Picnic Interrupted [PLOT - Open]

[Mista P]

“Ach, ye four’ve faces like boil’d frog, wot! Lighten up!” He pulled a silly face at Lani and Crys. “C’mon join the fun, Nico ol’ bean!”

Crystin chuckled, but continued toward the mountain. Never a dull moment with East,she thought to herself.

“Lunchtime soon!”

“On th’other paw, ol’ chaps, best foot forward the buffs!”

"Oh c'mon East, lunch'll be there waitin' for ya. How often do we get a chance t'get a game like this goin'?"

Crys sighed as East ran off toward the picnic completely ignoring Lani. Looking over at Lani, Crys caught Lani's eye that gave her the look that although Lani really wanted Crys to play, Lani wanted her to get her paw checked out.

As Crys limped slowly away from the game, she heard bits and pieces of what sounded like the starting of another, smaller, game. Sighing again about missing a fun game, Crys trudged on thinking to herself,maybe Nico 'ill help me get back ta the mountain 'fore my paw catches fire!

[Eastpaw]

Lorna folded in her spyglass. “You’re certain those hares you saw were the ones who attacked you?” She said, glancing rather disdainfully to one side, where an unkempt rat stooped, trying to catch his breath. He nodded, gasping out an affirmative. She looked to Captain Ripeye, the old searat stood proudly, his arms crossed as he met her gaze.

“The agreed upon price--” He started,

“--is doubled now.” She snapped. “You not only wish my ship’s help with your revenge, you wish me to transport prisoners--Long Patrol prisoners. Lets not mince words. You mean them to be slaves. All fine and good, but I am not a slave ship and they are rather bothersome to care for.” She waved a paw, silencing the much older captain.

“The price is doubled.” She repeated. He paused, then nodded his grizzled head.

“The price… is doubled.” He agreed, thinking privately that whatever her reputation, Captain Lorna was yet young, while he had the benefits of years of treachery. He would not pay double.

Lorna turned, an obvious dismissal. “Many of the hares have left to join the main body. We are shielded from their sight by the point. Return to your ship and lift anchor.” The Vixen’s anchorchain was already moving, silently as she required. “We attack now.”

---

Lorna’s crew moved silently, with the discipline and coordination that came of years of work together. Lorna had taken a rear position, why risk her crew when they merely provided strategical backup? They had no real interest here, it was all Ripeye and his fleet-- of three ships. She almost laughed aloud at the irony of it. He liked to think of himself as a great admiral of the sea, leading his ships. But there had only been four of them, one wrecked in a storm and one now nearly crewless because of three hares! one an escaped slave!

Some great admiral!

[Tracy]

The game had been successfully reorganized with new teams and the lot of them moved a little further into the trees to adhere to the new boundaries. Although Leilani and Roseleaf together probably could've been nearly unstoppable, Lani wanted a rematch against her and orchestrated the new team setup in such a way that they'd be against each other again. They did, however, switch colors and sides of the boundary line just to make sure there had been no advantage one way or the other.

Lani led her teammates to their new base, taking it upon herself to find a spot for the blue cloth. She didn't trust anyone else to the task. She didn't really trust anyone with any tasks, to be honest. It was a shame she couldn't go get the opponent's flag and guard their own at the same time.

Leaving another teammate to guard the flag, however reluctantly, Lani made a wide arc to the north, going up close to the creek boundary. Last time she'd gone straight through the middle and she'd been caught. She thought perhaps this time if she made her way along the extreme sideline, they wouldn't see her coming.

[Tracy]

The little haremaid hiding in the brush wasn't sure what it was she had just witnessed, but it was bad.

Keely Farrian, Jamie's little half-sister, had been trying to find Jamie before he would be busy with private lessons the rest of the afternoon. Last she'd heard, he'd gone off into the nearby woodlands to play a game. Thinking at the least she'd find him there, and at the best she'd get to play, she slipped away from the picnickers and ran over to the woodlands.

Never having seen Jamie return to the picnic, she got to the woodlands oblivious that her brother wasn't nearby. Wandering into the woods, her long white ears were perked, focusing for the sound of others. She soon heard voices and wandered to the source. Coming upon a small clearing, she saw Roseleaf and Leilani talking, both breathing quickly; it seemed a game had just ended. A few others were making their way into the clearing as well now, but she didn't see Jamie. She was about to walk over to ask them where he was when everything suddenly went wrong.

