Tis dawn, an' we weren't expecting anybeast nowadays, eh?" Eli hoped that her smile got across as friendly to the newcomer. She wouldn't want to appear mean at all, not to a newcomer...unless he turned out to be a bumbling fool. And then she would take pleasure in a whipping with words-special delivery.

"'Tis quite alright chap, 'tis was a fair while back, why, I think young Breezers was just getting his promotion to Sergeant back then!" [/b]

Elicia sighed and looked at Breeze pityingly. "Sah...sah!" The Private was trying to distract Sarge from his tale, but it wasn't working too well. "SAH!" She nearly shouted. "A GUEST! Ye don't want to neglect our guests, do you?" She was smart mouthing again-and she knew it. That little hint of sarcasm...that little bit of insubordination...it was almost an art to the hare maid. "Sarge, Captain, sahs! Should we let the blighter in?"

[Prankster101]

"I'm sorry 'bout that ol' boy! Can't trust anyone in this bally area! Wot!"

Renny shouted back up to the hare, "Tis all rig't mate! Ye can't take many a chance wit virmen, Ah naw dat much." He smiled brightly. These hares were friendly, but perilous he knew, having met a few in his days of travel.

"Sorry, old chap! 'Tis the middle of the night, an' we weren't expecting anybeast nowadays, eh?"

Renny looked up at the sun which had now risen over the Eastern horizon and was shining bright. Puzzled at the young hare's statement he called back. "Nay a problem matey, save un. If naw be da middle o' da nigh'...Wat are ye callin' morin'? Ah've been walkin' sence dawn ta get 'ere, an awake before dat!"

"'Tis quite alright chap, 'tis was a fair while back, why, I think young Breezers was just getting his promotion to Sergeant back then!"

"Aye t'was a long tyme ago. Aye mig't remember ye more when aye can see ye face more!" Renny replied. He hoped that his reply would spark up a though about letting him in, but it seemed that the old hare was caught up in reminiscing the past. Even with the other hares trying to get his attention the hare continued on. Renny rolled his eyes and wait patiently, hoping the hare would soon come to his sences....

[Elicia]

((I'm soooo sorry! =( I read the beginning...but I don't know where any of that came from! I'm really sorry! I don't know why I put that! -cries-))

[Ashstripe]

((Prepare the Mountain-booting boot!))

Try as Elicia and Renaud might, Sarge was firm in the telling of his story and Breeze was all too happy to lend his ear to anything that glorified his past or involved him in some shape or form.

"Why yes! We did have guests back then!" Sarge continued without missing a beat, apparently hearing only what he wanted to hear from those around him, "'Course back then th' blighters always wanted t' take the bloomin' Mountain."

Breeze shook his head at this point, apparently having lost interest in the tale the moment that the focal point was drawn away from him, "Yes, we better get th' gate open...Private Pittney, yore with me, wot?"

He motioned to the Gatehouse to where the winch and chains were kept. Operation and maintenance of the gates were the unofficial duties of the sentries that manned the walls, seeing as Gatekeeper was a lonely occupation for the social creatures of the Long Patrol.

With a whistle he bounded down the steps rapidly, skipping two or three at a time with practised feet, in a memorised path that he had taken so many times. The fifth step was the one that creaked and had given way numerous times in the past, despite the stone-masons insistence that it was fixed for good this time.

[Prankster101]

((Eli.... It's your turn to post..... ...))

[Elicia]

((YOU MISSPELLED 'ELI'!
Oopsies. I'll just pop in with Ori while I'm at it, too.....))
Elicia saluted sharply. "Sah!" She hurried to keep up with the officer, and, in her haste, stepped on the fifth step. It made a horrible screeching sound (or at least, Eli imagined it to be so) as her footpaw made contact with the stone. "Erm, ow?" She muttered to herself as she reached the officer and began helping him to let down the gate. "Sah..." She said in the middle of a turn. "Sah, do you....know this beast?" She finished on a different turn.
*****
Away from the mountain-but near enough that she knew that the beasts there could see her-a dark, dark hare was walking purposefully towards the gate. "Eh! Me buckoes, don't shut the bally thing on me, wot!" Oriana began running very quickly to reach the others. "Eh! Let me in, wot!" The tall hare stuck out her right footpaw to keep from crashing into the mountain, skidded to the wall, and somehow managed not to brain herself all in one long motion. "Ah. H'officers..." The hare's pretty face fell, and seemed to gather even more storm clouds than usual. She put one shadowy paw on her sash, right on top of the skinning knife she carried with her everywhere. "Sahs!" She saluted the two, then turned to Eli and Renaud. "Haven't intr'duced meself yet, eh? Or mebbe ye haven't heard of me, eh? Oriana Greenleaf, at ye service." The shadows that the morning sun cast on her looked dismal and evil, giving her a bad appearance. She considered herself much prettier in the afternoon or evenings. "Perhaps ye remember me, Sah? Oriana Greenleaf. Mercenary and wandrin' hare, wot! Heard of me? I think I've stopped here once or twice before, y'know..."

