Watching Newt (open)

[Wildrun]

When push comes to shove, never throw the Log-Log overboard. That's how the old shrew proverb went, basically meaning that you should never bite of fmore than you could chew.

Trickio was never good with proverbs.

She let her wide oar drop, absorbing the impact and acting as a sheild agaisnt Valdis's rapier. Flicking it upwards like a spatula, she made a chop at the weasle's head. As she did so, all diplomacy melted and she snarled, "I'm a shrew, genius!"

[Shadess]

Lime Slicktongue was no fighter, dueler or even battle leader, so he shrunk down and deiced it was best to watch the duel.

Ginerva on the other hand was peering between too rats to see the battle, to bloodthirsty and anxious for his species. "boss, lookit dis!" he hissed and then wimpered as Lime gave him another blow with his tail
"quiet pudden head! letsss jus' watch. Gloomer, whos winnin'?" he asked looking at the lime green newt behind him.

Gloomer squinted and whispered
"donno, 'ard ta tell, sah, i can tell doe when it movesss on"
"good enouf! le'ss cheer for da weasel!" laughed Lime, and all the other newts nodded behind him.

[redclaw]

Valdis jumped back, narrowly avoiding the paddle. He quickly stabbed at Trickio fiercely. He did not respond to her comments, not being one for talk in battle. The men stood around cheering. One of the archers fitted an poisoned arrow to his bow. This was not a duel of honor, so anything goes he thought. Lining up his shot with Trickio's head he waited.

(Sorry it is so short)

[Darkpatch]

((Sorry that I haven't responded in awhile, I was on vacation))

Imagine that you are gripped by something that you cannot see, feel or hear but yet somehow it was gripping you so hardly that it completely suffocated. Now imagine that said grip was from a raw, uncontrollable emotion that for Darkpatch was like attempting to hold on to a crazed wolverine. That emotion was stark raving terror.

The ferret hadn't always the best of luck... no, he had absolutely horrible but he always managed to slither out of it. Because luckily for him his sense of opportunity was vast from ducking and dodging his inevitable enemy- Truth.

The impact with the weasel had made him land flat on his back in the gummy muck of the marshes and when he hit the ground he rolled over on his side like a barrel trying to escape the stave that will inevitably bust it open and drain away it's contents. In doing so he tangled himself in a net of reeds stuck fast into the mud of the swamp. As he attempted to untangle himself he looked up with dread as the weasel leader advanced on him, along with the stoat and rat that was mentioned earlier with five other vermin.

Hauled to his feet roughly by the shoulders by the stoat Darkpatch stared into the eyes of Valdis Swiftsword. A moment later the weasel made such a surprising proclamation so unlike the possible objectives of the eye patched ferret that he almost laughed out loud.

"Listen ferret, if you want to fight keep doing that."

Darkpatch was at such a lost for words that when he got up the most of his little courage to reply to this information the weasel turned his back on him and began conversing with the newt who curtly replied with the arrival of more newts. After praising the newt who surprised him Darkpatch felt an uncontrollable urge to wring the two newts' necks.

Suddenly afterward the shrew that Darkpatch had spotted before entered the scene and appeared to be defending what Darkpatch considered his sad, misunderstood case.

"It's one intruder, fer the love 'o me river. Don't inhance yer own reputations and why don't we 'ear wot 'e thinks 'e'll accomplish, sneaking in with yer bunch."

Darkpatch was just about to respond until the intrusion of the weasel in which they both promptly set about attempting to impale one other. With that Darkpatch decided to use this opportunity.

Turning to the rat whom he had tackled who was watching him closely (his stoat friend was not as attentive) the ferret smiled. The rat glared at him.