----------

Jamie had walked back to the picnic with Aidan, chatting idly. Socializing and getting others to like him was definitely one of the young officer's strong points. Even when he was really working someone over, he never made it seem as if he was trying too hard. But he was doing his thing now, wanting the older hare to like him not only because he was Jamie's superior officer, but he had a couple other motives as well.

They'd arrived as all the food was being laid out, so Jamie used that as an excuse to keep socializing for a bit. He came across the young recruit with whom he had a private lesson with soon, also out enjoying the picnic. Jamie said they could push the lesson back a bit for both their sakes. Jamie seemed to be friends with everyone. No matter who was around and where he went, he was able to blend right into conversation. It'd always been easy for him.

"Well, I need t'head back in an' get changed," he finally said. Indicating several empty platters, he beckoned a few younger hares to hand them over. "I'll take some o' these back up."

He saw Aidan walking by just then, looking like he was headed back into the mountain as well. Jamie turned and pushed an armful of empty platters into the other hare's paws. "Here, sah, make y'self useful," he said, maintaining that serious tone he'd used before when joking with Roseleaf. He was taking a bit of a chance, but he hoped the dry sense of humor ran in the family. With his own arms full, he trekked back to the stronghold with the Captain, scaling the dune.

"Jamie! Jamie!" a high-pitched voice cried, clearly distressed. A small haremaid came running up, tears running down her face.

Jamie, startled, had to adjust the load in his arms to see the haremaid hailing him, realizing it was his little sister. Although she was only nine, Keely was not a creature that cried easily. But she wasn't sad. She was terrified. He dropped the platters to the sand as the haremaid threw herself against him, arms wrapping around his middle as she shook with sobs.

Confused and alarmed, Jamie knelt down to get eye-level with the haremaid, brushing the tears from her cheeks. "Keely, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Th-they took them. They a-a-attacked an'-an' took them!" she was stuttering between sobs, her little paws trying to dash her own tears away and look at Jamie.

"It's all right, you're all right," he murmured, desperately trying to calm her down. "Who? Took what?" Jamie still looked confused. He'd never seen Keely like this. The haremaid was barely able to form a coherent sentence.

Sucking in deep breaths, she looked at Jamie through wide blue eyes. "It was rats! And ferrets! The-they ran into the woods where they were playing. I-I thought you were th-there," she stuttered, shaking her head. "There was too many, an' they attacked them and took them all away!"

Jamie stared at her for a second, first having to take a moment to understand her through her sobs, and then slowly realizing what she said. He stood quickly and turned to Aidan, as if checking for validation that he'd understood what Keely just told him.

[Mista P]

Crystin's paw was feeling much better now. After limping to the Mountain, a compassionate hare assisted her to the medical wing where a nurse pulled out the splinter and applied an ointment to keep out infection.

Now with a light bandage around her right footpaw and a new step to her stride, Crys jogged out of the Mountain, searching for the new capture the flag game.

Looking around she could see that the picnic part of today's events was underway and there were already a lot of empty plates. But no matter how hard she looked, Crys couldn't find the other players, including Lani. Maybe the game was still going! Crys thought to herself. She may just have another shot a winning!

Seeing Jamie, the hare who explained the rules to the first game, Crys calmly jogged over to him. Surely he knew where the other game was being played. Maybe she could catch the last few minutes or something!

But as she jogged up, a high pitched wail cold be heard. Looking around to the source, Crys watched as a small little haremaid ran up to Jamie, probably his sister or something, and start to cry.

"Jamie! Jamie!"
[...]
"Keely, what's wrong? What happened?"
[...]
"Th-they took them. They a-a-attacked an'-an' took them!"
[...]
"It's all right, you're all right, [...]Who? Took what?"
[...]
"It was rats! And ferrets! The-they ran into the woods where they were playing. I-I thought you were th-there, [...]There was too many, an' they attacked them and took them all away!"

Crys watching the sobbing little haremaid and a look flash between Jamie and another hare she knew to be called Aidan was horribly confused. She could only understand bits and pieces of the little hare. Something about attacks....taking some one...vermin! What was going on?!?!?

"We'll somebeast be kind enoug' to tell me what-in-da-name-o'-jetscum is going on?" Crys interjected, her paws crossed over her chest. Sure she had been warned and punished multiple times about her language and talking rudely to superior officers, but until Crys knew what all this vermin talk was about, her blood was boiling a something fierce and she didn't care about any protocol.

