The Lost Runaway....

[Prankster101]

The midnight moon shone bright over the coastal lands. It was the only thing out this night. The cloud cover is great, so none of the beautiful stars can be seen in the sky, giving that night a sinister feel, for more than one beast was awake this night.

Undercover of the thick trees that grow near the beach, it is almost pitch black. The waves crash gently against the rock shore of the beach. This night, on the beach, a large ship is mored cautiously between the rocks. It's a large slaver ship, old from use, but on the side was written, Bloodhound. Lights and sounds could be heard coming form the vessel. One of the slaves had escaped! She must be brought back! Vermin began combing the woods near by. Each looking for the one creature that dare defy them.

Under the cover of the trees, Tar breathed heavily. She hated those vermin, she really did! She so wanted to pounce on them right now and give them apiece of her mind, but she had to resist. This might be her only chance to escape!

Holding the chains close to her skinny chest to make no noise, Tar ran through the pitch black forest. She could only see 3ft in front of her so it was slower going than she wanted, but she still ran. Sweat dripped over her brow. If only that knife hadn't broken when she removed the staple holding her to the bench, she wouldn't be running like a coward. She would be fighting those horrible, low down, stinking....WWWAAAAMMMM!!!!!

Tar, not looking where she was going, had run into something. It felt more like a someone as they both hit the ground together. Tar immediately jumped up, struggling to see though the dark as she rattled out one impolite curse after another; her chained paws held up, ready to punch who ever tripped her.

"Bloody jet scum! Who's bally there wot! I'll rip ye into shark bait I will!"

[Grath]

Eastpaw and Lani were returning from a long Gallop, south inland and then back up along the Coast. It was a trip of a few days, the badgerlord liked to send teams out to do the long scouts. It was one such the pair was returning from. Eastpaw was currently engaged in dodging vermin, who were out in force. Not easy, in the dark and gloom, but the torches made it so much easier to find the vermin.

“Och, dozypaws! I'm over here, cain't ye catch me, scummerbreath, wot!” He popped up next to a particularly rotten looking rat. Eastpaw had the audacity to wink at the rat's companion, a greasy stoatess, and tweak the rat's tail. “Wot are ye all up in arms about, me jolly chum? It cain't be over a mere hare like me, wot!”

He ducked under the rat's clumsy swing and disappeared.

---

Eastpaw lurked, watching a party of four—no, five—corsairs comb the woods with torches high. It was getting on to midnight, and while the evening's festivities had been fun, he did wonder what kept them hunting. Shrugging, he turned, intending to search for Lani, she'd been doing the same thing, he'd wager. No way she'd stay at camp and miss excitement like this.

WWWAAAAMMMM!!!!!

"Bloody jet scum! Who's bally there wot! I'll rip ye into shark bait I will!"

Eastpaw went down under the weight of a tall body, he struggled with the creature a moment before it regained its footing with a kick to his belly. He gasped for breath, squinting up at the dark form. “I say, jolly bad form, sneakin' up on a chap in t'dark!” Nevermind that he had been doing it all evening.

Something clinked, and he bounded to his feet, peering closely. He was regaining his night-sight, now that the torches were gone. He saw long ears silhouetted a moment against the sky. “Yore a hare!” He said in astonishment. Voices and light came nearer. “Alright, foller me, miss! Unless ye'd like t'meet up wi' that lot again, wot!”

[Tracy]

Leilani Varilde was having her own fun not too far from Eastpaw and his quarry. She kept her ears trained on the sounds of nearby battle, not wanting to lose her brother in the overwhelmingly dark night. Not as adept in paw-to-paw combat as East, she employed slightly quieter and stealthier means to accomplish her goals. While East was off fighting the ones with the torchlight, making a raucous nearby, Lani had found a group stealing quietly off in another direction.

She had at least given them a chance. Having popped up behind them and asking their business, they'd quickly attacked her. She thought she even heard one of them say "There she is!" But that couldn't be right, why would they be after her? No matter. In the thick darkness, she'd made quick work of the three with her bow. Although unintentionally killing one (he'd been coming on too fast) she had the time to hold back and measure her next two shots, getting them straight through the footpaws and effectively ending their pursuit. She disappeared and trotted away, following the sounds of action nearby, which she could only assume included East.

Hiding behind a tree, she heard a string of violent curses followed by, "Bloody jet scum! Who's bally there wot! I'll rip ye into shark bait I will!" My my, East had found himself a feisty one!