"Wot are ye lookin' at?" The surly thin rat asked.
"Why, your beautiful homely face! Do you groom often?" Darkpatch replied with a casual tone. With which the reply of the rat was less than friendly in where he pulled out a sharp dagger and put it at his throat.
"Ya better wotch who you's insultin', cause no un' crosses Krilbait and lives ta tell da tale!"
With which the ferret sighed and stared right into the rat's eye as if he was about to make a blunt statement, which he is going to.
"Do you enjoy your particular position, Krilbait?"
With this the rat started to become all defensive.
"Ya! Why wooden I? I'm in da fiercest, powerful horde in all of Mossflowah- Redclaw!"
"Redwall?" Darkpatch replied.
"No, Redclaw! Redwall's dat Abbey place over up dere."
With this statement Darkpatch suddenly became intrigued.
"What's it like at Redwall Abbey?" he enquired.
With this Krilbait took a confident, I-know-more-than-you grin.
"It's dis big stone fortress with giant red walls filled with mice and `edgepigs and moles and stuff. They never run out of food, they got big crunchin' feasts, too. Damson cordial, dat pie the moles eat, all these pies, scones, tea... good vittles!"
At the 'never run out of food' part Darkpatch's mouth began watering. This Redwall Abbey seems like a veritable paradise where the ferret can live out his days in happiness and peace...
"Where can I find this Redwall?" Darkpatch dared to enquire.
With that the rat stiffened up and pulled out his dagger again.
"Not that it'll be any use ta you, idjit!"
With that Darkpatch relaxed a little bit since he was at sword point and all. So he resumed to execute his escape plan.
"You see that stoat, over there?" Darkpatch referred to his second guard.
"Yeah, dat's Oakleg. Wot `bout him?" The rat casually replied.
"Well, let me tell you something. I am actually a spy for the Long Patrol!"
With that Krilbait put his dagger to Darkpatch's chest again.
"Then you'd be better off dead now!"
The ferret smiled craftily. He was getting to the climax of his escape plan.
"No, no. What if I tell you I hardly know anything bout this place, that I just arrived here? And Oakleg here was the top notch spy!"
The rat then stared suspiciously at the stoat.
"Well... is he?" He seemed to ask hopefully.
"Yes he is! And if you knock him out or kill him, then you'll probably get a big promotion as you deserve! You can beat him, a strong rat like you!"
Krilbait puffed up his chest at the praise.
"Ya think so?"
Darkpatch nodded.
Taking off like a flash the thin rat pounded into Oakleg who fell on two other vermin causing great confusion into the mass.

It was then Darkpatch ran.

[Shadess]

Lime was beginning to day dream a nice little day dream. The newt, easily getting bored had closed his eyes in joy as a bit of sun peeked out form the trees and shone on his scales

The newt was in such a peaceful place, he only caught a few words of the ferret who was tlaking to a rat of Redclaws horde.

"Well, let me tell you something. I am actually a spy for the Long Patrol!"

That lye made Lime open his right eye in there direction curiously, he flicked out his tongue and listened to there conversation. He may not know much about the outside world of the marsh, but he did know that the long patrol slay vermin left and right, they would never trust one like that, especially a crafty ferret......

"Yes he is! And if you knock him out or kill him, then you'll probably get a big promotion as you deserve! You can beat him, a strong rat like you!"

idiot rat! dont fall for it!...... thought Lime desperately. Lime was about to call out orders too his newts when the ruckess broke out.
"comardessss! capture the run away ferret for the weasel!" he hissed.

His newts (quit smart for horde beasts) already knew what Lime was up too. They fought there way from the crowd and settled into a wide circle with Lime in the middle some distance away.
"did we lose any?" asked Lime sharply; not bothering to use his snake like voice anymore
"Snacktail got nearly buried alive, but i pulled 'im out. Ginerva his tail plucked off again" the yellow reporting newt held up a still twitched tail green tail
"he'll get over it, for now i want that ferret, dont we want respect form that leader? now where in luck, the hopeless ferret is running straight for quick sand, scare him towards it with your glowing eyes in the shade of trees an' bushessss, hurry!"

The newts saluted and dashed off with Lime at there tail, Ginerva, on the other hand, chased right after Darkpacth along with two others, Lime held back a deep curse and shrugged, they where hopeless any way.

[redclaw]

(A-OK. Amazing post! Stupid rat!

Valdis heard the noise from the other side of the area. Breaking away from his fight with Trikio he ran after Darkpatch. "Kill the shrew!" he shouted over his shoulder. Valdis, with his tall frame was a swift runner. He raced through through the swamp, jumping over roots and ducking under branches. "Stop and maybe I won't kill you!" he yelled to Darkpatch.

The Redclaw archer hearing Valdis' command fired his poison arrow at Trickio's head. In case she survived, he quickly fitted another arrow to his bow.