[Elicia]

Eli, upon hearing something about lunch, promptly abandoned the game. It wasn't that she was abandoning her team- well, if she was, it was for a worthy cause. She was hungry, and bother the blighters on her team! It felt as if she hadn't eaten in years, though that was hardly true.

Skipping away from the game and towards lunch, Eli stopped by where Nico was sitting. "Aren't ye coming to lunch, old chap?"

"Of course."

"Then come on!" She grabbed his paw, leading him away. His feet dragged and he tried to protest that he was watching the game, but that didn't sway her. Little actually shook Elicia Pittney, irrepressibly cheerful and impudent hare that she was, and so Nicodemus Varilde's cries did little to slow her pace. "Quit dragging yore feet, sirrah!" She exclaimed, tugging him forward. "Lunch means bloody food. Aren't ye hungry?"

Nico replied that he was hungry, he was very hungry, but at the moment he was watching his sister play and could he please go back now? He could wait for lunch, really he could, and he thought the game quite entertaining and whatnot. And, by the way, did he mention that he was watching Lani play? He really didn't need lunch, not right now, at least, and-oh, there was Crys. Could he perhaps go and walk with her back to the mountain? Please? He thought that he had heard something about her stepping on something, so-

"Will ye shut yore yap?" Eli sighed, tightening her grip on his wrist. "Yore going to lunch, and that's that, wot!" He stopped resisting and walked, subdued, behind her.

Eli's ears perked up. "'Took them all away'?" She muttered. "That doesn't sound good. Actually, it sounds just terrible. And to think that everyone playing the game is gone, an' I was the bloody bastard that got them all to play." The haremaid released her grip on Nico and stomped her foot furiously. "What in th' bloody name o' goodness were those lily-livered, mangy, scurvy, no-good flea bitten bastards doing when they took th' hares?" Something struck Eli. "Oh good lord. How many officers were playing, Nico? Ol' Brigadier Roarer was one." She blanched, dead in her tracks. "How many?"
_______
She hadn't even had a chance to shout, or to warn the others. Was it her foul mood that had made her so careless? Brigadier Rora was never off her guard- except when it mattered most. Now, it was too late for her to do anything about it.

A recruit's error, Rora. She rebuked herself, just before darkness set in. Yore making a recruit's errors. Now, of course they would want her unconscious. She wasn't going peacefully otherwise- and they knew it. Oh, for her saber just now...

[Grath]

The Captain had separated from Jamie when they arrived at the picnic, Aidan had headed off to join a group of his peers in conversation and memories. As the picnic went on and the food disappeared, they joked and reminisced and told tall tales of their escapades in the Patrol.

Eventually, though, Aidan nodded to his old companions and rose to take his leave. He was headed back to the mountain when he was accosted by Jamie with a pile of wooden platters and trenchers.

"Here, sah, make y'self useful,"

He soon found himself carrying an armload of dishes up towards the mountain. He had just shifted the dishes to catch a teetering plate when everything went wrong.

"Jamie! Jamie!" Confused and alarmed, Jamie knelt down to get eye-level with the haremaid, brushing the tears from her cheeks. "Keely, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Th-they took them. They a-a-attacked an'-an' took them!"

Aidan dumped the dishes unceremoniously in the sand, kneeling next to the pair. He watched the young haremaid closely as Jamie continued to question her.

"It's all right, you're all right," he murmured, desperately trying to calm her down. "Who? Took what?" Jamie still looked confused. He'd never seen Keely like this. The haremaid was barely able to form a coherent sentence.

A dark suspicion came to the older hare, he stood slowly and looked back towards the picnic area. No, it was all just as calm as when he had left them only a couple minutes before. So then… a prickling ran down his spine. The only hares he couldn’t see from here were the ones who had gone off to play capture the flag!

Sucking in deep breaths, she looked at Jamie through wide blue eyes. "It was rats! And ferrets! The-they ran into the woods where they were playing. I-I thought you were th-there," she stuttered, shaking her head. "There was too many, an' they attacked them and took them all away!"

Aidan met Jamie’s eyes as a horrible realization came over him. “Roseleaf…” He said hoarsely.

"Will somebeast be kind enoug' to tell me what-in-da-name-o'-jetscum is going on?"

Aidan swung around, eyes hard, and started at a trot for the beach. “Soon as we find out, miss. Jamie, what about yore sister?”

---

Roseleaf had been at a full-out run, trying to evade the outstretched arms of Kite, and get across the line and to her own base. How she had missed the tripline, she didn’t know, but she had. And as she was dragged towards the ocean in a fishing net, she wished that she hadn’t. What did these vermin want anyway?