Nocking one of her gull-feather-fletched arrows to her yew bow, she crept closer to the source of the yelling, keeping herself low. When she saw East tussling with some other hare (a hare, why a hare?) she meant to jump in and pull the other creature off her brother. What difference did it make if it was a weasel, a rat or a hare, either way she was threatening to feed her brother to vicious sea-life.

Clearly East was a little less worried than she though, and she scurried up, giving her brother a bewildered look. "I'm here... go on ahead then if'n y'really want to t'help this foul-mouthed little vagrant... I'll bring up the rear." She tensed her bow a bit to show she was prepared. "Oh an', uh... move quickly, I might'a made a few of 'em mad..."

[Prankster101]

“I say, jolly bad form, sneakin' up on a chap in t'dark!”

"I should say the same bally thing pike gut!"

Tar rapped out quickly as she regained her sight from the fall. She had run into a hare, like her. Uncannily like her. He almost had the same tall build and face, but even in the dark, Tar could tell the fur was different. Why she even cared, Tar had no idea. Keeping her defensive stance, Tar watched as he jumped up and was able to see her.

“Yore a hare!”

Tar rolled her eyes. "And your dead meat. Are we done here wot!?!" Twitching her ears, Tar could hear the vermin getting closer. She had no time to dilly-dally. She had to go. Now!!!

“Alright, foller me, miss! Unless ye'd like t'meet up wi' that lot again, wot!”

"I don't need your bally help wot! I can do fine on my own!" Tar snapped. She didn't like taking help form other creatures. Especially those who think she can't do anything by her self.

"I'm here... go on ahead then if'n y'really want to t'help this foul-mouthed little vagrant... I'll bring up the rear. Oh an', uh... move quickly, I might'a made a few of 'em mad..."

Tar watched as another hare came out of the dark. She couldn't see facial features real well in the dark, but the new hare look like the first one she ran into. And maybe even a bit like her, but she couldn't tell, and right now she didn't really care. This hare was arm with a bow and tensed up when talking around her.

A deep feeling of longing welled up in Tar's gut. She didn't know why, but she wanted to be with these hares, but she didn't at the same time. Right now, she needed to get away from the vermin and that's all she cared about.

"Well ye can go find yer own "vagrant" jet-scum. I'm leavein'." Tar said as she turned to march off into the dark, away from the coast.

[Grath]

"I don't need your bally help wot! I can do fine on my own!"

“Oh, an' I can see that,” Eastpaw snapped, turning as he heard cursing and thrashing in the bushes nearby.

"I'm here... go on ahead then if'n y'really want to t'help this foul-mouthed little vagrant... I'll bring up the rear." She tensed her bow a bit to show she was prepared. "Oh an', uh... move quickly, I might'a made a few of 'em mad..."

“Only a few, Lani?” He asked, sheathing his dagger. Knowing her, she would have made the entire crew mad for a laugh. Sometimes he wondered if his family was quite sane.

"Well ye can go find yer own "vagrant" jet-scum. I'm leavein'."

Eastpaw looked back and forth between the two haremaids, slightly torn. It was obvious that the slave needed help, and he fully intended to give it, whether or not she wanted it. But he didn't know how, and there was Lani and her shooting vermin in the foot... why in hellgates did she always do that, anyway?

“There she is!” An arrow whizzed past Lani's ear, Eastpaw had to duck to avoid it. He came up, staring past his sister and into the eyes of a large party of corsairs. It seemed they had met up. “Lookit, there're more o' 'em!” A big fox said, pointing his cutlass at the small party.

“'ey, that 'un pulled me tail!” “she got me inna footpaw!” “'e brought Grimjaw down wi' one punch!” Another arrow ripped a path along one arm, as another fox snarled, “Never mind that, idiots! Don't let t'slave escape again!” She fired again at Lani and the big hare, advancing forward.

Of course, not much of this was processing in Eastpaw's brain. His vision was filmed over in red. He charged the pirates with a roar, long feet and heavy paws flying.

"Eulaaaaalllliiiiiiaaaaaa!"

[Tracy]

As the other haremaid stalked off, still shouting insults, Lani merely shrugged. What difference did it make to them if she wanted to go off? Her business, and good riddance. She looked over at East. "Her loss, East. Wot's 'jet scum' anyhow, 'cause apparently it runs in the fa- whoa!" She jumped to the side as an arrow shot past her ear. How had she not heard them approach before now?!

Diving behind the cover of a large oak, she shot East an annoyed glance. "Looks like I'm not t'only only one makin' them angry, wot. At least I've the good sense to slow down their chance for pursuit." Lani knelt behind the protection of the tree, pulling on her bowstring, she loosed the arrow at the closest vermin, the fox who'd yelled out. She wasn't aiming for his footpaw this time.