Krilbait and Oakleg struggled on the ground, the rat attempting to stab the stoat. A burly ferret, obviously higher racking because of his lofty manner ran toward the fight. "What's go'en on er!" he shouted. He along with a fox, quickly pulled Krilbait off Oakleg.
"E's a spy fer the Long-Patrol, Stonegut!" yelled Krilbait shrilly, "da ferret told me so!"
"What ferret!" roared the burly ferret, Stonegut, "where did 'e go!"
"Over ther'!" said Krilbait more confidently, "I'll gert im!" The vermin took off after Darkpatch. Unfortunately, they were about 30 seconds to late.

[Darkpatch]

Darkpatch may not have been the most strongest or boldest vermin of them all. In fact, he was usually confused with a weak, wiry string who's chances in a fair fight are next to none. And those statistics shined most prominently as the eye patched ferret bounded toward the quick sands of the marsh. But as if in a compromise Darkpatch had the power of great athletic ability and endurance while running, never turning back for anything and not stopping for anybeast. When he took off he shot off from the vermin horde that would make a hare proud as his feet hit the marshy ground in a blur as he ran from the avenging weasel and newts that were hot on his paws.

And also, he did realize his destination he was rushing towards. Once while he was hunting toads his footpaw got stuck in the quick sand and it took him hours to get it out. From that day forward Darkpatch had quickly memorized the location of the quick sands. Suddenly realizing that his weighty haversack was slowing him down, the ferret let out a slight curse and shrugged it off his shoulders and quickly propelled into the head of an incoming newt landing right in the middle of the head, dragging the newt's head down with a yelp into the suffocating embrace of the mud. He turned his head back around quickly as he saw the weasel overtake the remaining newts and cried out:

"Stop and maybe I won't kill you!"

Quite reluctantly Darkpatch yelled out from behind him, not looking at Valdis while doing so.

"Kill me? Ha, you old geezer? You couldn't catch a mad old hedgehog!"

After this insult Darkpatch took a sudden burst of speed shooting right towards the marshes. Taking a barrel roll through the brush Darkpatch catapulted above the seemingly invisible quick sands and quickly grabbed hold of a branch of a nearby tree, swinging around on it until he gained balance and yelled after the weasel.

"Come and get me, you stupid, slimy excuse for a mangy weasel!"

[Shadess]

Lime began to slow down a bit, a quick cunning plan turning in his mind, anger and revenge burning in his throat, no ferret hurt one of his newts and got away with it. Even if it was the idiot Ginerva.

Lime stopped dead in his tracks and yelled for halt to his crew
"idiotsss, the ferret knows more of dis swamp den we think, but not as much as we do, take a short cut threw the shrubbery and cut off his path when he starts running again!"
"wot about Ginerva?" asked Gloomer pointing to Ginervas twitching body in the mud
"eh you, Snaketail! go get 'im out, see if he is still alive and didn't suffocate yet,"
The fat newt Snacktail nodded with relief, he was no runner.

Lime was quit impressed by Darkpatches skill and agility, but he showed no emotion on his face but cold hatred
"oi ferret! if you think yer so brave and proud-like, why don't cha come down 'ere and challenge the leader to a fight? or are ye just an old wood pigeon?"

Lime sighed, seriously wishing he had a crew of strong ermines instead of measly newts, but they had strength in numbers, that was all that he could be proud of.

Lime Slicktongue looked at Valdis and hissed "why don't cha just fire some poison arrows at 'em? dere hard to dodge and if ye have a good archer...."

[redclaw]

"Good idea newt," said Valdis, impressed, "you are very smart for a swamp lizard." Without stopping running, he yelled to Stonegut, "Rock-belly! Take the three best marksmen and shoot down that ferret!" Reaching the quicksand he stepped back. Seeing a tree, he began to climb it nimbly. He began climbing from branch to branch till he reached the other side of the quicksand. He dropped down, not 3 feet from Darkpatch. "So youngster," he said, "haven't you learned to respect your elders, and your betters!" With this he jumped forward, stabbing at Darkpatch with his rapier. Three archers, after fitting poison arrows to their bows, sent them flying straight toward Darkpatch's head.

[redclaw]

(Sorry for double post but this thread seams dead )

[Shadess]

(no worries, i was rreally waiting for Darkpatch but ill post any way.)

Lime flicked out his tongue and said "the yellow- belled newtsss around me made me dere leader for me smartss, rare it is for a newt!"

Grinned Lime watched eagerly s the attack took place, there was a small chance the ferret could esacpe that one! At least the excitment burning in Limes herat at death told him so.

[redclaw]

(Uhhhh, Darkpach? Are you going to post?)