[Tracy]

Jamie was still holding onto the trembling Keely while Aidan turned and left. "I'm takin' her up for a minute. Get some o' the officers." Jamie was about to leave then, but he quickly called. "Make sure t'get Lieutenant Colonel Farrian," he added, his stepfather and Keely's father. He scooped his little sister up then and let her up to the mountain, needing her to calm down before the meeting.

Before long several officers were gathered outside on the training grounds, away from the picnickers. They'd tried to avoid panic; there were a lot of leverets running about as well. Jamie was hoping to avoid any run-ins with the Varildes. There was no telling what that lot would do if they'd heard what happened. Crystin was already suspicious, but she hadn't been invited to the meeting, not being an officer. Although Keely had told the lot the vermin had left quickly, several Patrollers were sent out to the woods to check for signs of the missing hares.

Lieutenant Colonel Jack Farrian was sitting on the ground with Keely in his lap, holding her protectively. The little haremaid had stopped crying, but was sniffling a little. Comforted by her father and brother, she was able to explain what she'd seen. She was articulate and descriptive, trying to remember every detail.

While Keely was talking, Jamie was jotting down the names of those he could recall had stayed behind. He sighed as he glanced down at the list again, eyes running over Roseleaf's name again. He chanced a careful look to the Captain.

[Mista P]

“Soon as we find out, miss. Jamie, what about yore sister?”

Crystin was left in the dust as Private Pittney started blabbing with Nico, Captain Wavebob and Lieutenant Sersea both ran off in different directions. Absolutely furious Crys, "backed off" as she was told but remained nearby. She was determined to figure out what was going on, 'cause Lani was still playing capture-the-flag, but there was all this talk of vermin, and taking, Crys wasn't sure now and was getting worried.

____________________________________________________

Corporeal Dallas Dwayne Delory Devereux was called out of the Mountain to the training grounds for an emergency officers meeting. He personally didn't like those meetings in the first place. He was held to a higher standard and expected do do more. But of course emergency meetings were the worst. Because then something was wrong and he was expected to keep his anger under-control and his mouth shut.

Dally had been pulled from inside, because he personally didn't like the large picnic ideas. Looking around, Dally's navy eyes watched the picnicking hares. Most of them didn't know what was wrong. Those who did looked worried, and Crystin Varilde was near by. He knew that she knew something and wanted to know more. Dally knew what would happen when she found out though, and it wouldn't be pretty.

Listening to Jamie's little sister's story, Dallas felt the blood start to rise in his ears and his eyes, but he pushed it back down. Not yet, not yet, He thought to himself. Looking at the superior officer, Dally awaited his orders, standing at a parade rest, paws behind his back, his navy uniform dusty with the blowing sand.

[sandpaw]

An array of chopped vegetables covered the top of Sandpaw Dunerunner's round oak table. He had been busying himself with preparing a helping a leek soup, but he how found himself bounding towards the training grounds. His stomach loudly protested as he made his way.

He was surprised with this meeting; the picnic seemed to be going well from his view on the side of the mountain. The old hares were lounging on the beach soaking in the sunlight, while the younger one enthralled themselves in their game in the woods nearby. But he did recall seeing a leveret scrambling across the dunes and saw she ran into Jamie. He saw she was distraught but figured it to be and injury or someone breaking the rule; therefore quickly disregarded it. He often found the meetings he could not attend to be more entertaining, and because of that choose to keep his distance. Choosing a spot on the floor he placed his back against the wall.

He recognized Keely to be the young maid had seen running across the dunes. He munched on a candied chestnut as he listened to her tell what had happened. Hares had now filled into the grounds and all of them had been enraged with the tale. The meeting broke and Sandpaw disappeared back to his home, there he packed his bag with supplies for a two day journey.O'er packing, he thought to himself, I will be back within' tha next ev'ning. He sat waiting for the hares to begin their search; he would follow them he decided.

Mah soup! He finished preparing the ingredients and devoured the meal. With his stomach content he stretched and placed himself at the entrance to his cave and waited.

[Onyxwing]

Major Riseder Bastarnae McLearder had just finished polishing his armor when he was alerted of the officer's meeting

"Vhat is it?" he asked the leveret that had alerted him. The young hare proceded to tell him of the kidnappings as Riseder finished putting the Gothic armor away in it's chest. Riseder snapped up his war hammer,put on his posibles bag and belt and tightened his kilt.