Their situation wasn't too dire just now. The siblings were young Long Patrol hares, gallopers no less. It would take little effort for East and Lani to ditch the vermin, especially in this darkness. Lani beckoned her brother over toward her, "East, this way, we c-"

She spun around as she heard her brother yell their warcry, throwing himself into a fray with the vermin. Her eyes widened in disbelief, momentarily frozen with shock. NOW they were in a dire situation. "East, no!" But even she knew, now, it was too late, he wasn't listening to her... Truly, he couldn't.

Trying not to panic, she drew another arrow and loosed it, and in quick succession sent off three more with deadly accuracy, trying to take down the vermin closest to East. By that point though, her bow was useless, and she was forced to fight paw-to-paw. Shouldering her bow, she drew her rapier and, against her better judgment (what choice did she have?) threw herself into battle with East.

[Prankster101]

“Oh, an' I can see that,”

"Surprised ye can see anything at all," Tar muttered to herself. She didn't like his snappy wit, it was just like hers......

___________________________________________________

Tar had just begun to stomp off, when she remembered, she was still being followed. Her twitching ears heard the other hare's respond to her march off and heard her shout in surprise. Whipping around, an arrow landed twixt her footpaws.

"Her loss, East. Wot's 'jet scum' anyhow, 'cause apparently it runs in the fa- whoa!"

They found her! She knew if she hadn't stopped to talk they wouldn't have. But not only were her slavers interested in her, they were charging after the other hares as well! They hadn't done anything! They don't deserve this! The blood began rising in Tar's ears. Those varmints weren't getting her this time!! Or the other hares!!!

For some reason, deep down inside, Tar felt torn. She didn't want to see these hares hurt. But why did she care! They didn't know her and she didn't know them! She could care less about what happens to them!Or did she....

Tar was about to charge the vermin when she watched the first hare she had run into sprint toward the vermin, yelling at the top of his lungs and the other crying out for him to stop.

"Eulaaaaalllliiiiiiaaaaaa!"

"East, no!"

Now that hare, East?, he had the right idea! Feeling her heart rate increase, and listening to the blood rushing through her ears; Tar began to smile. As the red film covered her eyes, Tar gave into the rage that welled up deep inside. Oh how she loved this moment, when all was let go and free, when all she wanted to do was to kill. Letting a cry escape her lips, she charged the pirates like a juggernaut. Funny enough, her cry was the same as the other hares, but Tar was too caught up in the moment to notice....

"EEEEUUUUUUULLLLLLAAAAAAALLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


Tar's paws pounded the dirt as she sprinted forward, nothing mattered to her now besides blood. Swinging the slack on her chain, she caught the nearest vermin, a unfortunate rat, right in the face, instantly dead. Picking up the rat's pikestaff, Tar spun around, only growls coming form her lips as she dealt out a punishment to all the vermin that came within reach.

When she smacked a stoat in the neck, his torch that he was holding fell to her feet, it's light illuminating her wild face to the entire group of beasts. The fire gave her bloodshot eyes a demonic look as she laughed crazily and charged the rest of the vermin, crying, "YARRRRRRHHHOOOOO TTT'IIIISSS DEATH!!!!!"

[Grath]

"Looks like I'm not t'only only one makin' them angry, wot. At least I've the good sense to slow down their chance for pursuit."

“'s no fun that way.” He said absently, counting the number of vermin. They seemed to be growing...

---

"East, no!"

He heard the cry, but it made no sense to him. He caught the vixen's bow with a flying kick, breaking it in half. His left fist clobbered her between the eyes, which rolled up as she dropped like a stone.

"EEEEUUUUUUULLLLLLAAAAAAALLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

His warcry mingled with that of both his sisters, though he little knew it. Long legs flying and heavy paws pounding, he duck and wove, in and out and under the vermin's weapon's reach, always popping up where he was least expected, mad red eyes gleaming.

"YARRRRRRHHHOOOOO TTT'IIIISSS DEATH!!!!!"

Punching a rat in the throat, he looked around for another opponent, blood roaring in his ears. It was with a queer sense of disappointment that he realized there were no opponents left, as the haremaid bashed a corsair over the head with a pike—where'd she get that? And Lani skewered a ferret with a thrust of her rapier. Red faded from his vision quickly as he realized he was bleeding from several wounds on his arms, and limped from a sword that hadn't hurt.