[Prankster101]

((Oupes!! My bad!..Sorry Eli...I hate spelling...))

"Why yes! We did have guests back then!' Course back then th' blighters always wanted t' take the bloomin' Mountain."

Renny shaded his eyes with his paw as he looked up at the still talking hare who seemed to know him. "Aye mate. I'm sure ye did! But Ah ain't un o' dose who want ta be a takin' o'er da place, ah just want ta get in!" Renny tried to hit at the old hare, but it wasn't working well.....

"Yes, we better get th' gate open...Private Pittney, yore with me, wot?"

Renny watched the other hare named "Breezers" and the new hare named "Private Pittney" went bellow the battlements and the door open with a loud creek. Finally! Renny thought! He walk towards the door when all of a sudden he heard a voice behind him....

"Eh! Me buckoes, don't shut the bally thing on me, wot! Ah. H'officers..Haven't intr'duced meself yet, eh? Or mebbe ye haven't heard of me, eh? Oriana Greenleaf, at ye service...Perhaps ye remember me, Sah? Oriana Greenleaf. Mercenary and wandrin' hare, wot! Heard of me? I think I've stopped here once or twice before, y'know..."

Renny took a step back to look over the sudden new comer. She was a tall dark hare, with a lot of weapons and a sense of rebellion about her. "Aye...Ah've seen ye be'ore. Ah neer crossed paths wit' ye, but ah saw ya from a distance ah did! Ye were huntin' somet'ing at de time and ah nay wanted ta get in yer way. Ah be Renaud Wildroar marm. Good ta finally talk ta ye. Ah'd love ta introduce everybody else, but wouldn't it be a nicer if ye a be dooin' it inside? Ah be a mig'ty hungry walkin' all nig't..."

[Elicia]

Oriana broke into a smile. "Ah, so there's a beast 'round here with some manners, eh? I thank ye. Ye must've seen me chasing down a bunch of vermin. I'm a mercenary, so I fight wotever it is that mah employers want me to. Yore Renaud Wildroar, then? I've heard of ye. Actually, it's hard not to!" She put one paw on her hip as Elicia got the gate down with Breeze's help. With the other she drew an arrow from her quiver and began toying with it. Still in a good mood since someone had heard of her, Ori even smiled at the two officers. "Ye can call me Ori. Oriana sounds a bit formal for me, and if ye don't mind, my last name doesn't carry very nice memories for me, wot! So I'd thank ye t'avoid using that. If ye need to address me, Ori'll do, wot wot! Say, look here, yore Pittney? Wot's yore first name, me gal?"

Elicia blushed at the question, but saluted all the same. "Elicia, marm. My name's Elicia Pittney. I'm a Private of the Long Patrol."

Oriana frowned, and walked into the mountain fortress. She knocked Eli's hand down as she went, saying "Marm indeed. I'm just another gel, y'understand, eh? No 'Marm'-ing me. No sirrah!" The mercenary smiled, and she tapped Eli's saber with the arrow head. "Saber, then? Good choice, wot! Always preferred th'bow t'swords and the like. Nice t'spar wit ye sometime, or any of ye. I've got a skinning knife t'use t'boot!" Suddenly, the dark hare jumped at least a foot in the air-maybe more, considering the subject. "Good idea, Renny my mate! Let's get some bally scoff, wot?" She picked up the pace to a 'jog', but managed to leave Eli back behind at the gate. "Well? Are ye comin'?"

[Ashstripe]

Breeze grunted mid-turn, his face a picture of concentration and effort, creasing up for the first time in many a season,

"Nope!" He replied simply, "Ne'er seen 'im in me life." His skinny arms strained and shook with effort, but the winch was giving way and the old chains were moving with the gate in tow.

"Ol' Sarge seems to, though 'e might be seein' things again, wot?"