As he walked down to the parade grounds he muttered under his breath

"Fluch der Ungeziefer" in German and walked up to the officer's meeting just as it was closing. He walked off and got the information from a Sargent. He then walked along the beach and spotted a hare dozing in a cave.

"Achtung! Vake up!"

And then he saw it, the sun setting,tonight was the night of the new moon! The Night Stalkers would be coming! He sprinted back into the mountain and up to his room, in which he locked and barred the door, and lit all the lanterns. He put on his Gothic armor and crouched in the corner so they could not sneak behind him. He readied his War Hammer and waited.

[Rorgus]

OOC: Sorry I haven't posted guys I've been really busy these past few weeks. PLease forgive me. I will make a really long post to make up for it.

Southpaw had really enjoyed the game. He had caught several hares and sent them to prison and he had almost gotten the other teams flag before he himself got caught. When it was over somebeast voted for another game.Southpaws paw shot up into the air. He was all for it, though he could see some who weren't He chuckled as he saw Rora trying so sneak away so she would'nt have to play the next game. Then Elicia found her and called her back. He was just about to pick a team to be on when another Hare came up and mentioned something about lunch. That was all he and East needed they were of like an arrow with most of the other players. Some of the players stayed behind, either because they weren't hungry or because they didn't want to have to endure the sight of the twins stuffing themselves.

Southpaw paused for a second deciding whether he should go on or go back. He wasn't sure which call was stronger. But before he could make up his mind a group of hares behind him were nearly on top of him. He then kept going for the food. When he got there he found the plates and loaded one up just heaping. He then made his way to a quite shady spot where he could eat.

When he was about halfway through his plate of food he looked up and saw two more hares going towards the mountain. He didn't recognize them at first, then he saw that it was Jamie and Aidan. Then all of the sudden a little hare maid rushed up to Jamie , she appeared to be crying, Southpaw was just close enough to hear what she was saying.

"Jamie! Jamie!"
[...]
"Keely, what's wrong? What happened?"
[...]
"Th-they took them. They a-a-attacked an'-an' took them!"
[...]
"It's all right, you're all right, [...]Who? Took what?"
[...]
"It was rats! And ferrets! The-they ran into the woods where they were playing. I-I thought you were th-there, [...]There was too many, an' they attacked them and took them all away!"

Then like a thunder bolt it struck Southpaw. The few remaining players were playing another game of capture the flag after South, East and the rest had gone to lunch. Southpaw abandoning his food jumped up and joined the two hares. THey did not notice him, then he heard something about a meeting with the other officers. Southpaw knew he would not be aloud to go so he then decided on something else. He turned toward the forest. He started to run, when he reached it he stopped at the edge.

Ach Southpaw you idiot, what do you think you can do in there? All you'll do is get your self caught and then where will you be to help your family?

He fought with himself till he finally got the nerve to go in. Ducking low he crawled through the bushes till he heard the noise of receding pawsteps, He slowly stood up making sure nobeast could see him. When he could hear nothing he started forward till he could see them! He started to count, first 20 then 30 no 40! He couldn't believe how many vermin there were. He fallowed them till they came to the sea. where there lay two ships! Southpaw had never seen such big ships. All he needed was one glance then he was out of there.

He was speeding back to the mountain as fast as he could go. When he got inside he made his way to where the officers were meeting. He knew he was not allowed in but still...... he burst in and started to tell them what he saw.
" I followed the Vermin and there was 40 of them..... the ones who took my sister...." he said breathlessly
" They have two ships which are anchored around the bend, and two full crews....." He hoped they would believe him and he also hoped they would find the information useful since he risked his life to get it.

[Elicia]

Elicia started, and looked around. The hares that had been playing were gone, but had any others been taken? The name that popped immediately into her mind was Dally's. A panicked moment passed before she noticed him with the other officers. Eli sighed in slight relief, and began checking for the other officers and hares that she knew. She felt guilty, for she had been the one asking them to play. Her fondness for games and pranks had gotten the better of her, and- now they were gone.

She glanced down at Nico. He was sitting very still, with a very blank expression on his face. His shoulders were slumped and his eyes downcast.

"Nico?"

He shook his head and rubbed his wrist. Eli turned her head around to look at the woods where the vermin had appeared. Who could have guessed? When she looked back, though, Nico was gone, racing over towards Southpaw, looking for some more specific news on his sister.