“Lani?” He was panting from the exertion of the rage, the brute strength and bereft of sanity. “Are ye ok?” He blinked at the other haremaid. “Ye twa look alike.” He pointed out, too exhausted in mind to go through the necessary contortions. Suddenly he looked in the direction of the cove. “There will be only a skeleton guard...we could take the ship.”

[Tracy]

Lani had not had an easy time of it. Paw-to-paw combat was not her forte, she was a Galloper and an archer for a reason. She'd known the battle was over a full minute before East calmed down off his Bloodwrath, and she'd skirted away to lean herself against a tree to take stock of her various injuries. She hadn't sustained any terrible injuries, but several painful ones, particularly one that had sliced lengthways down her left arm when she'd used it to block a slice to her chest. She was already binding her arm up with a torn up bit of material; it wasn't bleeding too bad, it just hurt.

The haremaid was in tears, though it might not have been too noticeable if it wasn't for the cut she'd gotten in the corner of her eye, making it look as if she was crying blood. She was in tears from the pain, and from the frustration of her brother having succumbed to Bloodwrath. He could've gotten himself killed. He could've killed her! He wouldn't have even known it, in his state. While East calmed down, she continued to sit up against the tree, no longer having the energy to stand just now. Lani had not been fighting to finish off the vermin... she'd been fighting to stay alive. The adrenaline was wearing off, and her body was starting to register the pain and exhaustion.

“Are ye ok?”

Lani didn't reply right away, she was too mad at him. She just continued wrapping her arm, choking back her frustration. "Fine," she finally said quietly, not able to hide the pain and anger in her tone. Swallowing and turning away from him, she rubbed the tears away with the heel of her hand.

“There will be only a skeleton guard...we could take the ship.”

Lani turned to him then, her eyes flashing dangerously. "WHAT? You can't know that! You have NO idea who's left on that ship! We barely survived this little adventure and you want to flippin' try our luck AGAIN?" She pushed herself painfully to her feet, walking over to retrieve the rapier she'd dropped from sheer exhaustion.

Nearly choking on her tears, she started to walk past him, in the direction away from the ship. "You go an' take it if that's what y'want. You and that stupid rage should be able to handle it just fine."

Lani had practically forgotten the other haremaid existed. Forgotten that she was probably a slave. Forgotten that there was probably other slaves on that ship. She'd nearly just died because of a stupid Bloodwrath that had already claimed at least one of her family members. All she wanted to do was go home and forget everything else.

[Prankster101]

Life was so perfect. Killing, blood, it was all so perfect. Let go of herself, Tar felt at peace in her Bloodwrath rage. Nothing mattered. She was not hungry, she was not in pain, she was not fatigued, she could fight forever and not have to really live. Some how, it was soothing.

Tar swung the pikestaff over her head, cleaving it into the stoat's neck in front of her, then she spun around, whipping the blade into the chest of yet another rat. As the number of vermin dwindled before her, Tar's head began to clear....Oh yeah, the other hares... they must have helped.....good for them....

The pain of the injuries she had received, combined with the sudden release of Bloodwrath, rushed into Tar's head with unbearable force. It was now that she felt the deep cut on her right thigh, the scars and blood all along her paws (some blood she wasn't sure she could claim as hers), and a light gash upon her already scar ridden back. Plus the chains around her paws now felt like leaden weights upon her injured paws. The pain was too much for Tar to handle. Her knees gave way and she dropped the pikestaff as she collapsed to the ground.

The ground felt so good to Tar. The cool grass felt almost what she though a bed would feel like. With her eyes closed, Tar was still; she lay upon the ground, delirious, but still able to hear the other hares converse with each other.

“Lani? Are ye ok?”

"Fine,"

“Ye twa look alike.”

"Just bally great." Tar was able to choke out. Not really comprehending all what was being said.

“There will be only a skeleton guard...we could take the ship.”

"WHAT? You can't know that! You have NO idea who's left on that ship! We barely survived this little adventure and you want to flippin' try our luck AGAIN?"

Her eyes still closed, and her chest breathing up and down laboriously , Tar managed to croak out. "All does stinkin' vermin got off the bally ship, save...1 score?...Wouldn't suggest it though.....ugh....."

"You go an' take it if that's what y'want. You and that stupid rage should be able to handle it just fine."

Tar heard the hare start to march off, but she wasn't sure if it was the a hare she heard, or it was the blood rushing in her ears..What ever it was it was peaceful, Tar thought...This was so peaceful lying here..could she just stay here...she could sleep for a nice....long...time.......Tar thought as she started to drift off into a land between slumber and unconsciousness.