---

Sarge was forcefully snapped from his nostalgia and stories of seasons long past as he suddenly found his manners and regained his bearings on the world around him - he was keeping the poor Otter outside in the blistering heat!

"Oo-err right! OPEN TH-" He was cut off mid-sentence by the groans and squeaks of the chains and the slow creak of the wooden gate as it resentfully opened and exposed the insides of the Mountain to the world once more,

"Well that was blinkin' fast." Sarge muttered as he pushed his spectacles back with a sheepish grin.

---

"How now! Something a little easier on the ol' peepers eh?" Breeze smiled his most winning smile as he greeted the newcomer with arms-widespread in an open gesture. His eyes always appeared quick to trust and even quicker to grin - but in truth, they were scrutinising and analysing.

Deception was a weapon and it was Breeze's greatest weapon as far as he was concerned - an enemy that thinks your a knuckle head is an unsuspecting enemy.

His greeting was quickly brushed aside as the newcomer - Ori - decided to invite herself inside the mountain and take off at a reasonable jog. It seemed Breeze had a challenge.

"Wait! Ma-Ori! M'gel! Y'don't know which way yore goin'! Wot wot!" He sprinted off head-long and heedlessly after her.

[Elicia]

Oriana smiled charmingly. "Oh-ho ho! A fast one, now aren't we? Well, me old chap, I h'accept the challenge!" Oriana winked. "A nice race would be refreshin' sometime, if ye don' mind being beat, eh?" The hare turned backwards and began walking like that. "Let's see if'n I DO know where I'm a-goin', old chap! I've been t'this bloody mountain before! But...." Oriana gave Breeze her best winning glance. "I'd h'appreciate it if ye'd show me around, wot! I might've forgotten somethin'!"

Elicia sighed and turned to Renny. "H'Officer Breeze is crazy, and it seems like that new gel, Oriana, she's a bit wrong in the bonker, ye know?"

[Prankster101]

(WOOOOO!!!!! Hold the phone Eli! Wait for me to post young'en!))

"Ah, so there's a beast 'round here with some manners, eh? I thank ye. Ye must've seen me chasing down a bunch of vermin. I'm a mercenary, so I fight wotever it is that mah employers want me to. Yore Renaud Wildroar, then? I've heard of ye. Actually, it's hard not to!"

"W'y t'ank ye matey. Ah nay knaw Ah was so wildly knawn around 'ere." Renny said with a bow. But the momentary pause didn't last long.

"Good idea, Renny my mate! Let's get some bally scoff, wot?"

Renny was about to reply as the dark hare ran off into the mountain leaving Renny standing just inside the door with his mouth wide open.

"H'Officer Breeze is crazy, and it seems like that new gel, Oriana, she's a bit wrong in the bonker, ye know?"

Renny stood next to Private Pittney watching Breezers run after Ori. "Well naw mate ye can't be ta sure about yer officer dere. 'ares from 'ere may act un way, but dey be perilous warriors. An' ye can't trust dem jokens. Dey like ta 'ave fun sure, but dey all ways on dere guard..." Renny hoisted his bag farther up it's strap. "Naw yer new friend dere, Ori, s'e be a 'unter at 'eart, saw 'er workin'. Ah not sure a'd want ta see if s'e be bonker er not...." Renny looked up at the ramparts and saw Sarge still standing up there by himself. Renny called up to him, being the polite beast that he was.."Oye mate! Ye a be needin' 'elp gettin' down from up dere?"

[Elicia]

((It's been five days, so no one yell at me.))
Elicia looked slightly perplexed. "H'officer Breeze is a bit unique, if'n ye know wot I mean, eh? Who knows what Breeze'll do next? B'cause I jolly well want t'meet 'em, wot!" She smiled, and stared off into the mountain where the other two hares had gone. "I don' think EITHER of 'em are goin' in th'bloody direction of the mess hall, Renny! They're headed somewhere completely different, and I jolly well don't know where, wot wot! As fer Ori, well, I don't know what t'make of her. She sounds like a perilous warrior, true blue t'the end, but she's a mercenary, Renny, and a mercenary can turn tail at any min'te of the bloody day! They're not bound t'someone or somethin', an' that bothers me. H'owever, she does seem like a jolly good fighter..." The private stared rather longingly at her hand where Ori had knocked it out of it's salute. "I wish I was like that, wot! Perilous and a true blue fighter wit the sword that took a billion, trillion, flamin' vermin's lives, eh? I want t'be that gel!"