[Grath]

“Lani?” Eastpaw said worriedly, coming closer. He could see now that she was crying, why was she crying? Instantly he felt guilty, a panicked feeling that rose up to squeeze his heart, which seemed lodged in his throat. What if she was badly injured? What if she were dying? It would be all his fault, all his fault like it was with Crystin. He should have gone out, he should have insisted that he help, he should have…

Fiercely he squashed the feelings, still watching Lani. No time for should have’s, Lani was crying now.

"Fine," Lani turned to him then, her eyes flashing dangerously. "WHAT? You can't know that! You have NO idea who's left on that ship! We barely survived this little adventure and you want to flippin' try our luck AGAIN?"

He could have cried himself, she was ok. Nothing said “I’m ok” like biting your big brother’s head off. Instead of crying he grabbed her up in a big hug, grinning like a mad beast. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want you to be hurt!” He said quite a lot in this vein, plus some other about how glad he was that she wasn’t seriously injured and going to die.

“We won’t go, then.” He decided, letting her go.

"Just bally great."

East had completely forgotten about the haremaid, he limped over to her, kneeling at her side and taking stock of her injuries. “Wots yore name, miss? We can’t be calling ye ‘the ‘aremaid’ and ‘the slave’ and ‘her’ t’whole bloody trip t’the mountain, wot!”

"All does stinkin' vermin got off the bally ship, save...1 score?...Wouldn't suggest it though.....ugh....."

He tore a couple strips off his tunic, using one to bind the other over the gash in her thigh. The other injuries were relatively minor.

“We can do a better job, farther away, aye Lani?” He half-asked, half-stated. They would need to move anyway, staying close was not advisable just now. He felt bad about the other slaves but they just weren’t able to do anything about it, he saw now.

[Tracy]

Lani wasn't necessarily mad at her brother, she was mad at the Bloodwrath. It was too strange and uncomfortable for her to try and explain this to East though, so she just gave in and tried to make him feel better. "It's okay... I'm okay," she stated, though unable to keep the weariness out of her voice. They were returning from a fairly long run and this little adventure right near the end had effectively sapped all her energy.

The haremaid noticed her brother's limp and sighed. The rest of the way home was going to be a long one now, for East. Not only was he going to have to carry this haremaid, he'd have to do it with a hurt leg. She rifled through a small pack she carried around her waist, tossing things to the ground in her impatience. She came across a small vial with a cream mixture of comfrey and mentha leaves.

Kneeling, she gently undid the cloth East had wrapped around the other haremaid's leg, spreading on some of the cream and gently rewrapping the wound. She then tossed the vial over to East. "Clean y'self up a bit, too. The rest of this night won't be fun for you."

Her eyebrows knitted as she thought about the events that had just occurred. Had this other haremaid gone into Bloodwrath, too? That would've been really strange. Something else was nagging at her too, but it had dropped to the back of her mind in the heat of battle. It came rushing back to her now. She looked over at her brother.

"Hey East. When she jumped into battle, she yelled our warcry. Isn't that funny?"

[Prankster101]

Tar felt drowsy and worn out. This was probably the one thing about Bloodwrath she hated. The aftermath. But in truth, it was also quite nice. The way that she felt she could just sleep for days. Everything became like a dream and surreal, but that was probably the pain she was experience later.

Just before Tar felt like she was going to fall asleep, the male hare came over to her and started talking to her while bandaging her injuries.

“Wots yore name, miss? We can’t be calling ye ‘the ‘aremaid’ and ‘the slave’ and ‘her’ t’whole bloody trip t’the mountain, wot!”

"I'm not a bally miss wot! It's Tar. Nothing else!" Tar was able to snap out. She may be delirious and injured, but she was still her gripey old self. " And I ain't going anywheres that I don't want too!.....*pause*....What mountain?" She asked. Although snippy, Tar was curious as to what the mountain was. Something down in her gut wanted her to go there. It pulled at her mind, telling her that is was a safe place, a good place.....

“We can do a better job, farther away, aye Lani?”

"Clean y'self up a bit, too. The rest of this night won't be fun for you."

The two hares, both bandaged Tar's leg with some clothing rippings and an ointment of some sorts. It stung horribly, but all the time feeling better than it had before. Tar tried to prop herself up, but the chains on her paws gave her a limited range of motion and her back hurt alot!

She groaned as she finally was able to twist herself into a sitting position where she could see the rough bandage bound upon her leg. This was going to be a long trip....Tar thought to herself as she then tried to unsuccessfully stand up.

Gripping the pikestaff she had dropped earlier, Tar dug the pole into the ground and tried to use the little arm strength she had left to pull herself up, using the pole for support. It might have worked, but when Tar had her paws underneath her, the injured leg couldn't be stood on and the other leg couldn't take the pressure. Tar's knees buckled and she collapsed to the ground again. Tar muttered quietly to herself as she struggled to sit up again, cursing her uselessness.

[Grath]

"Clean y'self up a bit, too. The rest of this night won't be fun for you."

Eastpaw blinked at her, then down at his footpaw. Propping himself against a tree, he ripped another strip from his tunic, wetting it from his canteen and cleaning the wound. It seemed the weapon, whatever it had been, had just missed stabbing his footpaw, and instead had ripped a good chunk off his leg.

"Hey East. When she jumped into battle, she yelled our warcry. Isn't that funny?"

“Not really,” He shrugged. “She’s a ‘are, after all, wot!”

"I'm not a bally miss wot! It's Tar. Nothing else!" Tar was able to snap out. She may be delirious and injured, but she was still her gripey old self. " And I ain't going anywheres that I don't want too!.....*pause*....What mountain?"

“Well, miss Tar, the mountain is jolly ol’ Salamandastron, of course!” East bound his leg up tight, his tunic was really looking rather ragged. He exchanged a glance with his sister, then stood and walked over to where the haremaid was attempting to walk.

“Aye, ‘tis a good thing yore only a mite.” Without much ceremony East scooped her up. “Seems t’be the only way we’ll get anywhere, wot!”

---

They had been walking for quiet a while, the sky was starting to lighten. He looked over at Lani, speaking quietly. "Find us a place t'camp yet, Lan?"

[Tracy]

Lani frowned a little when East seemed disinterested in the other haremaid's use of their warcry. "Aye, a hare that doesn't even know wot 'the mountain' is," she said with a disbelieving shake of her head.

Gathering up the materials she had scattered on the ground, she listened as the haremaid angrily introduced herself. Lani shook her head. "Tar. Tar? Wot kind o' name is that? I could think of a lot o' names for you and Tar ain't one."

She stood then, closing up her pack and rolled her eyes. "Fine, don't want t'come to Salamandastron? 'Tis more food for the rest of us. You'll slow us up anyhow. East, ya ought t'jus-" but her brother had already taken it upon himself to scoop the angry little haremaid up to bring her along. Oh well.

Taking out her own canteen, still almost full, she unscrewed it and pushed it over to Tar. Lani might be temperamental and impatient and in particular finding this foul-mouthed hare a bit annoying, but she wasn't heartless. "Some clean water, thought it might'a been awhile since you had any. Don't drink it up too fast, we're gettin' farther from fresh water."

-----

Lani had almost walked herself into a stupor, and East's voice brought her back to reality. Glancing to the sliver of light creeping from the east, her nose crinkled. She wished they'd made it further by now, they weren't making great time. Going slow was an entirely foreign concept to her.

She nodded to their left. "Should slip into the shade of the trees just over there, find a small clearing." She beckoned him along and found a fairly enclosed, dry bit of land. She set some of her stuff down, preparing to relax. "We're out o' food though. Would y'rather stay here with our little vagrant or go scrounge up somethin' to eat? Either's fine by me."

[Prankster101]

“Well, miss Tar, the mountain is jolly ol’ Salamandastron, of course!”

Tar looked confusingly at the male hare, called East, who was bandaging his own leg. "No miss! Just Tar!" She griped. "And what is Sal-a- man-da-wots-it?"

The other hare, Lani, gave Tar's name a running over as she picked up some of the materials that were scattered about the ground.

"Tar. Tar? Wot kind o' name is that? I could think of a lot o' names for you and Tar ain't one."

Tar almost snarled at Lani. "Ain't nothin' wrong with Tar. And if you have a problem, you can take it up with my fist!"

"Fine, don't want t'come to Salamandastron? 'Tis more food for the rest of us. You'll slow us up anyhow. East, ya ought t'jus-"

Tar was about to snipe back at Lani when East unceremoniously came over to her and picked her up.

“Aye, ‘tis a good thing yore only a mite. Seems t’be the only way we’ll get anywhere, wot!”

" Whoa!" Tar exclaimed as East picked her up. "Put me down ye miserable muck-walloper! Put Me Down!" She said, but realizing that struggling might bring both of them down, Tar let East Carry her, but she continued to curse to herself. She hated being babied, either that or she had never experienced it and didn't quite know how to respond.

"Some clean water, thought it might'a been awhile since you had any. Don't drink it up too fast, we're gettin' farther from fresh water."

Tar eyed the canteen,b but ended up grabbing it and taking a few long sips. Fresh water!!! She hadn't had some in so long! The water felt so good upon her lips as she indulged in the nutrients it brought to her aching body. After she was done, Tar handed the canteen back to Lani with a small mutter, "thanks."

Then the troop tramped off with Tar in East's arms, most disliking her useless position. Tar's eyes began to droop again as they traveled. The way East walked bounced her up and down lightly, just like the ship, but unlike the ship, Tar felt safe in his arms. She had never felt this way before. It was happy. Tar let her eyes close, wanting to saver this safe fealing.......

_________________________________________

The only reason Tar had woken up from her dose in East's arms was the fact that the sun was shining directly into her eye and that he spoke to Lani, talking about a place to camp.

"Find us a place t'camp yet, Lan?"

"Should slip into the shade of the trees just over there, find a small clearing."

Tar yawned as they walked into a clear little glade and Lani began to put her stuff down on the dry ground.

"We're out o' food though. Would y'rather stay here with our little vagrant or go scrounge up somethin' to eat? Either's fine by me."

"Well," Tar interrupted before East could reply. "I could care less what either of ye did, but this 'little vagrant' would like to be PUT DOWN!!" She griped. Although the mention of food made her undernourished stomach growl, she still wanted to be put down!

[Grath]

"Should slip into the shade of the trees just over there, find a small clearing." She beckoned him along and found a fairly enclosed, dry bit of land. She set some of her stuff down, preparing to relax. "We're out o' food though. Would y'rather stay here with our little vagrant or go scrounge up somethin' to eat? Either's fine by me."

East followed his younger sister into the small clearing, debating whether or not he felt up to hunting up a meal. He certainly was tired, and his leg had started giving him sharp pains a few miles back. Fortunately, it was now only a dull throbbing.

"Well," Tar interrupted before East could reply. "I could care less what either of ye did, but this 'little vagrant' would like to be PUT DOWN!!"

“Leilani, ye shouldna be callin' 'er a little vagrant.” East chided gently, letting go of Tar's legs so she could stand, but holding on to her shoulders until she was steady, at which time he let go and sank onto the moss. He leaned back against a tree, his stomach growling in response to Tar's. “I'll go gather some early berries or something.” He really was so very tired. The bloodwrath and adrenaline was finally catching up to him. “I will...” he didn't drift off into sleep, sleep conked him over the head and he was out.

[Tracy]

Leilani was relieved when East offered to gather some food for them, and threw herself onto the ground for a nap. It was quickly clear to her though that her brother was not going to find anything for them to eat. She considered following suit and just taking a nap herself, but if they didn't eat, they would not be home soon. Grumbling, she pushed herself to her feet.

She sent a glance to Tar at this point, considering telling the haremaid not to run off while she wasn't being watched. But Lani decided against it. The haremaid could barely walk, much less run away from them. Also, she'd miss out on the chance for something to eat. Furthermore, it wasn't as if Tar was their prisoner; if she felt so inclined to leave, who was Lani to stop her?

Shrugging mentally, she slipped back in the direction they'd been initially walking, looking for some sign of fresh water, which also usually meant some food to eat.

-----

Before long, Lani had started a small fire and was cooking a very simple stew over it. Normally she saved hot food for dinner, but her and East had not had a proper meal since lunch the day before. And truly there was no telling when Tar last had a proper meal.

Lani had found a small pond nearby and had taken it upon herself to fill both her and her brother's canteens with fresh water; plenty enough to share with the other hare. The real excitement came, however, when she happened upon wild carrots and asparagus growing in the brush. Cutting some free, she pocketed them, and then cut free some watercress that grew on the bank of the pond.

Having cleanly cut the vegetables, she threw them in with a substantial amount of water, adding a bit of spice with the watercress. She stirred it on occasion until it had a somewhat thicker consistency, although it was still a very thin stew. It wasn't fine dining by any means, but Lani was skilled at living off the land.

She'd also found some blueberries, but there weren't many ripe ones to be had at this time. She scrounged up what few decent ones she could find, washed them, and they were sitting out nearby as well.

[Prankster101]

((Ooc: Grath, Tracy. I'm going to be gone for a while. The "Alert" Thread in the Absence threads explains all the details. If y'all could wait for me when it happens to be my turn again? Thanks. ))

“Leilani, ye shouldna be callin' 'er a little vagrant.”

Tar rolled her eyes at East's comment as he caried her into the little glade. She really did want to be put down, however. For now that she was somewhat awake and observant, she noticed that East walked with a slight limp on his injured leg. It was most likely from the injury, but Tar didn't want him carrying her make it worse.

Once in the glade, East gently let Tar's legs down so she could get her balance before she was left to her own strength. As Tar's footpaws felt the rough ground, her knees instantly felt like jello and threatened to give out. But Tar was not going to let that happen. Digging deep, Tar found the smallest bit of strength to pull herself together and stand.

East continued to hold onto Tar's shoulders with a strong paw to give her something to lean on as she gained her balance. Tar felt safe in East's grasp. That Tar could remember, she never had some beast that was willing to hold her up and support her. They all always had pushed her down at the slightest chance, but not East. Why did he care about her anyway? Tar thought to herself as she mumbled out a soft, "thank you" to East.

“I'll go gather some early berries or something. I will...”

After East let go of Tar, he tried to help, but he instead collapsed in a patch of moss beneath a tree and fell asleep. Tar followed his lead and slowly sat down beneath another tree as Lani got up grumbling. AS she stood up, Lani shot Tar a look as if she was going to tell her something, but changed her mind and walked off out of the glade.

Tar turned her face away from the area in which Lani left, out of instinct, as she began to feel herself drop into one of her moods again. That hare, Lani, she really took Tar's brash nature seriously, and it hurt Tar deep down inside. Everything hurt Tar deep down. She felt so broken inside. Nobeast cared. Nobeast ever did. These hares don't care, they are only being sympathetic. Everything just hurts. Why, oh why, oh why does everything have to hurt?

Looking down at her chained paws, Tar struggled to hold back tears. She couldn't stand it anymore. Searching the ground around her, Tar came upon a small sharp, piece of shale. Taking the shale, Tar twisted her left paw around until she came to the small lock that kept her paws prisoner in the chains. Holding the chain in place with her left paw and holding the shale in her right, Tar began attacking the lock with the stone.

Tar wasn't working professionally at trying to pick the lock. Her welled up emotions came out as she pounded the lock, but she did try to keep it quieter as East was asleep.
____________________________________________

Upon Lani's return, Tar was still pounding at her chains, with out much luck in breaking them open. Lani appeared to be pretty much ignoring Tar as she made a fire and started cooking what appeared to be soup. Tar's stomach growled loudly as the sent of the thin broth swept into Tar's nostrils. It smelled sooooooo good to a beast who hadn't had a warm meal in what seemed like forever, but Tar kept her head down. Still pounding away at her chains. Lani probably didn't care about her. She hadn't been the politest beast in the world, and she still called her alittle vagrant anyway.

Tar chanced a glance up at Lani's progress with the soup. She had blueberries too!!! Tar instinctively licked her lips as she watched Lani prepare the food, but quickly looked down again, looking at the broken piece of shale in her paws and the still solid lock in her chains. Tar chucked the piece of shale of into the woods as she put her head in her paws, trying to hold back the overwhelming emotions that threaten to spill over her control.

[Tracy]

Lani had been watching Tar half-heartedly as she cooked her stew, watching the other haremaid try and free herself from the bonds. Lani knew she had seen them, but between battling earlier, Tar's belligerent disposition, and her own immense fatigue, she hadn't really thought to do anything about it. She glanced over at East, still sleeping. He'd wake when the smell of the stew wafted over.

Sighing, and although still annoyed with Tar, she was feeling guilty just sitting there as the imprisoned hare hopelessly tried to free herself from the cuffs. Although her intention had just been to get her back to the mountain and use their various resources to get her free, but Lani knew this was something she could probably take care of now.

She stood, allowing the stew to boil for a few more minutes, and walked over to Tar. She rifled around the ground nearby and came up with another, smaller stone. "Let me see," she said, taking Tar's paws. "Y'need a flatter stone to catch the latch inside... 's why keys are flat." She wiggled the small piece of rock in the lock slowly, feeling around for the latch inside. "I used t'pick locks at home to get my bow out when I wasn't s'posed to use it."

It took her a minute or two, but she finally caught the latch and the cuffs sprung open. She undid the bonds and dropped them. "Don't make me regret that," she said with a sigh, walking back over to the small fire she'd made.

She used the small pot then to smother the fire before she took out two cups out of her traveling pack. She poured some of the steaming food into one of the cups, and got a cleaned, flat leaf on which she placed half of the blueberries she'd collected - Tar probably needed more of the nutrition anyway, so Lani gave her a somewhat bigger share of the food she'd made. She then brought the cup and leaf of berries over and set them by Tar, as well as leaving one of the full canteens by her.

"Don't eat it up too fast... you'll make yourself sick if you're not used to proper food."